I inherited an 80+ year old sterling and turquoise Navajo ring from
my mother-in-law many years ago. It has a large “home plate” shaped
cabochon, which was a pretty, light blue-green odor with a small bit
of tan matrix right in the middle (and a crack running diagonally
across the widest part). I say “was” because I noticed after I got
home from a motorcycle ride yes terday that the stone had turned a
purplish color! I am horrified and broken hearted! What could
possibly have caused this color change? And is there anything that I
can do to reverse this?
Dear Linda, I am so very sorry. Here are a few theories I have.
Pilot Mountain Turquoise has a natural tendancy to have light
highlites of purple. It could be that the ring had been stabalized
with wax, and heat of your journey and 80 years of wear have worn
off. That is the distant theory, the other one is that something you
have touched or heaven forbid, was in the air has altered the ring.
Turqoise is not a strong stone. It has a tendancy to crumble and
break. Today they use a wide range of stabalizers. 80 years ago they
used only a few. Your matrix may have been wearing away and that led
to contamination. So my final guess is that the stabalizing has been
compromised and something (dish soap, shampoo) has settled into the
area of the matrix. Or it could be all of the above.
Now we just sit back and listen and learn from the experts that are
going to come out with their knowledge.
Just a funny post script. I had a booth at the Alaska State Fair on
Sept 3. All over the US, people are evacuating because of
hurricanes. Which have about 60mph winds. We had recorded 80mph
winds and what do Alaskans do… they go to the Fair. It
was misery! Didn’t even cover my booth fee. Then yesterday we had
100mph winds and power outages all over the state.
Just a funny post script. I had a booth at the Alaska State Fair on
Sept 3. All over the US, people are evacuating because of
hurricanes. Which have about 60mph winds. We had recorded 80mph
winds and what do Alaskans do............... they go to the Fair.
It was misery! Didn't even cover my booth fee. Then yesterday we
had 100mph winds and power outages all over the state.
Shekina, we call that kind of weather just another breezy day on
Prince Edward Island! Barbara on a rainy breezy day on PEI but the
bridge is still open - both ways!
I know what you mean, spent three years on Prince William Sound. A
personal question. When I was selling on Ebay, (ShekinaG) I had a
lady named Barb Ettles by some of my 5Mile Creek jewelry, I have
always meant to ask if it was you.
Was that your beautiful piece of hand worked glass that I set into a
metal clay pendant? I doubt there are too many Barb Ettles around.
Ettles is an uncommon family name athough there are some others.
From the gaelic ettle - to try. Robbie Burns ettled. Went to England
on the occasion of my husband’s retirement and found the cottage that
gave rise to generations of Edward Ettles’s. Given to the eldest of
the males in the family so there were I’s and II’s and Jr’s and Sr’s
all down the line. 1 Summer Lane. And according to the census, the
cottage of a shepherd and his family.
Have a wonderful day - the important first step is to ettle. Try,
do, improve, excel.