Melanterite is a perishable product of iron ore weathering, forming awesome green stalactites and crusts in the abandoned mines. Its shaky existence is a nice example of natural processes, but admiring melanterite beauty often includes trips to hardly accessible underground places.
Cinnabar is bright red mercury sulfide, which is a main ore of mercury and used to be a source of red pigments for milleniums. Cinnabar (and mercury) had been a key to mining precious metals until beginning of the 20th century and also saved a millions of teeth.
Elemental bismuth occurs as a metallic silver mineral often characterized by an oxide tarnish generating a dramatic iridescence of pinks, yellows and greens.
Elemental mercury occurs in the rare natural form as a silver liquid globules. Mercury has extreme physical properties combined with very high toxicity, which makes it a very unusual collectors specimen.
Magnesite is not the most popular mineral for collectors but it can form outstanding specimens and crystals. However, its principal use is as a magnesium ore and a special refractory - a material where resistance to extreme temperatures is fundamental to an industrial process.
Dolomite is calcium magnesium carbonate, which can form outstanding crystals with wide variety of colors, often associated with other minerals. Less aesthetic dolomite rocks can build a whole mountain ranges.
Outside well known collecting areas, the tiny Ústup village offers a little secret collecting spot with huge almandine garnets. And what is even more interesting, they were really used as the cannon balls!
Olivine is the most common mineral on Earth and very important rock forming mineral. The common term olivine refers to olivine group minerals and to IMA valid mineral forsterite. This article will focus on forsterite, which is very popular gem and forms crystals popular among collectors.
Anatase is rare and highly aesthetic form of titanium oxide, which occurs almost exclusively in Alpine environment. It's great combinations with adularia and quartz are very popular among collectors. But it also has some unique physical properties, which are used in hi-tech applications.
Høydalen is a very interesting hybrid LCT-NYF pegmatite in southern Norway, about 40 km NW from Kragerø. It is famous for it's amazonite and lepidolite, as well as many REE minerals. It still provides excellent collecting opportunity.
