What Is Howlite? The Stone Often Sold as Turquoise

Howlite is a white-to-grey borate mineral, naturally patterned with fine grey-black veining that closely resembles turquoise's matrix. That resemblance, combined with the fact that howlite is porous and takes dye exceptionally well, is exactly why it's so often dyed blue and sold as "turquoise howlite" or simply mislabeled as turquoise outright.

Dyeing howlite is a legitimate, long-standing practice when it's disclosed — but it's worth being able to spot: genuine untreated howlite is naturally white or cream-colored with grey veins. If you see a uniform, saturated blue-green stone with black veining and it's priced far below real turquoise, it's almost certainly dyed howlite rather than turquoise itself. Howlite is mined primarily in California and Nova Scotia, Canada.