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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jun 15, 2022 16:49 Post subject: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - The reunion |
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Our last chronicle about Ste. Marie was in 2019 and after three years, a pandemic, and two lost editions here it is again this loved Show!
Official website of the Show: Mineral&Gem Sainte-Marie-Aux-Mines
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We are in a 'favorable context', French newspapers say...
Courtesy of Pina Schneller |
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Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines in the world's top 3, French newspapers say...
Courtesy of Pina Schneller |
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Hans Cremers
Joined: 15 Sep 2021
Posts: 7
Location: Boxmeer
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Posted: Jun 16, 2022 04:03 Post subject: Re: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - The reunion |
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I'll be there on Saturday and Sunday, looking forward to meeting a lot of acquaintances again.
The atmosphere at the Ste.-Marie-aux-Mines mineral fair is always amazing :-)
Best regards, Hans
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marticv
Joined: 04 May 2022
Posts: 6
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jun 20, 2022 02:58 Post subject: Re: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - The reunion |
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Hi there! My name is Martí and I am working with Jordi Fabre, the author of the following photos and screenshots. Even though there are still 3 days before the official opening, we can say that Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines Show has started.
What does this mean? Well, like the rest of the great mineral fairs, it is starting further and further before the official time. Claude Abel, who has been the alma mater of the Show until the last edition was held, is no longer mayor and it seems that the new mayor of Sainte-Marie is very pro-Show, and that is always good news. The organization is very efficient, something that has always distinguished this Show, and that now it seems to be even better.
Nothing seems to have changed in Sainte-Marie after the pandemic, all the restaurants are still open and it even seems that some new ones have opened their doors. And of course the inhabitants and, consequently, the shopkeepers of Sainte-Marie await the Show like a breath of fresh air, and it is time to recover after a few complicated years for everyone.
There were Shows, there will be Shows... but now the most important thing is that there is a Show! Let no one miss it!!!
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The day is hot in Sainte Marie, however... |
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...the weather forecast predicts major changes and from tomorrow it seems that it will cool down... |
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The Vosges herald the Show... |
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The Theatre, the Pool,... key points of this unusual Show |
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The "tents", unequivocal symbol of Sainte Marie |
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And in the boxes, minerals...authentic silent and latent protagonists of the Show |
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A basic aspect to take into account on this hot days...hydration. Minerals yes, hydrate too |
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And although in a mineral show the real protagonists are the minerals, there are also other actors such as dealers and collectors necessary to close the circle.
In the image Abdelaziz Khenaffou and Christian Mondeilh, very relaxed and some of them even overwhelmed |
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marticv
Joined: 04 May 2022
Posts: 6
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jun 20, 2022 04:02 Post subject: Re: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - The reunion |
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In Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines today the temperature has dropped 10ºC compared with yesterday, the sky is cloudy and there is intermittent rain. But this does not stop us from the desire to see the show
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Alsatian garden, we like the green |
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The clouds are in the sky at Sainte-Marie, giving us a break from the heat at the weekend |
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The crowds are large and some people have to unload far from the entrance, which is a common image at this Show, in which sometimes you have to spend a good amount of energy |
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marticv
Joined: 04 May 2022
Posts: 6
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jun 21, 2022 02:42 Post subject: Re: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - Getting back together |
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The show continues at full speed, and in this context, it is fair to highlight the role of the organization.
This year new and very dynamic people have joined the team, trying to help and going out of their way to make everything work as well as possible. There is a lot of empathy between the organizers and helpers who together form the red coats, the "gilets rouges", a swarm of carefully chosen local people, there so that everything works to the maximum perfection.
You have to think that the assembly of this type of infrastructure, in a small town in the Vosges mountains, is not an easy task. Sometimes you have to deal with complicated situations that these gilets rouges solve with a lot of "savoir faire", thumbs up for them.
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Andrés Jiménez Shelly, ecstatic for the heat or a mineral? |
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The Vosges mountains, with lush vegetation |
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marticv
Joined: 04 May 2022
Posts: 6
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jun 22, 2022 02:33 Post subject: Re: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - The reunion |
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From Carles Manresa post in the Spanish forum:
We are finally in Alsace!
