Podcast 003: Gem or Scam? Part I

The podcast is in Dutch, but available via YouTube with English subtitles, so you can listen in – even if your Dutch is not perfect. Below you will also find the fully transcribed text.

Fakes and frauds in the stone world

In this third episode of the Stack of Stones community podcast, I like to talk more about ‘Scammite’ (Belazeriet in Dutch), in short about fakes and frauds in the stone world. Back in May 2022 my book “Belazeriet of niet?” (Gem or Scam) was published on this subject. The book is now out of print but the subject remains topical, which is why I also pay attention to it in this podcast series.

I have so much to say about Scammite that I even made two episodes about it. In this episode part 1 in which I tell why I wrote a book on the subject and explain exactly what Scammite means. In addition, I discuss several examples of Scammite, including man-made stones, natural stones with a treatment, and misleading nomenclature.

Then, in Part 2 in Episode 4, I further discuss the effects of Scammite on both buyers and sellers, and provide tips for protecting yourself from Scammite. Finally, I stress the importance of honest and reliable information in the world of gems and minerals. So be sure to listen to both episodes!

The contents of the book (and much more than that) are now available 24/7 online at the Gem or Scam Library.

Why a book?

Why a book about this you may wonder. So is it that bad in the world of gems and minerals? Unfortunately, I must admit that this is indeed the case. I also experience this when I am at a show or tell the story of Scammite at a geological society. The subject is still very topical and occupies many people. And the fact that more than 1250 copies of my book have now been sold also indicates that there is a need for reliable and honest information among rock lovers.

In fact, many gemstones, minerals and rocks are sold under a variety of commercial and fancy names. There is also much treated or completely man-made material on the market for which misleading names are used. Many of these fancy names may give an idea of exclusivity, but their main purpose is to sell stones or imitations better. Moreover, it is often unclear exactly what kind of stone it is geologically. And is it a Gem or Scam?

In 2018, I introduced that term “Belazeriet” in Dutch, “Scammite” in English, a play on words of “scam” with the ending -ite as with many mineral names, think labradorite, for example. A cynical term that I have used ever since for gemstones, minerals or rocks that are completely man-made or processed and/or have a misleading name and about which incomplete or incorrect information is given. Especially the latter makes it Scammite for me, because you can get the feeling that you have been scammed if you hear afterwards that it does not turn out to be what it was sold for. The term Scammite is now familiar to many and for me it describes exactly what I mean.

It all started for me with the many questions I received during my courses and on online platforms, about the strangest names for minerals and gemstones. Aqua Aura, Azeztulite, Super Seven, Shaman dream quartz and Lemurian crystals, and those are just a few examples. When I then went to research in the mostly geologically oriented books and on the websites I used, I could find little information about what exactly was behind all these names. After all, these are not official mineral names, but commercial names, trademarks or esoteric fantasy names.

Through social media, I put out a call for input for a list of “new mineral names,” as I called them at the time. Within a few days I had a huge number of responses and over 120 different names that did not appear in the common books. At that time, I was also made aware of an American booklet by Kristi Hugs: “Old Rocks, New Names.” As it turned out, I was not the only one bothered by the proliferation of mineral names and in need of clarity in this chaos.

She was mainly active in America on online platforms and was thrilled to have found a supporter in Europe. We exchanged information several times and eventually she allowed me to take over the copyrights for the Dutch language area and I started translating her booklet. But soon a lot of additional information and many more new names were added. From the original 158 names in her 2018 booklet, I went in 4 years to a number of over 550 names in my book and the descriptions are quite extensive and focused on the offerings in the Dutch and Belgian markets. Unfortunately Kristi never got to read my book herself, but her work lives on.

Meanwhile, by the way, my document of names and descriptions is still growing. Every week new material comes out and new commercial names are introduced.

Recent years we have seen a huge increase in sales of gemstones and minerals, especially also for esoteric and spiritual purposes. This growing popularity also leads to an increase of cheaper lookalikes and treated or man-made stones on the market and a huge chaos in naming. Processing and treating gemstones and minerals has been done since ancient times, but is increasing hand over fist, and moreover, the techniques are getting better and better. As an enthusiast, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish whether something is Scammite or not.

Especially online, many sales are made, sometimes by sellers who do not know the true nature of the stones on offer. Unfortunately, this also creates an abundance of disinformation, with many texts with inaccuracies about gemstones and minerals copied blindly from each other or from some well-known source. Sometimes even with misleading intentions to generate more sales.

But I must also say that because of the vast amount of information available, it is sometimes difficult for enthusiasts to critically assess whether the information in a book, on social media or on a website is accurate, especially when you are just starting to collect. As a result, most buyers trust what the seller tells them. As a result, the need for reliable knowledge and the ability to conduct one’s own research into the authenticity of stones is becoming increasingly crucial. This is also where the responsibility and essential role of the salesperson comes in.

In Part 2 in the next episode, I like to revisit the implications of “Scammite” and the focus on it. I will now first discuss different forms of Scammite and some examples.

Forms of Scammite

As I mentioned, something especially makes a Scammite when incomplete or incorrect information is given with a gem, mineral or rock. This could be about its origin, whether something is a natural or non-natural material, any treatment or the correct designation.

Man-made

First, I pay attention to wholly or partially man-made gemstones or minerals. In doing so, I find it important to distinguish between synthetic stones and imitation.

