Tucson Mineral Shows 2011 - Second report

31 January 2011

Hello again,

Welcome to the second Tucson Show report.
Most dealers are now set up and collectors have descended on the hotels - so now we have to queue for coffee in the morning!

David Hacker, Ian Bruce and David Lloyd outside River Park in front of a ridiculously large Quartz crystal bathed in the Arizona sunshine.

So of course, now the dealers are open there are many many minerals to look at and here are just a few that have caught my attention so far:

Dr Peter Kolesar has some bright and sharply formed Marcasites from the classic locality of Kommern, Most, Czech Republic. Collecting started up again here a couple of years ago. Peter also has a good selection of natural crystalline Native Bismuth from Schlema, Saxony.

Marcasite from Kommern, Czech Republic - courtesy of Dr. Peter Kolesar.


Native Bismuth  - from Schlema, Saxony, Germany c. 7cm - courtesy of Dr. Peter Kolesar.

Over in the Quality Inn on Benson Highway Vladimir Podennykh has some good specimens of vivid lavender purple Amesite from Sarany, Western Urals, Russia  - specimens displaying a carpet of upstanding crystals.

Large plate of Amesite from Sarany, Russia

Also around the Quality Inn area the Chinese dealers have their usual offerings including ranges of Fluorites and quality Calcites. However, this year a few Chinese dealers have some more unusual material available - for example Chen Xiao Jun has a 9cm Powellite crystal from Jiangxi, China - an important new find! He also has material from his find at Weishan, Shandong Pv. - including some lovely true-blue Fluorite.

Huge Powellite crystal from Jiangxi, China


Blue Fluorite from Weishan, China


Information regarding the Weishan finds.

Crocoite from Adelaide Mine - courtesy of the Adelaide Mining Comapny.


A closer look at the Crocoite

Other minerals of interest around and about included:

Recent finds of Brochantite - Milpillas Mine, Sonora, Mexico - courtesy of Donald K. Olson


Earth Treasures of California had a good range of Benitoites and Neptunites from San Benito. They will be exhibiting a case of this material at the TGMS Main Show too.

Jon Voelter's pretty excited about his first Tucson as an exhibitor.

Jon Voelter with one of his Tourmalines


Broken Hill (Australia) Rhodonite on Galena - Jon Voelter


An indicolite Tourmaline and Quartz - from Paprok, Kunar Province, Aghanistan in Jon's room

Carlos and Giovanna Oddi have some great Argentine Rhodochrosite on display from the famed Capillitas Mine - with a few choice stalagtitic examples.

A nobbly Rhodochrosite stalagtite from Capillitas, Argentina - courtesy of C. and G. Oddi

Catching my attention were the impressive UV displays of Way Too Cool LLC (good name!). They make bespoke UV Fluorescent blacklight systems for collectors and they had an impressive range of the usual Franklin classics, as well as Tugtupite, Hackmanite, North of England Fluorite and these fluorescent yellow Quartzes from La Sassa, Pisa, Italy:

Fluorescent Quartz from Pisa, Italy - courtesy of Way Too Cool LLC.

The Khyber Mineral Company has a good range of minerals including some interesting Iranian specimens including a large and colourful Hemimorphite from Ghale Zari Mine.

Hemimorphite from Ghale Zari Mine, Iran - courtesy of The Khyber Mineral Co.

An important new find at the show are the Calcites from Conco Mine, North Aurora, Illinois, USA - as on display in Saga Minerals' room. The room was full of many flats of impressive lustrous Calcites - some associated with iridescent Pyrite

New Calcite from Illinois - courtesy of Saga Minerals

More reports to follow!

We shall be posting a choice update of specimens from the recently acquired University of Arizona Collection in a couple of days time which will include some American classics, as well as some European rarities and classics.

Bye for now!

Crystal Classics/Kristalle

Author: Ed
Categories: News & Information