News Nuggets

Newsletter of the Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club

Volume 52 Number 2

Howdy Folks! The show is coming up fast! As I write this, it is only 5 weeks and a few days to "Set-Up Thursday" (YIKES!). I was really gratified by the wonderful response I got for set-up and teardown volunteers at January’s meeting. I expect that we’ll be able to set the show up in good time. And the teardown 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 you all (I suppose that should read "all y’alls") can relax with coffee/tea and some nice, healthy, dietetic donuts! Teardown was a breeze last year (I’m quoting Scott Wilson). The slight amount of added work of stacking the tables had the benefit of prodding slow dealers to get their stuff packed up faster so everyone could get home for a much needed rest. I do still need some folks to help with overnight security on Thursday (with Jim Westmoreland and his German Shepard). If you are interested, call me at 255-5478 or email hpf1@qwest.net (that is a number one in front of the @ sign).

Dealers. I only have 3 booths left at the show. These are all medium sized booths. Oh, I’m not worried about filling them -- I keep getting requests for space. In fact, I just got two new dealer requests in the past 3 or 4 days, so I expect I’ll only have one booth left by the time you read this. But if you know of a 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 6000 postcards to mail out to our past attendees list and to pass on to treasured friends. The photo side shows a lot of really nice fluorite crystals and a couple of cut stones. All of these are from the Hansondurg district. You will like them (the cards not the fluorite – well – maybe both). The various rock and mineral magazines have been contacted and we are 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. I am looking for someone to coordinate hospitality (heading up a number of folks to keep the coffee urns going and stock 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, buy some stuff, and then repeat. And please remember – make sure you have fun at OUR show!

Gwen Poe will be coordinating the World Famous Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club’s annual pre-show Pot Luck supper! I’m sure she would also appreciate a number of angels to help her with that FUN job. I want you to think about what you can bring to share with the rest of the club and our guests, the dealers. If I remember correctly, the club supplies the main dish and Club members supply casseroles and hearty salads and such. Hmm… I may make my green chile stew again.

Others in need of volunteers include Kimberly Richie (admissions), Hank & Rosemary Miller (door prizes & raffle), and especially Dave Moats – our guru of the silent auction. I hope enough of you help Dave so HE has a chance to see some of the rest of the show this year!

More later!

Paul Hlava

050213

Were you able to go to the Tucson show this year?  Or did you just dream about it like me?  Car problems and a very busy schedule prevented me from making the holy pilgrimage this year.  But if you think I'll quietly bide my time till next year... it just won't happen!  Fortunately for guys like me our beloved AGMC has its own show this year beginning on March 18^th and ending on the 20th.   Check out Paul Hlava’s Cover story with everything you need to know about the TREASURES OF THE EARTH EXPO 2005 Jewelry, Gem, and Mineral Show. And yes we're still looking for helping hands.  Don't forget: anyone who volunteers not only gets into the show for free, but also gets free parking passes, and the fun and satisfaction of having helped out your club.

And speaking of helping out the club, a special thank you to everyone who has made life easier for our Membership Chairwoman by renewing their memberships.  Your support is needed and very much appreciated.  Thank you.

Also, a big thank you to Suzanne Seymour for volunteering once again to be the club secretary.  Not only did she write down the minutes at the last Board of Directors' Meeting but she also did the same for our regular club meeting.  As you know the club is still looking for a full time secretary and if you would like to help just give me a call or see me at the next AGMC meeting.

Now then for those who missed the big one in Tucson and for those who can't wait for our own Jewelry, Gem and Mineral Show, there is something going on in March at the Southwestern New Mexico State Fairgrounds.  It's the Annual Rockhound Roundup in Deming and it's just one week before our own show in Albuquerque.  Some 5,000 visitors usually attend the event, which runs from March 11th through the 14th.   Two buildings house over 40 dealers with over 30 tailgaters outside.  Past President and VP of Special Events, Orlando Garcia has been down to Deming a number of times and if you want some first hand impressions talk to him.  Also Orlando will be doing an article in the News Nuggets on upcoming rock shows, so keep your eyes open. In the meantime if you would like more information you can call 546-0348.

Finally if you have any rocks that are gathering dust in your garage please think about donating them to the AGMC.  Depending on the quality the donated material could end up going as a door prize, or a silent auction item in our March show.  And specimens are always needed the junior table at our show as well.  Not only do your donations help the club, they also create more space in the garage for all those future specimens you'll be bringing back from all those future field trips.  Of  course if you went to Tucson you may have to park the car outside for a while which just underscores my point - make room for future new material and donate to your club.

Well that's enough for this month.  I hope it's been a good one for you so far.  Take care and I hope to see you at our next meeting in February.

Till then, keep looking down!

