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Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

topic posted Tue, April 29, 2008 - 11:12 AM by  Lyrissa
Hi all,

I just wanted to bring this to peoples attention as I feel it needs to be highlighted and im wondering if anyone else is concerned about this latest trend which seems to be needless and out of control. Ill try and explain all I know and hopefully others will share what they know too.

Up until recently the only stones I knew of that were trademarked were Boji Stones. This was done I believe to authenticate these stones and they were also put through a special activation procedure. Then there was Super Seven, discovered and named by Melody. There is Nebula Stone which again was trademarked by the couple who discovered and named this stone.

Over the last year or so I began to notice quite a lot of crystals on the market that were being trademarked. Satyaloka Quartz, Azeztulite, Nirvana Quartz, Agni Gold Danburite, Satya Mani Quartz, Clear Light Calcite, Gold Sheen Azeztulite, Tanzan Aura, Imperial Gold Aura, Moldau Quartz, Circle Stone and more... What do all these stones have in common? Robert Simmons... For those who dont know, Robert Simmons is the owner of Heaven & Earth Jewelry and the author of several books on crystals, the most well known is The Book of Stones.

I have seen many people selling these crystals online such as on Ebay who have started to not only place the trademark symbol (TM) next to the name of the crystal but also use the TM every time they mention the name of the crystal in the listing! Its like they think they are going to get sued for discussing these stones. I heard that Robert Simmons has 'asked' certain Ebay sellers to stop selling their Azeztulite and Satyaloka Quartz crystals as he is the sole supplier of these crystals and they I assume didnt buy directly from him?

Hmm, I thought Azeztulite had been around for a very long time, I cant remember hearing Robert Simmons name mentioned in connection with this stone till now so I did some research. Azeztulite was named by crystal healer and author, Naisha Ahsian through her channeling work in the early 90s. Although she is a co-author with Mr Simmons on The Book of Stones I didnt see why he would have come to own this tradename. I looked up Azeztulite on the official US Trademark website and found something very interesting. Turns out Robert Simmons was in fact the owner of the trademark Azeztulite, but only since March 2007! This explains why in my Book of Stones (2005) he does not mention any trademarks. In fact if you look up this trademark yourself, the previous owner was someone called Colleen Moran who lost ownership because she died a month after she bought the name. According to the official US trademark website, a week after she lost it "Heaven & Earth" bought it.

Looks like Satyaloka Quartz was also only purchased from Mr Simmons in 2007. Some of the trademarks didnt come up which I can only assume are because they have only recently bought these or the website isnt up to date yet. I recently bought a newly discovered crystal from India called Satya Mani Quartz, I had no idea that it was already trademarked by Robert Simmons at the time. It was only when I bought a second piece somewhere else where it came with a guarantee card. It says "Accept no substitutes" and comes with the following message:

"Satya Mani (TM) Quartz is a trademark of Heaven & Earth LLC. H&E asserts Trademark and Copyright protection for this name and written copy on this card, as well as other explanatory writing about these stones."

Thats a bit general isnt it, what exactly is he saying at the end? Can nobody write about 'your' stones Mr Simmons? Turns out in the latest edition of his book he has highlighted which stones he owns the trademark on and out of all the new crystals added to this revised edition, only one was not trademarked by him! There is a debate about this in the reviews on Amazon.com. Dont get me wrong I loved his book and I like these crystals but the trademarking seems to have spiraled out of control and seems to be more about getting the monopoly on new crystals. I dont hear a spiritual teacher any more I just see the actions of someones ego on overdrive.

The crystal world is important to me and I dont want it turning into a control system with people at the top making big money and using fear to make sure we only buy from them. I dont think im the only one whos starting to get sick of this trademarking and copyrighting of mother earths gifts. There is only so much crystal lovers will take of this before there is a backlash. I have noticed that some of his stones are already becoming known under alternative names... Nirvana Quartz a new crystal from the Himalayas trademarked by you know who. I still dont understand if the locals realise he sells these on under this name or if he has somehow managed to buy a Himalayan mountain ;) But I do know that stones from the same place are being sold under the peoples name of Himalayan Ice!

The main question is, is trademarking crystals even ethical? Do we really need need trademarks on our crystals? Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many stones other than to fill his bursting bank account? Excuse me if im wrong but to my knowledge, NOBODY OWNS CRYSTALS BUT MOTHER EARTH!


