The craftsmanship of turquoise involves six core stages: material selection, processing, design, carving, polishing, and setting. Each step tests the artisan's experience and patience, ultimately allowing the natural stone to radiate its unique charm.

I. Raw Material Selection and Pre-treatment

• Material Grading: Prioritize selecting raw stones with uniform color (sky blue and blue-green are best), dense texture (porcelain turquoise is the highest), and no cracks or impurities. Grade them according to size, color, and purity. Larger pieces without iron lines are mostly used for carving, while smaller pieces are suitable for jewelry accessories.

• Cleaning and Impurity Removal: Use a soft brush with clean water to wash away dirt and slag from the surface of the raw stone, avoiding scratches from a hard brush. For raw stones with cracks, use low-temperature drying (40-60℃) to remove internal moisture and prevent cracking during subsequent processing.

• Enhancement Treatment (Optional): Naturally porous turquoise requires "stabilization treatment" (soaking in resin/paraffin) to fill pores and increase hardness. High-quality raw stones can skip this step to retain their natural texture (Note: Enhancement treatments must be clearly explained to consumers). II. Design Concept: Material Selection and Expression Based on Shape

• Designing according to the natural shape, color distribution, and veining of the raw stone: Solid-colored stones without veins are suitable for cabochons, beads, and other plain jewelry; stones with unique veins can be designed into landscapes, flowers, birds, and other carving themes, making the natural texture the highlight of the piece.

• Small jewelry pieces emphasize "simple and vibrant colors," while large decorative pieces focus on "creating atmosphere." Sufficient machining allowance is left to avoid waste during cutting.

III. Cutting and Shaping: Precise Control and Foundation

• Using a diamond cutter, the raw stone is cut according to the design drawing, removing excess material and initially shaping the basic form (such as beads, square plaques, or the outline of a carving).

• Plain jewelry must ensure regular dimensions and a smooth surface; carved pieces must have reserved carving depth to avoid damaging the core texture.

IV. Carving Craftsmanship: Meticulous Craftsmanship, Imbuing with Soul

• Tool Combination: Using a dental drill and pendant grinder with diamond drill bits and grinding heads, progressing gradually from rough carving (outlining) to fine carving (depicting details).

• Technique Highlights: Combining relief carving, round carving, and openwork carving techniques. For iron wire turquoise, "skillful carving" is often used to contrast the black iron wire with the blue-green turquoise, highlighting the depth of the pattern; for plain carving, emphasis is placed on smooth lines, avoiding excessive embellishment.

V. Grinding and Polishing: Revitalizing Radiance, Enhancing Texture

• Staged Grinding: First, use 200-grit and 400-grit coarse abrasive strips to remove cutting marks, then use 800-grit and 1200-grit fine abrasive strips to refine the surface, and finally hand-polish with a polishing compound of 2000 grit or higher (such as chromium oxide).

• Key to Polishing: Even pressure is crucial to avoid localized overheating that could cause discoloration of the turquoise, ultimately achieving a "mirror-like luster" (porcelain turquoise can exhibit a glassy feel), making the color brighter and fuller.

VI. Setting and Assembly (Jewelry)

• For polished turquoise stones, use gold, silver, or gold-plated silver metal settings, employing prong setting, bezel setting, or push setting techniques to secure them firmly and prevent loosening.

• Leave slight room for movement during setting to prevent metal compression from causing cracks in the turquoise. Pay attention to the color coordination between the metal and the turquoise (e.g., gold against sky blue enhances the luxurious look).

VII. Finished Product Quality Inspection and Maintenance

• Quality Inspection: Inspect finished products for cracks, obvious flaws, and uniform luster. Products that have undergone enhancement treatments must be labeled.

• Maintenance: After cleaning the surface, apply a thin layer of white tea oil to enhance luster and provide moisture protection. Finally, seal and store or package directly as finished products.