Pin Test for Gemstones

[catzpawz65]

Currently, there's an auction site which gives the information that a person can determine if a 'gemstone' is turquoise, by using a hot-pin test, and if the pin is a little bit hard to pull out, then that's proof that it's not plastic. 

True?

But even if it is accurate in determining that the 'gemstone' is really a stone, and not resin or some such, how would a person know if it were turquoise, or howlite, or some other stone, dyed, not dyed, treated, or not, etc. 

Personally, I would never dream of ruining any of my jewelry like that with a hot pin. 

Any experts out there that can help?

[khatsvintagejewels]

I never heard that one. A hot pin can tell you if it's plastic, or maybe some kinds of resin, but a dyed stone or real turquoise? I don't think so.

If you have, for example a string of suspicious beads, you can shatter one and see if it is dyed or not. You can heat it by holding it in a flame, and if it blackens and sizzles, it's not real.

As to howlite, chalk turquoise, yellow turquoise, and magnesite, all I can tell you is that all of them have their own matrix characteristics (or not, in the case of chalk turquoise), and you just have to learn to spot it. Even a lot of what is called howlite really isn't - it's a manmade composite stone. It doesn't even look natural. Even REAL turquoise is usually stabilized (it's a very soft stone) and often dyed to even out the color. Reputable sellers will not misrepresent their products,

All that said, real turquoise comes in many colors, many matrix patterns - and none - and usually costs a lot. If the price is rock bottom, it probably is not real, unless it is a poor grade. Even the real Hubei turquoise from China is expensive!