Hayward's Heath Mineral Show 2008
Last Updated: 5th Dec 2008By Jolyon & Katya Ralph
The Hayward's Heath Mineral Show 2008 - Sussex Mineral and Lapidary Society
It's that time of the year again. Time for the...
The Sussex Mineral Show at Haywards Heath is organized by my local club, the Sussex Mineral and Lapidary Society, and this was the 25th show.
Natural History Museum Display
For the 25th Anniversary show, the Natural History Museum (and in particular, Alan Hart and Mike Rumsey) brought along a fantastic display of British mineral rarities:
Top specimen for bafflement value and double-take at the label (unless you happen to be an expert on historical Cornish minerals) is this outstanding Rhabdophane-(Nd) specimen from "Cornwall" (this old specimen didn't have a more accurate locality listed, but it's thought to have been from somewhere in the Redruth area).
Another "This came from where????" moment was this absolutely impressive Almandine garnet specimen from Botallack, Cornwall. Only a handful of specimens, including this large plate, can be found in old collections. Attempts over the years to find the exact spot where these can be found have proven fruitless, so this specimen is pretty significant:
This next specimen, 'andrewsite' isn't even a mineral, it's a mixture (but was originally thought to be a distinct mineral). It's actually a mixture of Hentschelite and Rockbridgeite with minor Chalcosiderite, from the famous Wheal Phoenix mine in Cornwall. This specimen is famous as it was on the cover of the Embrey and Symes book "Minerals of Cornwall and Devon" - it was great to see it up close and personal. The red crystals are Cuprite.
Another Cornish classic, this Clinoclase from Wheal Gorland, Cornwall
And another Gorland classic, this phenomenal Chalcophyllite.
This fabulous Bournonite from the Herodsfoot Mine, Cornwall (around 40cm across and HEAVY!) was actually kept in the Museum's ORE sample collection (face down!) until Alan rescued it. Please let me indulge myself with two photos of this piece:
Lovers of zeolites, and I know there are a few here, will appreciate this Stilbite-Ca from Old Kilpatrick, Scotland - a large (20cm) group of reddish crystals.
Back to Cornwall again, with this fabulous Connellite, again from Wheal Gorland. Here it is before it was put in the display.
And continuing with the west-country theme, these big (for the UK) Childrenite crystals on matrix from Tavistock, Devon.
Andy Castleton
Andy always has a table covered with so many boxes that you inevitably go cross-eyed trying to look at them all. But it's worth it because there are always interesting things at reasonable prices.
Andy Tindle
The other Andy was signing copies of his great book on British Minerals - here's a photo of him signing my copy.
Bob Symes
Andy wasn't the only person promoting his book at the show, here's Bob Symes who gave an excellent talk to a packed audience about his new book (with Brian Young) about the Minerals of Northern England. Here here is holding a copy.
Crystal Classics
Ian Bruce was here with the whole family, and Robin of course. Here's robin doing some kind of sign language that I can't decypher. I think it means something like "come look at my rocks, but don't get too near!"
Most importantly, Ian had brought along a large number of samples from the Ian Acworth collection, including this stunning Bornite on Blister Copper
This Baryte from Pallaflat Mine in Cumbria is enormous and impressive!
Like green fluorite? Like really, really green exceptional fluorite? Heights mine, County Durham is the classic source of this, and this is a classic specimen:
This piece is covered with large Chalcocite crystals, from the Geevor Mine, Cornwall.
For those more interested in foreign minerals, this Cuprian Austinite from Bou Azzer, Morocco was sure to impress:
And this exceptionally pretty Opal from Yowah, Australia had to be seen to be believed. Yes, those colours are right in the picture.
As usual, Ian's children were running one side of the stall, selling off some absolute bargains from the tail-end of the Phialdelphia Academy collection. Here's a photo of the sort of things they had on offer:
And it was from here that I picked up, for £10, the absolute bargain of the show, and something I have been hunting for a long time - a
Here's a quick video I took at the show to demonstrate the satiny effect that this has when polished. It was a very popular lapidary material at the turn of the 19th century.
Rock-site
Rock-site had some interesting large zeolites from my favourite location, Sgurr nam Boc, Skye, Scotland - here is one impressive piece containing Stilbite-Ca and Chabazite.
Ralph Sutcliffe
It was great to see the return of Ralph Sutcliffe, who had retired from the mineral dealing business for many years, but found the temptation of mineral dealing too much to resist and came to the show with some absolute corkers.
First off, this textbook Linarite from the Red Gill mine in Cumbria.
But pride of the display are what can only be called Spectacularites - these two fantastic Specular Hematite specimens, the first as sharp blades from the Florence mine, and the second as LARGE (13mm tall) sharp crystals from the Ullcotes mine - I've certainly never seen better on sale (apologies for the poor photos, it's not a very easy mineral to photograph at a show):
Have a closer look on video:
Mike Merry
Mike Merry always has a good selection of cornish minerals, and one that has become rarer to see for sale in the last few years is the reticulated 'jack-straw' Cerussite from the Pentire Glaze mine in Cornwall - this was a particularly nice small piece:
And a curiosity was this copper-coated rail pin, from the Botallack Mine, Cornwall.
Midland Minerals
Neil Hubbard had this nice Helvite from Tongbei, China.
Unity Minerals
When I talked to Ian Jones, he was quite surprised that this rare fibrous Siderite from the East PoolMine in Cornwall hadn't been snapped up by one of the many collectors interested in Cornish minerals who were at the show. I was equally surprised, so I bought it myself - this is one true Cornish rarity!
Moorland Minerals
Poor Robert is looking somewhat unhappy in this photo! Perhaps someone had asked him about collecting in the Caldbeck Fells. As usual John and Robert were selling mostly self-collected British and Irish minerals - see my report from the Bakewell show for more about what they had (as much was the same here).
Keith and Lynn Corrie
These part-time mineral dealers always put the professionals to shame with their displays, perspex bases and nicely printed labels, and some very nice aesthetic minerals, such as this large Epidote from Alchuri, Pakistan.
The Calcite Competition
As is now a regular event at the show, space is put aside on the main stage for a competitive mineral display in six cabinets based on a particular theme - this year the theme was Calcite.
The competition was judged by Bob Symes, and the winner was announced as cabinet number six, by Trevor Devon. Here he is receiving his trophy:
And that's my last mineral show report for the year. Next stop... Tucson 2009! I can't wait!
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Comments
Its been 3 years since my last visit to the Sussex show, great atmosphere, busy right up to the end, loved it !
Debbie Woolf
20th Nov 2008 10:56pm
Debbie Woolf
20th Nov 2008 10:56pm
WOW!
A really nice report! and the pieces are so coolest. I embed your Satin Spar video in the blog of the Chilean Mineralogist Association and we linked to the world of mindat :)
Take a tour: http://aminch.blogspot.com
Greetings ^^!
Steffan Giadach Axt
11th Dec 2008 1:38am
A really nice report! and the pieces are so coolest. I embed your Satin Spar video in the blog of the Chilean Mineralogist Association and we linked to the world of mindat :)
Take a tour: http://aminch.blogspot.com
Greetings ^^!
Steffan Giadach Axt
11th Dec 2008 1:38am
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