Tourmaline on smoky quartz, from Paprok, Afghanistan. No repairs!
During the first week of February, I attended the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, the annual phenomenon that brings miners, mineral dealers, fossil dealers, jewelers, gem experts, collectors, and all sorts of other folks to Tucson for the largest such event on the planet.
I was fortunate to meet with old friends, make new friends, reconnect with mineral dealers, see some amazing mineral specimens and fine jewelry, attend some excellent talks at the Tucson Fine Mineral Gallery, and enjoy some outstanding Mexican food. The venues continue to evolve in Tucson, but there is truly nothing like the large number of exceptionally fine mineral specimens at multiple venues, the huge volume of comparatively lower-value material at numerous locations, and the presence of a truly international community of people who share the common gene that fosters a love of minerals.
It was truly a joy to talk with people who actually mine for mineral specimens, and learn more about geology, gemstones, and mineral occurrences. But perhaps the best of all was the chance to enjoy some amazing eye candy.
Without much in the way of elaboration, here are some visual highlights of some of the incredible mineral specimens that, surely, are representative of nature's finest handiwork.
Amethyst with calcite, from BrazilTourmaline with quartz & albite, from Paprok Nuristan, AfghanistanAquamarine on mica, from AfghanistanEtched watermelon tourmaline crystal, AfghanistanLovely animal carving on agateSmithsonite (stabilized), from Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico, Ex Jim & Gail Spann CollectionMalachite, from the Star of Congo Mine, Katanga, Democratic Republic of CongoKen Rock (left) and Mike Wise (right) at the Smithsonian's pegmatite display case at the Tucson Convention CenterPart of the 2024 Smithsonian display casePart of the 2024 Smithsonian display caseChalcedony, new find from MalawiPolished fluorescent sodalite (Yooperlite) from the Kola Peninsula, RussiaFluorite and scheelite, The Jewel of China, "Made for Each Other," from Sichuan Province, ChinaAmethyst, from the Brandberg District, Goboboseb Mountains, NamibiaAquamarine from the King of Kashmir Pocket, Shigar Valley, PakistanThis vendor was selling sandstone accretions from France like the large one in the same room as the Hope Diamond at the NMNHFluorite, from the Xiefang Mine, Jiangxi Province, ChinaRadioactive water anyone?Manganocalcite, from the Shizhuyuan Mine, Hunan Province, ChinaLiddicoatite tourmaline, an unusual vertical slice through a crystal, from MadagascarWulfenite, from the Los Lamentos Mountains, Mun. de Ahumada, Chihuahua, Mexico"Lollipop" tourmaline, from Sao Jose da Safira, Minas Gerais, BrazilAquamarine on quartz & albite, from Skardu District, PakistanMushroom tourmaline, from MyanmarAzurite, from the Mule Mountains, Bisbee, ArizonaAmazonite and smoky quartz, from ColoradoAmazonite sinkRock garden material anyone?Showcase by Collectors Edge at the Tucson Fine Mineral GalleryQuartz, aquamarine, and spessartine garnets, from Shigar District, Gilgit-Baltistan, PakistanTourmaline var rubellite on quartz. Legend Pocket, Cruzeiro Mine, Minas Gerais, BrazilGene Meieran (left) and Ken Rock (right) with amethyst geode (center)Thomas Hale, Executive Director of Minerals in Context and Dr. Alex Speer, former Executive Director of the Mineralogical Society of America and currently Vice President and board member of Minerals in Context at the Tucson Convention CenterTugtupite, from Taseq Slope, GreenlandEnjoying some evening entertainment with a Pink Floyd knockoff bandThe open pit in Bisbee, Arizona during a break from looking at mineralsSelenite rabbit, from Colorado, USAAmethyst on carved animal, from BrazilRed chili with a chili relleno on the side
