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 an update of excellent specimens from all over the US, including many contemporary classics. From platinum, gold, silver and copper to Franklin willemite, Kelly smithsonite, Maine elbaite and so many more.

From a recent visit, I’ve posted some of my favourite specimens from the fabulous Mineralogy Museum at L’École des Mines de Paris.

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 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 added excellent new specimens from the John S. White collection. The theme of this update began as quartz with inclusions, but there are specimens exhibiting other phenomena as well – phantoms, zoning, selective deposition.

I’ve posted a great selection of U.S. specimens from many different collections in the new US Update. There are specimens from the collections of Rock Currier, Robert Bartsch, John S. White, Pete Richards, Steve Szilard and from my collection too.

I’ve added more great U.S. specimens in this new Pete Richards Collection Update. These include beautiful specimens from classic American localities from across the country.

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 added great new specimens in a new update of pieces from the Steve Szilard Collection. Steve is a well-known and highly respected Canadian mineral collector and this update includes fine mineral specimens from all over the world.

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

I’ve added super new specimens in this latest US Update, including a great Vesper Peak grossular, a top quality rutile from Graves Mountain, a Bisbee malachite after azurite, new lightly-amethystine quartz from North Carolina, and Colorado amazonites with excellent colour.