KOFA National Wildlife Refuge - February 2010 - photo by John Veevaert
John Veevaert    PO BOX 2182   Weaverville, California  96093  USA  (888) 689-8402



 

Return to the 2011 Tucson Show Homepage  

Show Reports
Report 1    Report 2    Report 3    Report 4    Report 5

 

 
 
 

Tucson 2011 Report 4

T he Main Show is now underway here in Tucson.  It is simply incredible what is here if you dig deep enough and here is something that simply I had no idea even existed until I saw it.   Jay Medici showed several people this 1,070 carat flawless faceted calcite from Bolivia.  Before you pass this off as something of insignificance remember that calcite has perfect cleavage.  The slightest miscue and you have to start over.  This thing would make an equal sized diamond look like paste in terms of the birefringence (play of colors).  Jay is a facetor par excellence!!!


That is my thumb in the lower left of this photo of this 1,070 carat flawless calcite!
 
 
Here's the Tucson Convention Center the day before it is to be filled with people and minerals.
The video is as boring as it looks!

The mains show at Tucson is what everyone looks forward to. This year the theme is "Minerals from California".  Of course benitoite comes from California and I thought seriously about showing some of my collection here but decided that travelling with it after the show through the desert was probably not a good idea.  Not to worry! There are ample examples of this, my favorite mineral to be seen here this year at Tucson.

 


This case looks so ... EMPTY.  It will be filled with treasures in less than 6 hours from this moment!


The definition of organized chaos. This is the Collector's Edge booth during set up day. 
 

More chaos at Scott Werschky, Gloria Staebler and Dave Bunk's booth.  All those boxes will have minerals to be ooed and awed over.
 

Rocks & Minerals Editor Marie Huizing attempting to admonish me about being too close to the
special display cases that were being set up at that moment.  I am a little slow on the uptake Marie!
 

That is me with Joan Kureczka (an exhibitor and wife of Jesse Fisher) when I should not have been there... Arrest me already...
Wait till you see Jesse & Joan's case of minerals!!! Oh gosh!!

Prior to the Tucson Show I had heard from a good friend, Paul Melville, about a new find of pyromorphite on malachite from the Brown's prospect, Rum Jungle, Northern Territory, Australia.  In terms of something that is new in Tucson this material is probably among the top three new things here.  There are several tones of malachite with bright yellowish green pyromorphite crystals and the eye appeal is way up there! The most common shade for the malachite is dark green, the turquoise and rich pine green colors of malachite are by a couple orders of magnitude the rarest. The average size is about 5-6 cm across but there are some larger cabinet pieces up to 20 cm across. Specimens over 8 cm across were numbered in the few dozens. Dave Rosewall and Paul had these in the Minerals Of Arizona booth at the main show and as soon as they started to put them out people congregated to get a better look.  The two tones of green are mesmerizing.  I am just pleased as can be that Trica, Paul and Dave gave me an opportunity to gather some of these ahead of time to offer you. I was not bashful about getting as many of these in pristine condition as I could. This is likely a one time find as Dave, geologist at the prospect, told me that the company is close to ready to start a large open pit copper mine and when that happens this small oxidation zone deposit will be cast aside and destroyed to go after the "ore".   Get 'um while you can!

One last word here is that the company Dave works for paid to get him and the specimens here.  The company he works for has also decided to donate the proceeds of what he sells here to the local fire department rescue team there in the Rum Jungle area. Not all large mining companies are devoid of common sense and working to preserve the world's mineralogcal heritage!


An over view of the case of new pyromorphite from Australia.
 

One of the specimens that I was lucky to get from this new find!!! A 4.5 cm specimen of malachite and pyromorphite.
 

A not for sale 4.5 cm pseudomorph of pyromorphite after cerussite.  Are your kidding me????
 
 

Australians Paul Melville (left) and Dave Rosewall with the case of pyromorphite and malachite specimens.

The opening of the main show here in Tucson is a highly anticipated event.   Someone always has some surprises that no one expects and just take a look at these two rhodochrosite specimens from China on display from Collector's Edge.  Each is well over a foot across!  These things are just simply MIND BLOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The Empress of China (Steve Behling in the background).

 


The Emporer of China.  That is Graham Sutton in the background.

 

A large crystallized specimen of gold from the  Belshazzer Mine, Boise Co., Idaho that Scott Werschky has.
When have you ever seen a GREAT gold from Idaho???
 
 
Ok, for a little humor I was at the Inn Suites (Hotel Tucson) and saw this ladder set up. This is the same type of ladder that slipped out when I was on it resulting in a broken jaw, ribs, etc.  I could not resist the temptation to put a foot on something like this again and fortunately, Jesse Fisher was standing nearby and snapped this photo.  This is probably the last time you will ever see my feet this close to a ladder again.
 

The newest source of all my nightmares.... an extension ladder....
 
My last report will cover the incredible show cases that are here and also a final thought or two on what is/was happening here in Tucson in 2011.
 


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)
Munich Show  

 

 
Join the mailing list for Trinity Mineral Co. and MineralShows .Com

Subscribe | Unsubscribe


All text, specimen images, graphics & site desgin copyright 1998-2014 - John Veevaert  - trinityminerals.com