Site news and journal archive - 2008

Sunday, 13th July 2008

We have recently come back from the St Marie aux Mines Show in France. As usual, we had a fantastic time - superb weather, great atmosphere and thousands of mineral specimens. Sadly, the show attendance was down on previous years - clearly a factor of rising fuel prices and credit crunch. Nevertheless we obtained many great specimens which will appear on this site over the next few weeks. The first instalment is in the New Arrivals gallery now.

Sunday, 22nd June 2008

There is increasing confusion about the chemical formulas for some minerals. For example, Hauckite is given four different formulas by different sources. This is caused by the growth of online databases, each publishing their own preferred version. As a collector how do you know which is correct? Our solution is to refer to the original publication, or if that's not possible then to buy "Minerals and their Localities" by Bernard and Hyrsl. In our view, the book, contains the most accurate formulas for over 4,000 valid mineral species.

Sunday, 1st June 2008

At the end of June is one of our favourite mineral shows - Ste Marie aux Mines in France. The show is one of Europe's largest and always promises new and exciting finds. It is also a great place to meet friends and customers. So if you fancy a beer lets us know and we would be delighted to meet up. Sadly, if you can't go, but would like us to look out for something rare or unsual, please let us know and we'll try and find it for you.

Sunday, 18th May 2008

Someone recently asked about our customers and why they buy our minerals. There is no simple answer - we have many different types of customer. On the one hand we sell to individual collectors in the UK and abroad. On the other, we sell to museums, students, businesses and researchers. In a nut shell, there is no typical customer, just like there are no typical collections. Everyone has different interests and we try to satisfy all visitors by listing a rich variety of mineral specimens.

Sunday, 4th May 2008

A customer recently asked about shipping - do packages ever get lost? In all the time we have been trading we have NEVER lost a package - internationally or in the UK. We know that sometimes parcels take a while, but they will arrive eventually. To minimise risk we send most orders by registered or First Class post. You also have the choice of insuring high value specimens or ask us to ship by courier. Often its worth paying more for your peace of mind.

Sunday, 6th April 2008

We have recently seen a trend towards displaying minerals on perspex bases, with the mineral details engraved into the plastic. They make displays very aesthetic and allow more light to filter to lower shelves in a display case. Unfortunately many collectors use epoxy glue to stick the specimens onto the base. This glue is almost impossible to remove without damaging the specimen. So, a well-intentioned practice can seriously affect the appearance and value of your specimens. If you do use these bases, please avoid using these kinds of 'permanent' glue!

Sunday, 16th March 2008

A visitor recently wanted to know the difference between a Mineral Series and a Group. Group minerals are those with closely similar structure or whose chemical composition or physical properties are so close that they can be considered together. An example is the Apatite Group. A Series of minerals are those that show a continuous variation in properties with changing chemical composition, usually between two end members, characterised by different elements substituting for each other. An example are Biotite and Phlogopite.

Sunday, 2nd March 2008

Collectors increasingly use the internet for research. However, this should be done with caution. The internet is open for anyone to post information whether right or wrong. The trouble is that wrong information passes on and eventually becomes known as fact. The most certain way of getting correct information is to build up a library of books and original articles. Although not as easy as using Google, you are far less likely to be misled. Use the internet by all means, but always verify the information if you can.

Sunday, 10th February 2008

Good lighting is essential when displaying a mineral collection. Unfortunately many ordinary light-bulbs produce too much yellow light that distorts the true colour of specimens. Similarly, fluorescent tubes produce too much blue, and spot-lights can get very hot, which may damage some heat-sensitive specimens. Our trick is to use aquarium lighting. This is usually balanced for day-light and will therefore display specimens in their natural colours. A further bonus is that the tubes and fittings are usually very affordable and easy to obtain from most aquarist stores.

Sunday, 27th January 2008

Many apologies for the recent lack of specimen updates. However we have been extremely busy! First, we have completely redesigned WildaboutRocks to improve the galleries. Now, in addition to browsing by Species, you can choose to browse by Location, Specimen Size, Price, Rare Minerals or Type Location. We hope this makes finding specimens easier. Second, we have launched a sister site - MinBids. This is designed as a site for anyone wanting to sell or swap excess specimens. We hope that this is a valued addition for our visitors and customers. Our update schedule is now back to normal. We thank you for your patience.