Volume 51 Number 2

Howdy Folks. The show is coming up fast! As I write this it is only 7 weeks and 2 days to set-up Thursday. I was really gratified by the wonderful response I got for set-up and tear down volunteers. I expect that we’ll be able to set the show up in good time. And the tear down should be a breeze. Of course, if you didn’t sign up and feel like rolling up your sleeves, you can just show up and pitch in. That means everyone will get finished quicker so they can relax with coffee and a nice healthy dietetic donut! I’ve come up with a way to make tear down a bit easier, but it has to get approval by the show committee first. I do still need some folks to help with overnight security, especially Thursday. If you are interested, call me at 255-5478 or email hpf1@quest.net (that is a number one in front of the @ sign).

Dealers. I only have 3 booths left at the show. These are all major dealers. Yes, I do have some people who may slip into those slots so I’m not worried. I keep getting requests for space. In fact, I just got a new dealer request this evening. (If you are interested, I did find him a spot sharing a booth with someone else.) But, if you know of a major dealer that would be just dandy for our show, let me know and I'll contact them.

Publicity for the show is underway. My supply of garish flyers is getting quite depleted. I recently sent a stack of these flyers out to each of our out-of-town dealers. Soon, we will get 5000 postcards to mail out to our lists of past attendees and to pass on to treasured friends. The photo side shows a lot of really nice topaz crystals on a burlap background. You will like them (the cards not the topaz – well – maybe both). The various rock and mineral magazines have been contacted and Judy DeMark is preparing public service announcements for radio and TV spots. Newspaper ads will be sent in at the proper time. Of course, one of the best advertising media is you. Word of mouth invitations are one of our most popular and effective ways of getting new folks (and returnees) to come to the show.

Once again I will plead for more people to get involved with the show committee. One glaring absence has been resolved. Judy DeMark is planning to coordinate activities for the kids. We are hoping that this part of the show grows with time. I am looking for someone to do hospitality (keeping the coffee urns going and stocking the supply of donuts during the show). How about you? Don’t forget that show workers get free admission to the show and free parking passes. If you are a club member but not working at the show you have to pay to park and to get in. And you don’t have to work ALL the time. Work a stretch then browse the exhibits and dealers and then repeat. And please remember – make sure you have fun at our show!

Gwen Poe will be out of town until just before the show so I’m working on finding someone who can coordinate the World Famous Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club’s annual pre-show Pot Luck supper! Until I find this angel, I want you to think about what you can bring to share with the rest of the club and our guests, the dealers. If’n I remember correctly, the club supplies the main dish. Club members supply casseroles and hearty salads and such like. Hmm. I may make my green chile stew again.

More later!

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The Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club is a dues paying organization of the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies. One of the benefits of belonging to this society is the participation in their liability insurance policy.

This is a Liability Insurance which covers the Member Clubs against lawsuits brought against the Club due to a member getting hurt while attending any Club organized event, such as a Show or field trip, etc. It is also a valuable tool to have because there are many field trip locations, such as a mine or museum or other special field trip locations, which demand proof of insurance before they will allow the club access to their location. The insurance covers the club against a lawsuit up to $200,000.

The cost of the insurance is a part of your yearly dues. Our "Insurance Guru" is Stephanie, Melof, our Treasurer. Any questions about the insurance? Ask Stephanie.

Fill out the form on Page 11 and send it to Stephanie Melof, PO Box 13718, Albuquerque, NM 87192-3718 or give it to Stephanie or Grant Kuck at the meeting.

Membership must be paid by February. Membership list is revised for News Nugget mailing in March.

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: Darlene

Let me begin by saying thank you, thank you, and thank you to everyone who has taken the time to renew their membership.  Your financial support of our club really helps with everything from our News Nuggets to our monthly speakers.  It helps with our field trip insurance and even the refreshments at our meetings.  If you have not renewed your membership you can do so at our next meeting on the 23rd or send your check to the:  Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club;  PO BOX 13718;  Albuquerque, NM  87192-3718
If everything goes well I’ll be making the annual sacred pilgrimage to Tucson for the largest gem, bead, mineral and jewelry show in the world.  Of course if time and money prevent you from going to Tucson let me remind you that our own show, Treasures of the Earth:  Jewelry, Gem, and Mineral Expo, is almost here!  So instead of spending most of your money on motels, food, and gas; you can now spend it on mineral specimens!

Once again our March show will be held at the New Mexico Expo – Fairgrounds.  We still need lots of volunteers for everything from admissions, to setting up and tearing down, workers for the silent auctions, and security.  There is plenty to do and many hands do make work a lot lighter.  So sign up for something at our February meeting.  Remember our volunteers all get a free parking pass and admission to the show.

