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Fakes & FraudsFaked Turkish diaspore on matrix

29th Dec 2012 04:53 UTCDan R. Lynch

Hello everyone,


I was recently asked by a collector to come to his home and look through his small (but impressive) collection and try to spot any fakes. Luckily, the only one I could conclusively say was faked was one he hadn't yet purchased - a Turkish gem diaspore specimen from this locality: http://www.mindat.org/loc-5426.html


As Mindat's gallery for the locality illustrates, these crystals are typically floaters, so I was suspicious when I saw two large, contact-damaged and mining-damaged crystals jutting from a piece of grainy, breccia-like matrix. Despite their damage, the crystals were nice, so I took a look under magnification. Clear as day, I could see traces of glue that was cleverly hidden with sand. The crystals had been added to the matrix. I could even see tiny fibers stuck to the glue.


I don't have a photo to share, but I still thought I should let the Mindat community know. I have no idea if these are widespread on the market, and maybe these are "old" fakes that I've just never seen before. But this piece was being marketed as a rare matrix specimen and had a high price tag, and I just want my fellow collectors to be wary of them.

30th Dec 2012 17:51 UTCUwe Kolitsch Manager

Thanks! Was this specimen offered by a dealer or a (local?) collector?

9th Apr 2013 14:47 UTCJohny Chase

The only place I would trust and buy diaspore is from the sole miner in the world, Milenyum Mining Limited.They have the only legal permit to mine and export this gem, everything else might be fake or stolen.

10th Apr 2013 13:32 UTCRock Currier Expert

Johny,

Diaspore is a mineral that is found in many localities and Milenyum Mining probably does not mine or own them all. What about Turkish diaspore specimens that were produced from the mine before Milenyum Mining started working? Should those all be suspect? What about the ones they sell. If someone wanted to resell one their specimens should they be trusted? The Turkish diaspore is pretty distinctive material. Have you ever seen a fake Turkish diaspore?
 
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