FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[bob kerr]

Thanks for the insights, Jordi - I think your postulation of "primary malachite" for that one piece is correct - not sure why Clive labeled it the way he did - seems a bit "off the wall".

I'll have the "kolwezite" analyzed and will report back.

bob

[bob kerr]

The Milpillas Mine never ceases to amaze. A few mimetites were around last year but the Valenzuela's had a nice bunch of them - and they went pretty quickly. The photo attached shows what is left - maybe 6-8 are out in the collector's realm.

New this season was wonderful 6-ling cerussites and some interesting new malachite crystal groupings - see photos.

And also included below is a nice group of barite blades and the obigatory azurite eye candy.

All from the Valenzuela Room.

[bob kerr]

In the British Room of Loye and Lemon Minerals a few excellent specimens caught my eye - especially the Pyromorphite with Plumbogummite from Caldbeck Fells.

The twinned calcite is also interesting - and both came from The Natural History Museum - with labels included.

The brilliant gemmy yellow fluorites were also standouts.

[bob kerr]

The Cristalli Room had many more of those brilliant yellow wulfenites from Iran that came out maybe 5 years ago.

Also new were some gemmy fluorites from Namibia that they are mining.

And of note - at least to me - was a terrific DT amethyst from Brandberg.

[bob kerr]

In the Wulfenita Room in the A building, Jerry showed me the early results of two mining ventures in Mexico. The first is an azurite locality that has produced some interesting associations and the second is a wulfenite locality that has shown promise. Hopefully more to come from each.

[bob kerr]

In the Axinite PM room, Igor Mikhaylov pointed out to me an incredible specimen from the Poteryaevskoe Mine in Russia. On this single specimen were:

- Native Copper
- Cuprite
- Copper after Cuprite
- Cuprite after Copper after Cuprite

and it appears to be a floater.

An amazing piece of minerology

[bob kerr]

In the room of Shuki Sirakov in the E Building Room 7 - they were unpacking a wonderful hoard of Bulgarian Minerals from the Madan Field - some of the best galenas in the world - not to mention the other wonderful sulfides. Can't wait to see the shelves once they are stocked.

[bob kerr]

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Peter Lyckberg and John Cesar at Mineral City today.

[bob kerr]

Mike Shannon (Shannon Family Minerals) struck gold this past year by being able to acquire the main hoard of Arizona field collector Sam Rua. Mike said there were about 1600 flats of material from The 79, Ray, Red Cloud, Barking Spider and other famous Az localities. He displayed 79 Mine wulfenites that had not seen the light of day for decades.

There are certainly more to follow in the hoard plus Sam's main collection - TBD when Sam will set the collection free! let's hope soon.

[bob kerr]

Rob Rosenblatt of Rocko's Minerals again displayed a very large collection of Calcites and gem Sphalerites from the Empire State Zinc Mine in Balmat New York. There was a significant feeding frenzy when he first opened - and people had to be metered - but there were lots to go around.

New this year, Rocko had out a large quantity of Dioptases from a number of African localities mainly Reneville and Mindouli. Some say the Dioptase market is flooded - I say hallelujah!

[bob kerr]

I again was able to add to my ever-expanding collection of fake or enhanced minerals. A Russian dealer in the Axinite room had a single flat of fluorites that were just too good to be true - and they were not.

He said fairly clearly in broken English that they were irradiated and showed the reverse side of a few that still retained the original color which was a yawner.

Another year where it is appropriate to think that "if it looks to good to be true" it probably is a fake.

[bob kerr]

In the room shared by Mineral Decor (Helmut and Pria Merchant) and Structure Minerals (Matt and Ashly Pemberton) they were getting ready for formal dining preparing to wear their stilbite bow ties. See photos.

Also, Matt and Ashly had about the best I've seen so far of the new mimetites from Mindouli. The color and luster is good and the hope is that more - and larger crystals will follow.

[bob kerr]

These wonderful specimens were seen in the Miner's Lunchbox room in the D building.

[bob kerr]

Although it appears so far that there is nothing that is really new and/or major being shown, it is clear that the Congos (both of them) are producing a large amount of specimens for the collector market - No. 1 is dioptase - it has almost become a commodity but of course the higher end ones are as rare as always. But for the collector of modest means a trophy can be had for $200 or less - just look around.

Then there's the mimetite mentioned in the previous post and also some wonderful sky blue
"Quartz druze over Chrysocolla after something". Phil Persson had a large group of these - see photos.

Phil also had a large number of "Sapphirine in ...." from Madagascar.
and in keeping with his business name "Persson's Rare Minerals" he was showing a group of Kesterite, Mushistonite, Muscovite" from Mt Xuebaoding, Sichuan, China. See photos.

[bob kerr]

Visiting the Spirifer room of Tomek Praszkier is always a pleasure and you are immediately greeted by a case of vivid purple/blue Fluorites from Aksu, China.

Tomek also had a nice group of the newish Congo Mimetites mixed in with his large display of fine minerals - at reasonable prices.