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Matt_Zukowski · Site Admin Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 707 Location: Alaska

Just some more TGMS 2011 picts

Matt_Zukowski · Site Admin Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 707 Location: Alaska

Before i forget, I like to acknowledge the efforts of Peter Megaw, who facilitated the exhibition of all these wonderful specimens as the exhibits chair of TGMS 2011. Thanks.

Matt_Zukowski · Site Admin Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 707 Location: Alaska

I posted previously Wayne Sorensen's display at the Westward Look on collector's day. The photo's I took then were with my iphone. We got another chance to look at Wayne's great collection at TGMS, and hopefully my pictures, taken with a regular camera, will better capture them.

Jordi Fabre · Posted: Feb 27, 2011 05:36 Post subject: Re: Tucson Show 2011

Matt_Zukowski · Site Admin Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 707 Location: Alaska

Matt_Zukowski · Site Admin Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 707 Location: Alaska

more from Wayne Sorensen

Matt_Zukowski · Site Admin Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 707 Location: Alaska

Minerals from the new cuprite locality at Rubtsovskoe. Also seen are copper, copper pseudomorphs after cuprite, azurite, halides like marshite, and others.

Jordi Fabre · Posted: Feb 27, 2011 09:10 Post subject: Tucson Show 2011 - 15 and final

Barcelona 02/27/2011

These are my final conclusions about Tucson 2011, and with them I will finish my contributions to this thread. But this does not mean that the thread is locked, anyone with photos or something more to say can continue posting here, all such postings will more than welcome.

It seems a common opinion that this Tucson edition has been better in economic terms than previous years and, contrary to everything that was thought to happen, it appears that the finest specimens sold well although they were very expensive (or terribly expensive ;-)

About novelties, two of them seem to have been highlights: the new Cuprites from Rubtsovskoye replaced by Copper and/or with Miersite, Marshite or Silver, and with all kind of sizes and qualities; and the very spectacular Zoisites (Tanzanites) with Prehnite crystals in a Calcite matrix and with a much better natural color than we are accustomed to seeing. Unfortunately, there were just a few pieces, about forty in all, of these Tanzanites and their prices were very high but, as I said earlier, this year in Tucson the finest pieces were an easy sell.

Added to these two major novelties have been several more novelties like the attractive Plancheites from Musonoi, Chrysocollas after Boleite from the Amelia Mine, Despujolsites and huge Bixbyites from N'Chwaning II, many Ilvaites and new octahedral Fluorite and Arsenopyrites from Baotou, China, Pyromorphites from Rum Jungle, Australia, and a choice of Alabandites from Peru. Azurites from Milpillas, Jeremejevites on matrix from Erongo, Geikeilites from Zlatoust, Russia ... not too bad a year in this aspect.

Prices, the hot topic of this Show and from many other Shows…
Honestly at this point, and after all this time commenting that the prices seemed too variable and that very similar specimens are sometimes priced at $100 or $10000 (US), depending on who sold it, I give up, I surrender, and I no longer will try to understand anything, and I defer to the opinion of many in the USA: each salesperson asks the price he wants and every buyer pays what he believes is reasonable.

I know this mentality is very American and it sounds strange to Europeans, but remember, we are talking about Tucson, Arizona, USA! ;-)

See you next year!

Jordi
2011 European correspondent of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show™

Rosemary Miranda · Joined: 23 Nov 2010 Posts: 5 Location: Port Angeles, WA

vic rzonca · Joined: 18 Nov 2008 Posts: 820 Location: MA

Great shot of the architectural contrasts, Jordi. I swear I've been past that spot dozens of times and never appreciated the view. Thanks for slowing it down!

VRigatti · Joined: 19 Dec 2009 Posts: 81 Location: Denver, CO

Jordi, thanks for the great photos and your thoughts. This was my first Tucson show and I was also very surprised by some of the high prices. I walked into a room at the City Center and they had a fine Jackson crossroads amethyst with no price. I asked, how much? the reply was $28,000 !!. He had a light blue tourmaline on matrix right next to this piece and he said it was $25,000!! They were nice pieces but maybe worth 20% of the asking price. I just laughed and walked out. There were a lot of good deals to be had, but it required a lot of walking. Cant wait to go back.......

Matt_Zukowski · Site Admin Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 707 Location: Alaska

A fine quartz display

Matt_Zukowski · Site Admin Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 707 Location: Alaska

Interesting...Looking at the last two pictures (0427 and 0428), these were taken with the same camera, same settings, of the same case, one after the other. Look at the color temperature - 0427 is white as it should be but for some reason my camera went all warm on 0428. Has anyone else had this problem?

Gail · Posted: Feb 27, 2011 23:33 Post subject: Re: Tucson Show 2011

Yes, I did have that problem. I hate the yellow,and no matter what ISO I set it at, it might be white one time, yellow another. No idea why?

Matt_Zukowski · Site Admin Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 707 Location: Alaska

Arizona Minerals

GneissWare · Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 1287 Location: California

Matt_Zukowski · Site Admin Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 707 Location: Alaska

I am partial to isometric minerals because it is easier for me to envision miller indicies for each face. Shown here is a pyrite display with a variety of habits. I also like this display because all the specimens are approximately the same size, and i find the regularity pleasing.