09/20/2020
Hello everyone, we’re following up on the blue hemimorphites from Ojuela, MX that we posted about on the Mardani Fine Minerals account three days ago. To recap, a “new discovery” of electric-blue hemimorphite specimens became available, the quality and color of which were shocking to the mineral community. Fine Minerals International/Mardani Fine Minerals acquired a group of them remotely via photos and videos provided by our local contacts. Physical inspection of the material showed inconsistencies with natural coloration that raised a number of doubts to their authenticity. So, before bringing the pieces to market, we sent samples to a few labs for analysis. Today, we write to inform you that we’ve received the results from Dr. John Rakovan (Professor of Mineralogy/Geochemistry) at Miami University and are sharing them with the mineral collecting community at large.
Upon close examination, there is clear evidence that the color was a coating on the superficial layer of the crystals, and that it had been adhered to the crystals’ surfaces in an uneven fashion, and presents evidence of evaporation. This alone was not sufficient for a determination but is a strong indicator. Use of Raman spectroscopy ultimately revealed that the color was, in fact, the dye Phthalocyanine Blue BN, a commercially created coloring agent used for dyes and paints. It is an unnatural substance and was not present at the time of the hemimorphite’s formation; therefore, we have concluded these specimens to be fabricated and fake. Based on these findings, we are not bringing the specimens we acquired to market. We would like to note that other dealers and enthusiasts also sought to determine the source of their coloring but that their studies were often inconclusive as the material was extremely difficult to isolate because of the super-thin coating and required advanced equipment to identify its presence. We cannot state that all examples are false, we suggest that if one questions their specimen, they have samples analyzed for specific results. We hope that this answers questions and is a service to the community. Thank you for your interest.
If anyone would like to see the in-depth account and analysis,, we would be happy to supply it. You can request one via: [email protected]
