FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[prcantos]

In this post we are collecting together the rules and suggestions for adding mineral collections to the FMF section 'Collection photos and Collector's page'. These particular rules and the general regulation of the Forum are needed for the optimal operation of our mineral database, our search engines and to keep and improve the great level of this section.

Maybe they appear to be too complicated, but most regular FMF users are applying them. Certainly they are familiar to you, but we think it's a good idea if we have all of them together in this single post as a form of 'style guide for FMF collections'.

* Threads. Please: only one collection thread for each user. The title of the thread should contain the user's real name or nick name. Obviously nobody but the user should add any picture to the thread, but every user can write replys or add likes.

* Pictures. Commercial or repeat pictures are not allowed. Put multiple images of the same specimen only if you think they show different interesting views or significant details. How do you look at minerals in a museum? Try to show your specimens with very few pictures! Add only photographs of minerals, not landscapes, general views of cabinets with many specimens, diagrams...

* Specimens. It is not necessary for the specimens to be exceptional, but please avoid massive specimens. Massive minerals are allowed only for a good reason: special form, typical formation at that locality, a new find for the locality... For example: in this section massive pyrite from Navajún (La Rioja, Spain) is not welcome, but of course massive turquoise is allowed. Don't show here 'rocks' or manmade materials: obsidian, ambar, silicon carbide...

* Lack of data. Uncertain species or unknown localities are not allowed with the specimens at this section. If you don't know about them please ask for some help at the 'What is it? - Where is it from?' section.

* NAMES (INDISPENSABLE). Write the names of the species that are present in the specimen and are visible in the picture (for species not visible in the picture use the 'File Comment' field). Please use always the IMA nomenclature ( https://rruff.info/ima/ ). Species should start with a capital letter ('Pyrite and Dolomite' and not 'Pyrite and dolomite'). For varieties or discredited species use lower case letters and brackets and avoid abbreviations ('Quartz (variety amethyst)' and not 'Quartz (var. amethyst)' or 'Quartz Amethyst'). Use capitals letters for groups and series when they are approved by the IMA ('Garnet Group' and 'Andradite-Grossular Series'). For pseudomorphisms write the appropriate words: 'Talc pseudomorph after Quartz' (write the actual species first, and the replaced species second). The rest of the names or features should be written at the 'File comment' field: colours, habits... Please look at the table in the picture for more examples.

* LOCALITIES (INDISPENSABLE). Pieces from unknown localities are not welcome here. Write the right locality even if it is a wide territory (as a minimum give the country). If you don't know the locality please ask for some information at the 'What is it? - Where is it from?' section. Always search for the locality in our database. Only write it manually if you cannot find it in the database. For the use of the database please read this thread.

* DIMENSIONS (INDISPENSABLE). Pictures without dimensions are not welcome here even if they include some reference object (keys, coins, hand...). Write at least width and heigth (thickness is usually not perceptible in pictures) and always write the units (cm, mm, inches...). You can use the 'field of view' or 'FOV' for detailed views, again always including the unit. If there aren't any ambiguities you can write expressions such as 'The largest crystal is 12 mm'. Micros can be labeled with the magnification (60X) or the field of view (FOV 300 µm).

* File comment. You can write here whatever you like about the specimen: orange calcite in matrix, pyrite octahedron in sulfide matrix, doubly-terminated quartz crystals, iridiscent chalcopyrite, tabular baryte, Carlsbad twin orthoclase...

These rules need to be followed for every section that is included in FMF Gallery: Mines and Mineral Localities, A mineralogical trip through... (several sections), Collection photos and Collector's page, Women's Private Collections and MIM Museum (Beirut, Lebanon).

We express our gratitude to FMF users for taking these rules and suggestions into account.