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Hematite Rings I want to take a moment to address an age old problem and its probable causes. It is not a fake or forgery, nor it is a myth or misinformation, it is simply something that needs to be addressed and this was the best page I could find for it :)
Everyone, at one time or another, has purchased an inexpensive (OK cheap at $1.00 to $1.99 a pop) Hematite Ring. It is a perfect grounding stone that you can wear on your finger or a necklace. It touches your skin, directly applying the energy of the Hematite to your energy field. Perfect! Right? Perfect until it breaks. And for many folks, this is exactly what occurs. But why does it occur? Are they supercharged with energy? Well, yes...and no...and maybe :) Just like many of the stabilized stones I have written about in the past (and that you can see below), Hematite Rings also fall into this category. The Hematite used for rings and some stabilized tumbles are the either the "dull to bright "rust-red" in earthy, compact, fine-grained material" or silver powder flecks off of more massive specimens. These powders are put into a stabilizing solution, heated up and cooled forming blocks of material perfect for slabs, tumbles and yes, you guessed it, Rings. Due to the stabilizing solution, these Rings are not 100% Hematite. Our bodies generate heat and cold due to a variety of factors. Many folks "run hot". In other words, their body temperatures stay on the warm side. Other folks may find they have cold hands all the time. The temperature of our bodies will affect the ring itself. This thin band of Hematite will draw heat to it (or cold). This softens the material and eventually, it will break. The same for cold. If it is warm around you, but your hands are quite cold, the change in temperatures (heat expands, cold contracts) will make the material more brittle, and again, it will break. So there is a reasonable, logical and somewhat scientific explanation. I know when I first purchased a Hematite ring many, many years ago. Just getting started in this new crystal endeavor I had undertaken. I purchased a ring at a gem show that morning. By the afternoon, it had broken in two pieces. I ran to the vendor to ask why. She told me that I must have some really powerful energy! Boy, I puffed up like a peacock! I mean, imagine, ME, having powerful energy!!! My fall from "powerful energy grace" was swift. I was offered another explanation by a gentle, kind soul. I simply ran hot. She went on to explain to me for the first time, what I have shared with you above. Now, do not get upset just yet :) Because as I have grown in this field and have notched a few learning curves on my crystal belt, I have discovered that one explanation is not all that different than the other. We are all source energy, right? And energy produces heat. So...... For instance--When you do Reiki, or Crystal Healing, or some other form of energy work, does your body not heat up? I have heard time and time again how this has occurred. Do you tend to take on the energy of others without being conscious of it? Any excess energy (an infusion of energy from source, or others, that is in addition to your own, unique, energy vibration) will metaphysically "heat up" your body. So this too, could soften the material Hematite and cause it to break. One thing is certain, no matter what explanation you are drawn to--Heat expands and in this case will soften a Hematite Ring causing it to break and cold will contract causing the material to become brittle and break. Either way, they are only a buck or two, so stock up :) Brightly Colored "Obsidian" In my quest to share information, I always take into consideration the geological make up as well as the metaphysical one. For the last few years, there has been an influx of Chinese minerals into the metaphysical and geological communities that needs to be addressed. As with all things, take what resonates for you and leave the rest. Many of the pieces coming out of China can be one of three things: They may be mined in China, like many of the Fluorites are. They may be polished or tumbled in China due to the cheap labor in which to do so. Or, they may be MANUFACTURED in China. A recent “new find” has cropped up in the past couple of years which is taking especially the metaphysical community by storm. It truly is dishonest in my book, but, again, that is in "Kristi World" and may not be so in yours. New! Rare! Red Obsidian! (or clear green or clear blue or clear purple) is nothing but art glass with some color introduced. This is very good marketing…..as Obsidian IS actually a type of glass. Silica/Sand is also made into glass, so no one is really NOT telling the truth–but they sure are stretching it :) This Red Obsidian is nothing more, truly, than art glass with possibly some hematite or iron powder thrown in for beautiful color. A perfect example of this is a painful lesson that I learned when I first began getting involved into the world of crystals. I had just started the website and was repping another crystal store's wares on the site until I could build up my own stock. I was shown the most beautiful blue/green, super clear tumbles which I immediately fell in love with. The color was awesome! When I asked what these pieces were, I was told they were a new find. She called them Hawaiian Blue/Green Obsidian.
