#MinCup25
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dotsandlines.bsky.social
Revenge for calcite! Vote #putnisite!

Long blue minerals are so #MinCup25, and at least #kyanite could handle pressure. Julienite knows only death—and not even a cool goth way.

#MinCup26 can do better.
mineralcup.bsky.social Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · Sep 21
#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
September 21, 2026 at 3:05 AM
salvaterra.bsky.social
All the minerals from the mineral cup 2025.

They are now uploaded as high-res PNG files as stock art here:

💎 salvaterra.itch.io/minerals-sto...

#mincup #mincup25 #mincup26 #minerals #sciart #bsnm
a poster with 32 colourful illustrations of mineral pieces from the set of contenders in the mineral cup 2025. the minerals are such as calcite, haüyne, silver, hematite, tugtupite, kyanite, wavelite, etc. some are green, some are blue, golden, grey, white, in a wide variety of shades and hues.
September 18, 2026 at 4:02 PM
salvaterra.bsky.social
www.inprnt.com/gallery/salv...
MinCup25 - Final Bracket, an art print by Fernando Salvaterra
Gallery Quality Prints
www.inprnt.com
September 13, 2026 at 1:42 PM
salvaterra.bsky.social
Last year, for Mineral Cup 2025, I ink-sketched all the minerals in a handmade sketchbook as an exercise to learn more about minerals. This was the result:

#mincup #mincup25 #mincup26 #minerals #sketchbook #sciart
a collage of 16 photos os my minerals sketchbook, each photo a double page spread with two different minerals inked, the ones who participated in the 2025 mineral cup.
September 13, 2026 at 1:35 PM
salvaterra.bsky.social
After that, I colored all the minerals and did my own bracket poster.

(I have it printed. I'll post a photo eventually).

#mincup #mincup25 #mincup26 #minerals #sciart
final Mineral Cup 2025 bracket with kyanite as champion. all the minerals are illustrated and the brackets are lined with a decorative border in gold.
September 13, 2026 at 1:39 PM
salvaterra.bsky.social
and since we are here, the azurite i did last year

#azurite #sciart #mincup25 #minerals
illustration of azurite crystals, a chunk of it like an explosion of deep blue
September 5, 2026 at 5:18 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
Thanks for a fun #MinCup25 this year.
All temporary rivals are forgiven, it was a good match.

And #Kyanite, here's to you.
A photo of a very unhappy little boy split into three panels on the left he is standing in a plaid shirt and pink pants with brown shoes on the right top in front of a white background and on the right bottom him sitting in the same clothing with the captions congrats, happy for you, nice
October 2, 2025 at 10:46 AM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
#MinCup25 final.

Do what you want.
I got no dog in this fight.
mineralcup.bsky.social Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · Oct 1
#MinCup25 Final: After a month of learning and laughter, we’re at the final match to determine the 2025 Mineral Cup Champion! We have blue blades of #kyanite up against optical magician #tugtupite.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r5...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...
Vote in 2025 Final Match — Mineral Cup
Click here to vote in Kyanite vs Tugtupite Photo credits: John Sobolewski and Parent Géry
www.mineralcup.org
October 1, 2025 at 4:46 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
Less than 40 votes down #teamgreen
Lets get Dioptase into the final!
#MinCup25 #dioptase
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social Ketamine and Old Lace @corgiseveryhour.bsky.social · Sep 30
WELL WELL WELL.
FOLKS, Call to action!
In ANOTHER naked partisan effort to get Dioptase to the top spot, and win the whole thing.

Lets go #MinCup25
#teamgreen
#teampoison
#teampretty
#teamcopper
#teamhistory

Dioptase checks all the boxes and looks stunning while it does so.
#votedioptase
mineralcup.bsky.social Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · Sep 30
#MinCup25 Semifinals 2: Beautiful optics are in play for our last semifinal round between reindeer blood #tugtupite and desert queen #dioptase.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r4...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...
September 30, 2025 at 6:24 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
WELL WELL WELL.
FOLKS, Call to action!
In ANOTHER naked partisan effort to get Dioptase to the top spot, and win the whole thing.

Lets go #MinCup25
#teamgreen
#teampoison
#teampretty
#teamcopper
#teamhistory

Dioptase checks all the boxes and looks stunning while it does so.
#votedioptase
September 30, 2025 at 3:13 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
Senifinals time folks in the #MinCup25

Sf1: #kyanite v #hematite.

Awful sore at #kyanite for beating dioptase a while back, so probably stumping for #hematite this round.

Pics below!
September 29, 2025 at 5:05 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
ONCE AGAIN I AM ASKING MY FOLLOWERS TO VOTE DIOPTASE
#MINCUP25 Qf4

In a naked display of partisan bias, todays choice is #dioptase

#teamgreen
#teampoison
#teampretty
Dioptase has it all.
Let's go!
More pics below.
September 28, 2025 at 8:08 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
Okay #teamgreen, this #MinCup25 Qf match isnt going to be easy.

We have #teamgreen #kosmochlor, the jade loving space rock, versus #teamblue #Kyanite the aluminosillicate powerhouse.
Pics below, and let's make this a fair match.
#votegreen or #voteblue, unlike politics, this is not life threatening
September 27, 2025 at 4:45 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
Oh a toughy for #MinCup25 Qf R2.

