Natural turquoise: a special kind of stone

05-07-2021
Sleeping Beauty Turquoise

Natural turquoise is a stone and is obtained in mines, unlike coral, which as we have already explained, is a living being. In the world there are several quarries in which natural turquoise is extracted, even if the natural turquoise with greater aesthetic and commercial appeal is the one that is extracted in Arizona, in particular the variety known as “sleeping beauty”. As for coral, also for turquoise, the stone has different characteristics depending on the place of origin.
Sleeping Beauty natural turquoise, for example, comes in a beautiful compact sky blue color - a shade hard to find in other mines. There are also several turquoise mines within the state of Arizona, but not all of them have the same quality of natural turquoise.

The color of natural turquoise

Often it happens that we are shown turquoise jewels whose color has altered over time, thus presenting a hue tending to green. This does not mean that it is a second quality material.
Over time, natural turquoise can change from blue to green in color, also due to the action of external agents, such as the acidity of sweat or perfume. This happens because natural turquoise is also composed of copper, an element that tends to oxidize, thus favoring a natural color change even in the turquoise. Once this change has been made, it is not always possible to restore the original color.
It is necessary to analyze the individual stones, but in most cases it is at least possible to improve the color and its quality, especially when the turquoise has never been treated. Usually hydrogen peroxide is used to restore the natural shade. During this phase the turquoise is constantly kept under control. Then we move on to treatments to polish the turquoise.

The stabilized turquoise

In addition to natural turquoise, stabilized turquoise has been available on the market in recent years. This type of turquoise consists of a material subjected to the stabilization process. It is possible to carry out the stabilization on the raw stone or on the finished product and this process allows to protect the material, stabilizing its color over time.
Therefore, compared to natural turquoise, stabilized turquoise will tend to keep its blue tone unchanged, not becoming green over time. Stabilization alters the surface of the stone. Even if this is not visible at first glance, stabilized turquoise is still considered to be treated turquoise at the time of gemological certification.
On our website it is possible to view various jewels and semi-finished items both in Arizona turquoise and in treated turquoise. We are also available for evaluations and carry out treatments to restore natural turquoise.