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37 posts

janelleshane.com @janelleshane.com · 15h

It has to be #halite for #MinCup26 ! You can make a laser out of salt droplets - place them on a superhydrophobic surface and the droplets are round and stable, making good laser cavities. web.archive.org/web/20111018...

Fig. 1 of the linked paper, showing the experimental setup, along with the broad-spectrum glow of the droplet, and the narrow spike of the laser spectrum. In the experimental setup you'll note that it took two lasers (a green one and an infrared one) to get red laser light out of the salt droplet.

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 SEMI-FINALS!!! It's showdown of the soft and cubical as coppery #Cuprite and salty #Halite compete for a spot in the finals! Both are worthy, but only one can have your vote. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#MinCup26 SEMI-FINALS!!! It's showdown of the soft and cubical as coppery #Cuprite and salty #Halite compete for a spot in the finals! Both are worthy, but only one can have your vote. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

Split photo of a translucent deep red cube of cuprite within swooping matte blue-green crystal blades and a scattering of translucent white halite cubes in a nest of golden yellow spiky crystals.

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

#MinCup26 Quarterfinal 2 Both of today's minerals can be found in hydrothermal vein deposits as cobalt arsenide #Skutterudite is against classic silicate #Quartz for a spot in the semi-finals. Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... Results: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

mineralcup.org

Vote in Quarterfinal 2 — Mineral Cup & Ore Cup

Vote in Skutterudite vs Quartz Credit: Joel Williams

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

#MinCup26 Round 2 Match 7 It's blue skies ahead as multicoloured cubes of #Halite are up against the bubbly cool-toned #Chrysocolla. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

Split photo of seafoam green minerals. One one side, translucent sea foam-green cubes on a crust of milky-white crystals. On the other, bobby aqua-green milky-translucent crystals perched on a grainy grassy-green base rock

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

#MinCup26 Round 2 Match 5 It's a pair or rare, vibrant minerals with unusual chemistry as purple #Putnisite is up against blue #Julienite. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

Split photo of tiny grape-jello purple cubical crystals with a rough surface. The crystals are poking out of a massive rough rock with areas of fuzzy green and broad purple, all with a grainy coating of white as though it were rubbed with flour. The other photo is saturated cobalt blue needle-line crystals in a narrow fan sparkly and rough on a smooth creamy background

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julierey.bsky.social @julierey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

It’s absurdly pretty #azurite for me! Though #Sphalerite ‘s tiny crystalline ziggurats are charming too. #MinCup26

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 16 It's a pair of industrially-vital minerals for the final match of the first round as tin ore #Cassiterite is up against elemental carbon #Graphite. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

Split photo of cassiterite crystals, silvery to shiny black, in shapes similar to faceted gemstones and a flat, hexagonal graphite crystal jutting up, dark grey with a greasy shine.

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julierey.bsky.social @julierey.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

↪ Replying to @mineralcup.bsky.social

I’m the only person who voted for #Gadolinite?? This can’t be! It’s a glowing black rock! #MinCup26

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 14 Average hardness and dark colours are camouflage for crystalline oddness lurking within blue asbestos #Riebeckite vs rare earth element #Gadolinite-(Y). VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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julierey.bsky.social @julierey.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

“Fool’s fool’s gold,” you say?? Sold! #Pyrrhotite #MinCup26

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Ian Saginor @volcanoclast.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

↪ Replying to @mineralcup.bsky.social

Calcite thin section. #MinCup26

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stonegecko.bsky.social @stonegecko.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

↪ Replying to @mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 11: The special optics of calcite win the day against a pretty but ephemeral mineral. It's also a gateway teaching mineral into hardness, cleavage, biomineralisation, sedimentary geology, weathering & erosion. What's not to like?

