april 11

The Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club meets on the 4^th Monday of the month. All meetings are held at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History, 1801 Mountain Road NW in Old Town, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The entrance is on 18^th Street. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Sandia Room on the 2^nd floor. There is a short business meeting prior to the evening’s presentation, which begins at approximately 8:00 p.m. The Junior Club meets at 6:30.

by Calvin Webb

Silver has been a favorite mineral of mine for many years. Native silver is a bright white metal which can make beautiful jewelry and has many other uses. The ancients not only used silver for coins but also for cooking ware and serving ware. Many cultures sought silver so there are many names for silver. The minerals that contain silver are now sought after for ores and specimens.

Calvin Webb was born in Farmington, NM and has had many good experiences there. His major in college was microbiology which gave him a minor in biology and chemistry. He has traveled some and has had numerous hobbies. He retired in 2008 from Arizona Public Service where he was a process chemist. Seven years before he retired he began his current hobby and has enjoyed the help of many people in its pursuit. He has a soft spot for those who are just beginning the hobby and enjoys teaching what he knows, (or thinks he knows). For example he gave 2 sets of two hour lectures on Rocks and Minerals to 8 of the 6th grade classes at the Naba Ani Elementary School in January. And sets of lectures to 8 of the 4th and 5th grade classes in February. In April he did a lecture for over one hundred 4th graders at the Grace B. Wilson School in Kirtland, New Mexico. Each of these students were given 4 igneous rocks, 3 sedimentary rocks, and 3 metamorphic rocks and taught how to make their own labels for them. (In case you wanted to know that is about 5,500 specimens). He has given talks at his local club meetings and at the Creede, Colorado Rock and Minerals Show and at the Friends of Mineralogy Symposium held last year at Creede, Colorado. Needless to say he has rocks in his head.

As everyone who was at the March general meeting knows the revised Constitution and Bylaws were accepted by the membership with a unanimous vote. These documents are now officially in effect because we found out that nonprofits are no longer required to file these with the state. So what does this mean to the general membership ------- probably nothing. I would be surprised if anyone outside the board of directors notice anything different. Actually even within the board little has changed because most of the revisions were made in order to get the Constitution and Bylaws in line with how we were already doing business. We now have guiding documents that are worth something, new people (as well as veterans) to the board have an additional source of useful information about the operation of the AGMC.

In January the board increased the scholarship award we present to a UNM and a NMTech student each year to $1250 (up from $1000). This money comes from the gem, mineral, and jewelry show (TotE Show) we just hosted. And yes, we made enough to cover the scholarships plus more. A good job pat on the back goes to the show committee and all of you who helped make this happen again this year.

883-4195

el.chivo.viejo@earthlink.net

Our March 28th meeting was attended by 25

AGMC Jr. Club members – 20 Rock Retrievers (of which 2 joined at our meeting!), and five Rockhounds. The Rock Retrievers worked on earning their Earth Processes merit badge, learning about the three rock types and the rock cycle.

We began the meeting with a discussion about the difference between a mineral and a rock, then learning about the three rock types (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic). Earlene brought a vast collection of the different rock types (which have mysteriously gathered together in her yard) for the kids to try and identify. We then talked about the way the different rock types are formed, which included a brief discussion about plate tectonics, and used a chart of the rock cycle to illustrate the processes.

Finally, the class got to participate in an activity which gave the kids an idea of how metamorphic rocks can be created. Using modeling clay, sands from all over the country, and pebbles from the Rio Grande, the kids squished layers of clay with sand and pebbles all together and got the idea…it was "gneiss"!

See you at the next meeting!

Paul Kouts has agreed to serve as the Tumbled Rocks Coordinator. Thank you Paul. If you have extra rock that would be suitable for tumble polishing please contact Paul and he'll take it off your hands. If the rocks are 1/2" - 2" in size or are broken down to that size range, that would be helpful but not necessary.

Paul Kouts, 332-8642, plkouts@groupivr.com

The show is history and I think it went quite well. The new building is so much better than the old that we had club members, dealers, and even customers saying how nice it was. So, OK, we will stay there.

The show committee and board of directors had a chat about the date for next year. If’n ya have input, talk to one of us. Right now we are planning for March 16-18, 2012 but we are considering alternatives to get more kids to come.

I was disappointed at the turnouts we had for set-up and tear-down. I believe that we called folks to remind them last year but not this year. We’ll try to do better. Grant Kuck and Michael Johnson are investigating purchasing dollies to help move tables around. That’ll make set-up a lot easier and faster.

