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Last edits on 6 December 2024
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This list of links is aimed at those who wish to obtain more detailed information on minerals.
We will add more links and update the ones already here as we get information on more useful links. If you have any suggestions please let us know.
Some of these links in turn lead you to even more link pages, which can also be useful. For example the Mineral collectors page has links to other useful museum sites.
Mineralogical information
IMA mineral properties database, useful as a means of avoiding errors or confusion. The IMA-RRUFF Project is creating a complete set of high quality spectral data from well characterized minerals. The website will contain an integrated database of Raman spectra, X-ray diffraction and chemistry data for minerals. This is the most powerful source of information on minerals, localities and photos. The amount of information held in the system is massive. While it may take a visitor some time to find what they want among all this data, it is without doubt very useful. Forum for discussion and divulgation on mineralogical topics like mineralogy, mineral deposits, photography of minerals, mineral analysis, public and private collections, museums, etc…Is a meeting point where both amateurs and professionals learn, teach and share knowledge in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
With several specialized sections and its own advanced software, FMF has a scientific spirit that makes it different from other regular forums. FMF Gallery is a database of some of the images of minerals published in FMF. It is under continuous construction and you can find in it a long list of minerals and their geographical origin. Currently the gallery is divided into six sections: Micros and macros; Minerals of Spain, Portugal and Morocco; Collections; Mines and mining localities; Minerals from USA, UK and Germany, and finally a gallery devoted to rocks.
The FMF Gallery has several thousands of minerals and rocks, which can be found with a quick and convenient search system. A large compilation of mineralogical data with many photos. They have put a lot of effort into offering the maximum amount of data. It is German, but as we all speak a common mineralogical language it is not hard to understand. An intuitive and free piece of software that can be used to catalogue a mineral collection. It can store up to four photos per record, has lots of useful data fields including price indexing, can be indexed in 9 different ways to suit all your needs, and has many more features... A great database of mineralogical information. A simple database which you can sort as needed and which holds lots of useful data. A joy of web page published by the Mineralogy Club of Antwerp, Belgium, full of topics related with the mineralogy. With many good sections, one of them offers an extensive list of museums from around the world. If you want to search for minerals this page, put together by people who are enthusiastic about nature and about looking for minerals, will give you lots of very useful information. Academic Web Page of Dr. John Rakovan, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA.
John is a professor of mineralogy and also a long time mineral collector.
Mineral Magazines
The best known English language magazine with information of the latest finds and the major localities. The other great US magazine, which is also great for its news, information on collections and on finds. Spectacular French magazine with information on a wide range of localities, although they are very specialized in the French ones.
Unfortunately, it is no longer being published, but their website still has issues of the magazine available, as well as numerous high-quality books. The prestigious German magazine, a reference in mineralogy.
Essential for any mineral collector worldwide. Extraordinary quality of the images. Is offered in three languages: Catalan, Spanish and English. The quality of the photos is very high, both in their printing and in the actual photos. An excellent German magazine with high quality photographs and a large worldwide list of mineral shows.
Unfortunately, it is no longer being published, but their website still has issues of the magazine available, as well as numerous high-quality books. Excellent semiannual magazine published by the Grup Mineralògic Català and that appears in two versions: "Mineralogistes de Catalunya" (in Catalan) and "Paragénesis" (in Spanish)
With articles on the mineralogy of anywhere but with special attention to the geographical regions of Catalonia and the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. The best from Italy. Excellent photos from an exceptional photographer: Roberto Appiani. How to describe Mineralogical Almanac - Mineral Observer? There are no better words to describe the boundless enthusiasm of Michael Leybov and Ludmila Cheshko that what Donna Leicht wrote in Rocks & Minerals - September-October 2011 The copies of Extra Lapis have become a benchmark in the mineral world, for both the quality of the writing and of the images. The Lithographie company publishes the English version of Extra Lapis, which are not only in English but which have additional texts and new photos. Highly recommended. Swiss page published in German with lots of contents and many good photos. Even if your German is non-existent the photos make a visit worth while. The best from the UK. Very exhaustive articles on the mineralogy of the British Isles.
Unfortunately, it is no longer being published. High quality magazine dedicated to the mines and minerals of Spain.
Currently there is no longer published, in the past it was published in Madrid.
Museums
A really impressive museum with many of the best specimens ever found.
Much more information and photos here: National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian) A world-class Museum with vast collections, a research mandate, a gallery with 3800 specimens of minerals and gems and separate meteorite and geology halls The New York State Museum in Albany, NY holds a definitive collection of NYS minerals. Sixteen cases of minerals are well displayed and rotated frequently.In the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Very high quality material.