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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

↪ Replying to @mineralcup.bsky.social

Calcite is ubiquitous, yes, but you still gotta go with the mineral that Vikings used to navigate, as the “sunstone” that allowed them to detect the direction of the sun #Calcite #IcelandSpar #Sunstone #MinCup26

static.klipy.com

Viking Drakkar Ship with Red Sail Under Rainbow

Alt: Viking Drakkar Ship with Red Sail Under Rainbow

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 11 It's a pair of minerals that pull off near-magical tricks with their properties as ubiquitous #Calcite is up against rarity #Julienite. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

mineralcup.org

Vote in Round 1 Match 11 — Mineral Cup & Ore Cup

Vote in Calcite vs Julienite Credit: Harold Moritz and David Hospital

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 10: It’s a pair of soft minerals that form near the surface as heavyweight #pyromorphite is up against evaporate #gypsum. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

Split photo of a scattering of highlighter-yellow log-shaped Pyromorphite crystals and a dense cluster of translucent white flat, rounded gypsum crystals that resemble a flower bud

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janelleshane.com @janelleshane.com · 09/09/2026

As far as I can tell, neither #MinCup26 material has been directly made into a laser. But if we accept that we're destroying the crystals to extract their components, let's grab the chromium from the #Putnisite and infuse it into a yttrium aluminum garnet. Cr:YAG is a good high-power laser material.

A green gem with a spooky red glow to it, almost like an afterimage. It's strong red fluorescence caused by the regular daylight illumination around it.

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 9: It’s a pair of tiny minerals with unusual chemistry as hafnium-containing #Hafnon battles with strontium/chromium-containing #Putnisite. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 9: It’s a pair of tiny minerals with unusual chemistry as hafnium-containing #Hafnon battles with strontium/chromium-containing #Putnisite. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

Split photo of jagged dark brown to orange opaque crystal grains of hafnon embedded in an unidentified white matrix and tiny grape-jello purple cubical crystals with a rough surface. The crystals are poking out of a massive rough rock with areas of fuzzy green and broad purple, all with a grainy coating of white as though it were rubbed with flour

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julierey.bsky.social @julierey.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

↪ Replying to @mineralcup.bsky.social

Sorry, #talc, but #stichtite is just too pretty! Also presumably doesn’t contain asbestos. #MinCup26

static.klipy.com

Grimace from McDonald's Blinks

Alt: Grimace from McDonald's sits across from a desk. Grimace just voted for stichtite and thinks you should too.

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janelleshane.com @janelleshane.com · 08/09/2026

They're soft and lovely... and not promising as laser materials. Maybe someday someone will synthesize a nanostructure with a bit of stichtite or talc structure in the layers, and then use it for something lasery. It's a long shot. Laser verdict for #MinCup26: vote for whatever. They're nice rocks.

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 8: It’s a pair of soft and lovely minerals as Stichtite and Talc compete for your votes. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 8: It’s a pair of soft and lovely minerals as Stichtite and Talc compete for your votes. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

Split photo with a rough chunk of vividly purple stichtite with occasional dark speckles and a pearly white talc with cool green undertones and a flaky surface.

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julierey.bsky.social @julierey.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

↪ Replying to @mineralcup.bsky.social

Still shaking over #quartz ‘s close call from yesterday. For this round I’m going with #Andalusite, because I have no idea how to pronounce #Monazite-(Ce). #MinCup26

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janelleshane.com @janelleshane.com · 07/09/2026

If you had to make one of today’s #MinCup26 contestants into a laser, it would be #Monazite. Extract the handy cerium out of it, and infuse that into some other crystal to make a UV laser. Maybe even a nice pulsed UV laser!

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 7 It's a color-changing match of informative minerals! Time-tracker #Monazite-(Ce)'s yellow in sunlight darkens to orange in incandescent light while index mineral #Andalusite is pleochroic VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 7 It's a color-changing match of informative minerals! Time-tracker #Monazite-(Ce)'s yellow in sunlight darkens to orange in incandescent light while index mineral #Andalusite is pleochroic VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

Split photo with yellow andalusite, backlit to show its color and its growth patterns, which have four-fold symmetry with branching dark streaks in each direction and a glassy amber-yellow crystal point in a craggy setting of smaller, lighter yellow crystals.

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julierey.bsky.social @julierey.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

↪ Replying to @mineralcup.bsky.social

#quartz!! An oldie but a goodie. Don’t worry #Asagiite, your time will come. #MinCup26

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janelleshane.com @janelleshane.com · 06/09/2026

I'm going with #quartz this round of #MinCup26. Even though it doesn't produce laser light, quartz IS a very important optical material. You can easily use it to make the windows and mirrors and lenses in your laser. Never met #asagiite, laser potential seems unlikely.

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 6 It's a classic vs a newbie as the most common named mineral in the crust #Quartz is up against an exceedingly-rare sea foam-green mineral discovered just a few years ago #Asagiite. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 6 It's a classic vs a newbie as the most common named mineral in the crust #Quartz is up against an exceedingly-rare sea foam-green mineral discovered just a few years ago #Asagiite. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

Split photo of clear quartz points radiating from a central point, with amethyst purple at some of the tips and cool mint green asagiite in mostly log-shaped crystals, with a few blobby bits.

