John Betts - Fine Minerals, New York, NY 212-678-1942
Dealers of Fine Minerals and Natural Crystal Clusters since 1989.
John Betts - Fine Minerals, New York, NY
212-678-1942
Dealers of Fine Minerals and Natural Crystal Clusters since
1989.
1/19/2010
I repeatedly receive inquiries from prospective customers as to whether a particular minerals specimen shown on my site is available. Apparently these collectors are used to dealing with other web sites that consistently display items that sold and are no longer available. My response is usually one of puzzlement when asked about availability. Why would I display an item for sale that had already sold? When you go to an online catalog like Staples.com, you don't expect an item on display to be sold out.
Of course, the hardcore visitors will point out that for about an hour, immediately after new minerals are post on Tuesday, there is a chance that two collectors will request the same item. But I am working furiously during that hour to rapidly remove the sold items to prevent duplicate requests, which is why my email confirmations may be delayed for an hour or so.
The bottom line is that sold mineral specimens are removed from the mineral galleries. This speeds the time the galleries load, and prevents duplicate requests. You will not see items marked sold in the galleries for sale. And in my Mineral Museum, all items are clearly marked sold with links to the mineral for sale galleries if the collector is interested in trying to find an alternate.
1/12//2010
Regular visitors to this site may have noticed a small change to my home page two weeks ago. A link was added (in the line above the Mineral of the Week) to my virtual Mineral Museum. I created an online Mineral Museum of over 31,000 minerals that were sold through this site. Each mineral specimen is illustrated with my photographs and a full description is provided. You can search by mineral species and/or locality as well as browse the site various other ways.
If you purchased a mineral through this site, you can now access the information, though the prices are no longer listed. For your collection catalog you can link to the museum page or you may save the entire page to your hard drive as long as it is for private use only.
The museum is not perfect. Some of my early listings (item numbers <20000) may have abridged locality data as I did not devote as much research time to full locality data in my early years. It was only when I discovered much of the locality data was in error on the previous dealer's labels that I started to vet each and every locality with primary reference sources.
But there are photos of rare mineral species that are not illustrated elsewhere on Mindat or Webmineral. And there are obscure localities that are not referenced on the web. So it is a good reference.
At this time, Google has still not indexed the Mineral Museum.But in time Google will "spider" the site and pick up all the pages. In the meantime tell your friends and local mineral clubs about this new resource.
1/5//2010
I recently visited a mineral collector's web site where he was displaying his private mineral collection. Each mineral specimen was illustrated with photos and a thorough description. When looking at some of his expensive minerals I was amused to see several specimens with long history listed, but all of the previous owners were recent collectors. The following example is for illustration only, and is purely fictional, but illustrates a typical mineral specimen in the collection:
Ex Marshall Sussman; ex Bill Severance; ex Marty Zinn; ex Irv Brown; ex Steve Smale; ex Rob Lavinsky
I was struck by why would anyone want to own a specimen like this. All of the previous owners are still living and collecting minerals and all owned the specimens within the last 10 years. This long history of owners in a relatively short period says that the specimen was not good enough for any of these collectors to keep for themselves!
Provenence can be an important indicator to the value of a mineral specimen. But the names should be of significance and the mineral specimen should have been in circulation for decades, not years. Here is another fictitious example of provenance that indicates an important mineral specimen:
Ex Washington Roebling (1837-1926); ex Robert B. Gage (1875-1946); ex William Boyce Thompson (1869-1930, founder of Newmont Mining); ex Robert C. Linck (1905-1970); ex Victor Yount
You can see the latter example has a long history of notable collectors that kept the specimens for many years and all are noted for their connoisseurship.
One last observation: Remember you are collecting minerals, not mineral labels. You should buy the mineral first, and pay what the mineral is worth. If there is a history, that is an added bonus.
12/8//09
Why do I not use a "shopping cart" as other e-commerce web sites do?
Because every one of my minerals and diamonds are one-of-a-kind and "shopping cart" systems work best when the dealer has standard inventory, where multiples of an item are available. When I update the site on Tuesdays, it is not uncommon to receive nearly simultaneous orders from several customers for the same items. I get a headache imagining the crashing web server trying to deal with multiple requests.
Additionally, at the same time you are submitting an order for an item online, I may be selling that same item in person on the telephone, via email, at a mineral show or to a store visitor. Therefore every request submitted through the web site must be confirmed for availability, postage estimated, then a confirmation email sent.
Occasionally another problem occurs: an item requested was shoplifted, and no longer available, but will still show as available in our inventory database. The theft is not discovered until we receive a request for the item and discover it is missing.
Therefore my process is optimized to avoid unusual errors that are unique to selling minerals. I am sorry it is not easier.
12/1//09
Many collectors have asked follow-up question about my article on Display Lighting for Minerals. Many want to know what color temperature is best for illumination. Answer: 3000°K is to warm. 4500°-5000°K is optimal as it approaches daylight illumination best. Anything higher makes gold look greenish, anything lower won't render blue, purples.
If you have glass shelves, I do not think running strips vertically up the front corners is optimal for shelves wider than 24". It is better to run a strip across the front edge of each shelf, shining down on the shelf below. I just tried these two options yesterday in a mock-up for another collector. For maximum illumination, a strip across the frond edge AND rear edge works very well and is similar to the arrangement I use in my display at mineral shows.
Many have asked where I acquired my LED lights used in my show displays. I purchased my LED light strips from Arizona Case. See the bottom of this page: http://www.arizonacase.com/56_What%27s%20New.htm
11/17//09
For the past several years I have not been able to locate any diamonds from Canada. About five years ago I acquired several and have been selling from lot for several years. But for two year I have been totally out of diamond crystals from Canada. I kept inquiring with suppliers, and finally one came through with several parcels. Many of the new Canadian diamonds were posted to my site this week. All of the recent postings are from the Diavik Mine, the second Canadian diamond mine to begin producing.
To those that are unaware of the Canadian diamond mines, they were discovered in 1998 by the dogged exploration of Chuck Fipke and Stu Blusson that was chronicled in a superb book Barren Lands by Kevin Krajick. Fipke followed trace indicator minerals to their sources in the remotest part of the Northwest Territories to Lac de Grac. It was discovered that the diamondiferous diatremes had been scoured by glaciation resulting in circular lakes. Fipke's mine was called the Ekati Diamond Mine. After the discovery there was a land rush to stake claims, with Diavik becoming the second mine to come online.
This new stock of Canadian diamonds also has the added advantage of being reasonably priced. They are all quality diamonds and should be seen in person to be appreciated.
11/10//09
The recent article in Mineral News, September 2009 issue, page 12, by Alfredo Petrov illustrates the limitations of researching minerals via the Internet. In the article Mr. Petrov offers excellent research into the composition of the pseudomorphs discussed, but the author laments that the exact locality of the find is unknown, based on research using web-based references.
For the record, the locality is a road cut on Route 41, 6 miles east of Griffith, Ontario, Canada.
This illustrates why my first reference when researching mineral localities is Lanny Ream's (the founder of Mineral News) Mineral Index, also known as Mindex, now in it's 2008 edition. A quick query for "ps. scapolite" from "Canada" instantly revealed several references, the best being: An Introduction to the Mineralogy of Ontario's Grenville Province (1982) Robinson, George, and Chamberlain, Steven C., Min. Rec.,v.13 #2.
For those readers uninformed about Mindex, it is a:
Users can find many references in Mindex that are not listed on Mindat.org or other web-based mineral reference sites. It is available for a modest price and annual updates are only $10.
10/27//09
Recently a collector requested additional photos of a minerals specimen on this site. He complained that I do not show photographs of the bottom or rear of mineral specimens. That is is correct - if the bottom or rear has no minerals. Why take up the bandwidth to display photographs of raw, massive matrix that does nothing to add to the appreciation of the mineralization?
If a specimen has crystals on the rear, I will show the rear. If the bottom is sawn flat, I will not show a photo of the bottom, but I will describe the bottom as sawn in my written description. On average I display between one to five images per specimen, with more for extraordinary specimens.
As a prospective purchaser, you should not use the photographs on this site to decide whether to purchase a specimen or not. You must see the specimen in person to make that decision. You should use the photos to decide whether to order the specimen or not. Then, after the specimen arrives and you see it in person, you can decide if you want to keep it. I have a "no questions asked" return policy. There is no risk.
And it is always recommended to read my written descriptions of specimens. Often a description will answer any questions you may have about a specimen.
10/20//09
Last week I listed some common grammatical errors made by mineral collectors. This week I want to discuss the worst error: self-collected minerals. Most commonly used in sentences like, "This is my case of self-collected minerals."
A self collected mineral literally means a mineral that collected itself. You were walking along carrying a bucket, and the mineral jumped by itself into your bucket. The mineral was responsible for the act of collecting and you were not involved. Here are some other examples of compound words using self-.
| self-cleaning oven | = | an oven that cleans itself |
| self-regulated system | = | a system that regulates itself |
| self-governed state | = | a state that governs itself |
Therefore you can see the verb is initiated by the subject:
| self-collected mineral | = | a mineral that collected itself |
Here are some examples of the misuse of self-collected and the correct usage:
| incorrect | correct |
| This is a new mineral self-collected by John Smith at Franklin, New Jersey. | This is a new mineral collected by John Smith at Franklin, New Jersey. |
| I self-collected this mineral last year. | I collected this mineral last year. (OR I personally collected this mineral last year.) |
| His display case of self-collected minerals was impressive. | His display case of personally collected minerals was impressive. |
For the record, there is an accepted meaning for self-collected that is in common usage, but it has nothing to do with minerals. "Bob is level-headed and self-collected," meaning Bob has a collected manner and assurance.
10/13//09
After a heated discussion on Mindat about spelling and accuracy, I thought
I would share my Top 10 List of Errors made by mineral collectors:
| Incorrect | Correct |
| double terminated | doubly-terminated |
| Jap twin quartz | Japan-law twinned quartz or quartz twinned following the Japan Law of Twinning |
| spessartine var. garnet | spessartine garnet |
| flourite | fluorite |
| Columbia (country) | Colombia |
| Zaire | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Smithsonian Museum | Smithsonian Institution (or National Museum of Natural History) |
| Transvaal, South Africa | divided into four provinces: Northern, Mpumalanga, North-West, and Gauteng of South Africa |
| spinel twin | spinel-law twinned or twinned following the Spinel Law of Twinning (unless the species IS SPINEL) |
| roadcut | road cut |
The case of spinel law was recently seen in a written description stating, "a galena spinel twin" which is unclear whether the specimen has galena and spinel that are somehow twinned or perhaps it is a spinel crystal twinned following the nonexistent galena law. You can see why the hyphen is necessary for "Spinel-law twinned galena".
10/6//09
I think every mineral collector should be required to take an Introduction to Mineralogy course. Or alternatively read a good book on mineralogy like Sinkankas's Mineralogy (formerly entitled Mineralogy for Amateurs). Too many of today's collectors are relying on online resources for "just in time" information. They get information when they need. But they do not understand the basics.
This lack of fundamental education became apparent when I was looking at a locality entry at Mindat.org, and collectors had submitted their photographs of minerals found at the locality. But it was apparent that the mineral species listed on some photographs were incorrect. The collectors could have easily distinguished between species with simple tests that can be done in less than a minute at home. Following are some examples:
These are EASY tests. Any good mineralogy book will tell you how to perform them. I have written an article on my site on a very simple specific gravity test that I routinely use. And using these tests in conjunction with each other will improve the accuracy of your mineral identifications.
In 1998 Dan Weinrich introduced hundreds of "barite" specimens from Hammam Zriba, Tunisia. A year later it was discovered they were actually celestine. A simple specific gravity test could have saved Dan the embarrasment of correcting his error with customers and magazines.
If you are going to post minerals to a public forum like Mindat.org, then you owe it to the other users to make your identifications accurate. And if you are a user of a public reference site, then you should be cautious of relying on their accuracy which is only as good as the original source.
9/22//09
Last week I referred to the camera I use for photography. Somebody asked what camera I would get if I had to replace my Nikon Coolpix 4500. The answer is any camera with these features:
Optional, but VERY desirable:
- An LCD that pivots independently from the camera/lens.
If you know of a camera that meets these requirements, email it to me at jhbnyc@aol.com and I will share the list next week.
9/8//09
I am pleased to announce a great new book by Vandall King on the history of mining in Oxford County, Maine: Maine Feldspar, Families, and Feuds.
(To Purchase this book email the author at: newryqs@gmail.com)
The book focuses on the mining for feldspar, and the incident minerals encountered, near the village of Albany. Fortunately for mineral collectotrs, King has unearthed much information about mines and minerals. Much of the book documents the huge beryl crystals discovered at the Bumpus Quarry that wre record breaking crystals and still stun most collectors.
The book is profusely illustrated with historic photographs, aerial maps courtesy of GoogleEarth, old mining postacards and newspaper clippings. King was fortunate to get many contemporary family photos from Albany residents showing family members at the huge beryl crystals. I wish the illustrations were numbered and referenced in the text, but that is a small criticism.
I am NOT selling the book, simply referring all interested customers to contact Mr. King directly at newryqs@gmail.com.
7/14/09
When the description are written for the mineral specimens on this web site, the most striking aspect of the specimen are the first adjective used.
For example: "Kröhnkite Description: Bright blue kröhnkite covering both sides of matrix." It is the blue color that is most striking about the specimen, therefore the description lists that attribute first.
Another example: "Natrolite. Description: Large pocket lined with fine, pink crystals of natrolite. Clean and undamaged. Stands upright with additional support." In this example, it is the large size of the pocket (larger than typical specimens from the locality) that is most significant attribute.
If you are contemplating purchasing a specimen, use the descriptive style as a guide to aid you in selecting the specimen right for you.
7/7/09
The recent issue of Rock & Gem had an article that included a photo of a specimen of "tourmaline, variety elbaite." The author and the editors should know better. Elbaite is not a variety - it is a species.
This error happens all the time, and I cannot believe it persists. The proper form for mineral names is simple: always list the proper mineral species first. Then follow with the variety or group. Here is an example:
Proper usage is "Elbaite, variety Rubellite" or it can be shortened to "Elbaite var. Rubellite" (i.e species followed by variety). When making a general description, you can write "elbaite tourmaline" (i.e species followed by group name). "Rubellite tourmaline" is not acceptable except among experts where it is permissible to eliminate the scientific species. But it is never permissible in labeling or in print.
So can you tell which of the following are correct?
(None are correct.)
Some day we will eliminate varietal names. But until then, try to learn the species and use it at the beginning of any entry.
6/30/09
I have returned from two weeks vacation and plan regularly scheduled updates for the next weeks. I apologize to the mineral addicts that missed my regular updates.
This week I went through my warehouse and pulled from my show inventory (reserved for minerals shows) some older specimens that have never been on my site before. I plan similar postings in the coming weeks of "show" inventory.
Why do I have some minerals segregated for shows only?
Because large, showy specimens often get overlooked on this site. All of the small preview images on this site are the same size, and are much smaller than the specimens are. They are all equal on this site.
But at a mineral show, when collectors are walking the aisles, large/showy/colorful mineral specimens stand out from the others. So I set aside certain specimens for shows only. If they do not sell at shows, then I rotate them into my we inventory as I am this week.
So do not think that just because a specimen has a low number that it has been on this site before.
6/9/09
Identifying minerals is not difficult. All you have to do is remember your introductory book on minerals. You should easily be able to determine the hardness, presence of cleavage, color, opacity-transparency. And best of all, if it is a single-species specimen, you can determine specific gravity.
I have developed a simple technique for determining specific gravity using a digital kitched scale:
Divide the weight in #6 into the weight in #2 and you get specific gravity.
Do not ask me how or why it works. The explanation will only confuse you. All you need to know is that it works, it is fast, it is easy and does not require any lab. equipment.
This technique is accurate to the first decimal place. And that will narrow down the possible mineral species of an unknown specimen making it fairly easy to get an accurate identification in your own home without spending money for testing.
Of course you will still need to search through the data to find the species that fits...
6/2/09
While attending the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium, I had several conversations with collectors about the Internet mineral business. Several collectors lamented that certain online mineral dealers post new minerals, then mark them as sold. But they are relisted at a later date. The collectors theorized that the dealers were trying to create the illusion that sales were hot and heavy to prompt their customers to buy quickly. Alternatively the collectors thought the dealers were trying to justify high prices by making it appear like specimens were selling at those prices. As an online mineral dealer I offered an alternate explanation: the high incidence of unpaid or canceled orders.
When a customer request a specimen from this this site, the specimen is immediately removed to prevent other customers from trying to request the same item. I work very hard to prevent reporting to a potential customer that the item they wanted sold prior to their request. Sadly it still happens occasionally.
But because a large proportion of orders are paid by PayPal, there is a time lag between ordering and sending the payment that allows the customer to get "buyer's regret" that makes them question their purchase. So the customer may decide not to pay their PayPal bill and the mineral order goes unfulfilled. As a result the minerals that were ordered, and pulled off this web site, must be relisted in the future making it appear like I am "churning" my inventory for some evil motive. And there are legitimate returns that must be relisted too. Fortunately my return rate is less than 1% so it is not as big a problem as canceled orders.
There is nothing I hate worse than relisting canceled minerals. Even the appearance that there is something fishy going on hurts my reputation. But I must relist the minerals eventually.
I guess the lesson is to avoid thinking the worst, and give the dealer the benefit of the doubt.
5/26/09
I estimate there are 100,000 mineral collectors in the US with another 100,00 collectors worldwide (email me if you want substantiation of these estimates), but only about 7,000 subscribe to Rocks & Minerals Magazine. Rocks & Minerals was founded in 1926 and is the oldest mineral magazine for amateurs. Best of all, they are the only US magazine that sends out all articles for peer review. This prevents errors and self-serving articles from being published.
The latest issue of Rocks & Minerals features my latest article: The Minerals Of New York City. Many of you might think that would be a short article. In fact, at over 35 full pages, with 73 illustrations, I am told it is the longest article the magazine has run. Most importantly the article documents the amazing minerals finds from within NYC. Did you know the US asbestos industry started in NYC, when the H.W. Johns company started mining anthophyllite on Staten Island, then when onto to merge with Manville to form Johns Manville? Did you know the best almandine garnet found in the USA was from a subway excavation in NYC? Did you know the inventor of the motion picture camera discovered the two best chrysoberyl specimens from NYC (and possibly all the US) nine years apart?
All of this and much much more is covered in my article. I am selling the magazine for $8.00 (less than the $8.95 cover price) plus $2.77 for shipping in the U.S.
#45003, Rocks & Minerals Magazine May-June
2009,
vol. 84 #3 - New York State Special Issue III,
featuring The Minerals of New York City, by John H. Betts
(lc) $8
5/5/09
I do not sell on Ebay because auctions only benefits the seller. There are no bargains on Ebay.
The prices paid on Ebay are too high for the quality of specimens sold. I prefer to sell my items at a fixed price and then delight my customers with a bargain. The downside is that each specimen is one-of-a-kind and only one customer will get a particular specimen. If two other customers want a specimen (a frequent occurrence on my site) they do not have an opportunity to outbid the first customer (thereby driving prices too high).
One bright spot is that since the new economy, post-Sept. 2008, the feeding frenzies on my web site have been reduced and most customers now get the specimens they want. But when I post new minerals at noon on Tuesday (NY time) it does get hectic so it will pay if you check my site early.
4/28/09
While presenting my talk at the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium I referred to "translucent yellow-green Titanite, variety Sphene" which caused a specialist in gem minerals to say that "sphene" was the transparent gem variety of titanite. The specimen I referred to was not gem-grade and not transparent she said, therefore it was not a gem variety.
She was correct about gem varieties - but she was wrong to correct me. There are other varieties in use. Gem varieties are a small subset of varietal names.
Some varieties refer to unique formations. For example chiastolite is the variety of andalusite that refers to twinned crystal with cross-shaped pattern when polished on the C-face. Herkimer Diamonds are the variety of doubly-terminated transparent quartz crystals from Herkimer County, NY. Troostite is the Mn-rich variety of willemite. Melanite is the black Ti-rich variety of andradite garnet.
I could go on. The bottom line is there are many types of varietal names, not just the gem varieties.
4/7/09
I am preparing an exhibit of mineral specimens from New York City to accompany my lecture at the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium in two weeks. I searched through hundreds of flats of minerals last weekend trying to find a stilbite specimen I collected 10 years ago in Central Park, here in Manhattan. I never found the specimen. But it was the first time in several years that I have looked through the minerals I collected personally in the field.
I always thought I was careful about labeling finds so that in my senior years I would not forget the exact localities. Sadly, I failed to document a few of my finds. As I looked through the flats, I was able to remember most of the localities, but not all of them. This is a valuable lesson for every field collector - write down the date and locality before you box them away. Make sure there is a slip of paper (I use PostIt notes) with each specimen. Do not rely on writing the information on the box because water damage or sun bleaching can cause the writing to become illegible. Instead place the label inside the flat.
Why do I assume you store your minerals in flats? Because they are convenient and free if you can get your local store that sells beer to save them for you. Most collectors have learned that the cardboard flat of a case of Coors light comes in is the perfect bottom, with a cardboard flat from a case of any other type of beer for a lid. If you want to buy white flats, like dealers have at shows, you can buy them from the Boxes section at Top Gem.
Do not rely on your memory for identifying your field collected minerals. Be sure to store a label with the specimens. This way the find will be identifiable when your memory fades, as it eventually will.
3/24/09
Last weekend I saw a mineral collection for sale. This was a collection with some significant mineral specimens. None of them were labeled.
If the collection had been assembled during the last 20 years, then I would have been able to recognize the minerals and their localities. But many specimens in the collection were much older and beyond my experience. Many I could not recognize the mineral species. And the best specimens I could not recognize the locality.
This is one more example why it is important to keep good records of the minerals in your collection. At the very least write the mineral and locality on a small label and tape it to the bottom of each specimen. Or if you have a digital camera, take a photo of each specimen and make a catalog with all known information.
Do not rely on your memory. 20 or 30 years from now you will make mistakes if you rely on your memory. And the information in your memory will be completely lost if you were killed in an accident crossing the street (I guess the lack of labeling of your collection will be the least of your worries in this instance).
The value of your collection is affected by proper labeling. In the case of the collection last weekend, I felt the collection was worthless (to me) because it lacked labeling. I suspect if the collection were properly labeled it would be worth $20,000. So those little labels are worth the effort it takes to create them and store them with your minerals.
3/17/09
This week I posted a hocartite specimen from the type locality. But when researching the type locality, the two best and most authoritative reference books (Fleischer's Glossary of Mineral Species and R. Bideaux's Handbook of Mineralogy) both list the type locality incorrectly. Apparently the original locality was garbled or phonetically misspelled originally and once it made it into the literature, it continued to propagate through references.
Both of those references list the type locality for hocartite as the Tacama Mine, Hocaya, Bolivia. The Tacama Mine apparently does not exist. And Hocaya is apparently a misspelling of Chocaya which is in fact the type locality. You should revise your references for hocartite type locality to be: Chocaya-Animas Mine, Atocha-Quechisla District, Bolivia.
Two other references did get the type locality correct: an article on Bolivian minerals in Mineralogical Record and the excellent book Minerals and Their Localities by Bernard and Hyrsl. Mindat.org lists the type locality correctly, while Webmineral.com lists the incorrect locality.
Can we learn anything from this? Not much unfortunately. I guess the lesson is to not trust any reference - even the most respected reference books have errors too.
2/24/09
This week is the 20th anniversary of my mineral business. As many of you know, I was a prolific field-collector of minerals in New England. Twenty years ago a friend asked if I wanted to share his booth at an upcoming mineral show and sell some of the tonnage of minerals I had collected. I accepted the offer and started the process of registering my business 20 years ago.
At the time I was working as a product design consultant creating products for Polaroid, Abu Garcia fishing equipment, Kodak and many other companies. Minerals were a part-time hobby. Over the years my business grew as I added more and more mineral shows. Then in 1996 the worldwide web (WWW) had been invented and minerals on the WWW were beginning. I started a modest web site via my AOL account.
At the time I was photographing my minerals on 35mm slides, then scanning the slides to get digital images. A tedious and expensive process. I quickly adopted digital imaging and now have an archive of over 50,000 digital mineral photos which I hope to utilize in an online mineral museum in the near future.
The web business took off and soon was a 40 hour/week job. In 2001 I changed careers to be a full-time mineral dealer.
In honor of my 20th anniversary, I am offering free shipping on orders of 20 or more mineral specimens. I know that many customers do not place large orders and this policy will only benefit my high volume customers. But I will allow you to assemble group orders with your friends or local mineral club in order to reach the 20 specimen threshold.
2/10/09
Some apparently lab-grown wire silver specimens came to light several years ago when there was a dealer in Tucson with many specimens of Freiberg wire silver specimens in a variety of sizes and prices, though all were expensive. These silver crystals were up to 8 inches long and usually had a crusty matrix that was not the same as historic silver specimens from Freiberg. Whenever one specimen sold, the dealer would pull another out of a box to fill the void. The large number of specimens immediately made me suspicious. Other were suspicious too.
Yet there was a big mineral auction recently with many specimens of silver wire-crystals from Freiberg, Germany that are possibly the same fakes. Why would a collector bid on suspected fake mineral specimens? Any mineral dealer will warn against buying them. Whether they are fake or not, they will always be under suspicion.
There was great debate at the time regarding these silver specimens. Most German mineralogists and collectors were convinced they were fake. At the 2001 Rochester Mineralogical Symposium there was much discussion of Georg Gebhard's presentation of the results of tests for trace impurities of lead, zinc and mercury that were present in genuine Freiberg silvers but not in the recent fakes. The problem was compounded when Mineralogical Record published a letter giving instructions for growing fake wire silver found in a 19th century text and the letter-writer's account of growing fake silver in a garage over the weekend. Some believed that possibly ALL wire silvers from Freiberg might be fakes.
The only people that fought the accusations that they were fake were those with financial interest in the issue - specifically mineral dealers that had sold them to high-end collectors and were afraid they would have to refund the money to all of their customers. There were elaborate stories about where the silver specimens came from. I do not know if any were substantiated. The dealers refused to allow inspection of documents that "proved" the specimens were from a legitimate source with access to historic specimens.
As collectors, we must do our "due diligence" to prevent overpaying for mineral specimens, especially with pre-auction estimates exceeding $25,000. There are many faked or enhanced mineral specimens, just as there are "married" antiques composed of parts from various pieces assembled into a complete, seemingly perfect antique.
Do your research. Work with honest dealers. And beware of auctions where there is no authentication by experts.
1/27/09
A regular customer was looking at a mineral specimen on this site that was described as having "No Damage." He inquired if it really had no damage. Huh?
I stand behind the descriptions on this web site. If I say, "No Damage" then I mean no damage. If I fail to see damage that was there prior to shipping a specimen, then I will refund the cost of the specimen, the cost of shipping to the customer, and the cost of return shipping.
Every specimen is accurately described - sometimes painfully so. I will describe damage that would not be noticed if the mineral specimen were in a display case at a mineral show. And the camera can see things that the human eye cannot see without magnification. I do not gloss over damage like some dealers that do not assess damage or lack of damage on mineral specimens. I do not make value judgments that the damage, "is not objectionable." I state the facts as accurately as possible.
Most collectors do not read my descriptions. I can tell because I frequently get email questions that are answered in my written descriptions. But you should know that if I write it, I mean it.
1/20/09
Today a woman called asking me to appraise the value of a mineral specimen OVER THE TELEPHONE!.
How can a mineral specimen be assessed over the telephone?? I asked her to hold the specimen closer to the telephone so I could see it better. She did not get the joke.
She described it as a specimen of Sicilian sulfur about hand-sized. When I proposed that it might be worth $500 if pristine or $50 if it damaged/digned she became indignant saying, "I was warned against asking a mineral dealer!"
I assured her that I was not interested in buying the specimen and that there was no conflict of interest in my "blind" assessment. She did not care - all mineral dealers are cheats.
Then why did she call?
As a result I have established a new policy: no appraisals ov value without seeing the specimen in person.
1/6/09
As mineral collectors, we are only the temporary caretakers of the mineral specimens in our collections (unless you are planning to be buried with your collection). As a result, you should always follow the credo "Do No Harm" when it comes to your mineral collection. Following are some common ways we harm our minerals:
| Harmful | Correct |
| Painting large crude numbers on sides or edges specimens where they are visible. | Only paint numbers on the rear or bottom where there is no chance they will EVER be visible. If all sides are crystallized, and potentially visible, then mount the specimen on a base and place the number on the base. |
| Improperly storing specimens by stacking them one on top another because there is no more storage space. | Store minerals specimens in drawers or mineral flats (12x15" boxes with lids) with each specimen in it's own box, separated from adjacent specimens. Stack flats, but do not stack minerals. |
| Store mineral specimens in a damp garage or basement. | Moisture should be avoided at all costs. Moisture damages boxes, labels and mineral specimens. And a moist environment enables insects to thrive. Store in a dry environment, especially sulfide minerals. |
| Discard, misplace, or confuse labels because you will always remember the locality. | Labels are documents that tell a specimen's origin and history. A specimen without a label loses the history, especially minerals from odd, little-known localities. You will NOT remember all details 30 years from now. |
Even experienced collectors have been guilty of some of these errors above. Learn from their mistakes and care for your collection. After all, what is the point in collecting your minerals if you are going to neglect or abuse them?
12/30/08
During my recent upgrading of the design of my site, I spoke with several regular customers about the revisions I made and the revisions they wanted to see. One person requested larger photos. I knew immediately this person had a fancy, high-end computer with a high resolution display screen. The paradox of these high resolution displays is the photos actually appear SMALLER.
The more expensive, high resolution computer displays smaller photos??? YES.
Here is why: my typical image is 400 x 500 pixels. If you have a cheap, low resolution screen equal to old televisions display of 600 x 480 pixels, then my typical image will almost fill the entire screen. But if you had a new high-end 24-Inch WUXGA 1920 x 1200 pixel display my 500x400 images will only fill 1/6 of the visible area of the screen.
High resolution monitors = small images.
But did you know that Firefox and Internet Explorer browsers will increase photo size (and type size) when you hold down the "Control" key and rotate your mouse wheel? Try it, it is easy and will display images nicely. If your mouse does not have wheel, then hold down the "Control" key and hit the "+" key for larger images/text and the "-" for smaller.
12/16/08
It is a shame emails are no longer a reliable form of communication.
Emails are convenient. Emails are fast. But you cannot be certain the recipient actually received an email you sent.
We owe this lack of reliability to Spam Filters, which are a necessary evil to keep our inboxes from being cluttered with unwanted advertisements. But filtering software may be triggered by fairly innocuous phrases used in the emails between you and your favorite mineral dealer (hopefully that's me).
I make every effort to respond to inquiries in a timely manner. Such as simple questions or advice. But when I never receive a response, I assume it is because my email to them was never received. I know that is a big assumption, but it has proven to be true a large percentage of the time.
This is one reason why I always will send a simple email saying, "OK, I will get back to you shortly" to emails so that the sender knows their request was received and acknowledged.
But if you send me an email requesting help, and you do NOT get a response from me, do NOT blame me - instead check your Spam folder for your email. I respond to all inquiries. The same goes if you order a mineral. If you do not receive my confirmation of the order by the end of the next business day, then check your spam folder. My email will be there.
12/9/08
Every week when new minerals are added to this site, I send email announcements to collectors that requested immediate notification. The 900 emails I sent each week probably put me on the list of spammers with email service providers. But I only send emails to people that requested my emails.
On each email I send, there are instructions on how to unsubscribe. But the conventional wisdom is you should not ever respond to a spammer. Many people forgot that they REQUESTED my emails. They are afraid to unsubscribe. So they either block my emails or they periodically change their email addresses to outrun the spammers.
Isn't this a sad situation? I only want to email collectors that are genuinely interested in the new listings. But collectors are afraid of unsubscribing.
As a result I sent emails last week to half of my email list requesting they renew their "subscription" for my emails. Only 10% renewed. Yet I am not sad about losing 90% of interested people, because now I know I am sending only to interested collectors.
The bottom line: If you do NOT want to receive my emails, then do not be afraid to email me and request removal.
11/11/08
This week I am posting an historic mineral I sold a few years ago, but I received it again in trade to sell again. The specimen originally had an historic label accompanying the specimen. The interim owner has misplaced the historic label. This highlights the importance of keeping careful records and organizing any historic information that accompanies a mineral specimen. Storing historical labels poses a significant problem for display specimens. It would clutter up a display case to have the historic documents sitting under each specimen, especially since some labels and cards are quite large. So that results in separating the labels from the specimens.
As owners of mineral specimens, we must recognize we are merely the temporary curators of the specimens and that they will be owned by others in the future. You should put in place some system, any system, to organize the old labels for retrieval in the future.
My preferred method is to have a unique number for each specimen. The best method I have seen is printing numbers on acetate (the type for making overhead projector slides) using a laser printer. These number/labels are then waterproof. The best adhesive to attach the number/labels to the specimen is Mineral Tack, the adhesive putty used by mineral dealers to mount specimens to bases. It sticks to almost every surface, but can be repositioned with little effort.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND USING PAINT TO APPLY NUMBERS.
Too often paint is placed on a convenient surface with little regard for whether it will be visible. Your judgment of where the number should be on a specimen is arbitrary and the future owners may not agree with your decision.
Once each specimen is numbered, you can place the corresponding numbers (in pencil) on the old labels and file in a binder or card file. Remember to add a note somewhere to your heirs as to where to find the historic labels. I have several notes throughout my collection cases regarding the location of the historic labels.
11/4/08
Once again, a collector emailed me questioning the locality of a specimen sold to him. He was concerned because he did not see the species listed on Mindat.org under the locality entry. I cannot believe how common this error occurs and wish Mindat did a better job at pointing out their species lists are INCOMPLETE.
If you read the fine print at the bottom of the locality pages on Mindat, you will see the text, "The above list contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list." (emphasis added)
Unfortunately this text is small, obscure, and easily overlooked.
This error is one reason I am offereing for sale the Mineral/Locality/Periaodical Index because there are many more mineral and locality entries that are not included in the Mindat database.
Remember Mindat, like Wikipedia, relies on contributors to add entries. They are not complete lists of the mineral occurences at the locality. AND the entries may be in error for identification.
You don't have to buy the Mineral/Locality/Periodical Index, but PLEASE recognize the Mindat.org does NOT list all mineral species in the locality entries and it should not be used as a definitive reference.
10/21/08
A few changes were made to this site during the last week in an effort to make the site easier to use:
A direct link to Search the web site is in the upper right corner of every gallery and all new individual mineral pages.
A new gallery of Minerals from Type Localities.
Halides are no longer on the Assorted Gallery page, they were moved to the Fluorite Gallery since fluorite is a halide.
Sulfosalt minerals are now combined with the Sulfide Gallery. They were part of the Assorted Gallery previously.
A new gallery of jewelry designs utilizing uncut natural diamond crystals was added to help customers envision how to set diamonds.
A button was added to the individual mineral web pages that link directly to the Online Order Form.
All new web pages for this week's minerals incorporate these changes and on any new future pages as they are generated. Since no mineral stays on the site longer that 5 months, all mineral pages will reflect these changes within 5 months.
Since I am making revisions, I welcome your suggestions. Please send them so I can add any suggestions to my "to do" list.
10/7/08
There is a difference between mineral collections assembled before 1980 and collections assembled after 1980. Before 1980 collectors cared less about the condition of the mineral specimens they acquired. Chipped crystals or missing crystals were tolerated. Collectors liked mounting the specimens permanently to display bases or to styrofoam bases in Perky boxes. Knowing the exact locality seemed unimportant and it was not uncommon to know only the state or country of origin.
After 1980 collectors started caring more about the quality of the specimens acquired. Damage was only tolerated when a locality NEVER produced undamaged specimens such as the early stibnite specimens from China that looked like they were thrown all together in a bucket and brought down the mountain on a lame donkey. After 1980 collectors stopped using permanent glues to mount specimens and switched to Mineral Tack or hot glue (both removable) to mount mineral specimens. Exact locality information was preserved, as well as information about previous owners of the specimens.
What prompted the change in attitudes?
I have seen a similar change in attitude among owners/collectors of wooden boats. I believe the catalyst for change was the new magazine WoodenBoat, and I believe the change in attitude for minerals collectors was caused by the magazine Mineralogical Record and the super-collectors like Dave Wilbur that grew out of that era. Remarkably both magazines started in the same year and in both cases the effect was not immediate. It took 8-10 years for attitudes to change. But it is a change for the better.
(Unfortunately, this effect also explains why older mineral collections are not as desirable as more recent collections.)
9/16/08
The more we interact with our mineral specimens, the greater the chance of damage. I guess this is entropy at it it's worst. A specimen comes out of the ground in perfect condition, just as it formed. Then it passes through a number of steps:
The collector must transport the specimen home and hopefully wraps it carefully to protect it.
Then the specimen is washed or cleaned with acid.
It might be trimmed using a saw or rock trimmer.
The specimen is displayed where it is exposed to light and possibly humidity.
Eventually the specimen may be sold or traded to another collector or a dealer.
It may be displayed at minerals shows.
A customer acquires the specimen and transports it home.
That takes back up to Step 2. again.
Every one of these steps has potential for damage to the specimen. If we left it in the ground, it would erode or decompose eventually. But our mishandling leads to more possible damage than natural processes.
We should strive at every step to assure safe handling to guard against damaging our mineral specimens. That is one reason why I dislike selling at minerals shows. To see kids walking down the aisle with sticky fingers touching every specimen they can reach just makes me sick (and mad). Perhaps I should only put my cuprosklodowskite specimens on the front tables and let the kids learn a bad lesson.
Remember, we are only the TEMPORARY owners of our mineral specimens. Eventually your collection will be dispersed and there will be a new owner. With that thought in mind we should strive to "do no harm" and that suggests handling our mineral specimens as little as possible.
9/9/08
This week two separate visitors to this site made the same inquiry. Each asked, "Is the color of the specimen pictured on the site accurate?" They were talking about different specimens. But I was puzzled by the question. Why would I knowing change the color of a specimen photograph? What good could come from it? If I enhanced the color, then it would inevitably lead to a return. It is risky to ship a specimen once. I do not want to risk further damage by having the customer wrap it and ship it back. I trust my packing. But I do not trust customer's packing.
(NOTE: The color is correct on my professionally calibrated monitor, but it is entirely possible for a visitor's monitor to be out of adjustment. I have no control over what is seen on your monitor. Just because it is "Factory Adjusted" does not mean it is properly calibrated for color balance and contrast.)
One of the visitors also asked, "You say 'no damage' on your web page, does the specimen really have no damage?"
Again, why would a I knowingly falsify the description of a mineral specimen? I am brutally honest about condition of the mineral specimens sold on this site. When I say "No damage," I mean no damage. Of course, I occasionally overlook some damage that was not obvious, but this oversight is unintentional and I will pay return shipping and fully refund the original shipping and specimen cost in this instance.
My honesty in photos and description has resulted in a return rate of 0.1%. (One mineral specimen in one thousand is returned.) That average speaks for itself.
9/2/08
Over the holiday weekend I revisited some old Maine collecting localities that I had not visited in 15 years. I was struck by how things had changed at several of the old quarries. The biggest change and most beneficial is the ATV and 4x4 recreation clubs are maintaining the old woods roads making access much easier. These clubs also appear to be negotiating recreational access to private lands and as a result I saw few No Trespassing signs.
One interesting aspect of these clubs maintaining the roads is that they are using old quarry dumps to use as fill along washed out roads. I actually did better collecting in the roads than I did at the dumps.
Another benefit of these clubs is that appears that almost every mountain has a series of trails to the top. This makes access easier and it is harder to get lost when out exploring.
The downside is that often several different groups is involved in creating or maintaining these trails so there is no single map that shows them all. I guess a good GPS will help. But it might be worth joining a few of these clubs in your favorite collecting area just to get their maps. I suggest contacting your local snowmobile, ATV and 4x4 clubs to see what maps they have available.
7/29/08
Bargaining for prices is common in mineral collecting and there is nothing wrong with it. When I buy from a wholesaler or collector, I will bargain, haggle, beg or whatever it takes to get the best price. And I do not take offense at collectors trying to get a discount in price when purchasing minerals. But the nature of the Internet, or any catalog-based business, where comparison shopping is easy forces me to list my specimens at my best price. This is especially true with diamonds and other high-end minerals where usually only one specimen is purchased at a time. Of course, I do have a discount policy for orders of 4 or more items totaling greater than $200. But this is to motivate purchasers to order more than one item at a time. It is worth it to me to give a discount on a shipment of 4 minerals, instead of packing 4 separate boxes with 1 mineral each.
If you are looking for a discount, here are some do's and don'ts:
Don't regularly buy from a dealer, then have your only email to the dealer request a discount.
Don't request a discount on a item posted that day
Don't assume a discount is standard.
Don't project a cool attitude thinking you are playing hardball.
Do regularly patronize the dealer and build a relationship as a loyal customer. At least keep in touch regularly.
Do ask about firmness of prices on minerals that have been inventory over 3 months.
Do shop around and see if the dealer's price is out of line.
Remember, a discount is a favor that the dealer extends to people he wants to keep happy. It is not automatic.
7/22/08
Last week I started to post specimens from Robert "Bob" Lambert's mineral collection. I neglected to mention that Bob passed away in April of this year. For collectors that are interested in background information, here is a summary of what I know about him:
Robert C. Lambert (1919-2008) was born in NYC and lived in New Rochelle where he owned an electronics business and worked later as a television repairman. He assembled a mineral collection of over 600 specimens. His mineral collection focused primarily on aesthetic specimens in the miniature to small-cabinet size, though he had several large specimens too.
His collection was displayed in several cases throughout his home wall-mounted at eye-level, hence Mr. Lambert's preference for specimens that stand upright for display. He acquired his minerals through several notable mineral dealers starting in the early 1970s, notable from the Zweibels (Mineral Kingdom), Norm Pellman, Lawrence Conklin, and later from Wilensky, Rich, and others including myself. His mineral collection is rich in specimens from Tsumeb, Bisbee, England, Mexico but he later added newer finds from China and worldwide classics.
In his later years he used his early specimens to trade with dealers to get better quality specimens. Typical of collectors of the 1970s he tolerated damage much more than collectors do today and he had a habit of mounting specimens using silicone glue which is not easily removed. In spite of these shortcomings he assembled a fine collection of beautiful mineral specimens.
We will all miss him.
7/8/08
The biggest concern I hear from prospective mineral collectors about buying over the Internet is concern about returns.
I have a "no questions asked" return policy. Simply send back the specimens within 2 weeks of the day received, and your payment will be promptly refunded. I have a return rate of 0.1% (one in a thousand) because I am brutally honest about damage and condition of the mineral specimens sold on this site and my photos accurately describe the specimens.
The biggest reason I get for returns is due to misunderstandings about the size of the specimens. Judging the relative size of a specimen based on the photos is impossible. The preview image of a large specimen is the same as the preview image of a small specimen. Look at the comparison below:
The left specimen measures 60 mm high (6 cm). The right specimen measures 25 mm high (2.5 cm). That is a big difference!
So when you read the description of a specimen, and see the size is listed as "6x4x3 cm", how do you judge the size?
My advice is to get a ruler with mm and cm (remember there are 10 mm in 1 cm), and to sketch out on a scrap of paper the dimensions listed to get an approximation of the specimen size. In general the first to dimensions listed (6x4 cm in this case) are the visible area while the third dimension (3 cm in this case) is the depth away from the camera and is least important.
Another strategy is to measure a few of the mineral specimens you already have in your collection. Use them to decide the smallest acceptable specimen size and the smallest acceptable crystal size. Then you can verify that a specimen of interest meets those minimum standards.
These simple techniques will help you avoid the most common reason for returns.
6/10/08
Have you ever noticed that some field collectors consistently make good finds when on club field trips? Often others will say that collector was lucky, which might be true if it happens just once. But some collectors always make good finds, trip after trip. Why?
I believe the single biggest factor that leads to good finds is deciding where to dig.
The good collectors don't settle into collect until they have scouted around and selected a promising area to focus on. Too many collectors forget this important step and just randomly set down to start digging/hammering. The random method yields random results. But looking around, recognizing promising features, and making an educated decision will produce better results.
The next time you go on a club field trip, look around for where others have dug in the past, look over the rocks left behind (usually in a conspicuous pile next to the workings). If the rocks looks interesting, then dig in. Otherwise keep looking for a better site. Once you do settle down, remember to get down to fresh material by going down at least 4 feet if you are digging on a dump. Most mine dumps have had the top 3 feet turned over and over by collectors visiting the site over the last 50-100 years. So dig deep to get below that zone.
With a little thought and hard work, you too will make consistently good finds trip after trip.
6/3/08
Last week I visited the home of a mineral collector who had passed away recently.
The collector had assembled a fine collection, often through trading minerals
with dealers, always trading up. The collector left instructions for his
heirs including an estimated value of the collection. Leaving your family
instruction on how to dispose of your collection is a good idea. But estimating
it's value is a bad idea for the following reasons:
Your estimate is your's only and is not the same as other's estimates. If you ask Rob Lavinsky and me for estimated value you are going to get two vastly different estimates.
The current value is if each specimen were sold at full retail. There is no way to realize the full value unless the heirs become mineral dealers and start selling at shows and through the web - and then they will have increased costs that will still deprive them of realizing the full value.
The full value becomes a target in the heirs mind that, since it is unobtainable, will only lead to disappointment.
In this case, the heirs fell into the trap of number 3 above. And they probably can't get past it in their minds.
Instead of leaving an estimated value, leave your family the total you have invested in the collection.
In the case above, the collector 's investment was about 20-25% of the full retail value (remember: he traded for many of his specimens, and he started collecting many years ago when prices were reasonable). If he had instructed his heirs to accept 50% of the full retail, the estate would get twice what was invested in the collection. A fair price given the circumstances.
5/13/08
Mineral collectors fall into two general categories: those that prize an extraordinary mineral specimen and those that prize a great price or bargain. One focuses on the task of obtaining exemplary mineral specimens of high quality (though not necessarily at a high price). The other values the bargain more than the specimen quality.
Joe Cilen was the latter. He acquired a collection of 24,000 mineral specimens. When confronted with several specimens of a new find, he invariably did NOT pick the best. I guess he valued quantity over quality.
At the opposite extreme is a collector like Lou d'Alonzo who searches far and wide for quality specimens within his modest budget. He is a perfectionist and will not tolerate visible damage. But when he sees such a specimen he immediately commits to buying it.
As a result the two types of collectors assembled very different mineral collections, though spending about the same amount overall.
Which is better? I don't know. But if you can realize what type of collector you are - or the type you want to be - then you can focus your collecting. Or you can adjust your buying habits. If you are lucky, you will meet a more experienced collector of your type that can guide you in your acquisitions.
My advice is to be neither extreme. Find the middle ground. Never drop your standards for quality, but don't overspend. A collection of 1000 specimens valued at $20 each is much less impressive that 20 specimens valued at $1000 each. The latter will win awards, the former will not.
4/29/08
I was reading an article about a family that renovated the old house that they lived in. The owner had several "rules" on how to keep sane during the process and maintain a sense of humor. One of the rules is that anyone deserves 5 minutes in hell for every door hinge that they paint over.
I have a corollary to that rule: Mineral dealers and collectors deserve 5 minutes in hell for every cotton-filled box they use to store mineral specimens.
Perhaps I am prejudiced by the fact that I have photographed 35,000 mineral specimens and have cumulatively lost days worth of time removing cotton fibers from mineral specimens. But given the alternatives, there is no need to ever use cotton in a mineral storage box. And there are several reasons NOT to use cotton:
Insects and vermin can live off the cotton fibers - notably silverfish. These make a mess of your mineral specimens as they shed and defecate.
Cotton fibers easily are caught on minerals with rough surfaces, especially native copper specimens.
When washing specimens, any cotton fibers that were not removed get matted against the specimen and become even harder to remove.
Hydroscopic minerals, like halite, can draw moisture from humid air and actually liquefy and encapsulate the cotton fibers.
You get the idea...
If you feel the need for padding the boxes you store mineral specimens in, then I suggest using the polyethylene bags used in dry cleaning. These thin-walled bags are the default padding used by most professional dealers and have the advantage of being a Moh's hardness of 2, softer than calcite and other scratch-prone minerals.
But don't earn you time in hell by continuing to use cotton padding ;-)
4/22/08
Everyone knows my distaste for Internet-based mineral reference sites. Another instance occurred last week while completing my new article The Minerals of New York City. The editor of Rocks & Minerals magazine requested each mineral species should have corresponding formulas. I was optimistically hoping I could find an Internet site that used proper superscripts and subscripts for the mineral formulas, requiring less typing for me - and in case you don't know, I am a one-finger typist - so anything that can reduce my typing is appreciated.
What I found was complete disagreement in the formulas listed for many common species! Can you believe it???
Here is one example for the mineral Allanite-(Ce):
Fleischer's Glossary of Mineral Species: CaCeFe2+Al2(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH)
www.Mindat.org: {CaCe}{Al2Fe2+}[O|OH|SiO4|Si2O7]
www.Webmineral.org: (Ce,Ca,Y)2(Al,Fe+++)3(SiO4)3(OH)
For my article, I relied completely on Fleischer's Glossary of Mineral Species as I know the sources and accuracy. I do not know how Webmineral and Mindat arrived at their formulas.
I have said it before, and I will say it again: if a fundamental piece of information cannot be trusted, then how can we trust any information on these sites?
4/15/08
Last week a visitor to this site asked me to evaluate his collection based on the photos shown in his gallery on Mindat.org. I was willing to look at the gallery. But I cannot appraise value from tiny photographs illustrated on Mindat - especially without written descriptions that describe explicitly the level of damage to any crystals. The level of damage is not visible in most web images and damaged crystals have a large influence on the price of a mineral specimen.
That is why I go to great effort to accurately describe the minerals on this site.
When a collector assesses a potential purchase, the balance between price and damage is weighed. How visible is the damage? Should I hold out for a better specimen at a higher cost? To help in answering these questions, I write a written description of each specimen. It is the most tiring task I must do each week. Often I feel nobody reads the descriptions. Especially after someone emails me a question that was explicitly answered in my written description.
But I encourage every customer to read the description before buying a specimen. It will prevent any disappointment and reduce returned specimens. (My return rate is less than 1% already, so maybe everyone is reading my descriptions and this commentary is unnecessary...)
4/1/08
When buying minerals via the Internet, there are many dealers out there ranging from poor to excellent. A customer asked me about other dealers and it started me thinking about the attributes you should look for when buying from an online mineral dealer. Here is a list of considerations:
Look for unequivocal statement of condition or damage. Do not ASSUME anything regarding to damage. Just because a site doesn't say anything about a chipped crystal, you cannot assume the crystal is not chipped. If is is undamaged, the description on the site should say so. If it is undamaged it should say so too.
Avoid buying specimens with damage visible to the naked eye. Of course pristine mineral specimens are much more expensive. So there is a trade-off to be made. You should assess how visible the damage is versus a discounted price.
Do not buy at mineral auctions. Online auctions are watched by too many smart collectors, so there is little chance of sneaking away with a bargain. The real reason I don't advise auctions is that the price is set by you (and other bidders) based solely on the photograph - which can be misleading. You are better off buying from a web site where the mineral dealer sets the price, while holding the specimen in his hand and inspecting closely, then setting a fair price based on years of experience.
Before you order a specimen, try to visualized the actual size of the specimen. Get out a ruler and sketch out the dimensions listed on the mineral specimen's description. See how big it is compared to other specimens in your collection.
Adjust the brightness and contrast of your computer monitor so you are not mislead about the specimen's color. I have a test image that I will send you with instructions if you are interested. Don't assume that because your monitor was set at the factory that it has been optimally calibrated.
Look for a No-Questions-Asked return policy. This is a black and white issue, there is no middle ground. Either the dealer will accept any return or he will not. Avoid any that do not readily accept returns.
Look for signs the dealer knows what he is talking about. I have seen other mineral dealers out there that don't know the difference between transparent and translucent. Needless to say his descriptions were poor and essentially worthless.
I hope these hints help.
3/25/08
They have changed the mineral nomenclature again. First we had Apatite. That was simple. Then that mineral was split into Fluorapatite, Hydroxylapatite, Chlorapatite, Clinohydroxylapatite, Strontium Apatite. Now it has been changed to Apatite-(CaF), Apatite-(CaCl), Apatite-(CaOH), Apatite-(SrOH), Apatite-(CaOH)-M. Similar changes have been made to apophyllite, columbite, ellestadite, axinite, tantalite, etc. I suspect the IMA (the organization that controls these changes) has a financial interest in labeling software, mineral reference book publishing, and label printers. They change the names periodically so we must all update our reference books, mineral labels, and collection catalogs.
It is like the old joke: How did they punish Helen Keller? A: They moved the furniture.
Changing mineral names is the same. Fluorapatite and Apatite-(CaF) are the same mineral species and equally clear as to the apparent chemistry of the species. So why change to meet an arbitrary naming system? Yes, the new name is clear. But so was the old name. If they really wanted to be clear, why not eliminate mineral names altogether and use only formulas: Ca5[F|(PO4)3]?
There is no use in protesting. The changes are official. But the changes in the nomenclature do not eliminate the inconsistencies. In fact there are many more inconsistencies than were fixed with this change. There is a long way to go. So don't panic.
But I wouldn't make any great effort to revise your labels yet. Surely more changes are to come. After all, it is the IMA's job to make these changes. If there were no changes to make then there would be no need for their existence and they would be out of a job. So you can count on more changes to come...
3/4/08
Last week, when I was not paying attention, this site had it's 1,000,000th visitor.
What a contrast between a web-based business and a mineral store, or even a dealer that sells exclusively at weekend mineral shows. It is unlikely that a traditional store or show dealer would ever have 1,000,000 customers look at his offerings. Yet it took relatively few years to achieve this milestone.
And I am approaching my 41,000 mineral specimen in inventory. That averages to one mineral specimen sold for every 24.4 visitors. Pretty good averages. I wish my averages at mineral shows were as good.
Note that I am referring to visitors, not the much misunderstood "hits" that many web sites use for statistics. A "hit" is generated any file call made by a visitor when he views a page. Every image, graphic, header logo on a web page generates a "hit." A single visitor to my weekly New Listings Pages will generate about 120 hits by viewing only two web pages. So you can see that hits are not a very valuable statistic. "Page Views" are a good alternate, but the numbers are still inordinately high. So I prefer to rely on Visitors as a gauge of activity on the site. (I am also distrustful of any site hyping their hit count, which as illustrated above, is easily misunderstood, therefore misleading.
2/26/08
Today a mineral collector emailed me distraught over buying a vanadinite cluster then researching it on the Internet and finding a references that said vanadinite gets darker and duller upon exposure to light. That is wrong. Vanadinite is stable. I suspect the original author was thinking of cuprite, which does get darker and duller upon exposure to light.
But this illustrates, again, why you CANNOT rely on Internet web sites for reference information. I have said it before, I will say it again: Get a good mineral reference book. A good reference book is fact checked prior to publication (with the famous exception of Dana's Mineralogy 8th edition). I have several books that I recommend in my article Reference Books for Mineral Collectors. Buy one and use it first, before using any Internet web site.
Every week I find errors even on "authoritative" sites. Because there is no fact checking, they cannot be trusted. And because they are not fully researched, there may be OMITTED information. For example, Mindat.org lists minerals that occur at various localities - but they do not publish ALL the minerals that occur at the localities. What's the point of such lists if they cannot be trusted to be complete?
In order to understand the source of the erroneous information about vanadinite, I did a Google search and found several "reference" web sites that were using the exact same text. I suspect one person posted the erroneous information and it was then picked up by another site and so on. Or these sites are somehow associated and using the same source code.
Either way this is an illustration how anybody can post false information on the Internet and it will take on a life of it's own.
1/22/08
As my regular customers may know already, I am in the finishing stages of a large article for Rocks & Minerals magazine on the Minerals of New York City. Three mineral species found within the 5 boroughs of New York City rank among the best of their species found in the United States. You will notice I hedge my statement by saying "among the best" rather than potentially antagonizing collectors by saying "the best". (For the record, the three specimens are the famous almandine from the subway excavation on 35th Street, the chrysoberyl from 93rd Street and artinite from Spring Street on Staten Island.)
But this commentary is not about debating whether the best comes from NYC. This commentary is about ANYBODY judging what THE BEST mineral specimen is.
Several dealers I know are fond of saying they have the best of a mineral, or "this is the best I have seen." I am troubled by these statements, especially since they frequently come from dealers or collectors that don't travel or attend many shows. Perhaps they have a poor memory for the better specimens, or maybe they lack the vocabulary for moderating their superlative adjectives.
But who can say what the best specimen of a mineral species is? What criteria are you using?
The best specimens cannot be defined by any one person, because no two collectors will agree on the criteria and how to weigh them. And many of the best specimens are never seen by more than a handful of people. They pass through a dealer to a millionaire collector and are never shown again in public.
Since the judgment of a specimen is a personal matter, the adjectives should be personal. Saying a minerals is "my favorite" or "the best I have had" is better - and more believable.
1/15/2008
Has the IMA lost sight of their purpose?
The IMA is responsible for establishing the official mineral names. Recently they announced many changes - including several that make no sense. One notable example is eliminating Hancockite as a mineral species and renaming it Epidote-(Pb). What is the point??? I wonder if they are going to make similar changes in the future. I suspect these changes are in the works:
Rhodochrosite will be renamed Calcite-(Mn)
Dolomite will be renamed Calcite-(CaMg)
Siderite will be renamed Calcite-(Fe)
Sounds farfetched? Not really. The IMA has strayed from it's task of determining valid species. They should NOT be renaming minerals that are established in the literature. Hancockite was first identified in 1899. Do we really need to make all reference books, museum mineral displays, and collectors catalog obsolete by changing the name? Of course not.
12/11/2007
Will Internet web sites ever replace a good mineral reference book?
Many new collectors think that the answer to that questions is yes. They think that everything they need to know can be found on Mindat.org or Webmineral.com.
Sadly these collectors are mistaken. The web sites listed above present only facts - they don't provide information.
My first stop reference book is Sinkankas' book Mineralogy (originally published as Mineralogy for Amateurs). What does this book provide that a web site does not? To begin with it has a listing for each mineral "Distinctive Features and Tests" that provides ways of identifying a mineral from others it may resemble. How do you tell if it is celestine or barite? Sinkankas says the flame test for celestine will have vivid red flame color due to the strontium content, barite will not. That is just one example of how this book provides more than just facts found on a web site. A good book will also have several crystal diagrams showing typical habits and twinning commonly found for a species. Here again Sinkankas book is excellent. And of course a good book will have the facts too.
But having a reference library is not as easy as Googling a mineral species. But the ease of use comes at a price- often meaningless facts with no guidance or experience. So I repeat the advice offered by many in the past: Buy a good mineral book, and use it.
Remember: There are only two weeks remaining before Christmas. That means this week is the last week you can place an order and have it arrive in time without the additional expense of Fedex shipping.
11/27/2007
Recently there was some discussion on Mindat.org regarding a Skorpionite specimen I sold and the owner posted a photo of a portion of the specimen to the site. Another collector, also one of my customers ,observed that the photo was probably not Skorpionite. The photo was removed and the owner started to search the specimen for the Skorpionite. (FYI: all Skorpionite specimens came from the same boulder at the Skorpion Mine.)
I reminded the owner that I have a LIFETIME GUARANTEE for all mineral specimens sold: If at any time a mineral specimen is tested, and the mineral species identified on my label was incorrect, then I will refund the cost of the specimen, the cost of return shipping, and the cost of the test.
In the case of the Skorpionite, even though the owner broke up the specimen, I was willing to refund his purchase price. I can take the pieces to my source and get my money back.
I stand behind all mineral specimens sold, and there is no expiration to this guarantee.
11/20/2007
Last week I sold a Calcite-Aragonite from the mineral collection of Upsala College that gave the locality as simply "Pinal County, Arizona". A question arose how an educational institution could have such inadequate labeling for a specimen in their collection. The assumption was that the specimen was acquired through their field work, so they would have better locality information available.
Many specimens in museum collections are not the result of field research by the museum. Most museum specimens are acquired from mineral dealers. Most often a benefactor purchases the specimen and donates it to the museum. Or a collector may buy the specimen as part of his/her private collection - then donate the collection in later years to a museum. And since most specimens passed through the hands of a dealer, there are several reasons incomplete locality data is available:
The specimen was acquired in the early days of collecting when exact locality was unimportant (pre-1970).
The specimen locality was withheld to prevent other dealers from acquiring the same material.
The specimen came from an active mine, collected by the miners, and the mine company views the act of removing mineral specimens from the mine as pilfering the mine's valuable ore.
All of these are real examples of why locality data is frequently incomplete. Even when the locality appears complete , it may actually be purposely misleading. Do you have a specimen of octahedral purple fluorite in your collection from "Catron County, New Mexico" or the "T&G Claim, New Mexico"? This material actually came from the Judith Lynn Claim in Grant County, New Mexico, but the collectors were hiding the source of the material.
Fortunately the exact locality of origin is not necessary for the enjoyment of a beautiful mineral specimen...
10/2307
This week I posted some large natural diamond crystals to my web site.
The prices of uncut diamonds are starting to climb steeply. Apparently major jewelry manufacturers have discovered they can sell uncut diamonds in jewelry. DeBeers has a jewelry line called Talisman and the success of a new line called Diamond in the Rough has caught the attention of many smaller jewelry makers. Now everyone is clamoring for uncut diamonds.
This may be bad news for collectors that are looking for reasonable prices. As I acquire new diamond crystals, I will undoubtedly pay higher prices because of increased demand for quality crystals that are complete and undamaged. Already prices are high because of the dollar's weakness compared to other currencies. Fortunately I have a healthy inventory. But if you are considering purchasing an uncut diamond crystal, it is best not to delay hoping for prices to drop.
9/18/07
Among the new minerals posted this week is a vial of melanterite that is water soluble. Storing such a mineral in a glass vial is one solution, if the mineral is for reference only. But how should you store a water-soluble display mineral?
One solution is to use the European-style acrylic boxes that have a tight-fitting white base that effectively seal out moisture. However, I still suggest sealing the base to the top using silicone, putty or acrylic solvent. And placing a packet of Silica Gel dessicant inside with the mineral is a good idea too.
If you have non-display water-soluble minerals you do not need a glass vial. Simply place the mineral in a freezer bag with ziploc seal. I use freezer bags, instead of normal sandwich bags, because the thicker bag material is a better sealant at moisture that can migrate (slowly) through plastic.
There is no reason not to own water-soluble mineral specimens. With careful storage they can be displayed and enjoyed. (Remember to label them as water-soluble so the future owner of the specimens will not try to wash them in water!)
8/28/2007
I frequently get requests for assistance in identifying mineral specimens from collectors around the world. I always reply that I (and everyone else in the world) cannot identify minerals based on photos. Color inaccuracy can be grossly misleading. And it is doubtful that a good quality photograph can be produced.
It seems that collectors have forgotton how to identify minerals. With ha few simple tests, you can narrow down the possibilities very quickly. You can identify seven charachteristics using visual observation or with simple tests:
Hardness can be determined with a hardness testing kit that you can assemble yourself for less than $20. Streak requires a white tile scrap. Testing for density requires a small scale and a cup of water. Any good mineral book will describe the process. You can also test for magnetism using a simple apparatus you can build for $5.
Then what do you do with the results of the above observations?
I use a computer database of mineral species called MinData created by Lanny Ream ( LR Ream Publishing, 208-659-3035 or www.LRREAM.com). Is a great tool for everything from searching for minerals by formula or characteristic or group. The best charachteristic of MinData is that you can do Boolean searches of multiple charachteristics of the mineral.
For example, by entering only four charachteristics color: brown, opacity: translucent, hardness: >5 <7, density: >6 will yeild a single mineral species: Manganotantalite.
The ability to do a Boolean search is something that online mineral databases like Mindat.org or Webmineral.com do not accomadate. I know that many collectors these days don't believe in owning reference books because all information can be found for free on the Internet. Sadly the information might be available, but the ability to search through 4000+ mineral species is NOT available.
Lanny Ream has put much effort into creating the MinData and charges only a modest fee ($75 I think) for the CD-rom. It is well worth the small investment.
7/10/2007
Recently I was asked about mineral nomenclature when identifying minerals in a series like calcite and rhodochrosite. Often minerals form in what is called a solid solution series. This means that most of the chemical formula is the same between two minerals, but two elements vary in proportion. In this instance:
calcite = CaCO3
rhodochrosite = MnCO3
You can easily see the CO3 part of each formula is the same, but one has calcium (Ca) and the other has manganese (Mn). But minerals are not perfect and seldom are pure "end members" of the series. More often the calcite may have Mn impurities or the rhodochrosite may have Ca impurities. If the specimen is tested and Mn is 51% and Ca is 49% then the mineral is identified as rhodochrosite. If it is 51% Ca and 49% Mn than it is identified as calcite (or possibly as Mn-rich calcite or calcite var. manganoan or the now obsolete name manganocalcite). Just a 2% difference is all it takes to change the identification. And some crystals vary by being zoned with varying composition - it may be calcite in the center and rhodochrosite in an outer layer.
Here in New England the pegmatite quarries frequently have a green apatite that fluoresces yellow under UV illumination. Local collectors call this mineral manganapatite. There is no such mineral species. A researcher did a review of several specimens from several quarries and found that they were all fluorapatite Ca5(PO4)3F with trace impurities of Mn which caused them to fluoresce. None had Mn content over 3%. If they had over 3% (or is it 10%?) then they would qualify to be called Mn-rich fluorapatite according to the IMA. (I am sure I will get a correction on this last tidbit, but I have forgotten the exact threshold.)
Some common mineral series are:
adamite - olivenite
albite - anorthite - microcline
amblygonite - montebrasite
austinite - conichalcite
calcite - magnesite - siderite - smithsonite - rhodochrosite
descloizite - mottramite
dravite - schorl - elbaite
epidote - clinozoisite
grossular - andradite - uvarovite
pectolite - serandite
scheelite - powellite
tennantite - tetrahedrite - freibergite
I hope this clarifies how minerals are identified when they are not pure end members.
6/5/07
This week a customer questioned why some items are marked "net" and others are not. The notation "net" are hypertext and link to an explanation that "net" means no discount is applicable to these items. They have been priced at a firm price and at the lowest possible price for that item.
There would be no need to tag items as "net" if I did not have an automatic discount policy. If all prices were fixed, then effectively all items would be "net" by default.
But I offer discounts on orders of 4 or more items (if the total exceeds $200) as an incentive to order more than one item at a time. It does not mean that I have added extra padding to the price to allow for a discount. I actually lose money on the discounts. But it reduces the work required to ship the minerals. It is easier and faster to ship one box with four minerals in it, than it is to ship four boxes each with one mineral in it. There are are also added costs of boxes and commissions paid on credit card transactions when shipping four boxes instead of one box.
So the discount is an incentive. And the "net" notation indicates that my cost for the specimen prevents me from discounting the mineral. This is most apparent with the diamond crystals I sell, which have high inventory costs and the prices per carat per quality are pretty much standard throughout the world.
5/29/07
Recently I acquired a large number of mineral specimens from a collector that bought most of them through online mineral auctions. With each mineral specimen, I was supplied a printout of the auction listing so I could see the original descriptions and the bidding history for each item.
Many mineral specimens sold at auction for many times what I would sell them for. Then I realized, the prices at online auctions are set by the bidders - and they have not seen the actual mineral specimen. The only thing the bidders have seen is a photograph of the mineral. Invariably an item with a great photo was bid beyond what the mineral specimen is worth.
Contrast that to the way I price minerals: after cleaning and trimming, I am holding the specimen in my hand, under good light, and evaluate the specimen based on size, quality, condition and history. Frequently I will research the rarity and associations in references before finally establishing the price. But the price is established independently how photogenic the specimen may be. If I get a great photo of a specimen, it may sell faster, but the price is set at what (I feel) it is worth when I hold it im my hand.
The allure of getting a bargain keeps buyers going back to online auction sites. But when buying quality, attractive minerals, you are better off buying from an online "catalog" site like this one, where prices are set based on the specimen, not on the photographs.
5/22/07
After shipping many packages last week, I have a better sense of what the new postage rates mean to mineral packages. Here are a few observations:
These small changes add up and incrrease the overall postage on each package by at least $1. Therefore, it is best to purchase more than one item at a time to spread the postage across more specimens.
5/8/07
Last week it happened again. A regular customer requested a mineral specimen from my new listings - but his email was filtered and it went into my Spam folder.
I have cautioned everyone before about this problem. I have no control over the filtering algorithms that are in place at my ISP. The safest way to request a mineral is to use my secure order form. The server instantly records the order form request, it cannot get lost or filtered, and it results in you getting into the queue earlier during the weekly feeding frenzy.
Yes, I hate filling out online forms too. Past customers only need to enter name (last name will suffice if you are in a hurry), your email address, and the item number that you are requesting. It is not required to list the price or description of the item you are requesting, but they are a good backup in case you misentered the item number. Some web browsers can be set to fill in your name and email address so you never have to do it again in the future.
It is that simple. If you are concerned about missing out on an item, the online order form is the best.
5/1/07
Last weekend, while selling at a mineral show, a well known mineral personality and rare mineral specialist came by to request immediate notification the next time I get in any variscite specimens from Utah. I explained that I never call customers to notify them of new arrivals. He got upset, misinterpreting my comments. He thought I said I would not call him. I said I would not call anybody.
Why not?
Because I have 800 regular customers. At least 1/4 of them have specialties and would like advance notice of a certain mineral specialty. For example, look at the Mineral of the Week above. Pyromorphite collectors want notice, collectors of German minerals want notice, collectors of Albanese minerals want notice, collectors of pink minerals want notice, collectors of lead minerals want notice, collectors of cabinet-size specimens want notice. I would spend all of my time sending notices for the 5000 mineral specimens that I sell on this web site every year.
And it is only possible to give notice to one collector. It may make that collector happy, but the 20 other collectors that didn't get notice would be unhappy.
So my policy is simple: no notices. This way the regular visitors, that check my new listings every week, are rewarded for their efforts. After all, they are my most loyal customers. Many ordering every week, or at least once per month. The customer that made the request at the mineral show has only bought one mineral specimen from me ever. Why does he deserve advance notice over someone that buys from me every week?
Of course I do send mass email reminders that new minerals have been posted. And each email lists a few items out of the many posted. But these are sent to 2000 people around the world, and no one is given preferential treatment. If you want to receive email announcements, then email me at jhbnyc@aol.com
4/24/07
Sometimes I get emails from first-time visitors to this site that say my prices are too high. Usually I send them to a few other web sites with even higher prices.
But recently one customer sent me a large shipment of minerals acquired from other web sites and mineral auctions. It was a window into how other mineral dealers describe, label, and the quality of minerals they sell. It was a shock to see what other dealers are getting away with.
A few other dealers were honest about the quality of their mineral specimens and the extent of damage. Most were of the other dealers were criminal in the way they omitted mentioning damage or glossed over hugely damaged areas by saying they did not find it objectionable. (Of course they didn't find damage objectionable - they are the SELLERS!!!)
So when I get emails saying my prices are too high, I assume they are not judging minerals of equal quality.
Lastly, I was amazed at the poor labeling of several of the dealers. Aside from the misspelling of geographic names, they were often grossly in error, including misidentifying the mineral species. One dealer took the old historic labels and wrote his prices in red ink on the old labels. Old labels are historic documents - they should never be altered in any way. Period.
So when judging the prices of a web site, be sure to evaluate the dealers written descriptions, the historic labeling, the condition of the specimens, the quality of the wrapping and promptness of shipping. Not all internet mineral dealers are the same.
4/3/07
Displaying minerals on open shelves is an inefficient way to display a large collection. If you fill the shelves full, often the minerals at the rear are hard to see. And the spacing of the shelves results in low density of minerals stored per volume (i.e. minerals per cubic foot of storage space).
One way to improve displaying minerals on open shelves is to add stepped platforms at the rear of the shelves to elevate the minerals at the rear. This improves the visibility of the minerals at the rear, and allows for tighter spacing without looking overcrowded.
But even with stepped platforms on your shelves, it is difficult to display a large collection. My best suggestion for improving your storage while maintaining easy access, is to add a bank of thin drawers below the display shelves. Arrange your shelves from eye-level down to waist-level for your best, large specimens. Then below, from waist-level to the floor, have a bank of 2-3 inch high drawers for storing smaller specimens. You will be surprised at the quantity of minerals that you can store with such an arrangement. Best of all, they are all easily viewed and accessible. The best drawers are flat-files used by architects for storing large drawings.
Don't forget to have some good overhead lighting to illuminate the minerals in the drawer when opened. I use some Luxo-type lamps with halogen bulbs to illuminate my drawers and it works very well.
Remember, if you your displays don't accommodate your collection you should change your display. Don't change your collection.
3/27/07
I hate cotton-filled boxes.
Why do collectors use cotton-filled boxes for storing mineral specimens? They have absolutely no advantage over ANY alternative.
Cotton-filled boxes are made for the jewelry and gift industry for packing purchases. They are not intended for minerals. Period.
Invariably the cotton fibers get snagged by the matrix or fine crystals on a mineral specimen. The worst is a mineral like crystallized silver where the fine crystals are strong and easily become entangled in the cotton fibers. Once they are entangled it is almost impossible to remove the cotton fibers. The best way I've found is to use a small ball of mineral tack or duct tape and try to grab the cotton fibers to pull them off. Some specimens simply defy removing the cotton fibers.
There are several alternatives to use in the bottom of storage boxes for your mineral specimens. Most widely used today are dry-cleaning bags (lightweight polyethylene bags) that have a Moh's hardness of 2 and are readily available from many sources. I buy my bags from Cleaner Products (1-800-818-1234) for about $38 delivered. Another alternative padding are the various polystyrene foams used for packing delicate items. They are available in various thicknesses and come in white or natural. Lastly, I question the need for any padding in boxes. Unless you are packing for a move (where cotton filling provides inadequate protection) there is no need for ANY padding in the storage box for a mineral specimen.
Remember, we are only the temporary caretakers of the minerals in our collections. Our credo should be "Do no harm". Storing minerals in cotton-filled boxes violates that principle.
3/20/07
This week I posted several new mineral species. Most are not found in any reference books. The only information about them are in the abstracts published in various magazines or Internet databases. In most cases, the mineral species name is tentative.
A mineral species is first described and submitted to the IMA. Once accepted, it is assigned an IMA number, but does not become official until the description of the new mineral is published in a professional journal. In all cases I have provided the IMA number for the mineral species just in case there is a last minute spelling or name change.
Also posted this week are several mineral species from the Type locality. This is the locality where the first samples of a mineral were isolated and provide the basis for the description of the mineral species required for acceptance by the IMA. 99% of all mineral species have a type locality of record. Only the earliest minerals identified do not have a type locality because their identification preceded the formal study of mineralogy.
Collecting rare mineral species or mineral specimens from type localities is another facet of mineral collecting. There are more mineral species out there than the same 200 we see regularly at mineral shows. There are over 4000 mineral species known. If you get over 1000 species in your mineral collection you are to be congratulated. I learned recently one customer has over 3000 mineral species in his collection. That is a stunning accomplishment for an individual.
I urge serious collectors to expand their collecting beyond aesthetics and to learn more about the science and history of minerals
3/13/07
One of the advantages of buying mineral specimens over the Internet is that each specimen is photographed and described for you. The images and descrioptions can be saved and incorporated into your mineral collection catalog. The simplest way to save this information is to print out the web page and save the pages in a three-ring binder.
But you can save the web pages directly to your computer's hard drive. In MS Explorer click on "File" in the upper left corner of the browser window, then select "Save As" from the pop-up menu. If you save the page as an "archive" it will save all text, photos, and graphics to a single file that be easily viewed in the future. You can even link the archived page to your database of your collection catalog if you use one.
If you only want to save the photographs, you can right-click your mouse on a photograph and just save the JPEG to your hard drive.
This is a convenient way of building a catalog of your collection. It certainly takes less time than recreating all the same photos and descriptions yourself.
2/20/07
As regular visitors know, I recommend using Mineral Tack to mount mineral specimens to display bases. It is not permanent and will not harm the specimen. This means that a future owner of a specimen will be able to "undo" the mounting. This cannot easily be done with silicone, epoxy or other permanent glues. The rule of thumb should be, "Do no harm."
But there are two complaints about Mineral Tack: it leaves an oil stain on the specimen and does not always come off easily. The two problems are related. Mineral Tack is oil-based and relies on the oil content to remain pliable. If the oil is absorbed into the specimen matrix, then the Mineral Tack becomes stiff or hard, making removal difficult.
To remove the oil stain on the specimen, simply soak in a detergent. I use Cascade brand dishwashing detergent dissolved in water. It will cut through the oil and remove any residue. Repeat if necessary and always rinse thoroughly.
To remove old Mineral Tack from the specimen, scrape away as much as possible, then use a ball of fresh Mineral Tack, and press it repeatedly onto the old Mineral Tack. The oil in the new, will soften the old. And because Mineral Tack sticks to itself better than it sticks to minerals, it will eventually come off.
By the way, for really stubborn, hard Mineral Tack you can use any solvent and actually dissolve the Mineral Tack. You can use Goo Gone available at hardware stores or other solvents. I use a thinner called Bestine made for thinning rubber cement.
2/13/07
Recently a visitor told me about a specimen he acquired that was beryl, but had been sold to him as quartz (or maybe it was vice versa). I immediately responded that it would take less the 15 seconds to determine which was correct using a hardness test. Beryl scratches quartz. Quartz cannot scratch beryl.
Every collector can assemble a hardness kit for a few dollars by buying cheap kid's rocks at your local mineral show. My kit includes: my fingernail (2-2.5), a broken calcite crystal (3), a $1 fluorite octahedral cleavage (4), a cheap Mexican fluorapatite (5), an orthoclase I collected in Colorado (6), a quartz crystal I dug in Herkimer N.Y. (7), a beryl crystal I dug in New Hampshire (7.5-8), a cleavage of a Utah topaz (8), lastly a cheap ruby crystal from India (9). There is no need to have a diamond in your hardness test kit - a diamond scratches everything so it will prove nothing.
If you don't have the patience to assemble your own hardness kit, you can purchase a kit from Ward's Earth Science Establishment in Rochester N.Y. I have one of their kits too. It has four double-ended scribes with hardnesses 5,6,7,8,8.5,9,10.
Testing hardness rules out many possibilities when you are faced with a misidentified mineral. You don't always need fancy quantitative testing to make an identification. Just remember the basics: hardness, streak, crystal system, color, opacity, cleavage, and specific gravity.
1/2307
A visitor to this web site recently noted the abundance of minerals priced less than $35 and complained about few minerals priced over $100. The reason is simple: the better mineral specimens sell immediately and are removed from the site in the first 30 minutes after being posted. Unless a visitor views the new listings between 11:45 to 12:15 on Tuesday, they will never see the best specimens that sold quickly.
I guess I could leave the sold minerals up on the site, and mark them SOLD. But the additional thumbnail images slow down page loading and only aggravates the customers that missed them. It would be good for my reputation, but making my pages load quickly is important to me and the 65% of the customers that still use dial-up connections.
1/16/07
An old-time dealer here in New York City recently approached me with an offer of Canadian Diamonds from a friendly source. I requested proof of the Kimberley Certificate for the diamonds. He said what does a Kimberely Certificate have to do with diamonds from Canada.
A Kimberely Certificate is required for all diamonds entering the United States and for all diamonds shipped out of the United States - regardless of country of origin. The name "Kimberely Certificate" does not refer to country of origin, it is a proof the diamonds followed the "Kimberely Process" where the diamonds are sealed at the mine to prevent smuggled diamonds from entering the supply chain.
The Kimberely Process was devised by the major diamond producing nations to protect the integrity of their production and prevent blood diamonds from reaching the consumer. All diamonds require a Kimberley Certificate. All diamonds I sell on this site are purchased from legitimate wholesalers with the proper documentation.
1/9/07
Every effort is made to present accurate information on this web site. Locations are verified and updated to latest geographic names. Correct mineral species, with varietal names, are checked and double-checked. No "attributions" are made for old specimens with inadequate labeling - my labels repeat the old label unless there is absolutely no doubt about additional information.
Sometimes a mineral is unintentionally posted with incorrect information. In these instances, I welcome corrections/updates. It is never an imposition to receive them. Usually when a correction is received I pull the specimen from the site and repost it at a later date with corrected information.
But there are times when people offer locality corrections based on the images. Comments like, "The specimen of mineral X is a yellow-green color indicating it is actually from location Z, not location Y as you have listed. If it were green or blue-green then I would believe the locality you have listed." In this instance it sound like the correction sent is based on a subtle color variation.
No matter how good your computer and monitor is, unless you use color calibration software, color rendition is poor with ANY computer.
I have addressed this problem in the past. Go to any computer store and look at the same image on several computers. There is a WIDE variation in color rendition - especially with yellows, browns, purples (a computer monitor only has red, green and blue pixels - how do you make yellow from those colors?) You will not that many computers stores display bright blue images on their computer displays because these are the most consistent colors - only the blue pixels are being used and no color mixing is involved. Poor color rendition of computers is the same reason I do not identify minerals from photographs emailed to me.
Please continue to send me corrections and I will continue to improve my site. But be wary of making any attributions based on the color of a mineral image. In those instances I will always trust the previous label that accompanied a specimen.
12/12/06
The new Leonard DiCaprio movie entitled Blood Diamond has highlighted the the issues of warring African factions financing their battles by enslaving miners and selling local diamonds. The income from diamonds are used to buy guns and equipment. As a result of the illegal trade in "conflict diamonds", the United Nations instituted the Kimberly Process where legally mined diamonds are sealed at the mine and documented with a Kimberly Certificate prior to export. The Kimberly Process has eliminated or significantly reduced smuggled diamonds from entering into marketplace as legal diamonds.
All diamonds sold on this web site are purchased from legal wholesalers and Kimberly Certificates are on file for them.
Frequently I get call from individuals trying to sell me diamonds. My first question is whether they have the Kimberly Certificates for the diamonds. If the answer is no, I terminate the conversation. Other mineral dealers have offered me diamonds too. Though they may be from non-conflict countries, but the diamonds must still have Kimberly Certificates prior to entering the United States.
One thing that the new movie conveniently omitted: the percentage of conflict diamonds is minuscule compared to the legal diamond mining from the major producing nations. Diamonds from Australia, Canada, Russia as well as legal countries in Africa such as South Africa, Botswana and DRC far outnumber the small production from Sierra Leone and other conflict countries. These major producers have willingly accepted the additional restrictions of the Kimberly Process to guarantee their production is untainted, thus guaranteeing open trade of their diamond production.
11/28/06
Look closely at the two listings below from the minerals posted this week.
|
|
At first glance, the specimen on the left looks like the better specimen. The crystals appear larger on the left, and the price is much lower. But look again. The left specimen has the notation (m) while the right specimen has (c). These correspond to specimen size. See the chart below:
|
Centimeters |
Millimeters |
Inches |
(t) = Thumbnail Specimens = |
2-3cm |
20-30 mm |
3/4 to 1-1/8" |
(m) = Miniature Specimens = |
3-6 cm |
30-60 mm |
1-1/8 to 2-1/2" |
(c) = Cabinet Specimens = |
6-10 cm |
60-100 mm |
2-1/2 to 4" |
(lc) = Large Cabinet Specimens = |
> 10 cm |
> 100 mm |
> 4" |
When we click on the left specimen, it is discovered the specimen is 4x3x2 cm in size. The specimen on the right is 10x6x2.5 cm . If we look at the overall all size of the left specimen, the visible displayed specimen is 4x3 cm = 12 cm2 while the right specimen has a visible area 10x6 cm = 60 cm2. That is 5 times the visible displayed area.
But the thumbnail views look so similar. That is because all thumbnail previews are the same height. Regardless of specimen size, they appear the same.
So you must look at the dimensions and the size codes for the relative size. Now it is clear the higher price of the larger specimen is justified, if not a bargain. Also, remember large specimens from most locations are much harder to obtain than smaller specimens.
11/14/06
I was recently featured in a television show on the Dish Network about mineral collecting. The show presented (the reporter's choices for) the top 20 tips when collecting minerals. Many of the same points as I wrote about in my article Advice For Beginners: Nine Lessons Learned from Experience including:
But the video editors omitted my most important tip I have for collectors: Buy a good book and use it.
My favorite recommendation is the excellent Mineralogy by John Sinkankas. This was originally published in 1964 under the name Mineralogy for Amateurs but was revised and updated in 1986. It is the most concise, lucid explanation of mineralogy I have encountered. Sections on the fundamentals of mineralogy include mineral classifications, crystal growth, crystal systems, physical and optical properties, and tests and identification. A very useful feature under each mineral is an entry for Distinctive Features and Tests that helps in distinguishing a mineral from commonly encountered look-alikes.
Mineralogy is currently out of print, but readily available from used book dealers via the Internet.
An alternate reference that is still in print is Peterson's Field Guide: Rocks & Minerals by Frederick Pough (ISBN 0-395-91096-x in paperback) was updated with the 5th edition in 1996 with all color photographs by the noted mineral photographer, Jeff Scovil. This Field Guide has passed one million in sales, more probably than all other mineral books in total. There are no crystal drawings under the descriptive mineralogy section, and the minerals described are limited (for example no entry for boleite) and the entries for occurrences is brief, though it has been updated. It is also less expensive than Mineralogy. If you cannot get a copy of Sinkankas’ Mineralogy then this book is a good alternative.
Don't just buy the book, and look at the illustrations. Read it cover to cover. Twice if possible. Doing so will give you a foundation in elementary mineralogy that will make you a skilled mineral collector.
10/17/06
Customers frequently request early notification when certain minerals are going to be posted to my web site. One customer might want notice of any minerals from Germany, another is looking for notice of gem crystals, another may want notice of cuprite specimens. You can see that it quickly becomes unmanageable. Every week 2000 customers visit my site to see the new listings. Presumably a fraction of those want advance notice about some type of minerals. If only 10% want email notice, then that is 200 emails, each about a different type of mineral.
That is more than I can manage.
Buying minerals on the internet is like collecting minerals on a mine dump. You must look through many pieces of no interest, to find the one worth keeping. A collector that puts in the time, will be rewarded with fine specimens for his/her collection.
Rather than relying on me, I suggest scheduling a reminder to prompt you to visit the site on Tuesday at noon when the new minerals are posted. Or sign my guestbook to receive the generic email announcements when the new minerals are online.
Remember, the time and effort that you expend is directly related to the results of your searches. The more you look, the more you will find.
9/12/06
Asbestos. Most people react in violent fear of the word. The same reaction is generated for "Radioactive".
Is it safe to collect these minerals? Yes. Collecting minerals is safe, even for the types of mineral above.
Asbestos causes asbestosis, a disease of the lungs, when short microfibers of this type of mineral are inhaled into the lungs. When asbestos is mined, the drilling and blasting generates the short microfibers. But a specimen sitting in your display cabinet is safe. However you should not grind it up into a fine powder and blow it around your room with a fan, then try some deep breathing exercises.
Radioactive minerals are safe to collect too. Distance is your best protection against radioactivity, and it takes surprisingly little distance to be safe since the hazard drops by the square of the distance. The dose from being 6" away from a specimen is 1/36th the dose of being 1" away. Actually the biggest danger from radioactive minerals is the Radon gas generated via radioactive decay. This gas is heavier than air and collects in the lower parts of your home. Because it is a gas, it is easily inhaled where it can cause health problems. But if your home has good ventilation, you are safe. If your home passes a radon test, then you will be OK. If in doubt, store radioactive minerals in your garage.
Other minerals are unsafe if ingested. If you have infants or pets that like to chew on things, prevent tjhem from ingesting any mineral specimen.
Collecting minerals is a safe hobby. There is no reason to overreact. A little education is all it takes to understand minerals and safely handle them.
8/29/06
All minerals sold on my web site have a standard two week return policy. This allows the purchaser to decide whether to keep a mineral specimen or not after seeing the mineral specimen in person.
But there is another guarantee for my minerals: If at any time a mineral specimen is tested, and the mineral species identified on my label was incorrect, then I will refund the cost of the specimen, the cost of return shipping, and the cost of the test.
Of the 30,000 mineral specimens sold, I have had only a handful returned. (Usually the misidentification was due to labels being accidentally switched in an old collection, and I failed to detect the switch.)
If a mineral specimen is suspected to be incorrect, have it tested by a reputable laboratory. Not that some tests cannot accurately identify all mineral species. For example only XRD will discern the structural differences between stilbite and stellerite. So make sure the test is valid for the mineral species. Note: EDS is not a reliable test for many species, notably zeolites.
I stand behind all mineral specimens sold, and there is no expiration to this guarantee.
8/22/06
Last week a regular customer complained about having to fill in the order form every week. Repeat customers are encouraged to use the order form because it instantly records the order and there is little chance of it getting lost or overlooked (as opposed to an email that may get filtered, sent to the Spam folder, or simply lost en route).
But repeat customers do not have to fully fill out the order form. All you need provide is name (last name will suffice), email address, and payment method (for repeat customers this means using the "Credit Card Number used on last order" option from the drop-down menu).
Did you know there are a number of software programs that automatically fill out order forms for you? Using them is even less work.
Lastly, you can send an email if your order is not urgent and you don't worry about getting in the queue quickly.
I could use cookies (a web page programming applet) to automatically recognize return customers and fill in the order form automatically. But cookies are usually associated with suspicious spyware and frequently refused by the best antivirus/antispyware programs. So that leaves you back at the beginning.
I have tried to make everything about my site easy to use. My current system is the best compromise between ease of use and safe, secure, simple programming. If you have suggestions though, please share them with me.
8/8/06
This week's new minerals are an experiment. Almost all of the minerals posted are from the eastern United States. This is direct contrast to my normal practice of posting a wide variety of minerals from a broad range of localities. I have no idea if it will work. My guess is that a few customers will like it, the rest will ignore it. We'll see...
This week there are several mineral specimens with old mineral names like "Pyroxene" which is no longer a mineral, but a group of 19 mineral species, including: Aegirine, Augite, Diopside, Enstatite, Hedenbergite, Omphacite, and Spodumene. That is a pretty diverse list. These minerals vary widely in appearance and characteristics. But with old specimens, there is little I can do unless their is a reference on the occurrence that clarifies the actual mineral species. Sadly there are few references for these historic minerals that I posted this week.
A few of the "pyroxenes" are clearly diopside. But I hesitate to make attributions without solid evidence. And determinations cannot be made with simple EDS tests that can be done cheaply. Some require XRD. So I have resorted to simply restating what is on the label.
Note: Dr. Lupulescu at the New York State Museum is systematically testing all of the amphibole specimens in the museum's collection to provide up-to-date identification in the new amphibole nomenclature. He is finding many surprises, and many minerals incorrectly identified.
7/18/06
Every week I post new mineral specimens to this web site at noon (or slightly earlier) on Tuesday. Almost immediately orders start to pour in.
Some customers wonder why I do not send email order confirmations right away. When orders come in, I focus my time and energy on removing sold specimens from the New Listings Galleries. But I usually delay sending email confirmations for two reasons:
All customers should rest assured, even though order confirmations are delayed, all requests are filled in the order received. In fact ,one tactic that results in better chances of getting all items you want is to submit many small orders. As soon as you spot an item you want, submit an order for that one, then continue shopping. This will get your request into the queue earlier and improve your chances.
7/11/06
This week many of the minerals posted to my web site are from an old collection dating to the late 1800s. When it was purchased, all I knew was the previous owner and that it had old pen-and-ink labels with many of the mineral specimens. The minerals were filthy from years of neglect, but I could see many classic locations were represented. It was clear there were no "killer" specimens - top quality specimens that would make purchasing the collection worthwhile. But I purchased the collection anyway, mainly to help out the widow and the mineral club that was helping her dispose of the collection. Out of 600+ mineral specimens in the collection, about 125-150 are worthy of being offered on this web site.
Fortunately, I got very lucky...
The very first specimen that I selected to be posted to the web site had the only label in the collection that was signed by the original owner ca. 1895: John A. Manley. If I had not picked out that specimen first, I would have dispersed the collection around the world to my customers, without ever knowing the history of the collection. That is pure luck.
Here is what I now know about the collection:
Look for more classic minerals from John A. Manley in the coming weeks on this web site and at my booth at the East Coast Gem & Mineral Show in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
6/13/06
Is your monitor properly calibrated?
Most people respond, "Yes, I haven't changed the factory settings since I bought it last year." The assumption is the monitor was properly calibrated in the factory and there is no need to make any adjustments after you purchase the monitor. Sadly, these assumptions are flawed.
Monitor manufacturers do not calibrate monitors. And your computer, software and interior lighting all affect what you see on your monitor. As evidence of this, I suggest visiting a computer store and looking at side-by-side comparisons of monitors displaying the same images. You will see there is a wide variety of color rendition.
I am not going to tell you how to calibrate your monitor. But I am going to help you identify if your monitor needs calibration. Click on the small test image to see the full-size test pattern:
In each half of the image are tints: top row - cyan, red; middle row - yellow, gray; bottom row - green, magenta. The white half has 5% tints of the these colors. The black half has 95% tints.
Can you see all of the tints?
If your monitor is set too dark, you will not see all of the 95% tints. If your monitor is too light, you will not see the 5% tints. If your monitor has too much red (most common) the gray squares (middle row, right side) will have reddish hue. The most difficult color for monitors to display are yellows. This is because the red, green, blue phosphors in the monitor do not easily combine to make yellow. How do the yellow squares (middle row, left side) look? Do the look yellow or pink?
If you discover the need to calibrate your monitor after using this test image, I suggest purchasing one of the software programs that will control your monitor. The added bonus of using color calibration software is it will also improve the color of prints you make on your computer.
6/6/06
Recently one of the mineral magazines ran an article about buying minerals via the Internet. Rather than writing helpful advice to guide readers on avoiding potential problems when buying via the Internet, they chose express their personal opinions of the Internet buying experience (one of them admitted to never buying over the Internet - why was he writing for the article?) and they debated the value of seeing the minerals in person at mineral shows along with other issues.
A few observations about buying via the Internet:
The bottom line is that buying minerals through the Internet is safe and easy as long as you:
If you follow these guidelines, you will find you can build a good collection easily and effortlessly.
5/23/06
I am working my way through an old collection of thumbnail-sized mineral specimens, all mounted in Perky-style display boxes. In the early day (before mineral tack was invented) most minerals specimens were glued using white glue (Elmer's) to the styrofoam insert in the Perky boxes. Then Mineral Tack was invented, the pliable putty that adheres to the mineral and the insert.
Once collectors saw how easy Mineral Tack made mounting thumbnail-sized specimens, they stopped gluing the minerals. This was a step in the right direction. White glue is nearly permanent. (The golden rule that mineral collectors should always follow is: do nothing to a mineral specimen that is not reversible.) At least white glue can be soaked in water for a few days to soften it and allow for removal of the glue.
But there were also cheapskate collectors that did not want to pay for Mineral Tack (or did not know where it could be purchased). They saw the advantages of using a putty. But they did not use Mineral Tack. Some used silly-putty, or plumber's putty, or soft patching compound, or silicone-based adhesives.
My advice: Do not use ANY substitute for Mineral Tack.
I found these alternatives go rancid over time, resulting in an unpleasant odor. Or it hardened over time leading to failure and damage to the specimen. Or it is not easily removable like Mineral Tack is. Silly putty is the worst - it refuses to peel off the mineral.
The bottom line is: don't take any short cuts. Use the right product for the job. Mineral Tack is the best.
5/16/06
Last week I posted some thumbnail-sized mineral specimens that were from an old collection. Each specimen was mounted in a Perky-style box. Now normally when I prepare minerals to be posted to this site, I wash each specimen in soap and water. But the thumbnail specimens were in closed boxes - so they didn't need washing. Right? Wrong, they were filthy.
How can minerals in closed boxes get so dirty?
I guess it is possible they were dirty before being mounted. But I am beginning to believe there is another explanation. Perhaps there is a microscopic ecosystem that lives in boxes of minerals (and any other box that is stored in a basement or garage). There is a similar ecosystem that lives in your mattress where dust mites live off of our discarded skin tissue. Apparently up to one-third of the weight of an old mattress is the feces and skeletons of these dust mites. Why couldn't a mineral collection stored in boxes have similar residents?
It is not uncommon to open a flat of minerals from a basement and see small, pale spiders. What are they surviving off of? They must be eating something...
What is to be learned from this? I suggest that minerals should not be stored in damp areas like basements or garages. If you must store your minerals in these environments, place them in large tupperware-style bins to seal out moisture and insects. Wash your minerals periodically. Discard old boxes and wrapping.
In the meantime, I know that every specimen must be washed - even if it was mounted in a sealed Perky box.
5/9/06
Last week I sold a book from my mineral library that was a pronunciation dictionary of mineral names and geological terms. That prompted a few questions from visitors about rules for pronouncing mineral names. Here are some guidelines:
These general guidelines will get you through most of the common mineral names. And every grammarian will tell you language is fluid and rules change over time. Many latin words have been Americanized. Therefore you might still make a mistake. Attending lectures at mineral clubs and symposia will expose you to more knowledgeable speakers. Listening to them you will pick up acceptable pronunciation.
Remember, no matter how you pronounce it, if you say with confidence nobody will argue with you.
4/25/06
Frequently I get questions about repairing mineral specimens. While I am no expert at making repairs, I can tell you what NOT to do when making a repair:
In general, a specimen with three complete crystals and one incomplete crystal is more valuable than a specimen with the same three complete crystals and a repaired crystal that was poorly done.
One collector once taught me that it is better to intertionally chip a quartz crystal (resulting in a clean conchoidal surface) to remove a bruise that is highly visible.
Finally, assess whether making the repair is worth it. Why are you making the repair? You will always know it is repaired and will never enjoy it fully. And it is unethical to repair a specimen in order to unload it on an unsuspecting collector. Why not just keep it as is?
4/11/06
I just returned from the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium, and I sadly report that Fred Pough died on Friday while attending the symposium. Fred was entering the symposium when he collapsed in the lobby. He made it to the hospital with a pulse, but died a few hours later. Fred was 99 years old and the sypmosium was planning on celebrating early his 100th birthday. Sadly it turned into a memorium.
Fred Pough was the mineral curator at the American Museum of Natural History here in New York. He is best known for his book: Peterson's Field Guide: Rocks & Minerals (ISBN 0-395-91096-x in paperback) which was updated with the 5th edition in 1996 with color photographs by the noted mineral photographer Jeff Scovil. This Field Guide has passed one milllion in sales, more than all other mineral books in total. It was my first mineral book, and others of my generation. When I was writing the article Manhattan Mineral Collecting I consulted many references and journals (including Conklin's article on the Kingsbridge District in Manhattan) about the brown tourmalines I recovered in northern Manhattan. All references, except Pough's book, incorrectly identified the tourmalines as uvite. Pough's book correctly identified them as dravite which was later confirmed through analysis.
I was 10 feet away when he collapsed. I prefer not to remember him that way. My best memory was one year earlier, also at the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium, where Fred was enjoying the "Hospitality Suite". The open bar fueled the storytelling of minerals and mineral collecting. Though Fred was 98 at the time, and got around with the aid of a walker, his mind was sharp as a tack. He loved to talk minerals and freely shared his knowledge with others. And he closed the bar every night that year. He was up until two in the morning with all of us. And he had a ball.
When he died last Friday, he was doing what he loved best: visiting with colleagues and talking about minerals.
I will miss you Fred.
4/4/06
Last week I received a flurry of requests for Mineral Tack, the soft pliable adhesive used to mount minerals to bases. I regularly recommend it's use because it is removable without destroying the mineral. I used to get Mineral Tack from David Shannon in Mesa, AZ. Sadly he died a few years ago and his widow, Colleen decided not to carry the white (gray actually) Mineral Tack because, "it leaves an oily stain on the mineral." While this is true, I do not want to use the alternative that she is selling: blue mineral tack. When mounting a transparent mineral, the blue shows though and looks unnatural.
The only place to get white mineral tack now appears to be Mikon in Germany. Unfortunately, the quantity quoted me was for a 6 kilo roll, which is OK for me because I mount thousands of specimens each year. But it will take the average collector a lifetime to use up.
The average collector would be wise to haunt the local mineral shows and find the many small dealers that sell packets of the old white mineral tack. Shannon sold them to dealers in prepackaged small sizes, often with the dealers name preprinted on the package.
Otherwise, you might consider gathering a group from your local mineral club and group-purchasing a 6 kilo roll from Mikon.
3/28/06
When you order a book from Amazon.com do you expect to negotiate the price with the company? When you order outdoor goods from L.L. Bean do you try to negotiate the price? Of course you don't. The Internet marketplace is based on the assumption that the seller has put his best price on the items for sale and there is no negotiation.
I spend lots of time researching prices for the minerals posted in an effort to keep my prices reasonable. If I mistakenly price a mineral too high, it won't sell. If I put a price that's too low, it will attract 10 requests (since only one customer will be successful in getting the specimen, the other 9 customers will be deeply upset). So my prices are hopefully "right" priced.
I routinely get requests trying to negotiate a lower price for a specimen and I am often confused by this. The beauty of the Internet, and the power of Google, is that you can search for other specimens in an effort to get lower prices. If my price is too high on a specimen, then you should have no problem finding a cheaper alternate with Google. If my price seems low, then don't hesitate and order it quickly because somebody else is probably doing the same thing and whoever submits the order first will get the specimen.
NOTE: In order to motivate customers to purchase multiple items at one time, I offer a discount on orders over $200. I lose income on these orders, but it is faster and easier to ship 4 minerals in one box instead of shipping four boxes each with a single specimen inside.
3/21/06
Last week I purchased the mineral collection of John Rorer, Jr. It was a delight to see a collection that was beautifully curated. Every mineral specimen had a label stored in the same box as the specimen. There was a computerized database with all pertinent information fully written out. And there were accompanying binders with print-outs of articles on the minerals, the mine, the town, as well as copies of any correspondence. Few collections can compare to the organization of his collection.
The only thing I would have added was to add a corresponding number to each mineral specimen in case the labels were ever mixed up. Yes, each mineral had a label in the bottom of the box. But minerals can be accidentally switched. If the boxes do not have high sides, it is possible that one could jump out while moving the collection (all were in mineral flats for easy handling).
I guess the guiding rule when you organize your collection should be: Can a 12 year old child figure it out. A number on each specimen corresponding to the number on the label would have been a small task and would make the collection completely foolproof.
3/14/06
Selling minerals over the Internet has a curse: every mineral must have a written description and that description must state whether a mineral specimen is damaged whether it is visible or not.
There are times when I want to write, "It looks beautiful, you can't see any damage with the naked eye, but if you examine every nook and cranny you will find one corner is chipped." But usually, because space is limited, I will only write, "one corner is chipped." The equivalent in the gem trade is the phrase "eye clean" that indicates the damage is not easily visible.
Occasionally I will state, "Minute damage is visible when viewed under magnfication." This is typical for gem crystals, such as tourmaline or aquamarine, where they are commonly transported in bags of loose crystals rubbing against each other. Sometimes the damage is on a rear corner where it is not visible when displayed. To me that is no more objectionable than having a rough surface on the bottom of the specimen: it is not visible.
The bottom line is that customers look for my usual phrase, "no damage" before ordering a mineral. Often this means that perfectly good mineral specimens will not sell, even though the damage is not visible. It pays to read my descriptions thoroughly. It try my best to communicate the condition of the specimen. And remember, you may always return a mineral specimen opurchased from this site. No questions asked.
3/7/06
Last week a collector asked for advice on shipping his mineral collection
to his new home. I prepared the following tips for packing minerals. This
is the system I use to ship large quantities of minerals back from Tucson
every year. It is not the only system, but it works well. The system depends
on isolating the loads of minerals in a large box to keep the minerals on
the bottom from being crushed by the minerals on the top and it works no
matter how the box is oriented (the minerals on the "top" may become the
bottom minerals if the box is turned upside down.
This is a simple system and uses readily available supplies. The only items that require some searching are 18x12x12" shipping boxes. But you can usually find these at U-Haul rental centers or office supply stores. This year I shipped 500 specimens, including some very fragile specimens without a loose crumb when the minerals were unwrapped.
2/28/06
A question arose last week about exactly when the New Mineral listings are posted to this site every week. I state at the top of my home page that the new minerals are posted at NOON on Tuesday. But a few eager customers discovered that the new listings are actually accessible earlier than that.
It is true: I start the process of posting new minerals at 11:35 on Tuesday. But the update in not instaneous. The process usually involves:
As you can imagine, all this takes time. Since the new minerals are accessible at step 2 above, it is usually possible to see the new listings by 11:45. That leaves me 15 minutes leeway to fix any errors if they arise.
Once a few years ago my update was not online at noon. Due to ISP problems the new listings were not ready until 12:30. Many regular visitor were confused, upset, and disappointed. I learned that day to always have everything smoothly running prior to the stated noon time. That is why I start early and why it pays to check in early on Tuesday.
2/14/06
All of the new minerals I acquired on my buying trip to Tucson are now cataloged, priced and labeled. I acquired over 600 mineral specimens including:
I gave up on trying to write up a complete summary of my observations on the minerals this year. There is just too much to write about and not enough time.
Look for the above minerals in the coming weeks. My plan is to continue posting 80+ mineral specimens every week and at least half will be new minerals acquired in Tucson.
1/17/06
I recently received an inquiry from a mineral collector that specialized in collecting only sphalerite. He purchased a specimen from this web site and asked to notified if any other sphalerite specimens are available from "rare or unusual" locations. I am completely stumped on how to respond to his request.
What is a rare or unusual location?
What may be unusual to this collector, may be ordinary to me or other collectors. For example, sphalerite is very rare in the trap rock quarry in Southbury, Connecticut. But I have repeatedly offered sphalerite specimens from that quarry and NEVER had a single customer buy one. Unless you collect regularly at this location, there is no way to know how rare it is.
I also acquire many old collections, often with old specimens from old Dana localities (these are localities listed by Dana in his Catalogue of American Mineral Localities). The localities were once commonly available through dealers like George English, A.E. Foote, and others. When I get an old specimen, it may be rare now but was not always considered rare. I may have had many other specimens from this location and find it rather ordinary.
I think the bottom line is that "rare" and "unusual" are best judged by the collector.
Building a collection requires some effort by the collector. The collector must put in the time to scan the newly listed mineral each week. (I make it very easy to see the new listings with a prominent link the the new listings at the top of my home page.) He will be in the best position to judge whether a specimen fills a gap in his collection.
1/10/06
Somebody recently asked about who my my customers are and why do they buy my minerals. There is no single answer. I have many different types of customers. I sell to individual collectors in the U.S. and abroad. I sell to museums that have mineral collections. I sell to students and researchers. I sell to corporations and colleges. There is no typical customer.
And there is no typical mineral collection. Everyone has a different specialty and I try to keep them all coming back to my site. Here is a sampling of some types of mineral collections:
You get the idea. The point is: not everybody is out there collecting the same thing. In fact, I believe that there is a collector out there for every mineral specimen, no matter the cost, size or aesthetics.
1/03/06
Last week an old customer called about a mineral specimen she had purchased. It was a gold in quartz and was labeled as from "Yukon Territory, Canada" and she was concerned that the location was too general. She wanted to know the exact mine name.
Unfortunately the interest in exact mineral localities is modern. Before 1920 it was common to have only the country or state as the ONLY locality information for a mineral specimen. Mineral collecting focused on the mineral - not the locality. Even early books on minerals showed only passing interest in exact mineral localities.
With the growth of mineral journals and the increase in the number of mineral dealers, locality information started to become more exact. As articles were written about specific locations, having minerals in your collection from the localities mentioned became important. Eventually full mineral locations were given with many mineral specimens (though some countries still produce sketchy locality information - China is on top of that list).
So when you get a hematite and quartz specimen labeled as from "Cumberland, England" or a sphalerite on dolomite labeled from "Tri-State District, Missouri" know that is probably an old specimen and there is no other locality information available.
Conversely, if you do get an old specimen (with an old label) that lists the specific mine name, then your specimen is more valuable because of this information. Collectors of minerals of Cornwall, England will pay more for a specimen if the exact mine name is known. But beware: the exact mine location on a new label may merely an attribution made by a dealer, with no true evidence of origin. Do not value the specimen more unless it has historic support.
12/27/05
This is the last update for the year 2005. It has been a busy year:
It makes me tired just thinking about the above.
Now the cycle begins again. In less than 4 weeks I will return to Tucson, Az. to start buying new finds for the upcoming year. Now is the time to send your requests. I will add your requests to my shopping list. Send me an email at jhbnyc@aol.com if you have any requests.
In the meantime, there are lots of great minerals in the queue for the upcoming weeks, including some great new diamond crystals.
Have a happy and safe New Year celebration. Cheers!
12/13/05
Recently a customer stated she was worried about buying "conflict diamonds". Conflict diamonds, also known as blood diamonds, are diamonds mined by rebels to fund their regional wars. The two countries cited by the United Nations as conflict states are Angola and Sierra Leone. I do not sell diamonds from these countries.
At the height of the problem with diamond smuggling the adjacent countries of Liberia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire) were mentioned in the blood diamond discussions, not because they are conflict countries, but because conflict diamonds from neighboring Angola and Sierra Leone were smuggled over the borders and sold along with legitimate diamonds.
The problem of smuggling has now been solved. Since January 1, 2003, the "Kimberley Process" has been put into place by 70 diamond-producing countries. In the Kimberley Process, diamonds are shipped in sealed containers with documentation of legitimate origin. The process has been an overwhelming success and diamond smuggling has been drastically reduced from conflict countries.
For the record, DRC is nearly tied with Botswana and Australia as the largest diamond producing countries (by carat weight), and the DRC diamonds are entirely legitimate. There are no restrictions to selling diamonds from the DRC.
12/05/05
Recently a parent asked about gift ideas for his son who is interested in minerals. He was thinking of getting his son a rock tumbler, but was concerned about the noise and the long time it takes to get results. I agreed with his fears. But I was wondering what should you get a child with a budding interest in minerals?
The first choice is a good book on minerals. There are not many books that I recommend. But you cannot go wrong the Peterson Field Guide: Rocks & Minerals by Frederick Pough (ISBN 0-395-91096-x in paperback). This book is one of the best all around books and the latest edition has many color photos by Jeff Scovil. There were more copies of this book printed through the years than all other field guides combined.
If you want to buy some equipment for your child, then I suggest buying a student microscope, preferably a stereo microscope. The smallest mineral specimens look fantastic under magnification. Anyone (adults included) can spend long hours looking at minerals in a microscope.
Another gift idea is trays or boxes for storing a child's mineral collection. Plastic boxes with lid and internal dividers will protect minerals from damage and keep them organized and clean. You could also print up custom mineral labels with the child's name and blank lines for mineral type and locality. The child can spend long hours labeling his collection - a task that is best started when a collection is small.
11/15/05
Last week I expressed my belief that collecting minerals is a growing pastime and is experiencing growth in all categories of expertise. Mineral clubs and mineral magazines have helped expose new collectors to the joys of mineral collecting. But as a dealer, I see a correlation to another influence that brings in new mineral collectors: museums. Mineral displays in museums exposes the average public to the beauty of minerals. I believe it is the single largest influence to get non-collectors to become collectors of minerals.
Why do I think museums play such a significant role? Because there is a correlation between museum location and collecting populations. Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington D.C. have important collections of minerals on display. They are also where there is the greatest number of new mineral collectors. And there is a large group of regional museums like the Bruce Museum in Connecticut and the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in N.J. that also expose lots of people to mineral collecting. Years ago I was told that the mineral displays in the American Museum of Natural History, here in New York City, were in the top 4 exhibits visited by the public.
Sadly, some of the best museums are downsizing or eliminating their mineral displays. The Field Museum in Chicago has no minerals on display worth seeing. And the mineral museum at Harvard University (in my opinion it was one of the top three mineral exhibits in the US) has reduced their mineral displays to make more offices for administrators (just what we need ;-). Lastly, there has been many reports about the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences trying to sell their entire collection.
I do not understand why museums in Denver, Houston and Dallas are building their mineral displays up, when other museums are downsizing. But the relationship with building interest in the field of mineral collecting is clear. As long as their are minerals displayed in museums, we will see new collectors entering the field.
11/8/05
Old time mineral dealers are worried that mineral collecting is losing collectors and will soon be dead as a hobby. They base their opinion on the fact that their regular customers are dying off and they are not getting new customers.
I disagree. Mineral collecting is growing rapidly. Mineral collecting is not dying.
The Internet has provided a new path for collectors to enter the hobby. Through the Internet collectors can learn about collecting locations, local mineral clubs, mineral magazines, and references on minerals like Mindat.org or Webmineral.com. And the Internet provides access to hundreds of mineral dealers around the world. Using the power of Google.com, collectors can find several dealers of any given mineral occurrence, making comparison shopping easier than ever before.
Perhaps the problem with the older dealers is they think of mineral collecting as a "hobby". Nobody thinks that collectors of fine art or antiques are participating in a hobby. They are collecting items that interests them and are willing to pay for important items. The same is happening with collecting minerals - serious collectors are starting to enter the field. I agree with Dave Wilbur when he attributes serious specimen mining by Bryan Lees as the cause why serious collectors are now attracted to minerals.
When assessing the health of mineral collecting, do not look to magazine subscribers as an indicator. Here in New York, the local mineral club has about 300 members. I estimate that only 10% subscribe to Rocks & Minerals magazine and 5% subscribe to Mineralogical Record (few subscribe to both). The mineral magazines have done a poor job at penetrating their "base" and must now compete with online mineral references.
Mineral collecting is growing in popularity. Minerals are more popular than ever. And prices are rising equal or greater than the rate of inflation.
10/25/05
This week I cataloged mineral #32000. Every mineral I've offered for sale since 1992 has had a unique number in sequential order assigned when it is cataloged into my database. (Minerals sold before 1992 were not numbered.) The number appears on my web site, my photos on Mindat and Webmineral.com, and on my labels that accompany every specimen.
Visitors have often asked why the minerals offered each week are not in strict order. For instance, this week the minerals posted include: 9799, 16774, 17765, 19729, 20496, 21676, 22490, 23724, 24806, 25065, 25431, 25436, 25548, 27621, 27623, 27850, 27853, 28987, 31361, 31365, 31371, 31374, 31434, 31481, 31617, 31857, 31926, 31974-32023.
This is because I have two stocks of minerals. One is for mineral shows only. These tend to be larger specimens with little historic value. The other stock minerals are posted to this web site. These tend to be smaller specimens, frequently with historic labels and provenance. I prefer to sell the historic specimens through the web site because customers are able to focus on the details of a specimen, and I can sho wimages of all old labels (not easy to do at mineral shows).
When my web stock is depleted I will cannibalize my show stock for more specimens. When I do not have show scheduled in the near future, all new acquisitions will go into my web stock. The end result is that the minerals offered on this site may have been acquired 4 years ago or 4 days ago, with item numbers that seem random.
Also, I frequently obtain specimens in old collections that I sold long ago. When possible, I use the original number. There are 5 specimens this week that I sold several years ago to another dealer (Brian Scholten).
So you can see that the numbers are assigned when they are acquired, not when they are posted to the site.
10/4/05
Last week this site quietly had it's 700,000th visitor. Soon it will pass the 3/4 millionth visitor. When I started this site, I had no idea that I would ever reach such a wide audience. And now there are more and more mineral dealers online. I was afraid that would dilute the number of visits to my site. In fact, the opposite has happened. More visitors come to the site every week than ever before.
Note that I am referring to "visitors" to the site. This is different than the common statistic on most sites called "hits". My counter counts actual individuals that come to the site. It is smart enough to know if you were at the site earlier in the day or the previous day. All visits from the same individual are counted as only one "visit".
The other way of counting "hits" counts the numbers of calls to the site's web server. Every image and every web page counts as a hit. If a viewer calls up my New Listings page it generates 51 hits, one for the page and 50 for the images embedded in that page. Obviously my "hit" count is MUCH HIGHER than my visitor count. It is so big that I have stopped counting.
8/16/05
Recently a friend was describing another collector's mineral collection. As my friend spoke, it was clear he was impressed with the other's collection. He described the collection and how well organized it was. He remarked is was organized in drawers and display cases, carefully cataloged, with all historic labels archived in books.
As I listened, it occurred to me that he was impressed not just by the mineral specimens, but also by the organization. As collectors we tend to focus on acquiring great mineral specimens. But it is the presentation and organization that contribute equally to the appreciation of a collection. The minerals are the content. The display is the presentation. The cataloging and labeling are the organization.
I suggest that you devote as much energy to the presentation and organization as you devote to content. A collection presented haphazardly will not be appreciated as much as the same collection presented in optimum conditions.
Collectors rarely consider these aspects. But cleary my friend's reactions to seeing a good collection reveal how much it adds to the viewing experience.
8/9/05
Here in the eastern United States, where the high population density has led to rapid urban development, I often hear complaints that there are no mineral collecting locations remaining. Usually I point out that I have several mineral collecting localities listed in my section on field trips. And in my section on educational articles, there are several long articles that I wrote after researching old locations and "rediscovering" them as collecting locations.
Not everyone has access to a library of historic mineral books and magazines. So what can you do if you can't find a place to collect minerals?
Find new spots to collect is the simple answer. Keep tools and boots in the back of your car so that when you pass road construction (after work hours), you can stop and check out the recently exposed minerals. This is often very productive. Even the most boring rock (pardon the pun) may have shrinkage fractures filled with late mineralization like pyrite or calcite. Building foundation excavations are another good location to check out. Many nice amethyst clusters have been found this way in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
I have a catalog of the minerals in the collection of the New York Mineralogical Club dating back to the 1880s. I plotted the locations listed on a city map. Nearly all of the minerals were collected when the city was digging tunnels for the subways. Minerals can be found almost anywhere. But you have to get out and look for them.
7/19/05
Last week a new visitor to this site inquired about a phrase used to describe a mineral specimen: "No external damage". He was unsure what that meant. I guess he wondered why I didn't say, "No damage."
He was right. Damage is when something happens to a mineral specimen during mining or after it was extracted by the miner. An edge is chipped, a crystal is broken, a surface is scratched or some other alteration to the exterior of a specimen due to carelessness by the owner. It is not possible to damage a specimen internally. Therefore all damage is external, making the need to qualify my description redundant. "No damage" means no damage to external surfaces.
If a crystal has internal flaws such as fractures or inclusions or bubbles these are entirely natural and caused by natural stress or processes. They are imperfections or flaws, but they are naturally occurring.
7/12/05
I just finished reading the book Genuine Diamonds in Arkansas by Glenn Worthington. In his writing about the value of diamonds, he proposes changing the four C's of assessing diamonds (Carat weight, Color, Clarity, Cut) by adding a fifth C: Country of Origin. I agree completely.
Diamonds from some countries are hard to get in today's marketplace. The production in India has dwindled as localities are long exhausted. Botswana and South Africa are large producers, therefore plentiful, which keeps prices down. The entire ore production in Australia is crushed to 15 mm making the chances of getting a large diamond extremely unlikely.
Scarcity affects value. Supply versus demand.
The same holds true of any mineral. Amethyst from Brazil or Uruguay is plentiful and inexpensive. Amethyst from New Hampshire or Virginia or Pennsylvania is rare and therefore more expensive. One of my customers collects minerals that only occur at one location. Isn't that a great specialty? I had never thought of that before, but it results in a collection of rare minerals from worldwide locations. Of course, because the minerals occur only at one location, the supply is limited (or possibly controlled by a monopoly) and that drives prices higher. Hopefully a new find of a mineral at a new location will not flood the market and drive prices down (reducing the value of his collection). Cavansite was originally found as microcrystals in Oregon. Then the floodgates opened up in cavansite production from India. Prices adjusted accordingly.
5/24/05
A regular customer recently asked about the categories used to classify minerals. The common categories are Micromounts, Thumbnail, Miniature, Cabinet and Large Cabinet specimens. On the west coast they often substitute Toenail for Thumbnail.
The latter two categories vary from dealer to dealer, but the sizes listed here are how they are categorized on this site.
Did you know that there is a list of all minerals on this site, sorted by size? You can go to the list Sorted by Size and browse through all minerals on this web site (over 500 specimens at any given time).
5/10/05
I spent the weekend attending the marathon auction of Jay lininger's mineral collection. Jay was the co-founder of Matrix magazine, a journal on the history of minerals and mineral collecting. Jay's collecting specialty was Pennsylvania minerals, and 2400 specimens of his Pennsylvania mineral collection were auctioned over a 17 hour auction, spread over two days.
Jay was a real mineral collector - he acquired anything that fit his collection, regardless of whether he already had three (or more) similar specimens in his collection. Jay was also a typical collector: he failed to catalog his collection or keep old labels with his minerals!
If someone as knowledgeable and intelligent as Jay failed to catalog his collection, then those of us that have not cataloged our collections are in good company. Though my personal collection is not fully cataloged into a computer database, I have at least made sure there is a label with each specimen. Jay failed to do even that.
It was sad to realize that Jay had acquired many historic specimens, with stories to go with each specimen. Jay knew this history in his head. But when he died, that history was lost. No labels or documentation to pass the history on to the next owner of the specimen. Jay forgot that he was merely the current caretaker of the minerals, and that a new owner would take over after Jay's passing.
Also at the auction was the antithesis of Jay, a collector who dcuments everything about a specimen, including copies of emails, articles, and any history that he can gather on a specimen. This collector has my extreme admiration for his detailed documentation of his mineral collection. In addition he has a fine eye for minerals and purchases the best specimens when available. We should all strive to avoid Jay's mistakes and try to reach the ideal of this other collector.
5/3/05
At mineral shows, and sometimes in email, I get comments from collectors about the prices of minerals. Sometimes they comment about how they paid $3 thirty years ago for the same mineral that I am selling for $30. But the ones that make me laugh are the visitors that see a mineral (let's say an aquamarine crystal) and say they have them by the bucketful in the hillside behind their house. I have grown to understand that these collectors are incapable of judging quality in a mineral specimen. To them, an aquamarine is an aquamarine. Or probably they have common beryl in their backyard and they think that all beryl is aquamarine.
At the last mineral show, a visitor commented on how he paid $3 for a poldervaartite while he pointed to one I had for $250. I guess to this customer a poldervaartite is a poldervaartite. Regardless of whether his was an opaque, brown crystal with no luster or complete crystals. He was looking at my translucent pink crystals with brilliant surface luster on the crystal faces. To him a poldervaartite is a poldervaartite.
I recommend that collectors learn to judge quality in a mineral specimen. Study competition-quality mineral displays at shows; look at the best specimens of noted mineral dealers; visit museum collections; read every mineral magazine available; etc. Only by spending time will you begin to discern the subtle differences that make good specimens good. Do not be a "checkbox" collector - someone that checks off the box in Fleischer's Glossary of Mineral Species when he buys a mineral and says, "I've got that one now, no need to look at another one of those ever again."
4/26/05
I was selling last weekend at the New Jersey Earth Science Association mineral show. While talking to several other mineral dealers, they all mentioned that Internet mineral sales are killing the local mineral shows. I disagree.
Internet customers do not go to mineral shows (in general). Mineral show attendees rarely buy over the Internet. I believe there are two separate populations. They are buying via whatever venue is most convenient. Those that buy over the Internet frequently are residents of remote areas where there are no (or few) local mineral shows. Internet buyer are comfortable with return policies and are not afraid to have a mineral sent to them without holding it in their hand first.
I believe that the Internet has made buying (and trading) minerals easier and has enabled a broader audience to collect minerals. It is true that with so many distractions in life, that some mineral shows are experiencing declining attendance. But other shows are experiencing growth. The large shows are growing the most.
Perhaps it is the large number of mineral dealers that is hurting the sales at mineral shows. If you look at old magazines, you will see the number of mineral dealers has probably quadrupled over the last 40 years. That says to me that mineral collecting is growing.
One final thought: the big mineral shows are losing their importance. Dealers used to hold out their best new specimens for major shows like Denver or Tucson. Nowadays, if a big new find is made, it is rapidly sold through web sites. This is the real change in mineral shows...
4/12/05
This I week I added a special page with images of 22 pages crystal drawings of diamonds.
In 1916 Victor Goldschmidt published the nine volume Atlas der Krystalformen. It was a compilation of crystal diagrams from many books and references. I have scanned the 22 pages from the atlas containing diamond crystal drawings. Because the diamond drawings were derived from many different sources, the style varies from line drawings to shaded illustrations. Because these were scanned from a second-generation copy of the Atlas, the quality varies. But it is the most comprehensive collection of diamond crystal illustrations available.
In addition, I have added crystal diagrams to my gallery of diamonds. Eight crystal habits are represented. These are the most common forms found in diamond crystals. Though most diamonds are blend of two forms. The crystal illustrations have been added to help buyers understand the crystal system when reading the descriptions of each diamond crystal for sale. I hope you find them helpful.
4/5/05
When describing the minerals for sale on this site, I include a summary description of the condition of each mineral specimen. When the crystal is obviously in pristine condition, I may write "no damage". When it looks clean and no damage is visible I may write "no visible damage" if there is doubt about the condition of the rear of the specimen. When a crystal is missing anywhere on the specimen I will write "missing crystal" or "incomplete crystal". There are variations of these descriptions, but all are a description of the exterior condition of the mineral specimen.
A mineral specimen described as undamaged may be internally flawed. Most minerals have some internal flaws, or inclusions, or water bubbles, or silky areas. Rarely do descriptions describe the internal condition. It is the mineral photograph that best communicates the interior condition. Only if a mineral is described as "flawless" can you be assured of the internal perfection - few specimens earn that label.
NOTE: Just because a specimen omits the description "no damage" does not mean that the specimen is chipped or cleaved. There are times when I cannot tell if a surface formed with an irregular shape (naturally) or whether it was damaged after it was collected. In those instances I do not attempt to make a judgement as a purchaser may disagree with a "no damage" assessment.
3/15/05
When I buy old mineral collections, occasionally I get specimens where the mineral identification is questionable. When it is an important specimen, I pay to have the mineral analyzed to confirm the mineral species. The amazing thing: the old identifications are almost always correct! How did they do it?
It isn't rocket science. Today's mineralogists rely on EDS, XRD, microprobe, Raman mass spectroscopy, etc. 80 years ago mineralogists used a blowpipe, hardness kits, specific gravity, thin sections under a polarizing microscope. With these these low-tech tests they were able to narrow the possibilities and eventually confirm the mineral species - correctly.
Any good book on minerals discusses the testing and identification of a mineral. With some study time, and some basic test equipment, mineral identification is within reach of any mineral collector.
Note: It is easy to show a mineral to an "expert" and get an identification. It is much harder to get a CORRECT identification ;-)
2/15/05
This week I passed another milestone: I cataloged the 30,000th mineral specimen.
I started using a numerical identification system in 1993 and since that time, every mineral sold has had a unique number. All information on each specimen and an archive of photos documents all of the sold minerals. It is very easy to look up an old specimen, view it's image, and review the detail of the specimen. Since I regularly buy mineral collections, it is not uncommon to get back a mineral I sold years ago.
My archives make researching old specimens very easy. And if little or no locality information is available, I can look up similar specimens to see what locality is listed for them, thereby determine an otherwise unknown locality.
I prefer a simple number system because it also determines the chronology of the specimen. And sorting by number is easy (for example: list all tourmalines number >19065 and < 27122). I have written about using databases before, but a simple number is easier to use that number + prefix.
Sadly, I should have planned for the 30,000th specimen to be something special. But the luck of the draw resulted in an old Vanadinite being the milestone mineral. I suspect that I will hit 40,000th in about a year. Perhaps I will plan better for that milestone.
2/8/05
Everyone asks what was new at Tucson. That begs the question: What is a NEW mineral?
I have several definitions of new:
This year there were "new" minerals that fit all of these categories. All will be posted in the coming weeks. New tourmalines from the famous Mt. Mica; minerals from the collections of Dick Bideaux and Chuck Leavitt; newly accepted mineral species.
There might even be a special update during the midweek...
1/18/05
Recently a visitor inquired about why the rhodochrosite from the N'Chwaning Mine fluoresces when all the sources on the Internet indicate that rhodochrosite does not fluoresce. There are two problems with the question:
The first is obvious. The information found when researching via the Internet is inadequate. Only the information some webmaster is voluntarily posting is available. It is far from thorough. Especially information about fluorescing minerals. There are no references that I know of that lists all occurrences of fluorescent minerals. I wish there were. I wish Lanny Ream's Mineral Database, a program that I regularly use to research minerals, listed fluorescence under properties. It would make identifying minerals much easier. But when researching, you must assume that just because something is not listed on the Internet, doesn't make it false.
The second problem is that minerals vary in composition. Rhodochrosite is MnCO, calcite is CaCO. It is possible to have calcium impurities in rhodochrosite, and you can have manganese impurities in calcite. At Franklin, New Jersey it is the manganese impurities in the calcite that makes it fluoresce under UV illumination. It is therefore possible to have calcium impurities in rhodochrosite make it fluoresce in a similar way.
The bottom line is: there is no single authoritative reference for mineral information. And the Internet is a poor substitute for a good reference book.
1/11/05
Why do mineral labels sometimes give incomplete, vague, or inaccurate locality information?
There are several reasons. In pre-1945 times mineral dealers and mineral collectors did not care much about exact localities. It was not uncommon to see only the country listed on a label. Or perhaps a vague area such as "Siberia" or a mining district such as "Alston Moor." At the time, mineral dealers kept their labels vague to protect their sources of specimens from competing dealers. Sometimes completely incorrect locations are given. Almost every collection from the 1960-70s has a specimen of purple fluorite labeled from "Catron County, New Mexico." This location was a dealer/collector's way of keeping claim jumpers away from the real location in Grant County.
Other times labels are incorrect because dealers get innacurate location information from importers that sell wholesale minerals. Ten years ago many Chinese minerals were labeled as from Guandong. That is where the mineral dealers were located - but not where the minerals were mined. The Brandberg amethyst crystals available on the market are not from Brandberg, they are from the nearby Goboseb Mountains.
Lastly, there can be simple mix-ups. Labels get switched in collections by accident. This is the best reason for pasting a unique number on the specimen in a discrete location that will correspond to a label and separate catalog.
Innaccurate mineral locations are a part of collecting. Get to know your area of special interest so that you can recognize incorrect labels. Visit museum collections and take notes. If you find an error on my web site, please take the time to email me.
12/28/2004
Keeping track of minerals with origin and all source information is difficult. I have over 5000 mineral specimens in inventory, each is cataloged into a database to track them. (The database can be a curse. It will tell me that I have a particular specimen SOMEWHERE in my warehouse. It does not tell me where. I have spent hours looking for a $12 specimen!)
In spite of my computerized record keeping, errors are made in the labeling of specimens. Sometimes doubtful information is highlighted with the notation (?) after the information meaning that I cannot verify the information. This week I posted a lazulite with a Russian mineral label that I cannot translate. I did my best to provide the locality, but I am not certain.
Occasionally I will make an error in my records and list the wrong locality. This week I reposted several spherical diamond crystals that I incorrectly listed in the past as from the DRC. My diamond supplier visited this week and pointed out that they were actually from Brazil. OOPS! They are relisted this week with the correct information.
I strive for accuracy on this site and welcome corrections. Please share with me your comments by emailing me.
12/21/2004
I get frequent requests to identify minerals, often with photos accompanying the request. Sight identification is difficult. Sight identification from photographs is impossible.
However, with just a few simple tests, it is possible to identify most of the common minerals. If you can identify the hardness, color, luster, cleavage/fracture, opacity, streak, you have a pretty good start. Additionally, if you can identify the shape of the crystal, then you can try to identify the crystal system. Lastly, if you have a small piece of the mineral and can weigh dry, then weigh it in water, you can determine specific gravity. It really isn't hard to do. It does not take any special equipment or caustic chemicals. (Though a small bottle of dilute hydrochloric acid and a shortwave ultraviolet UV lamp are also great diagnostic tools.)
Also, if you know the locality, and the associated minerals found at that location, you can use that information to narrow down the possibilities. Almost every magazine article or collecting guide will provide a list of minerals found at a site. Then use that list to investigate the mineral species possibilities. When I first started collecting zeolite minerals in New Jersey, I made a crib-sheet of distinguishing characteristics of heulandite, chabazite, apophyllite, etc. to help in my identification. It worked. To this day sight-identification of zeolites is very easy for me.
What do you do when you get all the attributes of a mineral determined? Go to a good book on minerals. My favorite is Mineralogy by John Sinkankas. In the back are determinative tables. The tables list minerals are sorted by Luster, Crystal System, Hardness, Fracture and Cleavage, Streak, Specific Gravity and Fluorescence. By starting with one attribute and checking the minerals listed, then cross referencing to another attribute you can find the minerals that fit both attributes. Then read further about each mineral listed and see if all the other things you know about the mineral fits the description in the book. You can also use software like the Fersman Database or The Mineral Database (my favorite) published by Lanny Ream. You can query the database with the known attributes. By querying for a mineral that is color blue, translucent, colorless streak, hardness 7, vitreous luster, it yields the minerals: cordierite or elbaite. It has found that 2 minerals that fit the criteria out of the 4000+ listing in the database. Pretty neat! Next time you have an unknown, try a few test sat home first. You will find it is pretty easy to figure out what you have.
NOTE: There is a saying to keep in mind when you are identifying minerals: "When you hear hoofbeats, think HORSE, not ZEBRA." Meaning you should assume it is the most common mineral, not an exotic mineral. It is most likely quartz, not pollucite. It is most likely cavansite, not pentagonite. And so on.
12/6/2004
Many have asked about caring for their mineral collection. They want to know how to keep their minerals clean. Even if you have display cases with door, dust will still build up on the minerals over time.
My advice is to remove all minerals on display once a year and clean them and the cases.
The minerals can be submerged into luke warm water with a detergent dissolved in it. I prefer Cascade dishwashing detergent. It very effectively removes dirt and grime. I use an old toothbrush to gently scrub the crevices to remove any stubborn dirt. Then rinse under running water, drain and set aside to dry. Once dry they can be replaced in the display case.
Before returning the minerals to your display case, wash the shelves and glass doors so they are spotless and streak free. I prefer to use Windex, though any window cleaner will suffice.
Going through this process once a year will keep your minerals clean and give you the opportunity to curate your collection - remove duplicates, add new acquisitions and reorganize. Why not take a day during the upcoming holidays to clean your mineral display?
11/16/2004
Many people are confused about the differences between mineral species names, varietal names, group names. Following are the three categories.
The best way to be safe when labeling your mineral collection is ALWAYS use the proper mineral species name. The list of accepted mineral names can be found in Fleischer's Glossary of Mineral Species - an indispensable reference of accepted mineral names. If you have an old mineral listing a species that is no longer listed in Fleischer's, therefore no longer a valid mineral name, then itis obsolete and can be listed as the varietal name. The best reference for determining the correct mineral species of an obsolete name is in the Glossary of Obsolete Mineral Names by Peter Bayliss. (Both publications can be purchased from Mineralogical Record.)
Every specimen I sell lists the mineral name first, with varietal name denoted with the abbreviation "var." A label listing Quartz var. Amethyst is read as, "Quartz, variety Amethyst". It is possible to eliminate the varietal names, but they add historical perspective and often are descriptive of color or other characteristics of the mineral specimen. Spodumene var. Kunzite tells you that it is the pink variety of spodumene. Varietal names are also a glimpse into the history of the specimen. A specimen labeled in the old days Polyadelphite can be relabeled today as Andradite var. Polyadelphite and we know that is was originally collected prior to 1892 when the name Polyadelphite became obsolete.
Sound confusing? It really isn't. If you don't have these references, then you can rely on the dealers that you obtain your minerals from to do the research. Every specimen I sell gets researched in order to ensure accuracy in the labeling. Some other dealers show the same care.
10/26/2004
While selling minerals at a local mineral show, two ladies visited my booth and remarked on my display cases. They asked where they should go to get display cases for their collection. I advised them that Ikea has a wide variety of display cases at reasonable prices. One of the ladies scrunched up her nose and exclaimed. "You want me to get a cheap case from them? Their furniture is junk!"
I could not disagree more. They make some very nice display cases and their prices are within reach of every collector.
This lady proceeded to show me the mineral she had purchased at the show. It was one of those fake quartz clusters with gold plating that gives a shiny blue iridescence. It cost $3. Why was this woman complaining that Ikea cases would be inappropriate for her collection? She was buying the lowest end of the mineral spectrum. It it wasn't even natural. (I am not saying that she shouldn't buy the mineral. I have a sub-collection of manmade minerals too. But she should keep perspective when judging display cases relative to her collection.)
This does bring up a good rule of thumb: spend 1/10th of your budget on display cases and lighting. If your collection is worth $1,000, then purchase a $100 display case. If your collection is worth $10,000, then purchase a $1000 display case with top-quality lighting. There is no sense in storing an expensive collection in cardboard flats or in a cabinet that has no lighting.
Display cases add as much to the enjoyment of a collection as do good mineral specimens. Take the time and money to display your collection to it's full potential. Your satisfaction will come when visitors "Ooh" and "Aah" over your collection.
10/19/2004
Occasionally, when describing minerals on this site, I will write, "Hard to photograph - must be seen in person to be appreciated." Today I realized that ALL minerals are hard to photograph! But some are worse than others.
If minerals were easy to photograph, then everyone would be able to document their mineral collection with beautiful photographs that accurately describe the minerals in the collection. Anyone who has attempted mineral photography knows that it is not easy.
There are very few good mineral photographers in the world. There are many good mineral photographs by amateurs, but they are striking because of the beauty of the mineral specimen, not because of the photographers skill.
A good mineral photographer can capture a mineral specimen at it's best. But some minerals can defy even the best mineral photographers. I do use the the "hard to photograph" description very often. When I do, trust my judgment - you will like the mineral specimen when you see it in person.. In essence, I am saying do not judge the mineral specimen based on the quality of the photograph.
10/12/2004
Each week the 2 pages of new minerals are always posted to two New Listings Galleries sorted by price. The first page (labeled Page 1A) has mineral priced under $50. The second page (labeled Page 1B) has the better, more expensive pieces. Sold minerals are removed from the New Listings galleries as quickly as possible. It is not uncommon for 30 pieces to sell in the first 2 hours. You may never see the best specimens if they sell with the first few orders.
If you regularly find that the minerals on this site are not good enough for your collection, I suggest checking the new listings closer to the time when I post them to the site (noon NY time). In fact the new minerals are online around 11:45, but I take a few moments to make sure all pages are properly posted. Then email notices of the newly posted minerals are sent to customers at noon. The sooner you check the pages, the better your chances of seeing the good minerals before they sell.
