| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
|
 Posted: Aug 09, 2010 13:11 Post subject: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
Each first week-end of August, collectors from France, Italy and Switzerland meet at Chamonix, a small town nested below Europe's highest mountain : the Mont Blanc. Here for 2 days, you can meet friends, enjoy exhibits, and of course, buy some minerals from both the area or from a bit far away.
The show is organized by the mineralogical club of the city. Amongst other things the club is also involved as adviser for the purchase of the specimens hosted by the museum. This year the museum hosts a temporary exhibit about Napoleon's Quartz. Unfortunately as I only stayed one day, I didn't have time to visit the museum. If you are interested in by this exhibit, you can have a look at the museum's web site :
https://www.chamonix.com/espace-tairraz-musee-des-cristaux,museums-and-exhibitions,48-8-3129-sitraPCU369956,en.html
(link normalized by FMF)
Before getting in, a look at the mountains above us. Some of them host specimens the valley is famous for : smoky quartz & fluorite
| Description: |
| Mont-Blanc with the Bossons' glacier ice fall. |
|
| Viewed: |
41717 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| The "Plan de l'aiguille" between l'Aiguille du Midi on the right side and "Le Montenvers" on the left side. |
|
| Viewed: |
41708 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| L'Aiguille Verte. This is in this area that were collected the fluorite specimens displayed later on, in the exhibit part of this report. |
|
| Viewed: |
41702 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41723 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41687 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| Amongst the many dealers salling international specimens I spotted these 3 from Peru. The first one is a Quartz & Hubnerite specimen. |
|
| Viewed: |
41654 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| An unexpected one : scheelite on high temperature quartz. Quite unusual. |
|
| Viewed: |
41654 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| Or this one. A large cabinet specimen having transparent quartz with green fluorite. |
|
| Viewed: |
41676 Time(s) |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
|
| Posted: Aug 09, 2010 13:19 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
But the main reason of attending this show remains the specialties of the area : smoky quartz & fluorite.
| Description: |
| Plenty of choice with prices ranging from a few euros to several thousands |
|
| Viewed: |
41732 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| A large (very large) group of smoky quartz. Look at the lonely crystal on the right side to get the scale. From memory it was of about 5 cm. |
|
| Viewed: |
41671 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41634 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41731 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41710 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| Another smoky quartz group |
|
| Viewed: |
41654 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| Beautiful Gwindel from the Aiguille Verte area. The kind every collector would like to have in his/her collection. |
|
| Viewed: |
41669 Time(s) |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
|
| Posted: Aug 09, 2010 13:30 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
Despite good conditions in the mountains above until July 20th, nothing really new was offered for sale this year. So I've had more time to take some pictures of the prestige exhibits.
This year the prestige exhibits consisted in :
- A recent discovery in the "Bassin de l'Argentière" (Argentière Basin) area : "sucres", Gwindel, Tourmaline, Green fluorite.
- Mineral from Switzerland
- Pyromorphite from Les Farges
- And of course specimens from both private collections / strahlers and from the club.
1- Argentière Basin's discovery :
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41673 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41690 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| "Sucre", Tourmaline needles |
|
| Viewed: |
41705 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41697 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41706 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41673 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41674 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41690 Time(s) |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
|
| Posted: Aug 09, 2010 13:39 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
2- Private Collections and specimens from the club :
| Description: |
| Fluorite and smoky quartz from the Aiguille Verte's area... |
|
| Viewed: |
41674 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41698 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41687 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| The best specimen from the Aiguille Verte displayed this year (from my point of view) |
|
| Viewed: |
41664 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41702 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| A closer look at the smoky group |
|
| Viewed: |
41627 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41657 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| Interesting specimen from the Italian side of the Mont-Blanc. |
|
| Viewed: |
41634 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| Back to France with this great faden quartz |
|
| Viewed: |
41667 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41696 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41651 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41669 Time(s) |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
|
| Posted: Aug 09, 2010 13:42 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
| Description: |
| Another specimen from Italy. One Italian strahler was salling specimens like this one during the last Ste Marie show. |
|
| Viewed: |
41677 Time(s) |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
|
| Posted: Aug 09, 2010 13:50 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
3- Switzerland exhibit : have a look at some specimens. They are really impressive. Please note the Phenacite from Fiesch or the "sucres" from Guivgletscher, Grisons.
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41630 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41631 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41588 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| Original specimen : why did the chlorite only covered half of the fluorites and not all of them ? |
|
| Viewed: |
41664 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41552 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41578 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41576 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41584 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41580 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41595 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41541 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41572 Time(s) |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
|
| Posted: Aug 09, 2010 13:57 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41560 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41560 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| Window Quartz and Amethyst |
|
| Viewed: |
41577 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41608 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41565 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41597 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
| Note the Hematite rosette, differents from the Cavradi equivalent on the following picture. |
|
| Viewed: |
41641 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41593 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41582 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41533 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41590 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41546 Time(s) |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
|
| Posted: Aug 09, 2010 13:58 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
| Description: |
| Impressive Phenacite specimen from Switzerland. |
|
| Viewed: |
41617 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41616 Time(s) |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
|
| Posted: Aug 09, 2010 14:01 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
4- And to complete this report, a few pictures of pyromorpĥite from Les Farges, France and one from Chaillac (brown pyro).
Christophe
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41570 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41568 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41557 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41560 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41587 Time(s) |
|
| Description: |
|
| Viewed: |
41578 Time(s) |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Pete Richards
Site Admin
Joined: 29 Dec 2008
Posts: 846
Location: Northeast Ohio
|
| Posted: Aug 09, 2010 14:08 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
Please explain the terms "sucre" and "old sugar". I presume they are related. I can't tell from context whether they refer to gwindels, closed gwindels, quartz in general, or
pretty rocks.
_________________
Collecting and studying crystals with interesting habits, twinning, and epitaxy |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
|
| Posted: Aug 10, 2010 01:53 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
I do not know the accurate English translation of the term "sucre", sugar in English (maybe Jordi knows it), but it refers to closed Gwindel.
Christophe
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Matt_Zukowski
Site Admin
Joined: 10 Apr 2009
Posts: 737
Location: Alaska
|
| Posted: Aug 10, 2010 02:40 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
| Nice picts - thanks for sharing
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 5071
Location: Barcelona
|
| Posted: Aug 10, 2010 03:41 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
| chris wrote: | | I do not know the accurate English translation of the term "sucre", sugar in English (maybe Jordi knows it), but it refers to closed Gwindel. |
Correct, "sucre" is a local French name for a closed gwindel without direct translation to English language, so "sucre" = closed gwindel.
BTW great reportage Chris, thank you for it.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Pete Richards
Site Admin
Joined: 29 Dec 2008
Posts: 846
Location: Northeast Ohio
|
| Posted: Aug 10, 2010 11:02 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
Well, it's an appropriate term - those closed gwindels are really sweet!
_________________
Collecting and studying crystals with interesting habits, twinning, and epitaxy |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 538
Location: Grenoble
|
| Posted: Aug 13, 2010 11:30 Post subject: Re: Chamonix 2010 |
|
|
A few more pictures of the prestige exhibits are available on the French Mineralogical Form, Geoforum at the following address :
https://www.geoforum.fr/index.php?showtopic=17111&st=54
(link normalized by FMF)
Christophe
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ 
Register
Log in
Forgotten your password?
