FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Don Lum]

Sulfur

[Carles Millan]

[Don Lum]

[Jordi Fabre]

More info about this topic here: the improper use of the term selenite

[Carles Millan]

[Mark Ost]

Geology suffered from this for years as the early days were primarily descriptive. So if you add perhaps four languages, ten common usages, and two or three local dialects well.....you get the picture. I have commonly heard of gypsum referred to as selenite, especially if it was clear. I too am not sure if it is "official" but commonly understood to be the same thing and no communication lost. Geology has entire dictionaries of terms, many equivalent.

[Don Lum]

[Carles Millan]

[Mark Ost]

Hi Carles
That seem logical. I must say that the different terms are a real curse in biology and some other subjects where everyone has a different names for the same thing unless you are using the proper terminology. Odd thing, when I was in school I had a professor who, though a geologist, was a superb wetland plant specialist (you have to be to define wetlands and barrier islands). Now not knowing the informal names for the plants, I found it just as easy to learn the Latin formal names as anything else since I had little reference either way. Minerals can seem worse as there are several layers deep with finer and finer definitions. I learned about 120 of the most common ones, mostly rock forming with little emphasis on exotics and collectables. You can only do so much with the time! I am learning quite a bit on the list and old brain cells are sort of firing again which is nice. Thanks to you and the others. After working as a consulting geologist for so long you have little chance to remember mineralogy or paleontology as client needs and practical drilling concerns crowd those out sometimes, so thanks for the conversation and knowledge. It is Saturday so I guess we have earned our lifetime learners qualifications! Take care. Mark

[Don Lum]

Smoky Quartz

[Carles Millan]

[Don Lum]

Quartz and Tourmaline

[Mark Ost]

[Carles Millan]

[Don Lum]

Gypsum

[Don Lum]

Gypsum

[Don Lum]

I am posting two recent acquisitions from a new find. The first is a quartz crystal that is host to an intergrown grouping of complex crystals of multicolored fluorite. The fluorite crystals are violet with a distinct red phantom. The fluorite has interesting face modifications of the octahedron. I believe that some collectors refer to this as "stepped growth." At the corners are cubic crystals with dodecahedral face modifications. I am posting the following pictures to illustrate both the interesting stepped growth and the violet and red colors.

[Don Lum]

This is the second of two recent acquisitions from a new find. This quartz crystal is host to several complex crystals of violet colored fluorite. The fluorite has interesting face modifications of the octahedron. I believe that some collectors refer to this as "stepped growth." At the corners are cubic crystals with dodecahedral face modifications. I am posting the following pictures to illustrate both the interesting stepped growth and the violet color.

[Don Lum]

Some minerals in my collection from Mexico

[Don Lum]

Smoky Quartz