Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:15 pm Posts: 109 Location: Alberta
Hey guys sorry if this is a dumb question, but is fluorite supposed to smell? I have a large crystal and I went to clean it with some mild detergent and a toothbrush and WOW! This gross smell came out kind of like petroleum maybe? I smelled the toothbrush and it was ok. It was definitely the rock! Is that normal?
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:15 pm Posts: 109 Location: Alberta
Ah ok thanks guys! It's so pretty I didn't expect that foul smell to come out of it! The rock still stinks now hopefully it goes away soon. Interesting read!
Not unusual for fluorites, calcites, especially out of China. Soft and easily dinged, the oil hides the dings and makes them look more transparent and lustrous.
To smell stinkspar, you have to break it; the fluorine is trapped inside.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
From another thread:
Barbra V wrote:
I am currently reading A Geologist Speculates by John Saul. And he points out in Chapter 1, that this odoriferous situation is not uncommon with colored stone deposits.
In many primary deposits, the host rocks can emit a strong, extremely unpleasant organic smell when mined or when trimmed!
The smell originates from microscopic fractures in the host rocks or inclusions within the gems themselves. Examples of super stinks include but are not limited to: Tanzanite Green tsavorite from Kenya Ruby from Kenya Tourmaline from Brazil Rubies from impure marbles in the Himalayas and Mogok Gem Tract in Burma.
Oiled with oil. WD-40, motor oil, Vaseline, whatever.
The Inuit used to finish their soapstone carvings by rubbing them with their hair, to darken the stone and improve the luster. Try it, it works.
There's a fair bit of alteration and fakery in the mineral collecting world. Not nearly as bad as the gem world, or the fossil world, but it's out there.
A good tipoff for an oiled specimen is that dust clings to it more than you'd expect, which is quite noticeable under low power magnification.
I think it is sometimes used for transportation too. My brother and I picked a bunch of black tourmaline crystals out of a large drum, and they had all been covered in vaseline, probably to prevent them from shattering or rubbing against each other. It worked great, but they were a real pain to clean. Of course this would not apply to most specimens but it might be something to look out for.
Not toxic per se, but I've had a couple eBay pieces ("jade" serpentine carvings that I got for kicks) come smelling pretty awful thanks to whatever oil they put on it (the seller admitted it was oiled).
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:15 pm Posts: 109 Location: Alberta
The thing that I found odd, and I just smelled it again, is that it smells totally neutral normally. But when I scrub it with a brush that's when the smell unleashes its nastiness! And then the next day has no scent again.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum