Turquoise is a naturally occurring stone, and because of this wonderful factor, cleaning your turquoise silver jewelry with caution is a must. If you take proper care of this gemstone, it could last for generations to come, but if you neglect it, discoloration and disintegration are great possibilities. For those of you who are very busy and wear your turquoise jewelry every day, take a look at this simple list of “dos” and “donts,” but first lets take a look at some of the physical characteristics of this beautiful stone.
Physical Properties of Turquoise
On the Mohs Scale of mineral hardness (the highest are diamonds at 10) turquoise ranks right under 6. If your turquoise gemstone is at the maximum state of hardness, it may only be about as tough as a pane of glass. The porous nature of turquoise causes the stone to have cavities, making it more susceptible to decay and vulnerable to damage. You definitely need to follow these cleaning instructions to ensure your turquoise silver jewelry lasts for many years.