recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Stibnite

First discovered in inchinokawa, Japan in 1832, Stibnite is a metallic black sulfide mineral prized by collectors by it’s vibrant metallic lustre, and unique crystal habits! Because it is an antimony ore, and therefore soft, the crystal’s can bend and fray like hair or wood, resulting in unique, crazy, bent, Vivid black or silver crystals!

Color: silver-black

Moh: 2

Family: sulfides

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: worldwide

Mcch: acicular
Mushroom jasper

Another jasper misnomer, Mushroom jasper is actually rhyolite, but that doesnt make it any less beautiful! Coming in gorgeous grey and green hues with a lace pattern, the beautiful stone can be found in the Klamath mountains of california, as well as southern new mexico!

Color: green, orange, beige, white

Name: Mushroom jasper

Family: Rhyolite

M.o.h: 6.5

Occurrence: US (AZ, CA, NM ), Mexico

Mcch: massive

Rarity: Uncommon
Stichtite

A light purple - rose lavender stone, stichtite was first discovered around 1910, in Dundas, on the west coast of tasmania. It was named after Robert Carl Sticht, the owner of a nearby copper mine. The gem is most commonly associated with serpentine, in which it commonly forms in small pockets, which is where the previously mentioned Atlantasite comes from. This combination makes for a great ornamental stone, and it is often carved into intricate sculptures!

Color: lilac-lavender

Moh: 1.5-2

Family: carbonate minerals

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: tasmania, south africa, namibia, madagascar

Mcch: fibrous
Golden danburite

Colored mostly by iron impurities, Golden danburite is as its name would suggest, a yellow or golden colored variety of Danburite! Unlike pink and white danburites, which almost always crystallize well, golden danburite suffers from the rose quartz paradox, where most of it is massive, and terminated crystals are extremely rare. Most golden danburite today is mined in mexico!

Color: yellow, orange

Name: Golden Danburite

Family: Danburite

M.o.h: 7

Occurrence: US (CT) Brazil, Mexico

Mcch: orthorombic

Rarity: uncommon
Salammoniac

Usually colorless, Salammoniac is a very rare, soft Halide mineral which was first discovered incredibly far back all the way in 1568 in Etna, Italy. The most valuable pieces of Salammoniac are the rare, electric blue clusters found only in Durango, Mexico, in salt flats! It is named after the Greek word ‘’Sals Ammonicos’’ meaning ‘’Salt of Ammon’’ due to it’s historical use in alchemy near Ammon, Egypt!

Color: colorless, electric blue

Moh: 1.5-2

Family: Halides

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Tajikistan, Italy, Mexico

Mcch: trapezohedral
Shiva lingam

Shiva Lingam is a crypto-crystalline member of the quartz  family. This stone is found in only one of seven sacred Indian rivers. Villagers visit the Narmada River in Onkar Mandhata and polish these river rocks to better define their famed lingam shape. Shiva Lingams can range in size, with pieces being found as tall as 10 feet. Shiva’s are named after the Hindu god Shiva, and are very sacred stones, often used as centerpieces to Hindu offering altars!

Color: grey/brown

Moh: 7

Family: quartz

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: India

Mcch: alluvial
Obsidian

Although we have talked about many of obsidian’s varieties in this book, let’s take a look at the base material. Obsidian is an igneous rock that forms above the Earth’s surface when molten rock cools very quickly. The result is a volcanic glass with a smooth, uniform texture. Obsidian can be found where lava comes into contact with water and around the edges of a volcanic dome or lava flow. Obsidian is a Birthstone for Sagittarius. It has been used by humans since aboriginal times, often carved into arrow and spear tips, and carved into knife blades.

Color: black - w/multiple inclusions

Name: obsidian

Family: obsidian/natural glass

M.o.h:  6-6.5

Occurrence: worldwide

Mcch: massive/nodular

Rarity: uncommon
Stolzite

A very rare, lemon yellow, to very rarely hot reddish orange gem, Stolzite is a sulfate mineral which was first discovered in Zinnwald, Czech Republic, in 1845. It is only found in a handful of places in gem quality, Australia, Namibia, and Arizona. It is named after Czech doctor Joseph Stolz, who provided the first specimen to scientists!

Color: red, brown, yellow, orange

Moh: 2.5-3

Family: sulfates

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Australia, Namibia, US, (AZ)

Mcch: dipyramidal
Vera Cruz Amethyst

vera cruz amethyst is a variant and type locality of pale lavender amethyst noted for its extremely sharp and defined etching and scoring, it was discovered around the 1980s in the Vera Cruz mountains of mexico, for which it is named. it is a popular form of amethyst amongst collectors for reasons aforementioned. it is also possibly the most famous amethyst deposit in north america!
Rubellite

A pink - red variety of tourmaline, rubellite is perhaps one of the most famous ‘’imposter’’ gemstones (stones that were historically mistaken as another gem) of all time, spinels being right behind them. From greek to roman times, rubellite has been mistaken for rubies, for which it is named. Probably the most famous example of it’s trickery was when in 1786, king gustav III gave the russian empress catherine a 250 carat ‘’ruby’’ that in 1926 was discovered to actually be, you guessed it, a massive rubellite. Today though, rubellite is appreciated as a tourmaline, and is in fact one of the most valuable colors of tourmaline today!

Color: pink-red

Moh: 7-7.5

Family: Tourmaline

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: sri lanka, india, brazil, maine

Mcch: trigonal
Plancheite

Plancheite is a rare copper silicate mineral first discovered in the congo by french explorer jaques Planche, for whom it was named, in 1908. It is known for forming intriguing radial patterns alongside other copper minerals like shattuckite, chrysocolla, and malachite! It is also sometimes called bisbeeite!

