Help!! I have been offered some high quality turquoise
(Sleeping Beauty, # 8 and Bisbee) by a former lapidary. The stone
is in polished cab form, untreated, non stabilized of the highest
grade. Does anyone on the site know what I should be paying for
an ounce of these stones? I don’t have a clue what a fair price
is. Thanks in advance. I always learn so much from reading
what’s posted even if it doesn’t yet apply to my work.
Deb at tstudio@alaska.com
Dear Deb, You have asked the question that bothers most everyone.
What is that worth? I have often heard it said that people
whom are in the gemstone business are in the perfect trade.
They have a product that everyone thinks is valuable, everyone
wants the product, but no one knows what it is worth. Gemstone
value is dependant on rarity, quality, and purity. A lot of
turquiose is still around that has been backed with auto body
filler to double the weight and make useable thin seams that
would not be otherwise be useable. Backed stones are almost
unsaleable in todays market. The value of the stones is
whatever you think is a fair price. There is no established
market and if there was it would be established at the sellers
discretion based upon little if any fact. Stones are tough you
must know exactly what you are seeing and identifying. There
are no guidelines.
Gerry Galarneau
Galarneau’s Gems
Deb, on prices for turquoise, it varies greatly according to a
lot of factors. Sleeping Beauty is fairly common and goes for
.22-.45 per gram in finished form. Bisbee and especially #8 will
command premium prices, because they are pretty rare anymore. The
mines shut down 15-20 years ago; the turquoise was a by-product
of the copper mining. Some of the factors determining the price
would be the Mohs hardness, clarity of the color, zoning, and
compactness of the matrix. Before you start paying big bucks, you
need to do more than just take someone’s word that they are
natural. At the very least, perform a hot needle test and an
oxalic acid test to at least rule out the more common methods of
treatment. Beyond that, find someone who really knows their
turquoise to help you out and pay them a fair price for their
effort. If you truly have #8 turquoise, you can resell any you
don’t use for premium prices. Good luck on your acquisition.
For anyone who can use it ; we have a large box full of fine
Persian Turquiose purchased in the 1960’s. From 2mm to 6 mm
round, 6x4 to 8x6 ovals. Will sell the whole lot- these are very
fine.