A raw Pollucite crystal that is white and yellow in colour.
In my Crystal Advent Calendar this morning, I got a piece of raw Pollucite. It promotes emotional balance, mental clarity and helps with your intuition. Amazing! #Crystal #Advent #Pollucite
#Mincup25 Teams #Calcite #Azurite #silver #chrysotile #okenite #wavellite #pollucite #nontronite #padddlewheelite #leucite #jeremejevite #zunyite #thortveitite #topaz #ikaite #sanidine
"The losing minerals are crossed out" - and cross!
www.mineralcup.org/2025/bracket
What to do?
We can... 1/2
Same pollucite sample from my previous post but in visible light. Source: https://www.naturesrainbows.com/post/pollucite-a-rare-fluorescent-cesium-containing-zeolite-mineral
Ok, part 2. I know the vote is long over and #pollucite lost miserably, but I want to finish what I started! So this will be a quick thread on some fun etymology and astrophysics. #MinCup25
Pollucite sample fluorescing yellow-green under 254nm light. Source: https://www.naturesrainbows.com/post/pollucite-a-rare-fluorescent-cesium-containing-zeolite-mineral
My flight will be taking off soon so stay tuned for part 2 on some etymology and astrophysics! In the meantime, here is a neat picture of #pollucite fluorescing under 254nm light!
Since the uses of 137Cs far outclass its supply in waste, finding ways to safely store it is a critical nuclear safety challenge. What is needed is a stable cesium compound that is not a water soluble salt. Enter #pollucite!
Pollucite crystal. Source: https://www.mindat.org/min-3255.html
Ok, just for fun, thread on #pollucite for #MinCup25. I am interested in it because of a possible use in nuclear safety and some fun naming connections to astrophysics. So here is part 1!
How will you vote in the round 1 match 8? Will it be constantly crushed up #Pollucite or show off #Tugtupite?
Vote now at www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r1...
In the #mincup battle of #Pollucite vs #Tugtupite, we kind of feel bad for pollucite. Its out there doing its best to form crystals, but it kinda sucks at it, so folks just keep grinding it up for its cesium. Meanwhile #Tugtupite is out here changing colors, fluorescing, & getting put in jewelry.
When not doing it's best to look like a badly cast model of the Orion Space Capsule, Pollucite is mined and taken apart for its cesium atoms. Turns out that Cesium has a ton of industrial and pharmaceutical/medical uses. Poor #Pollucite is just destroyed most of the time.
Ok folks, we are back with Round 8 of #mincup. In the top row of the ballot, we have #Pollucite, & in the bottom row we have #tugtupite, & in our brain we have no knowledge of either mineral.
So lets go do some learning!
🧵
#MinCup25 #R1M8
#pollucite v #tugtupite
Industrial helper versus gemmy flourescent.
Both are very interesting, but pulling a strong favorite for #tugtupite.
As always, pics and information below.
#MinCup25 Round 1 Match 8: ⚪ #Pollucite vs 🌸 #Tugtupite - a rare cesium silicate meets a vibrant feldspathoid.
#mineralogy #minerals
With 11 hours left, #pollucite is losing by 4 to 1. I voted for pollucite. But I'm not sad; #tugtupite is pretty cool.
If the champion round is tugtupite vs. paddlewheelite, think of the "tug vs. paddlewheel" jokes people could make...
...Maybe we need to rally around pollucite.
#MinCup25
Wow! I still need to learn more about #pollucite, but this sure makes me lean to #tugtupite! What a pretty and cool mineral.
Large and sharp #Pollucite crystals from Shigar Valley, Pakistan.
#MinCup25 #MinCup #mineral #mineralogy #crystal #pegmatite
Kinda want to write up a fun little thread on #pollucite for #MinCup25 because I went down a few rabbit holes on related nuclear physics and some etymology. Maybe while I'm waiting around the airport later.
Monster size #Pollucite crystal with lithium #Tourmaline from Paprok, Nuristan, Afghanistan.
#MinCup25 #MinCup #mineral #mineralogy #crystal #pegmatite
#MinCup25 Haven't cast my vote yet, but I'm leaning #tugtupite as an indigenous voter. I'll hang out on the fence a bit longer, but tbh, #pollucite has more points against it than for it so far, imo.
Going with #tugtupite reindeer blood 🦌 over the cesium #pollucite .
Tugtupite has cool optical properties & is found in Greenland.
Pollucite has creepy cesium that is refined out of it to make cesium formate (also creepy), used by oil & gas biz as an "environmentally safe" drilling fluid.
#MinCup25
#MinCup25 behind the scenes notes:
Round 2 blurb for #Pollucite would go into Canadian mining & maybe the freakiness of cesium.
Round 2 blurb for #Tugtupite would lean heavily into weird optics & maybe a bit of linguistics.
Yeah … that hot pink. It’s just not right. I’m going to go vote for #pollucite.
Back to #MinCup25! It's between the hot pink gem #tugtupite or the more homely, but super important #pollucite.
#Pollucite is the primary source of cesium, which is used in catalysts, solar apps, atomic clocks, cancer treatments, and more!
And really not a fan of hot pink - lol.
#TeamPollucite
Wait just a minute. #Tugtupite is fluorescent, phosphorescent, pleochroic, piezoelectric AND nicknamed “Reindeer blood”? Sorry #Pollucite. I was wondering what the #MinCup25 version of “Meat Rock Mania” would be. I think #Tugtupite might be it.
Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r1...
A gorgeous Siamese cat regards the camera
I … don’t know what to do with this matchup. But here is Pollux (RIP) so we’re going #pollucite all the way ❤️
#Pollucite is an important Cs ore. Cs ions are used to measure accurate time, distance, mass, and electric potential. Zeolite minerals like Pollucite have high microporosity used for chemical refining, molecular sieving, and confinement of pollutants.
#MinCup
I voted #pollucite because of the nuclear waste disposal angle, but yeah, I can see this is a losing battle...
Ya comenzó el 8vo cruce en #MinCup25 con la Polucita #Pollucite (silicato de cesio) enfrentando a Tugtupita #Tugtupite (silicato clorado de sodio y berilio).
Votá acá: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r1...
Yo voté Tugtupita.
¿Vos qué vas a votar?
Both #pollucite and #tugtupite can be gemstones. Pollucite has industrial uses and might benefit the world by being used for radioactive storage. Tugtupite is named "reindeer blood". And it's more colorful, which is always a plus.
But this time, I'll vote for useful. Pollucite it is.
#MinCup25
#MinCup25 Round 1 Match 8: It’s the cesium #pollucite against the optical changeling #tugtupite for this match.
Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r1...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...
Recent Discovery of Pollucite as Key Caesium Host Mineral in Australia #Australia #Sydney #Patriot_Battery_Metals #Pollucite #Caesium
