FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Peter Lemkin]

WOW! There were some great minerals and interesting persons and information in those shows. MORE SHOWS PLEASE! With a few exceptions, especially at the museum cases, the curator was moving too quickly past the minerals to focus on them....slow that down in future! In some shows I could see a favorite mineral that looked great, but was never gotten to. That can't be avoided, just saying it was a frustrating as enjoyable sometimes. I went to Yale and the mineral museum was a ten minute walk from my house. With my Yale ID I could get in for free and think I went about once per week. A lot of [if not all] museums are now closed, but probably would LOVE to have someone show off what their collection is like.....so do keep that in mind along with the private collections.
These shows so filled the need to see minerals I have been missing from the lack of shows now...and likely will last another 1-1.5 years! Keep em coming!

[BlueCapProductions]

Roy,

Thank you for your input and for your support. We're having such a wonderful time doing these programs!!

I'm encouraged by the fact that you're doing online symposiums too. We all need to do more things like this to keep our community connected during these times.

Are you also posting your symposiums on YouTube??

If so, can you forward me the URLs?

All the best!!

-Bryan

[BlueCapProductions]

It seems like we started this program only yesterday however, here we are at Episode 19. For this episode, we travel to the other side of the planet and sit down with Sami Makki from Matrix India out of Pune.

You can catch Sami at mineral shows around the world - and looking at these wonderful treasures from India, you know why. In this interview, Sami shares some videos of the work they do in the field before walking us through their showroom at their headquarters. Sami ends the tour by sharing some INCREDIBLE pieces from his personal collection that make us gasp.

Check out our interview with Sami Makki and then stop by and say hi to him at the next mineral show.

This episode originally aired on October 7, 2020.

Mineral Talks LIVE is a joint-venture effort put on by BlueCap Productions, the Mineralogical & Geological Museum at Harvard University and the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP). This series was created as a response to the COVID-19 situation that has been greatly affecting the mineral world by isolating and separating us. Our goal is to bring a new venue where the mineral world can re-connect with each other during these difficult times.

[Roy Starkey]

Hi Bryan

I have sent you a PM

Best wishes

Roy

[BlueCapProductions]

Welcome to the 20th (!!!!!) episode of Mineral Talks LIVE!!!!

In this mind-blowing episode, we head out to New Mexico, USA to connect with Dr. Terry Wallace, the Director Emeritus of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Ladies and Gentlemen, THAT"S the Home of the Atomic Bomb and for Dr. Wallace to the Director Emeritus of it, that means HE'S DA BOMB!!!

Terry shares with us some of his history of collecting, many of his FASCINATING perspectives on life, the universe and everything and, of course, some of his killer specimens from his personal collection.

If you love science. If you love minerals. And if you love Minerals Talks LIVE, this is THE show for you.

This episode originally aired on October 14, 2020.

Mineral Talks LIVE is a joint-venture effort put on by BlueCap Productions, the Mineralogical & Geological Museum at Harvard University and the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP). This series was created as a response to the COVID-19 situation that has been greatly affecting the mineral world by isolating and separating us. Our goal is to bring a new venue where the mineral world can re-connect with each other during these difficult times.

[BlueCapProductions]

Mineral Talks LIVE - Episode 21 - Tama Higuchi; Mineral Artist, Dallas, Texas, USA
https://go.mineraltalkslive.com/Episode21

I think it’s safe to say that EVERYONE reading this description LOVES to look at beautiful minerals. Well, in this, our 21st Episode, we’re going to take a slightly different look at beautiful minerals - through the eyes of the artist.

Tama Higuchi is a 20-year old Graphic Artist living in Dallas, Texas, who took up painting minerals about one year ago. The results are absolutely stunning. Applying her skills in graphic design with her incredibly aesthetic taste in minerals, she has created some incredible mineral art that anyone would be proud to hang on their walls. And, ever the innovator, Tama is constantly searching out new techniques and materials to push her work to even higher levels.

Join us as we spend an hour with Tama while she shares her background, her perspective and her wonderful mineral art.

This episode originally aired on October 21, 2020.

Mineral Talks LIVE is a joint-venture effort put on by BlueCap Productions, the Mineralogical & Geological Museum at Harvard University and the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP). This series was created as a response to the COVID-19 situation that has been greatly affecting the mineral world by isolating and separating us. Our goal is to bring a new venue where the mineral world can re-connect with each other during these difficult times.

