What does a real turquoise stone look like?
Turquoise is a stone of heaven and water at the same time. It combines two elements at once, very moving and sublime. Therefore, it has the ability to transform the aura not only of a person, but also of the room where the stone is located. Typically, such a room should be used for rest and recovery, but turquoise can also be used in the boss’s office. The water component flows around all fast zones, making them cleaner and calmer. turquoise stone Can be placed in a relaxation or holiday area, in a family room. All important conversations and discussions can take place here, life plans can be discussed and secrets can be revealed. Turquoise can be found both in interior items, jewelry, and in statues, decoration, and stationery. ☘Turquoise locations Today, especially high-quality samples are formed in Iranian lands. But stone mining occurs in many territories, including America, Afghanistan, France, and Australia. The very first excavations took place in Egypt. Nowadays, small amounts of the mineral are also mined in English and Chinese lands, in addition to Egyptian ones. ☘Appropriate combinations with other stones and materialsTurquoise goes well with many metals. Silver suits her especially; green and blue pieces will fit perfectly into such products. You can also combine the copper shine of products with the blue color of the stone. To give the product the power of an amulet, you can add to turquoise those stones that suit your zodiac sign. But it is important to remember that the additional stone must match the qualities of turquoise, then the power of the amulet will be increased significantly. That mineral turquoise began to act in an enhanced mode, gave a good mood, calmed the soul, it can be combined with topazes, sapphires, tourmalines, lapis lazuli. With them, it looks beautiful and enhances its characteristics. ☘Learning to distinguish a real stone from a fake Turquoise is an expensive stone and not very common in jewelry, so it is often counterfeited. If you are not a stone connoisseur and are going to buy turquoise for the first time, you need to be prepared for this event. The mineral has been mined for a long time, and at the moment its reserves are gradually depleted. All this leads to the fact that the supply of stone becomes less as a percentage of demand, and in connection with this, the price of the stone itself and products with it increases. Cheap turquoise is always fake turquoise. If a seller can charge $20-30 for a fake, then a real stone will cost no less than $100-150. Here are some tips for choosing real turquoise:
- Pay attention to the size of the stone. Real turquoise It is practically not mined in large quantities; it is a great rarity and will be very expensive. Standard specimens do not exceed half a cm in diameter;
- Don’t buy cheap samples. This will obviously be a skillful fake;
- There is a way to check the authenticity of a stone, which is not very humane for a stone – you need to scratch it with a thin needle. If a trace remains, it is a natural stone; if not, it is most likely glass. If the mark still remains, but becomes whitish, it is the same fake, only made of painted plastic;
- If the stone is polished, its strength increases, and, in theory, there should be no chips or scratches on it. But now technology makes it possible to produce such skillful imitations that their final strength will be even higher than that of natural stone. Therefore, this method is no longer entirely relevant; it is advisable to seek help from the previous verification option;
- Ask the seller for certificates for the product and the stone separately. Natural mineral turquoise should always be supported by a document, but if the seller cannot provide it, it is more likely to say that he is trying to sell you a fake stone.
☘Stone care
Any decoration must be kept in appropriate conditions. Each stone requires its own care, but general rules apply to all minerals:
- Do not expose products to high and low temperatures, temperature changes, or pressure changes;
- Many stones are afraid of sunlight, which makes them fade and become brittle, so store them away from ultraviolet radiation in dark places;
- Do not clean products using steam or ultrasound, rarely any stones can remove them;
- Avoid contact of the stone with cosmetics, aggressive substances, abrasives;
- It is better to clean stones from specialists, but if this is not possible, you can use plain water and mild soap;
- It is advisable to store each product separately from others so that they cannot interact and damage each other. This is especially important for turquoise, which has the ability to lose its strength when in contact with other minerals;
- Few stones like high humidity, and turquoise is no exception. Remove products containing minerals before swimming, taking a bath, and keep away from water bodies.
Turquoise products may be different. Beads are often made from them, but the imagination of the craftsmen does not end there. Necklaces, rings, earrings, and sometimes bracelets and pendants are made.
☘Characteristics of the stone, belonging to the subspecies, properties
Turquoise is a blue, blue-green or white stone. The history of the mineral is deeply rooted in the history of mankind; since ancient times it has been used in various jewelry and ornamental fields. The symbolism of the stone is the most favorable and noble – it brings happiness, love and peace.
According to its color characteristics, a stone can be not only turquoise, but also contain various inclusions of white and brown shades. Although the stones may differ from each other in color, they share some common characteristics:
- They are opaque, completely matte;
- They have a waxy sheen;
- They may contain some irregularities and pores;
- If they are ground into powder, it will be white;
- Stones can dissolve in hydrochloric acid.
