[Rockhounds] Ideal Mineral Cabinet

[Armando Afonso]

>From time to time, I focus a specific goup of minerals.
During the last 35 years,  I assembled diferent sub-collections, ranging 
from rock-forming minerals, preferencially cristalized, but not necessarilly 
beautifull, to gem crystals.
Topographic suites are there, too.
I am sure that the typical millionaire instant collector (like those 
featured frequently on MR) would never appreciate my work.
I never let an interesting specimen on site, just because it doesn´t fit a 
perky box, or because it needs a microscope to observe.
The result is that now, I have cabinets and boxes everywhere, and some order 
is needed.
I am trying to organize a (more or less) systematic collection mainly in 
sandard boxes, but it seems to me  inevitable that  larger specimens will be 
stored side by side with the small ones.
If I got a great 12" Wollastonite, I will not look for an inferior one to 
substitute it. Garanteed.
In other cases, I have large matrix specimens that, for didatic purposes, I 
want to complement with smaller single crystals.
No, I will not exchange all that for a collection of 200 beauties. I like 
the uggly ones, too.
As you see, I need a flexible storage system, and it is why I am looking for 
some input from the list.
Armando



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rock Currier" <rockcurrier at cs.com>
To: <rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 12:58 PM
Subject: [Rockhounds] Ideal Mineral Cabinet


> Armando,
>
> I am not sure there is any such thing as an 'ideal' mineral cabinet. I 
> think you first have to define what kind of specimens you want to store in 
> your mineral cabinet and what their size distribution is. Other 
> considerations are the value of the specimens you want to place in your 
> cabinet and the predilections of the person who wants the cabinets. Do you 
> want to make it a set of drawers to hold specimens or do you want a glass 
> display case so that you specimens can be immediately visible, or do you 
> want a combination of both.
>
>
>
> As for an ideal footprint, it would depend on the space you want to put 
> the cabinet in. If cost is no object, you can hire the best woodworkers 
> and have them build a cabinet to fit whatever space you wish. If you are 
> an institution that is looking to efficiently house their collection you 
> may want to go with one of those track systems where you can roll the 
> cabinets back and fourth on a track to minimize the aisle space between 
> your cabinets. With a system like that you can maximize your storage 
> space. If you want to create a cabinet to sell to mineral collectors you 
> have to make some general assumptions about what the most popular sizes 
> might be. Kieth Williams makes high-end specimen cabinets that cost 
> several thousand dollars each and he has orders enough to keep him busy 
> for many months to come.
>
>
>
> Do you want to make a set of drawers? What is the size distribution of 
> your specimens? What is their average value?
>
> Rock
>
>
>
>
> -- 
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