Les Presmyk is a lifelong mineral collector, respected dealer, and dedicated advocate for the mineral collecting community. Along with his wife, Paula Presmyk, he founded De Natura nearly 49 years ago. The company was named in honor of their close friend Jean Bandy, who—together with her husband, Mark—translated De Natura Fossilium from the Latin. (Agricola’s more widely known work, De Re Metallica, was translated by Herbert and Lou Hoover.)
Born and raised in Arizona, Les and Paula are proud Arizona natives and will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary later this year. Their partnership has been central both to their personal lives and to their shared commitment to mineral collecting.
Les has always considered himself a collector first. De Natura was established to help finance their growing collection and, equally important, to give back to the mineral collecting community. For the past 25 years, one of the ways they have done this is through cracking geodes, sharing both the excitement and the specimens with fellow collectors.
Les’s passion for minerals began early. By the age of six, he was already collecting coins and stamps, fueled by a deep fascination with science. At age ten, a meeting with Wayne Thompson—which ended with Les heading home with a bag of rocks and minerals—proved pivotal. Soon after, he joined a 4‑H club dedicated to rocks and minerals, led by Marcella “Marc” Watson (Leslie Scovil’s mother), located just over a mile from his home. From that point on, minerals became a lifelong pursuit.
Specialization has played a key role in Les and Paula’s collecting philosophy. Together, they have built one of the most important Arizona mineral collections, complemented by an extensive worldwide sphalerite collection that now numbers approximately 1,000 specimens. The Arizona focus, selected in 1980, reflected both an already strong local suite and the practical economics of maintaining a high-quality collection. The sphalerite collection began as an effort to demonstrate that excellent specimens could be acquired at reasonable prices. Meanwhile, Paula has spent the past 45 years building an impressive worldwide collection of thumbnails and small miniatures.
Les’s favorite minerals include wulfenite, azurite, malachite, and sphalerite—minerals for which Arizona is world famous.
“Tucson Time” and the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show® hold special meaning for Les. As a young collector, the highlight was saving up all year to spend every dollar at the show. Two dealers in particular, Walt Lidstrom and Jean Hamel, left a lasting impression by offering quality minerals at affordable prices and by treating young collectors as serious participants in the hobby.
Les has been involved with the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show® for nearly 45 years, first serving as a judge and for the past 40 years as Competitive and Exhibits Chairman. He now finds himself mentoring what he considers his fifth generation of young competitive collectors. Over the decades, the show has also brought countless friendships—connections that transcend professions, uniting research scientists, musicians, engineers, and collectors through a shared love of minerals.
After 63 years in the hobby, Les has accumulated many memorable field-collecting stories, some of which are shared in Wayne Thompson’s upcoming autobiography. There may even be a written history of these experiences in the future.
Most recently, Les was appointed Arizona’s State Mine Inspector, becoming the 14th person to hold the office since 1912—a new chapter in a life deeply intertwined with Arizona’s mining and mineral heritage.
