1) How many years have you been collecting and what started your passion?

I've been collecting for 4 years, after a “fall down” in my life.

I had a passion for natural science topics from an early age through science programs on TV, but with my condition at that time, it was very difficult to find and collect them. I continued that hobby but not as deeply, usually it was just reading from the internet and books until 2017.

Many unhappy things happened to me that made me depressed (MDD), I didn't want to leave the house or interact with other people. After a while, I started looking for ways to be able to "play alone at home".. and the first crystals arrived in April 2017.

Have some mineral crystal, i learned more about them and broadened my knowledge, and started collecting more to enrich my collection. It also helps me get back to a better life and make new friends with the same interests

2) What's the focus of your collection and has that changed through time? Why?

At first, I usually buy it right away if it makes me feel good or if it's something I don't already have. Then I put more emphasis on aesthetics, layout between crystal with matrix. When the number of crystals was large, I began to group them by mineral.

Currently, quartz makes up 1/2 of my collection, I group it by colors: milky - colorless, Amethyst, Smoke - Morion, Yellow, Red, Green and some pink & blue

However, quartz is not my focus, i only collect according to mineral groups such as: Tourmaline, Beryl, Fluorite, Calcite, Quartz, Garnet.. In addition, there are some unclassified mineral crystals

3) What do you like to do outside of mineral collecting? (hobbies, job, music taste, etc).

Opps… it's hard for me to answer this question

Being a "curious person", I learn and try to conquer anything.. But if it's a longtime hobby, here it is:

I like to play instruments, at an amatuer level with every 10 instruments I have, the best are probably harmonica and guitar.

I like camping, roaming on motorbikes looking for beautiful places that few people go to. Staring at the starry sky, identify celestial bodies, i regret not being able to take my telescope with me on those trips.

I love plants and flowers, and dream of having a large garden where I can grow whatever vegetables, flowers and medicinal plants I like.

I like books, all topics.. however recently I read them less because of my less free time and switched to searching for information on the internet more.

And a hobby since childhood, "disassemble and assemble".. I love to learn and make useful tools by collecting "discarded parts" and reusing them.

4) 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've never been to a mineral crystal show, in Vietnam we don't have them. I just follow them through my friends' posts on Facebook.

"What i want to experience one day??" Tucson... yeah, that's Tucson, I'd love to go around the Tucson show once to see and touch them, chat more with other collectors and find more pieces to add to my collection.
5) What is your favorite/dream specimen outside of your collection? Why?

Rhodochrosite.. of course, I love those sweet pink dog teeth crystals, the concentric rings of stalactite.. and especially a pink trigonal crystal on a quartz matrix.. oh men, I can't resist floating

6) What impact has YMC had on you as a collector and where do you see it heading in the future?

I got to see many collectors (although only on facebook), including many world famous collectors that I had never known before. Through the discussion topics on the YMC group, I have learned a lot of knowledge about minerals, interesting experiences from collecting, mining and valuable experiences in taking photos of them.

I'm trying to do a YMC-like model at the crystal collecting community in my country where it is still very small and much to learn.

7) If you could give any advice to someone new to the hobby, what would it be?
Find your own direction, your collecting path will be easier.

Although this will be a bit difficult for a beginner, compared to a collection that is overwhelming and you always have trouble sorting.. a well-organized, specific collection is Of course they will be more beautiful

Just start by buying things you like, and learn a lot about the specimens you own, you will quickly realize what you like and choose your path. It can be mineral subgroups, colors or just one type of mineral you're interested in

And if you are a person who wants to collect them all.. that's well.. it is also your direction, just develop it within your ability

1) How many years have you been collecting and what started your passion?

I have been collecting for a little over two years. I did not initially have a passion for minerals, as a child my biggest passion was biology, with a very strong specific interest in entomology. I did pick up rocks and found them fascinating when I was young, but what sparked joy in me most were very small animals. Insects, amphibians, reptiles. I would catch them and raise them, or release them. When I was young, I most wanted to become an entomologist. However, I did have a small rock and mineral collection in a box (in it were some things like pyrite, a trilobite fossil, native copper), a small side passion that my parents encouraged but never went anywhere. As I reached high school, my interest in pursuing entomology professionally dwindled, and I did not have a firm idea of what exactly I wanted to do professionally.

