Fake dumortierite
10th Nov 2015 12:42 UTCJohn Collins
Hi all, this is the first time I write in MinDat.
It seems to me that it is very hard to believe that dumortierite quartz is natural. If you look at the photo albums in https://www.facebook.com/hurgie.crystal/media_set?set=a.787495327995846.1073742571.100002061580321&type=3 you will find a lot, an incredible quantity of crystals in quartz. Dumortierite, but also anatase, dendrites, brookite, connellite and some other ... plus phantoms, rainbows, bubbles, strange inclusions and even quartz clusters inside other quartzes. Often in a single specimen you can find 3 o 4 different inclusions.
Such materials seems to be growth without any logical order and without knowing the usual mineralogical criteria. For example there are a lot of rutilated quartzes, but almost never you can find the classical exagonal twinning. Instead all the different included minerals (rutile, connellite, dumortierite, ...) seem to grow in 2 different ways: as "flowers" or around a single central crystal.
If you consider that the vendor sells an incredible quantity of different specimens, but the same material can't be found from important vendors like Arkenstone or similar there is more than enough to conclude that the strange "super-included" quartzes are fake.
:-)
Dear all, I add three more pictures from che same vendor.
The first picture shows a lodolite quartz cointaining also a biterminated quartz. Please note that the junk material that forms the "lodolite" part is completely covered by a sheet of external quartz. It seems that the internal lodolite has an egg shape and never emerges to the surface. In other terms it seems that the external quartz layer has been deposed after having create the internal egg.
The second picture shows a quartz crystal with rutiles included in an external "egg" quartz. Rutile needles seems to be all grown from some curved structure, but there is no evidence of twinning. Again there is a very very unlikely combination of elements (a quartz plus many rutile needles, with a very unusual growth, inside another quartz that wraps all internal elements very well).
The third picture, again, shows the same situation. An internal quartz (in the lower part) with very unusual rutile flowers and all perfectly wrapped inside another quartz.
I wish to say another little thing. There is a document from GIA that speaks of dumortierite needles in quartz. That document states that "dumortierite" is real dumortierite (not another different mineral), but is doesn't say anything, not a single word (from GIA), about a little, decisive detail, is the whole structure natural or synthetic?
:-)
Good morning all (here in Rome it is a wonderful, sunny morning)!!!
:-)
Well, I think I was not able to explain exactly what I meant ... but maybe the new picture will explain all better than me.
The picture clearly shows an internal egg, with an its own shape and warping, manifactured BEFORE wrapping all into an external layer of quartz. Everyone can believe whatever he wants ... but ...
Moreover the sum of clues can't be ignored.
It is true that there are some specimens that seems to be raw, but actually technology let to imitate raw material as well as such polished eggs. And it is well known that synthetic quartz is often deposited over a natural layer. Natural quartzes can be easily perforated to add internal elements and then closed making new quartz grow inside the hole.
As far as I'm concerned, I have no doubts. Such playthings are manmade.
Giorgio.
:-)
:-)
Well, I think I was not able to explain exactly what I meant ... but maybe the new picture will explain all better than me.
The picture clearly shows an internal egg, with an its own shape and warping, manifactured BEFORE wrapping all into an external layer of quartz. Everyone can believe whatever he wants ... but ...
Moreover the sum of clues can't be ignored.
It is true that there are some specimens that seems to be raw, but actually technology let to imitate raw material as well as such polished eggs. And it is well known that synthetic quartz is often deposited over a natural layer. Natural quartzes can be easily perforated to add internal elements and then closed making new quartz grow inside the hole.
As far as I'm concerned, I have no doubts. Such playthings are manmade.
Giorgio.
:-)
... and ... just to show some nice synthetic quartzes ...
This is a part of what you can be, nowadays, with synthetic quartzes.
(All pictures from the following website: http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=4243)
:-)
