Frank Perham

About Frank Perham

Frank Perham did not simply grow up around minerals — he lived among them. His childhood and early life unfolded inside Perham’s Mineral Store in West Paris, Maine, which was owned and operated by his father. Specimens, crates, labels, visitors, and field stories were part of the daily environment.

This immersion provided constant exposure to mineral identification, provenance, preparation, and the practical realities of collecting long before formal education entered the picture.

He later earned a degree in geology from Bates College, combining academic training with a lifetime of direct experience in Maine’s pegmatites. His field approach emphasized judgment, timing, and understanding rock structure rather than force or chance.

Among fellow collectors, he became known as the “Pocket Fairy”, a nickname reflecting his reputation for recognizing when a pocket was present and when it was time to stop, wait, or move on.

The Perham Mineral Store

Perham’s Mineral Store in West Paris, Maine, functioned as both a business and a living space. It served as a gathering point for collectors, dealers, lapidaries, and visitors interested in Maine minerals.

Growing up within the store meant that Frank Perham learned not only what minerals looked like, but how they were handled, discussed, labeled, traded, and respected. This environment shaped his later work and his approach to discovery.

The Blow-and-Go Crew

Frank Perham was closely associated with an informal group of Maine mineral collectors known as the Blow-and-Go Crew. The name reflected a field ethic built on responsiveness, adaptability, and restraint.

Rather than formal organization, the group operated through trust, shared experience, and an understanding that pegmatites reward attentiveness and judgment more than persistence alone.

The 1972 Big Find

In October 1972, while working a pegmatite near Newry, Maine, Frank Perham uncovered what became known simply as The Big Find — a pocket of exceptional watermelon tourmaline crystals.

The material was unprecedented for the region in its size, clarity, color zoning, and volume. Its discovery drew immediate national and international attention, establishing Newry as one of the most significant tourmaline localities in North America.

Legacy

Specimens from the Big Find entered museum collections, academic institutions, and serious private holdings across the country. The discovery played a central role in elevating Maine tourmaline within both scientific and cultural contexts.

Frank Perham’s name remains closely associated with Newry tourmaline as a marker of geological rigor, field judgment, and respect for land, material, and history.

Timeline