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Practical, sourced articles for mineral collectors: hardness, cleaning, fakes, safety, prices and the minerals of Morocco.
Moroccan Minerals: Localities, Species and Fossils
A locality-by-locality guide to Moroccan minerals and fossils: Mibladen vanadinite, Bou Azzer erythrite, Touissit azurite, Anti-Atlas trilobites.
How Much Are Crystals Worth? Real 2026 Prices
What crystals and minerals are really worth: median asking prices for 18 Moroccan species from 2,600+ listings, and what moves a price tenfold.
How to Tell if a Crystal Is Real: Fakes Explained
How to tell real crystals from fakes: glass, resin, dyed and heated stones, glued and composite pieces, and the Moroccan fakes to watch for, with simple checks.
Mohs Hardness Scale: Chart, Tests and Real Minerals
The Mohs scale explained: the 10 reference minerals, gemstone hardness from diamond to pearl, a home scratch test, and 13 Moroccan minerals.
How to Clean Crystals and Minerals Safely
How to clean crystals and minerals: which can't go in water, salt or sun, how to clean crystals you dug yourself, iron stains, and a care table.
Toxic Crystals and Minerals: List, Risks, Safe Handling
A list of toxic crystals and minerals with their real lead, arsenic, mercury and uranium content, which are safe to touch, and why never to use them in water.
How Do Crystals Form? The Geology, Simply Explained
How crystals form in nature: nucleation and growth, crystals from magma, hot water and evaporation, and how weathering turns galena into vanadinite and cerussite.
Fluorescent Minerals: Why Some Rocks Glow Under UV
Why minerals glow under ultraviolet light, long-wave versus short-wave UV, which minerals fluoresce, and Moroccan fluorescent minerals such as calcite and cerussite.
Tucson Gem Show, Munich, Sainte-Marie: Mineral Show Guide
The three mineral shows that set the market: Tucson in winter, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines in June and Munich in autumn, with key facts, access and tips for buying.
Mineral guides
One page per species: properties, Moroccan localities, prices and the specimens we have for sale.