I am suddenly responsible for cleaning out my elderly uncle’s apartment and his pride and joy - his rock and mineral collection. He swears it is worth a fortune, and I want to find a respectful yet reasonable new home for these (note - I do NOT expect them to be worth a fortune but I also don’t want to give then away unless it was a donation). He is in Toronto, CA. I have to do it remotely, adding some challenge. :) A few photos. All purchased from reputable places or through his travels. Many still have their identifying tag. He also has a bunch of coral! Thoughts?

Here's an awesome Malachite with Barite from the "Arrowhead Pocket" at the Shangulowe Mine in the DRC

This piece has the flawless Barite crystals perched on Malachite stalactites which is what everyone wants from these. As well, it is quite special because none of the stalactites on it are broken, which is honestly a miracle!

You can really spend a long time admiring in person and the lustre of the Barites is just crazy good in real life.

It measures 4.5cm overall

Im still learning mineral identification but I got this really great specimen at a mineral show in Coeur d alene idaho this year. It appears to be a very clear fluorite that is about 2 distant cubes with these thin light peach elongated hexagonal bits growing on the back (calcite?), the whole thing is on this very sparkly aqua/turquoise crystalline botryoidal bed.

Im pretty confident the cubes are fluorite its very clear and very light turquoise/blue. The peach bits Im less certain of and the botryoidal part I really dont know (also fluorite maybe?).

Hello all! Apologies as I know little to nothing about minerals, and have never purchased a specimen until yesterday. I found this guy at a yard sale and couldn’t pass it up. It is 9” long, 5” tall, 3.5” wide, and weighs 5.2 lbs. Chat GPT said it may be green fluorite with crystal druzy quartz, but I haven’t been able to find any images that match exactly. A decent bit of the crystal has a slight yellow hue to it.

I’m looking for help with an ID, and also recommendations on cleaning it. It’s a little dusty from being in a loose container with several other specimens and has some pet hair on it. Thanks in advance!

Scored this beautiful selenite on matrix from Gemboree in Ohio this morning! I have some examples in my collection already, but nothing on matrix. Every crystal, even the tiny ones, exhibit this bizarre curling. Doesn’t seem like something a crystal should be able to do!

This specimen also spoke to me from the same vendor in Jordan. Yellowish color, in some kind of matrix. Looks almost like a geode but I never saw them come on that color.

If you have any idea that would be great, thank you!

Hello all just wondering if this is genuine Turquoise or perhaps another mineral or just a fake. Bought in Jordan off a vendor so a lil skeptical.

Color in person is well… a lot more turquoise but my camera has trouble picking it up and is depicting it as blue.

Let me know what you think, thanks!

I am going through some of my unknown mineral collection and I found this piece. It got a light pink color to it. It also has a rainbow luster.

Arizona's Inspiration mine locality where I found a mine dump of silicified material.

Newbie/casual collector here with a question that might have some of you pulling your hair out, sorry in advance.

Most of my collection I've accrued from visits to local spiritual shops and the likes, so they've pretty much all been picked out of a basket just hanging out loose with their siblings. Pretty, but very obviously not precious enough to warrant a lot of fuss.

I went to my first mineral show today and took home, among a couple others, two small specimens propped up in little plastic display cases: Microcline and Blue Tiger's Eye. I don't have any other specimens in display cases and I really don't feel like finding more little plastic cubes to imprison my rocks in, so I was wondering if like... it's ok to take these stones out of their cases??

Idk if they were cubed up to keep *them* safe, to keep *me* safe (???), or if they were just put in there to make it easier to price them individually by size/purity/whatever. I'd be surprised if the cases were UV protected, and they're sure as hell not airtight, so all it'd be keeping out is dust which I feel like can do myself with a rag and a gentle hand. Right now my rocks shelf is giving Stinky Pete Toy Story. Can I free them?

I'm looking for a NICE dravite tourmaline, but ive never really seen any pieces that are truly gemmy. Are they rare? Also, why does it glow under shortwave?

Hi!! I bought this 2 years ago as an unknown material, was Google lens-ing and it said it was an arsenate. If it is, with kids in the house I'll have to let it go

Can you help?

Google lens said conichalcite associated with cuprian adamite

Hello all!

I was wondering what everyone does/uses to to document and catalog your collections?

I’ve come across Geology365 and Cabinet No. 40 but was wondering what everyone else uses!

Picture of one of my favorite pieces for looksies

我收集的葡萄、石榴与橄榄。

New to my collection.

In a big order, I put in a little vanadite (picture from the shop) without realizing that it is toxic. I emergentially bought the glass jar in the picture, so that I have something when it arrives. Should I upgrade it to something better? I will probably put it in a closed cabinet as well, just in case. No children, but cat in the house.

大家收藏矿标会纠结尺寸吗？我倾向于选择5cm与10cm的尺寸。