I’ve added new specimens in this new Worldwide Update, including specimens from the Pete Richards collection and the Steve Szilard collection. I hope you enjoy them!

I’ve posted new worldwide mineral specimens from the Gerald Panneton collection. This update features spectacular pieces, some of which are right up with the best I’ve offered on the website.

I’ve posted the first in a series of updates with superb specimens from John White’s collection. These wonderful high-quality specimens from John’s collection are from a wide range of localities (classic to contemporary) and include a variety of minerals.

The Rochester Mineralogical Symposium is one of the best mineral events of the year. Here’s my report from RMS 2019, with lots of great mineral photos.

I’ve just added a post with my report from the Tucson shows, 2018. Some new finds and lots of excellent new mineral specimens!

I’ve posted a new Brazil Update with superb, diverse specimens, including a spectacular morganite, remarkable new synchysites, blue montebrasite, pleochroic uvite, elbaite, brazilianite, hydroxylherderite and more.

This China Update features a diverse group of excellent specimens, including super fluorite, ilvaite and löllingite from the Huanggang Mines in Inner Mongolia. Also included are beautiful pieces from the Yaoganxian Mine and other well-known Chinese localities. There are connoisseur level pieces here.

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.

There is a great new book out, Crystal Mountains – Minerals of the Cairngorms, by Roy Starkey. This post offers a glimpse (including photos by the author) and a few thoughts about this fine work.

This Pakistan-Afghanistan Update features selected fine specimens from Pakistan and Afghanistan, including excellent red zircons, a specimen of ilmenite rosettes, a transparent epidote, a beautiful large cluster of aquamarine crystals, a super diopside miniature, elbaite and more.

After a long, harsh northern winter, most people in this part of the world look to the arrival of the red-winged blackbirds and robins, buds and flowers to mark the arrival of spring. But let’s be honest, spring only truly arrives with “Rochester” (the annual Rochester Mineralogical Symposium). Rochester is for people who love minerals and mineral collecting – if you’d like to see more about this year’s symposium (including photographs from the presenters), I hope you’ll enjoy this post.