Big in minerals this year!

That is big in both senses: quality and size. On the size front, we recently bought an exceptional collection that includes a large number of bigger specimens. This collection was put together between 1975 and 1995 and includes many specimens that we sold to the collector. As a result of the period over which it was created it includes an excellent selection of specimens from the Iberian peninsular, and especially from Panasqueira. Many of the specimens are of a type that it is now impossible to obtain (except from collections like this) due to the low production at the mines where they were found.

That huge purchase has not stopped us from including our normal selection of high quality worldwide material. As is now normal, among these is material from China and exceptional small and medium sized 'American style' specimens.

We suggest that before the show you visit our last updates page:

http://www.fabreminerals.com/webupdate/

where you can see some of the specimens that we will offer during Munich 03

We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you in Munich, where we will be in our usual position of the end wall table A5.731, Hall A5. We can then get together and enjoy the beauty of the products of mother earth!

Glück Auf,

Jordi Fabre

 

A few weeks ago Jordi Fabre added the news to his Web site about his recent purchase of a collection (a classic one it appeared) that included notable examples of Spanish and Portuguese material, as well as specimens from elsewhere in the world. The Museum of Natural Sciences quickiy asked for the opportunity of having the collection 'reserved' for a short period so that we could look into the possibility of buying the Spanish and Portuguese parts of the collection.

This collection reflects an extraordinary period in the mineralogy of the Iberian peninsular, that between 1975 and 1990. Many mineral lovers do not know (possibly because they are too young) what went on during this period in Panasqueira or what came from the pockets found in La Cabaña, Berbes during the 80s. I can assure you that the finds that Jordi dealt with during that period, and which some Spanish collectors bought, were really exceptional.

The reason for this message is to thank Jordi, publicly, for the allowance he gave this museum of the people so that we had the time to go through the tedious and difficult process of getting government support for our purchase of some 'rocks'.

Surprisingly, the result was positive. Please believe me that this was a surprise firstly to me, possibly secondly to Jordi, and certainly thirdly to all those who saw the material in Bilbao. I say this because I'm proud that a Spanish public entity, especially at the current time, had the foresight to objectively evaluate a purchase of this special nature.

I know that the collectors who saw the typical samples of this collection during the Bilbao show will be sad that they cannot buy any of them in order to add them to their collections, but I also know that most of them, if not all of them, will be pleased that such a homogeneous and impeccable collection will not be broken up and will remain available for all to see in this modest, but very pleasant, public museum in the provinces.

I know that this may not mean much, but over the next few years all the lovers of Iberian minerals will have, here in Victoria, the result of the extraordinary work of two people: Jordi Fabre who helped gather the specimens together and the anonymous collector who was able, during a period of his life, to create this unique and incredible collection.

True thanks are owed to both of you. And also a thank you to those friends who have had the patience and desire to wait, in this case in vane, for the real and marvelous adventure of building a collection that follows their own dream.

Best regards

Jesús Alonso,
Museo de Ciencias Naturales