Green turquoise? Mmm…

Just got this little guy last night… Wondering if the stones are actual turquoise?

2 Likes

To me it looks like turquoise, from where I have no idea.

3 Likes

How was it represented to you? Why did you buy it? I’m puzzled by buying something and only afterwards trying to determine what its main visual element actually is. Is this something you picked up to resell?

5 Likes

@astra, if I remember right you live in Japan, and you have been trying to find something that looks like a cuff that got away from you. Is that what made you purchase this one? It’s got to be hard to find and learn about Native American jewelry on the other side of the world :grin:

4 Likes

Resell? NO lol I bought in a private auction here in Japan… land of the forgotten turquoise collectors. Thank you for the insight though :purple_heart:

5 Likes

That’s correct, dear. I’ve been on a rough journey trying everything in my power to find something similar to wha it got away from me, sadly.

5 Likes

It’s tough when something you really love gets away from you. I had that happen once with a cuff, but I was lucky because it was still for sale when I went back to the store two years later. I guess my only advice to you would be to read and learn as much as you can on this forum, and then keep your eyes open!

6 Likes

Truly appreciate your words from the bottom of my heart, Ziacat :folded_hands:

3 Likes

I agree with @Ziacat . And the stones are very attractive.

4 Likes

I like the stone colors too - very eye catching.

3 Likes

At some point i’ll post what i’ve gathered so far. If only i could go back in time… she’d be here with me today. :disappointed_face::pensive_face::broken_heart:

2 Likes

Looking at both bracelets @astra, I’m not convinced the stones in the first bracelet are fully turquoise. Could be turquoise in combination with something else. The stones do look stabilized, and I see several fractures in closeups of the the stones. The stone in the ‘one that got away’ likewise looks stabilized, and possibly color enhanced (treated), but is not visibly fractured in the photos. An up close examination may reveal whether or not this impression stands up.

In any case I would not remove the stones in your three stone bracelet for repair or other work down the road as there is the very real possibility they will fragment.

4 Likes

Well I’m truly disappointed i got fake stones. The cuff bracelet looked like a keeper. Yikes…

1 Like

Not fake. Stabilized simply means the stones are infused through and through with an epoxy type resin to stabilize and deepen the existing color, and harden the material so the stones can be cut into cabochons. Turquoise can form with other minerals in combination with it, which occurs naturally, also not fake or in any way artificial.

The thing I’d be most concerned about is the fracturing, which as I mentioned before can be problematic if one ever needs to remove the stones to repair the silver portions of the bracelet.

I’ll add that if the fracturing was there when the stone was stabilized, the fractured areas are filled in with resin, and fragmenting isn’t as much of a concern. However, you just don’t know whether this is the case or not until the stone can be examined under a microscope or loupe.

4 Likes

Truly appreciate your detailed response. They do look a little too shiny to be natural I suppose. Frankly i’m no expert in such matters, just an old ass collector that’s been ravaging the Japanese private auctions looking for similar items to the one that got away from me. Take this one for example. It was sold as natural turquoise from the Eureka area in Nevada? Take that with a grain of salt. :purple_heart:

5 Likes

This does look natural to me. Nice stone. If one were to stabilize this it would end up a couple of

shades darker, but would lose the character it has in its natural state.

5 Likes

Glad to hear the stone is actually as it was described. Always a gamble in Japan :folded_hands:

2 Likes

This one’s definitely a true winner. Congratulations!

4 Likes

@astra is this cuff yours–the Eureka turquoise one? That is a beautiful bracelet. I don’t know about the “Eureka” region but the stone reminds me of number eight. I know it’s always tough to feel like you lost out on the “one that got away”, but honestly the bracelet that you are chasing doesn’t look that special to me. As Mike said, the stone is likely stabilized and looks to me to be a lower quality stone. And that bracelet is really mostly about the stone; the silverwork is minimal and simple. On the other hand, the last bracelet you posted has a really nice large spiderweb stone that appears to be natural, set in silver heavier silver with nice stamping and applique work. If I were you I would much rather have that bracelet than your one that got away.

11 Likes

Yes, that little guy is mine. Got it at an auction for a little under $900? It was described to be the work of Navajo artist Ray Delgarito and that the stone was non stabilized. I’m not very familiar with names and their backgrounds but the description went into great detail so i guess the previous owner was a serious avid collector. The journey is not easy but worth every stone.

Edit: Japanese yen (120.000yen) to USD turned out to be around $750 so deep apologies for my mistake.

9 Likes