Fast forward to December 2017. I was working as a CNA and my wife was 8 months pregnant with our daughter Luna. I decided to try making a little extra money by selling things on the side, so I went looking on the local marketplace for electronics, jewelry, and the like to buy cheap and flip for a profit. Eventually I began focusing more on jewelry, and then that morphed into selling loose gemstones. I quickly became acquainted with the Facebook rock, gem and mineral community and through that, I met a very good friend and fellow YMC member Bahlach Abdul Qayyum, around May 2018. He is a mineral specimen dealer living in Pakistan, and though we sold different types of things, we found a lot of common ground and became great friends very quickly. Through him, I learned a lot about mineral collecting, mineral specimens, and prominently mineral collectors and dealers. He is extremely intelligent and knowledgeable and very willing to share his knowledge and passion. He inspired me to buy a couple cheap specimens that I didn't really know what to do with, so I just kept then in the top of my kitchen cabinet. Then in March of 2019, he invited me to this new group he was excited about called "Young Mineral Collectors". At the point when I joined, I only had 3 mineral specimens I had purchased on a whim, and did not really consider myself a collector. For the first few months, I felt like an imposter, someone who didn't belong. Someone who had joined a group of passionate hobbyists, but did not share the same passion. But over time I learned a lot by seeing other people post and talk about mineral specimens, and I began to become seriously interested after being exposed to the many cool mineral specimens that were out there and which were being shown in the group. I learned what I liked and what I didn't like by assessing how well I liked the specimens that other group members owned. Soon, I began to divert some funds from my gem selling business to spend on buying specimens, and the rest is history. Now I spend way too much on mineral specimens, but I enjoy it too much to stop. It's like having my own little museum inside my house.

2) What's the focus of your collection and has that changed through time? Why?

Oh boy. So initially, I bought specimens on a whim, without really having an ideal of what I liked vs what I didn't like. I joined YMC with literally just three specimens in the top of my kitchen cabinet. Soon after joining, I saw a YMC member was selling a bunch of cheap specimens (some of them even for free!), and just to rapidly increase the size of my collection, I had him put together a parcel of 20 specimens or so, and he shipped them to me. My collection pentupled overnight! I examined all of them closely and gathered them all together, then took a nice picture with the specimens I already had. They were diverse and fairly colorful, but none of them really "spoke" to me. Soon after, I ended up purchasing a specimen I REALLY liked, a fantastic Stak Nala tourmaline with albite and muscovite. It had this central, main crystal prominently displayed in the front and oriented upright, with the rest of the minerals serving as background/accents to the impressive main crystal. With this specimen, I learned that I really love two things in minerals. 1: specimens with a prominent main crystal oriented upwards and 2: very aesthetic combos. I began buying specimens that had similar qualities, and over time, those preferences have matured and developed into more specific ideals.

1: Prominent, isolated single crystals on matrix that are well oriented and have a good balance/ratio of crystal to matrix size. Sometimes I accept clusters with a single prominent crystal more dominant than the others due to the aesthetic similarity (this can be the case when isolated crystals on matrix are impossible or rare to find in a species).

2: Nice combos that are (usually) mismatched in size, or which have different shapes/forms. These can be on or off matrix. In this circumstance, I prefer that the second mineral appears to be growing on top of the first one, rather than having the appearance of growing together. This is why I typically prefer that the crystals be mismatched in size, so one serves as a sort of "matrix" for the other one.

In addition, I also tend to really enjoy colorful/brightly colored specimens, especially with contrasting colors, shapes, textures, etc. Sometimes I buy very colorful specimens that do not match my main two collection focuses, just for the sake of how pleasing the color is to my eyes.

I almost exclusively collect thumbnails and miniatures. I have a limited budget and due to my preference for very high quality specimens with as little damage as possible, it made natural sense for me to focus on the smaller specimens. They are way more likely to fit into my budget, and also, I love small, cute specimens.

3) What do you like to do outside of mineral collecting? (hobbies, job, music taste, etc).

