LOCALITIES
Classic Chinese Localities
A collector's guide to classic Chinese mineral localities — Yaogangxian, Daye, Shangbao, Xuebaoding, Lengshuijiang, Xianghualing — and how to tell them apart.
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Page 3 of 8 · 67 guides total.
STEWARDSHIP
Specimen Care, Storage & Display
How to store and display mineral specimens safely: control UV light, humidity, and handling to stop pyrite decay, fluorite fade, and breakage before they start.
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ETHICS
Ethical Sourcing & Provenance
What ethically sourced mineral specimens mean: legal permits, fair pay for diggers, accurate locality data, disclosed treatments, and the red flags of fakes.
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CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
Twinning & Intergrowths
Crystal twinning explained: contact, penetration, and polysynthetic twins, their telltale shapes, and what these intergrowths reveal about growth conditions.
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GEMOLOGY
Fluorite — From Lab Curiosity to Showpiece
A fluorite collector's guide: why calcium fluoride shows so many colors, how to judge crystal quality and color zoning, and how to keep specimens from fading.
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GEMOLOGY
Calcite — The Most Variable Mineral
A calcite collector's guide: the species' huge range of crystal habits, how to tell calcite from aragonite and dolomite, and what to look for when buying.
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GEOLOGY
How Hydrothermal Veins Form
How hydrothermal veins form: hot mineral-rich fluids fill rock fractures and crystallize fluorite, quartz, galena, and stibnite by open-space growth in vugs.
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Yaogangxian Mine, Hunan
Yaogangxian Mine in Hunan, China is a classic source of color-zoned fluorite, scheelite and arsenopyrite. Its geology, signature look, and tips for collectors.
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LOCALITIES
Daye, Hubei — Iron-Belt Calcite & Pyrite
Daye in Huangshi, Hubei produces iridescent calcite on golden pyrite plates. A collector's guide to the skarn geology, signature look, and how to judge quality.
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