News Nuggets

Newsletter of the Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club

The show is Over and it was a Success! So, everyone that helped make this show great give yourself a big pat on the back. What things do I consider when I say the show is a success? Lots of things!

We got the supplies (tables, chairs, skirting, paper, etc.) and the site in good order.

Our crews got the stuff from storage.

All the dealers showed up, got their dealer’s packets (thanks Carolyn Wood) and set up in good time.

We had a great pot-luck (special thanks to Judy DeMark).

We opened on time and closed about the right times.

We got several compliments about our overnight security (thanks all).

(We also got compliments for Not having music or other interfering noise.)

We had power almost all of the time.

The weather cooperated.

The people came. I think this is a function of our excellent advertising (thanks to me – Venue, classified ads, flyers, the Attaways – postcards, and Judy DeMark - radio & TV.

The people made most of our dealers happy. Some of these folks came for the Bush visit and the Home Show and then stayed to browse and shop. People have suggested that we coat-tail onto the Home Show again.

The silent auction was a smashing success (thanks to Dave Moats) in terms of popularity and income.

No one got hurt.

As far as I know only a few items were stolen and these were small.

Take down went smoothly and ended early (Scott W. called me at 8:00 and said that everyone was out!).

Et hoc genus omne.

President - Grant Kuck; Home phone: 323-1520; E-mail: gkuck@flc.org

VP-Speakers - Ray DeMark; Home phone: 822-8715; E-mail: RayDeMark@msn.com

VP-Membership - Kimberly Richie; Home phone: 296-8847; E-mail: cattrax55@wmconnect.com

VP – Field Trips – Open

Secretary – Scott Wilson; Home phone – 792-0951; E-mail: swilson@copper.net

Treasurer - Stephanie Melof; Home phone: 281-7192; E-mail: stephbell22@yahoo.com

Historian - Dave Moats; Home phone: 892-8163; E-mail: beepbeep59@hotmail.com

Editor - Darlene Nelson; Home phone: 271-4694; E-mail: agmcnews@aol.com

Show Chair- Paul Hlava; Home phone: 255-5478; E-mail: hpf1@quest.net

Special Events - Hank Miller; Home phone: 255-7218; E-mail: rgmhgm2@msn.net

Past President - Orlando Garcia; Home phone: 345-0520; E-mail: jabog02@msn.com

The Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club was organized on January 22, 1944. The club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and enjoyment of the Earth Sciences and associated subjects. Its primary purpose is the exchange of information and the furtherance of knowledge of Mineralogy, Fossils, Geology, Rock Cutting and Gem Faceting and to stimulate interest in the development of these studies.

All Meetings are held at the NM Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque, NM. The general meeting is held on the 4^th Monday of the month (unless otherwise announced) at 7:30 p.m. The Junior Club meets at 6:45 p.m. prior to the general meeting. Board of Directors’ meetings are held at 7:30 pm on the first Monday of each month. (Call for location). The public is welcome to both meetings.

And now the ramblings of a man with too much on his mind…

Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou! To everyone who worked on our March Show. I can't thank you enough.   I'm amazed at how it continues to improve every year, but then when you have a great group of volunteers like we've had it really shouldn't come as a surprise at all.  I took my Mom from Michigan over on Sunday afternoon and she loved it.   Thanks again for the help and hard work.

 And now I have a little favor to ask of you. As you know only those members of the AGMC who have paid their dues will continue to receive their "News Nuggets".  So if one of your rockhounding friends asks, "I wonder what happened?  I used to get the News Nuggets."  You might want to ask them if they have renewed their dues for 2004

 On another note a word of thanks to John Scully for volunteering to lead field trips in June to the Nacimiento Copper Mine and in August to Rabb Park for moonstones.  For more information about these field trips check out John's article in this issue.

Regarding future field trips, we still need someone to lead a couple of trips.  There are a couple of trips already in the works which you'll more about in the future.  But in the meantime we still need a volunteer for two trips this year.  If interested please let me or somebody on the board know.  We'll be glad to help.

Coming up in the next issue of the News Nuggets the unsung heroes of Monday Night.  Till then, don't collect too many rocks and minerals!  (See Ray, I really was listening to your presentation last month!)

Maureen Fronek, CPA, has performed an audit of the AGMC 2003 financial books. The audit report is currently being reviewed by the Treasurer and copies will be available to club members after the May Board Meeting, April 5.

