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Posted by: Raymond McDougall on 08.18.2017 | Filed under: Latest, Recent Mineral Updates

I’ve added a small number of excellent hematite specimens in this France Hematite Update. I’ve had a few of these in the past, and have managed to obtain a few more. These hematites were excavated from a deposit in the hills just above the town of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines.

Posted by: Raymond McDougall on 07.26.2017 | Filed under: Latest, Mineral Shows

In the heart of France’s Vosges Mountains, each June, Mineral World assembles at Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, for what is always a great mineral show. This post gives a glimpse of some of this year’s finds, including gorgeous red zircon crystals, bi-coloured spodumene, clinochlore crystals and some classic French hematites from just outside of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines.

Posted by: Raymond McDougall on 06.13.2017 | Filed under: Latest, Mineral Shows

The Rochester Mineralogical Symposium is one of the best annual events in Mineral World. This post about RMS 2017 includes lots of great mineral photographs, with many from prominent mineral photographers Jeff Scovil and Michael Bainbridge. And hopefully, if you missed this year’s RMS, this will help you catch up – and plan for next year…

Posted by: Raymond McDougall on 09.27.2016 | Filed under: Latest, Recent Mineral Updates

The new Brazil Update on the website features a mix of excellent specimens from Brazil, including spessartine, rutile, struverite-ilmenorutile, alexandrite, montebrasite, brazilianite, kunzite and more.

Posted by: Raymond McDougall on 07.11.2015 | Filed under: Latest, Recent Mineral Updates

In this France Update, I am including the first of the specimens from the 2015 Ste. Marie Show. Despite the host country, the show is truly not full of French mineral specimens, given their relative scarcity, and the ones that are there are highly prized. Nonetheless, I was able to acquire a few excellent French pieces.

Posted by: Raymond McDougall on 07.08.2015 | Filed under: Latest, Mineral Shows

The annual mineral show at Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines is so different from all others. Sure, we all love the large exciting mineral-filled halls and general mineral mayhem of the large shows, and the hotel shows in Tucson and Denver. But Ste Marie’s character and charm, from the theatre and the tent-lined streets within the show, to the town and the countryside beyond, make this an experience not to be missed.

Posted by: Raymond McDougall on 11.27.2014 | Filed under: Latest, Recent Mineral Updates

This South-Africa – Kenya Update includes a small number of excellent specimens. From South Africa, there are beautiful complex hematite crystals from the N’Chwaning II Mine. And from Kenya, there is a small group of the superb epidotes from Pakot, North Eastern Province, from the 2002 find.

Posted by: Raymond McDougall on 10.14.2014 | Filed under: Latest, Recent Mineral Updates

This Brazil Update features a few selected excellent pieces from Brazil, from the unusual to the amazing. The update includes two remarkable brazilianite specimens from the closed Telirio Mine, a classic Medina aquamarine, a fantastic rutilated quartz from Novo Horizonte, tourmalines, Sapo fluorapatites, a super Brumado dolomite, blue quartz, and a Novo Horizonte hematite that is a black mirror.

Posted by: Raymond McDougall on 07.24.2014 | Filed under: Latest, Recent Mineral Updates

A small number of excellent French specimens have been added in this France Update, including beautiful groups of sharp hematite crystals from the Brézouard Massif, in the hills adjacent to Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. There are also fine specimens of bournonite from Les Malines District, Saint-Laurent-le-Minier, Gard, and a very nice faden quartz from the French Alps.

Posted by: Raymond McDougall on 01.23.2014 | Filed under: Recent Mineral Updates

This Brazil update contains some brilliant specimens. Two matrix fluorapatites, in purple and blue, are really special! Two exquisite hematite iron roses – one is a great old-timer. The elbaite tourmalines and other fine minerals are excellent with lots of character, so I hope you’ll enjoy looking through them.


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