Author Topic: Need an ID on Turquoise  (Read 2460 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Justin

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 404
    • View Profile
Need an ID on Turquoise
« on: October 21, 2015, 09:18:24 PM »
I picked up an old ring with a cracked stone at the flea market. I took the stone out and cut this piece of turquoise to fit it. When I showed it to my wife it fit on her finger. Guess where it is now? I would like to know what kind of turquoise this is. The rough had little matrix, a pebbly greenish texture to it, and it cabbed beautifully. A friend of mine gave it to me after winning a lot at an auction (not e-bay).
Does anyone have any idea what type it is?
Thanks
Justin

milto

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 116
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Need an ID on Turquoise
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2015, 08:08:50 PM »
If that is pyrite I see then possibly stabilized Morenci.Hard to tell on picture but splotches would possibly inticate stabilizing.

Isotelus

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1025
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Need an ID on Turquoise
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2015, 08:04:14 AM »
It reminds me of treated morenci also.
Bryan

Justin

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 404
    • View Profile
Re: Need an ID on Turquoise
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2015, 12:14:38 PM »
Thanks. I'm not experienced with Turquoise. How do you spot stabilized rough? Do the splotches reduce the value? Is there any chance that what I'm seeing is pattern in the stone and not stabilization?

milto

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 116
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Need an ID on Turquoise
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2015, 08:19:39 AM »
impossible to tell off of picture, 95% chance it is stabilized.

Debbie K

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1099
    • View Profile
Re: Need an ID on Turquoise
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2015, 09:04:10 AM »
I hate to be a downer, but it looks like it could be "mohave" turquoise. Kingman took a lot of their turquoise crumbs and mixed them with epoxy and dye along with bronze powder and made bricks. If you look on fleabay, especially at the "purple" turquoise, you can see how they look similar.

Regardless, it's really pretty. Some of the purple stuff is stunning; especially the ones that don't absorb a lot of dye and have the blue showing through. It's difficult to tell much from a picture; if you have any of it left over from cutting touch it with a hot needle and see if it smokes or smells, since the Kingman stuff has a high concentration of epoxy.

Debbie K

light house jack

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 262
    • View Profile
Re: Need an ID on Turquoise
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2015, 09:25:30 AM »
In preparing an article on fake and counterfeit stones I  purchased several varieties of "turquoise" off EBAY and other sources on the Internet.  I also purchased a slab of stunning Charorite  from Russia.  I held all over the flame on my kitchen stove with some kitchen tongs and all either smoked or caught on fire. A few years back a new club member went to Tucson and came back proudly showing a huge carving of turquoise. As soon as several old timers saw it we all said : " HOWLITE !"

PhilNM

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 657
    • View Profile
Re: Need an ID on Turquoise
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2015, 10:39:59 AM »
Sorry, I don't think it's turquoise at all. maybe a cousin, but not turquoise.

Justin

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 404
    • View Profile
Re: Need an ID on Turquoise
« Reply #8 on: October 30, 2015, 02:36:59 PM »
Yikes! This is more than I expected. First of all I appreciate all the feedback. I also did not spend any $$ on the rough, and my wife claimed the ring so I don't have a financial bias regarding value. I just want to know what I'm dealing with. First question; Does faux turquoise come in nuggets? I cabbed this piece from the rough, and it was not a block and did not have a plastic look to it. Second, if it's not turquoise but a close cousin, what is it? Third, how do you recognize stabilized rough?
I am concerned because a friend purchased several lots of rough so I could cut for him, and I want to know if he's getting ripped.
Either way thank you all for the response and education.
I did pick up a chunk of blue stone at a fleamarket that had an odd plastic look to it. When I got home I took a lighter to it and got black smoke!!

light house jack

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 262
    • View Profile
Re: Need an ID on Turquoise
« Reply #9 on: October 30, 2015, 02:58:12 PM »
Dyed howlite does come in nuggets and can look like the real thing. I forgot to mention another stone. A student came to my cab class with a fist sized piece of as pretty deep blue lapis that I had seen. Her son was in the army in the middle east and paid a hundred dollars for it. It was rich with bright pyrite. Just the kind of premium lapis lazuli that one could hope to find. I offered to slice off a slab for her and imagine our surprise to see a totally white interior. Some craftsman had developed a coating with embedded pyrite that would fool the best but not when it was cut open. I am sure that there are others here who have experienced all kinds of fakes.

Debbie K

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1099
    • View Profile
Re: Need an ID on Turquoise
« Reply #10 on: October 30, 2015, 05:09:57 PM »
Justin:

I just don't know if anyone makes composite nuggets. I imagine that they do; turquoise is very desirable. My advice still stands; take a hot needle to it. If it scorches or smells and the burn mark doesn't rub off, chances are good that it's composite or plastic. If it's stabilized, the surface of uncabbed material may scorch a little, but it'll probably rub off leaving the rock underneath.

To test if it's dyed anything, try a Q-tip with some acetone and see if you get color on the cotton. Another method is to look at it with a jeweler's loupe. Dyed material will often show concentration of dye in the cracks sort of like spider webs.

I wouldn't imagine that the composite material, even if dyed, would release any color since it would be sealed in by the epoxy.

Re: Howlite. A friend of mine used to sell faux turquoise; one of the most favored dyes is Tidybowl toilet cleaner.

Debbie K