#Whewellite is currently leading #Howlite by 20 votes.
Which of these two #MinCup24 newcomers will make it through to the next round? You have just under six and a half hours to recruit, campaign and vote!

VOTE: https://www.mineralcup.org/2024/vote/r1m06
RESULTS: https://www.mineralcup.org/2024/results/r1m06

This is an interesting matchup because #howlite is considered a basic of rock collecting - in the massive form, anyway. I would now commit blood sacrifices for an teeny crystal form howlite. (Look, mindat's picture was pretty and then I noticed it had a scale and the specimen is so SMOLLLLL.)

But #whewellite is ... I'm not sure I understand the science right but a hydrated acid salt? That interestingly seems to make it being an oxalate less alarming than if it was oxalic acid... that detour aside!, it got my vote just because it got me more curious about it. And made me look up more things.

Besides, the fact that scientifically, "salt" is more than just Na tickles me as someone who regularly downs loads of Na (gotta love that dysautonomic life). 😂

#MinCup24

via @MineralCup

https://mastodon.social/@MineralCup/113083460909410735

#MinCup24 ROUND 1 MATCH 5:
It’s time to get spooky with #Howlite’s bone-like appearance and #Whewellite’s hidden origins! It's a pair of newcomers to the cup with lots for you to uncover.

VOTE: https://mineralcup.org/2024/vote/r1m05
RESULTS: https://mineralcup.org/2024/results/r1m05

For #MinCup24 (hosted by @MineralCup) today we see #Durangite competing against #Wavellite... I'm going with #TeamDurangite on that one, mainly because of the incredible reddish hues of the crystal. And the arsenic. And the pleochroism.

What do you think?

Vote here! https://www.mineralcup.org/2024/vote/r1m04

PS: looks like tomorrow's bracket will see a really special entry, the #Whewellite... Probably won't vote for that one...