Tucson Show Report 3

8 February 2013

This year in Tucson we have a range of rare, collectible and out of print mineral books available, some are indeed in our wholesale section marked at keystone prices. Come on in and have a browse.

For the first part of this, the third of our reports from the Tucson show 2013, we wanted to bring you in a little more detail of more of the great specimens we have to offer in the retail section of our displays at the Hotel Tucson City Centre.
Later we will show you a little of the huge effort that goes into the preparation for the Westward Look event and some of the fine specimens we will have there on display.

If you are not able to visit our showrooms during the event and any of the items below are of interest, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can provide you with further information about the specimens and if you seriously want a particular specimen we will reserve cartier replica for you.

Here is the finished setup of our Retail room at Hotel Tucson City Centre, open for business shortly towards the end of the first day. This year the new location has afforded us the advantage of having a more spacious and comfortable viewing area with all our display cases set out in succession.

One of the specimen drawer cabinets in our main show room, and below, a closer look at some of the specimens they carry.

A closer look at some of the specimens in the drawers.

Dona and Audrey organising some of the paperwork.

Dave Lloyd and Dave Whipp enjoying the hard work!

Outside the showroom a late shipment arrives and we have to transfer the crates from truck to truck. Liz Hacker supervises..

....at least some of the time. Caught here with the new man in her life - attention is not always on the job!

Caught red handed.
Audrey, having told us all she was off the chocolate!

Now to the minerals.
Here are some of the specimens we have on offer. 

A pretty group of Quartz var. Amethyst crystals from Mun. Las Vigas de Ramírez, Veracruz, Mexico.

Lustrous black Neptunite crystals contrasting with white Natrolite matrix background from the Benitoite Gem Mine, San Benito County, California, USA.
A sizable example measuring around 8" x 6" Picture

Perhaps one of the best pale Smoky Quartz "Gwindels" we have had in a while. With a high degree of "twist", this specimen measures around 5" across
From the classic location of St. Gotthard in Switzerland.

Hydroxyl-Herderite, A superb example of twinned crystal form, standing on a flat plate of Quartz, which is in turn encrusted with Tourmaline crystals.
    Virgem da Lapa, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Two pale cream coloured Calcites standing on a bed of purple Amethyst crystals from Iraí, Alto Uruguai region, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Specimen around 2.5" tall.

Large crystals of Spodumene are not uncommon, but this almost perfect crystal of the Kunzite variety is near gem clean towards it's termination.
The crystal measures around 7.5" tall.
From the Mawi pegmatite, Nuristan Region, Laghman Province, Afghanistan.

A delicately coloured clear terminated Aquamarine crystal, measuring 3" tall and 1/2" thick with a little matrix in association.
From near Skardu, Skardu District, Baltistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.

A rarity from the Swiss Alps this remarkably well developed tabular Fluorapatite has modifications to the corners of the crystals. It's associated with the unusual form of Albite known as "Pericline" which in turn has a light dusting of tiny Chlorites.
From the Burg-Fiesch Glacier area, Fiesch, Goms, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland.

Another fine specimen from the Burg-Fiesch Glacier area - a near perfect cluster of "Pericline" crystals, some reaching 1" and more in size. The whole specimen is enhanced with a similar dusting of Chlorites.
An Alpine mineral collectors dream specimen, I think!
From the Burg-Fiesch Glacier area, Fiesch, Goms, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland.

Crystallised copper specimens rarely get to this size and quality.
This is an old time specimen. It measures around 12" tall by about 5" across at it's widest point and has an amazing 3-dimensional appeal to it.
From the Osceola Mine, Osceola, Houghton Co., Michigan, USA.

A great specimen from the Ancient mines at Lavrion in Greece.
Calcite on Azurite with Malachite and Olivenite.
Specimen measures approx. 5" across.
Hilarion Mines, Kamariza, Lavrion District, Attikí Prefecture, Greece.

Another rare and quality specimen.
Beryl var. Morganite in thickened, modified tabular habit on Albite matrix with a little Muscovite. The largest crystal, top right, measures around 1" across.
From the Elizabeth R. Mine, Chief Mountain, Pala, Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA.

A near spherical aggregate of radiating flat terminated Apophyllite crystals on a bed of Stilbites. From the Momim Akhada Village Well Pocket, Rahuri, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India.

Robust Epidotes in association with tiny clear needles of quartz.
From the Green Monster Mountain, Prince of Wales Island, Ketchikan District, Alaska, USA.

A scattering of green dodecahedral crystals of Chromium rich Grossular Garnet on matrix from the Jeffrey mine, Asbestos, Estrie, Québec, Canada.

A typically modified and particularly well developed pseudo-cubic Pseudoboleite measuring just under 1cm, with great colour and lustre from the classic location of Santa Rosalía, Boleo District, Mun. de Mulegé, Baja California, Mexico.

American Wulfenites are always of interest. This cluster of lustrous rich orange tabular crystals comes from the Stevenson-Bennett Mine, Organ District, Organ Mts, Doña Ana Co., New Mexico, USA.

Richly coloured Fluorite crystals scattered on matrix with Sphalerite from Elmwood mine, Carthage, Smith Co., Tennessee, USA.

A European classic Fluorite specimen, made up of well developed inter-grown bright yellow cubes.
From Marienschacht Mine, Wölsendorf District, Schwandorf, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany.
Specimen measures approximately 3.5" across.

Another European rarity and in particularly good shape for an old time specimen.
 Kermesite with Pääkkönenite from Bräunsdorf, Freiberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany.

A Chrysoberyl var. Alexandrite "trilling" (or "sixling" as some might prefer to call it). This is the twinned crystal with three components forming a overall star shape. A fairly well developed crystal for this location, measuring approx. 3/4" across, this specimen is from Masvingo (Fort Victoria), Masvingo District, Zimbabwe.

Back to Europe and the Island of Sardinia - another classic thumbnail.
Well developed and with good colour and lustre,
Phosgenite from the Monteponi Mine, Iglesias, Carbonia-Iglesias Province, Sardinia, Italy.

Coatings of Linarite on the white tips of a Quartz crystal group from the Mex-Tex Mine, Bingham, Hansonburg District, Socorro Co., New Mexico, USA.

A cluster of yellowish green dodecahedral crystals of Andradite var. Demantoid on matrix from Lanzada, Malenco Valley, Sondrio Province, Lombardy, Italy.

Slender, parallel grown group of rich salmon coloured Serandite crystals from the Poudrette quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville, Montérégie, Québec, Canada.

 An aesthetic group of pure white Analcime crystals clustered around prismatic Aegirines. Again from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville, Montérégie, Québec, Canada.

Another specimen from Mont Saint-Hilaire, this time a rare and very rich example of Carletonite from the Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville, Montérégie, Québec, Canada.

 A superb yellow Beryl (Heliodor) from Ukraine with delicately etched surface markings characteristic of this location.
Volodarsk-Volynskii, Zhytomyr Oblast', Ukraine.

A classic from Norway.
Clear Quartz crystal studded with bi-pyramidal dark blue-grey Anatase crystals.
Matskorhæ, Odda, Hardangervidda, Hordaland, Norway.

 A complex twinned crystal of Calcite on Fluorite from Denton Mine, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA.

Rich orange thin flat tablets of Wulfenite interspersed and contrasting with greenish-blue micro-crystals of Dioptase from the Mammoth-Saint Anthony Mine, Tiger, Pinal Co., Arizona, USA.

A group of pale lilac transparent Fluorite cubes with shallow reticulated Pyrite inclusion formations just beneath the crystal surfaces.
From the Berbes Mining area, Ribadesella, Asturias, Spain.

Closer view of the above Fluorite showing the pyrite inclusions in a little more detail.

A classic Scottish specimen. These are now difficult to find.
Lanarkite with Leadhillite.
Susanna Mine, Leadhills, South Lanarkshire, Strathclyde, Scotland.

Onward to Westward Look.

Floral surroundings of the Westward Look Hotel Resort.

Some of the Dealer trucks arriving at the Westward Look Resort on Tuesday afternoon.

The planning and setting up of the Westward Look Show in Tucson takes a huge amount of effort for all dealers concerned. After all, at this, probably the most prestigeous of all mineral shows, many dealers hold back some of their finest acquisitions for show here. Displaying these items requires a keen sense of attention to detail.
Here are some shots of a few of the preparations that go towards our final  showroom presentation.

The shallow sand coloured apartments that house the dealerships under a clear blue sky at Westward Look.

Wayne coming to terms with one of our trolleys on board an (almost) empty Truck.

(Left to right) Dave Lloyd, Dave Hacker and Ian bruce, standing in front of our cabinets before they are lifted into the apartment and wired for lighting.

The muscle: Ian, Wayne, Dave L. and Dave H. at the rear of the truck for a short break.

The cabinets in place, lighting wired and being tested.

Liz Hacker annd Lois Nelson patiently setting up the mineral specimens in the display cabinets in a very warm room. A particularly time consuming job requiring a great deal of attention to detail. Great work girls.

The cabinets complete with specimens in display positions. Hours of work finished.

One of the finished cabinets with all its specimens in place.

A selection of Rhodochrosites from Sweet Home, Colorado and the Kalahari Manganese Fields, South Africa.

Gem Minerals: Topaz with Quartz,  Aquamarine, and Kunzite, with specimens of Smithsonite.

This year at Westward Look we are promoting an important collection of exclusively French mineral specimens from the Gilles Emrenger collection. Gilles has been accumulating this difinitive collection of some of the finest examples from locations across France for some years and it is with great pleasure that we have been given the opportunity to display and sell this wonderful collection.

Here are a few of the highlights of this collection:

Large Siderite crystal group with Quartz from La Mure, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France.

Small balls of radiating Pyromorphite needles on matrix
from the Saint-Salvy Mine, Saint-Salvy-de-la-Balme, Tarn, Midi-Pyrénées, France.

Cluster of well developed Azurite crystals on a small amount of matrix from
Chessy-les-Mines, Le Bois d'Oingt, Rhône, Rhône-Alpes, France.

A very nice Smoky Quartz Crystal group with good terminations, clarity and rich colour from the
Mont Blanc Massif, Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, Rhône-Alpes, France.

Group of rose coloured, slightly modified octohedral crystals of Fluorite in association with Quartz again from the
Mont Blanc Massif, Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, Rhône-Alpes, France.

Bright greenish-yellow, hoppered, hexagonal, free standing Pyromorphite crystals on a bed of matrix from the
Les Farges Mine, Ussel, Corrèze, Limousin, France.

Another specimen of Pyromorphite from the Les Farges mine, this time associated with Quartz.
Les Farges Mine, Ussel, Corrèze, Limousin, France.

Detail of Pyromorphite crystals in the previous specimen.

Richly coloured cubes of blue Fluorite with Quartz and a dusting of Pyrite from
Le Burc Mine, Alban - Le Fraysse area, Tarn, Midi-Pyrénées, France.

Globular aggregates of Malachite on Quartz from Camares, Aveyron, Midi-Pyrénées, France.

A very pretty cluster of clear needle Quartz crystals, interspersed with delicate buff coloured flowers of almost discoidal shaped Siderite crystals from

Siderite again of a similar colour, this time in association with deep coloured Sphalerite crystals from
La Mure, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France.

Dolomite, Ankerite, Quartz and Pyrite - a large specimen from Saint-Pierre-de-Mésage, Vizille, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France.

Closer view of the Dolomite, Ankerite and Quartz and Pyrite on the specimen above.

Yellow and blue colour-zoned Fluorite cubes in an aesthetic group from
Le Burc Mine, Alban - Le Fraysse area, Tarn, Midi-Pyrénées, France.

A Japan-Law twinned Quartz crystal group from
La Gardette Mine, Bourg d'Oisans, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France.

Banded blue cubes of Fluorite clustered together from
Mont-Roc Mine, Villefranche d'Albigeois, Tarn, Midi-Pyrénées, France.

For the second of our reports on the Westward Look show we'll bring you more of our specimens and we hope to be running around visiting some of the other dealers at Westward Look to see what great minerals some of them have brought for us too see.
Be back in a couple of days.

Author: Dave Whipp
Categories: News & Information