Scheelite – Mineral Properties, Photos and Occurrence
Scheelite is an important ore of tungsten and exotic faceting material. Great scheelite specimens are also highly appreciated among mineral collectors.
Articles by Neill Ridgley50
Celestine - The Sky-Blue Mineral
Celestine (aka celestite) owes its name to its delicate blue (celestial) color. Although not a well-known mineral name, celestine has a certain cachet because the strontium it contains is famous for the brilliant red flashes it produces when used in fireworks.
Cerussite (lead carbonate) - Mineral Properties and Occurence
Cerussite is a popular mineral specimen because of its nice crystals, bizzare complex twins and bright yellow fluorescence. It is a characteristic oxidation product of the most common lead sulfide, galena.
Chrysocolla - The Bright Blue-Green Copper Silicate
Chrysocolla is a bright colored hydrated copper sheet silicate and a minor ore of copper, usually appearing as secondary encrustations on primary copper ores. It is among the brightest of blue and blue-green minerals, accounting for its desirability.
Prehnite - The Epimorph Champion
Prehnite is a common calcium silicate, which can form outstanding crystalline aggregates. Its nice crystal forms and pleasing colors make it a very popular among collectors. Prehnite is also used by jewelers and it is an important metamorphic index mineral.
Cassiterite - the Tin Ore Mineral Overview
Cassiterite constitutes the chief ore of tin, as well as highly aesthetic and popular mineral specimen. Tin was a foundation of the beginning of metal smelting in the early Bronze Age and still constitutes one of the core materials of modern technology.
Cuprite - Mineral Properties and Occurence
Cuprite is a minor ore of copper, usually appearing as secondary encrustations on primary copper ores. Nice and rare cuprite crystals are a popular among collectors. It is prized as a gemstone because of its vivid red internal reflection, but its softness precludes wide use in jewelry.
Titanite - The Sphene
Titanite is a common titanium silicate, which can form outstanding and gemmy crystals. It is an attractive gemstone and collector material with vibrant green and yellow crystal forms. However, its low hardness and intrinsic fragility makes it unsuitable for commercial jewelry use, keeping it from becoming a mainstream product.
Hydraulic Gold Mining - History and Current Use
Hydraulic mining is easy and efficient method to move huge amounts of dirt. It was used by Romans in their placer gold mines and later became very popular during California and Alaska gold rush events.
Smithsonite - The Calamine Carbonate
Smithsonite, aka zinc spar, is an uncommon and colorful secondary carbonate. It was rarely mined as a zinc ore, but its rich variety of colors and aesthetic specimens make it a highly valued mineral by many collectors.
Siderite – Mineral Properties, Photos and Occurrence
Siderite is both an iron ore and gangue mineral. Its principal economic value lies in its high iron content and the absence of process contaminants such as sulfur or phosphorous. It is part of a large group of isomorphous minerals, the calcite group carbonates, which share similar physical properties, and rhombohedral crystal form.
Dioptase - the Perfect Green
Dioptase is a secondary copper silicate, occurring naturally as an oxidation product of hydrothermal copper deposits. It is renowned as a spectacularly colorful rival to emerald, but is too soft and too fragile to be cut as a gemstone, mainly because of its perfect cleavage.