Chapter 61 Fool’s Gold
"Foreigners also bet on stones?" Qiao Yufan asked in surprise.
He has been in the United States for more than two years, and this is the first time he has seen a stone gambler.
Old uncle: "Would you like to stop taking a closer look?"
Is that called gambling on stones?
I saw that the stalls in the front row were decorated with various colorful stones. At first glance, it seems a bit like gambling on stones.
"Isn't it?"
Qiao Yufan mainly saw the California jade "picked up" by Huo Qingtong and Li Qiushui earlier. When he saw these stones again, he subconsciously thought they were gambling stones.
The old uncle said: "Of course not. It is true that there is jade here in California, and a jade festival is held every year, but they don't gamble on stones here."
He told everyone that jade is produced in this area of California, but the quality is poor and there are few good ones.
In addition, local law stipulates that jade cannot be collected above the high tide line of the sea, so the collection activities are all carried out on the beach. Now it can only be collected by diving.
So everyone dives for jade, which is a waste of time, energy and money.
"The jade here is a seed material formed by seawater erosion. It has a unique shape. A very special kind is grape jade, which is very popular among locals and has a high price. There is also a blue jade called Pacific blue, which is also very interesting. I have seen it." The old uncle said.
In the jade market here in California, there is generally no fraud.
It is said that foreign countries don’t play much with jade, but few Chinese people know that foreigners are also obsessed with jade, and the price of jade abroad is not low.
Lin Yuan looked at it: "That should be a strange stone!"
Strange stones refer to naturally formed stones with unusual shapes. Their materials, shapes, colors and patterns are unusual. They can satisfy people's curiosity or aesthetic habits and can be viewed, collected and played.
Generally speaking, strange stones not only need to be natural, but also natural. To put it simply, it means that the stone has not been artificially carved, modified or artificially processed.
"Strange rocks? Do foreigners also play with them?" Qiao Yufan asked again.
in the country, there is indeed a market for strange stones, and they are very popular. He knows this.
It is said that China's stone appreciation culture can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, while the Tang and Song Dynasties were the heyday of stone appreciation culture.
For example, in the Song Dynasty, Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty established the "Hua Shi Gang" and became the largest stone collector in the country. Due to the emperor's advocacy, high-ranking officials, nobles, gentry and businessmen rushed to follow his example. So the government and the public searched for strange stones for viewing, which became a fashion among the people of the Song Dynasty.
Mi Fu, Su Shi and other great stone appreciators emerged.
Celebrities in literary and political circles such as Sima Guang, Ouyang Xiu, Wang Anshi, and Su Shunqin all became influential active participants in the collection, appreciation, and appreciation of strange stones at that time.
Not to mention the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Henry: "Why not play? But our place is called Waterstones, and there is the Waterstones Association!"
He remembered that his neighbor's uncle used to play with it, and he was so addicted to it that he even gave up his wife and children for the stones. At that time, Henry was still very puzzled.
Henry didn't know about Waterstones until he grew up.
Not only are people playing in the United States, but also in European countries, Japan and South Korea. Not only that, countries even hold stone exhibitions every year.
At this time, the audience in the live broadcast room started discussing it.
"It's different. Although they are all playing with stones, the Chinese people play in different directions." Lin Yuan said.
He said that the domestic strange stone market mainly focuses on "shape", which naturally forms stones with various artistic conceptions or images. If China emphasizes "form" and "meaning", the United States pays more attention to "color" and pays more attention to visual effects.
Various colors are mixed on a stone, and it also has a metallic luster. No matter what the shape of the stone is, such a stone is really beautiful to foreigners.
While chatting, Lin Yuan and the others came to the stone stalls.
"Wow! This stone is so special! Is it also naturally formed?" Huo Qingtong looked at the stone in front of him and sighed.
In her opinion, if it is naturally formed, it must be very valuable.
I saw several golden cubes of different sizes inlaid on the stone. The cubes were very regular, as if they were cut out by precision machines.
"That's fool's gold." Lin Yuan told her.
"Ah! Is it made of gold?"
Lin Yuan: "..."
He had no choice but to explain: "It is a kind of mineral called pyrite. The cube above is made of crystals. It is indeed naturally formed."
Many people can't believe that such a regular cube is formed naturally.
Check out the 16-9 book bar and see the correct version!
Pyrite is a disulfide of iron. Although it contains iron, it is not used to refine iron. It is mainly used as the main raw material for the production of sulfur and sulfuric acid. Because of its light brass color and bright metallic luster, it can be mistaken for gold, so it is nicknamed "fool's gold".
The hardness of this ore is so high that it cannot be carved with a knife. In ancient Britain, people liked to use this gemstone with its special shape and ornamental value. It can be used to grind gemstones, and can also be used as the base for jewelry, jade, and other handicrafts. .
As for why the amazing cubes appear, we have to start with the crystal habits.
People who are good at chemistry should know that crystals are structures composed of a large number of atoms, ions, molecules, etc. arranged in an orderly manner according to certain rules. Crystals are formed by natural condensation without external interference. They generally have neat and regular geometric shapes, like It looks like it was deliberately processed by someone.
"This should be of collectible value, right?" Henry couldn't help but ask.
Lin Yuan nodded: "Although there are some flaws, there is no problem in collecting it yourself."
In fact, although cubic pyrite is very common, it is basically difficult to find a perfect cube, and there are more or less defects.
Henry thought the ore was quite interesting and planned to collect it, but when he asked about the price, he gave up immediately.
Such a piece of ore was priced at US$6,000.
This is not an offer, this is a joke, right?
Someone in the live broadcast room has already given a relatively reasonable price, which is not valuable at all. $6,000 is just a scam.
Although pyrite looks similar to gold, its actual value is much lower than gold. More importantly, pyrite is easily oxidized and discolored, losing its original luster.
Of course, it’s not all garbage. High-quality raw pyrite stones have bright colors and fine textures, and they are indeed valuable for viewing and collection.
"The stone next to it is nice." At this time, Lin Yuan said to Henry.
When Henry heard this, he did not hesitate to reach out to the stone that seemed to have been roasted by fire and asked the stall owner how much it cost.
The stall owners are still asking for high prices. After all, Henry also studied in China, and he has learned more or less the Chinese people's bargaining skills.
After some haggling, Henry finally spent $160 to get the stone.
Although others didn't know the origin of the stone, since Lin Yuan said it was good, Henry must have made money.
Seeking pursuit
(End of chapter)