Minerals.net

This blog post lists some of the individual minerals I photographed from the public exhibits. Though there were thousands of minerals within the multiple showcases, and most of them were of interest and picture-worthy, the ones I photographed individually stood out to me for some reason or another, either because of their rarity, uniqueness, or interesting habit not commonly seen. I have 28 pictures and will divide them into two posts. There is no specific order here - they are in order of the sequence of when I photographed them.

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

Platinum Nugget from Russia. From the Hubert De Monmonier Collection.

Gold from the Eagle's Nest Mine in California. T L Potucek Collection

Very Large Rubellite Tourmaline from the Cryo Genie Mine, California
From the Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society Case

Analcime on breccia from the Phoenix Mine in Keweenaw Co., Michigan
From the William Severance Collection

Incredible Silver/Copper Halfbreed from the Baltic Lode, Houghton Co., Michigan
A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum (Michican Technical University)

Chlorargyrite, a rare silver-bearing mineral, from Broken Hill, Australia
R. Scott Werschky Collection

Silver from Kongsberg, Norway

Incredible Elongated Aquamarine in Quartz from the Sierrita Mountains, Arizona
From the Mineral Minions of the Tucson Area Showcase

Deep Blue, Backlit Halite Crystal from the Intrepid Mine in New Mexico,
From the Red, White & Blue Showcase

Deep Orange Orpiment in matrix, from the Twin Creeks Mine, Nevada

Bright Orange Orpiment Crystals from the Twin Creeks Mine, Humboldt, Nevada

Rare gemmy Green Microcline from Kyatpyin, Mogok Burma
From the Mogok Showcase of the American Museum of Natural History

Gemmy Orange Danburite from Sakan-gyi, Mogok Burma
From the Mogok Showcase of the American Museum of Natural History

Ruby in matrix from Kyauk-poke, Mogok, Burma
From the Mogok Showcase of the American Museum of Natural History

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

Diamond "Fakes" from the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP)

"Herkimer Diamonds" from New York State

Replicas of World Famous Diamonds, from the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art

"Rewards of Digging in Australia"
Display Presented by Penny Williamson & Paul Carr School of Earth & Environmental Sciences

Diamond Exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History

Diamond Mines of Arkansas
Exhibit of Diamonds from the Crater of Diamond State Park, Arkansas

Keith and Mauna Proctor Family Trust Collection.
That Giant Rhodochrosite shows up in the display every year.

Gold, Silver, Diamonds, and Gemstones from the Robert Sielecki Collection

Mineral Specimens from Cripple Creek, Colorado, from the Colorado School of Mines

Silver and Silver Minerals from Arizona, from the Mineral Minions

Minerals of Arizona, from the Mark & Nicole Pecha Collection

Copper Minerals from Bisbee and the Milpillas Mine
From the University of Arizona Mineral Museum

"Rough & Ready" - Treasures from the Collection fo the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Thumbnail Collection from the Flagg Mineral Foundation
David M. Shannon Memorial Case

Minerals (Mostly Outstanding Pyrite) from Diego Minerals

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

Exhibit from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
That has got to be one of the largest Kunzites from California!

Superb Crystals of North America, by Tom Hales (Toms Treasure's Co)

Various Sphalerites from Worldwide Locations

Gold Crystals from California, Nevada, and Colorado

Galena Crystals, from the Phil Richardson Collection

Malachite and Rhodochrosite Polished Sliced Slabs

Silver Specimens from the Collection of Al and Sue Liebetrau

Showcase Put Together by The Collector's Edge for their 30 Anniversary

This Ancient Fossil is Called "Chewie"

Beautiful Display Case of Worldwide Minerals, Without an Exhibit Name

Another Unamed Exihibit Showcase of Worldwide Thumbnails

Unlabelled Display of Wolrdwide Minerals

Arizona Minerals from the Richard Bideux Memorial Trophy Competition

Another Beautiful Unlabelled Display

Gemstones of the Eastern United States from the Tellus Science Museum Collection.

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

Silver and Acanthite Group Minerals.

Common Silver Sulfosalts

Silver from Kongsberg, Norway, from Various Collectors

Silver from Various Miscellaneous Localities

Showcase of the Mineral Enthusiasts of the Tucson Area

Display Exhibit of the Arizona Mineral Minions

Minerals of Red, White, and Blue
Featuring Electric Blue Halite and bright red Rhodochrosite

Display of the Mineral Association of Dallas ("MAD")

Minerals from the Swiss Alps, from the Silber+Silber Mining Company

Topaz from the Tribute Pocket, Agnus Dei Claim, El Paso Co., Colorado
Discovered October 2012 by Rich Frettered and Jean Cowman

Minerals Found on the Dorris Claims During Filming of the Weather Channel's Prospector Series
These are Outstanding Amazonites and Smoky Quartzes

Display Case from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
These are Mostly Classic Pennsylvania Minerals

Gold, Silver, and Gems from the Collection of Francois Gigot D'Orcy

Minerals from Mogok, Burma (Myanmar)
American Museum of Natural History

Minerals from the Gem Pegmatite Districts of North Pakistan and Afghanistan

The Tucson show is famous for its world-class public exhibits. Some of the top collectors and museum pieces are placed on exhibit here for the yearly show, and they really dazzle. I took photos of almost every single public display case at the show, and present them for all to see in large format pictures. The only displays not here are the ones where I was unable to get a good photograph. Despite this, I think I covered about ninety percent of the exhibits that came out in a decent picture.

The show theme this year was "60 Years of Diamonds, Gems, Silver and Gold." Unlike last year when almost all the cases were dedicated to the Fluorite theme, this year featured many non-themed related cases. My assumption on this is that rough diamonds are very difficult to come by, and there is also a limit to the amount of natural gold and silver that collectors are willing to display for public exhibition.

There is no chronological order to the pictures below. I am listing the order of the displays in the same order that I photographed them in. I am keeping each post to a maximum of 15 pictures, in order to let each page load properly.

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

The Hubert C. de Monmonier Collection of Precious Metals,
University of Arizona Mineral Museum

Minerals from Panasqueira, Portugal, Produced in 2013.
Case organized by Luis Miguel Fernandez Burrilos

"All American Rocks" - Rocks in the Shape of the United States.
Organized by Liz & Lou Porter

"All American Rocks" Exhibit Zoomed Out.
This Showcase Contains at Least One Specimen from each of the 50 States

Gold, Silver, and "Herkimer Diamond" Exhibit from Various Exhibitors.

"Hallelujah" Quartz - A uniquely sceptered Quartz from the Royal Scepter Mine,
Washoe Co., Nevada

"Quartz as Diamond" Exhibit, from Si and Ann Frazier.
These Varieties of Quartz are Nicknamed as Diamonds due to their Luster or Habits.

Interesting Pseudomorphs, from the Cincinnati Museum Center.
Specimens on Loan from the Terrry E. Huizing Collection.

Gem Minerals from California
Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society

"Elvis and Friends" - Minerals from the Michigan Copper Country
William Severance Collection

Various Minerals from the Geology Museum,
University of New Mexico, Alberquerque

"Plata Mexicana" - Mexican Silver and Silver-Bearing Minerals
Peter Megaw Collection

Native Silver from Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsular Native Copper District
From the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum (Michigan Tech University)

Native Silver and Silver-Bearing Minerals
R. Scott Werschky Collection

Native Silver from Colorado, Organized from Various Collections.