Turquoise, Howlite, Magnesite

Turquoise (from Persian Firuza - "stone of happiness") - a mineral, hydrated phosphate of aluminum and copper, one of the most popular from ancient times to the present day ornamental and a semi-precious stone. Turquoise has always been a popular stone and was highly valued, it was and remains among the first ornamental stones. Its deposits are numerous, but their reserves are usually small, as a result of which the targeted extraction of natural raw materials is quite expensive. Deposits - Egypt, Sinai Peninsula, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, USA, Tanzania, Australia, Argentina. Similar to turquoise: chrysocolla, variscite and blue colored howlite .

80% of turquoise arrives on the world market fortified . To strengthen the natural stone, it is impregnated with resins, colored wax, supplemented with epoxy inserts. Collectors value such stones less, but for jewelry�� they are even preferable to socks - they are easier to sand and do not wear out or fade when worn.

Homogeneous composition, large pieces, too shiny surface - will indicate that this is a imitation , or an artificial analogue.

Very often turquoise is imitated by painting over howlite - light gray stone with veins or magnesite .

Synthetic turquoise is so close in chemical composition that it is enough to distinguish it complicated. Usually these are bright blue stones with veins - "cobwebs". This is the so-called "Viennese turquoise ". In terms of strength, density and appearance, synthetic turquoise is not inferior to the real one.

Govlite (caulite, turkvenite) is a mineral, calcium borosilicate. Mineral gray-whiteIt is colored with brown and black veins and a silky sheen. Sometimes howlite , in addition to cryptocrystalline masses, occurs in the form of small crystals that can be seen in ultraviolet light (crystals are highlighted in white). The color howlite is usually white or gray, often with minerals with brown and black veins. In ultraviolet light, tiny crystals howlite sometimes gleam with a yellowish or whitish light, tiny, barely visible to the naked eye. Howlite easily dyes in blue tones and therefore often acts as a substitute for turquoise. Imitation turns out to be so accurate that sometimes unscrupulous dealers deliberately give out painted howlite as real turquoise. From howlite beads, cabochons and even small figures are cut. Their polished surface shines like porcelain. Ch�Other deposits are located in Nova Scotia (Canada). There is howlite and in California. The natural color howlite is unattractive, so this mineral is widely used in jewelry artificially colored in blue-green tones, in the form of imitation under turquoise . Sometimes howlite is painted in red tones, imitating in this case corals.

Magnesite belongs to the calcite group and also crystallizes in trigonal symmetry. Magnesite crystals are simpler and less rich in variety of shapes compared to calcite, their color is grayish-white to light gray. Magnesite masses are opaque, have a typical porcelain-like appearance and a shell-like fracture. Sometimes they can have a loose earthy structure or represent microcrystalline granular accumulations. Massive magnesite is mined industrially in the areas of Piedmont, Alto Adida�E and Tuscany. Outside Italy, significant deposits of massive magnesite , where beautiful crystals are found, are located, among others, in Styria (Austria), Silesia (Poland) and on the island of Evia (Greece) .

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