august 11
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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 Ramon S. DeMark

Amy and I are leaving soon for our annual retreat to the Contin-Tail Show in the Colorado Mountains. Lows will be in the 40's warming into the 80's during the day with an almost guaranteed afternoon rain shower. I can't wait.

OK, OK this is supposed to be about AGMC business and not my dreaming of cooler pastures. So here it is. The nominations committee is now filled; Michael and Janey Johnson and Bob Regner have agreed to come up with a slate of officers for the 2012 board of directors. So whenever you see any of these people turn around and walk away as fast as possible. Just kidding, being on the board of director is not as big a deal as it might sound. We meet once a month for 2 hours or less and sometimes skip a month altogether if there aren't any pressing issues. Please consider helping out, this club is extraordinarily successful because people like you became willing to leave their comfort zone long enough to find out it isn't so scary or time consuming after all. And remember, there isn't a single club member named Someone Else, as in "Someone Else will do it".

Also at the last board meeting it was decided to form a committee to explore the possibility of the AGMC joining forces with an existing show and hosting another gem, mineral and jewelry show the third weekend of November, beginning in 2012. This would be in addition to our current Treasures of the Earth Show (TotE Show) which is the third weekend in March.

The idea is to copy the Spring-TotE Show as much as possible without affecting that show in any way, e.g. the fall show committee will be made up of a completely different group of people (unless someone insists on being on both show's committees). The main focus of the exploratory committee is to: 1) find out if there is sufficient interest of vendors and 2) find out if there is sufficient support of the club members. In order to answer item 2) I will be distributing pieces of paper at the August general meeting on which you can indicate your interest in supporting this. If you won't be at the August meeting and want to express your interest please contact me.

If you want to learn about rocks and minerals, what is collectable and what isn't, you have to look at a lot of rocks and minerals. You have to see the different forms, colors, quality, and textures that a few pictures in a book or on line can possibly display. Visit museums, go to shows, browse rock shops, view personal collections when possible. See you there.

883-4195

el.chivo.viejo@earthlink.net

The state fair is rapidly approaching. To those who are new to the AGMC, the State Fair is one of our main recruiting tools. In order to do this, we have volunteers to tell folks about our club, to hand out rock samples and hand out applications. This will take place on the three weekends of the fair in three shifts each day (Sat-Sun) 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Those who volunteer will get one Free Pass and parking pass for that day. It is wonderful talking to families and showing them the displays. I have the sign up sheet. You may call me at 299-0732 to pick a day and time. I will also have it at the next meeting.

President Jay Penn called the meeting to order around 7:30 p.m. He announced that Grant Kuck would be the featured speaker tonight.

One first-time guest was introduced to the audience.

Club Treasurer, Amy Penn, announced she had a National Geographic DVD available for viewing for anyone interested.

Club Membership Chairperson, Joyce Kaser, presented one pair of name tags.

The Club Picnic was held on July 23rd at the San Pedro Mine. Both the weather and turnout were excellent. In other field trip news, the August trip will be to Mt. Antero in Colorado on August 12th and 13th. The September field trip is planned for East Grants Ridge on Saturday, September 3rd. The October field trip may have to be changed due to illness.

Earlene Shroyer reported that the Junior Club had 14 members present tonight. The Juniors are considering adding their own board. Other items mentioned were State Fair activities and a possible magazine article.

News Nugget editor Bill Barr thanked Earlene for her work on the News Nuggets and he added that contributions by the Club Members to the Nuggets were always welcome.

Paul Hlava reported that the upcoming TOTE show (March 16 -18, 2012) will have the theme of "Agates". He also said that the Club will offer dealers lower prices on booths and that the same number of booths as last year will be offered.

During old business, the Club activities at the State Fair were discussed.

There was no new business.

Grant Kuck presented the feature program on collecting minerals (especially aquamarine) on Mt. Antero, Colorado. He had a really great slide show of a previous expedition to Mt. Antero and also his visit to the Geology Museum in Golden, Colorado. If anyone wondered why a serious four-wheeled drive vehicle is required for the August field trip, the beautiful pictures of the high country around Mt. Antero explained everything.