This time it has not been an easy trip. Road accidents with their respective traffic jams, endless queues at the airport, misunderstandings at the car rental, with the hotel... but finally in the heart of Alsace...and with the best company!
Meanwhile... the preparation for the Show doesn't stop, oblivious to earthly problems.
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The Show at 9:30 in the morning... the streets of Sainte Marie are jammed...
Photo: Jordi Fabre |
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But in the streets of the Show there is a nice atmosphere.
Photo: Jordi Fabre |
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This year with the best possible company... and we are not the only one! |
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Alsace, a gift for the senses, this view... |
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marticv
Joined: 04 May 2022
Posts: 6
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jun 22, 2022 02:36 Post subject: Re: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - The reunion |
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Around here the Show is crowded, everyone says it's going to be a great Fair...
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marticv
Joined: 04 May 2022
Posts: 6
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jun 22, 2022 02:39 Post subject: Re: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - Day One |
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Today is the first official day of the Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines Show. First hour in the morning, movement began to be seen, but shortly before the Show opened its doors, the crowd was already impatient to get in!
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People start to arrive... |
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... and shortly after there is no room for a single soul! |
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The crowd waiting for the doors to open |
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jun 23, 2022 22:54 Post subject: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - First official day |
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First official day at the Show. Without a doubt, the volume of people has been greater than previous years and for the weekend the organization believes that it will also be very high...
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jun 25, 2022 07:43 Post subject: Re: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - The reunion |
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Fridays are usually not a busy day at the Show because it is located between the arrival of the professionals on Wednesday-Thursday and that of the visitors on Saturday, and yet yesterday there were some overbooking problems at different times of the day.
Everything indicates that this is going to be a great edition...
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The local press helps publishing continuous reports on the Show.
Courtesy of Pina Schneller |
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jun 28, 2022 06:09 Post subject: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - An Exceptional Edition |
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An exceptional edition, with more than 30,000 visitors. Congratulations Ste.Marie!
Soon a small report with the new discoveries seen this year.
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jul 02, 2022 14:44 Post subject: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - The New Discoveries (1) |
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Due my eternal lack of time I'm using the report about the new discoveries in Ste. Marie 2022 that we prepared Carles Manresa and me at the Spanish side and adding a few improvements. In two weeks I will add a few more new discoveries that are still pending of analysis results or confirmation of precise localities.
Here you have the first batch:
For the moment we are going to consider 4 countries, where new discoveries have appeared or which have been seen for the first time or so at the Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 Show.
France: One of the most important new discoveries has been a new bonanza of Quartz crystals from La Gardette ('À Giraud Mine' specifically), already extraordinary and considered among the best in the world, but this time accompanied by Chalcopyrite crystals, most of them with an oxidation patina, creating a very beautiful color contrast with the perfect Quartz crystals, most of them with the classic Dauphiné twin so characteristic for this locality.
Morocco: Morocco has always been the "Star" country at this Show. And this year could not be less, perhaps not with much quantity but with enough quality. As a first new discoveries we should highlight a find of Epidote on Quartz crystals in the form of 'crests' or fans that, due to their crystallization, could remind Prehnite. These specimens come from Imilchil, an area that never ceases to give surprises year after year.
Not being a novelty stricto sensu, but finally a great presence of Aragonite specimens has exploded, with pseudohexagonal habit, cyclic twin - their form reminiscent of the aragonites from Spain - elongated, whitish, and many of them in matrix of a curious volcanic rock, the ignimbrite, and some even at giant size. The locality for these aragonites is Mamsa, Sidi Ayed, Midelt. As noted at the beginning of this paragraph, these pieces were seen for the first time in 2016, although it was not until six years later that they emerged on the international market.
As for the unusual vanadinites (and not 'pyromorphites') with acicular crystals that were discussed here we already know the locality: a small village, Tissaf, close Missour at the Province of Boulemane.
