How can you tell real turquoise?

You can tell your turquoise is real based on how easily it is to scratch. Howlite, the turquoise imitation is much softer and so will scratch more easily than turquoise.

Turquoise is one of the most popular gemstones. One way you can tell the difference between real and fake turquoise is the appearance. Real turquoise should be smooth, and in the fake stones, depending on the material, you can tell where the dye accumulates in the cracks. You can also do the scratch test. If your stone scratches easily, then it's an imitation. Find a variety of turquoise jewelry and other gemstones on 1stDibs.