FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[chris]

Chamonix a Friday afternoon. Even if the weather is not a good as last year, the downtown streets remain busy. Time to wander a bit on the way to the Espace Terray, Chamonix's Mineral Museum hosting this year a temporary exhibit about La Gardette.

[chris]

On the next morning and after a rainy night, direction Chamonix's sports hall to have a look at the show itself. Organized by the Mineral Club of Chamonix, it hosted, as usual, a mix between minerals found in the area (mainly smoky quartz & fluorite) and world wide minerals. This year the show hosted 50 dealers and cristalliers.

Unfortunately, it only took a few minutes to learn that nothing really new was found in the area. Most of the specimens for sales had been collected last year. According to some cristalliers the amount of snow this winter has been more important than previously. Because of that, most of the cliffs hiding the precious crystals remained out of reach. So collecting has been very difficult until then.

An opportunity to added some comments and pictures about specimens coming from other parts of France and a bit farer. I've also posted many pictures of the Prestige exhibit hosted at the show about minerals from the Swiss, Italian and French areas around the Mont-Blanc's range. During the show there were also some minerals from St Laurent le Minier. They'll be the subject of a later post in this thread.

[chris]

[chris]

[chris]

[chris]

[chris]

They were also interesting specimens from other locations. As usual the blue of the fluorites from the Burg is always attractive. While axinite from both Bourg d'Oisans and the Urals offered to the visitors an opportunity to do some comparison.

[chris]

From Morocco, A amazing sample of Devilline only found in one pocket. Beside a combinations of pyrite on goethite quite unusual.

[chris]

On my way to the Prestige exhibit, I stopped to take a picture of J.R. Garcia Alvarez, co-author of "La Fluorita, un siglo de mineria en Asturias" who was at the show on Saturday to dedicate the book.

[Granate]

Hi Chris:
Thank you very much for your so interesting information.

[chris]

A view of the Prestige's exhibit offering a perfect examples of what can be found on the side or around the Mont-Blanc's range.

A few tips to understand the labels :

Peigne = Gwindel
Ame = Fadden
Gris = Gray
Incluse = included

[chris]

[chris]

[chris]

[chris]

The two last of the lot.I hope you'll enjoy.

Christophe

[Peter]

Chris
Thank you for a good show report! I was there the whole weekend and Sunday was marvelous weather. Blue sky, not a cloud in the morning..... views on the mountain fantastic! Only in the afternoon clouds started to form.
Peter

[ploum]

Hello Eric,
I was in chamonix....

I complete these picture with some example with prestige vitrine with italian minerals and some others specimen from Saint-Laurent-le-Minier (Gard)

I change my computer for picture.....

fred

[chris]

Hi Fred,

No problem, I let you post the pictures of St Laurent then. Will only complete if they are some missing.

Peter, hope you found something interesting to bring back home.

Christophe

[ploum]

some photo

[ploum]

and....