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Words-ish Katamari @cyballard.bsky.social · 7d

Congratulations!!

Words-ish Katamari @cyballard.bsky.social · 8d

This is extremely hard. I feel like #kyanite represents all the minerals I previously disregarded and came to appreciate over #MinCup25 but #tugtupite represents all the new minerals I learned so much about this month

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · 9d

#MinCup25 Final: After a month of learning and laughter, we’re at the final match to determine the 2025 Mineral Cup Champion! We have blue blades of #kyanite up against optical magician #tugtupite.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r5...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

Vote in 2025 Final Match — Mineral Cup

Click here to vote in Kyanite vs Tugtupite Photo credits: John Sobolewski and Parent Géry

www.mineralcup.org

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J. Raasch @jraasch.bsky.social · 9d

#MinCup25

Yay … someone shared explanation the greenish blue.

What causes the other colors observed in #kyanite? What about the very green samples? I need to know … but not enough to try hard to bypass paywalls. 🫠

Mark Shore @markshore.bsky.social · 9d

this is a hard choice, but tugtupite is too rare, whereas kyanite occurs in a range of rocks, including diamond or ruby-bearing eclogites... and it's one of the very few minerals where Cr3+ provides a greenish blue color instead of red or green

Figure 3. Optical photomicrographs of Cr-rich assemblages. (a) Cluster of turquoise-colored Cr-bearing kyanites enclosing vermicular Cr-spinel grains from sample PM22. Note the zonal coloring, which is most intense in the immediate vicinity of the Cr-spinel inclusions where Cr contents of kyanite are highest. (b) Turquoise-colored Cr-bearing kyanites and pink Cr-bearing corundum forming the inner portion of a reaction corona around a large Cr-spinel grain from sample PM26. The outer portion of the corona consists of pale-geen Cr-pargasite, which may contain relics of omphacite and garnet indicating a reaction Cr-spinel + omphacite + garnet + H2O = kyanite + corundum + pargasite. (Color online.)

from Hauzenberger et al. (2016) Genesis of chromium-rich kyanite in eclogite-facies Cr-spinel-bearing gabbroic cumulates, Pohorje Massif, Eastern Alps, American Mineralogist

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Philippe Smet @pfsmet.bsky.social · 8d

Colours are super important in #MinCup25, no?
Here is the bracket, with the colors superposed (of course, some minerals have multiple, so I took the snippets from the images on the voting posts or the website).
Don't forget to vote (once)! It's super close now.
www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r5...

Bracket of Mineral Cup 25, with for each mineral, a small image, showing the dominant color.

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Words-ish Katamari @cyballard.bsky.social · 9d

Thanks for the correction! Definitely got lost in that kyanite v hematite match

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Words-ish Katamari @cyballard.bsky.social · 9d

Went to the library since I finished my draft and I’m allowed to read books again. (Don’t ask me how many holds I placed.) Probably shouldn’t have gone alone?

A stack on books in a living room on a coffee table. Library copies of Shutter by Ramona Emerson, Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner, Available Dark by Elizabeth Hand, Prophet by Sin Blaché and Helen MacDonald, Amrikan by Khushbu Shah, The Korean Vegan Cookbook by Joanne Lee Molinaro, and Nordic Light by Simon Bajada. Used books from the library store are The Toynbee Convector by Ray Bradbury, The Nitpicker’s Guide for X-Philes by Phil Farrano, and Shibori by Karren K. Brito

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Martin Hajovsky @martinhajovsky.bsky.social · 11d

I mean, look at these choices:

#Hematite: Turns Mars red, key in telling early Earth story
#Kyanite Anisotropic & BLUE!!! Blueblueblue!
#Tugtupite Piezoelectric reindeer blood!
#Dioptase Birefringent GREEN!! Greengreengreen!

In the end, there can only be one #MinCup25 champion.

Kyanite. The only thing bluer was Robert Redford’s eyes.

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Vicky Veritas @vickyveritas.bsky.social · 10d

Have you ever stood on an ancient seafloor bed?

