So, you would like to start a mineral collection. Where do you start? I often think back to when I started collecting in 1989. The first time I entered a mineral shop, and on many times after, It felt like I was on a bungee cord attached to the middle of the shop. I would be looking in one cabinet drooling over some specimens and suddenly get snapped back on the cord to the other side to drool over something else. Its a huge subject with many areas to cover.
Do you start collecting in a systematic way? Do you collect gem species or different types of one mineral? Do you collect specimens that are local to you, or in your country or even a specific country? How about from a particular type of rock, a particular habit or smaller niche? Its enough to make your head spin. Then you have to think about sizes of specimens,micromounts, thumbnails, miniatures,small cabinets, cabinets and museum sizes. Would you be happy to have a mixture of sizes?
My collection was one of the most random I have ever known with a large assortment of sizes, types and qualities. It was more a case of "I haven't got one of those, I'll have it" rather than does that work or fit. After about five years I cleared out most of my collection and started again. Working with jewellery, it made sense to look at gem materials. Being in the Southwest of England there is a great range of local minerals from copper bearing to barites and due to clay quarries, I had access to some simple Pseudomorphs. Et voila! The backbone of my collection was born! The sizes were a bit chaotic to start with, but always think of your collection as mobile and fluid. If you find a better specimen buy it and sell the old one.
Most of my collection is now in the thumbnail size category, which means they should fit into a 25mm (1") cube. I also have a few miniatures ( up to 40mm cubed) and small cabinet (up to 60mm cubed) and even some up to museum (over 100mm cubed). Most of my gem collection are thumbnails due to cost of fine examples whereas the pseudomorphs are all sorts of sizes because you collect what you can, when you can and the choice is more limited.
You need to pick an area to start, here are a few suggestions;
Metallic: Pure metals: gold, silver etc. Combined metals: Electrum etc.
Crystal system: e.g. Isometric: Diamonds, Garnets etc.
Unique properties: Fluorescent or phosphorescent species.
Group of category: Silicates e.g. Quartz.
Subcategories:e.g. Zeolites subcategory of silicates.
Specific species:e.g. The many forms of Calcite.
What to buy, tough one. The best examples you can afford with as much detail as possible. Ideally you want to know what it is with any subcategories, where its from (country, state/province, mine etc.) and if its from the collection of another collector. If crystals are present, make sure they aren't damaged or have the most minute amount of damage. Quality and provenance are very important. If your collection is going to be on display you may be more interested in aesthetics than a collector that will place pieces in a system of drawers. A nicely formed, text book, bright red spinel crystal on a white marble matrix may look better than a misaligned twinned crystal on grey marble, although the twin may be more interesting.
If you can find a mentor to help you, do. Someone with experience can help you avoid expensive mistakes. Find a collection or collector that you would like to emmulate. One collector I admire is Ralph Clark who was featured in The Mineralogical Record vol. 33 no. 2. He has a wonderful collection, some of this is shown in an article available to view at www.minrec.org/pdfs/TheMineralogicalRecord_CollectorsProfile.pdf talk about fussy, but then again, how cool is his collection?
I hope to create more blogs to follow this hence"Part 1" when I can, please keep reading and let me know of any questions you would like answered or suggestions.
Good luck for now, its a long journey that you will never complete, but its great fun!
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