Deerwoman Designs

For all turquoise lovers

2012-02-02T15:00:00.002-06:00

This is a must read for anyone interested in turquoise. Thanks, Russ

Rings & Things Gemstone Index. Entry for Turquoise by Russ Nobbs. Learn from an expert.
http://www.rings-things.com/gemstone-index/t.html

New Items in Holiday sparkle

2011-12-23T16:46:00.000-06:00

My red coral and green gemstone bracelet now on Bonanza's "last Minute Gifts"

2011-12-23T13:45:00.004-06:00

Many thanks The Lucky Bird for including me. Click on the title to see her hand picked list and link

Holiday Sparkle

2011-12-09T12:37:00.004-06:00

Well, I finally decided to make something using non precious versions of silver. I just made these and they look pretty good, silver plate chain and findings. With the red coral I think they look pretty good. I'd love to continue just using sterling silver but my stock is being depleted. uget means I have to wait before replenishing.

So many folks also find it difficult to pay the higher prices for precious metals in these difficult times. But I think, with care, these should continue to look good for a long time

Click on the title to see my newest Picasa Album "Holiday Sparkle"

Jewelry for my new shop at Alangoo

2011-12-01T18:16:00.004-06:00

Deerwoman Designs has just been accepted at a new website called Alangoo. All items are created by indie designers. Many have a Persian flavor or motif.

Click on the title of this post and see some of my new jewelry for Alangoo.

I will slowly be adding my items there.

Well, I finally got busy and made some jewelry for the holidays

2011-11-22T15:44:00.004-06:00

See more at my new Picasa Album and soon to appear in my shops.

See my lapis lazuli necklace in Bonanza, in Robin1's new handpicked list

2011-11-04T11:14:00.004-05:00

Lapis lazuli has always been one of my favorite stones. Lots of lovely pieces in this list. Take a look.

Here's my necklace: http://www.bonanza.com/listings/Necklace-with-Grade-A-Lapis-Lazuli-14K-Gold-Fill/21088269

Hubei Mines Closing.

2011-09-18T10:34:00.003-05:00

Fire Mountain Gems recently published an article about China's decision to close some of its Hubei turquoise mines. I'd love to hear more about this and what you think about it. Hubei produces a variety of colors of turquoise. I wonder how much this will affect the supply and prices.Those of you in the turquoise business, what are your thoughts? I'm wondering if i should stock up at Tucson or whether prices will be higher by then. What else have you heard?An illustration of some of the Hubei turquoise I bought last year.

check out this very interesting article

2011-06-23T15:47:00.005-05:00

A very good synopses of bead making history in the area now known as Pakistan.

Thanks Abdul Momin for bringing my attention to it.

Just click on the title of this post to link to it.

The World is My Oyster Hand Picked List on Bonanza

2011-06-21T18:13:00.002-05:00

Click on title to see the list. My cranberry pearl and black lip oval oyster shell earrings are there.

A bracelet with orbicular black stone and some old favorites

2011-06-16T19:30:00.001-05:00

Click on the title of this post to see all.

I've just posted some new jewelry in a Picasa Album

2011-06-14T18:26:00.004-05:00

Featured are choker necklaces with freshwater pearl, lava rock and oyster shell on chain. The one with lava rock uses gunmetal chain findings, with matching earrings. The second pair of earrings is made with a very interesting black stone with orbicular markings. it's not hard enough to be jasper.

I'll be making more jewelry using this unique stone soon.

Another necklace chosen for Handpicked List on Bonanza

2011-06-14T14:14:00.003-05:00

See this Handpicked list by clicking on the title of the post.
Called heavenly Bamboo. Some very nice items here, and I do love bamboo. My necklace has hand painted bamboo beads with lava rock and coral. Click on the title of this post to see the necklace

My earrings in a Bonanza Handpicked List

2011-06-10T14:13:00.002-05:00

If you like purple, you'll like the things people have made here. What a range of items.

It's now official, I'm accepted by Three Sisters Marketplace

2011-05-11T21:34:00.000-05:00

This is a new juried site. They promise a lot of promotion. If you make handcrafted items, check it out. it's free, just a commission when you sell.

I love this lizardite

2011-05-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

More new items and some new exciting bead purchases

2011-05-06T12:08:00.002-05:00

I've just done some more classic style freshwater pearl earrings in sterling silver -Argentium and 14K gold fill. Also some with large oval black lip oyster shell ovals. And just to show you some beads I really love...check these out

Click on the title to see the new Picasa album.

New Roman glass necklace now up on Picasa

2011-05-03T21:21:00.002-05:00

Shown here also is a strand of Roman glass that I have not yet made into jewelry. The Roman glass I have was found in Afghanistan, in what appeared to be a dump of glass at a manufacturing site. Some of the glass here dates to the Roman glass period, and some later. the incrustation on these pieces appears to confirm that it is ancent glass. See also my earlier blog on Roman glass.

Click on the title to see the new Picasa album.

And also the necklace of purple agate drusy with 14Kgold fill and vermeil.

New items of torched copper

2011-04-29T22:56:00.002-05:00

These are up now in a new Deerwoman Designs Picasa album. See them soon on Etsy and Bonanza. just four shown here, see them all in the album.

Click on the title to see the new Picasa album.

New items up on Etsy

2011-04-26T14:08:00.002-05:00

Also on my Bonanza shop http://www.bonanza.com/booths/deerwomandesigns/items/Sterling_Silver_and_Black_Onyx_Necklace_with_Silver_Coated_C

Has matching earrings

Two of my items were chosen for a handpicked list on Bonanza

2011-04-26T12:58:00.003-05:00

There are some very beautiful items here. Take a look. My two include necklace of lava rock, coral, ancient Afghan etched carnelian beads and old dzi beads, and pair of earrings of gunmetal chain with coral and lava rock. PS they are for sale.....