This is the banded iron formation (BIF) of Hamersley Range, Australia.

Go big #hematite !

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r3...

#MinCup25 ⚒️ sci-fi 🧪 🖖🏼 scifi Geosciences #WomenInSTEM geology 🔭🪐

Woman with a nonchalant pose is dwarfed by the background as she stands on a ridge of the folded red bands of rock of the Banded Iron Formation of Hamersley Range, Australia.
Photo: Masha Pastuhov, Dronesandstones

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Words-ish Katamari @cyballard.bsky.social · 11d

If you’re still undecided please vote for #dioptase because its geode samples look like little sparkling abysses you can cradle in the palm of your hand #MinCup25

Elysia Macht @elysiamacht.bsky.social · 11d

You wanna see dioptase do something else that's cool?

We haven't much had geode or "hummocky" samples yet, but how weird-cool is that, too? Other things dissolve, only dioptase is left.

Please vote!
www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r3...

#Dioptase #MinCup25 #Cuprosklodowskite

Text below from the irocks site. About 12-14 small "cup" hollows or indentations on a shimmering glittering dioptase piece. From N'tola Mine, Mindouli, Pool Department, Republic of the Congo.

"This is an absolutely dazzling and gorgeous small cabinet specimen of Dioptase from new finds (2018-2019) at the copper mines of Mindouli in the Republic of the Congo (former French Congo and not to be confused the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo). It is a sculptural Dioptase small cabinet piece featuring a hummocky surface just covered in sparkling, sugary, dark emerald-green Dioptase crystals to 2 mm! The brilliant luster of the Dioptase makes them scintillate with any amount of ambient lighting at any orientation! A captivating piece that can be displayed in a few orientations! Interestingly, this seemed to form as a cast, perhaps over "bubbles" or aragonite or calcite that later dissolved away. This was a unique find in the history of dioptase, and they are really stand out objects on a shelf. This is the last of the few smaller sized good specimens we got from the find. Many of them sadly did not make it to the mineral market, but were cut into small pieces for lapidary use and sold by the gram as sparkly jewels for wire wrap and mounted settings in jewelry."

Dioptase necklace pendant, or a geode in deep forest green or vivid, deep sea green turquoise, with a deeper green inside it. Raw crystal. It's set on a black something holding it, ready for hanging. 1stdibs site.

A geode style piece that seems to be standing up or is upright, opening toward the left here. A round pool shaped lighter rim around the darker indented middle, as the look is with these things. The Evil Queen's mirror style look, but all a glittering green gemstone.

Dioptase pseudomorph after Shattuckite(?) from Mindouli, Pool Department, Republic of Congo.
"Sparkling hemispherical formation of lustrous transparent green dioptase crystals with no attached matrix. Apparently the dioptase crystallized over a spherical shattuckite formation that dissolved away. Collected in 2019." From the Johnbetts-fineminerals . com site.

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sgrd @selveste.bsky.social · 13d

Fine norske kyanitt-eksemplarer funnet i norske veiskjæringer? Javisst har vi det, bare å spørre.

(Det er aller best å spørre mindat.org, tror jeg.)

#Kyanite
#MinCup25

Skjermdump av fire steinprøver funnet på mindat.org ved å søke etter kyanitt funnet i norske veiskjæringer. Alle har lange krystaller i ulike blånyanser, en av dem er KJEMPEBLÅ. Den nederst til høyre som ikke er fullt så blå er veldig blank isteden, og har med en liten dinosaur som målestokk. Lenker kommer i påfølgende poster!

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Dr. Gabriel Eggers @gabeeggers.bsky.social · 12d

I've been super busy this month and haven't been about to post about #MinCup25, but....

VOTE #KYANITE!!!

I've been ride or die for this beautiful aluminosilicate since 2017, and THIS YEAR IS OUR YEAR!

