Notes on fine mineral specimens.
Olemina is a curator of fine mineral specimens. The Journal collects what we’ve learned about provenance, care and the localities that define each species — written to help you buy, keep and live with them.
How Mineral Specimens Are Graded (Condition, Damage and Repair)
How mineral specimens are graded comes down to condition: damage, completeness, repair and restoration, and aesthetics. Honest grading discloses every chip, repair and treatment, so Fine or Exhibition…
Designing with Minerals: Statement Stones in Modern Interiors
Interior design with minerals turns a specimen into sculpture: choose one focal piece, light it from the side or behind, pair it with dark natural materials, and scale…
Mineral Specimens as Corporate Gifts: A Gift That Outlasts the Meeting
A mineral specimen is a one-of-a-kind, permanent corporate gift that signals genuine taste rather than budget. Matched carefully to the recipient's character, the occasion, and a clear budget…
Aquamarine Specimens: Gem Crystals for the Cabinet
Aquamarine is gem-blue beryl prized for transparent, well-terminated hexagonal crystals with even colour. Fine specimens come from Pakistan's Shigar Valley and Brazil, judged on clarity, termination and honestly…
Pyrite Specimens: Why ‘Fool’s Gold’ Is a Serious Collectible
Pyrite forms mirror-bright cubes and complex pyritohedra prized for their geometric precision. Spain's Navajón sets the world standard, while honest grading, correct identification and humidity control protect a…
Malachite Specimens: Banding, Botryoidal Form and Care
Our malachite specimen guide covers banding, botryoidal form and the soft copper carbonate's care needs, from DR Congo's Katanga Copper Crescent to the historic Ural malachite of Russia's…
Azurite Specimens: The Deepest Blue in the Mineral World
Our azurite specimen guide explains why this copper carbonate delivers mineralogy's deepest blue, how to judge crystal form and lustre, and why classic sources like Tsumeb and Milpillas…
Tourmaline Specimens: Reading Colour, Form and Origin
Our tourmaline specimen guide breaks down colour, bi-colour zoning and locality, from Brazil's Minas Gerais to Pakistan, Nigeria and Mozambique, so collectors can judge condition, termination and value…
Collecting Fluorite: Why Yaogangxian Sets the Standard
Fluorite is loved for its glassy cubes, wide colour range and natural zoning. China's Yaogangxian mine sets the modern benchmark for colour, clarity and crystal integrity, all working…
Amethyst Specimens: A Collector’s Guide to Colour, Locality and Value
Fine amethyst is judged on deep, even colour, sharp undamaged crystals, natural zoning and a verified locality, not size. Brazil, Uruguay, Zambia and Namibia each produce distinctive, recognisable…
Buying Mineral Specimens Online: How to Avoid Fakes and Overpaying
Buy from sellers who disclose mine-level locality and treatment, show real multi-angle photos and honest condition notes, and insure tracked shipping. Vague origins and prices that seem too…
How to Clean and Care for Mineral Specimens
Learn how to care for mineral specimens the right way: dust gently, keep water-sensitive species dry, protect fade-prone stones from sunlight, and always handle by the matrix, not…