Welcome to my Collection!

The Wildfang Collection^® comprises a couple of hundreds specimens from a wide variety of mineral species. It is the result of more than 40 years of collecting minerals to my increasingly refined personal standards as outlined below. A global network of dealers, miners and other collectors helps me refine my collection over time: additions either have to offer new and unparalleled aesthetics or they have to surpass specimens already in the collection by a long shot (specimens which in turn may need to deaccessed). As a result my collection is focussing more and more on the highest aesthetics in fine minerals as I perceive it.

A collection that carries my very personal "signature of excellence".

Aesthetics

My focus is on the aesthetics of any specimen. Shape, grouping, color, contrast, matrix, ... there are so many aspects to it that it can hardly be covered in a simple paragraph. For that reason I have dedicated a section of this website to my personal standards of Aesthetics in Mineral Collecting.

Provenance

An ugly specimen does not become attractive to me because of its provenance, even though that might be significant. However, provenance can be the "cherry on the cake" making a nice specimen even more desirable.

Size

Size doesn't matter? Well, to some extent it does. I have no particulare size constraints like 'thumbnail‘, 'toenail‘ or the like, but I tend to look for 'palm size‘ specimens, something between 'small cabinet‘ and 'cabinet‘ size. However, I have got a few bigger (like ‘large cabinet’) and some smaller ones (like ‘miniature’) and they improve the dynamics of the overall display. Some minerals simply do not exist in 'cabinet size'.

Variety

There are more than 5,000 mineral species listed with the IMA. Only a small number of them are likely to produce specimens that potentially attract me. I am always happy to add a new species and broaden the width of my collection. It goes without saying that I am of course hardly sacrificing on any of the other aspects of my collecting style.

Value

I am no cool-headed investor in minerals, I love and collect them for their mere beauty. Although beautiful things occasionally can become quite expensive, I still rate the joy of admiring a beautiful specimen in my hands over its potential future gain in market-value.

Colors

Admittedly, I rate most colorful minerals over any black ones or even gold. I am a rainbow-addict and hence Beryls, Fluorites and of course Tourmalines are among my favourites. In spite of having said that, I still have some "black beauties" in my collection that I would not want to miss either.

My specimens are on display in my private museum, equipped with 22 well-lit show-cases in a secured and air-conditioned vault. They are carefully arranged and presented on individual acrylic bases along the glass shelves. On an appointment basis it can be visited by my friends in the mineral hobby. "Friends-to-be" would need to produce a personal recommendation by someone known to me.

For now, please enjoy the photos, videos and information provided on this website. I hope this wonderful world of beautiful and aesthetic minerals is turning out to be a true revelation to you as much as it has been to me for more than 40 years.

Sincerely,