I think the inside food vendor is a real plus.

We have essentially all the numbers as to attendance, sales, expenses, etc. The show did well – thanks to all who helped. We are not planning any increases in booth fees or admission fees. We are investigating new avenues for advertising.

Comments, suggestions, complaints? Please contact me.

paulhlava@q.com

A year ago year this field trip near Roswell was actually snowed-out… this year we had record-breaking 95 degree heat. Such is rock-hounding in New Mexico.

Despite the forecast, we had an enthusiastic group of 14 club members making the drive south to visit the Bosque and Cottonwood Draws. We rendezvoused at the "flying saucer" McDonalds in downtown Roswell and caravanned about 30 miles northeast of town to the Bosque Draw location.

Apparently there was a locally heavy rain in the area within the week so we did encounter some problems digging the deep holes needed to collect unaltered pyrite crystals. Basically after digging a couple of feet our holes would fill up with water! However we did find numerous seams and dryer ground along the sides of the arroyo to dig out some nice oxidated pyrite concretions. Plenty of nodules were bagged for cleaning back home. A number of nice xtals of gypsum (variety selenite) were also found. Selenite is a term for colorless, transparent gypsum. Satin spar, a fibrous variety of gypsum that sometimes exhibits chatoyancy, was also found.

After lunch we drove to Cottonwood Draw were we were fortunate to find some shade and also fortunate to find many aragonite (orthorhombic, calcium carbonate) xtals pseudomorphed by dolomite (trigonal, calcium magnesium carbonate). Many of the original aragonite xtals were pseudohexagonal twins with prism faces and a basal pinacoid modified by pyramidal faces. Most of the xtals at this location were aggregates and had the appearance of pineapples. They were embedded within dark gray shale that was easily worked with rock picks. Some nice groups of gypsum with iron oxide (red) inclusions were also found at the Cottonwood Draw location. We collected a couple of more hours and made the short hike back to our cars to head home.

A big thanks to Ray DeMark for getting us there safely, generously sharing his claim, and for his expert guidance in finding the good stuff.

We will meet at the Sandia Ranger station on NM Highway 337, just south of Tijeras, at 9:00 a.m. If necessary, we will carpool from there to the site, depending on parking at the quarry site. This site has silicified marine brachiopods in limestone. An email will be sent out in case of a change.

The Kinney quarry, located in the Manzanita Mountains south of Tijeras, New Mexico is a world-class fossil location. The age of the formation here is about 275 to 300 million years before present. This places it in the late Pennsylvanian epoch.

The deposit is a near shore delta deposit and was probably salt and fresh water depending on

weather conditions. Brackish water conditions favored the growth of crustaceans, snails, pectens (bivalve mollusks), and fishes. All have been found as fossils at this site. There are also trace fossils of land plants and insects. These consist of carbon imprints on the shale layers. You will find the pecten Dunbarella (a type of scallop), sometimes attached to plant fossil remains. You may, if very lucky, find a fossil imprint of a fish. Ray-finned fish, spiny shark, lungfish and coelacanth fossils have been found here. Plant fossils are common in the shale layers.

Fossils found here are in a friable shale deposit that is mined for brick-making clay (including the fossils). The nature of this material makes it important to carefully wrap and pack specimens to preserve them while transporting them. The fossil-bearing shale is also water soaked and must be carefully dried in a shady, cool location after arriving home. It takes about 2 to 4 weeks to dry out if the weather is not damp. Do not allow them to freeze! I have preserved this material by soaking

it in a mixture of 90% lacquer thinner and 10% flat lacquer. (You can also use a 90% shellac thinner and 10% shellac mixture, with a shiny surface resulting on drying.) I soak the fossils about two months in this solution, which seems to stabilize them.

For collecting here you will need the usual rock pick, chisels and wrapping materials. You will also need a putty knife, old butter knife or similar tool for separating the shale layers. Beverage flats, well padded, work better for transport than buckets due to the flat shape of most specimens.

For further reading I recommend the following:

1. The Paleontology of New Mexico, Barry S. Kues, UNM press, 2008

2. Fossils of New Mexico, Barry S. Kues, UNM Press, 1982 (out of print)

3. Geology and Paleontology of the Kinney Brick Quarry, Bulletin 138, New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources.

The Harding Mine is owned and managed for research and collecting by the Department of Earth and Planetary Science of the University of New Mexico and permission to collect there is only granted by them. We will need to organize this trip a bit differently than usual to meet their requirements. This means we will need to sign up for the trip on UNM's form prior to going to the mine. There will be a signup sheet at the April meeting which will then be registered with UNM. However, if you don't get signed up on this list you can still attend the field trip. You will have to sign the UNM form at the meeting place.

This visit will expand upon the areas AGMC collected at during our 2009 visit as our leader Jesse Kline of Taos relates…I encourage all AGMC members who are planning to take the May field trip to the Harding mine to read the UNM walking tour guide (available through Brian Anderson or Jim Hill). Expand your collecting to include the North Ridge - Epidote, Garnet (Andradite), Holmquistite, Beryl (Aquamarine), Tantalite, Apatite, Lepidolite, Spodumene, Bismutite, Schorlite, are among the many species to be found. Expand your thinking to the surrounding landscape, where Chrysoberyl, Muscovite, Gahnite, Piemontite, Zoisite, Scheelite, Andalusite and their associates can be found. Use the Buddy system when exploring, and always let someone know where you are going. I look forward to meeting each of you.

We will be allowed to collect up to 5 pounds of loose minerals at the mine and on the mine dumps. There will be NO UNDERGROUND COLLECTING ALLOWED! Anyone found underground will cause the whole group to be ejected from the site and be refused entry in the future. Be prepared for hot weather and rough terrain. Water, boots, long pants, a hat, eye protection, and gloves are required. A rock pick or dump rake, bag for specimens, and wrapping materials will be needed for collecting.

To get there, head north from Albuquerque on I-25. In Santa Fe you want to get to US 84/285 north to Espanola. You can take the Santa Fe bypass route SR 599 or you can continue on I-25 and take the St. Frances exit which is US 84/285 and follow it north through Santa Fe. SR 599 connects with US 84/285 at the north end of Santa Fe. Take US 84/285 north to Espanola. In Espanola, take the Taos hi-way, SR 68. Stay on SR 68 until you come to SR 75 on your right. Take SR 75 through Dixon and drive about 5+ miles to the meeting place on the right side of the road. We will meet there at 9:30

am. Allow 2 ½ to 3 hours (or more for construction delays) for the trip from Albuquerque. The only facilities will be a porta-potty at the parking area. Bring a lunch and lots of water.

Take I-40 West to exit 39 (Refinery) and go back across I-40 to a large area on the left where the State has piles of gravel. We will meet there at 9 a.m. Allow approximately an hour and forty-five minutes travel from Albuquerque. When you first get off at exit 39, there is a Pilot gas station with a Subway and Denny’s restaurant for those who may need gas, food, toilet break.

The area is a part of the various layers of the Chinle Formation, which accounts for occasional colorful petrified wood. While the types of trees are undetermined, the roots are mostly red on the outside with the inside being agatized into any number of colors, such as red, pink, yellow, black, while, orange, and sometimes purple. There are several areas where petrified wood with crystals on it can be found. There is a wonderful example of a very large petrified tree that fell into a ravine and broke into several parts about 3ft. in diameter. Scattered about are other types of fossils, Apache Tears, and Carnelian stones. For those interested in marine fossils, there is another area off Rt 400 South, exit 33, that contains Brachiopods and other shell fossils. Some have been replaced by crystals and are very interesting.

Since this is on State forest land, there are no facilities and you will need to bring food and water. Collecting is mostly exposed rocks, but you can use a small shovel or hand rake to help expose other specimens. Per State regulations, 25 lbs of rocks per person can be taken. While I myself have never seen any dangerous animals, this is a wild area and bears and mountain lions do live here. There is some uphill climbing and hiking sticks are a great help.

There are also chunks of marine plants. The areas will be marked with colored ribbons and maps will be provided. I live at Fort Wingate and have a nice rock garden for anyone who would like to visit.

April 1976 News Nuggets

By Pete Modreski

Mineralogy books will tell you that "peacock copper ore" is a name given to the mineral bornite (Cu5FeS4) because of its iridescent violet to blue tarnish. Rock Shops often display brightly colored specimens, tarnished in iridescent metallic shades of blue, red, and green, labeled "peacock copper". What are they really? All that shines is not necessarily bornite; many such specimens are chalcopyrite, CuFeS2, another copper ore mineral that is more common than bornite. Chalcopyrite can

sometimes take on a brilliant tarnish, although its normal color is a brassy yellow. It has been suggested that some dealers go so far as to bake their specimens in an oven to enhance the colored tarnish that makes "peacock ore" so attractive. To test this, I tried heating a piece of chalcopyrite in an oven at 500 F. The initial metallic yellow color became a deeper brassy-yellow (10 minutes), then tuned to an orange-brown metallic tarnish (20 minutes) which gradually took on violet (1-2 hours) and bluish-violet shades (4 hours).

