FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[trtlman]

Am I wrong about thinking that seashells and corals belong in a rock and mineral collection? My mineral guide book even lists corals. And seashells are made of minerals aren't they? So why is there not a section on this site for these as well? There are shell and coral specimens that are just as rare and magnificent as other minerals on this site. And what about fossils and meteors? They are both listed in mineral guides and both are in fact part of a mineral collection. Shouldn't there be a section like odds and ends or other minerals forum section with the aforementioned topics? And while I am at it is there anyone here whom collects any of these besides myself?

[Tracy]

Hi Daniel -

If you've surfed this Forum you have no doubt seen that every collector puts his/her own individual "spin" on collecting - some collections include equipment used to study minerals, stamps depicting minerals, geological rocks, mineral art, mines and mining machinery, nodules, etc etc. It depends on the individual. You are right in that each of the materials listed in your title is in some way connected to minerals. The thing is, they are also very large collection themes in and of themselves. At some point, the Forum has to set boundaries on what it will cover, in order to remain focused.

As FMF is a forum dedicated to minerals, the discussions tend to be about minerals (= specimens). That's what we all enjoy, and what we have in common. Not to say that the readers would not be interested in reading about the other things, but not everyone follows the same themes in their collections, and there are fewer people with whom to share (or even to appreciate) the tangential items that you include as part of your collection. Other websites exist for people who share a common interest in meteors, fossils,...in all cases the goal is to keep things focused for the members.

Hope this helps.

- Tracy

[Gail]

I also collect some carved animals, from quartz, etc I catalogue them just as a mineral specimen with an assigned sticker number. But I don't think of them as part of my mineral collection in quite the same way. I have some carved tea pots, I am a tea pot collector, the mineral ones are more apt to be considered part of my tea pot collection than my mineral collection. It is all in the individual's way of doing things.

[Riccardo Modanesi]

Hi to everybody!
I also collect shells and fossils! Ok some researchers consider them as "minerals" (for example Hugo Strunz), but I disagree. First of all, a shell is a mixture of "conchioline" (an organic substance) and calcite/aragonite (already existing minerals). Then: this way we should consider "minerals" the humen rests of soldiers (in Italy and France there are many museums remembering those heroes!)! A humen bone is made by apatite and organic substance as well! Should we consider it a mineral? Absurde!!!
Last but not least: even shells have their own value depeding on the specie, and their own quality. The mineralization is the same, but there are some species which are very very expensive and many other ones which are very common to be found in a beach!
Greetings from Italy by Riccardo.