well, not exactly true :) You can still use it even if broken - put it in resign, or put it back with gold infused epoxy like the Japanese do with pottery. I was thinking more of a strand and you sacrifice one bead for peace of mind. And yeah, it is cathartic to smash into a bead. Film the process!
You do not have to break rocks to id them. For the love of god! Just use aceton or an aceton bath and if it is painted it comes right off. Would be a shame if it is real and it is broken.😅
Thank you for making this. As someone who uses turquoise, magnasite, and howlite in my jewelry making, I hate it when others pass off other stones as turquoise.
Agreed - it is going to be a good journey!! It is a wonderful creative outlet that will provide you with wonderfully meaningful gifts to give, and perhaps evolve into a fantastic way to make a living. Good luck and have lots of fun. THanks for watching!
You're welcome. Lol- it pained me, too!!! The one with the brown in it was rather unexpected. I thought it would have been howlite, but it was completely different!
I cringed each time but appreciate that she actually took the time to show what it looks like inside. I buy a lot of rough stones so this was extremely helpful
LOL!!! Your comment has made my afternoon. I was heartbroken, too. My colleagues were cringing when they saw me walking around feverishly with a hammer and the strand. However, the broken stones, that were real, I gave to one of my colleagues. She's crushing it and putting it into her resin pendants. Nothing goes to waste here, rest assured!
I bought a necklace awhile back that looked like it was nice Hubei turquoise strung with pearls. One of the "turquoise" nuggets broke in transit, revealing it was clay inside. I think I spent $8 on it, & went into it knowing it was likely fake. But it looked like an exceptional fake, so took a chance. I ended up dismantling the necklace & selling the beads for more than I spent on it, despite being crystal clear about it being fake & showing photos of thw broken bead. Since then, I have run into one other batch of fake beads made with clay, but it doesn't happen often. Nice video, as much as I hate seeing the real pieces broken up.
This is a great story to read and it's wonderful that you told people it was not real turquoise and they still valued it at more than your price. Yes, fakes have gotten better and better. It's ok that there is imitation stone out there, and they're beautiful, just let people know it's synthetic. It's better than mining it all out when we just enjoy the look. Thank you for this story,. Dana
Thank you for cracking that bead open “ for the sake of this video” even though it pained you …. Now you and we all know how easy it is to buy a Fugazi Stone. It makes me so sad to think how easy it is to be fooled with such beautiful stones. It seems we live in a world where every time I turn around I’m finding out the world around me is fake. Thank you for this video and all your videos. Im kind of happy ( sad) that you to were surprised that when you crack it open, it was Clay so even you to can be fooled so it makes me feel alittle better. Thanks again
Thank you for this note - yes, everyone can be cheated. You read about Sotheby's art auctions where experts who authenticated paintings have all been scammed and the only way they concluded that it was a forgery is the forger told them what painting is underneath. They scanned it, and sure enough! It happens. I am not embarrassed when I have been conned; I will own up to my mistake and give refunds. However, you can be sure that I learn from my mistakes.
This was SUPER helpful. I bought a good amount of natural rock bead stash at an estate sale and was wanting to know how I. can tell what is real and what is fake. Thank you so much! :)
There are simple, non-destructive tests that you can use to distinguish turquoise from dyed or stabilized or imitations. A hot needle point will melt the plastic stabiliser. Acetone (nail polish remover) can be rubbed on a section of the stone to reveal whether it has been dyed. What is the point of identifying that a stone is, indeed, turquoise when the stone has been destroyed?
You're quite right - there is no point in destroying something in order to see if it real or not because you've effectively rendered it worthless. I would not advise anyone to do this at home. I just did it because I am curious about what the inside looks like. To your point, the two methods you've mentioned can test for certain fakes, but I've come across many where those methods would not work. In the video, I had a strong feeling that some of them were fake, but neither of those two methods worked because it was ceramic that was fired.
I have jewellery that looks like turquoise. I didn't buy them myself, so I'm not sure if they're real or not. There are goldish crack lines and in some areas, they look kind of smudged and in some places look like the gold pooled at the corner of some cracks. I did the crack test and the piece simply wouldn't break. The piece (about 1" long by 1/2" wide) looks like 2 sides were glued together because there's a crack line along some of the edges. The fingernail test glosses over some cracks but does feel some of the cracks. So I'm feeling pretty certain that the pieces are not turquoise, but would like your opinion on that as well as what on earth they can be made of if they wouldn't break in the smash test. Thanks. Very good video.
It sounds like your suspicions are correct. Many add links and gold and add cracks on purpose by adding a lot of water to clay so that cracks appear after the drying process. I always find this interesting because they've gone through a lot of trouble and it is pretty. Perhaps they would just market it as pottery beads, it would be well received.
I don’t know how to part with the rough sleeping beauty turquoise my dad left me a flat of this and i just want to give it meaning. I was told not to touch it with my hands. Museum quality he said. I just leave it protected. Protected by a pack of german shepherds- just 5 of them. But God they are so much more intelligent because they are in a pack.
LOL - I love your jewel protection!!!! This comment made me smile. They are highly intelligent, but I've never seen them in pack formation. I can only imagine - wolves are super smart in packs.
So I have question. because turquoise is so soft when it comes to nuggets, how are they drilled without breaking, which leads to another question is it safe to assume that a larger nugget with a glossy appearance has been stabilized. Is it possible to have nuggets, cabs in a complete raw form made into jewelry ?
Good questions. There is a huge amount of breakage in the drilling process and they reuse the bits in making reconstituted pieces. I have never tried drilling turquoise myself, but I would be curious how difficult it would be. I notice a lot of breakage is along the natural inclusions veining. There are types that are harder, like the all blue sleeping beauty. Natural, glossy polish without coating is rare and very expensive. On the marketplace, yes, it is pretty safe to assume that if it is glossy and coated, most likely it has been stabilized.