Watch Parts

2011-04-22T20:31:00.003-05:00

Now I have a lot of beautiful tiny watch parts (see photo below in an earlier post) and am still considering how best to use them. I have glued faceted gemstone rondelle beads onto some of the shafts of the gears with Hypo cement but am afraid they will fall off. I guess I'll have to knock them around a bit to see how sturdy they are before I can use them.

Also, I don't look forward to trying to saw off all the sharp little shafts that I don't put beads on. Am trying to avoid that. Any ideas?

This spring is acting like winter and it is still too cold to work in my "workshop" most of the time, especially at night when I can work uninterrupted. SUN SUN SUN where are you?

MORE TORCHED COPPER

2011-04-22T20:27:00.000-05:00

See my new Picasa Album with more torched copper jewelry

Deerwoman Designs at PrimeXpo

2011-04-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

Link to my PICASA Album with pictures of Deerwoman Designs and 2 of Abdul of Afghan Tribal Arts at the Primexpo Jewelry and Gift show this past weekend Apr 8-10 2011

Gems and Freshwater Pearl

2011-03-31T19:42:00.001-05:00

I just posted a new album on Picasa of a series of jewelry I made a while ago that I really like.

I will be posting more in my shops but here's one:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/17068553/necklace-w-amethyst-smoky-quartz-vintage

Busy Busy

2011-03-29T21:04:00.002-05:00

What I really want to do is sit down and create jewelry. Amazing how many things need to be done before I can do that. Today I showed some jewelry. My business card is years old and I had no time before showing to make a new one. I don't have any fancy programs to create business cards, brochures and the like. So I created it in Excel. It turned out well and all the cards are a uniform size and shape.

However, it's not gonna work for a new brochure. Where can I get good but free software to do this (for Windows).

Here's the image. I can print it on a variety of different papers. Looks good on glossy.

YAY A pair of my earrings just made it into this Etsy Treasury

2011-03-18T13:51:00.004-05:00

I've also just added some new items in my Etsy shop made from purchases at Tucson gem shows, from which this was selected. This group features a lot of African brass fetish, metal openwork disks and trade beads. Also some amazing Nepalese beaded balls. They'll also be in my Artisans Market Gallery and on Bonanza soon.

Next I'll be making new items from the copper chain and elements I bought at Tucson

Tucson Loot

2011-03-02T19:13:00.002-06:00

Some of the exciting items I bought at Tucson this year. Watch parts! I can't wait to start making something from these, an adjunct style to my hardware chic. African trade beads. These are not old ones but they are lovely anyway. Nepalese beaded balls from the Bead Goes On. I'll probably use some of these high quality lapis heishi and coral I got from Afghan Tribal Arts. And last but not least, wonderful gold washed solid copper that has been torch shimmered for a beautiful array of hues, and some bright copper square beads before treatment. You can order these from Silk Road Treasures. I also bought some more old Afghan Jewelry elements like those I got last year from Pashtoon Artifacts.

Today when I was taking the photos in my workshop it was almost warm enough at midday to work there, so maybe you'll be seeing some new creations here soon.

Hardware Chic

2011-02-28T19:48:00.008-06:00

I decided tonight to look up Hardware Chic in Google search. About a year ago I coined the term after designing some jewelry using washers, nuts, bolts, bushings and the like from the hardware store. I had been eyeing watch parts to make jewelry but had not purchased any yet. then I went to the hardware store to buy plastic boxes for organizing beads and things. While there the display of washers caught my eye. Too cool, and close to what I was thinking about for watch parts. So I bought some. Made some jewelry, went back for more, then to buy acrylic paints to paint them. And more pieces were born.

6 months ago I did not find any jewelry using the term "Hardware Chic" per se, though I found some jewelry using various kinds of hardware. Mine was quite different from that. Now, however I have found quite a few actually using this term and even some people giving classes using hardware to make jewelry. So it has caught on. I guess my idea was a good one. I hope they will respond to my comments so I can see what other people are turning out. Creativity and influences are endlessly fascinating to me. I hope you like my creations.

Since It's still too cold to work in my workshop it's about time I added a post to my blog.

And I sold one of my favorite hardware chic necklaces, the double strand shown here on me. This was one of my favorites. Guess I'll have to make more.

I found one!

2010-07-17T14:25:00.001-05:00

http://www.thediydish.com/2010/05/episode-10-hardware-store-meets-chic-jewelry-design/

Another good idea for using hardware in jewelry. let's see what else is out there.

You saw it here first

2010-07-17T12:11:00.009-05:00

Hardware Chic

I've been noticing watch parts and new chains turning up on the market and in jewelry. I like the look a lot, the shapes, the textures.

Polly Nobbs La Rue posted a piece on Facebook using watch parts and cold connections (rivets), which appealed to me very much and got me thinking. I ordered some watch parts, and considered them. Most are very delicate, and I haven't decided how to use them yet, as most of my jewelry features wire wrapping connections.

Also on my mind are all the varieties of chains out there in copper, brass, gunmetal and more. I brought home a selection from Tucson and made some items. Then I ordered some and bought more at Bead and Button. What a variety of chain types and colors!

I used some very heavy torch shimmered cable chain from Pashtoon Artifacts with a simple lapis lazuli donut for a bold yet simple style.

Then one day I went to the hardware store to get something and while there I saw all sorts of intriguing shapes and textures in the hardware department. I couldn't resist. I raided my husband's tool box for more shapes and colors. I used the different color chains, gunmetal, brass and copper, for the basis for different color schemes.

