| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger |
Bowl of liquid oxygen. Liquid oxygen is blue, beautiful sky blue (though the blue of the sky has nothing to do with the fact that oxygen in liquid form is blue). But it's not really quite this blue, except under certain viewing conditions. OK, I feel guilty, I admit it: The blue in this picture is slightly enhanced. But it really does look very blue, even this blue, when you're seeing it for example under a blue sky out of direct sunlight, or under certain kinds of lights, like the metal halide lights in my shop. I wanted to capture that amazing blueness for my periodic table poster, and I admit, I helped it a bit in photoshop. This is a shameful thing to do, and I'm sorry. (In case you're wondering, the only other samples in my poster that have had any color adjustment applied were gold and copper, which for some reason were just not looking gold or copper colored in print, even though the samples do very much so in person. In those cases, as in the case of oxygen, I tried to make the pictures look like the samples looked to me, even if that meant tweaking the colors compared to what strict application of the measured white balance would require. Color is a tricky thing, and sometimes you have to bend the rules to remove the lies the camera inserts.) This sample to represents its element in my Photographic Periodic Table Poster. The sample photograph includes text exactly as it appears in the poster, which you are encouraged to buy a copy of.  Source: Claudin Welding Supply Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 15 April, 2006 Price: $15 Size: 8" Purity: 99% |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Mounted arc tube. In some ways, gases are a pain from a sample point of view. With the exception of chlorine and bromine they all look exactly the same: Like nothing at all. My beautiful set of noble gas flasks is beautiful because of the flasks, not what's in them, which is indistinguishable from plain air or vacuum. (So much so that I got them for a bargain price because the seller thought the were empty.) But set up an electric current through almost any gas, and things are completely different. The current ionizes the gas, and when the electrons fall back into their orbits, they emit light of very specific frequencies. These spectral lines can easily be seen with even a very cheap pocket spectroscope, and they give the glowing tubes very unusual colors. So unusual in fact that they are basically impossible to photograph. The pictures here simply don't look at all like the real colors of these tubes, which cannot be represented by the limited red, green, and blue mixtures available in computer or printed photographs. David Franco helped arrange these tubes, which were made by a guy who specializes in noble gas tubes and Geissler tubes (click the source link). I have tubes installed in each of the five stable noble gas spots in the table, hooked up underneath to a high voltage transformer. They are really quite beautiful. On my Noble Rack page I have all the pictures collected, along with pictures of arcs I made in my other collection of noble gas flasks. This oxygen tube is not installed in the table, because it's so dim you couldn't really see it, and it's said to not last very long. So I just turned it on long enough to make the photographs (including a 360 degree rotation). Source: Special Effects Neon Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 22 November, 2002 Price: $35 Size: 2.5" Purity: >90% |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Portable oxygen tank. This is a pair of empty oxygen tanks with regulator, probably intended for people who need supplemental oxygen, or maybe for paramedics to carry around. Source: eBay seller waveles Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 7 November, 2004 Price: $51.50 Size: 12" Purity: >0% Sample Group: Medical |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger |
Emergency oxygen tank. I got this tank at the estate auction of a guy who had way too many tools. I'm not sure why he had this tank, but it did come with several hundred pounds of pressure still in it: Next time I'm feeling stressed I'll see if some pure oxygen helps. Source: Auction Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 6 November, 2004 Price: $2 Size: 12" Purity: >90% Sample Group: Medical |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger |
Aircraft emergency oxygen system. This unit is designed to supply oxygen for about 5 minutes through a hood you put over your head. It could be a chemical oxygen generator or there could be a small high-pressure tank inside, I'm not sure which and I don't want to open the sealed pouch to find out. Source: eBay seller rustnstuf Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 23 March, 2004 Price: $20 Size: 9" Purity: 90% Sample Group: Medical |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger |
Oxygen spray bottles. I'm sure there's real oxygen in here, I just don't know why. Sure, breathing pure oxygen can be refreshing, if it doesn't make you dizzy, but a lightweight aerosol bottle like this can't contain enough to make any real difference. One of them also contains water which is probably more responsible for the refreshing effect than the oxygen, especially if the bottle is chilled, as they suggest, before you spray it in your face. Source: eBay seller oxygeninc Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 21 March, 2004 Price: $8/3 Size: 8" Purity: 85% Sample Group: Medical |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger |
Sample from the Everest Set. Up until the early 1990's a company in Russia sold a periodic table collection with element samples. At some point their American distributor sold off the remaining stock to a man who is now selling them on eBay. The samples (except gasses) weigh about 0.25 grams each, and the whole set comes in a very nice wooden box with a printed periodic table in the lid. To learn more about the set you can visit my page about element collecting for a general description and information about how to buy one, or you can see photographs of all the samples from the set displayed on my website in a periodic table layout or with bigger pictures in numerical order. Source: Rob Accurso Contributor: Rob Accurso Acquired: 7 February, 2003 Price: Donated Size: 0.2" Purity: >99% |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger |
Sample from the RGB Set. The Red Green and Blue company in England sells a very nice element collection in several versions. Max Whitby, the director of the company, very kindly donated a complete set to the periodic table table. To learn more about the set you can visit my page about element collecting for a general description or the company's website which includes many photographs and pricing details. I have two photographs of each sample from the set: One taken by me and one from the company. You can see photographs of all the samples displayed in a periodic table format: my pictures or their pictures. Or you can see both side-by-side with bigger pictures in numerical order. The picture on the left was taken by me. Here is the company's version (there is some variation between sets, so the pictures sometimes show different variations of the samples):  Source: Max Whitby of RGB Contributor: Max Whitby of RGB Acquired: 25 January, 2003 Price: Donated Size: 0.2" Purity: 99.9% |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Sound |
Mini welding gas cylinder. Cylinders like this are sold in any hardware store for use with small welding/brazing torches. They are nothing like the heavy, thick-walled oxygen cylinders used with real welding torches. But they are cheap and do contain actual oxygen. Many people don't realize that when you use an oxy-acetylene cutting torch to cut steel plate, the acetylene is just there to get things started. Once the steel is hot enough, you turn off the acetylene and blow pure oxygen at the advancing cut. The oxidation (burning) of iron in pure oxygen releases enough heat to keep the reaction going, and a jet of high pressure oxygen can literally burn through four inch thick solid steel plate. I learned this from Harry Barnhart, a thinking farmer who showed me how it's done one day many years ago. Because the air around us is only about 21% oxygen, steel will burn in air, but it won't generate enough heat to keep the burning going unaided. In air, the steel will cool down and stop burning pretty quickly unless you give it extra heat. This is the principle of the plasma-arc cutting torch (pictured under hafnium), which uses just electricity and air to cut steel. As when you turn off the acetylene in an oxy-acetylene torch, the steel itself is the fuel that powers the cutting action, but without pure oxygen to energize things, the plasma-arc cutter has to use an electric arc to supply the necessary extra heat. Another fun thing you can do with oxygen in liquid form is use it to speed up the grilling process. The classic documentation for this was available here, except that it's been removed because of the concerns of the university that had been hosting it. Source: Hardware Store Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 5 August, 2002 Price: $5 Size: 12" Purity: >95% |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Sound |