☘Historical information
Since ancient times, people have learned about turquoise and began to use it to their advantage. It was first discovered by the Egyptians, but the fame of the stone quickly spread beyond the borders of one country. Deposits of stones began to be dug up everywhere, and many nations fell in love with turquoise for its excellent qualities and beauty. Europe saw the mineral only after Turkey, from where turquoise was supplied to European traders, so for quite a long time the stone was called Turkish.
Turquoise appeared in the earth’s crust due to the processes of interaction between moisture and different temperatures occurring in it. This birth is typical for many stones. That’s why turquoise deposits can be found in many parts of the Earth, be it Australia, or Mexico, or Egypt. The most expensive stone is considered to be the one mined by hand, and this method is used only in Iran.
☘Healing properties of the stone
As mentioned above, turquoise is excellent for many diseases. It serves as a kind of signal light when something bad happens to the owner – it changes color and becomes dull. Some may give a magical explanation for this, but from a scientific point of view this happens because the patient’s blood composition, secretions, fats change, and the stone, being very sensitive to such substances, when it comes into contact with human secretions, begins to change its properties and react to them.
In general, the stone helps with many diseases, and these are:
- Eye diseases, the stone improves vision, helps the eyes recover;
- Relieves headaches, migraines;
- Helps prevent colds and relieve them;
- Helps the body stay in good shape and prolong its physical youth, regenerate and recover faster;
- The mineral stops bleeding;
- The stone can also help with diseases of the throat and vocal cords;
- Many stomach diseases, including ulcers, are easier to treat with the help of a stone and can be cured faster.
In addition, turquoise can help the body fight other diseases: heart, liver, thyroid. Another undeniable advantage is its help with insomnia, anxiety, and nervous conditions.
For treatment, it is better to choose bright specimens of blue or turquoise; green, although it has healing properties, is still slightly less.
☘Magic stone turquoise
Throughout the ages, turquoise has been valued for its magical properties. It attracts family happiness, stops quarrels and resentments, and attracts friends and like-minded people. In addition, she is able to discover gifts and talents in the owner, to reveal his abilities. At the same time, turquoise fills a person with confidence, determination and intelligence, helps to make decisions and see the truth in issues.
According to other beliefs, turquoise is simply created for concentration, so it is often used for meditative practices, for concentration and training attentiveness and memory. This is especially important for people in science, students, and business people.
Turquoise can bestow a person with wealth and all the benefits he desires, but his thoughts must be pure. A good person wearing turquoise will pass by misfortunes, bad weather, and disasters.
Another one turquoise ability – endow the owner with eloquence. This is especially important for people in public speaking professions, teachers, and diplomats.
Turquoise is also very loved by women. She gives them attractiveness and charm, which definitely attract the attention of the opposite sex. Therefore, since ancient times, this stone was considered truly feminine.
☘Belonging of the stone to the zodiac sign
Turquoise is suitable many signs. The stone works very well with Scorpios – it helps them achieve success, make a career and at the same time have time to start a happy family.
For Sagittarius, the stone will give incredible protection from bad weather and accidents, and will also bring harmony and tranquility to life, helping to become more sophisticated and wise.
The stone will also give wisdom to Aquarius. This is a rather flighty sign, and therefore some seriousness in life will not hurt him. Owners of turquoise will become calmer and find family happiness.
Gemini will be able to calm down their duality for a while, begin to make only the right decisions, find unity with their inner world, and achieve harmony and mental balance.
Aries stone is able to protect from many negatives and accidents, and at the same time give them insight and confidence.
Taurus can pay attention to turquoise if they need protection from evil people and from troubles. And the stone is also able to preserve the youth of its owner.
For Cancers, the stone is indicated for achieving harmony and peace not only in their inner world, but also in the family. With the help of the mineral, you can cope with the past, forget all the bad things, and start living again.
Leos cannot always make friends with turquoise, but in rare cases the stone can provide protection to this sign as well. You can take it with you on trips, then it will show itself in full force. In general, the stone is not indicated for this sign.
Virgos will gain only positive things from the stone – happiness in the family, comfort, protection. To some extent decoration with turquoise can become a heirloom for the Virgo family, passed down through generations.
For Libra who is always doubting, turquoise will help them find the right answers to questions and become more decisive and confident.
With the help of the stone, Pisces will clear their thoughts of doubts, bring out their talents and be able to declare them publicly.
Capricorns will receive peace and mental balance and life satisfaction from the stone. The stone will also help with insomnia and give good dreams.
