What is purple spiny oyster?

The Spiny Oyster gemstone is a colorful shell that comes from the oyster species "Spondylus varius", as the name implies, Spiny Oysters are covered with menacing spines. Purple spiny oyster AKA "deep purple" spiny oyster is much harder to harvest because of the ocean depth in which it is found.

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Why is spiny oyster so expensive?

Spiny oyster was harvested by free diving down to collect the bivalves. It is still done the same way today, although many divers use air tanks when diving. The way it's collected often determines its price. The deeper and more dangerous to collect, the more expensive it will be. Correspondingly, how can you tell if sleeping beauty turquoise is real? Search for pieces of lumpy dye or places where the color may actually be peeling off. And if the color looks too strikingly blue, it may be fake. Real sleeping beauty stones are a 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale of hardness, which means they don't scratch easily.

Is White Buffalo turquoise real turquoise?

White Buffalo--also known as White Buffalo Turquoise--is a gemstone that is mined in Tonopah, Nevada by the Otteson family. It was presumed to be turquoise and often sold as such; however; its classification is magnesite and alumite. It has been popularized as White Turquoise. Is turquoise becoming rare? With depleting mines, turquoise, the most sacred stone to the Navajo, has become increasingly rare. A sky-blue colored stone with a gray and gold spiderweb matrix sits melded into an intricate silver ring with engraved feathers along the sides.

Which country has the best turquoise?

Iran "The most common places known for good quality turquoise are Iran (Persia), Egypt, Northwest China, Mexico and the southwestern part of the United States. Although there can be mines found in many states, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada are the most common places where you will find them.