The 2009 Detroit Gem and Mineral show was held on October 9-11 at the Gibralter Trade Center in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, a new location for the show. Surpisingly the change of venue did not hurt attendance or sales at the show, so kudos to the show staff for getting the word out. The show hosted over 50 dealers selling the usual array mineral, rock and jewellry related items. While there were quite a few mineral dealers present, there was very little in the way of new material available.

Walter Kellogg (M&W Minerals) did have a few new things I thought I'd mention

A really nice crystallized Copper from the Keweenaw

Nice Andradite garnets from Honduras! Nice Honduran minerals have not been available because of politcal problems there, but a few recently made it out and into Walter's booth.

Another specimen showing ore minerals with Andradites also from Honduras. Walter had about 7 specimens, and most sold during the show, unsurprisingly.

My friend Ibrahim Jameel (Khyberminerals.com) set up at Detroit this year, the first time he has set up at a show. Despite being a first-timer, Ibrahim did a fabulous job setting up appealing displays of his usual fair of very fine mineral specimens.

Perhaps most exciting, Ibrahim had numerous specimens of the new Demantoid garnets that were discovered recently in Madagascar. Ibrahim had travelled to Madagascar over the summer and was one of the first people to bring out specimens. He also had some of the best prices on these materials that I have been able to find.

Most of these show reports havn't talked much about the exhibits, but I thought I'd mention some of the more interesting exhibits that were out at Detroit this year.

First up, the Royal Ontario Museum brought this display of minerals from lesser known or rare localities in Canada.

The centerpiece of that exhibit was this magnificent Silver from Silver Islet!

The Show's theme this year was "Colorful Calcite", and this exhibit from the Cincinnati Museum certainly fits that bill!


Bob Nowakowski exhibited some of the best Copper included Calcite specimens I think I've ever seen. (see child photo for a close-up of one of the specimens)



Another exhibit contained this amazing butterfly twin of Calcite from Indiana.

Wayne State University exhibited specimens it had from the Thomas Edison mineral collection, assembled at Edison's bequest by George Kunz.

A Bisbee Azurite and Colorado Rhodochrosite from Edison's collection

I showed a portion of my collection of Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences specimens as a two case exhibit. The ANSP noted the donor names on their labels, and so I thought it would be cool to show specimens with short biographical sketches of their donors (or others who were involved with them). Child photos show close ups of the specimens and biographies.


That's all for now. It was a great show and there were lots of really nice exhibits.

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