The InnSuites show is one of my favorite in Tucson. Its a large show in the sprawling Hotel Tucson near downtown Tucson, where all the dealers sell out of their hotel rooms. You'll find most of the recognized names in mineral dealers at this show, with an amazing array of variety and friendliness. When the weather is nice, it's a pleasure to walk around as the grounds are mostly outdoors.
For all those unable to attend the show, I snapped plenty of pictures so you can get a sampling of the show. I also took a few pictures of interesting minerals I came across. All photographs taken by Hershel Friedman.
Tents outside near the front by the hotel sign
The front entrance of the hotel
Side view of the main hotel entrance
Giant Uruguay Amethyst at the main hotel entrance
Inside the hotel near the main entrance
View of the hotel coming outside from the lobby
Tents on the hotel grounds.
Wrapped up dinosaurs on the hotel grounds
Beautiful view of nearby Downtown Tucson from the InnSuites
Looking towards the main hotel wing with those dinosaurs
More dinosaurs on the property
Side view of the hotel near the highway
The Fine Minerals International House, right off the InnSuites.
This building houses some of the most expensive minerals available for purchase.
The tent for the Granada Ave Mineral Show, right off the InnSuites.
Hershel in Adam Wright's room with the new Crocoite finds.
Hershel is standing in front of the Crocoite poster hanging on the wall.
Adam Wright's display of the new Crocoite specimens
from the 2012 Red River Pocket.
Here are a handful of mineral specimens I found intriguing at the InnSuites Showl. All photographs taken by Hershel Friedman.
Amazing Crocoite needles from the Adelaide Mine in Dundas, Tasmania, Australia
From the 2012 Red River Find
Adam Wright collection
Top-notch Ajoite inclusions in Quartz, from the Messina Mine, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Patrick Mayer collection, Baby Bush Lodge
Thick and tall natural Ametrine crystal from the Anahi Mine in Bolivia
Thomas Nagin, Crystal Springs Mining & Jewelry collection
This is one of the best Sulfurs I have ever seen from the El Desertio Mine in Bolivia
Samora Minerals collection
Interestingly shaped new form of Pyrite from the Merelani Hills near Arusha, Tanzania
UK Mining Ventures collection, Cal & Keith Graber
Large Sphalerite crystal from the Kruschev Dol Mine in Bulgaria
This mine has been an amazing specimen producer
Ivan Pojarevski, Bulgarian Minerals & Gems collection
Natural cubic crystals of Platinum from Kondor, Russia.
Dr. Ivo Szegeny, Karp Minerals collection (Czech Republic)
We traditionally take notes in Tucson for new mineral important mineral localities and updates. These are then add this to our pages upon return. We also go through the popular mineral publications and add content from these as well.
Here is a list of some recent updates:
- Updating the Fluorite page with more specific localities and information.
- Abandoning of the name Zultanite in favor of Gem Diaspore by the Turkish company mining these gemstones.
- Updates on the localities of some of the new Chinese discoveries, including Rhodochrosite, Realgar, Orpiment, Stibnite, Aquamarine, and Hedenbergite.
- Additional information on blue Halite from the Intrepid Potash Mine near Carlsbad, New Mexico.
- Adding the new discovery of Pyrite from the Merelani Hills, Arusha, Tanzania.
- Adding Topaz from Mogok, Burma.
- Adding the iridescent Chalcopyrite from the Sweetwater Mine in Missouri.
Now with the Tucson Shows behind us, I can finally relax a little bit. I made sure to visit all the important shows and accomplished successful networking. I'll post show reports on InnSuites show, the Pueblo Show, the main TGMS Convention Center Show, the 22nd Street Show, and a few other smaller shows. Due to a limited time constraint, I did not have the availability to attend the Westward Look Show this year.
My wife will be joining me this week, and we'll be taking a vacation here in sunny Arizona. I can certainly use this vacation after such a hectic week. This will delay my reports and postings on the shows to early March.
I plan on also producing a video recap of all the major shows. My goal with the show postings and videos is to provide a good feel of what the shows are all about and what they look like, especially for those people who are unable to make it to Tucson.
Of course in Tucson I was busy this year handing out flyers for our contest. These cards were on the information tables of the major shows, as well as by some important dealers. I also gave these out throughout the show, so they really made their way around town.
This is our half page ad in the Tucson Gem & Mineral ShowTM Guidebook, promoting our website and 2013 contest.
