[Jewelry making - Article 00145] - Re: [Orchid] Africa Blue

[The Doctor]

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>         I am really disturbed about the misrepresentation of the names
>     of stones! Lately, all sorts of misleading names have  been showing
>     up. At the recent show in Tucson I got  some stones that the dealer
>     assured me were "mustard jade" from a new mine. I got a few, and
>     when I returned home showed them to a very knowledgeable friend
>     who assured me  that they were not jade, but were probably dyed
>     quartz. 

    Unfortunately, jade may be the most widely used misnomer for many
    gem materials. It's all over eBay, rock & gem shows and even jewelry
    stores whose owners simply don't have the knowledge or ability to
    identify those materials with regular gemological testing. Even
    worse, the number of people who have been selling gems and jewelry
    are buying into green "amethyst," something that is gemologically
    impossible is staggering. Referring to this pale, uninteresting
    green quartz green "amethyst" is like calling citrine "yellow
    'amethyst.'" Selling this irradiated green quartz as amethyst is
    wrong, but two members of my local rock and gem club bought some and
    are still referring to it as green "amethyst." 

>         Whatever happened to truth in advertising??? Does anyone
>     monitor the dealers in Tucson to assure that what they are selling
>     is what they are represented to be, or is it caveat emptor??? 

    No, nobody monitors gem dealers anywhere, much less Tucson. At
    least, not actively. It takes legal action to rectify a problem if
    the dealer who ripped you off won't give a refund. The gem and
    jewelry business is like any other: know what you are buying through
    education. Arm yourself with knowledge, and you won't lose $6k on
    that blue dial, two-toned Rolex Submariner copy (they're quite
    convincing unless you know what to look for). Put down your
    Presidium Duo-tester and learn how to use a refractometer,
    polariscope, SG liquids and loupe, and you will never have to caveat
    your gluteus maximus again. 

    At least in the case of this Africa Blue, there isn't a serious
    misnomer occurring. The owner could as easily call it Asian Azure
    and not step on any gemological toes, but it doesn't represent what
    the material actually is, any more than Africa Blue does. It may
    well be dumortierite, but even having verified similar materials in
    the past as being that mineral, claiming that another mineral is
    also dumortierite on the strength of one photo of a bead and two
    bead halves on a web page is not a valid method of gem
    identification. I'm not suggesting that everyone enroll in several
    thousand dollars worth of GIA education. There are many books on the
    subject, as well as on-line info. 

    Like practically all fellow lapidaries I've met, my fellow
    gemologists are more than willing to help others learn to use
    gemological equipment and separate gem materials. They probably
    won't loan theirs out, but will show you how to use yours. And yes,
    a good quality refractometer costs upwards of $500 - 600, but a lot
    of people will lose more than that the first time they buy
    misrepresented goods. I can only imagine how much has been lost on
    type C jadeite bangles that break in half the first time they were
    worn. Don't be afraid to ask a local gemologist for help. That is,
    help in learning how to use your equipment. Don't expect them to use
    their hard-earned knowledge to ID for you. After all, that
    hard-earned knowledge is how we make a living. 

    And that's the key phrase - hard-earned knowledge. Don't expect some
    non-existent authority to police the gem world for you. If you're
    not willing to earn the knowledge, don't be surprised when your
    "Transvaal "jade" turns out to be hydrogrossular Garnet. 

James in SoFl

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