Natural sample, 21% Pure. I collected this sample of naturally occurring air (21% pure oxygen) from about 20 feet away from the table in May, 2002. The sound for this sample is a beautiful 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen wind sound borrowed from ftp://ftp.zib.de/pub/UserHome/Luegger/Urania/Sound/FX-03.WAV . Source: Air Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 18 May, 2002 Price: $0/Free like the air we breathe Size: 2.5" Purity: 21% |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Yellow Pyroxene. Description from the source: A very rare "yellow" Pyroxene (probably an Aegyrine/Augite, Vesuvio, Napoli, Italia), with a incredible intense yellow color, associated with reddish Olivine and black Spinell. An extremely good Vesuvious specimen for the collectors. 4x2,5x2 cm; 22 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.6" Composition: CaMg(Si2O6) |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Hemimorphite. Description from the source: Hemimorphite (Zn4 Si2 O7 (OH)2 x H2 O orth.), Ojuela Mine, Mapimi`, Durango, Mexico. Transparent, perfect crystals on limonitic matrix. 4,5x3x2 cm; 22 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.75" Composition: Zn4Si2O7(OH)2.H2O |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Scheelite. Description from the source: Scheelite (Ca WO4 tet.), Volchiy Mine, Chukotka Okrug, Russia. Very nice little example, with Scheelite octahedral crystals and black Cassiterite. 2x1,5x1,6 cm; 15 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.75" Composition: CaWO4 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Cassiterite. Description from the source: Cassiterite (Sn O2 tet.), Huanuni, Bolivia. Similar, only Cassiterite. 2,5x2x2 cm; 20 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1" Composition: SnO2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Cassiterite. Description from the source: Cassiterite (Sn O2 tet.), Huanuni, Bolivia. Crystal cluster with Pyrite. 2,5x2x1,6 cm; 20 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1" Composition: SnO2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Forsterite. Description from the source: Forsterite (Mg2 SiO4 orth.), Minas Gerais, Brazil. Granular. 2x1,2x1,2 cm; 3 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.75" Composition: Mg2SiO4 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Apatite. Description from the source: Apatite (Ca5 (PO4)3 F hex.), Otter Lake, Quebec, Canada. Isolated well formed crystal with high lustre. 4,5x2,5x1,5 cm; 35 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.75" Composition: Ca5(PO4)3F |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Pyroxmangite. Description from the source: Pyroxmangite (Mn+2 Si O3 tric. ), Conselheiro Lafaiete, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Massive, cleavaged. 8,5x4,5x1,5 cm; 70 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 3.3" Composition: MnSiO3 |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Rhodochrosite. Description from the source: Rhodochrosite (Mn+2 CO3 trig.), Pachapaqui, Ancash, Peru. Nice pink crystal clusters. 4x4x2 cm; 40 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.6" Composition: MnCO3 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Spinel. Description from the source: Spinel (Mg Al O4 cub.), Parker Mine, Notre Dame du Laus, Quebec, Canada. Black crystals on matrix with Forsterite. 5x4x3,5 cm; 90 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 2" Composition: MgAlO4 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Magnesite. Description from the source: Magnesite (Mg CO3 trig.), Sierra de los Brumado, Bahia, Brazil. Very nice crystals cluster with Tourmaline Uvite. 3x2,5x2,5 cm; 16 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.2" Composition: MgCO3 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Petalite. Description from the source: Petalite (Li Al Si4 O10 mon.), Mogok, Myanmar (Burma). Isolated, fracturated beige crystal, rare. 2,5x1,6x1 cm; 5 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1" Composition: LiAlSi4O10 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Orthoclase. Description from the source: Orthoclase (K Al Si3 O8 mon.), San Gotthard, Tessin, Switzerland. Geminated crystals of the variety Adular. 5x4x3 cm; 25 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 2" Composition: KAlSi3O8 |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Siderite. Description from the source: Siderite (Fe+2 CO3 trig.), Bad Ems, Germany. Cleavaged masses, typic. 3,6x2x2 cm the bigger; 36 g all. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.4" Composition: FeCO3 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Crocoite. Description from the source: Crocoite (Pb Cr O4 mon.), Adelaide Mine, Dundas, Tasmania, Australia. Classic red orange elongated crystals on limonitic matrix. 