There will be several different exhibitions to visit during the 2024 Crystal Days in Lubań (short descriptions below). The exhibitions will be presented at the Regional Museum in the Lubań City Hall and the historic Bracka Tower and will include a few thousands of unique specimens from Polish and foreign collectors.
Minerals – Masterpieces of NatureMain Exhibition
High-quality mineral specimens are often compared to works of art. In this exhibition, we aim to illustrate the key features that transform an ordinary "stone" into an exceptional "masterpiece" created by nature. Color, form, and luster are the most important among these features. In the main exhibition, you will see several hundred top-tier mineral specimens from around the world – it will be a true feast of colors and shapes. Photo by J. Scovil.
Tourmaline Kaleidoscope
ourmalines are the most colorful of all gemstones, occurring in every known color. Not only can individual specimens have different colors, but it is also relatively common for multiple colors to appear within a single crystal. Typically, pastel and muted colors dominate. Much rarer are multicolored specimens with highly varied and intense hues, and truly unique are those crystals in which the colored zones form geometric patterns – triangles, rings, or, most sought after by collectors, three-armed stars. Slices cut from such vividly colored tourmalines resemble the images seen in children's toys – kaleidoscopes.
High-quality tourmaline slices are highly valued by connoisseurs and often fetch exorbitant prices on the collectors' market. At the "Tourmaline Kaleidoscope" exhibition, we will present top specimens of tourmaline slices that are notable not only for their intriguing patterns and intense colors but also for their large sizes. We will also display entire sequences of slices cut from single crystals. The specimens showcased at our exhibition will be shown in Poland for the first time..
Agates from the Collection of Thorsten Jacob
A Collector from Lusatia (Germany)
Thorsten Jacob's passion for collecting began very early, as he accompanied his geologist father on trips to gravel pits in search of agates. At the age of 13, he started helping his father polish specimens, and over time he achieved increasingly better results, eventually becoming a professional lapidary. Today, many well-known collectors entrust him with their finest specimens for cutting and polishing. Initially, his parents' collection primarily consisted of numerous lithophysal agates (thundereggs) from Germany. Continuing the family tradition, Jacob set out to expand the collection by adding lithophysal agates from around the world. To this end, he undertook several expeditions – to China, Argentina, and the USA – which resulted in the significant growth of the family collection. At the Sudetic Mineral Festival, 100 of the best specimens from his collection will be showcased.
Crystallized Images
Exhibition of Works by Olga Orlińska Szczyżowska
This year, in addition to strictly mineralogical exhibits, the Festival will feature an art exhibition related to mineralogy. The works presented in the "Crystallized Images" exhibition will showcase surreal compositions and atmospheric still lifes, evoking a world bordering on fairy tales and dreams. These pieces embody elements of nature's magic, which humanity has always tried to infuse with spirituality and divinity. Created using mixed techniques, their compositions are inspired by the beauty of minerals and the landscapes of the Sudetes. Olga Orlińska Szczyżowska, the artist behind these works, moved to Lower Silesia several years ago, where she works as a cultural animator, mountain guide, and tour leader. She combines her passion for various art forms with her activities in tourism and the promotion of Lower Silesia's cultural heritage.
Uranium Glass and Fluorescent Minerals
from the Podgórze Mine Collection
During the Sudetic Mineral Festival, the Bracka Tower will host an exhibition of uranium glass on loan from the Podgórze Mine. The displayed glass collection contains uranium minerals that glow intensely green under UV light. The exhibition also features fluorescent minerals from the Regional Museum in Lubań, which shine in various colors under ultraviolet light. The WOW effect is guaranteed!
Minerals of the West SudetesExhibition by the Regional Museum in Lubań
This exhibition, showing the mineralogical abundance of the West Sudetes including the region of Lubań, will be presented in Bracka Tower. There will be over 500 mineral specimens on display in 18 cabinets with quartz, calcite, fluorite as well as agates and unique Fe quartz specimens from the region of Jelenia Góra, and recently discovered high quality calcites from a basalt quarry in Leśna near Lubań. This exhibition will be prepared by the Regional Museum in Lubań and will become the museum’s permanent collection.
The competition exhibitions
During the 2024 Crystal Days, a competition for the best exhibition from private collectors will take place. The private collectors will display their showcases with their selected minerals under a chosen exhibition theme. The international jury will then evaluate the quality of specimens as well as their visual arrangements and the contents. For the public participation, visitors will vote for their favorite showcases and the collectors will receive audience awards and also valuable prizes. There will be abundant of specimens of gemstones, agates and rare minerals displayed in this exhibition from Poland as well as abroad.
Information about other exhibitions is coming soon!
Interviews with collectors
Andrzej Korzekwa
Joanna Gajowniczek-Praszkier
Ireneusz Niemczyk
Janusz Zajdel
Sławomir Błądek
Jacek Szczerba
Dariusz Jończy
Zapowiedź wywiadów
USEFUL INFORMATION
Exhibitions will be open from Friday from 12.00 until Sunday until 19.00,
Admission to all exhibitions is free of charge,
“The competition exhibitions” will be presented in the City Hall building (NOTE! 3 various entrances),
The exhibition "Minerals of the West Sudetes" will be presented in a park near the Tower.
Location of Crystal Days Exhibitions
