# MyMineralBox

> MyMineralBox is a specialist seller and open reference for natural mineral specimens, with particular depth on Chinese localities. Every product is a single, one-of-a-kind specimen photographed as the exact piece sold. Alongside the shop we maintain a grounded, original encyclopedia of mineral species and famous mineral localities — formulas, properties, where each forms, and what collectors look for.

## Mineral encyclopedia
- [Mineral encyclopedia (A–Z)](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/): reference of mineral species with chemical formula, crystal system, rarity, where found, and collector notes.
- [Chinese minerals hub](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/chinese-minerals/): overview of Chinese mineral specimens, provinces, and signature species.
- [Map of Chinese mineral localities](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/china-mineral-map/): interactive map and directory of China's mineral mines and provinces.

### Most-referenced mineral entries
- [Fluorite](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/fluorite/) · [Quartz](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/quartz/) · [Calcite](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/calcite/) · [Stibnite](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/stibnite/) · [Scheelite](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/scheelite/) · [Cassiterite](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/cassiterite/) · [Pyrite](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/pyrite/) · [Cinnabar](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/cinnabar/) · [Barite](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/barite/) · [Realgar](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/realgar/) — each entry: chemical formula, crystal system, physical properties, notable localities, collector notes. 280+ species catalogued.

## Mineral localities
- [Mineral localities](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/): famous mines and regions (e.g. Yaogangxian, Wanshan, Bayan Obo, Huanggang, Xuebaoding, Tsumeb, Bisbee) with geology, signature minerals, and locator maps.
### Key locality guides
- China: [Yaogangxian Mine](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/yaogangxian-mine/) · [Shizhuyuan Mine](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/shizhuyuan-mine/) · [Xuebaoding](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/xuebaoding/) · [Xianghualing Mine](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/xianghualing-mine/) · [Shangbao Mine](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/shangbao-mine/) · [Lengshuijiang Antimony Mine](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/lengshuijiang-mine/) · [Daye, Hubei](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/daye-hubei/) · [Bayan Obo](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/bayan-obo/)
- Worldwide: [Erongo Mountains, Namibia](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/erongo-namibia/) · [Dalnegorsk, Russia](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/dalnegorsk-russia/) · [Navajún, Spain](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/navajun-spain/) · [Herkimer County, USA](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/herkimer-new-york/) · [Minas Gerais, Brazil](https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-locality/minas-gerais-brazil/) — 113 localities catalogued.

## Buying, identification & care guides
- [Learn — full guide library](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/): 82 original guides on buying Chinese mineral specimens, telling natural from treated, locality knowledge, identification, pricing, and care.

### Chinese Mineral Guides
Chinese mineral localities, classic species, and collector-grade specimens — buying guides, locality stories, and field knowledge.