Color: Sky blue, green

Name: Plancheite

Family: Copper sillicate

M.o.h:  5.5-6

Occurrence: Mexico, DRC

Mcch: Dipyramidal

Rarity: Rare
Siskiyou opal

Discovered in the late 2000’s, siskiyou opal, or Shasta opal, is a very rare variety of beautiful pale blue common opal, only found in the volcanic settlements at the base of California’s Mt. Shasta. It is prized for it’s baby blue color, and is only found in one single mine! It is also occasionally dendritic, which is extra sought after!

Color: pale blue, white, black

Moh: 5-5.5

Family: Opal

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: US (CA)

Mcch: amorphous
Topaz

Used since antiquity, topaz is a very well known gem. Being the birthstone of november, as well as the anniversary stone for the 4th and 19th year. First used by the Egyptians, topaz was seen as a gemof the sun god Ra, and in ancient Greece, it was highly valued as a talisman. Later, in medieval Europe, Topaz became one of the gems set in the high priest Aaron's breastplate! Topaz is widley associated with the sun in many cultures, from native american, to east african! Although most topaz is a pale colorless-orange-yellow, blue topaz exists as well, although a fair amount is actually heat treated orange topaz. To this day, it continues to be an extremely popular stone, and is one of the best known orange gems!

Color: colorless, orange, pink, blue

Moh: 8

Family: nesosillicate

Rarity: uncommon-rare

Occurrence: india, utah, mexico, russia, sri lanka, pakistan, namibia

Mcch: prismatic
Sowbelly agate

Found only in the snowy peaks around the old gold and silver ore mines of Creede, Colorado, Sowbelly agate is a rare variety of banded, Amethystine agate banded with white or grey Chalcedony. It’s name comes from the appearance of the purplish pink belly of a sow. It can rarely have dendrites of native silver from the mines it comes from as well!

Color: purple, white, grey

Moh: 7

Family: chalcedony, amethyst

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: US (CO)

Mcch: veinular
Sunstone

First discovered in India in the early 1800’s, sunstone was originally a precious, very little known stone. It was not until the early 1900’s that much larger deposits of this fiery gem were discovered in norway, siberia, tasmania, and, perhaps most notably, oregon! Most sunstone is an iridescent, moonstone-like stone, (most likely because it is in the same family as moonstone (Feldspar) however, oregon sunstone is unique, around 1905, a deposit of translucent, copper included gemstones were discovered in harney county, Oregon! This unique gem would explode in local popularity, and in 1987, it officially made the state gem of Oregon!

Color: typically orange-red, oregonian can be green, yellow.

Moh: 6-6.5

Family: plagioclase

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: oregon, norway, india, siberia, tasmania, australia

Mcch: massive
Shungite

Shungite is a unique stone. First discovered in a deposit near the village of Shunga in Russia, shungite is a pitch black stone that is believed to be over 4 billion years old, this wouldmake it the oldest known mineral on earth. Not only that, but it is also a whopping 98% carbon! It is quite rare, and is also electrosensitive, being able to charge electronic devices by a small amount. It is also historically famous for being used as a pseudo-science stone, even in the 1940’s when it was only newly discovered, it was used by russian clerics to heal and comfort patients in spa’s! It absorbs heat incredibley well, and is often used as a stone for hot stone massages. Regardless of your beliefs, it can’t be denied that shungite is a unique stone.

Color: black

Moh: 5’5-6

Family: none

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: russia, DRC, austria, kazakhstan

Mcch: massive
Optical calcite

Optical calcite, also sometimes called iceland spar, is an uncommon, transparent calcite found exclusively in iceland. It is thought to have been discovered as far back as viking times, as optical calcite crystals set in sun dials were found in shipwrecks on Iceland's coast. Formally discovered in  1669, the Danish scientist Rasmus Bartholin (1625-1698) discovered and studied double refraction in calcite. Other early scientists who studied this crystal included Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695), Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727), and Sir George Stokes (1819-1903). Originally discovered in and named after Eskifjord, Iceland, where in the 19th century giant crystals of calcite up to 25 feet were found. High-grade optical calcite was used in World War II for gun sights

Color: colorless - pale yellow

Name: Optical calcite, Iceland spar

Family: calcite

M.o.h:  3-3.5

Occurrence: Iceland

Mcch: cubic

Rarity: uncommon
Swazi agate

Swazi agate, deceptively named as it is actually found in Mozambique, is a rare variety of colorful african banded agate famous for it’s color range which varies from red, to lavender, to dark grey or black! It was discovered in 2017, and has become fairly sought after on the market, with it’s unique colors being prized!

Color: black, grey, lavender, red

Moh: 7

Family: quartz/agate

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Mozambique

Mcch: nodular
Shattuckite

A close relative of chrysocolla, shattuckite is another one of the beautiful copper sulfates! Although Known for it’s striking blues and greens like the closely related chrysocolla, it is also known for it’s radiant sprays of needle like crystals! Something chrysocolla does not do. It was first discovered in Bisbee, Arizona in the 1890’s, and has since become fairly popular on the market, it is also commonly mistaken for chrysocolla due to it’s striking similarities.

Color: blue, green

Moh: 3.5

Family: copper sulfates

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: AZ, DRC, Namibia

Mcch: spherulitic
Turquoise

Considered by many to be the gem of the old world, turquoise is a rich blue-green phosphate mineral that dates back to almost the start of human civilization. Turquoise was one of the first gemstones ever mined, perhaps dating back to 6000 BC, in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The name turquoise comes from the same French word, Turquoise, meaning Turkish, since it originally arrived in Europe through Turkey, originating in Iran. Turquoise has been mined in Iran for over 3,000 years. It has been used for thousands of years for jewelry by the Ancient Egyptians, who buried fine pieces with mummies. Aztecs fashioned elaborate turquoise masks. Today, Native Americans, especially the Zuni and Navajo peoples, produce the most renowned pieces in the US, such as turquoise and silver bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, pendants, brooches, and belt buckles. In the past, the stone was also used as beads in cameos, and irregular pieces were used for mosaics! It is also the state gem of new mexico!