Well, Hawaii does have volcanoes, and Obsidian can be a by-product formation of those volcanoes, so in my limited experience, it made sense. Melody, author of the Love is in the Earth series had it in her book, so it had to be true, right? I sold all that she had. As I began to sell more of this material, I pressed the shop keeper for more information on this lovely find. Then the story came out. The material was manufactured. How did the name come about then? Well, she says, the vendor who sold it to me lives in Hawaii. The “obsidian” is actually art glass with volcanic ash introduced in order to give it the color you see. So wait, it is NOT from Hawaii, it is NOT Obsidian, it is NOT real? I was devastated. More so because I had sold this material as what I thought was true and natural. I felt as if I had deceived and lied to every one who had purchased a piece. I wrote an apology email to every one of them. This taught me a very important lesson. That is when I began to incorporate geological studies into my metaphysical ones. And now that I am a bit older and more experienced in spotting these manufactured pieces, it never ceases to amaze me how many people are selling them as the real deal. Not only are they selling them as real, they are asking outrageous prices for these fakes and forgeries. And people purchase them, only because they do not know any better, or trust the seller to be telling the truth. Now, I do realize that I am only responsible for what I sell. I cannot change how others live in their own worlds. But I do believe that at the very least, you should have the information to use (or not use) as you see fit. So this is why I am sharing with you today. There are tons more out there that have the same story. My advice to you is to ask many questions. Get a second opinion if you like. I think it is important that if you are going to invest in any piece, that you be assured and know from your heart that it is real. Do you have a story
like this? I would love for you to share your experiences in purchasing
some of your minerals and crystals that you may feel are questionable.
Let's look at some other examples. Azurite/Malachite (Stabilized) In the ever growing world of rocks and minerals, there appears to be a recent rash of questionable pieces with questionable names. Many times, a vendor purchases pieces from their source and the identity of that piece shared. This identity is passed from the vendor who made the original purchase down to his customers. They in turn, pass it on to those they sell to and on and on it goes. Once a piece is misidentified, that too, passes down the chain of vendor to purchaser, neither being the wiser. Sometimes, the identification SEEMS to be right, but the piece itself looks a bit too perfect or different than what has been seen in the past. Welcome to the world of Stabilization! It is important to note, that even though the information provided below shares how stabilized pieces are crafted and created, that the minerals involved are the real deal. Let’s take the case of these specific Azurite/Malachite Tumbles.
Yes, that is lovely blue Azurite with Green Malachite. And while Malachite/Azurite DO occur together naturally, this is not one of those times :) Someone came up with a brilliant idea on how to utilize (recycle) the powdered material that was left over after cutting. Here’s how it works. Azurite is a soft mineral. You can literally scrape a piece and get a little mound of blue powder. (How do you think the Egyptians used Lapis as an eye shadow?). When Azurite is mined, or boxed and shipped or sliced and diced, this blue powder accumulates. They take all of this beautiful blue powder, add it to a stabilizing solution, mix it up and sprinkle in Malachite shavings. Then they put it into a 350 degree oven….wait, I was starting to sound like Julia Childs there….LOL Anyway, you get the idea. Once these blocks harden, they can then be sliced into smaller pieces to be tumbled or slabs to be polished, jewelry pieces to be crafted, etc. This production technique can and is used on many other softer materials, like Chrysocolla for example. And something to note–these pieces are normally NOT dyed. They may however get powder in the micro cracks that occur during tumbling or polishing ect and may turn your hand a different color if held for too long (heat from the hand loosens up powder in cracks) . Washing or soaking will also release these micro powders so your water may turn a different shade. So if you wash your tumbled Chrysocolla to cleanse it and get some color on your hand, do not panic, it is still Chrysocolla, just with a twist. Just remember, everything may not always be what it appears to be, or then again, maybe it can. Education is important and this is my intent on sharing this information with you. The world of crystals is a huge one and the more you know, the more you grow. **ALERT** As I was doing some research on this type of process, I ran across no more than 6 sites that labeled these tumbled Azurite/Malachite pieces as RARE!!. This is not true. They are not rare at all. China manufactures these on a regular basis. Nebula Stone is NOT Kambaba Jasper I have purchased Nebula Stone in the past and while it and Kambaba Jasper look somewhat similar, they are not.
