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All
about turquoise
NATURAL
turquoise means a stone with no alteration to its composition. Such stones
are merely polished and cut into shapes before being mounted in jewelry.
Natural turquoise remains porous, as all natural stone is to varying degrees,
and may tend to change color over time as it is worn and handled.
STABILIZED
turquoise means that the natural mineral has been chemically altered to
harden the stone, usually by infusing epoxy or polystyrene into the porous
surface of the stone. The stabilization process serves to "freeze"
the color of the stone so it will not change.
COLOR-TREATED,
color-enhanced, or color-infused turquoise means that the natural mineral,
usually too soft and pale to finish for use in jewelry, ha been chemically
altered to change the color of the stone (and often the hardness also).
Dye is mixed with a stabilizing epoxy or polystyrene liquid and infused
into the stone under pressure.
RECONSTITUTED
turquoise is the name used for turquoise dust and chips that are mixed
with plastic resins and compressed into a solid form so as to resemble
natural turquoise.
IMITATION
or SIMULATED turquoise is any synthetic compound (usually dyed plastic)
which is manufactured to resemble turquoise but which contains no actual
gemstone.
For
centuries, the most valuable turquoise came from Iran (Persia) but today
some specimens mined in the southwestern United States compete with it.
The name "Persian Turquoise" is now generally used to refer to
any turquoise stone that does not have the black or brown veining commonly
found in turquoise mined in the United States and used in a style of jewelry
created by the American Indians.
The
Aztecs mined turquoise in an area now known as New Mexico and a significant
amount of turquoise comes from Arizona, California and Nevada in the United
States.
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