Will blue tibitan andesine be worth anything?

Answer 1

Until the source mine is verified by competent geologists, you should view the blue tibetan andesine with extreme suspicion. The red and green tibetan "andesine" (including the official Olympic gemstones) thus far tested have turned out to be Mexican yellow labradorite which has been given their color by an extreme artificial process which diffuses copper colorant into the top surface of the stone. And, unless the source for the blues can be firmly established, and it proved that they have not been treated, they will be viewed as highly likely to have undergone the same, or a similar, artificial processing. Artificially treated and colored stones such as this can be manufactured by the ton, and essentially have no value - the untreated yellow stones would be more likely to rise in the long term. So, hold off on any "investment" in suspicious new varieties such as this - particularly where the mines are unknown or in places such as Tibet, the Congo, or other inaccessible regions, and until there has been wide testing and agreement that such stones have not been artificially produced and/or treated.