Now you can find a growing number of findings and stringing supplies in these same materials from beading suppliers. I used these and copper, silver and gold filled wire to connect everything together. I started making a necklace, some bracelets and earrings, shown here. Thus I created the beginning pieces of my new "Hardware Chic" style. They will be up on my Etsy and 1000 Markets sites soon. Lots of ideas are running through my mind and I'm trying to grab some time to make more.

I wonder who else out there might be using hardware in jewelry. I'd love to see. If you know of anyone using hardware in jewelry, I'd love to see any comments or links. Don't be shy.

Old "Roman" Glass Recycled for Jewelry. PLEASE share your thoughts and opinions.

2010-05-02T11:01:00.034-05:00

In the past view years Roman glass from Afghanistan has been on the market. It is described as old shards coming from ancient sites in Afghanistan, reshaped and sold as beads or jewelry elements. Some of the glass certainly seems to be very old, not necessarily "Roman" but could possibly date from that period. Finds of glass that old have been excavated in Afghanistan. The encrustation on some of the pieces illustrated below do look authentic to me. The colors are also appropriate and the surface of these pieces looks consistent with old glass that has been prepared for reuse.

I am NOT an expert but have seen a lot of ancient glass over the years. However, I am also aware that there is a lot of new glass reputed to be "Roman" or ancient that has been created to look that way. I'll post a photo when I get my hands on a sample. The practice of recreating Roman or ancient glass has been going on for many years. The way new encrustation looks and adheres to the surface is very different from the ancient glass surface. The encrustation is interlocked with the surface of the glass underneath. The surface often displays notable iridescence.

Below are pieces that I believe is old glass, whether of the "Roman" glass type or later. You'll be able to see bubbles, striations and encrustation on the surface of the glass. Some samples show a rough irregular surface that would result when encrustation is cleaned off. The encrustation on these pieces compares favorably with authentic Roman glass. Others exhibit a faint iridescence.

A couple pieces, though similar in color and showing striations and bubbles, have a very shiny surface. These could be new pieces. Front and back and edges are shown of some samples. Edges can be seen in some of the group shots.

The technique used to make new glass look old was described to me briefly as follows:
New glass is coated with fingernail polish, heated to a high temperature and then treated with acid. The encrustation resulting will be on one one side of the glass.

How accurate this is I have no idea. It does not have details on temperature and applying treatments.

This "necklace" is composed of recycled glass shards and portions of an ancient tile.

Glass courtesy of Afghan Tribal Arts.

Much as been written about ancient glass. Production and distribution of glass in the Roman period extended from Europe to Southeast Asia. It has also been recycled for reuse throughout that period as well as in modern times.

A good resume is given in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_glass

More about glass:
http://www.glassonline.com/infoserv/history.html

SEE THIS FOR GOOD COMPARISONS
For glass with a provenence, see below. Because glass of this period was traded widely these glass pieces are good comparisons. While we may not always know the exact site, such pieces are authentic. There is a good supply of ancient glass as it was a common product in Roman times.

http://www.jerusalem-antiquities.com
<-c-26.html?osCsid=f03219745bd8be683848895a74af19ae

Good Roman glass generral reference:
http://books.google.com/books?id=bBBkBJN_lJMC&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=israeli+roman+glass&source=bl&ots=CnUOobrXPm&sig=REwBRJ3c_sWElMzoEpBKGqBIsmY&hl=en&ei=tjrgS7vGNYXENPH44c8J&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAjgy#v=onepage&q&f=false

Some remarks on lapis lazuli

2010-03-16T20:24:00.049-05:00

My first close encounter with lapis lazuli was when I was a curatorial assistant many years ago in the ancient Near Eastern Art Dept. at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There I saw the wonderful cobalt blue lapis lazuli objects from the Royal Graves at Ur. Some of these items are in the MMA, some in the British Museum, and some at The U of Pennsylvania Penn Museum, as well as what may remain in the museum in Baghdad. For example, the well known "ram caught in a thicket" at the Penn Museum and the bull headed lyre have very high quality lapis inlay. Lapis was imported in quantity to Sumer/Mesopotamia as early as 3500 B.C. and was used perhaps as early as 6000 BC The only probable source is Badakhshan,in Afghanistan.

I was very attracted to lapis lazuli and will never forget seeing it there. As a consequence I always wanted to have some. The most famous and still the best quality of lapis (short for lapis lazuli) comes from Badakhshan in Afghanistan. When I left the MMA to go to Iran to live and work I went via Afghanistan. Yes, backwards I know but it was a wonderful chance to get a peek at that country. The curatorial staff at the MMA knew my plans and needed a photo of a craftsman using a bow drill. When I arrived in Kabul I found a man sitting on the sidewalk in Chicken Street drilling holes in lapis lazuli beads with a bow drill. I took a lot of pictures of him drilling the beads. I also bought a matched sets of beads from him which I had made into earrings. They were a rich blue with typical gold pyrite sprinkles. I no longer have those pictures, too bad, as I sent them all back to the MMA .Indeed one was published. I wish I could find the reference. If I succeed I'll post it here. That was my first purchase of lapis lazuli.

Since that time I have acquired pieces of lapis in greatly varying quality. In these photos I hope you will be able to see the range of color in extremely blue lapis with little or no pyrite, calcite or other inclusions. The best lapis I acquired was over ten years ago. Most of this was in the form of small shaped beads. In the last few years I have seen very little of such pure color, and much of that is old stock. I know it still is being sold but I am told the AA ad AAA quality is so expensive and already spoken for that you rarely see it on the market.

