Unpolished Gemstones
If we take a close look at the grey rock mass of solidified volcanic lava, which makes up the bulk of the Faroese basalt, a plethora of beautiful colourful and exciting minerals opens up. The most conspicuous are the white zeolites and quartz minerals. Throughout the ages, these beautiful minerals have been objects of interest in mineral museums around the world. For centuries, scientists and adventurers have travelled to the Faroe Islands for the sole purpose of collecting minerals. The oldest documented scientific journeys date back to the late 18th century, and these journeys continue today.
New book about Faroese rocks and minerals
On the occasion of the publication of a new book on "Faroese Minerals and Rocks", we focus on two minerals in this stamp series. This new book is the first of its kind to describe in detail Faroese rocks and minerals. However, there are other books from for example the Faroese geologist Jóannes Rasmussen, who presents a selection of rocks and minerals. Likewise, there are many scientific articles that shed light on the distribution of rocks and the geological relevance of minerals.
The minerals
The two minerals in this first series are Calcite and Copper. What they have in common is that they are so-called secondary minerals. This means that they crystallized after the liquid lava solidified. These minerals are secreted in small cavities and cracks in the lava. They crystallize from the mineral-rich groundwater that flows through the solidifying lavas.
The calcite crystal is part of a private collection owned by Edna Einarsson. This distinguished collection originates from her collections from Faroese nature and her many years of work with the contractor NCC in connection with the preparation of the Faroese undersea tunnels.
The copper crystal was found by Johan Virgarsson from Suðuroy, who worked in a quarry in the Faroe Islands. His keen sense for details in crushed stones led him to a very special discovery in the summer of 2020 where he came across one of the rarest mineral deposits in the Faroe Islands.
Copper (Cu)
Copper is an ore mineral consisting exclusively of the element Cu (copper). It is rarely found in the Faroe Islands in metallic form. The growth form is often dendritic, i.e., in thin flakes, which are depicted on the stamp. The colour of copper is often very characteristic and used to identify the mineral.
Copper has previously been found on Nólsoy and Sandoy, but copper finds in the Faroe Islands in such large quantities as Johan Virgarsson discovered in 2020 are extremely rare.
Calcite (CaCO3)
Calcite is a calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and one of the more common secondary minerals in the Faroe Islands. The calcite crystals are often translucent or white, very similar to other minerals found in the Faroe Islands. Calcite has the special property of light being refracted in two directions when shining through the crystal. Likewise, the calcite crystals react quite actively with weak hydrochloric acid (HCl), which is used to identify the mineral. Calcite has fluorescent properties, and this is seen by exposing the mineral to ultraviolet light in the dark.
Jarðfeingi
Faroese Geological Survey
