FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[lluis]

Good evening

Today I have been contacted by a dealer who explained me that a specimen I bought was not oyelite but bultfonteinite. That was cleared because he did an analyisis (well, he asked the proper person to do an analysis).
And that is a reason why I buy from him: I rely on him

Fact is that I collect systematic (well, as my wife says, I collect formulae....Maybe, being a chemist... :-) ), and I have had some "interesting" experiences..
One is to buy a piece as an species, with an analysis from an analyzer...that just making numbers show that species is another species... :-(
Others, like the gold from Venezuela, I was promised to get some pieces *that I will pay* to join with my piece (that I am convinced that is bogus), paying analysis to see what happens and I am still waiting (well, I have short patience...I am talking just from a year ago; maybe the evening of te Judice day is the apropiate date)
And my collection of mistakes: a garnet as a zircon, a zircon as a spinell, and so on....
Yes, a twisted sense of humour....

Or as a russian friend explained about a collection of platinoids: short said, mainly nothing (well, a piece with a red arrow ponting to nothing), some missdescribed and a very few ones well described (less than 5%). Not bad for *expensive*, and hindered in the beauty departement pieces...

So, you know why I rely handfull dealers

With best wishes

Lluís

[Jim Prentiss]

Hello Lluis,

I have recently added an example of crystallized Sodalite to my collection, more correctly, I found a few days ago, that the Afghanite I thought I had for the last seven years was in fact Sodalite.

At the time I purchased this piece I had bought a Topaz from the same dealer and when I was adding it to my catalog, I read the description of Topaz in detai, andl I found it odd that my new Topaz specimen was Hexagonal. A hardness of 8 seemed to point toward a clear Beryl (Goshenite). I called the dealer on the Topaz/Beryl and he told me that Topaz has a hexagonal habit. Yeah.

I wish I would have looked at all the specimens I got from him as closely at the time. It should have been a warning. The Afghanite/Sodalite was from the type locality for Afghanite and was rather expensive. I guess I was just enthralled with the idea of having another type locality piece. The other pieces have proven to be correct.

I know, "buyer beware", but it is still frustrating.

jimp

[lluis]

Hello, Jim

Heartly agreed with you: when those things occur, is very frustrating!

Of course, all people could do an error, we are humans, but I could imagine your face when dealer said that topaz is hexagonal....

Well, an anecdote to tell to nephews... :-)

With best wishes

Lluís

P.D.: my spinel that is a zircon, was sold to me as a rare colour spinel ....

[ERA Triano]

Lluis,

I like the way you described how your collection works. I think our relationship to our collection, or how we collect, can be just as interesting as the specimens themselves. Maybe that is like the provenance of the collection. Thank you for explaining. :-)

best,

Lizzie