When I saw these beads I just couldn’t resist. The combination of bright blue and lime green colors is fantastic. Great for summer!
But, what kind of stone is this?
The underlying stone is a natural stone, probably jasper or serpentine from China, that goes by the descriptive name ‘yellow turquoise.’ The natural color of this stone is often a light yellow-green with black matrix, in spots and patches, but the stone can also have brown and red areas.
In these particular beads, the ‘yellow turquoise’ has been stabilized, dyed, and coated to acheive the beautifiul bright blue green coloring. And, if you look carefully, you can see yellowish patches and black matrix from the ‘yellow turquoise’ peeking through.
It is a common treatment for ‘yellow turquoise’ to be dyed in various shades of blue. And, to make things more interesting, because the blue-green colors resemble those found in the natural gemstone chrysocolla, beads like this are sometimes sold descriptively as ‘chryscolla jasper,’ or even as ‘chrysocolla,’ with no distinction being made.
So, that’s the story. Are you a fan of dyed gemstones? Perhaps the story just makes them that much more interesting. Who knows, they just may wind up in your next favorite piece of jewelry…!
Take me to the shop! :: Click the picture to see the beads.
Beads and Honey 