How to tell bornite and chalcopyrite apart? Ignore the pretty tarnish and look for freshly broken surfaces, or chip the surface. Fresh chalcopyrite is a brassy yellow, which normally tarnishes only over many years. Fresh bornite is a bronze (brownish metallic) color that tarnishes in just a few days to a violet-blue color, eventually becoming blue-black. The two minerals may occur together in the same rock, just to complicate things a little.

Compiled, selected and annotated by Dave Moats, AGMC Historian

Laurie and I went to the Dominican Republic this past week and had a great adventure in larimar country. The original purpose of the trip was to visit some of her relatives who had rented a villa in Playa Colorado near the town of Samana in the far north east of the country. But, we also thought that we would explore the possibility of getting some amber and larimar. This was Laurie’s trip. I do not sell larimar, so she wanted to add this to her inventory.

After 2 very nice days at the villa, we headed for Santo Domingo where we did some preliminary exploration of the amber and larimar available there. We quickly decided not to explore an amber producing location in the north of the country because the price of amber in the stores was hugely out of proportion to any reasonable price. The larimar, however, was much more reasonable, and this caused us to decide to visit the larimar producing area near the town of Barahona 4 hours to the south west of Santo Domingo. 

We arrived there late the afternoon of Feb. 28 and found that the hotels mentioned in our old Lonely Planet are pretty run down. But, we did find a nice new one, Hotel Costa Larimar, on a beautiful palm lined beach where we stayed for two days. Laurie promptly asked at the desk where we could find larimar and was told by the luggage guy to come out to the beach in 10 minutes. Here we found an engaging young man named Yorbi who had some pretty nice larimar at prices much lower than in Santo Domingo. She bought most of it. Yorbi offered to take us to the mine some 30 kilometers south of town the next day.

We met Yorbi at 9:00 on March 1 at the hotel and headed to the small town of El Arroyo. Here we turned north up a dirt/gravel/rock road which at points was pretty steep and about all out tiny KIA could manage. After about 10 kilometers the road was so bad we had to stop, leave the car in the care of a very poor old man whom we later paid 50 pesos ($1.50), and continue on up a steep grade on foot to the mining area. This was about ½ a mile further.

What a place. A mining camp high up the mountain, it is something out of our own old west. The miners, as they seem to be every where we go, are poor, living in wooden shacks on dirt roads. Yorbi told us that there are about 150 miners, so imagine a town with this 150 plus wives and children clinging to a shoulder of a steep mountain. The town has everything including small stores, plenty of beer, even a Pentecostal church. The miners work in about 18 shafts down and into the mountain where they excavate the larimar which forms in odd tubes. Most of the miners work for a cooperative which sells all of its produce in Santo Domingo, but there were a number of independent miners who offered us their wares. Lauri bought some exquisite cabs, slabs and rough including one unpolished section of a tube about 8 inches in circumference and 6 inches thick. This was a major weight in our luggage. We went into one of the shafts and watched a large fellow lowered out of sight down a narrow hole. The mining area overlooks a series of lush tropical hills which tumble into a blue sea. An incredible view.

We finished up about 2, and Yorbi suggested that we go for lobsters a bit further down the coast at Playa San Rafael. This may be the most beautiful place in the world. I never knew there were so many varieties of turquoise (or larimar) hue as we saw sitting on the beach looking out to sea. This is truly an unspoiled (by tourists) place – not even a hotel or lodge to stay in. A fast moving, pure mountain stream runs through the beach area into the blue, blue sea. It has been dammed up in a series of pools where one can swim. The stream is lined with little shacks from which beer, lobster and fish are sold to visitors. I bought a huge lobster, while Laurie and Yorbi ordered fresh fish, all grilled on a charcoal barbecue, and Yorbi and I proceeded to have several liter size Presidente beers, the national beer of the DR. Yorbi’s services were so valuable to us, and his presence so pleasant, that we paid him $50 instead of the $30 he had originally requested.