This picture was taken of lapis lazuli polished rough in 2005 at the Silk Road Treasures booth at Gem Mall.
Most of the lapis lazuli I have is from Afghanistan and has the typical matte surface. Nowadays you see it mostly with a high polish. Most of it has quite a bit of white calcite as well as the gold pyrite, and sometimes greenish inclusions. It also comes in a much darker blue. Now the bulk of the lapis lazuli from Afghanistan is sent to China for shaping and polishing. You don't see the matte finish often except that sold by a limited number of dealers, my friends among them, who acquire it from Afghan craftsmen in Afghanistan or Pakistan.

Shown from in order from top left to bottom right are:

High grade round lapis beads showing the range of color
A necklace and earrings I created with an Afghan pendant, a bead strand and beads of high quality lapis
High quality matte finished lapis carved beads
Lapis beads shaped and polished in China
Two strands of lower quality lapis beads, the top strand a gift from Iran, and below, a strand of lapis finished in China bought this year at the Tucson 2010 Gem Mall show
Two strands of lower quality lapis beads, the top strand a gift from Iran, and below, a strand of lapis finished in China bought this year at the Tucson 2010 Gem Mall show
Selection of lower quality beads and pendant, the latter showing the less valuable darker blue

The rough, and many of the shaped pieces are sold by the gram. The price of course varies by quality but a wholesale price of $.25 per gram is common for an average grade.

Lapis lazuli (lapis for short) is a rock, that is, a material composed of a number of different minerals. The blue color is mainly from the mineral lazurite. The large amounts of this is what gives the Afghan lapis its massive areas of outstanding blue. The other primary minerals from which lapis lazuli is composed are calcite and gold colored pyrite. Also present may be sodalite, hauyne, diopside, feldspar and more. The varying amounts and kinds of the minerals in the lapis affect the color of the lapis.

Lapis from other areas, primarily Chile and Russia, generally contain a higher proportion of white calcite and are not considered to be of the same high quality.

Lapis lazuli was used not only for shaped pieces and inlay in many different cultures, but was also ground into powder and used for makeup in ancient Egypt, and in paint pigments until it was replaced with a synthetic in 1828.

Typical Afghan Jewelry with lapis lazuli inlay and beads (top),
Necklaces I created using freshwater pearl and Afghan lapis pendant, and Afghan lapis, carnelian and Afghan jade (serpentine)with Afghan pendant. (bottom)

The most common lookalikes include sodalite, a mineral closely related to and sometimes included in lapis lazuli, and dumortierite (denim lapis), a mineral, which is much harder than lapis lazuli.

Useful web links for references:

Reference for the photos of objects from Ur
http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v56/n09/ur.html

Information on the rock-lapis lazuli
http://www.gemsociety.org/info/gems/Lapis.htm
http://www.cst.cmich.edu/users/dietr1rv/
http://www.mindat.org/index.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapis_lazuli
http://books.google.com/books?id=wm_X_LzoN-cC&pg=PA184&lpg=PA184&dq=oldershaw,+lapis+lazuli&source=bl&ots=1C6o829LzY&sig=NIXTKfGzbL3UEc6vqnwN5oFjmc4&hl=en&ei=NeieS7ywBI2KNKeHmfAM&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Images of lapis lazuli from Badakhshan,Chile, Russia and Tajikistan:
http://www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=2330

History and mining:
Excerpt from Peter Bancroft. Gem and Crystal Treasures (1984) Western Enterprises/Mineralogical Record, Fallbrook, CA, 488 pp.
http://www.palagems.com/lapis_lazuli_bancroft.htm

Georgina Herrmann. Lapis lauli: the early phases of its trade.
http://www.jstor.org/pss/4199836

Lazurite: http://webmineral.com/specimens/gallery.php?st=61&init=L
http://www.webmineral.com/data/Lazurite.shtml
http://www.answers.com/topic/lazurite
Sodalite: http://www.mindat.org/min-3701.html
http://www.cst.cmich.edu/users/dietr1rv/sodalite.htm
Dumortierite: http://www.mindat.org/min-1329.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumortierite

A great idea for the bead obsessed

2010-03-15T14:46:00.004-05:00

What a wonderful idea this is. Like those emails you forward to others with your wn additions but with BEADS!

http://humblebeads.blogspot.com/2010/03/sisterhood-of-traveling-beads-giveaway_15.html

Tucson 2010

2010-03-11T22:43:00.023-06:00

My husband tending store for friends at Silk Road Treasures .

Russ Nobbs and me at Rings& Things-Holidome

Chains at Pashtoon Artifacts

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New Projects

2010-03-11T21:40:00.006-06:00

A WEBSITE coming soon..well hopefully real soon I'm creating it on Weebly and am learning as I go. I'll have to make it live to finish a lot of the pieces, so when it does go up I'm sure it will be buggy. The website is for my company Deerwoman Designs, to sell items I have created in the past 10 years or so. At the beginning I will only put up a few test objects to check on how things work. If all goes well, I hope to add international sales as well.

The other sites where I have items for sale have not been productive lately, so I hope this will improve matters.

There's a new Facebook Connect widget here to connect so that you can see the photo galleries and the public parts of my page. There's also a Google Follow Me widget.

I have been planning some more posts on turquoise. These got delayed, but not given up on. I also plan to write a little bit about lapis lazuli as soon as I get the photos done. It is truly an amazing material and I love it as much as I love turquoise. I also had a wonderful time at Tucson this year visiting the booths of my Afghan friends, and of course just gazing at the wonderful displays, wishing I could buy a lot of what I saw. Above is a sample of what I did buy.

While there I also visited the Rings & Things booth at Holidome. I was lucky enough to meet Russ Nobbs there.