Well as Porky Pig once said, "That’s all for now!"   

Grant

Ada Gem, Mineral and Fossil Club Swap, Show and Sale, Ada, OK

405-941-3424

Fort Collins Rockhounds, 417 W. Magnolia, Fort Collins, CO

Cessna Activity Center, 2744 George Washington Blvd, Wichita, KS,

Midwest Federation Show, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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We would like to thank Tom Schmierer for his generous donations of sixteen minerals to add to this year’s door prizes. He purchased them with his own money at the mineral museum at New Mexico Tech. Thanks Tom! Anyone else willing to make donations to this cause will be gladly and appreciably accepted. Our door prizes are a fun and integral part of our monthly meetings. The monies collected help with the financial obligations of our organization that of course includes scholarships and science fair awards.

Monday 26 Jan 2004 Start 7:38PM

Grant Kuck presiding

Lloyd Keller '94

Ray DeMark 83-84-85

Orlando Garcia 2003

Paul Hlava - sometime in the 80s and 90s and 2000

4 present

Special events: Hank Miller

Hank passed out the signup sheet for the raffle at the show. – He needs folks to sign up for a time slot to man the raffle ticket desk. He also needs help with setting up for the door and raffle prizes on Thursday night and Friday morning and with collecting prizes from the dealers as the show gets underway.

Paul handed out piles of the bright yellow flyers for folks to start distributing. He also passed around signup sheets for volunteers in three areas: 1). Setup on Thursday, starting at 8:30AM (lunch and snacks provided, no parking fee). 2). Security for overnight Thursday and Friday. Saturday night security will be handled by Tom Massis and his crew. 3). Tear-down on Sunday eve.  Paul says we are close to having a full slate of dealers.

TOTE will have Dollar Day on Friday as usual. Other days are $2 admission. There are no special classes of admissions this year; everyone is $2.

Parking passes for dealers and AGMC helpers (with a staff badge) will be provided. This is a great reason to sign up to help with the show!

Proceeds go partly to scholarships, and partly to club activities.

The Thursday potluck dinner for dealers and helpers is in flux. Gwen Poe, who usually organizes this part of the event, will be out of town, so she will be unable to do it this year. Paul is looking for someone to take this on. He also needs a person to handle keeping the coffee/donut table in shape during the show.

Of the 17 cases available for displays, 10 are already taken. That leaves seven available ones. See Mike if you would like to put in a display.

Our next trip will be to the Lordsburg mining district. Possible localities to be visited include the Banner Mine and several nearby groups. If this falls through, we will go instead to the Mule Creek amethyst/quartz claim. Either way, it will be a two-day trip. But then, Mule Creek could get snowed out. If that happens, the trip will be to Hachita. A sign-up sheet was passed around to reserve a spot and to insure notification of which way things will go. Those members who signed up will be notified via mail or email regarding which will occur.

A 4WD is not needed for Lordsburg, but would be handy if you have one. We will meet down there at 8:30AM and leave McDonalds at 9AM, Feb 28th - Sat.

Rex observed that it is very easy to get lost in the Mule Creek area, so if we go there, please stay very close to the group and keep kids right with you. Mule Creek needs a 4WD.

Kimberly will be taking dues and membership forms, etc.

Our program was presented by Mike Sanders and Frank Bendrick on the blue barites of Stoneham, CO. The locality is in the northeast corner of Colorado, west of the little town of Sterling. The barite has been known to occur there since 1892. A number of digs were conducted there by various groups in the 1990s and early 2000s. Their talk detailed two expeditions, one in 2001 and the other in 2003.

During late Cretaceous period (80 Ma), the area was under water as an inland sea. Heavy mud and sediments were being deposited, primarily due to erosion of the west coast uplift, which was occurring during this period. The Laramide Orogeny is uplifting mountain chains in central Colorado. By the time of the Oligocene (35Ma) the uplifts had pushed east, and some volcanics were showing up. Some researchers have proposed that the barite deposits are strongly related to the volcanics, with fault control in the sedimentary rock units. This geochronology is the work of Dr. Ron Blakey of Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff). He has a great website with more detail – If you do a web search for his name you'll get right on it.

The barite occurs in a clay layer above the Pierre Shale, at the bottom of the Chadron Formation. Fault controls are evident. It appears that the cavities where the barite occurs were formed by multiple events along the same fault line, with a reverse slip forming long, flat open cavities that provided space for the crystals to grow. Today, the area is high dry plains.

