Volume 9 Number 3                                                              Spring 2000                                                                              Page 7
		Tucson Gem & Mineral Show Exhibits by Harvey Jong The 46th annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show capped off Tucson's two week long festival of rocks, minerals, gems, and other earthly delights. The spectacular show exhibits were a popular attraction, and this year's theme was the "Minerals of Brazil". When one thinks of Brazilian minerals, gemstones usually come to mind. Brazil's pegmatite deposits have yielded some of the world's largest and finest examples of gem minerals, such as aquamarine, tourmaline, topaz, rose quartz, and amethyst. Several of these "best of the best" specimens were on display in the center aisle of the main show floor. These extraordinary minerals have been featured on the covers of the Mineralogical Record and other rockhound publications. While the cover photos are exceptional, they don't convey the incredible experience of seeing these specimens up close and personal. The specimens are part of public and private collections from around the world. The Tucson Show provided a unique opportunity to view these minerals all in the same place. Here are a few highlights from the over one hundred cases that were on display: Smithsonian Case This case featured several famous specimens, including the "Van Allen Belt" (see MR Vol. 30, No. 5) "Van Allen Belt" Rose quartz on smoky/citrine quartz Locality: Lavra Berilo Branco, Minas Gerais, Brazil Natural History Museum of LA County Case This incredible Elbaite is the size of a small watermelon and was called by Rock and Gem the "Tourmaline of the Century". (That was last century. Who knows what will be discovered this century.)
						"The Ice Dragon" This unusually shaped aquamarine is from Minas Gerais   American Museum of Natural History Case The Pellman topaz is a well formed crystal that is roughly the size of a large grapefruit Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals Case The above morganite is over five inches on a side. Gene & Rosalind Meieran Case The Meierans displayed an impressive collection of tourmalines, beryls, and topaz
			Previous Page			Next Page