News Nuggets

Newsletter of the Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club

Volume 52 Number 8

Director

Fred Montoya

Sponsored by

The Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club, Inc.

General Rules

1. Entries in this department are limited to residents of New Mexico.

2. Only amateurs who make or craft as a hobby are eligible to compete for prizes.

3. Commercial or professional parties may exhibit for display only if space permits and shall not be judged.

4. No person shall make multiple entries in one class number. Exhibits and parts shall be entered in only one group or section each.

5. Exhibits wrongly classified shall be placed in the proper class.

6. All entries shall comply with the requirements as set forth in the New Mexico State Fair Premium book.

7. The decision of the judges will be final.

8. Please address entries being delivered by UPS, FED EX, etc. in care of New Mexico State Fair, Superintendent, Creative Arts Center, 300 San Pedro NE, Gate 4, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108. If you mail entries through the United States Post Office, they must be addressed in care of the New Mexico State Fair, Superintendent, Creative Arts Center, P.O. Box 8546, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87108.

9. Exhibitors are responsible for picking up their own exhibits or providing written authorization for pick-up by another individual. Any exhibit that has not been picked up by the designated pick-up date shall be considered abandoned and shall become the property of the New Mexico State Fair.

10. Upon presentation of claim checks, all exhibits will be released MONDAY only, September 6th, 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Any exhibits remaining on the Fairgrounds will become the property of the New Mexico State Fair to be disposed of at its discretion.

Sections

Section 344 - Youth: (under 8 yrs. as of January, 2005).

Section 345 – General

Entry Dates

Sept. 1 – 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Sept. 2– 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Sept. 3 – 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Special Rules

Minerals & Fossils

1. All entries must be clean, securely mounted on an appropriate base if less than 2” in diameter, correctly labeled with scientific identification, location found, and neatly displayed.

2. Specimens may be solitary or in a collection and must fit in the cases provided.

3. Collections are limited to 10 individual specimens or one 8” x 10” frame display case with each specimen in the collection correctly labeled.

4. Judging will be based on presentation of the specimen or collection, accuracy of labeling, and quality.

Special Rules

Lapidary

1. All entries must be exhibitor’s own work.

2. The exhibitor must have cut, carved, polished, or faceted all stones.

3. All work less than 5” in diameter must be securely mounted on an appropriate base.

4. Judging will be based on workmanship, quality of materials, and originality of design.

Premiums: 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd

All Classes: Ribbons

Mineral & Fossil Classes

1. Single mineral specimens – One mineral entry displayed separately or with the base rock in which it was found.

2. Multiple mineral specimens – Two or more minerals displayed as part of the base rock in which they are found, each mineral on the specimen must be identified.

3. Collections – Collections must present a theme, for example, variations of color in a specific mineral or minerals from the same location.

4. Single fossil specimens – One fossil entry displayed separately or with the base rock in which it was found.

5. Multiple fossil specimens – Two or more fossils displayed as part of the base rock in which they are found, each fossil on the specimen must be identified.

6. Fossil collections – Collections must present a theme, for example, variations of class in fossil species or variation in fossils for the same location.

Lapidary Classes

7. General lapidary – cut, carved, polished, or faceted gemstones.

8. Carved stone – any carved stone not covered by Class 7.

Best of Show ………… Rosettes

Awarded in all Sections

Let me begin this month's message by saying I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is that at the last meeting of the AGMC's Board of Directors, "Jake" Jacobs resigned as Club Treasurer. A special thanks goes out to Jake for all the time he put into that position and all the extra time he gave us after he said he needed to resign. The good news is that Jake has consented to remain on the Board and continue to serve the club, for which he deserves another heartfelt thank you.

But wait, I have more bad news. Because no one has expressed an interest in the Treasurer's position, we still have an opening on the Board. Ideally the Treasurer should have access to a computer, which greatly reduces the amount of time and workload (although Lloyd Keller who does not have a computer did a great job as Treasurer). There are also a number of computer programs especially designed for financial matters just to make life a little easier. Anyway, until such a time as we get a volunteer for this position, it looks like I'll be filling in (without any computer financial software!). I'm not sure if this is good or bad news. If you are interested in becoming Treasurer, please give me a call at 323-1520... and that will be good news!

The New Mexico State Fair is right around the corner, and as you are probably aware our club has a table in the Arts and Hobbies Building (right across from the Lujan Building, on the south side). There are still a few openings on Saturday and Sunday to staff the table. It's a wonderful opportunity to talk to others about the AGMC as well as give away fliers and mineral specimens to kids. Remember; the club will not only provide you with a parking pass but also a pass to get into the Fair. So when your short shift is done, you'll be free to roam the Fair at will for the rest of the day. If interested please contact Orlando Garcia (345-0520).

