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Synthetic Turquoise
The synthetic turquoise produced is used exclusively
as an ornamental material.
Appearance It is usually very homogeneous,
and a striking, light blue color. It takes a good polish like
good quality natural turquoise, only very thin pieces are
translucent. It is always cut into cabochons or spherical
or polished pieces for necklaces. It is also produced with
blackish veining, like some natural turquoise.
Distinctive features It has the physical
properties of good quality natural turquoise. Its hardness
is, therefore, much greater than that of nearly all natural
turquoise available on the market. Under a microscope, or
even a lens, a minute cellular pattern like hexagonal mesh
is visible in one direction only, and this is the surest means
of distinction. Unlike most natural turquoise nowadays, it
is not treated with paraffin.
Cost Quite low, several times lower than
that of natural turquoise of similar quality and even a lot
less than that of poor-quality natural turquoise.
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