MSA MEETING PROGRAM & PLACE
Franciscan Renewal Center, (Piper Hall),
October 20th, 2022 @ 7.30 pm Arizona time
"Paramelaconite from Bisbee - The type locality for an ultra-rare copper mineral”
Presented by Mr. Evan Jones
EVAN JONES, Melissa Jones photo.
PARAMELACONITE, 2.5 cm, Czar Mine, Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona, USA.
Collected 1890, Evan & Melissa Jones Collection, Jeff Scovil Photo.
OCTOBER meeting is on 3rd Thursday.
* No refreshments
MEETING will be In-Person and Zoom.
The MSA October 20th program will be presented by MSA Sponsor & Partner, Mr. Evan Jones, "Paramelaconite from Bisbee - The type locality for an ultra-rare copper mineral.” Paramelaconite is an extremely rare tetragonal copper oxide species of which Bisbee is the type locality having been found there in 1890. This created quite a stir amongst mineralogists at the time and the scant number of specimens recovered were marketed by Philadelphia dealer Dr. A. E. Foote. No subsequent specimens were ever recovered at Bisbee in the following 85 years, though small amounts were later found in Michigan, Mexico and Congo, none of which compare in quality to the original find. Since the 19th century, paramelaconite has acquired near-mythical status among collectors of copper minerals and Bisbee specialists. For many years only two or three significant examples from Bisbee were thought to exist until Rock Currier discovered and acquired one from Bryn Mawr College in the 1970's. The specimen is the only known piece of note in private hands and was later acquired by local collector Evan Jones. This set him on a journey of discovery into this rare and interesting mineral species.
Evan Jones is a longtime mineral collector and dealer and son of MSA Past President and well-known author Bob Jones. Evan started collecting minerals at age 9 and with his father, visited museums, attended mineral shows, went on collecting trips and visited mineral dealers from an early age. A graduate of the geology program at ASU in Tempe, Arizona, Evan has been a full-time mineral dealer since 1986 and is currently co-owner of the fine mineral dealership Unique Minerals, Inc. His collection of Arizona minerals is considered one of the finest in the world. Evan has attended every Tucson Gem & Mineral Show since 1981 and won several awards including Walt Lidstrom, Miguel Romero and Dick Bideaux trophies. Evan helped organize the TGMS “Arizona Mineral Treasures" Arizona Centennial exhibition at the 2012 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, organized the first Arizona supplement to the Mineralogical Record magazine "Mineral Collections in Arizona", was on the advisory board of the UArizona Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum in Tucson, a founding member of the Arizona Mineral Minions group and on the board of the Flagg Mineral Foundation. Evan has written articles for Mineralogical Record, LAPIS, Mineralien-Welt magazines and given talks around the country on the subject of Arizona and Mexican minerals, mines and history. He recently was awarded the Best Article of 2021 in Mineralogical Record magazine by Friends of Mineralogy for his article on the Milpillas Mine in Mexico.
MSA's 2nd Phoenix Heritage Gem & Mineral Show at Radisson Hotel Phoenix Airport on November 5-6, 2022 will feature Evan Jones, Red Cloud wulfenite on show poster and in a special exhibit. Photo by Jeff Scovil.
Official Arizona Campaign Wulfenite--MSA used Evan's wulfenite in successful campaign to make Wulfenite the Official State Mineral of Arizona in 2017.
Evan will be a featured mineral dealer at MSA's 2nd Show at Radisson November 5-6, 2022!
Mark your calendar to attend MSA's November 2022 Show to purchase commemorative show poster for $10.00 signed by Evan Jones and Jeff Scovil!
Mark the date on your calendars as Mineralogical Society of Arizona is honored to host EVAN JONES for his very special program!
Thank you, Evan for sharing your passion for minerals with MSA!
Thank you for being an MSA Sponsor & Partner!
Meeting starts at 7.30PM Arizona time.