Our Club’s Silent Auction did very well this year with an all time record, smashing last year’s previous record, taking in $2280. This was earned over the nine auctions during the three-day show. Of the total of 108 tables available during the show, 82 were sold to members/dealers and 26 were used as club tables with donated items. Our club’s tables average take per auction was $40 (another record) and the average table’s take, when taking into consideration all tables, was $21.11 per auction.

This did not just happen without a large and generous effort by the many members who donated minerals and all those who participated in the purchasing of a table(s). I would like to thank all those who so generously gave us minerals and all those who gave of their time and efforts to make this endeavor the success that it was. With just these monies our club will be able to cover the expenses of our two $1000 scholarships and our two $100 Science Fair awards for this year.

As I have been doing this job for many years now, I would like to put out a request for someone to step forward and accept this responsibility for next year. I would help that person with any procedural details.

AGMC is honored to present the following scheduled speakers:

26 April: Dylan Canales, "Diamond Deposits in Ghana"

24 May: Robert M. North, "Gem Stones of Southwest NM"

28 June: Tom Rosemeyer, "Michigan Copper Country"

Grant Kuck presiding

Visitors: Grant Kuck's Mom was in attendance! Additional visitors included 1 junior and 9 adults.  Kimberly passed around the guest book for visitors to sign. Welcome to the AGMC!

March Show: The AGMC Treasures of the Earth 2004 (ToTE 2004) is happening this weekend! Paul Hlava observed that we have a full complement of dealers. There is no spare room at all. Dealers are continually pestering him to get in but it can't be done for this show. The tables for the show will be ready for us to set up starting Thursday at 8:30AM. Setup will be in teams assigned to specific areas (groups of booths). Ray DeMark, Scott Wilson, and John Reinert will be team leaders – a couple more would be handy. If you are interested in taking this one, see Paul.

Judy DeMark needs some additional volunteers to help monitor the children's activity corner - the "kiddie gem dig" and sales of mineral coloring and activity books. Paul passed around a signup sheet for time slots. Kimberly showed one of the coloring books - very nice - they'll be for sale at the show for $1 - what a deal!

Paul sent around the last of the flyers for distribution.

Some demonstrations will be ongoing at the show, courtesy of the New Mexico Facetors Guild. They will be showing how gem quality minerals are cut and faceted into beautiful gems. Demonstrators will include Dylan Houtman (NMFG president) Ernie Hawes, and Scott Wilson.

Kimberly still needs a few more volunteers to man the admissions booth and she passed around a signup sheet.

Hank Miller solicited for volunteers for the raffle ticket sales table.

You will get a free parking pass if you volunteer.

Regarding the Thursday potluck dinner for volunteers and dealers, instructions were passed around letting folks know what type of dish to bring. No silent auction will be held this year (plenty of those will happen during the show).

Silent auctions. - Full instructions on how it will be run are in the latest newsletter. Sign up with Dave Moats early to be sure you get a table!

Carl Johnson asked for donations for the junior table, as they are always needed.  Donations for junior and the main club auctions can be made at the show setup on Thursday or anytime by coordinating with Dave.

Postcards are out, ads are showing up in the newspapers, and radio/TV ads are running. A few undeliverable postcards have already come back from the post office; they will be processed to eliminate the addresses from the database.

See you at the show!

Science Fair Awards: The club sponsors two prizes for the NM Science Fair every year. This year, Hank Miller said that the Junior division award went to James Burton for his project on quicksand (and how to make your own) and to Christine Welch in

the Senior division for her very well done environmental engineering project on pollutant transport and plumes in Rio Grande soils. These were both high quality projects.

Field Trips: Ray DeMark noted that 3 Apr 2004 will be a trip to the Royal Flush mine in the Hansonburg district as noted in the newsletter. Minerals at this locality are primarily fluorite, barite, and galena, with a few other minor minerals. Nice crystals are often found there. A possibility exists for a visit to the Mex-Tex for those with high clearance 4WD vehicles. Tom Massis is the host of the trip. It is snake time, so be wary of rattlers in the area - please give them wide clearance, as it is their home, not ours. Check the latest newsletter for details.

A special round of applause was given for Rex Nelson for his work leading the trip to Lordsburg. Thank you Rex!