Thanks for this - it's a great video and should have more likes. I was physically flinching each and every time you smashed the turquoise, shame but thanks for showing that. You mustn't have heard me shouting at the screen "Don't Do It" I do have a stack of beads, nuggets and dohnuts from uncertain provenances that I'm sure are Howlite (I did buy them certain that they were howlite) so I may get the hammer out to one or two of them. The nuggets I may grind/saw through so that I can still use them as cabs if they don't disintegrate. The big question I have left is Buffalo Turquoise - is it real turquoise and how is it different to magnesite or howlite?:
LOL - thank you for watching and thanks for this note. Truth be told, even though it pained me, it was also thrilling to smash things. I really enjoyed filming this. I'm looking around to see what else I can smash without costing too much!
Well ready for a quick lesson in white Buffalo? White Buffalo was first discovered on a otteson family turquoise claim they started selling it on the market since the ottesons are famous tor their quality turquoise the dealers started calling it white Buffalo turquoise. In fact the white Buffalo is neither turquoise or howlite It is a combination of dolomite argonite and chert. The ottesons described It at opalized calcite dolomite and chert. Howlite is calcium borosilicate Magnisite is a totally different mineral combination that resembles them both. Magnisite is actually also known as Wildhorse There is a very light version of turquoise known as sacred white Buffalo turquoise this comes from the godber Burnham claim on the Shoshone reservation. It cracks me up to see al the misinformation on the internet about this beautiful stone. If you want the truth about this stones history contact Donna otteson at silver state turquoise in Tonopah Nevada she is the owner of the original claim . And yes people sell phony white Buffalo Al over the internet Hope this helps
It's a great idea! I donate bits to friends and staff for crafting - one does resin and another does small furniture inlays. Pretty much everything gets recycled.
If you rub an old nickel on turquoise will it leave a nickel colored streak? I had read it will scratch the nickel not the stone. That was difficult to discern. Some pieces I believe are real did leave a streak while others did not. Any opinion on this subject as you have known turquoise that you could test? Thanks for the video.
I have never heard of this and it seems rather counter-intuitive. However, I am always willing to try it out for curiosity sake. I'll make a note to try this because I have turquoise that I know is real.
I have some small 2-3mm cabs that are said to be vintage sleeping beauty, as I was working with one I chipped it and noticed the inside was the same color as the outside. The break looks shiny almost like as if I chipped glass. I was wondering about the real turquoise that broke in your video and if it seems to break similar to glass? Is there a test I can do to see if it is glass or not?
I have smashed fake black onyx (glass) and it had semi-circle lines. The turquoise that chipped did not have those semi-circular lines, but otherwise did look a lot like chipped glass/porcelain. However, it was not shiny like glass, more matte, like fired clay
There are some telltale signs, like poor or faded colouring. Reconstituted crack lines that look very much like a mosaic. However, it is hard to be certain as paints and polymers have come a long way!
I bought some earrings recently from a man who makes jewelry. I did the acetone test and the hot needle. No blue came off, and the needle did not go through or scratch the gem. Is it real? They were originally $40.
Acetone and hot needle test would be able to identify resin. However, if it is baked blue, you can't tell with those tests. $40 is reasonable for real turquoise. It's hard to know without destroying the stone :) so I would say to wear them as real and enjoy!
So was the first one you hammered Howlite ? The one that was blue in the middle and was injected with the brown ? I actually smashed 5 different gems off some bracelets i got, and found EXACTLY the same as your first one.....
the inside should look like the outside. I smashed things to show some of the good fakes that don't work with the hot needle method. A lot of people got upset that I destroyed things and it defeats the purpose, but I smashed some so that thousands of people can see and don't have to smash their things. Porcelain beads have been made to look a lot like the real thing.
When there are veins is the weak point. Then wouldnt a stone with less veins be more desirable because it would be stronger and less prone to breaking?
This is a wholesaler in Albuquerque, New Mexico: www.thomasonstonesupply.com/ that sold in Tucson. THey also own a small retail bead store that has better cut stones. THey list very little online and you will have to contact them. Ed has a big collection of high quality genuine turquoise that he sells when he feels like. You can be certain they're genuine.
Is it good to wear turquoise ring if the stone has tiny 2 pin holes on it[ like pin points]. Please let me know.I want tobe sure before buying it.Hope you help me....And it is hard to see you smashing beautiful turquoises to give us helpful information at your cost. Thank you so much.
I do enjoy seeing the insides of things, so smashing was really what I wanted to do for a long time - LOL. Turquoise often has fracture points around the veins. The problem with that is that it will likely shatter/break along the vein, especially if there is already a pin hole there. Most companies will stabilize it and you can certainly coat it with lacquer or resin if the ring is not too expensive and you like the look of it. I hope this helps.
It sounds like it is synthetic turquoise. I've seen names like fusion turquoise, speckled turquoise, mosaic turquoise...which are essentially chips and turquoise dust, leftover from cutting, placed in resin and formed in moulds.
LOL - that's not what I am proposing. Perhaps go to a gemologist. But I love smashing things up to see the inside. It's thrilling and other people are also curious.
acetone would be able to get rid of topical glazes and maybe some dyes, but if it has been fired like ceramic, you will not be able to see a difference.
With no close ups we really can't see what your showing us then pre write what your gonna say & read it co responding with examples where's the Chinese or Tibetan vs American vs Persian. Most turquoise is stabilized 1/3 is gem quality from silica content you never mentioned...EB
yes, plastic melts with hot needle. Also plastic is does not feel as cool to the touch. Glass pearls and ceramic turquoise cannot be tested with a hot needle, though :(
I feel your pain bc I love turqouise too. Thank you for breaking the poor pieces for us so that we may learn. I brought out my pieces and I'm thinking they may not be real. 😥 They were gifted to me so I will not be hammering mine.
