Mindat.org
File:Copper-24361.jpg
Crystalline copper "feather" from Itauz Mine, Kazakhstan, an example of a photo by Rob Lavinsky from the mindat database
Mindat.org is a non-commercial online mineralogical database, claiming to be the largest mineral database and mineralogical reference website on the internet.
It contains a significant database of minerals, localities and mineral photographs, and is updated constantly by registered users adding and editing entries.
As of 2011[update], it included:
- 38,645 mineral names (this includes mineral varieties, synonyms and discredited names, of which 4,499 are minerals recognised by the International Mineralogical Association.
- 215,428 mineral localities worldwide, with information on 655,721 mineral occurrences within these sites
- 125,641 of the localities have maps and/or grid coordinates available, and the site can use a google map applet to show the location.
- 319,961 photos of minerals have been uploaded, arranged into galleries from collectors worldwide who wish to share their mineral collections online.
- 3,596 users registered to upload photos and/or edit data.
History of Mindat.org
Mindat was started in 1993 as a personal database project by Jolyon Ralph. He then developed further versions as a Microsoft Windows application before launching a community-editable database web site in late 2000. [1]. Mindat.org now uses the mediawiki software for its online manual. [2]
See also
- Commons:Robert Lavinsky. Lavinsky, a well-known mineral collector and dealer, donated his complete picture database on mindat.org to Wikimedia Commons, over 30,000 photos of minerals.
External links