Color: blue, green, rarely orange

Moh: 5-6

Family: phosphate minerals

Rarity: uncommon-rare

Occurrence: middle east, south western US.

Mcch: nodular nuggets
Koroit opal

Koroit opal, also sometimes called nut opal, is a rare variety of breccicated precious opal that was discovered and named after the koroit opal fields upon discovery in 1972. They are well known for their beautiful breccica, and are very closely located to the small mining station of Yowah, which produces another variety of precious opal!

Color: multi

Name: Koroit Opal

Family: Opal

M.o.h:   5.5-6

Occurrence: Australia

Mcch: veinular

Rarity: Rare
Sulphur

One of the most common elements in the known universe, sulpher has so much history and lore that it would be impossible to cover on one page, so i'll touch on the most notable facts! Such as in christian religions, it is often thought to be what is described as Brimstone, a hellish stone that dominates the underworld, it was used in acient mesopotamia and greece for medicine, and was used as a fuel source in china for it’s flammability. In modern times, it is a core component of many fertilizers and sulfuric acid, and as an explosive element used in firearms and explosives! It is easily identifiable by it’s distinct, rotten smell!

Color: yellow

Moh: 1.5-2.5

Family: sulphur group

Rarity: common

Occurrence: worldwide

Mcch: dipyramidal
Tahoma jasper

Found only in the crystal clear waters (no pun intended) of Washington state’s Greenwater river, which runs through the pit of the puget sound to the Columbia river, Tahoma jasper is a rare variety of breccicated, teal green to sand blue jasper mixed with agate! It is occasionally also called bullfrog Agate! The name comes from the original name of the Washington city of Tacoma!

Color: grey, green, blue, yellow

Moh: 7

Family: quartz/jasper

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: US (WA)

Mcch: massive
Septarian

Starting off our long list of ‘’S’’ minerals, (seriously there are a LOT of them??) septarian calcite is an uncommon yellow calcite that forms in septarian nodules, usually forming with an outer layer of a mixture of sediment and other igneous rocks. They are commonly found washed ashore on beaches along the pacific ocean in countries like new zealand, although the more popular ‘’eggs’’ comprising of mudstone, aragonite, and calcite are most common in mexico, as well as utah, and new mexico.

Color: tan, brown, yellow

Moh: 5-6

Family: multiple

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: worldwide, although predominantly in Mexico, and utah.

Mcch: nodular
Spiderweb obsidian

Discovered recently in 2014 in the infamously gem rich deserts of Chihuahua, Mexico, Spiderweb obsidian is a rare variety of black, Breccicated obsidian, charecterized by it’s unique cobalt blue lines of Breccia. It likely came from a previous volcanic eruption around 30-35 Million years ago!

Color: red/greyish black

Moh: 5

Family: obsidian

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Mexico, US (OR)

Mcch: amorphous
Tschermakite

Thought to have been initially discovered in 1945 near the town of Bamle, Norway, Tshermakite is a rarely seen green or black variety of Amphibole silicate. It is often seen with ruby zoisite from india! It is named after the professor Gustav Tshermak, a minerologist and professor from Vienna, Austria, who first identified the mineral.

Color: green, black

Moh: 5-6

Family: Amphibole silicate

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: worldwide in small amounts

Mcch: prismatic
Tiger iron

Discovered in England in 1922, Tiger iron (or tigereye matrix) is a quartz-lignite aggregate gemstone containing layers of vibrant golden tigereye, metallic grey hematite and rich, red jasper. Tiger iron is also sometimes called mugglestone, to the surprise and delight of Harry Potter fans everywhere! (This unusual term probably comes from "mucklestone," found in a place named "Moclestone" in what is now Great Britain.) This version of tiger iron has little, or low contrast, tigereye bands--which can take some of the (dare i say it?) ... magic ... out of the stone.

Color: red, brown, gold, black

Moh: 7

Family: Quartz

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Namibia, Brazil, Australia

Mcch: fibrous
Schizolite

A very rare, and desirable variety of Wollastonite, Schizolite is a beautiful, pale red to pink gemstone. It was first discovered in the famously mineral rich area of Nuuk, Greenland, in 1901, and was named after the greek word ‘’Schisimo’’ meaning ‘’ cleavage’’ refering not to big boobily woobilys, but rather the stones perfect fracture lines!

Color: pale red, pink, colorless

Moh: 5-5.5

Family: wollastonite

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Greenland, Canada

Mcch: triclinic
Prasiolite

One of the rarest versions of quartz, prasiolite is an olive-dark green variety of crystal quartz first discovered in the brazillian jungle in the late 1950’s. For over 60 years, this was the only known natural source for the stone, but in the late 2010’s, a new source was discovered in the remote mountains of inner Mongolia, near china. The mongolian material is slightly different, being colored by inclusions of hidenburgite, whilst the brazilian material is colored through natural ionizing radiation.