Program: Ray DeMark presented a program on "A connoisseurs guide to rock collecting". Ray noted that often times minerals will be for sale for widely varying prices that make no sense to the untrained eye. He pointed out that that the way you learn what makes for value is to see many, many rocks. Only then do you start to understand why the valuations can be so wildly varying.

Why do we collect rocks in the first place? No one knows, really, but people seem to like to do it naturally, from kids on up. Most of us will agree with that.

What differentiates a good rock from a bad one? It's mostly based on experience. Value can be reduced by not having knowledge of the mineral, and in particular, it's locality.  We must be sure that we can identify where the rock is from! That information is lost unless it is specifically recorded and kept with the specimen.

Damage to the specimen will reduce it's value vastly as well, (such as chipping a crystal edge). Ray showed an example of a Naica calcite with pyrite crystals that had a broken tip (which greatly reduced it's value to collectors).  Minimize damage both during collection, transportation, and preparation/display.

The rarity of a location affects value too. Ray presented a large copper mass from Chino, NM, a small copper crystal from Ajo, AZ, a copper crystal from an obscure locality in WI, and a "halfbreed" copper-silver specimen. Halfbreeds are often damaged by going through a crusher before they are discovered at the other end, so they are devalued due to that damage; and this specimen was no exception even with the high silver content.  The WI copper specimen was brilliant and shiny - this was artificially induced by being treated with acid - in effect damaged by humans - and no longer has the original luster and color.  The sample from Ajo is rare, particularly in good distinct crystals such as exhibited by this specimen - it's a rare find and the locality has been out of production for years. Those qualities make it a valuable specimen, much more so than the others.

For crystals, size matters, particularly for rare minerals. Ray presented an example of chromium uvarovite garnet. Some specimens of this material are now quite inexpensive, as druse specimens are now readily available due to recent increased production. A sample was shown of a California uvarovite with large crystals from a rare locality, and it is much more valuable than the common ones. Druse colored minerals are more valuable (or tend to be) compared to black or brown ones, simply due to their visual appeal. Zeolites (often white or dull colored) can be rare, but they don't get the appreciation of colored minerals. A sparkly galena, though a common mineral, may be more valued than a rare zeolite.

An unusual crystal form is more valued as well (such as a nice, clearly defined twin). An example was given of a rare crystal form in plain ol' white fluorite. Of course, one must have the knowledge to see that a crystal is a rare form, otherwise it's just white fluorite.

Ray again emphasized that if a mineral has a label with it - don't loose it! Keep it with the specimen.

Ray observed that sometimes, unscrupulous minerals will apply a locality (as in a particular mine) to a particular specimen known only to have come from a general district, in order to raise it's value. This is clearly unethical. Be on the lookout for this problem.

Luster and transparency contribute to value too. This is readily apparent in crystals but other mineral forms are also valued strongly on these qualities (Kelly smithsonite, for example).

Location and labeling become more important as your collection becomes more serious. Keep all information you can get on your specimens and keep it with the minerals. Keep the purchase date too, and who collected it.

Specimens with multiple species present are often more highly valued as well, especially if they are good examples of the major minerals present in a particular locality.

How a rock "displays" contributes to value too. Some just don't "sit up" well. One that shows a nice crystal perched dramatically is more valuable than one that is flat and hard to show off.

Eye appeal is a big thing too. This plays off of color, shape, form, size, and contrast.

If you want to build a serious collection, you will improve your knowledge along the way. Try to focus your efforts, instead of just doing a helter-skelter approach. Pick a theme of some sort - a locality, size, form, species, chemistry, crystal habit, etc. This lends a common thread that  runs through the entire collection. A self-collected collection is very informative as well and comes with a lot of pride and stories to go with the specimens.

Regarding information about a specimen: try to capture the date collected/purchased, who collected, locality, mine, shaft, level, stope, dump, etc. For bought specimens, including the price paid, traded materials, supplier, etc. This will make the specimens have much more meaning in later years, both in terms of good memories and in terms of technical info. Keep all labels, as they are part of the history of the specimen! The trail of travel revealed can be very interesting. More interest = more value! Many collectors catalog their collection, often by computer to help keep track of what is what.

Storage: we must protect our minerals from destruction by stresses, heat, abrasion, water, staining, bugs, chemical reactions, etc. They need to be preserved and protected. Basements and sheds are usually poor places to preserve specimens! Displays can be done with mineral cabinets ideally, but many other approaches can be done as well. You might want to build your own cases.