Grant

Robert H. Dickie passed away on December 30, 2004. Robert was active with the AGMC in the 1970s and 1980s and was well known by many of our senior members. For many years he provided outstanding displays of mining artifacts at our annual show. He was one of the claim owners of the Mex-Tex and Blanchard mines along with Tom Massis, Brian Huntsman and Ray DeMark in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Bob was also an early claim owner of the Pine Canyon fluorite deposit (Judith Lynn claim) in the Burro Mountains. During these years he was an active field collector along with his son Dean. He operated a small mineral business dubbed the Claim Jumping and Mine Highgrading Company with the motto "Your claim is our aim." In more recent years he was a very active hunter and fisherman and spent many hours in the Gila looking for trout.

Bob is survived by his wife Lois of Los Lunas, mother Maria of Bridgeton, Maine, two children, Dean and Jeanette, of Houston, Texas, and his former wife Michelle, also of Houston.

A memorial service was held at the home of Ray and Judy DeMark in the afternoon of January 2, 2005. The gathering included family and mineral collecting colleagues of Bob, and it was designed as a way to offer support to the family. Jerry Simmons spoke briefly about Bob and led a prayer.

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

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

VP - Field Trips - Stephanie Melof; Home phone: 281-7192; E-mail: stephbell22@yahoo.com

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

Secretary - Open

Treasurer - Howard (Jake) Jacobs; Home phone: 869-1565; E-mail: goldpanjake@msn.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

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 are 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.

Fluorite: New Mexico’s Rainbow Mineral

18^th & 19^th 10-6, 20^th 10-5.

Show Chair Paul Hlava 505-265-4179 or hpf1qwest.net

Shows, Shows, Shows!!!

There are over 100 mineral shows scheduled in the USA for March 2005 alone. Here is a sampling of nearby shows you might want to attend.

Hachita, NM- March 4-6, Hachita Gem & Mineral Show. Hachita Community Center, 9-5 daily

Mesa, AZ- March 4-6, Maricopa Lapidary Society, "Rocks & Gems Alive in 2005". Mesa Centennial Center, 201 N. Center St. 4^th & 5^th 10-5; 6^th, 10-4

Deming, NM- March 10-13, Deming Gem & Mineral Society, "40^th Annual Rockhound Roundup". SW New Mexico Fairgrounds, 9-5 daily. (Free)

Ogden, UT- March 11-13, Golden Spike Gem & Mineral Society, "Gemstone Junction 2005". Union Station, 25^th & Wall Avenue.

San Antonio, TX- March 18-20, The International Gem & Jewelry Show, Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center.

For more shows check the Lapidary Journal!!!

Four gallons of Rock Saw Oil - it's the good Pella A Oil! $25 Phil: 293-8778

The January general meeting was called to order by President Grant Kuck at 7:30. Following opening remarks, a welcome was extended to visitors and guests. Fourteen folks introduced themselves, including some who were introduced to us at the State Fair and several youngsters. As a preamble to the introduction of the recently elected Board of Directors, Grant took some time to express thanks for the service of all previous members of the Board and noted in particular the five past Presidents who were in attendance. The former Presidents (Paul Hlava, Ray DeMark, Dick Quintana, Orlando Garcia and Tom Schmeirer) stood to grateful applause and acknowledgement. Other mentions of a similar vein were to Darlene Nelson as Editor of last years News Nuggets, Kathleen Lewicki, Refreshment Coordinator, Tom Katonak Web Server, and Tom Schmeirer for procurement of the table favors given to Christmas party attendees from the collection of the late Jim Winchell. Stephanie Melof announced the upcoming field trip to the UNM Geology Museum and the Meteor Museum.

A special tour was arranged for Saturday January 29^th. Maps and campus parking passes were made available to those interested. Paul Hlava announced the TOTE Show dates and encouraged the participation of all in making this year better than ever and stressed the joys of camaraderie, with great free food as perks for those who get involved. Sign up sheets were passed around and we look forward to seeing your name on them.

We have 17 club-sponsored display cases to fill (including some new ones). Though most are filled, contact Mike Saunders if you would like to mount a display in one of the few remaining. Flyers are available so take a bunch and get them out there. Postcards (sure to be collectable) are forthcoming.

