Black or smoke Turquoise

Here are two stones cut from material from the Damele mine in Northern Nevada. The Damele mine is one of a very small group that has black or smoke materiel. The smoke or black will occupy the entire stone or just a section in it. With black becoming more popular here is another mine to consider material from.Damele does not produce the intense black as the Black Stallion does. but still is a unique stone and has a lot of character.

What is Stabilized Turquoise
Stabilized is turquoise that has been run through a very highly specialized process that only professional stabilizers know how to do. I am not sure how many of these still exist today but the number is very small .I would estimate that there are less than 12 people or company’s that know how to do this properly. I after 36 years in the Turquiose business know of only about 10 that know how to do this properly, and 4 of them are gone. The word stabilized has the root word stabile in it which does as it says, it means something that is stabile and will not change. There are other treatments that I will go into later that are in the category that I will call treated which may or may not be stabile and long-term.
Stabilized turquoise
is turquoise that was pourus and these pours were filled with a polymer that replaced the air that is in the stones. Most turquoise fits this classification of needing stabilized. Some turquoise that is cut is hard enough to cut a cabochon from but over time from wearing this turquoise these pours will fill up with hand soap or lotions oil from our skin or many other things. Most of what is called natural is from this category.
Stabilized turquoise is less than Gem grade turquoise that a polymer has been added to the turquoise and replaces the porosity that is in the stone. This highly guarded process uses a drying process to remove the moisture in the stone. Then the stone is put under vacuum to remove the air and the polymer is injected into the stone while still under vacuum. The end result is a stone that will wear very well and last for many years. There are many grades of this stabilized turquoise and the price for the rough can run$50.00 into almost a $1000.00 a pound for high grade. Stabilized turquoise is a very good choice for making into beads as they are up against the skin and soak up our skin oils. Most beads and nuggets are made from stabilized turquoise. Stabilized is also a very good choice for jewelry that you will be wearing continually as it is much stronger and will wear well. Rings made from stabilized will wear for many years and hold up well .Indians like to use stabilized in most of what they wear as it hold up very well. The pieces of jewelry that have many small matched stones are good to make from stabilized as the stones will not change color over the years.
Stabilized block turquoise
is turquoise that is pressed into a block under the same conditions as the stabilization process. Usually this material is made from small pieces or nuggets of turquoise that would be to small for most uses and are then under high pressure are pressed into blocks while going through the stabilization process .This material in the rough is sold in these blocks and slices from these blocks. I think this material looks a little unnatural in larger stones. You can see when looking at it if you look closely all the small pieces that are stuck together. The finest grade of this process will match the color and matrix of all these little pieces of turquoise. The lower grades will show color differences of all these little pieces of turquoise. This material will run from $35.00 to $100.00 a pound.
Copyright 2010 @ James Saunders

How to store turquoise

How to store Turquoise
Now here is an interesting subject that I have seen a lot of opinions on. Having been in the turquoise business for thirty five years I have seen a lot of ignorance and many so called and self appointed experts. I see turquoise that is being sold for rare and highly valuable being labeled as stored away from light and humidity. Sounds good but is this really necessary to store turquoise away from light and humidity and the many other proclaimed things. Are they saying this to justify their high prices and to give themselves the mistaken identity as being an expert?
Most of the turquoise that I have been around in my thirty five years, light and humidity did not alter its color at all. I have personally followed turquoise jewelry that I have seen worn in public and stored just in jewelry box hold up just fine. I have turquoise mines in Nevada and have personally observed turquoise veins that are right on the surface, and exposed to the elements. The elements in Nevada are very extreme and the extreme temperatures that are there are some of the worst nature provides. The summers in Death Valley are very hot and upwards of 120 degrees. Turquoise that has weathered out of the host rock and has survived this extreme temperature still retains its color and hardness. I have found several of these undiscovered veins that the bright blue pieces of turquoise have their bright blue color.
Now again there are no absolutes, I have read about some old deposits of turquoise that did change with time and from being exposed to light. I found some turquoise out of Mexico that had this problem. Some of the older turquoise mines I have read old reports that they had this problem.
However natural turquoise for the most part is pourus and these pours fill in over the years with oil from your skin. Also lotions and soap and other things that we get our hands into will fill these pours and will alter the color and appearance of turquoise. So I would highly recommend that you always take off your turquoise rings or bracelets when you are washing your hands or putting lotion on. I would also think perfume and sun block and many other thing you put on yourself can hurt your turquoise. And even though I have seen turquoises survive many years of being on the surface in Death Valley. I would also recommend you store your turquoise away from direct sunlight.
I just get tired of the scare tactics some people use to sell their jewelry and act like experts. I want you to enjoy your turquoise and wear it and not be afraid of hurting it... I have seen many turquoise pieces wear for several generations of use. Your turquoise should last your lifetime and be handed down to your heirs.
copyright@2010 James Saunders

