Turquoise Jewelry Glossary

A working glossary of the terms that come up when shopping turquoise and Southwestern jewelry. Authenticity, mines, lapidary, silversmithing, and the stones often confused with turquoise. Updated as we go.

Authenticity and treatment

Natural turquoise

Turquoise that has been cut and shaped but not chemically treated. The stone is the same material that came out of the ground. Natural untreated gem-grade turquoise is rare and commands premium prices because most mined turquoise is too soft or porous to be set without stabilization. Read more.

Stabilized turquoise

Real turquoise that has been impregnated with a clear polymer or epoxy under pressure to harden the stone and lock in color. Stabilization is the industry standard for most modern American turquoise jewelry. The stone is still genuine. The treatment simply makes it durable enough for everyday wear. Read more.

Color-enhanced turquoise

Stabilized turquoise that has been dyed during treatment to intensify or shift the color. Distinct from stabilization alone. Should always be disclosed separately on listings.

Reconstituted turquoise

Real turquoise dust or fragments bonded with resin and pressed into a manufactured material that is then cut into cabochons. Contains turquoise but is not a natural stone. Should always be disclosed as reconstituted.

Block turquoise

Synthetic material engineered to look like turquoise. Usually plastic or resin. Most sellers who use the term block are being honest about the synthetic nature. Should be priced and disclosed accordingly.

Dyed howlite

The most common turquoise substitute in the market. Howlite is a naturally white mineral with gray veining that is dyed blue to look like turquoise. Contains no turquoise. Often sold under vague names like genuine blue stone or southwest turquoise.

Stones often confused with turquoise

Howlite

A naturally white calcium borate mineral with characteristic gray veining. Soft, takes dye well, commonly dyed blue and sold as fake turquoise. Real howlite in its natural state is also used in jewelry but should be disclosed.

Magnesite

A magnesium carbonate mineral, naturally white or buff colored. Frequently dyed blue and sold as turquoise. Also dyed black or sold in its natural state under names like wild horse magnesite. Generally softer than real turquoise. Read more.

White Buffalo

A distinctive white stone with dark matrix mined in Nevada. Technically a form of calcite or magnesite (the exact classification is debated). Not turquoise but mined alongside turquoise and treated as part of the Southwestern jewelry tradition. Wildflower works a claim on the White Buffalo deposit. Read more.

Wild Horse stone

A magnesite variant with cream, tan, and brown tones and reddish-brown matrix. Found in Arizona. Not turquoise. Often grouped with turquoise in Southwestern jewelry contexts because of the visual fit. Read more.

Variscite

A green phosphate mineral often mistaken for green turquoise. Real variscite has a distinct chemical composition. Found in Utah and Nevada. Can be very high quality and is collected in its own right. Read more.

Larimar

A rare blue variety of pectolite found only in the Dominican Republic. Soft sky-blue to deep ocean-blue palette, often with white cloud-like inclusions. Not turquoise. Wildflower uses Larimar in selected pieces from ethical Dominican sources. Read more.

Spiny Oyster

Shell from the spiny oyster (genus Spondylus), used in inlay work. Comes in red, orange, and purple. Long history in Southwestern jewelry. Read more.

Coral

Marine coral, traditionally used in Southwestern jewelry. Most coral in modern jewelry is reconstituted or dyed bamboo coral due to ecological restrictions on natural coral harvest. Read more.

Turquoise mines and varieties

Sleeping Beauty turquoise

Clean, sky-blue turquoise with little to no matrix from Arizona. The mine closed in 2012 making genuine material increasingly valuable. The standard reference for pure blue turquoise. Read more.

Kingman turquoise

Arizona deposit producing a wide range of blues, often with black or brown matrix. One of the most prolific American turquoise mines. Versatile and accessible. Read more.

Royston turquoise

Nevada deposit producing turquoise in a range of greens, blues, and rich golden-brown matrix. Dramatic patterns. Favored by collectors who want visual character. Read more.

Number 8 turquoise

Nevada turquoise distinguished by golden-brown to black spiderweb matrix against blue or blue-green body. The mine is largely tapped out making material increasingly collectible. Read more.

King's Manassa turquoise

Green-to-teal turquoise from Conejos County, Colorado. Distinctive warm brown landscape matrix. Wildflower works a claim on this historic deposit. Read more.

Bisbee turquoise

Arizona turquoise from the Bisbee copper mine. Deep blue body with reddish-brown matrix. The mine is closed. Genuine Bisbee commands premium prices. Read more.

Lone Mountain turquoise

Nevada deposit historically prized for hard, color-saturated material with dramatic matrix. Limited current production.

Lander Blue turquoise

Nevada turquoise from a small deposit considered some of the rarest American turquoise. Deep blue with spiderweb matrix. The deposit was effectively exhausted decades ago.

Cerrillos turquoise

Historic New Mexico turquoise deposit. One of the oldest worked turquoise sources in North America. Limited modern production. Read more.

Persian turquoise

Historically the most valued turquoise. Iran has produced turquoise for thousands of years. The term Persian blue refers to the medium-strong blue color that became the historical standard.

Lapidary and cutting terms

Cabochon (cab)

A polished stone with a flat or slightly curved back and a domed top. The traditional shape for setting turquoise and other stones in bezel-set jewelry. Cabochon size is measured in millimeters.

Matrix

The host rock that surrounded the turquoise as it formed, now visible as veining or webbing through the stone. Matrix color and pattern are distinctive to each mine. Buyers may prefer clean matrix-free stones or heavily matrixed stones depending on aesthetic.

Spiderweb matrix

A fine, web-like matrix pattern especially prized in Number 8 and Lander Blue turquoise. Created by tight irregular veining through the stone. Considered one of the most valuable matrix patterns.

Gem grade turquoise

Turquoise of exceptional hardness, color saturation, and matrix character. Hard enough to be cut without stabilization. The top tier of natural material.

Lapidary

The craft of cutting, shaping, and polishing stones. A lapidary is a person who does this work. Wildflower has an in-house lapidary, Greg, who cuts the turquoise from our claims. Read more.

Silversmithing terms

Sterling silver

An alloy of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent other metals (usually copper). The standard for fine silver jewelry. Should be stamped 925 or Sterling somewhere on the piece.

925 stamp

The hallmark indicating sterling silver content. Required by law in many jurisdictions for jewelry sold as sterling. Look for it on the back of pendants, inside ring bands, or on cuff interiors.

Bezel

The strip of silver that holds a stone in place. A clean bezel sits tight to the stone all around with no gaps. Bezel quality is a reliable indicator of overall silver work quality.

Channel inlay

A Zuni-tradition setting technique where silver channels are built into the face of a piece and stones are shaped to fit each channel exactly. The stones are set flush with the silver. Requires very precise lapidary work. Read more.

Stamp work

Decorative metal work created by hammering steel stamps into silver. A signature of Navajo silversmithing. Stamps can create geometric, floral, or symbolic patterns around the edges of pieces.

Navajo silver

Silver jewelry made in the Navajo tradition. Tends toward substantial single-stone pieces with hand-stamped textures. The tradition traces back to the late 1800s.

Zuni silver

Silver jewelry made in the Zuni tradition. Tends toward stone-forward mosaic compositions including channel inlay, needlepoint, and petit point. Smaller, more numerous stones than Navajo work typically uses.

Repousse

A technique of shaping silver from the back to create raised relief on the front. Sometimes paired with chasing (working from the front to define details).

If we missed a term

The glossary is a working document. If there is a term you came across while shopping turquoise that you would like defined, tell us and we will add it.