FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Pete Modreski]

[Jordi Fabre]

Thanks to James Catmur who translated my text to a comprehensible English language ;-)

Tucson is over. This year will not be remembered for its new finds but it will stand out as one of the best years ever in the history of Tucson in term of mineral sales.

Let’s talk about new finds first. The first without any doubt was the finding of a new species at the prolific Ojuela mine in Mexico. We are talking about Mottramite that was found on the 35th level in the southern area of the mine, with the access to the find being made from the entrance called the “Poniente América”. While it looks like it was just a single pocket, it was a large one so lots of specimens were found, and some of them were really large. While not all that was found in the pocket was up for sale during Tucson it does appear that what is left at the source if commanding very high prices given then interest that there appearance in Tucson created (see https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=21779#21779 )

The other notable novelty was the find of really appealing Chalcopyrite on Siderite that, while they have been seen for over a year in China, have never been seen before Tucson 2012 with this quality and degree of presentation. One should note that the mine is still not fully established, as they have quoted inner Mongolia (false) and Sichuan, which may be true but if it is it is really vague as “Sichuan” is a province, and a large one too. It is also worth noting that the same mine has produced Chalcopyrite on scalenhedrons of Calcite and above all else, EXTRAORDINARY Tetrahedrites with epitaxial Chalcopyrite that must make this mine the producer of some of the best Tetrahedrites in the world.

On top of these new finds we can add the new material that has come from various mines within inner Mongolia (over 200 mines, including some that are silver mines) that are located along the Da Hinggang mountain chain in the Heilongjiang region of Inner Mongolia, the most notable being the Huanggangliang group of mines. The list of minerals that has been found there in long, with the latest novelties being Danalites, Helvites and Genthelvites, prase Quartz with octahedral Fluorites, Cuspidines and Rhodonites with Tremolite. The amazing Berthold Ottens has already published several articles about the region in the Lapis and Italian magazine Rivista Mineralogica, and I am sure that over time we will slowly get to see all the species and mines of this new mineralogical El Dorado.

Let’s now talk about how amazing this Tucson was in terms for sales for most of the people who were there, with some of them having their best ever year ( https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=22062#22062 ). How can it be the case that while the world is going through such a difficult period and there have been few outstanding new finds minerals are having such a sweet spot? I have a theory about this, and as it is just my theory clearly it is not backed by any evidence more than just my opinion, but as “Audaces Fortuna Iuvat” let’s just go with it ;-)

In May-June 2006 the Mineralogical Record published an article on the “sale of Minerals over the internet” in which John S. White, Jordi Fabre, Wendell Wilson and Thomas Moore debated how the internet was disrupting the world of minerals and its possible impact on Mineral Shows. In the article is was suggested that at that time the internet was ‘robbing’ sales from shows as people preferred to stay at home rather than travel to shows, saving the costs of travel and all the stress. But it was also suggested that at the same time it was creating a competitive culture that sooner or later would mean that these new collectors would start to go to shows, given the advantage if holding a specimen, of selecting from many examples, and having access to the ‘best’ material that is normally not published on the internet.

So, my theory is that that moment has arrived and the new generation of collectors that has been created thanks to the internet have come to the shows (but for now only the major ones) and that this new generation are fantastic clients, enthusiastic, more knowledgeable at the start than previous new collectors, and that they have some far better tools available to them that just did not exist in the past, such as Mindat, this forum, new very active mineralogical groups such as MAD, HAMS, META…. and that they are using these tools whenever they have a doubt so as to help themselves improve their collections.
To put it another way, this new generation is more mature and prepared that earlier generations of starters and they enjoy minerals in a different way from the way people used to live their mineral collections, a more open way, happier and in some ways more “team like”.

That is my explanation for this surge in mineral collecting in these difficult times, the passage of time will tell if it is correct or if I am wrong, and if it is not right I just hope that it was well enjoyed ;-)

As happens every year, during the Main Show there is a fantastic exhibition. This year it was on the minerals of Arizona and while that might not have been as amazing as some other years it is was still magnificent with some absolutely stunning specimens. I have included a personal selection, so it is very subjective, of the 10 specimens that I liked most in the show and here they are:
2012 European correspondent of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show™

[Gail]

Amazing displays...

[Gail]

and a few more photos

[rweaver]

Note for Jim and Gail

Nice to see the Idaho Aqua again. I always wonder where that piece ended up after the orginal owner pass away (Cal Greaber had it for awhile). That piece was offered for sale back in late 1984 by the miner Geary Murdock for $5000.00. Frank Knechtel was the only one of the three of us that had the money at time time to buy it, with the other being Leo Horensky We where all collectors from San Diego at the time. That piece was displayed many times at the Tucson show by Frank always going after the McDole award.

Bob

[Gail]

[Matt_Zukowski]

I finally have some time to upload the rest of my pictures. Here goes...

[Matt_Zukowski]

...

[Matt_Zukowski]

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[Tobi]

Great pictures and great minerals ... i'm drooling over the wulfenite photos from page 4 ...

[Jordi Fabre]

Let me end my posts concerning Tucson with three more images.

Thanks a lot to everybody publishing posted here, as well as to Gail for her extremely extensive reportage

See you in Tucson 2013!

2012 European correspondent of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show™

[Jean Sendero]

size Jordi...LOL

[Jordi Fabre]

I haven't the specimen with me Jean, and Jeff don't supplied the size with the image's CD, but probably someone will comunicate it ;-)

[Philip Simmons]

Did anybody happen to get a good picture of the Fat Jack Mine where the text of the locality sketch is readable? I took some pictures of the amethyst scepters but forgot to get a picture of the whole case. If anybody does have a good pic, would you mind sending me a PM with the pic attached?

Thanks,
Philip

[Gail]