Color: olive - dark green

Name: Prasiolite, prase quartz

Family: quartz

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: brazil, ontario, mongolia

Mcch: prismatic

Rarity: rare
Summerville lace agate

another great example of the american south pulling out a real kicker every now and again, looking at the quaint town of summerville, Georgia, you wouldnt expect to find a crazy lace agate look alike in the river banks nearby, but you would! summerville lace is prized for its very similar appearance to mexican lace agates, but dont be fooled, shes an all american girl!
Spirit quartz

Spirit quartz, or cactus quartz, is a rare variety of amethyst that was recently discovered in south africa in 2005, which remains to be the only place where it is found. It is characterized by a layer of small druzy crystals that cover the entirety of the crystal shaft, leaving only the point facets exposed, which gives it the appearance of a cactus! Due to it’s recent discovery, spirit quartz has yet to make a history for it’s self, but due to it’s high popularity, I'm sure that will change!

Color: light lilac-white, occasionally orange

Moh: 7

Family: quartz/amethyst

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: South africa

Mcch: prismatic/druze
Schalenblende

First discovered in Belgium in 1892 by J.D. Dana, schalenblende is a metallic mineral consisting of galena, marcasite, shale, sphalerite, and pyrite. Galena is the most prevalent of these minerals, which causes the stone to be extremely heavy! It is thought to be around 135 million years old, and due to a complicated forming process, it is considered quite rare. Schalenblende has only become popular in the past decade, as mines are finally letting material onto the open market.

Color: tan, brown, silver

Moh: 4.5-5

Family: multiple

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: belgium, italy, germany, spain, canada

Mcch: banded, metallic
Tarbuttite

A beautiful mint green Zinc Phosphate mineral, Tarbuttite was discovered at Zambia’s somewhat famous Broken hill mining district, at the base of broken hill, hence it’s name, in 1907. It is quite soft, and is rarely cut into gemstones, which makes it a desirable collectors gemstone! It was named after Percy Tarbutt, director of the broken hill company, the owners of the mining district!

Color: pale green, yellow, colorless

Moh: 3.5-4

Family: Zinc Phosphates

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Zambia, Angola, Algeria, Australia, Namibia

Mcch: Pinacoidal
Smaragdite

Dont take it’s somewhat ugly name as a danger sign, as Smaragdite is a very beautiful stone! A variety of Chromium Actinolite, Smaragdite, although most plentiful as an inclusion coloring jade, serpentine, and Nephrite, can also make a beautiful stone on it’s own. It is named after the Greek word ‘’Smaragdos’’ meaning ‘’Green gem’’.

Color: mid green

Moh: 5.5-6

Family: Actinolite

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Austria, Czechia, Norway, switzerland

Mcch: massive
Starlite

Perhaps the single rarest variety or member of the ancient Zircon mineral family, Starlite is a variety of often tiny, Electric or cobalt blue Zircons that were first discovered in the Liberec region of the Czech republic at an unknown date. It is the only known variety of blue zircons, and is extremely valuable! It is unknown exactly where the name starlite came from, but my best guess would be the word ‘’starlight’’ being shortened to star-lite to better fit the standard naming system for minerals!

Color: blue

Moh: 7.5

Family: Zircon

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Czechia

Mcch: tetragonal
Smithsonite

Famous for it’s botroydial crystal habit that makes them look like clusters of grapes or berries, Smithsonite is a zinc carbonate mineral named in honor of british geologist james smithson, when it was discovered in 1832. It is a popular stone amongst collectorsdue to it’s color and relative rarity, and was actually a source for zinc in industry until around 1890. The most famous localities for smithsonite today are China, New Mexico, and  Mexico.

Color: yellow, blue, pink, purple

Moh: 4.5

Family: zinc carbonates

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: NM, Mexico, China

Mcch: Botroydial
Tiffany stone

Tiffany stone is a very controversial, and interesting gemstone. Also sometimes called ‘’bertrandite’’ or ‘’ice cream stone’’ it is a unique conglomerate mineral of breccicated fluorite, and common white-beige opal. The stone gained controversy when it was discovered by it’s Utahn owner in central Utah in the late 1970’s, who then legally claimed the stone as his personal copyright. This sparked a lot of argument on whether or not a single person should be allowed to own the copyright of a rock or mineral, which is a natural resource. Ultimately, it was decided it was legal, as the owner had found the stone AFTER having bought the property. Although it is widley thought to be named after the US jewelry company ‘’tiffany and co.’’ It is actually named after the mine owner's daughter, Tiffany! Sadly, much of the stone is crushed to produce berlyium, and the only pieces on the market are often snuck out by employees, or rarely, gathered by collectors on surrounding land, as the owner is more interested in the money of berylium, and not the stone itself.

Color: white, beige, purple

Moh: 5-5.5

Family: fluorite, bertrandite, opal

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Utah

Mcch: massive, breccicated
Sinhalite

Prized by gem collectors and lapidary artists for it’s beautiful Champagne yellow color, Sinhalite is a very rare Borate mineral which was initially discovered at an unknown time, as it was always thought to be a brownish yellow variety of peridot. It wasnt until 1952 that a minerologist sid a chemical test, and revealed it to be a different mineral entirely! It is found in Sri Lanka’s gem gravels, and is rarely Pleochroich! It is named after the old Sanskrit word for Ceylon, ‘’Sinhala’

Color: yellow

Moh: 6.5-7

Family: borates

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Myanmar

Mcch: euhedral
Topazolite

A fairly rare variety of golden yellow Andradite garnet, Topazolite was first discovered in Bavaria, Germany, near the infamous black forest in 1877. It was named after it’s similar appearance to Topaz. It is one of the rarest garnets, and is found mostly in Germany, Italy, Namibia, and in the US state of California!

Color: yellow

Moh: 6.5-7

Family: Garnet

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Germany, Italy, Namibia, US, (CA)

Mcch: dodecahedral
Tantalite

Named after the mythical greek figure Tantalus, Tantalite is a rare oxide mineral, and a primary source of the rare earth element Tantalum. Gem tantalite however, also called Magnesio Tantalite, was discovered in 1888 in northern Sweden. The best specimens show incredible hot orange or coral red coloring, and are a true rarity!

