Turquoise

[Gloria27]

Hello!
I've been a lurker for almost two years now and finally decided to share my thoughts and gem photos with you
I'm a very big fan of turquoise,it is one of my favourite stones but never owned real turquoise until recently. Love SB turquoise and researching it I fell in love with all American turquoise including it's cousin, variscite( Lucin varisacite is my fav).
I started collecting turquoise after a bought a pair of 7 X 5mm oval cabochons SB turquoise, then I just wanted more....

 

[aussiejamie]

They are beautiful gloria27! Do you have any plans for the oval cabochons?

 

[Gloria27]

Thanks!
Yes, bezel studs in 18k yellow gold but antique style (greek, etruscan, roman) with a nice thick frame around them maybe hammered, rope or maybe plain.
Thought of adding black opals, triplets, elongated pears but that would mean I'd wear them less so not sure about that.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Gorgeous Turquoise!!

 

[Gloria27]

Thank you! I feel lucky to have found such pieces, especially the big one 30 X 28 mm which resembles Bisbee turquoise.

 

[ennui]

I was going to ask about the source mine for the pendant ... it does sort of look like Bisbee.

I, too, love turquoise.

 

[Gloria27]

The pendants were advertised as Arizona turquoise by the jeweller who cut them from rough and set them in silver but when I asked about origin he said he had the rough from Germany. I grabbed them while I could, quality turquoise is not common in the UK. He was also selling Variscite (looked like Utah material) and Sugilite (not gel quality but pretty) pendands 100% cut and set by himself.

The cabs are from a bead shop that specializes in fine semi precious beads and stones and were sold as Sleeping Beauty but can't remember if they are stabilised or not.

The big pendant has a deeper blue than in the photos, deeper than the SB pendant, I'll post more photos soon.

 

[Gloria27]

I realise I was supposed to post just stones but I was thinking of setting the big one in gold. The silver setting is nice too but if it will ever show signs of detaching, I'll bezel it in yellow gold.

 

[Rockinruby]

Gorgeous!

 

[agingsparkle]

Beautiful turquoise! Have you considered having the opal dangles you have thought about done day/night style? A lot of poor-quality "earring jackets" have given the concept a bad name, but convertible earrings have been around for a long time and can be beautiful. A few examples:

https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/earrings/chandelier-earrings/1960s-van-cleef-arpels-diamond-turquoise-day-to-night-earrings/id-j_221198/

https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/earrings/dangle-earrings/victorian-day-to-night-earrings/id-j_66654/

I love traveling with convertibles, diamond or colored studs with diamond or colored halos and drops that can be swapped around for activities or outfits...

 

[Gloria27]

Thanks for your kind works, peeps!
Yes, I thought about it too but it has to be within a certain budget, the stones are not very expensive, about 10 dollars each and it would be pointless spending hundreds on melee diamonds or something. Yellow gold 14-18k is ok and opal doublets or boulders would also do.
I initially wanted to make a pair of dangling earrings with some vintage 1970 Ural Mountains denim Lapis I had but the proportions are off, the lapis is 15X15mm, a bit too big. I'll look for the pictures of lapis and the design I initially made and post them later.

 

[Gloria27]

That was the plan...a pair of lapis-turquoise earrings, but now I want studs like the bottom part of these earrings: http://www.finniesjewellers.co.uk/jewellery-c9/earrings-c16/coloured-stone-earrings-c29/9ct-yellow-gold-turquoise-fancy-drop-earrings-p7271
or these: http://www.finniesjewellers.co.uk/jewellery-c9/earrings-c16/coloured-stone-earrings-c29/9ct-yellow-gold-turquoise-fancy-drop-earrings-p7270

 

[pregcurious]

If you consider revisiting the lapis idea, the turquoise may also look good with lapis that has a more uniform coloring of blue, and distribution of pyrite. Here's a good example:

http://www.tiffany.com/jewelry/rings/elsa-peretti-cabochon-ring-GRP06405/elsa-peretti-cabochon-ring-29284466?utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=PLA+-+Elsa+Peretti&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=qTKxrhVC%7Cpcrid%7C86763185173%7Cpdv%7Cc%7C&gclid=COCr6aOgu8oCFc2RHwodIecEEg

 

[Vesper]

You have some lovely turquoise. I am not sure if you would want to get funky and set them with some amethyst. http://blog.mrsjonesandco.com/a-is-for-amethyst/

I want to vote to have one of the pieces of lapis set in an asymmetrical broach along with maybe a moonstone cabochon and and some upside down rose cut gems, all in yellow gold.