On March 2, we did not have to be back in Santo Domingo until late in the evening, so we set out in search of more larimar. Incredibly, we found almost none in Barahona which was a surprise since it is the major town in the area. So, we headed back towards the mine and stopped at the several places along the road that had signs indicating the sale of larimar. This proved extremely fruitful. Not only was there plentiful material available in these places, but at times we were told of other places. We got exquisite cut slabs and two more "rounds" from a tube, both polished and fantastic. The highest quality slabs were 10 pesos a gram which is about 25 cents. Finally, with all of our $$ gone, we headed back to Playa San Rafael for another lobster and look at the incredible sea.

Regarding price, we unfortunately did not check out larimar dealers in Tucson this year, so we were without reference to US prices. But, I believe the material we obtained to be very much less than what is charged in the US.

1. The Larimar Museum and Amber Museum in Santo Domingo are really worth going to. One is right on the main square, the other a block off of it. There is a great restaurant right on a corner of the square where one can have Presidentes and watch this particular part of the world go by. We happened to be there during the run up to Mardi Gras and so watched some pretty cool costumes go by.

2. The larimar deposits were discovered some time in the early 1970s by an American Peace Corps volunteer who found pieces on the beach and worked his way up a local river to where it was washing out of the mountain. What an adventure!!!

3. Do not drive at night in the DR as we did on March 2. There are no rules during the day governing the behavior of trucks, cars, hundreds of motor bikes, pedestrians and animals. At night there are still no rules, but you cannot see a damn thing in front of you because most vehicles, including the motorcycles, have no rear lights.

4. The road to the mine is rough and requires gentle driving. Don’t go up it in a small, 2WD vehicle, if you are not skilled at driving on rough roads. You might gut it on a rock or ridge.

5. I can’t emphasize enough how beautiful, yet how poor, this country is. It is fantastic, and most people seemed genuinely friendly. We enjoyed our trip very much.

If you are tempted to go to the mine, call Yorbi or ask for him at the Costa Larimar. He is a very nice young fellow who speaks a bit of English. His # is 829-368-2252.

March 4, 2011

Editor’s note: It is a privilege to enjoy John’s stories about traveling to exotic locations in search of mineral treasures. We should hope that he and Laurie continue world-hopping!

Here are events located in NM, TX, OK, CO, UT and AZ for the near future.

You can see a more comprehensive list at: www.rockngem.com/showdates.asp.

15-17—ALPINE, TX: Show, "Alpine Agate Festival"; Chihuahuan Desert Gem & Mineral Club; Alpine Civic Center, Hwy. 90W and 13th St. N; Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-6, Sun. 11-5; free admission; South Central Federation convention, grand prize, door prizes, silent auctions, field trips, kids’ corner, demo dealers; contact Mary Brogan, P.O. Box 1111, Alpine, TX 79831, (432) 386-2340; e-mail: marybrogan@rocketmail.com; Web site: www.cdgmc.org

16-17—WACO, TX: Annual show; Waco Gem & Mineral Club; Texas State Technical College, Industrial Tech. Bldg., Crest Dr., off I-35, north of Waco; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-5; adults $5 (both days); contact Karen Wood, 2315 Colcord, Waco, TX 76707, (254) 755-7274; e-mail: kwood@hot.rr.com: Web site:  www.wacogemandmineral.org

22-24—DENVER, CO: 2011 spring wholesale/retail show, "Colorado Mineral & Fossil Show"; Martin Zinn Expositions; Holiday Inn – Denver Central, 4849 Bannock St.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; 80 wholesale and retail dealers, minerals, fossils, gems, jewelry; contact Martin Zinn Expositions, PO. Box 665, Bernalillo, NM 87004-0665; e-mail: mzexpos@aol.com; Web site: www.mzexpos.com

30-May 1—LUBBOCK, TX: 53rd annual gem and mineral show; Lubbock Gem & Mineral Society; Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Ln.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults (13+) $4, seniors (65+) $3, ages 6-12 $2, under 6 free with adult; wire-wrapped stones, precious stones, jewelry, minerals, fossils, rough rock, dealers, demonstrators, exhibits, hourly door prizes, silent auction, grand prizes; contact Archie Scott, 2709 Belvedere Rd., Levelland, TX 79336, (806) 894-1584; e-mail: archie.scott73@yahoo.com

14-15—FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ: Retail show; Rick Obermiller; Fountain Hills Community Center, 13001 N. La Montana Dr.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $2, children under 12 free; indoor show, mostly Arizona dealers, gems, minerals, jewelry, fossils, kids’ activities, drawings, raffles; contact Rick Obermiller, 1332 N. Jesse St., Chandler, AZ 85225-1598, (602)826-2218; e-mail: obrocks@gmail.com

