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trtlman
Joined: 28 Jun 2011
Posts: 172
Location: Washington
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Posted: Aug 30, 2012 22:24 Post subject: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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I have a couple quick questions about starting a collection thread. When I read the thread about how to post a collection it said no duplicate minerals. Does this mean if I posted the mineral elsewhere on the site I can not place it in my collection thread or does it simply mean that within the thread don't duplicate the same mineral? And second I am wondering how important locality is. I know the origin of very few of my specimens and don't know anything more than which state or country they originate unless its one I found personally, which there are few. Other than this I know what is needed as basic requirements for starting a collections thread, size, mineral name, as much information about the specimen as possible and that all the specimens belong to me. _________________ Daniel |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
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Posted: Aug 31, 2012 02:06 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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trtlman wrote: | ...no duplicate minerals... |
Yes, I am also curious to know what this means. _________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Aug 31, 2012 03:02 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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trtlman wrote: | When I read the thread about how to post a collection it said no duplicate minerals. Does this mean if I posted the mineral elsewhere on the site I can not place it in my collection thread or does it simply mean that within the thread don't duplicate the same mineral? |
It means you should not post in your topic the same photo twice. Of course, you can publish as many photos as you want of the same specimen provided they are taken from different positions or zoom. No repetitions.
trtlman wrote: | I am wondering how important locality is. I know the origin of very few of my specimens and don't know anything more than which state or country they originate unless its one I found personally, which there are few. |
In mineral collecting the locality is always a crucial information. You must provide it in a way as accurate as possible. If you don't know it at all, or know it just partially, there is a topic on the forum (What is it? - Where is it from?) to ask the members for help. Or browse Mindat website to look for very similar specimens. If the locality you write is only supposed, please let the readers know. |
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Tracy
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 551
Location: Toronto
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Posted: Aug 31, 2012 07:29 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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Carles Millan wrote: | In mineral collecting the locality is always a crucial information. You must provide it in a way as accurate as possible. If you don't know it at all, or know it just partially, there is a topic on the forum (What is it? - Where is it from?) to ask the members for help. Or browse Mindat website to look for very similar specimens. If the locality you write is only supposed, please let the readers know. |
With nothing less than the utmost respect for Carles, I would disagree slightly with his response to your question about locality. In my opinion, locality is as important as you wish it to be. It really depends on what you are trying to accomplish by building a collection. Carles is right in that the really established collectors feel that locality is extremely important. If, however, all you are looking to do is assemble examples of minerals of different kinds - fo example, because you like the diversity of colors and shapes - then it doesn't really matter where you get your minerals from. It also depends on how well educated the collector is about localities in general. Not trying to downplay the significance of anyone's collection, but if you're happy with your rocks as they are, and you're not looking to impress the world with your collection (rather it just pleases you to own them), then locality becomes secondary in importance, as do other parameters. The beauty of collecting is that it originates in the vision of the collector, and in that way one's collection is always a unique and special thing. Keep in mind, though, that not knowing locality (for that matter, not knowing as much as you can about your specimen) will make your pieces harder to trade or sell if you grow tired of them some day. Only you can find the balance that fits for you.
- Tracy _________________ "Wisdom begins in wonder" - Socrates |
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Aug 31, 2012 07:45 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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Tracy wrote: | With nothing less than the utmost respect for Carles, I would disagree slightly with his response to your question about locality. |
I fully agree with your very well written answer. A mineral collection is always for the pleasure of its owner so, if she prefers to ignore the localities, it's okay. Nobody has the right to blame that. However, and there is always a however, posting specimen photos in a forum makes it almost mandatory to disclose the locality of each one. Note that Mindat does not accept any photo without locality. And the collection topics available at FMF are not only for the owner's pleasure. They are for everybody browsing the forum. And I guess most of them, most of us, would like to know that crucial information.
