January 24 Through February 4—TUCSON, ARIZONA: Annual show
Welcome to the GemologyOnline.com Forum
A non-profit Forum for the exchange of gemological ideas
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 7:14 pm

All times are UTC - 4 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 21 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 5:18 am 
Offline
Established Member

Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 2:15 pm
Posts: 19
Hello,
I see cheap tourmalines online described as made of "fused raw ore powder".
I emailed the vendor asking if it is as hard as real tourmalines and if the color doesn't change. He replied that it was "nearly as hard".
Here is a link to illustrate:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/470871418/green-tourmaline-square-faceted-gemstone
What do you think? Have any of you come across these?
Thank you


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 6:56 am 
Offline
Moderator
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:31 pm
Posts: 4015
Location: North Carolina
There is no such thing.

_________________
Rough and cut classic and exotic synthetic gems:https://store.turtleshoard.com


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 7:44 am 
Offline
Established Member

Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 2:15 pm
Posts: 19
Stephen Challener wrote:
There is no such thing.

Sorry do you mean that it isn't tourmaline? It's a scam?
It's even sold on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Fuchsia-Tourmaline-Faceted-Gemstone-Cushion/dp/B01MQVYJGJ


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 9:24 am 
Offline
Moderator
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:31 pm
Posts: 4015
Location: North Carolina
"Fused raw ore powder" is just a nonsense phrase. My guess is it is normal glass they are trying to imply is made from tourmaline. If so the title calling it tourmaline would be fraudulent, yes, though one would need to examine a stone and establish its identity to be sure. I would just avoid it, nobody uses a phrase like that for a good reason.

_________________
Rough and cut classic and exotic synthetic gems:https://store.turtleshoard.com


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 10:15 am 
Offline
Gold Member

Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 2:18 am
Posts: 1542
The phrase is actually worse that Stephen describes. It contains the word "Natural".

"natural tourmaline raw ore powder"

"The term Natural refers to a gemstone that is found growing/produced in the natural world without the influence of human activity. These would be gemstones mined from the earth as well as those discovered naturally occurring in the water (such as pearls and coral)."

here is a link to the Federal Trade Commission rules on the word Natural:
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0 ... nds-pearls

Why would someone do business with a company that starts their relationship with you by using a blatant lie in their product description?

If they do, they deserve what they get.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 10:24 am 
Offline
Established Member

Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 2:15 pm
Posts: 19
1bwana1 wrote:
Why would someone do business with a company that starts their relationship with you by using a blatant lie in their product description?

If they do, they deserve what they get.

What I thought they meant was that is was a lab-created gem made by fusing natural tourmaline powder, which I imagined might be a by-product of mining or polishing.
I didn't imagine that the term natural referred to the final product.

Are some tourmalines lab-created or lab-grown (don't know what the term is)?
Or is it not worth the cost?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 10:56 am 
Offline
Moderator
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:31 pm
Posts: 4015
Location: North Carolina
Tourmaline is chemically complicated and a poor candidate for synthetic production. Very small crystals have been grown for research but that's it. So anyone selling "synthetic tourmaline" is fraudulently misrepresenting their product, though it does happen.
Nobody is melting tourmaline powder to make glass. Even if they did it would not likely result in a beautiful product--glass composition has to be tuned carefully to get beautiful colors and high clarity.

_________________
Rough and cut classic and exotic synthetic gems:https://store.turtleshoard.com


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 11:16 am 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm
Posts: 21602
Location: San Francisco
The company is located in China so it would be difficult to prosecute directly but I believe Etsy and Amazon should be made aware.

Amazon has a link for reporting a product one believes to be misrepresented above the actual description of the item.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 11:30 am 
Offline
Established Member

Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 2:15 pm
Posts: 19
Stephen Challener wrote:
Tourmaline is chemically complicated and a poor candidate for synthetic production. Very small crystals have been grown for research but that's it. So anyone selling "synthetic tourmaline" is fraudulently misrepresenting their product, though it does happen.

Thank you that's what I needed to know


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 11:32 am 
Offline
Established Member

Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 2:15 pm
Posts: 19
Barbra Voltaire, FGG wrote:
I believe Etsy should be made aware.

Trust me Etsy couldn't care less until actual customers start complaining.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 12:37 pm 
Offline
Gold Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:44 pm
Posts: 1079
Location: Washington State
I do believe that "fused raw ore powder" is the same as saying "glass". Same sort of deal when several companies were adding a pinch of Mount Saint Helens ash to a vat of colored glass and calling it "Helenite".

_________________
Michael E.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 8:08 pm 
Offline
Established Member

Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:16 pm
Posts: 34
This sort of reminds me of a "natural spinel powder" used to make Nano or nanosital "gemstones".
Mr. Google is only too happy to give many suppliers for it in the usual colours.
https://www.gemsngems.com/product-categ ... ourmaline/


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 8:25 pm 
Offline
Established Member

Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 2:15 pm
Posts: 19
Curious-George wrote:
https://www.gemsngems.com/product-category/nano-sital-gemstone/green-tourmaline/

I find their explanations to be also ambiguous. When they give it the name Green Tourmaline, they're just talking about the color, I suppose?
This Nanosital has nothing to do with "synthetic" tourmaline, does it?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 11:31 pm 
Offline
Valued Contributor

Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 4:13 am
Posts: 222
seb2 wrote:
This Nanosital has nothing to do with "synthetic" tourmaline, does it?

Nanosital is an artificial ceramic-glass which can imitate a wide range of gemstones.
https://nanosital.com/


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: "fused raw ore powder" tourmalines?
PostPosted: Fri Oct 23, 2020 3:44 am 
Offline
Valued Contributor

Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:39 am
Posts: 166
13000+ sales.. look at all those satisfied customers blissfully happy in their ignorance.
Common sense is not so common anymore.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 21 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 4 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Gemology Style ported to phpBB3 by Christian Bullock