Tucson 2022!
Last Updated: 12th Feb 2022By Jolyon Ralph
This is a LIVE report, keep this page loaded for live updates - new images will appear as they are added.
And for the first time in two years, it's Tucson time again!
I've actually been here ten days already setting up this - the Mindat bookstore in the La Fuente building on Oracle (1735 N Oracle) - open from 10am tomorrow.
You can't miss the place, it's very pink.
Let's have a quick look across the street at mineral village.
Collectors Edge wholesale
Pu Tzu is here with his minerals and gems.
Pinnacle 5 minerals
Kristalle are here as always.
The JTI wholesale tent here at La Fuente
Overflights of military aircraft such as this C-130 happen all the time.
Quick stop at Mineral City. Here is Spirifer.
Mineral pottery.
Unique Minerals
Mineral City murals
Two sets of Mineralogical Record for sale. First set contains volumes 1-22 including all the rare early ones. $600
Second set is complete up to volume 37, then up to vol 47 (2016) with some missing (see next image)
The missing ones. All should be easy to get
Total price $1,500.
Bargain!
We also have a lot of duplicate issues reasonably priced.
Total price $1,500.
Bargain!
We also have a lot of duplicate issues reasonably priced.
American Mineralogist and Canadian Mineralogist free to anyone who wants to come take them away. Please!
We have a wide range of Dana books for sale.
And plenty of rare books.
Including Rocks infamous bookplate
Copy 150/150!
у нас также есть книги на русском языке.
Not just books we also are keeping up with the latest audio and video technology.
We have the largest selection of mineral VHS tapes in Tucson.
Two comics that Rock had in his library!
You can't beat sunsets in the desert.
Another rare item in our book sale. Barringer's original report on Meteor Crater from 1909
Some of the older works.
More
And more
And the tent is now open. Here are Rocks and Minerals.
The latest issue.
And the latest two issues of Mineralogical Almanac.
The Arkenstone.
Mineral Classics.
Natural Selection
And the Czech contingent!
I'll come back in a little while to take individual photos of items.
I'll come back in a little while to take individual photos of items.
Incredible Jouravskite, Natural Selection minerals.
Turquoise from Kerman, Iran. Petr Sztacho.
Another rare book we have here. 1908
Martina is trying to trade American Mineralogists for a rare Tsumeb book with Phil Persson.
Phil has lots of crazy radioactive minerals for sale.
A super Swedish Strengite.
Today the Rock Currier auction preview opens at 10am, so I'm here at 7am to get everything ready.
Stay tuned for a sneak preview!
Stay tuned for a sneak preview!
Rock Currier's legendary fur coat. proceeds of sale to mindat.org.
Pyrite flowerpot. Proceeds to Mindat
Rock Currier and Bob Brewer's infamous 'Inner City' figures, again proceeds to Mindat.
But you want to see some specimens? How about this amazing realgar
Obviously we keep it out of the light.
Obviously we keep it out of the light.
We have light! Opens 10am today. There are also specimens for sale.
A quick tour of the auction items.
Here's a video I made a few days ago showing the painted Tsumeb calcite.
Rutile from Azerbaijan.
Japanese stibnite
Sweet Russian zircon. If anyone wants to buy this for me I wouldn't say no.
Kolbeckite
The World's Most Incredible Mineral Specimens.
Fabulous Ethiopian amazonite.
Want a dioptase? These ones are for sale today.
And from the Toady Collection, autunite and phurcalite from Portugal.
Best pieces I've seen.
Back at our booth. We have a limited number of mindat.org t-shirts left.
The first entry in 'The World's Most Incredible Mineral Specimens' book
Scan this barcode to view all lots, which of course you can't do if you're viewing this on your phone. Ok. I'll make it easier: https://ha.com/8070
Michel's Madagascar specimens
Chrysoberyl from Madagascar
Next to me in the La Fuente building is Horizon Mineral Lapidary.
They do cabs and have some nice Indonesian material amongst other things.
Rainbow hematite
Pyrite
Almost open
How to get to mindats booth.
Crystal model set from the Ron Pellar collection
And it's open.
Feeding frenzy.
Cronstedtite from Morocco (Wadi Beht), Alfredo Petrov specimen.
Curious radial tourmaline from Japan. Alfredo Petrov specimen
Fun find in the library - this Stereogram book of Rocks, Minerals & Gems along with the stereo viewer.
Probably for sale. Probably. Don't have a price on it yet.
Probably for sale. Probably. Don't have a price on it yet.
Another great find which will be for sale once I figure out how much.
Here's a little bit of history. This was Rock Currier's Nikon camera that travelled the world with him, took thousands of photos of minerals and localities - many of which are now in Mindat. Not for sale!