Thanks, Tracy, for your valuable contribution. |
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Tracy
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 551
Location: Toronto
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Posted: Aug 31, 2012 08:02 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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Carles Millan wrote: | I fully agree with your very well written answer. A mineral collection is always for the pleasure of its owner so, if she prefers to ignore the localities, it's okay. . |
...or if HE prefers to ignore the localities? ;-)
I may have overreacted, in the context of forum postings (= information/image sharing) locality is very important. On that we can all agree.
- Tracy _________________ "Wisdom begins in wonder" - Socrates |
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trtlman
Joined: 28 Jun 2011
Posts: 172
Location: Washington
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Posted: Aug 31, 2012 09:14 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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Thank you for your help on the first part that was my biggest concern and with the locality do I need to know exactly which City and which Mine it came from? If all I knew was it came from Idaho, USA would that be good enough or not? _________________ Daniel |
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Carles Millan
Site Admin
Joined: 05 May 2007
Posts: 1474
Location: Catalonia
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Posted: Aug 31, 2012 09:35 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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trtlman wrote: | ...with the locality do I need to know exactly which City and which Mine it came from? If all I knew was it came from Idaho, USA would that be good enough or not? |
As I wrote above, you should use first this section on the forum (What is it? - Where is it from?) to ask the members for help, or browse Mindat database. If unsuccessful, post the photos with Idaho, USA as a locality, but make it clear that you don't know the exact place where the specimen came from. Somebody might help. |
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Riccardo Modanesi
Joined: 07 Nov 2011
Posts: 620
Location: Milano
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Posted: Aug 31, 2012 18:21 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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Hi to everybody! Hi Carles, hi Tracy!
As a gemmologist I can tell you the locality doesn't add anything to the quality and therefore the value of a gemstone. However we all know the "Glossary" by Dr. Fleischer and Dr. Mandarino always quotes a "type locality" for every specie mentioned in that big big list, thus undirectly saying if this stone belonging to this specie comes from there, its value must be increased.
What's my opinion? My opinion is the strangest the locality, the most valuable a stone, therefore the contrary of what's normally said. If you find a diamond in South Africa, where is the new? We all know diamonds are relatively common in South Africa! On the contrary, if you find a diamond (for example) in Catalonia, it would be the second occurrence in Europe in the whole history (the first one was discovered in northern Finland some 15 years ago, but it was just a few specimens occurrence)! This one would be a scoop and it would make a great fuss evrywhere in our world!
Greetings from Italy by Riccardo. _________________ Hi! I'm a collector of minerals since 1973 and a gemmologist. On Summer I always visit mines and quarries all over Europe looking for minerals! Ok, there is time to tell you much much more! Greetings from Italy by Riccardo. |
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trtlman
Joined: 28 Jun 2011
Posts: 172
Location: Washington
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Posted: Sep 01, 2012 16:37 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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Thank you for all the help but I do not believe mine from idaho are from mines since the man I purchased them from collected them himself in the mountains and ones I collected aren't from mines either. As for the others I don't think it would even possible to tell what state/country they are from just from the photo. I will post some and see if anyone can give me specifics. And thanks again for the help :) _________________ Daniel |
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captaincaveman
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 79
Location: Northamptonshire
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Posted: Aug 13, 2014 08:32 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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Sorry to bring up this post from a few years in the past. What is the up to date clarification on the locality when posting to your collection? I have many specimens where I don't know the location even down to the country let alone mine. I understand I can look on mindat for similar, but is that what Ii should do or put unknown? I'm new to all this and wasn't sure if you could get a definitive locale based on visuals alone. Are there possible issues with similar formations from totally different countries? Its that old thing of misinformation being worse than no information?
To clarify I do love knowing as much about the specimens as possible, but with a few years of collecting nice samples from "new age" shops or similar I have a good collection of unknown locale specimens. One's like Vanadinite aren't too bad to find similar but going beyond Morocco would be just speculation on my part, my Wulfenite and Stibnite are a different matter all together!! |
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chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
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Posted: Aug 13, 2014 08:51 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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Hi,
Unfortunately for you, most of the time a mineral or minerals combination can occur in different places on earth making comparisons difficult. My advice is better to mention "unknown" that wanting to have a name at any cost.
