Sulfur
Official mineral name for the element sulfur when it occurs as a natural mineral. It appears in a variety of forms: from powdery yellow layers…
Category: Gem or Scam? Library
Silicon carbide
Name for man-made compound of silicon and carbon (SiC), also known as carborundum and sometimes referred to as moissanite. There is a very rare natural…
Sulfur in quartz / sulfur quartz
Questionable name for yellowish colored quartz; the yellow color is probably caused by limonite or other iron compound, but not sulfur. Judy Hall introduces the…
Transvaal jade
Misleading commercial name for a massive variety of grossular, a green mineral from the garnet group. Named after the former Transvaal province in South Africa…
Swiss opal
Misleading commercial name for serpentine with chrysotile (a fibrous mineral from the asbestos group). Sometimes also offered as Zebra jasper, but this usually refers to…
Trapiche amethyst
Designation for amethyst, usually in cut form, with alternating purple and clear triangular patterns, that looks like a kind of wheel. However, this is not…
Shaman (dream) crystal/quartz
Commercial name for quartz with various inclusions, including chlorite. Also called Garden quartz or Shaman (dream) crystal/quartz. See also lodolite.
Trulite Silica™
Unregistered commercial name for quartz “with patterns of green and blue,” from southern Africa. No further description or analysis of composition available. Again a trademark…
Zultanite / Csarite
Commercially registered name for a color-changing variety of diaspore of gem quality from Turkey. The mine in Turkey is owned by Murat Akgun. It is…
Trystine
Ancient name for ametrine. The name trystine is derived from the Scottish word tryst, “to negotiate, come together, reach agreement”. This name was chosen because…