 

[chrono]

They all look good; from the patterning, shape and polish/waxiness. Great stuff!

 

[Gloria27]

Thanks guys!

I'm not sure what I want to do with the turquoise pair, I'm only sure that I'd love to set them in gold and I would wear them a lot more often as studs than as dangling earrings. Maybe I'll use the idea someone here suggested and make them convertible so I can add some pazzaz when necessary Still considering pairing with Lapis lazuli.

The big piece with brown matrix is the best of the bunch, but I always wear it with care and not very often, it seems to be untreated. The other pendant I wore for months even during summer and had no problems with it changing colour.

 

[Gloria27]

New gems: Arizona turquoise ring and loose Persian turquoise cabochon(next to my SB turquoise pair). They were right, one cannot just own a single turquoise stone...

 

[theredspinel]

Absolutely beautiful Gloria! Sorry if I've missed it but I've been after some gorgeous turquoise for a while, where do you purchase yours from?

 

[Gloria27]

Thank you, theredspinel

Pendants from ebay, really inexpensive but real stones, cut from rough and hand made by the jeweler that sold them (closed his ebay shop since then).
Persian turquoise also from ebay, inexpensive but real, still has the wax on the other side of the cab, bought the last one and missed several others before it (apparently 6)
SB cab pair came from thecuriousgem based in the UK. They have a lot of very nice SB turquoise, mostly beads but some are soooo nice.
There are a couple of Native American jewellery shops that have impressive pieces. Off the top of my head, one is called two feathers and is based in Brighton. Bought a pair of earrings from them, turquoise is real and the prices are right.

 

[Gloria27]

Hope I am allowed to post these:

The Native American jewellery shops:
http://twofeathers.co.uk/shop/index.php (recommended)
http://centgalleryandnavajo.co.uk/acatalog/native_american___southwestern_silver_jewellery.html

The Etsy jewellery shops that sell real turquoise jewellery:
UK:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/264878044/turquoise-cabochon-sterling-silver (recommended)
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/christinewalsh?ref=listing-shop2-all-items-count#items
Spain: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/269097243/us-size-55-turquoise-stacker-sterling?ref=shop_home_active_13

Best strand of turquoise beads I've seen in the UK, ever.
http://www.thecuriousgem.co.uk/turquoise-beads/aaa-sleeping-beauty-turquoise-faceted-oval-beads.html (recommended)


The recommended ones I've actually bough from.

 

[_lovesvintage_]

Beautiful turquoise! I just recently have gotten an interest in them, especially SB ones. Thanks for the links... I will have to check them out. I have a pair of 5 mm stabilized SB studs set in silver, bought as is. I love how simple they are along with the pop of color. Have fun with your projects and can't wait to see them finalized. Great collection so far.

 

[Gloria27]

Thanks, _lovesvintage_!
Hope you find yours, I also started with SB turquoise and ended up loving all colors and patterns.

 

[theredspinel]

Thank you so much for the links Gloria!

 

[Gloria27]

Glad to help, theredspinel!

 

[Gloria27]

Another American gem, variscite 25 X 17mm:

 

[ilovegemstones]

I love turquoise! Sometimes I just feel like wearing a lot of turquoise like today. They are all Royston turquoise except the pendant which is chrysocolla.

 

[Gloria27]

Holy Moly! Gorgeous pieces ilovegemstones! The chrysocola is awesome too, I think this type of jewelry is perfect for summer. That ring goes perfectly with your long fingers.

Turquoise must be my favorite of the opaque stones, there is so much variety in them, color and pattern wise and then there's variscite, and I know it's not everyone's cuppa tea but that pastel/minty color is just soothing.

 

[pinkgem2522]

Beautiful stone!

 

[Vesper]

I wanted to share my new Zuni turquoise necklace. It is very unusual for Zuni work but my Dad's friend who is a Zuni silversmith wanted to play around with chain link.

 

[Gloria27]

Awesome necklace, Vesper and to be honest, very modern looking!

What is the origin of the turquoise, any idea?