When guessing try to think about when / where you bought it. It's more difficult now with globalization than it was before, but it is a start. Try to use the matrix, associated minerals as well as size, color to complete the research. The main crystals are often impossible to help identify the locality (put apart exceptional localities such as the Sweet Home Mine for rhodochrosite for instance), but the matrix, the size, associated minerals could help you narrow the possibilities.
Hope it helps
Christophe |
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4905
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Aug 13, 2014 08:59 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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captaincaveman wrote: | sorry to bring this post of from a few years in the past, what is the upto date clarification on the locality when posting to your collection... |
In your collection thread please never publish a specimen from an unknown locality. You can submit it (them) first in the "What is it? - Where is it from?" section, and when you know the locality (if you get to know it ;-) then download it (them) in your collection's thread. |
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captaincaveman
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 79
Location: Northamptonshire
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Posted: Aug 13, 2014 09:00 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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chris wrote: | Hi,
Unfortunately for you, most of the time a mineral or minerals combination can occur in different places on earth making comparisons difficult. My advice is better to mention "unknown" that wanting to have a name at any cost.
When guessing try to think about when / where you bought it. It's more difficult now with globalization than it was before, but it is a start. Try to use the matrix, associated minerals as well as size, color to complete the research. The main crystals are often impossible to help identify the locality (put apart exceptional localities such as the Sweet Home Mine for rhodochrosite for instance), but the matrix, the size, associated minerals could help you narrow the possibilities.
Hope it helps
Christophe |
Thanks Christophe, I was more concerned about when posting pics to my collection more than for my collection. A lot of my collection came from two local shops who in turn get from a variety of locations (wholesalers fairs etc), I'm lucky that sometimes the trays come with a location and mine label attached, but most don't. My latest few have come from a supplier who states locale and mine which has been a lot better but the shops do tend to have an interesting supply and the expense of lack of info |
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captaincaveman
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 79
Location: Northamptonshire
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Posted: Aug 13, 2014 09:05 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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Jordi Fabre wrote: | captaincaveman wrote: | sorry to bring this post of from a few years in the past, what is the upto date clarification on the locality when posting to your collection... |
In your collection thread please never publish a specimen from an unknown locality. You can submit it (them) first in the "What is it? - Where is it from?" section, and when you know the locality (if you get to know it ;-) then download it (them) in your collection's thread. |
Can all specimens be verified from visuals or if not or there is a difference of opinion, then what? Sorry new to all this |
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Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4112
Location: Germany
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Posted: Aug 13, 2014 10:01 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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captaincaveman wrote: | Can all specimens be verified from visuals |
By far not. Some minerals are very distinctive and when they are in good condition, mineral experts can identify them easily, sometimes even their origin. So if you show me a mineral like fluorite, galena or tourmaline, I'm sure that I can identify them, maybe also where they came from. But this may only apply to a few hundreds among the many thousands of mineral species. Thus it is better to provide some information like hardness or streak and not only a visual impression when you want a mineral to be identified.
Tobi |
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captaincaveman
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 79
Location: Northamptonshire
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Posted: Aug 13, 2014 10:54 Post subject: Re: Question About Posting Mineral Collections |
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Tobi wrote: | captaincaveman wrote: | Can all specimens be verified from visuals |
By far not. Some minerals are very distinctive and when they are in good condition, mineral experts can identify them easily, sometimes even their origin. So if you show me a mineral like fluorite, galena or tourmaline, i'm sure that i can identify them, maybe also where they come from. But this may only apply to a few hundreds among the many thousands of mineral species. Thus it is better to provide some information like hardness or streak and not only a visual impression when you want a mineral to be identified.
Tobi |
Hi, sorry it's not the mineral id that I meant, it's the locality id. |
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