FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[José Miguel]

I have several fluorites from the Rogerley mine, beautiful pieces, taken from you. You have great patience when you reply to the questions, and you really do efforts in pleasing to the people, It is true.
Your article is good, but I think it is incomplete. It is a good article, but it is not perfect, like the stones are not perfect! It is just an opinion, a respectable opinion; but to be published in the Mineralogical Record and Rocks & Minerals can´t be a certificate of infallibility. All the opinions in this forum can do that this article is perfect; they are like to trim the stones (not like to glue the stones)!

[Jesse Fisher]

It was called an "editorial," wasn't it?

[José Miguel]

Here there are too much words. We are speaking about aesthetic, about beauty... and there is no image! It is necessary to solve this problem.
This is an aesthetic example of fluorite from the Rogerley mine.

[Jesse Fisher]

I remember the specimen well. We found three specimens like it one day in July 2007 from the Rat Hole pocket. Here is a photo of one of it's siblings.

[bugrock]

I found Jesse's article of considerable interest.

There are so many other instances of "specimen preparation" or "improvement" that could be written about or some might say "exposed". In reality this is only an honest way of doing business.

Another example is the preparation of native copper crystals. If you simply treat with weak acids the surface of the copper is new penny bright and metallic and if then exposed to air may take on green colors, not considered desirable. But efforts are made by many to apply a dark patina. Soaking in water is a simple and one might think benign treatment. But recently learned that some boil the piece in hydrogen peroxide and then coat in hydrocarbons to achieve and maintain a dark patina. There is also the older habit of applying shellac to the surface of crystalized copper and I understand there is no way of taking that coating off without affecting the natural patina. I am not advocating any of these treatments but why not discuss them?

Given the many preparation methods that seem more or less acceptable for collectors of minerals I do not understand the aversion of some to pieces that are cut and polished. Agates and datolite nodules are examples. We admire a well prepared plate of crystals, skillful trimming of a piece, and knowledgeable cleaning of crystals. Cutting and polishing is also a skill, there is considerable difference between the products of a hack an those who know how to properly prepare and enhance a good specimen of any type.

Personally I would like to see additional articles along the line of what Jesse authored. It offers a new dimension. Besides admiring the location for the mineral should we not also acknowledge the skill of collection and preparation?

[Greg Toomey]

Jesse,

Re: My thoughts last night - I meant Rocks & Minerals magazine. That's what I get for writing with a backache.

Greg