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Sharing the world’s most important mineral masterpieces. Collector • Curator • TERRA
Rare stories, even Rarer objects.
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11/03/2026

I’ve had some incredible Chamonix fluorites in my hands over the years, but I always passed on buying one. There was always something that bothered me. The edges weren’t sharp enough, the luster wasn’t there, or the red color just wasn’t what I wanted.

Then during COVID, I finally found this one.
For me, this is everything a great red Alpine fluorite should be. The color is incredible, the crystal faces are sharp, and the luster is just awesome. Then you have that beautiful white feldspar matrix that makes the red absolutely jump out at you.

At 22 cm, it’s a seriously impressive piece. And what’s even better is that nothing has been done to this specimen beyond cleaning. I honestly never thought I’d own a red fluorite of this quality. After all those years of looking, this one was worth waiting for. ❤️

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Red Fluorite on Feldspar
Mont Blanc, Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France
22 cm
🇫🇷

10/26/2026

This is a 53mm rhodochrosite from N’Chwaning in South Africa. I love how all those little crystals come together to make one rounded ball.

The luster, the form, and that deep red color all work together. Then you have the way it pops up off the dark matrix. That contrast is just awesome.

From a few feet away, you see the shape. Get in close and you can see all the individual crystals that make it up. N’Chwaning has produced rhodochrosite in several different crystal habits, and that variety is one of the things that makes the locality so interesting to me.

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Video: Mineral Culture
Cover photo: Thomas Spann

10/15/2026

Finding a mineral is one thing. Finding an exceptional example takes a little more homework.📚

I’ve spent most of my life looking at rocks, and I’m still learning. The more material you see, the more you start to recognize what separates a good piece from something really special. The color, the luster, the condition, the way the crystals sit together. Those details become much easier to appreciate when you have something to compare them to.
Go to shows. Look at collections. Ask questions. Spend time studying the minerals you’re interested in, even the pieces you have no intention of buying. You don’t have to buy everything you learn from. 💯

And get to know who you’re buying from. You want someone who will talk openly about a specimen’s condition, any repairs or treatments, and what they actually know about its history. Someone who will take the time to explain why a piece stands out and answer the questions you haven’t learned to ask yet.
Those relationships matter. So does developing trust in your own eye. That comes from looking at a lot of material, doing your homework, and being patient.

These eight pieces all have something that draws me in. Take a look through them and see what catches your eye. Then look a little closer and ask yourself why. 😍🙌🤔

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Photos: Thomas Spann

10/15/2026

These are a few of the pieces I’ve shared over the past few months, and seeing them together reminds me why I love this so much. ❤️😍

The color, the luster, the way these grew. It’s crazy to think that all of this came from Mother Nature. You couldn’t sit down and design some of these things any better.

I’ve spent most of my life hunting for objects like these. When you’ve looked at thousands of specimens, you start to understand just how special it is to find one where everything comes together. Those are the pieces you remember. The ones you keep thinking about long after you’ve put them down.

I feel very fortunate to have these things in my life and to share them with you guys. Life is F’ing beautiful... Sometimes you just have to take a minute and look. 🙌💯😂

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Video: Mineral Culture

10/13/2026

I remember buying Illinois fluorites for $50 to upwards of $250 a flat, depending on the material, when they were making their way around the market more than 20 years ago. Some of these specimens had been mined much earlier. Illinois produced incredible fluorite over many decades.
Today, those same flats would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions. It’s crazy to think that happened in just 20 years of collecting. I’m not even that old! 😂

I’ve collected Illinois fluorite for almost my entire life, and these pieces are very dear to my heart. The color, the zoning, the luster take me back to my early collecting days in the Midwest. Some of the coolest rocks on Earth came out of those mines. I hope we get to see some of them reopen someday. 💎

I just wanted to share a little of it with you guys, have a great day! 🙏

—
Video: Mineral Culture
Cover photo: Thomas Spann

10/12/2026

In all the world, the Pederneira Mine in Brazil produces the highest quality tourmalines on matrix. Many specimens are so iconic they’ve been given names. This exceptional piece went a step further: it gave its name, Blue Gem, to the large pocket of tourmalines from which it came!

