The Tucson Tour, 2003

This years show, as usual, was the mineral specimen event of the year.  Most of the usual dealers showed and many had new material from their respective countries.  Some of the new materials generated interest, but, I did not witness any of the typical "feeding frenzies" that often occur when this happens.  Quantities of new material were better than in past years.  The dealers had to be competitive to sell specimens this year.  As a result, my impression was that the atmosphere was one of a buyers market.  Good deals could be had if you were willing to buy in quantity and do some serious haggling.

As a practice my Father and me only attend the wholesale show on the first weekend of February.  My involvement is only for a long weekend so I make the rounds quite quickly.  I was very happy with the materials we found and the purchases made.

Go directly to the New Specimens for Sale.

Amazing pieces such as this amethyst crystal cluster are common at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.       Here I am with a killer amethyst cluster.   The hotel staff would not allow me to take this one home. 

 What a nice mineral specimen this huge quartz point would make.       In this shot my Father poses with a nice quartz point offered by one of the dealers.

Where are the customers? The Tucson Gem and mineral show was not very busy.       The first weekend of the show seemed a bit slow according to most of the dealers we spoke with.  They did however seem happy with the sales they were making.

My tiny home away from home.

Camping is one of the ways we try to keep our (in turn your) cost down. That way we can purchase more minerals for your consideration... such as these superb Chinese specimens.

A great combination of rare and common minerals: quartz, inestite and hubeite.   Inestite, hubeite and quartz on quartz.

                                                     Chinese pyromorphites are most common in greens but yellows are sometimes found as well.    Pyromorphite crystals over and inch in size.

Unusual purple phantoms and other oddities such as galenobismuthenite in this piece of unusual fluorite.   Fluorite with convex faces and tetrahedrite inclusions.            

                                                                      Octahedral green fluorite crystals with cubic overgrowth.    Large cabinet sized fluorite on quartz.

 

HOME