9/28/2004
Occasionally a visitor will ask why I sell inexpensive minerals on the same site as $8000 minerals. The answer is simple: all minerals are not expensive.
I sell all kinds of minerals. I sell minerals from type localities. I sell locality specimens. I sell gem minerals. I sell minerals for beginners and for serious collectors. There are all kinds of minerals and all kinds of collectors.
This site features minerals from around the world in all price ranges. It should not be judged based on any one group of minerals. Hopefully there is something for everyone. Hopefully you will find an item of interest for your collection. If not, feel free to email me your requests and I will do my best to post items in the future that meet your requirements.
As you progress and evolve as a collector, you may shift from one class or category of minerals. You can rely on this site to always have something for your collection - no matter what you collect...
9/14/2004
I have heard that unfounded rumors are being spread that I sell "conflict diamonds". This is entirely false.
Conflict diamonds, also known as blood diamonds, are diamonds mined by rebels to fund their regional wars. The two countries cited by the United Nations as conflict states are Angola and Sierra Leone. I do not sell diamonds from these countries.
Frequently, the adjacent countries of Liberia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire) are mentioned in the blood diamond discussions, not because they are conflict countries, but because conflict diamonds from neighboring Angola and Sierra Leone are smuggled over the borders and sold along with legitimate diamonds.
The problem of smuggling has now been solved. Since January 1, 2003, the "Kimberley Process" has been put into place by 70 diamond-producing countries. In the Kimberley Process, diamonds are shipped in sealed containers with documentation of legitimate origin. The process has been an overwhelming success and diamond smuggling has been drastically reduced from conflict countries.
For the record, DRC is nearly tied with Botswana and Australia as the largest diamond producing countries (by carat weight), and the DRC diamonds are entirely legitimate. There are no restrictions to selling diamonds from the DRC.
8/24/2004
This web site uses metric measurements to describe the minerals listed. Metric is the standard system used for the majority of the world's population. Metric is superior in many ways. It is much simpler and more precise to describe a mineral as 33 mm long, instead of the cumbersome to write 1-5/32" long. Or when describing the size of a specimen, it is much easier to write 6 x 5 x 4 cm instead of 2-3/8 x 2 x 1-9/16" Just look at the way the English measurement looks on the page! Yikes!
To convert from metric to English measurement all you have to know is:
1 inch = 2.54 cm OR 1 inch = 25.4 mm
To convert metric millimeters to inches, divide by 25.4
35 mm divided by 25.4= 1.37 inches (approx. 1-1/3 inches)
To convert metric centimeters to inches, divide by 2.54
7 cm divided by 2.54 = 2.75 inches (approx. 2-3/4 inches)
But let's be practical, you can't use measurements by themselves. Whether in inches or centimeters or millimeters, you must still get out a ruler and visualize the sizes using the scale. When a minerals is listed as 6x5x4 cm, you should sketch out the dimensions on a piece of paper then visualize the specimen.
Since my measurements, just get a ruler that includes metric. After that the process in metrix is exactly the same as with inches.
8/3/2004
This week I posted several radioactive minerals. They are sitting next to me as I write this. To the uninformed, this might incite panic and fear.Fear are unfounded. With a little care, radioactive minerals can be a valued addition to any mineral collection. As a guide to the collector I offer the following advice:
There is no danger from direct radiation unless you store them in close proximity to your body. The radiation at 24" away is almost equal to background (harmless levels for radiation found naturally everywhere). You are safe if you do not place radioactive minerals under your pillow or carry them in your pants pockets.
Very little radioactivity can penetrate glass or plastic.
There is a danger from ingestion. You should wash your hands before eating if you have handled the specimen. I prefer to mount the specimens to bases to allow handling the specimen without handline the mineral itself.
Store in a location where children cannot access them.
Radioactive specimens produce Radon gas. Prolonged exposure to Radon gas is a health hazard. The gas is heavier than air, so it accumulates in your basement. However, most homes are well ventilated and dangerous buildup of Radon gas (caused by this specimen) is unlikely. Here in the Northeast, where granite bedrock produces Radon gas, basements have special ventilators to remove any Radon buildup.
Many collectors specialize in collecting radioctive minerals. With care, they can be a fascinating part of every mineral collection.
7/27/2004
Last week I purchased part of an old mineral collection. There is nothing unusual about that. I buy around 15-20 collections a year. This year I am already up to 17 collections and it is only July.
What was unusual about this collection was the amount of ruined specimens due to improper storage. The collection was stored in the basement and garage. The owner reasoned that these were cool, dry locations and would not harm the minerals.
WRONG!
Of the many choices to to store a mineral collection, a basement is the worst choice because it is too damp. The garage is the second worse choice because it is also damp and exposes the minerals to extreme temperatures during hot summers and cold winters.
I discarded about 1/3 of the specimens in the collection. The most affected were sulfides that decomposed due to "Pyrite Disease". The one known (and proven) way to halt pyrite disease is to eliminate moisture. Since moisture is the enemy, a room on a top floor or an attic is a good place to store a collection. Definitely store the collection indoors. If you must box the collection away, I suggest buying large Tupperware bins that seal out moisture and prevent mice from building nests amongst the collection (yes, the collection I bought had mice nests too).
What is the point in having a valuable mineral collection if you are going to damage it though neglect? If you can't fit it in the house, then cull out the duplicates, trade away the lesser specimens, give some to your kids or neighbor's kids. Get the collection to a manageable size, then store it indoors in a dry room - not in the basement.
7/6/2004
Old labels are documentation of the history of a specimen. Care should be taken to keep all old labels along with a mineral specimen.
Did you know that old labels can be flattened and cleaned very easily?
To clean an old label, simply use a pink eraser like you had in third grade. Stroke the eraser over old label starting from the center and stroking off the edge. This pattern will prevent accidentally wrinkling the label. Be careful not to pull too hard with the eraser or you will tear the label.
(One visitor adds these comments: The pink eraser you mention is made of CHEAP abrasives... do you remember digging holes in the paper as a kid? Instead, recommend either the VINYL or the Kneaded eraser. Both can be purchased cheaply in any art store or place that carries art supplies.)
A wrinkled label can be flattened with a housdehold iron. Place the label between thin fabric to protect the label, then apply a hot iron to flatten. Do not use steam settings on the iron.
What do you do if a label rips? Nothing. Do not attempt to tape the label. All tapes will discolor the label eventually. Instead you should place the parts of the label in a thin polyethylene or glassine envelope. These envelopes are available in many sizes.
Remember, my number one rule in my article Advice For Beginners: Nine Lessons Learned from Experience: Keep those old labels!
6/8/2004
Many regular visitors have wondered about minerals with low numbers in my listings. This week I posted #983 to my site. Items with low numbers usually are one of the following:
The end result is that I have the specimen again. Rather than catalog the item with a new inventory number, I choose to keep the original number. This helps determine when the mineral was originally acquired by me, when it was sold, and the general sequence of the sale.
In the case of #983, it was first cataloged in 1995 - one of the first years that I used a computer database to start tracking each mineral.
5/25/2004
Recently a visitor stated his philosophy as, "buying great rocks instead of staying safe with mediocre stuff."
Does that mean a collector that buys mediocre minerals is a mediocre collector? Just because a mineral is worth less than $100 does that make it mediocre?
Buying minerals is just like field collecting. You must search through thousands of specimens to find a specimen that you value highly and want to add to your collection. If it costs less than $100 or $50, who cares? A few years ago, at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, several museums were invited to assemble display composed entirely of minerals purchased for less than $50. The displays were beautiful.
There are no mediocre minerals. There is one collector in the world for each specimen. As a mineral dealer, I view that my job is to match each specimen to the customer that will appreciate it. I do not limit the minerals I sell to a particular price range. I sell minerals from $12 to $12,000. Most importantly, I sell less expensive minerals for beginners, because they are the future of mineral collecting.
5/18/2004
How often do you wash the mineral specimens in your collection?
I keep many of my specimens in cases behind glass doors. There are only small gaps between the doors and the walls of the cases. But every time I pick up a specimen to show a visitor, I see a halo on the shelf where the specimen was. Most of the shelf surfaces has a very thin layer of fine dust. Where the specimen was - no dust.
What is the use of glass doors if they don't keep the dust out!!??
I suppose the minerals would get a lot more dusty if I didn't have the glass doors. I can't imagine what collectors do in areas like Tucson, where fine dust blows in off the desert every day. (After selling in Tucson for a week I have to wash my entire inventory.)
Whether you keep minerals in a case with doors or in drawers, you must still wash them occasionally. I recommend once per year. It is a good excuse to rearrange your displays, incorporate new acquisitions, and weed out any specimens for deacquisition.
Use warm water and dishwashing detergent - I use Cascade brand detergent. Soak the minerals for a few minutes ,then brush them using an old toothbrush (if they are not delicate), and rinse under running water. Be careful to avoid washing minerals that are water soluble including: carnallite, chalcanthite, halite, halotrichite, hanksite, inyoite, kernite, melanterite, nahcolite, natron, sylvite, thenardite, trona, villiaumite.
If you have an ultrasonic cleaner, you can use that too. But I find that it is little help in cleaning the minor dust build up from the previous year. I do recommend cleaning newly acquired minerals in an ultrasonic cleaner, in conjunction with detergent.
Don't neglect your minerals. Clean them. Otherwise they will end up looking some old museum displays that haven't been cleaned in 20 years.
4/27/2004
I sold a mineral specimen last week that had a crystal glued onto matrix. The customer discovered it and was disappointed (rightfully so). I failed to spot the fake. Of course, I refunded the customer's purchase and reimbursed him for return shipping.
Faked minerals are everywhere. And they are not new. Minerals have been faked for hundreds of years. Gluing crystals onto matrix is common. Faking localities is well known from various dealers, though mistakes can be unintentional. Growing crystals onto matrix and selling them as genuine is becoming common too.
What can be done to keep faked minerals out of your collection?
To begin with, buy from a reputable dealer. I try to catch any fakes before they hit the market. If crystals are glued onto matrix, I will remove them and sell the individual crystals. I got an emerald specimen recently with 4 emerald crystals glued onto matrix. Fortunately the glue job was so obvious a blind man could spot the fake. I soaked off the crystals and ended up with a genuine crystal on matrix plus 4 loose crystals.
If you have suspect specimen, check it with an ultraviolet light. Most glues will fluoresce under UV illumination. Though modern adhesives are quite sophisticated and cannot be spotted with UV. Use a microscope to inspect for visible glue.
Last weekend I saw two faked specimens that were so good they would have fooled anyone. In this instance there may be no harm. If the fabrication is so good that it cannot be detected, then how will you ever spot it? Owning a good fake is OK, as long as you don't pay full price as if it were genuine. (I collect faked and manmade minerals. Other collect well known fakes by certain dealers. It is an excellent reference in detecting fakes in the future.)
If you discover that a specimen is faked, I will gladly refund your purchase. My guarantee of satisfaction is the foundation of my long relationships with my regular customers.
4/6/2004
This week I realized how Mineral Tack has changed mineral collecting. Mineral Tack is the sticky putty that is used to mount minerals to bases or displays.
How has Mineral Tack improved mineral collecting?
Before we had Mineral Tack, minerals would be glued to bases or styrofoam using Elmer's Glue or epoxy. Neither of these glues are easily removeable. Epoxy yellows with age. Elmer's requires soaking in water for 2 days. Before Mineral Tack, the only alternative to mounting was placing the mineral in cotton-filled boxes. (For the record: I hate cotton-filled boxes. This mainly grew from my habit of photographing minerals on black backgrounds, where every loose cotton fiber is visible.)
With Mineral Tack, minerals may be adhered to bases or display boxes and it is easily removeable. This eliminates any need for cotton. I stick all of my show minerals into white boxes. The mineral tack keeps the minerals from rolling around and eliminates damage.
As I progress through the collection of Phillip Greybill, that I recently acquired, I discovered over half the minerals were glued to styrofoam. Given the time that the collection was assembled, it was acceptable. And it has prevented damage to the specimens over the years. I appreciate that the minerals are better off being glued down. But I sure wish they had invented mineral tack years before.
3/16/2004
I just purchased the latest version of Fleischer's Glossary of Mineral Species (2004) and found that has been upgraded to include the type locality for each mineral. The type locality is where the mineral was first isolated and analyzed to determine the chemistry and crystallography. The type locality is not easily found in a single reference - one of the reasons I created the Quick Reference for Mineral Species, Formula, Class, and Type Locality for many of the commonly encountered minerals.
Now the latest Fleischer's has it all, with the added benefit that the current country name and provinces are correctly given. No more obsolete country names like Zaire or Southwest-Africa.
(On a side note, Zaire has not been used since 1997, seven years ago. Yet Mineralogical Record continues to use Zaire. M.R. is 35 years old and for 7 of those years they have been using the wrong name - 1/5 of the issues in print.)
In order to add the type localities to Fleischer's they eliminated the mineral groups at the rear of the book. That is a small price to pay. Mineral groups are readily referenced in several other sources. But type localities are not. So it is a fair trade.
If you are looking for a thorough reference for mineral formula, crystal system, and type locality, I highly recommend the latest edition of Fleischer's Glossary of Mineral Species.
3/9/2004
Last week the counter on my home page passed 500,000 visitors.
It has been a long time since I started this web site. Breaking the 500k milestone is a sign of the hard work and time investment since this site was started in 1997. In the seven years this site has been running, over 16,000 minerals have been offered here for sale. (It makes me tired just thinking about photographing and describing each mineral!) But is has been all worthwhile. This site has enabled me to switch careers and go into minerals full time - a passion since I first started collecting in 1969.
Thank you to everyone that has made this site successful. I hope you are around when I break the 1 million visitor milestone!
3/2/2004
Vertical mineral specimens usually require some type of support to display the specimen upright. I regularly receive questions about the best solution for supporting minerals.
Lightweight minerals, that are not too tall, may be supported using Mineral Tack - the pliable putty sold for just that purpose. Using mineral tack to stick the mineral to an acrylic stand is a good, inexpensive solution that can easily be reversed.
Tall minerals, especially heavy specimens, will overwhelm mineral tack and eventually fall over. A stiffer adhesive is required. The best option is hot glue. Hot glue is easily removable using any number of easily available solvents. It takes some skill to use hot glue without making a mess. Hot glue varies in color, be sure to use the colorless variety.
Permanent supports were popularized by Joseph Freilich's use of black bases created by Alec Madoff. However, these stands are custom-made and require the specimen to be in the possession of Mr. Madoff. And they cost from $30 on up.
A easier alternative is Sculpey Clay that is available in many different colors. I use black clay. After molding the clay into a hemisphere, the mineral is pressed into the clay, then it is removed. The clay is then baked on low heat in the oven for 20 minutes, turning the clay rock hard. The mineral is refitted into the clay base, occasionally using some additional glue to keep the base attached.
Sculpey Clay is a good solution, if you are comfortable with home crafts projects. And the results look almost as good as the professionals.
1/272004
A customer recently asked about the descriptive term "classic" as used by mineral dealers when describing a locality. In general, "classic" means three things:
A fourth qualification might apply: it must produce high quality specimens. However, there are many "classic" localities that do not fit that criterion, Branchville, Connecticut for example.
The term "classic" is greatly misused by the touts and shills in the mineral business, especially on Ebay. It pays to ask the dealer why he describes a location as classic. More often than not, they don't have a clear answer. It is best to use the criteria above as a guide.
1/20/2004
An old mineral dealer, long set in his ways, railed at me over the use of centimeters and millimeters when measuring mineral specimens. "Why do you have to be so pretentious?!" he exclaimed.
Pretentious? For using the metric system? Millimeters and centimeters are pretentious?
The metric system was devised in 1799. The Columbia Encyclopedia states, "it has since been adopted by most technologically advanced countries in the world." Here in the United States any business with the Federal government has been in metric units only since 1991; FDA requires metric units on all food packaging since 1994; all federally-funded highway construction must be in metric units since 2000; and in 2001 all U.S. stock exchanges switched to decimal trading.
On the practical side it is much simpler and more precise to describe a mineral as 33 mm long, instead of the cumbersome to write 1-5/32" long. Or when describing the size of a specimen, it is much easier to write 6 x 5 x 4 cm instead of 2-3/8 x 2 x 1-9/16" Just look at the way the English measurement looks on the page!
It is not pretentious to use metric measurements. Metric measurements are the preferred units throughout the modern world. By 2009 all products sold in the European Union will be in metric only measurements. I think that the old mineral dealer should learn a few new tricks, instead of insulting those that are adapting to the future.
12/16/2003
This week I added a new article: Simple
Magnetometer You can Build - Identify Magnetic Minerals Easily.
It shows how to build a simple device that detects magnetic objects. Best
of all, it will cost less than a dollar to build.
12/2/2003
Have you ever wanted to accurately measure crystals, but find they are too small to measure accurately with an ordinary ruler?
Then buy a Machinists Pocket Microscope. It a 5" long aluminum tube with simple optics and have internal reticles that are visible when looking through the scope. Several different reticles are available. I use a scope with a 5 mm field of view and the reticle is divided into 0.1 mm increments (McMaster Carr Item No. 1452T42, available at 1-732-329-3200 for $22). The scope makes it easy to measure .1 mm crystals up to 4 mm crystals.
This is an essential tool that comes in handy. Add it to your kit of tools along with a hardness test kit, streak plate, and magnetic balance (for detecting faintly magnetic minerals).
11/25/2003
Good lighting is essential to fully appreciating mineral specimens. The mineral photographs on this site are taken under fully balanced, daylight illumination. This results in the proper rendering of difficult colors such as blues, greens, and violet (azurite, cavansite, etc.).
When wrapping minerals for shipment, I frequently note that the incandescent lighting in my shipping room makes some minerals look dull and colorless compared to their photos. I hope that purchasers open their boxes near a window with good lighting. Otherwise they will not see the full range of colors in the minerals.
Incandescent lighting (common light bulbs) have an abundance of yellow and reds, but lack blues and greens. Fluorescent lighting usually has yellow and blue-purple in their spectrum, resulting in poor rendition of red minerals. Halogen lights are better, especially the higher wattage bulbs, though they still lack some blue in the spectrum. As I have written before, Solux halogen bulbs are the only light sources I have found that accurately render all colors found in minerals. Of course the best lighting of all is natural daylight. But it is impractical to illuminate a mineral collection with daylight.
Please be aware how illumination affects the colors of minerals. Open my packages near a window to get full spectrum illumination. Add Solux lighting to your display cases. Your minerals will look better and your enjoyment will increase.
11/18/2003
Mineral collectors and dealers often rely on online resources to research minerals. Usually they are looking to verify locality information or the spelling of a locality. Unfortunately, the information available online is VERY poor.
One of the most popular online databases of mineral information is Mindat.org. It is a great site for certain types of information. But the locality listings for each mineral is very limited. Mindat does not make any claims to having complete locality listings. So my criticism is not aimed at Mindat. My criticism is aimed at collectors and dealers that limit their research only to online sources.
The best research sources can be found in my articles: Reference Books for Mineral Collectors and Gem & Mineral Research: How to Get Answers to Your Questions. My favorite research sources are back issues of Mineralogical Record and Rocks & Minerals, used in conjunction with Lanny Ream's excellent index of those magazines, The Mineral Index. I also use regional mineralogy reference books like Mineralogy of Maine, Minerals of California, Minerals of Colorado, Minerals of Mexico, etc. Lastly, for locality spelling and country, province, county divisions I use the 2002 Oxford Atlas of the World - the most up-to-date and thorough atlas currently available.
At the end of a day of cataloging minerals, my workspace is cluttered with dozens of reference books. Seldom can any online site provide equal information to these reference books. The Internet is a wonderful tool and way of communicating. But it is no substitute for a good collection of basic reference books.
Any good mineral collection deserves a good reference library. Do not overlook building your library as you build your collection. And do not limit your research to the inadequate date available on the Internet.
11/7/2003
The recent wildfires in California prompted several questions about insuring mineral collections. Most mineral collectors do not insure their collections because the cost is too high. Insurance companies limit the coverage of collectible under the standard homeowners policy. Instead they require a rider that covers the collectibles based on an appraised value. Often the riders are expensive - I was quoted $30 per $1000 coverage per year.
Do you need to insure your collection? Are you at risk? What are the risks to a mineral collection?
Unless you have rare gemstones or gold specimens in your collection, you don't need to worry about theft. Thieves want items they can sell quickly like TVs or jewelry. They do not want minerals.
Water damage from a broken pipe won't hurt most minerals. Only water soluble minerals can be damaged by water, and most of those will survive too. I had a water pipe break and soak a large plate of halite from Trona, California. The water did not damage the specimen and only resulted in a puddle of brine on the counter beneath the specimen. Water will ruin books and old mineral labels. Paper items should be stored where they are protected from water. I store mine behind glass-front display cases.
Unless you live in California, you don't need to worry about earthquakes. If you do, a crushproof vault or room with special mineral storage containers are a better investment than insurance.
The real worries are the types of damage that will totally destroy your home. Fire, hurricane or tornado damage will destroy a collection. Assess whether your collection is at risk to these catastrophes. (If you are building a new house, it would be advisable to add a sprinkler system to your mineral room.)
If you decide that you are at risk, want insurance and can get a reasonable insurance premium for coverage, then you will need to get an appraisal of your mineral collection. Ask your local mineral dealer if he can do the appraisal. It will cost you an appraisal fee, but it is worth the expense if you are insuring an important collection.
10/28/2003
When was the last time you "curated" your displayed mineral collection?
Every two years you should empty your display case, wash all of your minerals in soap and water, and rearrange your collection, while weeding out any minerals that no longer belong. Think of it like the regular changing of the batteries in your smoke alarm annually or changing the oil in your car every 6 months.
Choose every even or odd year. Find a weekend that you have free time, like the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving. Then spend the time it takes to wash each mineral. Even if your display cases have glass doors, dust will still penetrate and settle on your minerals and shelves.
To wash minerals, I suggest using dish washing detergent dissolved in warm water. Use an old toothbrush to remove surface dirt while submerging them in the soapy water, then rinse well and let dry for a few hours. While the minerals are drying, clean the shelves and glass doors if you have them.
Then replace your minerals on the shelves. Place the tall specimens first at the rear of the shelves where they will stand tall above the shorter specimens and still be seen. Then place the medium tall specimens in the middle and the short/flat specimens in the front. Do not hesitate to remove lesser specimens and add any recent acquisitions.
By going through this regimen every two years, your collection will be kept clean and up-to-date.
10/21/2003
Some visitors are hesitant to buy minerals based on photographs. It is true that photographs are not as good as holding a specimen in your hand. But there are times when the photos show more than seeing the specimen in person.
When describing the nminerals on this site, I write the description while observing the specimen in front of me. Later, when preparing the photographs for the minerals, I will see a new detail that I missed when describing the specimen. Frequently, damage on the specimen (that was overlooked when writing the description) will show in the photographs. This week, rare crystal faces were discovered in a photograph of an Elba pyrite specimen (#20949, Pyrite with rare diploid faces).
Obviously not all mineral photographs are equal. I try my best to accurately describe each mineral specimen and that care extends to the photographs. Any flaw that will show when displaying a mineral will be visible in the photographs. If you can't see a flaw in the photos, you are not going to see the flaw when the mineral is displayed on your shelf.
10/14/2003
Old collections frequently have non-specific locations listed as the origin of a mineral specimen. Apparently there was less interest in the exact origin of a specimen back then. It is not uncommon to see a mineral location listed as from "England" or even worse "Africa". Today we want to know everything short of the GPS coordinates ( and even those would be helpful).
The temptation, when reselling an old specimen with a general locality, is to attribute it to a very specific mine or district. While this is sometimes possible when the identification is obvious, a locality attribution should always be labeled as an attribution.
When I make a locality attribution I will place the information in parentheses like: (Santa Eulalia), Mexico. If the locality attribution is uncertain it will be followed by a question mark in the parentheses as in: (Santa Eulalia?), Mexico.
I wish I had the confidence (or is it audacity?) to make locality attributions like other mineral dealers. But evidence of an attributed locality is usually slim and based on scant evidence. Therefore I play it safe. As a result, minerals are often sold for less than they would if they have a complete locality.
I hope that my customer appreciate this attitude towards accuracy, and will encourage other dealers to follow the same standards.
10/7/2003
Selecting minerals each week to be added to this web site is a difficult job. It would be easy if I just posted a group of similar, thematically-organized minerals. I could easily post 60 diamonds, or minerals from Bisbee, or thumbnail-sized minerals. But there is no advantage in posting minerals that way.
I choose to offer variety, to try to have something for everyone.
Of course, that is not possible. About 2000 collectors regularly visit this site. Each one has a special interest or request. There is no way I ca add minerals each week to keep them all happy. But I do my best to mix it up, and offer a wide mix. And that mix extends beyond the weekly updates, I try to vary the new minerals throughout the month of four weekly updates.
Hopefully, you will find some minerals for your area of interest.
9/30/2003
What makes a $75 mineral specimen worth more than a $10 mineral specimen?
There are many factors such as:
(I have written about some of the other factors that affect value rarity in my article Mineral Prices: Why So High? )
Most of the time a $75 specimen noticeably worth more than a $10 specimen. Even when comparing between different dealers. And if you, as a buyer, can see the difference between a $10 specimen and a $75 specimen, then the other collectors that you show your collection to will notice the difference.
Joe Cilen assembled a collection of over 24,000 mineral specimens. When he was presented a selection of several specimens from a find, he always chose the 2nd or 3rd best. Imagine what his collection could have been if he always bought the best?
If you have a fixed budget for buying minerals, I highly urge you to buy fewer specimens of better quality. Ten years after starting to collect with that philosophy your collection will be much better than some other guy that only buy $10 specimens.
9/16/2003
I received a comment this week from a 15 year old student complaining that my site was the worst site in the world. He was doing a school project on minerals and could not find any of the answers he needed. He was upset that my site did not help him. (At least he bothered to look at my site. All too often students email me the questions they need answered and they want me to answer for them.)
I freely share my knowledge of mineral collecting with any correspondent. I will not do a students homework for them. I do not attempt to provide information that can be found elsewhere. Why should I list the properties of a mineral, when the information is readily available in any basic mineral book or the many mineral databases on the Internet.
Today, students are being taught "just in time learning." They get the answers when they are needed, and don't bother memorizing facts.
Unfortunately, they don't bother to read my article Gem & Mineral Research: How to Get Answers to Your Questions. If they did they would learn where to get the answers they are seeking.
It seems there are going to many web sites that do not answer questions for students. I wonder if they write all these sites too complaining that fail to answer questions...
8/12/2003
A new customer recently purchased a quartz crystal from me. When he got it, he emailed that he wanted a natural quartz specimen, not one that had been made or fashioned by man. It was a natural quartz crystal, but he could not believe it formed naturally by nature. That same wonder and awe is why we all collect minerals. On every level of collecting, we are amazed at natural formations, each one-of-a-kind.
Antique collectors or coin collectors or almost every other type of collector are searching for manmade items. Mineral collectors collect NATURAL works of art.
7/29/2003
After purchasing a new camera, I spent extra time calibrating my computer monitor and camera white balance so that my mineral photographs accurately capture the subtle hues of the mineral specimens. When calibrating my monitor, I learned on one of several web sites on the subject, that most computer monitors are biased towards blue when they leave the factory.
I used a special computer test image and compared the image on my screen to an actual test card with the exact same colors. It was true, my monitor had a blue tint when it was set to the factory defaults. So I corrected the color cast on the monitor, then corrected the color on the new camera.
But if all monitors are shipped from the factory with a blue bias, and my monitor is now corrected, then I am not seeing on my monitor the same that you are seeing on your monitor. It is a Catch-22: the color is accurate on my monitor only, but the rest of the world has miscalibrated color.
Should I use the factory defaults so that my images are adjusted to represent the rest of the world? It is not likely that everyone out there is going to calibrate their monitors.
There is no good solution. For now, I am going to use the recalibrated settings...
7/22/2003
I finally upgraded my digital camera after many years using my trusty Sony Mavica. I recently purchased the Nikon Coolpix 4500. This is possibly the the BEST digital camera for photographing minerals.
Unfortunately, Nikon decided to discontinue the model! But you can still buy them on Ebay and from old dealers stock. If you are looking for a digital camera, I recommend the 4500 without reservation.
Having said all that, I am still getting used to using the new camera. This week's new mineral listings were the first images I shot with the new camera. As a result, they are not my best photos. But they adequately describe the minerals and most of them are in focus. So the images will suffice for now.
I upgraded to the 4500 because it is a 4 megapixel camera. I get many requests from publishers to use my images in books, posters, magazines, etc. But my old camera (1 megapixel) produced images that were too low in resolution for most uses except the web. With the new Nikon camera, I will be able to sell my images for more applications. (If you are a subscriber to Colored Stone, the recent issue has one of my images in the article on Tiger-eye.)
7/15/2003
When assembling a mineral collection, you should focus on getting quality specimens - don't focus on buying at bargain prices. The value of a specimen to a collector is in the uniqueness, the specialness. Of course, you must buy within your budget. But after the purchase is complete, the only thing that counts is whether it is a good quality mineral.
Think about it. When a museum assembles a display of minerals, do they include a mineral because it was purchased at a great price? No, they include mineral specimens that are fine examples of a particular find.
When you look at the mineral displays at a mineral show, have you ever seen a display that touts a specimen because the owner paid little money to obtain it? No, the minerals displayed are there because they represent the best of the owner's collection.
The price paid for a specimen is only important at the time of purchase. Don't focus on building a collection of inexpensive acquisitions. Instead, focus on obtaining the best example of a mineral from the given locality. Try to obtain extraordinary specimens. They will become the pride and joy of your collection, long after the original purchase price is forgotten.
Remember, junky minerals purchased at bargain prices are still junky minerals.
6/24/2003
Occasionally I receive comments saying that the minerals on this site are "overpriced". This means that the minerals are not worth the price.
I think these visitors should make a distinction between "high priced" and "overpriced".
A minerals specimen can be priced at $500, yet still be a bargain. If other dealers are selling similar specimens at 5 or 10 times the price, then it is not overpriced - though it may be high priced.
I strive to keep my prices fair. Evidence of the fair prices is found in the fact that many retail mineral dealers regularly buy from me. These dealers see my minerals as fairly priced. They may be high priced - but they are worth it.
6/17/2003
Every week I get at least one inquiry about the use of "var." in mineral names, as in "Quartz var. Amethyst". This style of naming mineral varieties is a carryover from other sciences as biology and botany.
You should read this as "Quartz, variety Amethyst". The mineral is quartz and that is how all my minerals are listed, by the accepted mineral name. The varietal name is amethyst so that is listed afterwards. Other common varieties of quartz are smoky, citrine, morion, Herkimer Diamond. But they are all composed of quartz. Other minerals have varieties too. Kunzite, hiddenite, emerald, aquamarine, ruby, sapphire are all common varietal names for various minerals.
Note: the proper way of writing it uses a comma after the mineral name (Spodumene, variety Kunzite or Beryl, var. Morganite). In common use the comma is frequently omitted, especially when the abbreviation "var." is used. But you can impress your colleagues if you use the comma...
6/3/2003
Over 400,000 web surfers have visited this web site since I opened! That is a lot of vistors...
The counter only records unique vistors to this home page. The regular customers that bypass the home page and go straight to the new listings are not included in the count.
The average visitor looks at 6 web pages per visit and spends on average 8 minutes on the site. Many visitors arrive through the "back door" by searching on Google or other search engines and clicking through directly to a specific mineral page. Then if they decide to stay, they get to the home page. Hence the relatively low average number of pages vuiewed and short visit time.
It is hard to remember to the early years for this site - when only 20 minerals were posted each month and I was lucky to get 100 hits a week.
5/27/2003
There are two sizes to the preview images in the mineral galleries. The "normal" preview image is 100 pixels high and is used for most of the minerals posted to this web site. The size was selected to maintain a reasonable time for the gallery pages to load using a dial-up phone connection.
Larger preview images are used for two types of mineral specimens:
The larger preview images slow the time a page loads, so they are kept to a minimum. But the larger size is meant to convey either large size or importance of a specimen.
The time a web page takes to load is directly affected by the size and number of images. Sold minerals are removed from the galleries shortly after the orders are received to reduce the images and speed page loading. (Have you ever noticed how long other sites take for their pages to load - and then you find out many of the items have sold already? Very maddening!)
5/20/2003
Have you ever wondered how I select the Mineral of the Week? Is it the best item offered that week? Is it the most expensive item from the week? Or are there other attributes that go towards the decision?
The answer is: there is no answer.
The Mineral of the Week is selected based on one factor: the mineral is an important specimen, that unless brought to the attention of collectors, might otherwise be overlooked in the crowded mineral galleries on this site.
It is very easy to miss the special minerals each week. For example, you won't know a mineral specimen was once in the Smithsonian Museum collection unless you read the descriptions for each piece. Or the small preview image in the mineral galleries may make a specimen look insignificant.
So a specimen is selected each week that collectors should not overlook. It is as simple as that.
5/13/2003
Frequently I have customers show up at my front door unannounced. They expect to find a retail showroom. Instead they find a residence. Local NYC residents also request to save on shipping by picking up their package here.
Visitors and pickups are only possible with prior arrangements. My business is mail order (and regional mineral shows). My business is not retail.
If you want to visit, please call or email in advance to schedule an appointment. It is best to arrange an appointment at least 2 weeks in advance of your visit. When you set up your appointment, have a wish list of items you want to see. All of the minerals are stored in my warehouse, 30 blocks away. Advance notice will allow me to retrieve the requested minerals from the warehouse before your visit.
I welcome visitors, but only with advance notice.
4/8/2003
When the description are written for the mineral specimens on this web site, the most striking aspect of the specimen are the first adjectives used.
For example:
It is the blue color that is most striking about the specimen, therefore the description lists that attribute first.
Another example:
In this example, it is the large size of the pocket (larger than typical specimens from the locality) that is most significant attribute.
If you are contemplating purchasing a specimen, use the descriptive style as a guide to aid you in selecting the specimen right for you.
3/25/2003
Many have emailed compliments about the photographs on this site. While I try to capture the beauty (often hidden) in every specimen, I strive first and foremost to accurately capture the mineral.
It would be very easy to make a mineral look better than it does in reality. To see mineral photos that have been "jazzed", take a look at a recent cover of Rock & Gem magazine. They artificially enhance the color saturation to make their magazine more salable. Unfortunately, it disappoints collectors when they discover no mineral can match their artificially enhanced photos.
On the other hand, I try to capture the subtle colors and translucency of each specimen in my photographs. Frequently, the color saturation must be reduced to make the photos more like the actual specimen. It would only result in returned packages if the photos look better than the minerals.
Too bad other dealers do not have similar standards. As a result, internet visitors are skeptical about all photos on the web. Only after they place an order on this site, and compare a mineral with the photo, will they realize the extra effort that goes into the photographic accuracy on this site.