28-29—FORT WORTH, TX: 60th annual show, "Marvelous Minerals"; Fort Worth Gem & Mineral Club; Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 W. Lancaster; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $5, seniors and students $4, ages 16 and under free; more than 25 dealers, exhibits, kids’ games, door prizes, grand prize, silent auction; contact Steve Hilliard, PO Box 418, Decatur, TX 76234, (817) 925-5760; e-mail: fwgmc@embarqmail.com; Web site: www.fortworthgemandmineralclub.org

A few folks emailed me that they read the Mystery Mineral and try to decipher the mineral names. Email me at paulhlava@q.com and let me know your guesses by copying the Questions below and answering them. This includes AGMC members and everyone else who reads "News Nuggets". I have gotten very few responses, folks. EMAIL me at paulhlava@q.com! I have been gratified by folks responding that they WORK at these minerals. Good, that IS the idea. This way you learn about them.

The Game Plan – I will describe a mineral and you have to guess/decipher/research the name of the mineral and the answers to the other questions asked about uses, history, notable facts, etc. I expect the Top Guns in the club to be able to guess the name off the top of their heads. The learners will need a reference book or two. You will benefit most if you do not ask others for the answers but work it out for yourselves. When you have decided on the name you can compare notes with others or wait for the answers to be announced at the meetings or published in the News Nuggets. Good luck and have fun.

Last year I discussed minerals found in the Hansonburg District of NM. This year I’ll work on minerals from the Harding (pegmatite) Mine and area.

This month’s MM is an endmember of a couple of rare elements. This end member contains 3 metals, one of which is rare and is a mineral mostly found in granitic pegmatites. The cubic crystals are usually small and can form sparkly, crystalline masses. This mineral has 4 indistinct cleavages which are rarely seen. It is transparent to opaque with a vitreous to resinous luster. It can be colorless, white, yellow, yellowish brown, reddish brown, greenish brown, green, gray, or black. At the Harding it is often yellow when pure but brown to black when impure. Sp. Gr. = 5.9 - 6.4, H = 5 - 5.5)

What is the name of the mineral?

What is the origin of the name?

What metals does it contain?

What non-metals does it contain?

What is the name of the other end of the series?

What rare metal does it contain?

What elements are more abundant in the black grains at the Harding?

What other minerals might occur with it?

What is it mined and used for?

Do you have some in your collection?

In NM –

In the USA –

In the World –

What is the name of the mineral? Lepidolite

What is the origin of the name? Named in 1792 by Martin Klaproth from the Greek words Lepidos for "scale" and Lithos for "stone".

What metals does it contain? Lithium (Li), potassium (K), and aluminum (Al), and the semi-metal silicon (Si).

What non-metals does it contain? Oxygen (O), hydrogen (H), and fluorine (F).

What other minerals might occur with it? Spodumene, tourmalines, the usual pegmatite minerals (quartz, feldspars, muscovite), and minerals with other unusual elements (beryllium, boron, niobium, tantalum, REE’s, etc.)

What is it mined and used for? Glass making, source of lithium for batteries, greases, medicines, light weight alloys

Do you have some in your collection? Yep.

In NM – Harding Mine, Rociada District

In the USA – SD, CA, AZ, CO, CT, ME, NC, etc.

In the World – Afghanistan, Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, Madagascar, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, etc.

March 10, 2011

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 6:30 p.m. prior to the general meeting. The public is welcome at both meetings.

Board of Directors meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month. All club members are welcome.

All memberships are family memberships and include all members of the household. Dues are $20. Send checks to the AGMC, P.O. Box 13718, Albuquerque, NM 87192-3718 or pay the Membership Chair at the monthly meeting. All memberships expire Dec. 31.

The Club Newsletter: News Nuggets exists to assist the membership in communications and to provide information on club activities. Contributions from all members are welcome for any information that will promote club activities or that would be of interest to club members. News Nuggets is scheduled to be sent approximately one week prior to the monthly meeting, earlier if possible.

You are invited to send news, articles or comments to Bill Barr at wbarr@umich.edu. Please begin the subject line with AGMC.

Instructions for entering the Members' Page are provided in the new member packet.

Treasurer: el.chivo.viejo@earthlink.net

merlelin@q.com

klawicki@gmail.com

Note: If you feel you have been put on or left off this list in error, please contact Bill Barr.