After the presentation, the meeting adjourned for refreshments and the evening raffle.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill Hoban, AGMC Secretary

The July 25th Junior Club meeting was attended by 14 Jr. Club members. We began the meeting by introducing our newest Rockhounds – Nicholas Boder-Szarkowski, Leia Pickel and Lane Udell. Congratulations!! Then we passed out the merit badges that have been earned since March – Earth Processes, Stone Age Tools and Art and Showmanship.

The July meeting was a first for the Jr. Club – we had an AGENDA. So much to do and to talk about! We discussed the upcoming State Fair Jr. Club displays, also a shout-out for parent volunteers to help. We talked about the request from Mama’s Minerals for Jr. Club helpers at an August event for kids; a possible article about the Jr. Club in an upcoming mineral publication; a Jr. Club Board of Directors (composed of Jr. Club members); copies of the Jr. Club’s presentation in June are available (let me know if you want one).

Then we moved on to the featured event – Gold Panning! The kids learned about gold and the different forms it can take, heard about Edison’s Folly, and then got to go outside and pan for themselves. There was a visit by a crusty old prospector looking for claim jumpers. The kids got wet. The parents got wet, too. I heard the crusty old prospector kept a sharp eye out for high-graders.

A BIG Thank You to Jay Penn for bringing the Oregon geodes – all went home with beautiful treasures!

The July field trip and picnic was held Sat, July 23, 2011. The sign up was held at the junction of NM14 and NM344 at 8:00 a.m. We then drove to the mine property where Ray DeMark and Mike Sanders gave some history of the mine, and what could be found.

Thanks and appreciation to Ray and Mike.

At 9:00 a.m. the members then climbed aboard various 4WD vehicles and proceeded up the hill to the Spanish Cut and Garnet Ridge. Garnets, pyrite, quartz, calcite, malachite and many other different specimens including iridescent garnets were found. Around 1:00 p.m. we headed back down to the building to get out of the sun for our picnic lunches. The club provided drinks and ice. To add to the fun during the picnic, we had a Members Tailgate Sale. We lucked out this year! No RAIN! The picnic was attended by 62 members and fun was had by all. I would like to thank all the members who helped in cleaning up.

Thank you Sally and Frank Baca for the opportunity!

Contin-Tail Rock & Gem Show

This is a great show with over 100 vendors. It is an outdoor show with FREE dry camping at the show grounds for vendors as well as customers. Camping is allowed Monday, August 8 through Monday, August 15. Vendors will start setting up on Monday the 8th with buying and selling starting on that day and ramping up until the show officially starts on the 11th.

No reservations for camping are needed, but please check in at registration tent to see where camping is allowed. The area is flat, no trees, no electric, water is from a faucet near the concession stand. There are porta-potties on site and showers can be had at the laundromat in town or at near by pay camp grounds for a few dollars. Average temperature for August is 84/46. Expect a thunderstorm or two every afternoon. So why do we need the showers in town? ---------Oh yeah, warm water.

While you're in the neighborhood try to visit the Mining Museum in Leadville, it is excellent and has lots of great mineral specimens on display as well.

Directions: I-25 north to Colorado Springs, take US 24 to Buena Vista. Approx. 465 miles, estimate 7 hours driving time.

Or: I-25 to Santa Fe, take US 285 to Espanola and on to Alamosa. Take SR 17 for 42 miles and you're back on US 285. (Note: you can stay on 285, which is more scenic, but using 17 is more direct). At Johnson Village take US 24 for the last 2 miles to Buena Vista. Approx. 300 miles, estimate 6 - 7 hours driving time. For information on pay campgrounds, RV parks, cabins, motels, etc. between Leadville and Salida go to: www.buenavistacolorado.org/directory

For other events in the Buena Vista area: www.fourteenernet.com/buenavista

Our August field trip is in conjunction with the Contin-Tail Rock & Gem Show in Buena Vista, Colorado (approximately 310 miles NW of Albuquerque). Jeff Self and Donna Ware have invited our club to dig at Mt. Antero, an area noted for some of the best aquamarines found in the U.S., as well as smoky quartz, fluorite, phenakite and bertrandite. The collecting area is around the 13,500 foot level of the region and requires a high clearance 4-wheel drive to get there. If you don’t have a 4-wheel drive vehicle and you want to attend, make plans with others who might have room. Due to the high altitude this trip is recommended to only those who are in good physical condition.