[BlueCapProductions]

Mineral Talks LIVE - Episode 22 - Katherine Dunnell; Earth Science Technician, Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario, Canada
https://go.mineraltalkslive.com/Episode22

For our 22nd Episode of Mineral Talks LIVE, we head up to the Great White North and focus our attention on Ontario, Canada. There we can find Canada's largest museum - The Royal Ontario Museum - and we get to go inside the museum for a private tour with Earth Science Technician, Katherine Dunnell.

This interview goes a full 23 minutes over the one-hour mark because there are so many incredible things to see at the ROM, that the show just decided to keep rolling!!! Not only will you see some incredible minerals AND gemstones, but you'll also get an incredibly in-depth perspective on the thought and strategy behind the design of this museum that hosts over one million visitors per year.

So join us on our journey with Katherine Dunnell, who is every bit as fun as she is knowledgeable, as we explore the Royal Ontario Museum.

This episode originally aired on October 28, 2020.

Mineral Talks LIVE is a joint-venture effort put on by BlueCap Productions, the Mineralogical & Geological Museum at Harvard University and the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP). This series was created as a response to the COVID-19 situation that has been greatly affecting the mineral world by isolating and separating us. Our goal is to bring a new venue where the mineral world can re-connect with each other during these difficult times.

[BlueCapProductions]

Mineral Talks LIVE - Episode 23 - Emanuele Marini; Founder, Nimeral Mineral Labs, Milano, Italy
https://go.mineraltalkslive.com/Episode23

For Episode 23 of Mineral Talks LIVE, we turn our lens back to Europe and settle down in Milano, Italy. There, we sit down and chat with Emanuele Marini, the Founder of Nimeral Mineral Labs.

In this fun and educational episode, Emanuele takes a specimen, fairly fresh from the ground, and walks us through the basic steps of trimming, cleaning and preparing it for a high-end display. You will certainly gasp at the before and after!!!

Emanuele also treats us to a bunch of other beautiful pieces that his lab has prepared AND we get a little surprise visit from a special guest.

So join us for an hour and a half of good times as we laugh, talk and learn our way through what it takes to bring a mineral specimen to market.

This episode originally aired on November 4, 2020.

Mineral Talks LIVE is a joint-venture effort put on by BlueCap Productions, the Mineralogical & Geological Museum at Harvard University and the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP). This series was created as a response to the COVID-19 situation that has been greatly affecting the mineral world by isolating and separating us. Our goal is to bring a new venue where the mineral world can re-connect with each other during these difficult times.

[BlueCapProductions]

Mineral Talks LIVE - Episode 24 - Gail and Jim Spann - Private Collectors; Dallas, Texas, USA
https://go.MineralTalksLIVE.com/Episode24

There are only a handful of Husband/Wife mineral collecting teams out there (and no, we don’t understand why either) and this team, out of Rockwall, Texas - a suburb of Dallas - is key among them.

Gail and Jim Spann have amassed an absolutely incredible worldwide mineral collection nearly topping 14,000 specimens over the years. Known worldwide, their passion for minerals is matched by their exceptional hospitality and their desire to share.

For our 24th episode of Mineral Talks LIVE, we’re going to go straight into the home of Gail and Jim Spann as they share their vast collection with us and regale us with the stories behind the pieces. This is a true eye-candy wonderland for all levels of mineral collectors.

So sit back, grab a cool drink and join us as we go LIVE with Gail and Jim Spann.

This episode originally aired on November 11, 2020.

Mineral Talks LIVE is a joint-venture effort put on by BlueCap Productions, the Mineralogical & Geological Museum at Harvard University and the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP). This series was created as a response to the COVID-19 situation that has been greatly affecting the mineral world by isolating and separating us. Our goal is to bring a new venue where the mineral world can re-connect with each other during these difficult times.

[Jordi Fabre]

The Mineral Talks LIVE is a very generous project that has allowed many collectors to feel together in these difficult moments around what we love the most: minerals.
However, if up to now they had done their job very well, now they have just made a terrible mistake, they have invited me to speak tomorrow Wednesday! 🙄⚒

If you are so crazy as to want to see it, you have to sign up here

[BlueCapProductions]

HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

You were awesome Jordi!!!

