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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: May 26, 2017 20:23 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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A clumsier fake.
The calcite matrix and the beryl crystal are both from Chivor.
Mineral: | Beryl (variety emerald), Calcite |
Dimensions: | 15cm across. |
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27640 Time(s) |
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: May 26, 2017 20:54 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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This one is not bad either.
Unlike the beryls, the large quartz crystal does not seem to be glued.
All ingredients from Chivor.
Mineral: | Beryl (variety emerald), Calcite, Quartz, Pyrite |
Dimensions: | 15cm across. |
Description: |
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Mineral: | Beryl (variety emerald), Calcite, Quartz, Pyrite |
Dimensions: | 15cm across. |
Description: |
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27643 Time(s) |
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: May 27, 2017 00:03 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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Last but not least.
A pretty good forgery job.
Mineral: | Beryl (variety emerald), Calcite, Pyrite |
Dimensions: | 15cm across. |
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Mineral: | Beryl (variety emerald), Calcite, Pyrite |
Dimensions: | 15cm across. |
Description: |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
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Posted: May 27, 2017 04:20 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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Fiebre Verde wrote: | Last but not least.
A pretty good forgery job. |
Pretty good, even though it is an unacceptable practice. As I said before that someone who knows his rocks, can produce fake specimens that is very hard to recognize; only by someone who knows the area and specimens very well. Best regards Gerard.
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: May 27, 2017 08:33 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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Pierre Joubert wrote: | Fiebre Verde wrote: | Last but not least.
A pretty good forgery job. |
Pretty good, even though it is an unacceptable practice. As I said before that someone who knows his rocks, can produce fake specimens that is very hard to recognize; only by someone who knows the area and specimens very well. Best regards Gerard. |
Hi PIerre!
Unfortunately nothing seems to stop this practice as prices for fine emerald specimens are skyrocketing.
On the contrary, increasingly sophisticated methods are used to manufacture these mineral art objects which are sometimes sold as handcrafted specimens ('gangas artesanales') by some honest dealers.
Believe it or not, there is a significant market for these specimens - not everybody can afford to spend a quarter of a million on a tourmaline art work :-)
As per your second comment, you hit the nail on the head.
The last specimen I posted is a good example of the sophistication of the artwork performed by skilled craftsmen these days.
For this one, I bet they have used some kind of cement to consolidate the beryl crystal instead of glue, which is easily detectable.
These pale green, heavily included bulky crystals are typical from Muzo and are never associated with aggregates of black calcite.
So yes, a pair of very well trained eyes is what is needed here.
Gérard
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: May 31, 2017 13:47 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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Another spectacular one - seems like they are inexhaustible.
Note the perfect contact of the beryl crystal with the calcite matrix.
Mineral: | Beryl (variety emerald), Calcite, Pyrite |
Dimensions: | 15cm across |
Description: |
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27368 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Beryl (variety emerald), Calcite, Pyrite |
Dimensions: | 15cm across |
Description: |
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27390 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Beryl (variety emerald), Calcite, Pyrite |
Dimensions: | 15cm across |
Description: |
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27424 Time(s) |
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Don Lum
Joined: 03 Sep 2012
Posts: 2858
Location: Arkansas
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Posted: May 31, 2017 14:33 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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Fiebre Verde wrote: | Another spectacular one - seems like they are inexhaustible.
Note the perfect contact of the beryl crystal with the calcite matrix. |
Gerard,
Thank you for bringing these fakes to light.
Regards,
Don
_________________ hogwild |
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: May 31, 2017 17:17 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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Don Lum wrote: | Fiebre Verde wrote: | Another spectacular one - seems like they are inexhaustible.
Note the perfect contact of the beryl crystal with the calcite matrix. |
Gerard,
Thank you for bringing these fakes to light.
Regards,
Don |
Don,
It's my pleasure!
With or without the intent to defraud or mislead, forgery is a fascinating world.
Colombian emeralds are probably the most commonly faked of all mineral specimens and it's interesting to see how the skills of the local 'craftsmen' have improved over time.
I am yet to visit a lab - not sure if this will ever happen though :-)
Best regards
Gérard
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: Oct 30, 2017 21:43 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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Elegant fake. Crystal and matrix from Chivor.
Dimensions: | 10cm across |
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Matt_Zukowski
Site Admin
Joined: 10 Apr 2009
Posts: 707
Location: Alaska
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Posted: Oct 31, 2017 04:43 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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Can you please describe how you came to know that the specimen is fake? Thanks.
