Hello everyone,
I’m aware that I’m sort of repeating a question that was asked on this website before, but I have a more precise question that I’d like to get an answer to.
I love the color of light turquoise stone. I don’t like darker hues of teal, nor dark green. I only like very light colored turquoise, kind of like Tiffany-blue colored. I have once had the misadventure of having a ring turn colors and become teal in the space of a few days and I was so disappointed. I managed to get the store to refund my order against a return. I would really like to buy a new turquoise ring in the shade that I like, but only if I can protect it from changing colors. I have read here and there that coating the stone in anything is not advised as it makes it lose its value or something. Though, what if I don’t care whatsoever about its value, and only about its looks? I want to buy that ring which costs less than $40, and wear it carelessly everyday, in the shower, when I do the dishes, not worry about having to take it off, etc. I just want it to stay as it is. It’s for me to keep, I don’t intend on selling it ever, or anything that would warrant me caring about its value. I just want to wear it, enjoy it, and keep its initial color. In that very specific case, can’t I coat it in some sort of varnish that will make it waterproof, something from either Home Depot or some sort of craft store? I was actually thinking about buying some sort of varnish to coat vintage ceramics that I was going to repaint, to protect the new paint from water. Why can’t I use some material like that to also coat my turquoise stone on my ring? Wouldn’t that take care of the job of protecting it against water, oils, and all the elements that tend to make it change color over time?
If you don’t care about the quality of the stone and whether you harm it or not, you might be best looking for block turquoise that won’t change color. But one suggestion I do have is if you actually buy something Native American made do NOT wear it in the shower. Sometimes Native artists put sawdust under the stone to cushion it in the setting; they don’t glue it in. The water causes that to swell, the stone loosens in the setting, and it can fall out.
Hi @Elo , to the best of my knowledge there has never been offered a definitive explanation as to why some turquoise changes color. I personally have never had a piece change but others here have.
My recommendation is to leave the stone as is and don’t subject it to harsh environments and detergents. I use Wrights silver cream to take tarnish off silver and then warm water and Dawn with a soft toothbrush. If your turquoise is stabilized, the stabilizing material may react with an unrealized material. Sometimes it’s a crap shoot.
In the unlikely event it changes, we can recommend someone to replace the stone.
Just reread your post. If you want it under $40, something that you can bang around in, your best bet is not Native American, and with block turquoise.
I don’t know if coating turquoise with something would cause damage besides color change (like cracks) to it. I guess you could always try 
Hello Steve. I appreciate your answer. Though I’m very specific with jewelry and it’s rare I ever find one piece I like enough to buy. I found this ring which is absolutely perfect for me. I’m so very specific with shape, size, color, details of the metallic part, etc… this one ring I really want has it all and is not even expensive. The maker of this jewelry uses what I believe is natural, non-stabilized turquoise. It’s what she uses and that’s what it is. But according to what I read, even stabilized turquoise can change color over time anyway. And I really want a ring that I don’t have to worry about having to take off doing this or that, realistically in my life I’ve done that sometimes and it’s a pain, I’m at a point where I just want jewelry that is resistant to the elements and that I can wear all the time without a second thought. What I want is to fool-proof my stone, completely coat it with a hard and clear material that will act almost as a glass window between it and the outside of this coating. So that neither the water, the soap, the oils, the air, or anything that would come in contact with it can alter its color. Don’t you think some sort of varnish, epoxy, product of some sort could act that way if I coat the stone with it? (And in case it mattered, I don’t believe the jewel/stone I want to buy is manufactured/distributed by any native community).
Thank you Ziacat. I feel like I’m gonna have to end up making that experimentation. I find it very strange that nobody has tried before and is able to answer. It seems like such a basic and logical idea to me, to just coat the stone with a clear varnish or material that will harden when drying, and literally protect the stone from the outside world, water, soaps and such, coming in contact with it. Just like you would do that to a ceramic after the painting step. I can’t find anything about this specific process on the internet and I’m really surprised.
I don’t know if this will help or not. I bought a vintage turquoise ring with a cracked stone that the previous owner ‘repaired’ by using clear nail polish on it. I still take it off when I wash my hands as I don’t know what is behind the stone. When I use my fingernails to gently tap the stone it feels tacky and not hard. (Have had this ring for years now so I doubt it will get any harder and even wonder if it might get sticky with heat.)
I am not sure if the stone is stabilzed or not. The biggest issue with any product you put on a stone is that it may soak in the surface (stabilized or not) and darken it. The seller that I bought my ring from said the stone was lighter before she coated it. The crack is stable now but it did change the color. I am concerned it could cause yellowish discoloration over time.
As someone who has collected and repaired vintage costume jewelry for over 20 years, I have seen a LOT of repairs and substances used on jewelry. Many epoxies and so called ‘clear’ glues and coatings become yellowish over time. I cannot think of anything that I could honestly recommend or guarantee to do what you are desiring.
Handwashing and showering with soap, hand washes, etc is not a benign thing. I understand not wanting to have to take off your ring as it is a hassle and you could lose it.
Here’s a story of regret… I have a gorgeous sky blue larimar ring that I used to wear to work. (I’m a retired vet.) I was careful to take it off when using medical handscrub but not always when using regular soap. Had a client who was a jeweler comment on how pretty the stone was and that she was surprised I wore it to work. She mentioned that ANY kind of soap could cause the stone to dull by microetching it. Sure enough when I looked back at previous photos of it, it was shinier and brighter when I first got it. And there is nothing that can buff it /shine it / brighten it back to its previous glory. I was able to slightly improve it with some gentle polishing. So sad.