Buggy wonders

2009-02-24T19:21:00.008-06:00

I was just reading in Colored Stone's latest online magazine that jewelry depicting bugs and other critters are becoming a big thing. So of course I have to put my two cents in. Here's my "Save the bees" necklace created in 2006, right around the time we first started hearing about colony collapse syndrome.

So also with other inspirations from nature. It has always been a source of creative ideas for me. here are two more nature inspired items. See more at my Deerwoman Designs Gallery at Artisans Market

Buying Turquoise, Part II

2008-10-11T14:30:00.018-05:00

By Anita of Deerwoman Designs

Part II

This section will include information on testing, characteristics, composition and some of my personal experiences with turquoise.

There has always been much discussion about terms to describe stones and their treatment.
Much of it centers around what is "natural", "treated", "enhanced", or "stabilized".

Since turquoise is a soft and porous stone, that occurs as nodules, veins or a crust on matrix, it rarely occurs in large enough volume to produce a sizable piece of natural turquoise of uniform color. If it is a large stone it is unlikely to be natural or stabilized turquoise unless it is very expensive.

You can see irregular areas and nodules incorporated in the matrix in many of the illustrations I have provided. You can tell that they would not yield any sizable chunk of uniformly colored turquoise.

The basic chemical formula: CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4(H2O)
The minerals: Aluminum, Copper, Phosphorus, Hydrogen, Oxygen:

Even more rare are turquoise crystals, so much so that you do not see these used in jewelry. For this and a beautiful picture of a turquoise crystal and its properties see:

http://www.webmineral.com/data/Turquoise.shtml

There are many variations on a theme in turquoise formulas, different minerals that contribute their own characteristics to the turquoise at hand. Expect to see a lot of differences in the formulae of tested specimens.

Turquoise occurs mainly in arid areas with copper deposits. Weathering may form a crust of turquoise, or it will cause filling in areas in rock, forming veins or nodules. The copper is what gives it the wonderful blue color. Iron contributes the green. Any real turquoise must have some copper, or it is NOT turquoise.

Knowing as little as I do about turquoise, sometimes the line between matrix and the turquoise itself becomes a little fuzzy:

For example:
On the right is a green turquoise nugget, but you can see a tiny area of pure sky blue turquoise.

On the left is a nugget with both the greenish and bluish turquoise existing side by side, transitioning from one to the other.

These examples show nodules in the matrix, webbing, and irregular large areas of turquoise interspersed with the matrix.

Natural turquoise will have had nothing done to it except cutting and polishing. As discussed in Part I, the most common treatment is stabilization, which involves strengthening the stone by adhesives or other binding materials. This is an addition to the natural components of the stone and not only changes the hardness, but also often the color.

A proprietary process called the Zachary process is also applied to turquoise. Although details of the process are not revealed, it is a patented technique involving adding chemicals, similar to the composition of the turquoise, heating it and running an electrical charge through it. This process can be detected by laboratory tests for certain earmarks, but it basically does not change the chemical structure or color of the turquoise. However, it hardens the stone and stabilizes the color, so that it will not turn greenish with wear and time.

For good examples of both natural and Zachery treated turquoise see
http://www.monsterslayer.com/Pages/Turquoise/Turquoise.aspx

Some say turquoise treated this way is still natural turquoise, others say it is treated or "enhanced". However, the process is much less invasive than stabilization or dying and preserves the look of the stone exactly like it was in its natural state.

Sleeping Beauty turquoise is stabilized with the typical stabilization process, but only on the request of specific buyers.

These interesting videos at the Sleeping Beauty website gives a good look at turquoise as it comes out of the ground and is sorted and graded.

http://www.sbturquoise.com/

Tests: There are a variety of tests that are used to determine the identity of a mineral or stone. These, also used to identify other types of gemstone, include hardness, streak test, magnetism, type of fracture, refractive index, specific gravity, and other more intensive tests.

These are done by professional labs, though you can do a rough at home hardness or streak test to approximate the hardness of the stone based on the Mohs Scale of hardness. The hardness test basically involves scratching the specimen by a harder substance for which the value of hardness is known. and using the specimen to scratch softer substances to determine its position on the scale. See http://www.galleries.com/minerals/hardness.htm

Minerals have different colors when you scrape a specimen agains a hard, rough ceramic surface. You can't do this with the harder minerals of course. You can find out the color of the streak of various minerals from mineral databases. Often, however, it does not reveal much. If the speciment streaks white, this is the color streak of a majority of minerals. It is wonderful though when you have a mineral with a colored streak and your specimen does have the right color! Turquoise should give a white or very light bluish green streak.

Turquoise's hardness will vary in its natural state, even from the same mine. Even with stabilization, the hardness also varies greatly. Typically, turquoise hardness is between 5.5-6.5.

http://www.jewelrysupplier.com/2_turquoise/turquoisel_properties.htm

Common sense tells you that if it melts, it's plastic. if it shatters like glass, then it most probably is. If it is very lightweight, it could not be stone.

If you need to know what your turquoise is, you will have to test it in some way. Since some home tests can be destructive, you may need to get it tested by a lab.

Here's one that puzzled me.

I obtained some dark blue green nuggets a number of years ago, varying in size. They have a very waxy feel, which I did not like. I suspected they had been dyed and treated with some kind of oil or fat. I was told they had been oiled.

They look like Tibetan turquoise, with nodules in a dark matrix. I had one broken sample. Its interior color is consistent all through the nugget, the same dark color as the outside.

I soaked some in water and dish detergent for 24 hours and scrubbed.

They turned out to be a light blue green turquoise color, without the waxy feel.

I tried to break a soaked one open. NOT so easy, I whacked it 20 times with a hammer, dented the work area and only managed to break off a chip. The inside was the same original dark color. This didn't make sense. So I asked help in breaking it open. This time I could see the dark interior, consistent with the interior of the unsoaked one. I found some very small bubbles!

