Identifying Discovering - Turquoise People Some turquoise can be pulled right out of the ground, cut up, and set into jewelry with no stabilization needed Sometimes, just a simple backing is needed before being set into the jewelry This is very rare though, and not the case with most turquoise Most turquoise needs to be stabilized to protect it from breaking or crumbling
Cleaning Turquoise and silver jewlery There are many ways to clean your silver and turquoise on the internet but not all of them are safe In cleaning turquoise jewelry several factors come into play 1st is the type of piece you are working with Is it a piece of history that the patina (aging or tarnish) is part of its character, history and value If so use no chemicals, only a soft towel and water In this case even a tooth
A Discussion about Chinese Turquoise Chinese turquoise can be just as beautiful as American turquoise, “In fact, China seemed to produce the highest amount of spiderweb turquoise thus far Some of the high-grade Chinese turquoise resembles and is thought to be equal to many of the better known or classic American Southwestern mines” (Durango Silver Company)
Identifying Your Navajo, Hopi, Zuni Jewelry, Plus Maker Zuni and Navajo turquoise cluster pins Very similar, but do show slight differences The Zuni pride themselves on stone work and they do not like to show lots of matrix, the Navajo piece shows lots of matrix Also, remember the silver, the Zuni piece (on the left) has that nice open design, the Navajo piece has the heavier silver look
“Mojave Turquoise” - Identifying Discovering - Turquoise People Mojave or Copper Turquoise COULD be real (but unlikely) turquoise, most commonly Howlite or Magnesite infused with metals, dyes or chemicals to change the appearance (think green or purple) Block or Reconstituted is arguably NOT REAL since it is a powder infused with resins and color and completely man made (even if the powder is from turquoise)
Real vs. Fake - Turquoise People Working in a pawn shop that serves the Navajo Zuni Indian Reservations, which is the Heart of Turquoise Country, allows us to see hundreds of pieces of jewelry with stones (fake real) in one working day Plus, this is where the majority of Navajo Zuni turquoise art is made That means Gallup is a main stop on the turquoise dealers trail, selling these pieces of blue gold to the trading
Block turquoise chart - Real vs. Fake - Turquoise People I found this chart depicting all kinds of block turquoise available to purchase Always be aware of what you are buying! I found that gently “tapping” the stone against my teeth is a good test that I can do on site (before purchasing) without damaging the stone Genuine turquoise will sound like glass when gently tapped against your tooth Block will sound like plastic It sounds like a
Backing material for thin turquoise? - Show Tell - Turquoise People I have mostly been working with some of my dad’s stock of turquoise, and now have been contemplating doing the thinner pieces Most of them are pretty irregular on the back (not cut flat, just natural), and the backing material would have to fill any gaps and crevises I know that many people often use some kind of (black, usually) backing material for their thin slabs What is that material
Reworking a bolo into a pendant-looking for opinions! Hi all, this is a bolo that was my dad’s I really like the stone, and don’t dislike the setting I want to have it made into a pendant How involved would this likely be, and I’m also open to having the stone put in an entirely different setting, perhaps more substantial Since I’m undecided, I’m just looking for thoughts and opinions, so fire away if you are so moved 🙂