Lyrissa
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Lyrissa
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  • Adam
    Adam
    offline 143

    Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

    Tue, April 29, 2008 - 2:37 PM
    Good question. Thanks for brining this to everyone's attention, it seems like it could be really important. It sounds a lot like Monsanto's campaign to patent and own genetic codes and therefore biological entities. Lets keep all life free from patent and trademark! No one owns these crystals, their names, or the information that pertains to them.
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    • Seann
      Seann
      offline 25

      Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

      Tue, April 29, 2008 - 4:48 PM
      IMO...here are some possible reasons. These are just possibilities, and by responding to this question, I am in no way implying that any of these apply to Robert Simmons or his company.

      1. Marketing and business experts know the value of trademarking a product. If you can claim that you are the only one with the genuine item, you can more effectively control the price, and also enforce your trademark with legal action.
      2. If you promote yourself as an "expert" in recognizing the energetic and metaphysical properties of stones and crystals, and secure rights to what you consider to be the "official" source, then you can act as a "defender" of the purity and accurate identification of them, and make sure that they are a reliable and consistent product.
      3. If you trademark a crystal type, and write very detailed and extensive descriptions of what they can do, often based on channeled or intuitive information, then even very inexpensive material can be sold for really high prices, because of all the fantastic and amazing things it can do.
      4. Even if other people are successful in obtaining the same material from the source mine, or from geologically equal deposits in the same region, you can promote your trademarked material as genuine, and characterize anything else as being inauthentic.
      5. Anyone who wants to sell virtually identical material without the threat of, or actual legal action, will have to create a new name.
      6. Trademarking a product, is a way to protect and recover your investment in discovering, producing, or promoting it, and guard against imitations or inferior substitutes.

      While Robert Simmons is probably the most visible and famous person trademarking crystals and stones, there is nothing new or unusual about this practice. In business, it's wise to be prepared for all opportunities and possibilities, and take advantage of them. Also, while we may all have our own opinions about how this relates to the world of gems, stones, and minerals, or the assumed or suspected motives of people who trademark them, another way to answer the question, "Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???," would be to ask him.
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      • Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

        Fri, May 16, 2008 - 8:07 AM
        You know, really these people are not trademarking the crystal itself. They are trademarking a name only. There is nothing preventing other sellers from claiming to be selling the same stones. They can allege that their stones come from the same place, or nearby, or have "Azeztulite like" energies. I mean, any sellers of this particular quartz who were going to distinguish it from "just quartz" in the first place were going to have to call it something or other to distinguish it, right? They are free to make up their own name. I hear people claiming that it's "always been called Azeztulite," but this name was hatched by Naisha who is a colleague of the Simmons so I can see why they feel justified in executing the copyright.

        I just cannot believe what I am hearing when sellers of metaphysical crystals are shouting "but it's just quartz!" Tell us how many times you have heard those very words from people scoffing at the whole idea of quartz having metaphysical properties. In a sense, you are turning their argument back on yourself.
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    • Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

      Tue, May 13, 2008 - 7:04 PM
      In my opinion Azeztulite has very, very unique energies and is not "just quartz" in terms of energetics. Given the reported widespread fakery going on with Azeztulite, I can see why the people who originated the material via Naisha would be interested in preventing the debasing of the material and its name. Were the material widely available and just laying around with the same relative abundance as regular quartz then copyrighting it would be futile and perhaps unnecessary anyway, but the material is available only from specific deposits of quartz which limits availability and raises the price, and with that the tempation to pass off more mundane quartz as Azeztulite. I can feel the difference just holding the material, but novices or newcomers to crystals could be fooled. The injustice of that is that later on in their experience with crystals as they become more sensitive and attuned they would be disappointed in a crystal in their collection called Azeztulite that had no unique energetic signature. Why do you think experienced light workers continue to fork over money for Azeztulite? They are not buying some typical quartz crystal. False hypes don't last in the market as long Azeztulite has, and they especially don't keep on bringing in high prices consistently as has Azeztulite.
      I have no idea as to the veracity of the story behind Azeztulite's energizing by hyperdimensional beings or whatever. The story is immaterial to the actual feel of the material itself. The material speaks for itself as far as I am concerned, and I've got nothing against someone trying to protect the good name and integrity of the stuff by protecting the source with a copyright. Really this quartz is too precious and unusual for us to be arguing about the protection of its identity. More importantly, we should be just trying to get it in the hands of the right people.
      Bo Long
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      • Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