7x4,5x3 cm; 72 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 2.75" Composition: PbCrO4 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Calcite. Description from the source: Calcite (Ca CO3 trig.), Pinzgau, Austria. Classic crystal clusters. 2,5x1,8x1,5 cm; 11 g with box. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1" Composition: CaCO3 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Aragonite. Description from the source: Aragonite (Ca CO3 orth.), Molina de Aragon, Guadalajara, Spagna. Perfect, geminated, green and purple large crystal. 5x5x3,3 cm; 132 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 2" Composition: CaCO3 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Grossular. Description from the source: Grossular (Ca3 Al2 (Si O4)3 cub.), Lake Jako, Sierra de las Cruces, Chihuahua, Mexico. Perfect rhombohedral crystal. 2,2x2x1,8 cm; 16 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1" Composition: Ca3Al2(SiO4)3 |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Bismuthite. Description from the source: Bismuthite (Bi2 (CO3) O2 tet.), Beresovsk, Urals, Russia. Prismatic, elongated, light green crystals as alteration on bismuth sulphosalts, associated with very small Gold masses. 4x2,5x2,5 cm; 33 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.6" Composition: Bi2(CO3)O2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Chrysoberyl. Description from the source: Chrysoberyl (Be Al2 O4 orth.), Colatinha, Espirito Santo, Brazil. Geminated, purple-greenish color. 2,2x2x1,2 cm; 10 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1" Composition: BeAl2O4 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Beryl. Description from the source: Beryl ( Be3 Al2 Si6 O18 hex.), Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Not terminated cristal on Quartz with decent color. 6x4,5x4 cm (crystal up to 22 mm); 126 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 2.4" Composition: Be3Al2Si6O18 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Baryte. Description from the source: Baryte (Ba SO4 orth.), Julcani Mine, Huancavelica, Peru. Tabular crystal cluster. 3,5x3,5x2 cm; 22 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.4" Composition: BaSO4 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Danburite. Description from the source: Danburite (Ca B2 (SiO4)2 orth.), Charcas, San Luis Potosi`, Mexico. White large terminated crystal. 7x4x1,8 cm; 70 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 2.75" Composition: CaB2(SiO4)2 |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Wavellite. Description from the source: Wavellite (Al3 (PO4)2 (OH,F)3x5H2O orth.), Maulding, Montgomery, Arkansas, USA. Nice spherical crystal clusters on matrix with green color, better than the photo. 7,2x4x3,5 cm; 63 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 2.8" Composition: Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3.5H2O |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Staurolite. Description from the source: Staurolite ((Fe+2 Mg Zn)2 Al9 (Si Al)4 O22 (OH)2 mon.), Minas Gerais, Brazil. Single crystal. 1,8x1,5x1,2 cm; 5 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.7" Composition: (FeMgZn)2Al9(SiAl)4O22(OH)2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Rutile. Description from the source: Rutile ( Ti O2 tet. ), Ibitiara, Bahia, Brazil. Yellow epitaxial elongated crystals on Hematite. 2,2x1,4x0,8 cm; 8 g with box. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1" Composition: TiO2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Euxenite. Description from the source: Euxenite ( (Y Ca Ce U Th) (Nb Ta Ti)2 O6 orth.), Trout Creek Pass, Chafee Co. Colorado, USA. Crystal cluster, nice and rare example. 2x1,5x1 cm; 14 g with box. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.75" Composition: (YCaCeUTh)(NbTaTi)2O6 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Vesuvianite. Description from the source: Vesuvianite (Ca10 Mg2 Al4 (SI O4)5 (Si2 O7)2 (OH)4 tet.), Bellecombe, Aosta, Italia. Perfect isolated crystal. 1,2x0,8x0,8 cm; 3 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.5" Composition: Ca10Mg2Al4(SiO4)5(Si2O7)2(OH)4 |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Zirconolite. Description from the source: Zirconolite var. Polymignite ((Ca Fe Y Th) (Nb Ti Ta Zr) O4 orth.), Stavern (Fredriksva"rn), Larvik, Vestfold, Norway. Black, fractured on matrix. 2,5x1,4x1,2 cm; 3 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1" Composition: (CaFeYTh)(NbTiTaZr)O4 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Magnesite. Description from the source: Magnesite (Mg CO3 trig.), Steiermark, Austria. White botryoidal masses. 