Reconstituting Turquoise

Last post I told you about stabilizing turquoise with acrylic or some other kind of plastic. Sometimes, if the stone does not have a bright blue or green color, the stabilization may include adding a dye to enhance the color. Many people think this gives the stone an artificial look and some jewelry makers won't use these stones. Sometimes only the matrix is dyed.

Sometimes turquoise stones are so soft they shatter into chips or very small pieces. Or, tiny stones are picked up in the mines or off the ground. These can be ground up, mixed with epoxy, and treated with pressure to form chunks that can be cut and used in jewelry. These chunks are considered a lower grade of turquoise than the stabilized stones, though some jewelry makers will use them. This processing is called reconstituting.

There are also some processes that temporarily enhance the look and color of low grade turquoise. The stones can be heated or saturated in paraffin, polish, oil, silicon carbide, or other things that enhance them. These stones are considered undesirable and many reputable turquoise jewelry makers won't use them because the color will eventually fade.

Next post I'll tell you about (boo, hiss) artificial or imitation turquoise.