Mineralienatlas (name for mineral atlas) is the platform for people interested in mineralogy, geology, palaeontology and mining since 2001. We operate a significant database for minerals, fossils, rocks and their localities. Mineralienatlas is not limited to a section. We bring together information and inform comprehensive.

To complete our information constantly, we need your support. With us, everyone can and should participate. Currently Mineralienatlas is used and expanded by 10586 members. Every month hundreds of thousands of visitors use our website as an information source.
 
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Geolitho Foundation non-profit GmbH is the non-profit supporter of the Mineral Atlas (Mineralienatlas), the Lithotheque, the Geolitho Collection Management and the Marketplace and Store by collectors for collectors. The Foundation promotes public education in the field of mineralogy, geology, paleontology and mining by operating, maintaining and further expanding earth science projects.
 
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Min­er­al por­trait gar­netThis portrait mainly deals with the 6 classic garnets, their amazing history, the world’s best known classic and modern localities and deposits and their use as a gems or abrasives. It also deals with the common belief related to the non-existence of blue garnets and its refutation proven by new finds. A separate chapter deals with synthetic garnets. But it also deals with the mix up of definitions, groupings and old and unnecessary terms, which have finally been terminated or brought to a common denominator.

In 2012 the IMA (CNMNC) has defined garnets as members of the Garnet Supergroup, which include all minerals isostructural with garnet regardless of what elements occupy the four atomic sites; i.e. the supergroup includes several chemical classes . Those minerals are closely related to each other and may form a series with each other. Some garnets form intermediary minerals between each member, and may even be intergrown within a single crystal.

With the publication of the new nomenclature of the garnet supergroup, the term “garnet group” does not have its meaning anymore and the intermediate working term “Garnet superstructural group” has been replaced by “Garnet Supergroup”.
There are 32 approved species and 5 “candidate” species waiting on approval. The 32 species are subdivided by their Z-charge into 29 species, which belong to 5 groups and to 3 single representative species.
One of those 5 groups is the “Garnet group”, consisting of the 6 former (classic) garnets Pyrope, Grossular, Spessartine, Almandine, Uvarovite and Andradite plus 8 rarer garnets , as Menzerite-(Y), Eringaite, Goldmanite, Momoiite, Knorringite, Calderite, Majorite and Morimotoite.
This por­trait main­ly deals with the 6 clas­sic gar­nets, their amaz­ing his­to­ry, the world’s best known clas­sic and mod­ern lo­cal­i­ties and de­posits and their use as a gems or abra­sives. It al­so deals with the com­mon be­lief re­lat­ed to the non-ex­is­tence of blue gar­nets and its refu­ta­tion proven by new ... moreThis portrait mainly deals with the 6 classic garnets, their amazing history, the world’s best known classic and modern localities and deposits and their use as a gems or abrasives. It also deals with the common belief related to the non-existence of blue garnets and its refutation proven by new finds. A separate chapter deals with synthetic garnets. But it also deals with the mix up of definitions, groupings and old and unnecessary terms, which have finally been terminated or brought to a common denominator.

In 2012 the IMA (CNMNC) has defined garnets as members of the Garnet Supergroup, which include all minerals isostructural with garnet regardless of what elements occupy the four atomic sites; i.e. the supergroup includes several chemical classes . Those minerals are closely related to each other and may form a series with each other. Some garnets form intermediary minerals between each member, and may even be intergrown within a single crystal.

With the publication of the new nomenclature of the garnet supergroup, the term “garnet group” does not have its meaning anymore and the intermediate working term “Garnet superstructural group” has been replaced by “Garnet Supergroup”.
There are 32 approved species and 5 “candidate” species waiting on approval. The 32 species are subdivided by their Z-charge into 29 species, which belong to 5 groups and to 3 single representative species.
One of those 5 groups is the “Garnet group”, consisting of the 6 former (classic) garnets Pyrope, Grossular, Spessartine, Almandine, Uvarovite and Andradite plus 8 rarer garnets , as Menzerite-(Y), Eringaite, Goldmanite, Momoiite, Knorringite, Calderite, Majorite and Morimotoite.
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The Al­ten­berg tin mine is well known for its huge sur­face break left by the min­ing ac­tiv­i­ties. Among min­er­al col­lec­tors the mine is fa­mous as well for its unique Py­c­nite de­posit, a va­ri­e­ty of to­paz oc­cur­ring in mas­sive colum­nar ag­gre­gates up to a length of 30 cm.

The min­ing start­ed in 1440 and c ... moreThe Altenberg tin mine is well known for its huge surface break left by the mining activities. Among mineral collectors the mine is famous as well for its unique Pycnite deposit, a variety of topaz occurring in massive columnar aggregates up to a length of 30 cm.

