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Direct Links to popular gemstones and cabochons:
Amazonite
Opals, Boulder
Parrot Wing Understand mm sizes: Quick guide: 1" = 25mm 1/2"=13mm 1/4"=6.5mm Change can help: 1 quarter= 24.2 mm 1 dime= 18mm Both coins: 42mm |
Turquoise ó Hemimorphite Zinc Silicate ó Ocean Picture Jasper ó Arizona Sunset Jasper Next page: Artisan Beads Previous page: Water Colors Turquoise Top quality natural turquoise is hard to come by. Some "turquoise" found in cheapie souvenir jewelry contains no real stone at all--it's plastic! Some has what looks like tiny pieces of confetti in it--That's reconstituted turquoise, made from small pieces of stone mixed with blue dye and a plastic binder. Most mid-priced turquoise is stabilized, a technique developed in the 1960s where the natural stone is impregnated with polymer resins to strengthen it. "Clear shot" turquoise is stabilized with clear resin and the colors are deeper and richer than what comes out of the ground, but still natural (imagine wetting a beach pebble and you'll get an idea of the color deepening with stabilization). "Color shot" turquoise is stabilized with dyes added to the resin. As mines in the U.S. get played out, real unstabilized (untreated) turquoise is extremely rare, and becoming very expensive. For a more detailed explanation of the different types of turquoise, please stop by and read my Blog. Meanwhile, to insure that you're getting the level of quality that you're paying for, find a dealer you can trust, which means staying right here! In the pieces below, I state very clearly (and stand by) my assessment of each piece. I offer no reconstituted or color shot turquoise--all these colors are undyed.
Unstabilized Turquoise The rarest form of Turquoise--Unstabilized--comes primarily from the American Southwest. Each mine seems to have its own characteristic colors and patterns. Some of these pieces are backed, meaning that the stone is glued to a strong plastic (devcon) backing which makes it sturdier. In fact, backed pieces are evidence that the stones are unstabilized. I'm proud to be able to offer one of the web's most extensive collection of Unstabilized Turquoise: TABLE OF CONTENTS: Genuine Unstabilized TURQUOISE ARIZONA Bagdad Birdseye--Kingman Mine Garland Mine Morenci Mine Sleeping Beauty Mine NEVADA Ajax Battle Mountain Royston Royston Ribbon Stormy Mountain ARIZONA Bagdad Mine Bagdad is a little mining town tucked in the hills about 60 miles west of Prescott, Arizona. The Turquoise from this area is a pale, very pretty, light aqua color. Unpolished on the reverse; no backing.
W396 $38.50
W398 $42.00
W399 $36.00
Birdseye--Kingman Mine I was lucky enough to stumble across a small cache of natural turquoise from a mine in Kingman Arizona that now is closed. The material that made these pieces was mined forty years ago, so these stones are very rare. They also are really lovely---Look at the beautiful "wave" pattern across them. Quantities are extremely limited. Unpolished reverse; no backing. Click on photos to see the pattern details.
W286 $18.00 regularly $32.00
Morenci Mine Morenci is one of the largest copper mines in the world. If copper-associated minerals such as Turquoise and Chrysocolla are located in an area of the huge, open-surface mine, individuals are sometimes allowed to come in and dig for gem-bearing rock after the copper ore is removed. That's how these pieces come to you.
W415 $19.99
W420 $19.99
W421 $23.00
W427 $16.00
W429 $22.50
All of these pieces are genuine, unstabilized turquoise from the Morenci Mine in southeastern Arizona. All of these pieces are backed.
The Sleeping Beauty Mine outside Globe, Arizona, is world-famous for its production of gorgeous and extremely expensive gem Turquoise. I now proud to offer both unstabilized and stabilized Sleeping Beauty pieces. Unstabilized is Sleeping Beauty in its natural state; stabilization strengthens the stone and deepens its color, but they both are the same wonderful material. Please note: These were all taken by a professional photographer under proper lighting conditions, so the relative color variations--from pure robin's egg turquoise to a greener turquoise, are true. The stabilized pieces all have deeper colors. Unstabilized Sleeping Beauty The newest pieces are first, some with the pure, uniform Sleeping Beauty color and others with gorgeous variations that look like water patterns. Farther down, the pieces contain the characteristic Sleeping Beauty color, but they are more natural-looking because they contain bits of matrix as well. All pieces are backed to keep them strong.
