Chinese turquoise

November 2, 2010

Chinese turquoise:

This is a gemstone bead that ranges over a swath of spectrum from blue through green (“grue”, anyone?)… When you find beads called Chinese turquoise, you can figure they’re genuine turquoise, usually stabilized. The stabilization of Chinese turquoise beads is often done in any of a variety of ways:

  • wax treatment (formerly more common)
  • resin stabilization (now more usual)
  • and/or dye to improve the naturally soft stone’s wearability

Most of Rings & Things’ Chinese turquoise beads come from the province of Hubei, China, but we also have Ma’anshan turquoise from the province of Anhui (which more closely resembles the well-known blue turquoise from mines in the US Southwest.

Chinese turquoise "Nested" necklace

Did you know? The free Design Gallery at Rings & Things is a good resource for Chinese turquoise jewelry inspirations. Just plug those two words into the Search box…and you’ll find necklaces, pendants, and many more designs!

Chinese turquoise used in the "Secret Garden" necklace design

Tip: Some of Rings & Things’ Chinese turquoise beads don’t carry our standard gemstone stock numbers. Some have stock numbers beginning with 20-4 (not our usual 21-x numbers). These are usually less regular in size and appearance, so if you need an exact size, please let us know so when you order. We’ll make an extra effort to match your needs!

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