Australian Turquoise 10mm round with some natural mother-rock inclusions, natural gemstone, untreated, without any chemical stabilization, of a lovely egg-shell blue. The origin of this Turquoise, according to the reputable Sydney gemstone dealer from whom this Turquoise was purchased, is the Andamooka region South Australia, Opal country, dug up from a very small mother-rock deposit in the 1970s and cut into cabochon form in Adelaide.
Turquoise is a tricky gemstone. Over the eons it has been formed basically through hydrothermal deposition of copper sulphates in rock fissures, it is always bluish/greenish in colour, is not crystalline, and is unstable, whether it be Tibetan, Persian, American or Australian Turquoise.
The instability of Turquoise is in its colour, for when it is natural, as is the above Australian Turquoise, exposure to the chemicals in products like detergents, perfumes, sun tan lotions etc can splotch the natural Turquoise colour, the result of which, especially in the case of Turquoise material from the Americas, is the widespread practice of chemically stabilizing, “treating” the gemstone to make it less susceptible.
That said, it simply means that natural untreated Turquoise should be treated with a certain amount of care. We recommend moderate care and a wipe with a damp cloth after wearing.