LOL - yes, don't hammer them! Also, it really doesn't matter if they're real or not when they're a gift - it came from the heart and, if it is a pretty piece, wear it as art. THanks for sharing.
I just started buying turquoise right from the Kingman mine, they sell all kinds of nice stuff on Etsy, nuggets, cabs, beads, most of it is stabilized of course, but they do have a little natural turquoise too. I wouldn't trust buying it any other way than directly from them unless you are a professional at recognizing what to look for in turquoise, which most people are not. I'm just buying it because turquoise is my favorite gemstone, and also for investment, since prices for American turquoise will always be climbing.
My dad worked in the Morenci mine in the 50/60's way before turquoise became so popular. Workers were allowed to pick up pieces if they saw a piece. Obviously the didnt want the workers spending their time just searching and digging . So I have a small collection of good size rocks 10' and up and offe ans full of smaller pieces
@@stonesandfindings Can you believe I bought some pieces from an old time jeweler and one of the drilled pieces was broken so . . . I did it! I smashed the broken piece to test what I learned from your video. I saved the itty bitty smashed pieces. Same color throughout and broke to bits of the fractures.
You could of just rubbed it with acetone, and see if the colour disappears. Not all turquoise are the same colour on the surface. Some of them turn greenish-brown due to heat damage.
I believe whatever is pleasing to the eye is VALUABLE. I would not go so far as to say it is real, especially not if you're re-selling it. I personally like to know the true history of the piece and I value authenticity for authenticity sake. I like died howlite, but I prefer to know it is died howlite that I am loving, and not be sold something else. That said, I agree mostly with what you wrote.
Mexican turquoise is very similar to American turquoise of southwest. The Baja region is just an extension south of California. It is very blue, with veining, whereas African turquoise is very different - green and black. Does anyone in the community know for certain if African turquoise is actually turquoise??
Sigh - so it seems. However, I believe that's just the short game. Cheats eventually get found out and called out. That's why I like public reviews and the sharing of knowledge.
You do not have to break rocks to id them. For the love of god! Just use aceton or an aceton bath and if it is painted it comes right off. Would be a shame if it is real and it is broken.😅
LOL - it's just satisfying to smash things. Thanks for your tip - acetone method would work only for certain dyes and resin. If they're fired porcelain, then acetone or hot needle methods would not work.
Every single bit of turquoise used in jewelry has to be stabilized...Natural turquoise is very porous and will turn pale white once exposed to the air..
they prob just soaked them in some type of plant resin or shelac, plus all of those pieces were ceremonial and placed into a hermetically sealed tomb. All of the ancient turquoise is oxidized pale even after being sealed for thousands of years....@@stonesandfindings
The painful part is we are going to leave all the precious stones and metals behind when we exit the planet. They don't belong to us and never will. I used to collect gold which is not a bad thing. But I stopped because the quest to collect more was endless.
Beautifully written - in the end, none of it belongs to us. The most important thing to remember, while we are here, is that we need to enjoy and appreciate the beauty that is around us. I have large collections of rocks, pearls and tools. I don't collect for collection sake, but to appreciate their beauty and their purpose. I enjoy every minute of seeing them, thinking about their possibilities and being grateful that I can hold such beauty while I am on earth.
Any way to tell if it's real turquoise WITHOUT destroying it? Don't think the vendor at the art market will let me smash one of the beads with a hammer.
LOL - your comment made me smile. Tell the vendor they should smash one of their own beads and place on display, like they do at some supermarkets to show how beautifully ripened the melons are. There isn't a way to tell for sure if it is real, only spotting easy fakes. People say hot needle - that's only if made of wax/resin (doesn't work with ceramnic or baked clay fakes).....
I'm sure there are other ways - sorry you're disappointed. I just wanted to demonstrate that the hot needle method is not accurate. Gemologists have ways of testing - temperature, frequency.... it's easy to spot the cheap fakes, much harder to determine definitively
There are much better ways to tell real from fake WITHOUT breaking it!!! Swab a little acetone or nail polish remover on the stone to see if dye comes off on the swab. If not, it's not dyed. Otherwise, learn by studying and know the sellers.
lol - agreed. Smashing is not a cost effective method, but I was curious to see what is on the inside. Swabbing or using a hot pin really doesn't work when it is porcelain, as I had shown. The best method is still to purchase from a trusted source.
More turquoise is stabilized than you can tell even the old stuff was stabilized w animal fat by American natives and crude oil tar by chinese now there's potasium soaked coming outa AZ.
this is good to know. I never knew the American natives stabilized with animal fat. I will have to see some of the antique pieces, and I would love to see what happens just a millimetre beneath the surface of turquoise treated in animal fat.
Umm some persian turquoise was pretty light like that. And I kno egyptian turquoise original was treated it was high quality hard stuff. I think they do coat what's mined over there now but it wasn't also that way. If it's chalky it doesn't matter what mine it's from... it's low quality. I thought the green green came more from Mexico and China
Thanks for sharing this. Persian turquoise is beautiful and bright blue. However, it has become rare and very expensive. Yes, when it's chalky, it's low quality. Yellowish turquoise is mined not just in China, there are many countries that have those.
