Collector Spotlight: Jesse Santos
How many years have you been collecting and what started your passion?
I guess in a way I've always had an interest in rocks and minerals. One of my earliest memories is going with my dad in his semi-truck and visiting the Petrified Forest National Park. I was too young to really appreciate it, and to be honest the only memory I really have of the place is the gift shop and seeing a buffalo in a pen near the gift shop, but I think that is what originally started the passion, because even though I was in the single digit age range, I still have memories of it to this day. But the beginning of my collecting phase started sometime around 2009 or 2010. I was living near St. Louis, Missouri, and was with my dad's girlfriend at a Goodwill distribution center. They would truck in all of the donations from the area into this giant warehouse to be sorted and trucked back out to the resale stores. At this warehouse, the public was allowed in, and you could go through these large troughs filled with miscellaneous household items, and anything you found, you paid for by weight. In those bins, I found a rutilated smoky quartz, and it was all over from there!
What's the focus of your collection and has that changed through time? Why?
The focus of my collection has definitely changed over time. Even though the first specimen in my collection was of great quality, I fell into the area most novice collectors fall into when they first start out. I was ordering anything and everything from eBay and Etsy, with no focus, just trying to get as many different species and varieties as i could, and as cheaply as possible. I ordered many specimens, most of which I have given away as gifts to others over the years. That all changed quickly when I got my first amethyst from the Goboboseb mountains in Namibia. This piece of facet rough (which I still have to this day) lit a fire under me, and transformed my focus to amethyst, particularly from Namibia. My focus also includes Herkimer Diamonds, which are also quartz, but that change will be explained in one of the questions below!
Have you been to any shows? If so, what's your favorite part of them? If not, are there any particular ones you would want to experience one day?
I’ve only been to a couple shows so far, but no “large” ones. I’d love to go to the Tucson or Denver shows someday, I always get envious of people’s photos and videos when those shows are happening. The first show I went to was in Albany, NY in 2017, and the only other one i’ve been to was a smaller show in Minocqua, WI. My favorite part of going to shows is the sense of urgency when you find a cool specimen but aren’t sure if you wanna drop all your money right there. In the back of your mind, you know that time is limited, and someone else may discover the specimen and snag it before you do, so the pressure is on to decide! Another fun aspect of it is meeting the vendors in person. It’s quite different from buying online and feels more personal.
Are you a stay-at-home collector or do you collect on the field too?
I was a stay-at-home collector until I went to that show in Albany in 2017. I went with a friend I had met at a local rock shop, and that was when I discovered Herkimer Diamonds. Someone at the show had a booth set up selling them, and I was fascinated by them. She then let me know we lived super close to where they are mined, and the rest was history. I’ve been going to the Ace of Diamonds Mine and Campground every year since. It’s my happy place! I encourage anyone who likes to dig for crystals to make a visit there someday!
What is your favorite/dream specimen outside of your collection? Why?
There are actually two dream specimens for me, and they’re both amethysts from different localities. The first one would be a nice specimen on matrix from Amatitlán, Guerrero, Mexico. For a long time, there was no production going on in that area, and specimens were few and far between, (and super expensive!) and it looked like I might never own one. But recently, the mines are being worked again, and new specimens are hitting the market, so I'm keeping my eyes open!
The second dream specimen would be an ametrine with a nice termination from the Anahi Mine in Bolivia. The mine itself is in a very remote region, which involves taking a plane, and boat to get to, and as such a lot of times the crystals arrive to market damaged. They are also frequently cut up and sold for jewelry, so finding one with little damage, and an intact termination is difficult. I had managed to find one directly from Bolivia last year, but either due to a dishonest seller or post office, the package arrived empty, so the hunt continues!
What's your favorite locality? Why?
Goboboseb Mountains, Brandberg Area, Dâures, Erongo Region, Namibia. The amethyst there is, in my opinion, unmatched in quality and variety. I would love to visit there someday to see the mining operations and to support the locals directly!
Is there a piece/pieces in your collection you’ll never let go of, which and why?
There are several amethysts in my collection that I don’t think I'd ever part with, but the one specimen I know for sure I would never part with is my rutilated smoky quartz that started my collection journey. It means too much to me to part with. It's included in the pictures on this post!