Only an experienced jeweler can reliably say whether the real turquoise is in front of you or not, and even then often after special research has been carried out. However, you still need to know a few rules that will help you identify an outright fake.
Instructions
Step 1
Examine the product under a magnifying glass. Take a closer look at the blotches. If their color is much darker than the color of the stone, then it is most likely magnesite, which was painted with copper salts. Also examine the surface of the stone. Real turquoise is porous, but plastic fakes are not. Having discerned the smallest bubbles in the stone, you can safely say that the stone is fake. Microscopic cracks, which should not be in real turquoise, speak of the same thing. If you are buying turquoise beads, pay attention to the locations of the thread holes. If the inside of the beads is white or, on the contrary, very dark, know that this is plastic, painted in the color of turquoise.
Step 2
Take a damp cloth and rub the stone with it. If the napkin gets dyed, in front of you is a fake of the purest water, moreover, painted with a cheap dye. The dye may be more persistent. Therefore, if the napkin is not stained, try to run a cotton swab dipped in alcohol over the surface of the stone. This method is not universal, because it allows you to identify only low-quality imitation.
Step 3
Use a needle heated in a flame. Touch it to a stone - if it smells of burnt plastic, you are holding in your hands a cute trinket made of synthetic material, but not a gem. In this case, the surface of the "stone" will melt. If it smells like burnt hair, the fake is made from fossilized animal bones. In the case of real turquoise, the color of the stone will change slightly, and on the surface you can see the smallest drops of wax or resin, which cover the stone during processing.
Step 4
Try to scratch the stone. If the same needle or sharp awl leaves a trail on the stone without any problems, under which a whitish shade appears, and spiral shavings appear along it, it is not a stone at all, but simply a fake, in front of you.
Step 5
Pay special attention to the size of the product and its price when purchasing. Turquoise is an expensive rare mineral, and jewelry with it, by definition, cannot be cheap. If the price of the product is less than $ 200, it is possible that they are trying to sell you an imitation pressed from crumb. And turquoise stones cannot be large. Ask the seller for a certificate of authenticity.
