05/09/2026
FLAGG MINERAL FOUNDATION/SYMPOSIUM
By Bob Boyd
In March, I went down to the Phoenix area to the ‘Minerals of Arizona’ symposium put on by the Flagg Mineral Foundation (FMF). Before getting into the symposium, let’s look at the background of the Flagg Foundation.
The FMF was established in 1962 in honor of Arthur Flagg. Mr. Flagg was born in Rhode Island in 1883. While in college on the east coast, he was hired to do some survey work in the Bradshaw Mountains of Arizona. He fell in love with the Arizona area, and moved here after graduating in 1906, spending most of the next 55 years here with a career in mining, geology, and mineralogy.
He was involved with many gem and mineral organizations, encouraged others in the hobby, and had a vision for the establishment of a mineral museum in the Phoenix area. After his death in 1961, the FMF was established and named in his honor.
The FMF has a collection of over 800 mineral specimens. With the closure of the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum in 2011 (perhaps more on that in a later article) most of the specimens are now apparently in storage, although many are on display at the University of Arizona Mineral Museum in Tucson.
The FMF sponsors several events during the year. In early January there is a gem and mineral Show in the Phoenix area; the Minerals of Arizona Symposium in March or April; the annual A.L. Flagg award for outstanding service to the gem and mineral hobby; and, support and promotion of other museums around the State. The FMF Board Chairman in 2026 is PGMC member and sometime-speaker, and Arizona State Mining Inspector, Les Presmyk.
So, back to the annual symposium. This year was the 33rd annual symposium, with the theme being ‘Carbonates’. Well-known Carbonates include Calcite, Aragonite, Dolomite, Rhodochrosite, Malachite, and Azurite. Many are commonly precipitated out of limestone, as the material in cave formations and ‘travertine’ deposits from spring water, and corals. Some, such as Azurite and Malachite, are formed from the alteration of copper when it interacts with carbonated solutions in water.
Symposium speaker topics included the atomic structure of Carbonates, Calcite crystal forms including ‘twins’, Rhodochrosite, collecting areas, a speaker from the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum (since the Bisbee mines were a major producer of copper and mineral specimens of Azurite, Malachite etc), and others.
Arizona has many deposits of ‘travertine’ (sometimes referred to as travertine onyx) from days past when the climate was considerably wetter, leading to many springs percolating through limestone. I’ve been to collecting sites near Cleator, south of Camp Verde, and north of Cave Creek. Of course there’s also the quarry near Mayer, and ‘Stoneworld’ in Ash Fork where the Mayer material is sold. The attached picture is a sample of the Mayer material. Other interesting travertine deposits are Tonto Natural Bridge east of Pine, and the Fossil Creek area east of Camp Verde.
