Material, Real or Lab?

[Alan Balmer]

I wonder if this is topaz of any kind, natural or synthetic. Last I knew, topaz had been synthesized in the laboratory, but it costs more than natural. Quartz is a cheap material that is synthesized, but there are industrial uses for it.

In fact, the pictures resemble the surface of grown quartz.

I’d be interested if anyone has actually produced synthetic topaz that’s cheap enough to bother with.

[tucsonbear]

I think you’re right Alan, the surface does look like lab quartz. I might buy a piece (and wait a month), to do a simple hardness test on it.

[tucsonbear]

Here is another eBay auction that sets the alarm bells ringing, in this case garnet. This is a brownish material with a terminated face, and suspiciously ground sides and bottom. The curved sides look like boule sides. Supposedly, this comes from the “navegadora mine” in Brazil. The “item description” gives a song and dance about the history of garnet ( and not real accurate), with no info particular to these stones. Other than the interesting terminations, the color has nothing to recommend it. Check out item #302008198956, 966, 979, 984, 986,and 994.

[gemmakermz]

hay i got one of those so called real topaz and ya it was man made so look out. if you would like to cut a real eye catcher contact me. i have access to laser yag. a company here in wa. state makes laser rods and some times goes wrong and can’t be used. i’ve been cutting specials for trade of scraps. i have a cut i call the reverse brilliant my way and it is now in demand. i cut a laser yag to my cut and wow is what they say. i even have a video through ultra tec on facebook and instagram of my 245 carat 193 facet yag going wild. if you would like a piece of yag and the diagram of my cut which is still 57 facets contact me gemmakermz@cs.com a friend of mine, a fellow faceter cut three yags to my cut and a forth for a set of earrings, pendant, and ring and got $900 for them, unmounted. they sell for more than $10 a carat.

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