Read more here from Karen and Ron, the discoverers of Nebula Stone to get more information. They go into great detail on the differences of these two pieces. Turquoise? Hardly! One of the most common forgeries I have come across is that of misidentified Turquoise. True Turquoise colors include a bright blue, sky-blue, pale green, blue-green, turquoise-blue, apple-green, green-gray. Many may have streaks of pale greenish blue to white. Watch carefully for the wording a vendor uses. For instance “Turquentine” is the name given to Howlite that has been dyed. However, in a batch of stones I recently purchased, with Turquoise being one of the pieces listed in the batch, I was dismayed to find that it was not Turquoise at all. Instead, it was dyed Howlite. This was easy to see as the streaks were most decidedly gray to black, not greenish blue to white.
Another more blatent (and disappointing) example was a gem faire I attended last year. I purchased several pendants from a vendor at the show. He correctly identified the pieces as I picked them up until it came to the Turquoise ones. He called it Turquoise due to the pendant being a Turquoise color, but it was most decidedly NOT Turquoise. The color was not even, it had patches of white and silvery/gold. When I pointed this out to him, he changed his mind and said it was a denim Lapis Lazuli. Curious, I purchased one. My fool proof test of this piece would tell me what it REALLY was. Upon returning home, I wrapped the piece in a towel and tapped it with a hammer. The result of the tapping test can be seen here.
Yes, you guessed it!! This is Howlite that has been dyed. You can even see where the dye job has started to bleed in. It looks more like an M & M doesn’t it with its candy coated outer shell? It makes me want to take my hammer and towel to a gem faire, wait for a vendor to misidentify a piece and then say, “Oh, really? Wow! Do you mind?” Then take the piece……and WHACK!! Fraud revealed :) Of course, I cannot and would not do that. The majority of vendors I use are up front and honest with me, but as with any job, there are those who are in it for the bucks. This is where education is your friend :) For instance, if you see a piece in which the color has unnatural splotches or is too evenly distributed and you may suspect it is a fraud, simply ask more questions. Point out the color distribution and point blank ask if it is dyed or enhanced. As always, just be discerning. Ask a lot of questions. In the end, your intuition will be your guide. Blue Okenite There is no such natural occurrance. While Okenite is a real mineral from India, normally white to creamy in color, Blue Okenite is not. It is dyed Okenite. African Moldavites--Truth or Fiction? When I am unsure about some new "finds" out there, I go to Mindat.org to get the most accurate information I can. Below are some of the posts that are discussing "African" Moldavite. "I did a quick internet search, and the vast majority listed African Moldavite as a fake. Their opinion was that it was bottle glass (from bottles themselves or the raw blanks of glass) or some form of obsidian. There was also the opinion that only samples from the Czech and Moravian regions could truely called Moldavite. If there are samples of tektites from Africa, they might be similar but unlikely to come from the same strike and shouldn't have that name (sort of like the hiddenite thread that was covered in MinDat)." "Paul is right. Moldavite is not found in Africa. Other tektites are found in Africa, but not Moldavite, nor have I heard of any other AUTHENTIC green tektites being found in Africa." "Moldavites are
usually classified as tecktites (a glass produced by meteorite impacts).
Glasses produced from volcanic rocks are more properly called obsidian.
