Since ancient times, people have endowed stones with magical properties. Turquoise, for example, was used by people in ancient times. The Persians considered her the remains of those people who died from passionate love. Tibetans attributed to her a divine origin and still believe that turquoise stones are living things. Turquoise talismans and jewelry were found in most ancient burials both in America, and in Egypt and Asia. Over a long period of human evolution, the fashion for certain precious materials appeared and disappeared, and natural turquoise stone always remains a symbol of health and good luck. This stone has always been considered a talisman that brings happiness. So, in eastern countries, turquoise served as an amulet that stores soldiers, and Egyptian jewelers actively made sacred insects from these stones for magic rituals.
In nature, in crystalline form, it is far from always possible to meet these beautiful stones. Turquoise is a kidney-shaped cryptocrystalline species or non-translucent veins in rocks. Their decorative features are ambiguous. There are pale turquoise stones, and there are bright shades from blue-blue to bluish-green. Their mesh and lace varieties are charming in appearance. The pattern on them is created by veins of metal oxides. It can be iron, copper or manganese. Matrix or uterine turquoise, interspersed with carbonaceous schists, is very interesting in appearance.
Surprisingly, despite the huge number of stone deposits available in the Caucasus, the USA, China, Israel, Afghanistan and other countries, one of the most widely imitated is still turquoise stone. The price of a fake is significantly inferior to natural material. But among jewelers, both of them remain very popular. Descriptions of turquoise imitation techniques were published as early as the 14th century. Therefore, today you need to be able to distinguish them.
If in past centuries, when natural turquoise stone was faked, a crumb of material was mixed with powders that were suitable in color, pressed, and a heterogeneous material was obtained, which was very difficult to distinguish from natural, today there are more opportunities to fake stones.
Turquoise consists of copper, ceramics and various suitable rocks of inexpensive stones, such as quartz. Moreover, there are experts who are so skillfully creating synthetic materials for turquoise that even experienced experts cannot find differences in their composition.
When buying should be considered primarily the state of the pores in the stone.
White pores in natural turquoise are not. Reveal the plastic using fire. You need to bring the wick on the back of the product and hold it a little. If it starts to melt - imitation. With the help of a needle, you can reveal faience in the hands or glass. Their hardness is greater than that of turquoise, and if there are no scratches on the material, and it is harder than the metal of the needle, then we can assume that this is a fake. At the same time, if as a result of such a check, chips or powder are formed, as well as white stripes on the product itself under the turquoise top layer, then it is obvious that the decoration is made of plastic. Using a red-hot needle, colored stones can be detected. Turquoise, or rather wax and resins in which the coloring pigments were dissolved, from the touch of hot metal begin to melt.
