Last Updated on December 29, 2023
Is your turquoise real or fake? It’s a question that plagues many jewelry shoppers, and it can be difficult to answer.
Turquoise is one of the most popular gemstones in the world, but not all turquoise are created equal. There are some tell-tale signs that you can use to spot authentic stones from their imitations.
The best way to learn if your turquoise is real or fake is via a simple scratch test. if you scratch a turquoise stone and the turquoise scratches easily, it is likely fake. However, if you don’t see any scratching on your gemstone after a few tries – you have a genuine turquoise.
Looking to dive deeper and find more ways to spot if your turquoise is real? read on!
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how to tell if turquoise is real?
Here are 4 tips on spotting real turquoise from its fakes:
1. The color intensity – Real turquoise has intense colors which fade with age while fake turquoise tends to have faded colors even when new.
If the stone is too dark, it may not have been heated enough to produce a bright blue turquoise gemstone and if there are any black flecks in your stones then they’re likely fake as well. Turqouise has no such streaks or specks of other colors present within its body.
2. The weight – Fake turquoise usually feels lighter than real gems because they’re made of plastic or other cheap materials. Real turquoise is heavier than fake ones because it’s made of natural materials like copper, aluminum and iron.
It will also have a more solid weight to the touch when compared with plastic or other cheap material fakes which feel hollow in comparison (this can be difficult for some people.
3. Price tag – fake turquoise is usually made out of very simple materials and is therefore much cheaper to produce than real turquoise.
Real Turquoise can be expensive because it’s made of natural materials like copper, aluminum or iron which are more difficult to work with when compared fake ones that use plastic as their base material , so they can sell them at a lower rate in order make more profit.
4. The scratch test – The scratch test is the most common way to spot fake turquoise jewelry because it’s easy and can be done by anyone with just about any metal object in their home or office.
if you’re still unsure about the authenticity of your turquoise, try scratching it with a metal object. if you scratch your stone and it scratches easily, you most likely have a piece of fake turquoise jewelry. But if it doesn’t scratch easily, you have a piece of real turquoise in your hands.
What is a fake turquoise?
Fake turquoise is a reforged piece of jewelry made to imitate the looks of a genuine turquoise. It’s usually made from plastic and can be easily identified by the scratch test because it scratches very easy with any metal object.
Most of the time, fake turquoise is made out of a material called Howlite. Howlite is a type of material that has the same color as turquoise and can be easily identified by its hardness. Other common fake turquoise materials are plastic, glass and porcelain.
Frequently asked questions about turquoise:
How can you tell if jewelry is turquoise?
How can you tell if jewelry is turquoise? Turqouise has a hardness of about six on the Mohs scale. This means that it will scratch glass, but not metal or plastic and porcelain which are both softer than this gemstone material in general (about four). If your piece scratches easily with any other
How much does real turquoise cost?
Real Turqouise can be expensive. The price of a piece is determined by the size, color and quality as well as how rare it may or not might happen to me in nature (most are mined). A rough estimate for an average sized stone would range from $50-$500.
The difference between the prices of turquoise can be attributed to the quality of turquoise. The more vivid and bright in color, with less brown or black spots will cost a lot higher than one that is duller.
Turquoise can also have different colors such as blue-green which would make it worth even much money because those colors are much rarer than normal turquoise.
Is Turquoise worth more than gold?
Turquoise is not worth more than gold. The price of a piece can range from $50-$500, which would make it much less expensive that the average cost for an ounce or gram of gold (which ranges between about $1200-1400). However, rare high-grade turquoise can be worth up to 3 times the price of gold.
What is the rarest turquoise?
The rarest turquoise is the blue-green color. It has a much higher price than other colors of natural and dyed turquoise (dyed can range from $50-$500) because it’s so hard to find in nature.
What is the true color of turquoise?
The true color of turquoise is a light to medium blue-green. The name “turqouise” comes from the French word for Turkish, which refers back its origins in Persia and Turkey where it was mined by ancient civilizations like Ancient Rome or Byzantium (now Istanbul).
