Tucson 2018 - Thursday, 1st February
Last Updated: 2nd Feb 2018By Jolyon & Katya Ralph
This is a LIVE report, keep this page loaded for live updates - new images will appear as they are added.
It’s The HTCC
Everyone is opening up for the day. Rocks & Minerals and Mineralogical Almanac are here in the lobby - remember this is one of the places to come by to get your mindat t-shirts! Sizes are going quickly so get here before they're gone!
- Erin
- Erin
Earth's Treasures has some material from the California Blue Mine, which is actively producing and has high hopes for hitting more blue soon.
- Erin
- Erin
There's also a selection of Hallelujah Junction quartz and Jackson's Crossroads amethyst. Lots of American quartz, from mine to market!
- Erin
- Erin
And many interesting gemstones!
- Erin
- Erin
Impaktica has some new display boxes for meteorites - with controllable backlights!
- Erin
- Erin
Self-A-Ware Minerals has an assortment of silvers and golds, with a number of Colorado golds!
- Erin
- Erin
A thing I always enjoy seeing - Mount Antero phenakites!
- Erin
- Erin
You never know what sorts of things you'll come across in Tucson - a great discussion and show-and-tell of Fisher Quarry, Maine specimens is happening outside the food tent in the courtyard.
- Erin
- Erin
Xtal has a new find of diopside associated with vesuvianite from Plan de Gallos, Vera Cruz, Mexico. I'm being told there were also some "butt ugly (aesthetically challenged) and very expensive" kunzite crystals found closely associated!
- Erin
- Erin
For the Mapimi fans: sphalerite, arsenopyrite, and quartz from Piso 13-14 (Level 6-7), Ojuela Mine, Mexico. The sphalerite is only found at the very bottom of the deposit, so this is a bit of a rarity.
- Erin
- Erin
Eeeenormouus broken hill cerussite - Crystal Classics
Pinnacle 5 has a selection of Colorado minerals - lots of blue here!
- Erin
- Erin
In the world of blue, Pinnacle 5 also has a new find of blue barite from Shirley Basin, Wyoming.
- Erin
- Erin
It isn’t the HTCC Show without dinosaurs
A super fun Erongo fluorite! Collector's Edge.
- Erin
- Erin
A neat quartz cast after fluorite from the Genoa claim, Silverton, Colorado. Collector's Edge.
- Erin
- Erin
An amethyst geode from Idar-Oberstein, Germany.
A sizeable Faden quartz from Pakistan - one Phil for scale. Collector's Edge.
- Erin
- Erin
There are, of course, a certain number of hazards to be wary of at HTCC. We're on our way now to Westward Look for a preview of what's happening there, but we'll be back here before the show is over.
- Erin
- Erin
Pinnacle 5 and Mineral Masterpieces are busy setting up at Westward Look. Here's an older thumbnail collection from Rob Eames - an 60-year collection not seen in 15 years.
I'm pleased to see a bit of New Mexico here - an excellent Cooke's Peak, New Mexico fluorite.
Some excellent Colorado combinations about to be displayed.
Unique Minerals has a suite of Ojuela paradamites and legrandites that came out recently - very exciting!
VERY exciting!
And some great Tsumeb, of course!
An exceptional azurite and malachite sphere, Rubtsovskoe Mine, Russia.
One case from Pala International.
Enargite and pyrite from San Genaro Mine. Pala International.
A large beryllonite from Paprok, Afghanistan. Pala International.
Mineral Classics is entertaining my passion for black "uglies" with a small private showing - gersdorffite from Bou Azzer, Morocco.
- Erin
- Erin
Andorite from San Jose Mine, Bolivia. New specimens from an old discovery.
- Erin
- Erin
A huge bournonite from Les Malines District, France.
- Erin
- Erin
Some sparkly things for the rest of everyone: quartz cast of calcite from Xiefang Mine, China.
- Erin
- Erin
Tourmaline on etched Baveno twin microcline from the Himalaya Mine, California, USA.
A very interesting rutile from Alchuri, Pakistan. Dave Bunk Minerals.
An exceptional proustite from the Imiter Mine, Morocco. Dave Bunk Minerals.
More New Mexico! A "little chunk" of Kelly Mine blue - always a pleasure to see.
- Erin
- Erin
Fluorite from the Elmwood Mine. Sunnywood Collection.
Fluorite and pyrrhotite, Dal'negorsk!
- Erin
- Erin
Fluorite on quartz with a lot of character! Huanggang Fe-Sn Deposit, China. Sunnywood Collection.
Sphalerite on sphalerite, Inner Mongolia, China. Sunnywood Collection.
Cactis
Laos Goethite - the Arkenstone
Aragonite on quartz after barite. Wenshan Mine, China.
Hessite with native gold, Anna Mine, Romania. Crystal Classics.
Pyromorphite, McCulloch's Shaft, Broken Hill, Australia. Crystal Classics.
