The 6 Best Specimens to Start Your Mineral and Crystal Collection!
Share
These 6 specimens are not only readily available, but easily affordable to start your collection!
1. Pyrite
With glossy, golden, reflective surfaces, cubic pyrite makes a fantastic collectors piece. It's hard to believe that these are natural and not hand carved and polished. Each piece looks like modern sculptural art! They are easy to acquire and are available in a wide range of price points. Check out a beautiful pyrite cube here!
2. Rhodochrosite
The intense hot- pink hues of rhodochrosite are truly stunning. Collector specimens with rich coloring, great transparency and specific crystal structure can be very pricey. It can also form in stalactites, where growth rings create intricate and mesmerizing patterns. These types of formations are often sliced, polished, or carved into a variety of shapes. This provides an opportunity for something more affordable, while still maintaining the aesthetic beauty from this type of mineral. Looking for some rhodochrosite? Add this one to your collection!
3. Amethyst
I know what you're thinking, and I'm here to tell you that Amethyst is anything but basic! Amethyst is a variety of quartz and forms in many locations around the world, with each type unique to the geology of that area. Colors can range from pale pink/lilac to luscious violet with blue tones. You can collect single crystals, geodes, scepters, skeletal formations and cactus quartz. Or collect varieties known for specific quality and features based on their location such as from Veracruz, Mexico; Thunder Bay, Canada; and Brandberg or Goboboseb, Namibia. Plus, it's available in a wide range of price-points, making it an easy mineral to collect. Want to add some amethyst to your collection? Take a look at this sphere, scepter, and cut-base freeform!
4. Fluorite
I LOVE fluorite! And it's one of my favorite minerals to add to my collection. I find each piece to be fascinating. It is found all over the world in a huge variety of colors. Some have interesting phantoms and inclusions. It can even be UV reactive, so a simple UV flashlight will transform your specimen. A quality and interesting piece of fluorite can be bought at reasonable prices and it's widely available making it a perfect mineral to begin a collection. Want to add some fluorite to your collection? Check out this purple piece, this one with calcite, and these interesting cubic formations!
5. Malachite
Malachite is a readily recognizable mineral when its banded formations are cut and polished. Mesmerizing, concentrical, circular shapes, make the polished variety a great starting point for any collection. The varying shades of rich and vibrant greens make each piece truly unique. It's hard to stop at one! But did you know that malachite forms in other interesting structures also?Look for velvety botryoidal, fibrous, and stalactite formations. All of these can be found at different prices, making Malachite an easy and wonderful mineral to collect! Looking for malachite for your collection? This slab is a stunning collectors piece! And you can't go wrong with botryoidal malachite like this one!
6. Calcite
Calcite is a perfect place to start a mineral collection. The varieties of calcite are almost endless! It's found all over the world in practically every assortment of shapes and crystal structures; colors and combinations. In fact, you could collect ONLY calcite specimens and have an amazing collection to show off. Several places around the world are known for producing specific types of calcite that are highly sought after among collectors. But because its such an abundant mineral, you can easily begin collecting very affordable and aesthetically pleasing pieces.