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Fakes & FraudsAmethyst, real or fake?
25th Jun 2013 19:08 UTCDaniel de Vries
I'm curious about your thoughts!
Thanks,
Daniel
25th Jun 2013 19:17 UTCDon Saathoff Expert
25th Jun 2013 19:27 UTCAmanda Hawkins
25th Jun 2013 19:57 UTCAnonymous User
25th Jun 2013 22:28 UTCTim Jokela Jr
This is a little odd, but I can't think of how it could have been treated.
Crystalline amethyst is so abundant, there's surely no profit in treating it.
26th Jun 2013 03:23 UTCNik Nikiforou
Fake Minerals
Check out the third set of photos with the heading "Coated Crystals", subheading "Elemental bonding".
I hope that this helps.
Best regards,
Nik
26th Jun 2013 03:26 UTCNik Nikiforou
Fake Quartz mindat thread
26th Jun 2013 07:03 UTCDaniel de Vries
Daniel
28th Jun 2013 19:41 UTCRock Currier Expert
2nd Jul 2013 17:10 UTCUdo Behner
If you provide high pressure, high temperature and a mixture of water and washing soda quartz will disolve like sugar and can be grown as easily as alum crystals.
Some times ago I have had made some specimens in Russia using damaged Arkansas rock crystal specimen and even Washington Camp Japanese twins. Looked great. BTW always sold them as "man made" with the complete story.
The Chinese copy cat the process using huge hydrothermal units (huge means 1 cubic meter or 250 gallons and much more). The latest item is hydrothermaly grown chromium green quartz to produce fake prasem crystal specimen.
Watch for 3 side "pyramide" crystal tips instead of a 6 side one. Note the deep "inky" colored layer of amethyst which is only a few mm thick. Note the crystals on the back side of the specimen which is the former base of the rock crystal specimen used as a matrix. This is because the specimen are grown as "floaters" hanged up on steel wire, if they are smart they break off the part of the specimen with the rest of the wire to get rid of the evidence.
So your specimen is real amethyst grown on a natural rock crystal base. Its not dyed or comes out of a plastic injection mold.
BTW EURO 20.- is a fair retail price for such a specimen if you calculate the costs for the growing process. A real one of that size would be much more, considering the prices for amethyst specimen from Mexico.
The time it takes to grow such specimen is probably one to several weeks. With one run they can produce hundreds of kgs.
2nd Jul 2013 21:50 UTCTim Jokela Jr
Udo, thanks a ton for the detailed info. I am thoroughly amazed that the Russians have fallen so low as to have to fake amethyst.
Very, very cool to learn how the swine do it.
2nd Jul 2013 23:39 UTCWayne Corwin
What do you mean "beaten with sticks"?
We beat crooks with "R;-)CKS around here !
3rd Jul 2013 00:09 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager
We don't beat sculptors just because their statues aren't real people!
3rd Jul 2013 10:37 UTCMAGS
3rd Jul 2013 12:12 UTCSpencer Ivan Mather
Spencer.
3rd Jul 2013 12:26 UTCTim Jokela Jr
3rd Jul 2013 17:15 UTCMAGS
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Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2024, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: April 18, 2024 02:31:59