OK, let's see if I can upload this Australian Jasper pix.

(See picture in my last post). The Australian Jasper was poorly dyed. I did wash the stones after I purchased them because the color looked fake to me. After I made the necklace I wore it for a few hours and the coloring came off on my neck.

I am concerned that suppliers are dying stones that do not sell well and then giving them a different name. Does anyone else feel that way?

 I'm not sure it's only stones that don't sell so well that are being dyed.

It may be more a case of finding more stones that can be dyed and dying them to sell more stones. Crazy lace agate has been sold for years and sells OK in it's natural form. Rock shops for year have sold slabs of it with bright dyed to use in lamps, wind chimes and inlaid in steps. Lately we've seen (and sold) a lot of blue dyed and  red dyed crazy lace as beads.

Crazing and surface enhancement techniques have  improved a lot since the days of cracking marbles in a frying pan. The cracked quartz, crazed magnesite in white and dyed colors and the surface enhancements that make "crab fire agate" so interesting are recent "improvements" to existing stones. (I'm not so sure they are really "improvements." to the stones.)

I'm told by some of the cutters that most of  the dyes should not run on clothing and, if they do,  it's because they were not dried enough before the were packed up. (Beads are usually dyed after cutting - as the last step before shipping.) I know there are different types of dyed that give the same colors. (Oil dye is much better than the water based dye for dyed coral, for example.)  It would be a great improvement to my way of thinking if only permanent dyed were used. It's frustrating for a seller to have a batch of beads that are color fast and don't run and then get the next batch of the same stone and same color that DOES run. It's even more frustrating for the person wearing the beads on their new white blouse..

Washing questionable beads in warm soapy water is a good idea! 

Isn't that the truth Russ. Also a frustration is stones that are poorly dyed fading in a hurry like cherry (ruby, red) chalcedonies.

I will wash almost all the beads I sell that I know are dyed to see just what happens and if they keep bleeding.

 I tell people that India dyes even pretty stones just for the heck of it because they dye things so well (batiks, clothing, fabric).

I was at a bead show in Austin and a woman from India asked if my garnets were dyed when I said no (I think those were the only garnets I ever had that weren't) she turned her nose up. I realized later it was probably because those garnets were from China.

(I will definitely be in Quartzsite this year Russ, I will be selling at Electric Park for a friend. It will be here sooner than you think you know <grin>. I am getting to hot in Texas and already fantasizing about winter in Quartzsite.)

 Szarka

 hello everyone,

Yes, this sounds like a good idea and I have a question too. Does anyone know a good supplier of  "sugilite", I like the properties of it but can't find any? I have to check my supplies at home to see what other questions I may have later on. Thanks.

south sea pearls 

It is crappy that you can't rely on people's honesty, but as they say, buyer beware.  I find that the more I research, the more I learn. 

I have to get my daughter to help me upload a picture later, but I have a very cool stone that I got from Kimdoly in Vancouver Canada.  They called it Serenity stone.  It is a pale green with splotches of grey/lilac.  I have seen a similar looking stone on the web described as peace jade.  Any one hear of this?  It is very pretty and every item I have made with it has been complimented on, so I would love to be more accurate with it.

Second, I have a lot of people who are under the impression that there is a stone called Sea Opal.  To me it looks like a good quality Paua Shell.  Is it?

This is a great idea, and I will probably use this a lot!

 Sea opal is another marketing name for Paua shell which is a variety of abalone from New Zealand and Australia.

The free, on-line gemstone index at Rings & Things is pretty good for listing alternate and marketing names for many stones and jewelry materials. http://www.rings-things.com/gemstone/index.html

Thanks.  I thought as much.  I will upload a picture of the serenity stone later today.  Just got a new puppy and he is a going concern, and he loves to get into my beads!

 

To :kittjen

Actually, I believe that is amazonite. Lately the amazonite with such inclusions is being called "black gold amazonite".

Cluny

 You will also find that there are places that will sell glass opalite - and call it sea opal.  Just an opalized glass bead.

Cluny

Could you tell me about a gemstone called Peridot?

It's my Birthday next week and i have read that its my birthstone ..........

i m pretty confused........

and for my twin brother what would suit men in peridot?

Hi!

The person I bought this stone from called it tourmalinated quartz. It looks like prehnite to me. What do you think? I just want to be as accurate as I can when I sell the necklace.

 Thanks!

 Hi!

   I would tell the buyer that I bought it as tourmalinated quartz (and that is what it looks like to me personally), but that I think that it looks like prehnite.  I've bought quite a bit of "prehnite" from a seller I trust, but I swear that the "prehnite" is tourmalinated quartz, so I will usually say something about that in my descriptions.  Honesty is always best. Usually though, with these particular stones, or unless it's a birthstone, most people only want to know that it's a real stone rather than manmade.

Good Luck!

Cluny

 I would guess that the above picture is tourmalated quartz, also.

Here's a link to google images of prehnite mineral specimens.  Prehnite usually does not have the needlelike inclusions like the pendant pictured. Inclusions in prehnite are more random spots than needles.

 I was recently at a craft show and came across a stone I had never seen before.  It was a teal/blue and a reddish brown.  I asked the woman running the booth what the stone was. She told me it was Imperial Jasper.  Of course I looked this up online when I got home but any of the results I get look nothing like the stone I saw.  Any ideas?

 These are two pretty stones I've not seen until recently.  These pics are from ebeadshow on eBay.  I'd love more info on them.

 

 

 
 

I actually have some beads that I can't identify - can anyone help? The two beads I need identified appear to be seeds of some kind. They were on necklaces that belonged to my grandmother...I believe these were purchased in the '60's or '70's (does that qualify as "vintage"?). I think they could be used in a more organic type of piece, but I'd like to know what they are first so I can include that in my description. The seed on the right looks as if it's been dyed a blue color (I have others that are the same but a different color) - it's just a bit bigger than a popcorn kernel...the one on the right appears to be in it's natural state and is a bit smaller than a popcorn kernel (yes, I'm sure that's helpful!). Here's the link to the pics. Any advice is appreciated! http://picasaweb.google.com/catbroad67/MysteryBeads# Hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting the link! Thanks in advance, Julie

A gemstone is the naturally occurring crystalline form of a mineral, which is desirable for its beauty, valuable in its rarity and durable enough to be enjoyed for generations.

 

 

For more information you can visit at http://www.houseofgems.com/ 

Thanks,

Angela Enoho

I recently bought a few stones when I was holiday, chosen carefully from their meanings. However, by the time I'd come home and unpacked them I forgotten which they were! I am pretty sure the end pink one is rose quartz for love. The 2nd may be agate and the third tiger eye but I'm not sure. Can anyone help me?

p.s. the fourth one along is a opaque turquise colour but it didn't come out well in the photo