Agreed - you don't need to smash it. I've listed out all the easy tell tale signs. Although they are not 100% conclusive, it really doesn't need to be conclusive if you are not advertising and selling it. The value is in the beauty of the piece.
turquoise is different from different regions, so it may not seem real compared to the stock that you may have. Agreed, there is a lot of fake out there
This IS NOT PROFESSIONAL TESTING!! 95% of all Turquoise is treated, which is acceptable. For the love of God, I'd take a slice off the end of a real bead, never smash it! As for the crumbling large Turquoise bead: this is why we stabilize 95% all Turquoise! Not inferior - just smart. And if you find small slivers on a watchband backed with black slices? The doublet was created to absorb shocks, from the watch hits! China is taking Turquoise powder, extruding it into Heshi beads - unacceptable. I consider those a cheat. I purchase semi-precious gems all the time. Yesterday, I tested another bulk purchase, tested as Turquoise. I suspected was Kingman, due to the history of the dearly departed, and examined jewelry he'd made from the stones. Plus, the raw Turquoise survived being in water, for 2 days. I then took the many lbs over to a friend, IGA cert. He corrected me - Kingman, with some Sleeping Beauty! Much more than I hoped.
Thanks for your comment. I never said it was a professional testing, but it is testing that is demonstrative and was effective in revealing fakes that alluded the naked eye. There is a great deal of debate whether reconstituted turquoise (powder or chips, left over from cutting, and adding resin to form new beads) is not just an extension of stabilizing turquoise. Just that more medium is added. So long as no one is trying to pass reconstituted turquoise as natural turquoise, and stabilized turquoise as non-stabilized natural turquoise, it is fine. Having a friend with IGA certification is always helpful. I envy your bulk purchase.
Everybody on here should listen to the way she is speaking no one should trust her judgment or what she is telling you she has absolutely no idea what she’s talking about
I am confused by your comment. Which facts about turquoise or fakes do you dispute? Can you give specifics? It seems like a trolling comment if you refer to "the way" I am speaking and, hence, I should not be trusted, without identifying the specific way/tone which makes my judgment untrustworthy. I disagree that I don't have any idea of what I'm talking about; perhaps you can share with us the specific turquoise facts can support your claim.
I've been buying gemstone beads and jewelry for 23 years, and I can't think of anything she said that I disagree with. I had to learn slowly and painfully about fakes. Even authentic dealers get caught out putting fakes in their inventory. It pays to take heed when someone is actually showing you what fakes are out there.
All I learned is if u want to know if it’s real, just break it. If it’s fake throw it and if it’s real u can’t use it any more because it’s broken 😅
well, not exactly true :) You can still use it even if broken - put it in resign, or put it back with gold infused epoxy like the Japanese do with pottery. I was thinking more of a strand and you sacrifice one bead for peace of mind. And yeah, it is cathartic to smash into a bead. Film the process!
I found the video insightful :)
Hi so what should it look like inside once broken if its real? This would help me a lot thanks
You do not have to break rocks to id them. For the love of god! Just use aceton or an aceton bath and if it is painted it comes right off. Would be a shame if it is real and it is broken.😅
Is there no way to tell real from fake without destroying it?
Thank you for making this. As someone who uses turquoise, magnasite, and howlite in my jewelry making, I hate it when others pass off other stones as turquoise.
I hear you! It is so frustrating to see.
I love how u show the fake turquoise vs real turquoise
Thank you! I love turquoise and there is a lot of fake out there.
Thanks I learned a lot. Just starting to dabble in jewelry making, oh wow, what am I getting into? So much to discover; going to be a good journey.
Agreed - it is going to be a good journey!! It is a wonderful creative outlet that will provide you with wonderfully meaningful gifts to give, and perhaps evolve into a fantastic way to make a living. Good luck and have lots of fun. THanks for watching!
Thank you. This was a really good video. It pained me every time you broke a nugget, but I learned a lot.
Me too 😅
You're welcome. Lol- it pained me, too!!! The one with the brown in it was rather unexpected. I thought it would have been howlite, but it was completely different!
I cringed each time but appreciate that she actually took the time to show what it looks like inside. I buy a lot of rough stones so this was extremely helpful
@@jerodpivin9426 thanks for the encouragement, Jerod. Glad to read the appreciation!!
Very informative BUT... Someone, please take that hammer out of this lady's hand! My heart is broken into pieces!
Liked and Subscribed.
LOL!!! Your comment has made my afternoon. I was heartbroken, too. My colleagues were cringing when they saw me walking around feverishly with a hammer and the strand. However, the broken stones, that were real, I gave to one of my colleagues. She's crushing it and putting it into her resin pendants. Nothing goes to waste here, rest assured!
I bought a necklace awhile back that looked like it was nice Hubei turquoise strung with pearls. One of the "turquoise" nuggets broke in transit, revealing it was clay inside. I think I spent $8 on it, & went into it knowing it was likely fake. But it looked like an exceptional fake, so took a chance. I ended up dismantling the necklace & selling the beads for more than I spent on it, despite being crystal clear about it being fake & showing photos of thw broken bead. Since then, I have run into one other batch of fake beads made with clay, but it doesn't happen often.
Nice video, as much as I hate seeing the real pieces broken up.
This is a great story to read and it's wonderful that you told people it was not real turquoise and they still valued it at more than your price.
Yes, fakes have gotten better and better. It's ok that there is imitation stone out there, and they're beautiful, just let people know it's synthetic. It's better than mining it all out when we just enjoy the look.
Thank you for this story,.
Dana
Thank you for cracking that bead open “ for the sake of this video” even though it pained you …. Now you and we all know how easy it is to buy a Fugazi Stone. It makes me so sad to think how easy it is to be fooled with such beautiful stones. It seems we live in a world where every time I turn around I’m finding out the world around me is fake. Thank you for this video and all your videos. Im kind of happy ( sad) that you to were surprised that when you crack it open, it was Clay so even you to can be fooled so it makes me feel alittle better. Thanks again
Thank you for this note - yes, everyone can be cheated. You read about Sotheby's art auctions where experts who authenticated paintings have all been scammed and the only way they concluded that it was a forgery is the forger told them what painting is underneath. They scanned it, and sure enough!
It happens. I am not embarrassed when I have been conned; I will own up to my mistake and give refunds. However, you can be sure that I learn from my mistakes.