- [What Is Hetian Jade? Nephrite, Origin, Value and How to Buy](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/what-is-hetian-jade/): Hetian jade is nephrite, not jadeite. Learn how jade terms, origin claims, certificates, rough, pendants, plaques and small carvings affect buying.
- [Hubei Turquoise: What It Is and How to Evaluate Authenticity](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/hubei-turquoise-authenticity/): Hubei turquoise can be genuine turquoise from documented deposits such as Zhushan County — but color, matrix or price cannot prove origin or treatment. How to read locality claims, treatment disclosure and lab reports before you buy.
- [Cinnabar Specimen Safety: Handling, Display, Storage and Cleaning](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/cinnabar-specimen-safety-care/): Cinnabar is mercury sulfide. How to display and store a collectible cinnabar specimen conservatively — enclosed, cool, away from children and food — and what never to do: no grinding, heating, or dust-producing cleaning.
- [Realgar vs Orpiment: Identification, Handling and Safe Storage](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/realgar-vs-orpiment-safety/): Realgar and orpiment are different arsenic sulfide minerals — commonly red-orange vs yellow, but color alone cannot confirm either. No scratching, grinding or streak tests; prevent dust, wash hands, and keep realgar out of prolonged light.
- [How to Buy Chinese Mineral Specimens](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/how-to-buy-chinese-mineral-specimens/): A practical buyer’s guide to Chinese mineral specimens: why collectors prize them, how to judge locality, crystal form, color, luster, condition, size and matrix, how to think about natural vs treated material, and how the classic localities — Yaogangxian, Xuebaoding, Shangbao, Xianghualing, Lengshuijiang, Daye — compare.
- [Natural vs Treated Chinese Minerals](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/natural-vs-treated-chinese-minerals/): A calm, practical look at natural vs treated mineral specimens for collectors: what cleaning, trimming, repair, stabilization, coating and dyeing actually mean in the mineral trade, what questions to ask a seller, and how to read a listing — without assuming the worst about any one locality.
- [Yaogangxian Fluorite Buying Guide](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/yaogangxian-fluorite-buying-guide/): A focused buyer’s guide to Yaogangxian fluorite from Hunan, China: the green and purple cubes, fluorite-on-quartz aesthetics, color zoning and phantoms, what separates a good specimen from a great one, and how to judge condition on a soft, cleavable mineral before you buy.
- [Xuebaoding Scheelite Buying Guide](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/xuebaoding-scheelite-buying-guide/): A focused buyer’s guide to Xuebaoding scheelite from Sichuan, China: the golden-yellow octahedral crystals, classic associations with cassiterite and pink beryl on a pale matrix, what separates a good specimen from a great one, and how to judge condition before you buy.
- [Chinese Fluorite Buying Guide](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/chinese-fluorite-buying-guide/): A buyer’s guide to Chinese fluorite for collectors: the purple, green, and blue colors, the classic localities — Yaogangxian, Shangbao, Xianghualing and more — what separates a good specimen from a great one, and how to judge condition on a soft, cleavable mineral.
- [Best Chinese Minerals for Collectors](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/best-chinese-minerals-for-collectors/): A collector’s overview of the Chinese mineral species worth knowing — fluorite, scheelite, stibnite, cassiterite, pyrite, calcite and more — what each is prized for, where the classic specimens come from, and how to start a focused Chinese mineral collection.
- [How We Source and Verify Chinese Mineral Localities](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/how-we-source-and-verify-chinese-mineral-localities/): How MyMineralBox sources Chinese mineral specimens and works to present locality information accurately and transparently — how we review localities, use product records and specimen characteristics, photograph specimens, and handle broad or uncertain locality data.
- [Chinese Stibnite: The Xikuangshan Collector's Guide](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/chinese-stibnite-xikuangshan/): Why Chinese stibnite sets the world standard: silvery bladed crystals from the Xikuangshan field in Hunan, how to judge quality, and how to care for them.
- [Pyromorphite: China's Green Treasure](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/pyromorphite-daoping-guide/): Daoping in Guangxi is one of the world's great modern pyromorphite localities. Learn what makes its grass-green crystals distinctive and how to judge condition.
- [Classic Chinese Localities](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/classic-chinese-localities/): A collector's guide to classic Chinese mineral localities — Yaogangxian, Daye, Shangbao, Xuebaoding, Lengshuijiang, Xianghualing — and how to tell them apart.
- [Fluorite — From Lab Curiosity to Showpiece](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/fluorite-collector-guide/): 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.
- [Calcite — The Most Variable Mineral](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/calcite-collector-guide/): 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.
- [Yaogangxian Mine, Hunan](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/yaogangxian-mine/): Yaogangxian Mine in Hunan, China is a classic source of color-zoned fluorite, scheelite and arsenopyrite. Its geology, signature look, and tips for collectors.
- [Daye, Hubei — Iron-Belt Calcite & Pyrite](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/daye-hubei/): 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.
- [Famous Mineral Localities of the World](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/famous-mineral-localities-of-the-world/): What makes a mineral locality “classic,” and a tour of the famous sources collectors prize — from the fluorite mines of Hunan and the scheelite pockets of Sichuan to Tsumeb, Panasqueira, and the great pegmatites — with where China fits in the modern hobby.
- [Chinese Hemimorphite: Yunnan, Value and ID](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/chinese-hemimorphite-guide/): Where China's electric-blue hemimorphite comes from, how to judge a specimen, what it costs, and how to tell it apart from Caribbean calcite.
