[Rockhounds] Fw: SOFTWARE FOR INDENTIFYING MINERALS

[Axel Emmermann]

Don H wrote

> By the way, for those interested, has anyone seen the list of
> software on this page?
>
> http://www.minerant.org/software.html
>

Yes, Don, I have but that doesn't count since it's he website of my club
;-))))

The good stuff is:


1.	the screensaver (if you're into fluorescence)
2.	The MDB mineral database. I have it and use it regularly)
3.	Chemistry formatter for those who even use formulas in their seasons
greetings.

Personally I think that large are macroscopic crystals of any mineral are
easily recognized...they're the ones you were looking for when coming to the
location that you're at. If you don't know what they are you're:

1.	lost and at the wrong locality
2.	digging at random locations for no purpose, which ain't good
3.	a hillbilly digging an outhouse at a mineralogically interesting
spot which is little less worrying than #2

Small, microscopic crystals can be hell to determine! You look at them under
a microscope and you get a completely wrong idea about the luster and
cleavage. Because they are thin or tiny the color differs from the bigger
specimens. Look at the pseudobrookite that was discussed, an interesting
example? 
You either know what you found with certainty or you don't.
In the latter case certainty comes with analysis. Unless a good guess is
satisfying for you. A good example of a finders nightmare are those small
blue crystals that you may find on copper mine dumps... Is it posnjakite,
linarite or wroewolfeite? Sometimes the posnjakite may be easily recognized
by its crystal form but in most cases you wind up with a few flats of
question marks. I have a friend who collects slag minerals from the Belgian
Sclaigneaux site... We even made a CD on the subject. We spent hours trying
to identify some of the minerals he dug up... 
At one time we were looking at his "unknowns". This pale yellow transparent
hexagonal crystal... is it hydrocerussite? We thought so until we brought
the hot tip of a soldering iron near it and saw (under the microscope) how
it evaporated in no time. It was sulfur. 
Laurionite or paralaurionite? Lanarkite or aragonite? 
Looks difficult? OK, how about telling susannite and anglesite apart when
the crystals are covered with a goethite coating. The coating is part of the
specimens good looks so you don't want to remove it ;-)))
 
It really becomes troublesome if the finder's ambition overshadows both his
knowledge of mineralogy and his integrity... Is 90% sure enough or will 75%
do?
How many "first finds" of certain minerals at certain localities are
mislabeled by ambitious amateurs? Anyone care to guess?
I learned that people tend to become more careful and use discretion in
determining minerals when they become more knowledgeable. People with little
or no knowledge are usually the quickest to blurt out mineral names ;-))))
 
So yes, some of the software seems helpful but actually just increases
uncertainty. Then again, if all mislabeled or uncertain specimens were
magically removed from all collections there would be a lot of near empty
display cases around.
 
Cheers 
 
Axel