Mineral Collection Images

My Mineral Collection, Introductory Page

The uncredited images are mine - the remaining images are attributed to and copyrighted by their respective authors. Any errors in attribution are mine (and accidental) - if (when) you find any please get in touch with me, adg@cmu.edu, so I can correct them. Obtaining quality specimens through the Web and online auctions has made it possible for me to have a much better collection than I would have otherwise and I don't want to slight anybody!

My images are essentially unretouched - I have occasionally increased the contrast or sharpness to clarify things. I don't have a lot of control over the lighting - it's warmer than I'd like, and the camera tends to oversaturate a little. So, my images tend to come out a little redder than they appear in person.

I've been collecting since I was a kid and I'm finally starting to specialize (a little). Garnets will probably always be at the top of my list. I'm also interested in the oxides (spinels, rutile, etc.), sphalerites of good color, metal ores and sulfosalts (copper, lead, zinc, etc - the chemistries and colors are fascinating), and good crystallizations in general. I also like specimens with mineral associations (like this Morenci mixed copper ore.). Finally, I like optically interesting specimens.

Pride of Place: All of my specimens have been obtained for one reason or another - they may not all be pretty and may only be here because of their rarity or chemistry or technological importance. Some of the more esthetic ones will have purple borders and Type Locality specimens with have gold borders (and some will have both).

There are lots of images so I've decided to split them into multiple pages covering different parts of my collection. Like most amateur collections, mine's in two parts - the first set of pages covers minerals that are grouped by function (gemstone, copper, lead, and zinc minerals) or mineral type (quartz, fluorite, calcite, pyrite, and sphalerite) because I have a lot of specimens in those categories. The systematic (chemical) arrangement is more scientific and I generally have fewer of those (except for the silicates). The images on each page are in alphabetical order, older specimens first, varietals last. I try to follow the newer Strunz classification (rather than Dana) scheme.

The uncredited specimens have either been dug up personally or purchased at various mineral shows (like the formerly annual Carnegie Gem & Mineral Show) and "rock shops".

Garnets are one of my favorites so they're first! For some general info on garnet types and varieties, please see my miscellaneous garnets page.

Collection Pages	Last Updated

My garnet collection. my almandine garnet collection. my andradite garnet collection. my grossular garnet collection. my pyrope (and miscellaneous) garnet collection. my spessartine garnet collection. my uvarovite garnet collection. my quartz collection. my gemstone collection. my fluorite collection. my calcite collection. my copper mineral collection. my lead mineral collection. my zinc mineral collection. my pyrite collection. my sphalerite collection. my cassiterite collection. my systematic mineral collection my element collection. my sulfide collection. my halide collection. my oxide collection. my carbonate collection. my borate collection. my sulfate collection. my phosphate collection. my tungstate collection. my systematic silicate collection my nesosilicate collection. my sorosilicate collection. my inosilicate collection. my cyclosilicate collection. my phyllosilicate collection. my tectosilicate collection. my organic collection. my miscellaneous collection. Slabs and mixed associations that don't (easily) fit anywhere else. Also, my unclassified silicates are here.	27 May 2006 6 Apr 2012 6 Mar 2011 6 Mar 2011 5 Mar 2011 4 Mar 2011 1 May 2011 13 May 2006 26 Jan 2011 28 Mar 2015 20 Feb 2016 28 Feb 2016 6 Mar 2016 27 Apr 2013 3 Mar 2005 18 Apr 2009 18 Jun 2016 26 Mar 2016 29 Mar 2015 11 Apr 2015 10 May 2015 24 May 2015 21 Jun 2015 5 Jun 2016 2 Apr 2016 31 Jul 2016 26 Feb 2017 10 Jun 2017 9 Jun 2018 22 Jul 2018 24 Aug 2015 25 Jun 2016 1 May 2011

Collection Pages

Last Updated

My garnet collection.
my quartz collection.
my gemstone collection.
my fluorite collection.
my calcite collection.
my copper mineral collection.
my lead mineral collection.
my zinc mineral collection.
my pyrite collection.
my sphalerite collection.
my cassiterite collection.
my systematic mineral collection
- my element collection.
- my sulfide collection.
- my halide collection.
- my oxide collection.
- my carbonate collection.
- my borate collection.
- my sulfate collection.
- my phosphate collection.
- my tungstate collection.
- my systematic silicate collection
- my organic collection.
my miscellaneous collection. Slabs and mixed associations that don't (easily) fit anywhere else. Also, my unclassified silicates are here.

27 May 2006
6 Apr 2012
6 Mar 2011
6 Mar 2011
5 Mar 2011
4 Mar 2011
1 May 2011
13 May 2006
26 Jan 2011
28 Mar 2015
20 Feb 2016
28 Feb 2016
6 Mar 2016
27 Apr 2013
3 Mar 2005
18 Apr 2009

18 Jun 2016
26 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2015
11 Apr 2015
10 May 2015
24 May 2015
21 Jun 2015
5 Jun 2016
2 Apr 2016

31 Jul 2016
26 Feb 2017
10 Jun 2017
9 Jun 2018
22 Jul 2018
24 Aug 2015
25 Jun 2016
1 May 2011

These are some of the field guides and mineralogy books that I have.

maintained by: Alan Guisewite

Last Update 22 Jun 2018