#Copal

[amber-tortoiseshell]

How would you describe carnelian?? And how would you explain how it works/what it does in a simple way??

Carnelian is another MC1R mutation, so it compromises the eumelanin production just like amber and russet. The difference is that carnelian isn't fully recessive: it's intermediate, but only in tabbies. If i understand correctly, solid carnelian heterozygotes (aa Eec) are simple blacks (blues, black smokes ect), but tabbies (A_ Eec) are golden.

The authors of the paper that described the carnelian mutation introduced four different colors, corresponding with the A_ ecec ii, aa ecec ii, A_ Eec ii and A_ Eec I_ genotypes:

Carnelian agouti. This is an orange cat with darker orange pattern and lighened throat. There's no black pigment in the coat at all.

Carnelian non-agouti. Similarly orange cat with a tabby pattern (but weakened on the face). The throat has no lightening. No black pigment here either.

Gold carnelian carrier. Yellow-to-brown with some black tipping and darker brown tabby pattern. There's some brightening in color with age.

Silver carnelian carrier. The cat has silver tones on the back and golden on the underside, with a gradiant between the two. Black tipping is present.

LOOF standards also reflect this, giving heterozygotes the name "copal":

Carnelian: cats that are non particolor, non amber (E/-) with or without inhibitor gene (I/- or i/i), agouti or not (A/A, A/a or a/a), homozygous for ec carnelian mutation (ec/ec).

Copal: cats that are non particolor, non amber (E/-) with or without inhibitor gene (I/- or i/i), agouti (A/A or A/a), heterozygous for ec mutation (E/ec).

To see how these actually look like, here's a carnelian tabby, Fantasya of Planet Lumens, and her ny ("black golden") tabby daughter, Sakura of Planet Lumens, obligate carnelian heterozygote:

[alel4lej]

Purificación de ambiente

[runesinthenight]

Crystal Buying Rock Guide - Are you getting what you pay for?

I went to a rock shop at the mall recently so I thought I would make a guide for all the crystal healing girlies (gender neutral) so you guys know if what you're getting is what they say it is. Now, there's probably going to be some stuff I missed but this should cover some of the more common things, and some of the stuff that stuck out to me while I wandered the store. So here is some advice from a geologist on how to spot fake or misleading rocks when at the store.

Note: This does not extend to cut gemstones. Gemology is a whole separate field and while I know a lot about rocks and minerals, cut gems are a whole separate ballpark and you'll need a gemstone expert to tell you what to look out for. This is for hand specimens, primarily rough, tumbled, or polished.

Turquoise

Not everything that's labeled as turquoise is actually turquoise the mineral, some of it is just a rock that is turquoise the color. The most common example is going to be howlite, a naturally white rock which can easily be dyed. Here are some examples of dyed howlite.

Another mineral which could be dyed to look like turquoise is magnesite. That looks like this.

Now, both of these minerals can look similar to turquoise (and it can be hard to see the difference on images alone) but there are some ways you can tell if you're looking at real turquoise or not. One is to look at the matrix as it's not the same for all three minerals. Howlite is also slightly harder than turquoise (6.5 vs. turquoise's 5-6) while magnesite is much softer at 3.5-4.5, but most shops don't like you scratching their rocks. And if they're polished, the polish will mess up your scratch test. Turquoise can also be heavier than a comparable size of howlite while magnesite is heavier than both of them

Best indicator is price. Real turquoise is much more expensive, especially for good quality pieces. The large chunk of magnesite sold on an auction website for $41. Real turquoise that size could easily sell for around 10 times that price.

Here are some examples of what turquoise looks like so you can compare.

Blue Obsidian

Look, I'm going to be real with you, there's a very high chance this is just glass. While obsidian can be blueish, it is going to be translucent, not transparent. What that means is that some light will pass through but it won't be clear like glass. If you see a piece labeled blue obsidian and it looks like any of these below, that's glass (and yes, these images I'm pulling from google were all labeled as blue obsidian).