☘Learning to distinguish natural stone from fake
There are several tips for identifying real turquoise from a fake:
- The most blasphemous way is to scratch the stone with a needle. If a white center begins to appear, then it is a fake. A real stone will be colored to the depths;
- You can wipe the stone with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. If the paint starts to wash off, it’s an imitation;
- Heat it over a fire – if an unpleasant odor begins to appear and the stone itself begins to melt, it is a fake. This is also not a very correct method, since heating can damage the natural stone and cause it to crack. The experiment must be carried out carefully, holding the stone over the fire for a short time;
- You can also look into the hole for the thread if it is a stone in beads. If the inside is white, it is an imitation;
- Pay attention to the size of the stone. Real turquoise is practically not mined in large sizes; usually its specimens do not exceed 0,5 cm in diameter. If the stone is larger and not too expensive, it is a fake.
Silver Lily – online store of silver jewelry with natural stones
- Information
- How to make an order
- Pay
- Delivery
- Useful articles
- Warranties and returns
- Determining the purity of stones
- Contacts
- Website map
Turquoise belongs to the group of hydrous copper phosphates. Also one of the main elements in its composition is aluminum. The mineral has a complex chemical formula CuAl6[PO4]4(OH)8·5H2O, and one of the main elements in the composition is aluminum. Also, the composition usually contains impurities of other elements – iron, zinc, vanadium, silicon and calcium.
Its quality and physical properties depend on the purity of the chemical composition of turquoise.
What does turquoise stone look like? This is an opaque mineral with a waxy sheen and a fairly wide range of shades:
- голубые Copper gives the stone its color (from pale blue to bright blue-blue). It was in connection with the presence of this most valued color that the word “turquoise” was formed;
- violet an admixture of strontium adds a tint to the blue color;
- green shades appear in the presence of iron. Depending on the amount of impurity, the color intensity changes – from greenish-blue to rich green. And the green color with a bright herbal tint is given by vanadium oxide;
- behind yellow, brown и brown the tone is due to the presence of iron hydroxide;
- bleaching mineralization occurs with significant admixtures of kaolinite and quartz. This is how white turquoise and stones with a gray tint appear.
Even within one area of a deposit, a mineral can have a different color.
Natural turquoise has porous structure. Because of this, it absorbs liquids well, including cosmetics and household chemicals, and reacts to sudden changes in temperature and direct sunlight. All this leads to a deterioration in the quality of the stone: it fades, becomes dull and begins to deteriorate.
Turquoise: precious/semi-precious stone or not
The bulk of turquoise in deposits is not in pure form, but in a complex combination with other minerals. Depending on the origin, the following main varieties are distinguished:
- veined. Turquoise fills cracks inside another mineral. Typically, such veins are short in length and can be either straight or branched. The more massive the deposits, the worse the quality of turquoise in them due to the greater amount of impurities. This is the most common form of the mineral. However, usually no more than 20% of such turquoise is suitable for use in jewelry;
- nodular. Turquoise is formed in the form of rounded bumps that stand out noticeably against the background of other minerals. The amount of jewelry turquoise in this form is even less than in the veined form;
- interspersed. Turquoise contains inclusions of other minerals, including in the form of black or brown veins and films. These can be hydroxides of iron, manganese, ancient carbonaceous shales. Minerals often grow together in the most bizarre ways and create beautiful openwork patterns. Such stones are in great demand. Disseminated turquoise refers to mesh (aka cobweb) with complexly intertwined thin lines and lace (aka patterned) with a neat pattern of circles;
- “nuggets” large in size and irregular in shape.
Most jewelry turquoise is mined from veined, nodular types and nuggets.
Pressed turquoise – what is it?
Often natural turquoise has a pale and inexpressive color. To give it an attractive look, improve the color of the stone using chemical dyes. This type of turquoise is called refined or improved. After this treatment, it acquires a bright shine, and the surface of the stone looks polished.
Unnatural turquoise and stone imitation
Turquoise has been successfully created in laboratory conditions since the first half of the twentieth century. This is due to the great popularity of jewelry with this stone and the limited deposits of the mineral.
Modern synthetic High quality turquoise repeats the appearance of the best examples of natural minerals, their chemical and physical properties. In this case, synthetic and natural stones have even comparable costs, and it is very difficult to distinguish them.
Cheaper stones similar to turquoise are often used as turquoise. imitations. This could be, for example, faustite, raschleite, variscite, lazulite, chrysocolla, odontolite, etc. Some stones, such as howlite, quartz, chalcedony, are given a resemblance to turquoise by coloring.
