FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Amir Akhavan]

I'm surprised fluorite fake loops are still sold.

https://www.mindat.org/mesg-563562.html

[alfredo]

Let's note too that Nature has no method for making loops of spheres like that. Spherules, whether their internal structure is radiating or concentric, start growing from a point in the center. How would all those little central seed points remain suspended in a loop formation before they grew big enough to contact each other?

[minsur]

[bob kerr]

I would like to request that the site monitors make two clarifications or corrections:

1 - Helmut Merchant (Mineral Decor) has added proper signage to those "loop fluorites" in his room. Even reputable dealers can be misled.

2 - The "rumor" of a second Milpillas Mine is wrong. What I wrote;
"there's a mini-Milpillas mine nearby that is producing great material but in limited quantities and lots of zeros in the price."
should be deleted.

many thanks,
bob

__________________________________________

Done

[bob kerr]

Spirifer Minerals have a case with two shelves of what - at first - look like quartz but are calcites. Location is given as Gunung Kerlang, Malaysia.

bob

[bob kerr]

The new dealership of Valley Crystals - located in the Top Gem annex - has some of those botryoidal chrysocolla coating quartz points from Peru (these came out last year but these are much better) and also some excellent amethyst from Guerrero, México. Recent amethyst from Guerrero have been somewhat lack luster but these are much more like traditional Guerrero material.

bob

[bob kerr]

Interesting quartzes with hematite inclusions have been coming out of India for a year or two now but thanks to the coaching of the miners by Bryan Lynch of Schwartz Fine Minerals (E4), this year's batch is much better than any before. The phantoms are shiny, so they are probably specular hematite.

bob

[bob kerr]

Gerry Austin in the Lehigh Minerals room in the Top Gem annex has/had a limited number of floater pyrite dodecahedrons (5 sided 3-D shape) from the Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah (5290 level). According to Gerry, these formed in a cerussite clay and were a single find.

bob

[bob kerr]

Philip Persson of Persson Rare Minerals had a few "re-new" finds.

1 - a new find of those lustrous and gemmy shalerites from China including one specimen with a huge crystal.

2 - a find near the Daoping Mine of pyromorphite was on display. These are similar to the previous finds of the area but are more reminiscent of the historical Wheatley, PA material.

3 - Thunder Bay amethyst - distinctive and interesting

4 - Cuprites from China. Kinda small and busy but definitely a nice find.

bob

[minsur]

[bob kerr]

[bob kerr]

Chinese mineral dealer Mr. Hong of Qixing Minerals had to miss the last two Tucson Shows due to the covid pandemic but this year he returned and is in Min City Room B9. Welcome back.

Hong and his sister Lin had some excellent examples of Chinese minerals and also one new find - yellow-green botryoidal fluorites from Wuyi, Zhejiang Province. See photos.

bob

[bob kerr]

It's always a pleasure to visit the room of Luis Burillo - for many years he has provided collectors excellent specimens for reasonable prices - especially at his keystone table.

New this year were wonderful green fluorites from Peru - lustrous and gemmy.

Luis specializes in the minerals of Panasqueira and as usual he had some great specimens - see photos.

On the keystone table I found this unique pseudomorph of chalcedony after anhydrite from Peru. It had to join my collection.

bob

[minsur]

[bob kerr]

The Wulfenita dealership was unpacking the recent find of rhodochrosite from the Potosi Mine in Santa Eulalia, MX for display in both their room in Building A of Min City and also at the Vault room of Crystal Classics. I believe Wulfenita is a "subsidiary" of Crystal Classics.)

The crystal form is botryoidal, and the color is a bit pale.

The ones to be displayed in the Vault room are the top end pieces so I'll show what was being handled today and update later when the Vault rooms open.

bob