Color: red, orange

Moh: 6

Family: oxides

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Mozambique, Sweden, Uganda, Afghanistan

Mcch: tabular
Zultanite

one of 2 brethtakingly beautiful, and extremely rare varieties of diaspore discovered in the ankara region of turkey in 2017. zultanite is the sister to csarite, and is coveted for its incredible pleochroism, or the ability to change color according to light. zultanite changes from a yellow color in artificial to a green, and even pinkish red color in natural sunlight, natural magic!
Schernikite

One of the rarest members of the Mica group, Schernikite is a very rare, strawberry pink to fuchsia variety of Muscovite exclusively found in quarries in the US states of Connecticut, and Maine. What makes schernikite so unique is it’s crystal habit. While most Mica’s are platy, scale like crystals, Schernikite forms in agrragatel, almost stalactitic like columns of pink, Prismatic crystals, something not seen in other varieties of Mica. This is especially notable from Connecticuts Gillete quarry. The origin of it’s name is actually a mystery, although the common russo-american last name scherniki is most likely the source.

Color: pink, fuschia

Moh: 1.5-2

Family: Mica

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: US (CT,ME)

Mcch: aggregatal
Trinitite

Not a mineral, nor is it entirely natural, I included trinitite in this book for a similar reason I kept Tengizite, Hellenite and Fordite, it’s unique origin and history! You see, in the mid 1940’s, the second world war was at the very height of it’s life, millions of innocent people from all sides were dead, and it was gonna take something massive to end it, something like the Atomic bomb. A prototype of the little boy bomb which months later would obliterate the Japanese city of Hiroshima, and end the war once and for all, the trinity bomb was dropped in the new mexico desert, and the resulting explosion turned the surounding sand in the crater to glass! Hence, Trinitite!

Color: light green, yellow

Moh: 4-5

Family: none (glass)

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: US (NM)

Mcch: amorphous
Triplite

Despite being found in tiny, gem rich pockets around the globe, Triplite is still an extremely rare gemstone! Prized for it’s gorgeous clarity, which is enhanced by it’s wide range of salmon, rose, red, and orange colors, Triplite was first discovered in Limousin, France in 1813. However, it wouldnt be until over 180 years later in 2010 that a large deposit of gem quality, worldclass crystals were found in the village of Alchuri, Pakistan, that it would gain proper recognition! It is named after the Greek word ‘’triplos’’ meaning ‘’threefold’’ alluding to it’s 3 perfect points of cleavage!

Color: salmon, rose, red, orange

Moh: 5-5.5

Family: phosphates

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: worldwide in small amounts

Mcch: indistinct
Snakeskin agate

Snakeskin agate is a rare, cream-white variety of weathered or ‘’buckskin’’ chalcedony that is currently only found in maulher county, in central oregon. The stone is best known for it’s white chalcedony weathering that, when polished, results in a snakeskin like pattern! It was likely formed when lava tubes hollowed out, and filled with chalcedony, giving it it’s odd grooves, and seemingly organic textures!

Color: tan, brown, cream

Moh: 7

Family: quartz/agate/chalcedony

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Oregon

Mcch: nodular
Starburst obsidian

Possibly the most recent Obsidian discovery, Starburst obsidian was discovered in the sauceda mountains of arizona in 2014. It is found entirely within the grounds of a US military base which, as you could imagine, makes gathering this material extremely difficult, as only authorized personell can remove it from the property! It is prized for it’s radial orange anorthite inclusions, which resemble starursts, or fireworks!

Color: red, orange, black

Moh: 5.5

Family: none (natural glass)

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: US (AZ)

Mcch: amorphous
Shomiokite

Another exceedingly rare gemstone only found in the collections of the most devoted, experienced collectors, Shomiokite is a very rare, colorless to pale pink or yellow Yttrium gemstone discovered somewhat recently in 1990, on the banks of the shomiok river, near the foothills of Russia’s mount Alluaiv, on the Kola peninsula, hence it’s name! It has since only been found in one other place, the infamous mt. saint hillaire, Quebec, Canada!

Color: colorless, pink, pale yellow

Moh: 2-3

Family: Yttrium carbonates

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Russia, Canada

Mcch: Pyramidal
Serpentine

Used since antiquity, serpentine is a yellow-green stone, well known for it’s resemblance to snake skin! In ancient times, serpentine was thought to be a cure for poison. Amulets of serpentine were worn to protect against snakebites or poisoning. Since then, it has become a popular stone to be used as a substitute for jade, despite not being related in any way. Nowadays, it is a very popular stone for chiche jewelry, and is very popular in both chinese and indian culture!

Color: lime, yellow, green

Moh: 5-5.5

Family: serpentinite

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: worldwide

Mcch: massive
Smoky quartz

First used as far back as 12th century china for sunglasses, and tempered glass, smoky quartz is a deep brown-black variety of quartz crystal. Most popular for it’s dark brown, smoky appearance (for which it is named) it is a very popular jewel for men’s jewelry, due to it’s darker, warmer colors! Smoky quartz is the national gem of scotland, as it was first discovered in europe there in the 16th century, where it became known as ‘’caringorm’’ a deep brown variety of the quartz! Smoky quartz remains popular to this day, and is well known for it’s unique content of large amounts of rutile crystals! the highest grade variety, known as Gwindel quartz can be found high in the Swiss Alps!

