Blue Beads

Frequently asked questions

• What blue gemstone beads do you carry?

  Blue is the largest color family in the Dakota catalog. Turquoise alone accounts for roughly a quarter of the inventory — Sleeping Beauty, Kingman, Hubei, Campitos, and Elisa varieties are stocked. Other volume stones include Amazonite, Lapis Lazuli, Aquamarine, Apatite, Sodalite, Iolite, Larimar, Dumortierite, Kyanite, and Chrysocolla. Over 35 additional blue stones contribute long-tail variety.
• How do I tell real turquoise from dyed howlite?

  Howlite (Mohs 3.5) is significantly softer than turquoise (5–6) and will scratch easily with a steel needle on an inconspicuous spot. Dyed howlite often shows color sitting in surface cracks rather than penetrating the matrix evenly. Real turquoise feels slightly cooler to the touch, has more variation within a strand, and shows matrix that follows the natural fracture pattern of the stone. Treatment and source should appear on every listing — ask before buying if a strand doesn't specify.
• Which blue gemstones are birthstones?

  March: Aquamarine. September: Sapphire. December has the broadest blue list — Turquoise, Tanzanite, Blue Zircon, and Blue Topaz are all modern December birthstones, with Tanzanite added to the official list in 2002.
• Is aquamarine usually heat-treated?

  Yes — nearly all commercial aquamarine is heat-treated to drive out yellow-green undertones and produce the pure sky-blue color the market prefers. Heating is permanent, color-stable, and considered industry standard for aquamarine. Untreated material exists but is scarcer and typically shows a greener undertone.
• What's the difference between Sleeping Beauty, Kingman, and Hubei turquoise?

  Sleeping Beauty (Arizona, mine closed 2012) is pure even sky-blue with little or no matrix — scarce and supply-constrained. Kingman (Arizona, active) covers the full Arizona range from clear blue to deep blue with bold matrix. Hubei (China, active) is the dominant commercial bead source — typically blue to blue-green with rich veining, almost always stabilized for hardness.