Most of the semiprecious stones are either from China or from India. The stones didn't necessarily come from these countries. The work of turning rough stones into finished beads is done in these countries. Hence, made in India or made in China. Many times, the rough stone is shipped in 55 gallon drums to the factories, where the rough stones are worked into beads.  The finished product is then shipped to the U.S. and other countries. There are folks in the United States that make hand made beads such as African John. Hand formed beads usually start around ten dollars a bead.

A friend of mine who is a multi-million dollar dealer in the business of stones for over 30 years states, "If it's from India, there is a real good chance the stones are dyed. They even do this with high quality stones that don't need it". This is common practice; treating stones. Stones can also be treated with heat and radiation. Softer material can be stabilized or reconstituted.

COMMONLY USED TERMS

When you see the word NATURAL in a listing, this means the stone should not be treated, dyed, stabilized, reconstituted, etc.

When you see STABILIZED in a listing, this should mean the stone has been stabilized (usually under pressure, injected with resin) to make the stone hard enough to work into finished beads. This is very common practice, especially with turquoise.

When you see RECONSTITUTED in a listing, this  should mean the stone has been pulverized, mixed with a resin, then made into beads.

When you see DYED or  in a listing, this means exactly that. Color has been added to enhance the look of the stone. This is a very acceptable practice in the industry.

When you see GENUINE in a listing, this doesn't mean anything in the stone world!  

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT TURQUOISE

North American turquoise is pricey and will only go up in value as the supply dwindles. There is only so much turquoise in the earth.

Chinese turquoise varies greatly in quality and color, from greens to blues. It is definitely less expensive than North American turquoise, yet its value is increasing on the world market.

BUYING SEMIPRECIOUS STONES AND TURQUOISE

Read the listing carefully. The title may say "Sleeping Beauty" yet the listing says "Sleeping Beauty color". There is a huge difference! Contact the seller if the listing is not clear about  whether the turquoise has been treated, etc. Reputable sellers will happily answer your questions.

Turquoise stirs the emotions, more so than many other stones.Years ago, I was looking at a good amount of turquoise with an old timer and he said " If you like the stones and like the price, what's stopping you?" 

I bought the whole lot of it. <g>

Please visit my store! Turquoise Magpie