NSW minerals centrepiece to world's largest gem show

The NSW Government’s contribution to the world’s largest mineral show was the jewel in the crown.

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in Arizona, which this year had the theme of “Australia – Minerals from Down Under”, showcases some of the world’s rarest and amazing mineral specimens.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries Principal Geologist John Chapman described reaction to our minerals collection at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in Arizona as incredibly positive.

The NSW display of over 30 mineral specimens, which used to be housed in the Geological Mining Museum in Sydney, helped highlight Australia’s rich mineral heritage.

Some of the specimens date back as far as the 1800’s.

The NSW display, worth more than $125,000, included cerussite; azurite; smithsonite; native copper and pyromorphite.

The idea behind the display was not only to promote the diverse range of minerals we have in New South Wales but also the exploration activities especially in the west of the State.

This was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the fantastic minerals we have to the rest of the world in this minerals extravaganza.

There was keen interest in the NSW minerals, which are known to be world class, especially from the curators of American museums.

The show is now in its 53rd year and this was the first time Australia had been such a significant feature.

The show had around 3,700 exhibitors and was open to the public and industry attracting in excess of 90,000 people over the four day period.

Private and government collections were displayed at the show along with collections from some of the world’s most prominent museums.