FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[BlueCapProductions]

On June 3, 2020, we started a brand new endeavor for the mineral-collecting world that was created as a reaction to the coronavirus that had been, and continues to, sweeping the world.

Dr. Raquel Alonso-Perez (the Curatrix of the Mineralogical and Geological Museum of Harvard University), Dr. Eloïse Gaillou (the Curatrix of the Paris School of Mines), and Bryan Swoboda (President of BlueCap Productions) joined forces to create a weekly internet talk show to re-unite our community during a time where mineral shows and get-togethers were cancelled one after the other.

The result is Mineral Talks LIVE - our weekly Webinar program that broadcasts every Wednesday. We sit down with mineral people, from around the world, and talk about their area of specialty. Whether it's curating a museum, doing mineral research, running a mineral business, publishing mineral-related media or just simply collecting minerals, we spend an hour a week getting to know these people and sharing their stories and specimens with the world.

Four weeks after our LIVE presentation, we repost the recorded interview on BlueCap Productions' YouTube Channel so for those people who don't have a chance to catch the LIVE show, they can always catch up later.

As we release our programs, we will continue to post updates here for all our FMF friends.

The show is free to attend and free to watch later. If you attend, we also encourage you to ask questions and interact with our guests.

We hope you enjoy Mineral Talks LIVE as much as we enjoy producing it.

[BlueCapProductions]

Our premiere episode of Mineral Talks LIVE takes us into the hallowed halls of one of the three great mineral museum in Paris, France - the Paris School of Mines (aka MINES ParisTech).

We sit down for a chat with Curatrix Dr. Eloïse Gaillou as she shares with us the history of the museum and some information on how the museum is organized before she takes us on a tour of this classic museum. On our tour we get to see some of the incredible specimens that makes this museum so wonderful.

Originally aired during our regular Wednesday LIVE broadcasts, this episode first aired on June 3, 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]

In Episode 2 of Mineral Talks LIVE, we go LIVE with Dr. Robert Lavinsky - the Founder of The Arkenstone.

Dr. Lavinsky joins us live from Dallas, Texas, USA, shares with us some of his early days of mineral collecting and then breaks out some of the absolutely incredible mineral specimens for which The Arkenstone is so well known.

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]

In Episode 3 of Mineral Talks LIVE, we head back to Tucson, Arizona to sit down with Peter Megaw - one of the world’s experts on Mexican minerals.

Peter is not only a passionate collector of Mexican minerals, he is also the TGMS Exhibition Chair which means he’s in charge of all the great exhibits we see every year at the Main Show in Tucson. Needless to say, this man has seen A LOT of great minerals!!

In this interview, Peter chats with us a little about his background before he takes us into his private vault and regales us with his jaw-dropping Mexican mineral collection. This LIVE interview originally aired on June 17th, 2020 and it is now posted on BlueCap Productions’ YouTube channel for everyone to enjoy.

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]

In Episode 4 of Mineral Talks LIVE, we take you all the way to France where we sit down with the Marketing and Communications Manager of the Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines Show - Europe's second largest mineral show.

As we know, to keep both exhibitors and visitors safe, the 2020 Ste.Marie show had to be cancelled due to the current coronavirus situation. While this was a big disappointment to many, we wanted to sit and talk to the Show Organizers to understand some of the decisions they had to make leading up to the cancellation of the show and we wanted to hear what was on dock for the 2021 show.

Thomas Bellicam shares with us his personal stories of growing up in the village of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, how the SMAM Show has always been such a part of his life and even goes into the history of the show itself.

This is the kind of up-close and personal talks that you only get from your friends here at Mineral Talks LIVE!!

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 is back with Episode 5 in our weekly Webinar series bringing you key people from the mineral community who enjoy sharing their stories with you.

In this episode, we head out to the Eastern Coast of the USA to one of our country's most respected institutions of higher learning - Harvard University. There, we have one of our elite American mineral museums - The Mineralogical and Geological Museum at Harvard University.