We will rendezvous at the grandstand concession area at the Contin-Tail in Buena Vista on the morning of Friday, August 12 and depart promptly at 9:00 a.m. Please arrive accordingly. We will then travel the 8 or so miles to a base camp at 12,000 feet altitude. We will dig both Friday and Saturday at various claims at around 13,500 feet. The usual digging tools are needed, and a sieve is also useful. The specimens occur in pockets inside white granite and loose in the weathered gravel where the sieve is useful. For those who want to spend time at the Contin-tail, the show starts Thursday, August 11.

This exhibit at the Cibola Arts Council in Grants shows fluorspar mining and mining camp life in the Zuni Mountains from 1939 to 1952. The exhibit features current and past photos of the mines, information about the mining activities, and stories from people who grew up in the camps around the Section 21 and Section 27 mines. It is well worth seeing! Many of our club members have collected minerals at the Section 21 mine, so this exhibit tells about that area. Anyone going on the September field trip should plan on stopping by. The Cibola Arts Council will hold a reception on Sat. Aug 13, 2011, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. They will be holding lectures and demonstrations during the next two years. The Cibola Arts Council is located at 1001 W. Santa Fe Ave, Grants, NM. It is a couple of blocks west of the mineral museum on the south side of the road. They are open Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The Labor Day Weekend Field Trip will be unlike any previous field trips. It begins with a tour of the only uranium museum in the world, followed with a break for lunch and then we’ll be off to collect garnets and topaz. What more could anyone want on a Saturday?

The adventure starts at the New Mexico Mining Museum in Grants about an hour and a half drive from Albuquerque. On Saturday the 3rd of September we’ll meet in the Museum’s parking lot between 9:30 and 10 am and the tour will begin promptly at 10.

A VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE! There is now an admission price. For 7 to 18 year olds the fee is $2. For adults the price is $3 and for seniors the cost is $2.

To get there take I-40 west to Grants. Get off at Exit 81. Go right on 53 and head towards McDonald's. Turn right on West Santa Fe Avenue. (Santa Fe Ave. is also historic Route 66.) The Mining Museum will be on your left at 100 Iron Avenue.

If you want to drive through town get off at Exit 85 and follow State Highway 117 as it flows into East Santa Fe Avenue (eventually it will become West Santa Fe Avenue). After 3 miles look for the museum building on the north side of the road.

Following our tour of the 1.1 million dollar museum we’ll take a break for lunch at one of the fast food restaurants and then meet back (about 45 minutes later) at the Museum. Then we’ll head off towards Mt. Taylor to spend the afternoon collecting garnet and topaz. (Also there are some small Apache tears, scattered throughout the area.)

The best way to find these little gems is to break open the porous rhyolite and examine the cavities for crystals. Obviously a sledge or heavy duty hammer is in order and you may want something small like a screwdriver or nail to pop some of the little crystals out of their pockets if you don’t like the matrix. A plastic bag or a small container can come in handy to keep them in. And don’t forget the safety glasses or goggles!

Even though we are close to Grants it is still a good idea to bring water and some food just in case. Since we’ll be parking just off the road you don’t have to carry everything with you – just leave it nearby in your auto. (And no we don’t need 4WD for this one or even high clearance. A normal 2WD street vehicle is fine.)

(P.S. bring your cameras! And if you have any questions call me at 323-1520.)

Each fall the New Mexico Geological Society conducts a field conference in a different part of our state that attracts attendees from all over the west including the curious from beginner to expert. No pedigree in the earth sciences is necessary, just an interest in the wonders of our state. The three day event travels a different route each day to explore the geology of the region. A guidebook with detailed road logs and peer reviewed papers is included in the registration fee. Perhaps you’ve seen these guidebooks from past years wherever the NMBMM sets up their publications booth at the TOTE show or maybe at the Symposium in November. I’ve found them to be a wonderful resource for learning to interpret the landscape through its geology. Even better is attending the field part of the conference with boots on the ground, sample in hand and one of the guides who wrote the guidebook expanding on the landscape around you. Treat yourself to a quantum leap in geoknowledge. The three day affair will headquarter in Espanola, with trips to Taos, El Rito, Rio Vallecito, Ojo Caliente, and La Madera. Subjects such as volcanic and Proterozoic geology, as well as ore deposits, hydrogeology, Santa Fe group fossils and stratigraphy will be covered by this year’s papers. For more detailed information and registration go to nmgs.nmt.edu and follow the link to the fall field conference. Registration began on July 25th and is on a first come first served basis so don’t wait if you’re interested. I attended the conference last year and might be able to answer questions you have that aren’t addressed on the website.

