Minerals.net

I had read about the Heritage Auctions recent Hoppel Collection auction in the Mineralogical Record and in Rocks and Minerals Magazine. It implied that the quality of the auctioned minerals was incredible, and there was a healthy amount of bidders with mineral specimens fetching very high prices.

I then saw an ad for Heritage Auction to sign up for a free catalog for the next auction: The Hoppel Collection Auction 3, taking place from Wednesday April 30 - Saturday, May 3. I went online and signed up, and subsequently received a large catalog in the mail filled with beautiful pictures of high-quality minerals, with a description on each mineral being auctioned.

Even though most of the minerals here are well-beyond my budget, the catalog (more like a book) was very enjoyable looking through. I highly recommend signing up to get the Heritage catalogs on minerals, and being in the loop with their auctions. While their book is aimed at high-end collectors with large budgets, anybody can enjoy looking through it even if they cannot afford to bid.

I found their estimated price range to be highly inflated. (You could take off the last zero for a more accurate estimate). Nevertheless, these are top-notch specimens and they should fetch a healthy winning price. In addition to the final auction of Hoppel Collection of Fine Minerals and Gems, the auction features the collection of Texas Congressman John Culberson and gemstones from the Fallbrook (California) Gem & Mineral Society's gem collection.

Read more at www.ha.com/5168

Here are several mineral display cases and individual minerals of some quality minerals. Many of these were seen in the Fine Mineral Gallery.

Click any picture below for a larger pop-up, and use the zoom key to enlarge:

Display Case of Astro Gallery of Gems

Very Large Azurite Crystal from Tsumeb from the Above Case

Green Mountain Minerals Display Case

Another Display Case from Green Mountain Minerals

Imperial Topaz, Pink Topaz, and Tanzanite, Green Mountain Minerals
The Center Pink Topaz is Really Something Spectacular.

Large Peridot Crystal from Pakistan from Edwards Minerals

Nice Collection of Afghani Gemstone Minerals from Lapis Valley

Here are some invidual mineral specimens from the public display showcases that I found interesting and were photogenic. In hindsight, I realize I should have taken more of these as there were so many more good ones, including those from my own showcases.

Click any picture below for a larger pop-up, and use the zoom key to enlarge:

Gigantic Amethyst Crystal Plate with Anhydrite cast
Brad Plotkin Collection

Amethyst Vug with Beautiful Colloring.
Hershel Friedman Collection, ex Paterson Museum

Sphalerite on Dolomite from Walworth, New York
This is the Largest Known Sphalerite Known From This Location
Dave Kords Collection

Giant Plate of Toothpaste-green Prehnite Blobs with Contrasting White Calcite
from the "Pumping Station" Locality in West Paterson, New Jersey
Eric Stanchich Collection

Round Prehnite Bubbles on an Earlier Growth of Prehnite with Calcite
Upper New Street Quarry, Paterson, New Jersey
Eric Stanchich Collection

Incredible Agate from the UBC Quarry, Great Notch, NJ
Steve Kuitems Collection

New Find of Clino-Humite (Chondrodite) with Spinel from Amity, NY
Glenn Rhein Collection

Willemite Crystal with Franklinite on Calcite
It is Unusual to see Two World-Class Minerals of Such Good Form in one Specimen
Dick and Elma Hauck Collection

Although this Picture Came out Blurry, its a Perfectly Terminated, Totally Transparent
Crystal of Elbaite Tourmaline from the Havey Quarry in Maine

Flanked by Smaller Green Tourmalines, this Amazing Watermelon Tourmaline
from the Havey Quarry in Maine Stands Proud

Very Large Gold Crystal Plate on Quartz matrix
from the GG Prospect, Toulumne County, California
Miner's Lunchbox, Scott Werschky Specimen

Pictured below are the public exhibit showcases that were presented at the show. The first 15 are in the order of their display in the show hall. These exhibits were the first thing that people saw as they walked into the entrance of the show. The fluorescent minerals at the end of the page were in the fluorescent mineral gallery, and are just a sample of a few of the many fluorescent showcases. Note that the warmer and cooler colors on different images are due to the light bulb temperature of each case.