Turquoise Terminology

Turquoise is a very unique stone and it has so many colors and matrix patterns and formations that it forms in. There are also many treatments and cuts and uses of turquoise. All of this can be confusing to a beginning enthusiast. It also comes from many mines and this also has a terminology of its self. So we will try to get you educated and to learn many of these many terms.
Matrix…
This is the material that you see in the turquoise that is for the most part not turquoise. Matrix can form in many ways and these also have names. But matrix is what you see in the stones that is not turquoise and gives each stone its own unique look. Matrix can run in many colors, Black, Gold, Brown, Red, White, and many more and mixes of these colors. Matrix also forms in many shapes and patterns. Matrix is also the mother rock that turquoise grows in when the finished stone includes the mother rock. Iron pyrite forms with turquoise and can be found in the finished stones. Iron pyrite can form in the turquoise and occur in colors, silver or gold or dark and blackish.
Matrix Patterns....
The most popular is called spider web. This pattern is probably self explanatory. But is when the matrix forms in a pattern that looks like webbing. Turquoise forms in mother rock and this mother rock is embedded in the turquoise and ends up in the finished stones. This occurrence is just called matrix. In very rare cases dendrites can occur also. Dendrites are black and form in small fern like inclusions. Thus the term Dendridick
Formations….
The two most popular are veins and nuggets. But turquoise can form in other forms and also replacement of fossils in rare cases. Veins are the most common and are turquoise that formed in cracks and fissures in the mother rock. Nuggets are the form taken when turquoise forms in individual formations. Nuggets can be very small and have also run into hundreds of pounds. They are also called popcorn nuggets or sea foam nuggets depending on the shape. Nuggets can be drilled and stung or can be cut into natural shaped cabochons and set in jewelry. Turquoise in the way it forms in the mother rock can have names as well.
Bird’s eye is a formation that is when turquoise forms in little round balls of turquoise and they form together and when the stone is cut you see all the individual balls outlined against each other. The outer color on these little balls is a lighter shade.
Colors..
Blue and green of course the most common. But we have many colors of these shades and names for some. Electric blue is for the most intense blue that occurs. Sky blue or Robin’s egg blue is a softer blue. Blue green is another term and is for the colors of that description. Sadie green is a newer term and is used for the turquoise that has zinc content and is in the lime green shades. Military green is for the darker browner shades of green. Some mines had there own terms for their colors such as Manassa green. Bisbee Blue another mine term for the most intense blue color from that mine. Bisbee also had a reddish purple that would invade the stones and smoke them. Smoke is a term used to describe the Bisbee purple colors and also some mines have a darker blackish color that invades the stone and alters the turquoise itself.
Two tone…. is a term a friend of mine coined back in the 1950’s for stones that had blue nuggets and green nuggets that formed together in the mother rock.
Cauliflower pattern is when these nuggets are cut against the background of the mother rock and show a nice cauliflower formation. Cauliflower is also a term used for nuggets with this formation also.
Ribbon turquoise is the term for stones that are cut with the vein running across the face of the stone from top to bottom or left to right. This stone shows the vein formed in the mother rock and it looks like a little blue river in the stone. Boulder stones are for the stones that are cut showing the turquoise formed in the mother rock exposed. The patterns of this cut are endless.
Cabochon……This is turquoise that is cut to be set in a bezel setting. Turquoise cabochons have a backing on the underside of them. The stones are cut with the bottom of the stone flat and cut properly are widest at the bottom and the stones have a taper to the top. This keeps them from coming out of the bezel when set.
The types of cuts also have names. Nugget cut is a cabochon cut from a nugget and the shape that nature formed it in is intact. Sea foam and popcorn nugget Cabochons are the most common names given.
Copyright 2010 @ James Saunders

First post

Turquoise Myth or Truth
Here is my first post for this subject. Posts can not exceed 500 characters, so this can be limiting in content that takes more. I will try to write so that I can direct an entry to just the one point then. After nearly 38 years in the turquoise jewelry manufacting business, I find because of the internet a lot of ignorance has surfaced. The internet has provided a way for egos to exist and build an audience. I find it both sad and exciting to see a developing world of turquoise lovers as I am. They are hungry to find out about this stone and all of its many different and very unique qualities. But in their haste and searching on the internet we find many sources that are not from the turquoise industry and have never been in this industry at all. Just because a person moves into a location that has mines and can a few times drive out to one does not make an expert. I also see stone cutters that buy a few rough turquoise pieces and fumble cut them and are now an expert at cutting turquoise. Time writing on the internet about turquoise does not give turquoise experience.
I see bead shop owners that buy dyed magniscite, that has come in from China labeled turquoise and then they sell it for turquoise. I see ex cons that get out of prison with their latest scam thought up over their time in prison. Pretending to be Native American and even duping the Native Americans with their lies. I see Chinese turquoise being sold as rare American turquoise. I see people because great granddad had turquoise knowledge and position using that to further their position. I also see people that do have the knowledge, but because of being a full time turquoise dealer do not have the time to write about turquoise. I will interview these special people and bring them into the internet.
We today have actual turquoise mine owners out there and we have people that have bought an old played out mine and then use that position to give credibility to themselves and the internet audience. How do you tell the difference very quickly? Well for one thing Time owning the mine, but the main qualifying difference is that the actual real turquoise mine owner has turquoise for sale from his mine.
I find one of the top expert’s opinions is….is it natural and is it native American made? What a shallow view. Might work for uninformed RT 66 travelers, Newbie’s to turquoise, but the world is larger than that. I am sorry turquoise is far greater than just that. Are we to ignore all the Top jewelry makers that are not Native American??? Are we to ignore 95 + % of all turquoise processed? I find myself in those two eliminated categories myself.
Having said all of that it is time to get to the pleasures we find in turquoise and what draws us to turquoise. I am going to be describing ALL the different turquoise and treatments and colors and mines that involve turquoise. The need for each will be discussed and then you have an education about turquoise to make YOUR decision of what to buy or collect.