925SILVER4U’s Blog…

Turquoise is a popular gemstone in jewelry. Its vibrant color has captured hearts of many and has been fashionable through years and it keeps coming back from time to time. Turquoise more so with other gemstones is the rarest and one of the most valuable. To give you an idea about turquoise here are some facts about them that can guide you.

What is Turquoise?
Turquoise is opaque, a mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum. This is said to be the first gem to be mined and one of the rarest minerals. The color of turquoise ranges from blue to green. Its color and hardness are caused by some minerals that enter through its structure, the more iron is present the greener the color and the more copper the bluer the turquoise. With its hardness, the hardest one can be found 100ft below the earths’ surface but sometimes it also depends on the mineral content of the stone.

Where can you find Turquoise?
While turquoise has been mined in China, Mexico, Australia and Afghanistan, we can see large production now in the Southwest region of United States like New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada and some have also been found in Texas and California.

How to take care of your Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise stone can be scratched easily. Avoid storing it with other stones or objects that may rub against the surface of the stone and can cause damage. It is better to store it in a separate purse or box.

True turquoise is very porous and constant exposure to chemicals like hair spray, perfumes or cleaners can affect its color. Also, keep it away from excessive heat like direct sunlight.

Better to clean turquoise with warm soapy water and pat it dry with soft cloth. Never use commercial or chemical jewelry cleaners.

Of course you love the color of turquoise one way of retaining its beautiful color is to let the stone breathe. Turquoise also needs enough air to preserve its natural color.

Kinds of Turquoise
Natural turquoise – This turquoise has not been treated in any way. This are simply mined, cut polished and made into a piece of jewelry or any structure. However this kind of turquoise is not hard enough to last for a long time. According to studies, less than 3% of all the turquoise on the market worldwide is natural.

Stabilized turquoise – If you own a turquoise jewelry most probably this is stabilized turquoise. This is the most common and most advance way of enhancing turquoise. A process done through injecting clear acrylics which helps harden and make the turquoise color permanent. This is less expensive but also with high quality.

Reconstituted turquoise - This is a known practice since the Egyptian period. Now, reconstituted turquoise consists of grinded turquoise rock, combined with resin, dyed and mold into blocks and then cut into shapes to make jewelry pieces.

Imitation turquoise – This is the fake turquoise where there is no more turquoise present. Stones are dyed or artificially colored to make it look like a natural turquoise.

Buying Tip for Turquoise
Have some research on the qualities of turquoise to know its nature and value and it is best to buy from a supplier who can prove to you the authenticity of the turquoise or perhaps explain to you how the turquoise has been treated. Get as many information as you can.

The symbol of silver is Ag for Argentum, this is the Latin word for silver. Miners sometimes found this alone in nature but often found with gold, copper or mercury deposits. Silver is very malleable it can be drawn into fine wires like the human hair without breaking. This is the most electrically and thermally conductive metal that makes it very useful in photography, watch making and computer industries. This is also commonly use in jewelry because of its subtle shimmer against the skin. Fine silver is 999 parts per thousand and sterling silver that is use in jewelry is 925 silver with 75 parts copper.

Centuries ago there are many magnificent works that used silver. Stunning silver artifacts can be found in ancient Roman, Celtic, and Indian civilization. Now silver is widely distributed all over the world and has regained its prominence. The most notable deposits today are situated in Mexico, Canada and in Arizona.

Silver has often been associated with moon because of its silvery shimmer like the moon’s reflection on the water. It is said in planetary astrology that silver represents the Earths moon and moon symbolizes the feminine nature of energy, which is more passive and less assertive.
Silver has also its own healing uses. The energy of silver is cool unlike the bright radiance of gold. Silver is subtle as linked to the unconscious, bringing intuitive impulses. Silver connects you with your dream-self, the part of you that is mysterious and knowing. Those who use this for healing believes that silver can remove negative energy from the body.

In medicine silver is also believed to benefit circulation, help lungs and throat, and detoxify the blood, to aid in the treatment of brain diseases, balancing of hormones and chemicals and improvement of nerve impulse transmission.

Tarnishing of silver is a well-known problem. This is caused by sulfur reacting with the surface of a silver object. Warm soapy water is sometimes enough to clean a silver. However, there are some commercial cleaners available but should always be use with caution. You need to always read the label before using it.