January 24 Through February 4—TUCSON, ARIZONA: Annual show
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 Post subject: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:23 pm 
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I have just returned from the most awesome Gem Tour I have ever been on. The pace was fast, but the organization was flawless. In addition to touring famous sites of Moscow, like Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin, Lenin's Tomb and GUM (a spectacular shopping mall built in the late 1800s), we visited the Moscow Kremlin Diamond Fund, Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Alrosa Diamonds, The Assay Office in Moscow, the University of Moscow's Gemological Department and Certification Center, "Golden Room" of the Urals Mineral Museum, Pelepenko Mineral Museum and famous ACTIVE gem mines in the Urals:
Malysheva Emerald Mines
Lipkova Pegmatites
Karkodino Demantoid Mine

A couple pf pics:

Here we are by the entrance to the Crocroite Mine (Type Locality - Berezovsk, Urals). The descent included a 30m ladder climb down a hole. I must admit, after I looked down the narrow, black, damp hole leading to the mine, I took off the gear and remained behind with the camp dogs. :oops:
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left to right starting and ending in yellow gear:Alistir Tait, Sergey Kropantsev, Barbra Voltaire, Maria Alferova, Louise Johnson, Brian Jackson, Mac Heatlie.


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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:28 pm 
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seems a cool trip!!!

Barbra Voltaire wrote:
A couple pf pics:


where's the 2nd??.........where's the others??? :D

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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:58 pm 
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Alberto wrote:
where's the 2nd??.........where's the others??? :D

Takes a little time to organize. :D

The trip coordinators were Brian Jackson (Research Curator of Mineralogy, Scotland Natural Science Museum, Edinburgh) and Maria Alferova, PhD (curator and gem-expert at the Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Moscow):
Image
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Brian and I at the Karkodino Demantoid Mine
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One of the fabulous malachite objects at the Urals Mineral Museum:
Image

Digging through the Emerald Dump....some good specimens were found.
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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:50 pm 
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Sure seems a sweet trip. Would love to have gone.

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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:31 pm 
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It's possible (perhaps probable) that the trip will be done again.
If I hear anything about it, I'll let you know.


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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:43 pm 
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Sounds amazing, thanks for sharing some pictures! (I want that malachite table.... =P~ )

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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 12:05 am 
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Cool trip Barbra, i bet you had so much fun.

Jason you dare to go without me after everything we discussed :lol: :mrgreen:

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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:32 am 
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Hope he didn't wear the kilt going down that ladder, he still had to climb back up. :wink:

Gosh that was a quickie Barbra, certainly full on tho. Glad it was a success.

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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:44 am 
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I would be interested too if I have the opportunity. I'm envious already...

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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 10:11 am 
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Imagine you would have gone down that hole and then had to climb back up behind Brian in his kilt... :shock:

hehe...

Edit: damn, I'm echoing hoose... didn't read that bit...

Sounds cool Barbra! Did you bring back a nice demantoid?


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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 10:24 am 
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I did find an interesting cluster with small demantoids and chromite.
BUT, it needs to exit the country via official regulations and will be posted to me later....same with the small emerald and aquamarine xls I found.

I was able to purchase a small cluster of alexandrite xls associated with the emerald schists and bring that home....as well as 2 crocroite specimens from the type locality that were given to me by the mine manager cause he felt sorry for me staying behind with the camp dogs.

Score!


Oh, notice Brian was wearing jeans on Crocroite Day and a kilt on Demantoid Day. :D


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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:59 am 
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LOL Tim, we'll just call it 'Great minds..." :wink:
But did you notice Barbra popping her head up over the rubble and the smile on her face in the other pic? Where's Brian at?

Look forward to seeing the crystal pics when they arrive! :P

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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2011 7:14 pm 
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Quote:
But did you notice Barbra popping her head up over the rubble and the smile on her face in the other pic? Where's Brian at?


Taking the picture...... :wink:


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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:00 am 
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:lol:

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 Post subject: Re: SGA's Russian Gem Tour 2011
PostPosted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 10:19 am 
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Here is a shot of my crocroite specimen:
Image
Crocroite is a lead chromate, a secondary mineral of oxidized lead veins infiltrated by Cr bearing fluids. Locality: Berezoeff Mine, Urals, Russia (TYPE LOCALITY)


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