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · 13d

#MinCup25 Quarterfinals 3: It's a showdown between Team Green and Team Blue for #kosmochlor vs #kyanite.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r3...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

Vote in Quarterfinal 3 — Mineral Cup

Click here to vote in Kosmochlor vs Kyanite Photo credits: Knut Eldjarn and Harold Moritz

www.mineralcup.org

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Martin Hajovsky @martinhajovsky.bsky.social · 12d

So much to love about beautiful blue #Kyanite, but I think my favorite right at this second is that it’s anisotropic. You can scratch it with steel down its length, but it’s pretty much impervious across its stubby sides. Best party trick ever! I mean, what in the what??? #MinCup25

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Words-ish Katamari @cyballard.bsky.social · 14d

Friends of feldspathoids! Join me in voting for #tugtupite! #MinCup25

Words-ish Katamari @cyballard.bsky.social · Sep 8

Folks I'm really going out of my comfort zone voting for a feldspathoid with odd optical properties today #tugtupite #MinCup25

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · Sep 8

#MinCup25 Round 1 Match 8: It’s the cesium #pollucite against the optical changeling #tugtupite for this match.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r1...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

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Words-ish Katamari @cyballard.bsky.social · 14d

Hades 2 is downloaded but I am not allowing myself to play until I finish this novel draft

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Skeletons and Old Lace @corgiseveryhour.bsky.social · 18d

Alright team, its my fave on the bracket.
This is a call to action, which may happen 2 more times.
#mincup25 #R2M6

ITS #Dioptase TIME!

Pics below.

VOTE FOR DIOPTASE.

more like #mollybendone

I need you all to take a second and vote for the desert enerald.

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · 18d

#MinCup25 Round 2 Match 6: It's more exciting versions of familiar favourites as emerald #dioptase is pitted against silvery #molybdenite.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r2...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

www.mineralcup.org

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👻SAAAAAAAAHHHHHHvik Ford 🎃 @saavikford.bsky.social · 18d

Round 2 gives you another chance to support #Dioptase!

It’s blue-green (so credit towards the blue vote this match), a copper mineral (yay) & it’s PYROelectric!!

Vote Dioptase!!!

#MinCup25

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · 18d

#MinCup25 Round 2 Match 6: It's more exciting versions of familiar favourites as emerald #dioptase is pitted against silvery #molybdenite.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r2...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

www.mineralcup.org

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Words-ish Katamari @cyballard.bsky.social · 18d

Lotta cloud stuff going on

Stormclouds at sunset over power lines, tall buildings, and palm trees. There is a rainbow on the right side

Storm clouds at sunset over a neighborhood school. Sun rays pierce the clouds

Storm clouds over a neighborhood street. The wall is painted abstract colors on one side

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Words-ish Katamari @cyballard.bsky.social · 19d

Maybe Norco, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Return of the Obra Dinn? All mysteries. Norco’s not historical but is beautifully written, Lorelei has a few different time periods and is more game-y but scratches that art mystery itch, and Obra Dinn is historical with a unique investigation mechanic

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Words-ish Katamari @cyballard.bsky.social · 20d

Prairie Home Companion or Car Talk. He’d love podcasts if I could get him to listen to them

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Kari Dru @karidru.bsky.social · 21d

Perovskite had me at "found in the rain on brown dwarf stars..."

That is the most arresting sentence I've read in days.

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · 22d

#MinCup25 Round 2 Match 2: It's all about how minerals interact with humans as dramatic #stibnite faces off against futuristic #perovskite.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r2...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

Vote in Round 2 Match 2 — Mineral Cup

Click here to vote in Stibnite vs Perovskite Photo credits: Gianandrea Ghirri and Enrico Bonacina

www.mineralcup.org

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Vicky Veritas @vickyveritas.bsky.social · 22d

What appears to be a single Borg-like #perovskite crystal is an intergrowth of repetitively “twinned” crystals that have formed striations and very complex faces. How? See comment. Photo from Mindat-link in ALT.

