We have mentioned many times here that there are natural turquoise (stones that have simply been mined and polished into a shape ) and artificial turquoise (stones that have been artificially altered, such as by coloring the mined stone or adjusting its hardness), and that both are in circulation as turquoise . This does not only apply to the stone itself, but also to pieces of jewelry that feature turquoise .
The most common type of jewelry that uses turquoise is the silver-based jewelry made by Native Americans . It is said that Native American jewelry originally began when Europeans who traveled to America taught the indigenous people how to engrave silver and other metals , and sold the items as souvenirs.
Among them, those with excellent engraving skills and expressiveness grew into artists , and today's Native American silver jewelry has come to be loved by many people.
The jewelry made by these artists has a stamp called a hallmark , which identifies who made the piece. The hallmarks vary from large to small, and are usually found on the back of the piece, such as the artist's initials or full name .
We often see jewelry with hallmarks that use turquoise , but whether the turquoise used is actually natural turquoise is actually a separate issue. Just because it is an artist 's work does not necessarily mean that the turquoise used is natural. In a broad sense, both natural and artificial turquoise are called turquoise , so each artist simply chooses stones that suit their own work , and depending on the artist, whether the stone is natural or not may not be that important.
For example, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is famous as a market for turquoise and Native American jewelry , you can see many items , from turquoise stones themselves to silver accessories that contain turquoise , but just because the turquoise used is sourced locally does not necessarily mean that it is a natural stone.
This is LFC jewelry made with natural turquoise, while the photo at the top of this page shows a lower quality turquoise that has been stabilized to make it look high quality.
LFC focuses on natural turquoise that has not been tampered with by humans . Whether it is an artist's work or not, the brand 's founder Joe Dan Lawrie has assessed the quality of the jewelry and has created a collection that allows you to enjoy the natural brilliance of natural turquoise .
If you want to know more about turquoise, click here!
This is a unique book that allows you to learn about not only natural turquoise but also imitation turquoise. The section that shows turquoise from gem grade to low grade by mine is overwhelming.