To know more please use American Museum of Natural History of Los AngelesIn the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Very high quality material.
To know more please use American Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles The Mineralogical and Geological Museum at Harvard is located on the grounds of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is one of three museums which collectively comprise the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Ineludible visit.
To know more please use Mineralogical and Geological Museum at Harvard An extraordinary building, ideal location, beautiful interior with luxury cabinets and all the technological advances, loaded with temporary exhibits of extraordinary specimens from the major collectors of Dallas area as well as from the Texas State.
To know more please use Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, Texas. An innovative idea Another excellent north American museum with some superb specimens, Really esthetic. The official mineralogical museum of Michigan located in the Michigan Technology University, Houghton. Top notch of Michigan, USA, and even of the rest of the world.
To know more please use A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum, Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, Michigan Classically organized systematic museum with superb regional mineralogical depth fleshed out with excellent worldwide minerals, micromounts and meteorites.
To know more please use University of Arizona Mineral Museum This Museum is devoted to Colorado's mineral heritage and promotes its significance through spectacular minerals. The Museum is a lesson in Geology and contains a good number of fine minerals, fossil, meteorites as well as historical mining treasures.
To know more please use Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum The finest collection of minerals in the Pacific Northwest; world class specimens of rhodochrosite, sperrylite, phosgenite, legrandite, Arizona minerals, northwestern U.S. minerals, and the Rudy Tschernich collection of zeolites.
To know more please use Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals This Museum is a visual delight for the non-collector as well as the collector because the elegance of the display cases of very fine mineral and gem specimens. It features an interesting mix of old classics from the Irénée du Pont collection, given to the University of Delaware in 1964, with more contemporary specimens carefully selected by its curators over the last almost 50 years.
To know more please use University of Delaware Museum of Minerals Tellus has the finest Georgia minerals on exhibit, but this is a small part of the overall scope. There are 41 cases with more than 1200 minerals from worldwide localities. Exhibits are arranged by physical properties including a fluorescent exhibit area, systematic mineralogy, Georgia specific minerals, US and worldwide locations, and gold and gems. The best natural history museum in Connecticut. Contains a historically important collection of over 40,000 mineral specimens. In Álava, in the north of Spain. A well maintained collection of Spanish minerals, with some exceptional specimens.
To know more please use Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Álava Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona (Parc del Fòrum)Located in the city of Barcelona, it serves as the public headquarters of the Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona and was inaugurated in 2011 following modern museum techniques. As part of the permanent exhibition "Planeta Vida," a portion of the mineralogy and petrology collections, formerly housed in the Martorell Museum of Geology, is displayed. The museum has a web page in Catalan, Spanish and English.
To know more please use "Museu Blau" el nuevo Museo de Geología de BarcelonaThe museum of the Madrid school of mines. A classic building with excellent historic specimens.
To know more please use Relación de los fondos mineralógicos del Museo de la Escuela de Minas de MadridThe Geo-mining Museum is located in a very beautiful, classic building in Madrid with a skylight that is among the most beautiful in the world. A visit is worth it.
To know more please use Visita al Museo Geominero Small local museum, created through the donation of a private collection.
To know more please use Museu Mollfulleda de Mineralogia d'Arenys de Mar, Barcelona The "Valentí Masachs" Geology Museum at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia is located in the Engineering School of Manresa (Barcelona). The Museum was created in 1980, based on the collection of minerals made during student practicals, which was soon enriched by personal contributions from Dr. Valentí Masachs, first director of the Center, Dr. Joaquim Sanz and Dr. Josep Mª Mata-Perelló, as well as with the donations of other illustrious collectors.
The Museum collection is currently made up of about 5,000 minerals. Highlights among its reserves are the specimens from classic Catalan locations as well as from the rest of Spain. The largest collection of minerals in France, so you can spend hours visiting them.
To know more please use Paris School of Mines French National Natural History Museum. Located in a large park. Great classic specimens and lots of high quality material.
To know more please use The Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris Easy to visit, with an esthetic display of beautiful minerals. Located in the alpine town of Chamonix Mont-Blanc. An excellent collection of alpine minerals (red-pink fluorites included) and selected specimens from French mines.
To know more please use Musée des Cristaux - Espace Tairraz (Chamonix) Three major collections in a single city: Freiberg! Krüger Haus Museum, Bergakademie Freiberg (Freiberg Mining Academy) and especially Terra Mineralia, which is one of the world's best mineralogical museums given the donation of Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher collection.
