GEM KNOWLEDGE · LABORATORY NOTES
Smithsonite (Fake)
A blue bead material marketed as smithsonite was tested to check that identification.
Finding: The submitted sample 10470, completed January 16, 2024, contained interlocking quartz grains and carbon-rich areas consistent with resin or epoxy. Zinc was not detected. The laboratory concluded that these beads are not smithsonite and that their blue color appears to be an organic dye.
This is a finding about the tested beads. Genuine smithsonite exists; its name should not be applied to this sample. See Blue Quartz (Dyed) for the same report under its identified material.
View the original report
Select a page to enlarge it. 3 pages; the findings are summarized in accessible text above.
Report images © Soul Body Gems, Alexander Falster and the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Please acknowledge all three when referring to these results. Findings apply to the specimen examined.
Understanding the report figures
Use this guide alongside the written findings and the original report transcript. It explains the purpose of each analytical figure and preserves the laboratory’s own figure labels. The interpretations apply to the tested specimen; signals alone do not establish the identity of every similar-looking stone.
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Electron microscope image: This view shows small-scale regions selected for analysis. Its brightness contrast helps distinguish regions with different compositions; it is not a photograph of their natural colors. Numbered spots connect this view to the analyses listed in the report.
Laboratory figure caption: Fig.2: Backscattered electron image of an area of the specimen.
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Elemental spectrum: The peaks record characteristic X-ray signals from elements in the analyzed spot or area. This is an analysis of that location, not automatically of the entire specimen. Any mineral identification or uncertainty named in the laboratory caption is retained below.
Laboratory figure caption: Fig. 3: Energy dispersive spectrum of spot 1 in Fig. 2 (quartz)
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Elemental spectrum: The peaks record characteristic X-ray signals from elements in the analyzed spot or area. This is an analysis of that location, not automatically of the entire specimen. Any mineral identification or uncertainty named in the laboratory caption is retained below.
Laboratory figure caption: Fig. 4: Energy dispersive spectrum of spot 2 in Fig. 2 (carbon-rich materail, such as resin or epoxy, some beam penetration to the quartz)
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Element map: This map shows where the named elements occur within the analyzed area. Its colors represent the laboratory’s selected element channels, rather than the specimen’s visible colors. The caption below preserves any color key or distribution noted by the laboratory.
Laboratory figure caption: Fig. 5: X-ray map of the area shown in Fig. 2. Carbon: red, silicon: blue.
Read the original laboratory report as text
The following text and tables are transcribed from the original laboratory document. Figure captions identify the report images; the laboratory interpretations and limitations are preserved.
Laboratory report 1
Analytical Result Report
Sample id: 10470 (#12)
Submitted by: Soul Body Gems
Date completed: 1-16-2024
Operating conditions: An AMRAY 1830 SEM operated at 25 kV acceleration potential, 24 mm working distance, 0 degrees sample tilt, coated with 250 Å carbon, and also using the attached XRF unit operated at 30 kV.
A BRUKER Titan X-ray fluorescence spectrometer was also used and operated for 30 seconds at 50, 25, and 10 kV.
Fig. 1: Photograph of the specimen. Approximately 7 mm across the beads.With one close-up photograph showing interlocking grains. Bright halo is a reflection form the light source
Fig.2: Backscattered electron image of an area of the specimen.
Fig. 3: Energy dispersive spectrum of spot 1 in Fig. 2 (quartz)
Fig. 4: Energy dispersive spectrum of spot 2 in Fig. 2 (carbon-rich materail, such as resin or epoxy, some beam penetration to the quartz)
Table 1: Trace and minor elements in the bulk material.
| Element, in wt. % | |
|---|---|
| Aluminum | 1.2 |
| Chlorine | 0.3 |
| Iron | 0.2 |
| Sodium | 0.2 |
| Sulfur | 1.6 |
Fig. 5: X-ray map of the area shown in Fig. 2. Carbon: red, silicon: blue.
Summary of findings: This specimen (Fig. 1) is pretty. The beads are made up dominantly of interlocking quartz grains (Figs. 2 and 3). There are a lot of carbon-rich areas, resin or epoxy (Figs. 2, 5 and 5). Fig 4. Shows a strong carbon peak, some silicon is detected from beam scatter and penetration. There are no detectable amounts of zinc, thus the beads are NOT smithsonite. The blue color appears to be caused by organic compounds, not any copper compounds or other inorganic blue ions. The material is dyed. Resin or epoxy may also have been used to filled voids and then impart color.
Date: January 16. 2024 Signature