Subject: Question ... or two ...

From: [email-masked] (Audi Burr)
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 1995 20:33:00 -0500

Does anyone have any information on byzmuth (I know it's a bit off
topic)? I've held a piece and have gotten some pretty fantastic positive
feelings from it.
   Anyone have any opinions on dyed stones? I have two pieces of tiger
eye, one dyed red and another a deep blue. I also have another that
looks like it's been sliced off of a piece of hematite.
   Last but not least .. I have another stone given to me for Christmas.
It's 1/4 of a geode (meant to be a bookend!). The outside is a bright
magenta color and continues inside the piece about 1/4". Next is a ring
of clear crystals and then another ring of magenta. Then there's more
smaller crystals that are exposed. It didn't come with any information
on the piece at all, and being new and a bit ignorant, I have no idea
what it is!

   Thanx for the information in advance!!

Audi Burr/Mishakal

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 þ QMPro 1.50 89-1231 þ All rising to a great place is by a winding stair.

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From: [email-masked] (Sunnyway)
Date: 7 Jan 1995 12:27:16 -0500

Shucks, I'm disappointed to hear that my reddish and bluish tigers eye
stones are probably dyed.  I thought I'd lucked into some unusual natural
colorations.

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From: [email-masked] (Jarl Love)
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 1995 15:42:09 +0000

> topic)? I've held a piece and have gotten some pretty fantastic positive

     The bismuth that's available from Germany or the States is the pure metal
(refined from wismud) which has been melted in a graphite crucible then allowed
to cool slowly under inert gases perhaps usually poured out over wires whereupon
it grows into incredible crystal shapes bursting into all the colours of the 
rainbow in the process. 
     It is of special interest because it happens to be impervious to gamma
radiation. Often a layer of wismud is found between any naturally radio-active
minerals in the ground and the surface so it protects the animals and plants 
above from harm. In nuclear power stations, plutonium sources are kept in vats
made of bismuth and even X-Ray operator's special protective gloves are dusted 
with it. People buy crystals from us to counteract (or somehow immunize them-
selves?) against harmful rays pouring out of their computer screens and tv sets
or when they go for x-rays. We link it alchemically to Uranus.  
       
>    Anyone have any opinions on dyed stones? 

We don't traffic in them because colour is usually integral to how a crystal 
works so it defeats the purpose of looking to nature for cures and benefits. 
It confuses the issue for us and the crystals.

> I have two pieces of tiger eye, one dyed red  

We sell naturally red tiger eye from Australia. It picked up the redness from
haematite in its surroundings while it was crystallising out of asbestos. South
Africa has no naturally red tiger eye so they dye some of their own yellow tiger
stone to red.

> and another a deep blue. 

Deep blue tiger eye known as hawk's eye is a naturally occuring colour. We have
never heard of this being dyed. However blue may be produced from yellow by 
using heat to change the states of iron. This mimicry of nature is pretty hard
to detect. 

> I also have another that

This is tiger iron: it is mostly from Australia so it should be undyed.

> on the piece at all, and being new and a bit ignorant, I have no idea

This is a nodule of agate with quartz most likely from Brazil where they tend 
to dye any agate that doesn't look fantastic enough to sell otherwise. 
Crypto-crystalline agate is porous so it soaks up colour like a sponge leaving
any big impervious quartz crystals inside clear/white in contrast. This magenta
colour and inky blue are the most popular unnatural colours.      

Try to find a shop near you that doesn't sell dyed stones.  

Jarl

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