I love turquoise. Not just the gemstone but the color, too. But usually when I am wearing turquoise jewelry it’s actually howlite. I also carry a few pieces made with real Arizona turquoise in my online shops. So today I thought I’d talk about turquoise vs howlite.
Turquoise vs Howlite
Many people can’t tell the difference and some sellers actually sell pieces of jewelry made with howlite but claim that it’s turquoise. Right now I have items made with howlite and genuine turquoise in my Etsy shop. I try my best to give clear descriptions of the stones I use but please feel free to ask if you ever wonder.
Howlite
Howlite is a borate mineral. It is porous which enables it to take on dye very easily. It’s often found in many other bright colors, not just turquoise. There’s nothing wrong with turquoise-colored howlite… as long as you know that’s what it is when you’re buying it. It’s a very affordable alternative to genuine turquoise.
Howlite is often called white buffalo turquoise, white turquoise, buffalo stone, or turquenite. Most howlite is mined in California and shipped to China, where labor is cheaper, to be shaped into beads.
You don’t often see howlite in its natural state, a white to light grey with darker grey veining, called matrix, similar to turquoise. The matrix in howlite is usually thinner than in turquoise. But I actually like the way it looks in its natural white state and have made several pieces with it and I love them.
The photo below is some jewelry for your books… something I had in my shops a few year ago. I’ve used this same howlite cross in some of my earrings and bracelets.
Turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue to green mineral which is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium. Most US turquoise comes from the Southwest. I get mine from Arizona.
Here are a couple more articles you might like:
‘Til the next project,
Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim
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