FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Gail]

Tony, please don't !!!! ha ha!

[Les Presmyk]

It is a one-of-a-kind, original piece of inspired artwork that I would arrange private showings. Tony was correct in that it took me a couple of minutes to stop laughing when I remembered the image. But, we digress from the serious subject of mineral numbering.

[keldjarn]

Dear all,

Thanks for the interesting and enlightening discussion. I have so far kept my specimens with separate labels and no permanent numbering system or specimen database. As a part of a major re-organizing of the quite extensive collection built over more than 40 years, I plan to reduce the number of specimens and make a permanent numbering system and a database for what will be retained as the core of the collection. This will include both a general systematic collection and different locality suites and display specimens.
After reading all your posts I am inclined to make a very small label affixed to each specimen with water-soluble glue. The label will contain a serial number (year of acquisition + 3 or 4 digits) + the name of the most important mineral on the specimen and the name of the locality at the lowest and most specific level + the international country prefix as used in the postal system. All other information will be on the separate label and in the computer database. Boxed specimens will have the information on a label on the part of the box where the specimen is mounted.
I have tested such a system where the size of the labels to be glued to the specimen can be 20 x 10 mm or copyed down to 10 x 5 mm if necessary.
If the specimen should be separated from the larger and separate label and the collection database, I believe tracking a locality by this basic information should be fully possible using locality databases like the one in Mindat. I will now explore what kind of paper, printing and glue to use before embarking on the project.
Thanks again for starting this discussion which has been of great help in making the final decissions.
Knut

[Les Presmyk]

Once you determine what type of paper you are going to use for the labels on the backs of specimens, I hope you will share what you learn.

Everyone has their own priorities and preferences and a cataloguing system is going to reflect those choices. For me, a simple sequential set of numbers with our initials suffice. The database will hold all of the information such as date of acquisition, price paid, etc. Then when I retire I will start the process of affixing the locality information to each specimen as well. Unless it is a rare species, I will not include the mineral names, just for the sake of saving space.

[Jordi Fabre]

[John S. White]

I think you will find this numbering system cumbersome. It is my strong belief that you should never add any detail to your catalog that is already easily accessed in reference books. It is the same with chemical compositions. Do you put the compositions on your labels? I hope not. In my experience the best approach is a simple straightforward numbering system beginning with the number 1. Wish I had done that, but now it is too late, I would have to change hundreds of specimens and I am reluctant to do so.