ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Turquoise jewelry, a must-have for celebrities and fashion divas, is soaring in popularity worldwide. Whether it’s Taylor Swift’s turquoise earrings, Beyoncé’s turquoise bracelet, Sofia Vergara’s turquoise ring, or Lara Spencer in her stunning turquoise necklace, specialty retailers and department stores are racing to add turquoise to their product lines.
“Everyone loves turquoise,” says a smiling Romie Salem of Turquoise Network, a leading online jewelry retailer. “Unfortunately, much of what is in today’s market is overpriced or just imitation turquoise.”
Salem shares some guidelines to filter out the real from the fake. “When shopping for authentic turquoise, there really are five main descriptions to look for: Natural, Stabilized, Reconstituted, Dyed Stone, and Imitation.”
NATURAL: Untreated turquoise with the same properties it had when it came out of the ground. Very little jewelry in the market actually contains natural turquoise (probably less than 1%, according to Salem).
STABILIZED: Turquoise that has been treated to enhance its color and make it more durable. Stabilized turquoise is "Genuine Turquoise" by jewelry industry standards. Most turquoise jewelry in the market is stabilized, including that sold by major TV shopping networks and department stores. Salem points out that even the highest grades of turquoise, such as Sleeping Beauty, are usually stabilized for better jewelry production and wear.
RECONSTITUTED: Absolutely NOT “genuine” turquoise. It contains a small amount of turquoise that has been ground into powder and mixed with other materials.
DYED HOWLITE/MAGNESITE/OTHER STONES: Not turquoise at all. Natural stones are simply dyed to resemble turquoise.
IMITATION/PLASTIC/RESIN/BLOCK: Not turquoise at all, but simply a mix of chemicals.
Given that real turquoise jewelry is difficult to mass-produce, retailers often struggle with inventory shortages—and have little incentive to lower their markups. “That’s where we are different; our mission is to make high quality sterling silver and genuine turquoise jewelry affordable for everyone.”
Salem concluded with an emphasis on quality: “It isn’t simply about low prices. It’s more about offering high quality products at the lowest prices. Real, honest-to-goodness ‘value’—that’s the key.”
To learn more about turquoise, including traditional and Mohave Purple Turquoise, visit the “Understanding Turquoise” article found on www.TurquoiseNetwork.com.