These two hearts are for sale on-line by different resellers. The top one is listed as “gaspiete”. I’m just learning about this stone. I can only assume the seller had knowledge for not simply calling these turquoise given turquoise seems common for clusters designed by LMB. The second one is listed as turquoise. Is it possible to tell from this one picture if these stones in the second heart are turquoise.
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I think the two listings are correct. Amazing how similar they look.
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Yes, the second definitely looks like turquoise which can vary so much. And the first looks different to me than turquoise. From the pictures anyway.
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They are both lovely, but I prefer the second one. But then I always like things that look a little older. That’s just me. Are you going to buy them?
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I also like the variety of color in the second one. I don’t like stones as well when they all look the same. But again, that’s purely personal preference!
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@Ziacat Thinking about putting a bid on the bottom one. I like that it’s crude, a bit older looking. I don’t wear pins but thinking about converting it somehow to wear as pendant or cuff. The top one looks a bit like two snakes to me and I can’t see past it. I’m scared of snakes.
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I hadn’t even noticed the snake thing; now I can’t unsee it! You would certainly dislike my belt buckle with a snake on it!
I found a little silver bar thing with a hook on it that I slide onto my pins, and then can put a cord or thin heishi strand through. I’m sure you can find them online. I think I got mine at a Claire’s Boutique. There’s been threads on this site that have discussed that also. Good luck!
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@Ziacat I can’t unsee them 
either
I’ll look that up. I’m crafty. I’m sure I can come up with something.
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The turquoise one isn’t actually cruder or older. He’s a very consistent maker. Possibly what makes it seem older to you is the patina and the variations in the turquoise.
Gaspeite is certainly less commonly seen in cluster work.
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I’m also more attracted to the second pin. Snake…what snake😆.
It seems like I saw a lot of gaspeite in Native American style jewelry maybe 12-15 years ago (?), used a lot in multi-stone mosaic inlay. Certainly not what I collect, but some pieces were striking.
Gaspeite is chemically quite different from turquoise, it’s nickel carbonate, in the calcite group minerals. It has no copper like turquoise which is basically a copper aluminum phosphate with traces of zinc and iron. Of course the green turquoise has copper replaced with Iron. Then, of course there’s Chalcosiderite (ie the greenish New Lander “turquoise”) which is a copper iron phosphate (no Aluminum).
I could go on, but I won’t! Sorry for the technical stuff…I find the chemical differences Interesting as it relates to the color…
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So just remember you’re explaining this to someone who does not have a chemistry degree (though I did take one chemistry class in college cause I had to lol). So when you say green turquoise has copper replaced with iron, you don’t mean there’s no copper at all, because copper has to be part of turquoise’s makeup, correct? Just that it has iron in it?
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@chicfarmer thanks. that’s good to know. The exposure is so diff. In the pix.
The bottom one seems a bit more “rough around the edges” so to speak. Likely all that patina!! Maybe just more loved.
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@Ziacat yes, that is the way I look at it. If it is green turquoise iron replaces some of the copper or aluminum, creating a more greenish color. Less copper less blue; then with iron, more greenish color😊. But is there is no copper, it cannot be turquoise…
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@Bmpdvm thank you for the chemistry. It helps me understand better. And I’m a bit obsessed now about Nevada mines. The gaspiete is too flat to me. Actually cluster work isn’t really my thing.
I discovered the second turquoise heart first and then went to look for comps and found the gaspiete version. Never knew about that stone. And then second guessed myself it the stones were even turquoise in the original one. Sorry for being long winded.
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@madgirlmania I also love Nevada mines. We just recently moved to NV, so are exploring and hope to get to Tonopah this week😊.
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Nice. Have fun exploring.
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tell your device to find Little Feat’s "Willin’ " to play when you’re in the area…since it’s about driving in that area
Thanks @newpawn! I like their music. There is a country western artist, Dave Stacey, who wrote a song about Tonopah. Nothing said about Turquoise mines😄!