Turquoise - History, Tradition, and Its Use in Today's Fashion Jewelry

Turquoise is a hydrated copper aluminum phosphate [CuAl6(Po4)4(Oh)8*5(H2O)] and gets its blue-green hues from its copper content. It has been used as a gemstone for jewelry and decorative purposes for thousands of years. The origin of the word is not exactly known, other than the fact that the word has its origins in French. The name probably comes from French translations of either Turkish (Turquois) or dark-blue stone (pierre turquin). The best grades of this gemstone come from Iran, though they are rivaled by specimens from the Southwestern United States. Turquoise has been mined and used for jewelry and decorative purposes for at least 6,000 years, it has been devalued in up-to-date times by the introduction of imitations, synthetics, and treatments. It is often the stone of selection for fashion jewelry together with silver turquoise pendants. The stone in its natural form as described is too high-priced for fashion jewelry. However, a good stabilization process is makes it potential for artisans in the Southwest to make their famed jewelry.

Even the finest grades of this gemstone in its have state have low hardness, high porosity, and low density. So untreated the untreated gem will suck up oils from the skin, and other liquids, and can turn in color with time. In some respects, this moderately changing color with use adds to the charm and allure of the natural form of the gem. Only the finest gem-quality stone is of enough hardness so that it can be cut, polished, and used as a pendant or ring or earrings. Only a small fraction of this stone in the world (probably less than 5 percent) is of this high quality.   The vast majority of turquoise is too soft and too porous to be used directly as gemstone. The natural stone is infused with a clear resin, improving its hardness, reducing its porosity, and allows polishing to a high shine. Once treated, the gem is cut, shaped, polished, and installed in metal settings to generate beautiful pendants, earrings, and other pieces of fashion jewelry. Most of the turquoise on the market today is stabilized. A dye is sometimes added to the resin to turn its color.  

Turquoise

Reconstituted gemstone is also ready on the market, and is probably the cheapest form. Chips, fragments, and poor potential stone are ground to a powder, mixed with resin, and molded into blocks. Once the blocks harden, items of jewelry are then carved out from this block. The dark spider veins so characteristic of the natural gem are conspicuously absent from the reconstituted version.  

Imitation or fake turquoise is very pervasive in today's jewelry market, and is one of the key reasons for the devaluation of natural turquoise. The most tasteless imitation is howlite, although other fakes can also be found. Howlite is a porous form of calcite or chalk that can be colored and treated with epoxy resin, and made to look very similar to the genuine item. Treated and dyed howlite is often being sold as the genuine item today, especially from online sources based in Asia. Buyers are cautioned to ask questions before investing money with unknown sellers.

Turquoise - History, Tradition, and Its Use in Today's Fashion Jewelry

Recommend : The Bests Rings