FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Wynnek]

Something like 40 years ago, we had our one and only visit to Ohio that coincided with the Cincinnati Mineral show. I saw a Tsumeb azurite with very thin prismatic crystals, quite unlike the typical azurites from there. There were several specimens, priced at about $100 as I recall--quite beyond contemplating with our finances at the time. I have looked for similar ever since. Finally in 2004 I found a small Tn that reminded me of the habit of those azurites. I bought it, despite a broken central crystal. Can anyone shed any light on that find? Does anyone have pictures of that habit from Tsumeb to share?

[Tobi]

Another rock that got away:

About 10-12 years ago I purchased this specimen of fluorite from Yaogangxian Mine for a really cheap price on a small mineral show. After I had it for several years, I sold it via a German mineral forum ... a few years later there was a discussion on Facebook, Austrian dealer Martin Gruell got the specimen and it was sold to him as "Weardale". He and many others rightly doubted that but noboby could solve the riddle until I got into the discussion ...

The specimen seemed to have passed though many hands, and one of the owners "changed" Yaogangxian to Weardale :-( However, today I really regret that I gave this fluorite away :-(