Turquoises look great on everyone on all occasions. They have been popular since almost ancient times, and in their appeal has not reduced in the new century. But with declining mines, true natural turquoises with famed robin egg blue are becoming harder and harder to find. And people with all kinds of budgets want to experience the magic of turquoise. From thousands of dollars to a few bucks, turquoises are of all types.

Some of the best turquoises come from the Sleeping Beauty Mines near globe, Arizona which have the best color and are much in demand. But a close second are the clear blue, the webby blue, or the slightly webby sky blue nuggets from Nevada, some of them good enough to be mistaken for the famous Sleeping Beauty turquoises. Turquoises like these are the high-grade natural turquoises which are the hardest, and take polish in the best possible manner. They also stay untarnished the longest.

But not everyone wants to buy these for the price they come at and turquoise comes in many different qualities, where not many other than the experts can tell the difference. A cheaper option is the enhanced turquoise which are made using the Zachery or Foutz process. This injects turquoise with vaporized quartz, making the stone harder, darker in color and more amenable to polish. It is also a subtle and less detectable process because quartz occurs naturally with some varieties of turquoise. The resultant turquoise is very nearly the same as natural, and costs much lesser. Another process developed in the U.S. which allows lower grade turquoise to be used in jewelry is stabilization. These are even cheaper, and within the grasp of the most average customer. When taken care of properly, these have a longer lifetime as well.

Wax treated turquoise from China is wax impregnated, where the surface of the turquoise is color stabilized, it comes in yellow and green colors which may not be the favored blue, but still looks pretty intriguing, especially when shaped into nuggets, rondelles, tear drops or round tubes and so on. These can be a great alternative for turquoise fans whose purses do not stretch to the natural ones. Reconstituted turquoises which involve the putting together of pulverized turquoise scrap using dyes and plastic binders are even more affordable, and are great for casual wear, though they do not really last very long. Imitation and dyed stones like Howlite, Magnite or Magnesite are also passed off as turquoise which can be used as long as one is not duped into paying huge prices for them.

But with sources of genuine natural turquoise declining fast, natural turquoises are a good investment. Not only do they look stunning and last for very long, they are bound to appreciate in value over time. Whenever possible, it is recommended to buy the best of turquoises from renowned dealers with a reputation for integrity.

Rock Ren is the owner of xaxe.com group. You can find more information at www.xaxe.com