I scratched the bead without matrix with a needle,(see right photo) and it is a lighter colour than the surface, but not really white.

I forgot all about these. I bought them many years ago as Bisbee natural turquoise and they have a much more chalky colour than on these pictures. Are these 'bad colour quality' turquoise, or something completely different? Howlite? Thank you.

Hello Martine,

I understand and empathize with your consternation.

There is so much phony "turquoise" circulating, it is difficult to trust anything nowadays. It's even possible that when confronted with real turquoise, one might be afraid it's also fake.

I also think that it is a dicey thing to try to authenticate turquoise from photos. Only if I am confident a piece can be recognized as a fake, would I say so. Otherwise, I can only say 'it looks OK and is probably real turquoise'--which is what I would say to you about all three pieces. In all instances, I have seen Chinese turquoise that is comparable to those you show.

This past year I have made a number of purchases of turquoise beads. In part because I am trying to find something to go with a Méxican nugget I have, that I'm using as a pendant I view all the offerings very carefully. I've had reasonable success. Only one strand has turned out to be sone semi-liquid concoction that looks OK at eye-level, but (enlarged via an eye-piece) does not hold up.

In these instances, I show photos to Danny Lopaki, to know what his response may be. Danny has been helpful in verifying my doubts.

Although I am not seeking fake turquoise (since I already have a big bag of this stuff), I nevertheless don't entirely resent having wasted the money. It just goes into the fake turquoise pile. And sooner or later I'll do a pictorial for my Facebook Group.

Regarding the chalk turquoise, this also looks OK. I couldn't say whether it comes from that mine or not. But what you have looks very much like a lot of chalk turquoise I've seen.

Be of good cheer! Happy Holidays. Jamey

Thank you very much Jamey. I discovered yesterday that a long strand of small turquoise,-bought from a Tibetan dealer-, most probably is coloured. sigh.... I' ll take a hammer one of these days and break several beads and test thus the different shades of turquoise.
I'll take pictures and post them.
In the meantime I'll try to focus on the beads I'm quite sure are uncoloured. Every little bit helps :-)
Happy holidays everyone!

Hello Martine. Happy Holidays!

To break a bead with some control over the result, I recommend this:

Find a stout steel needle, such as a darning needle. You should be able to insert it into the perforation, part-way.

On a firm surface, set the bead upright with the needle inserted, and hold it with your left hand. With your right hand, use a mallet or hammer to strike the needle. Ideally, the needle will enter and split the bead into two or three pieces.

You will have a clear view of the interior. And perhaps you can do something with the pieces.

Good luck! Jamey

I thought I would show you a photo of a necklace I made in the early 1980s. This is Chinese turquoise that displays green and brown coloration. I think it is quite beautiful, and two of your specimens remind me of this material.

Jamey

I have this small (Chinese) turquoise strand. My guess it is a mix of coloured howlite and real turquoise. There is one bead that smashed and you see the bead opening being dark green which I assume is the colouring.
Next to it there are beads with colour variations. Can I assume these are real turquoise, uncoloured?

It seems like a picture tells me more than the beads in real. Would I be wrong to say that all of the more blue coloured beads (which are more uniform in form) are coloured, and that there is a chance the green beads and the beads with more colour nuance are the real thing?
Please tell me what you think.

Hello Martine,

It is certainly possible to artificially color turquoise. Chalky turquoise, for instance is generally soft and porous, and pale in color--and would accept color well.

But here's the thing--when turquoise is soft it is often "improved" by being dipped in melted wax, or by being plasticized. There are lots of ways to "improve" turquoise, and the most-recent techniques (that remain secret) are the most successful.

But just dipping turquoise into wax or plasticizing, both darken or enrich the color. There is usually no need to resort to artificial dyes. When such a bead is broken, it appears more-pale inside, and more-colorful on the surface--like a thin skin.

Nevertheless, if a broken bead displays a different tone of blue than the interior, then it most-likely has been dyed.

Some turquoise has been both dyed and plasticized. In past times, in commercial terms, plasticized turquoise was referred as being "stablized." If it were both dyed and plasticized, it was referred to as being "treated." I suppose this naming approach is not longer standard. But forty years ago it was useful (assuming the seller was not just lying).

Jamey

Thank you Jamey, I am aware of both ‘ colour changing‘ techniques.
What I learned in the past is that ‘stabilizing’ does exactly that: stabilizing the colour ( besides enhancing the colour). What I would like to know is if turquoise or howlite has been dyed/ coloured, can it still change colour by absorbing body oils?
Thank you!
Wish you a great end of year!

Happy Holidays1

Howlite takes a dye very well, but not deeply. A broken specimen is usually white inside. Magnesite, on the other hand is usually blue throughout. And I suppose it may be that a lot of "magnesite" has been crushed to powder, colored, and reconstructed. (The astounding number of variations of "sea-sediment jasper" beads, that are just reconstructed fakes, of several sorts or varieties, has become invasive in the marketplace.)

Whether Howlite is routinely plasticized, I do not know.

However, this: In the 1970s Howlite, dyed blue for "turquoise" and red for "coral," was fairly common. Along came magnesite around twenty (20) years ago—and this was often called "Howlite"--even though Howlite imitations of turquoise were no longer circulating (as they had previously). This is still happening now. And I have to suppose that some authors cannot tell the differences, or don't care, since both fakes are mentioned in expositions. Howlite made a return to the marketplace only a few years ago—and was discussed at that time. (I will show a link in a reply.) So, once again, both imitations are available, and will probably continue to be confused with one-another.

Once a stone has been stabilized it is no longer porous, So the color is stable. The only likely damage would be from radiation--such as leaving it outside in the sun for some months. Other than that, the color is stable, and contaminants such as sweat, oil, perfume, or hairspray, probably will not affect the color.

Since most dyed turquoise has also been stabilized, the colors are more-or-less permanent. Likewise, magnesite, having been stabilized and/or reconstructed, is likewise stable as to color. I have not tested any Howlite to have a hands-on experience. So I cannot say whether the dye or colorant is permanent. Or if it can be destroyed by solvents or whatever else. My practical experience here is very limited. I just recognize Howlite when I see it (most of the time), and since I can tell it's a fake, I haven't considered much more. But when I have an opportunity to acquire some, I will test it.

Cheers, Jamey

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