Synthetic gemstones, although artificially created by man, have the same properties as their natural counterparts, such as chemical composition, crystal structure, hardness, and so on. Well-known examples are synthetic diamond and ruby. But lab-grown quartz clusters from China and blue chalcanthite crystals from a laboratory in Poland are also called synthetic. Especially in the world of cut stones for jewelry, the use of synthetic gemstones is quite common, they are often also more economical than the natural variant. In this way, beautiful gemstones in jewelry are accessible to a wider audience. But it is also customary that when selling a stone it is clearly stated that it is a synthetic stone, which is also laid down in the industry guidelines of the CIBJO as they apply to jewelers and silversmiths, for example. Unfortunately, this is not always the case with lab-grown crystals. There are no industry guidelines for sellers of rough gemstones or minerals.

Something else is when there is an imitation of a natural stone. Such a product then does not have the same characteristics as the natural material. Well-known examples in the trade at this time include imitation malachite made of clay or epoxy, as well as glass sold as obsidian or quartz. Unfortunately, there are countless more examples of this category, and these are also much less likely to mention that the material is not natural.

Natural, but processed or treated

For me, the second form of Scammite includes gemstones or minerals that have a natural base, but whose appearance has been worked or treated. The intention of this treatment in most cases is to beautify the stone. Of course, it is desirable that this treatment is always disclosed; for many cases it is so in the industry guidelines. But, it is good to realize that some of these treatments have been used for years and have become normal in the trade. Consider, for example, the dying or heating of agate making it offered as onyx or carnelian. In addition, today we also see treatments such as coating, impregnation, heating, irradiation and mechanical processing. Examples include the various minerals with an “aura” coating and heated amethyst sold as citrine. Cleaved fluorite octahedrons touted as natural crystals also fall under mechanical processing that should be mentioned. By the way, I made a separate podcast episode about citrine; you can find it here.

Misleading name designations

However, the largest proportion of Scammite involves the third form: misleading name designations. This involves all kinds of commercial names or trademarks and fantasy names, mostly introduced from esoteric or spiritual sources or trade. Although in most cases they do involve natural materials, the names used do not always reflect what you are actually buying. When you then search for information about such a stone, you don’t always find those names in mineral guides or on scientific websites. Often only in esoteric books or on websites of sellers, where spiritual properties are the main focus. Examples are Azetulite™, Auralite 23® and Silver Eye serpentine.

Reasons for proper naming

It is important to me for several reasons to spread honest and accurate information about the naming of gemstones and minerals. Besides being very confusing that there are many names in circulation for the same mineral, sometimes the use of fancy names can actually cause problems or risks. For example, using the name “Bumblebee jasper” instead of “calcite with realgar and pyrite. I understand that the first name is better commercially, but this leaves buyers with no idea of the composition of this stone and the risks of the ingredient realgar, a toxic arsenic sulfide. Another example is the aforementioned “Silver Eye serpentine.” By using this fancy name, the presence of chrysotile cannot be inferred. Chrysotile is a fibrous asbestos mineral that poses certain risks when handled improperly.

Another reason is to mislead buyers for marketing purposes. In fact, some sellers invent an exciting name for a mineral with a long-standing “boring” name to excite enthusiasts. Because say honestly, Pink Fire Azeztulite™ sounds much better than quartz with hematite, doesn’t it? This also includes riding on the popularity of a particular species by selling cheap lookalikes with a similar name to me. Think, for example, of the cheap Chinese or Indian lookalikes of the rare nuummite from Greenland. This often also means that low-grade, poorly marketable material can still be sold or that much more can be asked for it, or both!

Years ago, for example, no one wanted to buy the amethyst with “impurities” of iron minerals. Everyone wanted the purest purple amethyst possible. Now that this material has been marketed under names such as Agape Crystal®, Auralite 23®, Melody Stone, Sacred Seven, Super Seven or Purple Angeline, it is selling like hotcakes. And the fact that the same material is available from some wholesalers or sellers under all these names also says enough for me. By the way, in my book I describe that in none of these names was the presence of the claimed composition correct: they are all amethyst with impurities, or prettier said inclusions, of the iron minerals hematite and/or goethite.

A final reason is that many of the “new” names are also rocks and not minerals or gemstones. Yet many of these stones are called “gemstones” and are often given commercial names based on their appearance. A rock consists of one or more minerals. So it is factually incorrect to give a rock composed of multiple minerals a name that makes it appear to be one mineral or gemstone. For example kiwi jasper, which is not a jasper at all but a micro granite, consists of albite, orthoclase, a clay mineral, quartz and muscovite. Also listen to my episode on Jasper here. Mentioning hardness, specific gravity and chemical composition as well as spiritual properties of jasper with this rock that is composed of 5 other minerals is in any case incorrect and misleading.

Nuances

So, as far as I am concerned, the alternative naming in the stone world is completely out of control and no longer has anything to do with unambiguous naming as pursued by the Commission on New Minerals, Naming and Classification of the International Institute IMA. But, does the use of commercial or fancy names always involve Scammite? If it is not accompanied by telling what it actually is, as in the examples I have given above, then as far as I am concerned it certainly is. However, there are some nuances to it.

I like to expand on that in Part 2 in the next episode. Then I also discuss the effects of Scammite on both buyers and sellers, and give tips on how to protect yourself from Scammite. So be sure to listen to the next episode on the importance of honest and reliable information in the world of gems and minerals.

The contents of the book (and much more than that) are now available 24/7 online at the Gem or Scam Library.