Join us as museum Curatrix, Dr. Raquel Alonso-Perez, talks with us about the history of the museum as well as her own personal background. Dr. Alonso-Perez then takes us on an incredible tour of the museum exhibits and even takes us into depths of the museum's storage facilities where she shares incredible specimen after specimen with us.

We are extremely honored to have had this opportunity as the museum, at the time of this filming, was still closed to the public due to the COVID-19 situation. So, in a way, you can call this a Mineral Talks LIVE exclusive and now it's available to you!!!!

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]

This is our sixth episode of Mineral Talks LIVE and in this episode we go LIVE with Diana Bruce and Ian Bruce from Crystal Classics, UK!!!

Diana starts off the program broadcasting live from the Crystal Classics headquarters in East Coker, UK. She takes us on a tour of their beautiful showroom and shows us some of the wonderful minerals that has made Crystal Classics such a household name. Plus one SUPER special treasure that FAR surpasses all the other ones they have!!!

From there we shoot up to Weardale in Northern England where Ian joins us LIVE from the Diana Maria mine - home of all the INCREDIBLE Fluorites we've seen hit the market over the past few years. In fact, once we get there, we get to be the first to see the latest find from their newly-discovered pocket as it's wheeled out of the mine. You're going to want to sit down for this one!!!

So take a gander at our exciting SIXTH episode of Mineral Talks LIVE and tune in every Wednesday for more fantastic interviews like this from some of the top people in the mineral collecting world.

This episode originally aired on July 8, 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]

Idar-Oberstein, in Germany, is legendary around the world for their cut stones, lapidary work and other Objets d'art. And when it comes to hard stone carved animals, one name, for over five generations, has stood out as the best - Dreher.

Join us for Mineral Talks LIVE's 7th Episode, in our ongoing series of LIVE interviews, as we go into the home and workshop of 5th generation Master Carver, Patrick Dreher.

Patrick shares with us some of the history of his family - going back to its connection to the House of Faberge in Tzarist Russia - all the way to today. Along the way you'll get to see some of the absolutely breathtaking carvings that they have become so well known for around the world.

Then, we'll travel down to the workshop to see some of the pieces that Patrick is working on right now and Patrick will share some of the techniques he uses to make these valuable works of art.

All in all, it's an hour that will pass by before you even realize it and you'll be wealthier (with knowledge) because of it.

And don't forget, to register for future shows broadcasting LIVE every Wednesday at:
https:/go.mineraltalkslive.com/register

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]

If you can call label a person, "smart" by that person's ability to take a complicated subject and make it fun to learn and easy to understand, then Dr. John Rakovan can surely be considered a genius.

John is a Professor of Geology and Earth Science at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and he is our Featured Guest for Mineral Talks LIVE, Episode 8.

We go LIVE with John in this interview (originally aired on July 15, 2020) where he takes us inside his fascinating world of mineral research. In the interview, John describes some of his projects conducted at the Advanced Photon Source (synchrotron) in Chicago, the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center in New Mexico and more - including his deep research on the Harvard Ram's Horn Gold piece which is the world's finest example of a gold wire specimen. John also conducts a live analysis of a mineral sample using an X-Ray Diffractometer right there in his lab.

And while these all SOUND complicated, John, seemingly, effortlessly describes them all in a way that everyone can understand. And you thought mineral research was boring. HA!!!

John leaves us with a HUGE Apatite for more!!! (groan...I know but it IS a good pun!!)

And don't forget, to register for future shows broadcasting LIVE every Wednesday at:
https:/go.mineraltalkslive.com/register

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]

Dr. Vera Hammer - Curatrix at the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria - joins us for Episode Nine of Mineral Talks LIVE as she broadcasts direct from inside the museum - home of some of the oldest documented minerals in European history.

In our LIVE episode, Dr. Hammer was experiencing internet connection issues which led to a mostly audio interview. However, immediately after our interview, Vera shot a video of herself walking through the museum and pointing out many of the interesting features and specimens in the museum collection. It is that video that we are, mainly, presenting here.

