Minerals of AZ Symposium

2021 Symposium Poster

The Foundation sponsors the annual Minerals of Arizona Symposium. This symposium is usually held in either March or April and features a variety of interesting presentations on minerals, mineral collecting, new and classic localities, and mining history. In addition, the symposium includes a mineral sale/silent auction where collector quality specimens and other items are available to attendees.   

Poster design by Don Boushelle

2024 Symposium Information

The 31st Flagg Mineral Foundation Minerals of Arizona Symposium will be held Saturday, April 13, 2024. The venue will be the Southeast Regional Library, 775 N. Greenfield Rd., Gilbert, AZ 85234.

The 2024 symposium marks the 31st anniversary of this event! The symposium will have a one day format this year (8AM to 5PM) and will include mineral sales, lectures, and a variety of other mineral related events. This years topics highlight field collecting. Lunch and refreshments will be included!
There will be several dealers including the premiere by Shannon Family Minerals of a 10,000 piece collection of micromounts and thumbnail specimens.
Other dealers will include Lucky Muckers (Joe Philpott, Jr.), Ray Grant, Ph.D., Flagg Mineral Foundation, Jim McGlasson, Dan Fortunato, ASE Minerals, Headframe Minerals (Don Boushelle), Boris Dimov and Jan Rasmussen, Ph.D. !

2024 Flagg Mineral Foundation Minerals of Arizona Symposium Registration (click here)


Poster/Cover Design by Don Boushelle

Symposium Agenda:

8:30-8:45
Opening Remarks - Les Presmyk, Catie Sandoval and Marta Bones
8:45-9:25
Phil Richardson - Collecting in Contemporary Utah
9:25-10:05
Anna Domitrovic - Field Collecting and Collectors at the Desert Museum
10:05-10:40
Break and mineral sales
10:40-11:20
Erin Delventhal - A rediscovery of epidote pseudomorphs after orthoclase from the Orogrande district, Otero Co., New Mexico
11:20-12:00
Karen Wenrich, Ph.D. - The Sweet Home mine, Alma, Colorado
12:00-1:30
Lunch and mineral sales
1:30-2:10
Mark Hay - Fluorite from the Oatman District, Mohave Co., Arizona
2:10-2:50
Mark Pecha - Where did all that turquoise come from? A case study of the turquoise deposit from Bisbee, Arizona
2:50-3:40
Break and mineral sales
3:40-4:20
Jeff Smith - The Peculiar Geodes of the Trancas Station, Chihuahua, Mexico
4:20-5:00
Mike Sanders - Three decades of Collecting in the Hansonburg Mining District, Socorro Co., New Mexico
5:00-5:05
Closing Remarks and Adjournment
5:05-9:00
Mineral Sales and Light Buffet

Symposium History

The following is a summary of the first thirty years of the Minerals of Arizona Symposium. For each symposium the year, co-chair, chair, and location are given.

1 – 1993 – Glenn Miller/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
2 – 1994 – Glenn Miller/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
3 – 1995 – Glenn Miller/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
4 – 1996 – Susan Celestian/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
5 – 1997 – Susan Celestian/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
6 – 1998 – Susan Celestian/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
7 – 1999 – Susan Celestian/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
8 – 2000 – Susan Celestian/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
9 – 2001 – Kristen Cecchi/Ray Grant – Mesa Southwest Museum
10 – 2002 – Susan Celestian/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
11 – 2003 – Anna Domitrovic/Ray Grant – Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
12 – 2004 – Susan Celestian/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
13 – 2005 – Susan Celestian/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
14 – 2006 – Susan Celestian/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
15 – 2007 – Susan Celestian/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
16 – 2008 – Jan Rasmussen/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
17 – 2009 – Jan Rasmussen/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
18 – 2010 – Jan Rasmussen/Ray Grant – Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
19 – 2011 – Anna Domitrovic/Ray Grant – Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
20 – 2012 – Phil Richardson/Ray Grant – Clarion Hotel, Phoenix
21 – 2013 – Phil Richardson/Ray Grant – Clarion Hotel, Phoenix
22 – 2014 – Phil Richardson/Ray Grant – Clarion Hotel, Phoenix
23 – 2015 – Phil Richardson/Ray Grant – Clarion Hotel, Phoenix
24 – 2016 – Phil Richardson/Ray Grant – Quality Inn Phoenix-Chandler
25 – 2017 – Anna Domitrovic & Phil Richardson/Ray Grant – Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
26 – 2018 – Phil Richardson/Ray Grant – Drury Inn & Suites – Phoenix Tempe
27 – 2019 – Phil Richardson/Les Presmyk – Drury Inn & Suites – Phoenix Chandler Fashion Center
28 – 2021 – Les Presmyk/Eric Fritz/Susan Leib – UArizona Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum
29 – 2022 -Les Presmyk/Catie Carter-Sandoval – Arizona Mining, Mineral and Natural Resource Education Museum
30 – 2023 -Les Presmyk/Catie Carter-Sandoval – Arizona Mining, Mineral and Natural Resource Education Museum
31 – 2024 – Southeast Regional Library, Gilbert, Arizona

A database of speakers and their topics for each symposium are listed in the index.

Speaker abstracts and/or other information on the symposium may be found here by clicking on a year.
additional abstracts are currently being compiled and will appear as a link

2024
2023
2022
2021

2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005

 

 

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