Do you mean to say that good quality turquoise is never stabilized to keep it from changing color? Only lesser quality turquoise is stabilized?
The best and finer qualities simply don’t need it or benefit from
stabilization. They’re already stable.
Peter Rowe
Do you mean to say that good quality turquoise is never stabilized to keep it from changing color? Only lesser quality turquoise is stabilized?
That is absolutely correct. The correct term is Precious Turquoise,
and there is no need to stabilize it.
Leonid Surpin
Richard, I would say this is true. Good quality turquoise, a stone
that has both good color and is hard is more valuable than any
turquoise that is treated for color or hardness. There is lots of it
out there, I have seen on Orchid that natural turquoise is hard to
find but is is almost all I ever work with or that I cut to work
with.
Sam Patania, Tucson
Back in the day, I was taught that Persian turquoise didn’t turn
color. That was one of the reasons it was so highly regarded.
I’ve yet to see any for sale, but in the jewelry books, the jewels
with Persian turquoise look robins egg blue even though the pieces
are very very old.
Patricia McCleery
Patricia- I own some Persian turquoise. Both antique and some from
the early 1970s. While papered they don’t change. While worn, yes
they do. Have fun and make lots of jewelry.
Jo Haemer
www.timothywgreen.com
Turquoise can be quite porous and absorbs body fat. This turns it
from a nice blue to green or brown. A lot depends upon the source of
the material, much of the antique stone I possess changes thus but
some good quality material I obtained from the US isnt porous and
hasnt changed colour.
Nick Royall