Good news! Alan Perryman (our scheduled October field trip co-leader) is recovering nicely. However we will need to postpone the Mayflower Mine field trip near Socorro for some other day.

Rex Nelson has provided an excellent alternate though in the Petaca Mining District northwest of Ojo Caliente, NM (approximately 120 miles N of Albuquerque). There are two pegmatite sites, the Globe and Coats mines, which the AGMC last visited in 2007. The adits and shafts are closed but waste piles abound and occasional outcrops exist.

The general lists of minerals to be collected are as follows. Globe Mine: mangano and ferrocolumbite, monazite and muscovite. Coats Mine: manganocolumbite, monazite, fluorite, biotite, spessartine garnet, and apatite or beryl. The usual collecting tools and lots of water will be appropriate with ample paper to wrap specimens. Some shade is available but sunscreen will be needed.

More info next month.

Mark your calendar! Our annual field trip to the Blanchard Mine near Bingham, NM (approximately 120 miles SE of Albuquerque) is coming soon. More details in future News Nuggets.

July 1976 News Nuggets

A satellite called Landsat that orbits the globe 14 times a day is providing scientists with unique photographs of the earth which produce a tremendous amount of information. A photomosaic map pieced together from images provided by Landsat is included in the July 1976 issue of National Geographic. Features such as the Grand Canyon, Valle Grande, White Sands, and lava flows are clearly visible on this map, produced from images made at a height of 570 miles.

Landsat does not use photographic cameras but an instrument called a multi-spectral scanner. The device uses an oscillating mirror that scans the earth and a telescope that focuses visible and near infra-red light waves reflected from the earth into the satellite’s radiation detectors, which measure the light intensities of 1.1 acre picture elements, or "pixels," in four different spectral bands. These values are converted into computer-digestible numbers and transmitted back to earth at the rate of 15 million units each second. Through an electron-beam recorder, this stream of data becomes imagery on photographic film.

The images provided by Landsat are proving valuable for geologists, hydrologists, agriculturists, and land-use planners. Man’s use of the land can be quickly and accurately mapped showing the effects of clear-cutting of timber, strip-mining, air pollution, dams, and much more. One week after the launch of Landsat 1, NASA geologist Dr. Paul Lowman made a new geologic map of California’s coast ranges near Monterey Bay. Landsat had shown him more than thirty previously unknown linear features – possibly geological faults.

Geologists are intrigued by the patterns of such lines. Some indicate mineral, oil, and

groundwater locations, and even earthquake zones. State officials in Arkansas had long been troubled by road-damaging landslides that geologists and engineers were unable to predict. Landsat images indicated fault systems that could be avoided.

Companies that explore for minerals and petroleum have been quick to seize on Landsat images as money and time-saving tools; private industry accounts for 30% of present sales of the data. A metals and chemicals company was able to map several thousand square miles of geologically uncharted terrain in only a few months using Landsat imagery, instead of conventional methods which would have taken more than two years.

Landsat promises to be useful in evaluating and perhaps preventing natural disasters, monitoring resources, and helping us to understand the earth.

Compiled, selected and annotated by Dave Moats, AGMC Historian

As a toddler in Ann Arbor, I frequented the University of Michigan Exhibit Museum with my parents. Memories are lost in the mists of time, but I must have absorbed something meaningful from the displays of mastodons and dinosaurs, dioramas of prehistoric undersea life and cases of glittering crystals, a feeling that left me vulnerable to the allure of the world of geology.

When I was six years old, living in New Orleans, my father brought home a rock one day and gave it to me. He told me it was an agate ("See the stripes!") and said it had washed all the way down the Mississippi River from who knew where … maybe Minnesota? I think now more likely Missouri, but that’s still a respectable distance.

Greatly impressed with the beauty of that agate and how cool my dad was to know so much about it, I made a momentous decision: I was going to collect rocks! After that, everywhere I went – school, parks, playgrounds, shorelines – I walked along looking down, working on the tan on the back of my neck, seeking out interesting rocks. On vacation in Michigan, swimming gave way to wading, inspecting the rocks at the waterline, looking especially for that holy grail, agate.

