In the last few years, reality shows with prospectors and minerals became quite widespread. Despite some exaggeration, these shows still might be quite interesting and there is a lot to learn. This overview covers The Gold Rush, The Prospectors and The Ice Cold Gold.
Native copper was discovered through metal smelting in the prehistoric times and still belongs to the keystones of modern civilization. Its is also a very nice and popular mineral that is capable of forming complex and beautiful shapes.
Silver is a beautiful mineral and native element. It is known as one of the precious metals, and its history dates back to ancient civilizations, where it was used in many of the ways that it still is today. Sometimes, silver is mined as native silver, but most of the time, it comes from sulfide ores.
The Dobšiná is a small (about 5300 citizens) former mining town in eastern Slovakia. All mines are shut down. But some of the abandoned underground mines turned into awesome aragonite caves in the past decades.
Munich show is the largest show in the Europe and visited by many international dealers. Many nice worldwide specimens were available as well as many minerals from European collectors. It is also a nice place to meet friends from all over the world.
Of all sedimentary minerals, calcite is probably the most widespread, contributing a full 2% to the volume of the Earth's crust. It occurs in endless crystal forms with many different colors. With such variety it is not surprising that some collectors specialize on calcite alone.
Agate is a beautiful and very popular gemstone that is widely recognized for its unique and varied colors and banding. It is a type of microcrystalline quartz that is commonly used as an affordable alternative to pricey gemstones in jewelry. It may also be carved into figures or statues, or used in handles for knives.
Chalcedony is very variable and versatile stone and occurs in many environments. It was used since prehistoric times for stone tools and became one of the most used gemstones. Despite its abundancy, chalcedony still has some secrets.
Galena, historically also named lead glance, is among the most abundant sulfides. Besides forming aesthetic mineral specimens, galena is the primary lead ore. And galena itself was a first semiconductor ever used.
Mineral frauds and fakes can be found at any mineral show, large or small. This guide to common scam practice is far from complete, but it will help you to avoid being fooled by dishonest dealers.
Diamonds are forever, and they are a girl's best friend, but as minerals go they are not just another pretty face. Noted from ancient times for beauty, brawn and mystery - and today for impacting a broad segment of modern life - diamonds stand out as one of the most exceptional of all minerals.
Fluorite is known as one of the very important industrial minerals and it is also the only widespread natural source of fluorine. Many mineral collectors are interested in fluorite because of its beauty, richness of forms and its broad spectrum of colors.
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