Vote perovskite below

#MinCup25 ⚒️ sci-fi 🧪 🖖🏼 scifi Geosciences #WomenInSTEM geology 🔭🪐

Repetitively twinned Borg-like perovskite crystal. From Mindat: https://www.mindat.org/photo-214656.html

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TheGingerGeologist 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️☮️ @gingergeologist.bsky.social · 23d

Battle of the Blues!
I like the blues, it’s a great genre of music. As a fan of Sodalite , I’m Team #hauyne

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · 23d

#MinCup25 Round 2 Match 1: It's a pair of striking blue beauties as #pectolite the uncrushable faces off against #hauyne, the phoenix from volcanic ashes!

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r2...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

www.mineralcup.org

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👻SAAAAAAAAHHHHHHvik Ford 🎃 @saavikford.bsky.social · 24d

#Mannardite is the little goth rock who could! Jet black & found in the oldest terrestrial rocks, Hadean era crust!

This is the last bout of Round 1 so step up to vote & be counted!

#MinCup25

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · 24d

#MinCup25 Round 1 Match 16 - It's a battle of the tiny as bright green #paddlewheelite goes up against jet black #mannardite. Both are small yet mighty minerals, but only one can win!

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r1...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

Vote in Round 1 Match 16 — Mineral Cup

Click here to vote in Paddlewheelite vs Mannardite Photo credits: Travis Olds and Matteo Chinellato

www.mineralcup.org

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Elysia Macht @elysiamacht.bsky.social · 24d

Mannardite inside quartz, with celsian. "Black phantoms". Mysterious, hazy, and people mistaking it for ankangite. #Mannardite is so black-metal-goth-vote that Ankangite got discredited. Gone. Poof.

Only M. remains. 🤘😎

ALTs relevant to contain the dark universes from spreading! ⚫🌌💥😱

#MinCup25

Mannardite from Brazil. A 3.4 cm tall polished Quartz with a “sea urchin” of black mannardite floating inside. It's as if an animated character was caught in the middle of how it may look when very angry perhaps, or the aggro emojis or such.

Most of all, a black, black, black region in the middle that looks like a hole had broken into another universe inside. A glimpse of the other side's stars and galaxies are just barely visible when staring into the black opening inside the clear quartz. It looks as if the opening had exploded open from that side, the wisps or strands of black forming all around the centre, towards us.

Links for image sites or texts in a post below this.

MCV-Quartz with Mannardite and Celsian Gemstone. A somewhat raindrop shaped see-through clear gemstone with thin wispy strands of hazy black and tiny tiny white bursts inside it. It's been formed + polished into shape or whatever all done to get it looking that shape.

The same raindrop or teardrop shape quartz piece with the black mannardite inside it. Here it's seen from the other side, where you see more of the black heart of it. It's as if the first photo's hole into another universe was only starting to spread here, a smaller glimpse into the black on the other side beyond the opening.

As if it was only through luck the quartz was containing the might of mannardite, existing for the black to spread, for a bigger glimpse into the black of the other side in miniature form.

The thing on its side here may also look somewhat like the clear crystalline eye of some beast beyond our ken.

A less translucent, more white looking quartz with mannardite from Madagascar-4.85ct. This time the stone itself is a white egg, described as oval + cabochon if such terms say anything to you. But there is a crack and a widening hole on top/side of the egg-resembling stone, and again the black of mannardite is breaking out of its containment.

Just with a different looking effect given it now seems as if something was breaking out of an egg. From a gemfrance auction site, so gone already.

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Laurie and Rosie Strings 🐶 @lauriestrings.bsky.social · 24d

VOTE #PADDLEWHEELITE!
Look at that COLOR! Also it's called PADDLEWHEELITE! Has there ever been a more awesome name? It's crystal structure looks like a paddle wheel! You can't ask for more than that!

#TeamPaddlewheelite
www.mindat.org/min-52712.html

Paddlewheelite

Chemically and, most probably, also structurally related to voglite. Paddlewheelite structure is based upon the well-known structural motif, ...

www.mindat.org

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