I’ve posted a new update featuring the first of many specimens to come, from the collection of my friend Tracy A. Kimmel. Tracy built an excellent, substantial collection of fine minerals, and I acquired it this year. I have also written a post about Tracy (see Profiles and Tributes), and I really hope you’ll enjoy reading about her – she was a remarkable person.

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 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 beautiful new specimens from the Pete Richards collection.  These are great tourmaline crystals from localities around the world, including Brazil, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Namibia and Myanmar.

I’ve posted great new specimens from the Pete Richards collection. This is the first of two tourmaline updates: Tourmaline I – U.S, with beautiful tourmaline crystals from across the United States.

I’ve added some absolutely superb specimens from the collection of John S. White. These are mixed international highlights from the display case in John’s library/study – they are exquisite pieces!

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 a number of beautiful elbaite crystals from Afghanistan and Pakistan in this Tourmaline Update. Several of the tourmalines from Stak Nala were very recently collected – I acquired them from a family that is mining the 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.

I’ve added beautiful elbaite tourmaline specimens in this Stak Nala Tourmaline Update – I’ve also included a great lepidolite. The elbaites are highly aesthetic, in combination with albite, and there is some good colour zoning among these pieces. I was fortunate to acquire these from a member of the family that mines them.

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.

This Pakistan-Afghanistan Update features a small number of excellent specimens, from tourmalines and a gorgeous cabinet specimen of spessartine garnet, to some much more unusual specimens, including scapolite and pseudomorphs from Sar-e-Sang.