On a large scale, we see a specimen; when we dive into it, we see a new world. When I went through my albums, one of my old photographs (FOV =10mm, ca. early 2020) catched my eyes.

Native gold from Eagle's Nest Mine, a Mother Lode gold mine formed by regional metamorphism.

I don't usually collect specimens that are too small, and I have to buy a microscope. However, I spent about two years playing with those little guys in undergraduate in the lab, and I am always surprised and moved by how small xls are well-formed, how sharp and how beautiful they are under a scope.

Jingnan Zhang Coll & photo (#1), Jeff Scovil Photo (#2)