It’s pretty impossible to miss with its radiant blue colour. Turquoise is highly sought after all over the world to make unique jewellery collections that demand attention. Interestingly, it is the only gemstone to have a colour named after it and we can definitely see why no other title was needed. Let’s find out a little more about Turquoise and the striking colour that sparks conversations.
Blue or Green?
There are two shades of Turquoise that are adored for different reasons. Some may say that the intense, sky blue colour with an even covering is the most desirable in the industry however, others prefer the greenish variety. It really does depend on personal preference. Tradition has a lot to do with it as the pure blue version that earned the title “Persian Blue” due to originally being sourced in the Nishapur district of Iran has been highly prized for a long time. New, emerging designers are in favour of the avocado or lime green Turquoise. Both shades range from semi translucent to opaque.
The Matrix
No two pieces of Turquoise are the same. Many feature dark splotches all over the gem in a unique way. A lot of fragments feature veins of matrix running through it, which is left behind after the surrounding rock has been removed. In some cases, Turquoise includes fine seams of matrix that looks like web patterns. These pieces are given the name Spiderweb Turquoise. In the jewellery industry, it is the even blue hue with no matrix that is seen as the most valuable. It does depend on personal opinion as some do prefer the veining when choosing their Turquoise jewellery.
How Turquoise Gets Its Colour?
If we’re getting technical, Turquoise is a hydrous phosphate of aluminium and copper. Formed in the cracks of alumina-rich sedimentary, weathered or volcanic rocks, acidic aqueous solutions infiltrate the fissures and veins, which usually contain iron, zinc and copper. These metals either mix or replace the copper and aluminium within the solution however, these impurities may already exist within the mixture.
The well loved, sky-blue shade gets its colour from the presence of copper whereas the green variety is down to iron or maybe zinc, which replaces aluminium in the chemical structure. Therefore, the shade depends on the how much iron, zinc or copper is present in the composition.
Be Careful When Buying Turquoise
To keep up with the demand of the beautiful blue colour, many untrustworthy retailers sell dyed stones or those that have been coated with a plastic lubricant to enhance its lustre. The dying of Turquoise is performed on the green variety or stones that are mottled to bring out more of a blue shade. Over time the dye will wear off due to exposure to chemicals and solutions. Also, look out for other stones that are dyed to imitate Turquoise such as white Howlite and Chalcedony. It’s really important to buy from official, reputable companies (like us) that pride themselves on honesty and authenticity.
