Little Happy Things: Colorful Rocks Are My Fave

So... I have a non-confession confession to make. I like crystals, rocks and minerals. Like a lot. It's not really a secret. They are all over my house, some hiding in plain sight in photos I've posted. I have a weakness for collecting pretty things, flowers, houseplants and the like. The amethyst fire pit is a good example of a practical use of crystals while also indulging in overload since 100lbs cost the same as 50lbs wholesale. I literally used the amethyst leftovers to mulch my houseplants... and I will admit nothing looks prettier.

My addiction hobby started in middle school, being drawn to those overpriced shiny bits in museum gift shops on field trips. An agate slice here, a couple of tumbles there, an azurite specimen that cost me all my babysitting money but practically glowed under the lights. But what really did it for me was going to Colorado with my mom and sister to visit my aunt and uncle who lived in the Rocky Mountains. We went hiking on all these mountain trails and while exploring their property, I found beautiful specimens including a huge chunk of rose quartz. It was like finding buried treasure, I was hooked. 

The hobby ebbed and flowed through the years, but in the past decade it's expanded quite a bit. I have mostly raw minerals, but also tumbles, spheres and towers, palm stones, etc. I still gravitate mostly towards the raw minerals, or slightly polished raw minerals that I polished myself to bring out their natural beauty. I've bought many pieces (because let's face it the best mines are not close by), but my favorites are the ones I've found - locally and on vacations through the years. 

A winter project for me was to pull out some of my collection and do flat lays. Originally I was going to do 1-2 but I quickly realized I had a lot more than would fit on a board, so I ended up organizing them by color instead. 

Rocks include: 

Pink: Rose Quartz from multiple locations around the world, Red Hematoid Quartz, Strawberry Calcite, Pink Nagano Calcite, Salmon Calcite, Pink Quartz, Pink Adventurine, Rhodocrosite, Pink Opal, Pink Petalite, Pink Danuburite, Pink Feldspar, Rhodochrosite, Rhodonite, Morganite, Pink Granite. 

Red/Orange/Yellow: Red Jasper, Red and Yellow Mookaite Jasper, Picture Jasper, Carnelian, Red Calcite, Orange Calcite, Orange Adventurine, Sunstone, Honey Calcite, Yellow Calcite, Citrine, Topaz, Satyaloka Quartz, Yellow/Golden Quartz, Yellow Opal, Amber, Septarian, Green Opal, Yellow-Green Onyx. 

Green: Green calcite, pistachio calcite, green adventurine, green jade, green onyx, ukanite, lizardite, green fluorite, kambaba jasper, green agate, ruby in zoisite, moldavite, prehenite, chlorite, moss agate, tree agate, malachite, chrysocolla, green apatite, green chalcedony/chrysoprase, polychrome jasper, amazonite, raw emerald, serephinite, Tsavorite garnet. 

Lapiz lazuli, azurite, blue chalcopyrite, labradorite, sodalite, blue kyanite, amazonite, caribbean calcite, celesite, turquoise, blue calcite, tanzanite, blue quartz, aquamarine, blue adventurine, blue agate, blue apatite, blue prehenite, blue onyx, shattuckite, apophylite, blue fluorite, larimar, angelite, indigo gabbro, blue lace agate.

Purple: Ocean jasper, purple fluorite, amethyst, chevron amethyst, veracruz amethyst, purple chalcopyrite, purple agate, tanzanite, purpurite. 

Multicolor: Rainbow fluorite, ocean jasper. 

My blacks, grays, whites and browns are missing from the flat lays. I will probably do those at some point too - I have some cool specimens. And I didn't even include all my pieces, just what was out and easily accessible. 

I've really enjoyed doing flat lays though - I'd like to try my hand at some floral flat lays this spring/summer with some of my flowers.