Buyer Beware: Reconstituted "Gemstones"

[Daniel Fairly Knives]

I just saw another high end knife sold with "stone" scales today and I really feel the need to point this out.

Most reconstituted gemstones sold for knife scales are what I would call fake.

If you brought them to a geologist they would be id'd as "not a rock."

If you took any old stainless steel filings and molded them in JB Weld and called that product "reconstituted CPM-154 steel" you would be the laughing stock of the knifemaking community. "Reconstituted" stones are made in a comparable process.

Look at the tortoise shell, charoite, and rhodonite for examples of how bad these fakes are. If you compare the real stone to the recon, it is easy to see the difference. I'm pretty sure that tortoise shell would be illegal to use in any amount anyways for a newly made product with no documentation.

The problem in my mind is they are confused with or even marketed as stabilized stones. Stabilized stone is real stone that has been processed in various ways to improve it. The recon stone is much more processed, the colors and patterns are usually not even close. The recon turquoise is one of the better pulled off fakes, you see it here at the jewelry supply in blocks that still have the edge from the mold on them.

I don't feel like there is anything wrong with using reconstituted stone, I just wanted to let everyone know what they are dealing with.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Funny that you posted this.
At the show a person brought a knife for me to critique. He said the handle was red jasper. Now, I got into the jewelry business as a lapidary, and know that what he had was a plastic mix with some kind of powdered stone and red dye ( I have cut hundreds of pounds of jasper). I said, "You mean, reconstituted or composite ?" he replied, "No, I bought it from a knife supply.... it's genuine red jasper". Since he appeared to not want my input, i just said, "If you say so, what do I know." and let it drop.

 

[jonnymac44]

Funny that you posted this.
At the show a person brought a knife for me to critique. He said the handle was red jasper. Now, I got into the jewelry business as a lapidary, and know that what he had was a plastic mix with some kind of powdered stone and red dye ( I have cut hundreds of pounds of jasper). I said, "You mean, reconstituted or composite ?" he replied, "No, I bought it from a knife supply.... it's genuine red jasper". Since he appeared to not want my input, i just said, "If you say so, what do I know." and let it drop.

That's a good one Stacy. Sometimes the blind do not want to be shown how to see. Stupid is as stupid does

 

[Daniel Fairly Knives]

"Rhodonite has a pleasing pink rose color, thin black veins caused by manganese oxides"

"rare white turquoise with gold vein"

"amber in the rough..."



It is funny you mentioned the red "jasper" Stacy, you see that one a lot here, almost as much as the tons of natural red jasper all over the place here! I think it is funny they buy the expensive plastic stuff over finding the nice natural rough we have abundantly here. I think it is a time thing, it cuts quicker and is easy to polish.