Amethyst padding

[Guest guest]

ReNau,

 

This practice of the Amethyst Padding has been going on forever.

There actually is a reason for it. When

the Geodes come out of the ground... we have to remember it is no

dirt but hard rock that the Geodes are found in.

More often than not, they are broken during the extraction process.

So the miners all carry crystal glue to fix them as

they go. They will then use the " padding " material to cover the

outside of the geode to make it appear that

it has not been broken or repaired. The Brazilians will also add

cement to the base of the Geode in order for it stand

on it's own. How many Geodes have we seen that are self standing with

a flat bottom? They sure don't grow that way!

 

Of course the cheaper " thin rind " Geodes are more likely to be

repaired than the " Thick Rind " Geodes.

 

I don't like paying for Amethyst or Citrine ( Heat Treated Amethyst

to create Citrine Geodes) and paying the per pound

or kilo price for the cement as well as the Amethyst.. but at least I

can understand how and why it is done. I don't really

believe it is done to " pad " the price.. but for the reasons I have

expressed above. I do however think that no dealer

should ever try to hide the process involved with making the Geodes

marketable.

 

In gratitude,

 

John Van Rees

 

 

 

 

>Oh I absolutely agree with you and it isn't even just ebay. A very reputable

>vendor from New Zealand posted to his site that he would no longer be

>selling amethyst geodes due to some shady practices going on in that

>market at the

>item (this was only about 6 month or so ago.) What some of the actual

>suppliers were doing was *padding* the weight since the amethyst

>geodes are quiet

>often sold by weight (at least to the middle man/retailer). What

>they were (and

>possibly still are doing) was adding concrete to the matrix and disguising

>it. I have even been into rock shops where I was misinformed or the folks

>working there just didn't know what a particular crystal was.

>

>So regardless of where someone is purchasing crystal it is always a buyer

>beware and get to know your crystals.

>

>Blessings to your eve all.

>ReNau

>

>