I’ve added great specimens from the Pete Richards collection, from localities around the world, including Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Spain, Greece, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico and more.

It’s hard to believe how different the world was, only a few weeks ago. Who imagined then, all the ways in which our lives would be impacted in the weeks after Tucson. It will be a while until all of us are once again together at a large international show, which makes it all the more important to enjoy show memories and stay connected online. In that light, let’s travel back to Tucson…

I’ve posted exquisite new specimens in this Bolivia Bournonite Update. These bournonite crystals are from the Viboras Mine, Machacamarca District, Potosí, Bolivia.

The Rochester Mineralogical Symposium is one of the best annual events in Mineral World. This post about RMS 2017 includes lots of great mineral photographs, with many from prominent mineral photographers Jeff Scovil and Michael Bainbridge. And hopefully, if you missed this year’s RMS, this will help you catch up – and plan for next year…

I’ve added some great new French specimens in this France Update. Several are recently-collected from the Mésage Mine, Saint-Pierre-de-Mésage, Isère, France, along with a bournonite from Saint-Laurent-le-Minier and a gem-clear calcite from Pau, Aquitane.

Every summer, for a few days, the quiet town of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines transforms into a bustling mineral and gem extravaganza. This is the most beautiful major mineral show setting, and attending is a great experience. This year’s show included some excellent minerals, including some great new finds.

I’ve added a group of diverse minerals in this Peru Update. I have selected these out over various trips – each is a beautiful specimen for the mineral! This update includes a gorgeous rhodonite from Chiurucu, a brilliant alabandite, a super specimen of bournonite cogwheel twins on matrix, a specimen of scheelite coated with bright green stolzite, fluorescent fluorapatites 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.

A small number of excellent French specimens have been added in this France Update, including beautiful groups of sharp hematite crystals from the Brézouard Massif, in the hills adjacent to Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. There are also fine specimens of bournonite from Les Malines District, Saint-Laurent-le-Minier, Gard, and a very nice faden quartz from the French Alps.

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.

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.