I have a few different hobbies. I enjoy running a lot. I have ran 5 marathons and 1 ultramarathon so far. Right now, I'm actually out of shape though, and I am working on getting back into shape so I can compete again. I still sell gemstones as a side business, and I spend a lot of time online hunting for deals on good gems so I can sell them to my client base. I love traveling, and I've been overseas to the Philippines four times (my wife is Filipino, so all of those timed were to visit her and her family), and I've explored as much as possible of each country I have had layovers in along the way (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan). I enjoy watching anime series as well, I watch easily a dozen episodes each week and binge through series very quickly. I still have a strong interest in reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, and nature in general. If I ever encounter them while I'm out and about or walking through the woods somewhere, I absolutely will catch them, admire them for a bit, and then release them. In the Philippines, I've caught countless geckos and tree lizards, as well as random insects. In fact, I caught a tomato hornworm caterpillar last fall while on a run and brought it home to keep in a jar. It pupated, and is still in that jar right now! Adults emerge in late June, so it should emerge fairly soon. When it does, I'll release it in some place away from the city. I enjoy hiking and trail running, climbing to the tops of mountains and rock climbing. I wish I lived closer to nature, because those are things that I enjoy so much.

4) What's your favorite species? Why?

My favorite species is benitoite. It has the rarest crystal habit (trigonal bipyramidal), and it is also a very rare specimen. It is also a gem mineral (I tend to be most attracted to gem minerals due to their potential for nice clarity), and it is also my favorite gemstone. It forms wonderful, contrasting color combos with black neptunite and white natrolite. It's a unique mineral in so many ways. And I love unique things.

5) What is your favorite/dream specimen outside of your collection? Why?

My dream specimen is the "sushi plate" benitoite specimen in the collection of Dave Bunk. It is in my opinion, the world's best miniature specimen. And certainly it is my favorite. It's the right size for my collection, and every species is so perfectly displayed in it. It doesn't even really match my preferred aesthetic styles, but I make exceptions for specimens that are truly awesome.

6) What fuels your enthusiasm for mineral collecting?

I have a bit of a collector/hoarder mentality. I also am a bit addicted to the dopamine rush that comes with buying cool things. So every time I find some wondrous/magical little specimen that really makes me go "wow!", I have to have it. I am a lover of diversity as well, so the more I have, and the more diverse I have, the better. Being a part of YMC and seeing so many wonderful specimens owned by other people also fuels my passion. Not necessarily out of a competitive mindset, but more because I get inspired by what I've seen other people do, and the time, effort and love they have put into building their own collection. My collection is a product of my admiration for the beauty that nature produces, and I want my collection to reflect that as much as it clearly does in the collections of my friends in YMC.

7. Is there a piece/pieces in your collection you’ll never let go off, which and why?

I have a core group of specimens that I kind of mentally consider "the A list" in my head. These specimens are ones that I want to keep in my collection forever, and which I know I will never get tired of. My Stak Nala tourmaline of course, is at the top of that list. But I also have so many others, perhaps a third of my collection. They are not necessarily "top quality" in terms of rarity, value or even aesthetics. But they are specimens that are excellent to me in some way. And I know that I cannot get any better specimens for what they are to replace them with. I would include my Shigar Valley, Pakistan topaz, my Zagi Mountain, Pakistan rutile, my Zard Mountain, Pakistan anatase with chlorite included quartz, my Elk Creek, South Dakota baryte on calcite, my Smoky Hawk, Colorado smoky/amazonite, my Carlsbad, New Mexico halite in sylvite, my San Benito county, California neptunite on natrolite,  my Serifos Island, Greece hematite on andradite, my Tsumeb, Namibia calcite on goethite, gosh there are too many to list here. A lot of my favorite minerals seem to be either from Pakistan or the USA.

This is one of my favorite photos taken in 2019, I held a fantastic rhodochrosite,  Will & Bill Larson's collection.

I put some of my mineral photographs last year on Mindat from Apr. to May, some were selected as Mindat.org Photo of the Day.

Part of my collection,  in China and Tucson.

Some of my favorite pieces! Jeff Scovil photo.

Rockhounding, Arizona.

 I was so happy that the University of Arizona Mineral Museum invited me to display Chinese minerals. The museum will open in June 2021.

1) How many years have you been collecting and what started your passion?

I’ve been collecting about 12~13 years.

I do not quite remember the accurate time when I got start mineral collecting now, I am 19 so I probably started at six or seven years old, none of my parents, relatives or friends who know minerals, and there are no mineral shows in the province where I come from, interestingly, there are even no mountains or any mines near my hometown. So, I always say my hobby is the mandate of Heaven.

2) What's the focus of your collection and has that changed through time? Why?