Goldstone and Blue Goldstone

I feel like more people know this but, in case people don't, these are glass. These do not exist in nature. They're pretty, I won't argue with that, but they are entirely man made. So nothing against them, buy them if you like how they look, but if you are looking for natural rocks, these aren't that.

Rainbow Rocks

If you see rocks that have a brilliant rainbow shine to them, they're probably been treated. So things like aura quartz are quartz points or clusters that have been coated with a metal and treated to create pretty colors. I've seen titanium mentioned as one of the primary metals used. Mineral is likely real but the color certainly is not.

Bornite (may also be called Peacock Ore)

Bornite is a very beautiful mineral which can be blue, purple, or a coppery red, with the blue and purple being caused by tarnishing of the surface. However, it oxidizes quickly, becoming black. So if you have a piece which is beautiful all over, no tarnishing or anything, that's acid-treated chalcopyrite. Chalcopyrite tends to be a bronze color but also tarnishes to blue or purple naturally. These are not natural chalcopyrite.

This is san example of natural bornite. It's not nearly as vibrant.

Amber

Amber is often faked using copal (which is modern tree resin), plastic, or glass. Knowing where the amber is from is helpful as there are certain parts of the world which do export amber and those which export fake amber. Other than that, a couple of good tests are a static test and the hot needle test.

The static test is where you rub amber with a piece of work and see if it will statically interact with hair or not. Real amber will but fake amber does not. The hot needle is about what it sounds like. You heat a needle and press it to the amber. Real amber will smell resinous, plastic smells like burnt plastic. Real amber is also lighter than glass and soft enough to be scratched with a copper penny (pre 1982).

Fake amber with a bug in it will also look very beautiful and complete. Real amber will not as the bug was actively trying to not die in amber and struggled. I'll put a couple pictures up that might be fake amber but they can be very hard to tell from a picture alone. Other than the bug thing.

And an example of real amber. Had to include this one because it's absolutely fascinating to me.

Opal

Knowing where the opal is from is very important. Opals from different parts of the world will look different and there are certain areas of the world which are known opal producers. Australia is a world famous exporter of opal. Cooper Pedy is probably one of the most famous localities for Aussie opal, but Mintabie, Andamooka, Lightning Ranch, Jundah, and Quilpie are some other opal localities. Australian opal is also probably either white opal, black opal, or boulder opal. Mexico and Etheopia are where fire opals will be from. Other types of opals will be from certain locations in the world so knowing what type of opal you're looking at and where it's from is important. Any opal without a locality is probably fake, or at least highly sus.

There are also a few ways of looking at an opal to tell if it's real or fake. If there's a repeating pattern, that's probably fake. Columns in the opal are also a sign that it's artificial as real opals are consistent throughout. Also look at the opal from multiple angles, especially for jewelry. You may have a doublet or triplet, which is where a thin layer of real opal is placed on a backing and may have a clear topper (of resin, glass, quartz, or similar material) to make it appear clearer. This has real opal but is not solid opal. Some opal may also be treated to appear better than it is, so if there are dark "soot spots" within the opal then that is a sign it has been treated.

Price is also really useful. Opals are expensive, especially depending on type and locality. If it's cheep, it's probably fake.

Some examples of fake opals (with a couple pictures showing comparable differences).

Doublets

Triplet

Opalite

A nice segue from opal is opalite. It's another synthetic mineral. It's glass. It can be sold on it's own, but can also be played off as opal or moonstone. It does look different from opal and moonstone, but if you don't know to look for it you could be tricked.

Opalite looks glassier than either opal or moonstone. It's also more consistent in it's color throughout. Moonstone, because of it's structure as a feldspar, will have more of a color flash, something similar to labradorite (another feldspar). This is one where pictures are much better than words so let's just show those.

Opalite.

Moonstone.

