How can you distinguish Turquoise vs Howlite stone? Do you know that almost all of the Turquoise Stone being sold in the market is actually Blue Dyed Howlite Stone?
Howlite stone is a porous white mineral that is able to be dyed to almost every possible color. Most of the time it’s dyed green or blue in order to make it look like Turquoise. Read on to find it out how to distinguish them.
Blue Dyed Howlite Stone Vs Turquoise Stone
Table of Contents
How Did Howlite Become Popular?
Like anything else, it’s more profitable to sell an imitation than the original one for the obvious reason that it’s much cheaper to produce. This goes the same with the dyed Howlite.
Turquoise is known for its incredible robin’s egg color. Queens, Kings, and powerful rulers of Empires have been seeking such precious gem stone. This has made Turquoise become extremely expensive and difficult to find.
This is how the dyed Howlite came into the market. The material can be dyed to achieve the beautiful blue shade of a Robins egg. This is the same color that the Turquoise is known for and it’s for this reason that jewelry manufacturers have decided to sell the imitation instead of the real one.
Turquoise vs Blue Howlite Stone
Here are some of the most important factors to consider when determining the difference between a real turquoise and a blue-dyed Howlite stone:
1.Physical Appearance
It’s extremely rare to find a real Turquoise that has a perfect and even distribution of color. The old ones that originally come from Persia may have even color but this could cost you thousands of dollars. So if you find stones that have a perfect uniform color, then there’s a good chance that it’s dyed.
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2.Color Stability
For this test, you’ll need cotton and a nail polish remover. Simply put a small amount of acetone on the area and if the cotton turns blue while the area where the acetone was applied shows a white patch, then that could mean that what you have is not a real Turquoise Gem. The dye that’s used in Howlite can only penetrate the stone’s surface. Thus, the inside part is still white and this will show up if you wipe the area with a nail polish remover.
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3.Price
Another way to tell if your Turquoise is dyed or real is the price. For instance, a strand of perfectly matching blue Turquoise beads can be hard to look for, especially those that have exactly the same color. So these are understandably expensive. But if you find that they are being sold at a cheaper price, then that could indicate that it’s the dyed version.
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The best advice when it comes to ensuring that you are buying a real Turquoise gem is to look for a seller that you can trust. Find out from them where the stones come from and get a feel of how much they know about turquoise. You should be able to tell if they are to be trusted based on the answers they give you.
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