Blue Stones That Look Like Turquoise

Turquoise is a copper mineral with a bright blue to blue green color.

Blue stones that look like turquoise.

Turquoise is found in dry climates in the rocks above copper deposits. Widespread in both inexpensive jewelry and designer pieces turquoise is the most popular of blue gemstones. They look just like turquoise if you have looked at inexpensive gemstone beads cabochons and tumbled stones your eye has probably been drawn to a sky blue material with a semi gloss polish that looks exactly like turquoise many pieces even have the gray to black veining often seen in genuine turquoise specimens from the bisbee and sleeping beauty mines. The color is so familiar and so enjoyed that the word turquoise has become a commonly used word for a milky blue green color.

The most desirable color of turquoise is a sky blue or robin s egg blue. Like many blue gemstones turquoise will typically have a noticeable touch of green. This rare form of chrysocolla is harder than turquoise and is a 7 on the mohs hardness scale. Other gemstones that have a mohs hardness of 7 are amethyst and citrine.

A sky blue turquoise with minimal veining is typically considered to be the most valuable though in some countries blue turquoise with black veins or complex matrix patterns are more desirable. Like many blue gemstones. Gem silica is chalcedony that has been stained by chrysocolla producing a beautiful translucent blue stone that is very hard and well suited for use in jewelry. Brilliant and bright montana sapphires commonly have a secondary green hue but this stone s lack of a steely gray look is exceptional.

Blue minerals are rare and that is why turquoise captures attention in the gemstone market.