3/18/2003
Regular visitors to this site know new minerals are posted every Tuesday at 12:00 noon, New York time. Sometimes the minerals are up earlier because I have a schedule conflict and cannot be at the computer at the required time. Other days the new listings may be 15 minutes late because of a slow internet connection or a sluggish web server.
But my target is always 12:00 noon.
Recently, I have started uploading my new data differently resulting in more predictable time for completion of the update. Hopefully, you can rely on the pages being posted on time.
Also, some visitors experience difficulties seeing the newly posted web pages because their browsers show cached versions of the older pages. If you cannot see the newly posted pages (and you received my email notice that the new pages were up and running), then hold down the "SHIFT" key on your keyboard and hit "RELOAD" (REFRESH) several times on your browser until you can see the new pages. (This forces your browser to get the new page, instead of using the version in the cache memory.)
Lastly, this week I posted mineral specimen number 20000. I started cataloging my inventory in 1995 and it took that long to get to 20,000 minerals. Since I only have 5,000 left in my warehouse, that means I have sold 15,000 minerals since 1995.
3/4/2003
I get frequent requests to identify minerals, often with photos accompanying the request. Site identification is difficult, site identification from photographs is impossible. However, with just a few simple tests, it is possible to identify most of the common minerals.
If you can identify the hardness, color, luster, cleavage/fracture, opacity, streak, you have a pretty good start. Additionally, if you can identify the shape of the crystal, then you can try to identify the crystal system. Lastly, if you have a small piece of the mineral and can weigh dry, then weigh it in water, you can determine specific gravity. It really isn't hard to do. And it does not take any special equipment or caustic chemicals. (Though a small bottle of dilute hydrochloric acid and a shortwave ultraviolet UV lamp are also a grerat diagnostic tools.)
What do you do when you get all the attributes of a mineral determined?
Go to a good book on minerals. My favorite is Mineralogy by John Sinkankas. In the back are determinative tables. The tables list minerals are sorted by Luster, Crystal System, Hardness, Fracture and Cleavage, Streak, Specific Gravity and Fluorescence. By starting with one attribute and checking the minerals listed, then cross referencing to another attribute you can find the minerals that fit both attributes. Then read further about each mineral listed and see if all the other things you know aboutr the mineral fits the description in the book.
You can also use software like the Fersman Database or The Mineral Database (my favorite) published by Lanny Ream at Mineral News. You can query the database with the known attributes. By querying for a mineral that is color blue, translucent, colorless streak, hardness 7, vitreous luster, it yeilds the minerals: cordierite or elbaite. It has found that 2 minerals out of the 4000+ listing in the database fit the criteria. Pretty neat!
Next time you have an unknown, try a few test sat home first. You will find it is pretty easy to figure out what you have.
1/14/2003
I get all kinds of comments. Some visitor are worried because my prices are too low. They think there is something wrong with the minerals. Other people think my prices are too high. Recently, a correspondent questioned the high prices on my gem-quality emerald specimens. He directed me to a competitors web site with "cheaper prices".
After comparing his emeralds to my emeralds I can see mine were correctly priced:
The competitor has a 15 mm emerald for $1075.
I have a 17 mm emerald for $1200.
The competitor has a 40 mm emerald for $4250.
I have a 25 mm emerald for $750.
What the fellow was fooled by was that the competitor's web site had larger photos. He didn't bother to look at the sizes of the specimens. He saw a larger photo and thought the specimen was larger.
Don't be fooled by large photos. I go to great effort to accurately describe each mineral specimen. Read the individual descriptions of each specimen and compare carefully.
1/7/2003
One of the advantages of buying minerals through the Internet is that each specimen has been photographed and described for you. It is very easy to save the images and descriptive web pages to your own computer. Then you can integrate that information and the images into your catalog of your personal collection.
Using the photos on this web site for your personal collection catalog is not a copyright infringement. Personal use falls under the "fair use" doctrine. However, the images can NEVER be published in any way - no personal web pages, no publications, no videos. ONLY your personal collection catalog is fair use.
To save an image, right mouse click on the image and select "Save Picture As" or "Save Image" and save it to a folder of your mineral images. You can save an entire web page to your computer by going up to the top command bar in your web browser and click on "File", then click "Save As" or "Save" and file in a folder on your hard drive.
You can build a great personal collection catalog this way. Good luck!
12/31/2002
Wow! Another year is done!
It is hard to believe it. This year I posted 3,137 mineral specimens to this web site. 2,739 of those minerals sold. It took almost 1500 packages to ship the orders to customers (and 150 trip to the Post Office). Best of all, no packages were lost and only 4 mineral specimens were damaged in shipment! Pretty good averages.
Thank you to all of my customers that made this success possible.
I hope everyone out there has a happy New Year's celebration and best wishes for 3003!
12/24/2002
This week some excellent thumbnail and miniature mineral specimens were added to the site. While they are higher priced than average, the quality is exceptional. It is a good opportunity to pick up some hard-to-find minerals.
These better-than-average minerals may be wasted this week since many regular customers are on vacation or traveling. If you have missed out in the past, because another customer ordered before you, this week the reduced competition will improve your chances.
Many customers inquired whether there would be new minerals posted this week. The answer is almost always "YES" unless it is announced the week before. In general, the only times that new minerals are not posted, is when I am traveling. I will skip a week in early February when I travel to the Tucson shows. And I usually miss 2 weeks in August, when the whole world seems to shut down for vacation. But you should count on new minerals being posted every week.
I hope those of you that celebrate Christmas have a happy holiday!
12/17/2002
This week I received several inquiries about discounts on purchases. I thought it might be good to reveiew the discount policy for the minerals on this site:
As a courtesy to customers purchasing 4 or more minerals at one time, we extend the following discounts:
- 10% off on orders over $200
- 15% off on orders over $400
- 20% off on orders over $600
These discounts do not apply to single specimens priced above these values, only on purchases of 4 or more minerals. These discounts apply to each transaction at the time of payment - they do not apply to orders with multiple payment methods or accumulate over multiple purchases. Discounts do not apply to specimens with the notation "net" after the price. These are priced at the lowest price possible.
However, the value of the "net" priced specimens does apply to the total
to qualify for the discounts listed above.
For example, an order for the following four specimens:
aquamarine crystal, $400 net
pyrite crystal, $32
cassiterite crystal, $90
analcime cluster, $100
Sub Total: $622
The subtotal exceeds the $600 minimum to qualify for 20% discount. However, the $400 aquamarine is priced "net" so the discount only applies to the remaining three specimen ($222). Total discount = $44.40
I hope this clarifies the policy. The nature of the internet is essentially a non-negotiable marketplace. That forces me to put my BEST price on the specimen at the time I post it to my site. If, after a few months, an item has not sold, I MIGHT be negotiable on the price. But, at this time, every item I post to my site sells quickly.
12/3/2002
Many dealers sell mineral specimens without thoroughly investigating the accuracy of the localities listed. This same sloppy attitude is manifest in mineral magazines too. It is not uncommon to see locations liike, "Coscuez, Muzo, Colombia". This makes it appear like Cosquez in a town in Muzo province in Colombia. In fact, Coscuez and Muzo are both mine names in the Vasquez-Yacopi Mining District of Colombia.
Every week, when I am writing the descriptions of the minerals to be posted on this site, I am surrounded by 6-8 books to double-check the accuracy of localities. For geographic names, the Oxford 2001 World Atlas is the best reference - especially for spelling accuracy. Then I refer to regional mineralogy books like The Minerals of Mexico to verify mine names, mining districts, nearest towns, etc.
It would be easy to simply repeat the info on an old label. But that is the lazy man's route. To me, there is nothing worse than a specimen labeled with a broad locality. Sadly, there are occasions where no further information is available. But I am trying my best to give the most complete information possible.
11/19/2002
Recently a customer inquired about using minerals as investments. It is an interesting question. To the best of my knowledge, nobody has written about the subject. All I could offer the customer was my personal experience.
I personally buy minerals as a long term investment. When great mineral are plentiful, I will buy the best available ,then stash them in the back of my warehouse. I hold them until they are no longer plentiful. Recently I have been stashing the great red vanadinites available from Morocco. These bright red crystals are arguably the best specimen available in years from that classic locality. But they are very plentiful now. Therefore the price is low.
In the past, I have stashed away New Mexico pseudomorphs, calcite on calcite from China, fluorite from southern Illinois, zeolites from New Jersey and several others. Most of the time no special knowledge of the future mining situation was required to recognize the potential as a good investment. Though it was announced well in advance that the Illinois fluorite mines were closing. It was surprising to notice that only a few other buyers were smart enough to stash fluorites when they were plentiful.
Another sign that minerals are a good investment is the number of millionaire collectors that buy minerals. But they are operating at a different level than most of us. Maybe that will be the subject of future commentary...
11/5/2002
Every week new minerals are added to this site. The minerals are online at 12:00 noon (New York time) or within a few minutes afterward. Each week, half of the new listings sell in the first 12 hours. Several customers have complained that the items they requested were not available. They said they were going to give up on buying minerals at this site.
Do not give up. The chances are still pretty good that the item you want will be available. However, if one item is stunningly beautiful and a low price, many customers are going to request that item. (All orders are filled in the order received.) However, fewer than 10 pieces sell in the first hour. And rarely do the really special pieces sell quickly. Last week there was a copper in gypsum that was very good. It lasted 12 hours before selling. So you always have a chance.
Here are some ways to improve your chances of getting an item before it sells
to another customer:
Get email notification of the new minerals by submitting your email to my
Guestbook.
Note: there is a time lag between when the items are posted and when the
emails are sent. I first inspect the pages to make sure they are working
properly, then send the emails. It can take 15 minutes for you to get the
email (or more).
Do not wait for my email. The minerals are posted at 12:00 to 12:05 (N.Y .time). There is a time delay, while I inspect the new web pages, before my emails are sent. But the minerals can be viewed. Set a reminder on your computer to check the update.
My order form opens a separate browser window. Open the order form, and fill in your name and personal information, prior to the new minerals being posted. Then you only have to fill in the items wanted and hit "send". In your other browser window, regularly hit reload (hold down the "shift "key on your keyboard to force a full reload) until you see the new minerals.
I know this sounds like a lot of work and that most people have better things to do with their time. But the advantage of getting a good mineral goes to the early bird. This is true when field collecting or attending mineral shows or buying on the Internet.
10/8/2002
I am always advising beginning collectors to save the labels that come with the a specimen. The label tells the original locality where a specimen is found. But there is historic pedigree information that is on some labels too. These old labels are worth keeping with the specimen - no matter how many old labels there are.
What labels are worth keeping and what labels should be discarded?
My rule of thumb for keeping old labels:
If the collectors (owner's) name is on the label - keep it.
If the date of acquisition or the date of the find is listed - keep it.
If a dealers name is listed on the label - keep it.
If the label has beautiful, unique handwriting that is attributable to a well known collector - keep it.
If there is an unknown location or questionable location - keep it (as evidence that no error was made).
All of the above add to the historic background information about a mineral specimen.
However, if an old label just lists a locality, with no other information, then you can safely discard the old label and replace it with your typical collection label.
Remember, always have at least one label with each specimen. Read my article Advice For Beginners: Nine Lessons Learned from Experience for more information.
9/24/2002
I advise all collectors to buy undamaged specimens whenever possible. There are rare occasions where undamaged specimens are never found. The first large stibnite crystals out of China many years ago were all dinged. They looked like they were thrown in a bucket and carried down the mountain on a lame donkey. But collectors should strive for undamaged specimens whenever possible.
But what is an undamaged mineral specimen?
Is a specimen undamaged if the front of a cluster is undamaged, but the back is missing a crystal?
Is a specimen undamaged if no damage is visible with the naked eye, but under 20x magnification small nicks in a crystal edge are visible?
Is a specimen undamaged if it has been air-abraded to remove a crusty coating?
There is no "correct" answer to these questions. Under high enough scrutiny flaws can be found in every mineral specimen.
My personal threshold accepts any specimen where there is no visible damage (with the naked eye) on the "display" side of a specimen.
It is up to each collector to determine the threshold for damage. Think about it. Make a conscious decision. Let your regular dealers know what is acceptable for you and what is not acceptable. It will strengthen your collection and make collecting easier.
9/17/2002
Did you hear the story about the farmer that went into L.L. Bean in Maine. He heard they had a return policy if he wasn't satisfied. He brought with him his old, worn out work boots. When the clerk asked, the farmer said that he bought the boots 10 years ago. The clerk observed that he must have liked the boots if he used them for 10 years. So why was the farmer returning them? The farmer replied, "I just thought they should have lasted longer." L.L. Bean refunded the farmers money.
When selling at mineral shows, I repeatedly hear from customers that buying through the Internet is too risky.
What's the risk???
My return policy is simple: send it back and your money will be refunded. As an extra courtesy, I will pay return shipping.
If a customer does not like the minerals, they get a COMPLETE refund of all charges: shipping to the customer, shipping the specimen back to me, and the cost of the specimen.
So what's the risk???
If you don't like the minerals when they arrive in the mail, send them back - no questions asked. (In fact, I don't want to know why a mineral is returned.) Your satisfaction is more important to me than a few dollars.
9/10/2002
When I purchase mineral collections, I get a unique opportunity to see what people collect and compare the collections. It is quite illuminating to see the difference between new collections and old collections.
New collections are much higher quality (in general) because of the emphasis on collecting damage-free mineral specimens. This is due to the evolution of mineral collecting as a hobby and mineral dealers that supply top-quality specimens.
Old collections often have a very large proportion of damaged specimens. They have dinged terminations, missing crystals, or clumsy repairs. Perhaps this is because "popular" mineral collecting, as a hobby, is only about 100 years old. In the early days there may not have been any undamaged specimens available.
Even though old collections are not top quality, they do have mineral specimens from localities that no longer exist. Many mineral localities are now under urban and suburban buildings, or overgrown with 100 year-old vegetation to the point that their exact locality is completely obscured.
So the mineral specimens in old collections are all we have left of the localities. And they are an important asset to any mineral collection.
7/23/2002
Novice collectors frequently ask about why I list old collectors as the previous owners of a mineral specimen. Or why old labels from other dealers are included with a mineral specimen.
Old labels are part of a mineral specimen's history. As a collector myself, I am baffled at how novice collectors can ignore the history of a mineral specimen. The history is one of many aspects that are part of mineral collecting.
The history of a mineral specimen DOES increase it's value. Therefore that information is included with the specimen and in the mineral description so the purchaser can understand how the mineral specimen was priced.
If a specimen was once in the Bement collection, then the specimen was good enough for that well known, discriminating collector. Or if a specimen was previously owned by Washington Roebling, the designer and builder of the Brooklyn Bridge (and well known mineral collector in his time), then that too adds value to a specimen. If a specimen was sold by a mineral dealer whose high standards are well known (such as George English, Lazard Cahn, or living dealers like Lawrence Conklin or Herb Obodda), then the specimen is more valuable. If a specimen was once in an important mineral museum like the Smithsonian, or the American Museum of Natural History then that history adds value.
The old labels accompanying the specimen are the only documentation we have to track a specimen's history. So the labels are integral to the value of a mineral specimen. That is why my first piece of advice to any collector is, "Save the old labels."
Many collectors start collecting minerals based on pure aesthetics. As they become more knowledgeable, other factors like relative rarity, locality, and history enter into appreciating a specimen. Learn to appreciate a mineral specimen on many levels. Your collection will be stronger and have greater breadth.
7/16/2002
I was visiting a prominent mineral dealer recently. He inquired how large was my private collection. When I replied that it was probably 4000 specimens he grimmaced, rolled his eyes, then suggested that was too big and that I should pare down my collection.
I could not disagree more. Why impose limits?
He may have been used to dealing with high-end collectors that limit their collections to 400-600 top-quality specimens. But there is no "perfect size" for a mineral collection. And I reject ANY suggestion that there is.
I have many collections:
300 high-end specimens
300 thumbnails
2000 micromounts
Suite of New England minerals
Suite of New Jersey zeolite minerals
Collection of historic specimens with labels from famous collectors
Every collector has lots of different collections. It is absurd to impose an arbitrary limit to a collection. And there cannot possibly be a good reason to even attempt to limit a collection size (except if you live in a one room apartment).
I encourage every collector to set their own limits. Don't listen to anybody else. Your collection is for yourself. The specimens are selected by you, to please you. Have fun and ENJOY!
7/9/2002
When buying old mineral collections they commonly have a wide variety of quality within the collection. There is usually a subsection of high quality minerals that the owner takes great pride in displaying. The majority of specimens in most collections are "reference" specimens of wide variety and quality level. Then there is usually a large lot of field collected mineral specimens that the owner personally collected.
This wide variety leads to problems when selling the minerals in the collection. Unlike some other mineral dealers, I do not sell all levels of quality on my web site. Though there are many price levels represented here, each mineral specimen must meet the following minimum criteria to be listed here:
Quality - Minimal damage to the display side of the mineral specimen. (No mineral specimen is perfect. Under increasing levels of magnification different amount of damage will be observed. The goal is finding mineral specimens with no noticeable damage.)
Distinct, Well Formed Crystals - The minerals selected for this site must have crystals that are easily visible, distinct from the matrix, and minimal inclusions or internal imperfections. Drusy minerals are generally not offered on this site unless the mineral cannot be obtained any other way.
Photogenic - The minerals on this site must be photographable, yielding a satisfactory image at the relatively low resolution required for speedy download through the Internet.
These rules are flexible. Some minerals rarely occur in specimens that meet these requirements. However, most specimens here meet at least two of the criteria above.
The point it that many mineral specimens are never posted to this site. Only the best of a collection.
7/2/2002
Every once in a while, somebody will question why I live in New York City. As a 20 year resident of New York, I recognize that this question has it's origins in the preconceptions formed during the 1960s and 1970s when it seemed the city was going to self-destruct. I have many reasons for living and working in the city.
The best reason to be here, as a mineral dealer, is that there is a large population of gem merchants from Brazil, Pakistan, India, and other gem regions around the world. They are always bringing into the country new finds. Most often they are bringing gem material. But occasionally they will import mineral specimens. As one of the few mineral dealers in NYC, they search me out.
I don't have to travel the world looking for new finds. The new finds come to me.
This week's new group of epidote crystals from Iran is a prime example. As an American, it is doubtful that I could even enter that country, let alone search out new mineral finds there. But the epidote specimens found there way here. It is a great advantage to be in NYC.
4/23/2002
I regularly get requests for discounts on purchases from customers. My discount policy is:
As a courtesy to customers purchasing 4 or more minerals at one time, we extend the following discounts:
- 10% off on orders over $200
- 15% off on orders over $400
- 20% off on orders over $600These discounts do not apply to single specimens priced above these values, only on purchases of 4 or more minerals. These discounts apply to each transaction at the time of payment - they do not apply to orders with multiple payment methods or accumulate over multiple purchases. The discounts also do not apply to the high-end minerals in the Back Room which are priced as "net".
This discount is offered to motivate customer to purchase more than one mineral at a time. Wrapping and shipping mineral specimens is the most labor intensive part of running a web-based mineral business. Shipping fewer packages, with multiple specimens, reduces the shipping labor.
Please take advantage of the policy. But do not request addtional discounts.
4/16/2002
Frequently I get questions from customers on how I can bring myself to sell a great specimen, rather than put it in my personal collection. Many times it hurts to sell a specimen that is better than the one from the same locality in my personal collection. But I have a set policy: All minerals are offered here on this web site first - even if I want it for my personal collection. If a specimen I want does not sell after a period of time, I will pull it from the site and put it in my collection.
The reason for this policy is so I do not compete with my customers for the best specimens. The customers get first pick.Other dealers, who keep large collections may be competing with customers for good specimens. They only offer the second-best specimens on their site and they keep the best specimens. My policy avoids this conflict of interest.
Most often, good specimens sell before I get a chance to pull them for myself. It hurts. But I get the satisfaction in keeping a good customer happy with a good specimen.
4/9/2002
Recently a customer inquired about international delivery - how long, how much, do packages get lost?
During the course of a year, I ship approximately 300 packages to international destinations.
In all of my years shipping packages around the world, I have not had ANY packages lost. Ever. I am confident that they will arrive eventually.
However, a package of mineral specimens takes longer to arrive than a paper document because it must go through customs inspection. Many times the inspection only involves reading the declaration on the package exterior. But a fraction of the packages are set aside for inspecting the contents. In addition, there may be import duties that must be paid by the recipient prior to receipt.
If a package is delayed in delivery, a "trace"on the package can be filed after 30 days from the shipping date. Usually the package is held up in customs, and the trace will prompt it to be sent on through the system. Most often the packagfe arrives about a week after the trace is filed.
A few months back, shortly after 9/11, I sent two different packages to Europe on the same day. One package arrived in 5 days, the other arrived 3 months later. So the system is inconsistent, but it does work.
4/2/02
Last week I got an enquiry from one of my regular customers. He is on my list for email notification every time new minerals are added to this web site. Last week my announcement to him stated that,"over 70 mineral specimens were added to the site." However, when this customer went to the site, he only could see 42 new mineral specimens in the New Listings Galleries. He wanted to know why he didn't see them all.
The answer is because all sold specimens are removed from the web site. There are no "Sold" signs on this site (except if the Mineral of the Week sells - it is marked sold and stays posted for the entire week).
Leaving sold specimens on the site simply slows down page loading. The average web surfer will only tolerate a page loading for about 20 seconds. I am already pushing beyond that limit on many of my web pages. As a result, I remove sold minerals as soon as possible.
3/26/02
This week I have made a subtle change that hopefully will make my order form easier to use. When clicking on the link to the order form, it will spawn a new browser window. This will allow you to easily shift back and forth between mineral pages/galleries and the order form.
When links spawn new browser windows it can be very annoying if used on all links. Your computer "desktop" very quickly fills with too many windows. Hopefully this revision will avoid that annoying problem, because only the link to the order form will behave that way.
The new style link has been "installed" in all of the galleries and the individual mineral pages starting this week. It will slowly be added to older mineral pages as time permits.
I welcome your comments on this change. Please email me at jhbnyc@aol.com.
3/5/02
Twice during the last mineral shows I was set up at (Tucson and NYC) customers asked about a mineral specimen and asked, "Why is it so inexpensive." Never at a loss for words, I responded, "Huh?"
I found it incredible that anyone would ask the question. But it happened twice. One specimen was an $1800 aquamarine in quartz matrix. The other was a $125 malachite specimen. Obviously, they were two different categories of collectors with two different budget limitations. Yet they both hesitated to buy the mineral specimens because they appeared too inexpensive. In fact, both customers did not buy the specimens.
Then I realized that my prices are set for Internet sales through this web site. This site is where 90% of my stock sells. Because I price my specimens primarily for Internet sales, and because there is no negotiation on prices on the Internet, I try to "right" price the specimens.
At mineral shows, it is common to negotiate a price with the dealer. As a result, dealers add in an extra percentage to give them room for negotiation.
In the future, when buying at mineral shows, the proper response when confronted with a mineral specimen that appears to you it is under priced should be, "I'll take it." Have the confidence in your own judgment. Don't rely on the price to confirm it's value. Rely on your experience.
1/22/02
Recently a customer commented that my site offers mainly thumbnail specimens. I was surprised by this perception as I try very hard to offer a wide range of minerals in all sizes (and price ranges). About one third of the specimens I add every week are thumbnail size. Currently available on this site:
172 Thumbnail Specimens: < 3cm (< 1-1/8")
158 Miniature Specimens: 3-6 cm (1-1/8 to 2-1/2")
119 Cabinet Specimens: 6-10 cm (2-1/2 to 4")
29 Large Cabinet Specimens: > 10 cm (> 4")
While it is true that there are more thumbnail specimens than other category, it is not out of proportion considering the number of thumbnail specimens found when collecting minerals in the field. You always dig up more small specimens than large specimens.
There is one other phenomenon specific to the Internet: small specimens appear to be a better bargain than large specimens. This is because all of the images are about the same size. It is not until the specimen dimensions are closely compared that it become clear that a specimen much larger than another specimen. Without close scrutiny customers are attracted to the apparent better value of smaller specimens.
Occasionally large preview images will be posted for an extra large specimen to give a relative importance. But this slows page loading and many people still use 56K modems and are intolerant of slow pages.
I hope this explains why 1/3 of the specimens are thumbnail size.
1/8/02
Many changes to the site this week:
A new section of Field Trips has been added with maps and information on 18 collecting locations in the northeast U.S. More locations will be added soon.
A new article entitled Maintain Your Collection For the Future: More Advice for Mineral Collectors.
A new locality gallery dedicated to minerals from the Rocky Mountain States, USA. These were formerly grouped in the Western States gallery, but it grew too large to load rapidly.
The locality gallery of British Isles has now been renamed North Atlantic and now includes Greenland and Iceland.
A new page for First Time Visitors with some basic facts about how to maneuver around the site
The page of aluminum mineral display stands was eliminated.
I hope you find these changes for the better.
12/11/01
A special note for the regular visitors:
When mineral are first added to the site Tuesdays at Noon, they are posted in the New Listing Gallery split into two pages (as well as listed in the Mineral and Locality galleries as usual). When minerals sell they are removed from the galleries, as soon as possible after an order is received. As soon as half of the new listings have sold, the two New Listing galleries are combined back to one page. (The link to New Listing 1B is removed.)
So if you visit the site after the New Listings are combined, you won't see two pages listed - BUT YOU WILL SEE ALL THE NEW MINERALS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
12/4/01
One customer recently asked why several specimens he requested had sold already. I explained that there is a feeding frenzy every week after I post new minerals. Many customers plan their lunch hour on Tuesdays around my regular weekly update. The customer commented that he was going to buy at mineral shows instead, where there is less chance of other customers beating him to the good minerals.
Unfortunately, the feeding frenzy at mineral shows is just as bad, if not worse.
The first hour of any mineral show is also a feeding frenzy of serious mineral collectors snapping up the best specimens. The really serious collectors volunteer to help set up mineral shows, so they can look the minerals over before the show opens.
Somebody has always been there before you.
My recommendation is to either play the game and participate in the feeding frenzy OR take a more relaxed attitude and buy from the available offerings. If there is little of interest left over, then wait for another day.
There are some mineral dealers that will not go to look at a mineral collection for sale if another dealer has been there first. I always look at these collections - there is always something of interest. Frequently, I have found hidden treasures that were overlooked by previous buyers.
You should never give up. Persistence pays off.
11/6/01
There are many tricks and techniques that mineral collectors use when curating their collections. One of the most useful I can recommend is a small dispenser filled with rubber cement thinner. This is a very thin, rapid evaporating solvent that comes in handy for many uses. I use Bestine brand rubber cement thinner. A one gallon can will last you for years.
How do you use it?
A few uses that quickly come come to mind:
Removing old labels from thumbnail boxes.
Removing "hot glue" from mineral specimens.
Soften old mineral tack so it is more easily removed.
Cleaning water soluble minerals.
Cleaning glass and plastic of glue residue or sticky labels.
The list is endless. Suffice it to say that there are many uses for rubber cement thinner and it is a valuable tool to have available in your bag of tricks.
10/30/01
Many customers and collectors inquire about the best method to catalog a collection. Most are looking for a software package for creating a computerized collection catalog. What they don't realize is that the software is probably already on their computer.
That's right - most computers have programs to create a collection catalog.
You can use any database program for cataloging collections. Database software includes Excel, Access, dBase, Paradox or any similar programs. Is one better than the other? Not really. With today's programs they can be easily read by other programs. Some are easier to use, more intuitive or user-friendly. But they are generally equal.
I use Paradox because that is where I first learned and because it allows for fairly sophisticated queries (e.g. list all minerals priced over $19 from Russia that are larger than a thumbnail). But because Excel easily opens Paradox databases, I frequently open my catalog in Excel to use it's more advanced math functions for analyzing costs, averages, etc.
By using a database to catalog a collection, you can "merge" the data into documents using Word or any other word processing program. First a template is set up, designed and formatted with the database fields inserted as variables. Then the data entries are merged to make a new document. I have templates that use my database catalog to automatically generate mineral labels, web pages, mail catalogs and collection catalogs.
Once you learn how to merge the data into a Word document you will be stunned at how powerful a tool it is and how easy it is to use.
10/23/01
Displaying minerals is part of collecting minerals. As many of you know, I highly advise displaying your complete collection so it is easily accessible - after all, what good is a collections of minerals if it is buried in boxes scattered around your basement.
Occasionally purchasers request stands for displaying mineral specimens. There is no such thing as an ideal stand for a given specimen. The design of the stand, and the orientation of a mineral specimen is entirely dependent on how it will be displayed and where it will be displayed. For this discussion I will ignore storing in drawers and focus on displaying in glass display cases.
The biggest factor in determining specimen orientation is shelf height. If a specimen is displayed on low shelf, the viewing angle will be from above. If a specimen is displayed on a high shelf, the viewing angle will be from the front. Or if a specimen is displayed in a glass-top case, the specimen will be viewed from directly above. As you can see, the same specimen would need three different stands in order to be displayed in any of the three orientations.
As a collector, what can you do?
Find a way to make your own stands. Then you can change the stand as you change the display location. Many collectors use hot glue guns and glue their specimens to bases of clear acrylic. Mineral tack can also be used. Other collectors use clay available in art supply stores to mold stands that conform to mineral specimens. Lastly, you can have a professional make display stands. Here in New York City we are fortunate to have freelance display stand makers that work for the American Museum of Natural History.
Just remember the most important rule: don't do anything to the mineral specimen that cannot be removed or reversed. Hot glue can easily be removed. Elmers Glue can be removed with some time and effort. Epoxy cannot be easily removed.
9/25/01
As I was photographing the minerals for this week's update, my wife passed through the room and said, "That's a pretty one." My response was they are all pretty minerals. Later she came through and saw a different mineral specimen and made the same comment. I reiterated that all the mineral specimens are pretty.
It is true, on some level every mineral specimen is attractive, pretty, aesthetic, etc.
Perhaps there is something based in evolution or the collective unconscious, that prompts the same response to sparkling objects. The same way people respond to sparkling city lights at night, or an illuminated Christmas tree, or the stars in the sky. Minerals are colorful, reflective, refractive, iridescent, chatoyant, etc. And this prompt a fundamental response in people.
Of course there are minerals that fail. They may have heavy damage or clay obscuring the crystals or oxide encrustation. But with a little clean up or trimming, or viewed under a microscope, they all have attractive parts.
This accounts for the broad range of minerals found in every collection. A typical collection has a small percentage of dazzling show-stoppers. Often the bulk are more common, readily available minerals. Wealthy collectors may frown on these specimens. They shouldn't. Serious collectors know that they can learn from these specimens and that they can be as aesthetic and attractive as high priced minerals.
8/14/01
I have just returned from the East Coast Gem & Mineral Show. Lots of fun and many new minerals. The find of the show were the carrollites that were selling for around $10 for undamaged crystals in matrix. That's right, $10! There are also several dealers trying to dump their carrollites which says to me that prices are going to fall dramatically, the way Chinese pyromorphites have, because supply is greater than demand.
Invariably at mineral shows, customers come up asking me to look at a mineral specimen from another dealer. They want to know if the specimen is OK and if the price is fair. It places me in a very difficult situation. I would be very uncomfortable if it were the other way around. And there is no absolute price for a given mineral specimen. (I refer anyone interested in mineral pricing to read my article: Mineral Prices: Why So High? Though it is written with tongue in cheek, it is all true.)
It is impossible for me to assess a specimen without knowing the full history and researching the locality. And the opposite is true, no other dealer could assess my minerals without doing the same research.
When a collection comes in, I verify the mineral and locality, check to see what the largest crystals from the find were and assess the specimen against the references. Also the original collector's history and the age of the specimen are factored in. Lastly, I check if there are any unique minerals, associations, or crystal habits present.
Any assessment of a mineral specimen done without this research is inaccurate, flawed, and worthless. Please don't ask me to assess other mineral dealers stock.
7/24/01
About a week ago I participated in a collecting to trip to the Millington Quarry in New Jersey sponsored by the Morris Museum Mineral Club. While everyone found minerals, I was extremely fortunate to uncover several pockets of natrolite. One pocket produced long white crystals of natroltite, about the diameter of pencil lead, in radiating sprays on matrix. Another pocket, the most difficult to excavate due to it's location, had "fingers" of green prehnite coated with fine white natrolite crystals.
Do'nt expect to see these mineral on my web site though. They are not shippable.
I have shipped delicate wulfenite, cerussite, and other minerals successfully by packing in soap powder. But I am afraid the natrolites defy shipping this way. I can't see ruining a good specimen by trying to ship it. Sometimes a delicate mineral can be tacked inside a box with room around it. As long as the tack holds the mineral will arrive undamaged. (The tack never holds...)
If anybody reading this has a good suggestion on shipping delicate minerals, please email me at jhbnyc@aol.com
7/17/01
Frequently several specimens of find (a partuicular mineral from a particular locality) are acquired at the same time (for example the turquoise pseudomorphs after beryl this week). The question always arises, should they be offereed one at a time over a prolonged period or should the posted all at once?
On this site, all specimens from the same find are posted all at once.
This way, you the customer can decide which specimen is better or the best value given the retail prices. It also avoids the frequent customer query, "Do you have any better?" The answer is almost always no.
If too many from a find are available, the BEST are posted first. This avoids disappointing customers that buy the early items.
Occasionally new minerals are acquired that are better than previously posted specimens from the same find. It is not planned, merely coincidental. But if you want to trade up, it is allowed. For instance, the emerald specimen posted this week is better than the two other emeralds posted a few weeks ago.
7/03/01
This week a customer inquired why the mineral photograph on her computer (and when it was printed) did not match the color of the specimen when it was received. There are many reasons this can happen:
The specimen was not being viewed under "daylight" illumination - full spectrum lighting with equal distribution throughout the visible spectrum.
The computer monitor is out of adjustment. Since color printers are calibrated to print what the monitor shows, the color print was out of adjustment too.
The monitor may be an LCD screen, typically found on laptop computers and more recently flat panel displays. Color (and darkness) varies depending on viewing angle to the screen.
The viewer could be insensitive to certain colors. 12% of the population has some dysfunction in color discrimination.
The original photo had an abnormal color shift.
So what can be done to solve these problems?
Here are a few ideas:
Display your minerals under "daylight" illumination. Definitely do not use ordinary incandescent light bulbs or fluorescent lights of any kind. I use SoLux bulbs. These yield the most accurate color rendition of any commercially available light source. So much so that SoLux bulb have been adopted as standard illumination in many museums around the world.
Calibrate your monitor using one of the many software programs available. Photoshop has a "gamma" correction setup when first installing the software and comes bundled with P2C2 software to insure that color prints match the calibrated monitor.
If you are using an LCD display on your computer then make sure your viewing angle is correct. I use an LCD screen for all of my work, and maintain a test image on my display at all times to make sure I am at the correct viewing angle.
