FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[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

[bob kerr]

In the room of Marco Toroni (D13) part of his personal collection was on display - there were wonderful Pederneira tourmalines and this excellent Vesuvianite from Bellecombe, Italy - not for sale.

bob

[bob kerr]

I visited Mustafa of Fine Art Minerals where he is again set up in the lobby of the Crystal Classics building. He had some interesting double terminated quartzes with (typically) double terminated tourmalines attached.

See photos.

bob

[bob kerr]

Also, in the Crystal Classics room were the higher end pieces of that new Rhodochrosite find from Santa Eulalia, Mexico.

bob

[bob kerr]

Visiting the "White House" of Danny Trinchillo's Fine Minerals International is always a pleasure. Here's some of the eye candy he had on display.

Note especially the Bournonite specimen with the fluorite cube on top from Yaogangxian.


bob

[bob kerr]

Here's another special specimen on display in the Crystal Classics Building. It's a large Elmwood Mine specimen (about 25cm tall) that displays all four of the major species of that mine - calcite, sphalerite, barite and fluorite. I've been looking for years for a smaller piece of this combination without luck. They are few and far between.

bob

[bob kerr]

Two houses south of "The White House" you can find The Granada Mineral Showcase where you can find:

"This new high-end mineral show will feature multiple showrooms, a special exhibition, welcoming garden, coffee drinks and parking. Additionally, we will be releasing selected specimens from the Pohl Mineral Collection curated by The Arkenstone & Mineral Auctions."

This is definitely a must visit site - and don't forget to visit the downstairs where there's a large display of golds and silvers (not for sale) and some of the auction material.

see photos.

bob

[bob kerr]

Too well hidden at the far end of Buidling B (B14) is the Mineral Angel dealership. They had a large lot of "Green Quartz". These are very similar to those that came out from Russia many years ago but I think these are new to Huanggang. This new dig produced many high-quality specimens some associated with hedenbergite crystals (I always thought that the coloration was due to hedenbergite inclusions, but the dealer says the chromophore is asbestos.)

bob

[Joseph DOliveira]

Thanks for the clarification on the coloration Bob, Many of the Chinese dealers have been selling these as hedenbergite included quartz. I also saw the Huanggang mine listed as the Huanggangliang mine, I guess I'll have to redo a few labels when I arrive home.

[bob kerr]

Visited the Westward Look today - to quote Twain: "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" - or to quote Monty Python "I'm not dead yet".

12 high-end/elite dealers have taken it upon themselves to hold a show at the Westward Look in the same rooms used previously. EXCELLENT specimens abound and are a viewing delight - but simply out of range of most collectors.

I'll try to cover a few here.

First will be Marcus Budil who has an Alps display case that is something that mineral collector's dreams are made of. I especially like two pieces showing complete octahedral pink fluorites on gemmy smokey quartz. Marcus said that these came out some time ago but are new to me.

He also had an accumulation of Stibnites each of which would need their own cases for proper display.

More on Westward Look to follow.

bob

[bob kerr]

Christophe and Brice Gobin also have a room in the Westward Look and two pieces really caught my eye. See photos.

bob