Turquoise: The Stone of Life

Although we see a lot of it, the formation of Turquoise is actually a rare  occurrence! It is a secondary mineral that formed millions of years ago in  arid, desert climates through a process called "Hydro-Thermal  Replacement" where copper and aluminum phosphates leached out from  rocks due to rain or water. These chemicals/phosphates then reformed  and solidified into the crevices of its "host" mineral such as limestone,  quartz or other minerals that then make up the Turquoise matrix.  

People of many cultures, including ancient Egyptians and Native  Americans, have adorned themselves with Turquoise for thousands of  years. The Native Americans wear the stone as a symbol of vitality,  strength and connection with Mother Earth and her Creator. They consider  it to be a "stone of life" for its ability to morph and change color over time.  

Approximately only 30% of what is mined is hard enough to cut and polish  in its natural state, of which about 3% is considered gem quality. For this  reason Turquoise is often enhanced or altered to make it usable.  

Types of altered Turquoise: 

Stabilized Turquoise is the most common type of turquoise found on the  market today. Lower grade Turquoise is injected with epoxy under heat and  pressure in order to harden the stone and deepen the color. This makes it  usable in jewelry and beads.  

Enhanced Turquoise undergoes an electro-chemical process whereby it  is placed in a watery solution of minerals and an electrical current is passed  through it to harden the stone and deepen the color. Only good quality  Turquoise is treated using this method.  

Reconstituted Turquoise is created by mixing crushed pieces of  Turquoise with epoxy and dye to make a larger piece suitable for  inexpensive jewelry or beads.  

Imitation Turquoise: Sometimes Howlite or Magnesite is dyed to produce  an affordable imitation Turquoise. Inexpensive department store jewelry  often contains "Block Turquoise" which is a fancy name for dyed plastic. 

The color and pattern of Turquoise can differ slightly depending on the  locality where it is mined. The Southwestern US (primarily Nevada and  Arizona), the Middle East and China are major sources of Turquoise in the  world. Here are few Turquoise varieties that we carry at Earth Odyssey.

Kingman Turquoise is blue with a "white-web" matrix that is often dyed  black for better contrast. Veins of Pyrite grow throughout Turquoise from  this region and it is believed that mining took place in the Kingman, Arizona  area as far back as 600 A.D. A single family operates the mine, and they  created the "stabilization process" in the 1950's which is now used  worldwide at present.  

Sleeping Beauty Turquoise has a distinct and rich sky blue color. It was  named after the mountain range where it is located in Globe, AZ which  from a distance is said to resemble a sleeping woman with her arms  crossed. The mine was closed in 2012 due to increased mining costs and  government regulations and the price has now risen significantly.  

Chinese Turquoise has been mined for over 2000 years but only made it's  way into the American market in the 1980's. It has distinct black or dark  brown "spider webbing". Chinese Turquoise has been sold under false  pretenses as "American Turquoise" from rare US mines which has  damaged its reputation as being "real Turquoise". Nevertheless, it is real,  just generally less valuable in the gemstone market as it fills the high  demand for Turquoise in America since we are short on supply.