The Franklin-Sterling Gem & Mineral Show, usually known just as the "Franklin Show" happens twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. I wrote a report on the spring show, and now here is one on all the fall show. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, with bright blue skies contrasting with the early autumn foliage. Despite the beautiful weather, there were surprisingly less people at the show then during previous shows. Although this show is a relatively small show, there are good dealers that come here and it is a really friendly atmosphere. The Franklin Museum setup some public display booths in the hallway going down to the fluorescent room, and there were some outstanding pieces of Willemite in there.
Below are some pictures of the event. (Most of these can be clicked upon for larger versions.)
Minerals.net Flyers at the Show Entrance Tables
Booth of Ron & Emilie Kendig (Nature's Window).
They often have a good selection of local material at very reasonable prices.
Outdoor booth of Ron Schultz of the North Jersey Mineralogical Society.
Note the early foliage and Hamburg Mountains in the Distance.
Alfredo Petrov setup outside with a nice variety of worldwide minerals.
I purchased a rare copper set from Bridgewater, N.J. from Alfredo.
Activity at the Outdoor Booths
Alan Benson showing the magnificent Calcite from Prospect Park I purchased from him.
Alan Displayed this at the 2013 NY/NJ Show Public Exhibit. I believe it was collected by Hobart Jones.
Public Display Exhibit of Willemite, From the Steve Kuitems Collection
A Fantastic, Gemmy, Pink and Green Willemite
"Willemite Delights" - from the collection of Mark Boyer
Minerals of the "Members Only Special Auction/Sale" at the Franklin Mineral Musuem.
Will be Conducted at the Franklin Mineral Museum.
Amazing Fluorescent Display From the Sterling Hill Mining Museum
More Fluorescent Displays
Fluorescent Green Willemite
Incredible Hanging Fluorescent Minerals Inside Long Rectangular Case
Van King Explaining his Micro-photograph Setup to a Specator
We have blasted our latest edition of the Minerals.net online newsletter. The article on "Mineral Labels" is listed in the previous news post.
Most mineral specimens come with labels identifying them and their locality. They often have the original dealer or collector’s name on them as well. It is very important to keep all labels that come with a mineral, as one day they will likely be a historical addendum to the mineral itself. Occasionally you may encounter a classic mineral with several labels from different dealers and collectors that it had passed through. All of these labels add to the intrigue, authenticity, and value of the mineral. Even the price label on a mineral should be retained, so that the purchased value will have historical significance one day. It is always amusing seeing the low cost of an old mineral when it was originally for sale as compared to today.
If a mineral lacks locality information, this will have a very serious negative impact on its value. When you purchase mineral specimens that are not labeled, make sure to ask the dealer to write you a label with the mineral name, locality, and the dealer name on it. This should always be kept in proximity to the mineral as a necessary accessory. The more information you can place on a label, the better. For example, useful fields include year collected, date purchased, collected by, original collection of, and so on. Often this information is not available, but if it is, it should definitely be documented. It is also good practice to write your own labels in addition to any existing labels you may have, so that future collectors will historically attribute the mineral to you. Many classic mineral specimens retain a higher value price when accompanied by an old label, especially when they are from a well-known collection.
We added a gemstone detail page on Coral to the website, with comprehensive information and several photos.
We have added several more amphibole minerals, and have completed the amphiboles until we get to more on the next cycle. We have added comprehensive details and images for the following minerals:
