Types of Turquoise

When looking to purchase turquoise jewelry for yourself or for someone you love, you will encounter several terms used to describe the turquoise in the piece. This brief note provides some information on the various types of turquoise in the market today. Most turquoise that is mined today is too soft and porous to be used directly in jewelry. However, about five percent (three percent by some estimates) is dense enough and hard enough to be used for jewelry after just cutting and polishing. This high quality turquoise is called “natural turquoise” and is quite rare and expensive. Before being incorporated into jewelry, most turquoise specimens must be stabilized using either epoxy resin or vaporized silica. This process reduces the porosity and increases the resilience of the stone. Virtually all turquoise used in fashion jewelry today is stabilized. The lowest grade turquoise in the market today is reconstituted turquoise. Turquoise dust and chips generated during cutting and polishing are ground to a fine powder, mixed with clear epoxy resin, and allowed to set in blocks. After the blocks harden, they can be cut and carved into desired shapes and forms. The dark vein pattern that is so characteristic of other types of turquoise is conspicuously absent from the reconstituted form of the stone.