We are often asked questions about the many types of turquoise that we carry. Turquoise is most commonly found in shades of blue and green however, it is also available in yellow, purple and white. 80% of the turquoise that you find on the market today comes from China or Tibet. An additional 20% is mined in the U.S. Most U.S mined turquoise comes from the Kingman Mine or the Sleeping Beauty Mine in Arizona.
There are four different kinds of turquoise on the market today:
Natural turquoise which is hard enough and pretty enough to be cut, polished, and sold without any processing. Natural turquoise is the rarest and most expensive. Its color will darken over time as it absorbs oils from the skin when it is worn.
Stabilized turquoise is turquoise that because it is soft and chalky, has to be stabilized before it can be sold. Stabilized turquoise is infused with a clear epoxy resin that permanently hardens the stone and deepens the color. The color in this form of turquoise is permanent. Most turquoise on the market is stabilized. If you didn't stabilize the turquoise it would crumble. It's the best practice to harden and treat turquoise to make it useable for making into jewelry. The term stabilized turquoise is so so mis-understood. It's a good thing...really!
Here at A Grain of Sand, we buy our American Turquoise for a processing company right here in the USA! Their stabilization process is done with lots of love and care. They use a clear resin to make the turquoise beads harder and to achieve a glossy shine, but not to change the color or composition of the beads in any way. So, if we label our turquoise Sleeping Beauty or any other USA mined turquoise, you can be sure that this turquoise not made synthetically! Our USA turquoise beads are not dyed or tinted! They will never fade, bleed or change in color! Also, because of the uniqueness of the stabilization process used on our USA Turquoise Beads, they will not crumble or fall apart. The turquoise stones are soaked in the resin, and the resin fills all the pores of the stone so that they are solid all the way through!
Treated turquoise, like stabilized turquoise, has been infused with a clear epoxy resin. The resin contains dye to give the stone a more brilliant, but artificial look. This is the least expensive form of turquoise. Treated turquoise is not the preferable choice but it is low in cost. We prefer natural turquoise that is stabilized with integrity.
Reconstituted turquoise is turquoise that has been ground into a powder, infused with dyed epoxy, and pressed into shapes.
Take a look at our selection of Turquoise Beads and make sure you look at the item descriptions to get all the details about individual turquoise bead items we have.
Caring For Your Turquoise Jewelry:
• Natural turquoise should be kept away from exposure to chemicals, cosmetics, oils, perfume, high heat and natural sunlight as these can all cause changes in its color.
• Store your turquoise jewelry separate from other pieces as it may scratch.
• Should your turquoise piece need cleaning use warm water and a soft cloth. Be sure to thoroughly dry your turquoise before storing it.