So come join us for a tour through this beautiful museum with a Curatix whose personality sparkles every bit as much as some of the finest jewels!!!

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]

In our TENTH Episode of Mineral Talks LIVE, our focus is set on Cartersville, Georgia (less than 50 miles north-west of Atlanta) where we go inside, and into the vaults, of the Tellus Science Museum - home of an incredible exhibit of minerals from Georgia and around the world. Mineral museum Curator Ryan Roney takes us on a personalized tour through the exhibits as he points out a lot of the major specimens they have there. Then, it's down into the vaults of the museum, where the public is not allowed, to show us how they organize, store and catalog their extensive collection.

It's a wonderful visit to an outstanding museum and it has DEFINITELY has made our list for, "must see" places the next time we're in Georgia.

This episode originally aired on August 5, 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]

In our eleventh episode of Mineral Talks LIVE, we turn our focus on Southern California - not too far away from where the famous blue cap tourmalines came from in the early 1970s.

Worldwide collector Bill Larson; based out of Fallbrook, California; Is our guest today as he shares stories from his colorful past and then WOWS us with some incredible Dreher carvings, gemstones and, of course, KILLER minerals that he’s collected over the years - including the world-famous, “Snail” rhodochrosite that won the coveted David P. Wilber Award this year at the TGMS Show in Tucson. And if you think that looks good in photos, wait until to see it on video!!!

So sit back, hit play and enjoy our visit with Bill Larson.

This episode originally aired on August 12, 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]

It’s now an even dozen!!

Mineral Talks LIVE’s 12th episode features a sit-down interview with Jolyon Ralph, the Founder of mindat.org - the mineral collecting world’s online database.

For the two people in the mineral world who are NOT familiar with mindat.org, this is the free database that the community uses to standardize on the names and localities of minerals around the world. In addition to this, there is A PLETHORA of additional information and tools available, via mindat.org, that we’re finding more about every day. Stuff like a message board, interactive locality maps, an incredible photo database and much, much more.

mindat.org Founder, Jolyon Ralph, joins us LIVE via his house in London, UK as he shares some of the history behind mindat.org and some of the amazing new features coming online soon.

This is a fun, educational and fascinating look at one of the best publicly-available resources for any level of mineral collector around the world.

This episode originally aired on August 19, 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]

In our 13th episode of our weekly mineral webinar, we head over to Beirut, Lebanon to sit down and chat with Salim Eddé - the Founder of one of the world’s top mineral museums - The mim Museum.

In this episode you’ll learn a bit about the background of this visionary man, why he decided to build this incredible museum in Beirut and the story behind the naming of the museum.

We’ll also go for a exclusive guided tour of the museum with Mr. Eddé as our most-capable Tour Guide. You’ll see how he has designed interactive experiences to spark a sense of wonder among the visitors and you’ll learn why he designed the museum the way that he did. And, of course, along the way you’ll see some of the finest examples of mineral species that have ever been unearthed.

A trip through The mim Museum with its founder Salim Eddé. It’s a truly unique experience and it’s only here on Mineral Talks LIVE!

This episode originally aired on August 26, 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]

For Episode 14 of Mineral Talks LIVE, we return to California and head over to the Pasadena campus of the California Institute of Technology, also known as Caltech. This private research university is a world famous research facility that, among other accomplishments, also manages and operate NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

At Caltech, we head upstairs to the office of Dr. George Rossman - the Professor of Mineralogy in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences. Dr. Rossman sits down with us and shares his fascinating stories of minerals and mineral research with us - showing us many samples in his office.

He then takes us into one of the mineral research labs where he conducts a mineral identification test live for us.

For the finale, Dr Rossman takes us downstairs into the Mineral Gallery and astounds us with the fantastic minerals that Caltech has on public display.

Engaging, funny and informative, this episode has it all. So sit back, hit play and enjoy Dr. George Rossman as we talk about minerals!!!

This episode originally aired on September 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.

[BlueCapProductions]

When you hear the name, “The Collector’s Edge” most people’s minds immediately think of Sweet Home Rhodochrosites - the red Jell-O rocks that astound us. And all these people would be correct BUT, there’s A LOT more to the story.

