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Posted: Jan 10, 2021 16:25 Post subject: Final balance time.
Hello.
I know it may seem cynical to talk about a hobby's annual final balance when the whole world is grappling with the daily balance of its deaths.
But it seems that our mineralogical community has decided that "the show must go on"...
Which might be a wise way to alleviate the heaviness of these troubled times, provided we don't take our eyes off the tragedy around us.
The year that has just ended has seen the suppression of almost all mineralogical fairs worldwide. And it is well known that for most of us, fairs are the greatest opportunity to add new specimens to our collections.
On more than one occasion, the withdrawal syndrome has emerged in our posts.
Personally I'm not ashamed to admit it.
Still, I consider myself very lucky to have been able to participate in two of the very few Italian fairs (Massa Marittima and Turin), thanks to which I added a few dozen pieces to my collection (exactly 67 versus around 200 that I was used to purchasing in past years).
I think of you, European and American friends, and I wonder how it went for you.
I attach some of the specimens bought in Turin, waiting to hopefully hear positive experiences from other collectors.
Warm greetings and stay healthy.
Sante
IMG_20201226_180117.jpg
Mineral:
Grossular, Prehnite
Locality:
Vesper Peak, Sultan Basin, Sultan District, Snohomish County, Washington, USA
Dimensions:
28 x 25 mm
Description:
Gemmy crystals up to 11 mm. I chose this specimen because of its cubic faces, typical from this locality.
Penouta, Nona y Coto claims, Alto de Penouta - Vegadeo road, Bual, Concejo Boal, Comarca Eo-Navia, Principality of Asturias (Asturias), Spain
Dimensions:
38 x 28 mm
Description:
From a Spanish dealer I bought this floater and twinned crystal that was on my wish list, it being a Spanish classic.
Viewed:
13820 Time(s)
IMG_20201226_191518.jpg
Mineral:
Fluorite
Locality:
Llamas Quarry, Obdulia vein, Caravia mining area, Las Cabañas, Duyos, Caravia, Comarca Oriente, Principality of Asturias (Asturias), Spain
Dimensions:
60 x 40 mm
Description:
From the same dealer this pleasing surprise.
Viewed:
13822 Time(s)
IMG_20201226_191805.jpg
Mineral:
Fluorite
Locality:
Llamas Quarry, Obdulia vein, Caravia mining area, Las Cabañas, Duyos, Caravia, Comarca Oriente, Principality of Asturias (Asturias), Spain
Dimensions:
60 x 40 mm
Description:
Detail.
Viewed:
13806 Time(s)
IMG_20201226_175644.jpg
Mineral:
Afghanite, Pyrite
Locality:
Koksha pegmatite field, Koksha Valley, Khash & Kuran Wa Munjan Districts, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan
Dimensions:
35 x 32 mm
Description:
In the fair I met a young Pakistani dealer from whom I bought a multitude of pieces for many years. Until two years ago he lived in Milan, after which he moved to Sweden with his family. Despite the distance, he didn't want to miss the fair (one of the few commercial opportunities last year). To celebrate the meeting (and to give him a hand) I took half a dozen small samples, although almost all were duplicates. These translucent crystals of Afghanite that reach 23 mm, a bit corroded, are the best I could find on his table.
I love loose crystals, even more if they are floaters. As J.S.White would say, "they offer a tactile experience that I find irresistible", A floater crystal with interesting patterns on its faces.
A floater, lustrous, sharp, perfect crystal with bluish translucence near its terminations. These kind of loose crystals are what I like the most in collecting.
Joined: 29 Dec 2008
Posts: 828
Location: Northeast Ohio
Posted: Jan 10, 2021 16:38 Post subject: Re: Final balance time.
Hi Sante,
I did not add much to my collection this year, but I certainly enjoy seeing your additions! The anatase, brookite, and particularly the fluorite are pieces I would be glad to have in my collection. Congratulations! _________________ Collecting and studying crystals with interesting habits, twinning, and epitaxy
Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 537
Location: Monroeville PA
Posted: Jan 10, 2021 16:56 Post subject: Re: Final balance time.
At the suggestion of a friend, I have waited until now to start opening all the specimens I picked up at last year's Tucson show. They've been sitting in a closet for almost a year now, so as a new year's present to myself I'll be opening one or two every week through February - all the time lamenting the loss of this year's shows.
bob
IMG_4150.jpg
Mineral:
Vanadinite and Calcite
Locality:
San Carlos Mine (Apex Mine), San Carlos, Municipio Manuel Benavides, Chihuahua, Mexico
Dimensions:
about 6 cm tall
Description:
These were fairly widely available at the 2020 Tucson shows after making their debut in Denver 2019. Most had significant damage but this one is quite clean. Brownish coloration is a bit boring but the association with the rhombohedral calcite makes it worth adding to the collection
Posted: Jan 10, 2021 17:43 Post subject: Re: Final balance time.
Hello Sante,
I'm glad that you were able to attend the 2 shows and congratulations on these additions to your collection. I had never really thought of adding up the final balance for 2020. If you had asked me, I probably would have given you an answer similar to Pete's. However, when I added up the 2020 additions, I was a bit surprised to find that my collection grew by 75 specimens this past year. About half of these were acquired at the Tucson Show, which we were very lucky to have attended without getting ill. Many of the specimens can be seen in my collection thread, with the exception of some very recent acquisitions.
Bob, all I can say is you have some amazing willpower. All of our Tucson treasures were opened within a couple hours of arriving home :>) Enjoy your finds. Nice Vanadinite.
They were purchased online but both from dealers who for sure suffer from all the cancelled shows and other restrictions during this horrible times. I hope that a time will come when normal life returns and such things like mineral shows will take place again. It will be a long road and, looking at the worldwide news, I fear 2021 will become even worse than 2020 :-(
I hope you all will stay safe and healthy and that we all may see better days!