Two years later, we moved to Staten Island, New York, where my view of the world changed. Staten Island had a nice little museum, the first place I remember seeing rocks on display, but the real fireworks went off when we went to the American Museum of Natural History, up on the west side of Central Park in Manhattan.

My mind exploded as I gazed at the fossils – T. rex, Ichthyosaurus, eggs of Protoceratops andrewsi (discovered in the Gobi Desert by my idol, Roy Chapman Andrews) – and reeled again when we went into the old J.P. Morgan Hall of Minerals and Gems, home of the Star of India, the Subway Garnet (bigger than my head!) and a blue faceted topaz "Easter Egg" the size of a man’s fist. Not to mention a 527-pound topaz crystal you could touch!

Almost topping even that, the museum had a store where they sold… rocks. Here was another mind-blowing concept: you could buy minerals, crystals, fossils, agates! Now, it reminds me of my favorite quotation from Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, "I often wonder what the vintners buy, One half so precious as the stuff they sell." At the time, it motivated me to empty my pockets and go home clutching a bag of treasure, which I catalogued on typewritten 3x5 cards.

After that, everywhere we moved, I had to check out the museums of natural history for their collections and their stores. Sensitized by the experience, I soon realized that museums were not the only places where rocks were for sale. Not far from our summer cottage, in the hamlet of Indian River, Michigan, I discovered my first rock shop, where I was introduced to the Mexican coconut geode and the Petoskey stone, among other wonders.

For Christmas in Detroit, when I was twelve, my parents got me the best present – measured in terms of sheer joy – that I ever received. It was a Viking VT-6 tumble polisher, with the deluxe blue interlocking hexagonal barrel on a slanted shaft. The rock shop where they bought it prospered as I spent all my allowance, plus money from babysitting and a paper route, on tumbling rough, grit, specimens and each month’s Lapidary Journal. I was hooked!

Next month: High School and College

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

11-14—BUENA VISTA, CO: 28th annual show; Contin-Tail LLC; Rodeo Grounds, Greg Dr. and Rodeo Rd.; Thu. 9-5, Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; more than 100 dealers, rocks, minerals, fossils, gemstones, jewelry, tools, equipment, demonstrations, fluorescent mineral display Fri. and Sat., free rocks for kids; contact Carolyn Tunnicliff, 1130 Francis St. #7010, Longmont, CO 80501, (720) 938-4194; e-mail: ctunnicliff@comcast.net; Web site: www.coloradorocks.org

18-21—WOODLAND PARK, CO: 2nd annual show; Rock Gypsies; Woodland Park Saddle Club, 19250 E. US Hwy. 24; Thu. 9-5, Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; outdoor show, more than 40 dealers and jewelers; contact Rock Gypsies, (719) 360-9665, or Kim or Bodie Packham, 87 Plum Creek Rd., Divide, CO 80814; e-mail: runninboar@hotmail.com

19-21—LAKE GEORGE, CO: Retail show; Lake George Gem & Mineral Club; US Hwy. 24, next to Post Office; Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-6, Sun. 9-5; free admission; contact John Rakowski, PO Box 171, Lake George, CO 80827, (719) 748-3861; e-mail: President@LGGMClub.org; Web site: www.LGGMClub.org

27-28—JASPER, TX: 17th annual show; Pine Country Gem & Mineral Society; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5; The Event Center, 6258 Hwy. 190W, 5 miles west of Jasper; adults $2, students and children free; rocks, gems, jewelry, minerals, door prizes, grand prize, spinning wheel, silent auction, lapidary demonstrations; contact Lonnie Stalsby, 258 CR 066, Jasper, TX 75951, (409) 382-5314

3-4—ARLINGTON, TX: Annual show; Arlington Gem & Mineral Club; Arlington Convention Center, 1200 Ballpark Way; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $6, seniors and children $3, Scouts in uniform free; silent auctions, Gem ID, Kids’ Korner, door prizes, gem, lapidary and jewelry displays and demonstrations, Rock Food Table; contact Jack Spinks, 209 Overlook Dr., Midlothian, TX 76065, (214) 335-9452; e-mail: jlspinks@sbcglobal.net; Web site: www.agemclub.org

