2019 Speaker Thomas Nagin

Thomas Nagin, Arkansas based Mineral ExplorerFor more than forty years, Thomas Nagin has been exploring around the world for minerals. Many of his adventures have been throughout Latin America; spending a great deal of time in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and Brazil. He has documented many of these adventures in his series, “Mineral Explorers,” which aired nationwide on PBS television, and he is currently making a documentary about his most recent adventure as an owner of a mine in Pasto Bueno, Peru, where he mined for Rhodochrosite specimens. He is currently acquiring beautiful Quartz, (his favorite mineral), from independent diggers throughout Colombia and continues to be a major supplier of large decorator Amethyst from Bolivia. And, for collector minerals, he is traveling to Bolivian high altitude mines to get Cassiterite, Bournonite, and Vivianite.

Gem Hunting in Brazil, Bolivia, and Colombia

Thomas will share with us some of his video clips from the “Mineral Explorers” episodes filmed throughout the Andes. He will also include a sneak preview of his documentary being made in Pasto Bueno, Peru. The documentary shows the difficulties and challenges of working overseas in high altitude mines. He is also focusing on the miners’ lives, and the impact such endeavors have on them.