Mineral Specimens for Sale

What makes a mineral specimen

What makes a mineral specimen is that it stays the way it formed, crystals, matrix and all, instead of being cut or polished. Collectors judge specimens on crystal form, color, luster, condition and locality, because where a mineral formed is part of its scientific record. Fine mineral specimens score well on all of those at once.

Mineral specimens in the cabinet

The mineral specimens in the cabinet come from the first drop, and each one has its own poster:

Milky Quartz Cluster, San Juan County, Colorado
Elestial Smoky Quartz, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Cactus Quartz, South Africa
Raw Kyanite Cluster, Brazil
Lepidocrocite Crystal Points, Brazil, Madagascar, Spain and India
Celestite Cluster, locality on the label at drop
Smoky Quartz Cluster, locality on the label at drop

Rare crystals and unique crystals

Rare crystals and unique crystals are not the same thing. Rare means the mineral, or good crystals of it, turn up in few places, and most crystals in any shop, quartz included, are common minerals. Unique is easier: every natural specimen is unique, and every piece here is one of one. Any rarity claim should hold up on Mindat, the public database of minerals and their localities.

How geoslut labels a specimen

geoslut labels every specimen with two facts: the mineral and the locality. Treated or coated stones are labeled as such, and each piece is photographed in daylight by a former portrait photographer, so the photo is the exact specimen. More in sourcing and ethics.

Mineral specimen care

Mineral specimen care depends on the softest mineral in the piece. Milky quartz at Mohs 7 is tough, celestite at 3 to 3.5 scratches easily, and kyanite can split along its blades if knocked. Dust specimens with a soft brush, keep sun-sensitive pieces out of strong light, and keep matrix pieces dry unless you know the whole piece can take water.