2,5x1,8x1,5 cm; 12 g with box. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1" Composition: MgCO3 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Azurite. Description from the source: Azurite (Cu+23 (CO3)2 (OH)2 mon.), Ajo, Pima Co., Arizona, USA. Well definited crystals on matrix. 1,8x1,5x1 cm; 8 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.7" Composition: Cu+23(CO3)2(OH)2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Azurite. Description from the source: Azurite (Cu+23 (CO3)2 (OH)2 mon.), La Sal, Utah, USA. Blue crystal cluster. 1,7x1,5x1,1 cm; 4 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.65" Composition: Cu+23(CO3)2(OH)2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Cerite. Description from the source: Cerite ( (Ce Ca)10 (Si O4)6 (OH F)5 trig.), Mine of Bastnaes near Riddarhytta, Westmanland, Sweden. Pinkish masses on matrix. Rare. 2x1,7x0,8 cm; 8 g with box. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.75" Composition: (CeCa)10(SiO4)6(OH.F)5 |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Baryte. Description from the source: Baryte (Ba SO4 orth.), Miraflores Mine, Huanuco, Peru. Small but gem crystals, very nice. 0,8x0,8x0,2 cm; 10 g with box. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.3" Composition: BaSO4 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Wavellite. Description from the source: Wavellite (Al3 (PO4)2 (OH,F)3x5H2O orth.), Tom's Quarry, Kapunda, South Australia, Australia. Radiating colorless crystals on limonitic matrix, from a rich in phosphates locality. 1,9x1x0,8 cm; 3 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 30 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.75" Composition: Al3(PO4)2(OH,F)3.5H2O |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Celestine. Description from the source: Celestine (Sr SO4 orth.), Sakoany Mine, Mahajanga Province, Madagascar. Nice lustrpus specimen. 3x3x1,5 cm; 10 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.2" Composition: SrSO4 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Quartz. Description from the source: Quartz (Si O2 trig.), Magaliesberg Quartz deposits, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Nice cluster of Quartz "Spirit". 3,5x2,7x2,5 cm; 22 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.75" Composition: SiO2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Quartz. Description from the source: Quartz (SiO2 trig.), San Luis Potosi`, Mexico. Perfect biterminated crystal. 3,5x2,5x2,1 cm; 15 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.4" Composition: SiO2 |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Fluellite. Description from the source: Fluellite (Al2(PO4)F2(OH).7H2O orth.), Tom's Quarry, Kapunda, South Australia, Australia. Rare crystals on the phosphatic matrix. 3x2,7x2 cm; 15 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.2" Composition: Al2(PO4)F2(OH).7H2O |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Eudyalite. Description from the source: Eudyalite (Na4(CaCe)2(Fe+2Mn+2Y+ZrSi8O22(OHCl)2 trig.), Kipawa Alcalyne Complex, Villedieu Tow., Quebec, Canada. Red, granular, with white fibrous Agrellite and beige Vlasovite. A rich thumbnail. 2,2x1,7x1 cm; 5 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.85" Composition: Na4(CaCe)2(Fe,2Mn,2Y).ZrSi8O22(OHCl)2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Manganite. Description from the source: Manganite (Mn+3O(OH) mon.), Ilfeld, Harz, Germany. Very good crystals in matrix. 4x3,5x2,5 cm; 15 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.6" Composition: Mn.3O(OH) |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Alunite. Description from the source: Alunite (KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 trig.), La Tolfa, Civitavecchia, Lazio, Italy. Small crystal clusters on the same massive material from a classic italian locale. 3,8x2,2x1,5; 22 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.5" Composition: KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Aurichalcite. Description from the source: Aurichalcite ( (Zn Cu+2)5 (CO3)2 (OH)6 orth.), Mapimi`, Mexico. Inclusions on Calcite. 2,5x2,5x1,5 cm; 12 g with box. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1" Composition: (ZnCu)5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Hydroxilherderite. Description from the source: Hydroxilherderite (CaBe(PO4).(OH) mon.), Linopolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Geminated, good rare crystal. 3,2x2x1,5 cm; 10 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.25" Composition: CaBe(PO4).