This was SUPER helpful. I bought a good amount of natural rock bead stash at an estate sale and was wanting to know how I. can tell what is real and what is fake. Thank you so much! :)
Glad it was helpful! You're lucky to have been able to buy at an estate sale. THat's like finding a treasure trove!
There are simple, non-destructive tests that you can use to distinguish turquoise from dyed or stabilized or imitations. A hot needle point will melt the plastic stabiliser. Acetone (nail polish remover) can be rubbed on a section of the stone to reveal whether it has been dyed.
What is the point of identifying that a stone is, indeed, turquoise when the stone has been destroyed?
Thank you
You're quite right - there is no point in destroying something in order to see if it real or not because you've effectively rendered it worthless. I would not advise anyone to do this at home. I just did it because I am curious about what the inside looks like. To your point, the two methods you've mentioned can test for certain fakes, but I've come across many where those methods would not work. In the video, I had a strong feeling that some of them were fake, but neither of those two methods worked because it was ceramic that was fired.
I have jewellery that looks like turquoise. I didn't buy them myself, so I'm not sure if they're real or not. There are goldish crack lines and in some areas, they look kind of smudged and in some places look like the gold pooled at the corner of some cracks. I did the crack test and the piece simply wouldn't break. The piece (about 1" long by 1/2" wide) looks like 2 sides were glued together because there's a crack line along some of the edges. The fingernail test glosses over some cracks but does feel some of the cracks. So I'm feeling pretty certain that the pieces are not turquoise, but would like your opinion on that as well as what on earth they can be made of if they wouldn't break in the smash test. Thanks. Very good video.
It sounds like your suspicions are correct. Many add links and gold and add cracks on purpose by adding a lot of water to clay so that cracks appear after the drying process. I always find this interesting because they've gone through a lot of trouble and it is pretty. Perhaps they would just market it as pottery beads, it would be well received.
This is great but it would be super helpful to have close-ups of the pieces as you demonstrate them.
thanks for the suggestion - I think it is a good idea. I should spend the time to show much closer views.
I don’t know how to part with the rough sleeping beauty turquoise my dad left me a flat of this and i just want to give it meaning. I was told not to touch it with my hands. Museum quality he said. I just leave it protected. Protected by a pack of german shepherds- just 5 of them. But God they are so much more intelligent because they are in a pack.
LOL - I love your jewel protection!!!! This comment made me smile. They are highly intelligent, but I've never seen them in pack formation. I can only imagine - wolves are super smart in packs.
“Just 5 of them?” That’ll work!
Just curious 🤷♀️how can you appreciate your sleeping beauty in a flat? It needs to feel loved! 😊
So I have question. because turquoise is so soft when it comes to nuggets, how are they drilled without breaking, which leads to another question is it safe to assume that a larger nugget with a glossy appearance has been stabilized. Is it possible to have nuggets, cabs in a complete raw form made into jewelry ?
Good questions. There is a huge amount of breakage in the drilling process and they reuse the bits in making reconstituted pieces. I have never tried drilling turquoise myself, but I would be curious how difficult it would be. I notice a lot of breakage is along the natural inclusions veining.
There are types that are harder, like the all blue sleeping beauty. Natural, glossy polish without coating is rare and very expensive. On the marketplace, yes, it is pretty safe to assume that if it is glossy and coated, most likely it has been stabilized.
Maybe they drill it after being stabilized rather than before?
Thanks for this - it's a great video and should have more likes.
I was physically flinching each and every time you smashed the turquoise, shame but thanks for showing that. You mustn't have heard me shouting at the screen "Don't Do It"
I do have a stack of beads, nuggets and dohnuts from uncertain provenances that I'm sure are Howlite (I did buy them certain that they were howlite) so I may get the hammer out to one or two of them. The nuggets I may grind/saw through so that I can still use them as cabs if they don't disintegrate.
The big question I have left is Buffalo Turquoise - is it real turquoise and how is it different to magnesite or howlite?:
LOL - thank you for watching and thanks for this note. Truth be told, even though it pained me, it was also thrilling to smash things. I really enjoyed filming this. I'm looking around to see what else I can smash without costing too much!
@@stonesandfindings I’m also interested in knowing what Buffalo Turquoise is too. Loved this video, though I was cringing along everyone else!
Well ready for a quick lesson in white Buffalo? White Buffalo was first discovered on a otteson family turquoise claim they started selling it on the market since the ottesons are famous tor their quality turquoise the dealers started calling it white Buffalo turquoise.
In fact the white Buffalo is neither turquoise or howlite
It is a combination of dolomite argonite and chert.
The ottesons described
It at opalized calcite dolomite and chert.
Howlite is calcium borosilicate
Magnisite is a totally different mineral combination that resembles them both.
Magnisite is actually also known as Wildhorse
There is a very light version of turquoise known as sacred white Buffalo turquoise this comes from the godber Burnham claim on the Shoshone reservation.
It cracks me up to see al the misinformation on the internet about this beautiful stone.
If you want the truth about this stones history contact Donna otteson at silver state turquoise in Tonopah Nevada she is the owner of the original claim . And yes people sell phony white Buffalo
Al over the internet
Hope this helps
I think woodworkers use the pieces that get broken like inlay. It's beautiful. Would be able to donate or sell those bits to a woodworker?
It's a great idea! I donate bits to friends and staff for crafting - one does resin and another does small furniture inlays. Pretty much everything gets recycled.
If you rub an old nickel on turquoise will it leave a nickel colored streak? I had read it will scratch the nickel not the stone. That was difficult to discern.
Some pieces I believe are real did leave a streak while others did not. Any opinion on this subject as you have known turquoise that you could test? Thanks for the video.
