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bob kerr

Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 594
Location: Monroeville PA



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Posted: Jan 21, 2025 21:43 Post subject: It's Tucson Time Again - 2025 |
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The mineral world is starting to show up at the various venues in and around the mineral capitol of the world - specifically the Mineral City area of Tucson.
As has been tradition for many years now, the first vendors to arrive are the ones that need to travel the furthest. Adam Wright of the Adelaide Crocoite mine in Tasmania is once again first and then there's the intrepid South African Clive Quite again in his room in the "B2B annex" (previously the Top Gem annex - I encourage you all to read the emotional eulogy to Top Gem founder Mike New by his son Jason in last year's Min Record).
South African Paul Botha arrived to find one of his 8 ft tables collapsed into two four-foot tables taking lots of glass shelves and minerals with it. Frederic Gauthier of Little Big Stone (Madagascar) arrived and is waiting for his new shipment.
And one US dealer - Bruce Wood is fully functional at his Min City room full of nice material at reasonable prices.
I'll start this years Tucson thread with what has become tradition for many years with the recent Crocoite report from the Adelaide Mine, Tasmania.
Also - Please note that although i've started and populated this thread for the last many years - Please feel free to add to it with your experience at the shows - One guy can't possibly see everything.
bob
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bob kerr

Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 594
Location: Monroeville PA



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Posted: Jan 21, 2025 22:18 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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It was a very good collecting season for Adam Wright in the world-famous Adelaide Crocoite Mine - pretty much the world's only source of display caliber crocoite.
Adam entered a zone that he calls the Red River Falls since the zone was literally a water fall when he first opened it - see last year's report for an in-situ video of the "falls".
The zone produced (and is still producing) what may be the best overall specimens he's ever collected - mainly thanks to the very large crystals encountered - up to 9-10cm!!! - that are also colorful, lustrous and nicely terminated - and did not require any chemical cleaning.
Some photos below - I apologize for my less than perfect photography - the specimens look much better in real life - the very best ones are already spoken for.
Mineral: | Crocoite |
Locality: | Adelaide Mine, Dundas mineral field, Zeehan District, West Coast Council, Tasmania, Australia |  |
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Adam proudly holding one of the trophies from this past year at the "Red River Falls" zone |
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Mineral: | Crocoite |
Locality: | Adelaide Mine, Dundas mineral field, Zeehan District, West Coast Council, Tasmania, Australia |  |
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Adam's display case of new material from the "Red River Falls" zone |
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Mineral: | Crocoite |
Locality: | Adelaide Mine, Dundas mineral field, Zeehan District, West Coast Council, Tasmania, Australia |  |
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Description: |
One of the best from this season "Red River Falls" zone |
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Mineral: | Crocoite |
Locality: | Adelaide Mine, Dundas mineral field, Zeehan District, West Coast Council, Tasmania, Australia |  |
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Three of the best from the "Red River Falls" zone |
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Mineral: | Crocoite |
Locality: | Adelaide Mine, Dundas mineral field, Zeehan District, West Coast Council, Tasmania, Australia |  |
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Mineral: | Crocoite |
Locality: | Adelaide Mine, Dundas mineral field, Zeehan District, West Coast Council, Tasmania, Australia |  |
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Description: |
Every year Adam brings out something quite interesting - this is best described as "first crocoite growth altered to MnO with second non-altered crocoite growth" - I think |
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bob kerr

Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 594
Location: Monroeville PA



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Posted: Jan 21, 2025 22:34 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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Clive Quite's room in the B2B Annex is not officially open yet, but visitors were permitted to stop by and say "Hi" - if you know what I mean.
Clive is still not in good enough shape to do something as demanding as the Tucson Show so his partner Tony is in charge with excellent support from Jose' and his wife Sofia.
In my short time there, I found a large hoard of Congo Dioptase and velvet malachite along with the usual flats of cactus quartzes - and a few special pieces. This HUGE Japan Law citrine is in remarkably great condition - the terminations are near perfect with only a few "Wilburs".
There was also this pseudomorph labeled as "Malachite after Chrysocolla" but I'm not so sure about that - an excellent piece though.
Mineral: | Quartz (variety citrine) |
Locality: | Mansa District, Luapula Province, Zambia |  |
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a really HUGE Japan Law twinned Citrine with minimal - very minimal - damage |
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Mineral: | Malachite |
Locality: | Kambove District, Katanga Copper Crescent, Katanga (Shaba), Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) |  |
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Description: |
This was labeled as "malachite after chrysocolla" - do you agree?? |
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bob kerr

Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 594
Location: Monroeville PA



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Posted: Jan 22, 2025 18:01 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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Still very few rooms are open right now - major move-in efforts are underway. So, I went back to Paul Botha's room, and he had recovered from the "8 ft Table collapse" and he is almost fully operational.
There are lots of black minerals in his room - shiny and very large pieces - some massive smokey quartzes from Mt Malosa and huge aegirines from Mulange, Malawi.
He also has some new, mineralogically interesting "polyhedroid" quartzes from Reimvasmaak - some contain "geode style" vugs and some are complete floaters. See photos.
Mineral: | Quartz (variety smoky) |
Locality: | Mount Malosa, Zomba District, Malawi |  |
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Description: |
Paul Botha holding a huge smokey quartz from Mount Malosa |
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Mineral: | Aegirine |
Locality: | Mulanje Massif (Mlange Massif), Mulanje District, Southern Region, Malawi |  |
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a shelf of very large and lustrous aegirines from Mulanje |
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Mineral: | Aegirine |
Locality: | Mulanje Massif (Mlange Massif), Mulanje District, Southern Region, Malawi |  |
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Mineral: | Quartz (polyhedroid) |
Locality: | Riemvasmaak pegmatites, Orange river area, Kakamas, ZF Mgcawu District, Northern Cape Province, South Africa |  |
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Mineral: | Quartz (polyhedroid) |
Locality: | Riemvasmaak pegmatites, Orange river area, Kakamas, ZF Mgcawu District, Northern Cape Province, South Africa |  |
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Mineral: | Quartz (polyhedroid) |
Locality: | Riemvasmaak pegmatites, Orange river area, Kakamas, ZF Mgcawu District, Northern Cape Province, South Africa |  |
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Mineral: | Quartz (polyhedroid) |
Locality: | Riemvasmaak pegmatites, Orange river area, Kakamas, ZF Mgcawu District, Northern Cape Province, South Africa |  |
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some are complete floaters |
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bob kerr

Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 594
Location: Monroeville PA



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Posted: Jan 24, 2025 17:32 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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More Congolese Malachite fun!
In a previous photo I showed what was labeled as Malachite after Chrysocolla - maybe - would love to hear other opinions.
Then - I found other interesting Congolese items in Clive's room:
First what is labeled "Azurite on Calcite with Second Generation Malachite". It's actually a very nice specimen - good color and luster - but does this sound correct? Maybe Azurite coated Calcite altered to Malachite?? - or maybe Malachite after Azurite after Calcite??
Then another labeled as "Malachite" - but it seems "Malachite after something" is more appropriate - maybe after selenite?
Finally, there's what is labeled "Kolwezite" but the crystal form and color look wrong - maybe it's malachite?
Anyway - other's thoughts are welcome.
bob
Mineral: | malachite |
Locality: | Kolwezi District, Lualaba, Katanga Copper Crescent, Katanga (Shaba), Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) |  |
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Description: |
Labeled "Azurite on Calcite with Second Generation Malachite". It's actually a very nice specimen - good color and luster - but does this sound correct? Maybe Azurite coated Calcite altered to Malachite?? - or maybe Malachite after Azurite after Calcite?? |
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Mineral: | malachite |
Description: |
Labeled as "Malachite" - but it seems "Malachite after something" is more appropriate - maybe after selenite? |
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Mineral: | malachite ?? |
Description: |
Labeled "Kolwezite" but the crystal form and color look wrong - maybe it's malachite? |
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2301 Time(s) |

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Matt_Zukowski
Site Admin
Joined: 10 Apr 2009
Posts: 729
Location: Alaska



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Posted: Jan 24, 2025 17:56 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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IMG_2247 could be kolwezite after azurite - i have seen some that look kinda like this. But it looks more to me like malachite after azurite.
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bob kerr

Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 594
Location: Monroeville PA



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Posted: Jan 24, 2025 18:06 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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I found quite a few and interesting items in the Russian Stones room in the E-Building.
Alex and Vsevolod Chernousenko are diggers at the famous Ukrainian Heliodor locality and have a large selection to pick from.
See photos.
Mineral: | Beryl (variety heliodor) |
Locality: | Khoroshiv (Volodarsk-Volynskii), Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine |  |
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Description: |
LOTS of Ukrainian heliodors to pick from. |
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Mineral: | Calcite and Chalcopyrite |
Description: |
Chalcopyrite coating 'rainbow' Calcite |
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Mineral: | Quartz (variety smoky) |
Locality: | Papachacra Formation, El Portezuelo granite, Belén Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina |  |
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Not too many Argentinian specimens to be found at the shows. |
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Mineral: | Baryte |
Description: |
New find of interesting Russian Barites - interesting color. |
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Mineral: | Astrophyllite |
Description: |
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bob kerr

Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 594
Location: Monroeville PA



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Posted: Jan 24, 2025 18:09 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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John Cornish dug up a trophy sized zeolite at his famous Rat's Nest Claim.
Mineral: | Zeolites |
Locality: | Rat's Nest Claim, Challis, Bay Horse District, Custer County, Idaho, USA |  |
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John Cornish dug up a trophy sized zeolite at his famous Rat's Nest Claim. |
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Bob Morgan
Joined: 18 Jan 2018
Posts: 240
Location: Savannah, Georgia



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Posted: Jan 24, 2025 19:34 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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I purchased something years ago like your malachite that was from Zaire - no other locality info - that was called a pseudomorph after barite. It is more like your third specimen - platy and less prismatic but in sprays.
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bob kerr

Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 594
Location: Monroeville PA



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Posted: Jan 24, 2025 20:26 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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Bob Morgan wrote: | I purchased something years ago like your malachite that was from Zaire - no other locality info - that was called a pseudomorph after barite. It is more like your third specimen - platy and less prismatic but in sprays. |
Bob - I posted a thread about malachite pseudo barite:
https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=7034&highlight=
bob
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bob kerr

Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 594
Location: Monroeville PA



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Posted: Jan 24, 2025 20:28 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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Matt_Zukowski wrote: | IMG_2247 could be kolwezite after azurite - i have seen some that look kinda like this. But it looks more to me like malachite after azurite. |
Matt - I'm gonna get it analyzed to find out for sure - but your mal after az postulation seems better to me.
will report back.
bob
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Herwig
Joined: 04 Jan 2016
Posts: 24
Location: Hasselt


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Posted: Jan 24, 2025 21:43 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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"Then another labeled as "Malachite" - but it seems "Malachite after something" is more appropriate - maybe after selenite?"
=> malachite after gypsum was my first impression too
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James Catmur
Site Admin

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 1430
Location: Cambridge



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Posted: Jan 25, 2025 04:01 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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Mine too - after Gypsum, variety selenite
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bob kerr

Joined: 13 Nov 2011
Posts: 594
Location: Monroeville PA



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Posted: Jan 25, 2025 22:56 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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I visited Wendy Yuan of Wendy's Minerals and as usual she had some wonderful new items - especially the "Two Generation Fluorite" specimens that were etched out of enclosing quartz. The contrast between the two colors is excellent and some have very distinctive phantoms. See photos.
There was also a huge plate of 3-generations of fluorite flanked by two attractive plates of rhodochrosites from the Wutong Mine.
Lots of other terrific items to be found in her room.
Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Wutong Mine, Liubao, Cangwu, Wuzhou Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China |  |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Wutong Mine, Liubao, Cangwu, Wuzhou Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China |  |
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Description: |
Fluorite 2 generations. Note the excellent phantoms |
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Mineral: | Sphalerite on Calcite with Sphalerite |
Locality: | Huanggang Mines, Hexigten Banner (Kèshíkèténg Qí), Chifeng (Ulanhad), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China |  |
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Description: |
Gem Yellow Sphalerite. Note the calcite and first generation sphalerite on the matrix |
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Mineral: | Rhodochrosite and Fluorite |
Locality: | Wutong Mine, Liubao, Cangwu, Wuzhou Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China |  |
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Rhodochrosite and Huge 3-generation Fluorite plate |
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum

Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4950
Location: Barcelona



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Posted: Jan 26, 2025 17:42 Post subject: Re: It's Tucson Time Again |
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bob kerr wrote: | Anyway - other's thoughts are welcome. |
With the inherent difficulties of deciding on something based solely on a photo and not having the piece in hand, here are my opinions:
> This was labeled as "malachite after chrysocolla" - do you agree??
I don’t think so. It looks like Malachite pseudomorphing Baryte or Azurite.
>Labeled "Azurite on Calcite with Second Generation Malachite". It's actually a very nice specimen - good color and luster - but does this sound correct? Maybe Azurite coated Calcite altered to Malachite?? - or maybe Malachite after Azurite after Calcite??
I think it’s simply ‘primary’ Malachite (not pseudomorphing anything, just crystallized Malachite)
>Labeled as "Malachite" - but it seems "Malachite after something" is more appropriate - maybe after selenite?
Indeed, it looks like Malachite pseudomorphing something. Perhaps Baryte, as it’s hard to imagine Gypsum being able to support until to be pseudomorphosed something like Malachite without losing its structure/form first.
>Labeled "Kolwezite" but the crystal form and color look wrong - maybe it's malachite?
Labeling this piece as Kolwezite seems overly ambitious. It looks entirely like Malachite crystals (primary malachite)
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