How to Identify Original Irani Feroza Stone

Feroza stone, also called Turquoise in English, is a semi-precious gem valued for its amazing robin egg blue color. This gemstone is believed to bring luck, wealth, success, and prosperity. The benefit of any gem is only when it is of high quality and natural. The best quality among these is Irani Feroza, found in the Neyshabur region in northeastern Iran.

It is a popular and effective astrological gem amongst all other US, Tibet, and India varieties. How to tell if turquoise is real is a big question that needs to be considered. This is because, in the gemstone marketplace, 90% of these gems are fake, synthetic, or dyed howlite, an inexpensive stone. Read here: How to Tell if a Gem is Real? Thus, an individual without knowledge of fake and real gemstones is often duped while purchasing. In this blog, we will look at the factors that will help to identify the original Irani Firoza stone:

How to Tell Real Irani Turquoise?

The original Feroza stone price starts at INR 500 and can extend up to INR 3,000, depending on the quality of the stone. Let's examine what factors you should look for while purchasing it.

• Color is the Key

Natural Feroza color ranges from robin’s egg blue to greenish blue. Irani Firoza is characterized by gold and silver flecks or patterns on the surface. These patterns are natural to the stone and are a result of the formation process where different elements come together to form the crystal lattice. Trace elements play an essential role in giving color. Iron, copper, and aluminum are the elements that create patterns on the surface. You can identify the stone by these metallic-looking patterns.

However, Irani turquoise showing a blue color without these flecks is also found, which is very rare. This is where most people get confused and might purchase fake ones. The best way to identify Irani Feroza here is to seek a gemstone certificate from wherever you buy it. These certificates (issued from gemological labs) mention the origin of the stone.

Advice Tip: Uniform coloration is important. If you see white spots on the surface, it can be a fake turquoise, possibly a white howlite that has been dyed.

Read how it benefits you in life: Astounding Turquoise Stone Benefits, Meaning, Uses, Value

• Pattern One Should Look for

Original Feroza stones are differentiated from fake ones by gold and silver colored patterns on their surface. These patterns, however, are visible on synthetic ones as well. To distinguish the natural ones from the same, it's important to analyze them closely. Look for the distribution of gold and silver flecks. The length and width of these are the same. Differentiate it from howlite, in which the surface has a veining pattern that is light and gray. American turquoise also has spider web-like matrix on the surface making it look different from those seen on natural Irani firoza stone.

Advice Tip: Clean egg blue color can be glass or fake stone, so choose wisely. Ask for a gemstone certificate and origin of the stone before purchasing.

• Hardness Test

Feroza stone has a hardness of 5-6. However, this doesnt mean that these gems are durable. They are highly porous. But when compared to Howlite, it is durable enough. Howlite ranks 3.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Thus, this is one of the easy steps you can perform at home.

Advice Tip: Dyed Howlite gets scratched easily, whereas natural turquoise from Iran doesn't.

• Check for the Weight

Irani Feroza is higher in weight than other turquoise and fake varieties. Natural gems have a specific weight of 2.5-2.9, whereas plastic and synthetic stones are lighter, at 0.9. Fake turquoise is made from magnesite, chrysocolla, and dyed howlite, so how do you identify the original Irani feroza stone? Check out the fingernail test below:

• Fingernail Test

If you scratch your gemstone with the tip of your fingernail and it gets stuck in the web-like matrix that runs throughout the surface, it is a genuine Irani turquoise. On the contrary, if it feels smooth, it is a fake gemstone.

Expert Tip: The web-like structure on the turquoise might be painted, so it's important to know the real gem.

• Burning Test

Light a candle on your desk. Rotate the gemstone on the flame with the help of a forceps. It turns black in all cases, whether it is synthetic, powered turquoise, or real Irani Feroza. But if it flows down like a powder, it is fake. In the case of synthetic turquoise, it turns black, and the plastic comes out from the surface. When dipped in water, its color changes from blue to green. Applying a burning test, real Feroza turns black but doesnt change its color or get into powdered form.

Expert Tip: This test is not possible because buying a gemstone costs money. Thus, one must get the stone tested from a recognized gemstone laboratory.

• Acetone Test

Dip a cotton bud in acetone and rub the surface of the stone. If the cotton bud turns green or blue, it is dyed; if it is plain, it is a genuine stone.

Expert Tip: This is the most straightforward test you can perform at home.

Read Here: How to decide the best place to buy gemstones online?

Where to Buy Irani Feroza in India?

• Purchase the Primary Gemstones from a reputable gem dealer like Navratan, India's best online gem store.

• Ask for an authenticated certificate from the place you are buying the gem. This confirms the quality of the stone.

• The price of Irani turquoise ranges from INR 500 to INR 3000 per carat, depending upon the quality of the stone. In Vedic astrology, it is believed that Feroza benefits the wearer with success in relationships and jobs and brings wealth. Thus, in order to bestow yourself with so many benefits, one should always buy a natural gemstone. This is because natural stones possess vibrational energy, which transmits to the wearer and offers them amazing advantages.  Curious to know how to wear this semi precious stone read here: How to Wear a Turquoise Stone

To conclude, it is essential to identify the original Irani Feroza stone so that the wearer is not devoid of astrological advantages. Moreover, it is important to purchase a real stone even for a long-term investment. Thus, with the above-mentioned simple steps, you can identify the natural gemstone.