Ray offered tips on how to make a zero value collection: No documentation. No cleaning or preparation (trimming).  Improper storage.

Excess accumulation (this depletes sites for no good purpose!). Often times a whole collection will be hauled to the dump because it hasn't been built as a real collection (just a pile of rocks stored in a basement). Try to be more precise and collect only what you can properly clean and prepare. Try to make the collection something that can be passed along. Ray emphasized that we must really be careful not to overcollect. Take from a locality only what you can properly document, clean, and prepare. This approach preserves the locality for future generations and also tends to reduce household tensions. Of course, some folks like to collect yard rocks, and that is fine, but be aware that you are doing exactly that and leave the higher quality material for folks who will treat it with greater respect than simply letting it weather to bits in a pile of weeds in the backyard.

The fun is in the chase, in the end - try to document it!  It's still fun no matter how one does it though.

Q: How does one properly label a specimen?

A: Try to include the claim name (but it can change over time), so try to put on the original locality name recorded in the literature as well. Try to include the adit number, level, and tight location if possible. This may require some research, but again - it increases the information that goes with the specimen and thus increases it's value

Q: Does using a saw instead of a rock trimmer change the value?

A: Yes. Try only to use a trimmer if possible. A cut on the bottom so that a specimen "sits up" better is not that big of a deal, but a cut visible from the top is not good.

Q: How about using mounting clay?

A: Fine - but it doesn't really change the value - might improve it's sale-ability though as it may make the specimen easier to see by potential buyers.

Q: What's a good specimen?

A. One answer - one you like! Unless you want to sell it, in which case someone else had better like it too!

A big round of applause for Ray!

Attendance: Attendance for tonight was 79.

Refreshments: Marilyn Licht brought the goodies tonight. Many thanks!

Incredible as it may seem, the AGMC field trip to the Royal Flush Mine on the 3^rd of April was completely dry! Lightning, hail and heavy rain seemed to have completely enveloped the entire state on that morning – except Bingham – and the area of the mine had not seen any rain at all!

Nineteen optimistic club members showed up and marveled at our unbelievable luck (the Rock Gods smiled on the AGMC).

Ron Boyd was proudly showing off a 12" plate covered with small fluorite crystals with a very attractive lilac color, and Rex Nelson hit a nice pocket of larger fluorite cubes on the east wall near the south portal.

This was only fair, as Rex moved more rock than anyone else on the trip. Dan Sisneros, as usual, was eying a very large specimen of quartz and galena near the north portal, but – after due consideration – decided that it looked pretty good just where it was.

Everyone made it in and out without problems (no VW van to pull/push out this year) and, to my knowledge, no injuries.

This may sound like the postman's motto...but think again!  It also applied to the 15 or so (I didn't count) hardy souls who participated in the April 3 field trip to the Royal Flush Mine.  We thought we were the brave ones to challenge the walls of rain that beat down on south I 25.  A number of cars that were off to the side of the highway did not fare as well as the AGMC group that arrived unscathed.  People came from as far as Cerrillos and Horse Springs, and some traveled through sleet and snow to look for hidden treasures south of Bingham.  This is a good example of what rockhounders are really made of: willing to challenge Mother Nature for a brief bit of glory in a hole in the earth.

Surprisingly enough, the dirt roads to the mine were dry as a bone and the weather, with the exception of a bit of wind, was perfectly clear throughout the day.  After a bit of bouncing on 4 wheel roads, we arrived at the Royal Flush mine where Ray DeMark and our host, Tom Massis oriented the group.  Wayne Holland, from the Bingham Rock Shop, also served as a guide and resource.  The group was composed of  some relatively 'new kids on the block' as well as (don't take offense, folks...) 'old timers'. 

As usual for the area, a wealth of fluorite, galena, and barite was there to be found in loose areas in the mine. One new member came out of the mine with an exceptional piece of fluorite that was covered with unmarred crystals of deep purple on one side and blue on the other.  It will be interesting to see it after it is cleaned up.  At a nearby pit, chalcopyrite samples were available...and as usual...bits of quarz were everywhere.  Also available were samples of a more rare avacodo green mineral called Mottramite.  Rex found a pocket in the pillar rock near the mine entrance and after digging away produced some special samples of sea blue fluorite and unique pieces of quartz. 