Color: deep brown, gray, black

Moh: 7

Family: quartz

Rarity: common

Occurrence: worldwide

Mcch: prismatic
Ludlamite

Desired by collectors of minerals for it’s appealing sprays of light green, jagged, radiating crystal resembling fronds of a palm tree, Ludlamite is a rare phosphate mineral which was first discovered in 1877 in cornwall, England, by nevile Maskelyne, who named it for mineral collector Henry Ludlam!

Color: apple green

Moh: 3.5

Family: phosphates

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: england, canada, germany, bolivia

Mcch: tabular
Tengizite

One of a handful of partially man-made, partially nature made stones in this book, Tengizite is a truly unique one! See, in 1985 the soviet Union owned Kazackhstan, and after a massive explosion in a large field of crude Oil known as the Tengizi oil field turned over 25 square miles of sand into Glass, Tengizite was created! Famed for it’s unique story, as well as it’s beautiful ultramarine blue colors, it is quite the desirable material, and there is a very limited amount available!

Color: blue, lilac, violet

Moh: 5-5.5

Family: none (Glass)

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Kazakhstan

Mcch: amorphous
Rossmanite

One of the most recent Tourmaline variety discoveries, Rossmanite is a rare variety of pink or purple tourmaline discovered in the Moravia region, Czech republic, in 1996. It is named in honor of California Institute of Technology professor George Rossman, who is credited with many chemical discoveries made in understanding the science of Tourmaline!

Color: pink, purple

Moh: 7

Family: tourmaline

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Czechia, Canada, England, Germany

Mcch: Euhedral
Unicorn stone

A brand new Discovery Unicorn stone is a rare and unique combination mineral of Mica, quartz, and Tourmaline, discovered near Morovato, Madagascar in mid 2021! It is named for it’s feminine, mystical colors ranging from pink, purple, mauve and even a creamy yellow! It is the first major discovery of 2021.

Color: pink, purple, cream, mauve

Moh: 4.5-7

Family: mica, quartz, tourmaline

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Madagascar

Mcch: pegmatitic
Tsavorite

Discovered fairly recently in Tsavo national park, Kenya, (for which it is named) in 1967 by Campbell bridges, tsavorite is one of the rarest, and also newest, members of the garnet family! And in the early 1970’s it made it’s way onto the gem market, almost immediately becoming popular. It is also one of the most expensive garnets, and can sell for a whopping $8000 a carat! Due to this extraordinary price, tsavorites are actually more popular amongst collectors than they are jewelers! Tsavorite was also officially named the national gem of Kenya in 1971.

Color: lime green

Moh: 7-7.5

Family: Garnet

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Kenya, tanzania, madagascar.

Mcch: cubic
Trulite silica

Discovered in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil in 2016, Trulite silica is a very, very rare variety of gem silica and moss agate combination that was introduced to the market at the 2017 Tucson gem show. And, unfortunately, it was quickly bought up, and ultimately was sold out entirely by the dawn of 2018, making it a truly rare and valuable stone!

Color: moss green, teal

Moh: 7

Family: chalcedony/quartz

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Brazil

Mcch: breccicated
Spessartine

Spessartine, formerly spessartite, or ‘’mandarin garnet’’ is one of the rarer varieties of garnet, as well as one of the more popular gems used in orange jewelry. Until about 1991, spessartine was very rare, it was’nt until the early 1990’s that a huge deposit was found in namibia, and than, in 2012, a remote smoky quartz mine in fujian province, china, revealed some of the best spessartine the world has seen so far, many of them matrixing on deep brown smoky quartz crystals! However, in 2018 the mine was shut down as it was becoming unstable and unsafe to work in. spessartine is still a very popular garnet amongst collectors!

Color: orange-red

Moh: 6.5-7

Family: Garnet

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Namibia, China, California, Mexico

Mcch: cubic
Rutilated quartz

Likely first discovered alongside regular crystal quartz, rutilated quartz is when thin crystals of  the mineral rutile become trapped in the crystal structure of quartz, resulting in thin, metallic needles of the mineral in the crystal. It is very popular amongst collectors, with the most famous location being brazil. These ‘’rods’’ can vary from very thick and noticeably metallic, to thin, and almost translucent. There are many colors of rutile as well, including copper, golden, silver, and bronze. Black tourmaline sometimes forms alongside as well, resulting in black rutilation.

Color: multi

Moh: 7

Family: quartz, rutile

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: worldwide, largely brazil.

Mcch: prismatic, tabular
Triphane

Triphane is the name for colorless, or light yellow spondumene. The word Triphane comes from the Greek word triphanēs, which means appearing threefold because it has cleavages in three directions. The first Spodumene stones were found in Utö, Södermanland, Sweden by Brazilian naturalist Jose Bonifacio de Andrada e Silva. It is most commonly found in Pakistan, and alongside hiddenite and kunzite, is well known for its soft, pastel hues.

Color: colorless, yellow, rarely orange.

Moh: 6.5-7

Family: spondumene

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: pakistan, india, afghanistan, turkey, CA, Mexico

Mcch: flat / prismatic
Sussexite

Another of New Jersey's surprising amount of rare gems, Sussexite is a very rare borate mineral sought after for it’s unique bubblegum pink coloration! It is only found in one place on Earth, the infamous Franklin mine in Sussex county, New Jersey, which is where it gets it’s name! It is never transparent, always an opaque bubblegum color!

Color: bubblegum pink

Moh: 3-3.5

Family: borates

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: US (NJ)

Mcch: acicular
Scolecite

First discovered in India in 1813, and named after the greek word ‘’skolezit’’ meaning ‘’worm’’ a reference to the fact that the stone curls when heated in 1823. Due to it’s softness, as well as delicate structure, scoelecite is almost never cut into gemstones, and is seldomly seen in personal collections as well, at the moment, it is mostly seen in museums, and some collections, but it is a beautiful, and unique crystal nonetheless!

