Turquoise jewelry is a staple in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The turquoise marketplace has been booming for many years. While there are plenty of places to buy authentic turquoise there, it is important to understand the different types of turquoise before buying anything. Authentic turquoise is almost extinct. It can make buying genuine jewelry very hard to do. Experts usually warn consumers to beware and be careful.
Many people collect the stone and find that the different versions and colors of the stone are what make it more interesting to own. The important thing is to know how to spot the genuine versions of this popular birthstone. It is accepted as the birthstone for both the month of December and the day Saturday.
Most experts and collectors agree that one of the best places to buy turquoise jewelry is in Santa Fe. They do not buy their pieces in shops but rather in galleries. The National Indian Arts and Crafts Association works to educate buyers as well as monitor the sales of the jewelry.
It is possible to buy jewelry online but be careful. There are legitimate places based out of Santa Fe that come highly recommended as well as sellers on auction sites that have good reputations in the sale of this jewelry.
The main thing to know is the stone is usually not dyed if it is authentic. There is a mineral called howlite which can be dyed blue and that are put up for sale. They can legitimately go for sale as faux turquoise but be careful buying them from a seller that does not readily disclose this information. If you see this stone sold as white turquoise do not buy it. There is no real gemstone sold as white turquoise.
Another type of stone that looks like the real thing but is not is dyed magnesite. It can be an acceptable substitute as long as a seller tells a buyer that the stone is not genuine turquoise. If they do not, buy the jewelry from another seller.
Another stone to watch out for is something called yellow stones which are imported from China. These are usually sold as dyed pieces but it is very hard to tell whether you are getting something that is dyed or not so great care must be taken.
This stone is considered overall to be a bargain because even the highest graded stones are relatively affordable compared to other stones. As long as buyers educated themselves about the genuine forms of the stone and the legitimately dyed forms of the stone they should be able to buy pieces that add value to anyone’s collection.
It is also important to know that there are legitimate sellers that may accidentally mislabel the stones that they sell in their jewelry. Many dealers are not gemologists but are only salespeople who have a love for the beauty that these stones offer. Buy from trusted sellers who know as much as possible about the pieces they have on offer.
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