To tell real turquoise beads, focus on their natural characteristics, including color consistency, matrix patterns, feel, and weight, as these often differ significantly from fakes or treated stones.
Understanding Real Turquoise Beads
Authentic turquoise possesses unique qualities that can be identified through careful examination. Many imitations or treated stones attempt to mimic these characteristics, but subtle differences usually reveal their true nature.
Visual Inspection: What to Look For
The first and most accessible step is a thorough visual examination of the beads.
- Color and Consistency:
- Real turquoise rarely has a perfectly uniform color. Look for gradations along the matrix lines, rather than just surface coloring designed to look like a matrix. Natural turquoise often exhibits subtle variations, swirls, or patches of different shades of blue and green.
- Be wary of beads with overly bright, unnatural, or perfectly uniform coloring, as these may indicate dyes.
- Matrix Patterns:
- The "matrix" refers to the host rock material (often black, brown, or tan) that is intergrown with the turquoise. In genuine turquoise, this matrix will look natural and integrated into the stone.
- Fakes often have painted-on or unnaturally even matrix lines that appear superficial rather than embedded.
- Surface Texture and Luster:
- Natural turquoise typically has a waxy, slightly greasy, or dull luster when unpolished, and a vitreous to sub-vitreous (glassy to slightly less glassy) luster when polished.
- Some fakes might feel or look "chalky," even if they initially resemble natural nuggets. This can be a sign of dyed or reconstituted material. Plastic fakes will often feel too smooth or slick.
- Imperfections: Real gemstones, including turquoise, often have minor inclusions or natural imperfections. Overly perfect beads without any flaws might be synthetic or plastic.
Tactile and Physical Tests
Beyond sight, touch and other physical characteristics can provide clues.
- Temperature: Real turquoise tends to feel cool to the touch and slowly warm up against the skin. Plastic or glass beads will typically warm up much faster.
- Weight: Turquoise is a moderately dense stone. Genuine beads should feel substantial for their size. If they feel unusually light, they might be plastic or a lighter imitation.
- Sound (for strands of beads): Gently clinking two genuine turquoise beads together might produce a dull, solid sound, whereas plastic beads will often sound hollow or tinny.
Considering the Price and Source
- Price: If the price seems too good to be true, it very likely is. Natural, untreated turquoise, especially in bead form, commands a higher price due to its rarity and demand. Extremely low prices are a strong indicator of fakes, highly treated, or reconstituted material.
- Reputable Seller: Always purchase turquoise from a reputable jeweler or gem dealer who can provide information about the stone's origin and any treatments it may have undergone. Ask for clear disclosure regarding stabilization, dyeing, or reconstruction.
Common Turquoise Imitations and Treatments
It's helpful to be aware of what you might encounter in the market:
- Dyed Howlite or Magnesite: These white, porous minerals are often dyed blue to imitate turquoise. They can sometimes be identified by their brighter, more uniform color and different matrix patterns (often web-like in howlite).
- Plastic or Glass: These are usually easy to spot due to their light weight, perfect uniformity, and often overly bright colors. A scratch test (in an inconspicuous area) might reveal plastic if it scratches easily.
- Reconstituted/Reconstructed Turquoise: This is made from crushed turquoise fragments, sometimes mixed with resin, then reformed into beads. While it contains real turquoise, it's not a solid natural stone. It often has a very uniform color and texture, or an unnaturally uniform matrix.
- Stabilized Turquoise: This is genuine turquoise that has been infused with a clear epoxy resin to enhance its hardness, durability, and color stability. While still real turquoise, it's a common and accepted treatment. Reputable sellers should disclose this. Stabilized turquoise often appears more uniform in color and can feel slightly slicker.
- "Block Turquoise": A term sometimes used for synthetic turquoise or material made from powdered turquoise mixed with dye and plastic/resin, molded into blocks, then cut into beads. It's essentially a man-made product.
Summary of Key Differences
| Feature | Real Natural Turquoise Beads | Common Imitations/Treated Beads |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Subtle variations, gradations along matrix, natural blues/greens | Uniform, overly bright, unnatural, single hue |
| Matrix | Integrated, natural-looking, varies in pattern and depth | Painted on, superficial, unnaturally uniform, often plastic |
| Texture/Feel | Waxy to vitreous luster, solid, may feel slightly cool, not chalky | Often chalky, overly smooth (plastic), slick (stabilized) |
| Weight | Substantial for its size | Often lighter (plastic) or feels less dense |
| Price | Higher, reflects rarity and authenticity | Significantly lower |
| Imperfections | May have natural inclusions, minor flaws | Often perfectly flawless (plastic, synthetic) |
When in doubt, consult a professional gemologist or a reputable jewelry appraiser. For more detailed information, consider resources like the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or other expert guides on gemstone identification.
