A mineral specimen is a naturally formed piece of rock, crystal or ore collected and displayed for its beauty, rarity or scientific interest. Examples range from clusters of quartz, amethyst and fluorite crystals to polished agate slices, malachite, pyrite, geodes and samples of metallic ores taken from historic mines.
The collecting of minerals was an important part of the cabinet of curiosities in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and grew into a serious scientific pursuit during the Victorian era, when gentlemen naturalists, universities and museums built extensive collections arranged in shallow drawers with handwritten labels. British mining regions such as Cornwall, Cumberland and Derbyshire supplied many fine specimens, including Derbyshire's banded Blue John fluorspar. For collectors, old labels, catalogue numbers and documented provenance from a historic collection can add considerably to the interest of a piece, as can intact crystal points and good natural colour. Some specimens contain toxic or radioactive elements and should be handled and stored appropriately. In interiors, mineral specimens are displayed on bookshelves, under glass domes or within specimen cabinets, where their colour and structure complement natural history prints, taxidermy and scientific instruments in a library or study.