Thumbnails and miniatures are my focus in my collection, not a specific mineral series or locality. When I just got start, mineral species came to the first and less focused on the quality. About 5 years ago, my concentration went to the thumbnails, because they are very cute and delicate, and you do not need to pay for big money on most of thumbnails even they are very fine. The quality become the most significant factor, rare also an important factor to my standards but I will not focus on rare only. Now, thumbnails and miniatures are my main collection parts, and it is possible I will increase my collections’ scale in the future such as small-cabinet and museum sizes.

3) What do you like to do outside of mineral collecting? (hobbies, job, music taste, etc).

As I am a sophomore, I do not have a real job, but I have stared my self-employment a few years. I really appreciate the god gave me this hobby because my self-employment is gem & mineral business that I can feed myself by my efforts. In other words, I cannot survive in here without it, I do the business could help me to pay the tuition and new collections. I also love mineral photograph, and this has become one of my hobby, too. I usually do some mineral photographs when I am free, normally during the summer/winter holidays and upload them on Mindat. I also love music and plan to learn Guqin(古琴) which is a Chinese traditional instrument has over 3000 years history.

4) Is there anyone who has inspired you in this field? Do you look up to the collection of someone in particular?

There are many of my Chinese and American friends helped me a lot on my way of mineral collecting and business. But for the most important people for me, definitely Robert Lavinsky who is a professional Chinese mineral collector and a famous mineral dealer. He is my Sifu in this field. I knew Rob at least 8 years. The first time I met Rob was in Shanghai Gem Mineral Show, I was a first-grade student in middle school. He invited me to go to his Dallas Mineral Collecting Symposium when I was 16 and visited Spann and some famous collectors who are around Dallas at that time. Rob opened my eyes and gave me so many experiences that I could not imagine, just like a dream. If no Rob, I cannot run as fast as now I am and I may not come to University of Arizona. He changed my life. Another is my “Uncle’s” family Allison Megaw and Peter Megaw really helped me a lot in Tucson, whether my living or in the mineral field. I also thank to my parents, because they did not kill my hobby under the stressful Chinese education system and give me as much as supports they can.

I look up to many collectors’ collections, it is hard to say someone specifically because there are so many great collectors who I admire in the world.

5) Are you a stay-at-home collector or do you collect on the field too?

I collect both stay-at-home and, on the field, those are totally different experiences, generally collectors have a bigger chance to get a better piece in mineral shows than rockhounds but if you really find the crystals by yourself in the field, you will have an achievement it is different with buying a rock in a mineral show. I went to at least 40 mines or the recorded rockhounding places in China and USA. It is hard to describe the feeling of YOU found crystals on the ground or the pockets even not very high quality. For me, it always makes me more exciting than take a piece with a higher quality from the shows.

6) What was the moment you realized there was no going back, you are a collector?

I believe there were many moments from the first time I interested in minerals to now so my answer will be like a summary of how I know I am a collector rather than just a hobby. I have a few other hobbies out of mineral collecting but I also collect something else like antiques, shells, gems, fossils, Garage Kits etc., but minerals are poisons which make me addicted to it so much-loved. Even the topics I talk to my schoolmates or friends are all about minerals and do not care about if they are interested in it, however, the disadvantage is making non-mineral-collectors to be friends become a question because most of my topics and friends are about minerals. All my vacations during holidays were going for rocks, but we still had some normal travels for example, If I planned go to Wulian, the famous smokey quartz mine I will decide to live in Ri Zhao where is a coastal city for relaxing and I get both rocks and travel. Another interesting thing is when I was in China, my gifts to the teachers were minerals on each Teachers’ Day while my classmates prepared flowers or articles of daily use. Same as my friends’ birthday gifts. With spending more and more time on minerals, I never thought give my mineral collections up, instead, I slowly grew up from a young mineral lover to a real collector.

7) Does this hobby change your life? How it changes?

No minerals no Tom, rock means everything in my life and it really changed my whole life. 

I could say that Minerals helped me choose the collage and major, I am in Geoscience department at the University of Arizona because the geology/gem science is one of the world’s best majors in this school and the biggest mineral & gem show held in February in Tucson every year. I knew the Tucson show was in 2014 but I could not believe that one day I would come to USA and visit the show. Now, I just live in here, traveled many places and mineral museums where I saw on the mineral magazines. I also could not believe that I had a chance that have a showcase for display the Chinese minerals in the University of Arizona Mineral Museum in this year (2021), it is my great honor and one of my dream. IT IS AMAZING!!!