Finally, Beni Bouzra seems to have been without quality pieces for a while. We will see what happens with this deposit to certify if the tourmalines were a one off find or if the potential of the deposit is yet to "explode".
Niger: 2 important new discoveries for this African country, both very pleasant. Small but beautiful crystals of Beryl (emerald variety) with a slightly greenish color but transparent and perfectly crystallized. The denomination of emeralds has been confirmed (see: emeralds of Niger) by geochemical studies that mainly indicate the presence of chromium and in some samples of some vanadium, although the geochemistry of these minerals that are found in a granite massif from Niger. The locality for these samples is Taraouadji Mountains, Aïr Massif, Agadez Region and they were found in September 2021. The other novelty from this country is Quartz (amethyst variety) of a very deep color, with well-defined crystalline forms and most of them in a matrix of enclosing rock. The locality for that amethyst is Berjé, Aïr Massif, Agadez Region, not far from the previous emerald deposit.
Malawi: not really new, but very nice and very useful to finally determine the real nature of this kind of colorful Zircon from Mount Malosa (see images below) because after analysis it was confirmed that they are not Xenotime, as some people suggested in the past.
They appear in pieces that combine the well-known Orthoclases with Aegirine and the Zircons are very colorful with an intense orange colour and they have pyramidal, very sharp and elongated crystals providing an aesthetic color contrast to the pieces.
More to come...
Mineral: | Quartz with Chalcopyrite |
Locality: | À Giraud Mine, La Gardette mining area, Villard-Nôtre-Dame, Le Bourg d'Oisans, Grenoble, Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France | |
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Mineral: | Chalcopyrite and Quartz |
Locality: | À Giraud Mine, La Gardette mining area, Villard-Nôtre-Dame, Le Bourg d'Oisans, Grenoble, Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France | |
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Mineral: | Epidote on Quartz |
Locality: | Imilchil area, Anti-Atlas, Er Rachidia Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco | |
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Dimensions: | 7.2 × 5.6 × 3.6 cm |
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Mineral: | Epidote on Quartz |
Locality: | Imilchil area, Anti-Atlas, Er Rachidia Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco | |
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Mineral: | Elbaite-Schorl Series (variety rubellite) with Feldspar |
Locality: | Beni Bouzra (Bni Bouzra), Chefchaouen Province, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Region, Morocco | |
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Dimensions: | 3 × 2 × 1.5 cm |
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One of the last finds in Beni Bouzra |
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Mineral: | Vanadinite |
Locality: | Tissaf, Outat El Haj, Boulemane Province, Fès-Meknès Region, Morocco | |
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Mineral: | Beryl (variety emerald) |
Locality: | Taraouadji Mountains, Aïr Massif, Agadez Region, Niger | |
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Dimensions: | 1.6 × 0.8 × 0.6 cm |
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Mineral: | Beryl (variety emerald) |
Locality: | Taraouadji Mountains, Aïr Massif, Agadez Region, Niger | |
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Dimensions: | 1.5 × 1 × 0.9 cm |
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Mineral: | Quartz (variety amethyst) |
Locality: | Berjé, Aïr Massif, Agadez Region, Niger | |
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Dimensions: | 13 x 9 x 8 cm |
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Mineral: | Zircon with Quartz (variety smoky), Orthoclase and Aegirine |
Locality: | Mount Malosa, Zomba District, Malawi | |
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Dimensions: | 9.3 x 7.5 x 3.9 cm |
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Mineral: | Zircon with Quartz |
Locality: | Mount Malosa, Zomba District, Malawi | |
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Photo: Dr. César Menor-Salván |
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The analysis of these Zircon |
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4931
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Jul 17, 2022 15:05 Post subject: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022 - The New Discoveries (2) |
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Jordi Fabre wrote: | More to come... |
The message below is in part a translation of the post that Carles Manresa published in the Spanish side of FMF. BTW, there are much more photos of the Exhibits and Exposition of the Show, don't miss them!: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2022
A second round of new discoveries, partially qualifying some of those already commented and showing some new ones. There will still be a third post pending the results of studies and analyzes which take time.
