Earth is full of incredible things, you just have to look closely to find them sometimes.
Stopping to smell the roses, maybe literally, is also just a good reminder to pull your nose away from your emails and to-do lists and take a closer look at what's going on around you.
When I was a kid, I used to search for beautiful stones in my parents' backyard. I'd find pieces of beautiful quartz buried in the dirt, sometimes even with lovely bits of purple nestled within. All I had to do was look.
There are so many minerals out there that form totally naturally even though they look like they were made in a machine, due to their structure, or dyed, because of their unbelievable colors.
While they're all beautiful, some are very rare, and some are even dangerous. While it's incredible what nature can produce under the right circumstances, you may want to be careful if you find an unfamiliar rock or mineral — especially with #11 below.
Which of these minerals is your favorite? Please SHARE with your family and friends on Facebook!
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1. Fluorite
Fluorite is a pretty common mineral that comes from calcium fluoride and is found in over 9,000 places in the world. It comes in multiple bright colors and tends to form in cubes. Isn't it lovely?
2. Chrysocolla
Chrysocolla is a derivative of copper, and it ranges from this beautiful blue color to greens of all shades. Don't you just want to swim in it?
3. Azurite
Azurite is a relatively soft copper mineral found in Sinai and the Eastern Desert of Egypt. It can be used for ornamental decoration, but it can't withstand high heat. When exposed to the elements, it loses its beautiful blue hue over time.
4. Cobaltocalcite
Some think that cobaltocalcite has the power to lower blood pressure and dissolve pain, but whether or not you believe that, the rosy crystals are still darn pretty.
5. Crocoite
Crocoite is a toxic mineral containing lead and other elements. It's mainly found in Tasmania, and has an alluring reddish orange color. It reminds me of the 1970s.
6. Alexandrite
When placed under different kinds of light, the hue changes. Here, alexandrite is held under a UV light.
7. Adamite
Adamite occurs on oxidized or weathered sections of zinc, and is clear in color when pure. But like here, due to the common presence of iron, it has a yellowish and sometimes greenish color instead. This hue is absolutely gorgeous if you ask me.
8. Carbonatecyanotrichite
Carbonatecyanotrichite is a rare mineral with an unusual fluffy texture and a beautiful sky blue color. It never occurs on its own, just on other surfaces containing copper. I didn't know minerals could grow in this texture!
9. Benitoite
Benitoite grows on a host rock, often natrolite. It has a lovely blue color, but is only found in gemstone quality in California.
10. Torbernite
Torbernite, while it has a beautiful emerald color, is a radioactive mineral that should be handled carefully, lest you pick up some unwanted radiation.
What do you think of these gorgeous minerals? Have you ever found a mineral so beautiful out in nature? Please SHARE with family and friends on Facebook!
