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 Scorodite xtls on matrix from China. Beautiful, yet 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!

Stretch Young wrote a great article about this subject relating to Emeralds in Calcite from Bolivia for The-Vug.com Quarterly Magazine Fakes Issue, which is available in the Hardcover collected reprint of the magazine, available on The-Vug.com

People ask me all the time which glue is the best for repairing your specimens, as well as the most common used glue…
Instant Krazy Glue, of course!

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 11th, 2009 at 4:46 pm and is filed under Fake Minerals on eBay, Fake Minerals on the Internet, Fraudulant Claims. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.