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News Nuggets Newsletter of the Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club Volume 49 Number 4 TOTE 2002 All the months of planning are finally over. The show is just a memory now and we will be gearing up soon for TOTE 2003. Thanks, everybody!!! We ended up having one of the best shows that the club has had in years. The final figures will be ready soon and they will be reported in next month’s edition of News Nuggets. We had 1651 adults and 287 children under 13 come to the show this year. This compares very favorably to approximately 1,300 people who came to last year’s show at the UNM Conference Center. Most of the dealers were pleased with the new location and wanted to immediately reserve their spot for next year’s show. There were a few glitches at the new venue, but nothing that we can’t work out with the State Fair for 2003. Thanks to Sallie Estill and Paul Hlava for their endless prep work and Sallie for her great PR efforts!
Upcoming Shows
Ft. Worth, TX May 4-5 Ft. Worth Gem & Mineral Club ‘Texas Rocks’ Reno, NV May 11-12 Reno Gem & Mineral Society 36th Annual Jackpot of Gems Grand Junction, CO May 11-12 Grand Junction Gem & Mineral Club 55th annual Gem & Mineral Show Cheyenne, WY May 25-26 Annual Wyoming State Gem & Mineral Show Durango, CO July 12-14 Four Corners Gem & Mineral Club, 50th Annual Show Flagstaff, AZ July 19-21 American Gem & Mineral Show Silver City, NM Aug. 31- Sept. 2 Grant County Gem & Mineral Society 19th Annual Show
Officers 2001 President/Editor- Orlando Garcia home phone: 345-0520 e-mail: jabog@rt66.com Past President- Jim Winchell home phone: 831-6135 cell: 401-4111 e-mail: galleryofminerals@home.com VP-Programs - Grant Kuck home phone: 323-1520 VP-Field Trips- Kimberly Richie home phone: 296-8847 VP-Field Trips- Ray DeMarkhome phone: e-mail: RayDeMark@aol.com VP-Special Events- Hank Miller home phone: 255-7218 e-mail: rgmhgm2@quest.net Secretary/Historian- Dave Moatshome phone : 892-8163e-mail: beepbeep59@hotmail.com Treasurer- Lloyd Keller Home phone: 889-9357 Ad Hoc Board- Paul Hlava home phone: 255-5478 e-mail: pfhlava@sandia.gov
Show Chair- Sallie Estill – home phone: 792-8328 e-mail: atomic-cleaning@worldnet.att.net Club Historian: Tom Katonak Home phone: 898-5592 e-mail: tkatonak@macconnect.com Jr. Club: Carl Johnson home phone: 344-3178 Meeting & Show Hotline: 890-0948
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 on any information that will promote club activities or that would be of interest to club members. News Nuggets is scheduled to be mailed prior to the monthly meeting. Mail news, articles or comments to: Orlando Garcia 1028 Solar Rd. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107. E-mail: jabog@rt66.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. The general meeting is held on the 4th Monday of the month at 7:30 pm The Junior Club meets at 6:45pm prior to the general meeting. The public is welcome to both meetings. Board of Directors meetings are held at 7:30 pm on the first Monday of each month. (Call for location). All memberships are family memberships and can include all members of the household. Dues are $20. Send checks to the AGMC, P.O. Box 13718, Albuquerque, NM 87192 or pay the Membership Chair at the monthly meeting. President’s Message I’m sorry this is a short newsletter this month. Despite Microsoft’s declarations to the contrary, Windows XP can crash and it’s not pretty when that happens. I lost a couple of articles from Dave Moats and Paul Hlava which were in my now disappeared mail file. Sorry guys. Some members (a minority, I hope) keep saying that our show is too large and too commercial and I don’t know why that is bad. Yes we had 14 dealers in 1965 but look around you and you will see that nothing is like it was 37 years ago. All we are doing to keep our club and our hobby alive (memberships are down throughout the country) is keeping up with the changes that are happening whether we like them or not. We are one of the few clubs that always have a quality speaker who is regarded as an expert in his or her field. We do give an honorarium every month for non-member speakers. The newsletter costs almost $11.00 a year to produce and mail for every membership that gets a hard copy. That’s $11.00 out of your $20.00 annual dues. I could go on and on about expenses and why we need a big show to cover costs and scholarships. Come to a board meeting and
see how hard the board works to keep costs down and how people on the board agonize over cutting costs. It will be very comforting this year to be able to put money into savings and still have the upfront costs covered for TOTE 2003. Besides, our show this year looked like a big city show and both the dealers and our customers all seemed to like the change. -Orlando Show Finances Anyone who has TOTE 2002 show income and/or expenses should mail or deliver them to the treasurer (loyd Keller) by the April general meeting (4/22/02). A final profit and loss statement is required for the May board of directors’ meeting so that planning can commence for the 2003 show.
