Did you know that nearly 90% of the turquoise you see daily is fake? So, how can you tell if the turquoise you’re buying is real? This article will show you how to identify real turquoise stones.

Fake Turquoise

Before you can tell it apart from genuine turquoise, you must first understand what fake turquoise is.

Before we can tell the difference between fake and real turquoise, you must first know what fake turquoise is.
A common form of fake turquoise is made from howlite, an absorbent white mineral that can be coloured with practically any dye. When done correctly, it can be difficult to tell if what you’re holding is real turquoise, especially for the untrained eye.

How to Verify the Real Turquoise

There are a few ways to distinguish between dyed howlite and real turquoise. The following are your three options:

• Price
• Appearance
• Colour

Price

As the saying goes, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. The same is true for turquoise stone; If you find a turquoise stone or jewellery set for an absurdly low price, chances are it’s fake.

Appearance

Although it can be difficult to tell the difference between real and fake turquoise just by looking at it, there are a few methods you can use:

Fingernail Test

The fingernail test is a visual method for distinguishing genuine turquoise from imitation. This method is used to identify natural stones. Simply running your fingernail along the surface of a turquoise stone will allow you to test it. If your fingernail gets stuck in the matrix, it is most likely natural and genuine.

Scratch Test

Howlite is distinguished by how easily it scratches. If you can scratch a stone with a needle, you have howlite. But, if the stone is scratch-resistant, it is more likely to be real turquoise.

Colour

Turquoise gets its famous colour from a combination of several elements. Generally, copper is responsible for the blue hue of the stone. Turquoise is formed when mixed with water, aluminium, and phosphorus. This is a simplified version of the process. However, keep in mind that the colour of the turquoise stone can be changed by varying the amounts of any of these elements. This is why natural turquoise with a consistent colour throughout is so rare and expensive.

A few more notes on turquoise:

• Remember that turquoise can come in green and blue varieties, so a green or yellowish hue does not indicate a fake. Iron, for example, turns turquoise greenish blue, whereas copper produces the more desirable pure blue.
• Almost all turquoise beads are fake or, at best, stabilised because natural turquoise cannot be drilled. Beware of beads with conchoidal fractures in the holes, often a sign of cheap glass.
• Other fake stones can be identified by their matrix-like repeated patterns.

Conclusion

If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is; If the shape and colour are too perfect, it is probably fake. And if the colour fades quickly, it’s not genuine turquoise.
Fake turquoise stones are usually made with coloured minerals, synthetic compounds, plastic and glass, polymer-bounded mineral powders, and polymer-bonded glass.
Unfortunately, high technology is now used to imitate turquoise stone, and if you are not an expert, you could easily purchase a fake turquoise. So, the best way to determine if a stone is genuine and natural turquoise is by sending it to a gemological lab or speaking with a reputable jeweller.

Amitis Art Turquoise

Persian turquoise is the highest quality turquoise in the world, which you can find here at Amitis Art. Visit our website at www.amitisart.net to explore a world of natural Persian turquoise jewellery from the ancient mine of Nishapur.

Turquoise Uncovered Podcast

We are excited to offer an alternative way to experience our blog posts. If you prefer listening over reading, you can access an audio version of this blog post on the Turquoise Uncovered Podcast.

Author: Sohrab Jamarani

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