earth science

Mineral collecting

Mineral collecting is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mineral collecting rather than just read about it. In short: Mineral collecting is the hobby of systematically collecting, identifying and displaying mineral specimens. Mineral collecting can also be a part of the profession of mineralogy and allied geologic specialties.

Key takeaways

Mineral collecting belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mineral collecting to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mineral collecting from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mineral collecting is the hobby of systematically collecting, identifying and displaying mineral specimens. Mineral collecting can also be a part of the profession of mineralogy and allied geologic specialties. Individual collectors often specialize in certain areas, for example collecting samples of several varieties of the mineral calcite from locations spread throughout a region or the world, or of minerals found in pegmatites.

History Generally considered the "father of mineralogy", Georgius Agricola (1494–1555) was also an avid mineral collector. He wrote several books, including two of enduring significance: De Re Metallica, an early treatise on mining, and De Natura Fossilium, the first (1546) modern textbook of mineralogy. Another famous 16th century mineral collector was Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II (1552–1612). He built a large mineral collection while employing Anselmus de Boodt (c. 1550–1634), his court physician and another avid mineral collector, to expand and tend his collections. After Rudolf's death his collection was dispersed.

Motivations

Mineral collectors find a variety of reasons to collect minerals. Many minerals are collected for their beauty and aesthetic value. Others collect to learn more about mineralogy, the local mining industry and/or local geology. Some simply enjoy exploring the outdoors and socializing and trading with other mineral collectors. Serious collectors will go so far as traveling great distances to find the right specimen.

Specializations

As a collection grows, a collector may become more interested in a particular aspect of mineral collecting. Financial limitations or limitations of physical space can also be motivating factors in specializing a collection. Some specializations include:

Species collecting; trying to obtain as many recognized species as possible. A particular locality such as a mine, country, or state/province. A particular mineral species (e.g. calcite, quartz, fluorite) or mineral group (zeolites, phosphate minerals) to show the variety within the species/group. A particular geological formation, such as minerals found in pegmatites. Fluorescent minerals. Radioactive minerals. Twinned crystals. A particular size range such as (from small to large), micromounts, thumbnail (generally fitting in a 1 inch cube), miniatures, small-cabinet or cabinet sized. Collecting only specimens that the collector has collected themselves in the field.

Notable public mineral collections Australian Museum Mineral Collection, Sydney Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Fersman Mineralogical Museum Moscow Gallery of Mineralogy and Geology, Paris Geological Museum, London Houston Museum of Natural Science Mercer County, Ohio District Library (900 specimens on display) Mim Museum (over 1800 specimens representing 450 species on display), Beirut, Lebanon Mineralogisches Museum Hamburg (1500 specimens on display) Musée de Minéralogie, École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris, Paris Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano, Milan National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Gem and Mineral Collection, Washington, D.C. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Vienna, Austria), Mineralogy and Petrography Exhibition New Mexico Mineral Museum (New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources), Socorro Terra Mineralia, Mineral Exhibition of the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, Germany, (3500 specimen on display)

Notable mineral collectors

Andrew Ketcham Barnett (1852–1914), principal, Penzance School of Mines Albert Chapman (collector) (1912–1996); after his death his collection moved to the Australian Museum. Dr. James S. Douglas (1837–1918), mining engineer. His collection of classic Bisbee minerals was donated to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Walter Frederick Ferrier (1865–1950), Canadian geologist and mining engineer Jack Halpern (collector) (born 1920), collection reviewed in Mineralogical Record William W. Jefferis (1820–1906), banker whose vast mineral collection was acquired by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in 1905 George Frederick Kunz (1856–1932), gentleman scientist, VP of Tiffany & Co., "special agent" for the US Geological Survey (1883–1909) William F. Larson (born 1945), Founder of Pala International, board of San Diego Natural History Museum, owner Sinkankas Library Gene Meieran (born 1937), 2nd Sr Intel Fellow (after the inventor of the microprocessor), 2003 Carnegie Mineralogical Award winner. Collection also at A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum. J. P. Morgan (1837–1913), famous international banker. Morganite was named after him by G.F. Kunz. E. Pohl-Ströher (1919-2016), German business executive and heiress, collected for more than 60 years. She permanently loaned her collection to TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany. Perkins D. Sams (1927–2010), West Texas oilman. After death collection moved to Houston Museum of Natural Science. Stephen Smale (born 1930), Professor in mathematics, UC Berkeley. World's best Chinese mineral collection published in book. Appraised Houston Museum of Natural Science collection. Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817), pioneering German geologist Henrietta Clive, Countess of Powis (1758–1830), one of the first female mineral collectors in the United Kingdom, whose well-organised collection is now part of National Museum Wales. Hank Schrader (fictional character), brother-in-law of Walter White, from the critically-acclaimed television show Breaking Bad. The website of Mineralogical Record magazine includes a Biographical Archive containing biographical sketches of approximately 1,800 (as of 2016) mineral collectors and specimen dealers, most of whom were or are active between the late 19th century and the present day.

See also Amateur geology, also called rock collecting or rockhounding Fossil collecting Lapidary Lapidary club List of minerals Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, the world's largest Mineralientage, the Munich Mineral Show, Europe's largest

References

Further reading Wilson, Wendell (1994). Wilson, Wendell (ed.). The History of Mineral Collecting, 1530-1799. Mineralogical Record. Archived from the original on 2013-03-26. Retrieved 2012-09-29.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mineral collecting

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mineral collecting claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mineral collecting before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mineral collecting ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mineral collecting

In research: Mineral collecting appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mineral collecting in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mineral collecting is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Collecting, Mineralogy, Mineralogy museums, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mineral collecting outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mineral collecting in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mineral collecting means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mineral collecting out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mineral collecting in simple terms?

Why does Mineral collecting matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mineral collecting?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mineral collecting.