Kristalhelder: Kijk in een kristal. 

Looking inside a mineral opens up an entire new world. How and why would we want to look inside a crystal? Get ready to be surprised by the world of the mineralogists.

© 2020 Kathelijne Bonne.

Powerful microscopes are needed to look inside a mineral. It is the secret world of the mineralogists, some kind of scientists... yes, often with big glasses. Mineralogy is the field of science that studies rocks and the building blocks of rocks, the minerals. 

Minerals, most of them too small for the naked eye to see, each tell a story that stretches very deep into time. Millions or billions of years back. A mineral can tell us when and how lava poured out of a volcano, when a sand grain was deposited, when old rock became hotter and hotter, to finally melt and crystallize as another mineral. Basically, minerals tell the story of Earth.