        Tue, May 13, 2008 - 7:59 PM
        bo, i totally agree with you on this one. i have seen so many people hold a piece of azeztulite, and have chills up and down their bodies immediately. i have never seen this with milky quartz. i also know first hand, after starting to work with the azeztulite i also began seeing balls of light around me. 6 months later i also saw an ufo on the day pluto was alligned with the galactic center. i feel an extremely high frequency of energy in azeztulite, and it really opens and resonates with the throat and crown chakras. i have never seen regular quartz have such a direct opening on the throat chakra like azeztulite does. my guess is that the people who are debunking the azeztulite may have unknowingly tried something else being passed along as azeztulite (in my opinion, even more reason to copyright for quality control on this one).
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        • vege...
          vegetalista
          online 55

          Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

          Wed, May 14, 2008 - 4:55 AM
          kristalina-

          I respect that Azeztulite has been such powerful medicine for you.

          I will say, for the sake of clarity, that I have spent time with stones that are, without a doubt, the "real" Azeztulite from North Carolina, and the "new find" from India. These are the "real deal" from the "real source", and, for me, while beautiful, they are not exceptional in the ways that have been suggested.

          Everyone's experience is difference, and I respect that. I still feel that, in some cases, the marketing hype most definitely taints the experience. Not for everyone - and I'm not suggesting it's true for you - but it definitely happens.

          Respect,
          Veg
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          • Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

            Wed, May 14, 2008 - 8:27 AM
            The problem with the term "marketing hype" is that it could be applied to the entire crystal energy movement as I'm sure all the sellers are aware of having been verbally assaulted at their booths by people who think the whole thing is just marketing hype. "Marketing hype" is the accusation often leveled at anyone promoting crystals as conduits of higher energies, so it strikes me as abit hypocritical for sellers to be accusing
            the Simmons of this sin when everyone selling crystals could be accused thusly. They are being accused of "making claims" but so do all sellers of metaphysical crystals.

            Bo Long

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    • Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

      Fri, May 16, 2008 - 7:38 AM
      The problem with the term "marketing hype" is that it could be applied to the entire crystal energy movement as I'm sure all the sellers are aware of having been verbally assaulted at their booths by people who think the whole thing is just marketing hype. "Marketing hype" is the accusation often leveled at anyone promoting crystals as conduits of higher energies, so it strikes me as a bit hypocritical for sellers to be accusing the Simmons of this sin when everyone selling metaphysical crystals could be accused thusly. Accusing the Simmons of "making claims" is like the pot calling the kettle black.


      The Simmons' copyright governs a name only. It does not really restrict sellers from selling the stone if they too have found or think they have found the same stone or a similar stone. Sellers can even describe their stone as having "Azeztulite like" energies or as having come from "the same deposit" or a "deposit nearby." That happens with “Super Seven” all the time. They just can’t use the name "Azeztulite" though they will be hitching a free ride on the promotion of the stone already done at the Simmons' expense if they use “Azeztulite” as a reference. Gee, what a bum deal for you sellers out there. Do you guys actually think that all of the marketing and promotion done at great effort, time, and expense by people like the Simmons and Melody
      have hurt your market? I think in all likelihood this “marketing” has created a big part of your market and, more importantly, it has educated lots of people on the subject and brought them out of the woodwork and in to your stores and booths. “Marketing” doesn’t always connote vulture capitalism. It can also be synonymous with “spreading the word.”
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  • Suzi
    Suzi
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    Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

    Tue, April 29, 2008 - 8:27 PM
    How can anyone 'prove' a trademark on a stone? Geez, seems like we just need to ignore those who try to trademark our gifts from earth. We will call them whatever we like, barter them as we please, and use them freely as always. The best way to stop this guy, and others like him, is to NOT play by the rules they make up and try to impose on us, and just go about our merry way as always.
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  • Jorvik
    Jorvik
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    Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

    Wed, April 30, 2008 - 5:52 AM
    It is the way he operates his business. Been so since as far back as I can remember into the early 1990s.

    Unfortunately, it's all marketing and show. Find a stone, have someone undertand how the stone works with humans in some extra-ordinary "this is the latest and greatest thing" sort of flash and hype way, then trademark the name so no one else can profit from it only H&E can profit from it by charging very high prices.