In our 15th Episode of Mineral Talks LIVE, our show takes you LIVE into the headquarters of The Collector’s Edge in Golden, Colorado where we get to sit down with Bryan Lees, Steve Behling, Richard Jackson and Phil Persson for a true insider’s look at what’s going on at, “The Edge.”

From new Rhodochrosites out of the Detroit City Portal to some of their fantastic world-wide specimens, to historic pieces from Bryan Lee’s long mining career, to a visit inside their world-famous restoration lab, we do it all - and all right on the cusp of them opening up for the 2020 Denver Show.

If you want A BUNCH of eye-candy, a more complete understanding of what The Collector’s Edge does and even some cool historic stories, then you’re not going to want to miss this episode of Mineral Talks LIVE!

This episode originally aired on September 9, 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]

Episode 16 of Mineral Talks LIVE was a real treat to film.

Daniel Trinchillo, Founder of Fine Minerals International, has handled some of the greatest mineral treasures on the planet. In this exciting episode, Daniel sits down with us to talk...minerals.

Broadcasting LIVE from his home office, Daniel shares a bit of his own history, updates us on some of his projects - such as the legendary Pederneira Mine in Brazil - and shows us some of the killer minerals for which he is so well known.

Join us for a special, insider's talk with Daniel Trinchillo of Fine Minerals International.

This episode originally aired on September 16, 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 17 - Jack Halpern; Private Collector, San Francisco, California, USA

This was a very special show for us here at Mineral Talks LIVE. Jack Halpern had just turned 100 years old in May of 2020 and we were MOST eager to get him on the show - not only to honor his age and personality, but also because he has an amazing mineral collection.

It wasn’t our typical show as we had to arrange to have Jack’s daughter, Jean, at the assisted living home, where Jack currently resides, as well as having Jack’s dear friend, Paul Geffner, at Jack’s house to show off the minerals. It also required that Paul’s friend Tim would be available to film Paul in addition to having Paul’s wife Lisa available at the assisted living home to help with the technical aspects of getting Jack online. So yeah, a lot of moving targets and schedules that had to be organized.

Nevertheless, we prevailed and are so happy to offer you this inside peek into the man, and collection, that is Jack Halpern.

This episode originally aired on September 23, 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]

For our 18th episode in our Mineral Talks LIVE series, we travel out to the East Coast and visit the hallowed halls of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. There, we enter into the famous Yale Peabody Museum to meet with with mineral Collections Manager Stefan Nicolescu.

Stefan then takes us on a tour of the fabulous David Friend Hall of Minerals before heading downstairs into the collections area where we get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the engine that makes this wonderful mineral museum tick. And this is all on the cusp of the museum shutting down for an extensive renovation.

This is another, not-to-be-missed episode of Mineral Talks LIVE and, next time you’re in New Haven, you’ll understand why a stop at the Peabody Museum (once it re-opens) is a MUST for any mineral lover.

This episode originally aired on September 30, 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 just wanted to add that I think the Mineral Talks Live platform has been an inspirational venture on the part of yourself, Raquel and Eloise. It is now an essential 'fixture' in my week and that of many, many others across the world.

The initiative to embrace video-conferencing as a general usage tool by the community really kicked-off with the e-RMS Rochester Symposium that I was fortunate to be able to 'attend'. We followed that up about a month later with the 1st Virtual British Mineralogical Symposium which was hugely successful.

Only last month we also ran a very successful and enjoyable Virtual British Micromount Symposium using Zoom.

I have been running a weekly discussion group since the UK lockdown began in March for about a dozen mineralogical friends and there is a growing international pool of similar gatherings hosted, for example by Steve Sorrell in Australia.

We are all enormously grateful to you and your team, as well as the guests, for helping to brighten our week and for keeping mineralogical contact alive during these difficult days.

Well done indeed and let's hope that one day, before too long we'll all actually be able to meet up again and say "Hi!" in person.

Roy Starkey
England