You may have an insensitivity to color. Macbeth has a three step color sensitivity test to discern difficulties in people viewing and perceiving subtle colors. Find someone that has these tests (they are too expensive to purchase) and take them to determine if you have difficulties.
It is possible that the original photo is out of color balance. However, I go through great pains to insure color accuracy. The camera is white balanced at the beginning of each session, daylight illumination is used during photography, and Photoshop software is used during image editing. If the original photo is off, then simply send the mineral back for a refund.
The problem of color accuracy is the single biggest problem in Internet sales of minerals. The bottom line is can never be eliminated. As a result, I will always have a money back guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with an items, return it within 10 days for a full refund, including return shipping. No questions asked, no explanation necessary.
6/26/01
I am sitting here surrounded by flats of minerals and at least 20 reference books. As I mentioned last week, I am cataloging all of the eastern U.S. minerals that I have acquired in 5 collections recently purchased. But the cataloging is proceeding at a very slow pace - because of poor labeling from the original dealers or collectors.
I don't just repeat what an old label says. Each specimen is examined and compared to reference books. The exact location, if available, must be determined. (There is nothing worse than an old label that says "Amethyst, Brazil".) Occasionally I get stumped, like a beryl specimen from New Hampshire labeled the "Larry Mine". No mention of the Larry Mine can be found, so the town and county are still unknown. In this instance I am reduced to simply repeating what the original label gives. But all other minerals are vetted to the best of my ability to ensure the customer receives exactly what is described.
As a result of this slow process, I am still not finished cataloging. I had hoped to be done by late last week. But stay tuned, they are on their way...
Don't forget to email me if you are interested in receiving the catalog of eastern minerals for sale when it is ready
6/12/01
A number of regular visitors have commented that they see last week's mineral update when the view the site after the regular Tuesday update. This is caused by your web browser. Before I tell you how to solve the problem, you should know the regular schedule:
The update begins with sending the new files via FTP to the web server. This begins at 12:30 P.M. (All times are New York local).
The FTP transfer concludes by 1:00 P.M. Each page is inspected via the web to ensure that everything is functioning satisfactorily.
By 1:15 P.M. emails are sent to the customers on my email list informing them of the new listings.
First orders are received by 1:20 P.M.
At 3:00 P.M. the first wave of sold minerals are removed from the New Listings gallery in order to reduce the gallery size and prevent duplicate requests for items already sold.
Email confirmations of orders are sent Wednesday morning.
So what should you do if you can't see the new update?
Your browser is displaying the old version of the New Listings because it is stored in the "cache", a temporary memory built into the browser to speed reloading recently viewed web sites. If you viewed the New Listings recently, it may be using the cached version rather than looking up the new page. In order to see the updated page you need clear your cache in your browser:
In MS Internet Explorer:
Click on "Tools" in the top command bar.
Click on "Internet Options" in the drop down list.
Under "Temporary Internet Files" click on "Delete Files" and confirm.
Exit the menu and reload the web page.
In AOL:
Click on "My Aol"
Click on "Preferences"
Click on "WWW"
Under "Temporary Internet Files" click on "Delete Files"
Exit the menu and reload the web page.
In Netscape:
Click on "Edit" in the top command bar.
Click on "Preferences" in the drop down list.
Double-click on "Advanced".
Click on "Cache"
Click on "Clear Disk Cache" and confirm.
Exit the Preferences menu and reload the web page.
I hope this helps...
6/1/01
Last weekend I saw another mineral collection for sale that I had high hopes for. On the phone, the owner said the entire collection was cataloged. That is always a good sign. Every mineral had a number that corresponded to a card in the catalog.
But the catalog was SORTED BY MINERAL!!!
So when trying to get information about specimen #775, it was impossible to find card #775 unless the mineral was known. Fortunately specimen #775 was beryl and was easy to look up "beryl" in the card catalog and find card #775.
But there were many specimens in the collection that had difficult to identify mineral species or had more than one mineral species. Finding the catalog cards for these specimens was impossible.
From this example, a lesson can be learned: organize your collection catalog for retrieval. Meaning, if you use numbers to identify specimens, then sort your catalog by number. If you want to sort your catalog by mineral, then add a prefix to the tag on the specimen (i.e. #BER775 for the specimen discussed above) so that locating the catalog card is easier.
Of course with computers, sorting your catalog can be done several ways. But remember, the catalog should optimized fro retrieving information.
5/29/01
As many of you know, I buy mineral collections. On average, I see one collection a week for sale. I have seen great collections and I have seen worthless collections. The biggest disappointment is seeing a good collection, that was ruined by a neglectful or thoughtless owner. The worst crime is gluing minerals to ugly bases made of styrofoam or unfinished wood.
As a rule of thumb, you should never do ANYTHING to your minerals that is not REVERSIBLE.
This means that if you want to glue a specimen to a wood base, make sure the glue is easily dissolvable and removable. Same goes if you want to number each specimen - make sure the number can be removed by future owners.
Many collectors scorn the use of mineral tack for several reasons. But of all the things negative about it ,at least you can unmount the specimen and remove the tack. (Fortunately, mineral tack is now available in white, which eliminates another negative complaint about the blue variety of mineral tack.)
The next time you are about to do anything to a mineral specimen, ask yourself whether it can be undone. If it can't, then try to find an alternate method that can be undone.
5/22/01
Frequently old-time mineral collectors are heard at mineral shows complaining about high mineral prices. They remember when they could get a particular mineral for $2 and are surprised to see it selling for $20 or more. It is true that mineral prices are goining up. But so is the cost of housing, automobiles and just about everygthing else. Have you bought a cup of coffee at Starbucks lately?
But some minerals are dropping in prices. Yes, it is true!
Take for example the cubic magnetite crystals found only in Balmat, New York. I still have the first specimen I bought from that find. I paid $150 for a thumbnail specimen. Now prices for cubic magnetite specimens has fallen to more reasonable levels as supply has aligned with demand.
Another example is Chinese fluorite. When that stuff first hit the market, prices were sky high. Now prices have fallen, because supply has increased to meet the demand. My guess is Chinese pyromorphite will begin to fall soon too, especially if they keep finding more and more.
Of course there are examples where the discovers of a mineral find have made a long-term plan, and they slowly release specimens to avoid flooding the market (and driving prices down). Rhodochrosite from the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado is one example. And they are still selling off elbaite tourmaline from the famous discovery in 1972 at the Dunton Quarry in Maine.
So when you see a high priced mineral specimen, you must gamble on whether the supply will continue to grow, and therefore prices will fall, so it will pay to delay your purchase. Or should you buy now because it is truly a one time find that produced a very limited number of specimens.
5/15/01
Because of my many locality articles on this site, I frequently get emails about how to find minerals at each location. Of course, the question is almost unanswerable because minerals are found in many places. However, there are some general strategies for collecting minerals at a given location:
Look carefully at any exposed ledge or cut that was originally worked. At first glance you won't see much. Now look again but very closely. Invariably there are minerals exposed, but they are hard to see because of weathering or lichen growth.
Take a walk over the dumps. Start at the bottom and slowly work upwards looking closely at the minerals on the surface. These have been washed by the rain and easiest to see anything newly exposed. You should start at the bottom of the dump because as you walk around your footprints will obscure any minerals on the surface. Once disturbed you can't see a thing.
Dig deep into the dumps. In general I dig at least three feet down before I spend much time looking at the rocks. You must figure that a mine last worked in 1945 has had 55 years of collectors looking it over before you. If 20 collectors per year visited the site and then1100 others that were there before you. You must dig down to get to the more productive (less picked over) minerals.
If you want to do hard rock collecting, look closely where others worked before you. I remember collecting at a trench-like cut that was following a pegmatite vein downwards. Most collectors were lazy and tried to find minerals in the wall of the trench because it was at eye level. But the trench was created by excavating the pegmatite that extended down. By following the pegmatite and working the floor of the trench I was able to recoved some nice specimens.
There is no single way to find minerals at a site. These strategies are a good start. If you need more help, join your local mineral club and go collecting alongside more experienced collectors.
5/8/01
I have always been a macro mineral collector. Thumbnail minerals, the smallest I collected, only attracted me if their crystals were large and colorful. Even though the history and locality of a mineral highly interests me, it is the aesthetics that are most important.
I always knew that microminerals were more beautiful than macro minerals and easier to obtain. But the cost of a microscope and the need for a dedicated set up area always hindered me. Well, I just jumped in with both feet and bought Al Stevenson's micromineral collection (10,000 specimens) and a microscope. If I look at 50 per hour (a little more than one minute per specimen) it will take me 5 weeks to go through all of them!
But I have discovered the beauty of microminerals. Even when looking at macro specimens, many new thing can be seen with a microscope that I was missing before.
I urge every collector to get a microscope. Even if you can only afford a student microscope or a used microscope from a school or institution. Get one now. By looking on Ebay and other auction listings it is not too hard to find a good deal. And it will open a whole new world of mineral collecting.
5/1/01
I recently recieved an email that asked, "I don't know if it's me or not but it seems as if the minerals you've put on your website the last couple Tuesdays have been... I don't know, smaller(?) than usual and the updates to the backroom more infrequent. Is that right? I could be me."
In fact, My updates have been much larger than usual. 3 weeks ago the update was so large it was split into 2 pages. And the specimens have been much larger too. In fact,my customers that collect thumbnail minerals have requested that I not neglect them. Finally, several new minerals have been added each week to the Back Room. But they sell quickly.
My guess is the customer is tuning into the site after the first wave of orders has been received. I attempt to remove sold minerals immediately. I think he is seeing the unsold minerals. He is missing the full update.
I remove the minerals quickly for 2 reasons. First, it speeds page loading and there are many customers using old modems that get irritated by slow pages. Second, it reduces the chances of a customer requesting an item that has already sold. As you can imagine, it is disappointing to not get an item shown in the galleries.
This week there are 60 new minerals added to the site and many are LARGE cabinet specimens (including a monster specimen of gypsum from Oklahoma). By Wednesday morning at least half will have sold. By Sunday many more will be gone. They will not be in any of the galleries. The only way to see sold minerals is browsing the sorted lists that are only updated on Tuesdays.
4/24/01
Recently a young collector approached me at a mineral show. I inquired about what he collected. He responded saying he was into collecting "world-class" miniature mineral specimens. That got me thinking about the other world-class collectors I have known. The one common characteristic among them was their ability to spot a "world-class" specimen from among the ordinary minerals offered at a mineral show.
Dave Wilbur is a classic example. He is able to spot a great specimen, and buy it without being prejudiced by a low price. The specimen I bought from the Idarado Mine in the Sotheby's auction of Joe Freilich's mineral collection was formerly in Dave Wilbur's collection. Dave paid $20 for it. I paid more than 500 times that amount at auction - and I consider it a bargain.
On the other hand, there are collectors that cannot believe an inexpensive mineral specimen is a good one. They rely on the guidance of their favorite dealers to "confirm" a specimen's value by escalating the price. These collectors are able to build a great collection, but they pay maximum prices doing so. And they are competing with all the other high-end collectors for these pieces.
My advice to the young collector, and to aspiring "world-class" collectors, is to gain the confidence in your own judgment about what makes a great specimen. Of course, you must also study show cases and learn a lot about minerals along the way. But the key is to approach each specimen without prejudice. Base your judgment on the specimen alone, not the price or the dealer or anything else that is not visible when they are displayed in your mineral case.
3/13/01
This week I have added a group of minerals that have been requested by customers. Usually requests are slipped in one or two each week as they are found, photographed and prepared. But the recent glut of new minerals resulting from my trip to Tucson has put requests on the back burner. This week I am making up for lost time.
I wish I could respond to all requests individually with instantly photographed specimens and email correspondence. But the reality of running a full time mineral business is that photos are only taken once or twice per week. And locating a requested mineral is not instantaneous either. It could take an hour to search through my stock of 5000 mineral specimens to locate a single specimen. Most often requests are located during a mineral show when most of my stock is on display (this site represents about 7% of my available stock).
So please email me if you are looking for a specific mineral. I will do my best to locate it in a timely manner. And there is no committment to buy on your part unless it meets your expectations.
3/6/01
The latest issue of Rocks & Minerals magazine (March/April, 2001) arrived today with my long-promised article on Digital Mineral Photography. It is eleven pages long with 14 color illustrations. I have been holding my breath waiting to see if the color photographs were accurately reporoduced. To my delight, they did an outstanding job. If you want to know my basic photographic techniques, I highly recommend picking up this issue.
Because the article includes my web site address, it is assumed many people may be viewing this site for the first time. It is worth covering some important points about this site:
Fifty to sixty new minerals are posted to this site every Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 P.M. (New York time). All new items are grouped on New Minerals Page 1.
The previous three weeks new listings are rotated down through New Minerals Page 2, 3, 4.
The visitors that request notification via email, will receive an email announcement immediately after the update is complete.
As mineral orders are received, the minerals are removed from the galleries. As a result, you will not see any "Sold" signs, unless the Mineral of the Week sells.
The individual mineral pages remain on the web site after they see, accessible through the sorted lists of all minerals. The sorted lists are only updated with the reghular Tuesday update.
For other commonly asked questions I recommend reading the Frequently Asked Questions page.
2/20/01
Yesterday a customer emailed an observation, that in my advice to beginners I recommend that collectors should never buy dinged or damaged specimens. Yet on my site, I offer such specimens for sale. Why?
I have been aware of this contradiction for some time. And apparently my customers have too, as the dinged specimens frequently do not sell. But sometimes buying a dinged specimen from a particular locality is the only alternative to having no specimen at all from that locality. Or a pristine, undamaged specimen is out of the price range of the collector, and only imperfect specimens are affordable. Since every collector is different (boy, is that an understatement!) offering a dinged specimen is one way of satisfying different collecting budgets and tastes.
It is also true that no specimen is perfect. Under magnification some minor damage can always be found. And when describing the specimens for this web site, every flaw is mentioned in order to prevent returns. So the tendency is to exaggerate the flaws rather than ignore them.
Of course, in a perfect world I would be easily ably to obtain pristine, perfect specimens. These would be the only items offered and my customers would all have unlimited budgets to buy these beauties. Obviously this does not reflect the real world.
So if I get a unique specimen, from a famous locality that has been closed for many years, I will offer it on this site in the hopes that it will fill a niche in some collection, somewhere. This happened recently when I offered some pseudomalachite specimens from the Schuyler Mine in North Arlington, New Jersey - the oldest copper mine in the U.S. They weren't perfect, but they are nearly unobtainable from any other source.
I stand by my recommendation to only buy undamaged specimens, if you can. But I will temper the wording to reflect the realities of the collecting world. And I will continue to offer a wide variety of minerals, some with minor damage, in the hope of satisfying collector's needs. It is up to the collector to decide whether the specimen is worthy of their collection. Lastly, I will continue to strive to offer the best quality minerals possible at affordable prices.
2/13/01
This week is the first full week of new minerals recently acquired in Tucson. Last week was limited to the few specimens I could hand -carry on the plane home. All others were shipped back. Five big boxes (about 20 flats or 400 specimens) arrived safely.
Many of the new acquisitions are for show stock. These are usually large, dramatic specimens that command attention at retail mineral shows. Most of the minerals sold on this site tend to be smaller, unique specimens that benefit from display via close-up photographs. For example, the beautiful, delicate crystals of cyanotrichite from the Grandview Mine in Arizona are best sold via the Internet. If these were put out at mineral shows they would be poked and prodded by collectors and their children. They would probably not survive a full show.
On the other hand, large specimens do not sell well via the Internet. The large, commanding size of these specimens cannot be easily comprehended through small images. The large specimens in the Decorator Sized gallery are all examples of minerals best sold at shows.
But do not misconstrue these comments -all size minerals are offered on this site as well as at shows in my booth. If you live in the Northeast U.S., check out my show schedule to see what minerals I will be attending.
2/6/01
One of the main reasons for returned minerals is the actual color of the mineral differs from what the customer expected. I have had gray calcites returned because they "looked white on my monitor" or white mnerals come back because they expected a darker gray. Clearly these customer's monitors did not match mine.
As a tool for preventing these returns I have created a test image (below) so visitors can see if their monitors are properly adjusted for brightness and contrast. This is a "system independent" test image created in Photoshop and should display the same on every computer - the only variable will be the monitors settings.
It is a gray scale, with black and white extremes, and 14 shades of gray in between. There are brackets beneath the lightest gray and the darkest gray. Can you see these grays? Adjust your monitors brightness and contrast until you can.
Then when you are viewing the mineral images on this site you can be certain you are seeing the same detail that I see when creating the images.
This works for setting brightness and contrast. Now all we need is a test image for color tint and hue. Anybody have any ideas?
1/30/01
As I write this I am sitting in Tucson, after shopping for several days I am exhausted and broke. In general, Tucson was a disappointment this year. Everybody is selling the same stuff. Or it is overpriced because dealers are afraid of missing out on every last dollar. However, I managed to make the trip worthwhile, finding lots of unique specimens.
A week ago (three days before departing for Tucson, and three days after leaving my full time job to run my mineral business full time) I managed to lose part of my left index finger. As a mineral collector, I wish I could say I lost while extracting a three foot plate of crystals off a pocket wall. Or I lost it while blasting a ledge to access a new find of minerals. But the reality is more mundane, I lost it while building shelves for my home office.
The loss of the finger may have a big effect - it was the only finger I typed with. Yes, it is true, I am not even a two-finger typist. I typed all of my articles (several over 10,000 words each) with just my left index finger. Maybe after my finger has healed I will take the time to learn touch typing...
While in Tucson, I saw the pre-press proofs of my article on Digital Mineral Photography in Rocks & Mineral magazine. It is due out in the next issue and will be available in a few weeks. For those of you that have asked my advice on photography, you will want to get this issue as I disclose many of my techniques.
I will back on schedule next week, hopefully with some of the goodies I picked up down here. See you then...
1/16/01
The Freilich Mineral Collection Auction at Sotheby's has come and gone. I attended all three sessions and bought two specimens for my personal collection.
First some statistics:
| Unsold Lots | Lots sold for less than minimum estimate | Lots sold within estimate range | Lots sold for more than maximum estimate | Sales totals (not including buyers premium 15-20%) |
|
| Session 1 | 22 | 30 | 14 | 10 | $1,194,500 |
| Session 2 | 66 | 88 | 16 | 10 | $557,250 |
| Session 3 | 80 | 65 | 13 | 19 | $413,400 |
| Total | 168 | 183 | 43 | 39 | $2,165,150 |
(The numbers here are fairly accurate, though there may be small errors.)
A few observations:
The audience was a diverse mix of high-end mineral dealers, serious collectors, museum curators, tourists and locals checking out the action, Wall Street junior executives, and Sotheby's regulars.
The prices listed by Sotheby's was the estimated sale price - not the reserve price as some mistakenly thought.
In general, the reserve price on each lot was about 50% the minimum estimate. There were a few exceptions.
Out of 433 mineral lots, 168 did not make the reserve price and did not sell. These were in all price ranges and not just limited to the expensive items. The catalog says Sotheby's has 30 days to sell these privately.
The book collection was much more successful and brought in over $9 million.
39 items exceeded the maximum estimate. This occurred when there were two bidders competing for an item.
The big pyrite from Peru, which many exclaimed was way overpriced, exceeded the maximum estimate and sold for $65,000 (to a well known mineral dealer).
At least one specimen was bought back by the collector that originally sold it to Freilich (for about half the price he sold it for).
There were some bargains, and many purchasers were delighted (myself included).
1/9/01
BIG NEWS!
I am making the leap! In about a week I will devote all of my time and energy to my mineral business. That's right - I will be a full time mineral dealer.
It was a hard decision to turn away from 23 years as a design consultant. I always took great pride in designing a product that sells in the millions of units per year. But the mineral business is thriving, and I figured now is the time.
I won't miss working until midnight every night. Or spending every lunch hour rushing to wrap packages and go to the Post Office. Now I can do those things during regular hours. The mineral business will no longer be second priority to my day job.
Hopefully, this shift will mean improved service to customers. Orders received before noon, will be shipped the same day - by 5:00 P.M. And telephone orders will be easier to accept, since I will be at my home office most of the time. The biggest change will be more minerals will be offered each week.
I am not sure exactly how to squeeze in more minerals each week. The New Listings gallery is at the maximum size with 50 specimens. If any more are added loading time will get even slower. It is possible to add a second page of new minerals, but statistics show that the second page only gets about half the viewers as the first page. Or the update schedule could be changed to 2 updates per week. Perhaps late Monday and then early on Thursday. But those of you that receive email notification of the new mineral updates would get 2 email per week, and that might be a nuisance.
1/2/01
This week I want to pass along a couple of tricks to help viewers with slow modem connections. By using the "Cache" on your browser you can speed page loading. The cache (local memory) actually saves a copy to your computer of the text and images on a web page you are viewing. Then when you return to a web page, it loads from your cache rather than waiting for the same information to be resent over the Internet.
So the first tip is: let each page load fully. This will fully cache all information. For example, if you go to the New Listings Gallery, let it load fully before clicking on an individual mineral for details. This way, when you go back to the New Listings Gallery it will be fully cached and will load quickly.
The second tip: Use the right mouse button to open a new window for individual mineral pages. I know this can lead to too many browser windows open, but it is the best way to keep from reloading larger gallery pages. Again using the New Listings Gallery as an example, if you right-click on an image or link and select "Open in New Window" (Internet Eplorer and Netscape) it will open a new browser window with the selected page while keeping the New Listings Gallery page open. Then, instead of using your "Back" button to go back to the New Listings Gallery, you simply close the last mineral page window. The New Listings Gallery will be fully ready and loaded beneath. Try it. It takes a little getting used to closing a window rather than using the Back button. But if you are suffering with a slow modem, it will greatly improve your online experience, especially when vierwing galleries with many individual thumbnail images.
Many visitors request that sold minerals should not be removed from the galleries so quickly. But when first posted the galleries have 50-60 images on them. Viewers with slow modem connections must wait for some time to fully load the pages. So the thumbnails are pulled from the site as fast as possible, especially in the first few hours after they are listed, when half of the items sell. This is also the best way to avoid dissappointing customers because an item requested has already sold. (Unscrupulous dealers use the old "Bait & Switch" where several items are posted that are really great bargains. Then when these bargains are ordered by a customer, they are informed that the items sold already, but they have other specimens available for more money.)
For the visitors that miss an item, you can still see the minerals. The
thumbnails have been removed from the galleries, but they are still on the
site. You can get to them through the sorted lists:
Sorted by Price - Sorted
by Size - Sorted by Mineral Name -
Sorted by Number
Links to these pages are at the bottom of every mineral gallery.
12/26/00
As previously mentioned in this column, the Joseph Freilich collection will be auctioned off here in New York City at Sotheby's auction house. The collection catalog is now online. Go to: Mineral Collection of Joseph A. Freilich (NY7586)
Some quick statistics observed about the lots of minerals to be offered:
Total lots: 433
Lots estimated to sell over $10,000: 135 (9 are estimated to go over $100,000.)
Lots estimated to sell under $1,000: 24
The best item estimated to sell at the highest price: lot
76 - Aquamarine Beryl from Pioniera Mine, Minas Gerais, Brazil. 5 3/8 x 2
1/2 in.; 137 x 63 mm. Single transparent sea-green aquamarine crystal with
large second order crystal faces and multiple-sided crystal faces.
Estimated sale price: US $270,000 - US $300,000
The item estimated to sell at the lowest price: lot 319 - Fluorescent
Minerals from New Jersey. Various sizes. Seven highly fluorescent minerals
of various types. These specimens are from the world-famous Franklin and
Ogdensburg, New Jersey, zinc deposit mines, renowned for their fluorescent
minerals.
Estimated sale price: US $500 - US $700
Previews begin January 5th and the auction runs from the afternoon of January 11 through the morning of January 12.
If you are in town to visit the auction I hope you will make an appointment to stop by and visit with me. Otherwise I hope to see you there!
12/12/00
Occasionally I get comments that the mineral photographs on this site are too good. Usually from potential customers that don't trust quality, accurate photographs. Just think about it, only on the Internet, where good photography is a rarity, would a customer NOT purchase from a dealer with good quality photographs.
You don't see this same prejudice from mail order companies. Do you ever hear complaints that the photographs in the L.L. Bean catalog are too good? Or Eddie Bauer, Sharper Image, Etc.? But on the Internet, good photographs are a negative! One mineral dealer suggested that he intentionally presents poor images so the customers are delighted when they get the mineral in person. Another dealer boasts about how little time is spent taking photographs!
What ever happened to valuing quality and attention to detail?
I attempt to create the best, most descriptive, image that accurately represents each mineral specimen - to approximate the aesthetics of a specimen when displayed in a mineral cabinet. If you value this effort and recognize that accurate images are the best way to prevent disappointment upon receiving the minerals, then you are whom this site is aimed at.
I am sorry, I will not apologize for good mineral photography to the visitors that expect mediocrity...
12/5/00
A good customer asked why collectors don't include the acquisition date on their labels. Good question!
It is common to record the acquisition date (and the source for the specimen) in collection catalog databases or card files. But the label is passed from owner to owner as the specimen changes hands. Most often, the collection catalog is separated from the specimen over time. As a result, it is advisable to have as much of the history of the specimen included on the label.
Many old-time collectors did record the acquisition date on their labels. Among the specimens I have had in the Pedigreed Minerals gallery, Bement, Swoboda, Schumacher, Sidebottom, Swigert, Weigand all recorded the acquisition date on the labels. Unfortunately, Zara, Lizzul, Cilen, and the Millers did not record acquisition dates.
Including anything more on the label than mineral species and locality appears to have fallen out of favor with recent collectors. As a collector/dealer that values the history and provenance of each specimen, I urge every collector to add acquisition date to their labels. When practical, keep all original labels with the specimen too. This documents the previous ownership, however usually without recording the dates of ownership.
One of my favorite specimens in my personal collection has a hand-written Carl Bosch label dated 1883, a label from the US National Museum (Smithsonian), and Doris Biggs who acquired the specimen in trade for a donation of an important mineral find from Pennsylvania. Knowing the history adds to the appreciation of the specimen.
With the advent of computer generated labels, capable of cleary printing 5 point type, there is no reason not to include more information on mineral labels. It is better, in my opinion, to have type that is barely legible with lots of information than a label with big type and only minerals and locality.
What do you think?
11/28/00
A Lesson for Collectors
Joe Cilen amassed an amazing collection of almost 24,000 mineral specimens .But Joe had the bad habit of selecting lesser specimens when presented with more than one to choose from. I am sure this was to save money. After all, Joe worked two jobs all his life to pay for his mineral collecting hobby. But imagine how much better his collection would have been if he bought the best available mineral specimen each time he had a choice.
This lesson is a good one for beginners to learn.
Think about your collection from a long term point of view. Every time you buy a specimen ask yourself if, from the perspective of 20 years in the future, whether the specimen will stand up to your future collecting standards.
Many advanced collectors know to buy the best available. I frequently get emails asking for verification that a particular mineral specimen offered is the best I have available. (For the record: I always offer the best specimens first if I have multiples.)
Joe Cilen's collection turned out to be great because he was buying at a time when many minerals from old locations were available and underappreciated. But it could have been so much better...
11/21/00
Another mineral dealer I know, makes a big deal out of the fact that he does not personally collect minerals. He says that he does not compete with his customers for the best specimens.
I think that is baloney. First, a dealer must be passionate about what he sells. If the dealer does not collect minerals, then the minerals are just a commodity and he might as well be selling hog bellies or grain futures.
Secondly, I do not compete with my customers for the best specimens - my customers get first chance at all the good specimens. If the good specimens do not sell within a period of time, then I will gladly add the specimens to my collection. Since every mineral I post to this site is special and unique in some way, and I only buy specimens for resale that meet my personal collecting standards, I am happy to add them to my collection.
But the unique and special qualities of each specimen often cannot be appreciated by collectors outside a specific region. The large 11 cm New Hampshire smoky quartz I posted two weeks ago is unusual for it's size, and collectors that have been to the locality know that crystals over 2 cm are uncommon. But the rest of the world cannot appreciate that fact.
Same goes for the natrolite crystal aggregate added last week from the Millington Quarry in New Jersey. I have collected at the quarry for 10 years and never gotten another specimen like it.
So when they do not sell, I add them to my collection. But not until customers have had their chance, and there is little doubt that it was missed. (Items I think should not be overlooked ,are added periodically to the Overlooked Treasures Gallery to call special notice to them.)
But to chastise a dealer for collecting the same things he sells is wrong - as long as the customers get first chance.
11/14/00
Last week the New York Mineralogical Club, the oldest mineral club in the U.S., had their annual banquet. The guest speakers were Joseph Freilich and Dave Wilbur.
Joe made a lively and engaging presentation about the joys of collecting. Dave made an enthusiastic presentation about connoisseurship and minerals. It was the culmination of their project of assembling one of the most important mineral collection during the last 3 years.
Dave explained what "real" connoisseurship is about and illuminated the guiding principles that he used when assembling this collection. It caused me to rename my gallery of best minerals which had been called the Connoisseur's Gallery. Nothing on my web site is high enough quality for true connoisseurs and it was terribly pretentious to allude to that level of quality. Now it is simply My Best Minerals (on this site).
The big news is: the Freilich mineral and book collection will be auctioned off at Sotheby's in New York City on January 11 & 12, 2001.
This could be good news. Or it could be bad news. Clearly Sotheby's strategy is to bring mineral collecting to a wider audience of collectors. It is possible, that collectors used to paying $100,000+ for an antique, will willingly pay as much for one-of-a-kind mineral specimens. Of course, this will lead to an escalation of mineral prices at the high-end. Conversely, prices could fail to meet reserves and the existing high-end mineral collectors will find out their recent purchases are not worth what they have been paying.
Whichever happens, it is certain that the auction will be an event to attend. It is strategically timed to precede Tucson, so the collectors can stop in New York to attend the auction, prior to heading down to Tucson.
So clear your calendar, book your flights, and come to New York in January! Be sure to stop in and visit me when you are in town (please call in advance to schedule an appointment.)
10/31/00
This week I have added some new minerals recently acquired from an old collection. Included in this group are some pseudomalachite specimens from the old Schuyler Mine in North Arlington, New Jersey. This copper mine is thought to be the first mine in the United States dating back to 1712-1715.
That is one of the joys of getting old collections.
Sure, it is nice to get a specimen from a new find. All you have to do is pick from the thousands available. (Look how much fluorite is now available from the Rogerley Mine in Weardale, England. Soon it will be so plentiful that it will be sold by the pound.)
But old collections are different. They are the product of a single collector, building a collection over the years, and presumably represents the best available specimens at the time (nobody would buy the worst specimens available...).
If you have an old mineral collection for sale let me know. I regularly buy collections, often sight unseen through the mail. If you are interested in details on selling a mineral collection I have added a page with more information. Go to: Sell Your Mineral Collection.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the great old minerals in this week's new offerings.
10/24/00
One of my visitors inquired about what to look for when field collecting. I responded that it is a BIG subject and cannot be answered easily because every locality is different.
A good place to start is Field Collecting Gemstones and Minerals by John Sinkankas. Read it, reread it, then memorize it. He has crammed in more useful knowledge in that one book than all other mineral collecting books combined.
But my real advice to any beginning collector is: Join your local mineral club. There is a mineral club near you wherever you are. Annual dues are reasonable and the information you gain from more experienced collectors is the best education you can find.
If you have several mineral clubs to choose from, find out which conducts the best field trips. Usually field collectors will belong to only one club in a region. Find out which one. (If it is hard to decide, get a list of the past year's field trips from each club and compare the quantity and variety.)
Participating in club field trips is the best way to learn how to field collect. Ask the more experienced for guidance, observe how others collect, what tools they use and see what mineral associations lead to a find. Again, the information and techniques vary from site to site. But their local knowledge can not be found in any book.
You can find your local mineral club at this site: Mineral Club Directory.
10/17/00
I have submitted the final draft of my new article on Digital Mineral Photography to Rocks & Minerals magazine. It sounds like it will be in the January-February or March-April issue next year. Soon my secrets will be out. Do you think all mineral web sites will start to look like mine?
The single biggest drawback of digital photography is the problem of computer monitor calibration.
Each photographer tries to accurately describe the subject. There has been much discussion on one of the mineral email list servers about a particular specimen posted recently to Ebay with wacky color. It is entirely possible the photographer thinks he nailed it perfectly. But his monitor may be thoroughly out of adjustment. After correcting the image to look like the subject on his computer, it was goofy on everybody else's computer. It is interesting that the email list responses ranged from ridicule to "looks good on my computer." That is because all the computer monitors that viewed the site are all out of whack IN RELATION TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER MONITOR.
This is Einstein's law of special relativity as applied to digital imaging!
The only sure fire way to guarantee the viewer sees the same as the photographer is for the photographer to create a print or "hard copy" and mail it to the person. Not very practical.
So is there an alternate? First, I suggest reading the description of the specimen (at least on my site...). If the description says "white" but you see pink then your monitor does not match mine. I would like to think my monitor is perfect. But I know better. I have calibrated it using Adobe Photoshop's color calibration routine. But I am sure it is not perfect. Still I recommend reading the description when it comes to judging colors...
10/10/00
Occasionally a frequent visitor to this site will note certain specimens have been on the site for some time. Compared to the weekly update of new minerals, that seem to fly off the site, it looks like there is something wrong with these specimens.
There is nothing wrong with them. In fact, I select for this site only special specimens, from my regular show inventory, that are beyond ordinary.
Perhaps minerals do not sell because the photos fail to capture the beauty of the specimen. Or the price looks high compared to another specimen. One is $36, one is $50, one is $350. But to look at the thumbnail view they don't look that different. Only after carefully reading the descriptions and comparing overall sizes do you realize the relative values are related to size and uniqueness of the mineral occurrence.
Another reason minerals stay around on the site, is that it takes time for search engines to pick up a new mineral page. I added several goosecreekite specimens to my site about 4 weeks ago. The search engine robots have yet to pick up on their presences. In addition, there are not many collectors for a large rare specimen of goosecreekite. (Even though most of the goosecreekite specimens I have available are better than the best on display at the Smithsonian!) So these will sit on the site and slowly be sold.
Occasionally, I will select items that have not sold and add them to the Overlooked Treasures Gallery. This gallery is a collection of quality minerals at fair prices. But for some odd reason they never sold.
The bottom line is there is nothing wrong with a specimen that has been on the site for a few months. Every once in a while you should look through the other galleries to see what is there...
10/3/00
I just returned from Washington, D.C. where I had a chance to see the new mineral hall at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. It was very impressive as you would expect from the country's national museum. Most notable was the design of the lighting illuminating each specimen. Through the use of pin spot light sources, and sometimes fiber optic lighting, they actually were able to achieve a mineral display that equals a photograph by Jeff Scovil or the Van Pelts.
