Ouro Preto

It has been quite a while since my last blog post. The truth is, I felt like a lot of what I was doing on a regular basis with rocks and minerals was repetitive and I didn't have a lot of good new information to share. I didn't want to post just for the sake of posting. Recently I got to do some new things that are worth sharing.
I have been doing business with minerals from the Minas Gerais region of Brazil for a long time. Soledade in Rio Grande do Sul is still probably the best place to go shopping for minerals. Not only is there a great selection of local minerals, but it is also a "one-stop-shop" for minerals from all over Brazil, with lots of stuff from Minas Gerais and even Uruguay,Argentina, Peru, etc. Since Minas Gerais is such a long way from where I live, I had dealt with material from Minas Gerais with dealers from the south that brought it down or in Tucson, where there are several good dealers from Minas.
Last month I took a trip up to Minas and got to see a lot of stuff with my own eyes. After flying in to Belo Horizonte I drove to Ouro Preto. Ouro Preto (which means Black Gold) is an amazing little city. It was the heart of the Brazilian gold rush. It was called Black Gold because the gold was covered in Palladium. To avoid sending the gold to Portugal, much of the gold was kept locally by donating it to the Catholic church. The city has several Baroque churches, many layered in gold on the inside.
Let me start of by saying that Ouro Preto is not where you want to go to buy minerals today. The city is a bit of a tourist trap, so most of the minerals are low quality and high price. The only exception is for imperial topaz. I believe the only imperial topaz mines are in the area. But even there - I would only buy if you know what you are doing. Crooks abound! There is no longer any gold mining to speak of, but there is some iron ore mining in the surrounding area. The science museum has a very nice (but not very well maintained) mineral collection worth checking out.
The architecture throughout the city is amazing. There are tons of quaint hotels and B&Bs, as well as nice cafes and restaurants (if you like the local fare- surprisingly lacking in international cuisine for such a tourist location). An interesting characteristic of Ouro Preto is the "Republicas." These are sort of a cross between dorms and "frat-houses." Most Brazilians don't live away from their family during university, but live at home and go to school localy. Ouro Preto is an exception and has a large Federal University that attracts students from all over the country. The Republicas are set up in very cool old colonial buildings and often have interesting names like "Necrotério" (The Morgue) and "Delinquentes" (Delinquents). Eveidently each Republica has it's own traditions, hazing, and allumni reunions, much like fraternities or sororities in the USA.
Overall, Ouro Preto is a must see destination if you come to Minas Gerais and want to know about the rich mining history of the region. However, keep your money in your pocket to spend in other places, unless imperial topaz happens to be your thing. In my next post I will talk about Governador Valadares and Teófilo Otoni.

Tucson Gem and Mineral- Why do you go? What is your plan?

2010 was my 5th year to go to Tucson and my 4th year as an exhibitor. As anyone who has been to the Tucson show can attest, the first time it's all a bit overwhelming. I probably took me 3 years to get Tucson "figured out." There is always more to learn, but I have a good feel for things. While there is no shortage of material to blow your mind, I often am more impressed by the other side of the equation- the buyers. There are so many kinds of people who buy in Tucson for so many different reasons. Becoming familiar with these reasons has helped me offer better service. Rockhounds, decorators, collectors, artisans, jewelers, museum buyers, gift shops - each has their own set of needs and agenda. Now that I better understand the why, my next objective is to understand the how. There are over 30 venues and hundreds and hundreds of dealers in Tucson. I am curious to understand how people go about deciding where to go and who to buy from. I'd love to receive your comment on this. Please specify what type of buyer you are (retail, wholesale, jewelry, specimen, etc.) and tell me how you go about the buying process. Do you use the guide books? If so which one? What do you use as your search criteria- company name, type of material, visual adds? Do you research online for dealers or venues before you go? Do dealers you have bought from in the past stay in touch with a mailing list or something like that? Do you pay attention to adds on billboards, guides, etc. ? Do you browse new dealers intentionally or do you go to your "regulars" and only stop at at new place if it catches your eye? I know it's a lot of questions, but I'd love your imput.

On a separate note, I enjoyed this year's show at the Inn Suites with my friends at Rockology. It's a great venue with several dealers offering good variety and quality. It's less crowded and crazy than the shows in the hotels off of the freeway, has free parking, and decent food vendors. The first picture is from a Uruguayan dealer across the parking lot from me, and the second picture is of the inside of the Rockology booth.

Tucson 2010 - New Location!

Happy 2010 to everyone! The new year has begun and the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is upon us. The official dates of the show are January 30 - February 17th. Many dealers will be set up a few days earlier (we should be set up on the 27th or 28th). I will be helping my client Rockology at their booth. The past 3 years Rockology has been at the Mineral and Fossil Marketplace. We are very excited to be at the Arizona Mineral & Fossil Show at Hotel Tucson City Center (formerly InnSuites) this year. Commonly called the InnSuites show, this show is very well respected for the high quality dealers there. Rockology is confident it will contribute to maintain that tradition of high quality minerals. Please come by and visit. We will be in tent 11B. A floor plan is available here. We are just to the left of the main entrance, across the lawn from Moussa.