Post subject: To be or not to be, Chrome Andalusite...
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:51 am
Established Member
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:48 pm Posts: 33 Location: sweden
One of the more prominent new gems on ebay seems to be chrome andalusite.
But does it exist or should it be grouped together with erinite and 15 ct flawless alexandrites for 0.99$?
What do you say?
And if it exists, can you purchase it safely somewhere?
Post subject: Re: To be or not to be, Chrome Andalusite...
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:18 am
Platinum Member
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 12:47 pm Posts: 2505 Location: Eastern Europe
Never heard of it...
When I say that, I have in mind a very conservative bunch of gemology and mineralogy publications. So far, only twice I 'heard' of real new finds of precious rough of interest before said publications wrote about it.... and one right here on this forum! That's what makes me very, very cautious about any such 'news' - there just aren't that many new gem materials.
Also, I have yet to find 'news' on Ebay - it seems that FleaBay takes even longer then the traditional trade channels to get any new material with 'traditional' appeal (i.e. wearable durability, reasonably saturated hues far from gray and browns *)
(*) you can find this theoretical recipe for gem worth explained properly in the first chapter of Richard Wise's 'Secrets of the Gem Trade' - that book helped me put all those bits of info about precious stones in a nutshell... it might do the same for you.
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 3:24 am Posts: 4997 Location: McDonough GA
Are you referring to andalusite that has chromium content and thus shows red under a chelsea filter? Or to something else?
If so, I don't think it's terribly common, but not especially valuable either. I had a couple pieces of it once, small pieces, but I never had them verified as Andalusite...though they certainly were strongly dichroic.
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 12:47 pm Posts: 2505 Location: Eastern Europe
Hm... to clarify: my post refers to a startingly green material labeled 'Chrome Andalusite' and looks nothing like the usual brownish, trichroic Andalusite.
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