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: Oct 31, 2017 07:47 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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Matt_Zukowski wrote: | Can you please describe how you came to know that the specimen is fake? Thanks. |
Because I was told so by the dealer who also sells fakes for clients interested in spectacular but affordable specimens.
I had never seen this type of brecciated matrix associated with emeralds which is strange enough to raise suspicion on the specimen.
The craftsman has done a good job here i.e. the contact area is dusted by the same material as the matrix, which covers entirely the glue work (Could be actually a cement which does not react to acetone).
Unless you are familiar with the locality, it's hard to detect with just a visual inspection.
Gérard
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: May 13, 2018 18:31 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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More man-made specimens in downtown Bogota.
The good news is that natural specimens can still be found.
Dimensions: | 5cm across, xl is about 1 cm tall |
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Stunning artwork as the matrix and the beryl crystal come from the same locality (Chivor). The large calcite crystal on the left is not glued! A very attractive specimen. |
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Dimensions: | 15cm across |
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Unlike the previous specimen, this is a very clumsy piece of work. Emeralds are never found in association with these large calcite rhombs. Obviously the craftsman thought that a large emerald crystal would fit nicely with the massive calcite. |
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Dimensions: | 5cm across |
Description: |
The craftsman wasn't very inspired - the contact area is not properly faked. |
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Dimensions: | 4cm across |
Description: |
Same remark as for the previous specimen - very poor work on the contact area |
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This one looks almost natural! |
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The craftsman wanted to create a large contact area with the calcite to make the specimen look more natural. Very poor result. |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
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Posted: May 14, 2018 12:02 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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Fiebre Verde wrote: | More man-made specimens in downtown Bogota.
The good news is that natural specimens can still be found. |
Hi Gerard, the fake 'industry' will become more and more refined:-( Gone are the days of buying 'on the run'. Even the old hands are getting caught with these 'works of art'. Some are obvious (how could I ever have bought that?) while others are not that easy to discern. Before I purchased the fakes that we own, I had a strong suspicion. Next time I will listen to the voice inside me. Best regards.
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: May 14, 2018 19:33 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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Pierre Joubert wrote: | Fiebre Verde wrote: | More man-made specimens in downtown Bogota.
The good news is that natural specimens can still be found. |
Hi Gerard, the fake 'industry' will become more and more refined:-( Gone are the days of buying 'on the run'. Even the old hands are getting caught with these 'works of art'. Some are obvious (how could I ever have bought that?) while others are not that easy to discern. Before I purchased the fakes that we own, I had a strong suspicion. Next time I will listen to the voice inside me. Best regards. |
Hi Pierre!
The scarcity of decent specimens is driving the emerald artwork industry forward.
The manufacturing techniques are becoming more and more sophisticated and this industry is now employing highly skilled craftspeople.
This shortage is not always related to the production cycles. It's just that most of the good quality crystals found in the legal mines are sacrificed for faceting.
Despite the government's aims to formalize the artisanal mining sector, illegal mining is still active across the country.
But this is slowly changing. And since most of the specimens found in the market are extracted by the 'guaqueros' (illegal/independent miners), the ongoing formalization process has a direct impact on the production of specimens.
All this to say that the emerald artwork business has a bright future ahead.
You are right, that little voice you hear inside your head is by far your best friend but it might not be enough in the light of the rapid changes of the artwork industry.
Gérard
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Fiebre Verde
Joined: 11 Sep 2013
Posts: 942
Location: Paris Area
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Posted: Dec 12, 2019 21:57 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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More (poorly) man-made emerald specimens.
Unfortunately I didn't have my UV lamp to detect glue.
Locality: | Colombia | |
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Texture of the material along the contact area looks suspiciously different |
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Locality: | Colombia | |
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Locality: | Colombia | |
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Too good to be true. Emerald crystal is semi-transparent. |
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Locality: | Colombia | |
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Nice man-made combination of calcite, dolomite, and emerald |
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19565 Time(s) |
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John Betts
Joined: 07 Jun 2012
Posts: 207
Location: New York City
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Posted: Dec 14, 2019 11:24 Post subject: Re: Fake Colombian Emeralds |
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One word of caution about using UV illumination to test for adhesives:
The new generation of UV-cured adhesives do NOT fluoresce.
These are water-clear colorless adhesives that remain liquid until exposed to UV illumination. By definition they absorb UV.
_________________ John Betts |
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