Here’s something that might surprise you: many people treat turquoise as a treasure, believing it can appreciate in value and be passed down through generations. To be honest, it depends on the type of turquoise. Not all turquoise deserves the word “collectible.” Most of it is just a pretty decorative item, something to wear for fun. If you ask me, this field is quite deep—don’t just follow trends blindly.

Over the past 12 years working in Ruili, I’ve gone from selling small items at street stalls to owning my own shop, operating both online and offline. Turquoise has had its moments of popularity and then cooled off. I’ve seen many people jump on the bandwagon and buy a bunch, only to realize that what they have isn’t really that special.

What kind of turquoise can be called “collectible grade”?

You need to understand that turquoise comes in all grades. The ones sold for tens of yuan at street stalls? Don’t expect those to be collectible—that’s nonsense. True collectible turquoise must be high porcelain quality, high blue, with evenly distributed iron veins or no iron veins at all. Here are some key points:


    • Color: It must be a pure sky blue or high porcelain blue. Those with greenish or yellowish tones, or uneven color, no matter how much you like them, have limited collectible value. Colors like “sky blue” and “high blue” are widely recognized as premium. Last year in the Ruili market, I saw a piece with an absolutely stunning color, just like the blue sky. You can tell at a glance that it’s different.

    • Porcelain quality (hardness and luster): This is the most important indicator for turquoise. The higher the porcelain quality, the harder it is, the stronger the luster, and the more oily and smooth it feels to the touch. Imagine the delicate feel of fine porcelain—if turquoise reaches that level, it’s top-notch. Many pieces on the market look okay in color but feel “loose” when touched, indicating low porcelain quality, which greatly reduces collectible value. I’ve fallen into this trap myself when I first started—picking pieces just by color, only to find many were “loose” and dried out over time, impossible to polish up.

    • Iron veins: There are two situations. One is completely free of iron veins—plain and flawless—which is the most expensive. The other is when iron veins are distributed beautifully, forming natural patterns like “Ulan flower,” which is also distinctive and collectible. But if the iron veins are messy and spoil the appearance, that’s no good. Personally, I prefer vein-free turquoise because it looks cleaner.

    • Origin: Although turquoise is mined in many places nowadays, high-quality raw turquoise from Hubei is still recognized as the top. The famous American “Sleeping Beauty” turquoise is well-known but basically out of production now, with few pieces circulating on the market.

    • Raw, untreated material: This is crucial! Many turquoise pieces on the market have been treated—impregnated with resin, dyed, or otherwise enhanced. No matter how good they look, treated pieces have almost no collectible value and are considered craft items. True collectible grade must be raw and untreated. You can often tell by eye or touch, but the safest way is to buy from trustworthy dealers or have the piece tested by authoritative institutions. When I first started selling, I also encountered treated pieces, but over time I learned to spot them at a glance.

In summary, collectible-grade turquoise is a rare gem among thousands. It’s scarce, beautiful, and can withstand the test of time.

What’s the real difference between collectible grade and ordinary grade?

The difference is huge. The most obvious is price and potential for appreciation.

Take a bead of similar size as an example: ordinary beads with average color and porcelain quality might cost only a few dozen yuan each. But a high porcelain, high blue, vein-free raw turquoise bead of the same size could cost hundreds or even thousands of yuan each. That’s for a single bead—if strung into a bracelet or carved into an artwork, the price grows exponentially. Last year, I saw a high porcelain blue turquoise bracelet with about 10mm beads in excellent condition; the seller was asking tens of thousands of yuan, and that was just retail. Larger carvings command even higher prices.

Ordinary turquoise is just a decorative item. Its price won’t drop much, but it has little room for appreciation. If you buy it to wear and enjoy, that’s fine. Like the small pieces in my shop priced in the hundreds or thousands of yuan, customers buy them because they like them—I don’t hype any collectible value; honestly, they’re just pretty accessories.

But collectible grade is different. It’s scarce, with limited resources—every piece mined is one less in the ground. Also, good raw material suffers significant loss during polishing. So, its value gradually reveals itself over time. Of course, the premise is that you buy genuine, high-quality pieces.

How has turquoise appreciated in recent years?

A few years ago, about five or six years back, turquoise was indeed very popular and prices rose sharply. Back then, any decent-quality piece could fetch a good price. Many people rushed in after seeing the price rise. But you have to understand that every market has cycles.

In recent years, turquoise’s popularity has cooled off, and prices have stabilized and become more rational. Pieces of average quality or treated turquoise have mostly leveled off or even dropped slightly. But if you ask me, genuine high porcelain, high blue, untreated raw turquoise has maintained strong prices and continues to rise steadily. The growth just isn’t as dramatic as before.

Why? Because good material is always scarce. When I first entered the trade, a decent jadeite rough piece could be bought for tens of thousands of yuan. Now? The same quality might cost several times more. Turquoise is the same. If you have a top-grade piece, I tell you, it’s like hard currency—holding onto it is never a bad idea.

Some advice from me, Lao Zhou, for those wanting to collect turquoise

Honestly, if you really want to collect or invest in turquoise, it’s possible but you must understand and be cautious. Don’t just jump in because others say it’s good—that’s a trap.


    • Learn more, act less blindly: Don’t expect free lunch or believe stories. You need to understand the basics of turquoise: color, porcelain quality, iron veins, origin, treatments, etc. Read materials online, watch videos, visit physical stores to see and touch more, ask questions, and compare. Don’t be shy to ask. When I started, I knew nothing and built my knowledge through constant learning and practice.

    • Find trustworthy dealers: This is most important. Fake and treated turquoise techniques are getting more sophisticated. You can’t always tell with the naked eye. A reliable dealer will tell you the truth, show you raw stones, and provide authoritative certificates. That’s better than anything else. I have some long-term customers with whom I’ve been honest for over a decade—if it can appreciate, I say so; if it’s just an accessory, I say that too.

    • Buy within your means, quality over quantity: Don’t collect just for the sake of collecting, and don’t put all your money into it. Turquoise is just one category of cultural collectibles, not a rare investment channel. Buy quality pieces—spend more on one top-grade piece rather than many average ones. Because average pieces really have little collectible value.

    • Don’t expect to get rich overnight: Collecting is a long-term process. Turquoise isn’t like stocks—it won’t make you rich quickly. Its value unfolds slowly and requires patience. If you’re looking for short-term speculation, I advise against it—you might end up with losses.

    • Raw and untreated is the bottom line: I emphasize again—this is the baseline! Any treated turquoise has no collectible value. Don’t listen to dealers who say “treatment doesn’t affect value”—that’s a lie.

This field is deep but interesting. After so many years, my biggest takeaway is that genuine material is always the hard truth. Those who try to cut corners will eventually be eliminated by the market. If you truly like turquoise, learn about it and appreciate its beauty. If you want to collect, keep your eyes open and don’t be fooled.