Citrine

It's probably heat-treated. Natural citrine is very rare, but it can be artificially created by heat-treating amethyst. Just know it's probably heat treated, especially if the color is really nice.

Natural citrine for comparison

Bismuth

If it's rainbow and geometric, those really cool, beautiful pieces that look amazing, it's fake. That's bismuth that's been melted down and allowed to resolidify into those really cool shapes. This is lab grown bismuth.

This is what natural bismuth looks like.

I am out of images now. I know there are minerals I missed. And I didn't even touch rocks or fossils (and fossils are a whole other bag of worms. But hopefully, this guide helps you when you're looking at purchasing rocks so you know if you're getting what you pay for.

[nvrockhound]

Went to the Jackbox Rock and Mineral show and was able to pick up some beautiful specimen!

Madagascar copal

Crater Agate from Argentina

Cobalt Calcite w/ Malachite

[freyjalestrange]

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 & 𝑱𝒐𝒚 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝒊𝒍

Hello witches, I want to share with you a recent magic oil I made for candle dressing & spell making🕯✨️ you can also use it for your overall craft,

You'll need:

🌼 Chamomile

🌼 Calendula Flower

🌼 Lavender

🌼 Clove Powder (*can be replaced with whole clove)

🌼 Copal Incense (*I used copal resin for a concentrated infusion)

🌼 Carrier Oil (*I used olive oil)

🌼 Small Jar

Instructions ~

Cleanse your jar with salvia/sage incense, or cleanse with your preferred method,

Gather your dry ingredients into your jar: the chamomile, calendula flower, lavender, love & copal resin,

Set your intentions for your herbs, I like using my hand over each herb before putting them inside the jar, guiding each herb with which correspondence or property I'll need,

Pour in your carrier oil of choice, do it slowly allowing the oil to get to the bottom, this will get rid of any air bubbles,

Say your last intentions for the overall oil, close with the cork or cover, and let it sit for a few days to allow the infusion to set in,

When the oil is done resting, pour your concentration infusion unto another bigger jar without the herbs, it's okay if bits go in though,

Finally, top off the remaining or the jar with more olive oil,

And that's it! Your Prosperity & Joy Oil is ready for use, whether you want to dress a yellow candle to bring joy, happiness, prosperity & clarity to your daily life, or use topically before bed, etc.,

*Please note that this or any oil infusion posted here is NOT meant to be ingested/eaten, keep away from children & animals !!

Happy Crafting!

[roseate-felidae]

Learning new cat colour genetics. Carnelian, kaparti, phoenix, caramel/apricot and pink eyed dilution.

Basically, I learnt most of the genetics of cats and some rodents from a book called the Colour Inheritance in Small Livestock by Roy Robinson. Printed 2013.

But new genes has since been discovered, part 3

Carnelian (kopal, serdolik)- kurilian bobtail

What is it- starts out reddish, then turns pure red with dark tail tip with age (no dark hairs, except tail tip).

Genetics- co-dominant extension gene, ec (sometimes es). In single is golden, in double is Carnelian.

Notes-

Single tabby with Inhibitor gene looks like bimetallic (single self with I is normal smoke)

Single with wideband gene is brownish golden with dorsoventral paleness.

With self colourpoint is taupe points

Copal/kopal is name for heterozygous (single) carnelian.

Kaparti- laperm, lykoi, randonbred cats in carpathians, Transylvanian breed.

What is it- start light and grizzled with white points. With age is almost black, with white points. Sometimes have black face.

Genetics- dominant,

Notes-

Type of roan

Tempreture based points

With colourpoint- is powdery points

Salmiak- randonbred

What is it- originally called Finnish mutation, it causes a roan effect, with a black head and white spots.

Genetics- KIT gene (white mutation). Recessive

Notes-

Found in Finland and Hungary in randonbred cats

Actualy discovered in 2007, despite the gene being discovered as a KIT mutation in a study only recently.