To know more please use Terra Mineralia (Freiberg, Saxony, Germany) Located in the middle of Germany, this Museum shows one of Germany's best public mineral collections with 2.300 pieces on display and over 100.000 samples stored. Many exquisite specimens, both German and worldwide classics can be seen in a beautiful building from the early 16th century.
To know more please use Mineralogical Museum of Marburg The publicly accessible part of the Bavarian State Collection for Mineralogy in the city of Munich. University of Clausthal. If ever you go to Berlin visit the Museum Fur Naturkunde. The mineral hall is excellent!
To know more please use Museum Fur Naturkunde Berlin Images of common mineral species. University of Bremen. Quartz, Fluorite and Alpine minerals from Switzerland at their best.
To know more please use Natural History Museum of Bern (Switzerland) It is located on the main road Seedorf-Bauen.
Several and excellent alpine minerals from Swiss strahlers recent finds. Small but very interesting mineral museum located in the Binn Valley (Valais, Switzerland). Binntal alpine minerals and a showroom dedicated to Lengenbach quarry. Very popular in the collectors interested for rare sulfides.
To know more please use Binntal Regionalmuseum Binn, Valais In London, England. For many years the best Natural history museum in Europe. With vast quantities of minerals, exposed and unexposed.
To know more please use Natural History Museum London This national museum in Edinburgh is a great place to spend a few hours. The building and displays are neat and varied. The mineral section is small but worth a visit– and do drop into the space section as there are a few more minerals there.
To know more please use National Museum of Scotland This Museum, located at Wanlockhead, is small but has a display of local minerals and the chance to visit a mine and very old library. The region is well worth a visit.
To know more please use The Lead Mining Museum This Museum is located in Glasgow and has a good but small display of minerals and fossils, with a good number of Scottish minerals.
To know more please use Hunterian Museum The reference museum for specimens from eastern Europe, but it also has exceptional worldwide specimens. In a majestic building, collects all the historical tradition of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
To know more please use Naturhistorisches Museum Wien Founded in 1811 by Archduke Johann, it is full of old classics, highlighting the Styria minerals. Friedrich Mohs, who brought the hardness scale to us, worked here!
To know more please use Universalmuseum Joanneum The Copenhagen museum is definitely worth visiting. An excellent range of old classics in an "olde-worlde" atmosphere.
The Kongsberg and Greenland Suites are really remarkable.
To know more please use Geological Museum The Natural History Museum of the city of Milan, Italy.
The mineralogy section has notable Italian and pegmatite specimens, enhanced by excellent material from Madagascar.
To know more please use Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Nice Museum of Mineralogy at the University of Florence, Italy. It contains 50.000 specimens, most of them historical, but also recent acquisitions.
To know more please use The Adalberto Giazotto collection in Florence Teylers is the oldest museum in the Netherlands, and one of the first ever perpetually endowed museums.
With an enjoyable mineral collection, Teylers Museum really deserves the trip if you are in Amsterdam.
To know more please use Teylers Museum HaarlemThe Norwegian Mining Museum is located in Kongsberg city centre and offers a good vision of this historic silver mining area. It offers also the possibility of guided visits to the old mines.
To know more please use The Norwegian Mining Museum and the Silver Mines Swedish Natural History museum. One of the best, if not the best, of the world's open private Museums, not just for the superb quality of the specimens but also for its diversity, including "Icons" as well as rare and/or extremely rare minerals. If you plan to visit Lebanon or some of the neighboring countries don't hesitate do a stop in Beirut and visit the MIM Museum. It deserves the effort.
To know more please use The MIM Museum in Beirut, Lebanon, and specifically, What does the mim Museum and it minerals mean Melbourne, Australia. The best of Brazil.
Spanish groups and organisations
MTI (Mineralogía Topográfica Ibérica) is a Blog that is being used as a test base for creating a common source of mineralogical information, with special emphasis on mineral localities. It is very up to date and it includes a very wide range of information, which ranges from magazines, shows and exhibitions through to new finds or detailed descriptions of classic and modern localities. Highly recommended.Grup Mineralògic Català. This is the mineralogical group from Catalonia, the region that includes Barcelona. They are very active and helpful and they publish the magazines Mineralogistes de Catalunya and Paragénesis (see the "Magazines" section) and also the column Infominer on line.
Grupo Mineralogista de Madrid The Madrid Mineralogical Group is an association of enthusiasts for mineralogy and other related sciences based in Madrid. Publishers of the, now defunct, "Bocamina" magazine. Societat Valenciana de Mineralogia Association of fans of mineralogy that centers their activities in the Province of Valencia.
