Yixing and added chemicals

[Ron13]

Hi there! I've just started my Gong Fu Cha and Yixing journey and finaly after much thought decided to buy my first Yixing teapot. I haven't received the pot just yet, it will arrive this week. Of course, I'm very excited.

I have a preference for the Xi Shi shaped pots. I bought my pot from a company called Teasenz. I read different things online about them, but most reviews are good and from what I've read they sell genuine Yixing teapots among other things.

This is the pot I bought: teasenz.eu/products/zhu-ni-xishi-yixing-teapot It has a lot of black spots on the surface wich I like very much! The company states this is because of the high iron content. They call it Iron Zhu Ni clay in the description.

Whether this is genuine Zhu Ni clay or not, I don't know. I do not care if the pot is made with mixed clays, which is as i understand normal practice. It seems to be handmade or at least half handmade. By the looks of it it doens't seem to be made using a pottery wheel. So far, so good.

The thing is when I searched the net looking at Zhu Ni clay I didn't find any image of a pot having so much black spots on it. What worries me are chemicals. I've read that sometimes chemicals are added which are unhealthy. This worries me a lot actually. I care for my health and for the health of the people drinking tea with me.

How do I recognize these added chemicals? what kind of chemicals are being used? What's the smell like? Taste? How bad are these chemicals for your health?

Thanks for your answers and insights. It's greatly appreciated!

[bagua7]

Please refer to:

https://teadrunk.org/topic/47/basic-yixing-clay-101/

Also these discussions:

viewtopic.php?t=21568

viewtopic.php?t=20765


Modern zhuni is what you bought. It's a blend of hongni with other clays to achieve that effect. Unless you purchased a pot worth well over a thousand bucks but it wouldn't have any black dots on the surface. Like this one:

http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2006/11/ ... d.html?m=1