Click any picture below for a larger pop-up, and use the zoom key to enlarge:

Amethyst from New Jersey
Hershel Friedman and Brad Plotkin Collections

Calcites from New Jersey
Hershel Friedman Collections

Exceptional Minerals from the Northeast
Jim Chenard Collection

World-Class Minerals from Maryland
Fred Parker Collection

Minerals from the Walworth Quarry, Walworth, New York
Dave Kords Collection

Large Fossil Reptile Imprint from the UBC Quarry in Clifton, New Jersey
Many Dinosaur Footprints were Found there, but Preserved Fossils are Extremely Rare

Ancient Stonework of the Taino Indians of Puerto Rico
Juan Gonzalez Collection

Exceptional Minerals from Northern New Jersey
Eric Stanchich Collection

Asbestos Minerals from the Philadelphia Academy of Science
Justin Zzyzx Collection

Agates from Prospect Park, New Jersey
Steven M. Kuitems Collection

Agates of New Jersey, Likely the Finest Collection of this Type
Steven M. Kuitems Collection

Minerals Found in 2013 in Amity, New York, by Glenn Rhein
Glenn Rhein Collection

Minerals from New York City
Tanjeloff Family Collection

Recent Finds from Pennsylvania
Seth Maranuk Collection

Colors of Willemite
Dick and Elma Hauck Collection

Northeast Mineral Treasures: Minerals from the Localities of New York

Northeast Mineral Treasures: Minerals from the Localities of Maine
Note the Two-Tone Coloring is Due to Different Light Sources

Gem Minerals from the Maine Pegmatites
Maine Mineral Museum Collection

Fluorescent Minerals from the Franklin Mineral Museum

Fluorescent Minerals from the Franklin Mineral Museum

Fluorescent Mineral from the Collection of Steven Kuitems

Fluorescent Mineral Display
Has an Outstanding Green Willemite vein in red Calcite in the Back Left

The NY-NJ Gem & Mineral Show took place earlier this month, April 11-13. This new show, now in its third year, has become a significant show, filling a void in one of the most populated regions of the country. The show took place in the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison, New Jersey, about a 40 minute drive from Midtown Manhattan.

Minerals.net had a booth at the show, where Hershel Friedman was selling part of his collection of local NY and NJ Minerals, as well as promoting the Minerals.net website. Hershel had set up a screen at the booth that was playing some of the Minerals.net videos he produced. He also placed several articles in the show guide, which can be seen by clicking this link. His articles appear on page 16, 17, 24, and 25.

Watch for Hershel Friedman's detailed show report in the July-August Mineralogical Record!

The show report is divided into four separate posts for easier reading:

• General Show Scenes (Below)
• Public Exhibit Showcases
• Public Display Minerals
• Dealer Displays

Click any picture below for a larger pop-up, and use the zoom key to enlarge:

The Giant Skeleton of "Russell", a 38 Ft. Long Adult  T-Rex

Another View of "Russel" Showing His Full Body Length

Additional Dinosaurs on the Show Floor.
This one is a Chasmomsaurus.

And One More Fossilized Dinosaur on the Show Floor.
This One is a Juvenile Edmontosaurus.

Touching Rocks from the Moon, Mars, and 4 Vesta

Brian Busse of the Prospector's TV Series and his Wife.
Note the Minerals.net Cap on Brian's Head.

Hershel Friedman of Minerals.net Being Filmed by Mark Gilden for a Video Show Report

Busy Show Scene With Prospectors Booth Banner in Background

North Jersey Mineralogical Society's Table

Fish Fossils by one of the Dealers

The Crowd Admiring the Public Exhibit Showcases

Visitors Looking at some of the Gemstones

Display of the Havey Quarry in Maine,
With Collector Jeffrey W. Morrison, Specimen Miner

Show Scene