Frequently Asked Questions
If you do not see the answer to your questions here, please email us and we will be happy to assist you.
How do you define your specimen sizes?
Thumbnail < 3 cm
Toenail 3 – 4 cm
Miniature 4 – 5cm
Small Cabinet > 5 cm
Large Cabinet > 10 cm
Can I get more pictures and/or a video of a specimen on the website?
Definitely! Reach out to us on Instagram or contact us through email and we will send you whatever information/media you need to make an informed decision.
Do you offer consignment for my mineral specimens/gemstones I want to sell?
Yes we do! After an appraisal of your item and an agreed upon selling price, we offer a consignment rate of 70/30. Please send a list of specimens along with clear photos and/or videos for sale and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please note that we ourselves do not offer pricing or appraisal services.
What does stablized/repaired/restored mean?
There are some minerals in our inventory that have been stabilized, repaired or restored at professional mineral laboratories. We pride ourselves in full disclosure on the work done and will note this in our mineral descriptions, our invoice and on the specimen label.
Stabilized
The matrix rock or crystal-to-crystal contacts of some specimens are so friable/fragile that the mineral specimen may require reinforcement with an adhesive substance. Stabilization will help to preserve delicate mineral specimens during shipping and during handling and display in your collection. When stabilization is performed on a specimen we make every effort to ensure that the stabilizing adhesive is “invisible” on the finished specimen. Stabilization is disclosed in the description of the individual specimens on our website, on our invoice, and on the specimen label.
Repaired
The repair of a mineral specimen can be defined as the simple gluing of broken pieces back together in their original growth positions. No attempt is made to change the orientation of the reassembled pieces in order to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the specimen. Repairs are typically made using long-lasting, high-purity adhesives. When repairs are made, we make every effort to ensure that the areas being repaired are as “invisible” as possible on the finished specimen. Repairs are disclosed in the description of the individual specimens on our website, on our invoice, and on the specimen label.
Restored
A restored specimen is one of which a high-purity adhesive or other substance has been used to replace a missing crystal fragment during the repair process. Generally, replacement of small fragments lost from an otherwise complete crystal with an adhesive or other substance will be viewed as restoration provided that the area to be restored is constrained by the geometry of the original crystal. When restoration work is performed, we make every effort to ensure that the areas being restored are as “invisible” as possible on the finished specimen. This may include the “carving” of striations into the replaced crystal section that align with the striations observed on the adjoining natural crystal faces. Restoration is disclosed in the description of the individual specimens on our website, on our invoice, and on the specimen label.