Turquoise is a fairly rare stone, the peculiarity of which is the ease of falsification. Since turquoise is not transparent and practically free from defects, its intrinsic properties remain hidden, making it difficult to recognize a counterfeit. However, there are several "home" ways to determine the authenticity of this stone.
Instructions
Step 1
Wash the stone with soap, dry well and wipe. After immersing the turquoise in clean water, leave it that way for a few hours. Natural turquoise will absorb liquid and change color. Cahalong, varascite and faustite, often passed off as turquoise, only absorb water. If the stone is treated with fragile dyes, they will change the color of the water.
Step 2
Place the tip of a paper clip heated over a fire on the stone. At the same time, turquoise will discolor a little at the site of cauterization, fragile kahalong will crack, and plastic or imitation will emit an unpleasant odor, accompanied by a slight smoke.
Step 3
Scrape off the stone lightly on the inconspicuous side. The blue or blue crumb that appears at the same time will give out a fake. Tap the turquoise gently with a spoon. When hitting a natural stone, a dull, hard-to-hear sound should be heard.
Step 4
Apply a thin layer of butter to the stone, check in a day what changes have occurred to it. The natural stone will absorb a sufficient amount of oil. Do not use margarine or vegetable oil for this test, so as not to destroy the structure of the stone.
Step 5
Pay attention to the shine of the stone: on well-polished specimens, it is greasy, matte and waxy. Loose specimens may not shine at all. There should be no glass luster on natural turquoise. Remember that natural turquoise, when worn, changes its shade quite noticeably over time.
Step 6
Check the transparency of the stone: it should be zero. Of course, there is translucent turquoise, but it cannot be found in a regular store, since it is comparable in price to tanzanite or colored diamonds.
Step 7
Examine turquoise with a magnifying glass for minor scratches and abrasions that are inevitable with the hard structure that distinguishes natural stone. The black and brownish veins present in the structure of the stone are another sign of true turquoise.
