Report from Munich Mineral Show 2017

Author: Zbyněk Buřival
Published: 22.11.2018 05:35
Last updated: 26.01.2021 10:26

Munich show is probably the most important European mineral show. Munich 2017 was well worth it, many new mineral finds, many interesting mineral deals and offers.

I've dedicated whole 3 days to Munich show in 2017. However, it was still not enough and I have to plan better next year. I am very grateful to Lyudmila Cheschko from Mineralogical Almanac to help me with the show visit and overall hospitality.

Display of the fine amazonite and rhodochrosite specimens from Colorado
This display of the fine amazonite and rhodochrosite specimens from Colorado was one of the highlights of the Munich 2017 exhibition.

I've tried to compile some overview of Munich show 2017. Despite of 60+ photos in this article, it was not possible. Selection of photos is quite personal and I admit it is quite dominated by pegmatites and Alpine minerals. I did not notice some interesting specimens and some nice were not possible/allowed to photograph. You can also check out previous reports from Munich show 2015 and Munich show 2016.

Display with minerals for sale
Selection of fine minerals for sale.

New minerals

As usually, some new mineral finds were available at the Munich show. Very widespread were bright yellow brucites from Balochistan, Pakistan. Quite interesting were also blue cap elbaite-dravite crystals from Mwajanga, Tanzania. My attention cought also nice botryoidal chrysocolla from Katanga, Congo, nice blue apatite on cleavelandite from Golconda Mine, Brazil, and very dark vanadinites from Mibladen, Morocco. One of the highlights were new finds from pegmatites in Volodarsk, Ukraine - bicolor topaz, heliodors, and almost totally black morion. Nice were also dark green fluorites with white aragonite coatings from Diana Maria Mine, UK. Also various new interesting finds from Rubtsovsk, Myanmar, Peru and Brazil were available.

Dark tourmalines with blue caps from Mwajanga, Tanzania
Dark tourmalines with blue caps from Mwajanga, Tanzania. Botryoidal chrysocolla from Katanga, Congo
Nice botryoidal chrysocolla from Katanga, Congo.

There still were plenty of minerals popular last year - amethysts from Las Vigas, Mexico; alexandrites from Tanzania; wolframites and cassiterites from Peru. Unfortunately, alpine minerals were in my opinion not that good as last year.

