January 24 Through February 4—TUCSON, ARIZONA: Annual show
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 Post subject: Verona (Italy) mineral show
PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 12:09 pm 
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I've just been to the winter edition of the Verona mineral show, prowling for nice rough to facet and I thought it can be worth to share the experience here.

Last weeks I've been trying to break my own record of consecutive measurements at synchrotron light sources: I had scheduled in less than 2 weeks 3 different measurement sessions in 3 different synchrotrons around Europe. Unfortunately (?) the third experiment had to be delayed and so I found myself in my hometown for a couple of days off from work. And I was able to attend the Verona mineral show, in a working day! :P
I always go to that mineral show when I can since it's the closest to my hometown and is quite "big", for my standards. Not something like Muenchen (not even think about Tucson), but nice. The mineral show takes place twice a year and the spring session is usually more interesting.

I've been there last spring and I found a VERY good deal on two aqua crystals. I also bought three plated laps for 15 euros each (6"). Quality was something very strange since the 80 grit is good, the 1200 is the worse piece of **** I've ever seen/used, the 2000 grit is absolutely excellent.

Last Friday I went there and first I realized that my lap vendor wasn't there. Not too bad, I can wait for the spring, even if another fantastic 2000 and a 600 grit laps were on my buying list.

This time too few vendors were selling mineralogy-related stuff. A lot of low-low-end vendors of ugly necklaces, stone bonsai's and such products.

But then I found my trusted Pakistani vendors. Last time I found a good deal with kunzite and two aqua crystals. This time good kunzite was completely absent, but I was able to get a couple of nice light "seafoam" aqua pieces for 2 euros/gram.
This time there was much more light tan colored topaz and I bought some for about 1.5 euro/gram, something less. They look very very good pieces.
Last spring I bought a small topaz alike and was quite more expensive...
Image
I already cut one of the smallest two, to check a new polishing technique (very successful, I have to say). They are very clean and the bigger one is also the one with the best color. I hope it is stable. There was one vendor selling coffee-brown topaz and "greened" irradiated kunzite... More than one bell ringing there, for me...

An Indian guy had some zeolites from Nasik for sale and a plate with broken crystals. I then selected a big clean slightly yellowish piece of clean apophyllite to cut. When I'll be in the right mood... :lol:
1 euro for the crystal. I'll have to spend much more in chamomile tea to calm down while cutting (trying to) it, I guess.
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I then saw a (German only speaking) Chinese guy selling nice fluorite cleaved octahedron. I bought four of them (what a patience to find some almost clean ones...) for 2 euros.
I cut one of them (with so-so results...) and I then realized they are color-change. I was buying nice green fluorite (under fluorescent light), but under incendescent it is a purple-blue. A nice surprise.
Image

There was an Italian dealer selling Brazilian rough. He had the largest collection of ugly/worthless "imperial" topaz, chrysoberyl, andalusite pieces of rough I've ever seen. Impressive: not a single tiny piece was good... :)

Then I saw a lady selling Ethiopian opal and I found, after a good and long search, a chocolate and a slight yellow/colorless transparent (with play of colors) one, 14 euros for both the pieces. In the second one the good part is hidden, with some clear opal peeking out from one side, I hope the inside is as good as it seems to be. The chocolate is simply awesome. I have now to decide what to do with them.
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I also bought a bicolor tourmaline from a trusted vendor (fair prices, but no great deals), I had to break my "no more than 10$ a piece" (as an hobbyst I try to keep the costs low) rule, but for the occasional piece of rough I really like I can be flexible... (no pic of this one).

This is just to share what a frugal European amateur cutter can find after some careful search in local shows. I wish I could go to Tucson... When I was in US the first year I was still settling down then the following two editions I was really too busy with my job... I'm planning to go back to US in one year of two (it's one of my two options), so maybe... I'll be able to play the frugal European faceter in Tucson too! ;)
Cheers.

Marco


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 8:15 pm 
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8) looks like your "prospecting" at the mineral show resulted with some very nice purchases, maialetto!! 8) what are stone bonsais? bonsai trees made of stones? gems? lol, that does sound scary, "greened, irradiated kunzite!" nice topaz and love the ethiopian opal!! any pics yet of the fluorite you faceted?? :D


Last edited by gingerkid on Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:01 pm 
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Hi gingerkid,
no pics of the faceted fluorite since I'm planning to cut a better one! (maybe I'll recut this one too) I have a new idea for polishing I've to test (on some spare clear fluorite pieces)... :idea:

"Stone bonsai" are stuff like this:
Image
Am I the only one who finds them ugly? :D It's a matter of different tastes, I guess.

About green irradiated kunzite and irradaited topaz crystals, I remember on ebay was plenty some time ago. It's said they have the bad habit of fading to almost colorless or so... ;)

I'm happy with my purchases and this weekend I'll hopefully cut the big topaz. I'm thinking about a cool square barion design... There's an online design I really like. Yesterday I optimized the angles for topaz RI with BOG and I'm ready to dop!

I enjoy shows mostly because I can see the rough in person and talk with the vendors. It's good for learning too, that's why if there's a mineral show nearby I always try to go. Even looking at nice specimens itself is very pleasant. Verona is a nice show to attend if you are in the northern Italy. It's for sure not worth a longer trip, btw. But good enough to find a few pieces of facetable troublesome material for a few euros.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:36 pm 
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Hey you've done well maialetto.
Looking forward to your pretties when cut. :P
Those Bonsai's are just plain ol gem trees here. :mrgreen:

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Keep em comin!!! :)


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:04 pm 
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I can show you a preview of the topaz I cut a few days ago to test my new polishing technique (I didn't cut much topaz nor used frequently diamond till now, so I have some tests to run). It is (it WAS :) ) the crystal on the right in the pic above.
This is a quick snapshot (I had to take the pic under the worse lightning possible):
Image

Somehow less saturated in color, in person. These topazes photograph very well, I had to desaturate quite a bit to get close to realty.
It's a sort of modified emerald cut. Simply, corners are cut into two segments instead of one, as in the classic emerald cut. Just a little different.
Polishing turned out excellent.

But I'm looking forward to cut the BIG ONE! :twisted:


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:54 pm 
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maialetto wrote:
But I'm looking forward to cut the BIG ONE! :twisted:


8) will definitely be looking forward to seeing it, maialetto!! i love the cut of the topaz you posted, nice cut!! lol, those bonsai trees are, like moo haus says, it what we call gem trees, too, lol!! i have seen some that are really gorgeous!!! and expensive.


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