Historical Provenance
Provenance is a record of a specimen’s authenticity and offers potential tales of intrigue.
The Definitive Guerrero Amethyst
Quartz has been loved since antiquity, and amethyst, the violet to purple variety of quartz, is its most prized variation.
Objects of Obsession
For some, collecting minerals is a hobby; for others, it’s a passion that borders on obsession.
The Cave of Giants in Wuling, China
Mention the word, “stibnite” in any room of collectors and they’re bound to conjure up images of tall Wuling clusters.
Pederneira!
The Pederneira mine in Brazil qualifies as one of the world’s greatest tourmaline occurrences.
The King of Kashmir
This is the story of the King of Kashmir—certainly the world’s greatest aquamarine.
Crystals & the Fine Arts
How natural crystals and mineral specimens have transcended their class and joined the ranks of the finest artworks celebrated in history.
Fakes, Forgeries, & Fabrications
A guide to understanding artificial, anthropogenic, and forged minerals.
Piecing Together the Puzzle of a Heliodor Crystal’s Past
Some specimens come to us fresh from the ground, but others may have histories extending far into the past
Eyes of Africa
The story of the unmatched “Eyes of Africa,” is just the kind of saga that lives on permanently in mineralogical history.