FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[James Catmur]

Thanks Jordi

[Jordi Fabre]

Program of the Special Events in the Westward Look

[Jordi Fabre]

Tucson 01/29/2017

Well, the things in my new "buyer only" status have turned out to be more complex than I thought and as a result I am not being able to post as much information as I wanted. Tucson is a mega-monster that contains countless Shows inside it and countless things to do, opportunities, social life... As I've said other times, coming to Tucson is as if a giant bubble abducts you and until the Show ends, with everyone burnt, with no money, and with no neurons in our brains, we can not be slowly returning to the reality.
I will do what I can in the next few days, but, honestly, I do not know very well what I can do!

Brief summary for the moment:

- This year it seems to have some interesting novelties

- The line of break between the "normal" and the "fanciful" prices seems to expand more and more, so it is extremely recommendable not to rush, take your time and once you have realized those who "normalize" and those who "fantasize" decide your purchases. The offer is so incredibly huge here that it is practically impossible not to find something that you like and that you can afford, but, again, beware of the prices, it is very easy to commit serious errors, and I'm not talking about the best specimens but about many medium (or even bad) specimens.

- Everyone agrees that there are too many Shows, satellite Shows, mini-Shows and offers everywhere as well as that the Fair is too long, but everyone starts before and before and every time more and more Shows are born, but "La nave va…"
Tucson seems infinite and unlimited and able to digest everything!

More to come...
European correspondent of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®

[bob kerr]

let me add some thoughts to Jordi's concerning this year's show. I am fortunate in that I live on Tucson for the winter and can spend as much time as I want at the various shows:
- today is Sunday Jan 29 which is the second "official" day of the HTCC show, I started my shopping last Monday and am essentially done today - I've visited all the rooms I wish to visit and made the purchases that were within my comfort level.
- the individual motel rooms can open whenever they wish but even the ballrooms are opening earlier. Jewel Tunnel Imports (Rock Currier's old business in the HTCC) opened on Tuesday, Top Gem and the annexes opened on Wednesday (as well as the second JTI store at the La Fuente) and the main ballroom opened on Thursday (two days earlier than last year).
- you better have made your purchases by Saturday or the selection will be significantly reduced - this is especially true for wholesalers. if you miss this early window, you will have to get specimens from a second or third dealer (with appropriate markups)
- fewer dealers are getting rooms at the HTCC - which requires an about 2 week + agreement and with show fees the cost is just too high. this year there are many available rooms and just two years ago almost all rooms were taken. this has spawned more and more satellite shows that are shorter duration and much cheaper for dealers. and who could blame dealers - your sales are essentially over when the show opens.
- there were so many open rooms that many dealers were able to move from the second floor to the first - causing quite a bit of confusion as the show brochure (printed some time ago) had to have an addendum showing where dealers are in reality.
- the Executive Inn sounded like they had the core of a show going but it's pretty much a bust again this year
- shipping has plagued many dealers. late shipments due to customs and security inspections have delayed many openings.
- although the dirt parking lot is available this year, I hear it will not be for next year and this will be a HUUUGE problem.
- frankly, there is really not much new again - and in my opinion, this is the third year in a row. some interesting small finds but most everybody has rehashes of previous stock. could the "golden age of minerals" be coming to an end? I will try to present a few new and interesting item in a later post.

bob

[Robert Seitz]

Some pictures from traveling around today. Again much to see!!
The weather near perfect.

[Jordi Fabre]

Tucson 02/01/2017

Today was my day for the "Satellite mini-shows", a new modality by which an individual person(s) decide to promote a new Show, starting from zero, with few days of duration and with not too many exhibitors.
A bad idea for some as it makes harder the day-to-day in Tucson, a very good idea for others as it offers on the dead days of the Fair (the week between the TCCH-Inn Suites & similars and the Westward Look) an oasis of new offerings.
Time will tell...

Recommended reading: The fine mini-guide from Tom Moore / Mineralogical Record

[Robert Seitz]

Some pictures from Kino Show today. Much good hunting.

[Jordi Fabre]

Very good news: plenty of parking space for the 2018 TCCH - InnSuites Show.

See below the map kindly supplied by Marty Zinn.

[Enrique Llorens]

Jordi, apart from new "shows" and car parks, there are interesting minerals in Tucson this year ??????

Saludos desde Barcelona.

[bob kerr]