I had many new friends both are at mineral collecting field and normal life in here and I really love you guys inspire me and share mineral stories!

Here's a large manganoan calcite cluster from the Mátra Mts (Hungary)

An old millstone in Saudi Arabia (gold exploration)

In the jungle of Gabon (gold exploration project)

In front of the Volcanoes in Rwanda (iron ore and sapphire exploration)

Big a giant rhino beetle in the jungle of French Guyana (gold exploration)

1) How many years have you been collecting and what started your passion?

My grandfather was a miner and collector. He worked all around the Hungarian mines; that time the country had quite developed exploration and mining activity, especially for bauxite, coal and base metals. The first specimens I met with were from his collection. It was pretty hard to get any minerals from abroad during the Soviet era in Hungary, but my grandfather had several friends in Germany and he could exchange a lot of interesting and colourful specimens. I literally grew up in front of his cabinets during my parents was building our house. I spent hours listening my grandpa’s stories and learning as much about minerals as possible. He also had a lot of books I liked to read, one of them was written by one of the great Hungarian mineralogists about to organise an exhibition of the best Hungarian mineral specimens for the Millennium. There is a chapter in that book of my grandpa’s collection where from a few specimens he offered for this great event. After my father became a part of the family, he also has been bitten by the mineral bug, and we spent a lot of vacations together hunting for minerals in the countryside. I can’t remember the first specimens I collected, but they must be some very simple ones; calcite or gypsum crystals. We also organised small mineral shows in the local school, and asked minerals from the participants in return for the tables. That time huge amount of Transylvanian minerals was available for relatively cheap, and our mineral collection started to be contoured. We opened a small museum of minerals in my hometown based on that collection what completed with my grandfather’s collection later. It is still open for the public, and if I have time, I gladly guide the visitors.

The path was clear: I became a geologist. Graduated in Budapest in 2001. First in Hungary, I was working on a lot of different projects even during my PhD years I could continue collecting minerals. I bought my first stereo microscope and starting to photograph minerals. Then a long break happened when I was working as an exploration geologist in different countries, even different continents. I loved that life, however I had less free time and less opportunity to collect minerals. Most of the project areas were simply poor of collectable specimens, and the main focus was to discover the ore bodies rather than collect specimens. But my passion never faded, I often visited mineral shows and museums if I had time and chance.

A good 4-5 years ago a couple of friends of mine pulled me back into the mineral world. My main focus was to photograph them initially, but I shortly realised there is no going back.

2) What's the focus of your collection and has that changed through time? Why?

First, I was collecting Hungarian minerals, but most of our mines were shortly abandoned and waste dumps were reclaimed so I had less chance to find good specimens. I also found lack of colour and diversity in our minerals. I also had a short elusory towards micromounts, but now I love to see my specimens with naked eyes.

I’m still searching for my way of collecting. I insist to keep most of my heritage of my father’s and grandpa’s collection, and keep them as a museum to help people, especially the next generation getting in touch with this mesmerising world of minerals.

What I want to achieve in my recent and future collection is to keep the best specimens and buy (or collect) only what I find perfect. If I don’t like for the first sight or find any imperfections or compromise, that could not be the one I’m looking for. The main criteria are aesthetics. The impression of a perfect specimen is a constellation of these features (or a few of them): balance, contrast, colour, shape, lustre, transparency, crystal habit, balanced matrix, etc. I prefer matrix specimens, and I love the challenge to find the good pieces among cheap minerals as well. Provenance and rarity are not really the most important features for me, but if they come together with aesthetic is just a cherry on a cake.

There is another collection what I’d love to keep building: my mineral photo collection. Some specimens are and will be released from my physical collection, but they always be a part of my photo repository.

3) What do you like to do outside of mineral collecting? (hobbies, job, music taste, etc).

My main profession is exploration geologist, but that is not so family-friendly job. Months far from home, in harsh environments, jungles, deserts… after a good ten years I spent abroad, I wanted to establish. Since I have a daughter, I try to spend more time at home what the pandemic helped a lot about. Although, I would try exploration in collection minerals If I would have a chance.

