Hans FX's Journal: If you are interested in Meteorites and Fossils...

I'm an enthusiastic fan of the annual Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. At last year's event there were tons (literally) of commonly available meteorites and fossils.

Minutes after arriving to this year's event, I was having lunch with Eduardo Jawerbaum, a well-known dealer of meteorites and minerals from Argentina. Over sushi he informed me that there has been an export ban on the popular Campo del Cielo meteorites. He added that no Argentinean Chaco province meteorites may be exported from Argentina. As of December 2008 no new meteorite finds or falls may be exported regardless of where in Argentina they're found. Any older finds/falls found outside the Chaco province can be exported and sold without legal issues. (No fossils of any kind may be exported from Argentina since June of 2003, unless issued a special temporary visa)

One of my favorite mammoth/cave bear supply dealers Joacim Woerdemannt looked well vacationed and tan, but unusually melancholy as he explained that he was unable to secure an export license on any of his new Siberian mammoth fossils. He's running out of fossils to offer.

The popular Sikhote-Alin meteorite was rumored to also have a newly imposed export ban. A well known Russian dealer of rare minerals (his name skips me!) told me that people are being shot at for attempting to search for these Sikhote-Alin meteorites. I have not verified any of my Sikhote information.

I did manage to find everything on my shopping list, but several things I acquired last year were unavailable this year.

I said goodbye to Geoffrey Notkin (more on him soon) and handed a couple of planetary rocks and a co-owned Peekskill slice to Luc Lebenne for cutting (because he cuts meteorites beautifully) and was soon heading back home to the East Coast of the US.

When I arrived home I read online that on the final day of the event Geoffry and several other meteorite hunters rushed away to locate a fresh meteorite fall. Geoffry wrote an excellent/inspiring article about it.