Turquoise: what kind of stone it is, what it looks like, its use

Turquoise is considered the oldest mineral on the planet. It is quite soft and fragile, compared to other stones. Turquoise is often used in jewelry because it looks bright and has a pleasant texture. What is this mineral made up of? How is it processed for jewelry?

What is turquoise

Turquoise is made up of hydrated copper and aluminum phosphate. It contains a large number of water molecules, so this material has low strength. It can deteriorate from exposure to harsh environments. In nature, turquoise is found in the area of copper deposits. It is formed at low temperatures shallow in the ground.

The main characteristics of the mineral turquoise: the color of this stone is from bright sky-blue, turquoise to tender green. The shade of this stone does not change depending on the light. It is an opaque material. There may be dark patterns in the structure of turquoise. The surface of this mineral has a waxy sheen. This material is soluble in hydrochloric acid. When heated, turquoise can crack and turn a dark color.

Turquoise comes in four types:

• Natural stone of high quality is not often found. It makes up only 3% of all turquoise available in the world.
• Enhanced turquoise is special in that it is impregnated with resins, polystyrene, oils or wax.
• Enhanced turquoise is additionally tinted.
• Reconstituted turquoise is glued and pressed from shards or grains of sand of natural stone.

Application of turquoise

Most often turquoise is used in jewelry. This gemstone is used to make beads of various shapes. They can be perfectly polished and round or their natural shape is preserved. Beads are also made rectangular or flat.

Turquoise is used in bracelets, brooches, rings, earrings. It also serves as a decorative element that adorns statuettes, jewelry boxes, bags or shoes.

In the care of turquoise there are some peculiarities:

• Water, steam or ultrasound is not suitable for cleaning turquoise. Do not allow contact of this material with aggressive chemicals: soap, dish gels and other detergents. Turquoise is wiped with a soft dry cloth. Therefore, it is not recommended to wash your hands in turquoise rings. They should be removed and put on only when the hands are dried.
• The color of turquoise can fade and lose saturation. To prevent this from happening, turquoise jewelry is protected from temperature fluctuations, excessively dry air. Turquoise jewelry is not left in places where they get bright sunlight and light.
• It is desirable that turquoise is not in contact with essential oils, creams and other cosmetics.
• To avoid scratching turquoise, it is not stored with the rest of the jewelry. Bracelets or rings made of it are not worn in pockets together with metal objects that can damage it.

Turquoise is believed to have some healing properties. The shade of turquoise calms the nervous system. Thanks to this, the sleep and biorhythms of a person are improved. This stone relieves headaches and improves the condition of digestive disorders.