I’ve added a new USA Update, with excellent specimens of microcline var. amazonite and a rhodochrosite from Colorado, purple fluorapatites from South Dakota, a Missouri millerite, Arizona chrysocolla and more.

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.

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.

The new China Update features selected fine specimens – beautiful fluorite crystals of different colours and crystal habits (and some great phantoms), pyromorphite, golden barite, spessartine garnet and more.

This Morocco Update includes excellent specimens of several minerals, including blue barite from the Sidi Lahcen Mine, fluorapatite from Imilchil, fluorite from Sidi Ayed and Tounfit, cobaltoan dolomite from the Agoudal Mine, and more.

This Morocco Update is dedicated to a small group of specimens of the recent blue barite crystals from the Sidi Lahcen Mine, Nador, Morocco. These are beautiful, sharp, highly lustrous crystals of excellent quality.

Nestled in the Val d’Argent, in Alsace, France, the town of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines hosts one of the world’s largest minerals shows, with character and class unto itself. I’ve added this post to give a glimpse into finds and highlights from Sainte-Marie 2014.

Excellent specimens from travels in Peru, including a trip to the Quiruvilca Mine. This Peru Update features barite, hubnerite/quartz, epidote, a great pearceite, pyrite and more. I hope you’ll find them interesting. If you are curious about Quiruvilca and what it is like to be searching for crystal specimens at the mine, have a look […]

Who could pass up the chance to adventure in one of the world’s greatest mineral countries? Morocco hosts to some of the great contemporary specimen producing localities of our time, in a beautiful region with stunning landscapes.

After the Sahara adventure, it was time to descend into the workings of the world famous Mibladen mining district.