    Are his trademarked stones worth the price and hype? The answer to this question lies in every invidual's point of view, but my point of view may be guess at through this e-mail.

    Frið (Frith),
    Jorvik
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  • Ivan
    Ivan
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    Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

    Wed, April 30, 2008 - 12:36 PM
    Ive noticed this lately... Im not sure its good news for the crystal world to be honest. I only just found out Tanzan Aura and Imperial Gold Quartz were trademarked by Robert Simmons but I think people are using their own names as they are also known as Indigo Aura and Tangerine Aura. If people are not happy about this trade name stuff then I think we need to use alternative names.
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  • Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

    Wed, April 30, 2008 - 6:47 PM
    I met Robert Simmons at Tuscon, this year.
    I questioned him as to why he had removed some stones from the new edition of his book. He told be that the stock were running out and he no longer had any of those stones in HIS inventory for sale. I kind of got pissed off at that, I told him that just because the stones he was out of inventory and that the stones were running out at the source didn't mean that they ere no longer going to be available or that we would stop using them for energy work.

    Either the book is a comprehensive guide to stones or it isn't. In the case of the Book Of Stones, it is no longer a comprehensive guide. Stones are being included or excluded based on retail availability through Heaven and Earth.
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    • outr...
      outrunner
      offline 118

      Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

      Sun, May 4, 2008 - 4:35 PM
      Hmm, anyone familiar with Marcus Vogel?

      I'm not familiar with Mr. Simmons, but Vogel trademarked a specific cut of crystal, and maintained that it was not only the shape but the intent, that effected the final result.

      As is, it sounds like RS is effectively tapping out entire natural deposits of highly specific and unique crystals, which would make some geomantic types kinda twitchy. Messing with the ley lines, and stuff like that....
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  • vege...
    vegetalista
    online 55

    Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

    Mon, May 5, 2008 - 5:34 AM
    Friends-

    He trademarks stones so he can sell them at ridiculous prices and make them look exclusive to Heaven & Earth.

    "Azeztulite" is Quartz. Nothing more. Nothing less. But it sounds so much more special - and, coincidentally is so much more expensive - when you call it Azeztulite. And lo' and behold, as soon as they started running low and the "original find", other "finds" of Azeztulite started popping up, all with much hype and prices to match.

    For years, there was a lot of secretive nonsense around "Azeztulite", with all sorts of convoluted geological misinformation being spread. It's Quartz. Plain and simple. And I Love Quartz as much as anyone else, but the hype around "Azeztulite" is, I feel, just that.

    To me, this represents the very worst sort of ethics, one all too common in "new age" circles. There are a lot of people I know who won't buy from Heaven & Earth for this reason. I'm among them.

    It's interesting to read that he removed some stones from his book of stones because his stock was low. I always had a feeling this "book" was really little more than a sales catalog. That seems to confirm it.

    For me, I've made a choice that I won't support this sort of practice, and don't buy from people who engage in it. Nice stones or not, I feel that this sort of thing is just wrong. On other levels it strikes me as downright silly.

    Ultimately, they continue to do this because people believe the hype. When they stop, so will he.

    Veg

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    • vege...
      vegetalista
      online 55

      Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

      Mon, May 5, 2008 - 5:37 AM
      p.s. Someone else that's "good" at this sort of thing is Rosley from Chicago. "Infinite" is a great example. It's African Serpentine that's been around for ages, selling for a few bucks a pound. He "finds" it, calls it "Infinite", spins all sorts of crazy hype around it and then begins selling it by the gram. And it sells like hotcakes. I guess just calling it Serpentine may be too pedestrian for some.

      Ugh.

      I hope more people will decide not to support this sort of thing. It just perpetuates it and makes it worse. It makes a mockery of the real medicine of the Earth Elders and, in many ways, makes us all look like fools.

      Veg
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  • Suzi
    Suzi
    offline 20

    Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

    Mon, May 5, 2008 - 7:43 AM
    I agree with you, Veg.
    Let's just do out thing, let the stones do theirs, and these charlatans will fall by the wayside.
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    • vege...
      vegetalista
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      Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

      Mon, May 5, 2008 - 9:55 AM
      Right on Suzi!

