Every year Kristalle and Crystal Classics hold THE party of Tucson. And each year Dona somehow manages to out do the previous year with fabulous themed decorations, music, and food, and of course the best part is the guests who get into the party atmosphere and also arrive in costume!!
The party for 2013 was set in the 1950s, poodle skirts, rockabilly, soda fountains and milkshakes, burgers and hot dogs……
The Kristalle and Crystal Classics DinerJames Dean welcomes everyone to the dance floor of the dinerThe Soda Bar – serving classic sodas, adult milkshakes (yum!) and of course beer and wine.Soda Fountain menu
The team love to get into the theme with fancy dress:
Dona Leicht (photo courtesy Mark Mauthner)Wayne Leicht with James DeanIan Bruce and Diana Schlegel aka Marilyn Monroe welcome the guestsMarilyn and MarilynAudrey and David LloydDona and Lois Nelson (photo courtesy of Jolyon Ralph)Robbie McCarty, Diana, Ian and AudreyLiz and David HackerWayne with Audrey and Tana DaugharthyAudrey, Diana and Robin HansenDave Whipp, Dave Lloyd and German dealer Gunther HoppeThe girls with Ian
The food was once again created for us by award winning chef Albert Hall from Acacia. This year we delighted in Kobe beef Hamburgers, Kobe Beef Hot Dogs, Fish and Chips, Truffled Fries, Moonpies and more….
Bob (you Californians will recognise him immediately)Albert Hall (under the milkshake) and the wonderful staff from Acacia who looked after us, dressed for the party.Dona tries out a milkshakeIan welcomes the other Marilyn Monroe – Tomasz Praszkier of Spirifer MineralsGerman Marilyn and Polish Marilyn (photo courtesy of Joylon Ralph)Paul Harter (TGMS show chairman) and his wife Marilyn with DonaJesse Fisher and Joan KureczkaLois with Brice Gobin of Mineral Art, and Bryan Swoboda of BlueCap ProductionsIan Jones and LizSharon Fitzgerald and Peter Leavens (photo courtesy of Mark Mauthner)John Veevaert of Trinity Minerals with Jaye Smith formerly of The Rocksmiths. John is wearing his own letterman jacket!Lois with Marshall and Charlotte SussmanTerri Ottaway of GIA, McKenzie Santimer of GIA, Katherine Dunnell of the Royal Ontario Museum, Jorgen Langhof of the Swedish Natural History Museum, and Alan Hart of the Natural History Museum, LondonAlan Hart and Mike Rumsey of the Natural History Museum, LondonJolyon and Katya Ralph of www.mindat.org and www.gemdat.orgIan JonesAustralian collector/dealer Paul Melville, and Aussie-based collectors Malcolm and Angela SouthwoodDick Hauck, “Boots” and Barbara Cureton, and Elna HauckFrancis FlynnRob Sielecki of Ausrox and Andy of Siber + SiberAustralian dealer Allen Arnold and Olga looking resplendent in 1950s outfitsJerry Rosenthal with John Veevaert and Dave Bunk of Dave Bunk MineralsIan with Christoph Keilmann (organiser of the Munich show Mineralientage)No, my hair is bigger!Cheerleader Lois shows off her Hula Hooping skillsRob Sielecki tries his talents at the Hula HoopRobin with Penny Williamson of Wollongong University, Australia – Robin displaying her chocolate flavoured soda – yum!Kirby Siber of Siber + Siber, Switzerland with definitely the best suit of the night.Dona with Justin and Brandy of The Vug.Yue Tutt, David Hacker, Mayor of St. Marie Claude Abel, Liz Hacker, Christian EgelerKirby Siber with Dona and WayneGermans Mareike Bode (of MineralienWelt Magazine) and Tobias Weise (of Lapis Magazine)Lois with Steve MaslanskyJaye and her husband Bill Lawrence and renowned mineral photographer Jeff ScovilDJ Adonis had people grooving on the dance floor – lots of 50s hits, including of course…. ‘Oh Donna’ by Ritchie ValensGetting down on the dance floor – Ian, Kirby, Dona and Waynephoto courtesy Mark MauthnerDona struts her stuffRobbie, Liz and RobinChris, Kirby and Alan (photo courtesy of Mark Mauthner)People lining up for the delicious foodSteve Maslansky gives his thumbs up for the delicious Kobe beef hamburgersTana advertises CokeDick Thommsen of Dickthommsenite fame with Allen ArnoldOlga with Ludmilla Cheshko of Russian magazine Mineralogical AlmanacJoaquim Callen and Eloise of Spanish magazine MineralUp (photo courtesy Mark Mauthner)Bill Pinch, Susan and Mark Feinglos (photo courtesy Mark Mauthner)Fine Mineral Show organiser Dave Waisman and his wife Diane (photo courtsey Mark Mauthner)Paul Melville with German dealer Armin Schoeler of eShop-mineralsOne of our favourite now-ex-Tucson police Jim Stoutmeyer, with Paul Melville’s partner Tricia and smiley mineral dealer John CornishJim Blees and John LuckingDona with Allen Arnold and OlgaMarie Huizing of Rocks and Minerals, Leila Scovil and Jamie Newman of the American Museum of Natural History (photo courtesy of Mark Mauthner)Terry “Skip” Szenics with Fish and Chips (photo courtesy of Mark Mauthner)Lancelyn Watters, Fred Wicks (retired from Royal Ontario Museum) and Terry Ottaway (photo courtesy of Mark Mauthner)Al and Sue Liebetrau (photo courtesy of Mark Mauthner)Agata Leszczuk, Dona and Mark Mauthner (photo courtesy of Mark Mauthner)People enjoying the partyAudrey, Robbie and Tana snuggle up to German dealer Stephan StolteDona gives Jean-Claude Boulliard (of the Sorbonne, France) a Happy Birthday kissThe outfit swapping commences – the two Marilyns and Grease’s DannyDona in the Danny/John Travolta wigBrice and DianaDancing the night away….
A fantastic time was had by all thanks to Dona, Wayne and Ian, and the Kristalle and Crystal Classics Team; Albert Hall and his team, and of course all our friends. We look forward to next year’s party….what will be the theme?
Minerals and their Localities
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Harry Winston: The Ultimate Jeweler (1st Edition)
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