This could be a kind of faience or glassy composite with a strong adhesive added to make it very resistant to breaking. Real turquoise would not survive such procedures. Faience can be produced with the color consistent throughout, instead of just in the glaze, but it would be much softer than this example. Originally I wondered if it was a chalk turquoise or another white mineral treated with a very strong adhesive and enough pressure to infuse the whole nugget with the dye. But it is strange the way the dye at the surface was lightened so much by the soaking. Also notice how the "matrix" is only at the surface in this example. And why the bubbles unless it is glass? Could it be plastic with a fake matrix at the surface?

Guess what, it melted and burned! If you have a piece that can be destroyed, try the hot pin test or burning first. it may save you a lot of time.

I was amused to find a photo of "gaspeite" in the mindat.org forum/rockhounds that look like my mystery ones, but they are green. The owner was asking if they are gaspeite, as they were claimed to be. The photo can be seen at http://www.mindat.org/index.php

From that site go to:
http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?file,11,file=6794,filename=T526.jpg.

Examples of "chalk turquoise":

The sample at the far right is a large broken chalk turquoise beads with a matte finish. The vendor said he had treated them to give them this matte finish. The surface of the originals was a little more glassy as you see in the nuggets to the left here. They have the appearance of chalk turquoise with the faint variations in color and minor amounts of matrix. When broken open the color of the bead at right is consistant throughout except for a couple small spots that did not take the dye or were a different mineral altogether. I am not sure what the beads really are, chalk turquoise or perhaps dyed magnesite or other white stone. They were very easy to break.

Unless you have your turquoise tested you'll probably never be sure exactly what you've got.
My experiences here reveal just how little I do know. It takes a long time and looking at a volume of different types of turquoise to learn anything at all.

The best rule of thumb is to buy from a reputable dealer. This is a must if you are making an investment in turquoise. A reputable vendor should provide verification of what you are buying.

Most important, if you like it and it fits your budget then you will never lose. There is nothing wrong with using stabilized, "chalk turquoise" or dyed magnesite. They are very beautiful, durable and affordable materials.

You just should know what it is you have, and you should be told at the point of purchase. And when you use it in jewelry to be resold, please label it correctly.

All rights reserved

Additional turquoise references:

Look under T at
http://www.rings-things.com/gemstone/index.html

http://www.mindat.org/min-4060.html
http://www.bwsmigel.info/GEOL.115.ESSAYS/Gemology.Turquoise.html
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/gemstones/sp14-95/turquoise.html
http://www.americana.net/jewelry_turquoise_origin_article.html
http://www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa098.shtml
http://nevadagem.com/pages/turquoise.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turquoise

Definition of Zachary process and others:
http://www.turquoiserough.com/treatments.shtml

See the post by
JB posted on Thu, Feb 14, 2008 at the following website:

http://www.gemologyonline.com/Forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4859&view=previous&sid=e27049cec624b1ffa8d4fc0510a5c4ac

Historical turquoise: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/07/wai/ho_1989.87a-l.htm

Buying Turquoise

2008-07-11T19:56:00.032-05:00

By Anita of Deerwoman Designs

Part I

Turquoise has always been a much desired stone. Its history is long, dating back to about 7000 BC, and mined in areas all over the world. At the end of this article is a brief internet bibliography that gives some of the history and significance. I am not a turquoise expert, but what I have observed about turquoise should be useful to those who are buying turquoise jewelry and would like to know more about it.

In today's fashion it is in and out every several years, and the best time to buy higher end turquoise of course is when it is less in favor.

But what are we buying? The buying challenge is even greater now than it used to be as there are more imitations out there and clever ways to make them appear more like the real thing.

The golden rules are quite simple.

Let price and your own judgment guide you when you are buying from retail stores, department stores, discount jewelry outlets and the like. In most cases they will not have much, if any information on the turquoise. But you can always ask.

Ask the vendor for specific information on origin and treatments. Reputable vendors will tell you what they know about it. They should tell you if it is from a specific mine, the Southwest, China, Tibet or otherwise and what has been done to it.

You may find that they don't know. A lot can be learned from its price. If it is very expensive, make sure you are buying from a reputable dealer. Natural, untreated turquoise of good color and size is rare and jewelry made from it is beyond the budget of most of us. In most cases the natural turquoise will have its mine or region included in its description.

Illustration of Kingman and Sleeping Beauty turquoise. from left to right two Kingman nuggets, two Sleeping Beauty nuggets.

Next is stabilized but undyed natural turquoise. This includes turquoises from specific mines that were too soft to use without stabilization. If they have been stabilized this information should be supplied.

Since turquoise is a soft stone, and will vary greatly in softness even from the same mine, you can expect that it has been treated in some way. Stabilization, a process to make the stone more durable by the addition of resin or other adhesive is extremely common. Without this process, there would be very little turquoise to buy. Even centuries ago turquoise all over the world was treated with various kinds of oil, wax or fat to stabilize it.

The price, of course, is less than for natural untreated turquoise.

Left- broken samples of Chinese turquoise, middle- two samples of Tibetan/Chinese, right - dogbone shaped stabilized turquoise, probably Chinese.

3 samples of Tibetan or Chinese green turquoise

Then there is white turquoise matrix, a white stone that is the same composition as natural turquoise but without the copper and other elements that specifically give it the color of turquoise.* This "chalk turquoise" is dyed as well as stabilized.

3 samples of chalk turquoise beads with webbed matrix and variation in color

A selection of typical chalk turquoise beads

White stones that take dye well are also sometimes erroneously called chalk turquoise. The most common are magnesite and howlite, but new ones such as marble, dolomite, calcite and other white stones are beginning to appear on the market.

