Welcome to the world of the magical blue stone! Turquoise is well-known among jewelry lovers and experts as a semi-precious gemstone. It has a captivating blue hue and boasts of being the only gemstone that has a color named after it.
What Is Exactly is Turquoise?
Turquoise is French for Turkish. The story is told that this greenish-blue opaque mineral was excavated from Asian mines and brought to Europe through Turkey. Hence, another name for Turquoise is ‘Turkish Stone’.
It takes over a million years for Turquoise to form, and this happens when water passes through cracks in rocks containing aluminum and copper. This causes a chemical reaction which forms rocky veins otherwise known as Turquoise.
Here, we will be highlighting the different types of Turquoise and what to look out for when buying this precious gemstone, as there are imitations of it on the markets that you could mistake a genuine.
Types of Turquoise :
- Natural Turquoise: These are turquoise gems that have not been altered in any way. They are the most expensive type and show class and royalty when made into a Turquoise and pearl necklace.
- Stabilized Turquoise: Acrylic or Epoxy has been applied to this type to fill the pores. This helps to preserve gem.
- Color-Enhanced Turquoise: This has passed through the same treatment as the stabilized typed but has also been dyed to enhance its color.
- Reconstituted Turquoise: This is made from Turquoise powder mixed with epoxy and dye and then molded into jewelry.
- Simulated Turquoise: This is the imitation made of plastic.
What You Should Look Out For When Buying Turquoise
Color and Saturation
Turquoise comes in different shades in the blue-green family. This ranges from light sky blue, mid blue, deep blue, bluish-green to sea green. The varieties with mid-range blue colors, which are evenly distributed are the most valuable and look great in Turquoise and pearl necklaces.
The Clarity
Clarity determines the look of the gemstone. This gemstone is mostly opaque, but there are the translucent varieties that are quite rare. Generally, they are matte in appearance, though some contain internal spidery inclusions. However, most jewel lovers prefer the clear varieties.
The Cut
Cutting is not a critical factor because some come in interesting natural cuts. However, it can be more beautiful when cut into chips, oval, beads, or cabochons. The more beautiful the cut, whether natural or not, the more desirable it is.
The Carat Size
Turquoise is usually mined as large slabs that are then cut into smaller pieces. Generally, you will be fine with pieces cut into 4-8 carats for your jewelry needs.
Your Skin Tone
In making a good choice, you need to consider your skin tone and the prevalent color of outfits in your wardrobe. Turquoise generally adapts better to cool skin tones.
Nonetheless, turquoise also looks good on the warm skin variants. It looks really good on neutral colors like black, white, grey, and brown which naturally accentuate its bluish hue.
Turquoise is a really fascinating gem. Remember to care for your Turquoise jewelry by preventing them from scratching; by wiping with a soft cloth dipped in hot water, and drying them after each use. After this, you could go on to store them away in a safe place.