I thought I’d summarize a few of the more interesting new finds I’ve seen at this year’s Tucson Show(s).:
- There’s a great deal of Vera Cruz amethyst around the show – the positive: crystals are large, lustrous and there’s lots of double terms and scepters in among the pieces. The downside: the color on the whole is quite pale and these pieces do not typically show the rich purple points fading to clear down the c-axis (xl shaft). I did see some more colorful pieces but these were few and far between and reside on the shelves of the more major dealers. Did I mention that the vast majority are very pale?
- There is also a great deal of chalcedony (grape agate) around. Colors are good and with reasonable prices. They are quite interesting but I don’t find them all that appealing.
- From China there are interesting quartz points – sometimes large matrix pieces – with hematite roses along the length of the c-axis. These are reasonably prices but the good ones were disappearing rapidly.
- Also from China are some mainly undamaged wulfenites. These were etched out of the surrounding calcite and result in low luster but complete crystals. Some dealers put these in protective housings – a good idea given the delicate nature of the crystals.
- One more from China – and I only found these in the Jewel Tunnel Imports rooms – were green flourites with blue internal sections showing clearly through the fluorite window – see photo. Only a few of these were available and all disappeared rapildly. Did not see any others around the various Chinese dealer’s rooms.
- I mentioned previously the wonderful crocoites with white dundasite. The Adelaide Mine people only had a few of these to begin with and the last time I was in the room there was only one left.
- From India, the flow of unique green fluo-apophylites continues – all be it, on a much smaller scale. Helmut Merchant had some bow ties varieties – some on stalagmites but most on stilbite matrix. These are very lustrous compared to many previous finds.
- A resurrection from the past – Minerama was presenting a fairly large number of those excellent Spanish selenite that appeared may 20 years ago. They were only a bit more expensive than when they came out. See photos.
These are what I’ve found that is somewhat new around the shows – would like to see what others have found.
bob

[Robert Seitz]

Started touring the Tucson Inn Show today. Made it approx. 40 % through. Fortunately can skip the fossils and like!! Many good specimens available.

[alfredo]

Robert, those are most likely from this location in Egypt: https://www.mindat.org/loc-195907.html

[Volkmar Stingl]

Bob, the green fluorite with blue core could be from Shangbao. I own a similar one with a clearly visible purple core from there.

[Robert Seitz]

Day 2 at Hotel Tucson. Much interesting for viewing.

[bob kerr]

[Robert Seitz]

Today much seen with lots of repetition - 22nd Street (few mineral vendors) + west of I-10. I did luck into a great barite deal for group of samples from Spain and Italy - look for pictures later with my collection.

[Jean Sendero]

Time to add a few notes on the shows to date from my perspective and the presence of Mexican Minerals.

I landed in Tucson on Saturday January 28 and after picking my rental car up I directed myself to the HTCC. To my surprise I found some parking at the back of the hotel. This was not a good sign as it indicated that the crowd was not large. Indeed, the four hours I spend at the HTCC chatting with dealers and friends confirmed that it was slow.

Additionally, from the Mexico perspective, not a lot of new finds, actually no new localities but some interesting variation from known localities.

On Sunday I started shopping with stops a dealers “houses” and visits to the Day’s Inn and HTCC.

New this year, although other than at Crystal Cellar, I have not seen any. Some nice yellow green, lustrous grossular garnets in crystals to 2.5 cm ranging from thumbnail to large cabinet have surfaced from Las Minas in Veracruz. I visited Las Minas in the mid 1990’s and recall seeing a few garnets of really poor quality but these are much better and exciting for the locality.

Of note as well, are the new calcites from Palmarejo Chihuahua forming a “variation” to what was available in the past 2 years. (FMF – New finds out of Mexico July 19 2015). These new specimens are formed by groups of multiple three generation of calcite generally in nice twins some with what I would call “re-entrant” giving the impression of the fish tail or to some extent, looking like a heart. The first generation is white colored with a soap powder texture overlain on the edges of the crystals by a darker calcite phace which is partially coated by a cloudy grey-beige calcite. Very esthetics specimens. I have seen a few dealers at the HTCC, Day’s Inn and Westward Look with these.

Also from Palmarejo, nice mangano-calcite specimens with a pink color have surfaced and form some sort of a botryoidal surface. Underlying the calcite, one can note as well the presence of Kutnohorite.

Seen in moderate quantity are new azurite from Sierra Rica Chihuahua. These form very lustrous dark blue platy crystals balls to 1.3 cm resting on either a white rock matrix or on a pale blue matrix of either calcite or chrysocolla with elegant black manganese oxides balls. Azurite from Sierra Rica was seen at Crystals from Heaven at the Days Inn and at Xtal at the HTCC. Although those from Dennis Beals are more of the single crystal style collected in early summer 2016.

Specimens from digs in September through December of wulfenite from Los Lamentos could be seen in multiple rooms with the dealers with the largest quantity being Xtal and Crystals from Heaven. All very reasonably priced. The best pieces and accordingly priced could be obtained in the room at Cornerstone at the Westward Look. These are reported to be the better ones from last year material that surfaced. Some very nice pieces there but also, not for everyone pocket book.

The close this section, Scott Werschky at the Miners LunchBox had approximately 10 stunning pieces of the best pyrargyrite with Miargyrite that I have seen from Mina San Jose in Oaxaca. Single crystals reaching almost 2.5 cm, excellent luster and forming nice townails to small cabinet. These are a must for silver mineral collectors and those who collect Mexican minerals.

[Jean Sendero]

This is what grabbed my attention at the Westward Look. A lot more was there to be seen and purchased. These are my favorite.

[Robert Seitz]

Great wulfenites from Los Lamentos and San Francisco. Thanks for capturing them.

[bob kerr]

Here’s three specimens from the Westward Look that really caught my eye.

these are presented one at a time as I keep getting a file too large flag then there is nothing I can do from there - VERY FRUSTRATING!

I noted that there are a lot fewer specimens in some of the rooms.

bob