Dues, Dues, Dues!!! If you didn’t get a News Nuggets by mail or e-mail this month and just picked this up at the meeting, then you probably haven’t paid your 2002 dues yet. Talk to loyd or call him at 889-9357 so you can get next month’s NN on time. Thanks!! -Orlando
Field Trip Report Mayflower Mine Once the subtractions and additions were done from the attendance list, there were 33 of us gathered in the Macy Center parking lot. I am pleased to report that included in that number were four families that very recently joined our club. We received our instructions, caravanned to the EMRTC Building for a ‘last chance pit stop’, traveled another ½ mile to leave the vehicles and finish the distance by New Mexico Tech van. I expected to be confronted by a bare rock incline with mountain goats as close relatives. Instead, it is a respectable slope, but manageable. The day was a near perfect mix of cool breezes and warm sun. I do not have an exact count, but about 2/3 of the group made the trek to the mine site. It was reported that the expected minerals were found. If you would like to know what you took home from the Mayflower, bring your samples to the May general meeting. Ray DeMark has volunteered to bring his microscope and help you ‘name that mineral’. -Kimberly Richie
Field Trip Dictator Mine, Sierra County, NM April 27-28, 2002 This month’s field trip will cater to those club members’ interested in fluorescent minerals. On Saturday, the 27th of April, we will sally forth to the Dictator mine in the Sierra Cuchillo Negro just east of Winston in Sierra County. Our rendezvous point will be at a pull-off on NM 52 six miles east of Cuchillo. You should take the exit for NM Hwy #52 from I-25 just after the Canada Alamosa ‘gorge’ then go south on NM 181 for three miles to the NM 52 intersection. We will gather here and then caravan to the mine. Allow 2 ½ hours to get to the rendezvous point from Albuquerque. The turn-off to the mine is 20 miles west of our meeting point. At 16.6 miles from our meeting point we will pass by the Willow Springs Draw prospect. Excellent micro crystals of pseudobrookite, horneblende, sphene, and rare minerals have been found here. We will stop here while I point out the location. It is 2.2 miles (south) from NM 52 to the mine. This road is quite rough and steep in a couple of spots. It is not suitable for passenger cars. We will be primarily collecting fluorescent calcite and willemite at the Dictator mine. The calcite is ubiquitous at the mine and
fluoresces a brilliant crimson red. The Willemite fluoresces bright green but is much more sparse than the calcite. Smithsonite at the Dictator fluoresces a pale pink but it is scarce. Mottramite is relatively common at the mine but it is not usually found in euhedral crystals. Azurite can be found in micro crystals and there are a number of other minerals that occur here. There is an open adit (400 feet long) and a 130-foot shaft at the mine. Those interested in collecting underground will of course need lights, hardhats, etc. Hard rock collecting tools (hammers, safety glasses, chisels, etc.) will be required. I will give a presentation on the geology, mineralogy, and history of the mine when we arrive. If you are planning on camping overnight, note that there are no facilities at the mine and the closest stores for supplies are at Winston and Cuchillo. Nighttime collecting for fluorescent minerals on the dumps should be quite productive. Don’t forget your portable UV lamps! (The club has a new UV lamp which will be available on this trip. –ed.)
I will be out of town until the 24th of April but should be available after that for questions. See you at the Sierra Cuchillo Negro (Black Knife) ! -Ray DeMark
April 27-28 Field Trip (Details) When: April 27-28, 2002 Where: Dictator Mine, east of Winston, NM Time: 9:30AM What For: Calcite, Smithsonite, Willemite for their fluorescence and Mottramite and azurite. Directions: Take I-25 south to exit #89, rt. 181 south 3 miles to junction of rt. 52. This trip seems to have the makings for a memorable one. In our excitement of the conquest of that elusive mineral specimen we don’t want to compromise on safety. There is an opportunity to collect in an underground adit. Hardhats, safety glasses, and lights are essential, and good shoes to protect those toes. If you do not have these items other members are usually willing to share equipment (except the shoes). You can also talk to me at the meeting about hardhats and glasses. Speaking of hats, they are a good idea for above ground collecting as well. We will be in the southern half of the state, it’s approaching summer, and it’s likely to be in the 80’s, at least. The only shade to be had may be in your vehicle!! Don’t forget extra water, lunch, and sunscreen. There will be information on field trips and tools, etc. at the meetin on the 22nd to refresh your memory or if you want extra copies.
