Crystal and Mineral Display Specimens

Minerals are naturally occurring compounds that tend to have a crystalline form. Minerals like quartz, amethyst, fluorite, and agates have a wide range of colors, and they may appear in small or huge formations. Specimens of crystals and minerals can be used as jewelry, bookends, items in a mineral collection, or home decor items.

If you have purchased a whole geode to display, you may need to split it open to view the crystals inside. Follow these steps to crack open the geode.

Wear protective gear: Chips can go flying, so safety goggles and gloves are helpful.

Place the geode on a flat, hard surface: Something like concrete is a good idea.

Score the geode lightly: Use a rock pick or a hammer and chisel to gently tap the geode, and then turn it slightly and tap it again. You should aim to score a line in the surface that wraps all the way around the block.

Tap along the scored line: Using a slightly firmer blow, tap the chisel or rock pick along the scored line until the geode cracks.

Pull the halves apart: Gently pull the two parts away from each other to display the interior.

You can find crystal and mineral displays with the following:

Quartz: Quartz is typically clear, but it may look white, yellow, grayish, or brownish. A few special variants have rose, blue, or greenish tints.

Amethyst: This gem is actually a variant of quartz, but it is distinguished by its purple or violet color.

Bismuth: Bismuth has a silvery color with hints of pink and green due to oxidation.

Agate: Natural agate is almost always grey, brown, white, and black.

Fluorite: Fluorite is typically transparent green or blue, but some variants may shift towards yellow or purple.

Turquoise: Turquoise is an opaque blue-green gem stone.

Handle the mineral display with care and pad the items individually during transportation to keep crystals from being broken off the specimens. Sunlight, heat, and humidity can damage certain minerals, so display your specimens in a cool, dry place without direct sunlight. The oil from your hands will degrade minerals like pyrite, so be sure to wear gloves when handling minerals. Keep in mind that some mineral specimens, like halite, will dissolve if they come in contact with water.