A brief explanation about stones
Here is a bit of information for you regarding the stones I have in the store and in auctions.
Most of the semiprecious stones are either from China or from India but the stones didn't necessarily come from these countries. The work of turning rough stones into finished beads is. Hence, made in India or made in China. Many times, the rough stone is shipped in 55 gallon drums to the factories, where the rough stones are worked into beads. The finished product is then shipped to the U.S. and other countries.
A friend of mine who has been professionally in the business of stones for over 30 years states, "If it's from India, there is a real good chance the stones are dyed. They even do this with stones that don't need it". This is common practice; treating stones. Stones can also be treated with heat and radiation. Softer material can be stabilized or reconstituted.
When you see the word NATURAL in a turquoise magpie listing, this means the stone has not been treated, dyed, stabilized, reconstituted, etc... This is not necessarily true with other sellers. Many consider "natural" anything that is made from a stone irregardless of how much enhancement it has under gone.
When you see STABILIZED in a listing, this means the stone has been stabilized (usually under pressure) to make the stone hard enough to work into finished beads. This is very common practice, especially with turquoise.
When you see RECONSTITUTED in a listing, this means the stone has been pulverized, mixed with a resin, then made into beads.
When you see DYED in a listing, this means exactly that. Color has been added to enhance the look of the stone. This is a very acceptable practice in the industry.
When you don't see any information, that means I don't know if the stone has been treated.
A special note about Turquoise
I attempt to be as accurate as possible in my listings of turquoise. I buy turquoise only from reputable dealers and producers with whom I have developed a relationship based on honesty and integrity. When I say a strand of turquoise is "Sleeping Beauty", to the very best of my knowledge, it is from the Sleeping Beauty mine. The same goes for other mines.
North American turquoise is pricey and will only go up in value as the supply dwindles. There is only so much turquoise in the earth.
Chinese turquoise varies greatly in quality and color, from greens to blues. It is definitely less expensive than North American turquoise, yet its value is increasing on the world market.
Turquoise stirs the emotions, more so than many other stones. I was looking at turquoise with an old timer and he said " If you like the stones and like the price, what's stopping you?"
I bought the whole lot of it. <g>
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Many humble thanks to you and hope all is well in your life!
Warmest Regards,
Szarka | 
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