Colour Discussion on Turquoise Optimized by Electrochemical Method

Turquoise is one of the favorite jewels for people.However, there are not many natural turquoise mines in China.The reserve is small, and there are only a few high-quality turquoises that can be mined to meet the needs of the market.Around 2013, turquoise optimized by electrochemical method by Americans appeared in the jewelry market in China.Its beautiful colour attracts the attention of many consumers.The authors conducted an electrochemical treatment of homemade turquoise in the laboratory of Shenzhen.After solving a series of technological problems such as non-conductive electrolysis of turquoise, the selection of electrolyte, and the optimum conditions of current and voltage, finally turquoise with bright colour and improved density was obtained.The overall colour was bright, and even semi-transparent high-quality turquoises had emerged.The reason why the colour of the turquoise was bright and that the structure was improved by the electrochemical method may be that the aluminum-oxygen octahedron of arc alone was connected by the hydroxide ions,which had been obtained by the electrolysis, so that the copper ions were fully activated in the electric field, as well as the formation of hydrated copper ions that enhance colour.The latest national standards announced in 2017 determined the optimization of the treatment of turquoise by the electrochemical method as an "optimized" category.