We've got the solar powerhouse #perovskite versus the reindeer blood inspired #tugtupite.

Im all in on Dioptase this year, so in defrence to #teamgreen, I may slip a vote to #tugtupite, but Im thinking long on thid one.

Pics below as always.
September 26, 2025 at 2:43 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
#MinCup25 Quarterfinal!

Lets get excited for Qf R1!

#teampretty has already chosen #Haüyne, and I expect #teamblue to join them to advance this mineral.
Reliable #hematite has some really fun formations. #teamblood is on this one and so is #teametal.
Lets shake this up!

Pics below.
September 25, 2025 at 5:45 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
We went from HOT to Tiny in the #MinCup25 R2M8

#Cuptosklodowskite, hard to say, dangerous to hold, gorgeous to look at.
Versus
#mannardite, the tiny quartz inclusion that brings memories of Miyazaki and jet black obsidian (not related)

Tough call, but #teampoison and #teamgreen ought to sort this
September 24, 2025 at 3:38 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
#MinCup25 R2M7 is literally heating up, be it from the high temp/pressure #kyanite forms under or the incredible tempature atmospheric entry that #Taenite experiences, this one is HOT.

Pics below, because no one is highlighting the patterning that taenite is famous for!

#teamspace or #teamblue?
September 23, 2025 at 1:12 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
So here is a brief history of me being #teamcopper #teampoison #teamgreen #teamdioptase
#MinCup25
#MinCup24
#MinCup23
bsky.app/profile/corg...
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social Ketamine and Old Lace @corgiseveryhour.bsky.social · Sep 10
#Dioptase is a blue-green to emerald-green copper-based mineral that forms in arid regions as a copper sulfide.
It's known for its vibrant color and gem-like qualities, making it popular with mineral collectors. It checks the #teampoison box, the #teamcopper box, and is the best one on the bracket.
Hexagonal crystals of dioptase in the beautiful blue green that defines the mineral. This cluster has crystal formation in all directions and is very roughly egg shaped. This is a much more concentrated formation with many more smaller crystals clustered together. In the center on a upshoot of growth, a large terminated crystal sits on the top. Gorgeous deep green. Another gorgeous cluster in a rough sphere of large dioptase crystals pointing at all angles. This piece highlights a color shift from a light blue/green to a very deep emerald green and is just stunning. Free dioptase crystals (7) of various shapes, including a double terminated in the center left. These are gem quality color and shape. Hexagonal crystals with rhomboid terminations.
September 22, 2025 at 1:51 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
Alright team, its my fave on the bracket.
This is a call to action, which may happen 2 more times.
#mincup25 #R2M6

ITS #Dioptase TIME!

Pics below.

VOTE FOR DIOPTASE.

more like #mollybendone

I need you all to take a second and vote for the desert enerald.
mineralcup.bsky.social Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · Sep 22
#MinCup25 Round 2 Match 6: It's more exciting versions of familiar favourites as emerald #dioptase is pitted against silvery #molybdenite.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r2...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...
www.mineralcup.org
September 22, 2025 at 1:45 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
Huge battle here in #MinCup25
We have ghostly green space rock #kosmochlor versus the more terrestrial titanium rooted green of #titanite.

This is a green battle for the ages and sets up a green battle for the crown.

Pics below and vote!
September 21, 2025 at 7:36 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
#MinCup25 #R2M4
It's truly a battle of the UV dynamos.
For this match we have two fluorescent beauties facing off in what promises to be a good match.
We have #carpathite the very rare hydrocarbon versus #tugtupite the silicate relative of sodalite

Battle of the glowing stones
Pics below
Vote!
September 20, 2025 at 4:46 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
Exciting #MinCup25 matchup for R2M3

We have #baryte, a chemically inert agent for medicine, oil drilling, and a host of other things, which is soft
Versus
#hematite, aka Bloodstone, which is a 70% iron ore that is named for blood, and is very hard.

Soft metal versus hard metal

Pics below!
September 19, 2025 at 3:52 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
The #MinCup25 #R2M2
We've got the ancient art_makeup source #stibnite versus the futuristic tech worthy, borg cube resembling #perovskite.

Admittedly a tough match for me as both have their draws

Solar power versus ancient Kohl.

Tough call! Pics below
September 18, 2025 at 3:26 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
Its time for ROUND 2 OF #MINCUP25
EPIC BATTLE OF THE BLUES!
You have #Pectolite versus #hauyne

A rivalry between Robins egg blue of pectolite and the florescent dark blue of hauyne!
Reposts of pics and notes below!
Im on the fence on this one, but im leaning towards our volcanic flourescent #HAUYNE
mineralcup.bsky.social Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · Sep 17
#MinCup25 Round 2 Match 1: It's a pair of striking blue beauties as #pectolite the uncrushable faces off against #hauyne, the phoenix from volcanic ashes!

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r2...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...
www.mineralcup.org
September 17, 2025 at 4:17 PM
corgiseveryhour.bsky.social
Last round of #MinCup25 round 1
#R1M16 is a giant battle of the very small.

Uranium secondary #paddlewheelite versus a barium-titanium-vanadanite oxide that is common enough in black shale, but when found in quartz is uncommonly pretty.

See more information below.
September 16, 2025 at 4:21 PM