We originally heard about these at the Munich show, however, by the time we went to the booth they were gone. So, I’m both bothered they would bring them to Tucson, yet, happy that John Veevaert got a lovely photograph of one to share with you at home.

Let’s all thank John for showing us this photo!

Stay away from these specimens, fake fluorites from China

Still just beginning, but I foresee great things coming from MinDat.org’s Auctions.

I want to tell you this here on FakeMinerals.com because MinDat.org’s Auctions. are guided by the community of mineral enthusiasts, pretty much making it impossible for fraudsters to operate in the auction forum.

So, if you want a safe alternative to eBay, check out MinDat.org’s Auctions.

Embrace the power of the Lemurian Quartz Crystals, from the frosty mountaintops of Mount Shasta. Learn the true secrets of crystal power in this video!

“Article” on meteorite find in the UK

Is this a meteorite?

Check out this article…the meteorite is described as
“black with a shiny crystal-like gleam”
“thought it was a lump of coal”

Are we sure it is not just a piece of slag or maybe a tektite. Hey, good for the kid for finding a rock in the back yard, but did they verify the specimen with ANYONE else besides the parents and eBay? It doesn’t say so in the article. Sloppy reporting for sure!

I think the real shame in this story is the fact that this article was seen by THOUSANDS of people and I’m sure the vast majority saw it and read it as fact. Something this basic, so simple, as to verify this with ANY professional, which I’m SURE are readily available all the time, would have prevented this story from being published.

Just reflect now, if we are presented this as truth, how much quack science is out there floating around the intertubes, presented as fact, reviewed by nobody…

Like this website! =)

Mike, thanks for the e-mail.

I don’t pay much attention to fossils, I’m just not into them. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the way they look, I love to dig them up, but I just don’t get INTO them.

So, I stay away from proclaiming how fake the fakes are.
A readed named Mike sent me an e-mail showing me a real Mosasaur jaw (see below)

Versus, these things that look like fakes from 100 yards away…

I’ve sent out e-mails and phone calls to the dealers selling fake ones on eBay and if they don’t take them down by this weekend I’ll out them for you.

Just simply put…stay away from bulk fossils from Morocco. Buy from a quality dealer. Understand, good fossils are expensive, there is a lot of time and preperation put into real fossils. If you want something good, it isn’t cheap. If you want something cheap, it isn’t good. (unless that is the advertising price on The-Vug.com! =)

A year ago I posted that the Wikipedia article on Azeztulite had the best information. Unfortunatly during that time there have been dozens of edits, drawing the attention of others who wanted the entry removed to stop the fighting between the scammers and the mineral community.

Now the link for Azeztulite redirect to Charmstone. What is a Charmstone? I’ve delt with metaphysical believers for over 10 years, I’ve NEVER heard the word Charmstone. The idea of using the word “Charmstone” in this field is rather foolish, ill advised move when describing Azeztulite. Many of the e-mails from Metaphysical users who have thanked me for calling out this obvious scam. It isn’t a scam that is harming the mineral collecting community, it is targeting the metaphysical crowd. If you are metaphysical you have two options, understand the direct parallels from minerals and nature or be part of the group that believes whatever flash in the pan cure all comes out.

The crux of the matter is that we have a scam being used to seperate money from the uneducated. Wikipedia will no longer be a sounding off point for us as a mineralogical community to educate the public.

Oh well, it worked for awhile and the popularity of Azeztulite has been falling off the radar…

Here is the Charmstone page, now the redirect page from Azeztulite

This is what it USED to look like. It should have remained this way

Wikipedia is a great source of information, but they have failed the public on this one.

PS, looks like this is happening at an alarming pace in general, check out this article in New ScienceAfter the Wikipedia Boom

I was first told about these fakes last year, single Calcite crystals glued together in clusters on basalt matrix.

FakeMinerals was given these pictures from Sami at Matrix India, exposing these fakes.

As you can see, the Calcites are grouped together in circular sprays. At the base of the crystals the glue is visible.

So, if you see any of these on eBay or at a local rock show, beware, they are F-A-K-E!

Certainly not something you want to find out about your beautiful gem crystal on matrix…but in fact, a whole subdivision of gem mineral sales at the point of origin are sometimes manufactured specimens involving a liberal slathering of glue to hold everyting in place.

For instance, the new wonderful Scorderite xtls on matrix from China. Beautiful. Glued.

So, if you have any specimens you wonder about, give them a soak in some Acetone. See what falls apart! Sometimes nothing, sometime something substantial. Bummer for us honest mineral collectors and dealers.

Thanks to Dr. L for the photo!

In the video above Alfredo Petrov shows Justin Zzyzx an Aragonite with Gypsum from Spain that has been dipped into Copper Sulfate, turning the Aragonite GREEN, as if it were pseudomorphed into Malachite. Very pretty, but very fake!


Over the next couple months The-Vug.com will be traveling all over the USA to pass out magazines, film and take lots of pictures to share with you on The-Vug.com, FakeMinerals.com and Wheretobuyminerals.com. People write in everyday to tell us what a great job we are doing for the mineral community. Tack on $5.00 to those words and we know you are serious! =) Planes, Cars and Gas, not inexpensive. So, chip in a five spot and keep The-Vug.com plugging along!

Click Here to Download

This link will take you to the page of The-Vug.com Quarterly Magazine Online PDF archive.

On this page you can download the Fakes issue, Vol 1 #4 and read it FOR FREE. How great is that?

In the magazine you’ll find a story on the Arkansas Diamond Fraud and a whole issue devoted to fakes and forgeries in the mineral world.

So, no matter how you got here, from our parent site, The-Vug.com, from an article or newstory, Stumbleupon, or google, welcome to my site and enjoy the articles and public shaming of people who would try to swindle you out of your money.