Do you know the sea stone?
Recently, at the domestic jewelry exhibition, a colored gemstone with ocean blue has attracted the attention of many people. Although the popularity in foreign countries is very high, there are not many people who know this kind of sea stone in China. It is reasonable to say that the price of something less famous should not be expensive, but in fact, the price of the sea stone is really not cheap, except because of the low production, but also because it is the same as the blue Perot from Dominica, the price of the blue is too high, the money is all at once Diverted to grab the sea stone. The price increase in the retail market has not risen so much in the raw material market, and the flour is more expensive than the bread, which is not a good thing for a gem that is still in the promotion stage. Many people want to know if the sea stone can copy the price myth of Lanpo and Nanhong? 壹: Short time to enter the Chinese market is not well known In this small series interviewed Caibao jade identification and appreciation experts: Wu Ya Wang Qi Moderator: Compared to colored gems such as tourmaline and aquamarine, the sea sapphire should be regarded as a new luxury in the jewellery family. It has not been a long time to enter China, and its popularity is not high, but a group of people like it very much. The reason why I know that the sea stone is also because of a collector friend, I saw a piece of sea stone at a jewelry exhibition. I regret that I didn't buy it. I have been obsessed with it and asked many people to look for it in the Guangzhou market. Later, I asked a friend to help him find a piece of rough stone. I didn't expect anyone who saw it to like the sea stone. Wu Ya: The sea stone is really very popular. It has a sea-like blue color. The white lines are like water waves. It looks like a peace of mind. The sea stones are also greenish, but not as beautiful as the blue ones. Its time to enter the Chinese market is relatively short and its recognition is relatively low. However, it is well known abroad, especially in the European and American markets. At the Jewelry Fair in Munich every year, the sales of sea stones are very good, especially Americans and Germans. They like sea stones very much. The good tourmaline is now in the hands of Americans and Germans. In the early years, the sea stone was also called La Lima. Its English name is Larimar, literally translated as La Lima, because it is called the mouth, in the past few years, it has given it a Chinese name sea stone. Larimar was discovered by the Spanish in Dominica and named after his daughter. Wang Qi: The national standards for jewellery will be updated regularly. In the 2003 edition of the national standard, there are no colorful stones such as sea stones and Su Jishi. It is not until the 2010 edition that new varieties such as sea stones and Su Jishi are newly promoted. Moderator: What are the characteristics of sea stones compared with other colorful treasures? Wu Ya: The hardness of sea stones is relatively high, usually between 4-6, and some can even reach 7, the nature is very stable, which is also a very important feature that can be processed into jewelry accessories. Its main component is calcium, which can reach more than 90%. The other main component is copper, and the copper content is very special. Unlike the malachite, the copper in the malachite is evenly distributed, while the copper content in the sea stone is not much, but it is gathered together and is pure copper. In places with more copper, the color of the sea stone is blue and forms a unique texture. Its texture is also very special, mostly radial, and rarely has the same texture. Moderator: As far as I know, there are not many merchants operating sea stones in China. Guangzhou is a distribution center, but the main products are sold abroad? Wu Ya: There are not many merchants operating sea stones in China, mainly concentrated in Guangzhou Liwan Square. Because it is not the mainstream of jewelry, there is no one specializing in maritime stone. We generally import raw materials from Europe and the United States, and then process them in China. After processing, many of them are sold to Europe and America. Because the processing costs in Europe and the United States are very high, they generally choose to process in China. Now India's processing fees are also very low, grabbing our big market. The best masters in India now pay only $200 a month, equivalent to more than 1,000 yuan. Some of our processed jewelry is sold domestically and some are sold abroad. China's consumer market is very different from that of foreign countries. Chinese people must buy a boutique and buy the best. Foreign consumers usually use it as an accessory. The price is reasonable when it is beautiful, but the Chinese purchase. Many are for collection purposes. è´°: The annual production rate is less than 10 tons. The production rate is very low. Moderator: Which countries are the sea stones mainly produced from? Wu Ya: There is only one place in the world, the Dominican Republic. The specific production area is located on a hill in the Dominican region. The effective mining area is only about 15 square kilometers, and the output is very rare. There are three rare minerals in Dominica: blue peper, pearls, and sea stones, which are rare in other places. Lanpo is currently recognized as the best and most expensive amber, the color is very charming; the pearl produced by Dominica is called Kong Kezhu, which is more expensive than diamonds, and the output is scarce. I have never seen a Kong Kezhu, I heard that in Hong Kong. Occasionally, the jewellery show can be seen, pink, irregular shape, it is more difficult to find a standard pearl shape; the history of the use of sea stones in the local is relatively long, the local Indians have long worn the sea The tradition of the stone has been passed to the United States, Canada and other regions. Some people say that sea stones