About Moxaritroves / Independent reference
OUR EVIDENCE RULE
Make the observation clear enough that someone else can question the interpretation.
Moxaritroves, at moxaritroves.cyou, is an independent educational website for new mineral collectors and curious amateurs. It connects specimen observations with geological processes and responsible field practice. It is not a laboratory, museum, mineral dealer or authentication service.
Separate what you see from what you infer
“A pale crystal with repeated flat breaks” is an observation. A mineral name is a conclusion requiring supporting evidence. Our guides encourage several independent clues, explain where common tests fail and retain uncertainty rather than disguising it with confident language.
Show the limits
A general reference cannot confirm a specimen's identity, origin, treatment or value. Some questions require appropriate analytical methods and qualified interpretation.
Keep the setting
Locality, host rock and collection history are part of the evidence. A specimen without provenance may remain useful for observation, but cannot support every geological claim.
Use sources for the claim they support
Our topic guides link to geological surveys, museums, professional organisations and selected research. An institutional link does not imply endorsement or affiliation. For a specific specimen or site, consult the underlying record and current local authority rather than treating this overview as the final source.
We avoid unsupported claims about rarity, prices and healing. Mineral appearance does not establish a health benefit. Geological interest is not a promise of monetary value, and a published scientific discovery is not evidence that an untested specimen shares the same identity.
Illustrations explain, not authenticate
Our flat vector diagrams are schematic. Lime, charcoal and white separate parts of an illustration; they do not represent a diagnostic colour key. Geometry may be simplified, sizes may not be comparable and diagrams are not directions to a collecting location.
Collect information responsibly
Permission, safe access and protection of geological context come before removal. We do not provide instructions for entering mine workings, exploiting protected exposures or bypassing site restrictions. Sometimes a photograph and a clear note are the best collection.
Corrections should be specific
If you notice a factual problem, identify the page, the exact statement and a source that addresses it. Distinguish a factual correction from a different interpretation. The observation composer can help organise a note; it does not send one automatically.