Color: white

Moh: 5-5.5

Family: silicate minerals

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: india, iceland, brazil, pakistan

Mcch: needles
Simbercite

Simbercite or Simbircite from the Russian city of Simbirsk, (hence the name) is a semi-organic form of agatized Ammonite flesh discovered in 1984. It is prized for it’s unique composition, as well as it’s age, at over 150 million years old! It fills in organic matter within the shell of fossilized ammonites, which were agatized in soft, fleshy spots, and pyritized in hard, boney areas! Definitely a unique crystal!

Color: yellow-orange

Moh: 3.5-4

Family: ammonite matter

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Russia

Mcch: none, organic.
Ruby in zoisite

Ruby zoisite, aslo sometimes called watermelon zoisite due to it’s green and black zoisite with red ruby specks, zoisite is actually the base material for the much more valuable stone tanzanite, and like tanzanite, ruby in zoisite is currently only found in the african country of Tanzania, where it was discovered alongside tanzanite deposits in 1954! Today, the stone is most popular amongst the metaphysical community, much like ruby in fuchsite!

Color: red, green, black

Moh: 6.5-7

Family: zoisite/ruby

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Tanzania

Mcch: massive/conglomerate
Wonder Woman

## Biography

### Early Life

Diana was born in 5000 BCE, she was born out of an affair between Zeus and Hippolyta and was the first Amazon to be born in 3000 years, she is the twin sister of Nubia.

For thousands of years, Diana grew up on Themyscira mostly unaware of man’s world. She was also told fairytales by her mother about the gods and man’s world.
Tamessite

A very rare member of the Fairfieldite group of minerals, Talmessite is a usually colorless, triclinic variety of Fairfieldite. However, the most stunning specimens, although small, are quite spectacular! Found in the Bou Azzer mine in southern Morocco, on the border of the Sahara desert, these gems are known for their vibrant pink and orange coloration! The only other source for colored Talmessite is Iran.

Color: colorless, pink, orange

Moh: 5

Family: fairfieldite

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Morocco, Iran

Mcch: triclinic
Tinzenite

A very rare, hard to come by boron silicate mineral, Tinzenite is most often sought after by experienced gem and mineral collectors. It was first discovered in 1923, and named after it’s discovery locality, a portion of the aples mountains near the town of Tinzen, Switzerland! It is rarely pure enough to be cut into gemstones, and is especially prized as such!

Color: orange, yellow, red, brown

Moh: 6.5-7

Family: boron silicates

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Switzerland, Italy, New Zealand

Mcch: aggregatial
Sardonyx

Sardonyx can be traced back four thousand years to Ancient Egypt. For most of its history, this stone has been used to create cameos and intaglios. In Ancient Rome, women wore sardonyx necklaces with cameos of Venus in hopes of harnessing the power of the goddess of love. It was also common for soldiers to wear sardonyx rings and carvings containing images of Mars, the god of war, into battle as a means of protection. Sardonyx was also a popular stone for Roman seals and signet rings that were used to imprint wax emblems on official documents because hot wax doesn't stick to this stone.

Color: orange, red, black, white

Moh: 7

Family: agate/quartz

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: scotland, madagascar

Mcch: nodular
Silver sheen obsidian

Similar to it’s close relatives gold, copper, and rainbow obsidian, silver sheen obsidian is an uncommon variety of obsidian with an iridescent sheen due to bubbles of gasses trapped in the rapidly cooled obsidian. It is mostly found in mexico, although oregon and california in the United states have yielded pieces of well! It was likely discovered along the same time as gold and rainbow obsidian, when it was used by aboriginal hunters.

Color: black, silver

Moh: 5-6

Family: natural glasses

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: Mexico, Oregon, California

Mcch: none, natural glass.
Willow creek jasper

one of the most recognizable jaspers of the pacific northwest, willow creek jasper has long been prized for its soft pastel hues, and beautiful and prominent orbs and banding. it was discovered in the late 1970s outside the town of Eagle, Idaho, and has been mined ever since. it is also prized for its wide array of colors it can display, including pink, green, cream, purple, white, and yellow.
Nepa river agate

a rare example of a European agate, Nepa river agates are nodular agates found along the banks of the namesake Nepa river in Ukraine. this agate is known for its warm colors of oranges and reds. it is becoming increasingly difficult to find and source due to a number of factors, including the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Suolunite

A rare, yet very interesting gemstone, especially scientifically, Suolunite is an exceedingly rare, colorless to yellow calcium silicate mineral that was discovered in 1965 at Suolun mountain, in Inner Mongolia. What makes it so unique is that it is VERY peizeoelectric! 5 times more than that of Quartz! If it werent so incredibly rare, it would be a very effective mineral for computing technology, as well as higher tech machinery requiering peizeoelectricity, especially satellites, and other spacecraft! It is also found in the Arabian country of Oman.

Color: colorless, yellow

Moh: 3.5

Family: calcium silicates

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Mongolia, Oman

Mcch: coarse
Sonora sunrise

A very rare, and very sought after mized mineral, especially prized by mineral collectors, and experienced lapidarists, Sonora sunrise is a mixed mineral consisting of blue chrysocola, and rust red Cuprite, both copper minerals. It’s name comes from it’s discovery locale of Sonora Mexico, and due to it’s similar color pattern to that of a sunset! It forms in nuggets, with the largest discovery weighing a whopping 500+ pounds!

