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Minerals Featured in 2009--still available
individually or as a set! See the bottom of the page to order all 12, or Email
us about any individual minerals you are interested in ordering.
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January 2009 We were very happy about the size and quality of the
Quartz-lined geode pairs we sent to Club members in January! These are the
largest, heaviest specimens we've sent in several years--and we've got the
postage bills to prove it! The
quartz crystals lining the geodes are of very
high quality, and many of these specimens are fluorescent! The write-up has
two special sections: the first explains how crystal-lined geodes form, and
the second, entitled "Minerals Names and Games," describes the too-common
practice of dealers and collectors providing incorrect or misleading
locality information for their finds. |
Quartz-Lined Geodes, Bou Craa, Laâyoune Province,
Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia, El Hamra Region, Morocco |
 
Heulandite, Wani, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra, India
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February 2009 We have discovered a pipeline to minerals formed in vugs in the
enormous basalt flows that comprise the state of Maharashtra, India! When
tunnels and quarries are dug in this area, its is not unusual to find large
pockets in the host basalt that are lined with beautiful crystals. The
natives call such a crystal-lined opening a "Jewel Tunnel"--a most fitting
and descriptive name! Minerals belonging to the the Zeolite group are often
found in excellent quality crystalline samples in these amygdaloids, along
with quartz, amethyst, calcite, and other intriguing minerals such as
cavansite and apophyllite. Our featured mineral was Heulandite, and
the write-up we send to Club members explains the composition and
technological importance of zeolite group minerals, and contains a special
section on the formation of India's Deccan Traps, and how its formation is
related to the extinction of the dinosaurs. |
| March 2009 This month marked the 13th
anniversary of our Mineral of the Month Club, meaning we have sent wonderful
specimens and in-depth write-ups to our Club members for 156 months!
Coincidentally, when marking our first anniversary twelve years ago in March
2007, we featured Almandine garnets from Wrangell, Alaska, and now we're
featuring Andradite garnets from Garnet Hill, Calaveras County,
California. We've featured several beautiful and popular members of the
Garnet group in the past--almandine, spessartine, grossular, and
uvarovite--but this is the first time we've been able to get more than 600
good quality specimens of andradite from one locality at one time. |
 Andradite,
Garnet Hill, Calaveras County, California |
Uralite, Calumet Mine, Chaffee County, Colorado
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April 2009 We welcomed this opportunity to feature Uralite, a mix
of amphibole group minerals that are pseudomorphs after pyroxene group
minerals. Our write-up explains how pseudomorphs form and the importance of
amphibole group members as rock-forming minerals. We have only featured one
amphibole mineral in the past-–actinolite in May 2002 and in September 2007–-and have
never featured a pyroxene mineral, (though we love jadeite, diopside, and
spodumene, the best known of the pyroxenes,) but we have never had enough
pieces at one time. This should change this year, though, as we plan on
featuring aegerine later in the year. |
| May 2009 This was an outstanding
month! We featured the mineral okenite--the mineral that forms as clusters
of hair-like fibers that look like little cotton balls! The write-up on
okenite explains its unusual crystal make-up, and how this make-up causes it to form
as long, thin, flexible crystals. Okenite is named in honor of German
naturalist and philosopher Lorenz Oken (1779-1851), and the write-up has a
special section on him and others who have honored twice in mineral names. |
Okenite on quartz-lined basalt matrix,
Khandivali Quarry, Mumbai District, Maharashtra, India |
Stibnite, Wuling mine, Qingjiang, Jiujiang Prefecture, Jiangxi Province,
China |
June 2009
Since we first featured okenite in January 1998, it seems only fitting
to follow it up with the mineral we first featured in February
1998--Stibnite! The stibnite comes from China, where it forms as clusters of
long, thin, bladed crystals with wonderful metallic gray luster, as you can
see from the photo on the left. The write-up explains the history of the
now-classic Wuling mine, Jiangzi Province, China, and also has a special
section on the semimetallic element antimony and its unique properties. This
was another wonderful month! |
| July 2009
We're excited about these aragonites because they're purple! Actually, the
color ranges from lilac to purple, as you can see from the attached photo.
(Silver-level members received brown aragonite specimens from a nearby
locality in Cuenca Province, Spain.) The other feature that makes them
outstanding is their form. At first glance, they appear to be six-sided
hexagonal crystals, but they are actually pseudohexagonal: they are
comprised of three twinned crystals, grown side by side--triplets, or
"trillings" as they're called. The write-up elaborates on this
unusual crystal growth, and explains the possible causes of the purple
color. It also has a special section discussing polymorphism in minerals,
using aragonite and calcite as a prime example. |
Aragonite, Retamal Ravine, Enguidanos, Cuenca Province, Castile-La Mancha, Spain |
Chrysoprase, Yerilla Chrysoprase Mine, Western Australia, Australia |
August
2009 Chrysoprase, Yerilla Chrysoprase Mine, Western Australia, Australia.
This was an exceptional month! We sent Platinum- and Gold-Level
members a beautiful polished slab of translucent Chrysoprase in matrix!
Silver-Level members received a tumble-polished piece. The write-up
details the history and value of the rare green variety of chalcedony, and
explains the mechanism that creates its lovely color. A special section
highlights the history of the gold fields of Western Australia, and how the
search for gold lead to the discovery of the great chrysoprase deposits. We
still have some wonderful pieces if you'd like to include one on your
membership! |
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September
2009 Native Copper, Caledonia Mine, Ontonagon County, Michigan. We
sent Club members large, high quality pieces of this fascinating native metal.
Our write-up explain the complex geological origin and many forms of native
copper, along with the Keweenaw Peninsula’s remarkable mining history.
Choose the membership below if you'd like to receive all the minerals we've
featured this year! |
Native Copper, Caledonia Mine, Ontonagon County, Michigan |
Creedite, Navidad Mine, Rodeo, Durango, Mexico |
October
2009 Creedite, Navidad Mine, Rodeo, Durango, Mexico. These are gorgeous
sprays with crystals of clear to light-brown Creedite radiating out in every
direction! The write-up explains how these unusual clusters form, and has a special section on the tremendous mineral
diversity of our neighbor to the south. |
| November 2009 Wulfenite, from the Ojuela
Mine, Durango, Mexico. Here's another one of the minerals we never thought
we would find in sufficient quality and quantity (or in our price range) but
we have! The write-up explains wulfenite's unusual chemical make-up, and
details why so many unusual minerals are found in the Ojuela mine. It
also gives the history of the mine, and contains a special section entitled
"Collectible Minerals, Collectible Specimens," of which wulfenite certainly
is one. This was an outstanding month! |
Wulfenite, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico |
Lazurite, Lapis Wash Mountain, Koksha Valley, Badakhshan Provice,
Afghanistan |
December
2009 Lazurite (the main mineral that comprises Lapis Lazuli), Badakhshan
Province, Afghanistan. The write-up discusses the
relationship between lazurite and Lapis Lazuli and give the history of these
age-old deposits in Afghanistan. What a great way to end the year! |
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Would you like to receive all 12 minerals we featured in 2009, along
with their highly detailed, informative write-ups? Choose one of these
offerings below: All 12 minerals in the smaller Silver-level size for
$88, 12 months for the price of 11! Study-size minerals that don't take
up much space, each being between .5" by .5" to 1" by 1" on
average--some are smaller, some are larger.
All 12 minerals in the larger Gold-level size for $291.50, 12 months
for the price of 11! Display-worthy minerals you can proudly show off,
usually between 2" by 2" to 3" by 4" on average--some are smaller, some
are larger.
Click here if for a price for all the featured minerals from 2009 in
Platinum-level size
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