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Posted: Jun 29, 2010 10:39 Post subject: Re: Sainte Marie-aux-Mines 2010 Show
Some more impressions to follow in this posting and a few sequels...
But first, my turn to say Thank you Jordi, for the very nice fruit juice in the Théatre, as well as for having been a fixed point and coordinate origin from which one could contemplate the crystal axes of EuroMin! Your stall will be missed in future years, but no doubt a considerable burden will be lifted from your shoulders, and it's best to stop while you're fully enjoying it. All the best!
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The slide show starts as the ferry approaches the Rhinau landing on Saturday morning...
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Even fairly early in the morning, queues are forming in the parking lot awaiting the shuttle buses.
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The old miner is greeting us as we descend from the bus.
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Just a few steps off the beaten track, there are some unexpected picturesque corners in the middle of Sainte Marie itself, too.
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"Winstub" is where you can sit down in comfort with a nice glass of wine. :) But it's still early morning and the show is awaiting us...
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Almost there!
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This large bronze pseudomorph after a nice young lady is on permanent exhibition here.
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It is echoed by this calcite "madonna with child" robed in an inesite fur coat... (N'Chwaning II mine, Kuruman, RSA)
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All directions point -- into the show! (to be continued)
Posted: Jun 29, 2010 11:03 Post subject: Re: Sainte Marie-aux-Mines 2010 Show
Continued:
As always, there were specimens of all kinds and all quality (and price) levels to be found...
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Steatite psm. after Chameleon, Peru. :-P
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Stibnite, imitating a Japanese samurai sword...
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Only rarely do you see Pezzotaite in its matrix. (Madagascar)
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One of the tallest Dioptase crystals I've ever seen (almost 3cm if memory serves).
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Tanzanite.
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Calcite from China, pretending to be a tourmaline. (I don't have a more precise location, it was sitting in a flat labeled "Rhodochrosite"... A few cm across.) This is a crossed-eyes stereo pair.
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Another stereo pair: Crazy Tourmaline group from Namibia, roughly 10cm across, found at Stefan Knupp's stall. The larger crystal degenerates into a fibrous termination to which a smaller one (with flattened cross section) is attached at an angle; countless tiny tourmaline needles are embedded in the prism faces... This is an item I just had to take home.
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Already the pyrites from La Rioja come in all sizes (and price levels)!
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An intelligence test. ;)
(to be continued)
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Small but interesting zoned Cerussite from Namibia (not from the Tsumeb mine)
Posted: Jun 29, 2010 11:19 Post subject: Re: Sainte Marie-aux-Mines 2010 Show
Education and entertainment are offered to all young minds from 8 to 80...
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No doubt this woolly mammoth is suffering in the heat.
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And that's before the volcano erupts...
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The special exhibition of Slovenian treasures included some very nice artwork. Dravite (from the type locality)...
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...Quartz...
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...Wulfenite.
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Of course, there was real Wulfenite, too. (Helena mine, Mežica)
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And posters explaining the several unusual habits found in the mines at Mežica...
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...and even small samples to buy, take home, and put under the microscope, like this piece starring several hemimorphic individuals with steep single pyramids towards +c and lots of tiny pyramids on the -c side. (Field of view about 15mm square.)
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Another group on the same specimen, field of view about 11mm square.
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Smaller versions of this ammonite seemed to be quite popular with young visitors...
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...as is panning for some Rhine gold.
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And SMaM would never be SMaM without the Men in Black!
Posted: Jun 29, 2010 11:34 Post subject: Re: Sainte Marie-aux-Mines 2010 Show
The characteristic sound of SMaM 2010 was... the incessant, nerve-wrecking clicking and clacking of very strong spherical or ovoid magnets in most everyone's restless hands. I rather grew to hate it thoroughly by Sunday afternoon.
Fortunately, there were nicer sounds to be heard, too.
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Some calm, quiet notes from an African flute at the northern entrance to the Val Expo halls...
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Or even some minutes of relative silence, only a few steps from the busy Théatre square, in the Espace Feng Shui.
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Fancy some mineral smells, too?
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Happiness is.... a little piece of rock.
And on this note, let's end this little tour of SMaM 2010. :-)
Posted: Jun 29, 2010 15:51 Post subject: Re: Sainte Marie-aux-Mines 2010 Show
Hi Gerhard,
Great pictures! Sorry, we´ve missed each other this time.
Jordi, i have deep respect for your decision and, though i only visited you twice in person at your booth during the years, i will certainly miss the Fabre stand. I hope we will see you as a visitor and that there will be still a FMF party next year!
Cheers
Roger
P.S. almost ready with the show report on mindat...
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 5023
Location: Barcelona
Posted: Jul 02, 2010 11:54 Post subject: Sainte Marie-aux-Mines 2010 Show - 8
Barcelona 07/02/2010
A touch of humanity in this business show. The association "Voix Libres" ( https://www.voixlibres.org ) which sponsor marginated childrens of Bolivia, including the "child miners" of Cerro Rico, were in Ste Marie with their songs, their colors, reminding to us that the world is unfair.
I hope they collected a lot of money with their craft wool dolls and I hope that this Forum can also help they somehow. His website is: https://www.voixlibres.org
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 5023
Location: Barcelona
Posted: Jul 03, 2010 15:07 Post subject: Sainte Marie-aux-Mines 2010 Show - 9
Barcelona 07/03/2010
Two videos more. The first is of the area outside around the theater, which is the central area of the Fair. I recommend plug in the sound as there are groups of musicians playing nice music...
And this second video is of the area of the fair called "Val Expo", which is the result of a recent renovation, where exhibitors offer mostly collector specimens.
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