Royston Turquoise Teardrop Pendant in Sterling Silver, by Martinez

Most people apologize for the brown. They should not.

Those golden tan veins running through this stone are not dirt and they are not damage. That is host rock, the stone the turquoise actually grew inside. Turquoise forms in seams and pockets in surrounding rock, and when a cutter leaves some of that rock in the cabochon you are looking at the exact geology the stone came out of. It is a fingerprint. Two pieces from the same mine will never carry the same one.

For years the market chased flawless, even color and treated matrix as a defect to cut around. Serious collectors went the other way a long time ago. Character is the part that cannot be faked, and webbed and matrixed material routinely brings more than clean stone.

This one is Royston, out of Nevada, and Royston is known for refusing to pick a lane. A single stone will run seafoam blue at one end and drift green at the other with golden host rock threading through the middle. You can watch the whole transition happen across this cabochon.

The setting stays out of the way: a clean sterling bezel, and a matching Royston teardrop set into the bail so the stone carries all the way up. Turn it over and it is signed Martinez, sterling.

Wear & styling

This pendant is designed as a single, one-of-a-kind piece in sterling silver that hangs on your own chain. The classic teardrop shape and blue-to-green Royston turquoise with golden matrix make it easy to wear as an everyday pendant, to layer with simple chains, or to dress up for special occasions.

Let it sit on a fine silver chain for a clean, minimalist look, or pair it with other delicate necklaces so the Royston stone becomes the focal point. Its artisan feel and visible matrix give it the distinctive character collectors look for and gift buyers love.

The details

• Stone: Royston turquoise, Nevada, blue to green with golden host rock matrix
• Metal: sterling silver
• Hallmark: Martinez, sterling
• Pendant: 1 inch long, 1 1/2 inches including the bail
• Bail: set with a matching Royston teardrop
• Chain: not included, hangs on your own
• One of a kind: yes, a single piece

If you have been taught to want turquoise with no brown in it, this is the piece that changes your mind. It also makes a distinctive birthday or milestone gift for anyone who loves gemstone pendants and truly unique turquoise.