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julierey.bsky.social @julierey.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Vote for #oripment, because it’s orange and fuzzy! #MinCup26

static.klipy.com

Flyers Gritty

Alt: Gritty, the Philadelphia Flyers mascot, gazes at you from the penalty box. He wears a Flyers jersey and is covered in orange hair. He has boggle eyes.

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julierey.bsky.social @julierey.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

↪ Replying to @mineralcup.bsky.social

I know everyone is going to vote for the other guy so I’m going for #Bournonite. The super spy of the mineral world! #MinCup26

static.klipy.com

Sniper Aim

Alt: Matt Damon as Jason Bourne

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janelleshane.com @janelleshane.com · 04/09/2026

I wasn't able to find direct evidence of people using either of today's minerals in a laser, but #Vesuvianite is slightly more promising. It's sometimes fluorescent, and there's plenty of ways to mess with its composition. Other sorosilicates can be laser materials, so there's hope. #MinCup26

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 4: Cogwheels of #Bournonite are up against colourful #Vesuvianite in a battle of unexpected chemical compositions. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 4: Cogwheels of #Bournonite are up against colourful #Vesuvianite in a battle of unexpected chemical compositions. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

Split photo of metallic grey solid wheels on one side and pointy-ended green columnar crystal on the other.

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janelleshane.com @janelleshane.com · 03/09/2026

Oh wait here we GO ZnS nanosheets are basically sphalerite, and here's a paper where they got them to lase (badly). #Sphalerite is the laser choice for this round of #MinCup26 link.springer.com/article/10.1...

If you are a laser scientist, this set of graphs screams "laser! (albeit crappy)". The inset graph shows an exponential increase in brightness once the pumping intensity reaches a certain threshold. That "kink" is a classic sign of a laser turning on. The outer graph shows the spectrum narrowing as pump intensity increases (although there are a lot of individual lines, so this is likely multiple competing lasers at once).

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janelleshane.com @janelleshane.com · 03/09/2026

#Sphalerite is the mineral of choice according to my laser-focused #MinCup26 voting guide! Sphalerite is a zinc sulfide with varying amounts of iron in it, and although I don't know of anyone directly making a laser from it, ZnS is phosphorescent AND a semiconductor AND makes good infrared lenses.

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 3 Both zinc ore #Sphalerite and calcium plagioclase feldspar #Anorthite will split cleanly if you hit them with a hammer, but only one can claim a larger split of your votes! VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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julierey.bsky.social @julierey.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Gotta go with #Anorthite, it’s just so unassuming! Don’t worry, we see you #anorthite. #MinCup26

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janelleshane.com @janelleshane.com · 02/09/2026

Following my policy of choosing the best laser material each time, I'm voting #skutterudite in #MinCup26. The 2018 paper "Femtosecond mode-locking of a fiber laser using a CoSb3-skutterudite-based saturable absorber" describes a custom skutterudite that can help make short laser pulses.

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 2: Flowery pink #Erythrite is against shiny silver #Skutterudite in this match of cobalt minerals. Will you pick the weathering product or the mineral it comes from? VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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julierey.bsky.social @julierey.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#mincup26 #Erythrite pictured here:

Strawberry flavored Nerds candy, which resemble little pink rocks. They’re basically sugar with some flavoring.

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 2: Flowery pink #Erythrite is against shiny silver #Skutterudite in this match of cobalt minerals. Will you pick the weathering product or the mineral it comes from? VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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janelleshane.com @janelleshane.com · 01/09/2026

Voting #smithsonite in #MinCup26 because of the two it seems the most laseable. Ordered crystals, sometimes clearish, fluoresces under UV? There's a remote chance one could turn it into a laser.

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 1: It's carbonate-vs-carbonate with copper-rich #Azurite against zinc-rich #Smithsonite. Which has your vote? VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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julierey.bsky.social @julierey.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

#Smithsonite, because I have a soft spot for the guy who founded the Smithsonian. #mincup26

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 Round 1 Match 1: It's carbonate-vs-carbonate with copper-rich #Azurite against zinc-rich #Smithsonite. Which has your vote? VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...

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#Mincup