Crystal Classics

The Main Hall


At our booth Joe of Joe's Minerals and sister Verity are set up ready to sell, whilst mum Emma put the final touches to their booth. It was great to have Emma join us at the show this year, the whole Bruce family was out in force!


Brother Sam is left to hold the fort.

In our booth we had two cabinets set up, plus flats and flats of material from the English Suite of the Philadelphia Academy of Science (don't worry we still have some Philadelphia English specimens that have not been to a show that we are holding back for the website!)


Our Worldwide Minerals cabinet


Our English Cabinet

The Show always has a themed competition and this year it was Cornish and Devon(ish) Minerals. This is a popular theme for English collectors and the displays did not disappoint with some really stunning minerals being shown.


Jolyon of www.Mindat.org sets up his display of Cornish minerals.


The finished result


A super Fluorapatite on Feldspar from Chywoon Quarry, these are always such attractive colourful specimens.


The display by Shirley Adrian. There was some really fine specimens on show including this great Gold from Hope's Nose:


(sorry again for the fuzziness, my camera would just not focus on it!)
but a stunning specimen measuring several cm in size.


Display by David Aubrey-Jones. David runs the http://www.liroconite.com/ website, a great website about Liroconite and other Cornish minerals. His display did  not disappoint with stunning specimens of this lovely blue mineral.


L to R - Chalcophyllite from West Caradon Mine, Liroconite from Wheal Gorland, and Clinoclase from Wheal Unity, Cornwall.


Superb display by collector Steve Warren


Three super specimens of rare Tourmaline var Schorl, from Woolley Farm, Bovey Tracey, Dartmoor, Devon. The outer two are from the Philadelphia Academy Collection.

And last but not least was the display by Ian Jones, which was awarded the 1st prize.



Two Liroconites from Wheal Gorland


A large specimens of Ludlamite from Wheal Jane


A superb Cuprite var Chalcotrichite from Fowey Consols. This specimen was one of several Cornish pieces acquired in 1861 by the Natural History Museum from Richard Talling, a famous Cornish mineral dealer. At that time the cost of the specimen was £1-10s as seen in the copy of the hand written invoice below the specimen.



Mike Merry and Nigel Hoppe in Mike's booth. Mike specialises in minerals of Cornwall and Devon, and had several super things on display including:


this super red and gemmy Cuprite from Mark Valley Mine, Linkinhorne, Cornwall (the photo does not do it justice)


and this strangely attractive Chalcedony from Trevaskis Mine, Gwinear, Cornwall (slightly out of focus again sorry! the camera was not having a good day.)


Liz and Dave Hacker with their booth of fine English specimens.


Ian enjoys some of the cakes with Alan Hart (curator at London's Natural History Museum) and his lovely wife Andrea.