Meet kyawthuite, a mineral so rare that it exists in just one known specimen, a stunning gemstone unearthed near Mogok, ...

This mineral beauty, dubbed the "snow angel," was discovered during the digging of a well in India. The specimen is a silicate mineral called apophyllite-(KF), which appears in volcanic rocks.

Together, they've amassed a collection of more than 400 top mineral specimens. This super-rare gem-blue tourmaline specimen was nicknamed "the ship," because its huge crystals jut out like the ...

A mineral specimen that’s been in the collections for 175 years has turned out to also be a dinosaur egg. It was collected long before these were first scientifically recognised and is potentially one ...

shapes and sizes - meaning every mineral specimen is unique. There are over 5,000 known minerals, with around 100 more being discovered every year. Each mineral species varies because every one is ...

It was found in an Arkansas mine in 2016, making it a quintessential American mineral specimen. James Di Loreto, Smithsonian Institution From sandstone to gemstones, quartz is everywhere.

Here’s how it works. Collectors prize the copper mineral linarite for its intense blue color, but specimens with crystals large enough to truly show off this hue are rare. Linarite, which also ...

With her husband, Jim Spann, she has built a collection of 11,500 mineral specimens, many on loan to major museums – including David Friend Hall, a spectacular new mineral gallery on the third ...