What would you consider to be the most basic dozen minerals that are "essentials" for a beginning collector?
My list, based on consideration of both abundant occurrence in the crust and popularity in the market is as follows, having as well a balance between metals and ores and minerals considered non-metals:
(NON-METALS) in order of importance
1. any of the feldspars (either potassium, satisfied by having amazonite, or plagioclase, met by including labradorite)
2. quartz (crystalline: "rock crystal," smoky quartz, citrine, hematite-included, etc.)
3. chalcedony (a bird's nest type or any agate, aventurine, jasper, flint, etc.)
4. calcite (dogtooth, rhombohedral, or any variety including the massive bright colored type)
5. gypsum (alabaster or selenite or desert rose etc.)
6. fluorite (any specimen that distinctly displays the isometric system, preferrably very fluorescent)
METALS/ORES (in no particular order)
7. pyrite
8. galena
9. chalcopyrite
10. copper
11. silver
12. gold
Careful... I still remember "Old socks, all in cotton, sewn by mother please." This verbalized acronym lists the most abundant elements (but not rocks/minerals).
The 8 most common elements in Earth’s crust (by mass):
46.6% Oxygen (O) (Any oxide, Calcite has oxygen, so does gypsum)
27.7% Silicon (Si) (any Quartz mineral including chalcedony which is simply cryptocrystalline quartz)
8.1% Aluminum (Al) (A piece of bauxite would be nice, but any piece of beryl would do too)
5.0% Iron (Fe) (Pyrite has Iron)
3.6% Calcium (Ca) (Calcite again)
2.8% Sodium (Na) A chunk of halite is nice but it tends to disintegrate due to moisture)
2.6% Potassium (K) Amazonite is a Potassium Aluminum Silicate
2.1% Magnesium (Mg) Dolomite (Ca+Mg Carbonate)
Still, I like your list though again be careful with the double quartz based specimens.
Since you mention minerals, that removes "rocks" so here would be my list:
Calcite
Quartz
Mica
Dolomite
Gypsum
Hematite
Magnetite
Fluorite
Malachite
Native Copper
Pyrite
and a huge gold nugget. (They all should be inexpensive except for the last one, but you might find one in your back yard).
I added potassium iodide (KI) to a 30% solution of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and after about a day there were orange/red crystals formed at the bottom. I scraped them out on to a coffee filter which then began to stain a dark brown and the crystals turned to an orange/white color. What substance(s) is this?
Sounds to me like you separated out the Iodine (I2), and made Potassium Sulfate (K2SO4).
The Iodine was the color, but because the filter abosrbed it away and left with white crystals, you have Potassium Sulfate.
Ryudo vs Pokemon Liquid Crystal - Orange Leader Sissy
I'm doing a project on my heritage, I need to explain my family heirloom,a hand cut crystal basket ?
The basket is from poland around the 1940's but I can't seem to find out anything about the history of hand cut crystal or if there even is a history of hand cut crystal things.Please help this is the only thing I have to represent poland. It would be great if you could help ASAP....project due soon! Thank You!
P.S I researched on google and ask.com and hand a hard time finding anything
Okay what I am about to say, you may not agree with. If you can't find anything out, BS it! I know it sounds bad, but just imagine what type of neat story you could come up with, especially since you can't find anything online, I doubt a teacher will know its real origin anyway.
You could just say your great grandfather worked in a family crystal business in Poland, and his great grandfather was the founder, or something around those lines.
I'm pretty sure you'd get an A for an amazing story, especially if you make it believable.
Dartington Crystal - hand made glass blowing process
Does anyone know any buyer for natural ruby rock weiging 2-3 kg, Rose quartz , and many other types of gemsto
I deal into big rocks of natural corrundum ruby weiging 2-5 kg, rosequartz, phelspar, ruby in zoisite etc. I m looking for agents and importers. I'm from INDIA
..if you want peridot from San Carlos AZ contact me ........because.........they are getting to the bottom of the formation...if you like semi precious stones in high quality from a Indian reserve.Ill direct you....they are at the bottom of the formation after all these years.....
Synthetic Corundum, Synthetic Spinell Gemstones, Glass, Zirconia, Lab Created Gemstones
US $19.99