Color: Turquoise, rust red

Moh: 3-3.5

Family: chrysocolla, cuprite

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Mexico

Mcch: massive
Van Deusen Jasper

perhaps the single rarest porcelain jasper in the world, van deusen jasper is a striking jasper known for its geometric bands, orbs, and organic geometry. it was discovered along the ochoco rim in the 1970s, and not long after, most of it was mined up, as only a very small vein was ever discovered. it is considered the most coveted oregon jasper by many lapidary artists.
Sapphirine

Although not actually a variety of Sapphire, which in of itself is a variety of Corundum, Sapphirine is a beautiful gem all it’s own! A rare inosilicate, sapphirine is prized by both collectors and gem cutters alike for it’s gorgeous, pastel colors ranging from green, to blue, to yellow! It is named after the greek word ‘’safir’’ or ‘’zafir’’ meaning blue stone, which was also the source of the name of Sapphire!

Color: blue, green, white, yellow

Moh: 7.5

Family: inosilicates

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Madagascar, South Africa, Tanzania, Sri Lanka

Mcch: tabular
Sodalite

Sodalite is a rich blue, tectosillicate mineral first discovered in Greenland in 1806. Despite it’s fairly young history, it has already built up quite a history! In 1811, during a royal visit to bancroft, canada, Princess Margaret of England fell in love with the recently discovered stone, and ordered it to be used as the primary decorative stone in her country house, ‘’Marlborough house’’. Due to this royal notoriety, the public soon became fascinated with sodalite as well, and to this day it has retained it’s popularity!

Color: blue, white

Moh: 5.5-6

Family: Tectosillicates

Rarity: Common

Occurrence: Greenland, NC, Canada

Mcch: Massive
Scorodite

Although not particularly rare as a mineral, Scorodite is Extremely rare in sizable, or cuttable specimens, which are prized for it’s colors ranging from beautiful steel blue, to pale nickel green. It was first discovered in 1876 in Saxony, Germany, and is named after the Greek word ‘’Skorodon’’ for ‘’Garlic’’ due to it’s unique property of emitting a garlic like scent when heated due to it’s Arsenic content! It can also rarely be pleochroic!

Color: pale green, violet, blue

Moh: 3.5-4

Family: iron arsenates

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Germany, Austria, US (UT), England, Australia

Mcch: pyramidal
Kunzite

Beloved for it’s calming, light pink to lavender coloration, Kunzite is a very young gemstone, comparatively. It has only been known for a little more than a hundred years. In 1902, George Frederick Kunz, a gemstone specialist and New York jeweler, was the first person to give a comprehensive description of the stone. Kunzite had just been discovered in the Pala District of San Diego County, California. The new and beautiful gemstone was named "Kunzite" after its discoverer, Mr. Kunz. It is most popular in jewelry, where it is loved for it’s satiny lavender or pink colors.

Color: light pink-lavander

Name: Kunzite

Family: spondumane

M.o.h:  7-7.5

Occurrence: california, mexico, afghanistan

Mcch: monoclinic

Rarity: rare
Noreena jasper

Discovered by a geologist around the late 1990’s, Noreena Jasper was named after Noreena Station which is the name of the property on which the rock was found and is mined.  This material is mined solely by Glenn Archer of Outback Mining. Noreena Jasper is a silicified pelite (mudstone) and is believed to be one of the oldest jaspers on earth, dating to the late archaean period, or about 565 million Years ago! Like most australian jaspers, it is prized for it’s classic red, yellow, and cream colors!

Color: red, yellow,cream

Name: Noreena jasper

Family: quartz/jasper

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: australia

Mcch: massive

Rarity: rare
Stilbite

First discovered as far back as 1818 in Scotland, stilbite is an uncommon, peach orange to pink variety of zeolite! A tectosillicate. Stilbite is a fairly little recognized stone, and it wasn’t really until modern times that with the rising popularity of Apophylite, a physosillicate, that it became popular due to the fact that it commonly forms atop the stone as a matrix! The name comes from the Greek word ‘’stilbien’’ meaning ‘’to shine’’ due to the pearly lustre of this gem!

Color: colorless, peach, pink.

Moh: 3.5-4

Family: tectosillicate

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: india, scotland, germany, iceland

Mcch: fibrous/aggregatic
Spectrolite

Spectrolite is a more colorful, often geometric version of the very popular labradorite from canada. Spectrolite was discovered quite by accident in 1940 during the Second World War, when stones were being quarried along Finland's eastern border for the purpose of making anti tank obstacles, which makes it a more recent discovery than the well-known Labradorite. It is most commonly used in jewelry, as well as decorative stone. It was named Finland’s national gemstone in 1988!

Color: black, with rainbow labradorensence.

Moh: 6-6.5

Family: fieldspar / labradorite

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: Finland

Mcch: massive
Selenite

Selenite is a transparent, gray-white form of crystalline gypsum most commonly found in mexico. This beautiful stone often forms in large, transparent ‘’sheets’’ in caves rich with gypsum. On the market however, most ‘’selenite’’ is actually a variety of calcite called ‘’satin spar’’ and appears as a more fibrous, shiny color as opposed to the natural transparent and flakey crystalline gypsum that is actually selenite. Selenite’s name comes from ‘’selene’’ the greek word for the moon!

Color:white, gray, silver

Moh: 2-2.5

Family: gypsum

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: mexico, morocco, spain

Mcch: monoclinic
Shigaite

Although i try not to include minerals in this book that are very small, (dont grow in exeedence of 10~ Milimeters) i had to add Shigaite, mainly for it’s incredibly well defined, Hexagonal crystal habit! So delicate that it looks synthetic. Shigaite was discovered in Japan in the Shiga prefecture, (hence it’s name) in 1985. It is very rare, with the most phenomenal crystals being found in the famous N’chwaning mine in South Africa!

Color: pink-red

Moh: 4.5-5

Family: halogen sulfates

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Japan, South Africa

Mcch: hexagonal