Quick stop at The Mineral Co-op
Edenite from Madagascar.
Grandidierite
Massive crinoid plate.
Close up
Tourmaline
Toothy dead thing.
Rather than filling this report with books for sale I'm doing a separate post here : https://www.mindat.org/message.php?m=583216 we should be able to do mail order on many of these.
Want a mindat.org t-shirt? For a very limited time we can mail you one. $25 + shipping. Mail jolyon@mindat.org if interested in this or books.
We have a bundle of Wards Natural Science bulletin from the 1940s-50s for sale
Back to minerals today. The Arkenstone at La Fuente
Thumbnails from the Shields Flynn collection. Arkenstone
Fresnillo acanthite - Arkenstone
Gold! Arkenstone
We are at the Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum
Huge quartz cluster from Arkansas
First gallery discusses mineral evolution
Meteorite display
Display of rock forming minerals
Staurolites from Taos Co. New Mexico
Dr Alvin Van Valkenburg's original diamond anvil cell.
Display on mineral diversity.
Geology and Biology intertwined
Rhodonite from Franklin.
Geological Environments
Rose Quartz. Loaned by Ann and Ed David
Calcite with amethyst. Artigas, Uruguay.
Deccan Trap minerals.
Type locality dioptase.
Fossils!
Walking whale
Pegmatite minerals
Some of the minerals loaned by Gene Meieran.
California Pegmatites
Trilobites from the Dr Robert Hazen collection.
Huge chrysocolla boulder from Inspiration, Gila Co.
Calcite coating drill core.
Arizona"s changing geology.
Minerals from the Jerome mine fire.
Paintings from Phelps Dodge capturing the essence of mining.
The Arizona gallery.
The Bank of Arizona gold collection.
Silver from the mineral park mining district. Loaned by Evan and Melissa Jones.
First copper smelted at the Copper Queen mine.
Bisbee!
The reconstruction of a Bisbee cave
Arizona and Mexico. Lots of Pete Megaw specimens here.
Rockhounding
Arizona mines.
Arizona fluorescent minerals
The gem gallery.
A stylised gem pocket.
Crystal models
Demonstrating optical properties by rotating stones.
Carved heliodor. By Alfred Zimmerman
More gem/lapidary work.
Harvey Quarry, Maine
Jewelled tapestry.
Au,Ag,Cu
Dale's, treatments and synthetics.
Huge silver boulders.
The gemstone room.
Tanzanite
Back at La Fuente now. My new mouse has arrived. The mouse pad is old though!
Calcite from La Caverna, Buena Tierraine, Santa Eulalia, Mexico. XTal - Dennis Beals minerals
Hemimorphite - Dennis Beals minerals
Paper signed by James D Dana. For sale at our booth in La Fuente, Oracle
Visiting with Ed Loye and Alex Lemon and they had this slice of Elvan from the Wherry Mine in Cornwall (the only mine ever to be destroyed by a ship crashing into it). From the Trebilcock of Blowing House Farm collection.
Here is Tom C. disturbing Jolyon’s report again…. Here is Jolyon just after he said “this is actually a quite interesting Aquamarine” at Geoff Krasnov.
It's the Westward Look
Djurleite crystals from Morocco. Christophe Gobin specimens
Some Myanmar ruby in matrix specimen from Mineral Classics
Pyrargyrite from Mexico. Bergmann Minerals
Rose quartz. Itinga. The Arkenstone specimen.
New find of tourmaline from the Tourmaline King mine, from Jan 2022. Pala specimens
Loye & Lemon minerals have some super blue Devon fluorite and cut stones.
Gold from Verespatak, Romania. MCP specimen
Chinese Rhodochrosite and fluorite from the Wutong mine, China. Green Mountain Minerals
Sicilian sulphur. Green Mountain Minerals
It's the Fine Mineral Show party
Crystal Classics
A nice rock. Crystal Classics
A quick stop today at the Lithographie/Dave Bunk Minerals room in Mineral City to meet with Steve Smale and Jeff Scovil for a book signing of the new Smale Collection II book. I have my copy already!
The Rock Currier auction is on Monday so there's not much time left to bid. This is a native copper from Tsumeb.
A smithsonite cast from Berg Aukas
Calcites!
Very nice cuprite from the Warren Mining District, Arizona
Flux Mine cerussite.
Big knob of rhodochrosite from Argentina.
Calcite perfection from dalnegorsk.
Gold
At the RMGM show on Oracle
Beautiful feldspar from Shigar Valley - Rocksaholics
Terrestrial native iron from Siberia. Russian Stones.