Cluster of bicolor topaz crystals on cleavelandite from Volodarsk, Ukraine
Big cluster of bicolor topaz crystals on cleavelandite from Volodarsk, Ukraine. Dark smoky quartz and huge topaz from Volodarsk, Ukraine
Very dark smoky quartz (left) and huge topaz (right) from Volodarsk, Ukraine. Rough bicolor gemmy topaz from Volodarsk, Ukraine
Big piece of bicolor gemmy topaz from Volodarsk, Ukraine. Faceted bicolor gemmy topaz from Volodarsk, Ukraine
Same bicolor topaz as above - faceted. Faceted heliodor (beryl) from Volodarsk, Ukraine
Faceted heliodor from Volodarsk, Ukraine. Rough and faceted aquamarine and heliodor from Volodarsk, Ukraine
Rough aquamarine and heliodor from Volodarsk, Ukraine (left). Necklace made of gems from Volodarsk, Ukraine (right). Amazonite and smoky quartz clusters from Colorado, USA
Top amazonite and smoky quartz clusters from Colorado, USA. Nothe the amazonite twinning on the right picture. Minerals of lithium LCT pegmatites from California, USA
Selection of killer specimens from LCT pegmatites of California, USA. Zoned tourmaline from San Diego area, California, USA
Sixpack zoned tourmaline from San Diego area, California, USA. Gemmy elbaites from Brazil
Great quality and gemmy elbaites from Brazil. Blue apatite on cleavelandite from Golconda Mine, Brazil
New blue apatite on cleavelandite from Golconda Mine, Brazil. Rubellite and quartz crystals from Cruzeiro Mine, Brazil
Gemmy rubellite on big quartz crystal from Cruzeiro Mine, Brazil. Smoky quartz with spessartine from Tongbei, China
Very nice smoky quartz with spessartine from Tongbei, China. Garnet crystal on albite from Skardu, Pakistan
Big garnet crystal on white albite (not orthoclase) from Skardu, Pakistan. Aquamarine crystals from Pakistan
Great aquamarine specimens from Pakistan. Feldspars, quartz, topaz and green herderite from Dassu, Pakistan
Very interesting cluster of feldspars, quartz, topaz and green herderite from Dassu, Pakistan. Beryllonite, K-feldspar and albite from Kunar, Afghanistan
Beryllonite and albite sitting on the huge K-feldspar from Kunar, Afghanistan. Pink kunzite (spodumene) crystal with green elbaite from Afghanistan
Nice pink kunzite (spodumene) crystal coverad with green elbaite from Afghanistan. Elbaite and spodumene crystals from Afghanistan
Great elbaite and spodumene specimens from Afghanistan. Elbaite and aquamarine crystals from Afghanistan
Truly killer elbaite and aquamarine specimens from Afghanistan. Alpine minerals for sale
Selection of nice Alpine minerals for sale. Smoky quartz with hematite from Cavradischlucht, Switzerland
Big cluster of pale smoky quartz with hematite from Cavradischlucht, Switzerland. Amethyst and hematite crystals from Cavradischlucht, Switzerland
Nice amethyst and hematite clusters from Cavradischlucht, Switzerland. Closed gwindel of smoky quartz from Goms, Switzerland
Smoky quartz closed gwindel from Goms, Switzerland. Smoky quartz and fluorite from Planggenstock, Switzerland
Display with specimens from famous find at Planggenstock, Switzerland. Smoky quartz and fluorite from Planggenstock, Switzerland
Big smoky quartz and fluorite from Planggenstock, Switzerland. Smoky quartz and fluorite from Planggenstock, Switzerland
Gemmy quartz and big fluorite from Planggenstock, Switzerland. Titanite crystals on albite from Habachtal, Austria
Great titanite cluster from Habachtal, Austria. Emerald and aquamarine from Habachtal, Austria
Interesting mix of emerald and aquamarine from Habachtal, Austria. Skeletal quartz and epidote on albite from Hohe Tauern, Austria
Great skeletal quartz and epidote on albite from Hohe Tauern, Austria. Native gold specimens from Brusson, Italy
Selection of big gold specimens from Brusson, Italy. Gold from Brusson, Italy and layered malachite and azurite
Gold from Brusson, Italy (left) and layered malachite and azurite (I still think its chrysocolla!). Azurite and malachite from China
Very famous piece of azurite and malachite from China. Wulfenite from Mezica, Slovenia
Big cluster of wulfenite from Mezica, Slovenia. Malchite, azurite, tetrahedrite pseudomorphs
Malachite after azurite from Tsumeb (left) and azurite after tetrahedrite, Isere, France (right). Dioptase and calcite from Tsumeb, Namibia
Dioptase and calcite from Tsumeb, Namibia. Descloizite crystals from Namibia
Nice descloizite specimen from Namibia. Twinned cerussite crystals from Tsumeb, Namibia
Big snowflake cerussite from Tsumeb, Namibia. Cuprite and smithsonite from Tsumeb, Namibia
Cuprite crystals on green smithsonite from Tsumeb, Namibia. Stibnite crystals from China
Huge stibnite cluster from China. Native gold specimens from Eagle's Nest Mine, California, USA
Selection of big gold specimens from Eagle's Nest Mine, California, USA. Rhodochrosite with fluorite, chalcopyrite and tetrahedrite from Sweet Home Mine, Colorado, USA
Rhodochrosite with fluorite, chalcopyrite and tetrahedrite from Sweet Home Mine, Colorado, USA. Rhodochrosite from N'Chwaning Mine, South Africa
Perfect color of rhodochrosite from N'Chwaning Mine, South Africa. Amethyst crystals from Las Vigas, Mexico
Amethyst from Las Vigas, Mexico. Amethyst geode with calcite crystals from Uruguay
Amethyst geode with calcite crystals from Uruguay. Amethyst from Goboboseb, Namibia and gemmy K-feldspar from Madagascar
Deep violet amethyst from Goboboseb, Namibia (left) and gemmy feldspar (orthoclase or sanidine) from Madagascar (right). Green andradite crystals from Madagascar
Very nice green andradite from Madagascar. Gemmy diopside from Merelani, Tanzania
Excellent gemmy diopside from Merelani, Tanzania. Various fluorite specimens from Italy
Selection of fluorites from Italy. Green fluorite specimens from Rogerley Mine, UK
Typical green fluorite from Rogerley Mine, UK. Herkimer diamond quartz from Bransom Mine, New York, USA
Herkimer diamond (quartz!) from Bransom Mine, New York, USA. Calcite crystals from Mexico
Calcite (and probably baryte or pseudomorph of baryte) from Mexico. Calcite from China
Interesting natural calcite "vase" from China. Rough and faceted diamonds from China
Diamonds from China are quite interesting. Faceted scheelite from China
Two big faceted scheelites from China. Huge analcime from Tunguska, Russia and double japan law twin of quartz
Huge analcime from Tunguska, Russia (left) and double japan law twin of quartz (right). Hessonite crystals from Jeffrey Mine, Canada
Gemmy hessonite from Jeffrey Mine, Canada imperial topaz on matrix from Brazil and crystal of fosgenite from Sardinia, Italy
Big imperial topaz on matrix from Brazil (left) and big crystal of fosgenite from Sardinia, Italy (right). Precious opal pseudomorph from White Cliffs, NSW, Australia
Precious opal pseudomorph (after calcite?) from White Cliffs, NSW, Australia.

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