Mineral photography, as a plan B is also very limited now due to travel restrictions. So, among most of you, I’m also looking forward to travel again, and hope to meet you in the next mineral shows.

I have a lot of hobbies not related to minerals, including cooking, wine, drawing, reading, hiking, riding bike, target shooting, scuba diving, listening to music (in very wide range from Mendelssohn to Rammstein).

4. What's your favorite species? Why?

Like many others, I love tourmalines, although they are a group and not species. First of all because they are gemstones in general. Their colour variations are simply infinite. Unfortunately they are expensive, especially the gemmy, colourful and matrix pieces. In the other hand the most beautiful tourmalines are pegmatite minerals and I love gem pegmatites. One of my main goal would be on site when a huge gem pocket is open and photograph tourmalines in-situ.

5. Is there anyone who has inspired you in this field? Do you look up to the collection of someone in particular?

Actually, my first teachers were my grandpa and my dad. I think I am among those few lucky ones whose fate was set in stone (literally) very early. My mineralogy lecturer inspired me a lot, too. He is also a collector and I remember when others were struggling to recognize minerals, it was the most exciting and beloved lecture I have ever had.

Since I started my mineral photography career I had a chance to meet some fantastic people and see their extraordinary collections. Not just to see but talking about minerals and through them, another, new world is opened for me. I don’t want to nominate these people one by one but among them I never be bored even for a second. Their collection, and stories are not just inspiring but also could help a lot to see my own specimens through much more critical eyes.

6. What are some unexpected things you’ve learned about mineral collecting and/or the mineral community since joining YMC?

I’m turning 39 this year, so I have a good year and a bit among YMC officially (hope I can stay as a formal member for the rest of my life as a “young in heart” collector), but during this short period I was just amazed how wonderful people I could find within the group. Not only collectors, but people. If someone asks for any help -including myself-, I could be sure that help comes within a minute. When I was a teenager this hobby was slightly different. We didn’t have internet, neither social media what could be an incredibly powerful tool to forge mineral people together. I hardly knew collectors from abroad, but now we all can be connected nevertheless where the globe we are from. This is simply great!

7. Do you photograph your own (or even others’) collection? Do you think is important?

I take a photo or two of all of my specimens. It is not only important to admire them even when I’m not at home, but there are several advantages to have a good photo of my specimens.

It helps to make an online (or if they are printed, even offline) catalogue where a specimen could be identified not only from its number but from appearance, so even if the labels are damaged they could be restored easily. Of course, copies of the catalogue must be stored physically separate places and being updated on regular basis.

It is important for publications. Several magazines and books have high demand on good quality photos of nice (or rare) minerals.

We can share our minerals with the public via social media or even on photo exhibition.

Insurance reasons: since every mineral specimen is unique, a photo could help to identify them in case of any loss (theft or damage) and could be a perfect proof towards an insurance company. Some are even requiring for their insurance.

We almost all sold or gave mineral to others. If I have a photo of those specimens, they always be mine somehow.

Next thing I really want to learn is mineral videography. I tried a couple of times, but it requires a totally different vision and way of thinking. Why there are several great mineral photographers can be found, only a very few videographers could be mentioned.

1) How many years have you been collecting and what started your passion?

I began “seriously” collecting in high school, which would be about 10 years or so? My parents liked visiting caves during family vacations, so I was hooked early on. I remember standing inside the Mammoth Caves as a kid and being astounded. For every family vacation, I’d ask if there was a cave to see. Every cave had something unique that made it amazing or beautiful. Usually there was a gift shop, and they had some basic minerals for sale like amethyst and pyrite. Some shops would sell those bags of dirt with minerals mixed in, the kind you dump into a sluice and rinse the dirt away to see what was hidden inside. I loved identifying which minerals I had in the bag using the identification card that came with it. I’d bring home those rocks and arrange them on a shelf and look at them all the time. They weren’t just reminders of the trips we took, but also a glimpse of a whole mineralogical world to learn more about. Eventually that interest in different kinds of minerals turned me into a full-blown collector.

2) What's the focus of your collection and has that changed through time? Why?

