Minerals.net

This is our final posting of the NY-NJ Gem & Mineral show. This posting showcases some of the fluorescent display cases that were hosted by the show. The cases were setup by the Franklin Mineral Museum in a darkroom, with a nice variety of different fluorescing minerals from Franklin and Sterling Hill.

There were several cases with large Ultraviolet lamps above the cases shining on the minerals. There was even one case that was open without a glass in the front, so that the minerals in the case could be touched. Glenn Rhein also had a case present of minerals from his finds in nearby Amity, New York. The two most promiment fluorescent minerals at Franklin are Willemite, which fluoresces green, and Calcite, which fluoresces orange.

This report shows the display cases of Bradley Plotkin, Glenn Rhein, and the Franklin Museum. Bradley Plotkin is a collector specializing in New Jersey minerals, and his collection is one of the finest of the area. His collection also contains many historic specimens, including those from the Bergen Hill Railroad cut in the Palisades cliffs across Manhattan. Brad filled two dislay cases, showcasing Bergen Hill minerals, copper minerals from New Jersey, as well as several other New Jersey localities such as Millington.

Glenn Rhein put up a case of the finds on his property in Amity, New York. Glenn found an amazing discovery of many different minerals, with some exceptional scapolite, diopside, titanites, and spinels. (We have produced a video report on Glenn's amazing find.) Glenn also brought two very large scapolite and diopside crystals sitting outside of the cases on a pedestal for people to touch.

The Franklin Mineral Museum also had several cases, with some exceptional minerals from Franklin and Sterling Hill, as well as some museum artifacts. The location of Franklin, New Jersey, is one of the most well-known mineral localities worldwide, and aside from the huge assortment of minerals found there, Franklin is also considered to be the world's premier fluorescent mineral locality. Aside from the regular exhibit, the Franklin Museum had a special fluorescent room. This will be further discussed in the next post.

 
Note: All these photos can be clicked for an enlarged pop-up.

Large Copper and Copper Minerals from the Bound Brook Area from Brad Plotkin's Display
  

Exceptional Prehnites from Brad's Display, including two rare blue Prehnites
 

Pectolite from Millington from Brad's Display
  

Brad's Exhibit on the Bergen Hill minerals, on the Palisades cliffs in New Jersey.
Specimens from this locality are classic material.

The Display Case of the Glenn Rhein Family of minerals in Amity, New York
 

Very large piece of Scapolite and Diopside brought by Glenn.
This was out on a table for people to be able to touch.
I apologize for this picture and the one above it for being a bit blurry.
 

A Display Case of the Franklin Mineral Museum
  

Zoom into some of the minerals in one of the Franklin cases.
Note the exceptional Rhodonite cluster on the top right.
  

Display of one of the Fossil Exhibits at the Show

This next report features the display of Steve Kuitems, Jim Chenard, & Fred Parker, who have one of the top collections of minerals from the Tilly Foster Mine in Brewster, New York. The Tilly Foster Mine was an old iron mine that produced a very large amount of ore. Mining ceased entirely in 1897 after a terrible accident where 13 miners were killed in a rockslide. All specimens from this mine are considered classic; modern specimens do not exist. This mine produced some of the finest titanite and chondronite in the United States, along with a host of rare serpentine minerals and odd pseudomorphs. It also produced some exceptional dodecahedral magnetite over the course of its operation.

Also featured in this post are some minerals from some other localites in the Northeast, specifically Connecticut and New Hampshire. Although the show theme was originally only New York and New Jersey minerals, some local collectors wanted to expand the exhibit to include other Northeast localities, so there were a few cases of material from other Northeastern states.

Note: All these photos can be clicked for an enlarged pop-up.

The exhibit case of Tilly Foster Minerals
 

Zoomed in on some Tilly Foster shelves
   

More Tilly Foster Minerals
 

More Tilly Foster Minerals, with an emphasis on Chondrodite
 

Collection of New York Minerals, Joe Polityka display
 

More Northeast Minerals
 

Minerals from the Northeast, including Branchville, Connecticut phosphates
  

More minerals from Connecticut, especially pegmatites, from Jeff Fast

Here is the next round of public display cases. Featured here are the amazing Herkimer Diamonds that were present at the show. Tom Kapelelewski is renowned for his outstanding Herkimer Diamond collection, considered to be one of the finest in the world. Tom had put together a dazzling display, replete with a crystal pool of crystals and a women statue dipping her toe into the crystal pool. What's even more amazing about this display is that Tom and his sons have self collected all the Herkimer Diamonds in this case over the 50+ years!

Also included in this post are some other fine New Jersey collections.

 
Note: All these photos can be clicked for an enlarged pop-up.

Tom Kapelelewski's dazzling Herkimer Diamond exhibit
 

Individual shelves in Tom's Herk exhibit

Women's statue in the Crystal pool of Small Herkimer Diamonds
 

Bodhivastu Foundation Collection of Herkimer Diamonds

Rutger's Geology Museum display of New Jersey Minerals
 

Collection of Alan Benson - New Jersey Trap Rocks
 

Jason Baskin display case of outstanding NJ Minerals.
On the bottom shelf are two huge Natrolite crystals - the largest I have ever seen!

Since there were so many display cases exhibits to photograph, I had to divide them into several sections, otherwise the post would be too long. The pictures here in part 4 of the show report are all from the collection of Hershel Friedman, founder of Minerals.net. Hershel's case focused on minerals of the suburbs of New York City in New York and New Jersey. The shelves in the exhibit were as follows:

• Paterson, New Jersey
• Prospect Park, New Jersey
• Misc New Jersey basalt deposits
• Misc New Jersey minerals
• Large New Jersey specimens
• Rare, lower New York State Minerals
• Large, lower New York State Minerals
• Pictures of old iron mines in the Ramapo Mountains/Hudson Highlands

 
Note: All these photos can be clicked for an enlarged pop-up.

Display case of Hershel Friedman.
This side of the case is the New Jersey Minerals.
 

Zoomed in to the middle top row, Prospect Park, NJ minerals.
Left to Right: A large Datolite, yellow Calcite, Prehnite Fingers
Large Apophyllite, Calcite on Anhydrite Cast, Agate, Anhydrite Cast
 

Minerals from Paterson, New Jersey, in the Hershel Friedman display
 

Minerals from classic NY localities on the bottom two shelves, and minerals from NJ on top shelf.
  

Minerals from misc NJ traprock locations, in Hershel Friedman's display.
 

Large NJ minerals in Hershel Friedman's display