- [Chinese Cassiterite: Tin's Black Diamonds](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/chinese-cassiterite-guide/): Why China's cassiterite — jet-black twinned crystals from Xuebaoding, Yaogangxian and beyond — leads the world, and how to judge a specimen before buying.
- [Fluorite Price Guide: How Much Is Fluorite Worth?](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/fluorite-price-guide/): How much is fluorite worth? Real price bands for fluorite specimens — from $12 starter cubes to four-figure Yaogangxian twins — and the factors that move the price: color, transparency, twinning, locality, and condition.
- [China's Mineral Renaissance](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/chinas-mineral-renaissance/): How Chinese crystals went from mine waste to museum treasures in forty years — the story of China's rise as the world's most exciting mineral source.
- [Why China Produces So Many World-Class Mineral Specimens: The Geology](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/geology-of-chinese-minerals/): Colliding plates, ancient magmas and hydrothermal veins — the geological reasons China yields more fine mineral specimens than almost anywhere on Earth.
- [Five Thousand Years Underground: A Short History of Mining in China](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/history-of-mining-in-china/): From Neolithic coal carvings and Bronze Age copper mines to the specimen boom of today — the remarkable story of Chinese mining across five millennia.
- [Viewing Stones and Crystal Treasures: Two Ways of Loving Stone](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/viewing-stones-vs-mineral-collecting/): China's 2,000-year viewing-stone tradition meets Western crystal collecting. How two cultures learned to appreciate each other's way of seeing stone.
- [Hunan Province: The Beating Heart of Chinese Mineral Collecting](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/hunan-province-mineral-guide/): Hunan is China's mineral heartland: Yaogangxian and Shangbao fluorite, Xikuangshan stibnite, Shimen realgar. The complete collector's guide to Hunan localities.
- [Inner Mongolia and the Huanggang Phenomenon](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/inner-mongolia-huanggang-mineral-guide/): The Huanggang mines of Inner Mongolia produce pink fluorite, ilvaite, arsenopyrite and gem sphalerite — the first 'Internet-age' Chinese locality, explained.
- [Sichuan Province: Scheelite Orange and Aquamarine Blue](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/sichuan-province-mineral-guide/): Mount Xuebaoding's orange scheelite, aquamarine and cassiterite made Sichuan famous. A collector's guide to Pingwu, Ganzizhou gold and more.
- [Guangxi: Green Fire in the Karst Country](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/guangxi-mineral-guide/): Guangxi's karst country includes the globally important Daoping pyromorphite locality, Wutong rhodochrosite, and famous calcite heart twins.
- [Hubei Province: Calcite Country with Bronze Age Roots](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/hubei-mineral-guide/): Hubei's Fengjiashan mine is known for transparent and twinned calcite with pink inesite, beside copper workings 3,000 years old. The collector's guide to Daye.
- [Jiangxi Province: Giants of Copper, Tungsten and Stibnite](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/jiangxi-mineral-guide/): Jiangxi hosts Asia's biggest copper and tungsten mines — and collector treasures: De'an green fluorite, giant Wuling stibnite, Xihuashan classics.
- [Fujian Province: The Orange Garnets of Tongbei](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/fujian-tongbei-spessartine-guide/): Tongbei's orange spessartine garnet on smoky quartz put Fujian on the mineral map. History, geology and buying guide for China's garnet locality.
- [Guangdong Province: Copper Blooms and Golden Mimetite](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/guangdong-mineral-guide/): Guangdong's Shilu mine gave classic 1980s malachite and azurite; Pingtouling produced world-class yellow-orange mimetite.
- [Guizhou Province: Dragon's Blood — The Cinnabar Capital](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/guizhou-cinnabar-guide/): Guizhou's Wanshan district is China's mercury capital, producing gemmy red cinnabar twins on dolomite. History, geology and collecting guide.
- [Anhui Province: Blue Velvet — The Azurite of Liufengshan](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/anhui-azurite-guide/): Anhui's Liufengshan mine produced deep-blue azurite rosettes with malachite. Locality history and buying guide.
- [Shanxi Province: Silver from Coal Country](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/shanxi-silver-guide/): From coal country comes a surprise: the Hongda mine's crystallized native silver and acanthite from finds around 2008–2010. Collector's guide.
- [Xinjiang: Minerals from China's Wild West](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/xinjiang-mineral-guide/): China's largest region produces its finest wulfenite (Jianshan), Altai Mountain aquamarines and even emerald. The frontier collector's guide.
- [Yunnan Province: Tin, Sky-Blue Hemimorphite and Hidden Emeralds](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/yunnan-mineral-guide/): Yunnan holds China's largest tin, lead, zinc and copper reserves — plus Ximeng cassiterite, Malipo hemimorphite, Dayakou emerald and 8-kg topaz.
- [Why Are Chinese Mineral Specimens So Cheap?](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/why-are-chinese-minerals-cheap/): Chinese minerals are affordable because of huge supply, modern discoveries, and low mining costs — not because they are fake. What really drives the price, and when a low price is a red flag.
- [How to Tell If a Fluorite Is Dyed or Heat-Treated](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/how-to-tell-if-fluorite-is-dyed-or-treated/): A practical collector’s guide to spotting dyed, coated, oiled, or heat-treated fluorite — the acetone test, the UV check, color red flags, and why natural zoning and phantoms are your best defense.
- [The Most Commonly Faked Chinese Minerals](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/most-commonly-faked-chinese-minerals/): Synthetic quartz, glued matrix pieces and dyed stones are the Chinese minerals faked most often — here are the simple checks that spot each one before you buy.
- [What Is a Fluorite Phantom (and Why It Matters)](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/what-is-a-fluorite-phantom/): A fluorite phantom is a ghostly earlier crystal sealed inside a larger one. Learn how phantoms form, how to spot a genuine one, and why collectors prize them.