3-5—SILVER CITY, NM: 28th annual show; Grant County Rolling Stones Gem & Mineral Society; Grant County Business and Conference Center, Hwy. 180E, next to Ace Hardware; Fri. 10-5, Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; free admission; mineral ID, Wheel of Fortune, silent auction, dealers, rough rock, minerals, handcrafted jewelry, field trips, special exhibits; contact Marcia Andre, (575) 534-0006; e-mail: rollingstonesgmsshow@gmail.com; Web site: http://rollingstonesgms.blogspot.com

10-18—DENVER, CO: Wholesale and retail show; Eons Expos RLLLP; Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt St.; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 9-6, Mon. 9-6, Tue. 9-6, Wed. 9-6, Thu. 9-6, Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-6, Sun. 9-4; free admission; minerals, fossils, dinosaurs, crystals, gems, jewelry, meteorites, children’s activities, contact Christine Coyle, 38 Fox Ridge Rd., Sparta, NJ 07871, (516) 818-1228; e-mail: lowellcarhart@yahoo.com; Web site: www.coliseumshow.com

14-18—DENVER, CO: Show, "Denver Coliseum Show"; Eons Expositions LLC; Denver Coliseum, 1900 44th St.; Wed. 9-6, Thu. 9-6, Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-6, Sun. 9-4; free admission; minerals, fossils, rough, gems, jewelry, amber, meteorites; contact Lowell Carhart, 7514 Antelope Meadows Circle, Peyton, CO 80831, (516) 818-1228; e-mail: lowellcarhart@yahoo.com; Web site: www.DenverColiseumShow.com

14-18—DENVER, CO: Fall wholesale/retail 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, free shuttle to Merchandise Mart; contact Martin Zinn Expositions, P.O. Box 665, Bernalillo, NM 87004-0665; e-mail: mzexpos@aol.com; Web site: www.mzexpos.com

16-18—DENVER, CO: Show, "Colorado Fossil Expo"; Martin Zinn Expositions; Denver Merchandise Mart Plaza Annex, 451 E. 58th Ave.; adults $6, seniors and teens $4; Fri. 9-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; 50 dealers, fossils, meteorites, petrified wood, amber, paleontological exhibits, part of the Denver Gem & Mineral Show; contact Martin Zinn Expositions, P.O. Box 665, Bernalillo, NM 87004-0665; e-mail: mzexpos@aol.com; Web site: www.mzexpos.com

September 23, 24 and 25, 2011:  6th ANNUAL Gem and Mineral Show NEW MEXICO HISTORY MUSEUM/PALACE OF THE GOVERNORS.  The show is held in the beautiful historic courtyard of the Palace and centrally located on Santa Fe’s downtown Plaza on Palace Avenue.  The show educates, promotes, displays and makes available quality, all natural, gems and minerals of interest to artisans, jewelers, collectors and the general public. Visitors will be admitted at no charge.   Where: Historic Courtyard Palace of the Governors, 113 Lincoln Ave, Santa Fe.  Times: The event is open to the public 9 am to 7 pm on Friday, Sept. 23, 9 am to 4:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24-25.

Richard Kocurek 'Gemstone Inclusions: The Rare, Unusual and Surreal' 2pm Friday

Joe Dan Lowry 'The History of Turquoise throughout the World' 11 am Saturday

Joan Mathien "The Role of Gems and Minerals in the Pueblo World" 2pm Saturday

Sandy Craig 'Opal Cutting and Polishing Demonstration' 1pm Saturday & 1 pm Sunday

Garrick Beck 'Fakery in Gemstones' 11 am Sunday

Margot Guerrero 'The Metaphysical Uses of Mineral Pigments for Artists & Collectors' 2pm Sunday

For more information please contact Inessa Williams at 1-505-476-5106 or Email Inessa.williams@state.nm.us

8-9—TEMPLE, TX: Annual show; Tri-City Gem & Mineral Society; Mayborn Convention Center, 3303 N. 3rd St.; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $3; silent auctions, raffles, door prizes, grand prize, demonstrations, dealers, rough, slabs, cabs, faceted gems, equipment, finished jewelry; contact Chip Burnette, 2630 Polk St., Killeen, TX 76543, (254) 630-3573; e-mail: burnette@aceweb.com

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 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

klawicki@gmail.com

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