Adding specimens
A photograph shows what a specimen looks like. A collection record can tell you where it came from, who cared for it, and why you chose it.
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Your collection is more than a set of photographs. A locality from an old label, a previous owner's name, or a note about an unusual crystal can be just as worth keeping as the image itself. A specimen page brings those details together, whether you want a private collection record, a page to share with other collectors, or a listing for sale.
You don't need a complete history to begin. Start with a clear photograph and the information you already have; the record can grow as you learn more about the piece.
A place for your specimen
Once you're signed in, you'll find Add a specimen in the Create menu. My specimen is for a piece you own, without any need to sell it. For sale opens the form for a marketplace listing. You can also document a piece belonging to a museum or another collector with Someone else's, adding the owner if you know who it is.
A few photographs from different angles help someone recognise the piece and understand its shape. After you add media, the form starts saving your draft automatically. The Saved message confirms that you can leave and return later. If an uploaded photo brings up a possible match, take a look before creating another record of the same specimen.
What a photograph cannot tell you
A close-up can make a thumbnail specimen look like a cabinet piece. Dimensions give it scale, while a locality connects it to a place. In the description, you might explain what drew you to it: the colour in daylight, a distinctive crystal habit, or an association that is difficult to see in the photographs. Known repairs or damage belong here too, especially if you plan to sell it.
The Main species field identifies the principal mineral. You can add other minerals under Additional species and change the suggested title to something that describes your piece. A title, a main species, and at least one fully uploaded and processed photo are needed to publish; a video alone isn't enough. Locality and the other descriptive details are optional. If you're unsure of the species, keep the record as a draft rather than guessing.
Keeping its history with the piece
Labels and collection histories are easy to separate from a specimen over the years. Recording them now helps preserve that connection. Ownership holds the current owner and acquisition details; Provenance is where you can add earlier owners, one record at a time. If the specimen has appeared in a book or magazine, Publications gives you a place to record that reference.
You can share an ownership history without sharing what you paid. Show price publicly controls the acquisition price only; turning it off does not hide the rest of that record.
A personal record or a shared collection
Documenting a specimen doesn't mean offering it for sale. In Visibility & sale, In my collection keeps it as a collection piece, and you can turn off Accept offers if you don't want to receive offers from other collectors.
Private specimen keeps a collection piece private, even after you publish its record. Remain anonymous is different: it hides your name, not the specimen. For a sale, Private listing removes the listing from search, but anyone with its link can still view and buy it. Choose based on what you want to share, not just whether you want your name shown.
If you later decide to sell a piece you own, you can change it to For sale in the same section. Alongside the price, think about shipping, handling time, returns, and what the buyer will receive. Our selling guide covers those choices in more detail. A listing already reserved for an order cannot be changed here.
The Drafts tab on your profile holds unpublished specimens, ready for you to finish later. Only you see this tab when viewing your own profile.
Sold or given-away specimens stay in your history under Previous. This tab is also visible to visitors, with your privacy choices still respected.
A record you can return to
When the record is ready, Publish checks for any missing required details. Your privacy choices still apply. A public specimen page can be shared with other collectors, and its QR code can connect a physical label to the online record.
There is no need to finish everything in one sitting. A saved draft can wait for another photograph or a closer look at an old label. Once a specimen is published, later edits save automatically rather than waiting for another publication step. Wait for Saved, then use Done to leave the editor.