Mineral Library

Plain-facts profiles of the minerals we sell: what each one is, how it forms, how hard it is, and how to tell a real piece from a fake. No mysticism, just the geology.

  • Agate

    A banded chalcedony, built layer by layer; no two slices alike.

  • Amethyst

    A banded chalcedony, built layer by layer; no two slices alike.

  • Apatite

    A calcium phosphate known for vivid blue-green tones; softer than quartz, so handle with care.

  • Calcite

    A soft, colour-varied carbonate that forms in remarkable shapes; often fluorescent.

  • Celestite

    Soft sky-blue crystals, usually found lining geodes; delicate and light-sensitive.

  • Fluorite

    Calcium fluoride in almost every colour; frequently fluorescent, and the mineral that named the property.

  • Quartz

    The most abundant mineral family on Earth; from clear rock crystal to amethyst and citrine.

  • Malachite

    Banded green copper carbonate; always genuine here, never reconstituted or dyed.

  • Labradorite

    A feldspar famous for its flashing blue-green sheen; the quality of the flash is everything.

  • Tourmaline

    A silicate that occurs in more colours than almost any mineral, sometimes several in one crystal.

  • Ruby

    Gem-grade corundum coloured red by chromium; one of the hardest minerals we stock.

  • Fossils

    The mineralised record of ancient life; documented by type and, where known, age and origin.