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Chinese Turquoise
Turquoise has been mined for eons, 6000 BC. The early Egyptians were the first on record to wear the stone. Northern Peru Aztecs decorated ceremonial masks with the stone, this was considered to be holy.
Turquoise is mined in the USA in Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico, China, Peru, Mexico, Persia, Tibet, Siberia, Africa, Austrailia and Europe.
My favorite is Chinese Turquoise, there are many different types of turquoise coming out of China. They sell and mine more turquoise then any other country. They do sell some block and reconstituted turquoise. They also sell alot of AA grade and AAA grade turquoise which is very good quality turquoise.
Turquoise heart pendants, sculptures, earrings, bracelets and charms
Turquoise hearts hand carved from China
Larger photos of Chinese Turquoise
Turquoise heart shaped, hand carved gemstone pendants/charms. These charms are beautiful Chinese Turquoise, they are puffy hearts, they can be used with a 925 Sterling silver chain for a beautiful pendant. They also can be used as a bracelet dangle on a silver bracelet. These are smooth lightly polished gemstones and are very pretty turquoise with AAA grading directly from China. They also make a beautiful set of earrings, unique when worn simply with just the dangling puffy heart.
This is a gorgeouse, detailed hand carved turquoise sculpture from China. It is a beautiful blue turquoise color with fine black webby veins running through it. It is smooth yet hand carved with grade AAA turquoise. It is a beautiful example of the Oriental artwork from China.
Other sculptures are beautiful round balls on a wooden base of solid grade AAA turquoise. It also comes from China. It is a smooth gemstone with beautiful black webby veins running through it. It is smooth and has a good luster to it, it is a good quality turquoise.
The hand crafted rice bowls are made out of Chinese turquoise and are inlaid with silver, it has matching chopsticks. It is also carved from AAA grade turquoise. It is smooth and has a high luster with a very good quality.
Turquoise rice bowls and chop sticks
These turquoise sculptures are made in China, they are hand carved. This is a unique figurine that can be kept for years and it's value goes up in time. Turquoise is a gemstone that has steadily been rising in price. It makes a very good investment. They are very detailed bowls with a light polish and smooth finish.
This hand carved cross was made in China. It is a very natural looking turquoise cross. It is a smooth and lightly polished gemstone. The turquoise is a beautiful turquoise blue color with fine black webby veins running through it. These crosses are 1" in size. They are gorgeous on a 925 sterling silver chain.
These are hand carved turquoise rings in size 5 and 6. They are a blue turquoise color with fine black webby veins running through it. They are a smooth gemstone with a light color.
Turquoise Bracelets 4mm and 6mm beads
These are 4 mm and mm beaded turquoise bracelets. These turquoise beads are the same beautiufl Chinese blue turquoise color with fine black webby veins running through it. They are seven inch bracelets using elastic floss for durability. They are made with silver plated spacer beads. You can also get this same bracelet in square unpolished natural turquoie beads. These are wonderful gemstone bracelets for everyday at a fantastic low price!
These are the smaller hand carved crosses in turquoise. They are 3/4" crosses. Same good quality of Chines blue turquoise with fine black webby lines running through them. They are a little more perfect in the carving, a little straighter lines. They make a beautiful dangle charm, necklace or earrings.
These are an example of the puffy heart turquoise earrings from China. These earrings are a wonderful size and look so natural on. They are smooth and simple on hypoallergenic wires, so everyone can enjoy wearing them.
Turquoise heart shaped earrings hand carved from China
The most valuable turquoise is the harder stone. It is a natural stone. In the Southwest it is the spider web turquoise that is the rarest and most valuable. Everywhere else it is the Native American Indian turquoise. The Chinese extract huge quantities of turquoise, they are currently selling and mining more turquoise then anywhere else in the world.
Most polished turquoise is treated with an acrylic resin.
The Chinese are mining alot of medium grade turquoise, in large quantities. Right now there is a good supply but as supplies are depleted there may be a shortage of medium and pure turquoise.
The highest grade of natural turquoise is the hardest grade, it also takes the best polish.
Enhanced turquoise is a mediuam grade of turquoise, medium grade turquoise is treated by a proprietary process that hardens the stone with vaporized quartz. This process will not work for chalk turquoise.
Stabilized treated turquoise is treated with plastic resin , most heishi and nuggeet turquoise beads are made from real turquoise that has been stabilized.
Stabilization allows genuine but lower grades of real turquoise to be used in jewelry. Even stabilized turquoise can be changed by air pollution, soap, skin lotions and oil.
Wax treated turquoise much of the Chinese turquoise is wax impregnated. The process works much like stabiliaztion . The Paraffin wax treatment only affects the surface of the gemstone.
Reconstituted turquoise : this is where the small peices of gemstone turquoie is mixed with the blue dye and a plastic binder. This turquoise should be labeled as a simulated block turquoise. It means that the turquoise is not a true treated stone, it has other properties added to it.
Block turquoise is a mixture of plastic resin and dyes and is produced in loaf sized blocks (no actual rock of any sort) Block turquoise is used alot for inlay and heishi beads. It is imitation and simulated turquoise. Just like the Howlite can be dyed to look like turquoise, but it is a block type of turquoise.
AA grade is the highest grade of natural turquoise. The Arizona mine "Sleeping Beauty" and processed beads in India, China, or Vietnam. These are the areas you find the AA grade turquoise in. This grade of turquoise will absorb body oils and becomes green with these changes.
A to B Grade Turquoise is usually stabilized or enhanced, to harden the gemstone. These type of beads and turquoise are produced in China, Mexico or in the US, in a mine call (Kingman mine in Arizona) These are used as a substitute for AA grade turquoise, they are less expensive. The color on these will darken as gemstone absorbs body oils.
African turquoise, this stone is not true turquoise. It is actually a natural Jasper found in Africa. It has a matrix structure similar to turquoise and is a light bluish green. The matrix is usually dark or black colored. It is an interesting substitute for a true turquoise.
Apple green turquoise is a lush color, it is dyed and applied to natural blue turquoie. Its surface is waxy and speckled, like a real apple's skin and the color is intense. The gemstone is resin-stabilized. Apple green turquoise is mined and enhanced in China.
The Spider turquoise or as I call it the black webby veined Chinese turquoise is mined and processed in Huber province in mainland China. Can include a wax treatment, resin and be stabilized and dyed.
Characteristics of Real Natural Turquoise
Physical Characteristics
Color: varies from greenish blue to sky blue
Luster: is a dull to waxy, vitreous in macros crystals
Transparency: specimens are opague
Cleavage: is perfect in 2 directions but is not often seen.
Feature: is conchoidal and smooth
Hardness: is 5-6
Streak: is white with greenish tint
Other characteristics: color can change with exposure to skin oils.
When buying turquoise here on Ebay be sure to ask if you are not sure. Most Ebay sellers are honest and list the quality or that it is faux, fake or block or reconstituted turquoise right on their listings. Two things to remember even with real turquoise. most all are stabilized or resin treated for polishing which is an additive. These are acceptable additives. Plastics and other additions to chalk turquoise and dust is fake turquoise. These are the man made beads, but they are acceptable as custume jewelry.
Helpful guides on turquoise here on Ebay
Caring for your Turquoise jewelry
Shopping for Turquoise jewelry
Into to Turquoise and Turquoise Buying
Be sure to ask questions when you don't see the information you need on your turquoise item. The size, where it is from, a description, cost of shipping, guarantee.
Chinese turquoise crosses, earrings, sculpture, hearts pendants/charms, rings
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