For those planning to camp overnight…. There should be room fairly close to the dumps so that the fluorescent hunters don’t have to travel up the hill in the dark. I know that there are a few people who are anxious to put the club UV lamp to the test!! I asked Ray about the vehicle requirements- he said that the first mile off the paved road is not too bad, but the second mile or so requires high clearance at a minimum, but he recommends 4-wheel drive to handle the rocky and steep conditions. I am sure we are all aware of how dry the state is this year. An open fire is probably not a good idea beyond heating dinner. (And may not be allowed at all, so be prepared for other heating options). Hope to see a lot of you there!! Remember, members only on field trips. -Kimberly Richie
The Denver shows are only six months away. Here is the latest information from the Lapidary Journal. This information is only for the main show at the Merchandise Mart. Look at next month’s Lapidary Journal for more information about other shows in Denver in September. Denver, CO Sept. 13-15 Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council 35th Annual Gem & Mineral Show "Gemstones of Colorado"
Announcements
Mike Sanders is looking for a used 10" (or larger) rock saw. Call him at 256-1797 or e-mail him at mrsande@sandia.gov if you are interested in selling your used saw.
Enclosed is your club membership form for 2002. Please include all the names to be included in your ‘Family" membership. This information is required by the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies A.F.M.S. for insurance and dues purposes. Annual Dues are $20.00 per family and $10.00 per family for memberships beginning after June 1, 2002.
Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club Membership Form Last Name_____________________________ Renewal from 2001? Y N Senior Member Names: 1.___________________________ 2.___________________________
Junior Member Names: 1.___________________age______ 2.___________________age______ 3.___________________age______ If this is a renewal, is the News Nuggets going to the proper address? Y N For corrections and new members, please fill in the following information. Mailing Address: ______________________Apt. # ________ City:____________________ State: _______ ZIP + 4: _______-_____ Phone: (_____) _____-______ Please include. This is only for club use and not for any other purpose e-mail Address: _____________________________ Annual Dues: Dues are $20.00 per family. Send this form and check to: AGMC PO Box 13718 Albuquerque, NM 87192
April 22 Speaker Joe Dan Lowry from the Turquoise Museum in Old Town Will give a talk Rediscovering Turquoise
The Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club meets on the 4th Monday of every month except December. All meetings are held at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Sciences. The meeting begins at 7:30 PM. There will be a short business meeting prior to the evening’s talk, which begins at approximately 8 PM. Refreshments and door prizes will follow immediately after the talk. We have the room till 10:00 PM.
Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club Orlando Garcia, Editor PO Box 13718 Albuquerque, NM 87192-3718
This is the write-up that was not published AGMC GENERAL MEETING Monday, 25Mar02 With a show of hands, when asked how many helped and or came to the Show, nearly everyone’s hand was raised indicating a great show of support for our Show from the general membership which was much needed as there was so much to be done. Paul said that by 10:00 a.m. on set-up day there were 25 to 30 people helping set-up. I expect the final figures to show a very successful show was just completed by us and we should all take pleasure in knowing many of us had a hand in making it a success. Special recognition should go to Sallie Estill (Show Chairperson), Paul Hlava, Loyd Keller, Tom Schmierer and Jim Winchell for the many hours spent and efforts they made to make it a success. Paul stated that most of the dealers did very well, making 7 to 10 times their booth fees, helping to give our Show a tremendous boost in reputation this year. Many individuals involved with the different aspects of the Show were recognized by name at the meeting. Although there were about 9 power outages, the Fair Grounds people got right on it and finally punched a hole into one of the building’s wall to bring in additional power for us! Mike Sanders did a very nice job of getting 22 high quality displays into the Show. Thanks to all those who generously donated specimens to the Club’s Silent Auction and Raffle among which Mama’s Minerals stands out. Kimberly stated that last year there were 1337 people attending compared to this year’s figure of 1671 or, counting the kids, 1950! Loyd says there are many that have not yet renewed their membership for this year and that the 15th of April is the cut off date. He needs all show receipts so he can do a Profit and Loss Statement on the Show. Hank Miller announced that we have selected two Science Fair winners. They were Joshua A. Kapsner in 8th grade at Holy Ghost middle school with his project entitled "Magnetic Mountain II – Layer by Layer" and Carmen M. Martinez in 6th grade at Queen of Heaven grade school for her project entitled "Aquifer Recharge Rates for Various Geologies". Hank will be inviting them both to our May meeting where they will have their projects on display and will be available to describe and answer questions regarding them. Ray went over the details of the March 30th field trip to the May Flower Mine on "M" Mountain next to Socorro. The club has not been to this location for many years as it requires special permission and is difficult to get to with a 800 to 1000 foot climb up the steep front face of the mountain. He stated that the mottramite (the copper end member of the descloizite two-member series) found there is the finest in the state. Grant Kuck introduced tonight’s speaker Bob North, who he