3mm Diamond Cut Round Gemstone Bead - Hubei Turquoise - Color Banded (strand)

Turquoise has been revered for thousands of years. Its name means "Turkish stone" in French, a reference to where Persian material passed on its way to Europe. Turquoise is considerably softer than quartz, and is usually treated for stability. Chinese turquoise is generally stabilized using either wax treatment, resin stabilization and/or dye to improve the naturally soft stone's wearability. Most of our Chinese turquoise beads are mined and processed in the Hubei Province of mainland China. The gemstone occurs naturally in shades ranging from sky blue to grey-green, with varying amounts of brown and black matrix, usually in locations where the soil contains high concentrations of copper.

See Related Products links (below) for similar items and additional jewelry-making supplies that are often used with this item.