W652 $56.00
W654 $54.00
W655 $56.00
W651 $44.00
W658 $46.00
W661 $24.00
W435 $52.00
W437 $44.00
W439 $46.00
W442 $40.00
W443 $46.00
W446 $38.50
W447 $34.50
W449 $28.00
W453 $22.00
W458 $17.99
W456 $14.00
Stabilized Sleeping Beauty
W636 $64.00
W638 $52.00
W646 $56.00
W642 $50.00
W644 $50.00
W645 $48.00
W650 $30.00
NEVADA Royston Ribbon This stunning stone is genuine unstabilized Turquoise in matrix. It was cut by members of the same family that owns and works the mine in Royston, NV. The cuts are blocky and modern, but the matrix makes them relatively light in weight. All pieces are backed.
W605 $120.00
W613 $48.00
W621 $24.00 Sorry, Sold!
W615 $42.00
W623 $48.00
Battle Mountain This Blue Gem Turquoise was mined at Battle Mtn, NV. It is genuine unstabilized turquoise. Unless otherwise noted, all pieces are backed.
W462 $22.00
W467 $8.99
W469 $6.99
W470 $19.99
W475 $5.99
W476 $6.99
W477 $5.99
W466 $19.99
Small Blue Gem Turquoise from Battle Mountain, NV These pieces are backed.
Royston
W601 $65.00
Stormy Mountain
W484 $36.00
W485 $32.00
Stabilized Turquoise In Turquoise, stabilization is not a bad thing. It strengthens the stone, deepens and enriches the color, and aids in its overall protection. As the turquoise mines in the U.S. are being depleted, stabilization becomes the rule rather than the exception. The important thing is that the stone is not dyed, which these are not. Chinese Turquoise China has become one of the world's leading producers of turquoise. People used to look down their noses at it, but in my opinion, a talented cutter working with good material can produce some really lovely stones. All of these are matte-finished on the reverse. Clear shot stabilized.
W535 $34.00
Tibetan Turquoise This beautiful, multicolored turquoise comes from right over the Tibetan border in China. It is the same source of turquoise that the Tibetans have used and worn for centuries. If you are familiar with antique Tibetan jewelry, you will recognize it. Clear-shot stabilized. Unpolished on the reverse.
W531 $58.00 Sorry, Sold!
W509 $47.50 Regularly $56.00
This is the same mineral that makes
Hemimorphite Zinc Drusies, but here, the crystalline structure is smooth. Under
the glassy, highly polished surface, the
deep sea blues have a fascinating depth about them that draws and holds the
eye. This material is not hard and so should not be used in heavy-wear pieces.
But it's fine in pendants and earrings. Two of the pieces, from
Yunan Province in China, are bright aqua compared to the smokey colors of the
other stones. Click on photos to get a better idea of the beautiful colors.
W157 $44.00
Perfectly capturing the icy-blue color of glaciers, this unusual stone hails from British Columbia. Some stones have wave patterns as well! All come from the cutting bench of Gary Wilson. All have satin-finish backs.
W547 $90.00
W548 $70.00
Ocean Picture Jasper British Columbia W61 $78.50
W256 $38.00
W255 $36.00
W252 $26.00
W253 $22.50
W549 $60.00 reg. $70.00
These stones are amazing--they look like little watercolor paintings, with swaths of soft teal greens, mauves, and cream. If you use your imagination, you can just picture the afterglow of a desert sunset. Mined in Arizona.
W580 $84.00
W581 $70.00
W558 $92.00
W559 $42.00
W586 $32.00
W66 $24.99 This is the last page of gemstones, but we have a new page of Artisan Beads, next. To go back to previous page: Water Colors To check what you've put in your shopping cart, click:
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Heart of Stone Studio Gemstones
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