What is "SILVERITE"?

Silverite - $25/Strand

UPDATE July, 2016--I had 3 samples of "silverite" examined by a certified gemologist.  She examined them using various tests, including microscopic examination and other tests. She found no indication that any of these were minerals, but were all GLASS with a coating, some sort of pearlescent paint or coating.  She is a professional jeweler, a certified gemologist with one of the world's largest and most well-known and well-respected gemstone suppliers----and she never even heard of "silverite" and consulted with others in her field--and they never heard of "silverite" either. She examined three separate pieces from 3 different sellers, and determined that ALL WERE COATED GLASS.  These are NOT "corundum" or "sapphire" or "quartz" or any sort of gemstone or mineral AT ALL.  PERIOD.  Silverite is a FRAUD. Beware.
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UPDATE August 19, 2016 -- I got an email from someone who insists that she had two strands of "pink silverite" tested and they are "confirmed to be genuine corundum."  (Corundum is sapphire---a precious gemstone.)

So of course, the burning question is this:  WHY on earth would anyone sell strands of genuine sapphires as anything OTHER than genuine, precious sapphires?  The answer is:  they wouldn't!    Simple logic would tell you that NO ONE would sell strands of genuine sapphires as "silverite", which is a supposed gem  that is nonexistent in the gemstone world!

That is as silly as someone selling genuine Muzo emeralds as "Muzite" or strands of genuine diamonds as "Glitzite" or something, rather than saying they are emeralds and diamonds.  NO ONE would do that!!

If they are genuine sapphires, they would be SOLD AS genuine sapphires---precious gemstones---not sold under some mysterious "pseudonym."

Again, more than one gemstone wholesaler in India (one of whom told me they mined the stones) have told me that "silverite" is "a new gemstone" and is "NOT corundum or any other gemstone already known" and is "uncoated and untreated".  However, I have yet to have any "silverite" examined and tested that has been anything other than coated glass.
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Almost exclusively offered on Etsy, there are jewelry items made with a stone called "Silverite".  It's a very pretty stone that looks a little like rough diamonds, or with some sort of mica-like sheen.  I tried to find out more information about this supposed gemstone, so I googled it.  There isn't much info on this stone, other than it's being offered for sale.

What I discovered, though,  is very strange.

(1) First, I found "silverite" stones for sale on a website based in India.  They seem reputable and have a large selection of gemstones.  They also sell this silverite in their Etsy shop as well.   Etsy seems to be their major market (or only market) for selling this stone.  They offer white silverite, black silverite, natural uncut silverite, red, brown, "tanzanite" silverite, and grey silverite.  These stones are smooth cut, faceted, briolettes, raw beads, smooth ovals, and all are simply described as "natural".  There is no further description about this stone---just "natural silverite".

Blue-white Silverite

I contacted this seller via Etsy and asked what the stone is.  The reply was, "Its actually a new gemstone and only we've sold to all the sellers so far. We have in white and black and little blue / yellowish. Its not coated in any form or treated."

So according to the IMPORTER of this stone, it's a natural stone that is untreated and uncoated. 

Prices for this silverite runs about $25 a strand.  

(2) Another importer on Etsy in India offers Silverite and only describes it as "Natural Silverite".

Silverite Briolettes

(3)  So if these are the importers of this stone, then the Etsy sellers who use this stone probably purchased it from one of these importers, right?  Then why is it that sellers are marketing this stone as:

• Mystic coated sapphire
• Opalescent coated sapphire
• Mystic corundum 
• White sapphire
• Mystic silverite
• Mystic Pearl Finish Silverite
• Silverite Sapphire
• Mystic QUARTZ
• Diamond coated white corundum
• Madagascar Sapphire

So where do these terms, like "diamond coated white corundum" or "pearlescent coated" or "mystic sapphire" or even "Madagascar Sapphire" come from?  

I contacted the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the leading source for gemstone information, and asked if they ever heard of this "new gemstone" called Silverite.  I heard back, and their answer was: no, never heard of that gemstone, and they could only find the term "Silverite" which is an abandoned trademark, never used.  It was filed in 2001 to describe gemstones that are coated with silver, gold, or platinum.  (Example:  gold plated pyrite.)  This seems like it could apply, but since this is a "dead" trademark, and it describes SO MANY "mystic" coated gemstones and even plated gemstones (like pyrite), this doesn't apply---remember, I was told this was "natural" and "uncoated" by the wholesaler.

Searching mindat.org for "silverite", I was re-directed to an entry for vermiculite!

So....I still have no answer as to what this gemstone is, or if it is even a gemstone at all!  Is it natural and uncoated?  Sapphire? Quartz? Vermiculite?

Vermiculite

What is Vermiculite?

Blue-black Vermiculite

Vermiculite is a mineral that you've probably heard of.  It's used in gardening products, and home insulation, and many other construction industry products.  It looks like mica, with shiny "layers" that flake, and a translucent appearance.  It's mined in Brazil and China and the U.S. and all over the world, and comes in many colors including brown, gold, reddish, blue, white, black.

Silverite Briolettes---look a LOT like Vermiculite

                                                                                                           

     I've included some pictures of Vermiculite and you can see the resemblance it has to "silverite".  Is it possible that silverite is some sort of treated Vermiculite?  Treated to harden it?  Perhaps untreated and natural Vermiculite?  Many importers of gemstones give proprietary names to stones, some of which aren't gems at all----Opalite, for example (which is glass).  Could silverite be just a trade name for some form of Vermiculite?  It seems possible to me.

Brown-Yellow Vermiculite

It would seem that sellers on Etsy are buying this stone from India and are using "creative marketing" to sell jewelry made with silverite.  By calling it a "coated sapphire" or even a "diamond coated" sapphire, they're promoting this stone as something it is not.  If the seller from India that I contacted says it's NOT coated and is its own "new gemstone", then I'm quite sure it isn't any sort of sapphire or other precious gem---especially at such cheap prices.  It certainly is NOT diamond coated!  It does resemble vermiculite to me, but Vermiculite is a soft mineral and is not a gemstone. It also somewhat resembles Kyanite perhaps---hard to say just by looking at online pictures though.

I'm not going to buy any of this silverite, basically because I can't even get a straight answer from the gem wholesalers as to what it actually is.  I would never want to misrepresent something that may or may not be a gemstone and claim it's "diamond coated" or "sapphire" when the importers do NOT say that.  I'm just waiting and hoping for someone to send this Silverite to a lab for testing to determine what it really is!

If the Gemological Institute of America doesn't know anything about silverite, it's a pretty safe bet that it's not really a gemstone at all, certainly not a recognized "new" gemstone, and quite possibly could just be a new trade name for some other mineral or material.

So---buyer beware!

-----> UPDATE:  Apparently I was being GENEROUS by comparing "silverite" with vermiculite!  It's NOT even vermiculite!  It's not any sort of mineral at all.  This is a GLASS product that is coated with some sort of pearlescent paint or glaze, and is sold as "silverite".  It's NOT a mineral.  It's NOT a gemstone.  It's a fraud!