Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Identify reliable fine and specialty mineral manufacturers

Industrial fine and specialty minerals are ground powders consisting of silicates, clays, calcium carbonate, wollastonite, aggregates and other additives used to strengthen, dilute, fill, extend or otherwise modify all manner of industrial products such as plastics, coatings and adhesives.

I recommend: Specialty Minerals is a fine minerals international producer with a long, proven track record of reliably supplying minerals to a wide range of industrial applications, such as landscaping products, highway construction and building materials, additives in adhesives and paints, and even in pharmaceuticals or food. A.T. Callas Company bills itself as a "one stop shop" for all your mineral needs. A.T. Callas is a minerals and raw materials supplier with an extensive and impressive list of partner companies whose products are available for immediate shipping.

Find the best fine and specialty oxide producers for your needs

The customers of oxide suppliers range from colored pigment manufacturers who use fine iron oxide to color cement and paint products, to heavy industrial applications to medical research and development. Oxide producers have a piece of the aerospace, laser technology and electronic chip manufacturing market sectors, to name just a few.

I recommend: Buy fine powdered oxides from Nano-Oxides, Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of ultra fine oxide powders. Nano-Oxides' patented technology boasts an inexpensive, simple, environmentally-friendly production process perfect for small quantity orders, mass production and custom formulations with control of particle size. Look to Blue Circle Southern Cement for a large inventory of packaged powdered oxide pigments for coloring concrete, cement mortars, renders and grouting. Blue Circle's oxides are available in a range of sizes from 500 grams to 25 kg. Michigan Metals & Manufacturing, Inc. manufactures both rare earth and refractory oxides and metals for manufacturing, research and development. Michigan Metals provides raw and processed oxides in purity grades ranging from industrial grade to 99.9999% pure.

Find fine mineral specimens for educational use

Fine mineral specimens are used for all manner of earth science applications, such as teaching and educational aids, geology research, educational laboratory projects, display and even in private collections.

I recommend: Search Arkenstone Fine Minerals' online database of more than 5,500 products encompassing at least 600 unique species of display quality minerals. Arkenstone has dealt in fine minerals for more than 20 years and has a proven track record as a leader in the fine minerals industry. Charles B. Ward Fluorescent Minerals deals specifically in fluorescent minerals. Ward supplies all qualities, shapes and sizes from the beginner collector to international museums. Look to Geoscience Industries for purchase of educational-use geoscience mineral kits in wholesale lots.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Just because mineral and fine powdered oxide products are natural does not automatically make them safe. When working with these materials take standard safety precautions such as wearing a face mask and protective eye wear.