Scholten's Fine Minerals in Leominster, Massachusetts

Using this Site

This page provides information that should make it easier for you to use this website. Please e-mail me with any suggestions you have for improving it.

Frequency of Updates:

This website will be updated with new mineral specimens on the first day of each month. As the business grows, I will post new mineral specimens more frequently. Also, as I become aware of important new developments in the world of minerals, I will share them with you.

The SFM E-mail Newsletter:

I offer a free e-mail newsletter! As a subscriber, you will be the first to see new minerals, articles and special offers available at Scholten's Fine Minerals. If you would like to subscribe to my newsletter, please click here.

Representation of Minerals:

The photographs, descriptions and locality of the specimens on this website will be accurate. I will not knowingly misrepresent any mineral specimen just to make a sale.

Measurements and Categories:

All specimen measurements (dimensions) are in centimeters. If you prefer measurements in inches, use this conversion: 2.5 centimeters is approximately equal to 1 inch. (Please see the definition for centimeter in the glossary below.) I offer mineral specimens in four size categories, as follows:

Thumbnail: From 1.0 to 2.9 centimeters From 0.4 to < 1.25 inches

Miniature: From 3.0 to 7.4 centimeters From 1.25 to < 3.0 inches

Cabinet: From 7.5 to 9.9 centimeters From 3.0 to < 4.0 inches

Large Cabinet: 10.0 centimeters and larger 4.0 inches and larger

Prices:

All prices are in U.S. dollars and payment for all specimens purchased must be made in U.S. dollars.

Links to Resources:

For your convenience, this site includes a page that provides links to other websites that offer products and information related to minerals and the earth sciences that I think you will find helpful. Click here to view the Links page.

Glossary:

Some words and terms that are used frequently on this site may not be familiar to everyone. The definitions for them are shown below.

Acicular - Refers to crystals that are needlelike or long and slender (e.g., brochantite).

Adamantine - Very high or brilliant luster, like that of a diamond.

Botryoidal - A mineral surface that is rounded, like a bunch of grapes (e.g., smithsonite).

Cabinet Specimen - A size category for mineral specimens where the largest dimension (length, width/depth or height) measures from 7.5 centimeters (3 inches) to 9.9 centimeters (slightly less than 4 inches).

Centimeter - A unit of length in the metric system approximately equal to 4/10's of an inch; 2.5 centimeters approximately equals 1 inch.

Crystal - A solid, chemical compound with visible, external, planar faces.

Dichroism - The property of a crystal causing it to exhibit different colors (usually two different colors) when viewed along different axes.

Doubly Terminated - A crystal that displays termination faces on both ends.

Druse/Drusy - A coating of tiny crystals on the surface of rock, matrix or another mineral.

Face - The smooth, flat surface that bounds a crystal.

Fluorescence - The property of a mineral that enables it to emit colored light when irradiated by invisible light, usually ultraviolet (UV) light.

Gemmy - Description of a crystal that is absolutely transparent and, therefore, resembles a gemstone.

Inclusion - A substance contained in a mineral, usually a liquid, a gas or another mineral.

Japan-law Twin - A type of twinning in which two crystals are joined at the base at about a 90-degree angle.

Large Cabinet Specimen - A size category for mineral specimens where the largest dimension (length, width/depth or height) measures 10.0 centimeters (4 inches) or more.

Luster - The appearance of the surface of a mineral judged by its ability to reflect light.

Matrix - The rock or mineral in which a crystal, fossil or other mineral is contained, situated on or surrounded by.

Metallic - Having luster like that of metal (e.g., pyrite).

Miniature Specimen - A size category for mineral specimens where the largest dimension (length, width/depth or height) measures from 3.0 centimeters (about 1 1/4 inches) to 7.4 centimeters (slightly less than 3 inches).

Paragenesis - The sequential order in which a mineral forms or crystallizes, with respect to other minerals.

Phantom - The phenomenon exhibited when a crystal grows and stops growing, then a new growth envelops the original crystal in the same direction, while leaving a visible inscription of the previous growth; additional growths may result in multiple phantoms in a crystal (also referred to as color zoning).

Pseudomorph - Chemical alteration that results in a mineral replacing another mineral without changing the shape of the original mineral or crystal.

Scalenohedron - A crystal whose triangular faces are unequal in length (e.g., calcite).

Termination - The end of a crystal where the crystal faces bind the crystal.

Thumbnail Specimen - A size category for mineral specimens where the largest dimension (length, width/depth or height) measures from 1.0 centimeter (4/10's of an inch) to 2.9 centimeters (slightly less than 1 1/4 inches).

Twin - Two or more crystals of the same mineral that grow in a distinct way along a common plane, that intergrow, or that form specific, repeated patterns (e.g., spinel, fluorite and rutile).

Type Locality - The locality from which the first described specimen of a mineral species was found.

UV - Pertains to ultraviolet light; invisible radiation wavelengths that cause fluorescence in minerals.

Vitreous - Refers to luster that is like glass (e.g., quartz).

Vug - A cavity in rock or matrix that is lined with crystals.

P.O.Box 1146 : Leominster, MA 01453 : 978-534-0156
email: brian@scholtensfineminerals.com