#TGS - Arizona Mineral & Fossil Show - Inn Suites

This show continues to be THE venue for the finest minerals and fossils from around the world! Vendors from Russia, Morocco, Germany, Brazil, Madagascar, Spain and more...


You enter through a display of some of the most magnificent Uraguayan Amethyst in every form - individual crystals, crystal clusters and my favorite the Geodes.



In the photo you can see why - they slice the top of the geode to expose the crystals (usually the Amethyst has a few Calcite crystals growing with it) - then assemble them in this clamshell manner - wouldn't this be the coolest water feature on a patio???









First stop my favorite mineral dealer - Fabre Minerals - Jordi Fabre is a familiar name in the Mineral Collecting community - his forum has come to be as well respected as his reputation as a dealer of fine minerals.

Fabre Minerals - Room 164

Fine Mineral Specimens for the Quality Collector
http://www.fabreminerals.com/

Take a minute to check out his website and to join the forum (available in a Spanish or English version)...I have learned so much from the collectors, miners and museum curators that frequent the site! The forum has a Tucson Gem Show thread - click the link on the home page.


Agates From Argentina

Ricardo & Claudia Birnie

Room 223
http://agatesfromargentina.com/

Beautiful Agates and really lovely people!!!



Upstairs in the Lobby area is a really special display in the "Artists Gallery" - artists like Kirk Norlin - Greg Wooten and the lovely man in the hat Leo Atkinson.




Leo is a self taught lapidary artist turned sculptor.
The geometric lines of the pseudomorph in the lighted piece shown obviously impressed a collector - as it SOLD!!!

Leo Atkinson

http://leoatkinson.com/




The sculpure was also continued around the pool with amazing sculpture by Damien Jones (http://damienjonesart.net/) and there was an artist that did Tiffany - Style Agate Lamps!





These smiling faces greeted me at the door for Maxilla & Mandible - Rooms 404-406

http://maxillaandmandible.com/

The work is by CM Studio http://cmstudio.com/







The ballroom was Fossil Central with full dinosaurs for sale - it was a paleo dream!!!!







Canadian Ammonlite from:

Canada Fossils
http://canadafossils.com/







...and the lovely Robin (with her face obscured by the lamp) with the vendor Terry Williams - Native Northwest Designs - carvings, art and jewelry - I love the carved figure of Ganesh.