Contribute - The Open Mineral Encyclopedia

How it works

Send it in

Submit your photo, data correction, or draft entry through the contribution form below.

We review

Each submission is checked against the IMA list and standard references. Data corrections cite a source; photos need a license we can republish under.

You’re credited

Accepted contributions are published under CC BY-SA with your name (or handle) in the entry’s contributor list and image credit.

What we need most

Specimen photographs — sharp, well-lit photos of real specimens, ideally on a neutral background with a scale. Must be your own work, or already openly licensed (CC BY / CC BY-SA / public domain). Include the locality if you know it.
Locality details — precise locality names and coordinates for species entries and the map.
Full entries — write-ups for minerals that currently have index-only pages. Follow an existing full entry’s structure: intro, properties, varieties, formation, uses, identification, localities, references.
Corrections — wrong formula, wrong hardness, outdated synonymy. Always include a reference (Mindat, primary literature).

Licensing. By contributing, you agree your text is published under CC BY-SA 4.0 and images under the license you specify (CC BY-SA preferred). You retain copyright; you grant us permission to publish with credit. We cannot accept copyrighted photos from books or websites.

Entry standards

Plain language first — define jargon in-line or link the glossary.
Physical data follows standard mineralogical conventions: Mohs ranges, specific gravity, streak, luster, cleavage, fracture.
Every fact needs a source. References appear in the entry’s citation list.
Names follow IMA nomenclature (Baryte, Sulphur, Monazite-(Ce)) with common synonyms cross-linked so searches still work.

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