The best pockets appear in the fault zone. Erosion has exposed the clay layer making access to the fault much easer in certain places. The magazine article in "Rocks and Minerals" (May/June 1990 issue) is a big help in understanding the local geology of the area and how it relates to the barite occurrence. Pete Modreski is one of the authors of the article (Pete was president of the AGMC at one time).

The barite pockets appear to develop from reverse movement along variable dipping faults. These fill with barite and other minerals. Most of the mineral recovery work was done by following faults using a dozer or excavator. The basic approach was to follow the fault until it shallowed out. With luck, the shallow area would be a pocket which would be explored by hand digging. The 2001 operation done by trenching with a backhoe. The brittleness of clay layer appears to be key in developing pockets, as it provided a means of creating the cavities.

Very spectacular material was found in the pockets. Material is fully detached in he pockets, often simply laying in heaps on the bottom of the cavity. The crystals can be very transparent in certain zones. Golden calcite often occurs as a cement, holding the blue barite crystals together in sprays. Cleaning has been done mostly with just a water gun.

Mike's large pocket was 5-6 feet wide, 3 feet deep, loaded with crystals. Cystals up to 5 inches long were found, often in spectacular clusters.

As the faults cross into the Pierre shale, the pockets don't form as well due to the plasticity of the shale. The pockets fill with clay and still have barite, but the crystals are of much lower quality. Structural and stratigraphic controls are evident. In general, crystals loose their transparency as they occur closer to the shale.

The 2003 dig was done using a large trackhoe, digging down through the overburden to a depth of around 30 feet or more. Several days were lost when a rainstorm came through the area and turned it into a mud slick. The area has now been fully reclaimed; one can't even see it. The vegetation recovers quite rapidly. Brian Lees "Collectors Edge" website has some excellent photos of material from this locality.

There is a great deal of area yet to be explored, as the fault underlies a quite large area; only the part near the eroded "blowout" area is easily accessible and was first explored.

Additional areas for barite exist there. Most is on private land. The specific area that Mike worked in is a small state land inset. It is under lease to a group of mineral collectors and is not open to the public for collecting.

Why is it blue? Paul Hlava feels it may be subtle rare earth doping in the blue material. Also not clear exactly how the crystals formed...

The blue barite from this locality doesn't appear to fade in sunlight, but not sure - best not to risk specimens to sunlight. The barite from the Hartsell locality (also in Colorado) starts out clear and turns blue with exposure.

Modreski's article proposes that the source may have been leaching from the volcanics in the region. Growth mechanism, chemistry, and temperature is unclear.

Mike received a hearty round of applause for his fine talk.

Attendance for tonight was 71.

Tonight’s refreshments are provided by Sherry Ann Miller. Thank you Sherry for the wonderful treats.

Our field trip for February will be a two-day trip on Saturday the 28^th and Sunday the 29^th.

We will assemble at the Lordsburg McDonald’s between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. This is approximately a 300-mile trip with directions as follows: From the Big I, travel I-25 South to Exit 41 near Hatch. Follow Rt 26 West approximately 48 miles to Rt 180 near Deming. Turn left on Rt 180 and go about 1 mile South to I-10 West. Take I-10 West to Exit 22 at Lordsburg and McDonalds.

Mining company release forms will be available at the AGMC meeting on February 23^rd and at McDonald’s on the 28^th. The company requires release forms, a checkout system, and no underground explorations.

The plan is as follows: The supervisor will try to be at the gate for guided tours of the Banner and Atwood Mines. In the event that he cannot be available, we will be allowed entry to the Banner Mine by walking in. This is about a quarter mile hike on a gravel road. After touring and collecting at the Banner Mine, we will enter the North Area near the ghost town of Valedon.

Sunday will be a free day for collecting throughout the district. The minerals to be collected are primarily chalcopyrite, calcite, quartz, azurite, pyrite, malachite, and chrysocolla. The chalcopyrite is found in crystals and massive form as peacock ore. The mines to visit are the Banner, Misers Chest, "85", Atwood, Anita, Waldo, and the Bonnie Jean. A sketch of the area will be provided at the next meeting and at McDonalds.

For those staying two days, there are about six motels in Lordsburg: The American Motor Inn, Holiday Motel, Motel 10, Budget Motel, Best Western, and Holiday Inn Express. The lowest prices are in the $20’s. For those camping out, you may wish to camp near the North Gate by Shakespear. There are several good restaurants in Lordsburg.

See you there.