have been found in the United States and Canada, but in fact, sea stones are only found in Dominica, which is the national stone there. Wang Qi: The United States, Canada and other places will also produce a sodaite, but only copper-containing soda-stone can show the color of the sea. Moderator: How much is the annual output of Haishishi? Wu Ya: The output is very rare. This mineral is produced in the crevices or holes in the volcanic rocks of the area, and the veins extend from the land to the sea. You can see that the local mining method knows that unlike other gems, it is to dig into the mountains, but to open a mine. Dig into the ground. In addition, the local area is very poor, the mining technology is backward, the geographical structure is complicated, and it can only rely on manpower, so the mining speed is very slow. Moreover, the first half of the year is a rainy season and cannot be mined. In the second half of the year, it takes a month or two to clean up the silt. The actual time for mining is only three or four months. Therefore, the annual output is less than 10 tons. Not only is the quantity small, but the yield is still low. The original sea urchin is not big, there is no big one, and it is not the whole piece of the original stone can be used, it can be made into the top grade. In our processing factory, the output is 0.3-0.5, that is, 1 kg of raw materials can only be finished with 30-50 grams of finished products, and the yield is very low. å: The sea stone market “Flour is more expensive than bread†Moderator: The popularity of the sea stone is not high. It is reasonable to say that the price should not be expensive, but the raw materials are not cheap, except for the small output, is there any other reason? Wu Ya: At present, there are few people buying sea urchin in China, and the price of finished products is relatively stable, but the price of raw materials is very unstable. Because both the sea slate and the blue scorpion are produced in Dominica, the price of lanpo has risen very sharply in recent years. From a few tens of dollars a gram to a few hundred dollars a gram, the merchants of the blue pepo began to hesitate. In contrast, the price of sea stones is very cheap. The price of good sea stone raw material is about 200 US dollars and 1000 grams, and a little better to see the blue lop original material, only two grams can buy one gram two or three hundred dollars, the price difference between the two is 1000 times. Buy a little blue lop, you can buy a lot of sea stones. So many people went to Dominica. When they saw that Lanpo was so expensive, they switched to buying sea stones. The people who do the Lanpo are relatively rich in funds. They don’t know much about the sea stones. The comparison of the blue peper found that the price of the sea stone raw materials is so cheap, so they bought all the products at once, rushed to buy, and the sea The price of the stone is very high. But now the price of the retail market has not risen, flour is more expensive than bread, and it is not conducive to the future development of the sea. Moderator: Then why are you still optimistic about it? Wu Ya: In the gem industry, the price of a gem depends first on its production and the scarcity of resources. Why emeralds are so expensive, why the price of jade cannot exceed emeralds, because the output of emeralds is very small. The production of sea shale is also small, with an annual output of less than 10 tons, and natural materials are rare. Secondly, the main color of the sea stone is blue, which is the main color system in the gem, which many people like. In addition, its hardness is high, it is not easy to wear, and the texture is very unique. Many people originally didn't know it because they didn't know it. Moderator: How to judge the value of a piece of sea stone? Wu Ya: There are three factors in determining the price of sea shale: first, the color, the higher the copper content, the more blue the color, the higher the price; the second is the same color. The current texture of the tortoise shell is recognized as the best. The most expensive, so some people in the country call it turtle stone; the third is to look at the degree of moisture. These three price evaluation criteria are comprehensive. For example, there are two very beautiful colors in the sea stone, sky blue and sea blue. Sky blue is more beautiful than sea blue, but the sky blue is often dry, the run is poor, and there is a very cool sky blue, but the number is very small. Moderator: How much is the price of Shanghai Shishi in the market? Wu Ya: The top price of the sea stone, the current price is 400 to 500 yuan a gram. There is also a cheap one gram as long as 20 yuan up and down, such materials are green, impurities, very ugly. The top sea stones we usually stay in China and sell to collectors. Selling abroad is of a general level, and foreigners are not too particular about it. For example, the sea stones sold to the US market generally sell for about 10-15 US dollars per gram in the United States. The United States has a large volume and the price is not high in the country. Sometimes the supply is not available, it is very popular, and the market compares. mature. At present, the country is still mainly in the promotion stage. Because it is not a mainstream variety, promotion is more difficult, but the space is also relatively large. 