(OH) |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Corundum (aluminum oxide). Description from the source: Corundum (Al2 O3 trig.), India. Rough, complete, a bit deformed, as a horn. 4,5x2x1,8 cm; 34 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.75" Composition: Al2O3 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Kyanite. Description from the source: Kyanite (Al2SiO5 tric.), Itinga, Brazil. Rare complete crystals with transparence. 3,1x1,4x0,9 cm the bigger; 35 g all. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.2" Composition: Al2SiO5 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Ruby Corundum. Description from the source: Corundum var. Ruby (Al2O3 trig.), Mysore, India. Perfect crystal on matrix. 3,2x2,5x2 cm (up to 14 mm the crystal); 20 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 0.5" Composition: Al2O3 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Corundum (aluminum oxide). Description from the source: Corundum (Al2O3 trig.), India. Partially levigated to highlight the cat's-eye effect. Purple-bluish color, very nice. 4x3x2 cm; 57 g. Source: Simone Citon Contributor: John Gray Acquired: 26 September, 2008 Price: Trade Size: 1.6" Composition: Al2O3 |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Cicada killer. Another bug donated by my assistant Nick. Look at the size of the stinger on that thing! I'm not much of a bug expert but my understanding is that these things kill and eat cicadas: I'm not sure what happens if they turn on you. Source: Nick Mann Contributor: Nick Mann Acquired: 27 October, 2007 Price: Donated Size: 1" Composition: C(H2O) |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Trinitite. Nuclearon specializes in trinitite and other interesting radioactive artifacts and objects. They donated this lovely sample of green glass trinitite, remnants of the Trinity test, the first nuclear explosion created by the hand of man. More details about the origin and characteristics of trinitite can be found at this page about the varieties of trinitite. Interestingly, I got this sample right around the time I exchanged some email with Ellen Klages, the author of The Green Glass Sea, a children's book about the trinity test. The title of the book certainly evokes the nature of this amazing material. Source: Nuclearon Contributor: Nuclearon Acquired: 13 June, 2008 Price: Donated Size: 1" Composition: SiO2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Trinitite. Nuclearon specializes in trinitite and other interesting radioactive artifacts and objects. They donated this lovely sample of green glass trinitite, remnants of the Trinity test, the first nuclear explosion created by the hand of man. More details about the origin and characteristics of trinitite can be found at this page about the varieties of trinitite. Interestingly, I got this sample right around the time I exchanged some email with Ellen Klages, the author of The Green Glass Sea, a children's book about the trinity test. The title of the book certainly evokes the nature of this amazing material. Source: Nuclearon Contributor: Nuclearon Acquired: 13 June, 2008 Price: Donated Size: 1" Composition: SiO2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Fancy chocolate tin. This chocolate tin is a sign of the beginning of the end of good chocolate. It's a tin of Hershey's dark chocolate advertised as 65% cocoa. Promoting chocolate on the basis of its percentage of cocoa is an increasingly common marketing tactic, marred only by the fact that beyond about 50% more cocoa means worse chocolate. 99% chocolate, which is actually available, is basically impossible to eat. The force at work here is snobbery, and the need for something that tastes really bad to base the snobbery on. (Things that actually taste good are of no use to snobs, because anyone can appreciate them.) The same force is responsible for vast amounts of perfectly good grape juice being allowed to go sour and become wine. Basically, when you get right down to it, wine does not taste very good. But you can't show off how sophisticated you are by appreciating fine grape juice because pretty much everyone likes it. It tastes good. Wine, on the other hand, tastes bad, so if you go around claiming that you appreciate it at some higher level, and can in even tell the difference between minutely different varieties of it, you can appear refined and sophisticated to the naive who have not yet learned to pretend to like it. Chocolate used to be about tasting good: In this regard milk chocolate is obviously superior. Now all sorts of people turn their nose up at milk chocolate and sniff that they only consume fine dark chocolate. No less than 80% cocoa please. If you ask