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 Post subject: fake mins. and gemstones
PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:26 pm 
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Justin from the Vug(you might have seen his videos before) keeps a webpage for fake minerals..he delves in gemstones every so often and pounces on ebay sellers all the time...thats where I found out about azezulite...hasn't posted a new one in awhile

www.fakeminerals.com

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 1:54 pm 
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:lol: yeah, amguy, this site is a trip! amazing what people will do just to make a buck.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:31 pm 
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hey amguy, thought i would add this with your post on fakeminerals.com. i found this through the Houston Gem and Mineral Society, by Art Smith, and published in May 2005.

THE BACKBENDER'S GAZETTE MAY 2005
Fakes! Fraud? Enhanced and Altered Mineral Specimens
by Art Smith
Member of the Houston Gem & Mineral Society

"Some new Society members attending Mineral Section meetings have asked about which specimen upgrading processes are acceptable. I’ve outlined below some of the things done to mineral specimens, given some examples, and commented about what is acceptable in the mineral collecting hobby today. There are two extremes of thought about what is acceptable and what is not. I have been collecting minerals for 49 years, and there is a definite swing from the one extreme that says a collected specimen can be washed under a light stream of water to remove soil but nothing else should be done, toward the other extreme that says anything goes and whatever makes a specimen look better and sell better is okay and can be done. Like most extremes, the middle ground is the safest, and fortunately most collectors and dealers would fall into this middle ground. However, being aware of alterations that may have been done to specimens is prudent, particularly if you are buying them.

I. Heat
A. Hydration or dehydration can be natural or induced—like blow torching the tips of gypsum crystals. This dehydrates them and turns them white (unacceptable). Hydration is less intentional, but along with oxidation causes secondary minerals to form on specimens before mining and later in mines. The most common formed in mines are gypsum, copiapite, goethite, melanterite, and a host of others ( for most collectors, they are acceptable as minerals unless the processes are deliberately man induced).
B. Change of color to enhance crystals like zoisite to turn purple and be tanzanite. Amethyst when heated becomes yellow and is called citrine. Since both of these are gemstone, they seem to have acceptability if the changes are permanent. However as mineral specimens, they generally are not acceptable.

II. Radiation has the same effect whether natural or induced.
A. Change of color from colorless quartz to smoky, in beryl from pale blue to yellow, clear topaz to blue. Although more acceptable in the gem industry, it is not completely acceptable in mineral specimens and is considered fraud if not mentioned when sold.
B. Damage such as radiation burns or alteration of some associated minerals can occur. However, most radiation is limited to gem minerals or specimens with one or two minerals such as quartz and feldspar which do not seem to be harmed.

III. Chemical reactions and changes induced.
A. Acidizing can be used to bring out color like the deep purple color in purpuriteheterosite (acceptable). Bleach changes colorless Moroccan anglesite to an orange-red (unacceptable). It can be used to remove some visible scratches in calcite (can be acceptable). It is also used to hide major damaged calcite (not acceptable) and to give it a good luster (acid polishing, unacceptable). Removing calcite from embedded or coated minerals is generally acceptable unless it changes the appearance of the other mineral. Cleaning and brightening tarnished silver or copper with acid may give it an etched and very unnatural look which may not be acceptable. A thin patina on the metal is much preferred now than the artificial bright look.
B. Basic reactions such as using Draino™ to shine some dull pyrite or to remove embedded clay or clay coatings (if done with care and no ill effects on appearance, it is acceptable.)

IV. Additions to Specimens
A. Coatings
1. Permanent coatings such as lacquer, shellac, acrylics etc. improve luster, hide thin coatings, hide some damage such as thin cracks, and may darken some minerals (generally not acceptable).
2. Temporary coatings such as water or oils may do the same as above but usually evaporate with time and generally are not acceptable.
C. Hidden foil under transparent or semitransparent crystals between the crystals and the matrix tend to brighten the crystals, and it is not acceptable.
D. Fillings such as plaster, epoxy, ground mineral, etc.
E. Crystal reconstruction such as incomplete or damaged New Jersey Franklinite crystals or others (not acceptable).
F. Matrix construction or reconstruction in any form is not acceptable. It was done with Brazilian aquamarines for years.
G. Gluing specimens
1. Crystals back into matrix is acceptable only if they are returned to their original places and they are sold as reconstructed. The cubic Spanish pyrites are a prime example, but they are not always sold as reassembled. Herkimer quartz crystal groups free of matrix also generally are reassembled.
2. Repairing broken crystals or matrix is acceptable if it is done expertly and “repaired” is written on the label.
3. Adding additional crystals that were never on the specimen is never acceptable and is fraudulent. It is done with Brookite on quartz from Magnet Cove, Arkansas. It has been done with Mexican wire silver specimens and commonly done to upgrade gold specimens.

V. Physical Alterations To Improve Or Create Crystal Specimens
A. Polishing and grinding
1. Polishing one or more faces to improve visibility of inclusions can be acceptable. Polishing to remove surface imperfections or damage is not acceptable.
2. Grinding and polishing to create a termination or new face on a broken or damaged crystal. Also creating a compete crystal from a crystalline or massive piece of mineral.
B. Creating specimens such as using lead with a thin coating of gold to simulate a gold nugget. Aluminum shavings to simulate wire silver. CZ shaped to simulate a natural diamond crystal, shaped colored glass to simulate any gem minerals.

VI. Artificial Elements or Compounds are often sold as minerals, but they are not.
Examples are: silicon carbide from Niagara Falls, bismuth crystals from Germany, zincite crystals from Poland, Some Italian sulfur crystals, grown wire silver, slag or other furnace products, glass, plus gypsum, halite, chalcanthite, alum, and other crystals formed from man-made solutions. Man is very ingenious when it comes to making fakes or enhancing things that are to be sold. I probably have not covered everything. Many things are treacherous, particularly for the person who is spending money on expensive and showy specimens. Restoration or alteration may be acceptable for a showy specimen of rhodochrosite crystals and may be acceptable for a scientific specimen intended for possible future study. There can be many caveats for the uninformed buyer. For further reading on this subject see the following:"

REFERENCES:

Dunn, P.J., R.E. Bentley, and W.E. Wilson 1981 Mineral Fakes. Mineralogical Record
12:197-219.
Edwards, Don 2003 Mineral fakes and forgeries. U.K. Journal of Mines and Minerals
23:6-8.
Fryer, Chuck, editor 1981 Gem trade Notes: Manufactured emerald specimens. Gems
and Gemology 17:102.
Kile, D.E. and W. E. Wilson 1997 Editorial: Specimen repair and restoration: an attitude
check. Mineralogical Record 28:82-84.

http://www.hgms.org/BBG/May05.pdf


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:37 pm 
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Nice thnaks G-kid..good find..interesting little note
"II. Radiation has the same effect whether natural or induced.
A. Change of color from colorless quartz to smoky, in beryl from pale blue to yellow, clear topaz to blue. Although more acceptable in the gem industry, it is not completely acceptable in mineral specimens and is considered fraud if not mentioned when sold"

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:46 pm 
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wow, i agree!! :D


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