Amazingly, the tourmaline crystal, remarkable for its length and gem clarity throughout, is posted up front and center on a large lustrous quartz crystal in white cleavelandite crystals. Talk about being shown off… and with good reason… in addition to its rare size and gemminess, the tourmaline is highly lustrous, with two shades of blue color. The entire specimen is 17.5 cm tall. It has been published many times and has also been on public display. You can find it in the “Flawless Beauty” supplement and also in the Pederneira Mine issue, both published by The Mineralogical Record magazine.

Hope you enjoy this unique natural creation, a prime example of the perfection that a matrix piece can achieve!!

——
Cover photo: Thomas Spann
Tourmaline on quartz, nicknamed “The Cliffhanger,”
17.8 cm
Pederneira Mine, São José da Safira, Minas Gerais, Brazil

10/08/2026

One of the things many people do not realize about fine native copper is that how you handle it matters.

Copper is sensitive to touch. The oil in your hand can affect the patina, and that patina is a big part of what gives a great copper its character and depth. It is not just about the form or the crystals. It is also about the surface, the color, and how the piece has developed over time.

That is why I am always careful when I hold these. A great copper is not something you want to handle carelessly. In many cases, the patina took years and years to become what it is, and once that surface changes, you do not simply get it back.

To me, this is part of what makes a truly fine copper so special. It is not just a mineral. It is an object that has aged beautifully, and it deserves to be respected that way. 🙌

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Video: Mineral Culture

10/07/2026

Well over ten years ago, I was offered this quartz for $1.5M. At the time, I remember thinking, how could a quartz be worth that much? I passed on it.

Years later, I bought it for much more than that original price. 🤦‍♂️

The more you see, the more you understand. Collecting gives you perspective. Experience helps you recognize what makes one specimen stand apart. At a high level, trust matters too. You want to know who you’re buying from and understand why a piece is considered exceptional. This quartz from McEarl Mine in Blue Springs, Arkansas is a reminder of how much your perspective can change over time. I’m glad I eventually brought it into my collection.

If you have questions about collecting, I’m always happy to share an honest perspective.

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Quartz McEarl Mine, Blue Springs, Arkansas

10/01/2026

Illinois fluorite has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Wisconsin, I went to gem shows all over the Midwest. Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin. Illinois fluorite was always around, and when I was a kid, people did not look at it the way they do today. Now fluorite has become one of the most desirable minerals in the world, and when you see pieces like these, it is pretty easy to understand why.

I pulled out four pieces that represent a lot of what I personally love about Illinois material. The toadstools have always been some of the coolest rocks on Earth to me. The shapes are completely natural, and finding examples that have not been heavily restored or repaired is not easy. Some of those pockets were legendary, and there simply are not that many great examples out there. Then you get into the color. Deep saturation, blues coming through the fluorite, strange etched formations, glassy cubes and crystals that look almost impossible.

One of the things I have always searched for are the really lustrous pieces, especially crystals that are isolated and have an actual composition instead of just being another large cluster. Big isolated Illinois crystals are rare. That is what makes these four fun for me. They are all completely different. Different formations, different color, different luster, different aesthetics, but they all have that unmistakable Illinois character.

I am very passionate about Illinois fluorite. These are legendary where I come from, and they will probably always be some of my favorite minerals to collect. Just a few pieces that are very close to my heart.

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Video: Mineral Culture

09/30/2026

Cerussite snowflakes have always blown my mind. The way these crystals come together in such a beautiful, intricate shape, then to top it off this one went ahead and decided to pop off the matrix perfectly… makes you stop and wonder, how does that even happen?

This is the only cerussite snowflake I’ve ever seen sitting up on matrix like this. It’s from the Tsumeb Mine, and it’s just incredible. If anything catches your eye and you want more photos, or details, feel free to reach out.

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Video: Mineral Culture
Cover Photo: Thomas Spann

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https://natural-creations.com/

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