Magnesite is commonly used to make tumbled stones, beads, and cabochons. White magnesite is porous. It has the ability to be cut and reliably absorb dye to produce almost any color.

Magnesite dyed a turquoise color has been a disclosed and undisclosed substitute for turquoise for nearly 100 years. A lot of people have been fooled by magnesite dyed to look like turquoise, and some have been fooled into buying magnesite dyed to look like lapis lazuli. Be cautious when you are buying cabochons or tumbled stones with spectacular colors. Ask if they have been dyed.

A destructive test that is fairly reliable is to dip a cotton swab into fingernail polish remover and scrub the material with it. Many dyes used on magnesite can be scrubbed off with nail polish remover. Also, scratching the material with a hardness pick or nail can remove the dyed surface to expose the bright white magnesite below.

Magnesite manufacturing costs are very low for several reasons:

the rough is inexpensive  it is soft and can be cut quickly  it places less wear on the equipment  it cuts with less energy consumption

Low manufacturing costs and the wide spectrum of dyed colors make magnesite an excellent material for making colorful, low-cost costume jewelry and craft projects. The downside of using magnesite for making jewelry is its lack of durability compared to other gem materials. The low cost is a trade-off for customers accepting a material with a Mohs hardness of 3.5 to 5. If you buy magnesite for jewelry use, keep its durability in mind.