As I have written before, mineral photos are always better than the actual specimen. A photograph is taken from a single point of view, with optimum lighting, and the specimen is supported in the best pose. It is nearly impossible to achieve a similarly aesthetic museum display. But the Smithsonian really did a great job, especially with three fantastic tourmaline specimens from California and Brazil.
It took 2 hours to thoroughly go through the exhibit and there were minimal crowds when the museum first opens. However, the proximity of the Hope Diamond, one of the museum's most popular exhibits, guarantees crowds later in the day.
If you get an opportunity to visit the museum. It is well worth the trip.
9/26/00
It was a pleasure to meet some of my customers last weekend at the Franklin, NJ mineral show. (The anonymity and impersonality of the Internet is its biggest disadvantage - it is hard to get to know the person at the other end of an email...)
When talking with one customer, he mentioned upon seeing a specimen in person, that it looked pink on his computer screen when it was in fact white. Other customers have similarly reported other color shifts in the photos when compared to the actual specimen.
I work very hard to guarantee color accuracy of the original jpeg images. All images are adjusted in Photoshop image editing software. Photoshop has a built in monitor calibration that guarantees accurate color reproduction.
But I have no control over the monitors of my customers. Nothing short of using monitor calibration software, and viewing the images using a calibrated software program like Photoshop will ensure that you see what I see.
I have developed a theory about why some customer prefer my site over another dealers: their monitors match my monitor, they see what I see. And therefore can see the beauty and why I selected each specimen as being "web-worthy" (believe me, there are many that are not web-worthy).
If the colors are dull, it might be your monitor. If the colors are overly saturated, it might be your monitor. If the description says "blue-green" and you see yellow-green, it might be your monitor.
Or maybe it is my monitor...
The bottom line is, there is a money back guarantee. If the mineral specimen is not what you expected you may send it back. No questions asked. No explanation necessary.
9/20/00
When I buy minerals for resale or go collecting in the field I always ask, "Would I put this specimen in my personal collection?" If the answer is no, then the specimen is left for the next person.
It is an emotional conflict whether to offer a really good specimen for sale or to keep it. Often a good specimen does not sell, usually due to the inadequacy of the Internet for selling three dimensional aesthetic objects. I regularly pull these unsold specimens for addition to my personal collection and often I am happy about the situation.
Usually, I put specimens out for a period of time to see if there are any nibbles. The manganite from Ilfeld, Germany is a good example. It is better than anything in my collection.
Sometimes it goes the other way, I get a specimen for my collection that is an upgrade and the lesser specimen currently in my collection is offered for sale here on the site. The purple fluorapatite from Mt. Rubellite, Maine is a good example from this week's update.
The important point is they pass the aesthetic, historic, mineralogic criteria that I set for a specimen in my personal collection. Any specimens that fail to meet these criteria are left unpurchased, left behind in the field or is sold off to other dealers if they came in as part of a larger lot of mineral specimens. This site is a reflection of my personal collecting sensibilities. It may not match your own. But it isn't just a random group of minerals.
9/12/00
A few milestones passed while I was on vacation: this site passed the 100,000 visitor mark and my database mineral inventory passed the 11,000th specimen. In celebration of these milestones I have posted some special minerals this week that are not likely to be found on any other sites on the Internet.
First is a collection of amethyst crystals from a one-time find in a housing development in Massachusetts. It is likely that few other specimens from this find will be available.
Also this week is a fine collection of minerals from classic localities like the Red Cloud Mine, Tsumeb Mine. These were sold to me by a collector and the quality is exceptional. Don't miss the manganite from Ilfeld, Germany or the two cuprite specimens from Zaire.
The most noteworthy additions this week are some superb goosecreekite specimens. Goosecreekite is a rare zeolite mineral related to epistilbite. I obtained the entire lot from a find in India and was delighted to get some excellent large clusters with well defined crystals. Try searching the Internet to find anything comparable...
I am also beginning a reorganization of the my web site to make it better. Now is the time to email me if you have any suggestions to make it better. Your comments are very helpful. Please take the time to help.
8/15/00
Thanks to everybody that took the time to say hello at the East Coast Gem & Mineral Show last weekend. It was a great show in many ways. I am most pleased to announce that several collectors sold me minerals from their collections and these are are scheduled for future updates. Look for a fantastic collection of large analcime clusters from Mt. St. Hilaire in the near future...
One visitor stopped by to talk. He mentioned he found it helpful when I clearly state in the description that a specimen is "pristine and undamaged". I didn't realize the importance of this phrase in the description. Often it is omitted due to space limitations.
It would get pretty monotonous if I kept repeating the phrase. Kind of like the way one dealer only has "rare" and "very rare" mineral species. Or over-using the adjective "superb" and "world-class".
It should be assumed that a specimen is undamaged unless otherwise stated. I feel obliged to describe the flaws in a specimen to avoid disappointment when a specimen arrives. And every effort is made to sell only undamaged specimens. Don't think worse of a specimen just because it does not explicitly state lack of damage.
8/1/00
Well, my worst nightmare finally materialized. A real mineralogist visited my site. As promised, I post visitor comments even if they are negative. This anonymous visitor observed:
"Interesting site. I thought you'd like to know that bravoite is a discredited mineral. It was found to be nickeloan pyrite by Bayliss. For reference see Amer. Mineral. (1989) 1172-73. Also, you make a grevious error in putting wulfenite under the oxide category. It is more aptly placed in Other as you do not have a Molybdate category."
Very true. Bravoite has been discredited. I have corrected the error. Regarding the assignment of Wulfenite to the Oxide gallery it was an erroneous decision. Wulfenite, Pb(MoO4), is a molybdate. I dropped it into the Oxide gallery since it was predominantly oxygen. But that is not the definition of an oxide. (1451 minerals out of 3983 mineral species include oxygen.) As a molybdate it belongs in the Other gallery of miscellaneous minerals.
However, I must point out in my defense that there is no single, absolute way to divide minerals into classes and groups. Throughout mineralogical studies there have been many debates about classification of minerals. Strunz, Dana, Hey classify minerals differently. At least one well known mineral afficianado still supports classifying silicates as oxides. And a well known internet mineral site lists molybdates as a sub-category of sulfates. But today everyone appears to follow Dana's system and I apologize for my error.
There are many inconsistencies on the site. Most are ambiguous at best, with room for interpretation. For example, does a mineral from the Czech Republic belong in the Europe gallery or in the Russian (& former Soviet republics) gallery? And why should barite have a separate gallery when it is a sulfate? The galleries are there as a convenience to group similar minerals together and divid ethe site into smaller pages that load faster. I suppose I could use non-mineral groups like other dealers. I could use gem minerals, semi-precious minerals, orange minerals, hard minerals, soft minerals...
I knew it was only a matter of time before somebody complained. I am always happy to listen and learn. The process of refining and inproving the site is never ending. Please email me your comments.
7/25/00
A few beginners have asked about standard conventions on naming and labelling mineral specimens. To summarize the accepted standards:
Always start with the proper mineral species name.
For varietal names use the form: Mineral Name variety Varietal Name. For example: Beryl variety Morganite, or Quartz variety Herkimer Diamond.
The word "variety" can be abbreviated as "var." For example: Beryl var. Aquamarine.
Use proper English. It is "doubly-terminated", not "double terminated". It is "Japan-law twin", not "Japanese law Twin". Use "personally collected", not "self collected" (a mineral does not collect itself...)
Why be so complicated? Why can't I just call my specimen "Aquamarine" or "Herkimer Diamond"?
Because mineral references sort information by mineral species. Familiar varieties like Kunzite, Morganite, Emerald, Herkimer Diamonds, Hiddenite, Adularia are not mineral names. Period. End of discussion. It is likely that these might be found in the index, but what about more obscure varietal names like Valencianite, Endlichite, Campylite, Melanite? How about "Faden Quartz"? You won't find that one in the index of any book. It should be labeled "Quartz variety Faden-growth".
I learned this lesson the hard way when I used to catalog all of my mineral in the "accepted" nomenclature like "Smoky Quartz" or "Herkimer Diamond". When it came time to sort through the catalog to list all quartz specimens for example I found that I had to look for Citrine, Amethyst, Smoky, Milky, Morion, etc. What a pain...
So my advice is to always list the accepted mineral species first. (Don't ask me what to do when a mineral species is discredited - that is your problem.) The best reference for accepted mineral species names is Glossary of Mineral Species by Michael Fleischer and Joseph Mandarino. Buy it and use it.
6/6/00
An Internet corollary to Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong, will go wrong) is: if somebody can misunderstand, they will misunderstand. This is especially true about emails and other Internet correspondence.
Many times an innocent email has been misconstrued as acidic in tone. Even these weekly commentaries have been misunderstood. In last week's commentary I said, "there is no preset price or comparison shopping (with unique specimens) as with commodity items like hamburger, appliances or Arkansas quartz crystals." The comment was about the fact that you cannot comparison shop what are essentially one-of-a-kind mineral specimens.
(In last week's update there was a specimen recovered from the new water tunnel 700 feet beneath New York City. You could search the Internet or mineral shows for a year and never find another specimen like it.)
But my comment caused concern that I was disparaging Arkansas Quartz. This of course was not the point at all. There are many beautiful quartz specimens that come from Arkansas. But they are sold by the pound. That is what I call a commodity, and there is comparison shopping with commodity specimens. You can find other quartz specimens to compare the price to.
(And to all the butchers and appliance salesmen out there, I would like to go on record as liking hamburger and kitchen appliances.)
I guess I am trying to say, that you should think the best, not the worst, when reading comments from somebody. Perhaps we should start using the ubiquitous "happy faces" at the beginning of our correspondence so readers will know what tone they are written in... ;-)
5/30/00
I recently purchased the best specimens, in my opinion, of the new find of pyromorphite from the Loudville Lead Mine in Loudville, Massachusetts. (This new find will be published soon in Rocks & Minerals magazine, and I will be offering them at the East Coast Gem & Mineral Show in August.)
When negotiating the price the collector said basically, "If you don't want to pay my price, go try to find another." And he was absolutely right, there is no preset price or comparison shopping as with commodity items like hamburger, appliances or Arkansas quartz crystals. He had the best specimens I had ever seen from this old mine . Even Harvard University acquired a specimen from this find for their collection.
Where else was I going to get another specimen as good? If I wanted any of his specimens, I had to pay his prices.
When you look at minerals for sale keep this in mind. Too often collectors (and myself) have regretted passing on a specimen saying," the price is too high, I will look for a cheaper one." And when they can't find a cheaper specimen, they try to buy the first one they saw and find it has sold. If you see a great specimen that catches your eye, think twice before passing. Odds are if it catches your eye it will catch others as well.
"You never regret buying a specimen, you only regret not buying a specimen."
5/24/00
Often questions are emailed to this site requesting advice on where to get a specimen tested and identified. It seems people have forgotten how to run some basic tests to identify minerals themselves.
My advice is to purchase a good mineral reference book like Mineralogy by John Sinkankas and learn how to identify cleavage and crystal form, test for hardness, acid solubility, and specific gravity. The equipment required costs less than the $35 that a testing laboratory will charge. And you will learn something as you go through the process of identifying your specimens.
Of course, it helps to have information about the minerals known from the location where they were collected. Using the locality list of minerals and a reference book, narrow down the possible minerals that your unknown specimen could be. Then work through the physical properties one by one. Remember, when confronted with a choice between an exotic mineral and a common mineral, it is most likely that your unknown specimen is the common mineral.
If this fails, I recommend joining your local mineral club, going to one of their meetings and asking some more experienced collectors for help. If you stump them, then they will help you get your specimen tested, often for free, at a nearby university, geologic survey or museum.
4/25/00
Finally, there is a new book to summarize out of date mineral names!
The new Glossary of Obsolete Mineral Names by Peter Bayliss was recently released by the Mineralogical Record. The format is a dictionary-style listing with the equivalent modern mineral name listed for each entry. In addition, the original reference that used the name is listed for further research. (I know some collectors that desire the reference that discredited the out of date mineral name. Sadly this is lacking.)
Many of youhave read my article on References for Mineral Collectors that recommends the 6th Edition of Dana's Mineralogy and An Index of Mineral Species and Varieties Arranged Chemically by Hey for researching old mineral names. In fact, all of the old mineral names in these two books have been summarized in this new publication. ISt is now a quick, one-stop first reference for deciphering old mineral labels. However, you may still want the older Dana and Hey books to actually learn more about the locality or original research on the mineral in question. But if you cannot afford the old books or cannot find a copy, then the new Glossary of Obsolete Mineral Names is worth adding to your library. The price is only $32.
While you are ordering, you might consider getting the latest Glossary of Mineral Species 1999 if don't already have one...
4/18/00
I just returned from four days of sleep deprivation and nonstop fun at the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium. One of my favorite sessions was conducted by Joe Mandarino (author of the Glossary of Mineral Species) on mineral names and nomenclature. Going into the session my interest centered around the elimination of biotite and lepidolite as valid mineral names.
Normal language evolves, and as usage changes over time, the language is revised to reflect those changes. Popular usage becomes acceptable. Mineral names are exactly the opposite. It seems the longer a mineral species has been around, the better the chances of it being eliminated. What could be more common than biotite or lepidolite?
Biotite is now a series of dark micas without lithium. The series end members are phlogopite - KMg3AlSi3O10(OH)2 and annite - KMg2+3AlSi3O10(OH)2. The middle species biotite was eliminated.
Lepidolite is now a series of light micas with substantial lithium. The series end members are trilithionite - KLi1.5Al1.5Si3O10F2 and polylithionite - KLi2AlSi4O10F2. The middle species lepidolite was eliminated.
Why? I was hoping for guidance and explanation. Instead I learned that wolframite has been eliminated and is now a series name!
Privately, I queried Dr. Mandarino for a common sense solution for the ordinary mineral collectors. He confirmed that using biotite, lepidolite, wolframite are acceptable when the exact species is not known. However, as specific mineral localities are studied, and the mineralogy is known, he encouraged the use of the exact mineral species.
Lastly, he advocates the complete elimination of all varietal names. That means amethyst, citrine, aquamarine, sphene, etc. should no longer be used. It is not likely these will ever be eliminated from common usage. More to the point, why bother to eliminate them? They are valuable descriptive terms for common mineral species.
The IMA has lost sight of their goals. In an effort to simplify, they have made everything more complicated. It is up to you to decide whether you should recatalog the mineral names in your collection. After you finish correcting mineral names you can start revising geographic names (Zaire, Myanmar, Czechoslovakia, etc. are no longer valid)...
4/11/00
During the next week I will be attending the Rochester Mineral Symposium. It is a fantastic event, with excellent lectures, good dealers, and overall a lot of fun. If you are in the area, be sure to make an effort to visit. (There may be delays in shipping orders this week while I am on the road.)
I am currently working on an article on digital mineral photography. I am torn between wanting to share my techniques and disclosing my secrets. The last thing I want is my competition learning how to photograph minerals. Many customers and visitors have commented on the quality of the photographs on this site. I always caution not to purchase the image in the photo, but the mineral described. Is the size right? Is there any damage? Is it a good specimen? Is the price reasonable? These should be the first questions you answer before ordering a specimen.
Other dealers prefer to use lesser quality photos so the customer is delighted with the specimen when it arrives. I have never had a photograph come close to capturing the full beauty of a specimen. Frequently, it is impossible to get a good image and the description of the mineral includes the phrase, "Very difficult to photograph this specimen, must be seen to be appreciated." In this instance, remember there is a money back guarantee on all purchases. Don't hesitate to take a chance. If the specimen does not meet your standards, ship it back for a full refund, including postage both ways. You cannot go wrong.
4/5/00
It is great to get out in the field again after a long winter. Every collecting trip brings new discoveries.
I have two goals when field collecting: to find at least one great specimen and to smash only one finger.
The latter is more predictable. Though I got a laugh at the quarry safety officer saying he didn't want any participants to even stub a toe. It wouldn't be a real collecting trip if I didn't abuse my body in some way. Last weekend I got away with only a small blood blister resulting from a severely pinched finger.
The goal of finding one really good specimen on every trip is more difficult. It is amazing how, as the day goes on. my standards get lower. After a half day of collecting at a "dry" site, any scrap starts to look good. Fortunately, this month's collecting trip have been very fruitful including some real killers.
After the specimens are trimmed and cleaned a few may find there way to my site. In the meantime, I have posted some finds from last year's field trips to the site this week.
3/21/00
Last weekend's field trip to collect at the old Prospect Park Quarry in Haledon, New Jersey was a blast. This active quarry has been closed to collectors for at least 30 years. During recent times they were excavating very unproductive zones (from a mineral collecting point of view). Due to limits of the excavatable property, they are now forced to shift back to the more mineralized zones which should be good for collectors.
Though it was great to collect specimens in the quarry personally, it gave a new perspective on the quality of specimens in old collections from this quarry. Joe Cilen's collection was filled with hundreds of specimens from Prospect Park. I took for granted the quality of these specimens. After seeing what has been found recently, I have a renewed appreciation for the good specimens that Joe collected.
I am actively pursuing the great specimens from old collections. They are a perfect complement to the newly available specimens, and provide perspective on what a fine specimen is from this locality. Only time will tell what will be found in the future.
3/14/00
A customer complained that the metric dimensions used to describe the minerals on this site make the minerals seem larger.
Metric dimensions are used throughout the world and the U.S. adopted the metric standard many years ago. For minerals, metric is much easier to use for small dimensions such as crystal size. It is far easier to say a crystal is 2mm long rather than .078 inches or 5/64ths of an inch.
Every customer is encouraged to use the dimensions as follows.
Select a specimen from your collection that is the smallest specimen you are willing to purchase.
Measure it in inches and metric.
Use those dimensions as your minimum acceptable size to screen out specimens you are considering to purchase.
That way you will never have a specimen arrive in the mail that is smaller than you are willing to accept. You can do the same with crystal dimensions - establish the minimum crystal size you are willing to keep. Some may want to establish the largest acceptable size too.
The leading cause of returned minerals is disappointment from the mineral being a different size than imagined. This simple exercise will help you avoid this problem, whether shopping on this site or others...
3/7/00
As I visit with people at shows I hear all kinds of comments. Some complain mineral prices are too expensive, others say prices are great. It is surprising how little consensus there is. Of course, if two dealers are side by side, selling the exact same quality minerals from identical locations, then it is easy to say one has more expensive minerals than the other. I guess the same goes for Internet mineral dealers.
But what is the right price for a unique specimen from an unusual location?
This week's new mineral listings includes the two best specimens of emerald in matrix from a new find in China. One specimen has crystals longer than 4" and great color! What is the right price for such unique specimens? As a dealer I don't even know their value. All I can go by is what I paid for them.
I got to the importer first, and purchased all the best specimens. Did I pay too much? Are my prices too high? I don't know. Only time will tell. If I still have these specimens in 6 month I guess we will all know the answer.
2/15/00
The experiment of thematic updates of the past weeks has ended. Three weeks ago all the new minerals were from the British Isles. Two weeks ago the update was all rare minerals from Connecticut.
A lesson was learned. It is better to have an assortment of specimens in the hope of having something for everyone, rather than many specimens for a very narrow group of collectors. From now on the minerals added every week will be a broad range of prices, minerals, localities and sizes.
The mineral show season starts this weekend with Albany, NY show. All of the minerals on this site have been packed up to take to the shows. For the past few months there has been little competition for the specimens offered here on this site. However, there are four shows in the next four weekends, and many of these minerals will rapidly sell. If you have been hesitating on any specimens, this may be your last opportunity to get them before they hit the shows...
If you plan on visiting the Albany show (or Meriden, Ct., New York City, N.Y., or Clifton, N.J. shows in the coming weeks) I hope you will stop by to visit my booth. I always welcome an opportunity to meet the collectors that are only known by email address.
2/8/00
I just got back from Tucson with lots of goodies. As I visited my competition, other Internet mineral dealers, I realized that they were stuck in their motel rooms and were limited to visiting only easily accessible dealers nearby to find new material. My advantage of being able to freely explore the peripheral shows and back corners of Tucson lead to some great finds.
I connected with a Chinese geologist that just arrived with long green emerald crystals in matrix from a knew find in the remote mountains of China. I picked up the best of a new find of Japan-law twin quartz crystals from Pampa Blanca, Peru. I also reconnected with my supplier of diamonds in matrix from Fuxian, China and got some nice large diamonds, easily visible to the naked eye. Lastly, I scored some good local Arizona and New Mexico minerals from local collectors including some classic wulfenite and vanadinite specimens. Of course, I got some of new finds that everyone is aware of, like fluorite from the Rogerley Mine, Pyromorphite from the Guang Xi Mine in China, Hematite from Nador, Morocco.
The point is: I am not out there filling requests or just reselling what other dealers offer - I am hand-picking exquisite, aesthetic specimens that are "right" priced. As these new acquisitions are posted to the site in the coming weeks, it is hoped you will find a special mineral specimen that no other internet mineral dealer has available. That is how we hope to distinguish this site from the competition.
2/1/00
I will be in Tucson during the next few days trying to find some under-appreciated treasures. There may be some delays filling orders this week as a result.
During this period of interruption, be assured that all orders will be filled in the order they are received. Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
This is also your last opportunity to request any special items for me to locate while I am searching Tucson. There is no committment on your part to purchase, but I will use your requests to gather specimens for the site.
Are any of you going to be in Tucson over the weekend? Email me, We can meet and I will buy you a beer...
1/18/00
Big changes this week: A search utility has been added to the home page at the bottom and in an effort to optimize page loading some galleries have been rearranged. Four new galleries have been added:
Minerals from the Tsumeb Mine, Namibia
Minerals from the British Isles
Minerals from New York & New Jersey
Overlooked Treasures
Each of the first three galleries was split out of a larger gallery. Tsumeb minerals used to be grouped in with all African minerals; British Isle minerals used to be grouped under European minerals; and New York & New Jersey were part of Mid-Atlantic states.
The gallery of Overlooked Treasures are beautiful specimens that have been missed by visitors, but should have been snapped up right away. They are clean, well formed, little or no damage, and reasonably priced. They come with my personal recommendation - money back if not completely delighted with the specimens.
The Millington Quarry Gallery has been merged into the New York & New Jersey Gallery. Lastly, the Mid-Atlantic Gallery is now the South & Mid-Atlantic Gallery to resolve the contradiction that it included Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
I hope you will take the time to visit the new galleries and that you find it easier and faster loading. Enjoy...
1/12/00
Judging from the web traffic, everybody has survived the holidays and returned to the weekly routine. It is interesting to see how web traffic fluctuates during the year. Traffic dips during the Christmas-New Years week, in late spring when school is getting out, and in the summer when everyone is out collecting or on vacation. February to March is always the peak season for traffic as winter shuts everyone in and Tucson stirs interest.
I am now into my second year of providing weekly updates of new minerals. It started with 20 new specimens each week. Lately, there are usually 40 new specimens each week. For the future updates I will limit the updates to 30 each week to allow me to stockpile some specimens for the Tucson and February-to-March show season. Beginning in mid-February local weekend mineral shows are back-to-back for several weeks. Since I usually photograph minerals on weekends for the following week's update, a weekend show prevents the usual routine. I am now photographing specimens for those weekly updates (you should see what is coming... Good Stuff!)
In addition to the stockpile of new minerals prepared for this period, there is also a big pile of minerals from orders that were cancelled. When a mineral order is received, the specimens are removed right away from the mineral galleries on the site. This reduces loading time for the galleries and minimizes the disappointment of requesting a mineral that has already sold (though that will still happen...). But often the customer gets cold feet, or forgets, or loses interest, and they fail to send payment. (This is the only reason I prefer credit card transaction - the sale is completed and out the door. No waiting for checks to arrive, or for an email response.) The worst thing about this phenomenon, is that it is always the best mineral specimens that are requested - when the order is cancelled the sit around unseen until the opportunity arises for them to be reposted to my site.
The coming weeks are also going to heavily weighted for specific locality galleries. This week is Canadian minerals. Next week will be Tsumeb minerals. Look for Michigan Copper Country, minerals from England, and Connecticut rarities in future updates.
1/4/2000
Well, we survived the Y2K bug. I hope your computer has survived with no surprises. (Can somebody tell me what to do with all this canned food I've got stashed...)
Several customers have suggested adding an auction page so that minerals don't sell out as fast. In theory, a specimen stays on the site until a certain date, and every customer has an equal chance to get the specimen. There is no advantage to being an early bird when new minerals are added. While I have entertained the idea, I hesitate to add an auction because an auction ONLY BENEFITS THE DEALER.
An auction maximizes the price of a sold specimen. The dealer benefits and the richest customers benefit.
I attempt to put fair prices on each specimen. Then the customer is delighted to get a good value. And there is no overinflation of prices due to competitive bidding. If you think minerals at auction sell for less than fixed price, take a look at the foolish bids on the junk available on Ebay and you will change your mind. Though everybody remembers the great find they got at an auction. Sadly, the good deals are far outnumbered by the overly inflated prices of the majority of the sales.
Of course, occasionally I price specimens too high. They will not sell and will be removed after a period. Often, these specimens sell at shows where the customer can really appreciate the quality of the specimen that I can see when I set the price. (As goods as the photographs are on my pages, they are a poor substitute to holding a specimen in your hands.)
As a result, if you want to get the good pieces at good prices be sure to check this site around 4:00 to 4:30 P.M. (NY time) every Tuesday. (This corresponds to Wednesday morning for the Pacific rim countries and accounts for why I call it a Wednesday update.)
12/28/99
In a desperate effort to clear out minerals prior to the world financial collapse on January 1, I have put many specimens on sale in a special Discount Gallery. I only do this about three time per year in an effort to test whether a specimen hasn't sold because of the price, or if there is some other reason.
If you think about it, to each person a mineral specimen can only be overpriced or underpriced. If it is underpriced it sells immediately. If it is overpriced it languishes until a customer comes along that appreciates it. If a mineral is priced low, there are more people that think the specimen is underpriced. If the mineral is priced high, most viewers will think it is overpriced.
No single web site is viewed by all collectors. It is a matter of time until the right customer comes along for each mineral specimen posted to this site. Therefore a mineral will sell at any price, within reason. It is only a matter of time...
My hope of course, is to sell minerals within a reasonable amount of time and price the minerals on this site at the right price.
12/21/99
I had a call last week from a new collector. Like many of us, he had rediscovered the joy of mineral collecting after many years. He asked for guidance in building his collection. He had spent the last year buying minerals, but he recognized he might be making bad decisions.
Looking back on our conversation, I thought about the advice given and wondered what single piece of advice was the most important. Also, the recent evaluation of my personal collection and subsequent de-accession of many minerals in my personal collection.
The answer was clear.
The best advice for any collector is to spread your acquisition budget over the fewest number of specimens as possible. In essence: buy a few very high quality minerals - DO NOT many inexpensive minerals.
Unfortunately this is lesson that must be learned through experience. And it sounds like a conflict of interest coming from a mineral dealer. But I am a collector first and foremost. Now that I getting rid of the hundreds of lesser specimens I acquired in my first years collecting, I wish somebody had given me this advice when I started.
You don't have to take my advice. But years from now, when you realize that it is good advice, remember you heard it here.
12/14/99
I am beginning to rethink my philosophy about mineral collecting. Many of you have read my article Advice For Beginners: Nine Lessons Learned from Experience. In the article, I advise "Don’t collect more specimens than you canno display." This is in response to the thousands of collectors with closets and garages filled with boxes of minerals.
But there is an alternative...
I recently added to this site a page of photographs of some of the minerals I personally collected in the field. (Often collectors label these "self-collected minerals". However, I have never seen a mineral collect itself.) The process of photographing each specimen is laborious and time consuming. But by posting them to a web page I can share the collection with others. And that is the same reason collectors display their collection.
Is it possible web pages will replace mineral displays? Maybe...
For me at least, I can now box these specimens away in drawers or a closet and still enjoy them and share with others. The pressure is off to get more display cases or a larger room for the collection. The web page also provides a great catalog of the collection, and is much better than a dry, type-written list off a database.
Other collectors have been displaying their minerals on the Internet. One of my favorites is Shinichi Kato's collection. I had never considered how the virtual display of a collection can free the collector from maintaining a real display. You will probably choose to still display your very best specimens at home, but the virtual display can expand the selection of minerals you share with others. It is worth considering...
12/7/99
I can't believe there is only 8 weeks until world-famous mineral shows begin in Tucson, Arizona. Every year I travel down to the shows to hand pick minerals for the coming year from various suppliers and wholesalers. Most of my sources are actually collectors/miners that bring their finds to Tucson to sell.
I am preparing my shopping list and setting up advance deals now. If you are looking for specific minerals or have a wish list ,email it to me to see what I can dig up. There is no committment on your part. (I figure if one person wants it, then several will be interested.) Conversely, I do not make any promises that I can locate what you want, but I will keep my eyes open. Be sure to include specimen size, price range and specific localities.
11/30/99
This week I am permanently changing the schedule for adding new minerals to this site. As many of you were aware, I routinely added new minerals around 12:00 noon, New York City time on the Tuesday prior to the announced Wednesday date.
This allowed for the regular customers, with inside information, to visit the site before the casual visitors checked in on Wednesday, the formally announced day. It also allowed for the visitors in Japan and western Pacific region to visit the site early on Wednesday, their time, and my announced Wednesday update would be waiting for them. However, my regular Japanese customers were being regularly beat to the best minerals because the Noon update was before they awoke in the morning.
So beginning with this week, minerals will now be added to my site around 4:30 P.M. New York City time.
For the customers on the east coast that want to check this site while at work, this will still leave time to visit before the end of the day. For those that view the site from home, the new schedule will reduce the advance opportunity of the early birds. Lastly, for my Japanese, Australia and western Pacific customers, this will permit viewing the update closer to the posting time (as long as they visit the site before they eat breakfast).
I hope the new schedule is satisfactory. It is very difficult to juggle worldwide time zones. This is my best compromise in the hope of keeping all of my loyal customers happy. I welcome your comments on the subject. If it becomes apparent that the new schedule has made matters worse I will reevaluate it at a later date.
11/23/99
I finally completed the reorganization of my personal mineral collection. It is an exercise I think every collector should go through at least every 5 years. By going through the process of reviewing each specimen, grouping them, organizing them, and evaluating the duplicates in my collection I learned many things about how I personally collect.
For example, I organized my collection by locality. That is my personal preference. (Many collectors organize their collection by size or by mineral species.) From this I realized that I also sell minerals by locality on this site. I place greater emphasis on a mineral specimen from a classic locality or from an uncommon locality. Sometimes the specimen descriptions sound redundant always pointing out the importance of the specimens in the context of locality ("classic" "unusual" "hard-to-find" "lost locality"). But because I collect that way personally, I tend to describe minerals that way.
My personal favorite is New England minerals, and New Jersey minerals. This grew fromcollecting extensively at these localities and therefore appreciating the uniqueness or rarity of the specimens from the locations.
I urge every collector to develop a specialty to their collections. It provides focus to collecting and the allocation of acquisition budget. I also urge you to go through every specimen in your collection and evaluate it. If nothing else, rearrange the specimens in your display case. You never know what you may find. You may find an unappreciated beauty. Or you may learn something about yourself...
11/16/99
It often gets ridiculous all the offerings from various "collections". On my site alone there is Joe Cilen's, Robert Bates', Doris Biggs', Robert Sahno's, Gladys Swigert's, Richard Heck's collections, to name just a few. And there is the recent madness around John Barlow's collection coming to the market.
Is buying mineral specimens from another collector's (well-known or not) collection good?
The answer is yes. Here is why:
Mineral collecting is not easy. If you are a field collector you must sort through 99.9% junk to find the .1% worth keeping. At a mineral show you must sort through the common or damaged or overpriced or unremarkable specimens offered by dealers to find the unique, right-priced, undamaged specimen for your personal collection. In short you must work at collecting to build a collection that fulfills your interest and vision.
When you buy minerals from a noteworthy collection you are benefitting from another collector doing the work. Often a collector like Heck or Barlow would haunt the hallways of Tucson to see the dealers before they were formally open. Or the dealer held out special specimens for them because of previous requests. Robert Bates traded minerals with collectors all over the world for 45 years. It would take as long to build the same collection, but many of the minerals available then are no longer available.
So there is a genuine benefit to buying mineral specimens from a noteworthy collector or collection. Yes there is much hype, and you must be careful to pay the right price. But, in general, you are benefitting from another collectors knowledge and effort when building their collection.
11/09/99
Many collectors contemplate the disposition of their collection upon their death or in old age. John Barlow sold his collection while he could enjoy the money. Some collectors have family members that share a genuine interest in minerals and are pleased to pass along their collection to them. These are the lucky collectors.
The unlucky collectors are the ones that plan to leave their collection to a museum. The illusion is they are adding to an important collection, filling-in an inadequate collection, or preserving their collection intact. Sadly, museums have a disappointing record at preserving collections. Most often the curator does not fully appreciate the subtleties of a specimen or occurrence. Often donated collections are de-acquisitioned to fund the purchase of a single crowd-pleasing showpiece. Too often a part-time curator will mismanage the collection, intentionally or unintentionally.
I recently learned of three different regional museums that have mismanaged their mineral collections. It has made me rethink my personal plans for my collection. I urge you to develop a plan for the disposition of your collection. A wise man said, "Object of value end up where they are most appreciated." This often means that your museum donation will end up in private hands sooner or later.
If you decide to dispose of all or a portion of your collection keep me in mind. I regularly purchase collections, often without seeing them and find that old collections are the only way to get the classic minerals that are no longer being mined.
John Betts
Visit our other galleries with the links below:
Weekly New Listings 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Featured Galleries
My Best Minerals - Classic
Minerals - Gem Minerals -
Natural Diamond Crystals -
Historic & Pedigreed Minerals -
Crystal Oddities
- Overlooked Treasures -
Large Decorator Sized -
Books & Magazines
Locality Galleries
New England - New York &
New Jersey - Mid-Atlantic -
Midwest - Arizona & New
Mexico -Rocky Mountain States -
Western States - Canada
- Mexico - Brazil & South
America - Britain & North Atlantic Islands
- Europe - Russia and former
Soviet Republics - India, Pakistan &
Afghanistan - China, Japan & Pacific Rim
- Africa - Tsumeb Mine,
Namibia
Mineral Categories
Apatite & Other Phosphates -
Barite, Celestine & Other Sulfates -
Calcite - Carbonates
- Fluorites - Garnets
- Gold, Silver & Native Elements -
Magnetite, Hematite & Other Oxides
- Quartz - Silicates
- Pyrite & Other Sulfides -
Tourmalines - Zeolites and
Associated - Wulfenite & Lesser Categories
- Fluorescents -
Pseudomorphs
Sorted Lists of all Minerals on this site
Sorted by Price - Sorted
by Size - Sorted by Mineral Name -
Sorted by Number
Home - Search This Site - Customer Comments - Articles - Purchase Info - Contact Information
