Collector Spotlight: Nhung (Rose) Nguyen
1. How many years have you been collecting and what started your passion?
I have been collecting for around two years now. It started in 2018, when I was on a trip traveling to different states in the US. I visited Harvard Museum of Natural History because at that time I was quite into fossils and taxidermy. Then I saw their mineral collection, and it have forever changed my world. Before that, the only mineral I knew at that point was quartz, which I was not interested in at all due to its overly popularity and lack of originality. I did not know that there were other types of minerals out there, and how beautiful they can be. I still remember, the specimens at Harvard Museum that impressed me the most were the wulfenite from Sonora, Mexico, and the Flor de Liz, a specimen of red elbaite on a magnificent bed of cleavelandite. I was especially mesmerized by flower-like minerals such as cleavelandite, wulfenite, magnesite, etc. After that, I looked up on eBay and actually found some specimens that fit both my budget and preferences. My first ‘serious’ specimen was a hemimorphite from Chihuahua, Mexico which I still keep and adore till this day. Also, I have started to understand and appreciate quartz a bit more, and even started a small collection of just doubly terminated ones.
2. What's the focus of your collection and has that changed through time? Why?
I have no real focus in collecting minerals, although currently I am quite into building a collection of various types of thumbnail doubly terminated quartz specimens. Initially, I was really into tabular, rosette and flaky minerals such as calcite, barite or selenite and planning to focus on collecting any mineral specimens that resemble flowers. I still love and buy flower-like specimens from time to time, but as I have learned and become more familiar with other types of minerals, I have started to pay more attention to luster, conditions and compositions of the whole piece. I also prefer smaller specimens now, as I find it easier to appreciate and to take care of the specimens as they often have less damages, more decent compositions and are more affordable.
3. What do you like to do outside of mineral collecting? (hobbies, job, music taste, etc).
Outside of mineral collecting, I often spend time to cook and try new ingredients and cuisines. Before the pandemic, I often travel near and far for good food and restaurants that Yelp and YouTube foodies suggested. Now as things get complicated, I have been trying to cook more and investing in better cookware, especially cast iron. I almost become a cast iron cookware collector, unfortunately (or fortunately?) I did not because cast iron stuffs are too heavy and often too large for my daily needs. I still have a cast iron pan and a 1.5 qt. dutch oven which I use almost every day, and thanks to them my skills and enthusiasm in cooking and eating have improved quite a lot. I even joined a cast iron cooking group on Facebook.
4. What's your favorite species? Why?
My favorite mineral would be calcite. I actually have been into calcite even before I knew what “mineral collecting” was. Before knowing this hobby exist, I was a pearl collector. I spent more than a year studying about all types of pearls and even earned a certification from the Cultured Pearl Association of America. Later on, when I was exposed to minerals and mineral collecting, the first species that I fell in love with was calcite, specifically those from China and Mexico. Calcite can be found everywhere, and yet it often has quite distinct forms and associations based on specific localities. I can never get bored of calcite.
5. Is there anyone who has inspired you in this field? Do you look up to the collection of someone in particular?
There is actually not a particular person who has inspired me to start collecting minerals. Instead, it was a museum. In 2018 during my traveling across the east coast of the United States, I spent a few days at Massachusetts and visited the Harvard Museum of Natural History. That was my first encounter with professional mineral collecting. The lighting, the detailed info labels, and especially the specimens there mesmerized me. My only idea about minerals at that time was just quartz and geodes, which I often bought for making jewelry. The experience of visiting a museum that focused on showcasing the raw beauty of minerals have forever changed my perceptions. Mineral specimens can be artworks by themselves. Their natural forms, colors, and especially localities are all indispensable values that unfortunately, are often overlooked.
Even until now, after visiting and seeing some of the best of the best of mineral museums, galleries, and personal collections, I still look up to the Harvard Museum’s mineral exhibition. Aside from the memory of the first impressions, what I like most about it are the sizes of the specimens and how the museum showcased them. Comparing to other larger museums and galleries, Harvard’s mineral collection looked like a more possible goal for personal collectors to achieve as there were various sizes and types of mineral specimens on display, not just large and rocket expensive ones. If one day I can have a large space to showcase my mineral collection, I would definitely use Harvard Museum as reference.
6. How do you see the future of the mineral hobby?
I think the future of collecting mineral is quite promising but can be a bit trippy if there is a lack of reliable leaders to lead the way and limited resources for young collectors to learn, attain and share the passions. In Asia, specifically my country Vietnam, there are more and more people become fascinated in ‘growing’ minerals, and there have been a steady growth in number of veteran gem and stone artworks collectors starting to pay more attention to natural terminated specimens and endorse local mineral finds. However, there are still limitations in access and shipping options for many local collectors to attain global minerals, and there is definitely a lack of resource and reliable organizations that can help identify unknown new-find minerals. Therefore, if in the future there are more reliable organizations for learning and identifying minerals, the hobby of mineral collecting will definitely thrive. If not, mineral collecting will be no more than just a fancy phase for kids and the wealthy.
7. Have you been to any shows? If so, what's your favorite part of them? If not, are there any particular ones you would want to experience one day?
I have been to a few shows: Tucson, New York, New Jersey, and Springfield. There were so many things to do, see and buy, which makes it quite hard for me to pick a favorite part. However, if I have to be honest, I love the thrill of finding great specimens with great prices. I love going through stacks and stacks of boxes of miniature and thumbnail specimens. I love choosing ‘the right ones’ among a table full of minerals. I love getting a good deal from buying multiple specimens at once. And I love getting to know dealers and sellers who share similar tastes in minerals and always stock up the latest finds.