What the heck is this?!

[RockHugger]

Got this unknown stone today. I bought it as a tourmaline (blue/green). I popped it into the refractometer and it has an RI of 1.54. That of course isnt tourmaline, but quartz or iolite. It doesnt look like a quartz to me, or an iolite. Never seen a either this color. It has a BF of .08-.09 (its inbetween, my refractometer doesnt give smaller then .00.

I am confused as of what it is. It is a green color, but gives neon blue flashes, and in sunlight it looks blue with neon blue flashes. No inclusions in it.

Someone out there has to have an idea!

This pic is in natural light.

 

[RockHugger]

Indoor lighting

 

[FrekeChild]

Do you get all of your stones off of ebay?

 

[RockHugger]

Its booty. You can see the neon flash I see in this one.

 

[RockHugger]

No, not all of my stones. This on is an ebay stone though. Alot of them I have bought at shows, different websites, or locally. I was looking for a tourmaline, and saw this one. Wish it came back as tourmaline though . I wanna know what it is! Good chance I will be sending it back.

 

[LD]

Quartz. Highly unlikely to be Iolite. I've got a Quartz that colour.

 

[RockHugger]

That was my guess to but I have never seen a quatrz this color. I am sure its possable though!

 

[T L]

It''s probably coated or enhanced in color.

 

[LD]

Date: 11/27/2009 2:23:44 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
It''s probably coated or enhanced in color.

Yep. My Quartz is!

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Flabour of the day hydro thermal quartz? Those come in all colour.

 

[RockHugger]

Im stickin'' with tanzanite man, LOL. I havnt had a problem with fakes till I bought other types of stones. I know tanzanite...these tourmalines are exausting.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 11/27/2009 2:20:23 PM
Author: Tropicgal10
That was my guess to but I have never seen a quatrz this color. I am sure its possable though!

Natural quartz doesn''t occur in that color. There''s a strong liklihood it''s lab-grown hydrothermal quartz. EBay is loaded with the stuff in a wide range of colors and it''s being fraudulently sold as several natural gems.

Richard M. (Rick Martin)

 

[Stone Hunter]

Bummer, but at least you tested it within the return period.

 

[RockHugger]

I I test every stone I get from ANYWHERE the day I buy it. Believe it or not, I have recieved more fake stones from local sources then I have on ebay. Oh well. I got some absolutely amazing paridot emerald cuts today too (5 1ct stones), so that makes me happy again.

 

[RockHugger]

Contacted the seller and he is refunding me and said to keep the stone. So it worked out well.

 

[ma re]

I''ve seen coated quartz that color too. Extremly good clarity is also an indication that your stone might not be tourmaline - they''re rarely too clear, and even if they''re eye clean, you can see inclusions under magnification.

 

[T L]

Date: 11/27/2009 3:15:03 PM
Author: Tropicgal10
Im stickin' with tanzanite man, LOL. I havnt had a problem with fakes till I bought other types of stones. I know tanzanite...these tourmalines are exausting.

Iolite is commonly passed off as tanzanite all over ebay. Iolite is much less expensive and has a strong grey axis, which mutes the color.

Paraiba color quartz and coated topaz are also passed off as paraiba all over ebay. So be very leary of that as well.