why they would want to eat that bitter crap suitable only for baking or mixing with milk to make an edible confection, they start talking about fruity aromas and what year the cocoa beans were harvested. Get the picture? They are chocolate snobs who, exactly like wine snobs, actually don't much like the stuff either, but prefer artificial superiority to genuine enjoyment. It's a sad day when this attitude infects even Hershey's, long the bastion of low-brow but good-tasting milk chocolate. How long will it be before there are whole stored dedicated to inedible dark chocolate sorted by vintage, while those seeking the simple pleasure of good chocolate have to turn to the back isles of the grocery store, next to the grape juice? Source: Grocery Store Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 8 March, 2008 Price: $4 Size: 4" Composition: CHO |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Elemental Hexagon Cards. This is a lovely little deck of Elemental Hexagon Cards. They are intended for divination purposes similar to the way you would use Tarot cards. A skilled and sensitive interpreter can tell you a lot about yourself using a deck of cards. Or a box of tea leaves or an old rubber tire, so why not element cards? They are pretty and inventive: This is a mass-produced version printed on standard playing card paper. See the previous sample for a custom-printed version. You can get them here. Source: Calyxa Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 8 March, 2008 Price: $30 Size: 3" Composition: CHO |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Custom Elemental Hexagon Cards. This is a lovely little deck of Elemental Hexagon Cards. They are intended for divination purposes similar to the way you would use Tarot cards. A skilled and sensitive interpreter can tell you a lot about yourself using a deck of cards. Or a box of tea leaves or an old rubber tire, so why not element cards? They are pretty and inventive: This is a "custom" deck, meaning you get to choose the color and backgrounds. See the next sample for the mass-produced version. You can get them here. Source: Calyxa Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 8 March, 2008 Price: $45 Size: 3" Composition: CHO |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Electromagnetic Sensor. Ah, this brings back memories. I made this thing some time in high school: It's supposed to be a general purpose "microphone" for electric or magnetic fields or vibrating metal parts. I turned the handle on a little toy wood lathe, and got a coil of fine wire from a small electric motor. Behind the coil are a couple of permanent magnets from Radio Shack. If you connect it (using the RCA jack at the base of the handle) to an audio amplifier you can actually hear things when you hold it near something that's producing oscillating fields (e.g. a speaker, electric appliance, etc). The idea behind the permanent magnets is to make it work with any vibrating metal, not just electrically-active objects, but that part never really worked as well as I'd hoped. Source: Theodore Gray Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 23 December, 2007 Price: Priceless Size: 5" Composition: CuFe+C(H2O) |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Island In A Bottle. This lovely, tiny little island scene came from a little shop in New Harmony, Indiana, a former utopian community that turned to tourism after failing at the utopia business. Being made of glass, wood, and various other organic materials, it contains silicon, carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, plus some minor elements in the pigments. Source: New Harmony Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 2 December, 2007 Price: $15 Size: 2" Composition: SiO2+C(H2O) |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Fly. This sample exists basically because my assistant Nick was borrowing a new camera, a Canon 40D, and needed something to do a test rotation of. Apparently a dead fly was to hand, so rather than work on our backlog of samples waiting to be photographed, he decided to spend half an hour photographing it. The 360 spin video of this is really quite nice: You can see a lot of macro photographs of insects, but how many macro-rotations have you seen lately? Other than on this website, they are few and far between. The detail is pretty amazing: This shot was taking with a 10 megapixel Canon 40D using a Canon 65mm 1X-5X super macro lens, one of the finest available for objects down to about 1/4" across. And we've got 359 more of them, each as sharp and detailed as this one, just from different angles. Source: Nick Mann Contributor: Nick Mann Acquired: 27 October, 2007 Price: Donated Size: 0.25" Composition: C(H2O) |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Quicklime. Quicklime is calcium oxide (CaO). It used to be employed to make light. Limelight. These days its main applications are in mortar (it turns into limestone on exposure to air and water), and in disposing of bodies. Source: eBay seller lauram300 Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 8 May, 2007 Price: $36 Size: 1" Composition: CaO |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
