u/Engineeringagain

This is a question that has been pinballing in my mind for a while now, but why are there so many expensive pens made of plastic or acrylic instead of more durable materials? Looking at pens around 100 dollars there are so many (like many twsbi pens) which are made of materials that cost pennies to machine or mold into the near perfect surface.

I understand the more expensive ones with hand made designs like some pilot pens, but a plain black plastic one going for over 200 dollars just doesn't make sense to me when you can have just as good a writing experience with a pen for 40 dollars.

Anyways, that's enough ranting

here's the info on the rocks to the best of my knowledge

- 1&2: fluorite on calcite VL and UV (Received from free rock bin at a local rock club)

- 3&4: willemite on sphalerite pseudomorph VL and UV (found on north table mountain, colorado (South face) had trouble getting a picture that wasn't blurry

- 5 through 8: Calcite on sandstone/limestone matrix VL and UV (found Off Lake Boedecker north rock face)

- 9&10: Calcite banded Chert, VL and UV (forgot where I found this one)

- 11: Quartz point (found in Montana by Bannock)

- 12: Amazonite and fluorite. VL only, couldn't get a good picture of the blue fluorescence on the white crystal area (Found in Henderson County on front range, don't remember the hiking trail)

- 13: Amazonite with red oxide crust (Found in Henderson County on front range, don't remember the hiking trail but would greatly appreciate help finding more!)

- 14: polished face on Jasper with quartz inclusions (Found in Grand Junction, Colorado area)

- 15: Quartz crystal cluster with brown oxide layer (found in Montana by Bannock)

- 16: potential Banded Iron Formation as indicated by geology professor (found somewhere on eastern slope rocky mountains, Colorado)

- 17: rhyolite with purple fluorescent mineral VL only, couldn't get a focus on the purple fluorescence in the purple areas, they fluoresce too bright (Received from Family friend, found in Molly Kathlene? mine Cripple Creek)

- 18: Tiger iron with gold wire wrap (gifted from close friend, found in Australia)

- 19: Malachite on quartz (found in Hill Country west of Austin on Private Claim)

- 20: Magnetite Crystal (found on Lair o' the Bear trail, Colorado)

Mother got this for me from the Tuscon rock and mineral show a couple years ago for my 22nd birthday. According to the vendor he mined it on a claim in Brazil but I don't remember the state.

it was the only specimen he had that wasn't just shards.