From mid-2021, newsletter articles are no longer posted separately here. Interested readers should scan through the newsletter headings under the ‘Newsletters’ tab.

FACETIPS – A GEM CUTTER’S NOTEBOOK

by
Duncan Miller


The faceting articles published over the past few years in the Mineral Chatter have been compiled into a single 128 page document, available for download for those interested in saving all the articles together. To download the pdf file click here.

A 29,18 ct cuprite from Onganja, Namibia, cut by Duncan Miller and now in a private collection in Germany.


Browsing Archive: September, 2019

KYAWTHUITE, THE RAREST MINERAL, FOR NOW…

Posted by Site Moderator Webmaster on Wednesday, September 25, 2019, In : Mineralogy 

Duncan Miller


Reproduced by courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Every year, the International Mineralogical Association approves the names of many newly discovered minerals (http://nrmima.nrm.se//recentmin.htm). The requirements are stringent, involving analytical descriptions of both the chemistry and physical structure of any candidate new mineral. Most of these are microscropic and not display-worthy. But every now and then, a new mineral is discovered that not only ...


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Madagascar - the Road to Hell-Ville

Posted by Site Moderator Webmaster on Wednesday, September 25, 2019, In : My Collecting, My Collection 

Mandy Freeman

With a sense of excitement and anticipation of the mineral treasures Madagascar offers, we boarded Air Madagascar on 1st July this year (okay, 4 hours late, but at least on the same day). Our trip was part rock-hunting (obligatory in the Freeman household), and part island-holiday. Boy, were we in for a surprise…

We arrived in Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar where our adventures in a hired 4x4 with driver began. Tana, as it is known, has several stone markets where you...


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