FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[weaver]

Hey there!

Wow! Fantastic forum you guys have here. I'm a new user from California with ZERO mineralogy experience, but a lot of interest.

Recently, someone gave me a handful of semi precious stones, and that was it. I've been researching ever since, and have already gone out on my first lapidary field trip with some success!

I am posting here to find out more about the forum. I've done some searching, and have thumbed through some of the sub-forums; brilliant minds at work here I can see! Wow, humbling. A great data-base of knowledge!
Now, how to find what I am looking for?

-I am looking for the right place to post a question regarding crystalline regrowth. Specifically, if facets that have been cut (man made, say perhaps by a jeweler) can regrow? Does this ever happen? (And if so, under what circumstances?)

-And maybe some advice on uploading some images of recent specimens...
I live in an urban environment, but within an hour long drive I could find specimens of [what I believe are] flourite, calcite, cryptocrystalline quartz, some milky white botryoidal chalcedony, "purple quartz", and some other interesting [crystal-structured] stones.

I read the intro page to the forum, but sometimes it's best to get some advice from a user. Locals know...

Hello from sunny Southern California!

-W

[Antonio Alcaide]

Hello, Weaver

Thank you for your opinions on the Forum and cumpliments.

Regarding your first question, the best place to post it could be "Questions about minerals specimens" sub-forum.

Anyway, as far as I know and if I understand your question properly, under no circumstances a man made stone -or cut by man- could regrow. The environment for the crystals to grow is a natural one -apart from minerals made in the laboratory-. Imagine the high pressure and temperature needed for that growth. If you bury a specimen under the soil, be sure it will not suffer any regrowth. :-)

About uploading images: as you comment, the general guide is very useful. Besides it you can post jpg pictures using the buttons at the bottom of the message body box. It is very easy. Remember you can/must several pictures together using the "preview" button.

Regards

[Tobi]

Hi and welcome to the community!

[ellencmoe]

Also welcome.

California has the most mineral, rock & gem clubs of any state. Depending on where you live, there should be one near you. You can look them up at the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies web page at:
https://www.cfmsinc.org
(link normalized by FMF)

The clubs vary in size and activities - some host several local field trips each year, many have shops with equipment and classes, most have meetings with interesting speakers. Guests are always welcomed to meetings and usually there is someone who can help identify what you have - whether gem, mineral or leverite.

You may also want to join the Yahoo Group LA-Rocks where over 1,000 members post field trips, club show dates and general questions. The group is fairly quiet right now, but if you do not like a lot of emails, you can select not to receive each new post as an email when you join. There are club rock and mineral shows almost every weekend and you can go an learn about the club and also bring any specimens for identification. There are also a lot of "estate sales" where you can sometimes get California specimens which have been collected over the last 50 years at very low prices, some of which come from areas which are closed to collecting now.

This is a great hobby. I just started 10 years ago and am hooked.

I am also in awe of most of the posts on this forum. The world class specimens and photography cheer up my day.