A question about Turquoise and Apache Tears – can it occur TOGETHER?

I recent post about one particular stone reminded me of a convocation i had with a lady selling crystals at a market. One particular piece she had at her stall was a small handmade turquoise ring ( and she had others w/ turquoise..more on that later) . One of my absolute favourite stones – a true first love...so I am always looking around for it, despite telling myself not to get anymore...for many reasons really, especially pieces set with “new” carbs...so many are heavily treated: dyed, glued in with plastic ect all very sad really. So , the little ring which caught my eye was set with a greener shade of turquoise with heavy black lines through out it. She had told me that are Apache Tears!!?

And that it was a vintage carb, defiantly not new! Wow... but you know i hesitated as i knew nothing of such combination. Over the years I’ve read a fair amount on turquoise but never came across such combination. I have a large Apache Tear ring it is transparent, when brought to light with slightly whitish “waves” within it. In this ring the lines are thick and sold black, just as ordinary turquoise veins!? i know mother nature works in strange and wonderful ways....but has anyone came across this besides me? I am not trying to be cynical but when I turned my attention to other turquoise rings she had they all appeared to be carbon copies of each other and quite obviously un-genuine....

All in all just strange. Or perhaps I am in mourning for the loss of perfection in the Apache ring i already have. It had been a gift, which i wore for a considerable amount of time ( and i truly believe it helped to keep me safe during a very challenging time) until i mislaid it about a year and half ago. Only just recently I had found it again to discover it w/ a chip. Although it is small it is in a really obvious place . i know its there and am really mad with myself.
Back to the point please share you opinion, as always I’d love to read them.

edit..

Beautiful piece!

Just a short note:
Turquoise is one of many minerals found in igneous rocks, its formed when water flows over hot rocks - igneous or sedimentary
(see for much more detail http://www.cerrilloshills.org/minerals/tgenesis.html)

The dark black 'matrix' can be formed by a variety of minerals - black matrix is usually from iron pyrite. Golden matrix from iron oxides and yellow matrix from rhyolite

IMHO
It is unlikely to be Apache Tears - BUT Apache Tears are equivalent (in many ways) to volcanic glass (obsidian) - which IS an igneous rock.. but since I have been searching no stone has been described as Apache Tears + Turquoise

Still this ring has a beauty beyond what I have seen recently when looking at Turquoise

how do you feel with it?

MARINA

morphine said:

All in all just strange. Or perhaps I am in mourning for the loss of perfection in the Apache ring i already have. It had been a gift, which i wore for a considerable amount of time ( and i truly believe it helped to keep me safe during a very challenging time) until i mislaid it about a year and half ago. Only just recently I had found it again to discover it w/ a chip. Although it is small it is in a really obvious place . i know its there and am really mad with myself.
Back to the point please share you opinion, as always I’d love to read them.

Click to expand...

Just wanted to add I believe it helped you too, I find my Apache Tears invaluable guides through the darkness....
(even with a chip )

Turquoise is formed by the slow weathering and oxidation of other minerals, and Apache Tears (black obsidian glass) is extrusive igneous rock/volcanic glass which forms rapidly. They can not grow together. However, your beautiful ring is just stunning and has a great example of a beautiful, black matrix (typically black is iron pyrite) and looks to be an older piece. Turquoise is such a wonderful stone. Apache tears are wonderful too and are said to help manifest guidance and help. (I have unattractive "dinged up" pieces from my childhood that still work great!)

Maybe this is a call to re-open to the gifts Apache Tears bring?