Green Beads

Frequently asked questions

• What green gemstone beads do you carry?

  Green is one of Dakota's most diverse color families — over 50 distinct stones contribute. Volume leaders include African Turquoise (a dyed jasper, not true turquoise), Green Jasper, Chrysoprase, real Turquoise, Prehnite, Green Aventurine, Emerald, Malachite, and Diopside. Specialty material includes Variscite, Serpentine, Tsavorite Garnet, Demantoid, and Chrome Diopside.
• Is African turquoise actually turquoise?

  No — African Turquoise is dyed jasper, despite the name. The marketing convention is industry-wide but the mineralogy is different: true turquoise is a copper-aluminum phosphate, while African Turquoise is a silica-based jasper dyed to mimic turquoise color and matrix. Disclosure matters when matching to authentic Turquoise palettes — the texture and luster are visibly different in person.
• Is your emerald treated?

  Yes — over 99% of emerald on the global market is oiled (cedarwood oil is the traditional industry standard) to fill surface-reaching fractures and improve clarity. Oiling is a permanent treatment in the sense that it's accepted by the trade, but it requires care: avoid ultrasonic cleaners, steam cleaning, and harsh solvents, which can drive the oil out. Lab-grown emerald is also available and is typically untreated.
• Which green gemstones are birthstones?

  Emerald is the May birthstone; Peridot is the August birthstone. Both appear in the catalog at multiple price points — Emerald in faceted rondelles and chips for fine-jewelry work, Peridot in smooth rounds and faceted rondelles.
• How do I tell malachite apart from imitations?

  Real malachite has distinctive concentric or banded green patterns (the result of accretion in copper-rich groundwater) that are very difficult to fake convincingly. Imitations are typically pressed/reconstituted malachite (still real material, bonded with resin) or polymer/glass mimics. Practical tests: real malachite is heavy (specific gravity 3.6–4.0), cool to the touch, and Mohs 3.5–4 (it will scratch easily). Disclosure of reconstituted material should be disclosed.