And inexpensive wiulyite crystals from the type locality.
Some great Italian minerals from Enrico Rinaldi.
Magnetite from Binn Valley, Switzerland. Enrico Rinaldi specimen
Stibnite from the Murray mine, Nevada. Scott Kleine collection. Great Basin Minerals
Some great type locality dioptase - Aleksandr Zuev Club Mineral.
Today is auction day. Starts in about 3 hours time! Come bid on these five items in particular that directly support mindat.org. firstly, Rock Currier's legendary fur coat.
It really is very furry.
This multifaceted teapot from Novo Horizonte, Brazil ensures every cup of tea is infused with rutilated crystal energy. Warning. It's really heavy!
This Peruvian flowerpot is also being auctioned for Mindat. Perfect piece for any garden.
And of course straight from the warped mind of Rock Currier, the Inner City collection. This is a very rare complete set mounted on an agate base.
Roman is selling some more of his (and my) books for LEGO funds. Here with the books in La Fuente
Magnetite from Romania. Romans Rocks.
And last but not least, don't forget that also up for auction today is a unique set of both 1st and 2nd editions of Rock Currier's 'The World's Most Incredible Mineral Specimens' book. Here is another exclusive extract from the book. You'll need to win the auction to learn the story behind THIS one!
The auction has started. We are in the tent for the simulcast.
And a second simulcast from the auction item display room.
It's all going on... Watch at ha.com and join in the fun.
$8,500 for the fur coat. Thank you!
$8,500 for the fur coat. Thank you!
Quick visit to the Days Inn show and at Comet Shop (Rm 108) I saw this unusual malachite with dioptase from Altyn Tube, Kazakhstan.
They also have some Morenci mine dioptase pieces.
Now back at Mineral City - Stonetrust. This is a fabulous feldspar.
New Russian glendonites (Summer 2021) - Geonica/Russian Minerals (C13)
Also from them for the little paper arrow collectors we have Kaznakhtite.
Elbaite from Russia.
Legrandite and paradamite from Ojuela (of course) - and a 4.29 carat cut legrandite. Unique Minerals specimen
Red Cloud! Unique Minerals specimen
Another ridiculously rare item we are selling at the La Fuente Mindat bookstall - this report from 1922 on Talc in California. Can't find any trace of it online.
Contains original period photo prints and a couple of blueprints.
I've found the very last two of the mindat CaCO3 t-shirts, both M. $25 each.
We also have a first edition (with the nice hard cover) Der Turmalin book for sale.
Come by the mindat booth at La Fuente to buy some classic mindat shirts or books! Or to say hi. Or just pay us money. Or donate and go away. The choice is yours. Your models will be waiting. (Limited sizes and shirts available).
Paul and I have set up the Mindat Booth.
Roman drew a crystal of quartz. A double-terminated one. Roman called it sharpiespikeyite.
TGMS show is about to open!
One of the Themes of the show is Apatite. This is the collection of John Rakovan
More from Don Dallaire
More from Don Dallaire
Wait, these ones aren’t apatite
Wait, these ones aren’t apatite
Maine mineral museum apatites
Fluorapatite
The Young Mineral Collectors displays
Chris Stefano’s thumbnails.
Nambulite flanked by two phosphophyllites
Copper only (with minion)
Barite
Dick Graeme III specimens
Synergy and symbols collection by Crevoshay Lehrer
Gems, minerals and slates turned into artist palette by Darryl Alexander, Arizona based lapidary artist.
Pezzottaite display by Seth William Rozendaal
Bright display of apatite group minerals by Jim and Gail Spann
Smithsonite display by #SmithSquad.
Ideas for Happy Valentine’s Day gifts at Crystal Classics Fine minerals.
Gem shades by Naomi Hinds Design
Skull of the sun carving from one piece of silver sheen obsidian by Francisco Sotomayor.
Come visit us at Mindat booth at TGMS
This is a fluorapatite on quartz.This was found in The Tucson convention center. The fluorapatite on quartz was found in Portugal.
Tom's case.
This is a apophylite on stilbite. It looks like virus!
In the fluorescent gallery.
In the fluorescent gallery. It was a bit scary!
It is also in the fluorescent gallery. It is beautiful!
It's also at the fluorescent gallery. It's beautiful!
It's also at the fluorescent gallery. It's beautiful!
The first place for the junior competition at Tucson went to Hannah Brodhagen for her excellent display.
Max Kaminski won the junior master trophy.
Another junior first place display
And another. This is a great display.
Winner of Best Advanced 2022
Desautels winner.
Apatite group Gail and Jim Spann collection
Stunning Wheal Alfred pyromorphite
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