turquoise and diamond white gold ring - turquoise careturquoise and diamond white gold ring - turquoise care

Turquoise Care Guide


Beautiful turquoises tend to show wear over time. Our turquoise care guide will show you the best ways to clean and maintain your jewelry.

3 Minute Read

turquoise and diamond white gold ring - turquoise care
The diamond accents on this 10K white gold ring have great durability. On the other hand, the turquoise center stone needs extra care to keep looking beautiful for years to come. Photo by CustomMade. Used with permission.

Why is Turquoise Soft and Porous?

Turquoises form naturally through a relatively gentle process of dissolving primary minerals into a solution containing copper, aluminum, and phosphorus. These elements bind together, often with many other impurities in the underground environment, and create many individual cryptocrystalline components. The resulting gemstone is an aggregate of many tiny parts. This is why turquoise is a relatively soft and porous gem. With a hardness of 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale, it can be scratched even by household dust, which contains quartz and has a hardness of 7.

scratched turquoise cocktail ring
The turquoise center stone in this 18K gold, diamond, and sapphire cocktail ring shows scratches and discoloration. Photo courtesy of liveauctioneers.com and Hampton Estate Auction.

What Causes Turquoise Discoloration?

Historically, people believed turquoise stones darkened due to a sympathetic reaction to the wearer. Indeed, turquoise wearers can inadvertently darken the stones, but this reaction is physical, not mystical. Since turquoise is made from many distinct pieces


Emily Frontiere

Emily Frontiere is a GIA Graduate Gemologist. She is particularly experienced working with estate/antique jewelry.


International Gem Society

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