Cacholong - "china"

Many probably did not hear such a name for the mineral as cacholong, but they certainly met it on sale. This ornamental material looks a bit like porcelain - it has a milky white color and pearly luster. In ancient times, this stone personified the purity of the sacred lotus among the peoples of Mongolia, and among the Egyptians it was compared with the petrified milk of the sacred cows.
Mineralogically, cacholong consists of crystallized silica and is actually considered a rock. Its formation in nature occurs in near-surface conditions and is associated with hydrothermal and hydromorphic processes. In fact, this is the precipitation of silica from a colloidal solution with the formation of quartz grains and finely divided opalizing chalcedony. Typical forms of cacholong isolation are lenses, nodules, streaks and sagging aggregates. One of the main properties of this stone is the tendency to lose water, which leads to its indirect diagnostic feature - it sticks to the tongue.
Simplicity of processing and sufficient low cost contributed to the widespread distribution of cacholong in the stone market. A variety of carved products are made from it, as well as numerous beads, bracelets, beads and other similar products.
Despite the fact that the price of the cacholong is not high and it is not a rare material, it is still faked. As a cacholong, you can be sold howlite, marble, glass or plastic. In order to exclude the possibility of buying a fake, you need to know the basic properties of the cacholong - a uniform surface, cryptocrystalline structure, milky white or yellowish color, smooth surface resembling enamel.