These samples show the typical magnesite matrix patterns.

Samples of magnesite, the one on right dyed to imitate turquoise

Lookalikes, other stones that naturally have a turquoise-like color are sometimes mistaken for turquoise. The most common examples are African jasper, variscite, chrysocholla, amazonite and apatite. The colors vary a lot but they are visually distinguishable from the color of true turquoise.

Lookalikes: top-African "turquoise", middle from left to right: 2 amazonite, chrysocolla, variscite, bottom-variscite beads

Further down the ladder is reconstituted turquoise, which is ground up bits of turquoise mixed with glassy material and then heated and formed into blocks that are then turned into various bead shapes, seed beads and heishi.

Reconstituted turquoise seed beads from Afghanistan

Synthetic turquoise may contain turquoise, but may also be made from other materials and dyed to imitate it.

Last and least in terms of value are the imitations, such as glass, faience, ceramic and plastic. The dead giveaway here is the weight. They are much lighter than stone. In addition plastic melts if you pierce it with a hot needle.

From left to right: dyed howlite, synthetic turquoise, small plastic bead

Faience is an interesting medium in itself. It has a very long history as a replacement or imitation of turquoise. The ancient faience is a whitish clay coated with an alkaline glaze containing copper to give it the turquoise color.

Ancient Egyptian faience is a good example. Somewhere after the first millenium the knowlege of using alkaline glaze with copper was lost in the ancient Near and Middle East.

It was rediscovered around 1100-1200 AD, when ceramics in Persian and other ceramic products along the silk road began to appear with a beautiful turquoise color.

Turquoise from the various mines and regions often have typical colors or patterns in the matrix.

Traditionally the most favored sky blue turquoise comes from Iran and various mines in Arizona. The Sleeping Beauty mine in Globe, Arizona produces much of this most valued color.

Not all of these mines are still producing. However, turquoise from some of these defunct mines can still be found on the market. In Tibet the greenish turquoise is more favored, and you can find some beautiful green stones. Greenish turquoise is also typical of mines in Nevada and other parts of the Southwest, Mexico and the Hubei mines in China.

With or without matrix? The turquoise of highest value is an even color throughout and free of any matrix (the background material in which the turquoise nodules form). Stones with a bluish turquoise color have the greatest value , for instance the robin's egg blue of Sleeping Beauty turquoise.

Turquoise with matrix is desired by many people, particularly where a Southwestern or ethnic look is in fashion. In contrast in Middle Eastern and many Asian countries the turquoise without matrix is preferred. Turquoise for this market is often set in gold rather than in silver and also with diamonds and other gems for a completely different look.

The matrix can be a good marker for real turquoise as its appearance is very typical for turquoise from specific locations, and also as a marker for stones such as magnesite, which has its own distinctive patterns.

The matrix patterns can take a delicate webbed appearance or a deep colored ground in which round nodules or irregular patches of turquoise appear.

Color: Unless you can see the kinds of turquoise side by side it is difficult to vizualize the subtle variations in color and texture, but the next best thing is to check photos of the natural turquoises and compare the colors, matrix or lack thereof, and the characteristics of the matrix.

Natural and stabilized turquoise showing the range of colors from blue to green. The color here is only approximate, since colors appear differently in photos and on screen.

And then there is "yellow turquoise". This generally refers to samples made from matrix around the turquoise itself, which sometimes has a very yellowish color. Not to be confused with the yellow turquoise of China which is dyed chalk turquoise.

This is labeled yellow turquoise, but as you can see, some of it is not very yellow! Jasper is one of the common stones found in "yellow turquoise".

"Lime" and" yellow" turquoise from China

A site I have visited often for examples of different types of turquoise is http://nevadagem.com/pages/turquoise.html. They sell only natural turquoise, so the examples they show are a good start to turquoise education.

The major mines, both active and closed are represented, along with concise descriptions of the stone, a little history and several photos for each type. Once you become familiar with these differences you will be more able to distinguish a good or bad buy when purchasing turquoise.

Another with a good variety of samples from mines and their general information is: http://www.skystonetrading.com/turquoise.asp

The most well known turquoise regions include: The Southwest, (Arizona, Utah, Nevada), Mexico, Iran (Nishapur), Tibet, China (Hubei mines), and the Sinai peninsula (source of the ancient Egyptian turquoise).

Turquoise mine names you are most likely to see include Kingman and Sleeping Beauty, but there are many others you should know about.

The sites mentioned above give very good information on many more mines and the varieties of turquoise that come from them.

But don't expect to become a turquoise expert! this is just to help you become aware of the many characteristics of turquoise and its imitations.

Even experts cannot always tell by eye whether turquoise has been treated, or is an imitation. There are simple tests to supplement visual information. You really can't assume anything about the source of turquoise depending solely on where it is bought and its surface appearance.

In the past Chinese turquoise usually had a glassy surface. Now I hear from turquoise vendors that they are producing turquoise with a matte surface as well.

I observed some Navajo women at this past year's Tucson show buying stabilized Chinese turquoise. Many mines in the Southwest are no longer producing, and fine gem quality turquoise has never been in great supply.

Hearsay has it that In Iran they now sell turquoise from Arizona. The mines in Iran are said to be depleted.

One great thing about life is the chance to learn new things. Certainly the subject of turquoise will supply us with new things to learn for a long time to come.

* Correction. the "real" chalk turquoise does have copper but in very small amounts. It is very whitish in appearance. This chalk turquoise is found in the Southwest and in China as well, and presumably wherever turquoise deposits are found. My thanks to Russ Nobbs of Ring & Things for clarifying this point. See more on the issue in Part II.

