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Fakes & FraudsSelenite Heat-treating

9th May 2014 14:42 UTCR. Kelley Laughlin

Is it true that the selenite desert roses from Chihuahua are heat treated to get the white edges on the crystals?

9th May 2014 14:58 UTCSteve Hardinger 🌟 Expert

That is correct. Frosting the edges of gypsum crystals is a common practice to make them more attractive for the mineralogical muggles. It's also done to gypsum specimens from the Red River Floodway locality.

9th May 2014 15:07 UTCRolf Luetcke Expert

True, I see them so often and it is rare to see untreated ones. In Mexico they do it with a blowtorch and I have tried it to see what happens in a toaster oven on Saint David Arizona specimens. I had one set in my store to show what people do to "improve" the look of the desert roses.

Rolf

9th May 2014 15:33 UTCSpencer Ivan Mather

I would never buy one of these heat treated selenite specimen for my collection, as they have been heat treated, so they are not as nature intended..

Spencer.

10th May 2014 00:06 UTCSteve Hardinger 🌟 Expert

Spencer, I have several scorched/torched gypsums in my collection, but only as representative examples to show people when I give talks, etc. (What would my 1000+ piece gypsum collection be without a few fakes?)

10th May 2014 00:09 UTCSteve Hardinger 🌟 Expert

Rolf, if you ever try the toaster oven experiment I'd love to see before and after pictures. Would also be interesting to see if this treatment alters fluorescence and/or phosphorescence as well.

10th May 2014 14:27 UTCRolf Luetcke Expert

Here are both of the roses, one treated by heating, the other natural.

Checked the fluorescence and the rose that is treated still fluoresces but not on the white part. The normal color is still a nice orange color.

Rolf