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”Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.” – Claude Monet
”Mr. Irv, I’m going to be dreaming of colors tonight”… – Bernardo Diaz, 7 yr. old, visitor to my mineral display.
The Collector’s Doctrine, as in most mineral collections, is predicated upon the colors of the rainbow. Combining vibrant colors, gemmy transparency, and natural aesthetics win over the hearts and souls of the artist inside all of us. The general public, including the collector community, is awed by the surreal and sublime colors the mineral kingdom can produce. Don’t we all love chasing rainbows?
aesthetic chills: frisson
the sensation of shivers and tingling of the skin as a response to emotional music, meaning-making, knowledge-acquisition, and beauty.
The best mineral collectors have the soul of an artist… The architectural components of a fine mineral specimen work in tandem with each other to render the overall aesthetic appeal of the natural masterpiece. For an aesthetically pleasing composition, the overall shape of crystal groups and the matrix they’re on individually and in concert must form a pleasing sculptural art form. A single isolated, centrally located crystal on a contrasting matrix with a distinct horizon is an ideal aesthetic. Specimens with a meaningful sculptural attribute or resembling animals, flowers, or other objects are highly desired. Maybe that’s nature’s way of winking back and letting us know she can also copy us…
”Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.” – Salvador Dali
I respectfully disagree with Mr. Dali… Perfection in the natural world is not common; in the fine mineral realm, perfection is extraordinarily rare. The earth, as a geological artist, creates very few natural ”Swarovski crystals” and when these marvels of nature come to the collector market, they are prized and coveted. Perfection is the hallmark of a masterpiece. When absolutely necessary, an iconic mineral specimen may need to be repaired and, in rare cases, restored. ”Would a wealthy private collector jump at the chance to own a real DaVinci, the only one in private hands, even if only 80% complete, or would he turn up his nose?” – Wayne Thompson, legendary mineral dealer. I definitely concur with Mr. Thompson’s opinion. Keep in mind, we do use dynamite to extract these natural jewels…
”Quality over quantity reigns supreme.” – Irv Brown
In the mineral kingdom, perfection, crystal clarity, and aesthetic composition tend to decrease as specimen size increases. That being said, when a larger specimen exhibits the qualities of a small specimen, the value increases exponentially. In some mineralogical circles, the most perfect of specimens are called micromounts, minerals that require a microscope to appreciate. In comparison, a pocket of tourmaline discovered in 1977 yielded crystals up to three feet tall! The general rule is bigger size comes with an increasing tendency toward imperfections of all kinds. Quality over quantity is a good mantra. Bigger may be more impressive, but beauty still reigns supreme.
1) Don’t get married to your collection; keep it fluid and dynamic rather than stagnant. Building a significant mineral collection does involve some pain.
2) Mineral collecting is VERY educationally intensive, so learn as much as you can. Scour websites, invade mineral museums, and annoy as many collectors as you can, (just kidding, be nice to them).
3) Give something back… Each interaction that I have with another collector I learn something. Always have some inexpensive minerals to initiate the education process of a neophyte. In other words, give a rock to a kid.
”At the end of the day it’s not about what you have accomplished… It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.” – Denzel Washington
”Was that a piece of glass I found along the stream bed? A treasure? The owner of the camp ground explained that I had found a quartz crystal. Twenty minutes later I was introduced to the world of minerals. He had jar after jar of dazzling crystals in every shape and color! A very happy 8-year-old boy returned home with a cigar box full of treasures and a memory to last a lifetime. Without the generosity of the campground owner, my life would be very different.” – Irv Brown
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