Every year there is focus or theme for the main show.  This year the theme is on gold.  And, as usual, the best place to find crystallized gold is with Wayne and Dona Leicht better known as Krystalle.  I found a large array of crystallized Eagle's Nest specimens that were quite reasonable ranging in sizes from thumbnails to miniatures.

This is a large TN specimen of crystallized gold with small crystals of galena.  
Wayne told me that this is a very rare association at the Eagle's Nest Mine.

This is a miniature specimen of crystallized gold on quartz.  The habit is dendritic.

Dr. Guangua Liu who, operates AAA Minerals, had a nice array of mimetite from the Pingtouling Mine, Guangdong, China. Mimetite from this mine was first seen last year here at Tucson.  Supplies of specimens dwindles until just recently as several  new small pockets were found.  Dr. Liu has tested all of these to confirm their identification as mimetite.  Prices for these are quite reasonable compared to those seen last year.  Several other dealers, including Crystar Minerals who had large floater crystals, had fine specimens from the recent finds.

This is a large lustrous single crystal of mimetite about 2.5 cm across. Note the skeletal habit on the back side of the crystal.



This is the more common drusy specimen with gemmy and lustrous crystals to 0.6 cm in length. Simple prisms with pinacoid terminations..

At the Executive Inn Argentina dealer Jorge Descal, known for bringing the hematite pseudomorphs of magnetite and fluorite on drusy quartz, had a new find of andradite from La Valenciana, Mendoza, Argentine.  These look very similar to the material found in Graham County, Arizona.  I selected, the most lustrous specimens he had available and left those with duller luster behind.  These represent one of the new finds here at the show.

This is a miniature sized specimen with lustrous and transparent crystals to 1 cm across.  The habit is dodecahedral.

You never know what to expect in Tucson.  Here are the two known Internet mineral
dealers from Florida - Isaias Casanova and Rick Green (taller guy).  
Both are knowledgeable and respected dealers in this business.
 

Also at the Executive Inn was Brazilian dealer Luiz Menezes.  Luiz is always a source of new and interesting material. This year he had some striking specimens of crystallized rutile from Diamantina, Minas Gerais and some great specimens of crystallized monazite with classic twinning from Buenopolis, Minas Gerais.  The rutile specimens - all reticulated twins) were all loose singles except for 2 or 3 with small amounts of attached quartz matrix.  The monazite specimens were all floaters of thumbnail size. Both of these are new finds here at Tucson. Yeah for new finds!!!

This is a TN specimen of the reticulated rutile.



These are two of the TN sized monazite twins. Note the classic twinning.

Last year French dealer Laurent Thomas, who specializes in minerals from Madagascar, shook the mineral world up with his stunning specimens of what was later described as a new mineral species called pezzottaite.  The correct pronunciation for this mineral is: pet-zo-tite.  This year at Tucson Laurent has a couple hundred specimen of the mineral available with both single and matrix specimens.  The vast majority of specimens are single loose crystals.  This is largely the same material that he had in Munich as there has been no new production of this mineral and the prospects for future production is now confirmed to be quite low to non-existent.   The prices for this new species are not low and they never will be due to the scarcity and uniqueness of the find. It is also suitable as a cut stone or as cabachons.  I made a small selection of a half dozen or so matrix specimens and looked elsewhere in his room where I found some three choice Amethyst scepters of Japan Law twins from Andilamena, Toamasina.   These are really quite appealing - even for people who, like myself admittedly, are not drawn to quartz.

This is a miniature specimen with several crystals of pezzottaite to 0.6 cm across.


 
This is one of the three miniature specimen of Japan Law twin with Amethyst Scepters I selected from Laurent.

Dal' Negorsk in Russia continues to be a source of new and interesting material.  This year there are some new specimens of fluorite and some really good specimens of pyrrhotite from there.  KARP and Heliodor have the best selection of specimens of fluorite from there and Heliodor has some very nice specimens of pyrrhotite available.

This is a small cabinet specimen of quartz with brilliantly lustrous crystals of pyrrhotite.


 
This is TN fluorite specimen. Cubic with dodecahedral modifications.

Danny Trinchillo, who operates out of a converted house adjacent to the Inn Suites Hotel, picked up some of the best torbernites from Margabal, Entraygue, Aveyron, France I have seen in a very long while!!!  These are the remains of the collection of Gilles Emringer who hoarded the best of the lot that came out in the early 1990's.   Sizes Danny has range from thumbnail to small cabinet.  I decided to break my vow to swear off of radioactive minerals made at the Munich Show last year and then proceeded to make a selection from the group of the best miniatures that were there.  These are really good for torbernite!!

These are two of the four specimens of torbernite that I selected from Danny. Both are small miniatures in size.

   
Here are two shots at the Inn Suites.  The photo on the left is the watering hole (bar).  Many great mineral deals are made there after the 4th or 5th round...
The photo on the right is a general shot of the grounds. Dealer rooms are on the bottom floor.

Here are two parting shots taken from the parking lot at the Inn Suites... There's no place like Tucson in the winter time...

More to come from the 2004 Tucson Show in the next report.