I grew up on the shores of Lake Superior, collecting agates, prehnite, thomsonite, and other water-worn collectibles from the beaches of basalt and rhyolite. It was here and in my parents' rock shop, Agate City in Two Harbors, Minnesota, where I learned the basics of rockhounding.

My personal collection consists largely of a variety of minerals, though I have an affinity for Minnesota and Michigan specimens. I also seek magnetite specimens from all over the world, as well as native elements and rare type-locality specimens.

I have taken it upon myself to populate Mindat with more photos of specimens from Minnesota. This great state is underrepresented on the website, and I am slowly adding my collection of Minnesota minerals. Not all of them are of very high quality, but they are representative samples of the state's mineralogy, and I hope that these photos will be of help to someone studying the state in the future.