Re: Radioactive gems circulating in Asia?

["Dr. Marvin Goldman" <mgoldman@ucdavis.edu>]

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>----------
>Von: Pickett, Bruce D <Bruce.Pickett@PSS.Boeing.com>
>An: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
>Betreff: Radioactive gems circulating in Asia?
>Datum: Dienstag, 11. November 1997 17:25
>
>The following news story was on the radio and in the paper this morning.
>I got the text from:
>http://www.seattletimes.com/extra/browse/html97/gems_111197.html
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>These gems obviously do not only circulate in Asia, but I remember that Mr.
>Rozenthal, whom I had the pleasure to meet recently in Vienna, told me that
>very similar problems exist(ed) in South America. I do not remember exactly
>what kind of gem it was, which used to be irradiated to increase the value,
>but since he is a RADSAFE subscriber I hope he reads these comments and can
>tell us more.
>
>The fact, that gem stones have been irradiated need not be associated with
>real risks, but of course it is fraud. One can also remember the ALARA
>principle.
>
>Franz

And then there were those who, some 3 decades ago, used to massively
irradiate Brazilian quartz in Co-60 sources to create ersatz cerulean; (
non-radioactive gems in that case, but fraud nontheless)
mgoldman@ucdavis.edu