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Post by geoff on Oct 7, 2012 9:50:07 GMT -5
Decided to start a micro mount collection. Figure I'll buy the common minerals one letter of the alphabet per month, then move onto the less common/more expensive ones. Here is my first order:  |
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Dora
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2012
Posts: 252
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Post by Dora on Oct 7, 2012 17:12:35 GMT -5
I love collections! I also make lists and get new different rocks and minerals every month (tumbled or I will tumble them). I see you are more scientifically oriented. I just take a photo of each one with their common and scientific name and their locality (whenever the information is available). I have some of the ones on your list (tumbled): Andalusite, Annabergite (raw), Aragonite (blue, brown and yellow), Astrophyllite, Axinite, Azurite and Azurite Malachite. Collections are great, I hope you find all of the specimens on your lists! Dora  |
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 7, 2012 18:22:56 GMT -5
Geoff, I collected a bunch of minerals from the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan this summer. I don't know what a lot of the stuff is, but I've heard that some of it is good for micro mounting. The problem is, I don't really know anything about micro mounting so it's just sitting in buckets in my basement. If I knew what some of it was, I might even be able to send you some for your collection. It's all stuff from copper mine dumps. I'm busy tonight, but maybe I can post some pictures in a day or two.
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 7, 2012 18:54:37 GMT -5
You'll have fun collecting those Geoff. I have a pretty good collection of thumbnail a miniature specimens.
Lots of rare and type locality specimens show up on ebay. I have a couple of favorite sellers.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 8, 2012 20:26:58 GMT -5
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Post by catmandewe on Oct 8, 2012 21:02:35 GMT -5
Micro mounts you look at through a telescope, it opens up a whole new world that you can't see with the naked eye and your collection doesn't take up a whole lot of space.
Tony
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 8, 2012 21:07:47 GMT -5
Huh. I was thinking microscope, not telescope. Do you have to have a lot of land and keep them far away while viewing them?
Seriously, though, how does one do the mounting part? What sort of microscope do you need? Are my rocks suitable for collecting a micro sample?
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Post by geoff on Oct 8, 2012 21:11:28 GMT -5
Yup. I collected in Houghton Co this summer. The second one you posted is (by content) basalt, calcite, feldspar and epidote. Check them for small clear quartz DTs with flecks of copper in them. The calcite in the second picture is easily identifiable from the milky color and striations/ crystal structure.
I already ordered everything from that list, it's actually a screen shot of my shopping cart. Hopefully they'll be waiting for me when I get home from Prudhoe.
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Post by geoff on Oct 8, 2012 21:15:39 GMT -5
Yeah, the point of micromounts is small size, and the best crystals are the smallest ones. I've never done this before, so I'm learning. I ordered 100 micromount boxes and some geotac putty for mounting them. You can use a loupe or magnifying glass if you're not that into astronomy, but a binocular microscope is best.
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Post by geoff on Oct 8, 2012 21:19:25 GMT -5
You can checkout some of my specimens that I've uploaded to mindat on my page. www.mindat.org/user-21211.html#2_0_0_0_0_0_Haven't gotten any of the MI stuff up except a copper crystal. I need to upload some more stuff! |
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 8, 2012 21:33:58 GMT -5
Ok, this might be a silly question, but what does "DT" stand for?
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 8, 2012 21:38:51 GMT -5
Nevermind, I just looked at your pictures and figured it out. "Double Terminated" I'm assuming that means it's a crystal that's pointed at both ends.
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 8, 2012 21:45:11 GMT -5
That third pic is about thumbnail mount size. Thumbnails basically will fit inside a 1" cube shaped box, called a perky box. This would be a thumbnail mount.  A micromount will fit into a roughly 3/4" cube box, and the mineral usually has to be viewed under a gem microscope to be able to see the details. Crystals in micromounts and thumbnails are generally more perfectly formed than larger crystals are. This is the type of microscope used.  This is my scope with digital camera attached.  Gem scopes are generally low powered. Mine is 15X to 35X zoom type. If I remove the left eyepiece, the camera fits in place of it, and I can adjust the view on my computer screen. I'm still learning how to capture pics on my computer, so I can print or share them. To mount the minerals in the boxes, you use a product called Mineral Tac. It's a non greasy, non staining, non hardening type of putty used in museums. This is one source that I've found. www.ebay.com/itm/Mineral-Tack-Specimen-Mounting-Putty-White-Extra-Strong-/190725933350?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c6826c926 |
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Post by catmandewe on Oct 8, 2012 23:12:07 GMT -5
Oh yeah, it is a microscope and not a telescope.
Just seeing if you guys are on your toes. (thats as good an excuse as I can come up with)
Tony
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Post by parfive on Oct 8, 2012 23:24:01 GMT -5
Might as well be a friggin’ telescope for all the good it’s doin’.  ;D I can see Russia from my house! Oh yeah? Prove it! Show me the pics. |
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 8, 2012 23:53:29 GMT -5
I can too Rich. I just pull it up on google maps.
360 odd pages of manual to read and learn, and lately very little spare time to play with my toy. As soon as I can capture decent pics, you'll get thumbnail pic overload.
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Post by geoff on Oct 9, 2012 1:05:21 GMT -5
Might as well be a friggin’ telescope for all the good it’s doin’. ;D I can see Russia from my house! Oh yeah? Prove it! Show me the pics. Just you wait. I'm going to build a house on Little Diomede and take a picture of it with Big Diomede in the background. THEN WHAT?! |
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Post by parfive on Oct 9, 2012 1:16:54 GMT -5
Old dog . . . new tricks . . . you know how that goes. ;D  |
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