Khyberstone
Commercial name for a relatively new rock on the international market (2023). The name is derived from the region where it is mined: in the…
Category: Gem or Scam? Library
Batu Pasir Intan (“diamond sandstone”)
Local name for an unusual sandstone that appeared on the Dutch market in 2024 through a seller with connections in Indonesia. The name literally means…
Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP/MAP) – man-made crystals
An artificial (man-made) crystalline salt with the chemical composition NHâ‚„Hâ‚‚POâ‚„, known as ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP). In commerce, it is also often referred to as…
Purple malachite
Commercial name for a purple rock or mineral aggregate marketed from China in 2024 in the form of polished objects such as spheres. The name…
Opal
Opal is a natural hydrated silica with the chemical formula SiOâ‚‚ – nHâ‚‚O and belongs to the mineraloids – substances that have much in common…
Surfite
Commercial name for a colorful artificial material that for a number of years has been offered as cabochons, beads, ornaments or raw pieces, increasingly also…
Monarch opal
A commercial name for a man-made opal, with the official name Sterling Opal. Names like Monarch, Galaxy, Monet or Exodus opal are commercial names referring…
Dandelion Zeolite
Commercial fantasy name for an artificially manufactured material marketed as unique zeolites or other minerals. In reality, these are sphere-shaped needles of fiberglass attached to…
Sunset quartz
Commercial name for clear quartz (rock crystal) with red hematite phantoms from India. This name refers to the striking phenomenon of reddish-brown “shadow” layers (phantoms)…
Gilson opal
A name for a synthetic man-made opal designed to mimic the appearance of natural precious opal as good as possible. Gilson opal was developed by…