Almost everyone left  in the early afternoon...except, of course, the hard core enthusiasts working on the mother lode.  A little later, Tom invited the remaining  "never say diers" (and me...because I was along for the ride) up to the Tex Mex Mine at which a number  of  other minerals including amethyst, spangolite, and linarite could be found.  Tom was a wonderful host, and graciously showed the remaining few around the area.

At 5:00 the sky became threatenly gray and everyone left the hill while they still could.  The vistas on the way back were awesome in the evening light; the colors were intense and contrasting and thunderstorms struck with daggers of lightening in the distance.  Then, again, the walls of rain....   Arriving in Albuquerque, which was just as wet as we left it, made the day seem somewhat surreal, as if we had gone through a window to another place.  And maybe that's what rockhounding is all about...going to another place and another time.

This was my experience of the day.

There is a maximum of 33 people due to the company vans capacity, and assuming that all three of them would be available. I am starting a sign-up list now. I would appreciate interested members participating in a little poll. Please tell me which scenario is more attractive: travel on Saturday, have tours on Sunday and Monday, or have tours on Saturday and Sunday, travel home on Monday. The drive time to Silver City is approx. 5 hrs. from ABQ. The tentative meeting time would be 9 AM to take advantage of cooler hours. We will be at 6000 ft. but it still gets warm! We don't want any raisins!! The meeting time is negotiable. This is all I know at this time.Please leave message at 296-8847 if you want to sign-up, and your schedule preference.

For newer members, the Chino Mine is an open pit copper mining operation owned by Phelps Dodge. If memory serves, the pit is about a mile across. The club last visited the mine October 26, 2002. The minerals collected include natural copper, chrysacolla, pyrite in epidote, cuprite, and others I'm not recalling now. Call me if you have questions and/or want to go. There is one more News Nuggets before the trip, and two general meetings so there's time to make changes and be sure to get everyone the info they need.

 Summer Field Trips

Minerals:  Azurite nodules, calcite-lined concretions (septarians), Fossilized wood with chalcocite, malachite and azurite replacement, and pyrite balls

This is currently a tentative plan. More will be announced as the time gets closer.

Minerals:  Moonstone.  The pieces are generally tiny to small (little finger nail size).  The creek beds are littered with tiny pieces of this feldspar which weathers out of pegmatite at the head of the stream drainage area.  Hopefully, the monsoon will have been heavy and washed lots of new pieces into the creekbed where the best collecting is.

This a Sunday outing because it will require spending the night at Iron Creek

The following article was written by Paul Hlava and published in April, 1994 in the News Nuggets. With summer quickly approaching, it is appropriate to refresh our rockhounding minds on a few "common sense" rules.

The natural world may be a beautiful and awesome place but it is also harsh and full of dangers. And we, in our quest for some of the most beautiful of Earth’s treasures, often travel into some of the harshest places on (or in) the Earth. When we go into these harsh places, it behooves us to protect ourselves so that we come out alive and in good shape. For get what you

see in the movies - Arnold and Sly may be able to fall off the top of a ten-story building and still beat up a dozen martial arts experts but you can’t. If you trip and land on your hands, they hurt! If you fall off a ten-foot cliff, you will probably break part of your body. Even the little things out there are bad for you. Your clothing is an important part of your protection from the environment.

Clothing provides several advantages. In addition to thermoregulation and concealment for modesty’s sake, your clothing is your First Line of Defense against the rigors of the environment. In many cases, it is your only line of defense. On field trips (and almost any time you are out and about in the wilds of New Mexico), you should wear rugged, comfortable, and expendable clothing. Rugged so that it can protect you from minor cuts and abrasions, comfortable so you can move freely and quickly in case you trip, and expendable so you can concentrate on protecting you and not your tuxedo. What are the "rigors of the environment"? To start with - the sun, but don’t forget the wind, temperature extremes, rain, and various combinations, then add to that all the things that can cut, scratch, and scrape. Wear a HAT that acts as a sunshade, LONG pants and LONG-sleeved shirts. But what if it’s hot out? - you whine! It it’s hot out, the sun is beating down and a bad sunburn is a real possibility. Even if you never burn you can still get sun poisoning. If you must, you can roll up your shirt sleeves (you can roll them down when you start to notice the burn) but shorts are not a good idea until you get back to camp. If you’ve got really great looking legs, the long pants will help keep them that way. Have you ever seen what a third degree sunburn does to legs?

I have. And what could have been a little encounter with a rock, cactus, prickly brush, or rough surface can become a very painful experience.

