In its finer grades, it is expensive and rare; more recently turquoise has been somewhat devalued by the introduction of treatments, dyes and imitation turquoise on the market.
Colour enhancements of certain lower-grade turquoise has made spotting better grades harder, as well as telling the difference between synthetic and natural turquoise.
Can you tell good quality turquoise jewellery from bad? Can you tell the difference between real and costumejewellery turquoise?
Are there advantages in investing in real turquoise, and what are the advantages in wearing costume fashion jewellery with artificial turquoise?
The most sought-after characteristics of
turquoise are based on its lovely shades of blue and greenish-blue, and its matrix,
or the colours mixed in with the background. This matrix can go from nearly
invisible to white, grey or black. These do not affect its value – it’s a
matter of personal preference.
Overall though, the most vivid, uniform colour is an indication of
higher value.
Most turquoise now on the market has been treated to enhance its color. Lower quality turquoise is often treated for color-stabilization as well; since it’s more porous, it takes dyes better. High quality turquoise tends to not accept dyes as well, but it is often dyed or stabilized to enhance its color anyway. Since lower-grade turquoise has that porous quality, it can fade and lose its color over time. This means taking care of costume jewellery with lower-grade or artificial turquoise is just as important as care of the real thing. Check with us next week on tips for cleaning and caring for your turquoise costume jewellery.
Meanwhile, check out our latest costume jewellery pieces with some of the examples we shown above – notice how the varying finishes, treatments and colours are picked to match the jewellery settings they come in? We absolutely love these pieces☺
Cheers,
Your MizEllie Team
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