I’ve added beautiful specimens of stilbite and analcime from Five Islands, Nova Scotia, Canada.

I’ve added beautiful specimens of golden stilbite and glassy analcime from a recent collecting project in this new Five Islands Update. These specimens are from a pocket that was in an area of the cliff face often regarded as precarious (fortunately it was safe enough to save these pieces!).

I’ve posted Indian specimens from the personal collection of Rock Currier in this new update. Great specimens with great histories.

I’ve added excellent new specimens from Cape Split in this Nova Scotia Update. Over the past three years, a pocket system at Cape Split has sporadically yielded excellent, distinctive specimens of several minerals, most notably the groups and hemispheres (and even balls) of natrolite crystals, associated with sharp analcime crystals, and lustrous brownish stilbite crystals. This group of specimens represents some of the nicest pieces recovered from these finds.

I’ve added some excellent gmelinite specimens from Two Islands and Five Islands, Nova Scotia, in the new Nova Scotia Update. This update includes nice analcime and stilbite specimens as well.

I’ve added Part 2, a new Nova Scotia Update, with minerals from the Bay of Fundy. The specimens from this update are from different localities from last week – Two Islands, Five Islands and Cape Split. This group of specimens includes superb gmelinite crystals, sharp analcime crystals and sparkling natrolites.

Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy has been famous among mineral collectors for a long time – the area includes some of Canada’s oldest classic localities. Today, fine mineral specimens are still periodically recovered along the Bay of Fundy, making this area one of the most productive contemporary regions for Canadian fine mineral specimens. This article includes many photographs to give a better sense of the localities and adventures behind the beautiful specimens from here.

I’ve added a new Nova Scotia Update, with minerals from the Bay of Fundy. This update accompanies the new post about Mineral Collecting in Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy, with specimens from the classic Bay of Fundy localities highlighted in that article: Wasson’s Bluff, Amethyst Cove and Cape D’Or.

I’ve added some excellent yellow stilbites on the website in the new Mali Update. Among the nicest and most distinctive stilbites I’ve ever seen from anywhere, specimens from Diamonkara have beautiful colour and form. These new Mali stilbites are perhaps not yet appreciated for what they are – these are striking, colourful display specimens of a mineral that is often pale and drab.

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.

Beautiful new specimens from Mali, featuring yellow balls of stilbite crystals from Diamonkara, a new find. The Diamonkara workings are in the same general vicinity of the Arrondissement Diako which has produced the now well-known specimens of prehnite and epidote. Also new among these specimens is an exceptionally fine prehnite on epidote.

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.