Corundum is an incredibly useful material for calibrating powder x-ray diffractometers, and you can get NIST SRM 1976c for this purpose.

it is also heavily used in making high temperature sample holders and about a billion other applications in science and chemistry.

vote corundum

#mincup #mincup2023 #mineralcup #mineralcup2023

for round one I don't care about moissanite at all, but fuck kanolite, it is in every terrible x-ray sample that the soil engineers bring me, and they're always a pain to work on.

#mincup23 #mincup2023

For the first round in #MinCup2023 I voted for #kaolinite.

The whole concept of a lithophane made using porcelain just blew my mind. A lithophane is a thin carved sheet of porcelain that creates an image when back-lit.

Check out Wikipedia/Lithophane: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane

And to vote in #MinCup2023, go here:

Things I learned today:

* the formula for moissanite is SiC. That's funny.
* (also moissanite is not mossanite with a typo)
* kaolinite was named after Gaoling in china (jiangxi province in the southeast). And then, a town in pennsylvania was named Kaolin after the kaolinite deposits there. We really are just naming things after things after things, huh?? :D
* minerals have a cleavage apparently. Hehe.

(these are all wikipedia btw, wanted to get to know the contestants a bit before voting in #MinCup2023)

Always was and always will be team kyanite for the #Mincup2023

they are the very model of a modern major mineral (cue Tom Lehrer) - showdown starts 01/09 #MinCup2023 #promotextual @MineralCup
Moissanite v Kaolinite
Fluorapatite v Zircon
Dioptase v Crocoite
Vivianite v Cavansite
Mercury v Sepiolite
Calcite v Opal
Cacoxenite v Bischofite
Sapphirine v Kyanite
Cinnabar v Quartz
Stibnite v Sodalite
Topaz v Goethite
Corundum v Lawsonite
Ammineite v Adamite
Galena v Perovskite
Arsenuranospathite v Neptunite
Rhodochrosite v Lizardite

NPR is #TeamZircon!

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/29/1139782011/to-peer-into-earths-deep-time-meet-a-hardy-mineral-known-as-the-time-lord

#MinCup2023

So, I may have taken 550+ photos (until my phone almost died) and had my husband take 250+ photos. I'm not going to attempt to go through them until home with my computer. 🤣

I'm going to be ready for @MineralCup 2023!

I love the way the exhibit was organized. I could happily spend many more hours exploring the exhibit.

https://carnegiemnh.org/
#Zircon ##MineralCup #MinCup2023 #CarnegieMuseumOfNaturalHistory

@geologiaymapas @MineralCup Some fun information for #MinCup2023!

Hi, I'm new here. I work in public #libraries. I'm a #panromantic #demisexual ciswoman. I have a #geology background and remain a rockhead. I am #UnitarianUniversalist ( #UU). I enjoy #reading #books, #fantasy, #gaming. I'm looking for my people here. If any of this sounds like you might be, say hi, please! (I'm looking forward to #MinCup2023 on any platform!) #introduction

Our current plan is to shift #MinCup2023 voting to our (currently-blank) website akin to Fat Bear Week, and to use various social media platforms (including here) to encourage debate. It’ll be more moving pieces that take more volunteers, but will hopefully spark joyful chaos!

TBD what actually happens in practice, but no way were we willing to lose all you lovely geofolk in the #TwitterMigration 💚

Suggestions for minerals that should compete in #MinCup2023? Let us know!

#geo #geology #rocks #minerals #MinCup