Our second post of the East Coast Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show (AKA the Springfield show) highlights some of the individual display minerals in the public exhibit of renowned Fluorite collector Dr. James Gebel. The displays featured outstanding Fluorite in labelled cases from all parts of the world, with special attention given to the southern Illinois Fluorite district. Below are photos taken by Hershel Friedman of his favorite and most photogenic specimens in the displays.
Blue Fluorite Cubes from Cave-in-Rock, Illinois
Jim Gebel Collection
Purple Fluorite Cube with Surface Crystal Etchings and Barite from the Denton Mine, Illinois
Jim Gebel Collection
Rounded Calcite in Dark Purple Fluorite from the Rosiclare Level, Denton Mine, Illinois
Jim Gebel Collection
Calcite and Barite ("The Torch") from the Barrel Mine, Pope Co., Illinois
Jim Gebel Collection
Brown Calcite and Purple Fluorite from the Minerva #1 Mine, Cave-in-Rock, Illinois
Jim Gebel Collection
Large Purple Fluorite from the Hill-Ledford Mine, Cave-in-Rock, Illinois
Jim Gebel Collection
Yellow Fluorite and White Strontianite from Cave-in-Rock, Illinois
Jim Gebel Collection
Blue Fluorite on Dolomite from the Penfield Quarry, Penfield, NY
Jim Gebel Collection
Iridescent Fluorite in Vug from the Auglaize Quarry, Paulding Co., Ohio
Jim Gebel Collection
Fluorite and Smoky Quartz "The Fish" from Lake George, Colorado
Jim Gebel Collection
Purple Fluorite on Calcite from Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico
Jim Gebel Collection
Mint-Green Fluorite on Quartz from Huanzala, Huanco Prov., Peru
Jim Gebel Collection
Large Maroon Fluorite Octahedrons from the Huanggang Mine, Inner Mongolia, China
Jim Gebel Collection
Blue-Green Etched Fluorite Crystals from the Dongpo Ore Field, Chenzhou, Hunan Prov., China
Jim Gebel Collection
Large Green Fluorite Cube on Muscovite from Xuaboding Mnt., Pingwu Co., Sichuan, China
Jim Gebel Collection
Frosted Fluorite Dodecahedral Crystal from Dal'negorsk, Russia
Jim Gebel Collection
Blue Fluorite with White Barite from the Emilio Mine, Asturias, Spain
Jim Gebel Collection
Green Fluorite with Galena from the Heavy Metal Pocket, Diana Maria Mine, Weardale, England
Jim Gebel Collection
Sugary Blue Fluorite from the Beihilfe Mine, Halsbruke, Freiberg, Saxony, Germany
Jim Gebel Collection
Brown Fluorite Cubes with White Celestine from Clay Center, Ohio
Jim Gebel Collection
When I was at the Mineral City show in Tucson, I met Italian fine mineral dealer Frederico Barlocher at the room of Lithos Minerals. Lithos had some very interesting new mineral finds, and I was chatting with Frederico about them. He then invited me outside to the parking lot to show me some amazing specimens for our blog, that he had in his car. I was blown away by the quality of these specimens, and included these minerals as an individual news post.
Large Pink Matrix Specimen of Pezzottaite Crystals from Madagascar
Frederico Barlocher
Large Gemmy Emerald on Matrix from Malyshevo, Russia
Frederico Barlocher
Giant V-Shaped Diaspore Crystal Twin from Muglah Province, Turkey
Frederico Barlocher
Alex Amiel of Crystallize had some fascinating, newly-released Fluorite, Selenite, Celestine, Sphalerite, and other minerals from the Dolomite quarries of Western New York. Exceptional Fluorite has been sporadically mined from the Penfield and Walworth Quarries near Rochester, with blue and purple being the best known. Alex recently acquired an old collection from Bob Hiler, a native of the Rochester area who spent many years collecting fine minerals at these quarries.
Bob recently dispersed his collection, and Alex acquired a dazzling array of minerals, including many from the Penfield Quarry. I was blown away at the quality and quantity of what Alex had shown me at the Tucson Mineral City Show, and the highlights are presented below.
Large Selenite Crystal from the Penfield Quarry, Monroe Co.
Crystallize
Purple Fluorite with Anhydrite Casts from the Penfield Quarry, Monroe Co., NY
Crystallize
Purple Fluorite Cube on Matrix with Sphalerite from the Penfield Quarry, Monroe Co., NY
Crystallize
Celestine Crystal Embedded in Selenite from the Penfield Quarry, Monroe Co., NY
Crystallize
Frosted Blue Fluorite with Dolomite from the Penfield Quarry, Monroe Co., NY
Crystallize
Transparent Sphalerite from the Penfield Quarry, Monroe Co., NY
Crystallize
Blue Fluorite Cubes on Dolomite from the Penfield Quarry, Monroe Co., NY
Crystallize
An amazing new find at Tucson 2020 was large, acicular Rutile with a golden yellow color from Ibiajara, Bahia, Brazil. These golden yellow Rutile have been coming out from Brazil for many years, often associated with Hematite or included with Quartz, but never have the Rutile crystals been this large and impressive.
The crystals formed hairy, fragile acicular crystals often in six-pointed stars associated with Hematite, and were found at the Miner's Lunchbox room at the Tucson Mineral City Show. Miner's lunchbox featured more of these fascinating specimens at the Main Show as well. It is truly impressive how they were able to transport these minerals from the source around the globe to Tucson.
Acicular Rutile Crystals from Ibiajara, Bahia, Brazil
Miner's Lunchbox
Acicular Rutile Crystals from Ibiajara, Bahia, Brazil
Miner's Lunchbox
Acicular Rutile Crystals from Ibiajara, Bahia, Brazil
Miner's Lunchbox
Acicular Rutile Crystals from Ibiajara, Bahia, Brazil
Miner's Lunchbox
Acicular Rutile Crystals from Ibiajara, Bahia, Brazil
Miner's Lunchbox
One of the new mineral highlights in Tucson 2020 was a suite of fantastic minerals from the M'fouati region in the Republic of Congo. Spirifer Minerals had an impressive display of some new finds of Dioptase, Wulfenite, Cerussite, and Smithsonite from this productive area. Specimens from this region have been seen sporadically over the years, but Spirifer's display of recent production was impressive and memorable. I first encountered a case full of these new minerals in the Spirifer room at the Mineral City Show, and subsequently at their booth at the 2020 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®.
This post features some of the displays at the Congo Finds from the Spirifer Minerals at the Tucson Mineral City Show.
Case of new Brazaville/M'fouati Area in Congo with a Hanging Sign next to the Case
Spirifer Minerals
Showcase of the New Congo Minerals at Spirifer
Spirifer Minerals
Blue Smithsonite from the M'Fouati Area in Congo
Spirifer Minerals
Multicolored Smithsonite from the M'Fouati Area in Congo
Spirifer Minerals
Twinned Cerussite Crystals in Matrix from the M'Fouati Area in Congo
Spirifer Minerals
Twinned Cerussite Crystals from the M'Fouati Area in Congo
Spirifer Minerals
Cerussite Twinned Crystals with Mimetite from the M'Fouati Area in Congo
Spirifer Minerals
