What is stabilized turquoise?
What is stabilized turquoise?
Stabilizing is a process used to strengthen all kinds of porous stones to be used in jewelry (like chrysocolla or dinosaur bone), but most people usually have heard this term used with turquoise.
(Pictured is a pair of stabilized Hubei turquoise reversible drop earrings from my Earring Thins Collection.)
How is turquoise stabilized?
To stabilize turquoise, a vacuum chamber is used pull epoxy deep into the pores of the stone to make the stone harder and to enhance the vibrancy of the colors already present.
(Pictured is my setup for how I stabilize stones with a vacuum pot and pump.)
Why is turquoise stabilized?
It boggled my mind when I learned that 90-95% of turquoise on the market is stabilized, which shows that much of the turquoise being mined is too soft to withstand everyday wear and tear.
(Pictured are Hubei turquoise slabs before being stabilized.)
Chalky turquoise is hard to cut without it crumbling, so stabilizing the stone can turn an uncuttable stone into something that can be used for jewelry. Other times the turquoise is cuttable, but stabilizing it will ensure that the stone will last for a long time. This is important when turquoise is set in rings --I get a lot of inquiries about repairing broken turquoise inlay rings that have not been stabilized.
Vendors should always disclose when a stone is stabilized, since there are some buyers who only prefer to buy natural turquoise.
Howlite and natural (non-stabilized) Hubei turquoise cameo necklace.
Is stabilized turquoise fake?
No, stabilized turquoise isn’t fake. It is just enhanced (similar to the way some stones are heat treated to bring out their color) and allows for the majority of turquoise to actually be used instead of thrown out.
Some other types of turquoise to look out for are:
Reconstituted turquoise: this is when pieces of turquoise are ground into a powder and bound with epoxy. While some are the natural color of the ground turquoise, others are dyed like the Mojave Purple Turquoise.
Imitation turquoise/block turquoise: this can come in a few different forms. Some imitation turquoise is simply a cheaper stone--like howlite—that is dyed blue. Others are just blocks of dyed plastic and contain no stone at all.
Are stabilized stones bad?
This is subjective and will have a different answer depending on who you talk to. Some purists believe that stones should only be all natural without any treatment, whereas others see the potential to enhance the beauty that is already present in a stone.
(Pictured is a Hubei turquoise pendant with an inlaid bail with obsidian and Kingman turquoise. All of the turquoise is natural and unstabilized.)
Just because you have an expensive piece of high-grade turquoise in a piece of jewelry doesn’t mean it isn’t susceptible to breaking. Stabilizing turquoise for jewelry can often give your jewelry a longer lifespan, especially in turquoise inlay rings that get a lot of daily wear and tear.
But even with older stabilized turquoise, the epoxy formulas weren’t as developed as they are today so the epoxy can yellow. This in turn can turn a blue turquoise stone a slight green hue over time.
Some lapidaries now use a non-yellowing, museum-grade epoxy like Hxtal to stabilize stones, but the high cost of this epoxy is prohibitive to most stone cutters.
So whether you decide to go with natural or stabilized turquoise is truly up to your preference, budget, lifestyle, and how you plan on wearing your jewelry. Knowing your options will help you make the best decision for yourself.