And now for something completely different... Don't forget the Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club when collecting rocks and mineral specimens. As you know, we have an ongoing need throughout the year: we need material for door prizes and for the silent auction and junior table during the Club's March Show. Then there's also the New Mexico State Fair where we give out mineral specimens to the kids. And let's not forget there's also our Club's table for the silent auction in Socorro during the annual mineral symposium. As you can see, there is a real opportunity to help. So next time you go on a field trip or clean out the garage to make room for new material, please remember the Club. Flats are good, but even a few nice specimens would be really appreciated. Please think quality as opposed to quantity. Chances are that if you donate something you would enjoy in your collection, the person who gets it will really enjoy it too.

I hope you are having a wonderful August and can make the next meeting.

Till then keep looking down!

Saturday & Sunday: 10AM - 5PM

Monday (Labor Day): 10AM - 4PM

Silver City Recreation Center 11^th and Gold Streets.

Free Admission

Special Exhibit by the New Mexico Bureau of Mines Display

Demonstrations, an educational display of local rocks and minerals and where to find them. Gems - Rocks - Minerals - Fossils - Jewelry – Equipment.

14-18 — DENVER, COLORADO: Show, “Colorado Mineral & Fossil Show” Martin Zinn Expositions; Holiday Inn-Denver Central, 4849 Bannock St.; Wed. 10-6, Thu. 10-6, Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; 200 wholesale and retail dealers on three floors, free shuttle to other shows; contact Martin Zinn Expositions, P.O. Box 999, Evergreen, CO 80437, fax (303) 674-2384; e-mail: mz0955@aol.com; Web site: www.mzexpos.com.

15-18 — DENVER, COLORADO: Show; The Bead Renaissance Shows; Holiday Inn, Northglen, I-25 and 120th Ave (exit 223); Thu. 10-6, Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; retail and wholesale, ancient, vintage, contemporary, and designer beads, buttons, jewelry, tools, books; contact J&J Promotions LLC, P.O. Box 420, Williamsburg, NM 87942, (505) 894-1293; e-mail: info@beadshow.com; Web site: www.beadshow.com.

16-18 — DENVER, COLORADO: Show, “Colorado Fossil Expo” Martin Zinn Expositions; Denver Merchandise Mart, Plaza Annex, 451 E. 58th St.; Fri. 9-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; $5 admission includes Denver Gem & Mineral Show; dealers selling fossils, meteorites, petrified wood, amber; contact Martin Zinn Expositions, P.O. Box 999, Evergreen, CO 80437, fax (303) 674-2384; e-mail: mz0955@aol.com; Web site: www.mzexpos.com.

16-18 — DENVER, COLORADO: Show, “Denver Gem & Mineral Show” Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council; Merchandise Mart, Expo Hall, 451 E. 58th Ave.; Fri. 9-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; $5 admission includes Fossil Expo; contact Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council, P.O. Box 621444, Littleton, CO 80162; email: info@denvermineralshow.com. www.denvermineralshow.com.

22-25 — MCDERMITT, NEVADA: 2nd annual show, “Rockhound Rendezvous” Illyssa I. Fogel, Diamond A Motel, City of McDermitt; Diamond A Motel; Thu. 10-6, Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun 10-5; free admission; many dealers selling agates, jaspers, opals, petrified wood; contact Illyssa I. Fogel, P.O. Box 437, McDermitt, NV 89421, (775) 532-8551; e-mail: lisa@diamondamotel.com.

23-25 — TOOELE, UTAH: Show, “Artistry of Gem” Tooele County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, Tooele Gem & Mineral Society; Tooele City Recreation Complex, 400 W 400 N; Fri. 10-8, Sat. 10-8, Sun. 10-5; free admission; silent auction, dealers, grab bags, wheel of fortune, displays, Mountain Man Rendezvous, Native American Pow Wow; contact Larry Higley, (435) 882-3146.

30-2 — PRESCOTT VALLEY, ARIZONA: Annual show and sale; Prescott Gem & Mineral Club; Coors Event Bldg., Yavapai County Fair Grounds, 10401 N. Hwy. 89A; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4; adults $2, children 12 and under free with adult; contact Larry Jackson. P.O. Box 345, Chino Valley, AZ 86323, (928) 636-9188; e-mail: lpjack65@cableone.net.

30-2 — SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: Show; Gem Faire; Utah State Fair Park, 155 N 1000 W; Fri. 12-7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5; $5 weekend pass; gem show; contact Gem Faire, (503) 252-8300; e-mail: info@gemfaire.com; Web site: www.gemfaire.com.

