2008 TUCSON SHOW REPORT

We finally arrived in Tucson last night and after procuring our rental car we were off to our rented Condo at the foothills of Pusch Ridge. Now let me offer a little advice. When renting a condo in a large complex you would do very well to arrive during the day. Diana and I drove around the complex for a good ten minutes before finding our unit and assigned parking place. I'm surprised the police were not called on the "suspicious couple" doing laps in the complex. We start our show adventure today and will be posting later on.

STAY TUNED.

I woke up this morning with a wonderful cold and as a consolation prize I gave it to Diana. This is not going to be a good day .

Here we go!

On the way to the Inn Suites we stopped by the little show adjacent to the E.I.

and found some great Cyanotrichite with Brochantite and a small hoard of Wupatkiite that Malcolm Alter of Amalcolmated Minerals had. They are without matrix and consist of blue tufts and needles.

That's Malcolm below admiring the specimens in his cabinet.

Below is a picture looking through the window at Sunnywoods large cabinet Fluorite's

You just don't see these as much anymore and the price reflects that.

The one below was marked p.o.r (price on request). It is a matrix piece with Quartz needles cherry red rhombs of Rhodochrocite with various sulfides.

The piece below was just as nice and it wanted 32,000.00 Both are "museum size" plates.

We walked into John Cornish's room and we were met by what had to be the largest and most varied, in habit and color, of Bunker hill pyro,s that we have ever seen. Prices started at 100.00 and worked there way up to ............. well, more than we can afford. I love spending time with John, whether hearing his collecting stories or just giving each other a hard time. Great guy. Great rocks!

More tomorrow! I have got to get some rest to get over this darn cold.

Well, I feel a little better today so we are off to the Inn Suites to continue our trek.

The Collectors edge had their usual assortment of heart stopping minerals.

This fine crystallized Gold on a Quartz matrix was simply beautiful. I have to apologize for the "fuzziness" of some of the pics. Diana and I purchased a smaller camera to carry at the shows and we are still working out the bugs. Our Sony was just a little too big for Diana too carry around the show.

I am usually not one for "sliced minerals" but this was really a nice miniature of Rhodochrocite.

Outstanding cluster of Rhodonite.

Lustrous blocky Wulfenite crystals on a very large Tab of Wulfenite. AWESOME!

And of course what trip too the Collectors edge would be complete without the crown jewel of the Bryon Lees organization a cherry red rhomb of Rhodochrocite.

Moving on we ran into the guys at Crystal Circle, Pete and Jack Heckscher and Petes wife Wendy, who took over the business of Hawthorndon and are regulars of the Kansas city show we also attend. Pete showed us around and pointed out the flats of very reasonable priced minerals stacked in the room.

This wonderful pink and blue Tourmaline caught my eye it was about 7 cm tall and undamaged. OUTSTANDING SPECIMEN!

This golden etched crystal of Heliodor is very bright.

Large pink tipped Tourmaline.

Double ender!

Flat after flat of reasonably priced Minerals.

Here is Pete one third of the Crystal circle clan.

Our next stop proved to be our most fruitful as far as buying outstanding quality Minerals.

Our fellow auction friend at John Veevearts Mineral-Auctions, Rick Kennedy at Earths Treasures (Earthstreas.com)

Look at that Wulfenite!

A very nice Dioptase and Calcite.

Topaz, Smithsonite,Yellow Spodumene, Rhodochrocite Azurite and Malachite, Benitoite, Gold. Wow ! A case full of top shelf keepers.

Now, let me tell you how nice Rick Kennedy is. While we were in his room, some customers came in who had bought a specimen off him earlier and offered to give him back the fee he had to incur from paypal. I have never heard of such a thing. His kindness is only surpassed by his enthusiasm of minerals.

Great guy.