I have never heard of this and it seems rather counter-intuitive. However, I am always willing to try it out for curiosity sake. I'll make a note to try this because I have turquoise that I know is real.
I have some small 2-3mm cabs that are said to be vintage sleeping beauty, as I was working with one I chipped it and noticed the inside was the same color as the outside. The break looks shiny almost like as if I chipped glass. I was wondering about the real turquoise that broke in your video and if it seems to break similar to glass? Is there a test I can do to see if it is glass or not?
I have smashed fake black onyx (glass) and it had semi-circle lines. The turquoise that chipped did not have those semi-circular lines, but otherwise did look a lot like chipped glass/porcelain. However, it was not shiny like glass, more matte, like fired clay
Can we tell without smashing them?
There are some telltale signs, like poor or faded colouring. Reconstituted crack lines that look very much like a mosaic. However, it is hard to be certain as paints and polymers have come a long way!
I bought some earrings recently from a man who makes jewelry. I did the acetone test and the hot needle. No blue came off, and the needle did not go through or scratch the gem. Is it real? They were originally $40.
Acetone and hot needle test would be able to identify resin. However, if it is baked blue, you can't tell with those tests. $40 is reasonable for real turquoise. It's hard to know without destroying the stone :) so I would say to wear them as real and enjoy!
@@stonesandfindings awesome, thank you❤️
So was the first one you hammered Howlite ? The one that was blue in the middle and was injected with the brown ? I actually smashed 5 different gems off some bracelets i got, and found EXACTLY the same as your first one.....
Yes, that's howlite (which is naturally white with brownish lines). They applied a surface blue dye. It's common.
Hi if i show you a turquoise can you tell if they are stablizied or natural ?
Almost all turquoise is stabilized; it is a rather fragile stone. If you see that it is very shiny, it is certain that it has been stabilized.
@@stonesandfindings ok thanks for guidance , but mine also have pyrite inclusions , is it still stablized ?
Hi so what should it look like inside once broken if its real? This would help me a lot thanks
the inside should look like the outside. I smashed things to show some of the good fakes that don't work with the hot needle method. A lot of people got upset that I destroyed things and it defeats the purpose, but I smashed some so that thousands of people can see and don't have to smash their things. Porcelain beads have been made to look a lot like the real thing.
Thank you for this video, helped me allot!!
Glad it helped! Thanks for this note.
When there are veins is the weak point. Then wouldnt a stone with less veins be more desirable because it would be stronger and less prone to breaking?
The veins are a beautiful part of the stone though.
Where can I buy real turquoise from?
I'm after some high-quality smaller ones (like 10 mm).
This is a wholesaler in Albuquerque, New Mexico: www.thomasonstonesupply.com/
that sold in Tucson. THey also own a small retail bead store that has better cut stones. THey list very little online and you will have to contact them. Ed has a big collection of high quality genuine turquoise that he sells when he feels like. You can be certain they're genuine.
Is it good to wear turquoise ring if the stone has tiny 2 pin holes on it[ like pin points]. Please let me know.I want tobe sure before buying it.Hope you help me....And it is hard to see you smashing beautiful turquoises to give us helpful information at your cost. Thank you so much.
I do enjoy seeing the insides of things, so smashing was really what I wanted to do for a long time - LOL. Turquoise often has fracture points around the veins. The problem with that is that it will likely shatter/break along the vein, especially if there is already a pin hole there. Most companies will stabilize it and you can certainly coat it with lacquer or resin if the ring is not too expensive and you like the look of it. I hope this helps.
What is crazed turquoise?
It sounds like it is synthetic turquoise. I've seen names like fusion turquoise, speckled turquoise, mosaic turquoise...which are essentially chips and turquoise dust, leftover from cutting, placed in resin and formed in moulds.
Stonesandfindings thank you for the answer.
Does real turquoise beads feel cold on touch?
It doesn't feel cold to the like quartz - this is because of its different chemical makeup
Thank you! That was great information! 💕🙏💕
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching, Erin.
What if you don’t want to destroy your piece! 😂
I know, right!? Other than the obvious fakes, it's hard.
Use acetone on a qtip. A small spot on the back or in a place less likely to show. If dye comes off you know.
So if I want to know if my jewllery is genuinem I need to wreck it with a hammner......hmmm.
LOL - that's not what I am proposing. Perhaps go to a gemologist. But I love smashing things up to see the inside. It's thrilling and other people are also curious.
Do u have website where we can buy
Yes, it is www.StonesAndFindings.com - you have to register an account with a postal address to see prices and get postage quotes. Thanks.
I rubbed mine with acetone, is that a good way to test? Nothing but dirt came off
acetone would be able to get rid of topical glazes and maybe some dyes, but if it has been fired like ceramic, you will not be able to see a difference.
@@stonesandfindings ty!
I cleaned my turquoise cuff with hot water and it turned lighter blue can I fix it ?
That means it was dyed, and not a good dye. You can paint over it, but there's nothing much you can do. Sorry.
Great video! Thanks... you covered so much.
Glad it was helpful! thank you for your comment.
That seems so satisfying! Also, very helpful!
Glad you think so! thanks for watching
With no close ups we really can't see what your showing us then pre write what your gonna say & read it co responding with examples where's the Chinese or Tibetan vs American vs Persian. Most turquoise is stabilized 1/3 is gem quality from silica content you never mentioned...EB
Thanks for sharing this info and feedback.
Coral, turquoise and coral ..can be tested with a hot needle, plastic melts, same for pearl
yes, plastic melts with hot needle. Also plastic is does not feel as cool to the touch. Glass pearls and ceramic turquoise cannot be tested with a hot needle, though :(
I feel your pain bc I love turqouise too. Thank you for breaking the poor pieces for us so that we may learn. I brought out my pieces and I'm thinking they may not be real. 😥 They were gifted to me so I will not be hammering mine.
