About this project

"MineralCollecting.org Presents" is a comprehensive 3D video series journeying across the globe and deep into the ground to discover and document wondrous gems and minerals formed over eons of pressure and time. Our team of scientists, experienced collectors and enthusiasts will showcase in HD and 3D HD beautiful crystallized gems and mineral specimens and the fascinating processes responsible for their formation. From the ground to the museum, viewers come along for the fun, laughs, beauty and breathtaking earthly creations. Videos ship with all three formats of 3D 1080p HD allowing viewers to enjoy the full dimension of mind boggling crystal systems on any television plus standard 1080p HD.

Quartz HD video screen capture in 3D red/cyan anaglyph (red/cyan glasses required)

Sulfur crystals HD video screen capture in 3D red/cyan anaglyph (red/cyan glasses required)

Why should I be interested?
The lure of gemstones is understandable, they're beautiful, rare and highly sought after. Not surprisingly, mineral specimens share the same appeal. "MineralCollecting.org Presents" will present gems and minerals like never before, explain the intriguing geological features that are often overlooked and may also represent the first time that minerals will be captured in a 3D HD format showing the depth and delicacies that the crystal systems behold.

Mineral collecting is a great hobby for kids and adults alike where families can take outdoor adventures and share lifelong experiences. Developing minds as well as aging ones can benefit from the astounding world of gems and minerals. We want to increase awareness for this great intellectual family hobby.

Documenting gems and minerals is important. Many specimens are sent to crushers and furnaces, sold for jewelry, or disappear from private collections when heirs don't know or understand the value of the collection. We want to create some lasting evidence of what came out of the ground and what's still down there and we want to increase our scientific data pool for future generations.

Fluorite crystal HD video screen capture in 3D red/cyan anaglyph (red/cyan glasses required)

Display case HD video screen capture in 3D red/cyan anaglyph (red/cyan glasses required)

How will you complete your project?
"MineralCollecting.org Presents" will be shot simultaneously in both 1080p HD and 3D 1080p HD using cutting edge, highly portable, synced HD cameras. We'll go on location to mines, quarries and outcrops to dig specimens straight from the ground and talk about the mineralogy and geology of the location. Some of the video footage will also be taken on a microscopic scale, where the rarest minerals have the most perfection and highly unusual forms. Using a SMZ-10 Nikon trinocular microscope we'll shoot in 3D 1080p HD at magnifications up to 40x which may represent the first video footage of microminerals shown on screen in full depth! Using ultraviolet laser diodes we'll also take a look at fluorescent gems and minerals like never before, glowing brilliant in three dimensions.

Fluorescent catapleiite microcrystals under a UV laser diode, 2.5mm

Fluorescent titanite microcrystal under a UV laser diode, 2.5mm

Where will your project take place?
We'll travel worldwide to renowned collecting localities to record unparalleled natural beauty. From collecting on location at the dig site, to identification and analysis in the lab, to final display in the case or on the mantel, "MineralCollecting.org Presents" will be comprehensive, adventurous and, most of all, fun and educational. Knowing our crew, hilarity is sure to ensue!

Early episodes may include collecting geodes along roadside cuts in Indiana, massive pockets of rare species in quarries in Arkansas, colorful phosphate minerals in old iron prospects along hillsides in Alabama, or ore minerals in deep shaft mines in Nevada. As the series progresses we'll also go abroad to look at fantastic rare and museum quality specimens headed for overseas displays.

After the dig, we'll discuss identification and analysis from the personal laboratory of Dr. Henry Barwood. We'll also visit some displays from personal home collections, mineral museums like the Weinman Mineral Gallery at the Tellus Science Museum, and even the The Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Also tag along as we tour the largest gem and mineral show in the world, the Tucson Show.

Display case HD video screen capture in 3D red/cyan anaglyph (red/cyan glasses required)

When will your project begin?
We're already acquiring some of the equipment for production. We hope to begin shooting the first episode in fall of this year. Episodes will go to video initially and we're hoping for a television series.

Malachite botryoides HD video screen capture in 3D red/cyan anaglyph (red/cyan glasses required)

Funding
Funding is greatly needed and greatly appreciated to help give this important project the kickstart it needs. We're offering some fun rewards in exchange for contributions so please help us out. A shoestring budget will do, but we're hoping for significant backing to get off to a great start! Getting to some of the renowned collecting localities to shoot the big finds means traveling extensively abroad so we're in need of good funding.

Kyanite blades HD video screen capture in hyper-stereo 3D red/cyan anaglyph (red/cyan glasses required)

Display case HD video screen capture in 3D red/cyan anaglyph (red/cyan glasses required)

Who will be involved in the project?
My name is John Adam Barwood and I've been a mineral collector and enthusiast since childhood. Having a clean, fun, intellectual hobby in my life is an aspect I just don't know how I could have lived without. My lifelong dream has been to bring the mind-boggling world of gems and minerals to television.

The mineral bug hit the family hard. My grandfather started picking up minerals and fossils in plowed fields and his fascination grew into a full fledged hobby. He and my dad went on digs and traded through the mail and eventually opened a small rock shop for a short time, Woodpatch Lapidaries in Auburn, Alabama.

My dad's interest grew and he graduated with a PhD in Clay Mineralogy from Virginia Tech, where I was born. Naturally he passed the bug on to me.

One of my earliest memories is clamoring around the walls of a phosphate pit in Florida with my dad, Henry. I developed a pretty strong interest in minerals as a teenager and admittedly the hobby kept me busy and out of trouble. I always say it's the best, clean fun you can have being filthy dirty. I joined a number of active gem and mineral clubs as a young man, including the Georgia Mineral Society, the KYANA club, and the Friends of Mineralogy Southeast Chapter and would occasionally be a very young guest speaker at these events.

As a young man I started running a website, originally called "J. Adam's Mineral Page", where I shared photos and stories from the digs. The site grew steadily in popularity as I added more information and features and I changed the name to MineralCollecting.org.

I've recently started rebuilding the website and with some new advances in digital 3D cinematography I want to bring the world of gems and minerals to television and I'm hoping for a kickstart.

Gems and minerals are remarkable, beautiful, astounding and with 3D video we can document them in such a way that they can be appreciated by viewers at home for years into the future. With a team of scientists and experienced collectors we can look even deeper and relay some valuable information about geology and mineralogy as well.

I'll be joining my father and co-star, Dr. Henry Barwood, who holds a doctoral degree in Clay Mineralogy, and introducing many of our regular expert collecting buddies and scientists as we document gems, minerals and fossils like never before!

I sincerely thank everyone for your time and contributions!

-Adam