We've covered a lot of 'turquoise' ground over the last few weeks. Previous blogs told us about the legends surrounding this gem, the origin of the name, locations where turquoise is mined, colors or turquoise.. and lots more. Now it's time to learn a few do's and dont's to take care of your precious turquoise jewelry ! Turquoise is a porous stone. Even if it has … [Read more...]
Visions of Turquoise Dance in my Head..
Turquoise for the most part is quite porous. This means it is vulnerable to chipping or fading over time. Some of the earlier turquoise mined in Persia was more stable but sadly those mines are depleted. What is done to protect the stones so we can wear our jewelry without worry? The primary processes are: Stabilized Turquoise: The rough material is soaked in an … [Read more...]
Forget the Ruby Slippers Dorothy…
Wear the ruby jewelry instead! OK, I know that technically Dorothy needed the slippers to get her out of OZ, but none of us have that excuse do we? A couple of years ago a customer asked me to design a ring using a ruby gemstone. I had not worked with rubies before so was excited for the challenge. When researching the options we ultimately chose a lab grown gemstone. … [Read more...]
Howlite: the great pretender.
[tweet_dis_img][/tweet_dis_img] Howlite is a beautiful white gemstone with black veins or inclusions. I call it the great pretender because some (not so reputable) dealers dye it and sell as turquoise, coral or lapis. It has also been mistakenly marketed as white turquoise. Howlite is a very porous stone. This is one reason these fakes can be created. Mostly the suppliers in … [Read more...]
