Volcanoes and Emeralds

I've had the privilege to give lectures worldwide at shows, club meetings and retreats. I've also done videos and DVDs including Russian Gem Treasures, shot in Russia and another associated with the Smithsonian about American gem mines.

- BOB JONES

My last lecturing activity was with Bluecap Productions as cohost at the annual shows in Tucson and Munich, Germany. While doing all this I've come across all sorts of funny, scary and strange events which I'd like to share which you.

COLLECTING STIBNITE IN MEXICO

Bill Panczner and I used to spend days and weeks in Mexico collecting. On one monthlong trip accompanied by Bill's son Chris and my son Evan, we went to the silver mine at Fresnillo where we knew stibnite had been found. We hoped to collect specimens of it for the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.

The mine superintendent guided us underground to the working face. As we walked along a tunnel with walls of solid sulfide minerals, we saw some small scraps of stibnite crystals on the floor. They had come from an open pocket about 20 feet up the wall. Without a ladder, we were out of luck until the superintendent left us and brought back a front-loader bulldozer. The driver dropped the bucket and Chris and Evan climbed in and were lifted to the crystal pocket so they could collect specimens. After a bit, I insisted they come down so Bill and I could have a turn at the stibnite.

We collected a modest number of specimens for the museum. But we had a problem. We had not planned on collecting on the initial walk. Luckily, there were some empty explosives cartons and sheets of packing paper left from earlier mining activities.