Slovenia stamps year 2014 Minerals – International Year of Crystallography 

Slovenia stamps year 2014 Minerals – International Year of Crystallography  MNH

🇸🇮 Slovenia – International Year of Crystallography Stamp Issue (2014)

• In 2014, Slovenia issued a special commemorative postage stamp and souvenir sheet to mark the United Nations-declared International Year of Crystallography (IYCr2014).
• This was a joint issue with Belgium — both postal administrations released similar miniature sheet designs in celebration of this scientific theme.
• Date of Issue: May 30, 2014 (Slovenian issuance date).
• Design & Theme:
  • The stamps and sheet illustrate crystal structures, notably the ice crystal lattice and snowflakes — classical natural examples of crystallography and minerals.
  • They celebrate not only minerals and crystalline forms but also the science of crystallography, including X-ray diffraction and its role in understanding matter.
• Designer: Clothilde Olyff.
• Printing & Format: The issue was printed by Joh. Enschedé Security Print in the Netherlands and produced as a multicoloured miniature sheet.
• Collector Notes:
  • Pošta Slovenije also offered a thematic set featuring both the Slovenian and Belgian souvenirs.
  • Collectors sometimes refer to this as Slovenija 2014 – Mednarodno leto kristalografije on philatelic markets or classifieds.

🧪 Context – International Year of Crystallography 2014

• IYCr2014 commemorated the 100th anniversary of X-ray crystallography and highlighted the scientific study of crystal structures — very much tied to minerals and their atomic arrangements.
• Many countries issued stamps for this theme in 2014, but the Slovenian issue is notable for its joint nature with Belgium and its focus on crystal forms such as snowflakes and ice structures.