first met at the 1996 Symposium when Bob gave a talk on the Chino Mine. In 1974, Mr. North was awarded a B.S. in Geology at Illinois State University; in 1977 a M.S. in Geology at Northern Illinois University; worked at N.M. Bureau of Mines from 1978-1988 as a Mineralogist and as an Economic Geologist/Mineralogist; was employed by Phelps Dodge at Morenci Mine from 1988-1995 and at the Chino Mine as Chief Geologist from 1995 to present. Tonight Bob North would again be talking on his old Symposium subject with a presentation on the geology and history of copper mining at the Santa Rita Pit at the Chino Mine, the largest copper producing mine in New Mexico and among the oldest in the U.S. He stated that many very nice mineral specimens have been collected from this heavily mined area some of which includes the Bayard District, Copper Flat District, Hanover District, Georgetown District and finally the Santa Rita District. We were given a regional geology overview of this area stating that the basement rock is a 1 ½ billion year old Precambrian granite and greenstone covered with about 3000 feet of Paleozoic carbonates and other types of rock resulting in at least 500 million years of earth history to unravel! The geologic history at Chino began with a sedimentary process over a continental crust. Chino’s sedimentary rocks are made up of 500 to 350 million years old lower Paleozoic rocks. There is a skarn (calc-silicates) mineralization in the limestones of the upper Paleozoic rocks (Pennsylvanian and Mississippian). About 75 million years ago a subduction zone (to the west) of oceanic rock went under the North American continent resulting in a "Mother" batholith from which stocks were formed that pushed their way up thru the relatively thin crust creating faults and then igneous activity 62 to 56 million years ago (early Tertiary) around the Santa Rita Stock at the junction of 3 sets of faults. This stock got to within about 2 kilometers of the surface, doming the surrounding Paleozoic and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, so there was a lot of water available to alter the rock. The action is where the water meets the rocks. Faulted, porphyritic rocks were acted upon by the water from below (hypogene solutions). Also small veinletts were created by the pressure of the gasses emitting from the magma chamber below. Solutions created by the magma were not in equilibrium with the rock, so changed it, and in the process deposited 0.l% to 0.2% copper in the form of chalcopyrite (CuFeS2, a copper, iron sulfide), the primary hypogene copper mineral. Mineralization is pretty good around the edges of the stock due to this fracturing and faulting. The initial deposited low-grade copper (chalcopyrite) carried down copper by the leaching effect of water from above (supergene solutions) and redeposited it at lower levels in a more concentrated form. For this to work you need oxygen, sulfur, and water. Chalcocite (copper sulfide, Cu2S) forms below the water table and our favorites, azurite and malachite (basic copper carbonates) above the water table. Without the secondary chalcocite enrichment little other than the skarns would be of ore grade. Bob went over the human history of the area stating that artifacts are known as early as 880 AD. Copper artifacts have been found as far away as Georgia that have been determined to have come from Santa Rita. The Mogollon Culture gathered copper and turquoise from Santa Rita. The early Spanish exploration of the South West U.S. was covered noting that in 1736 "Bola de Plata" was discovered in "Arizonac" and in 1795 Captain Francisco Martinez mentions "El Cobre" near Santa Lucia Springs as a "Creadero". In 1805 copper was priced at 65 cents in the dollars of the day which would be worth several dollars in today’s dollars. Since then the price of copper has been coming down. It’s price really fell with the operation of open pit mining to which the invention of dynamite in 1866 was a big deal for miners enabling them to mine much more effectively. Again the price fell dramatically with the coming of the railroad in 1891 to Silver City and Hanover enabling the ore to be transported to mills, smelters and markets much more cheaply. The state-of-the-art Solution Extraction-Electrowinning (Sx-Ew) plant which facilitates copper recovery from low-grade ores further enabled copper to be mined at ever lower grades. At the present time the mine is closed for the remainder of the year and not anticipated to open again until somewhere between 2003 and 2005. Bob thinks the price of copper has bottomed out. Supply and demand makes the price go and Chino, like all other mines and many business ventures, must be competitive globally. They will need the mill running and the smelting process going when they re-open. The mine closed in a multi-step fashion over several years, laying off initially 1000 workers then 600 and most recently, 250 workers. Some workers have found work in neighboring mines like Tyrone, some went back to school and others went elsewhere. There is still some leaching going on and they are considering working the old tailings by leaching as there is still a lot of copper in them. The mill produces three by-products; gold, silver and molybdenum. The leaching process produces only copper. The management is trying to get a Closure and Close out Plan of Reclamation written up and approved by the State and are pretty close to an agreement. One stipulation is that this process must be bonded. Details like the angle of the slope, how much cover will be used and the treatment of water must be addressed. They know what it is going to cost so can put that into the price of the copper. The plan hasn’t been finalized but they’re getting close. After the presentation, at 9:05 p.m., a break for refreshments and door prize raffle tickets were drawn. The meeting adjourned at about 9:30 p.m. cumulating a great month and months of hard work by members for AGMC. Dave Moats, Secretary/Historian |