Pure cocaine hydrochloride forms monoclinic crystals but it's possible that impurities mean that the non-perpendicular axis forms a different shape. After all, pure cocaine hydrochloride is so 'shiny' because it forms a multitude of tiny prisms that absorb no visible light.
Is it accident that pink and blue are at the opposite ends of the visible light spectrum (and that range is about a factor of two)?
I have seen medical cocaine and can confirm that it is pure white. It was only a small sample but we (the class) all looked at it through a microscope and the lecturer carried out various experiments to demonstrate it's physical characteristics.
I believe that MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) has replaced diethyl ether. Since MTBE is used to increase the octane rating of unleaded gasoline, it does have a massive commercial use and so would be difficult to spot diversion to cocaine production. I understand cocaine is dissolved in MTBE and isopropanol is slowly added with product coming out of solution first.
Ethyl Acetate sounds a much simpler and indeed safer option but I don't think it allows the fine-tuning ether does. I'm sure the product is still very pure.
After all, law enforcement doesn't consider 1Kg of 71% cocaine to be 710g of cocaine - if their is a Kg of powder containing cocaine... that's 1Kg OF cocaine to them.
OT did anyone else catch the news:
Scottish skipper among those held in international operation targeting alleged trafficking gang, with further arrests in Marbella
www.theguardian.com
£96 million (1200Kg) of cocaine.
Many people don't believe me when I point out that in Europe (at least), cocaine ia a VASTLY bigger business than heroin. US readers don't seem to know that cocaine is socially acceptable in many places. As a US reader put it 'like the US in the 70s'.H has never been socially acceptable.