Some Voices of previous Visitors

"Fabian's fabulous collection! It was in June 2018 when I was supposed to deliver a few of his purchased minerals and he invited me to visit his private collection and I had no idea I'd find this museum so interesting. I have been to many museums around the world and this is by far the best among them all. The beauty in the minerals displayed and the richness of the collection, the info, the visual delight, the ambiance of the set up was fantastic. A truly remarkable museum that is a feast for the eyes. I would highly recommend a visit to this wonderful museum. You will be blown away."

"I remember when a German friend of mine told me that there was a serious "young collector(!)" he was mentoring in the southern reaches of  Germany, who had acquired a much more refined artistic eye very quickly after starting with wanting "one of everything." Helmut Bruckner was somebody I trusted for quality from meeting him at Tucson over decades, an old guard member of the mineral community. He occasionally bought a piece from me to go to this mysterious collector. One year, he told me that the collector had outgrown his ability in his retirement to supply him a few pieces time to time, and suggested I visit Fabian myself after I met at Munich in passing. Little did I know, what to expect! Since that time, I have seen Fabian continually upgrade the collection as a whole in both value and breadth, while retaining his love and clear passion for the actual minerals themselves - he acquires a specimen because he likes a piece, not because of its value or because a dealer or book tells him it is "superb" or "important." He developed his own eye, and stayed the course - and now the breadth of the collection reflects the emphasis on beauty and shape. Suddenly suites emerge from the sum total, and lend ideas and shape to displays of color or species that become informative (which obviously is Fabian's excuse for playing in his rock room and moving pieces from case to case all the time!) However, through the seemingly random accumulation of beauty and diversity, and the emergence of these suites,  comes also the inspiration to think about origins and the science of how these formed. Much like we are doing in Dallas with the Perot Musuem of Nature and Science, and what I have done with my own collection of Chinese minerals, I can see that Fabian has drifted down the road of developing a display style that helps teach and inspire people about nature and about this art class. Through the beauty, he can make a resource to open people's eyes, and share what we see in these treasures of nature."

"The Fabian Wildfang Collection is spectacular and unlike many other collections being curated in todays modern collecting community. But before I go on and on about the minerals, what seems an important detail that can be overshadowed by the beauty of the minerals themselves is the beauty and intelligence of the man behind them. Fabian is one of those people whom if you have the opportunity to spend time with you immediately realize you are the lucky one. He is incredibly intelligent which can be easily appreciated after a short conversation. He has a wealth of knowledge in both the affairs of life and business which he shares generously. He swims freely in and out of languages like a native and is full of wit and good heartedness. He is always kind, and a true gentleman. So if you find yourself viewing his collection, don’t get blinded alone by the wonderful minerals but give a nod to the man behind them. 

Fabian has been a passionate collector since his adolescence and in the last two decades he has really embraced his passion and focused on building a collection that is driven by one overarching characteristic; aesthetics. Viewing his collection is a true joy because it is not built by what so many of today’s trophy collectors are focused on. It has an underlining tone that focuses on character, whimsy, form and unlikely juxtaposition. The minerals he chooses are not the biggest beryls or largest golds, but rather they are objects that are themselves memorable, special in a way that leaves you smiling. If you ever have the chance to see his collection you will understand what I am trying to describe, which is a challenge to do in words. So many of the examples have a certain something, the forces your mind to wonder and your mouth to blurt out wow repeatedly. As a collector it is a challenge to be disciplined enough to form a suite of specimens that come from the world over and generally possess any unifying characteristic. It would be impossible to have a collection as large as the Wildfang Collection where every object reaches the pinnacle of this aesthetic level. But Fabian has quite possibly assembled more of these similar treasures in one place than any other collection. And with keeping his eye on quality, variety, and aesthetics the collection is simply profound. If you ever have the opportunity to visit the collection you will immediately understand what I am trying to describe and similarly know at once that you are lucky to be in such fine company."