Arizona Natural Science

By William Besse

I have been a mineral collector since about 1971. My first collecting trip that started it all was to Agoura, California, to collect ferrierite on clinoptilite. I have been at it ever since. I like to field collect but am not opposed to silver picking rocks for my collection, especially when I don’t think I will be able to collect equivalent, get to that locality, or I like the piece.

I worked 20 years as manager for Jewel Tunnel Imports (a mineral import company, wholesale; Rock H Currier, chief factotum and hatchet man). In 1997 I went to work for a networking company, but that has ended so I left affordably California. In March of 2011 I started working part-time for Open Adit West in Tucson, Arizona. In 2016 left OAW to work on Rock Currier Collection. Left RHC Collection in September 2022 to return to much missed retirement.

I enjoy making maps to assist with education on mineral localities and collecting. I am currently the Associate Cartographer for Rocks & Minerals magazine.

Associations (Past and Current): Past President, Bulletin Editor, and original Webmaster for the Mineralogical Society of Southern California; member of Board of Directors (2017-2023) and Webmaster for Friends of Mineralogy (National), Associate Cartographer for Rocks and Minerals Magazine.

Education: MS (Geology), California State University Los Angeles , my thesis was Mineral Paragenesis of the Grand Reef Mine Aravaipa Mining District, Graham County, Arizona, August 1981. BA (Geography) with concentration in air photo interpretation and cartography.