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We have been doing trade shows and online sales of minerals and fossils for over 17 years. Before that, Curt received his Graduate Gemologist diploma from the GIA. Curt is now retired from his position at TXI Riverside Cement (Technical Services) where he, among other duties, performed petrographic microscopy of cement kiln clinker. Some of you may recall that Riverside Cement is the home of the famous Crestmore Quarry. While at Riverside Cement, Curt had the opportunity to write and publish a paper on clintonite (a green mica) which appeared in the Mineralogical Record. Curt also led collecting trips through Crestmore with gemologist and mineral dealer Ann Davila.

I (Carol), worked for WMI (Waste Management Inc.) for over 20 years, and now work part time for Shopko. Somebody has to pay the bills.

Now that we are semi-retired and have relocated from Southern Califonia to Utah, we have decided to jump back into the competitive online world with new specimens. Curt does the creative part of this site and I get to do all of the glamorous paperwork, filling the orders, packaging, etc. Seriously, I will make sure he does his part in that too, but if there are any misspellings in mineral, fossil, or locality names, please blame him.

So, as you travel from one Gallery to another, each one will exhibit a new surprise. We hope that you will have as much fun with these specimens as we did in the site preparation. Oh, yes, and keep in mind that the specimens always look better in reality than they do on the site. Remember that digital images have a little way to go in quality compared to 35 mm, but I think that in the near future this concept could change.

Anybody who collects minerals and fossils loves to do so. This should be a given. We also collect as well as sell. We have been collecting for over 50 years and will continue to do so as long as we are able. Collectors of anything are preserving glimpses of the past - even better when good documentation accompanies the specimens. A beginning collector does not have to have a big budget to start, but as she or he advances in knowledge and taste, they will want to set aside an allowance for better specimens. Also, we do not want to get into the current argument between scholars and amateurs about field collecting except for one comment. The longer a specimen is exposed to physical and chemical weathering, the sooner it will be destroyed.

We feel that we can assist the collector, both beginning and intermediate, to build a better collection. In time, you will have specimens that you can be genuinely proud of, not only for their aesthetics, but also for the time spent pursuing their mineralogy and history.

Happy Collecting,

Carol & Curt