How to Care for Turquoise Jewelry

Turquoise is a porous stone. Sterling silver is a reactive metal. Together they make some of the most beautiful jewelry in the world — and together they require a modest amount of care to stay that way. Nothing complicated. Nothing time-consuming. Just a few consistent habits that protect the investment you have made in genuine materials and artisan craft.

Here is everything you need to know, from daily wear to long-term storage.

The Basics: What Turquoise Does Not Like

Natural turquoise is a copper aluminum phosphate mineral with a porous structure. That porosity is what makes it vulnerable to certain common exposures:

Water. Prolonged exposure to water — swimming, showering, doing dishes — can penetrate the porous structure of natural turquoise and affect the stone's color over time. The risk is higher with natural, untreated stone than with stabilized material (which has resin filling its pores), but the habit of removing turquoise jewelry before water exposure is a good one regardless. Remove it before swimming, showering, and dishwashing.

Chemicals. Perfume, lotion, sunscreen, and household cleaning products can all affect turquoise. The rule is simple: jewelry goes on last. Apply your products, let them absorb, then put on your turquoise. Remove it before cleaning.

Heat and direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure to strong direct sunlight can fade the color of some turquoise over time. Avoid leaving turquoise jewelry in direct sun — on a windowsill, in a car dashboard — for extended periods.

Hard impacts. Turquoise is harder than you might expect from a stone this beautiful, but it can chip or crack if struck hard against a hard surface. Be thoughtful about what you're doing when wearing significant pieces.

Natural turquoise like this Royston Turquoise Cuff by Chris Yazzie develops character with careful wear. The key is avoiding the exposures that cause damage rather than the ones that build patina.

Caring for Sterling Silver

Sterling silver tarnishes naturally — this is not a defect but a chemical process. Silver reacts with sulfur compounds in the air and in skin oils to form silver sulfide, which appears as a dark patina. Whether you want to maintain bright silver or allow a natural patina to develop is a matter of personal preference. Both are legitimate choices.

To maintain bright silver: Polish with a soft silver cloth — the kind made with polishing compound embedded in the fabric. Wipe in straight lines rather than circular motions to avoid micro-scratches. Polish gently around stone settings; do not apply silver polish directly to turquoise or other porous stones.

To maintain patina: Simply wear the piece. Natural patina develops in the recesses of stamped and textured silver over time, deepening the contrast between raised and recessed areas. This is considered desirable by many collectors of Native American silverwork, as it enhances the visual depth of stampwork and repousse.

For heavily tarnished silver: A professional jeweler can safely clean silver jewelry with methods that will not harm the stones. If you are uncertain, bring it to us — we have been cleaning and caring for turquoise and silver jewelry for over fifty years.

Daily Wear Habits

• Put jewelry on last — after all products are applied and absorbed
• Remove before swimming, showering, exercising, or sleeping
• Remove before household cleaning or gardening
• Wipe pieces with a soft dry cloth after wearing to remove skin oils and residue

Storage

The enemy of stored silver is air — specifically the sulfur compounds in air that cause tarnish. Anti-tarnish pouches or strips placed in your jewelry storage will significantly slow tarnishing on pieces you are not wearing regularly. Keep pieces separated so they do not scratch each other. Store necklaces flat or hanging to prevent kinking.

Cuff bracelets should be stored on their side or in a box where they will not be compressed. A cuff that is stored under other pieces can lose its shape over time if the other pieces are heavy.

Restringing

All Mustang Silver Pearl strands come with a lifetime restringing guarantee. If the wire breaks or the clasp fails at any point, bring it to us and we will restring it. For other beaded pieces, inspect the stringing wire periodically — if it shows fraying or kinking, restring before it breaks and loses beads.

Questions about a specific piece? Contact us directly. Browse our Turquoise Collection and Native American Collection.