Natural turquoise is mined, cut, and polished with zero chemical enhancement. It’s the rarest and most valuable form — colors can deepen beautifully with skin oils over time, a process called developing a patina.

Stabilized turquoise is real turquoise that has been pressure-treated with a clear resin to harden softer or more porous stones. It holds color reliably, is widely used in quality jewelry, and is a legitimate, accepted industry practice — not a fake.

Treated (enhanced) turquoise may be dyed, color-infused, or coated. This is a step below stabilization in value but is still real turquoise. Reputable sellers disclose treatment clearly.

Yes — significantly. Mine origin is one of the strongest value drivers in turquoise, because each deposit produces stone with a distinct color, hardness, and matrix (the veining pattern from surrounding rock). Some of the most prized American mines include:

• Bisbee (Arizona) — deep blue with rich chocolate matrix; considered one of the finest
• Lander Blue (Nevada) — spiderweb matrix, extremely rare, among the highest-priced
• Kingman (Arizona) — classic robin’s-egg blue, prolific and beloved by Navajo smiths
• Sleeping Beauty (Arizona) — clean sky blue with little or no matrix; popular in Zuni inlay
• Royston (Nevada) — rich green-blue with distinctive golden-brown matrix
• Pilot Mountain (Nevada) — blue-green with subtle webbing, prized by collectors

Beyond color, value factors include hardness, surface polish, matrix pattern, size, and whether the stone is natural or stabilized.

Mine origin Hardness Matrix pattern Natural vs. stabilized

The most common impostors are dyed howlite, dyed magnesite, and resin or plastic composites. A few signs you’re looking at genuine turquoise:

• Irregular matrix — natural veining is irregular and three-dimensional, not perfectly symmetrical or painted-looking
• Surface texture — real turquoise has subtle natural variation; plastic and resin feel too smooth and uniform
• Weight — genuine stone has a denser feel than resin fakes
• Temperature — real turquoise feels cool to the touch initially, unlike plastic
• Price — if it’s priced like costume jewelry, it probably is

The safest approach is buying from a seller who discloses stone origin, treatment status, and artist attribution — which is exactly how we build every listing at Turquoise Mustang.

Turquoise rates 5–6 on the Mohs hardness scale — softer than quartz (7) or sapphire (9), which means it can be scratched by harder materials and requires a little care. Natural turquoise is slightly more porous than stabilized, making it more sensitive to moisture and oils.

Practical precautions: remove rings before heavy-duty hand washing, avoid contact with lotions, perfumes, and cleaning chemicals, and don’t store turquoise pieces where they’ll rub against harder gemstones.

Turquoise color is controlled by trace mineral content in the stone. Copper drives the blue tones; iron shifts the color toward green. The balance of these two elements — along with the presence of zinc, aluminum, and other minerals — creates every shade from sky blue to deep teal to olive green.

Different mines produce different color profiles depending on local geology. Sleeping Beauty runs sky blue; Royston and Candelaria lean green; Bisbee and Lander Blue are intensely deep blue. Neither end of the spectrum is “more real” — color variation is a natural feature of the stone, not a quality defect.

Sterling silver is a metal alloy composed of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals — typically copper. The copper is added because pure silver (99.9%) is too soft for functional jewelry; the alloy retains silver’s beauty while adding the hardness needed to hold settings and withstand wear.

In commercial and mass-market jewelry, the standard hallmark is a 925 stamp (sometimes .925) confirming this composition. However, Native American silversmiths have a long and entirely legitimate tradition of simply stamping the word STERLING — or no hallmark at all on smaller pieces — rather than using the numeric code. This doesn’t indicate lower quality; it reflects the handmade, studio nature of the work. A Navajo or Zuni smith stamping “Sterling” is making the same purity declaration as a 925 die.

On handcrafted pieces, look for the hallmark inside a ring band, on the back of a pendant, or near a clasp. If you don’t see one and want to confirm, a reputable seller will always be able to tell you.

Tarnish is a natural, expected property of sterling silver — not a sign of low quality. The copper content in the alloy reacts with sulfur compounds in the air and on skin, producing silver sulfide, which appears as a dark or yellowish film on the surface.

Factors that accelerate tarnish include humidity, perfume, lotions, salty air, and storing pieces in the open air. The good news: tarnish is purely surface-level and polishes off easily with a silver polishing cloth or mild jewelry cleaner.

Some artisans intentionally apply an oxidized finish (controlled tarnish) to recessed areas for depth and contrast — this is a design feature, not decay.

Sterling silver is generally well-tolerated by most people with sensitive skin. The main concern is nickel — but reputable Western and Native American jewelry is almost always copper-alloyed sterling (not nickel-alloyed), making it much safer for nickel-sensitive wearers.

If you have a known metal allergy, it’s worth confirming the alloy composition with the seller before purchasing. For the most sensitive skin, fine silver (99.9% pure) or gold-filled pieces may be better choices.

