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Featured Galleries   Uncut Diamond Crystals Mineral Specimens Gem Minerals Connoisseur Minerals     Pedigreed Minerals Customer Favorites My Best Minerals Quartz Crystals Gold, Silver, Copper Classic Localities	Mineral of the Week #61103, Vesuvianite, Jeffrey Mine, Canada (lc) $450	Online order form Visit our other galleries with the links below: New Listings1A New Listings1B New Listins2 New Listings3 New Listings4 Featured Galleries My Best Minerals Classic Minerals Gem Minerals Natural Diamonds Historic & Pedigreed Crystal Oddities Overlooked Treasures Large Decorator-Sized Books & Magazines Mineral/Locality-Index Boxed Sets Gift Ideas Locality Galleries New England States New York & New Jersey Mid-Atlantic States Midwest States Arizona & New Mexico Rocky Mountain States Western States Canada Mexico Brazil & South America Britain & North Atlantic Europe Russia & former USSR India,_Pakistan_&_Afghanistan China, Japan & Pacific Rim Africa Tsumeb Mine, Namibia Minerals from Type Localities Mineral Categories Apatite & Phosphates Barite, Celestine & Sulfates Calcite Azurite, Malachite & Carbonates Fluorite & Halides Garnets Gold, Silver & Elements Magnetite, Hematite & Oxides Quartz Silicates Galena, Pyrite & Sulfides/Sulfosalts Tourmalines Zeolites and Associated Wulfenite & Molbdates, Arsenates, Vanadates Fluorescent Minerals Laguna Agates Liddicoatite Tourmaline Tanzanite Pseudomorphs Diamond Crystals Diamonds $1-$199 Diamonds $200-$399 Diamonds $400-$999 Diamonds $1000+ Diamonds under 1 carat Diamonds 1-2 carats Diamonds 2-5 carats Diamonds over 5 carats Diamond Crystal Clusters Gem-grade Diamonds Diamonds for Jewelry Sawn slices of zoned diamonds Sorted Lists of all Minerals on this site Sorted by Price Sorted by Size Sorted by Species Sorted by Number Best Minerals Minerals $100-$199 Minerals $200-$399 Minerals $400-$999 Minerals $1000 and up
Information Purchasing Information Feedback Your Comments Frequently Asked Questions Returning Items for Refund Damaged Packages Shipping Costs Quantity Discounts Security Sell Your Rock & Mineral Collection. Why should I sign your Guestbook? Quick Reference for Mineral Species, Formula, Class, and Type Locality List of Water Soluble Mineral Species Mineral List Available Upon Request Contact	News and Comments While at the NYC Mineral Show last weekend, I was explaining to a novice how the locality of a mineral affects the price. I was using two wulfenite specimens of similar size and explaing how the wulfenite from the Red Cloud Mine, Arizona was 10 times the price of a wulfenite from Touissit, Morocco. I caught an older collector out of the corner of my eye smirking and shaking his head in disbelief. I believe his reaction was to the high prices of the Red Cloud wulfenite and he was thinking about when they were available for $50. But I also believe he was in denial that mineral prices have escalated. Everything goes up in price over time. As a buyer of old mineral collections, I frequently see older prices. The best rule of thumb, based on my experience, is that minerals double in price every 10 years (equaling 7.2% inflation). When a mine closes, there is no longer a steady supply new specimens. It is comparable to when an artist dies and his paintings go up in value. The supply cannot meet the demand and prices are higher. That is why Red Cloud  Mine wulfenite is more expensive now. That is why Illinois fluorite is more expensive now. That is why Kelly Mine smithsonite is more expensive now. That is why Tsumeb Mine cerussite, smithsonite, azurite is more expensive now. Additionally the Internet makes it possible for local miners in Pakistan, Brazil, Mexico, Sri Lanka, etc. to know what the retail value is of the minerals they are finding. No longer can the US gringos pay $1 for a mineral in their country and sell it for $100 in the US. Now those miners want $100 for it at the mine. The collector that was listening should recognize that prices have escalated. He should update his records so his heirs know that a $50 specimen acquired in 1959 may be worth $3500 today. John Sinkankas, the noted author and mineral collector kept an index card for each specimen in his collection and he frequently updated the value of the specimen on his index cards so he and his family knew the value of his collection. As an older collector, you can be surprised, incredulous, amazed, saddened by the changes in mineral prices. But you should not be ignorant of these changes -- they are real and here to stay. John Betts 2/25/2014 Click here to read past news and commentaries...
Click here to see other comments about this site by customers. Also add your feedback...	Customer Comments: "The Samarskite-(Y) specimen arrived in good shape today. You did an outstanding job of packing it. I surely wish others would be as careful as you are. That and the high quality for reasonable cost are why you are still in business, though." Bob M. "I spent a couple of evenings searching for these gifts and you have, far and away, the most professionally presented, easy to use web site." Gerard  M. "It was great to finally meet you today at the Springfield Show. I have been following and doing some minor purchasing from your site for years. I'm not a major collector by any means, but when I buy online, you and only one other are the dealers I trust (Geologic Desires). You actually price specimens at Earthly rates :). Thanks for the fair prices, keen insight and the time you took with me today. I will enjoy my pink elbaite for years to come and it will help brighten up my black ugly collection. Also, I purchased your dravite-uvite from Powers Farm (#44538) a while back and it's uniqueness, quality and historical value are tops. It's still my favorite specimen for these reasons. Hope your trip back to NYC wasn't too hectic." Sincerely, Bryan M. See more comments...
About the Owner Background Information Why I Collect Minerals Contact Information Mineral Show Schedule Links   See me next at: Rochester Mineralogical Symposium, April 24-27, 2014	Pledge to My Customers: Customer satisfaction is my primary goal. I pledge: New minerals will be added to this site every week. All minerals offered will be naturally crystallized specimens - no fakes, no dyes,  no irradiation, no crystals glued on matrix. Only the exact item pictured on the site will be shipped - no substitutes. Photographs will accurately represent each item - no exaggeration, enhancement or retouching flaws. Mineral species and localities will be accurately listed on labels with each specimen. All items will be shipped via US Postal Service, usually the next business day after the order is finalized. Each mineral will be individually wrapped and carefully packaged to prevent damage during shipping. All historic labeling, if available, will be included with each mineral. Returns are gladly accepted. No questions asked, no explanation necessary. All customer information will be kept confidential and never shared or sold. I will continue to freely share my knowledge with others and contribute to the study and appreciation of minerals. All mineral specimens have a lifetime guarantee: if the mineral specimen is ever tested, and I incorrectly identified the mineral species, I will refund the cost of the original purchase & shipping, the cost return shipping and the cost of the test.  John H. Betts, owner Mineral dealer since 1989
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since this site opened in 1997.

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John Betts - Fine Minerals, New York, NY
a division of allminerals.com, dealer of Fine Minerals and Natural Crystal Clusters since 1989.
Internet sales only - No showroom

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