Tucson 2016 Report
April 1, 2016
written and photographed by Jim Parrish
AmmoliteTM from Canada.
Plumbogummite pseudomorph after pyromorphite.
Crystallized Gold from Pontes E Lacerda, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil.
The "Just Minerals" Show at the Elks Club building on Oracle Road.
A fine natural crystal of boleite, Jim Parrish collection.
The Logan Sapphire, at 523 carats, was cut from a Sri Lankan crystal. Smithsonian Institution.
If you have ever driven to Tucson for the annual show, you have probably noted, having a great deal of time to think about the past, present and future. This year marked my 35th anniversary of this sojourn. Then of course you start thinking about the numbers involved, 35 x 1,000 miles each trip = 35,000 miles. Wow, that's a lot of driving!
There are numerous satellite shows, dozens in fact. They include everything from giant tents, gas station booths, AGTA show, GJX show and then for the final event, the "Main Show." The main show as it is known is the original and was started by the TGMS (Tucson Gem & Mineral Society). You never manage to see all the shows every year. So, I tend to randomly jump around each year. Sometimes this works well, sometimes it doesn't. Regardless, it's always an adventure.
In general, this is the time of year when Tucson has its most comfortable weather. There were a couple of days of rain and wind during my three week visit. The rest of the time it was beautiful. After spending the first afternoon getting my accommodations setup and gas tank filled, it was time to start hunting for the latest and greatest new items. There is always a wonderful assortment of cut gemstones, minerals, lapidary and gem rough, and also fossils such as AmmoliteTM (fossil ammonites).
This year, the most notable "new" mineral specimens available had to be the Plumbogummite pseudomorphs after pyromorphite. The crystallized gold specimens from Mato Grosso, Brazil were exceptional.
Of course, nice specimens of these could be had if you could afford prices ranging from $2500 - past $25,000.
One "new" show was the "Just Minerals" show held in the Elks Club building at 1800 N. Oracle Road. Although it was a small show, it was well-attended, with an opening day waiting line of approximately 75 people. There were many bargains to be had, if you were quick. I believe we'll see this show continue since the dealers seemed to do well, and this was a quiet year with fewer people than usual in attendance. I think the strong dollar provided visitors from Europe and Asia less incentive to attend. The Euro was almost equal to the dollar and the Chinese economy had slowed down considerably.
The last four days of the Tucson event is the "Main Show" with this year's theme being "Shades of Blue." This theme brought out many fine minerals and gems, all in some shade of blue. Aquamarine, sapphires, tourmalines, fluorites – they were all there. Even I was prompted to enter a blue mineral in the theme thumbnail mineral category. This was the first time I've shown competitively at Tucson, and I was fortunate to receive a First Place ribbon for my boleite crystal from Boleo, near Santa Rosalia, Baja California.
The Smithsonian Institution lent its famous Logan Sapphire to the Tucson show. At just under 423 carats, it is one of the world's largest faceted sapphires.
At the main show, Collectors Edge Minerals, Colorado, had a display courtesy of Holabird Americana. It was one of the most interesting exhibits – it was for sale for a mere $4 million dollars. Fred Holabird was offering the salvaged contents of the treasure chest found on the wreck of the SS Islander, a 240-foot-long steamship owned by the Canadian-Pacific Navigation Company bound from Skagway, Alaska, to Victoria, British Columbia, in Canada. The vessel went to a watery grave on August 15, 1901, when it struck an iceberg in Stephens Passage, near Douglas Island.
Gold bags recovered from SS Islander on display at Collectors
Edge Minerals, courtesy of Holabird Americana.