Hey Nerds: It’s Time for the Annual Mineral Cup

Each September bring the yearly Mineral Cup , a trigger-happy competitor to determine Twitter ’s preferred mineral . This twelvemonth ’s competition is well afoot , with kaolinite narrowly beating schorl in the first matchup .

In 2017 , University of Hull geology prof Eddie Dempsey claimed that crystal was the best mineral after tweeting a impression of a geologic outcrop . His followers had some obstinate opinions , and in ordering to prove himself correct , the Mineral Cup was born . The Mineral Cup is an annual single - excreting tourney to specify which mineral dominate supreme . Mika McKinnon took over Mineral Cup responsibilities in 2020 and , with the help of 25 volunteer across the world , has formally kicked off this twelvemonth ’s tourney .

“ One of the reasons I love Mineral Cup is this ability for people to rediscover that joy and that connection , where they ’re allowed to like rocks and to get enthusiastic without having to warrant it , ” McKinnon told me by telephone . McKinnon is a catastrophe investigator , science communicator , andformer Gizmodo faculty writer . “ This is decidedly substantiation that rocks are for everybody , and you do n’t want to be a certain level of knowing so as to participate . ”

Olivine won the inaugural Mineral Cup in 2017.

Olivine won the inaugural Mineral Cup in 2017.Image: Wirestock Creators (Shutterstock)

Mineral Cup has grown yr after year , racking up nearly 11,000 followers on its prescribed Twitter story . “ This is a intuition free-base on our interactions , but I would say that about a third of the people take part have some formal connection to geoscience , and two - thirds have zero connection to geoscience , ” McKinnon said . “ The vast bulk of people have no geoscience scope . ” McKinnon explicate that people cast votes for all sorting of reason — even if it ’s as simple as the mineral ’s name being cool .

ROUND 1 MATCH 1#MinCup2022starts with extremes with#Schorlof squad tourmaline vs#Kaoliniteof team clay !

Hard or soft , dark or light , ornamental or useful : which is the better mineral ?

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respond to persuade others , quote to enrol your friends , and vote !

— Mineral Cup # MinCup ( @MineralCup)September 1 , 2022

Yesterday pit the first day of the bracket , which have a total of 32 minerals . The first matchup was betweenschorlandkaolinite . Schorl is a black , semi - hard mineral typically found in granites and high - temperature hydrothermal veins , and while it does n’t have much of a commercial-grade purpose , it is look for out by collectors . Kaolinite ( which won with 52.6 % of the vote ) is a delicate , waxy mineral — typically snowy or soft yellow — and careen that are rich in kaolinite can be used in porcelain , newspaper publisher , cosmetic , and toothpaste .

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Last year , the winner was a uncommon mineral namedquetzacoatlite , a spindly gloomy crystal nominate after the god in Aztec folklore . Never find out of it ? That ’s fine , since there are over 5,000 minerals officially recognized by the International Mineral Association , with a few new ones being discovered every year . Mineral Cup chooses 16 new mineral each year to compete along with 16 of the premature year ’s top contenders , to yield af wall bracket of 32 minerals .

McKinnon is rootle forsylvitethis year , which she describes as a “ faithful cousin ” ofhalite(which you might hump more commonly as saltiness ) . Sylvite , which you could safely lick , has a morose metallic predilection , due to it being frame of atomic number 19 chloride . Cinnabaris also in the running , which is a gorgeous red mineral that happens to be loaded with atomic number 80 — so do n’t lap up that one .

As the Mineral Cup has go on to develop from around 200 votes per match in 2017 to 2,000 votes per catch in 2021 , the tourney is an awesome monitor of just how fun geoscience can sincerely be .

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