Within the Bancroft Area, the Tory Hill vein-dikes have produced superb specimens of many minerals, including titanite, fluorapatite, fluoro-richterite and ferri-fluoro-katophotrite. Many now grace museums and private collections around the world. This article is an introduction to these exceptional occurrences and the adventures of collecting there.

Frank and Wendy Melanson are long-time members of the mineral communtiy. They were Canada’s prolific dealers in international minerals, under the dealership name Hawthorneden, for over 40 years – travelling the globe for minerals, and setting up at shows across North America and abroad. From extensive in-country travels, Frank brought back superb specimens that their business placed into museums and collections worldwide.

I’ve posted great new specimens in this Brazil Update, including beautiful ludlamite, aquamarine, tourmaline, fluorapatite and more.

I’ve posted excellent specimens from the John S. White Pennsylvania collection. These include some of the best Smoky Mountain smoky quartz specimens known, along with great specimens of classic Pennsylvania minerals and rarities – pyromorphite, celestine, andradite, magnetite, rutile, calcite, stellerite, ruizite, and more.

I’ve posted new worldwide mineral specimens from the Gerald Panneton collection. This update features spectacular pieces, some of which are right up with the best I’ve offered on the website.

I have added excellent new specimens in this Brazil Update, including brazilianite, fluorapatite, elbaite, aquamarine, hematite, rutile, spessartine and beautiful fuchsite crystals, along with quartz and calcite.

I’ve posted excellent new specimens from the John S. White quartz collection, representing many different phenomena of quartz crystallization, also from a great diversity of localities and mineral environments.

I’ve added an update with great new specimens from the Steve Szilard Collection. These are beautiful specimens from Quebec and Eastern Canada. This is the first of many more Canadian minerals that will grace the website this year.

I’ve posted some beautiful specimens in the new Brazil Update. These include gorgeous spessartine crystals (one from a rare locality), dravite crystals, blue topaz, rutile and hematite roses, among others.

I’ve posted the second in a series of updates with superb specimens from John White’s collection.

The Rochester Mineralogical Symposium is one of the best mineral events of the year. Here’s my report from RMS 2019, with lots of great mineral photos.

The Tucson Gem and Mineral show was great this year! This report includes photos of mineral specimens from many new finds.