Additional turquoise references:

http://www.rockhounds.com/rockgem/articles/turquoise.html

http://www.bwsmigel.info/GEOL.115.ESSAYS/Gemology.Turquoise.html

http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/gemstones/sp14-95/turquoise.html

http://www.rings-things.com/gemstone/index.html look under Turquoise

http://www.jewelrysupplier.com/2_turquoise/turquoisel_properties.htm

http://www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa098.shtml

http://www.lapidaryjournal.com/feature/may03str.cfm

http://nevadagem.com/pages/turquoise.html

http://www.khulsey.com/jewelry/semi-precious_gems_turquoise.html

http://www.luckygemstones.com/turq_informed_buyer.htm

http://www.silversun-sf.com/turquoise_info/turquoise_page.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hi/hi_sttu.htm

The next section will include information on testing, characteristic, composition and some of my personal experiences with turquoise.

To be continued in Part II

I'd love to hear your comments.

Thanks.

Check out new items

2008-05-13T19:38:00.002-05:00

I've made more items using the coated resin beads. See the necklace with roses. Also a new necklace with black lip oyster shell.

I just added my jewelry to Etsy.com

2008-05-09T11:53:00.002-05:00

I see that many artists and craftspeople at Indiepublic have a shop on Etsy. So since the cost seems minima,l I decided to give it a try. I'd love to hear any comments you have.

New Alternatives

2008-05-05T13:43:00.010-05:00

Recently a new kind of bead has been showing up on the market. I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling the frustration at the cost of precious metal findings and beads. I used to use a lot of silver and 14K gold fill chain and beads in my work, but with rising prices I cut back on my purchases.

This past year or so my friends (See links on this page for Afghan Tribal Arts and Silk Road Treasures)) were carrying metal coated resin beads that are much more reasonably priced than the precious metals. For a long time I didn't use them much, but as my supplies dwindled I decided to try them.

I combined them with the handmade Afghan heishi, beads and buttons my friends carry and also with freshwater pearl for some unique looks.

The beads come in a variety of sizes and shapes. I'm told they are made in Indonesia so many have that nice ethnic look which works well in my designs. I'm posting some pictures of a sample of the beads and examples used in my work. The clasps in the copper/resin photo are not resin.

"Turquoise"

2008-04-04T14:11:00.008-05:00

For several years now we have been seeing new kinds of turquoise, or is it turquoise? Chalk turquoise, white turquoise, yellow turquoise and more. Now you even see "white turquoise" referred to also as magnesite, which is what it really is.

When I use any of these not really turquoises, I indicate what they are, by saying turquoise, (stabilized, dyed etc. ) But really it should be reading in a lot of cases as magnesite, (dyed, stabilized) and not turquoise at all. Here are two links, one defining magnesite, and one a good explanation of turquoise and its matrices: http://geology.com/minerals/magnesite.shtml, http://jewelry.about.com/cs/turquoise/a/turquoise_facts.htm. It doesn't appear that it is even a type of matrix for turquoise.

Here's a good summary of the situation. Look under Turquoise: http://www.rings-things.com/gemstone/index.html

When looking at a lot of the "turquoise" in Tucson this year I began to wonder how I could even tell if a strand was stabilized turquoise or chalk turquoise on the fly. A lot of chalk turquoise has inclusions that really look like real turquoise. In many cases I could recognize what I have come to know as typical webbing patterns of magnesite in the strands, thus indicating what it was, but in many cases I just didn't know for sure. It looks like they are indeed using a matrix of turquoise that just doesn't have the turquoise color so they dye and stabilize it. And when you break one that you know is chalk turquoise, the color goes all through the bead. It sure seems that there is a lot more chalk turquoise out there next to the stabilized turquoise. What do you consider chalk turquoise to be? There are differing definitions.

What are your feelings on this? What do you do for labeling when you use these materials?

Deerwoman Designs: Beginning Thoughts

2007-09-25T17:11:00.006-05:00

If you are interested in the following, maybe we have something to chat about: Jewelry-making, gemstones, selling your craft on the net, rocks and minerals, beads, jewelry design, photographing jewelry, and more. I'll keep adding to this list.

I am a jewelry designer located in the Chicago area, and have been making jewelry for 15+ years. I use mainly gemstone beads and precious metals. I make jewelry because I love working with the stones. It gives me a wonderful excuse to hold them, gaze at them and spend lots of time learning about them. They are so beautiful in themselves. I want to celebrate this. But they also become something so different when they become part of something made by people.

We are all so different and what we turn out with similar materials allows us endless possibilities to create something beautiful. That's why I like to look at what other people make. This infinite creativity is inspiring and fascinating to me. Still, when I am truly following my feelings the items I create seem to have a particular style or character which is uniquely mine.

What do you think about when you are making jewelry or your work of art? What brings an idea to your mind? How do you decide what materials to choose?

Are you interested in the rocks, minerals and crystals you use to make your pieces? Do you know where they come from? What do you like about them? Do you have any favorites? Have you seen any unusual ones lately?

If you want to see any of my work there's a good variety at www.artisansmarket.com.
Besides my work you'll also find hand crafted items, paintings, photos, accessories and all kinds of things that our creative minds can produce. You might even like something enough to buy it!

You'll find my work under Deerwoman Designs, and also a little about me.

What do you think makes a piece of jewelry beautiful? What kind of jewelry do you like best?

Besides selling on the Artisans Market website, I have sold my jewelry through shops in the Chicago and northern Wisconsin areas, to friends, at jewelry parties set up for the purpose and through word of mouth.

I buy my materials mainly from wholesale jewelry dealers, the Tucson shows and from friends who import handmade Afghan beads.

I'm just nuts about beads: