Munich 2006 First Public day - Saturday 4th November

We're back on the first public day of the Munich mineral show, and it's getting busier:

We met up with mindat regular Barry Flannery, who is here modelling our exclusive mindat.org T-Shirt (and before you ask, no they are not currently available for sale - they are earnt by regular and valued contributors for services to mindat), standing next to a rather large lump of Charoite-rock from Russia.

Bruce Cairncross and Paul Balayer at Kalahari Mineral Venture had some very interesting new South African finds - most notably a selection of superb Shigaite crystals (a basic aluminium magnesium hydrated sulphate) on Rhodochrosite from the N'Chwaning 1 mine.

Here is one of Paul's Shigaite specimens:

Returning to Jordi Fabre's stand, we found a selection of some classic minerals and new finds, including this German Boracite in matrix, crystals to about 4mm:

From Baoshan, China, Jordi has this excellent sample of Doyleite and Gibbsite. Doyleite is a triclinic polymorph of Al(OH)₃. It is about 10cm across.

This is a sample of Reddingite and Hureaulite from the Cigana mine, Minas Gerais, Brazil. These are two not particularly common manganese phosphate minerals. This specimen, one of the best, is around 7cm across.

Jordi had this material, which was found on the edge of blue Topaz crystals analysed and it turned out to be Zanazziite (a calcium magnesium beryllium phosphate). This particular fragment is around 2.5cm long, but Jordi had other large blue Topaz crystals with smaller amounts of Zanazziite attached.

But, the most impressive piece on display at Jordi's stand was this spectacular Ilvaite crystal from Idaho. There was some debate at the show whether this particular specimen was from Idaho or somewhere else (Dalnegorsk?), although even if it wasn't Idaho it was still a magnificent specimen in its own right - however the pedigree of this specimen and similarity to a very similar crystal in the Smithsonian would tend to support the claim:

After visiting these dealers, we went to visit the main show display exhibit - Mineral Masterpieces. These are some of the best mineral specimens in the world from (primarily) the Houston Museum. For those who have not been to Houston here was an excellent opportunity to view some spectacular specimens close-up - This is a absolutely oustanding Azurite from Bisbee, Arizona.

This is a magnificent Red Cloud Wulfenite.

This metallic mineral is crystalline Bismuth from Schneeberg, Saxony, Germany -

This is a great purple Adamite from Mexico:

and a classic Smoky Quartz Gwindel, not from the Alps, but from the Dodo mine in the Urals.

A spectacular cuprian Smithsonite from the Tsumeb mine, Namibia.

And, the world's best Spangolite - from the Copper Queen mine, Bisbee, Arizona:

And a classic golden Calcite from the Elmwood mine, Tennessee, USA:

A magnificent Emerald on matrix from Hiddenite, North Carolina:

And classic Ilfeld, Harz (Germany) Manganite:

Another superb Bisbee Azurite

And a great Copper from the Keeweenaw Peninsula, Michigan

A superb twinned Cerussite with Dioptase from Tsumeb, Namibia.

The Alma Queen, one of the most significant Rhodochrosite specimens in the world:

A classic mexican botryoidal Mimetite

And a stunning Tsumeb, Namibia Azurite

And what list of classics would be complete without a magnificent blue-cap Elbaite tourmaline from Pala, California:

An excellent group of Boleite crystals in clay with Atacamite from Boleo, Mexico

And a fine Chanarcillo Proustite

A super Brazillianite with Muscovite from Brazil:

But, out of all the specimens one stood out. When discussing the question "which of them would you like to walk away with for your own collection", Eddy, Alfredo Petrov and myself all said, without hesitation "The Scorodite!" - This is the world's best Scorodite, from the El Cobre mine, Mexico.

Come back tomorrow (Monday night) for the mindat.org video report of the Munich show, and see you all at Tucson!

Jolyon & Ida