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 2:41 pm

All times are UTC - 4 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 20 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2018 10:31 pm 
Offline
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type

Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2018 3:03 pm
Posts: 8
I am buying stones on ebay just trying to build a collection. I have a couple of questions I will put together.

1. I bought some rough rubies really cheap and I can't tell if they are real or not. They look like red rocks and I figured they were heat treated. They fluoresce bright orange under black light but only on the surface. When I cut them and polished them the fluorescence was gone. Are they real?

2. I was looking for calcite because I heard it would glow and I wanted it for my collection. I'm pretty sure fluorite fluoresces. I found some "glow spheres" and I thought they were cool so I got one. If you look at the listing they say stuff like "fluorite calcite quartz" so I'm not sure what it is. Is this a natural stone or something artificial?

Image

Thanks for any help.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 9:43 am 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:55 am
Posts: 543
I may be old fashioned, but I am not too happy buying stones off ebay. I like to know the person I am buying off and convince him that if he wants my continued custom, he needs to be straight with me. I also like to deal face to face, then I can ask about anything I am unsure of. Perhaps to illustrate the point "Fluorite calcite quartz" sounds like a complete lashup to me, fluorite is CaF2, calcium fluoride, calcite is CaCO3, calcium carbonate, and quartz is SiO2, silicon dioxide. All completely different minerals with completely different properties.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 1:06 pm 
Offline
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type

Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2018 3:03 pm
Posts: 8
My options are limited but I'm making the best of it. Improving the Ebay messaging system might help but I ordered from China so there is also a language barrier. Gemstones are new to me and I have a few ideas I'm going to try. Sterling silver necklace and some bracelets. I get a lot of ideas. Maybe sometimes too many. I thought the sphere would look nice glowing in my living room but I don't know what it is. Thanks for the reply.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 2:22 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:55 am
Posts: 543
Where are you based?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 3:11 pm 
Offline
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type

Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2018 3:03 pm
Posts: 8
State of Kentucky in the U.S..


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:59 pm 
Offline
Gold Member

Joined: Mon May 26, 2014 9:42 pm
Posts: 1033
You should check out Kentucky agate.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 4:11 am 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:55 am
Posts: 543
Plenty of Gem Shows in the US with lots of knowledgeable dealers. You might have to travel somewhat, but Shows are usually in interesting places that are worth a visit, so make a short break of it. I live in the UK and travel over most of Europe to talk to dealers, I have picked up some fantastic stones and specimens over the years.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 6:44 am 
Offline
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type

Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2018 3:03 pm
Posts: 8
I'm an introvert, I guess. It's hard to change that once you have it in your mind. I have a piece of Kentucky Agate on the way. Quartz is interesting. I have amethyst, rose quartz and a few odd pieces that I think came from Mammoth cave. I'm surprised by how many varieties of quartz there are. Each one of them isn't just "quartz", but it is considered a different stone. Mammoth cave is probably full of all kinds of minerals. I'm close enough to drive but I don't get out much even going to the store to get groceries.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 1:08 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:55 am
Posts: 543
It is important to get out and mingle, you will meet interesting and friendly people (there is nothing like being interested in the same things to break the ice), pick up some nice specimens and have a great time!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 2:41 pm 
Offline
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type

Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2018 3:03 pm
Posts: 8
Maybe if I had someone to go with me. I'm talking in code again and I didn't want to. I wouldn't want to sound like a crazy person. I would prefer not "to be straight with you" on a public forum. After the things I've seen, I think you might have known that. Since you already knew, what would you like me to say? Just pull my strings. I can't do private message yet. Maybe email? We can both be straight with each other.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 7:09 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:55 am
Posts: 543
See P.M. I recently sent.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:10 pm 
Offline
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type

Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2018 3:03 pm
Posts: 8
I can't get the p.m.. I got the email saying you sent it but no p.m.. I guess I have not been a member long enough. I have some very interesting stories but nobody to tell. The last six months alone are hard to believe. If I hadn't wrote them down I might forget that stuff happened. I don't think anybody will find my blog. Maybe it was my imagination. I still see strange things but it's normal now. Would you like to help?

After my introduction I got a link to a site with a bunch of pdf files. I scraped the whole site with wget. I hope it didn't bother anyone. I'm not trying to bother anyone.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:46 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm
Posts: 21602
Location: San Francisco
Pyrite can't get it Alan.
Needs 10 approved posts.

That being said, we don't encourage correspondence through PMs.
Why?
Our forum is meant for sharing information with all.

Sidebar: Gem and mineral collecting is a great pastime for introverts.
Pyrite, we welcome any questions you may have about gems, minerals and lapidary arts. :D
We're all here to help.

Pdf's are meant to be downloaded. I have a huge collection. Collect all the information you can get your hands on.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 12:01 pm 
Offline
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type

Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2018 3:03 pm
Posts: 8
If I order this gemstone.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/56-18-Ct-Wonde ... SwbTtbnSEe

What are the chances of it being real? You know, corundum with chromium for color etc. Like the question you presented me when I registered. I got it right on the second try. I don't think I need perfect stones, just the right elements. Mine was from India. I took mine and I made a nice heart out of it but it doesn't fluoresce now. It makes nice stones. They are not translucent but but still nice. I'm also concerned about maybe toxic chemicals used to treat it.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Help identifying please
PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 3:38 pm 
Offline
Moderator
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:31 pm
Posts: 4015
Location: North Carolina
It is almost certainly real, but the seller did disclose lead glass filling (you can also tell from the glossy, glassy surface).

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


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 20 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