When I started to order turquoise for the pieces of jewelry that I was making, I didn’t realize that there were people who would try to sell fake turquoise to me! At first, I didn’t know any better, but I learned very fast. Now, I only buy from the turquoise miners or small businesses who work directly with the mines, so I know you are getting high grade, natural turquoise.
How can someone fake turquoise? That is a great question! Honestly, it can be hard to tell a difference sometimes if it is real of rake, unless you know what to look for. People who are making imitation turquoise use Howlite, which is a white stone with grey veins and dye it. Here are a couple of ways to tell if it is real or fake:
- Take your fingernail and go near the matrix in the turquoise. If your nail gets caught, then more than likely, you have a genuine piece in your hand! If it doesn’t catch, there is a chance that it is not real.
- Take a look at the price – if the price seems too good to be true, then it probably is not the real deal. Turquoise is a valuable rock and it defiantly doesn’t come cheap
- If you have any turquoise beads, take a look down the hole. If you see white right below the edge, then it is dyed Howlite
- Look for inconsistencies. While Turquoise comes in a variation of colors and markings, you can tell if it is fake if the dye is pooling by the natural cracks in the stone
Here are just a couple examples of fake turquoise:
Here are some real turquoise:
If you are ever questioning a piece of turquoise, I hope these tips and tricks help you out! If you are ever questioning it, you can always ask an experienced silversmith or jeweler and get their advice. When in doubt, KEEP YOUR RECEIPT!