WEAR hiking BOOTS! Sneakers are not designed for climbing on rock. Nor are tennis shoes, deck shoes, flip flops, sandals, high tops, high heels, or even street shoes. Ever wonder why there are so many kinds of footwear? Each is designed for a specific job. Boots are designed to protect your feet and ankles against cuts, scratches, and abrasions, and the high top helps to keep your ankles from twisting when you step on unstable rocks, etc. They are also designed to grip well to the things you walk on.

While you are protecting your feet, don’t forget the other end. In addition to the hat you should wear sunglasses or safety glasses or both. Oh! You say you never wear sunglasses - they are pretentious. Well, pretend that you are out in the blinding sun all day, instead of dashing from your dark car to your dark home or dark office. People who are outside a lot don’t pretend anything; they wear sunglasses.

The VP’s of field trips and the other officers (like me) of the Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club retain the RIGHT and have the OBLIGATION to turn away those who are not properly dressed and/or outfitted for the locale, in order to ensure that all the people on our field trips are reasonably safe from the expected dangers. And I will turn people away, even if we are hundreds of miles from home.

 And from May 1994 News Nugets

Most of what I will be writing is common sense. A word to the wise should be sufficient - THINK. Normally, collecting is done out in the field, far from the cozy environment we are used to around our homes. Out there you have to think about where and how you walk, what you wear, the things that can damage you, the things you might damage, a different set of rules for courtesy, a different set of rules for showing respect, the fact that you are with a bunch of couch potatoes who are doing vigorous and dangerous activities that they are not ready for, and your own situation.

First you should consider yourself and your physical condition. Are you really in god enough shape to hike steep trails at 14,000 feet and swing a 20 pound sledge to get to the good stuff? Well, can you handle a two mile walk at moderate altitude in the hot, New Mexico summer sun carrying 50 pounds of rock? Can you make it from your air-conditioned car to the road-cut without getting out-of-breath? Know your limitations and behave accordingly. You don’t want to be carried out of the field like a sack of potatoes (or worse).

Even on the gentle field trips there tends to be a lot of walking and moderate climbing. BE prepared for irregular footing, steep hillsides, loose and unstable rock on the ground, and sharp rocks all over (and use the right foot-wear). Running and horseplay are definite NO-NO’S. And, as a point of field trip courtesy, watch where you walk in regard to others in the area. When on a steep slope avoid walking above others as you may dislodge a piece of rock and injure them. (Corollary - watch out for careless people above you o n a steep slope.) If the space is tight and you have to work above others you should warn them about any errant missiles - yell ROCK! when appropriate.

Jul89 News Nuggets

(From the Gates Rockhound via Rock Chips via Gemmmm-N-I

Don’t lick rocks to bring out the color!! At least one death has been attributed to a fungus contracted by licking a rock specimen. Arsenic, mercury, selenium, some of the boron minerals, and some of the phosphates can be deadly. CARRY A SQUEEZE BOTTLE OF WATER!

another mineral named for a person. It is a hydrous calcium silicate that seldom occurs as distinct orthorhombic crystals (these are tabular parallel to the basal pinacoid) but usually forms reniform masses of tabular crystals. Stalactitic groups are also common. It is a secondary mineral that lines cavities in basalts and related rocks. Associated minerals include zeolites, datolite, pectolite, and calcite. It is usually pale green passing into white with a white streak. Translucent. Hardness 6 to 6.5, Sp. Gr. – 2.8 to 2.95. Luster - vitreous.

What is the name of the mineral?

Who is the mineral name for? (I will mention something special about this when I answer the questions.)

What is the mineral used for?

--NM –

--USA –

--World –

What is the name of the mineral? Wollastonite

Who is the mineral name for? William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828) English mineralogist and chemist.

What is the mineral used for? It is an EPA approved substitute for asbestos in many applications such as brake shoe linings, ceramic tile strengthener, etc.

Localities – (Just list the famous/important ones)

--NM – none

--USA – Willsboro, NY, CA

--World – Mexico, Black Forest of Germany, Britanny, Russia, India, etc.

NOTE: – In October of 1995 Doug Irving took me to the largest known deposit of wollastonite in the world. Cerro Pilares lies about 50 kilometers NW of Hermosillo in Mexico. This small mountain contains enough ore to supply the world’s need for 14,000 years!

"Diamond Deposits in Ghana"