LOL - yes, don't hammer them! Also, it really doesn't matter if they're real or not when they're a gift - it came from the heart and, if it is a pretty piece, wear it as art. THanks for sharing.
I just started buying turquoise right from the Kingman mine, they sell all kinds of nice stuff on Etsy, nuggets, cabs, beads, most of it is stabilized of course, but they do have a little natural turquoise too. I wouldn't trust buying it any other way than directly from them unless you are a professional at recognizing what to look for in turquoise, which most people are not. I'm just buying it because turquoise is my favorite gemstone, and also for investment, since prices for American turquoise will always be climbing.
My dad worked in the Morenci mine in the 50/60's way before turquoise became so popular. Workers were allowed to pick up pieces if they saw a piece. Obviously the didnt want the workers spending their time just searching and digging . So I have a small collection of good size rocks 10' and up and offe ans full of smaller pieces
@@verdabehner8963
That's cool! I would buy one small piece of rough rock from you if you wanted to sell any, but you probably don't.
Great information but slightly painful to watch. Thank you for doing this.
LOL- it probably hurt me more to smash my beloved turquoise than it hurt you to watch it. However, I really wanted to see if they were real or fake.
@@stonesandfindings Can you believe I bought some pieces from an old time jeweler and one of the drilled pieces was broken so . . . I did it! I smashed the broken piece to test what I learned from your video. I saved the itty bitty smashed pieces. Same color throughout and broke to bits of the fractures.
I just got kicked out of a jewelry store while shopping for a turquoise necklace for my wife…
LOL!!! Just lucky they kicked you out instead of pointing at their store sign "You smash you buy"
You could of just rubbed it with acetone, and see if the colour disappears. Not all turquoise are the same colour on the surface. Some of them turn greenish-brown due to heat damage.
Acetone works for any epoxy/plastic type of fake. It doesn't work on the ceramic fakes :(.
Cool thanks i'd just go to a gemologist in that case
Good info but cant really see the stones, get closer to camera maybe?
Hi - I will note that for the future. It's a good idea and I should take my time and do close ups. Thanks for the suggestion
What about
1. Oyster turquoise
2. Natural turquoise stablisised with copper.
Sorry I have never heard of stabilizing with copper.
Whatever is pleasing to your eye is real!
I believe whatever is pleasing to the eye is VALUABLE. I would not go so far as to say it is real, especially not if you're re-selling it. I personally like to know the true history of the piece and I value authenticity for authenticity sake. I like died howlite, but I prefer to know it is died howlite that I am loving, and not be sold something else. That said, I agree mostly with what you wrote.
@@kendrarayan7941 I agree, it hurts! So, I did it for you to show 😃
Is Mexican Turquoise Turquoise? Or it’s maybe other things like African turquoise
Mexican turquoise is very similar to American turquoise of southwest. The Baja region is just an extension south of California. It is very blue, with veining, whereas African turquoise is very different - green and black.
Does anyone in the community know for certain if African turquoise is actually turquoise??
The video she states that African turquoise is Jasper.
@@beckyschmidt5577thanks, I wondered about Mexican turquoise not African turquoise:)
Thanks!! I love real turquoise. It's really beautiful stone. 😍
It really is! I love the colour and pattern - you can mix with so many other stones and metals!
Wow someone probably made a fortune selling dirt clay beads painted turquoise.
Sigh - so it seems. However, I believe that's just the short game. Cheats eventually get found out and called out. That's why I like public reviews and the sharing of knowledge.
You do not have to break rocks to id them. For the love of god! Just use aceton or an aceton bath and if it is painted it comes right off. Would be a shame if it is real and it is broken.😅
LOL - it's just satisfying to smash things. Thanks for your tip - acetone method would work only for certain dyes and resin. If they're fired porcelain, then acetone or hot needle methods would not work.
Thanx.. this video really cost you since you smashed a few finds..🤗
You're welcome. It sometimes breaks my heart to smash things, but also oddly therapeutic!
As original has iron and copper than use a magnet and if it does not stick it is fake ; maybe it will work ore not
not all turquoise has any iron in it. Most do not. So, this would not work.
Every single bit of turquoise used in jewelry has to be stabilized...Natural turquoise is very porous and will turn pale white once exposed to the air..
I wonder how they stabilized it in ancient times - the pieces found in tombs.
they prob just soaked them in some type of plant resin or shelac, plus all of those pieces were ceremonial and placed into a hermetically sealed tomb. All of the ancient turquoise is oxidized pale even after being sealed for thousands of years....@@stonesandfindings
the vast majority like 99% that was thought to be turquoise is actually other similar looking rocks@@stonesandfindings
The painful part is we are going to leave all the precious stones and metals behind when we exit the planet. They don't belong to us and never will. I used to collect gold which is not a bad thing. But I stopped because the quest to collect more was endless.
Beautifully written - in the end, none of it belongs to us. The most important thing to remember, while we are here, is that we need to enjoy and appreciate the beauty that is around us. I have large collections of rocks, pearls and tools. I don't collect for collection sake, but to appreciate their beauty and their purpose. I enjoy every minute of seeing them, thinking about their possibilities and being grateful that I can hold such beauty while I am on earth.
@@stonesandfindings Well said 👍🏽
Any way to tell if it's real turquoise WITHOUT destroying it? Don't think the vendor at the art market will let me smash one of the beads with a hammer.
LOL - your comment made me smile. Tell the vendor they should smash one of their own beads and place on display, like they do at some supermarkets to show how beautifully ripened the melons are. There isn't a way to tell for sure if it is real, only spotting easy fakes. People say hot needle - that's only if made of wax/resin (doesn't work with ceramnic or baked clay fakes).....
Seriously, the only way to tell if my turquoise is real is to break it?!
I'm Disappointed.
Thank you for the video explaining that.