Super Les Farges pyromorphite- Crystal Classics
Excellent huebnerite with rhodochrosite, Clay Pocket, Sweet Home Mine, Colorado. Crystal Classics.
Proustite - Crystal Classics
Some of the new Rogerley fluorite production: Wolfie Pocket specimens. Crystal Classics.
Nigerian Spessartine - Miners Lunchbox
A large fluorite from Macomb Mine, New York, mines by George Kunz, 1889. Miner's Lunchbox.
Chalcedony, Sidi Rahal, Morocco. Miner's Lunchbox.
Bismuth, Shaft #38, Schelema, Saxony, Germany. Wendel Minerals.
Betekhtinite, Dzhezhazgan Mine, Kazakhstan. Wendel Minerals.
Some matching pairs of specimens and Rocks & Minerals covers. Earth's Treasures.
Some Hallelujah Junction big boys. Earth's Treasures.
Fluorite, Ferdinand Shaft, Rothenfueth, Freiburg Disgrict, Germany. Fine Minerals International.
Silver on acanthite, Imiter Mine, Morocco. Fine Minerals International.
Turbuttite, Skorpion Mine, Namibia. Fine Minerals International.
Gold, Western Australia. Collector's Edge.
Calcite and amethyst, Artigas, Uruguay. Collector's Edge.
Tangdanite, Piesky, Slovakia. Graeber & Himes.
Mt. Mica, Maine tourmalines from recent production! From Coromoto Minerals, displayed by Graeber & Himes.
Sabugalite altering meta-autunite, France. Graeber & Himes.
Fluorite with unmentionables, Chumar Bakhoor, Pakistan. Alpine Mineral Co.
Sanidine, Charcine, France. A.Martaud Mineraux.
You know a show is sophisticated when it has its own branded doorstops.
At the annual IMCA (iInternational Meteorite Collector’s Association) dinner. we are going to learn about asteroid space missions and see some space rocks.
Meteorite jigsaw.
Meteorites in thin sections
Big Fukang Meteorite.
Woodcut from 15th century regarding the meteoritic omen to admonish Maximilian I to claim his right to the Holy Roman Empire.
What do you do when a meteorite strikes a road? You collect the meteorite and cut out the section of road and take it home!
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Comments
That cut wulfenite from the red cloud mine looks amazing and I want it
Antonio Nazario
1st Feb 2018 6:24pm
Antonio Nazario
1st Feb 2018 6:24pm
Is it me or are prices following an exponential curve??? If my eyes are correct, did I see really see $8,500 for a amazonite smoky combo... Wow... Granted it is a beautiful, large-ish piece but my gosh that price is really, really, really crazy... Good luck dealers!!! I fully understand the cost of how to extract these is quite high, but I do swear some of the dealers these days are quite ambitious...
Scott Rider
1st Feb 2018 9:06pm
Scott Rider
1st Feb 2018 9:06pm
The Elmwood Fluorite brings to mind something I learned back in December. Notice the change in coloring at the corners. Although the angle isn't good, most likely they are colorless (or mostly so) and enlarged. These are called Carthage corners. Have yet to hear an explanation of how this forms.
Keith A. Peregrine
2nd Feb 2018 2:53am
Keith A. Peregrine
2nd Feb 2018 2:53am
I agree with you Scott. I once heard or read something from a mineral dealer to the effect that "You can't get rich by selling low-end material to poor people". I assume the price point selected is such that it will attract enough customers that will actually buy these specimens. However, what if the collecting community stood their ground and counter-offered with what each considered a "fair price" that they were willing to pay? How many customers would be turned away by the dealer in anticipation of eventually getting the asking price? Perhaps another live report is necessary at the end of the Westward Look Show to see what was left unsold.
Holger Hartmaier
2nd Feb 2018 2:56pm
Holger Hartmaier
2nd Feb 2018 2:56pm
Keith,
There is an article about the phenomena in the January-February 2009 edition of Rocks & Minerals. I forget how much detail it goes into and I believe it discusses the stand-alone corners in particular, but I imagine theres a connection and it may have more information about the formation: http://www.rocksandminerals.org/Back%20Issues/2009/January-February%202009/Crystal-Points.html
Erin
Erin Delventhal
2nd Feb 2018 3:08pm
There is an article about the phenomena in the January-February 2009 edition of Rocks & Minerals. I forget how much detail it goes into and I believe it discusses the stand-alone corners in particular, but I imagine theres a connection and it may have more information about the formation: http://www.rocksandminerals.org/Back%20Issues/2009/January-February%202009/Crystal-Points.html
Erin
Erin Delventhal
2nd Feb 2018 3:08pm
Fantastic show report but please watch your language around the Chinese meteorites.
Lou Rector
2nd Feb 2018 4:28pm
Lou Rector
2nd Feb 2018 4:28pm
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