Best regards
Tobi
And Bob, though Michael calls it an "amazing" willpower and Carles an "incredible" willpower, I think this is an INSANE willpower ;-) ;-) ;-)
Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 537
Location: Monroeville PA
Posted: Jan 11, 2021 13:29 Post subject: Re: Final balance time.
Here's another two specimens from my 2020 Tucson Shows cache. These pink octahedral fluorites from Huanggang made their debut in Denver 2019 but seemed to be much more common and more reasonably priced in Tucson 2020 - although still a bit expensive.
These are essentially all included with needles of hedenbergite - too much hedenbergite though darkens the crystals and the pinkish color gets washed out.
It was easy to find loose single floaters but you had to go through many to find ones with minimal damage and good color. Some are VERY large but mostly damaged and darkened by the hedenbergite. A few groups of crystals were available but the price jumped way up and a smaller few were on matrix and these were quite expensive.
This may be a one time find - probably best to get one now while the getting is good.
Joined: 18 Mar 2009
Posts: 629
Location: San Francisco
Posted: Jan 11, 2021 14:37 Post subject: Re: Final balance time.
As I generally do not purchase specimens on the internet, things have been slow since Tucson last February. I did recently come up with this nice baveno-twin microcline and smoky quartz combo from Tawara, Japan.
F467-7114r.JPG
Mineral:
Microcline, Albite, and Quartz (variety smoky)
Locality:
Tawara (Tahara), Hirukawa, Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture, Chubu Region, Honshu Island, Japan
Posted: Jan 11, 2021 15:32 Post subject: Re: Final balance time.
Hello, Pete. How are you?
Warm thanks for your very friendly words which I really appreciate.
Hi, Michael. I hope you are fine.
Thank you for your kind comment.
75 new specimens are a quite good number, considering the times.
Congratulations on your amazing collection that I never tire of admiring.
Hi, Tobi. Wie gehts?
You only added two pieces to your collection last year, but they are worth much more than the sum of mine...
And, yes, I agree that, at least in Europe, 2021 will have more or less the same trend of the 2020. It's a pity for our hobby, but life, health and economy must have the priority.
P.S.: Would you, please, send to me a PM? I sent one to you a few months ago, but unfortunately it didn't reach you. I have determined that I can answer, but I cannot be the first to write. :-)
Hello, Bob. How do you do?
What an original and nice suggestion from your friend! What a rewarding way to start a hopefully less penurious year than the past one!
And what about your stoic willpower? I normally open the packages on the journey home (perhaps because I was educated by the Jesuits to keep desires in check... ah,ah,ah).
Thanks for sharing with us your captures in Tucson. We are all opening "your" packets with you... :-)
Posted: Jan 12, 2021 02:05 Post subject: Re: Final balance time.
Sante Celiberti wrote:
Hi, Tobi. Wie gehts?
Gut, danke :-)
Sante Celiberti wrote:
You only added two pieces to your collection last year, but they are worth much more than the sum of mine...
The two additions were from this new year, in 2020 I added 16 specimens to the collection.
Sante Celiberti wrote:
P.S.: Would you, please, send to me a PM? I sent one to you a few months ago, but unfortunately it didn't reach you. I have determined that I can answer, but I cannot be the first to write.:-)
Didn't know that, but that would explain why I never got that PM from you - I will write you just after finishing this post :-)
Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 537
Location: Monroeville PA
Posted: Jan 12, 2021 10:14 Post subject: Re: Final balance time.
OK - one or two more and I'll call it quits. I've been buying from South African dealer Clive Queit since the Desert Inn days. He always brings in very nice material at (usually) reasonable prices. I couldn't resist these two Erongo Aquas - big brother and little brother.
Joined: 10 May 2016
Posts: 628
Location: Normandie
Posted: Jan 12, 2021 14:18 Post subject: Re: Final balance time.
Well gentlemen,
I am used to buying either on the internet and at 2 or 3 shows during the year.
Usually I do not buy many specimens, trying to concentrate on sleepers.
But in 2020 I was really in withdrawal of seeing a lot of minerals personally.
This summer I was lucky to have a private viewing of an outstanding private collection of Mont Blanc minerals. Seeing, manipulating these marvels gave me my drug dose :)
I also had the thrill of buying some minerals just coming from the vugs.
Posted: Jan 13, 2021 14:29 Post subject: Re: Final balance time.
It is tabular.
It has grown on A axis.
In the photo you cannot appreciate the possible presence of a string.
But if it is a faden, somebody would have to explain its formation among so many prismatic crystals.
A very nice and interesting quartz. Congratulations.
Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 537
Location: Monroeville PA
Posted: Jan 13, 2021 23:04 Post subject: Re: Final balance time.
OK - one last acquisition from the 2020 Tucson Shows. The French dealership of Minerama has been coming to the Tucson Shows for a number of years now and they can always be counted on to provide some wonderful specimens. This show they had three venues - the Top Gem annex, Mineral City and the HTCC. I've found that they typically divide the specimens of a given find among the three venues so it does one good to search all three.
I find this combo of a lead based secondary mineral (cerussite) in association with a copper based secondary mineral (malachite) not only aesthetic but also mineralogically interesting. Only a handful of localities around the world produces this - with Tsumeb and Tiger immediately coming to mind. This is from the "copper crescent" of Katanga in the Congo.
hope you enjoy these.
bob
IMG_4185.JPG
Mineral:
Cerussite on Malachite
Locality:
Kabolela Mine, Kambove District, Katanga Copper Crescent, Katanga (Shaba), Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)
Description:
Wonderful sixling cerussite crystals covering a vug of botryoidal malachite
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