Buying Turquoise in New Mexico

I've loved turquoise for years, but it wasn't until I moved to Albuquerque that I realized two important things. (1) New Mexico has the jewelry, but the turqoise has mostly been mined out of the Land of Enchantment. And, (2) all turqoise is not equal.

Varieties of Turquoise and THE Question to Ask

"Do you know what questions to ask before you buy turquoise?" challenged Joe Dan Lowry, whose family trove of stones forms the basis of the Turquoise Museum's huge collection.

"Is it real?" I ventured as a guess. Head shake.

"The question to ask is: is it natural," explained Lowry.

The most important characteristic that determines the value of turquoise is density. Lower grades of turquoise are too soft to be worked and too porous to be worn, but they can be stabilized with a resin to provide strength and deeper color.

Almost all of the turquoise for sale across the country is stabilized. If you ask, "is it stabilized," the seller is required by New Mexico law to tell you. Higher grades, more dense and harder, don't have to be stabilized and are sold as natural turquoise. Similarly, if you ask: "Is it natural?" and it isn't, the seller has to tell you that the stone is not natural turquoise.

Turquoise chips, too small to be worked or the cast offs of the grinding process, can be reconstituted into a hardened block that is cut into "stones." This turquoise can also be dyed, oiled, or waxed to deepen its color. This is called block turquoise and is the lowest quality of "real" turquoise. It can not legally be passed off as stabilized or as natural turquoise.

All of it is, in a sense, real turquoise. And it can be quite lovely. You just shouldn't pay premium prices for stabilized stones, or for reconstituted turquoise. Joe Dan's point is clear: buy what you love, but know what you're buying.

The key is to ask the right question. "Sellers are required by law to accurately and truthfully represent the stones they sell," explained Lowry. If they misrepresent, they can face serious fines and penalties.

Whether or not you're in the market for turquoise, the Turquoise Museum is a fascinating place to visit, and learn. And perhaps buy as well.

Places to purchase turquoise

Turqoise Museum - if you want to buy natural turquoise, this is the best place in town. They have a wide variety from different mines in the southwest and lovely designs. Natural turqoise isn't cheap, but there is less and less available every year.

Skip Maisel - The Maisel's have been an institution in Albuquerque. The store, now owned by Skip, sells a staggering array of New Mexico artisan crafts, including huge selection of jewelry. This is one of my favorite places for jewelry of all kinds. NOTE: the final price of most of the items in the store is 50% of the price listed.

Palms Trading Company- This is another fine choice for turquoise (as well as other stone jewelry and native American pottery and rugs). NOTE: the final price of most of the items in the store is 50% of listed price