Africa has a long history of man made glasses (Egyptians were doing that
5000 years ago)." Tektites "Undressed" When going to the gem and mineral shows, I am constantly and consistently told that Moldavite and other Tektites are from outer space. That they fly through the Universe, enter our atmosphere and crash to the ground forming these glass like structures. This is not exactly correct. Tektites form as the result of a meteorite vitrifying (melting) Earth soil and extraterrestrial matter to create glass like splashes. It is comprised of various minerals affected by intense heat when it comes to Earth from other parts of the Universe. Moldavite is classified as a tektite, but contrary to popular beliefs, it does not come from outer space (In other words, it is not part of a meteor or comet) . Instead, it is a green glass product of soil vitrification (melting) from a meteorite strike, meaning it is terrestrial (earth) in nature and when a meteor hits, the heat causes the earth material and meteoric materials to melt and blend, forming these little green beauties. Libyan Glass, also classified as a Tektite is also formed from a meteor hit. The heat from the impact almost liquefies the sand and earth material. Upon cooling, you have these super cool little butter yellow Tektites. So while all Tektites do
include extraterrestrial matter in the heating and cooling process, they
do not "come from" outer space. Only the original Meteorite has taken
that journey. Buyer Beware! Chalcanthite is natural copper sulfate, the blue crystals commonly found in school chemistry rooms. A secondary mineral, formed in arid climates or in rapidly oxidizing copper deposits. It is usually of post-mining formation, forming on mine walls and by the action of acidic surface waters on copper veins. It is soluble in water. Almost all Chalcanthite specimens made available for sale (e.g. on eBay, listed from 'Brazil') are artificial fakes, as good crystals are easily grown. (Information provided by www.mindat.org) Simply ask a lot of questions
from any seller, whether it be in a physical store, online or through
an auction site. Unraveling the mystery of Jade 1) Jade is not a valid mineral species. It is an umbrella term used to identify, it seems, all types of green colored mineral species. 2) There are two valid species that are accurately referred to as Jade-- Jadeite and Nephrite 3) Jadeite is a valid mineral species. The gemstone quality Jadeite is frequently called Jade. Jadeite is almost never found in individual crystals and is composed of microscopic interlocking crystals that produce a very tough material. Jadeite is found in strongly metamorphosed sodium-rich serpentinous rocks and is a member of the Pyroxene group and Silicates class. Jadeite has many color varieties, and while green jadeite is most recognizable as Jade, it is more commonly found as a grayish green, and may also be white, a pale blue-gray, or even a pale purple. The variety of colors come from contents of Chromium (Imperial Jade), Iron (Green to Brown color variety) or Manganese (Violet to Purple variety). 4) Nephrite is actually
not a mineral, but a variety of the mineral Actinolite which is a member
of the Amphibole group and Silicates class. The Nephrite variety is composed
of fibrous crystals inter-twinned in a tough compact mass. Other Actinolite
varieties are quite different from Nephrite. Nephrite is more abundant
than jadeite and has few color varieties, ranging only from creamy white
to green. 5) Serpentine is NOT
true Jade. Serpentine is an attractive green stone that takes a nice polish
and is suitable for carving. It has been used as a substitute for Jade
and is sometimes difficult to distinguish from Jade. It is actually a
general name that can be applied to several members of a Polymorphic group.
It is a member of the Kalolinite-Serpentine group and is also a member
of the Silicates class. 7) Bowenite is also sometimes referred to as a gemmy grade of Serpentine or Serpentine Jade. But by now, you have figured out it is not a form of Jade. :) It is actually properly referred to as Antigorite which is a member of the Kaolinite-Serpentine group. From a geological standpoint-- Be smart, ask a lot of questions when buying any mineral, rock or crystal specimen. It can get confusing very quickly!! I was referred to this website to read about all of the rocks/minerals that have been identified as Jade at one time of the other. Click on this link GemRocks then scroll down the left bar and click on Jade. There is a ton of information there written by a mineralogist. These guys know what they are talking about! |
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