The mining started in 1440 and continued, with several ups and downs and some total shut-down periods, until 1991. The mining activities aimed for a plutonic granite body (350 to 400 metre in diameter and hydrothermally mineralized mainly with cassiterite and smaller amounts of wolframite, molybdenite, arsenopyrite, bismuth and others) and managed to extract a total sum of 37 million tons of ore. The huge surface break, called "The Altenberger Pinge", is the result of several roof collapses caused by excessive ore excavation and later on the continued drawing of caved material from the bottom of the fracture zone.

Collectible minerals were rare and small, so the Altenberg tin mine became never as famous as the Freiberg or Ehrenfriedersdorf districts, but its unique geology and mining technology made it quite interesting and worth a closer look.

(Full text in german)
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... Konkre­tio­nen wur­den in den ver­gan­ge­nen Jahrhun­derten oft als ge­ol­o­gische Ku­riositäten be­trachtet. Auf­grund der Vielzahl ungewöhn­lich­er For­men, Größen und Zusam­menset­zun­gen wur­den sie als Di­nosau­ri­er-Ei­er, Ti­er- oder Pflanzen­fos­silien (so­gen. Pseud­o­fos­silien), ex­trater­re­strisch­er Ab­fall oder selb ... more... Konkretionen wurden in den vergangenen Jahrhunderten oft als geologische Kuriositäten betrachtet. Aufgrund der Vielzahl ungewöhnlicher Formen, Größen und Zusammensetzungen wurden sie als Dinosaurier-Eier, Tier- oder Pflanzenfossilien (sogen. Pseudofossilien), extraterrestrischer Abfall oder selbst als vom Menschen erzeugte Artefakte interpretiert. Obwohl für all diese Fehlinterpretationen heute nurmehr ein Lächeln übrigblieb, gibt es immer noch Falschbezeichnungen, resp. unterschiedliche Begriffsdefinitionen, selbst (oder meist) in der geo-wissenschaftlichen Literatur. So werden nicht selten Knollen als Konkretionen ... Ein Beitrag von Peter Seroka
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Azu­rit ist seit mehr als 3.000 Jahren bekan­nt. Schon die al­ten Ägypter seit der 4. Dy­nastie, Pers­er und die Römer ver­wen­de­ten das pul­verisierte Min­er­al als Au­gen­sch­minke. Im Chi­na der Sung- und Ming-Dy­nas­tien, in der Ukiyo-e-Schule Ja­pans, im präkolum­bianischen Süd­west­en der heuti­gen USA sowie währe ... moreAzurit ist seit mehr als 3.000 Jahren bekannt. Schon die alten Ägypter seit der 4. Dynastie, Perser und die Römer verwendeten das pulverisierte Mineral als Augenschminke. Im China der Sung- und Ming-Dynastien, in der Ukiyo-e-Schule Japans, im präkolumbianischen Südwesten der heutigen USA sowie während des europäischen Mittelalters und der Renaissance wurde Azurit als wertvolles blaues Pigment in der Malerei und für Handschriften bzw. Miniaturen benutzt. Die blaue Farbe war im Okzident lange Zeit das bevorzugte Pigment, den Kleidern der Jungfrau Maria ihre blaue Farbe zu geben, bzw. Skulpturen zu bemalen. Da der exotische Lapis Lazuli als Pigment Ultramarin weitaus begehrter, aber auch dementsprechend teurer war, wurde Azurit gewöhnlich als Grundfarbe benutzt und Ultramarin nur hauchdünn ... Ein Beitrag von Peter Seroka
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One of Mada­gas­car's ge­o­log­i­cal spe­cial­ties are the so-called Ts­in­gy: bizarre, at first sight hos­tile Karst land­s­capes, though form, due to the in­ac­ces­si­bil­i­ty, a refu­gial area for some spe­cies. The word Ts­in­gy means "walk­ing one tip-toes" or "where one can­not walk bare-foot" in Mala­gasy lan­guage, an ... moreOne of Madagascar's geological specialties are the so-called Tsingy: bizarre, at first sight hostile Karst landscapes, though form, due to the inaccessibility, a refugial area for some species. The word Tsingy means "walking one tip-toes" or "where one cannot walk bare-foot" in Malagasy language, an accurate description for the partially razor-sharp rock formations which can reach 20 m in height and with ends which can be as thin as pencils.

Best known and most impressive are the Tsingy of Bemaraha in the West of the island and the Tsingy of Ankarana in the North, both widespread Karst areas. In the North, as well, about 10 km south of the city of Antsiranana, one can find the Red Tsingy which have been washed out of the lateritic layer of earth.
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