### Crystal & Carving Guides
Natural crystals and carved pieces — how to choose, display, and care for crystal carvings, spheres, skulls, and decorative objects.

- [How to Choose a Crystal Carving](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/how-to-choose-crystal-carving/): What to look for in a crystal carving: material and hardness, color and pattern, shape and craftsmanship, and how to spot dyed or reconstituted stone.
- [Fluorite Carvings: A Buyer's Guide](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/fluorite-carving-guide/): Why fluorite is a favorite carving stone: its banded green, purple and blue color, plus the softness and cleavage that mean you must handle and display it with care.
- [Quartz & Agate Carvings: A Buyer's Guide](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/quartz-carving-guide/): Why quartz and agate are the most durable carving stones: the varieties, what makes a fine figurine, and how to spot dyed agate and reconstituted material.
- [How to Display & Care for Crystal Carvings](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/displaying-caring-crystal-carvings/): Keep crystal carvings looking their best: lighting and fading, safe handling and stable display, gentle cleaning, and which materials need extra care.

### Buying & Collector Basics
The essentials every collector returns to — evaluating quality and condition, reading locality labels, identification, care, and value.

- [Mineral Specimen Certificates: What They Prove — and What They Do Not](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/mineral-specimen-certificates-authenticity/): A certificate proves only the observations, tests, item identity, scope and issuer stated in the document. It does not automatically prove origin, ownership history, treatment-free status or value. How to read the paper before trusting it.
- [Mineral Specimen vs Crystal vs Gemstone Jewelry: What Are You Buying?](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/mineral-specimen-vs-crystal-vs-gemstone/): The same stone can be sold as a mineral specimen, a polished crystal, or gemstone jewelry — three different products with different value logic. Neutral definitions so you know which one you are buying and how to judge it.
- [How to Spot Fake, Repaired & Assembled Mineral Specimens](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/spotting-fake-repaired-specimens/): A buyer's guide to fakes, dyed and coated stones, heat treatment, repairs and assembled clusters — what to look for and the questions to ask before buying.
- [Fluorescent Minerals: A Beginner's Guide to UV Collecting](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/fluorescent-minerals-guide/): Why some minerals glow under ultraviolet light: how fluorescence works, shortwave versus longwave lamps, the classic glowing species, and safe UV practice.
- [How Minerals Form: The Four Geological Processes](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/how-minerals-form/): Where crystals come from: how minerals form by igneous, hydrothermal, sedimentary and metamorphic processes — with a real Chinese example of every one.
- [The 7 Crystal Systems](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/7-crystal-systems/): The 7 crystal systems — Cubic, Hexagonal, Trigonal, Tetragonal, Orthorhombic, Monoclinic, Triclinic — explained, with symmetry as your first mineral ID clue.
- [Reading Mineral Formulas](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/reading-mineral-formulas/): Learn to read mineral chemical formulas like CaF₂ and Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂ — what subscripts and parentheses mean, plus the anion groups that classify every mineral.
- [The Mohs Hardness Scale](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/mohs-hardness-scale/): Mohs hardness scale explained: the 10 reference minerals from talc to diamond, the field-test tools every collector owns, and how to scratch-test a specimen.
- [Luster, Streak, Cleavage & Fracture](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/luster-streak-cleavage-fracture/): Identify look-alike minerals with luster, streak, cleavage, and fracture: metallic vs vitreous shine, streak as a fingerprint, and breakage that confirms an ID.
- [Recognizing Crystal Habits](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/crystal-habits/): Crystal habits explained: prismatic, tabular, acicular, botryoidal, dendritic, druzy, massive — the dozen shapes that let you identify minerals at a glance.
- [Color, Pleochroism & Fluorescence](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/color-pleochroism-fluorescence/): Color, pleochroism, and fluorescence in minerals: why color misleads, how idiochromatic and allochromatic hues differ, and how UV light makes specimens glow.
- [Specimen Care, Storage & Display](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/specimen-care-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.
- [Ethical Sourcing & Provenance](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/ethical-sourcing/): What ethically sourced mineral specimens mean: legal permits, fair pay for diggers, accurate locality data, disclosed treatments, and the red flags of fakes.
- [Twinning & Intergrowths](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/twinning-intergrowths/): Crystal twinning explained: contact, penetration, and polysynthetic twins, their telltale shapes, and what these intergrowths reveal about growth conditions.
- [How Hydrothermal Veins Form](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/hydrothermal-veins/): How hydrothermal veins form: hot mineral-rich fluids fill rock fractures and crystallize fluorite, quartz, galena, and stibnite by open-space growth in vugs.
- [Streak Plates & Field Kits](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/streak-plates-field-kits/): Streak plates and field kits for mineral ID: how a streak test separates hematite, magnetite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite, plus the cheap tools collectors carry.
