A very interesting discussion and very informative. I'm another person with
individual stones that don't have any outward way of IDing them.
Most of my collection are micros and this majority are encased in labeled
membrane boxes, or for the larger slices and end cuts, appropriately sized
clear plastic cases. I have them all sorted in their storage boxes by
classification, which is also how I have them listed in my catalog, which is
done on a spreadsheet. I record the weights of each specimen to 1/100th gram
using my own scale, or if the dealer I purchased them states the precision to
1/1000th gram, I record it using their weight. I have no specimens that weigh
exactly the same. For me, that should be enough to ID specimens if they become
mixed up or for my estate.
One concern I have while reading this thread is the ubiquitous dependence on
digital... Digital cameras, databases, etc, etc.
While in many cases digital makes collecting of the information easier,
whatever format one chooses for cataloging their collection never, NEVER rely
on digital only copies! For the digital versions, make multiple copies, in
multiple formats and put them on various media, stored in different locations.
And ALWAYS make paper copies, also distributed to more than one location.
Sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't.
I have a copy of my spreadsheet on two computers, plus on my backup drive, plus
I use a program called CutePDF to "print" a copy of the spreadsheet to a pdf
file, also kept in a few locations. Finally I use the pdf file to print out
hard copies.
Since drives crash, files get deleted or data erased, technology moves on, and
"Standard" file formats all eventually vanish, nothing will ever beat a hard
copy safely stored away.
Don't waste you hard effort on creating a catalog only to lose it because it
was only digital.
--
Richard Kowalski
Full Moon Photography
IMCA #1081
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