More confiscated Davidite. This mildly radioactive Davidite ore was confiscated from a student who brought it to school, not realizing that schools tend to freak out about radioactive things, whether they are truly dangerous or not. The original source is United Nuclear and it's perfectly legal. Source: Anonymous Contributor: Anonymous Acquired: 8 May, 2007 Price: Donated Size: 1" Composition: (La,Ce,Ca)(Y,U)(Ti,Fe)20O38 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Confiscated Davidite. This mildly radioactive Davidite ore was confiscated from a student who brought it to school, not realizing that schools tend to freak out about radioactive things, whether they are truly dangerous or not. The original source is United Nuclear and it's perfectly legal. Source: Anonymous Contributor: Anonymous Acquired: 8 May, 2007 Price: Donated Size: 1" Composition: (La,Ce,Ca)(Y,U)(Ti,Fe)20O38 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Rubber penguin from Oliver Sacks. This little rubber penguin was given to my daughter by Oliver Sacks to keep her entertained during a visit in 2003. Here's a picture of them from his 70th birthday bash:  It's not really an element sample, I just wanted a place to post that picture. Shockingly, I had this sample cataloged as a duck for years until reader Robert Anderson's eleven year old son pointed out the error. Just goes to show you should never believe anything you read on the internet. Source: Oliver Sacks Contributor: Oliver Sacks Acquired: 8 July, 2003 Price: Donated Size: 4" Composition: CHO |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Rosy quartz. A pretty little bit of rosy quartz, I think it was a free sample that came with some other minerals I got on eBay. Source: Unknown Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 10 February, 2007 Price: Unknown Size: 1" Composition: SiO2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Pine tree. See baby rattle above for the story behind this object. Source: Theodore Gray Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 20 January, 2007 Price: Priceless Size: 4" Composition: C(H2O) |
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Baby rattle. Some things you don't expect to see again. This is a baby rattle that I cut on an improvised lathe in my grandfather's workshop in his cabin in the Swiss alps over 20 years ago. I've though about it regularly ever since, and it never occurred to me, not once, not in the vaguest sense, that I would ever lay eyes on it again. Source: Theodore Gray Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 20 January, 2007 Price: Priceless Size: 6" Composition: C(H2O) |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Ruthenium Chloride, 99.999%. American Elements is a chemical supplier with a wonderfully refreshing attitude towards element collectors: They actually like small orders from people looking for exotic elements (within reason). They also sell quite a variety of compounds, particularly rare earth salts, many of which are highly colored. This ball of ruthenium chloride (hexahydrate) is bright orange, very attractive in a poisonous sort of way. Source: American Elements Contributor: American Elements Acquired: 2 June, 2006 Price: donated Size: 0.5" Composition: RuCl3.3H2O |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Tremolite asbestos. See above Actinolite sample for an extended discussion of asbestos, mesothelioma, lawyers, and litigation. Mineral details: Tremolite, amphibole group, double-chain silicate. Named after the type locality at Val Tremola (Gotthard Massif, Switzerland). Sample from Placer County, California, USA. Source: eBay seller star-stuff Contributor: Theodore Gray Acquired: 10 April, 2006 Price: $30 Size: 2" Composition: Ca2(Mg)5Si8O22(OH)2 |
||||||||||||||||||
Larger | Spin | 3D |
Riebeckite asbestos. See above Actinolite sample for an extended discussion of asbestos, mesothelioma, lawyers, and litigation. Mineral details: Riebeckite (variety Crocidolite), amphibole group, double-chain silicate. From the Greek krokid ("nap on woolen cloth"). Kuruman, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Source: eBay seller star-stuff Contributor: | ||||||||||||||||||