Named for the Finnish salted Liquorice, which its pattern resembles

Originally thought to be a variant of homogenous Kaparti

Phoenix/pseudo cinnamon- Maine coons

What is it- turns red cats into mahogany

Genetics- dominant.

Notes-

Born golden with blue paws and tail

Changes pads colour and brighter eyes

Opposite to extension gene

In self cats the tabby markings are visible as mahogany on bluish background.

Caramel/apricot- Oriental shorthair, Siamese, Balinese, Oriental Longhairs, Tonkinese, Burmese, Birman and British Shorthair/Longhair

What is it- transforms dilute colours - blue, lilac, fawn, cream - into caramel (in black-based colours) and apricot (in cream cats)

Genetics- Dilute modifier gene (Dm). Dominant in dilute cats. Masked in dense.

Notes-

Have metallic sheen on them.

Doesn't effect dense colours (black, choc, cinnamon, red).

Blue caramel is sometimes called just caramel and cinnamon caramel is sometimes called Taupe.

Pink eyed dilution in cats- two accounts in domestic (both female). In Donskoy (Milkdud)

What is it- It changed black to a fawn/bluish-tan colour and the eyes had a red pupil and gold flecked red/pink irides (iris)

Genetics- recessive, modification of eumelanin. "oculocutaneous albinism with the identification of a splice-site variant in Hermansky–Pudlak Syndrome 5 gene”

Notes-

"Black cat hair (non-agouti) contains numerous small dark brown to black melanin granules uniformly distributed throughout all portions from base to tip of the hair.

Smoke cat hair (non-agouti + inhibitor (silver) gene) has a scarcity of melanin granules at the base of the hair.

Blue cat hair (non-agouti + dilution) has larger basic melanin granules, but still relatively regularly shaped, and a non-uniform distribution of granules.

Chediak-Higashi Smoke cat hair trait has even larger melanin granules than the blue dilution, and they are relatively irregularly shaped. All of the cats were Persian and resembled blue smoke Persians.

The pink-eyed dilute cat hair had very small yellowish-brown melanin granules and very few larger granules. Under the microscope, some lighter banding could be seen on the hairs, but the tip was coloured. The base of the hair was paler than the tip (agouti banding)."

Is not c gene. Like albino

She was a blotched tabby (dominant) with moderate white spotting (dominant) and had a slight kink at the tip of her tail.

Was called flavism and Ukraine chocolate in Donskoy once

Has irregular heats

Has no tapetum lucidum and poor vision

Similar gene as pink-eye mouse and non-syndromic oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) in humans

[starsburst]

Here's just some Cole x Opal art I didn't finish!(aka I was to lazy to finish :3)

[lucifersmockingbird]

Tezcatlipōca shenanigans

Nahua gods are really something because things work in a Full Metal Alchemist way.

Offering = Your petition granted

They can do things without an offering, but y'know, it's kind of rude. So if you give an offering to ask for something (not all offerings or blessings are transactional) and the teōtl does not deliver your request, you can insult them, curse them and tell them "wtf dude, I gave you the best feather, get to WORK lazy ass".

But I didn't like to do it. It felt disrespectful, I'm used to be very uh, demure heheheh.

However Tezcatlipoca works in funny ways, uncomfortable ones. He didn't do SHIT until I cursed at him, HE WANTED ME to tell him "brother q pedo, ya te di tu ofrenda, ponte a chingarle, no mames tengo q tragaaaaar".

And he delivered ONE HOUR after I complained. Moral of the story? He wanted me to be disruptive and get a grip.

Message for the world? Demand what you deserve, need and have worked for. Demand what is fair.

