Odd smelling gemstone?

[LD]

Yes, you did read that correctly!

I bought a gemstone recently and it arrived today. It was sold as green Patroke Kunzite (i.e. Hiddenite). It''s gorgeous BUT when I opened the packet, it was wrapped in cotton wool (not sure what the US version of this is called) then sticky plastic, then in a gem plastic ziploc bag, the smell of petrol hit me!

I''ve never smelt this on a gemstone before and I suspect that it''s a treatment of some kind but I''m flummoxed! I haven''t researched it yet but do any of you esteemed blingsters know what this might be? I also haven''t had time to test the gemstone and will do at the weekend but ............... any ideas?

 

[chrono]

LD,
As far as I know, hiddenite can be heat treated at low temperature or irradiated to enhance the colour. I’ve also read that sometimes the colour is unstable and can fade as well (especially the green ones), or even revert back to their original state under UV exposure. You probably already know all these though.

I am not aware of any other types of treatment. As for the smell, I’ve not heard of it before. Does it still smell even after airing it for a while?

 

[Crystal keeper]

hmm..patroke green..I actually just did a public service announcement on one of my ebay ads about the patroke green spodumene/kunzite/hiddenites or whatever you like to call them..well LD you know about the patrokes, right? Did you get it from Hafiz gemstones on ebay or another of his names? Those patrokes are colorless or "white" kunzites that they send to Lahore pakistan to be irridated..Lahore is a port city where pretty much all stones shipped from pakistan must pass through. The pakistanis are now sending tons of kunzites or spodumenes to be zapped there. From Lahore they ship them to Thailand to sell or in my case to me here in the US...what will happen is in 6 months to a year it will have lost half it''s color and then by 2 years time it will have faded to almost colorless..even if kept out of the sun I think it will happen. Now there are natural greens but they are never a good green..well sometimes they are..real hiddenite colored by chromium is and some finds in afghanistan do produce a decent green but nothing like those patroke greens you see all over the net and ebay now...as a matter of fact after seeing how much money syed is raking in on ebay selling crystals that used to be real junkie white or coloress ones then zapping them I spoke with my guys last week and ordered 2 KG''s that is on it''s way to lahore now to be zapped...I have been selling spodumene crystals on ebay for awhile and those white/colorless ones I might get $5-$7 for but after they are zapped and turn that nice bright green I see he is getting $30-$80 a crystal...now I am not sure about the smell but I wonder when they irridate them they put some kind of petroleum product on them to help the process along or something to that effect..maybe..not sure as I don''t now the in''s and out''s of the actual irridating process..thanks for the info..i nwill email one of my contacts and ask them to se what they make of the smell

 

[LD]

Interestingly this did come from Pakistan BUT I didn''t pay much for it. Actually peanuts! $6 for a 9ct stone so wasn''t even expecting it to be real!!! I just liked the size and colour but .............. I am aware that Kunzite/Hiddenite can be irradiated and can fade to colourless but I''ve never known an irradiated gemstone to smell of petrol!

I have a huge Hiddenite that has consistently lost it''s colour over a 5 year period. It was a gorgeous bright green when I bought it but now it''s a pale mint green. So I would think this one will do the same thing and I won''t be upset if it does!

Just as a matter of interest - can I restore the colour by putting it in a household oven at the highest temperature or will it (a) explode or (b) not be hot enough?

 

[Crystal keeper]

I am not sure about the petrol, LD..I will email syed and ask him..technically they are not expensive stones but the prices can shoot up from folks who like that green..they are colorless kunzites/spodumens that would sell for a couple bucks..send a huge parcel to get zapped and they are worth that much more since they now have color
Here here is an example he was using the terms patroke green kunzite but now it''s just kunzite..look at the price this has bid up to $56

http://cgi.ebay.com/143-5CT-NATURAL-FLAWLESS-DOUBLE-TERMATION-GREEN-KUNZITE_W0QQitemZ160404432493QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2558d9666d

Here is another one,,same thing..do you know how much a kilo of these cost me here in the US..$40 for these same quality crystals unirridated..I have been selling them on ebay for awhile..would get maybe $5 for one 200-300ct stone..or less..but they bwere white/colorless..just one zapped crystal would pay for a whole kilo
http://cgi.ebay.com/300-0CT-NATURAL-TOP-BEAUTIFUL-GREEN-COLOURM-KUNZITE-PCS_W0QQitemZ160404857965QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2558dfe46d

Same thing with the pakistani topaz..they come either a peachy color or almost colorless but as you can see with this seller and a few others they are now zapping those to to produce that golden color..they will soon catch on and realize if they heat those zapped topaz crystals they can get blue ones...same thing with the pink tourmalines..everyone used to say lots and lots of pinks are treated..etc..I think TL used to say it all the time..well I just didn''t believe her or others..i figured it wasn''t that prevelant until I saw a before and after pic of 2 kilos of facetgrade pinks that were achroite/colorless tourms. that had been sent to lahore and zapped that turned a nice pink color...I ate my foot on that one and TL was right all along..should have listened to her..now I know most pinks that are afghan in origin are achroite or colorless that have been zapped