Often found and outright fakes – artificial turquoise, similar to real one only in color. Glass, ceramics, and enamel are used for this. The most popular and cheapest material is plastic.
How to distinguish natural turquoise from a fake
There are ways to identify elementary fakes of turquoise. However, some of them involve a direct effect on the stone.
To determine whether turquoise is natural or not, follow these steps:
- Taking a stone in your hands, evaluate its weight, temperature, and surface condition. Natural mineral should be cold and heavy. Otherwise, it may well be a piece of plastic. Roughness and unevenness in the cut may indicate the natural origin of the stone;
- carefully study the color of the stone: both mineral and artificial imitations of turquoise can have poor quality painting. You can notice this with the naked eye or wipe the stone with alcohol – cheap paint will peel off;
- bring the stone to the fire. The plastic fake will give off an unpleasant odor. Unfortunately, Natural stone may crack if heated for a long time;
- touch the stone with a hot needle. Artificial fakes will melt, but natural turquoise should remain unchanged. Stabilized and refined stones will release impregnation, and the contact area may change color;
- scratch the stone with a needle. A light scratch should remain on natural dense minerals, including turquoise. Imitations made from hard materials (faience, chalcedony) are difficult to scratch. But plastic fakes, on the contrary, are easy. In this case, a light powder or shavings will be formed, and the colored layer of the material will be visible only on the surface;
- if the stones have holes (in a bracelet, beads), look into them. The color inside is different from the color of the outer surface – it is a painted natural or artificial imitation.
Magical and healing properties of turquoise stone
Turquoise has long been endowed with many magical and healing properties. It was used by healers, shamans, sorcerers, alchemists, warriors, and hunters. However, turquoise will only help people with worthy and noble intentions, otherwise it may cause harm.
Turquoise is a stone of love and family happiness.
Turquoise is considered an indicator of human health.
Since ancient times, changes in the color of a stone have helped diagnose presence of serious illnesses from its owner. The loss of bright color by turquoise, darkening and cloudiness were considered alarming signals. It turned out that this phenomenon also has a completely theoretical justification. Indeed, due to increased porosity, turquoise reacts to changes in temperature and humidity of the body with which it comes into contact.
Whose zodiac sign suits turquoise?
Astrologers believe that turquoise favors those zodiac signs that, like the stone itself, are protected by the planets Jupiter and Venus.
So, Sagittarius Turquoise will help curb emotions and develop forethought and caution.
Taurus It will be easier to overcome irritability and listen to other people’s opinions. This will help them not only in their personal life, but also in the professional sphere.
Vesam The stone will give determination, courage and independence.
Pisces will be able to become more attentive, get rid of obsessive restless thoughts and minor worries.
Turquoise is also associated with two elements – water and earth.
It is believed that the stone is ideal for “water people” Scorpions, helping them gain self-control, inner harmony and balance, and improve relationships with others.
“Earthly” Capricorn turquoise will guide them to the desired goal, adding endurance and endurance, and help in the fight against melancholy and anxiety.
However, there are exceptions to the general recommendations. Virgin и Cancers may not be able to cope with the strong energy of the stone. This means that they should wear turquoise with extreme caution.
У Dev turquoise can provoke the development of negative character traits, including excessive pedantry, criticality, and obsession with trifles.
And here at RakovThose in contact with turquoise may experience increased sensitivity, suspiciousness and vulnerability.
For fiery ones Lviv wearing turquoise is contraindicated. The mineral dulls the feeling of fear and distracts the owner’s attention, forcing him to embark on risky adventures.
The rest of the zodiac signs have average compatibility with the stone.
Aries turquoise will help you set priorities correctly, not dissipate in vain, but direct energy in the right direction.
Aquarius The stone will add thoroughness and wisdom, making you think about your actions.
Gemini It will be easier to find balance and harmony in your dual world and make the necessary decisions.
The price of turquoise on the jewelry market varies widely depending on its properties, size, and cut, so it is simply impossible to indicate the exact cost of one carat.
The most valuable variety of turquoise differs uniform bright and intense “turquoise” color. Large fragments have less porosity and are valued higher. The paler the color, the less hardness and density of the stone, the lower the price per gram.
The cost of jewelry with turquoise depends not only on the quality of the stone itself, but also on the method of cutting it, the base material of the product, and the presence of additional inserts. Often turquoise is processed in the form cabochons. For example, silver drop earrings with small turquoise inserts can be purchased for 2-3 thousand rubles, vintage silver rings – for 3-4 thousand. But an elegant silver bracelet with turquoise and Swarovski marcasites will cost 8-8,5 thousand rubles.
If you like turquoise, you can look at the list of jewelry with this stone and choose the one you like.