The last day for me was one of saying "good-bye and see you soon somewhere else in the world" to many people that were here.  It is kind of cool seeing the same faces pop up in Tucson, Denver, Springfield, Munich, here and elsewhere.   Mineral people form a nice community regardless of their nationality.  The setting here at Sainte-Marie easily provides one of the finest experiences one can have with friends who enjoy minerals.  If you have never been make sure it is on your list of places to go before you leave this world and head to the next mineral happy hunting grounds. 

Business was brisk here the last day with many people trying to get that last bargain or sleeper before heading back home.  The crowds were robust and energetic despite another day of warmth and humidity. 

I wandered into the Theater to see a few folks and saw that the Madagascar red beryls, first seen at Tucson, of Lino Caserini were still in his case.   He had some fine specimens with the beryls on matrix available but they were pricey for small crystals.  I did not obtain any of these.  I also visited with Laurent Thomas who had these specimens first at Tucson.  He offered me some specimens of single crystals that I did purchase and he also informed me that the mineral is most likely going to be described as a new species with the tentative name of either Madagascarite or Pezzottaite.  The story of these is quite intriguing and shows how the Internet is affecting the supply and distribution of minerals as the Madagascar government forbid the export of these while the Tucson Show was underway and after they had seen what the prices were that were being asked.  Other miners who had been working the deposit and salted them away also brought them out to dealers there in Madagascar when the word spread that these were worth a lot creating a temporary surge in the supply.  Subsequently, the government has relaxed the restriction on export but is working diligently to regulate it. All of this creates an uncertainty about the true existing and future supply of these. Laurent passed along a lot more of what he had learned about the geology of this deposit and there appears to be potential, given a more refined approach to mining, for a larger production from this deposit.  Look for more news about these beryls on my website as time progresses.

Reflections on the show

Best new finds here:  The Malawi barylite specimens are, in my opinion, the most significant mineral here in terms of importance to mineralogy.  A few of these actually showed up in Tucson according to Jeff Scovil but the source was the same - Paul Botha of South Africa.  Paul handed the rest of his remaining inventory of 10 specimens to me at the end of the show which will allow me to offer a wider selection when I get home.   KARP had some really great specimens of fluorite from Dal'Negorsk with the prominent dodechedral habit and the Gobin's had some really fine specimens of cobaltoan calcite and cerussite from Moroccan localities.

Worst moment: While waiting to get Euros out of the ATM the serious weather hit - heavy rain, strong winds, lightning etc.  I had my ATM card in the machine and was waiting for it to spit the cash, card and receipt out when a bolt struck and caused a temporary power outage.  My ATM card was still in the machine so I was faced with the choice of running for cover or waiting for the card to surface and get soaked.  End result was one very drenched mineral dealer after a 10-15 minute wait.  I looked a bit ridiculous standing there in the driving downpour with my hands in my pockets I suspect. 

Best moment:  realizing I was back here in the Voges and that there were great minerals waiting to be seen. 

General perceptions:  There were a lot of people here this year - the most Americans I have ever seen! In 1999 I counted 6 and perhaps 10 -15 collectors.  This year there were well over 30 US dealers and an equal number of collectors.  This is great for the show but it does mean you have to hustle when you get here.   Parking was not as easy and it also cost people unlike years in the past.  This, I think, will continue to pose a problem as the show grows.  The day may come when a new venue may be needed to accommodate the growing numbers as this is a narrow valley town with limited space.  Last, the prices for specimens is continuing to "shock and awe" people.  I had to really dig deep to find good value in minerals here and that was not the case just as recently as last year. Of course the exchange rate is not in the favor of people holding US Dollars but despite that, just about everyone I spoke with commented on the pricing levels seen here being Tucson-like and not reflective of years past here. I suspect that there is going to be a period of time - a few years maybe - where the dynamics of the market are shuffled and reorganized so that the current spiraling up of prices at shows slows or even retreats a little bit.  In the meantime it is important to look for good value when seeking to add specimens to your collection.

For new specimens Morocco continues to crank out interesting minerals.  The cobaltoan calcites are just super this year as were the cerussites that Gobin's had.  Clavel had the new find of linarite also which could be significant in the years to come.  Fluorite also was available in good quantity and quality.  Especially bluish-green specimens!  Of course vanadinite specimens were available in good quantities though the specimens with exceptional quality are still not at all abundant.

So, for another year the show has come and gone and despite the exchange rate, the oppressive heat and humidity it was great to be back here again.   You can bet that I will be here when the first week of summer begins in 2004!
 

I began my return back to Frankfurt on June 30 and took the A-5 Autobahn from Strasbourg to Frankfurt.  If you have never been on a legalized race track before click AUTOBAHN and see how many cars pass me as I am driving 155 kph (95 miles per hour) !  White nuckles baby!

I will start to post the specimens from this show after July 7.  See you then and see you here next year at the Sainte-Marie aux Mines show in 2004!

Cheers from the Voges!

John