Minerals.net

On Tuesday, February 6, I also made a visit to the Pueblo Show, at the Riverside Hotel. This has become an important show, though I noticed many more beads and tumbled material rather than minerals this year over previous years. It's still a great show though and is definitley worth the visit.

In the evening I returned for a presentation by Jolyon Ralph, founder of Mindat, and Tomasz Praskier, Spirifer Minerals.

A Giant Amethyst Geode from Artigas, Uruguay.
The size of these never cease to amaze me,
and they seem to get larger and larger every year.
Steven Bookbinder

The same Amethyst Geode with me Posing in front of it.
The photographer I asked didn't do a good job and cut off the entire top!
Steven Bookbinder

Here is one more fascination Amethyst Geode.
Has a large hexagonal Calcite Crystal Inside.
Steven Bookbinder

Excellent Wulfenite with classic dipyramidal habit and butterscotch color.
From the new finds at Mapimi, Durango, Mexico.
This piece was very reasonably priced at only $7,
so I purchased it, and it is now in my collection.
Shannon and Sons Minerals

Fluorescent Balls of Red-Glowing Calcite and Green-Glowing Willemite
C B Ward Fluorescent Minerals, Hershel Ward

Jolyon Ralph's Presentation at the Pueblo Show
Visit the Pueblo Gem Show Website

There will be a delay in my posting of the rest of the Tucson mineral show updates. I have some important matters to take care of this week, but will continue posting the following week.

On Tuesday, February 6, I visited the InnSuites, now called the "Hotel Tucson". (The name change hasn't really stuck and everyone still calls this the InnSuites show.) Outside of the main show, this is the best show in Tucson. Its a large and sprawling, two floor hotel with outdoor rooms and there is just an abundance of fine mineral dealers and specimens to be found at this show. Many of the most recognized dealers have a room here.

I only had a limited amount of time on Tuesday at this show and had returned on the following day to visit more dealers and take more photos. Below are my first set of photos from the InnSuites show from Tuesday.

The World's Largest Amethyst from the Anahi Mine in Bolivia.
At the entrance of the InnSuites.
Crystal Springs Mining & Jewelry, Thomas Nagin

A Mammoth-sized Amethyst Geode from Artigas, Uruguay.
Also at the Entrance of the InnSuites.
From Uruguay

Another Giant Amethyst Geode at the entrance,
in an Egg-Shaped Formation, from Artigas.
From Uruguay

One of the Largest Vivianite Crystal Clusters I Have Ever Seen!
From Huanani, Bolivia. Has Excellent Color and Transparency.
Crystal Springs Mining & Jewelry, Thomas Nagin

The rare cobalt carbonate, Sphaerocobaltite from Kolwezi, Congo.
One often encounters cobalt-rick Calcite or Dolomite,
but Sphaerocobaltite is very hard to come across.
Ausrox

Amazonite with an intense bluish-green color.
Last Chance Pocket in the Smoky Hawk Mine, Florissant, Colorado.
Pinnacle 5 Minerals, Joseph and Susan Dorris

Double Cristobalite Pocket (With Several Smaller Pockets) in Obsidian
With Tiny Transparent Fayalite Crystals.
Cougar Butte, Siskiyou, California.

I found this specimen fascinating and purchsed it for my own collection.
Bruce Wood Minerals, Bruce and Paula Wood.

I was at the Westward Look show in Tucson on Monday, February 6. The Westward look showcases some of the finest and most exquisite specimens of all mineral shows. It is rare to find a specimen under $300 at the Westward Look! I went around snapping pictures at specimens that I thought were interesting. As with many shows, I could have spent the whole day snapping away, but these few samples just give a trickle of what the show is all about.

Giant Microcline crystals with Schorl Tourmaline from Northern Pakistan
Fine Minerals International, Daniel Trinchillo

Gemmy red Brookite crystals in Quartz from Balochistan, Pakistan
Fine Minerals International, Daniel Trinchillo

Huge Aragonite var. Flos Ferri from Erzberg, Styria, Austria
Unique Minerals, Marc Miterman

Strawberry-red, Rhodochrosite "Brain" from the N'Chwaning Mine,
Kalahri Manganese Field, South Africa
Ausrox specimen

Large Emerald crystals on Matrix from the Kagem Mine, Zambia
The Collector's Edge specimen

Outstanding Blood-red Rhodochrosite Crystal Cluster from the
Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Colorado
The Collector's Edge specimen

Large Bluish-purple Fluorite with Growth Layers from Weisseck Summit Cleft,
Lungau, Salzberg, Austria. Backlighting is used to show transparency.
Stonetrust

Double Anhydrite Spray from Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico
The Mineral Gallery, Inc., Kevin Ward

Interconnected Amazonite Crystals from Crystal Peak, Colorado
Miner's Lunchbox, R. Scott Werschky

Gold Nuggets from Ruby Creek, Rampart District, Yukon, Alaska
Miner's Lunchbox, R. Scott Werschky

Globular, Toothpaste-blue Smithsonite from the Kelly Mine, Magdalena, New Mexico
Dave Bunk Minerals

Deep Brown Colemanite from Boron, California.
I have never seen before such a deep color on Colemanite before.
Dave Bunk Minerals

Classic Silver Wires from Kongsberg, Norway
Western Minerals

Rare gemmy Phlogopite from Governador Valadores, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Mineral Classics, Brian R. Kosnar

Hershel Friedman was at the Tucson shows this past week, and went around with his camera to bring back some great samples from each show. We'll trick out the posts as we get them organized, so stay tuned! We'll dedicate a post for each of the shows: Westward Look Show, the InnSuites Show, the Pueblo Show, and of course the Main TGMS Show.