I'm sure there are other ways - sorry you're disappointed. I just wanted to demonstrate that the hot needle method is not accurate. Gemologists have ways of testing - temperature, frequency.... it's easy to spot the cheap fakes, much harder to determine definitively
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
You broke a beautiful blue one...
I know, I had to and it pained me. At the same time, I really did want to see what's inside.
@@stonesandfindings you could really tell that it is an authentic one. However you gave a great deal of knowledge to the viewers.
There are much better ways to tell real from fake WITHOUT breaking it!!! Swab a little acetone or nail polish remover on the stone to see if dye comes off on the swab. If not, it's not dyed. Otherwise, learn by studying and know the sellers.
lol - agreed. Smashing is not a cost effective method, but I was curious to see what is on the inside. Swabbing or using a hot pin really doesn't work when it is porcelain, as I had shown. The best method is still to purchase from a trusted source.
@@stonesandfindings Swabbing with acetone wont work on acrylic resin either.
More turquoise is stabilized than you can tell even the old stuff was stabilized w animal fat by American natives and crude oil tar by chinese now there's potasium soaked coming outa AZ.
this is good to know. I never knew the American natives stabilized with animal fat. I will have to see some of the antique pieces, and I would love to see what happens just a millimetre beneath the surface of turquoise treated in animal fat.
Umm some persian turquoise was pretty light like that. And I kno egyptian turquoise original was treated it was high quality hard stuff. I think they do coat what's mined over there now but it wasn't also that way. If it's chalky it doesn't matter what mine it's from... it's low quality. I thought the green green came more from Mexico and China
Thanks for sharing this. Persian turquoise is beautiful and bright blue. However, it has become rare and very expensive. Yes, when it's chalky, it's low quality. Yellowish turquoise is mined not just in China, there are many countries that have those.
Green turquoises... Manassas, Damale, Royston....Emerald Mountain.
Masa alloh antik nya batu berwalitas warna yng cantik sayang saya belum punya
Turquoise is pretty rare so most times it's not the real thing
that is true - there are lots of fakes out there now as the mines dry up. However, you can still find antiques and the rare hoarder's stash :)
thank you for the great video to idantify real and fake turquoise.（for to sake of the vedio…^v^）
thanks for watching! Glad you like it
@@stonesandfindings Youre welcome.I bought a “blue copper turquoise” bracelet online labled geneous gemstone.is “blue cooper turquoise”real、fake or enhanceded one？
Totally lost me with the "magical healing" properties. You can keep your 4 leaf clovers also. 🙄
that's fair, LOL
Haha no one asked if you were lost with the healing properties. You're entitled to your own beliefs just don't deny what is unproven.
No rock has healing properties its all in the mind... ROFL
I don't disagree; I think most things are mental. Maybe it's even just a reminder - much like religion, but I digress.
has to be a better way to tell if it is real turquoise you just destroyed a real turquoise according to you.
Agreed - you don't need to smash it. I've listed out all the easy tell tale signs. Although they are not 100% conclusive, it really doesn't need to be conclusive if you are not advertising and selling it. The value is in the beauty of the piece.
Just smash test lmao
LOL - but please purchase the piece before doing this ;)
I don’t think any of that turquoise is real. That’s my opinion.
turquoise is different from different regions, so it may not seem real compared to the stock that you may have. Agreed, there is a lot of fake out there
Terrible info and technique.
What a stupid way to check if the stone is real or not!
It would be dumb if you did that to check, but lots of fun to demo for other's entertainment. I hope you enjoyed watching :)
This IS NOT PROFESSIONAL TESTING!!
95% of all Turquoise is treated, which is acceptable.
For the love of God, I'd take a slice off the end of a real bead, never smash it!
As for the crumbling large Turquoise bead: this is why we stabilize 95% all Turquoise! Not inferior - just smart.
And if you find small slivers on a watchband backed with black slices? The doublet was created to absorb shocks, from the watch hits!
China is taking Turquoise powder, extruding it into Heshi beads - unacceptable. I consider those a cheat.
I purchase semi-precious gems all the time.
Yesterday, I tested another bulk purchase, tested as Turquoise. I suspected was Kingman, due to the history of the dearly departed, and examined jewelry he'd made from the stones. Plus, the raw Turquoise survived being in water, for 2 days.
I then took the many lbs over to a friend, IGA cert. He corrected me - Kingman, with some Sleeping Beauty! Much more than I hoped.
Thanks for your comment. I never said it was a professional testing, but it is testing that is demonstrative and was effective in revealing fakes that alluded the naked eye. There is a great deal of debate whether reconstituted turquoise (powder or chips, left over from cutting, and adding resin to form new beads) is not just an extension of stabilizing turquoise. Just that more medium is added. So long as no one is trying to pass reconstituted turquoise as natural turquoise, and stabilized turquoise as non-stabilized natural turquoise, it is fine.
Having a friend with IGA certification is always helpful. I envy your bulk purchase.
Everybody on here should listen to the way she is speaking no one should trust her judgment or what she is telling you she has absolutely no idea what she’s talking about
I am confused by your comment. Which facts about turquoise or fakes do you dispute? Can you give specifics? It seems like a trolling comment if you refer to "the way" I am speaking and, hence, I should not be trusted, without identifying the specific way/tone which makes my judgment untrustworthy. I disagree that I don't have any idea of what I'm talking about; perhaps you can share with us the specific turquoise facts can support your claim.
I've been buying gemstone beads and jewelry for 23 years, and I can't think of anything she said that I disagree with. I had to learn slowly and painfully about fakes. Even authentic dealers get caught out putting fakes in their inventory. It pays to take heed when someone is actually showing you what fakes are out there.
Not a good presentation.😢
sorry you didn't like it.
You take too long to explain
Thank you for the feedback.