To avoid an arguement

[oogyda]

I was out with a friend, Joan and another friend of hers, Michelle and we ended up in a little antigue shop just browsing.  Michelle and I were looking at some odds and ends which included a couple of nice iron pieces. 

Michelle:  I have a few wrought iron things at home and am thinking about collecting them.
Me:  (Without thinking) It's cast.
Michelle: What?
Me:  This is cast iron, not wrought iron.
Michelle:  It is not!  Cast iron is for pots and frying pans.
Me: (blink, blink)  Oh, look at that nice chair.

Given her tone, Michelle...TheOneWhoKnowsEverything....was not in the mood to hear about the various methods of iron work, and frankly, I don't care if she knows the difference. 

[BettyP]

LOL! I had to laugh and try to keep my veggie noodle soup from coming out my nostrils... I have to watch myself a lot with this because of my odd skill set in Archaeology and stuff. People tend to get pissy when I accidentally correct them.

But hey, I'm heck on wheels at yard sales and junk stores. Although, there is one woman who may still be mad at me for talking my DMIL out of buying an obviously fake "Indian basket." Heh. investment indeed.

[lucy_in_the_sky]

Haha! That kind of thing happens to me all the time. Once, at a so-called "Estate Sale!" Gemology is a hobby of mine, and I had to talk a woman out of buying a 700 dollar "Water Sapphire" ring. I thought everyone knew that "Water Sapphire" means Iolite, but I suppose not. I even checked it, using the Iolite trick. Definitely Iolite, and totally not worth 700 dollars. The sales clerk wanted me to die slowly, I can assure you. 

[BettyP]

When I worked at the museum, I was forever fielding calls from people who were convinced that they had the next Great Find of the Century. Le sigh. Some were very nice about it, but others made me insane. I've gotten more diplomatic in how I deal with folks at sales and such.

[Twik]

What's the iolite trick, BTW?

[Black Delphinium]

What's the iolite trick, BTW?

POD, I want to know, please( I think Iolite are very pretty).

[lucy_in_the_sky]

(Forgive my absence, been trapped in Spain...)

The Iolite Trick is really a genius way to tell what sort of dark blue stone you've got in front of you. Typically, a dishonest vendor will try to pass Iolite off as Sapphire and Kyanite off as Iolite. Iolite is very easy to distinguish from other blue stones because if you turn it over, so that the table, or face (the flat part of the stone) is facing downward, you should be able to see through the stone -- or at least the color should be much less vivid than when you look at it head on. Also, Iolite has a slight silvery finish to it that neither Sapphire nor Kyanite has. BTW -- I love Iolite too. Also, any blue stone referred to as a "Water Sapphire" is most certainly anything but a sapphire.