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Show Reports
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February 9-12
Most of the past few days were spent in taking photos and answering a rather large volume of email.  It has been a hectic several days!

I did manage to get out a little and visit a new venue that has opened up in the past year and the main Tucson Show setup happened on the 12th! First the new facility of Fine Minerals.

Fine Minerals, operated by Danny Trinchillo of DeTrin Minerals, purchased an old home adjacent to the Inn Suites Hotel. This home has been thoroughly converted to a mineral gallery and trimming and cleaning facility. The back yard area has been converted into a whole sale tent where essentially raw Brazilian and Chinese material can obtained. While visiting the place I found Jeff Scovil who was working in one of the rooms.  In years past Jeff has worked out of a motel near the Executive Inn. The following photos are of this facility.


This is the front of the new facility and the side with the advertising banner displayed.
 


This is the back yard that is now a wholesale lot.  All that stuff on the tables is mostly Chinese fluorite.
This material is generally kind of banged up or of poor color.  If you look hard enough you can find good pieces though.



The high end gallery is near the front door.  There are two cases filled with some magnificent specimens!



 


Here are just two of the couple dozen.  The large tourmaline on the left is about 20 cm in height.  The Pederneira specimen on the right, even though
repaired, which is typical of 99.9% of all such pieces, is nothing short of unbelievable!  It is about 35 -40 cm across!!

Moving through the building you see yet more show cases!  More tourmalines from Brazil predominantly.



I found this one specimen from Pederneira that was too cool to pass up taking a picture of.  It is called
the "Mexican Hat" tourmaline. It is a 15 cm crystal of tourmaline with a quartz crystal at the top.



Another of the "typical" specimens found throughout the show room.




February 12th was set up day at the Main Show at the Convention Center.  This is the grand finale for Tucson and there is always a lot of excitement as most dealers have a few surprises in store and then there are the displays of sensational minerals!

I took several pictures of folks as they were working on their booths.  I said it last year and I will say it again.  This is A LOT of work!  These folks do a tremendous job of putting their displays together and it shows!
 


Here's a shot of Dave Bunk's set up on the left.  Dave is the fellow in the back higher than anyone else in the photo.... Literally not figuratively!
The photo on the right is of Cal Graeber and Leonard Himes deciding which rock looks best next to which rock
 
 


On the left Dudley Blauwet is sorting through the minerals.  Note the Windex is as critical to a display as are the lights!
There are hundreds of gallons of this stuff all over the hall! Wayne and Dona Leicht are putting the final touches on their display.
Very attractive one this year filled with the same great specimens as always!
 
 

 
 Wayne Thompson organizing his display shared with Pala International.
 


While perusing the various dealers setting up I came across Rob Lavinksy's hoard of the new Chinese Mimetite.  A number of dealers
had these at the various venues but I think Rob's were among the finest in Tucson though a bit pricey. The two large pieces are both cabinet sized pieces.
 
 


Here's what happens when two people (Kiyoshi & myself) have too much spare time on their hands.... What a couple of dingleberrys!
Note - the woman behind Kiyoshi is Adrian Pagano.


Here's Gene Schlepp putting final touches on his and Jackie's display.  These folks
are always just about first when it comes to getting the job done.
 


At Collector's Edge booth there is a photo of the rock that I someday hope to own.  It is an INCREDIBLE specimen of
benitoite, neptunite and joaquinite.  It is actually rather small being about 3 cm across but we are talking nirvana for a
benitoite junkie such as myself.  This specimen has been referred to as the benitoite "sushi" specimen.
 
 


Here's Sandor Fuss (on the right) of Collector's Edge in a discussion with someone I don't know.  He was setting up a display of very fine Chinese minerals.
 


Here's what happens when you work too much.   The photo on the left is of Scott Werschky of Miner's Lunchbox Minerals.  I asked him
 to strike a pose and hold it which he did.   Alan Day, his partner and the serious one, is seen in the photo on the right.  Gotchya Scott!
 
 


At Hawthorneden's I saw specimens from the new find of herderite from the Corrego Frio mine in Linopolis, Brazil.  Frank and Wendy also
 had some specimens that had been tucked away in their basement from Beth Gordon for over 20 years of pyromorphite and wulfenite
from the San Francisco Mine mine.  I bought the two lots in their entirety.  A couple of the herderites appeared in the latest issue of the
Mineralogical Record.  These specimens will be posted after my return to Weaverville in a few weeks.

Lots more to come!

Past Shows & Reports
PLEASE NOTE: The minerals that were offered on these pages are all sold
1999
Munich Show
2000
Sainte Marie Show
Munich Show
2001
Sainte Marie Show
Munich Show
2002
Tucson Show
Sainte Marie Show
Denver Show
Munich Show
2003
Tucson Show
Sainte Marie Show
East Coast Show
Denver Show
Munich Show
2004
Tucson Show
West Coast Show
East Coast Show
Denver Show
Munich Show
2005
Tucson Show
West Coast Show
East Coast Show
Denver Show
Munich Show
2006
Tucson Show
Bologna Show
Sainte Marie Show
East Coast Show
Munich Show
2007
Tucson Show
Dallas Show
East Coast Show
Denver Show
Munich Show
2008
Tucson Show
West Coast Show
East Coast Show
Denver Show
Munich Show
2009
Tucson Show
West Coast Show
East Coast Show
Denver Show
Munich Show

2010
Tucson Show
San Francisco Show
East Coast Show
Denver Show

Munich Show

2011
Tucson Show
San Francisco Show
East Coast Show
Denver Show
Munich Show

2012
Tucson Show
West Coast Show
East Coast Show
Denver Show  
Munich Show

2013
Tucson Show
Sainte Marie Show
Crystal Days (Poland)
East Coast Show
Munich Show

2014
Tucson Show
Denver Show 

Munich Show

2015
Tucson Show
East Coast Show
Denver Show 
Munich Show

2016
Tucson Show
East Coast Show
Denver Show 
Munich Show

2017
Tucson Show
Munich Show

2018
Tucson Show

 
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