Coin silver is an older silver alloy — 90% silver / 10% copper — historically made from melted U.S. coins. It was the dominant silver used by Navajo and other Native American smiths in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before sterling became the standard.

You’ll occasionally encounter antique or vintage pieces stamped “coin” or “.900.” These are genuine silver but at slightly lower purity than sterling. Coin silver pieces from early Native American smiths are historically significant and collectible.

Turquoise is porous and does not tolerate harsh chemical cleaners, ultrasonic cleaners, or steam cleaning. The safest method:

• Wipe the stone with a dry or very slightly damp soft cloth after wearing
• Clean the silver setting with a silver polishing cloth, keeping it away from the stone if possible
• Never submerge turquoise in water or cleaning solution
• Avoid jewelry dips, ammonia-based cleaners, and acetone

For set pieces where the stone and metal can’t be cleaned separately, a dry silver polishing cloth on the metal only is the safest route. Natural turquoise is especially sensitive — stabilized stones are more forgiving but should still avoid harsh chemicals.

Both turquoise and silver are happiest in a cool, dry, dark environment. Best practices:

• Store each piece in a separate soft pouch or lined compartment to prevent scratching
• Keep away from direct sunlight — UV exposure can fade and dry out turquoise over time
• Avoid bathroom storage where humidity fluctuates
• Anti-tarnish strips in your jewelry box will slow tarnish on silver significantly
• Don’t stack hard-stone pieces or silver chains on top of each other

It’s best to remove turquoise jewelry before showering, swimming, or dishwashing. Here’s why:

• Natural turquoise is porous and can absorb water, soaps, and chemicals — this can alter color, weaken the stone, or loosen adhesive in some settings
• Chlorine in pools is particularly damaging to both turquoise and silver
• Salt water can accelerate silver tarnish and stress porous stones
• Hot water (showers) can cause thermal stress in stones with fractures

Stabilized turquoise is more water-resistant than natural, but the safe habit is the same: take it off before water activities.

Truly handcrafted jewelry involves the artist shaping metal from sheet or wire stock, setting stones by hand, and finishing the piece individually — no two are exactly alike. Traditional techniques include:

• Silversmithing — cutting, forming, and soldering sterling sheet by hand
• Stamp work — hammering decorative patterns into silver using hand-held steel dies
• Overlay — layering cut-out silver shapes over a contrasting base for dimensional patterns (a Hopi hallmark)
• Inlay — fitting precisely cut stone pieces flush into metal channels (a Zuni specialty)
• Sandcast — pouring molten silver into carved sandstone or tufa molds for organic texture
• Repousse — hammering silver from behind to create raised surface designs

At Turquoise Mustang, our products note the artist, their tribal nation, and technique where known — because provenance is part of the value of the piece.

Five things that separate trustworthy sellers from the rest:

• Stone treatment disclosed — natural, stabilized, or enhanced should be clearly stated
• Mine or region of origin — not every piece will have it, but it’s a green flag when present
• Artist or maker attribution — especially important for Native American work
• Sterling marking on the metal — either a 925 stamp or the word STERLING
• Detailed photography — multiple angles, macro shots of the stone and hallmarks

Be skeptical of listings that use terms like “turquoise-colored,” “turquoise-style,” or “turquoise tone” — these often indicate no real turquoise at all. Transparent sellers use plain language: natural, stabilized, or treated, and they stand behind it.

The squash blossom necklace is one of the most iconic forms in Navajo jewelry — a silver beaded necklace featuring flared blossom-shaped stations (derived from Spanish pomegranate designs) and a central Naja pendant, a crescent-shaped ornament believed to ward off the evil eye.

The design evolved in the late 19th century as Navajo smiths incorporated Spanish colonial and Mexican influences into their silverwork. Today it’s considered a signature of Western jewelry culture and remains one of the most searched and recognized forms.

Squash blossoms range from small, delicate everyday pieces to large, elaborate ceremonial-weight necklaces with large turquoise stones. Stone variety, silver weight, and artist attribution all affect value significantly.

Navajo pearls are hand-formed sterling silver beads — round, oblate, or melon-fluted in shape — strung into necklaces or bracelets. They’re made by soldering two domed silver halves together, then hand-burnishing the surface to a smooth, lustrous finish.

The term “pearl” refers to that luster, not any organic material. Navajo pearls are a purely silver form — no stones — and their value comes from the consistency, weight, and craftsmanship of the individual beads. Heavier, hand-forged beads from skilled smiths are significantly more valuable than machine-made imitations.

Mustang Silver Pearls are our own line of sterling silver beaded necklaces and bracelets, developed with one goal: to be the sturdiest silver pearls on the market. While the traditional Navajo pearl form is our inspiration, Mustang Silver Pearls are built to a higher construction standard — heavier gauge silver, tighter bead seams, and more rigorous quality control at every stage.

The result is a pearl that holds up to real daily wear without loosening, denting, or losing its finish. We stand behind every Mustang Silver Pearl with a lifetime guarantee — if it fails, we make it right. No fine print.