肆: No synthetic sea stones have been found yet. Moderator: Other gems such as tourmaline, south red, amber, etc. After the price rises, the fake things are followed. Have you found any fake products in the sea? Wang Qi: At present, there are no synthetic products for sea stones. Consumers can be more assured. Although there are imitations of sea stones in the market, the composition and structure are different from those of natural sea stones, and the identification is not difficult. Wu Ya: Someone used to take a batch of goods to me. I looked at it like a sea stone, but the price is very cheap. I doubt it, let them issue an inspection report. The result is that the report says "carbonate." Quality jade." Others use heteropolar mines to fake sea stones. At the Hong Kong Jewellery Show in September, a Taiwanese merchant bought a batch of goods with me. I took photos and sold them online. The price was very cheap. Later I learned that the photos were used, but the goods sent were fake. Distinguishing between heteropolar ore and methyst is very simple. Although they look a bit like a bit, the hardness of the heteropolar mine is very low, it is easy to break and wear, and some even drop the powder. Moderator: Very colorful treasure because of insufficient hardness, must be glued during processing, otherwise it is easy to burst. The hardness of the sea shale is relatively high. Can you avoid the procedure of injection molding? Wu Ya: The process of production and processing of sea shale should also be injected, unless the material is very good, and it is easy to break during the process without injection. There are many cracks in the sea shale, which is unique in the formation process, but as long as it is processed into finished products, there is no need to worry about what will break. If it is a crack, the glue will not penetrate into the stone during the injection, but if it is cracked, the glue will penetrate. In order to maintain the naturalness of the product to the greatest extent possible, we must cut the crack and re-inject the glue as much as possible. There are still some people who use glue filling machines. The glue is vacuum-extruded and will be densely filled into the cracks of the cracks to form a white line. Some natural sea stones also have white lines, so the single It is difficult to distinguish by the naked eye. If it is a crack-filled jewelry, as long as it is worn for a few months, the wear of the glue will be obvious. What makes us headache is that the national standard and the European standard are very different. The European standard pursues the perfection of the stone. No matter what method you use, in addition to adding color, even the seawater filled with glue is considered to be natural. But the national standard is different. As long as other substances are mixed, the certificate cannot be written with natural sea stones, but the word "handling" should be added. Although this is a process requirement, Chinese consumers will not feel comfortable when they see the word "handling" and will not choose such a product. Wang Qi: In fact, the most "worry" that consumers are worried about is dyeing. However, in the process of testing, we have not found any cases of sea shale staining, and at most there are traces of silicone. If the content of the glue is very small, our judgment should be the residue in the process, not intentionally injection, so we generally use natural embossed stones to give the certificate. Like the tourmaline, there is a measure of the amount of glue. Therefore, in the market, sea stones should be regarded as a very safe variety. Upward posture: sea stones are not afraid of scratching and not afraid of water Moderator: Although the hardness of the sea shale is high, it has not yet reached the hardness of the jade. The jade can engrave all kinds of clever carvings. Why are the carvings of the sea stones very few? Wu Ya: The hardness of the sea stone is not as high as jade, but the sea stone is harder to cut than the jade. When cutting the jade, the blade is at least “walkingâ€, but the sea stone is “snapping the bladeâ€. . Therefore, jade, crystal, etc. can be carved, but the sea stone is more difficult to make carvings, very tempered, like the stone of the latrine, stinky and hard, processing must be very patient and patient. Moderator: Does the sea stone lose water? Wu Ya: The hardness of the sea stone is relatively high, and the color change is rare. However, in a high temperature environment, some lighter blues may be lighter, but overall, its stability is ok, it will change, but the change is slow. Wang Qi: The sea shale contains hydrogen hydroxide, which is still dangerous to lose water. It cannot be worn in too high temperature environment. If it is made of beads or a thinner finished product, it can't be violent, otherwise it will split open in a certain direction. But its hardness is high, not afraid of scratching. Many gemstones can't be worn while bathing, but the sea stones don't have this concern at all. Wu Ya: Yes, especially after washing in warm water, you will find that the color of the sea stone is bluer. It is not afraid of sweat. Many gemstones have been worn for a long time, and some changes will occur when they are eroded by sweat, but the sea stones are not afraid. A good grade of sea urchin, the material is tight, there will be no matt, faded, etc., it is normal to wear it normally, not too particular. Further reading: Sea Stone "Larimar" In Spanish, “mar†means “unparalleled blueâ€. Its stone is as its name, the sea stone is blue and clear, the sea pattern is delicate and unique, and it is like a wave that runs over the beach. Previously, the sea stone was not well known, but in recent years it has gradually been popular in China. In Japan, the status of sea stones is similar to that of a precious gem. In Taiwan, the sea stone was once fired to the sky, known as the "water meteorite." The time it takes for the sea to be accepted and popularized by the market is relatively short, but it has a long history. The earliest use of stellite on jewellery was the Indian aboriginal Taino of Haiti and Dominica. The history of wearing and using Lalima was long before Columbus discovered the New World. The Taino people wear this beautiful blue gemstone as a jewelry, and they will also make small sculptures for their enjoyment. They believe that sea stones can bring health and good luck, and they can protect their loved ones from diseases and disasters. Stitchbond CHAOZHOU TEAMWAY TEXTILE CO., LTD , https://www.teamwaychina.com
