ABOUT
US
In 1996 Helen, Sandra
and Fred went on a trip to Western North Carolina in hope of
collecting rubies, sapphires and any other minerals. It was Helen and Sandra’s first experience collecting minerals,
but Fred had been there many years before. After two days, each
with a handful of “precious stones”, we were all hooked. We joined the Connecticut Valley Mineral Club based in Springfield,
Massachusetts to satisfy our thirst for more knowledge and of course
the opportunity to search for more minerals. We acquired some used lapidary equipment and quite a batch of old but
beautiful rough and after some professional tutoring and guidance from
a fellow member of our club, began to cut a considerable amount of
cabs. Fred, being an artist all of his life, was certainly an asset.
What started out as a hobby was quickly turning into a small business.
It consumed our lives very quickly. Collecting minerals became an
obsession and we started doing shows to make our wares available. It
didn’t take long for Fred’s profession as an artist to mix with our
love for minerals and we developed a line of mineral paintings. A
quickly growing demand for originals as well as limited edition
prints, at a few major shows made us decide to establish this web
site. Fred does numerous commissioned paintings and illustrated a book on the Palermo Mines in New Hampshire
and has established himself as a leading Mineral Artist. Helen,
our business manager, devotes much of her time to doing the computer work.
It’s not unusual
to find us “digging” at numerous sites all over New England and
Canada.
WHO WE ARE
“The Artist”.. He’s on the drawing board more often than not. But an
obsession with minerals will find him in the field whenever he can
sneak out. Then there’s photographing products for our site,
mounting specimens and doing the mineral shows. His love for the
outdoors since he was a little more than a toddler gave him a firm
understanding of nature and it’s many creations. He has painted
landscapes and wildlife for over 40 years. His mineral art paintings
are a new challenge and give him a chance to broaden his horizons.
Click here
for biography...
“The organizer”..
Helen our business manager keeps the us on track preparing for shows, servicing the
Web Site, greeting people at shows and making sure Fred doesn't wander
too far from his drawing board. She has a knack for laying out the
show booth to make it easier for visitors to enjoy our offerings.
Her energy level and enthusiasm seems to be endless. She can be
found at the computer sending e-mails to clients, typing lists and
correspondence into the wee hours of the night. She's at all of
the shows greeting people with a smile. She has an impressive
mineral collection, specializing in Quartz. Many of her most
prized specimens have been self collected on many trips throughout the
country. Her knowledge of minerals and gemstones is a great
asset.
We take great pleasure working in art and minerals, and we hope
you enjoy your visit with us.
We do a few Gem and
Minerals Shows each year.
You can find us at the following
Shows:
-
July 16 & 17,
2016
Herkimer Gem Show
Herkimer High School
801 W. German St.
Herkimer, New York
Sat. 9 - 5 and Sun. 9 - 5
-
August 12,
13, 14, 2016
East Coast Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show
Better Living Center
West Springfield, Massachusetts
Fri. & Sat. 10 - 6 and Sun. 10 - 5
-
March
25 & 26, 2017
Western Mass Mineral, Jewelry and Fossil Show
Hadley Farms Meeting House at Hampton Village Barn Shops
41 Russell St., (Route 9)
Hadley, Massachusetts 01035
Exit 19 off I-91 North - South take Exit 20 then 1 mile East on Rt.
9 / Hadley
Sat. 9:30 - 5 and Sun. 10 - 4
May 12 - 14, 2017
New England Mineral Conference
Grand Summit Resort Hotel & Conference
Sunday River
Newry, Maine
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