52 



l|ii«f§ff nl (|©it#fj s 



On the Care of Minerals. 



w. s. beekman. 



Second Paper. 



The idea I intended to convey in 

 regard to labelling, seems to be 

 omitted in the last issue. Man)' 

 collectors devote space on labels to 

 writing Hime collected'' and collector 's 

 name 1 which is useless on minerals; 

 having if you choose, your own name 

 on, makes it have a neater look, but 

 the other is superfluous, and is better 

 used on insects, eggs, etc. 



It is better to avoid pasting labels 

 on specimens, unless you have a 

 neat, small size, as it generally de- 

 tracts in looks. The label given in 

 last is good where the specimen is 

 kept in a tray and not liable to get 

 misplaced, as when just kept loosely 

 on a shelf, unless pasted to the min- 

 eral, it is very apt to do. 



The color of trays are neater, 

 white, if of a good quality; however, 

 an ultramarine blue is the best color, 

 on most specimens, to show them 

 off. Our Boston Society have placed 

 their specimens, to a good advantage 

 on their colored trays. 



It is well when one can get a sheet 

 of printed numbers, to pasto the 

 specie number on, if no other label is 

 attached, as, at some time the larger 

 labels might get misplaced, and the 

 mineral would not be recognized 

 unless this permanent feature was 

 present. 



In regard to cleaning specimens, 

 which should be the next step taken, 

 after trimming, hardly enough at- 

 tention is given by the amateur 

 worker. Where one forms their 

 collections by purchasing of a relia- 

 ble dealer, or exchanging with com-, 

 petant collectors they should^ not 

 receive specimens in a condition 

 that would require any other atten- 

 tion but dusting. Where personal 



collections are made, on the majority 

 of specimens, to bring out their full 

 beauty, they must be subjected to 

 the following process. If consisting 

 of delicate ciystals. never use a 

 brush, unless they be quartz crystals. 

 Try first the power of water in 

 simple rinsing. If that fails to re- 

 move all blemishes, try warm water 

 and suds. There will be some va- 

 rieties that can not stand even these 

 simple methods. Thus a millerite 

 can hardly stand even a gentle blow- 

 ing, and if put under a faucet to 

 rinse, it would meet the fate, that 

 the religious sect, tnillerites expect 

 to meet. The cleansing of moss 

 from surface rocks, is best effected 

 by using a strong solution of wash- 

 ing soda — Na 2 C0 3 — Should your 

 specimen be covered with iron stains, 

 and not be calcite, but quartz, which 

 is generally thus coated, soak for 

 24 hours in a strong solution of 

 Oxalic acid. This acid can be ad- 

 vantageously kept in a jar, as it is 

 always good to use one part acid 

 and six parts water. This makes a 

 concentrated solution, and when too 

 dirty for future use can be poured 

 off and half as much water added to 

 the remainder. After this soaking, 

 always recollecting never to put in 

 calcite, which would be decomjiosed, 

 as simple washing will generally 

 take the acid, and what stains are 

 left, off. A stiff brush is convenient 

 to use in many cases; also, a test- 

 tube brush or a sharp stick with 

 cloth tied to it, to reach in between 

 long crystals. 



Many species need rougher treat- 

 ment than this, and among them are 

 copper ores. 



Copper is very difficult to keep 

 free from tarnish, and a black dirty 

 copper is an i J£lephant' 1 in a collec- 

 tion. For a pure copper I use 

 hydric filtrate — MJS r 3 — pour right 

 on the ore and quickly rinse off. It 

 does not take an instant for it to eat 

 the oxide, and leaves the copper nice 



