CRITERIA for SELECTING CRYSTALLIZED MINERAL SPECIMENS FOR A DISPLAY COLLECTION

Improving the appearance of specimens raises ethical issues for many collectors; some, in fact, view any "repair" as intolerable. It would be wise for each collector to open his or her mind to the complexity of the problem, remembering that many acknowledged masterpieces of art in museums and private collections worldwide have had their bruises mended over time, and have thereby become again accessible for appreciation. But it is precisely because collectors do differ in their tolerances of repair that any steps taken to restore wholeness to a damaged specimen should be declared clearly and openly, and the word "repaired" or "restored" should appear plainly on the label. If more space is needed to detail any major corrective steps taken, the dealer should prepare and staple to the label an accompanying card, the existence of which is noted on the label. The ethics of the dealer and the level of his honesty are plainly laid on the line in the area of openly acknowledging repair.

Marc Wilson of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History has written a stimulating treatise entitled "The Four R's of Mineral Specimen Enhancement," recently published in Emeralds of the World: ExtraLapis English No. 2. Here are Marc's four R's as I interpret them, in order of decreasing acceptability:

1. Reinforcement. Glue or polymer has been applied to a delicate but unbroken specimen (usually to the matrix) to increase stability and strength.

2. Repair. Glue has been used to reattach broken pieces.

3. Restoration. An artificial substance has been applied to replace a gap in the specimen. This approach is still controversial.

4. Reconstruction. Artificial material has been added to replace a partial termination of one or more crystals, in an effort to duplicate the presumed original appearance. All such treatments are highly questionable, even if clearly and honestly spelled out on the label.

If any sort of treatment is suspected and is not acknowledged on the label, I recommend that the customer question the dealer on the point. The overwhelming majority of dealers operates above board and with full honesty, and could not succeed, long-term, in the business otherwise.

I am personally grateful, however, for the technology which has been developed to reinforce, repair and restore crystallized minerals to a state permitting me to enjoy collecting them, and am indebted to such pioneers of mineral preparation as Bryan Lees of The Collector's Edge, whose skilled staff has developed highly advanced specimen-preparation techniques. Many others, such as Cal Graeber, are also adept in the science (and art) of specimen preparation. These people deserve our thanks for improving the world of the mineral collector.

(24) The "Wow" factor. Every once in a while, there appears upon one's horizon a specimen of overwhelming visual magnetism! It suffuses the collector with a sense of awe, and seems to challenge his belief that the earth could have conceived and gestated so magnificent a thing! If such a specimen comes your way and is within your reach, go for it!