I wish I had a better answer to this question, but my collection has never felt very focused to me. I don’t have specific criteria in mind when I choose specimens. It’s all just a beautiful mix and match of things that I like. I do know that when I first started collecting, I hardly had duplicates of anything. I would always spend my money on something I’d never seen before. In the beginning, that was easy to do because it was all new to me. I think that was a really great way for me to start collecting, because I had exposure to so many different things for the first few years. For the past two years or so, I've had a serious fluorite fascination... but I still wouldn't call it a focus. It's just what I'm enjoying the most right now.

3) What do you like to do outside of mineral collecting? (hobbies, job, music taste, etc).

I like to play video games (Red Dead Redemption 2 is my jam, but Planet Coaster has become a favorite too.) I recently discovered Stardew Valley and now I’m hopelessly obsessed. One of my more recent hobbies is jigsaw puzzles, I think I’ve finished about 10 of those in the past year. At one point in life, I wanted to be a writer, and I had a strong chance at being accepted into a selective fiction writing masters program. But I ended up not applying, and I didn’t write for several years after that. I love to write so I’m trying to get back into it. I’m terrible at keeping plants alive, but I manage to grow a patch of sunflowers every summer. I grow a mix of yellow and orange and red sunflowers because I just love the bright colors. I really enjoy music from Linkin Park, Bring Me the Horizon, I Prevail, and Theory of a Deadman (just to name a few favorites). And I love taking naps with my cat, Noodles!

4. What's your favorite species? Why?

Wulfenite! I have many different species on my shelves, but I loved wulfenite when I first started and I still love it now. Wulfenite is great because I could find affordable pieces when I first started collecting, and now I've gradually worked my way up to some really amazing specimens. I love how brightly colored they are. I also really enjoy the variety of aesthetics within the species. Window-pane specimens from the San Francisco Mine are probably my all time favorite kind of wulfenite. I’d love to own a dioptase/wulfenite combo one day.

5. 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?

Our small town had a show every year. The first time I went, I was disappointed because most of the tables were jewelry. Then I found Keith. His tables were FULL of the specimens I’d been dreaming about. I spent forever gawking at crystals that seemed otherworldly to me (he had a whole section of Tsumeb, and let’s be honest, that would hook anyone.) He walked up to me and said, “You know, there’s more boxes under the table. You’re welcome to look through them.” He gave me a cushion to sit on, a flashlight, and pulled up the tablecloth to reveal stacks of flats under the folding tables. I spent the whole afternoon looking through and asking questions. Keith knew I didn’t have a big budget, and he knew I was still learning. He could have dismissed me and tried to focus on other sales. But in my experience, this hobby is less about the money and more about the passion for learning. That’s my favorite part about shows. I left that show with a few common specimens that I loved with all my heart, and a whole new outlook on the hobby. Keith spent one afternoon fostering an interest in a beginner—and it changed me for a lifetime. You never know what sort of an impression you might make on someone at a show!

6. What fuels your enthusiasm for mineral collecting?

There’s something magical about holding a fragile piece of the earth in your hands—a piece that against all odds, has stayed intact and beautiful long enough for you to enjoy it in your lifetime—and you’re given the honor of keeping it that way in your collection. Literally every specimen in your collection is unique! There is not another one exactly like it anywhere in the world. So part of my enthusiasm comes from knowing that in our hobby, we all hold a little piece of something unique to only us.

7. What impact has YMC had on you as a collector and where do you see it heading in the future?

For a long time, I felt very alone in this hobby. YMC has had a big impact on me because it’s reassured me that there are many others who love rocks with the same passion that I do. YMC also made me realize that I AM a young collector. It had never occurred to me that I was on the lower end of the age range for this hobby. Now that I’m conscious of it, I try harder than ever before to share this hobby with the next generation. Every spring, ever since I was in high school, I have worked with a local school during their Math and Science Night. I bring several specimens and arrange them on a table, show them to the kids who approach me, and answer their questions. The kids who stare in awe at the rocks make me hopeful for the future. When I tell them that they can become a collector too, they just light up. No one has ever offered that idea to them. I’ve heard countless parents tell me that their child loves rocks, but they don’t know what the next steps are to foster that interest. I also bring rocks to my mom's first grade classroom every year and watch as these small children fall in love with something they didn't even know existed. For weeks after my visits, they will bring my mom different rocks and tell her they are going to start a collection like me. I really like using my enthusiasm for the hobby to spark enthusiasm in these kids. I think with groups like YMC and a lot of work on our part, we can open this hobby for the next generation and pave the way for them to be confident, connected collectors.