I know it’s cracked, but it’s gorgeous on~
Thanks for your help!
Christina
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@cnemec Hi & Welcome. That’s a nice, large turquoise pendant. Just curious ~ was it a gift or did you purchase it at a shop? Unless you have provenance, it’s really only a guess as to the type of turquoise. My guess is that it could be Hubei (Chinese) turquoise. I’m thinking the pendant isn’t Native American due to the open back. Most, though not all, Native American jewelry is stamped Sterling instead of .925. I hope you enjoy wearing this turquoise pendant!
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Oh, thank you for your rapid reply. I didn’t think the piece was Native American for the reasons you presented. I found the piece in an auction and decided to go for it. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it looks on. I look forward to learning and sharing more with this fabulous group.
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It is a lovely stone; I was also thinking it looks like Chinese turquoise (I am not familiar with their particular mines). I’m not sure where the crack is…is it the whitish line or the little pitted spot on the right?
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You can see the crack on the back. I figured that may mean it’s not stabilized, which is good?
I know many Native American pieces are old and cracked, but that does not always detract from their value and can even add to their charm! Not sure if that pertains to this one. 
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Ah, now I see it. For some reason I didn’t look at the back for the crack.
I don’t know for sure if that means it’s not stabilized, although of course stabilization makes it harder for a stone to crack. I have some stones that are cracked which have stayed solid, and I also had one fixed. To be honest, I would be more concerned if it’s on the back of the stone when the piece has an open back, but I’m certainly no expert.
I believe the only reason people (I have heard Mark Sublette say this) talk about cracks in a stone being not a bad thing is when something is truly an old Native made piece which is not the case here. Every one of the sellers that sold me a stone that had a crack in it were very upfront about it (and had lowered the price). And they were either pawn or vintage.
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