Fall Denver 2004 Show Report

September 14th-19th 

This year marked the moving of Great Basin Minerals to a prime first-floor room at the Holiday Inn show, #124!  This is a great success as the competition, by all of the dealers on the 2nd and 3rd floor, for these first-floor showrooms are fierce.  It took several years to get.  I started on the third floor, like most new dealers, and worked my way down, each year trying to get a little bit better room positioning.
John Cornish and I busy setting up.  This year, Eric Spencer helped me set up my sales display and to help offer the superb Cryo-Genie mine (California) Beryl we were about to show from my case.
Here I am proudly setting up many superb Meikle Mine barite specimens.
This year, John officially purchased the Rat's Nest (Challis), Custer County, Idaho Heulandite claims from Lanny Ream and was successful in his 2004 Heulandite dig!  Museums and collectors alike took many pieces home to call their own. 
He brought several interesting pictures of his mining project for all show-go'ers to see and enjoy.  In addition, John offered several fine examples from the new Florida find of fine amber-colored calcite crystals in large clam fossils.
Putting the finishing touches on his prized display case!  John also displayed a number of very interesting specimens of drusy/sparkling quartz "epimorphs" after prismatic apophyllite, from his new claim in Idaho. Some of these plates are over 30cm! 
Finished and with his characteristic smile, John's ready to go!
John offered several beautiful specimens of North Carolina Hiddenites and Colombian Emeralds
My finished display case!

     This specimen holds claim to being the largest and most dramatic matrix beryl specimen to come from the United States.  Collected in the Cryo-Genie mine (Riverside County, CA) in 2003, this amazing pegmatite specimen presented a gemmy, lustrous beryl crystal measured over 12cm wide (being light blue and pink), with the whole specimen over 25cm.  Amazingly, the piece was entirely unrepaired!!  On the cleavelandite ball, many small pink and green tourmaline pencils could be seen.  Even under the beryl and into the beautiful 14cm smoky/gemmy quartz crystal these tourmalines could be seen.  Eric helped to dig this fabulous specimen at the mine and was in the room to answer many awe-inspired questions and comments about this historic North American beryl specimen.  In the end, we were ultimately successful in helping to sell this superb specimen!
My big new Nevada score was the finest lot of Getchellites ever offered from the Getchell mine (Humboldt County, Nevada).  Tom Moore of the Mineralogical Record came by to write them up for the "What's New at Fall Denver, 2004".   I was also honored when the Smithsonian Institution acquired 2 fine specimens.   
My mixed top shelf included fine Southern California amethyst specimens, barite-on-orpiment from Twin Creeks, NV; a fine French fadden; primary acanthite crystals from Mexico; a fine calaverite from the Cresson mine, Colorado; 2 superb faceted benitoites; Chinese malachite stalactite; Bi-colored viviantite from Idaho; Superb goethite from Colorado; Japan-Law twins from Peru; A superb TN of nagyagite from Romania; and a 24 carat bi-colored (with shiller) sunstone from Oregon. The next shelf down displayed: Gold-coated Platinum crystals from Russia; Gold in Scarn slab from Ecuador; crystallized golds from the famous Eagles Nest mine; Meikle mine millerite cabinet specimens and a few nice Olinghouse golds.
With the discovery of the Rust Bucket pocket at the Meikle mine, back in 2002, deeply-colored, world-class golden barites are around for a short while. This top shelf displayed only superb Meikles, all the way!!
Here is a very colorful blue-green "Cryo-Blue" tourmaline from the Cryo-Genie mine.
Our finished room on opening day!
During the show, we had many great conversations with our friends.  Here, John Cornish is visiting with Rudy Tschernich (Rice NW Mineral Museum Curator), Rock Currier (Jewel Tunnel Imports) and James Zigras.
Sometimes we were busy!
...And other times not...  But John always had a smile on his face!
With the show over, it's time to teardown.
Here is a rare picture of what the room looks like after teardown. With the room back to normal, we are off to the hotsprings!

 

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