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Fakes & FraudsIs this real Agate or fake? need opinions please!

6th Nov 2010 16:21 UTCVictoria B

Hi everyone! What a wonderful forum you have here!!!

Can somebody please help me. I've just bought these 'agate' on ebay from chinese suppliers with exellent rating. However I haven't paid for them yet. And now, after I did some research, I have doubts if it's real thing...

Seller claims that those came from Madagascar, 100% natural, no color treatment. What do you guys think?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=160468540703&si=bRWRb82Z0jU0OHFcyDWNLhdQD9g%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=400144169688&si=bRWRb82Z0jU0OHFcyDWNLhdQD9g%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=400144170084&si=bRWRb82Z0jU0OHFcyDWNLhdQD9g%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT

Thanks for that!

Oh, and I also bought this Fluorite (haven't paid yet). Can someone tell me if its natural or lab grown?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=400152598358&si=bRWRb82Z0jU0OHFcyDWNLhdQD9g%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT

I just want natural stuff, so any opinion is appreciated.

Also some advice where best to buy natural from would be great!!!

Thanks!

6th Nov 2010 16:43 UTCJohn M Stolz Expert

It's hard for me to tell with the agates. I guess my question would be with the kinds of patterns they show, why wouldn't they be cut in flat sections to display the interior better? The fluorite is your garden variety so-so specimen with a fair amount of damage, too common to be faked.

I think you'd benefit from looking elsewhere than on eBay. That stuff tends to be overpriced lower quality stuff--but it also can have some great deals--if you know what to look for. For what it's worth, I started on eBay, and every specimen I bought, I wish I hadn't now that I've learned a bit more about the subject.

Try some of the dealers that advertise here, or go to the-vug.com. It's a portal to mineral dealers' websites, and there's links to a fake mineral forum with lots of (sometimes excitable verbiage) info.

Good luck and have fun!

6th Nov 2010 19:06 UTCReiner Mielke Expert

Hello Victoria,

The agate and fluorite look real to me. Some agates are not cross-sectioned because they show different and nice patterns on the surface like those do. The fluorite looks nice as far as I can tell not much damage. E-bay is a mixed bag but like John says most of it is overpriced junk, however I have gotten some really great specimens for very reasonable prices off ebay, but you do have to know what and who you are dealing with.

6th Nov 2010 21:56 UTCRob Woodside 🌟 Manager

Your agate is actually called Ocean Jasper. It is real and the better pieces of this material are quite stunning, the circles look too perfect to be formed natually, but they are. So far I haven't heard of any dyed pieces, but maybe a jasper doesn't dye as easily. More likely is that cheap dyeable agates are almost everywhere but this material is not that common.

Although the prices of good fluorites have gone nuts in recent years, so far no lab xls have made it to market.

8th Nov 2010 06:35 UTCVictoria B

Thanks very much everyone!

I've decided to cancel my e-bay transaction and try to find another seller (more reputable & reliable).

Thanks again!

8th Nov 2010 11:27 UTCRock Currier Expert

I think the agates are real. They appear to be natural over polished natural agate nodules, but I don't think they are from the ocean jasper locality. We have bought many kgs of naturally overpolished hand held size carnelian agates from Madagascar suppliers in the last couple of years, but we tend to stay away from the bland colored ones.

8th Nov 2010 17:27 UTCRob Woodside 🌟 Manager

Rock is probably right. The pictures aren't that good and I jumped to the Ocean Jasper conclusion. If you had the agates you might compare them to:

http://www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=27171

9th Nov 2010 04:01 UTCBarry Miller

Just a suggestion - with whatever specimens you buy, be sure to get good locality information. Knowing just the country of origin is not good enough.

13th Apr 2018 01:32 UTCJeff Wonders

I broke this one in half I'd say dyed

13th Apr 2018 01:35 UTCBob Harman

A small portion of an agate with curved banding pattern. From the photo, I see no evidence of it being dyed. The colors look natural. CHEERS.....BOB

13th Apr 2018 02:10 UTCDoug Daniels

Agree with Bob - it's natural. The whitish/grayish layers are quite common, the brownish areas are due to iron oxide staining.

13th Apr 2018 03:41 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Agree. Appears completely natural for the reasons stated above.

13th Apr 2018 09:29 UTCJolyon Ralph Founder

Wait - let's see the surface coating. We can only see the inside.

13th Apr 2018 13:37 UTCKevin Hean

Not a hard and fast rule, but generally speaking, only finished or partially finished Agate is dyed, such as Slices, Cabs, and Tumbled stones.

13th Apr 2018 17:34 UTCGregg Little 🌟

Eight years has passed between Barry Miller and Jeff Wonders' comments. The stone looks like it was cut in half begging the question was it polished or picked off a beach. If it was off a beach then I would guess iron staining but if polished then it was probably dyed. Again location is important even after being transported.

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