8-9 — PAYSON, AZ: 8th Annual Payson Rimstones Gem & Mineral Show Tonto Apache Reservation Recreation Center. Highway 87 (mile marker 251) by the Mazatzal Casino. Hours: Saturday 9-5, Sunday 9-4, General Admission $3, children under 12 free. Discount coupons available at Chamber of Commerce at intersection of Hwy 87 and Main Street. Display and Sale of Hand Crafted Jewelry, Gems, Minerals, Fossils, Lapidary Supplies, etc. Show Contact: Bruce Berman, 928-468-9532, Rimstones85547@aol.com

31st Annual Show of Huachuca Mineral & Gem Club Held at Elks Lodge #2065, 1 Elks Lane (on W. Wilcox Dr., one block east of Buffalo Soldier Trail), Sierra Vista, AZ. Sat. 9-6, Sun. 9-4. Free admission and parking. Jewelry, gems, rocks, minerals, lapidary equipment and materials, books, tools, demonstrations, field trips, hourly prizes. Contact Larry Nelson, P.O. Box 1596, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636, 520.459.5211, email: lnansv@c2i2.com or Bill Jaeger, P.O. Box 1596, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636, 520.803.6590, email: billjaeger@hotmail.com.

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

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

VP-Field Trips -- Ron Boyd; Home phone: 262-0053; Email: RGB417@aol.com

Secretary -- Suzanne Seymour; Home phone: 877-3621; Email: suzannerox5@aol.com

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

Editor -- Paul Napolitano; Home phone: 856-2157; E-mail: tcot@spinn.net

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

VP – Programs -- Mike Sanders; Home phone: 256-1797; E-mail: mrsande@sandia.gov

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

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 approximately one week prior to the monthly meeting. Mail news, articles or comments to: Paul Napolitano, Editor, 7304 Yorktown, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109, or email to tcot@spinn.net.

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 is held at 7:30 pm on the first Monday of each month. (Call for location). The public is welcome to both meetings.

Being a member of the Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club does not make you an official of the AGMC. This makes it inappropriate for any member to take on any responsibility or authority for any club activity without explicit instruction from the AGMC Board of Directors.

There are still nine openings for weekends for this year's State Fair. Please call Orlando at 345-0520 or e-mail him at jabog02@msn.com to volunteer. Volunteers get a free admission to the Fair and a free parking pass. Volunteering for three hours is a great way to help the club and to see the Fair for free.

By the time you read this, we'll have returned from what I'm hoping is a very successful trip to the Contin-Tail show/Calumet mine!

At this point, our trip to the Royal Flush, our destination for the September trip, is still tentative, but I hope that I'll be able to confirm it by the August meeting.

In the mean time, I wanted to let you all know what we're going to be doing for our last two field trips of the year (it's hard to believe that this is all that’s left of our trips!).

In October we are going to have a geologic tour of the turquoise trail, led by Paul Hlava. This has been a very enjoyable and educational tour in the past, and I'm looking foreword to this one! This is an area where the geology has had a rich influence on the history of New Mexico.

Lastly, in November we will be heading to the Blanchard claims. It wouldn't be a successful collecting season without a trip there. The club is very fortunate to have access to the area, as it is renown for fluorite, barite, galena, brochantite, linarite and a number of other secondary minerals. So get your hard hat out, charge up your lamp and get ready!

See you soon!

Dr. Larry Crumpler

Dr. Larry Crumpler is the Research Curator of Volcanology and Space Science at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. He is also a member of the Mars Exploration Rover Science Team, and is responsible for daily decisions about what they do and where they explore next. Several map images created by Dr. Crumpler were part of a NASA/JPL public release on July 16, 2004, and the Museum of Natural History and Science was credited for producing them. There is an article on the Museum's website about "Larry's Lookout", which was named for Dr. Crumpler.

Dr. Crumpler's current research is divided between two topics: (1) young volcanic terrains in both New Mexico and Arizona, (2) geology of the terrestrial planets, with emphasis on planet volcanism. He has participated in many NASA planetary missions, including Viking, Pathfinder, and Mars Exploration Rover missions, and Magellan synthetic aperture radar-mapping mission to Venus.

9 August 2005

Researchers in the US have developed a new 18-carat gold alloy that could replace existing alloys in a variety of jewelry, dental, medical and electronic applications. The new alloy developed by Jan Schroers and colleagues at the California Institute of Technology and Liquidmetal Technologies, also in California, contains gold, copper and silicon, with smaller amounts of silver and palladium (Appl. Phys. Lett. 87 061912).

Gold and gold alloys are widely used in technical applications because they offer high thermal conductivity, high electrical conductivity and are resistant to corrosion. For jewelry the important qualities are colour, the ability to be molded and the fact that gold does not tarnish. However, pure gold and high-carat alloys are crystalline, which makes them soft and easily scratched or dented.

