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 excellent specimens in this Russia Update. In particular, there are some super, transparent, colourless fluorites from Dal’negorsk, with crystals exhibiting up to five crystal forms. Among these area couple of great overgrowth and phantom pieces. This update also includes some great calcite specimens, with some fascinating crystal forms, and some fine datolite specimens with sharp crystals.

I’ve posted some beautiful new specimens in this Morocco Update, includingazurite from Kerrochen and Bou Beker, vanadinite from Taouz, pyrite-coated fluorite from El Hammam, purple fluorite from Tounfit, twinned cerussite from Mibladen and quartz on siderite from Gourrama.

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 few excellent new specimens in this Morocco Update. This update includes some particularly fine and unusual pieces – some are rather colourful!

Tucson: urban field collecting at its finest! Some years are better than others, and this was a great year at the Tucson shows – many excellent mineral specimens and good fun with mineral friends. This post includes interesting news from Tucson, with glimpses of Tucson specimens to be posted on the website over the coming weeks.

I’ve added a new Morocco Fluorite Update with super yellow fluorite crystals from a small recent find at the El Hammam Mine. These are great yellow fluorite specimens!

I’ve added a new USA Update, with excellent specimens of microcline var. amazonite and a rhodochrosite from Colorado, purple fluorapatites from South Dakota, a Missouri millerite, Arizona chrysocolla 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.

New from South Africa, excellent specimens of inesite from a small recent find, a fantastic ettringite/hematite specimen, and gorgeous green fluorites from Riemvasmaak.

This Morocco Update includes excellent specimens of several minerals, including blue barite from the Sidi Lahcen Mine, fluorapatite from Imilchil, fluorite from Sidi Ayed and Tounfit, cobaltoan dolomite from the Agoudal Mine, 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.