FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[bob kerr]

I also ran into one of my favorite Chinese dealers who is working to promote the 2024 China International Mineral and Gem Expo to be held in Nanjing over May 29 to June 2. An expensive and tiring trip but no doubt worth it.

See flyer below.

[bob kerr]

I visited the room of Rocko Rosenblatt today to see his Balmat NY offerings - quite a few gem sphalerites are still available as well as some huge calcites. Also, there's a small number of anhydrites available - all of these are from the Empire State Zinc Mine in Balmat NY. see photos.

[bob kerr]

OK - get ready to see the largest aquamarine specimens to come out of Pakistan - not right now but as soon as Muhammad Ejaz's (in the A building) special stands are available there will be a 1.2 meter and a 1.1-meter-long aqua specimens out for viewing - hopefully within a few days. I was honored to get a special viewing in their shipping containers in the back room - they are indeed HUGE and nicely covered with medium sized aqua hex's with a very nice blue coloring. Should be a special event. STAY TUNED!

In the meantime, he has a half a dozen display cases filled with "lesser" pieces which are really incredible in their own right.

see photos.

[bob kerr]

Not a new find but Anton Watzl had a large display of zunyites in his room in the D building - mainly single crystals - from Iran.

See photos..

[bob kerr]

As I mentioned earlier, Graham Sutton has spruced up the Min City area a good bit - AND - published for this year's show is a show guide packed with some great articles in addition to being a useful guide to all the dealers in all the buildings.

The article which makes this a collector's item is the article by Brian Swoboda, the FMF's fearless leader Jordi Fabre and Carles Manresa Pla titled "50 Best of Species Mineral Specimen's from The MIM Museum". Each of the 50 specimens is described in detail. An excellent bit of reading.

bob

[Josele]

Thanks for the excellent report Bob, you must be in shape to endure these long walks in Tucson.
By the way, the aquamarine and fluorite pieces labeled above as from Alchuri

[Carles Millan]

Josele is absolutely right. None of these specimens can be from Alchuri, but from the Nagar Valley instead, where Chumar Bakhoor is located.

[bob kerr]

Many thanks for correcting my locality info for the Pakistani aquas - I think the locality I gave was the first to show up in the box. I am unable to actually change the entry - so maybe one of the administrators can??

AND - I may have started this thread but I would hope that others should feel free to make their own entries - no one person can see everything!

bob

[bob kerr]

After a three-year hiatus, German dealer Horst Burkhard has once again joined the Tucson mineral madness. He has a room in the Sun Gem building and is once again selling nice medium grade minerals for reasonable prices as well as fossils.

WELCOME BACK HORST!

In his room was about the best miniature anglesite from Touissit I've ever seen - the color is extraordinary, and the luster is blinding. Horst said he acquired it in the early 90's and this is the first it's been for sale. Stop by to see it in person before it's gone - the photo doesn't do it justice.

[bob kerr]

Tucker Davis - Grateful Earth Minerals in the C building - had what is remaining of the wonderful Guerrero amethysts that were recovered in summer of 2022. Although the crystal size is small for Guerrero standards, the color and luster are first rate. See photos.

[bob kerr]

I mindlessly strolled into one room not reading the outside flag saying whose room it was and was amazed at the quality. I stupidly asked the young lady there if this was their first time at the show and Erin looked at me like "are you joking?" Here it was Dylan Stolowitz's Green Mountain Minerals room. Dylan has consistently brought the best of the best to the show and here's some samples to prove it.

[bob kerr]

For those of us who love Mexican Minerals - especially Milpillas minerals - a visit to the Mexican Minerals room in the E building is essential. Fabian and Luis Liera were the major suppliers of those Zinc-Olivenites last year. There is a complete suite of Milpillas in their room (especially cuprite kept in a closet for years).

But what really caught my eye were a few flats of those vivid blue hemimorphites from Ojuela. These of course are really "windex hemi's" but what collection would be complete without one of these eye-catching frauds. I'm gonna place mine right next to that Indian "loop" fluorite and the Tajikistan heliodor!!

[bob kerr]

Every year Tomek Praszkier of Spirifer Minerals brings new, interesting and reasonably priced material to the show and of course this year is no different - except a large portion of his shipment has been delayed and will arrive next week. So, this is a partial report on his room.

[James Catmur]

Bob

I have changed them

Sadly I am not in Tucson so cannot make my own entries. Thanks for doing this

[bob kerr]

A visit to Rob Lavinsky's Arkenstone rooms is always a visual pleasure. The calcite trees shown below - it's just mind boggling that it was even recoverable. And the malachite table must have a ton of copper in it.

See photos.