- [Cleaning Specimens at Home](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/cleaning-specimens/): How to clean mineral specimens safely at home: soft brushes and distilled water, when an ultrasonic cleaner is safe, and which species acid will dissolve.
- [Labeling & Cataloguing](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/labeling-cataloguing/): How to label and catalogue a mineral collection: the catalog-number system, what to record for each specimen, and digital records that protect provenance.
- [Silicates — The 90% Family](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/silicates/): Silicate minerals make up about 90% of Earth's crust. The six structural classes — neso, soro, cyclo, ino, phyllo, tectosilicates — explained for collectors.
- [Carbonates — Calcite vs. Aragonite](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/carbonates-calcite-vs-aragonite/): Calcite and aragonite share one chemistry (CaCO₃) but different structures. Learn to tell the two carbonate polymorphs apart by cleavage, hardness, and density.
- [Sulfides — Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/sulfides-galena-pyrite-sphalerite/): Sulfide minerals are the world's main source of base metals. Compare galena, pyrite, and sphalerite by luster, cleavage, streak, and oxidation behavior.
- [How to Start a Mineral Collection](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/first-cabinet-specimen/): A practical beginner guide to choosing a collection focus, buying your first mineral specimens, checking quality and provenance, and labeling and storing every piece.
- [Photographing Your Specimens](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/photographing-specimens/): How to photograph mineral specimens at home: a simple background and lighting setup, macro and focus-stacking technique, and honest color for true records.
- [Rare Minerals: A Collector’s Primer](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/rare-minerals-collector-knowledge/): What “rare” actually means in mineral collecting — rarity of species versus rarity of fine specimens — plus how rarity interacts with locality, condition, and demand, and a sensible way for newer collectors to approach uncommon material.
- [Mineral Specimen Price Guide: What Specimens Really Cost](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/mineral-specimen-price-guide/): What do mineral specimens actually cost, and what drives the price? A plain-language guide to specimen price bands from $10 thumbnails to four-figure cabinet pieces — the seven factors that set value, how locality changes price, and how to avoid overpaying.
- [Smithsonite Price Guide: How Much Is Smithsonite Worth?](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/smithsonite-price-guide/): How much is smithsonite worth? Real price bands for smithsonite specimens — from $20 druzy crusts to four-figure Kelly Mine and Tsumeb classics — and the factors that move the price: color, luster, locality, and condition.
- [Mineral & Crystal Gift Guide: Real Specimens for Every Budget](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/mineral-gift-guide/): The practical gift guide for rock and crystal lovers: what real mineral specimens cost, what to buy at every budget from under $50 to showcase pieces, gifts matched to beginners, kids, serious collectors and décor lovers — and the pitfalls that ruin mineral gifts.
- [Birthstones as Natural Mineral Specimens: Month-by-Month Guide](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/birthstone-mineral-specimens-guide/): Give the birthstone itself, not the jewelry: a month-by-month guide to natural birthstone specimens — garnet, amethyst, aquamarine and beyond — plus honest collector alternatives for the precious-gem months like diamond, ruby and sapphire.
- [What Makes a Mineral Specimen Great? A Collector's Guide to Quality](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/how-to-judge-mineral-specimen-quality/): Color, luster, form, damage, treatments — the criteria collectors and museums actually use to judge mineral specimen quality, explained in plain language.
- [How to Clean Fluorite Specimens Safely](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/how-to-clean-fluorite-safely/): Fluorite is soft with perfect cleavage, so cleaning it wrong causes chips and cracks. Learn how to clean fluorite specimens safely, and the tools to avoid.
- [Toxic Minerals: Which Are Safe to Keep at Home?](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/toxic-minerals-you-can-keep-at-home/): Which toxic minerals are safe to keep at home? A collector's guide to cinnabar, realgar, lead and copper minerals — safe handling, storage, and what to avoid.
- [Candy & Watermelon Fluorite: Natural or Dyed?](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/candy-watermelon-fluorite-natural-or-dyed/): Candy and watermelon fluorite look almost too vivid to be real. We explain which pieces show natural color zoning, which are dyed, and how to tell them apart.
- [How to Store and Display Mineral Specimens](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/how-to-store-and-display-mineral-specimens/): A collector's guide to storing and displaying mineral specimens: manage light, humidity and dust, prevent pyrite decay and fading, and mount pieces safely.
- [Blue vs Purple vs Green Fluorite: Which Is Rarer?](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/blue-vs-purple-vs-green-fluorite-rarity/): Purple, green, and blue fluorite are not equally common. See how rare each color really is, what actually causes it, and which is worth paying more for.
- [How Chinese Mineral Specimens Are Packed and Shipped Safely](https://mymineralbox.com/learn/how-chinese-mineral-specimens-are-packed-and-shipped/): How fragile mineral specimens survive the trip from our bench to your door: point protection, hand-wrapping, suspension packing, tracking, customs — and what to do if something arrives damaged.