Thank you again for joining us on the show. We have your follow-up interview scheduled for 2025. Now, GO GET NEW LIGHTS!!!!

Aloha,

-Bryan

[BlueCapProductions]

Mineral Talks LIVE - Episode 25 - Gloria Staebler; Lithographie, Denver, Colorado, USA
https://go.mineraltalkslive.com/Episode25

One of the most critical parts of our hobby are the books and publications that do an excellent job in helping to keep us all informed. In Episode 25 of Mineral Talks LIVE, we sit down with one of those publishers for a enlightening and entertaining talk on books, magazines and all things publishing.

Join us as we talk story with Gloria Staebler straight out of Denver, Colorado. The list of books published by Gloria reads like a Greatest Hits of the Mineral World List. American Mineral Treasures. The Jim and Dawn Minette Collection. Collecting Arizona. The Smale Collection. And their upcoming releases The Smale Collection II and Dreher Masterworks. And this isn’t even talking about their extraordinary series of 21 Mineral Monographs.

Our conversation explores the history of Lithographie, the science of color printing and we even go in-depth on their latest release, the fabulous book, The Pinch Collection at the Canadian Museum of Nature (We open our brand new copy, for the first time, on camera to get our immediate reaction).

If you’re a mineral lover, there’s certainly something here for you!!!

This episode originally aired on November 18, 2020.

Mineral Talks LIVE is a joint-venture effort put on by BlueCap Productions, the Mineralogical & Geological Museum at Harvard University and the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP). This series was created as a response to the COVID-19 situation that has been greatly affecting the mineral world by isolating and separating us. Our goal is to bring a new venue where the mineral world can re-connect with each other during these difficult times.

[Jordi Fabre]

[BlueCapProductions]

Mineral Talks LIVE - Episode 26 - Dr. Frank Keutsch; Prof. Chemistry. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

So, you may ask, why is a chemist on this episode of Mineral Talks LIVE. Well, when it comes to Dr. Frank Keutsch, after a few mixtures talking with him, it becomes quite clear.

Frank is a Stratographic Chemist who studies Bio-Mineralization at Harvard University. His work explores the potential effects of using minerals in the stratosphere to help control global warming. Not only that, on the side, Frank also enjoys describing new minerals in his spare time and has, to date, identified 25-30 new minerals mainly from specimens he personally purchases on eBay!!

An absolute lover of, “black uglies” Frank lives by the motto, “Oxygen turns good minerals bad” and after watching this episode, you’ll begin to understand why.

Join us now for a thrilling and captivating talk with Dr. Frank Keutsch.

This episode originally aired on November 25, 2020.

Mineral Talks LIVE is a joint-venture effort put on by BlueCap Productions, the Mineralogical & Geological Museum at Harvard University and the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP). This series was created as a response to the COVID-19 situation that has been greatly affecting the mineral world by isolating and separating us. Our goal is to bring a new venue where the mineral world can re-connect with each other during these difficult times.

[BlueCapProductions]

Mineral Talks LIVE - Episode 27 - Tom Gressman & Christi Cramer; The Mineralogical Record, Tucson, Arizona, USA

If you are serious about mineral collecting then The Mineralogical Record is certainly one of the mineral magazines you've either heard about or to which you subscribe. While it has always maintained a delicate balance between scientific journal and glossy, consumer magazine, the quality of the articles, and the images within those articles, consistently defines The Mineralogical Record as the premiere magazine for collector-quality minerals.

In this episode of Mineral Talks LIVE, we sit down with two of The Mineralogical Record's key staffers who you can never fail to miss at the mineral shows around the world - Tom Gressman and Christi Cramer. Tom and Christi talk with us about the history of The Mineralogical Record, some of their recent publications and almost give us a hint of things to come.

For ANYONE interested in fine minerals, and the stories that go with them, you're going to want to tune in to this episode!

This episode originally aired on December 2, 2020.

Mineral Talks LIVE is a joint-venture effort put on by BlueCap Productions, the Mineralogical & Geological Museum at Harvard University and the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP). This series was created as a response to the COVID-19 situation that has been greatly affecting the mineral world by isolating and separating us. Our goal is to bring a new venue where the mineral world can re-connect with each other during these difficult times.