Valedon (locals pronounce it VALE-don) got its start when Sam Ransom, a blacksmith from Shakespeare, and two partners filed claims in the Pyramid Mountains. The year was 1885. The spot where they found silver became known as ’85 Hill and their claim, the ’85 Mine. The ’85 Mine languished under several owners until about 1913, when the Eighty-Five Mining Company took over production.

At first the workers lived in Lordsburg and walked the five miles to Valedon, cutting a path through Shakespeare. Ore wagons coming from the mine followed the same route back to the Southern Pacific Railroad station at Lordsburg. When the railroad built a spur line to Valedon, it laid tracks straight through Shakespeare’s main street, leading the residents there to complain about trains "chugging through at any and all hours."

The pedestrian miners walked the tracks to Valedon, stopping off at the saloons in Shakespeare on the way home.

As production stepped up at the ’85, Henry Clay, and Atwood mines, the company built a mill to process the gold, silver, and copper ores. Workers began building houses at Valedon proper on land leased from the mining company. They used water flowing from the ’85 Mine to irrigate their lawns, flower gardens, and orchards. By 1926, some 2,000 people lived in Valedon, now a company town that included the ’85 Store, a meat market, a theater, and a blacksmith shop. Shakespeare’s saloons and hotels apparently proved sufficient as Valedon built none of its own. It did have a large two-room school, which also served students from Lordsburg.

For a time Valedon prospered under company ownership. But in 1931 the Phelps Dodge Company bought the property and, a year later, with little warning, shut down the mine and ordered the residents to leave. The houses were town down, and many of the company buildings were moved to other locations. Almost overnight Valedon became a "place of ruined walls and hopes," Rita Hill wrote in her history of Shakespeare.

It’s true. All that is left of Valedon today are the walls of the company store and the school.

Ghost Towns Alive: Trips to New Mexico’s Past by Linda G. Harris, UNM Press, 2003

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.

A sulfide of a common metal and it occurs in many of the same deposits that galena is found in – shallow-seated, low-temperature hydrothermal vein deposits. Associated minerals include quartz, calcite, dolomite, barite, galena, pyrite, marcasite, chalcopyrite, and others. Also found in veins in igneous and metamorphic rocks (add pyrrhotite to associated minerals). It is often found as isometric crystals with perfect dodecahedral cleavage (shows some 90 and some 60 degree angles). Hardness – 3.5-4, Sp. Gr. – 3.9-4.1, Luster-resinous (can also be adamantine or sub-metallic), Color – usually yellow-brown-black but can be colorless, green, or red, Streak white to yellow and brown.

What is the name of the mineral?

What is the mineral name for?

What are some of the mineral’s nick names?

What is the mineral used for?

What other metals are byproducts from this mineral?

What is the other metal dissolved in the structure that causes the yellow to brown to black colors?

Localities – (Just list the famous/important ones)

--NM –

--USA –

--World –

What is the name of the mineral? ulexite

Who is the mineral name for? German chemist George Ludwig Ulex (1811-1883), discoverer of the mineral.

What is the mineral’s rock shop nick name? TV stone

Why did it get this nickname? Images transfer from the bottom to the top of appropriately polished pieces.

What causes this optical effect? Coherent fiber optics formed by close pack fibrous crystals.

What is the mineral used for? Source of borax, etc.

What minerals might it be associated with? Borax, tincalconite, colemanite, kernite, and other rare borates.

Why did I say this mineral is hydrated and hydrous? (This looks like a redundancy but it is not.) Water is present both as H2O (hydrated) and OH (hydrous) forms.

Localities – (Just list the famous/important ones)

--NM – none

--USA – Borax, CA and nearby NV

--World – Argentina; Chile; Kazakhstan; Nova Scotia, Canada

I encourage everyone with internet access to take the opportunity to check out a wonderful site dedicated to New Mexico gem and mineral collectors. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/new_mexico_rockhounding) This web page is simply a message board forum but with a lot more goodies. The group is called New Mexico Rockhounding, and it covers topics such as: rock, gem, and mineral collecting, fossils, meteorites, mining, geology, and other issues concerning the earth sciences. The purpose of this group is not only keeping New Mexicans educated and informed about this wonderful hobby, but to also serve as a means of communication between group members. Just log onto our homepage and join at your own convenience. Membership is free. Once you log onto the homepage, add the group on your ‘Favorites’ feature so that you do not have to type the entire web address each time you log on. This group is still young and lacks participation, but I hope that many of you AGMC members make this wonderful site a success. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at any time. Thanks.