Niels Brouwer

Hi, my name is Niels Brouwer. I'm a Dutch mineral collector, born in 1990 and based in Arnhem. I've been fascinated by minerals for as long as I can remember, and gradually started collecting more seriously around 2012.

For the last decade, baryte has been my main collecting focus - I've completely fallen in love with the immense variety in habits, colours and associated minerals this single species portrays. More recently, my baryte collection has been complemented by sub-collections of fluorite, calcite and thumbnails. With the notable exception of Tsumeb, I concentrate exclusively on specimens from European localities.

Alongside collecting, I have a particular passion for mineral photography. I really enjoy bringing out the character of a specimen, capturing its elegant colours, textures and three-dimensional qualities. For me, mineral photography and videography are the ideal way to share my enthusiasm for mineralogy with other passionate collectors.