Just putting it out there… If it is primarily a certain blue color you are looking for and a sturdiness factor, maybe research other blue stones with a harder Mohs number… Or be ok with a manufactured stone?
If you do discover something that gives you the results you desire, please share. 
@Elo , I know micro-thin diamond coatings have been developed. I would research: diamond film, coating, nano, deposition.
Nanostructured diamond coatings (NASD) are being applied by microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition (MPCVD). Not sure if turquoise could survive the process.
@ELO said "I really want a ring that I don’t have to worry about having to take off doing this or that, realistically in my life I’ve done that sometimes and it’s a pain, I’m at a point where I just want jewelry that is resistant to the elements and that I can wear all the time without a second thought. "
what you are looking for is not turquoise. some stones are not built for abuse - opal, glass, pearls, amber, turquoise - these are softer materials that do not fare well in the wearing conditions you describe. You are best finding something faux in the color you want.
Some turquoise is harder than others, depending on the mine origin, and just the quality of the stone. Some are more porous and take on oils from your skin, lotions, soaps, dirt, which all will change the color of the stone over time. YOu can have pieces made with lots of little matching stones, and after 20-30 years of wear, only 2 of them will still be the original color. You can’t always predict which real turquoise stones will change over time, and which won’t. the only thing guaranteed not to change is a fake stone.
@Tinyturqgrl and @Jemez2, thank you for your very detailed answers. You’re saying EXACTLY what I was thinking, but way better than I ever could have.
@Elo, you said you think the artist uses natural untreated stones, and that the ring is quite low in price. If she is actually using natural stones (a lot of sellers don’t really know what natural turquoise means, or aren’t terribly honest about what they have for sale), then I would assume they are low grade natural stones; high grade natural turquoise would not be cheap. So … I was thinking that whatever you put on it to protect it would easily absorb into the stone and change it’s appearance, and the above two comments verified that.
As far as not finding anything about it online, I think many people who like turquoise understand its nature, and either try to be very careful with it so it won’t change, or understand that it changes, and love that about it. And very high grade natural stones don’t change color easily, but they are expensive, and we are still very careful with them. Although TBH, I’m surprised somewhere on YouTube somebody hasn’t tried it and posted something about it, maybe you can be the first 
Can you buy two of the same ring (since it’s inexpensive), try it on one, and then you still have the other if it doesn’t work?
Also, natural turquoise means it’s untreated; stabilized turquoise is still real turquoise, just not natural.
I don’t think you’re going to be happy with a turquoise stone, for the “wear it and forget it” scenario that you are envisioning. Turquoise is not a low maintenance stone, and I think you’re probably going to have to get block/imitation turquouse in order to get anything that is durable or that you can wear in all kinds of conditions. If you’re willing to spend a little more money, I think you would be better off getting something like a blue topaz or aquamarine, harder stones that don’t change color and would hold up more to round the clock wear and tear.
I appreciate everyone’s responses. Thank you all so much. I am definitely not a science-head, nor a jewelry/stones-head either. So I will not explore the more complex-sounding solutions that have been offered to attempt protecting the stone with. I wouldn’t even know where to go to find these products/equipment necessary for making those experiments, or what exactly I would have to do. I’m a simple consumer who has access to simple things like craft stores/home improvement stores products.
The extent of what I could have tried would have been some sort of varnish but according to most comments, the turquoise is so porous that it would even soak the varnish, and most likely change color from that in itself. I think that I will definitely try it though one day if I can get my hand on a really cheap but genuine piece of turquoise (like from thrifting or something).
I understand better now that certain stones are more complex and high-maintenance than others, Turquoise being one of them. It’s a shame because even though there are other very beautiful stones in the blue color family, I find turquoise to have a very unique type of hue/look, and even though I would for sure also love other stones as well, I would really like to own at least one turquoise ring that I can wear kinda carelessly, among others. And I really don’t like the look of fake which so far I can always tell apart, as the rest of the jewel is usually badly made. I also love Larimar, but I think it’s kind of the same issue according to what I understood. The one stone so far I was able to get without having issues with discoloration despite wearing it absolutely all the time for years on end, is an Amazonite. If I ever come up with updates on my end with this whole matter, I’ll try to come back on this topic/forum to let you know. Thank you all again for your very helpful participation! 
@Elo I’m glad that you are taking these suggestions to heart. It sounds like you want to learn. 
I would be curious to see what would happen if you did try to coat a turquoise in epoxy, although I suspect I already know the answer is that it would discolor it. However, if you can find something that isn’t valuable and are willing to experiment, it may be worthwhile to post your findings on this group!
I have an Amazonite pendant that does seem different from my turquoise and has been pretty durable, but it is still a porous stone that may not hold up long term as a ring.
Permanence requires durability, and sadly, turquoise isn’t it in this application. I’d encourage you to try just taking the piece off when washing or swimming; it is second nature for me but I am also used to being aware of such things. A cut and faceted stone that I mentioned above; something that goes in prongs rather than a bezel closure is probably a good guide for more durability. And yes , you are correct that larimar (and most other non-gemstone stones) are also not a good “wash and wear” stones.
Could you consider turquoise earrings or a pendant that would avoid a lot of water exposure?