In recent years researchers have tried to make amorphous gold alloys that do not suffer from this problem. An ideal gold alloy needs to have a glass transition temperature of at least 370 Kelvin and to be stable at room temperature. It also needs to have a high gold content, a high hardness and a "casting thickness" that is large enough to make jewelry. Moreover, the alloy should have a large supercooled liquid region -- the region of temperature in which the amorphous phase first relaxes into a highly viscous liquid before eventually crystallizing -- because this allows the material to be handled like a plastic.

Schroers and colleagues have now shown that alloys containing gold, copper and silicon, with smaller amounts of silver and palladium, have much better properties than existing alloys. Although the new alloys are only 50% gold by number of atoms, they are 75% gold -- which is equivalent to 18-carat -- by weight because gold atoms are much heavier than copper and silicon atoms.

The best alloy, which has the chemical formula Au₄₉Ag_5.5Pd_2.3Cu_26.9Si_16.3, has a glass transition temperature of 401 Kelvin, a supercooled liquid region of 58 Kelvin, and a casting thickness that exceeds 5 millimetres. Furthermore, it has a Vickers hardness that is twice that of conventional 18-carat gold alloys.

"If headed into the supercooled liquid region our alloy can be formed into complicated shapes at around 150_C compared to the processing temperature of conventional gold alloys of about 1000_C," says Schroers. "The alloy is very interesting for the jewelry industry and we anticipate it being used shortly because of its processing advantage and high hardness at room temperature. It will improve current jewelry and might even allow for new designs." The team now plans to vary the colour of the alloy while keeping the other properties constant.

– Physicsweb.org

For August, 2005

From the devious mind of Paul Hlava

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.

This Month’s Mystery Mineral is a hydrated oxide of ferric iron and tin with a tad of tungsten mostly found in high temperature hydrothermal deposits with quartz, alkali feldspar, cassiterite, hematite, etc. This fairly new mineral was described in 1988. This tetragonal mineral has an adamantine luster and a yellowish-brown color and streak. Hardness – 6 to 6.5, Sp. Gr. – 6.44, Cleavage – 100 imperfect, Brittle, Transparent.

What is the name of the mineral?

What was the mineral named for?

What is this mineral mined for?

The name of this mineral was discredited in 2002 because it is the same as a mineral that was described earlier but poorly. What is that mineral?

Localities – (Just list the famous/important ones).

--NM –

--USA –

--World –

What is the name of the mineral? Calaverite.

What was the mineral named for? Calaveras County, California.

What is this mineral mined for? GOLD!

How were lots of crystals of this mineral destroyed? Roasting the specimens. It leaves a bubbly spot of gold behind.

Localities – (Just list the famous/important ones)

--NM – none.

--USA – CA, CO.

--World – Australia, Bulgaria, Romania, Canada, Russia, others.

New Mexico's state fossil is a small theropod dinosaur, Coelophysis bauri. Although its bones have been found in several southwestern states, the quarry at Ghost Ranch, near Abiquiu, New Mexico, is where all of the best specimens have been found -- dozens of them, in fact!

Coelophysis lived during the Late Triassic Period, about 210 million years ago, at a time when northern New Mexico was an arid, lowland environment. Periodic monsoonal rains interrupted the dry conditions, producing flash floods that swept across the land. One of these flash floods may have drowned an entire herd of Coelophysis, causing the great concentration of bones that is found at Ghost Ranch.

Coelophysis was a small, lightly-built predatory dinosaur around 10 feet long and weighing in the neighborhood of 100 pounds. It walked upright on its hind legs, grasping prey items in its slender forelimbs and attacking them with its jaws containing 100 small, sharp teeth. It probably ate lizards, amphibians, and even other small dinosaurs. Its lineage gave rise to the dinosaurs still living today -- the birds.

After a campaign by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Coelophysis became New Mexico's state fossil on March 17, 1981.

If you have changed your email address lately, please make sure to update your information with Orlando Garcia so you keep receiving the News Nuggets.

In June 2001, at the AFMS/SCFMS Convention, it was suggested and approved to create a traveler's guide to the rocks, minerals, and fossils along the Lewis and Clark Trail.† Thus the AFMS Lewis and Clark Project was created.† After much work from volunteers from all regions of the AFMS Federation, the project has been completed and can be downloaded for your enjoyment from www.amfed.org/lewisclark.htm

Two versions of this document are available: a version optimized for viewing on your computer, and a version that is optimized for printing on your printer.

Dr. Larry Crumpler

Mars Rocks!

Dr. Larry Crumpler is the Research Curator of Volcanology and Space Science at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. He is also a member of the Mars Exploration Rover Science Team, and is responsible for daily decisions about what they do and where they explore next. Several map images created by Dr. Crumpler were part of a NASA/JPL public release on July 16, 2004, and the Museum of Natural History and Science was credited for producing them. Dr. Crumpler's current research is divided between two topics: (1) young volcanic terrains in both New Mexico and Arizona, (2) geology of the terrestrial planets, with emphasis on planet volcanism.