They contributed to the publication Paleomina, which at the time, when it was still being published, was an excellent magazine focused on minerals and fossils. Grupo Mineralógico de Alicante Association of fans of mineralogy and paleontology, based in the Province of Alicante. Very active in social networks, they do many field trips that they document with high quality photographs. Asociación Mineralógica Paleontológica San Vicente del Raspeig Association of fans of mineralogy and paleontology, based in Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante Province.
They published Paleomina, which at the time, when it was still being published, was an excellent magazine focused on minerals and fossils. Asociación Cultural Mineralógica de la Sierra de Cartagena-La Unión An association of fans of mineralogy and paleontology that focuses its activity, though not exclusively, on the historic Sierra Minera de Cartagena and La Unión, in Murcia. Asociación Mineralógica Aragonesa Association of fans of mineralogy founded in 1993, which focuses its activities in the Aragon Community. Asociación Mineralógica Aragonito Azul Association of fans of mineralogy and paleontology with headquarters in Bembibre, León, Castile and León.The GeoMuseum Valentí Masachs in Manresa, Barcelona goes beyond a classical Geology museum. It not only displays but also explains the use of the 5,000 minerals and the 2,000 rocks that make up its resources and organizes many activities related to the Geology, many of them promoted by Dr. Josep Maria Mata i Perelló, director of the Museum from 1980 to 2003. AMUMINAS Association of The Friends of the Museo Histórico Minero Don Felipe de Borbón y Grecia created to maintain, study and publicize the valuable historical mining heritage that is housed in the Museum of the Mining School in Madrid.
To know more: Zona AMUMINAS Museu Martorell (Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona) The Martorell Museum building, inaugurated in 1882 and designated as the Museum of Geology in 1924, housed the geology and paleontology collections until 2010. After an extensive restoration process, it reopened its doors in December 2023, transformed into the Martorell Exhibition Center. It now hosts temporary exhibitions on various scientific topics.
To learn more: Museu Martorell
Other groups and organisations
AGAB Belgian association of geologists, very enthusiastic and with lots of information about European Shows. Specialized in the mineralogy of the DR Congo. Géopolis A group of French people that are all interested in Earth Sciences. It is made up of collectors, professionals, geologists, students, museum curators, etc. A French reference site for people interested in minerals. Microminéralogie French Association of Micromineralogy. If you like micromounts, which are small samples of great perfection and beauty, this page in French language is a great source of information.Pegmatite Interest Group An interactive webpage, hosted by the Mineralogical Society of America, that is dedicated to the pegmatites. Serves as a bridge between academic professionals and amateur scientists, collectors, and other pegmatite enthusiasts.
Shows
During the first two weeks of each year, in the middle of the Arizona desert you can visit the annual Tucson Gem & Mineral Showcase, the biggest group of Shows in the US and in the world.
Another great US Show. List and links of most of the main US shows. Held in the halls of the prestigious School of Mines, Madrid. Along with Sant Celoni it has the best atmosphere of all the Spanish shows. In both cases people go to talk about minerals and to be there 'for the minerals'.
To know more use this link The Barcelona Show, Expominer, was a 'must-visit' for all Catalan mineral lovers and many others from across Spain. It was held at the Feria de Muestras in Barcelona, an excellent location, but unfortunately, it seems it will no longer take place.
If you want to learn more about its last edition, held in 2019, you can use this link The most revered of all the Spanish shows—friendly and fun. It was a must-visit for all mineral collectors in Northern Spain, but unfortunately, it seems it will no longer take place.
If you want to learn more about the 2010 edition, you can use this link Mineral and precious stones show held in Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A great annual opportunity to see all the mineralogical delights of Brazil at the same time.
Minerales.Info - Ferias de Minerales
Mineralogy on line
With the cooperation and assistance of Antonio Alcaide
This section aims to serve as a kind of 'VIP section' of FMF. Every day, new topics are added to the forum, and their increasing number could obscure the few truly valuable ones, leaving them hidden in less visible areas. This new feature will function somewhat like a library.
To learn more, you can use this link. The FMF localities database is now open!