Morocco: Very fine pieces of the new Vanadinites from Tissaf, with acicular crystals, some of them in hoppers, with yellowish-brown tones and geometric zoning of color and on cabinet size. These pieces were found in 2021.
The prolific zone of Imilchil has produced a good quantity of Microcline, of very diverse morphologies. And this year could not be less. In May 2022, new Microcline were found forming fans of staggered crystals, with preferentially oriented growths of the whitish crystals and with a different appearance than those seen so far.
The Bou Nahas Mine can already be considered a classic of Moroccan mineralogy and in 2021 it has produced different pieces of Pyrite to the ones seen so far. They are globular growths of multiple cubic crystals with rounded and bright faces that may remind us of the specimens found in the Rivet quarry in Peyrebrune, France. A new curiosity for this polymetallic mine.
Mali: New find for the Kayes region, in Mali, still without being able to know the precise locality. These are Vesuvianite specimens on a rock matrix, with sharp crystals with a prism and multiple pyramidal faces and with an intense brown color.
China: at the Huxu mine, Dongxiang, Fuzhou Prefecture, Jiangxi Province in China, well known for its red Quartz, specimens of Sphalerite were found at the end of 2021, some with Calcite, Quartz and Galena. Them are sharp crystals and a toasted honey color, many of them on matrix. Although a few pieces were seen in Sainte Marie, them were a good example of what was discovered there in December 2021.
France: As already mentioned in the post from above, a very few pieces of Quartz from La Gardette ('À Giraud Mine' specifically) were with yellow Chalcopyrite crystals, somewhat iridescent, but of a beautiful color,
More to come...
Mineral: | Vanadinite |
Locality: | Tissaf, Outat El Haj, Boulemane Province, Fès-Meknès Region, Morocco | |
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Dimensions: | cabinet |
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Mineral: | Microcline |
Locality: | Imilchil area, Anti-Atlas, Er Rachidia Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco | |
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Dimensions: | cabinet |
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Mineral: | Microcline |
Locality: | Imilchil area, Anti-Atlas, Er Rachidia Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco | |
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Mineral: | Pyrite |
Locality: | Bou Nahas Mine, Oumjrane mining area, Alnif Commune, Tinghir Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco | |
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Dimensions: | small cabinet |
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Mineral: | Pyrite |
Locality: | Bou Nahas Mine, Oumjrane mining area, Alnif Commune, Tinghir Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco | |
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Mineral: | Vesuvianite |
Locality: | Kayes Region, Mali | |
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Dimensions: | cabinet |
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Mineral: | Vesuvianite |
Locality: | Kayes Region, Mali | |
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Dimensions: | cabinet |
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Mineral: | Quartz (variety amethyst) |
Locality: | Berjé, Aïr Massif, Agadez Region, Niger | |
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Dimensions: | small cabinet |
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One example of the quality of these new amethyst from Niger |
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Mineral: | Sphalerite with Galena and Calcite |
Locality: | Huxu Mine, Dongxiang, Fuzhou Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, China | |
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Dimensions: | small cabinet |
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Mineral: | Sphalerite with Galena and Calcite |
Locality: | Huxu Mine, Dongxiang, Fuzhou Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, China | |
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Dimensions: | small cabinet |
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Mineral: | Sphalerite with Calcite and Galena |
Locality: | Huxu Mine, Dongxiang, Fuzhou Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, China | |
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Mineral: | Sphalerite with Calcite and Galena |
Locality: | Huxu Mine, Dongxiang, Fuzhou Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, China | |
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Dimensions: | cabinet |
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Mineral: | Chalcopyrite |
Locality: | À Giraud Mine, La Gardette mining area, Villard-Nôtre-Dame, Le Bourg d'Oisans, Grenoble, Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France | |
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Dimensions: | small cabinet |
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Mineral: | Chalcopyrite and Quartz |
Locality: | À Giraud Mine, La Gardette mining area, Villard-Nôtre-Dame, Le Bourg d'Oisans, Grenoble, Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France | |
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Dimensions: | small cabinet |
Description: |
rear of the same specimen |
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