An Ongoing Debate

[StoneWhisper]

For morte then 8 years I've been telling minerals and rock collectors of the ahrmfull effects to using salt on the minerals as well as placing the stoens in direct sun light for an extened leinght of time.. These last two years I've been doing an experiments on an Amethyst I've broken and left one in the sun while keeping one in the shard or shadows..

The two years have past and I think it's time to show you what has happen to this once very dark amethyst..

Image Above: Mind you, Both of these are from the same Amethyst, Broken in two.​

While one braved the sunlight, hot days and cold winters.. the other (darken one) was inside out of harms way. Clearly one can see what happens when one leaves their collector in the sun for to long..

So if you value your collection.. then take care of them by never leaving them in the sun light or cleaning them in a salted solution.

 

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[mamabear]

nice test done. don't have any of my collection in the sun, but will remember this & pass it on. I wonder if sulpher can damage pieces, I do have a nice bright yellow chunk of sulpher in with other specs.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Here is my take on it, considering what I think I know to date.

From what I know there are mainly three kinds of things which give a minerals colour.
Inclusions (as in blue quartz) and trace impurities (as in Fe2+ in amethyst) and structural damage.
(such as from irradiation in smokey quartz)

Those with inclusions don't fade as far as I know.
However those other two will vary with locality - where it was mined.
Some amethyst is considered 'stable' while others are not.
I've heard of Namibian amethyst fading, I think some amethyst from brazil does also fade. (as a couple examples)

So if you don't know from where they are from - keep them out of sunlight as Jeep suggested.

Thoughts?

 

[StoneWhisper]

True, EU but these Stoens are from Brazil and according to "Rock & Gem" magazine.. artical "Faded Glory" this is a all to often occarance with stones left in the sun.. (desplaied in windows of shops)

fyi.. R&G mag wanted me to write and artical about this.. but they placed to many restrictions for me to work with.. However I did complete the artical and I can send this to anyone interested.

 

[EricTheCat]

That is a very interesting experiment. I am surprised how vivid the result is. I wonder if agates, in particular Lake Superior agates, are affected by this. I have a few in a South window right now. I may need to find a new place for them.

This is a great example of the effect of sunlight on minerals. Thanks for sharing the results.

 

[Eu_citzen]

True, EU but these Stoens are from Brazil and according to "Rock & Gem" magazine.. artical "Faded Glory" this is a all to often occarance with stones left in the sun.. (desplaied in windows of shops)

fyi.. R&G mag wanted me to write and artical about this.. but they placed to many restrictions for me to work with.. However I did complete the artical and I can send this to anyone interested.

Interesting Jeep, I had only heard of fading ammys from Brazil - not actually seen any pics.
A shame to put restrictions when writing an article IMO.

 

[StoneWhisper]

EU.. it's hard to sum up an artical in less then 30 words.. for cleaning or cleansing ones stones.. Perhapes you can (or anyone else for that matter) can create a group effort and send soemthing to the editors at R&G mag..

 

[Eu_citzen]

Less then 30 words? Ouch! You can barely touch the tip of the iceberg with that few words!

 

[StoneWhisper]

Less then 30 words? Ouch! You can barely touch the tip of the iceberg with that few words!

Nailed It..