To learn more, you can use this link (in Spanish)
Some questions and answers about mineral specimens with inclusions, illustrated with excellent samples. Deep and fascinating discussion about cyclic twins with lots of less known specimens and many illustrations and drawings. Comments about Endomorphism and Pseudomorphism. Is pseudomorph often an incorrect description of an endormorph? The intellectual curiosity of mineral collectors. Intense and heavy discussion about its importance. One of the most difficult tasks many collectors face is how to easily get good pictures of their specimens. Here is some good advice from several experts. Discussions about what should be the content of a correct mineral label and how to properly design it. Gathering former owners' labels as a way to keep for the future an important part of the history of every specimen in your collection. An intuitive and free computer program to catalog a mineral collection. It can store up to 4 photos per record, has lots of useful data fields, can be indexed in 9 different ways to suit all your needs, and much more... Questioning the rightness of the expression "self collected", often used by mineral collectors, but that seems not to be appropriate. A great discussion about what is a rather subjective topic: what a mineral's quality actually is. What should we think about before taking the decision of purchase (a specimen) to keep us from making a mistake? How the new mineral collector generations can influence the evolution of the hobby. A casual find of Amethystine Quartz in a railroad cut in Girona, Spain.
The joy of the discovery and the field work to dig nice minerals. One of the world's biggest geodes.
All of the extraction process, from the discovery to the actual removal. Christian Rewitzer, one of the best microphotographers, explains his tricks to achieve superb photos as well as an array of his "art works" How collectors number their specimens? Is there a preferred type of label to affix? Is it better not to try to attach anything directly to the mineral...? A brief guide about the sensibility to light of some minerals as well as the toxicity of some others. A lot of images and posts of one of the most popular collections: beautiful collection of Gail Spann. The excellent single crystal collection assembled during the last fifteen years (starting in 1994) by John S. White is being posted here for everybody to enjoy. Nice and highly diversified collection, that clearly reveals the owner's love of minerals and mineralogy. Amazing trip through the world of micromount photography. A suggestive exhibition of colors and shapes. A trip to the famous Smithsonian Museum through the eyes of someone visiting it for first time, plus images of other people to complete the overview. A superb chronicle by Joan Massagué with great details about his visit to what might have been the world's best private mineral collection until the eighties, built by the industrialist Joaquim Folch i Girona (died in 1984), and located at the Mediterranean city of Barcelona.The marvelous collection "Cristalli" & Brief guide about Florence
Excellent photos of the majority of the specimens in the great collection of Adalberto Giazotto. Informative Guide on a visit to this small collection and more general tourist guide to the city of Florence. Discussion about the "Palladium-rich Gold" from Venezuela.
It seems that not only they contain no Palladium, but also it appears that they are electrolitically grown. Some detailed history involving Sr. Folch Girona and his connection with Almadén Cinnabar. Auctions, prices and their influence on the mineral market. Should we purchase minerals because we love them or because we want to keep our assets alive? Or a little of both?
Minerales.Info - Mineralogical Shows
Events
SAINTE-MARIE-aux-MINES
26-30 June 2024
Towards the end of June a very special place in France: Val d'Argent, has a show that is different from all the regular ones. Together collectors, visitors and dealers share the marvellous countryside, the pleasant food and, of course, the minerals. So if above all else you want to enjoy yourself during a show this one is not to be missed.
Click on this text or on the image
to find out about
Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2024 showIf you would like to learn more about previous editions
of the Ste. Marie Show, click on this link
MINERALIENTAGE MÜNCHEN
24-27 October 2024
A powerfull show, with an enormous range of minerals and extraordinary displays
If you would like to learn more about previous editions
of the Munich Show, click on this link
TUCSON SHOWS
Every year from the last week of January to the middle of February and at the Sonora desert, in the city of Tucson, you can visit "Tucson Show", the biggest group of Shows of Minerals in the US and in the world.
If you would like to learn more about previous editions
of the Tucson Show, click on this link
MINERALEXPO Barcelona-Sants (SPAIN)
3-5 March 2023
The people that organize the show are the Grupo Mineralógico Catalán, a groups whose objective is
to promote mineralogy. So that is why the show has a limited number of dealers,
with the aim of focusing on minerals for collectors.
ESCUELA DE MINAS - MADRID SHOW
10-12 March 2023
Held in te halls of the prestigious Escuela de Minas, Madrid. Along with Mineralexpo
it has the best atmosphere of all Spanish shows.
In both cases people go to talk about minerals and to be there "for the minerals".
Use this link to find out what was new at the Mineralexpo Barcelona-Sants 2023 Show
(text only in Spanish language)Use this link to find out what was new at the Escuela de Minas 2023 Show
(text only in Spanish language)If you would like to learn more about previous editions
of the Mineralexpo Shows click on this link
or for previous Escuela de Minas - Madrid Show, click on this link
News about Virual shows and shows that Fabre Minerals no longer attends
If you want to see some information about shows we used to attend, but actually no longer visit, then use this link or click on the photo.
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