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 Post subject: Re: Topaz... Imperial, Precious or Golden Orange?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 2:47 am 
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A client of mine had a similar experience with 'ruby' rough bought at Winza in Tanzania. It was an irregular and frosted piece of pink synthetic corundum artfully inserted into a hollow in a piece of local amphibolite containing garnets. In the fake gem rough thread I have posted a photograph of glass 'aquamarine' bought by the same client from miners in Madagascar and green 'tourmaline' rough bought by another client from artisinal miners at the Spitzkopje in Namibia. It's always awkward and sad to have to tell people they have been duped.


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 Post subject: Re: Topaz... Imperial, Precious or Golden Orange?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 8:33 pm 
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This is unfortunately a too common thing out in the field these days. I find that most of the people showing you fakes in the mining areas of Africa don't know what they have. They are so often completely uneducated in gemology. When buyers are duped, the fakes often end up in the regular supply chain, passing from uneducated, or sloppy dealer, to retailer, to client. This year there have been many fake color change garnet roughs being offered for sale in Tanzania. I saw an abundance of such pieces on my last trip, and they are often very convincing. The spectrascope is your friend with these.

I was at the AGTA show in Tucson last week and a retailer showed me a collection of large sized mixed stones he had just purchased from another dealer. One large round brilliant cut stone looked just like a cut stone from the fake garnet rough would likely look. Both color change, and texture was similar. I suggest we have it checked. We took it over to Lotus Gemology to have it tested. Sure enough it was glass. It was a reasonably expensive stone, so the damages could have been significant had it made it's way back to this guys store and sold to the public.

He then had all the other stones checked and they were correct. Just the one fake had made it into inventory. With so many fakes entering the market at all levels of the chain, it is more important than ever to check your stones.


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 Post subject: Re: Topaz... Imperial, Precious or Golden Orange?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:36 pm 
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Perhaps, Steve.
But someone at the source certainly is aware that the rough is being salted.

I think the buyers are more likely to add a misrepresented stone unknowingly to their inventory than the folks at the mines.
Just sayin'


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 Post subject: Re: Topaz... Imperial, Precious or Golden Orange?
PostPosted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 10:20 am 
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Yes this is true.

From I cutters point of view, before starting, it would make sense to do at least some rudimentary checks on other peoples rough or cut stones. Dichroscope, polariscope, sg and Ri can help a lot and are simple to use.

I find a microscope helpful as well, I have to confess to being less than proficient with a loupe. Wonky dominant eye issue.


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 Post subject: Re: Topaz... Imperial, Precious or Golden Orange?
PostPosted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 11:30 am 
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Barbra Voltaire wrote:
Perhaps, Steve.
But someone at the source certainly is aware that the rough is being salted.

I think the buyers are more likely to add a misrepresented stone unknowingly to their inventory than the folks at the mines.
Just sayin'


100% agree with you Barbara. There are some people who are purposely taking advantage of the untrained local traders, and sloppy dealers. It only takes a few of these guys to soil the whole supply chain. They are deliberate, and often diabolically clever in the construction of the fakes. One must always be on guard about this. In most areas the educated dealers keep each other informed when new versions of fakes show up in the market. I know more than a couple dealers that knowingly buy these fakes when they see clever ones. They are great collector items, and conversation pieces.


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