Silvania Machado
An Apologetics Index research resource

A holy woman from Brazil, named Silvania, was at Calvary Pentecostal Campground from August 18-21, 1998 and in February of 1999. In the process of her physical healing of four types of cancer, oil began to flow supernaturally from her body and later, gold dust began to be manifested on her face and the crown of her head. As she praises and worships, this phenomena is seen. Her Brazilian pastor gathers the holy gold flakes and anoints the forehead of the sick and needy. Many miracles fall.

A Brazilian evangelist at the center of the "gold dust" phenomenon being reported at charismatic churches across the United States and Europe says she is unfazed by scientific reports suggesting that all that glitters is not what it seems.

Two independent tests on samples of the gold-colored dust that falls from Silvania Machado's head during services have found the substance to be more like plastic glitter, with no gold content.

But Machado, who attributes the manifestation to her divine healing from cancer, is untroubled by the conclusions of the analyses carried out on behalf of "Charisma" magazine. "To me, it doesn't matter what it is as long as it's from God", she said.
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"Charisma" had two samples of Machado's gold dust analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey in Washington, D.C. Both were deemed to be plastic film with no traces of gold, platinum or silver.