Nadine, Haunter of Rocks 👻

Thin blue blades of kyanite sticking out of a beige quartz groundmass. From Itabira, Brazil. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

A lump consisting of blue and white kyanite prisms. Frm Botriphnie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

A cluster of white, opaque kyanite prisms. From Val di Vizze, Italy. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

An aggregate of kyanite blades, ranging from dark inky blue in the centre to paler blue towards the edges. From Sultan Hamud, Kenya. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

280 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Kyanite:
- Aluminosilicate mineral
- Polymorph of sillimanite & andalusite
- An index mineral (used to estimate metamorphic temperature, depth & pressure)
- Used in ceramic production
- The winner of #MinCup25!
- Its name comes from the Greek word "kyanos" (blue) #minerals

A group of deep-blue and blue-black striated zoisite prisms on a dark grey graphite schist. From Merelani Mine, Tazania. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London's collection.

A pink massive variety of zoisite called thulite, with some pale grey quartz - this information is repeated on the specimen label. From Leksvik, Norway. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London's collection.

Dark green zoisite prisms on a matrix with some calcite. From Zermatt, Swizterland. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London's collection.

279 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Zoisite:
- Epidote group mineral
- Comes in a variety of colours
- Forms in some regionally metamorphosed rocks
- A blue-purple gem quality variety is called tanzanite
- Named after Sigmund Zois Freiherr von Edelstein (1747-1819), a natural scientist #minerals #MineralMonday

A group of deep-blue and blue-black striated zoisite prisms on a dark grey graphite schist. From Merelani Mine, Tazania. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London's collection.

A pink massive variety of zoisite called thulite, with some pale grey quartz - this information is repeated on the specimen label. From Leksvik, Norway. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London's collection.

Dark green zoisite prisms on a matrix with some calcite. From Zermatt, Swizterland. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London's collection.

279 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Zoisite:
- Epidote group mineral
- Comes in a variety of colours
- Forms in some regionally metamorphosed rocks
- A blue-purple gem quality variety is called tanzanite
- Named after Sigmund Zois Freiherr von Edelstein (1747-1819), a natural scientist #minerals #MineralMonday

In celebration of International Geodiversity Day 2025

Rockwatch chats with Dr Anjana Khatwa about Rocks and Geodiversity

The Whispers of Rock by Dr Anjana Khatwa - book cover

Happy International Geodiversity Day! Celebrate the incredible rocks, fossils, and landscapes that tell Earth’s story with Rockwatch. Interview and more with Dr Anjana Khatwa — the ultimate rock whisperer! Join the celebration: rockwatch.org.uk
#InternationalGeodiversityDay #Rockwatch #AnjanaKhatwa

A finely crystalline crust of botallackite on killas rock. From Botallack Mine, Cornwall, England, UK. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London's collection.

278 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Botallackite:
- A copper chloride mineral
- Forms when copper deposits are weathered or exposed to salt water
- Can also be found around hydrothermal vents
- First described in 1865
- Named after Botallack Mine in Cornwall, its type locality #minerals

Haha, my mineral agenda is spreading!

A finely crystalline crust of botallackite on killas rock. From Botallack Mine, Cornwall, England, UK. Specimen from the Natural History Museum, London's collection.

278 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Botallackite:
- A copper chloride mineral
- Forms when copper deposits are weathered or exposed to salt water
- Can also be found around hydrothermal vents
- First described in 1865
- Named after Botallack Mine in Cornwall, its type locality #minerals

We're just over 75% of the way through #365Minerals! My favourite comments are definitely the ones about how some of these #minerals look like food 😋

Brown, translucent tabular brookite crystals on a white altered feldspar groundmass shaped like an L. From Kharan District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

277 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Brookite:
- A titanium dioxide mineral
- A polymorph of anatase and rutile (same formula, different structure)
- Forms in metamorphic rocks
- Named after Henry James Brooke (1771-1857), a crystallographer #minerals

Mindat.org Mindat.org is the world's leading website about minerals and where they come from.

www.mindat.org is a great place to look for more mineral photos 😊

No, unfortunately not. But these are all photos of specimens in the Natural History Museum in London, so I'd definitely recommend a visit if you're ever in the area!

We're just over 75% of the way through #365Minerals! My favourite comments are definitely the ones about how some of these #minerals look like food 😋

I’m mad that I never learned how to double dutch this good as a kid 😭

How many more generations will be denied Black queer history before we take action? When we understand that our history is diverse, it changes our outlook. I hope that this Black History Month, we all take the time to uncover the history lessons we were denied in school

When we understand that our history is diverse, it changes our outlook. I hope that this Black History Month, we all take the time to uncover the history lessons we were denied in school

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/how-many-more-generations-will-be-denied-black-queer-history-before-we-take-action/

Brown, translucent tabular brookite crystals on a white altered feldspar groundmass shaped like an L. From Kharan District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

277 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Brookite:
- A titanium dioxide mineral
- A polymorph of anatase and rutile (same formula, different structure)
- Forms in metamorphic rocks
- Named after Henry James Brooke (1771-1857), a crystallographer #minerals

Black, shiny icositetrahedral crystals of andradite in pinkish white calcite. From Arendal, Norway. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

Black masses of melanite dodecahedra with some calcite. Melanite is a black titanium-rich variety of andradite. From Pitkyaranta, Russia. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

