How to distinguish natural turquoise

Turquoise is one of the oldest gemstones. In early times, different cultures believed turquoise brought luck. Follow these steps to distinguish natural turquoise jewelry.
Highly valued, people use turquoise stone in art, religion, trading and jewelry. Due to the high demand, turquoise was heavily mined leading to the decrease of high quality gemstones. Different enhancements used on low quality stones make them difficult to tell from the real thing.
When shopping for turquoise jewelry, look for a seller with a good reputation for selling quality jewelry, and ask where the jewelry comes from. Today, natural turquoise is produced in Iran, China, Tibet and the southwestern United States.
Natural turquoise has the vibrant colors, which ranges from a light sky blue to a gray-green color. Fake or low-quality turquoise is a pale, chalky stone injected with dye.
If you want to know whether the turquoise jewelry is plastic, you can apply heat to a small straight pin. Touch the hot pin to an inconspicuous place on the turquoise. If the stone melts, or if you smell an artificial odor, it is a plastic replica.
Ask for. A will not hesitate to provide you with one.
Do buy natural turquoise jewelry from a reputable dealer and ask for a certificate of authenticity.