      Veg
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      • Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

        Mon, May 5, 2008 - 10:12 AM
        i just have to chime in about the azeztulite here........it chemically is quartz, but it has a very high frequency that feels way different that quartz that has not been energized with energy from the great central sun and the azez. if you hold a piece, and you are sensitive to energies you can feel a huge difference. i can see in this one case, how they would want to "trademark" this one so that others do not try and sell milky quartz and call it azeztulite.
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        • vege...
          vegetalista
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          Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

          Mon, May 5, 2008 - 10:41 AM
          kris-

          I appreciate that what you said is true for you, but for me, I feel no difference between "Azeztulite" and Quartz.

          I have worked with stones half my life, and extremely sensitive to their energies and am surrounded by many other sensitive people. None of us feel any difference at all.

          In fact, the majority of people I know - if they haven't been exposed to the hype around "Azeztulite" - feel no difference.

          There are some amazingly high vibe members of the Quartz family - Growth Interference Quartz from Dalnegorsk, the Quartz from Ouray, Diamantina Quartz, Russian Beta Quartz with Hedenbergite, Swaziland Quartz, etc. These, for me, are at least as powerful as Azeztulite.

          While these stones may not have the energy of the "great central sun" or connections with "azez" they are all infused with the powerful presence of the Earth Mother, the deep and powerful medicine of the soil and the sun and the spirit of the Earth. I don't feel "Azeztulite" is anything unique in any way - physically, energetically, spiritually, etc. It's a beautiful stone, whose medicine I appreciate, but no more so than any other.

          To me, "Azeztulite" is a prime example of "good" new age marketing, depending on one's definition of "good".

          Respectfully,
          Veg
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          • Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

            Fri, May 16, 2008 - 9:56 AM
            Ah, you have touched on the sticky wicket right here. I think that advanced light workers need to be careful about the authority they project as advisers concerning the energy of various stones or rather that their authority should always be tempered with the caveat that they are people who have been through a lot of stones and become inured to lots of different energies. Some people never feel particular stones, but more to the point, some people will initially be consumed by a particular vibration and then be somewhat blinded to that energy as they become suffused with it. This happens all the time as you well know. My first “launch” or “breakthrough” four years ago happened with lithium quartz. The stuff would blast me off into outer space – very exhilarating and a bit scary. It was the first time the door opened for me, and I could say, “Now I get it,” but after some weeks of exposure I quit responding to it so dramatically. It is still a chill pill for me, but not as psychoactive as it used to be especially as I have progressed through moldavite and now the berylliums like phenacite and herderite, and now the “just quartz” Azeztulite. There are days of course when some crystals resonate with me and other days when I am dead to that particular vibration. It is way too variable for us to make negative pronouncements or verdicts about certain crystals. This is certainly something that needs to be considered by advanced light workers who have probably raised their own personal vibrations considerably over the years and can now only faintly feel stones that other people may find to be amazing.
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        • Peggy
          Peggy
          offline 37

          Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

          Tue, May 13, 2008 - 8:10 AM
          I'm not mentioning names because people sometimes may be inclined to sue even when what is said is true
          Someone I highly respect who deal with stones on a small scale has told his students that once while at a major show he came upon
          An extremely well known dealer and writer out behind the building pounding on some Quartz with a hammer When asked this man said he was running low on Azeztulite and was making more. I don't know for certain that this refers to the owner of the name but I'd definitly suggest buyer beware

          Also I have some African Serpentine and some Infinite and they are the same ( I was given the Infinite )
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          • Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

            Thu, May 15, 2008 - 11:17 AM
            Infinite is serpentine plus chrysotile.
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            • vege...
              vegetalista
              online 55

              Re: Why is Robert Simmons trademarking so many crystals???

              Thu, May 15, 2008 - 5:21 PM
              Bo-

              "Infinite is serpentine plus chrysotile."

              This isn't entirely correct.

              There is no single stone called Serpentine. Serpentine is a group name, one that describes a handful of different stones with the same chemistry (more or less) but unique crystalline structures. In other words, we're talking about polymorphic minerals.

              Chrysotile is a type of Serpentine, and, to be more specific, Chrysotile is a group of three different specific types of Serpentine - Orthochrysotile, Parachrysotile and Clinochrysotile. The three minerals in the Chrysotile subgroup are usually asbestiform, while others in the Serpentine group tend to be non-fibrous.

              Infinite is the same African "Serpentine" that's been available for decades. The only difference is someone decided to make up a new name and begin selling it by the gram. It used to sell for $2.00 to $3.00 a pound when it "just" Serpentine.

              Respect,
              Veg
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