Heather's Crystal Interests

On this page I share with you some of the crystals I enjoy collecting. Since I was a young child I have had a fascination with the natural colours, textures and shapes of crystals and other minerals. Over the years I have collected some and bought others. These days I am more interested in the aesthetical looking pieces that I feel a connection with - crystals that I feel appeal to me because of their appearance and energy. I still have an interest in the forces of nature that formed them too.

heather@dawnmist.org


Hematite - Iron Ore


Small pieces of hematite kidney ore I collected when I was a child from a local footpath.



Natural Quartz


Sometimes it is nice to see natural crystals while out in the local hills of Devon taking a walk. These are a home for some tiny plants.



Cast Bronze


I have included this image because I love the effects which happened when I made some bronze out of some old Cornish tin mixed with purchased copper pellets. The casting of the blade for an athame worked on the second attempt.



Veracruz Amethyst



Veracruz Amethyst is one of my personal favorites. This comes from Mexico and has some nice pale crystals on the matrix it formed on.



Copper Pyrite


I found this long ago on an old copper mine spoil tip in Cornwall. The rock looked really dull but was very heavy so I broke it open to reveal the gold coloured ore.



Basalt


From an old quarry in hills not far from Exeter. This formed millions of years ago when the region was full of volcanic activity - gas bubbles escaping through thick mud eventually solidified and later the cavities became filled with crystals. The proper name for it is amygdaloidal basalt.



Amethyst


A nice shop bought chunk of an amethyst geode. Likely from South America where many come from. I love the really deep colour on this one.



Hematite Kidney Ore


A form of natural iron ore which looks a bit like a kidney. I picked this one up on e-bay. Originally mined in Cumbria in the UK.



Iron Pyrite with Quartz Crystals


I spotted this for sale in a gift shop back in the 90's. Love the amazing formation of crystals arrayed on the pyrite, some are really tiny as thin as a human hair.



Storage Box of Minerals


For my main collection I store many in card trays like this. It makes them easier to look at and each has a label with the name and other information which is also on a database. It can be too easy to get muddled up with some minerals so this system works well.



Display Case


Some pieces are stored in a dust-free cabinet which makes them easier to enjoy. These look very colourful and have a variety of textures and shapes.



Display Case


More of the display cabinet.



Rock Gem and Bead Shows




Rock, Gem and Bead shows take place in the area twice a year, a nice place to visit just to have a look around or buy something nice.



African Amethyst


This kind of amethyst comes from Bramberg in Africa and often has zones of colour within the crystal.



Quartz Wand


Love these thin quartz crystals. This one is particularly long and was collected by a tribal person in Africa who gave it to a geologist then it came to me.



Quartz


Group of crystals bought at a local show in 2017



Raspberry Garnet


From a swap I did long time ago. These are lovely bright garnets on the matrix from a location in South America.



Alabaster Gypsum


Stained orange throughout by iron minerals this alabaster is found in clay deposits in north Devon where the sea erodes it out leaving amazing shapes.



Nugget of natural Tin Ore


I found this in the subsoil of a working quarry in Ashburton where the surface was being ripped off ready for the next phase of work. It is really heavy and likely to be a natural nugget of tin ore.



Pyrite and Dolomite in Void


These are tiny crystals of Pyrite and Dolomite which formed in a small void within quartz material. Washed out of the mudstone cliff in Torbay. I spotted them back in 1980's.



Larger Display Case





Larger crystals and minerals in the main display case. Quite a selection here from all over the world.



Peacock Ore


This is a type of copper ore where the light reflects colours in a way that looks like peacock feathers. From a quarry in Cornwall.



Meteorite Pieces



Various meteorites either as they fall or sliced. One has an amazing structure of metallic crystals inside and another clear green glassy material formed inside voids.



Quartz Crystal Ball


Rainbow colours inside the ball.



Herkimer Diamond Collecting




My two-day visit to Treasure Mountain mine in New York State in USA back in 2001. I was the only one to find a brain-sized void crammed with dozens of these gemmy looking quartz crystals.




Lots more to see on the Dawnmist Studio website...