[walkingdetroit]

Eastern Market Friday

[hisagibito]

こちらの盆はレトロなCOPALのパタパタ時計

COPALのパタパタはポップなカラーな印象ありますが こういう無骨な物もアリですね！

クレオライトのノアはデッドストックでした！ 3/10

◇◆ 大福宝来市場 ◆◇ 初心者にやさしい、売主買主がお互いに感謝し合う、 そんな市場を目指しています。 ■ホームページ：https://www.hisagibito.jp/

[uk-fossils]

Fossilised copal with inclusions, pleistocene madagascar, certified

Scale cube=1cm: Full sizing please see photo

All of our Fossils are 100% Genuine Specimens & come with a Certificate of Authenticity

Specimen: Copal with Inclusion

Age: Pleistocene Period ~ 2.58 - 0.012 million years ago

Location: Madagascar

Copal is hardened tree resin, & a younger variation of Amber. These Copal samples are packed with inclusions, including flies, ants, bugs, and more! They are generally easy to see with the naked eye, though we recommend using a magnifying aid to view the inclusions. Copal can tend to be cloudier than Amber.

Copal & Amber Inclusions are unfortunate insects, plants etc. which became entombed in tree resin (not tree sap) millions of years ago. With the inclusion engulfed, the resin slowly hardened through a natural polymerization of the original organic compounds. This hardened material is known as Copal, which preserves the inclusion perfectly. Through time the Copal becomes buried and, over a several million year process, slowly turns into what we know as Amber. Incredibly this process has allowed us to marvel at ancient specimens frozen in time, as if captured only yesterday!

*We would always suggest using a magnifying aid to view your specimen so to truly appreciate the inclusions stunning frozen detail.

ACTUAL AS SEEN: The image shows the EXACT specimen you will receive. The specimen has been carefully hand selected and photographed. Measurements are as accurate as possible, though be aware measuring precise dimensions can be difficult from irregular shaped items. Whilst we portray colours as close to life-like as we can, colours will vary if taken in sunlight, indoors, from monitor to monitor and device to device. Once this specimen is sold, we will update this listing with new similar selected item, with a new photo and dimensions.

[deefeeme]

Semana de la Ingeniería 2024: Innovación y sustentabilidad en la Industria Alimentaria

Semana de la Ingeniería 2024_ Innovación y sustentabilidad en la Industria Alimentaria La Semana de la Ingeniería 2024, presidida por Ledesma, destacó el potencial exportador de Argentina y la importancia de la innovación y sustentabilidad en la industria de alimentos y bebidas. Conoce los temas abordados y los desafíos futuros en el link:

La Semana de la Ingeniería 2024, presidida por Ledesma, destacó el potencial exportador de Argentina y la importancia de la innovación y sustentabilidad en la industria de alimentos y bebidas. Conoce los temas abordados y los desafíos futuros. Del 10 al 12 de junio, el Centro Argentino de Ingenieros celebró la tradicional Semana de la Ingeniería (SI 2024), enfocada en la industria de alimentos y…

[jujuygrafico]

Semana de la Ingeniería 2024: Innovación y sustentabilidad en la Industria Alimentaria

Semana de la Ingeniería 2024_ Innovación y sustentabilidad en la Industria Alimentaria La Semana de la Ingeniería 2024, presidida por Ledesma, destacó el potencial exportador de Argentina y la importancia de la innovación y sustentabilidad en la industria de alimentos y bebidas. Conoce los temas abordados y los desafíos futuros en el link:

La Semana de la Ingeniería 2024, presidida por Ledesma, destacó el potencial exportador de Argentina y la importancia de la innovación y sustentabilidad en la industria de alimentos y bebidas. Conoce los temas abordados y los desafíos futuros. Del 10 al 12 de junio, el Centro Argentino de Ingenieros celebró la tradicional Semana de la Ingeniería (SI 2024), enfocada en la industria de alimentos y…

[ultralowoxygen]

Sea Buckthorn by __stuart__ Via Flickr: Taken with a Konica Autoreflex T2 and Konica Hexanon 40mm f1.8 lens on Ilford Delta 100 film.

[vulpine111]

If anyone knows what kind of burner I need to get for this bag of copal, let me know.