If someone tells you that geology hammer is overpriced and any cheap hammer can replace it... nope! This particular hammer survived 15 years of abuse. Do this to cheap hammer and it's gone in 2 minutes...

Rare and gemmy #Tanzanite crystals (blue variety of #Zoisite) from Merelani Hills, Tanzania. #mineral #mineralogy #crystal #mineralexpert

Nice crystal of very rare #Kainosite from the Obersulzbachtal, Hohe Tauern, Austria. Bramberg museum specimen #mineral #mineralogy #mineralexpert #crystal

Classic #Vanadinite cluster from Mibladen, Morocco. Vanadinite is a rare lead chloro-vanadate and has the same structure as pyromorphite. Size 9 x 6.5 cm #mineral #mineralogy #mineralexpert #crystal

Complex #Cerussite crystals from Mibladen, Morocco showing bright yellow fluorescence under shortwave UV light. Crystal size 1.5-2 cm #mineral #mineralogy #crystal #mineralexpert

Nice #Albite cluster with top quality #Aquamarine (blue variety of #Beryl) from Pakistan. #mineral #mineralogy #crystal #pegmatite #mineralexpert

Gemmy and perfectly shaped #Morganite (pink #Beryl variety) crystal from Urucum Mine, Doce Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil. #mineral #mineralogy #crystal #pegmatite

Impressive native #Gold - nicknamed "Christmas Tree" - from Grit Mine, California, USA. William F. Larson collection #mineral #mineralogy #crystal #element

Classic #Wavellite spheres from Třenice, Czech Republic. The yellow surface is caused by powdery layer of #Cacoxenite. Size 6 x 6 cm #mineral #mineralogy #crystal #phosphate

Pink #Thulite (Mn-rich #Zoisite) with dark grains of #Piemontite from Søre Lia, Norway. #mineral #mineralogy #crystal

Classic #Staurolite cross-twin in fine grained schists from Keivy Mountains, Lovozersky District, Russia. #mineral #mineralogy #crystal

About 4 cm large native #Platinum nugget from Konder, Khabarovsk, Russia. #element #mineral #mineralogy #pge

Big cluster of native #Sulphur crystals from Sicily, Italy. Dark matrix color is caused by bitumen. And yes, mineral is spelled as #Sulphur (IMA rules) and element as #Sulfur (IUPAC rules). #mineral #mineralogy #element #crystal

Superb piece of hairy golden #Rutile crystals (var. #Sagenite) from Ibiajara, Bahia, Brazil. #mineral #mineralogy #crystal

Mushroom shaped #Rubellite #Tourmaline from Khetchel, Malo, Myanmar. #pegmatite #mineral #mineralogy #crystal #lithium

Top quality cluster of gemmy dark smoky #Quartz with pink #Fluorite from Switzerland. #mineral #crystal #mineralogy #mineralexpert

Introducing our #OreCup winner and IMA Ore Mineral of the Year, #COPPER!

Big #Molybdenite sheets in #Quartz vein from Vrchoslav, Czech Republic. Size: 8 x 6 cm #OreCup #ore #mineral #mineralogy #mineralexpert

Well shaped native #Copper crystals arranged into typical dendritic aggregate, Copper Queen Mine, Arizona, USA. Size 6 x 2 cm #OreCup #ore #element #mineral #mineralogy #crystal #mineralexpert

#OreCup FINALS: Place your vote to decide the IMA Ore Mineral of the Year! Are you a fan of the classic native metal #Copper, or the slippery silver #Molybdenite that evaded being pinned down for so long? Vote:

Thin flakes of #Molybdenite in the granite fissure from Mt. Blanc Massif, Chamonix, France. #OreCup #ore #mineral #mineralogy #mineralexpert

#OreCup is in the final stretch! Are you supporting the only molybdenum (and rhenium) ore #Molybdenite, or the hefty copper sulphide with the rainbow sheen #Bornite? vote: www.mineralcup.org/vote-results... results:

Classic large #Ilmenite crystal with "rusty" surface from Åmdal (Omdal), Froland, Norway. Fennefoss Museum in Evje specimen #OreCup #mineral #mineralogy #mineralexpert #titanium #ore

Huge dragon-shaped aggregate of native #Copper crystals from Ajo Mine, Pima Co., Arizona, USA. #OreCup #ore #mineral #crystal #mineralogy

#OreCup R2M1: Are you supporting tendrils of native #Copper or dark grains of #Ilmenite? vote: www.mineralcup.org/vote-results... results: www.mineralcup.org/vote-results...

#OreCup R1M4: This match is coming hot from a hydrothermal vein as #Carrollite competes with #Bornite. Both are copper ores with a beautiful tarnish. You have 24 hours to decide! vote: www.mineralcup.org/vote-results... results:

Perfect crystal of rare #Carrolite (CuCo2S4) on matrix from Camoya Mine, Congo. #OreCup #sulfides #sulfide #mineral #mineralogy #mineralexpert

Nice and large #Ilmenite crystal from Åmdal (Omdal), Froland, Norway. Fennefoss Museum in Evje specimen #OreCup #mineral #mineralogy #mineralexpert #titanium

#OreCup R1M3: It’s a battle of black and white as titanium ore #Ilmenite is pitted against lithium and boron ore #Jadarite. vote: www.mineralcup.org/vote-results... results:

#Molybdenite crystals from Krupka, Czech Republic. FOV 8 mm #mineral #crystal #ore #OreCup #molybdenium #mineralogy #mineralexpert

#OreCup R1M2 is a matchup of extremely shiny and geometrically-distinctive ore minerals for #Molybdenite vs #Tetrahedrite. Vote: www.mineralcup.org/vote-results... Results:

Classic #Pseudomalachite on matrix from Ľubietová (fromerly Libethen), Slovakia. Size 8 x 5.5 cm #minerals #crystals #mineralcollecting #mineralexpert #rockhounding #mineralogy

Hey guys, just curious what you think about names like "Pink Amethyst". In my opinion, #Amethyst should be violet/purple. And we already have another 2 pink #Quartz varieties (rose quartz and pink quartz), to create enough confusion. "Pink amethyst" geode from Pehuenches, Argentina.

Perfect Alpine #Fluorite octahedron on matrix from Planggenstock, Switzerland. #minerals #crystals #mineralcollecting #mineralexpert #rockhounding #mineralogy

Rare primary #Malachite crystals on pale blue #Chrysocolla from DR Congo. #minerals #crystals #mineralcollecting #mineralexpert #rockhounding #mineralogy

Tabular bright yellow-orange #Wulfenite crystals from Ahmad Abad Mine, Bafq Co., Yazd Province in Iran. #minerals #crystals #mineralcollecting #mineralexpert #rockhounding #mineralogy

Twiddling your thumbs after already voting in #MinCup25? Why don’t you take our annual Players Survey and help us improve for next year! www.mineralcup.org/2025/players...

Blue #Kyanite with dark #Staurolite crystals from Chironico, Tessin, Switzerland. Size 18 x 8 cm #MinCup25 #MinCup #mineral #crystal #mineralogy

#Kyanite is a super important mineral for metamorphic petrology. It is trichroic and has different hardness perpendicular and parallel to its long axis. Check our comprehensive overview: #MinCup25 #MinCup #mineral #crystal #mineralogy mineralexpert.org/article/kyan...

#MinCup25 Final: After a month of learning and laughter, we’re at the final match to determine the 2025 Mineral Cup Champion! We have blue blades of #kyanite up against optical magician #tugtupite. Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r5... Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

Perfect #Dioptase crystals sitting on #Dalcite matrix from Tsumeb, Namibia. Size 6 x 4 cm; Anton Watzl collection, Albert Russ photo #MinCup25 #MinCup #mineral #crystal #mineralogy

#MinCup25 Semifinals 2: Beautiful optics are in play for our last semifinal round between reindeer blood #tugtupite and desert queen #dioptase. Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r4... Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

Nice #Hematite (var. Iron Rose/Eisenrose) with #Muscovite on #Adularia from the Mörchnerkar, Zillertal Alps, Austria. Bramberg museum specimen #MinCup25 #MinCup #mineral #crystal #mineralogy

#MinCup25 Semifinals 1: It's a battle of classic minerals for red #hematite vs blue #kyanite. Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r4... Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

Nice #Dioptase crystals on contrasting matrix from Kolwezi, DR Congo. #MinCup25 #MinCup #mineral #crystal #mineralogy

#MinCup25 QF4: Team Green will win either way as desert emerald #Dioptase faces off against radioactive #Cuprosklodowskite! Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r3... Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

#MinCup25 Quarterfinals 3: It's a showdown between Team Green and Team Blue for #kosmochlor vs #kyanite. Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r3... Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

#MinCup25 Quarterfinal 2: It's #perovskite and its intriguing structure against #tugtupite's collection of optical tricks for this quarterfinal match! Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r3... Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

Monster size #Hematite (var. Iron Rose/Eisenrose) from the Mörchnerkar, Zillertal Alps, Austria. Bramberg museum specimen #MinCup25 #MinCup #mineral #mineralogy #crystal

#MinCup25 Quarterfinal 1: Colourful phoenix #Haüyne goes against heavyweight industrial powerhouse #Hematite. Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r3... Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...