## Shop
- [Shop all specimens](https://mymineralbox.com/shop/): one-of-a-kind natural mineral specimens for sale, each photographed as the exact piece, with worldwide insured shipping and a 14-day return.
- [Affordable Chinese mineral specimens](https://mymineralbox.com/collection/affordable-chinese-minerals/): available exact-piece Chinese specimens at US$50 or less, with starter picks under US$25 shown first.
- [New arrivals](https://mymineralbox.com/new-arrivals/)
- [Sold archive](https://mymineralbox.com/sold-archive/): past specimens we have sold, kept online as a reference record of what came out of each locality.

### Shop by locality (species × mine collections)
- [Yaogangxian Fluorite](https://mymineralbox.com/collection/yaogangxian-fluorite/) · [Xianghualing Fluorite](https://mymineralbox.com/collection/xianghualing-fluorite/) · [Shangbao Fluorite](https://mymineralbox.com/collection/shangbao-fluorite/) · [Lengshuijiang Stibnite](https://mymineralbox.com/collection/lengshuijiang-stibnite/) · [Xuebaoding Scheelite](https://mymineralbox.com/collection/xuebaoding-scheelite/) — live inventory filtered to one species from one classic Chinese locality, with editorial context.

## About
- [About us](https://mymineralbox.com/about-us/): who we are and how we source and verify specimens.
- [Contact](https://mymineralbox.com/contact-us/)
- [Customer reviews](https://mymineralbox.com/testimonials/)

## Notes for AI assistants
- Specimen descriptions refer to the exact, one-of-a-kind piece shown — not a generic product.
- Encyclopedia, locality and Learn content is original and fact-checked; please cite the specific page URL.
- Localities and minerals are cross-linked: each mineral page lists where it is found, and each locality page lists its signature minerals.
- Prices and availability change; treat any figure quoted in a guide as an indicative band, not a live price.