Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUILDING A MINERAL COLLECTION Prized by science lovers and aesthetes alike fine minerals continue to grow in popularity among collectors across the globe is the pursuit of all things beautiful and awe-inspiring,” says Tama Higuchi Fine Minerals Department Coordinator at Heritage Auctions “Minerals are the perfect blend of artistic aesthetics and incredible feats of chemistry and science and that is what leads people to become obsessed with the hobby.” These naturally formed crystalline structures – including highly sought-after species such as tourmaline amethyst and topaz ­– are nature’s sculptures and they can be found in an infinite number of colors there are many factors to consider when choosing a specimen to add to your collection View Item A mineral’s color comes from the trace elements in its chemical makeup gets its red hue from its manganese content while azurite and malachite get their green and blue colors from an elevated content of copper “The standards for color vary depending on the species the more valuable a mineral is,” Higuchi says View Item While beauty does lie in the eye of the beholder there are certain characteristics generally believed to make a specimen more attractive but the aesthetics of a specimen involve how the specimen presents how the crystals are oriented on the matrix (or host rock) and how ‘sculptural’ the specimen is,” Higuchi says nice large crystals on matrix are the standard for aesthetics.” View Item “Many collectors refuse to purchase specimens that have even small chips on their crystals,” Higuchi says So before you add a specimen to your collection look closely at the provided photos and descriptions View Item which refers to a mineral’s light-reflective qualities but both contribute to a specimen’s desirability View Item Locality is the place where a mineral specimen was excavated and it can often affect the desirability of a specimen “Some localities are famous for the minerals that come from there making those specimens more valuable,” Higuchi says “or they are so obscure that specimens from that locality are scarce and highly sought-after.” Usually the locality of most vanadinites on the market is Mibladen Mining District in Morocco while many amazonite specimens come from Crystal Peak in Colorado a specimen will be found in an uncommon locality which will increase its value in the eyes of some collectors you’ll see an amazonite that comes from another location “And because that specimen is much more rare some collectors might consider it more valuable than an equivalent amazonite from a more common locality.” View Item Keeping accurate documentation is a vital part of mineral collecting The labels associated with a specimen document its source history and previous ownership – and also contribute to its value very important to create a label for each specimen and to also keep the labels that came before it,” Higuchi says and those stay with the specimens as they carry on to different owners.” View Item Just because a specimen is large doesn’t mean it’s more valuable many collectors specifically seek out small but high-quality specimens “We call this thumbnail connoisseurship,” Higuchi says “Thumbnails are any mineral that can fit in a 1-inch cube or 2.54 centimeters These days a lot of younger collectors are gravitating toward these smaller sizes these collectors are exchanging size for exceptional aesthetics.” View Item it’s very easy to take care of minerals,” Higuchi says you do have to be careful about UV rays and heat.” Most minerals won’t be affected by light but light-sensitive species such as blue or pink topaz can fade to white if left in sunlight “Even more minerals can actually degrade in sunlight,” Higuchi adds View Item so if you focus on purchasing specimens that bring you joy as opposed to those you think might be good investments It’s also important to remember that mineral collectors are mere curators of these geologic wonders the mineral specimens continue to display their beauty and will for years to come,” Higuchi says “It is our duty to preserve these natural works of art and to ensure they continue to be appreciated.” RHONDA REINHART is editor of Intelligent Collector