A crust of pale green, translucent demantoid crystals on beige, weathered serpentine. Demantoid is a green variety of andradite. From Val Malenco, Italy. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

276 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Andradite:
- Garnet group mineral
- Demantoid is a green variety (colour is due to chromium)
- First discovered in 1868 in the Ural Mountains
- Forms in metamorphic & igneous rocks
- Named after José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (1763-1838) a Brazilian mineralogist #minerals

My face when I see another "Y'all come eat ❤️👍" post

This digitally painted piece honors the survivor spirit of the coyote by tracing its lineage from the first cells of life to the animal trotting our landscapes today. Below the horizon, carefully chosen ancestors mark pivotal moments in adaptation, each contributing to the form and survivor we see today. Above the horizon, Coyote stands alert at the center, framed by both Denver’s skyline and a mountain backdrop, symbols of their ability to thrive in cities as well as wilderness. Embedded in the ground are the skulls and bones of carnivores whose lineages ended long ago, emphasizing Coyote’s persistence in contrast.

"I Contain Multitudes"

This digitally painted piece honors coyote by tracing its lineage from the first cells of life to the animal trotting our cities and the wilderness today.

The thread gives descriptions of all the extinct organisms shown in this piece (not to scale)

Black, shiny icositetrahedral crystals of andradite in pinkish white calcite. From Arendal, Norway. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

Black masses of melanite dodecahedra with some calcite. Melanite is a black titanium-rich variety of andradite. From Pitkyaranta, Russia. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

A crust of pale green, translucent demantoid crystals on beige, weathered serpentine. Demantoid is a green variety of andradite. From Val Malenco, Italy. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

276 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Andradite:
- Garnet group mineral
- Demantoid is a green variety (colour is due to chromium)
- First discovered in 1868 in the Ural Mountains
- Forms in metamorphic & igneous rocks
- Named after José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (1763-1838) a Brazilian mineralogist #minerals

A large group of light brown ankerite rhombohedra with some dark grey siderite. From Eisenerz, Austria. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

A stalactitic group of light brown, curved ankerite crystals with some grey quartz. From Alston, Cumbria, England, UK. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

275 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Ankerite:
- A carbonate mineral
- Contains calcium, iron, magnesium and manganese
- Forms in metamorphosed ironstone and banded iron formations
- Named after Matthias Joseph Anker (1771-1843), an Austrian mineralogist #minerals

I realized spooky month's comin' up... So I set aside my intended plans for SPOOPY THINGS!
To kick off Halloween, here're some Sableye variants based on hold items and such in Pokemon!

These're adoptables from my DA / FA / TH (links in bio <33)

Read all about our #MinCup25 Champion Kyanite’s path to victory: www.mineralcup.org/2025

Help us understand who plays & what to improve: www.mineralcup.org/2025/players...

Meet our organizers: www.mineralcup.org/volunteer

Learn about #OreCup starting Nov 3: www.mineralcup.org/about-ore-cup

congratulations kyanite! 🏆

(also congratulations tugtupite, you rock).

#MinCup25 #minerals

Here's my version of the bracket with my hand-drawn minerals.

A large group of light brown ankerite rhombohedra with some dark grey siderite. From Eisenerz, Austria. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

A stalactitic group of light brown, curved ankerite crystals with some grey quartz. From Alston, Cumbria, England, UK. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

275 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Ankerite:
- A carbonate mineral
- Contains calcium, iron, magnesium and manganese
- Forms in metamorphosed ironstone and banded iron formations
- Named after Matthias Joseph Anker (1771-1843), an Austrian mineralogist #minerals

Bracket of Mineral Cup 25, with for each mineral, a small image, showing the dominant color.

Colours are super important in #MinCup25, no?
Here is the bracket, with the colors superposed (of course, some minerals have multiple, so I took the snippets from the images on the voting posts or the website).
Don't forget to vote (once)! It's super close now.
www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r5...

We have a #MinCup25 champion!!

Congratulations, #Kyanite!
www.mineralcup.org/2025

After eight years of competing, another few hours to verify votes was nothing, right?

Amazing first run, #Tugtupite, and better luck next year.

Hark! What’s that we see on the horizon?

Is it something new? Something mostly metallic, quite heavy, and essential to society? It’s an all-new collaboration with IMA!

Ore Cup: www.mineralcup.org/about-ore-cup

Voting starts Monday November 3. Winner crowned IMA Ore Mineral of the Year

Lego figure wearing a blue top with white sleeves, white trousers and lipstick, while holding a pickaxe and a blue gemstone.

Lego werewolf figure. It has a wolf's head and a human shaped body and is wearing a red plaid shirt and blue jeans, both torn. It's holding a pickaxe and a blue gemstone.

30th September vs 1st October
#WerewolfWednesday #Halloween ⚒️

A cluster of translucent, cream coloured powellite crystals on paler zeolite. From Nashik, India. Specimen on display in the Natural History Museum, London.

274 of #365Minerals 🧪⚒️

Powellite:
- A calcium molybdate mineral
- Forms in the oxidation zone of molybdenum bearing mineral deposits
- Named after John Wesley powell (1834-1902), an American geologist #minerals

It's the 1st of October. Halloween is just around the corner. Vote kyanite because sometimes it comes in black which makes it look spooky! #MinCup25 #minerals