Tucson 2010 Show Report 2

Joe Dorris of Pinnacle 5 Minerals had his usual impressive selection of Amazonite and Smoky Quartz from Smoky Hawk Mine, Colorado, and other impressive specimens including some fine Goethite examples from Smoky Hawk Mine.

The Collector’s Edge always have something new in their room, this Tucson it is brand new Topaz from Maynard’s Claim, Thomas Range, Juab Co., Utah, USA. These specimens were mined last year between 1 Oct and mid Dec 2009. The crystals are found in sand-filled cavities in Rhyolite. The Topaz have the great ‘imperial’ sherry colour, ranging from rich colour and transparent; to translucent and included with the sandy material. The Topaz is associated with balls of sparkling Hematite after Andradite Garnet, cubes of Bixbyite, minor purple Fluorite and one Red Beryl was found – the first time Red Beryl has been found at this claim. I am looking forward to seeing what else The Collector’s will have new at the Westward Look show – aesthetic Tourmaline from Paprock, Afghanistan; Moroccan Silver-bearing minerals; and new Emeralds from Zambia, newly prepared since Munich last year.

Jordi Fabre is another dealer always with something new on display – Jordi has several new Adamites from Babu Area, China with very bright attractive green colour and bright lustre, nicely set off by the iron oxide rich earthy matrix.


We came across this amazing Valentinite with Pyrite from San Jose Mine, Oruro, Bolivia. The crystal is a massive 24mm in width, with silky luster, really superb.


Out the front of the InnSuites/Hotel Tucson City Centre (the new name just doesn’t roll of the tongue!) was Valenzuela’s Minerals, who had a tent full of excellent quality Azurites and Malachite after Azurite from Milpillas Mine, Sonora, Mexico. These have been new at the shows in the last few years. Milpillas is a copper Mine, and Valenzuela’s specimens have been mined over the last three years. The Azurites were sharp with glossy lustre, and many of the crystals of both Azurite and Malachite were quite large.

Valenzuela’s also had this great Mexican Cuprian Adamite with strong green colour.


The Adelaide Mining Co. of Tasmania, Australia had new Crocoite and (excitingly) new Mimetites from the Adelaide Mine, Dundas, Tasmania, Australia. We had a lovely chat with Adam Wright about the new specimens. The new Crocoite specimens were found mid-2009 in a series of little pockets in the footwall. The specimens were all floaters as the matrix has since decayed away. The specimens have excellent colour and are the more desirable red than orange colour, translucent which shows the colour better. The crystals are terminated, many of them solidly, others with hoppered growth.



The Mimetites were found in an area just behind the Crocoites. The crystals found (so far) are fairly small, up to a couple of millimetres . They are mostly translucent yellow-green with some crystals brown to orange, and sometimes bi-coloured. One specimen had several Mimetite crystals with a small Crocoite crystal – a rare combination!


One specimen shows Mimetite crystals now coated in Goethite (partly iridescent) – whilst the Mimetites cannot be seen, you can see that the crystals were larger. Along the edges the Mimetites appear to be altering to the rare mineral Philipsbornite. Philipsbornite was first found at the neighbouring Red Lead Mine, and is a rare Lead Arsenate mineral, part of the Crandallite group. It is normally found in microcrystals to 0.1mm. This is the first time Philipsbornite has been found at the Adelaide Mine.


We also discovered the trick of how they ship these incredibly fragile specimens – smaller specimens for posting are glued into a protective container, the glue can then be removed with Acetone once the specimen has reached its destination. For big shipments such as to the Tucson show, the specimens are packed is a large very heavy fishing container which is very difficult to tip, so that it will always remain upright.


We also managed a short trip over to the Pueblo Inn. A new mineral show has started up here (in a smaller set of rooms around a court yard, near to the main building and show at the Pueblo) with a good selection of dealer with some very nice specimens and displays. It sounds like the show is going well for a first time, foot traffic is low, but once people know the show is there it has the potential to be very good – definitely worth a visit if you are here.

Edwards Minerals had this great English Baryte.

Next door in the rooms of GTA Minerals were several great specimens including this botryoidal brightly coloured Rhodochrosite from N’Chwaning Mines, South Africa.


They also had this great Ruby from Ganesh II Himal Deposit, Somdang Rasuwa District, Nepal with vivid pink-red colour, surrounded by brownish Phlogopite.


It is now time for set up at the Westward Look Mineral show, and our next report will be bringing you photos of the high end minerals on display there. Please also check out our Hall of Fame soon, where we will be posting a selection of minerals that we will have on display at the show.

Ps. We had hoped to get videos up of our room at the Innsuites, but due to internet problems we have been unable to post them - sorry!