| I live in Southern New Mexico so I get friends all the | | | | have been discarded during the process of polishing or |
| time making road trips through Santa Fe to visit me. A | | | | shaping the real stuff. Manufacturers will take these |
| friend of mine came down to see me last month and | | | | bits and grind it into a fine dust, then add an epoxy and |
| was thrilled to show me her new turquoise necklace | | | | cast pieces of turquoise so convincing that sometimes |
| draped around her neck. It was utterly amazing with | | | | experts can't even tell. |
| big blue turquoise nuggets with spider web-like veins | | | | So how do you tell? Well, the starting point is the price. |
| running through it. Only problem was - it was fake. | | | | How much did it cost? My friend's turquoise nugget |
| The necklace she just got off of a street vendor | | | | necklace on any street in the U.S. (even allowing for |
| were probably either dyed howlite or magnesite, two | | | | the 'Santa Fe markup') was probably worth in the |
| completely different minerals that in their natural state | | | | thousands if it were authentic. So the fact that she |
| are white but which polish like turquoise. Either can be | | | | bought it at about $900.00 was certainly one tip-off. |
| died to any color under the rainbow and can make a | | | | Another way to find out is to carefully study the |
| very convincing turquoise. Magnesite especially | | | | beads. Look for uniformity in genuine turquoise beads. |
| because it includes the black veining that is often found | | | | While there will be some color fluctuation, a turquoise |
| in the most sought after turquoise beads and nuggets | | | | nugget, turquoise bead, or turquoise chip will display a |
| mined in the southwest. | | | | generally similar color that runs throughout its entirety. |
| To be fair to howlite or magnesite they really are a | | | | Look in the hole for another clue. Sometime people |
| lovely mineral. In either their natural states or died, | | | | making fake turquoise will dye the nuggets (or beads) |
| howlite and magnesite beads can make some | | | | and then drill the holes. It's a dead give-away if you |
| beautiful jewelry. The problem is when it's passed off | | | | glance at the bead's hole and inside it's snow white. |
| as something else, like turquoise. | | | | Finally, just be careful. If you make your own jewelry |
| And these two aren't the only two used to rip people | | | | then establish a relationship with the bead vendor. If he |
| off. Glass and plastic beads can of course be passed | | | | says its U.S. (or even Chinese) turquoise, get it in |
| off as turquoise, but so can turquoise itself. Another | | | | writing. And if it's just too good to be true (like my |
| type of fake is called "reconstituted turquoise" and is | | | | friend's necklace), then it probably is! |
| essentially all the little pieces of genuine turquoise that | | | | |