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Home   /   Follow Me On My Creative Journey   /   Turquoise Stone - How to tell if it Real and Fake?

Turquoise Stone - How to tell if it Real and Fake?

June 05, 2019

Turquoise Stone Turquoise Stones Turquoise Bead Turquoise Necklaces Turquoise Earrings Turquoise Bracelet

Photos of Howlite Turquoise Real Turquoise and Fake Turquoise

There are different types of real Turquoise stones because they are mined in multiple locations. Then there are fake Turquoise stones that are sometimes labeled as real Turquoise. The fake Turquoise is usually made from howlite. It is a gray and white stone with dark gray veins. This can be dyed blue to look like the real Turquoise stone. Because the howlite stone has gray veins, when it is dyed blue it kind of looks like Turquoise. Some people refer to howlite as White Turquoise but it has no relationship to Turquoise. There are different ways to tell the genuine Turquoise stone from the fake one.

Price
As the old saying goes, if it is too good to be true, it probably is. Real Turquoise is always going to be more expensive than fake Turquoise.
 
Scratch Test
The hardness of howlite is about 3.5 and Turquoise is 5-6 on the Mohs hardness scale. This test will help to determine whether it is real or fake. If it is hard to scratch then you probably have real Turquoise. If it scratches easily then you know it is howlite.
 
Color
A real Turquoise stone will have different colors throughout the stone. A dyed howlite stone will have the exact same color throughout the stone. The Turquoise stone is known for the color that comes from a mixture of different things occurring naturally. Copper that is in the stone is what contributes to the blue color that is in the Turquoise stone. When this is combined with aluminum, phosphorus and water, we get Turquoise. This is a very short version of how the process works. Depending on the amount of these elements, it can change the final color of the turquoise stone. That is why it is hard to find natural turquoise that is uniform in color.
 
Fingernail Test
Run your finger nail along the surface of the stone. If you can feel the crevasses, then chances are it is a genuine Turquoise stone. The fake stone will be very smooth throughout the entire surface.
 
Finger Nail Polish Test
Put some finger nail polish remover on a cotton swab and rub it on the stone. If it is not real, the dye will come off of the howlite and you will see some blue on the cotton swab. Otherwise, the stone will stay the same and there won't be any residue on the cotton swab.
 
Cutting The Stone Test
When you cut the stone in half or crush it, you will know whether it is howlite or Turquoise. If the inside is white, it is definitely howlite.
 
 I did all the above tests on the Turquoise that I purchased for my  Turquoise Jewelry Collection. This collection consists of Turquoise Earrings, Turquoise Bracelets, and Turquoise Necklaces. Years ago when I first started purchasing stones, I didn't realize the difference. Now, I can definitely see the difference between the real Turquoise stone and the fake.
   
Womens Jewelry Turquoise Bracelet Turquoise Earrings Turquoise Necklace

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