As promised, here is our second installment from the Denver show, this time from the Denver Gem and Mineral Society show. We set up a much larger display at the Merchandise Mart, along with over 140 other dealers of minerals, fossils, gems and jewellery and more. There are also always superb displays, this year was the 45th Denver Gem and Mineral show with the special theme of Copper and Copper minerals.
We began with all hands on deck on Thursday. The guys were ready for the lifting and pushing to get the showcases into place and the electrics wired in.
Setting up the showroomOne of the most important of our jobs – cleaning to a sparkle all the glass doors and shelves – a job best shared – Diana, Liz and Dave Hacker and Audrey Lloyd all in glass cleaning mode.We have to start somewhere. So here are the first few specimens designated to one of the freshly prepped cabinets.Slowly but surely the cabinets are filled with some of our most exquisite specimens from all around the world.Finishing touches and quality control. Will everything meet the boss’ approval…?Daily sustenance, perhaps the most important part of the set up! … Dona thought of everything, even a brand new fridge to keep all our drinks and lunch bags cool.Part of the final display with some of our new acquisitions carefully arranged.A selection of our finest specimens form the centre display.
On Friday at 10am the doors opened and soon our room was filled with regular friends, passionate first time viewers and customers from all around the world, each searching for the elusive specimen to fill that gap in their collection.
Ian with one of our good friends Mike Steppe.Eloise Gaillou from the LA County Museum, with Liz and Dave.
Once the initial influx of visitors was over, it was time to disappear into the crowds and have a look at the special displays. The theme of this year’s Denver Gem and Mineral show was Copper and Copper minerals.
One of the nicest and most colourful showcases was assembled by the Mineralogical Association of Dallas (MAD), with a selection of top quality, colourful and aesthetic specimens.
Mineralogical Association of Dallas display cabinet
Here are just two in more detail.
A particularly fine Manganoan Adamite from the Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico.Mimetite from the Elura Mine, Cobar, New South Wales, Australia.The display from the Sonora Desert Museum in Arizona.Always a real treat, a cabinet filled with rich greens and blues from the Les and Paula Presmyk collection.One of my favourites from the Presmyk’s display was this little Azurite with Malachite pseudomorphing Azurite from the Morenci Mine, Greenlee Co., Arizona.This amazing crystallised Native Copper fan from the Campbell Mine, Bisbee, Cochise Co., Arizona was also a real eye catcher.
Another great friend of ours, Penny Williamson from the University of Wollongong, Australia, had a display of Copper minerals from the Southern Hemisphere from the University’s collection.
Some amazing specimens from South America, South Africa and Australia, from the University of WollongongPenny Williamson with IanThe display from the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, with a beautiful Chalcotrichite from the Czar Mine, Bisbee, Arizona, USA in the far left corner.
One really stunning case was from the Cincinnati Museum Center, pictured below:
Here are a few closeups:
A superb Posnjakite, Gypsum on Calcite from the Canaveille Mine, Pyrenees Orientales, France.Ajoite and Copper in Quartz from Messina Mine, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Another favourite friend is Renate Schumacher from the Mineralogical Museum at the Steinmann Institute in Bonn, Germany in Poppelsdorfer Schloss, here with Ian in front of her display cabinet:
Renate Schumacher with IanThis was a fun cabinet from the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum, Leadville in Colorado, “The Many Shapes of Copper”Cute miniatures from the Ralph Clark collection with a stunning array of mixed colours.
Gloria Staebler of Lithographie was promoting the new extra Lapis/Mineral Monograph edition “Amethyst”. Gloria shares a booth with Colorado mineral dealer Dave Bunk:
Gloria Staebler with the new Amethyst edition, with Dave Bunk in the background
Returning to our booth, who should I find…
Never camera shy – Dave and Liz Hacker with IanFriends from Germany Harald Munch and Thomas Böllinghausen.
We would like to now show you some of the specimens we had on display in our booth. Kristalle and Crystal Classics have been busy between shows, jetting around the globe to bring you some of the finest specimens we could lay our hands on. We held back lots of new mineral specimens to be put on display at this show only. Here are some of our most recent acquisitions – enjoy!
A fine cluster of Apophyllite crystals from Pune District, Maharashtra State, India.Copper in Calcite from Michigan, USAPseudoboleite from Santa Rosalia, Boleo District, Baja California, Mexico.A classic British Specimen – Chalcophyllite from Wheal Unity, St. Day, Cornwall, England.Malachite on Calcite, from Kolwezi District, Katanga Copper Cresent, D.R. Congo.A “hot” one – Francevillite from Mounana Mine, Franceville, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon.A large Fluorapatite from Ipira, Bahia, Brazil.A fine Proustite from Chañarcillo, Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile.Rhodochrosite from N’Chwaning I Mine, Kuruman, South Africa, from the Doug Biggs CollectionAnother recently acquired specimen from the Doug Biggs collection. A tri-coloured Tourmaline crystal group from the Paprock Mine, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.A great Silver from the Kongsberg Silver Mining District, Buskerud, Norway.Gemmy green Vesuvianite. Jeffery mine, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada.A very aesthetic Wulfenite specimen from Los Lamentos, Mun. de Ahumada, Chihuahua, MexicoAnother cutie – Wulfenite with Mimetite from San Francisco Mine, Cerro Prieto, Cucurpe, Mun. de Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico.A large display specimen of emerald green Fluorite from Rogerley Mine, Weardale, Co. Durham, England.
We would like to feature a few specimens from a recently acquired Quartz collection. The majority of specimens from this collection will be available in a few months at the upcoming Munich show (25th to 28th October).
Quartz with Rutile inclusions from Minas Gerais, Brazil.A superb Swiss Quartz “Faden” from Gronda da Cavrein Valley, Russein Valley, Voderrhein Valley, Grischun, Switzerland.Another Faden Quartz this time standing on matrix from Wana, South Waziristan, Pakistan.Quartz from Dauphine, France.Quartz with Chlorite inclusions from Thusis, Domleschg, Hinterrhein Valley, Grischun, Switzerland.Rose Quartz Crystals on near colourless Quartz from Pitorra claim, Laranjeiras, Galiléia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.Smoky Quartz Sceptre from Linopolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil.Smoky Quartz Gwindel from St. Gotthard Massif, Leventina, Ticino, Switzerland.Still smiling after all the hard work, Lois Nelson, Roberta McCarty and in the background Liz Hacker.
We hope you have enjoyed all the minerals at the Denver Gem and Mineral show as much as we have. In a few short weeks we will all be at it again, meeting our friends at the next major event – The Munich Show in Germany, from which we will bring you news of exciting new mineral discoveries and current events from the mineral world. From all of us in the Kristalle and Crystal Classics “Dream Team” we look forward to seeing you there!
Tana, Dave Lloyd, Liz and Dave Hacker, Lois, Dona, Wayne, Audrey, Ian, Diana and Dave Spiller
