Five Things to ignore while Buying a Turquoise Stretch Bracelet

If you are going to buy a turquoise stretch bracelet for the first time, make sure to ignore the following things for sure.

Things to ignore while buying a Native jewelry

1) The cost

If it is a genuine turquoise stretch bracelet, you will need to understand that its price will surpass that of gold at times. Turquoise is mined in very few places. America and China are the most important suppliers of turquoise. Even then, the demand for the gemstone is so great that its cheaper versions or imitations are all around the market. Actually, of all the turquoise bracelets out there in the market, almost 90% are imitations, and only 10% are genuine.

So if you are getting a piece of the authentic turquoise stretch bracelet and have the verification papers proving its authenticity, then it is best to take it at its price. Eventually, even this price will double, especially if it's a turquoise of a rare color with minimum matrixes. Understanding the cost factor is important for a good purchase.

2) The uneven shape of the beads

Turquoise is mined from the mines of America, Iran, and China. There are only limited turquoise mines in the world. Depending on how much turquoise is available to them for the jewelry, it is utilized to its fullest extent till the last. The bigger pieces are shaped into cabochons, disks, rondelles, and even spheres. At the same time, the smaller pieces are shaped into tubes, seeds, rondelles, and even nuggets in combination with other metals.

If you pursue an authentic turquoise stretch bracelet, it is made by the American Indian tribes, mainly the Zuni, Hopi, and Santo Domingo tribes. Every tribe had its characteristic style of making jewelry from turquoise. While Zuni tribes use the needlework form of carving, Santo Domingo tribes are famous for their heishi beads. The Plains Indians are another tribe that uses the bones and horns of animals in their jewelry as turquoise as an additional element. The shape of your stretch bracelet will depend greatly on whether your bracelet has been made by these tribes and, most importantly, which one of them.

3) Use of silver

Silver has been associated with turquoise since 1850 when it was introduced to the tribes by a Navajo Indian named Atsidi Sani. He had learned it from the Spanish traders and, in turn, spread the art form to the rest of the tribe. While the tribes had been using turquoise since as early as the fifteenth century, the introduction of silver became important as silver started forming an important part of their jewelry.

You will feel silver incorporated in a lot of ways into turquoise stretch bracelets. As seeds, heishi beads are carved into fetishes and even form part of the string or clasp studded with amulets. There may be other precious metals like gold or sometimes even precious stones like diamonds, but not by the American tribes. The authentic turquoise stretch bracelet comes only with silver and other locally available stones in its designs.

4) The texture of turquoise beads

Every part of the turquoise is used to the fullest capacity. The finer parts are carved into heishi beads, while the remaining parts are treated to fill the cracks and made into disks, spheres, or cabochons. Even the powdered form of turquoise is synthetically treated to form some semi-turquoise that is regarded as such and used for making a bracelet.

Authentic turquoise has a smooth texture. And to ensure better quality, the gemstone is stabilized before being processed into different types of beads. But obtaining a genuinely smooth turquoise is a phenomenon. Additionally, if they are hand-cut, there will be some irregularities in their smoothness and overall texture. It will depend on the manufacturer, the grade, and the intended shape that the jeweler has in mind regarding the gemstone.

5) The color of the stretch bracelet

The main source of confusion regarding the color of stretch bracelets comes from two things. The image that you have seen on some online sites and someone else's stretch bracelet inspired you to order one for yourself. Usually, many sites do not sell original turquoise but howlite glass, passing them off as turquoise. This is one of their reasons for their uniform color. Secondly is whether the turquoise bracelet has been hand-made or mass manufactured through machines.

End Thoughts

The Native American tribes manufacture authentic turquoise stretch bracelets. They use the turquoise that is available to them. Sometimes the turquoise may have a deep matrix with a blue shade, while sometimes a green color with a different matrix. Some bracelets may even have beads or disks of a different color. It is normal for bracelets to have a different color. That adds to their uniqueness, along with giving them a distinct charm. You can always count on New Mexico Gems to get an authentic Native American turquoise stretch bracelet with 100% price satisfaction for sure.