Mike Saunders announced the evening’s speaker, David Bleakley, a botanist who received his degree in 1994. Inventory of the 14,000 acres of this formerly BLM land began in 1990 and David’s extensive field work combined with those of others resulted in its current designation as a National Wilderness Area. Mr. Bleakley oriented us on a map and then began a wonderful slideshow tour of this most interesting geologic area. Given that a picture is worth a thousand words, I chose to spare you, my friends, from the tens of thousands it might take to accompany me on the tour. You deserve a day to visit and see for yourself what lichen can do to lava that oozed out of the Bandera Cone a measly 3000 years ago. Don’t miss the view from the Sandstone Bluffs West across the McCarty’s Flow or the largest arch in the state, La Ventana. Six flow stages over 6,000 years began 12,000 years ago and extend all the way to Arizona. Wow! Not only that, there are 25+ miles of tubes barely mapped with 50’ ft ceilings colonized by lichens, moss, and spiderworts. El Malpais contains a Who’s Who of volcanic phenomena; pressure ridges with their medial cracks, spatter cones whose viscous ejecta was enabled by lots of gas, squishups of fresh lava protruding from older surface cracks, a cone whose surface is actually below the surrounding surface, pahoehoe lava, a basalt whose ropy surface tubes formed in the hot (1200 ° C) gaseous fluid, a cooler less gaseous material that formed a rough, clinkery surface. Three visitors’ centers will help you orient and inform yourselves as to the diverse wonders awaiting you just an hour away.

And to all who could not attend, I hope what you had cooking was as much good fun as what David had in the pot for us!

Thanks to David Bleakley for an extra special insider’s view!

The meeting concluded with the raffle and refreshments -- all great stuff.

Approximately 20 members and guests attended the January field trip to the museums on the UNM campus.

Dr. Rhian H. Jones kindly lent us her expertise in explaining the specimens in the Meteorite Museum and the field of meteoritics.  Dr. Barry S. Kues was our guide to the Geology Museum.  Both museums are on the first floor of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and are open to the public Monday through Friday.  There is no admission fee.

Of special note were the guide on how to identify a meteorite (below) and the real time seismic monitor of the world at www.iris.edu/seismon.

Additional information is available at the department's website, epswww.unm.edu, and in the January AGMC newsletter.

There are a number of characteristics of meteorites. It is usually a combination of several or all of these properties, which allow an unambiguous identification of the sample as a meteorite.

METAL

Most meteorites contain at least some iron metal (actually an alloy of iron and nickel). You can see the metal shining on a broken surface. Iron meteorites are all metal, stony iron meteorites are about half metal, half stone, and stone meteorites contain small flecks of metal.

DENSITY

Many meteorites, particularly iron meteorites, are very dense and feel heavier than most rocks found on Earth. Most meteorites containing metal have densities greater than 3.3g/cm³. Few terrestrial rocks have densities higher than this value, with the exception of iron ores, which are typically iron oxides such as magnetite or hematite.

MAGNETISM

You can use an ordinary refrigerator magnet to test this property. A magnet will stick to the meteorite if it contains metal. Some meteorites, such as stony meteorites only contain a small amount of metal, but will attract a magnet hanging on a string.

CHONDRULES

The most common meteorites to fall to Earth are stone meteorites called chondrites. They contain small balls of stony material called chondrules that are about a millimeter (1/25 inch) across.

FUSION CRUST

When a meteorite falls through the Earth's atmosphere a very thin layer on the outer surface melts. This thin crust is called a fusion crust. It is often black and looks like an eggshell coating the rock. The fusion crust can also appear brown on meteorites which were not recovered directly after they fell, due to terrestrial weathering.

REGMAGLYPTS

Sometimes when a meteorite falls through the Earth's atmosphere features called regmaglypts form on the surface. These look like thumbprints, like pressing your thumb into playdough.

STREAK

Two iron-bearing minerals very commonly mistaken for meteorites are magnetite and hematite. Both of these minerals can occur as large masses with smooth surfaces, are heavier than typical rocks, but have some features that resemble meteorites. Magnetite is very magnetic (hence its name) and hematite is mildly magnetic. Both these minerals can be very readily distinguished from meteoritic material by a characteristic known as their streak. You can test the streak very simply with a common ceramic tile, such as a bathroom or kitchen tile. Take your sample and scratch it quite vigorous1y on the unglazed side of the tile. If it leaves a black gray streak the sample is almost certainly magnetite, and if it leaves a red-brown streak it is almost certainly hematite. A meteorite, unless it is very heavily weathered, will not leave a streak on the tile.

Carolyn Wood

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.

a tetragonal silicate that is a relatively well-know rock-forming mineral found in contact metasomatic deposits or Alpine-type veins. Crystals are common, often euhedral and well developed in a marble matrix but it can occur as coarse, granular masses. Chemically it is a complicated hydrous silicate of calcium, magnesium, and aluminum. Cleavage – 5 all indistinct (2 pairs are prismatic and the last is perpendicular to the others because it is a basal pinacoid); subtransparent to subtranslucent; brittle; luster vitreous to resinous; harness 6.5, specific gravity 3.35 to 3.56, color –white, yellow, brown, green, or blue.

What is the name of the mineral?

What is a synonym?

What was the mineral named for?

What minerals are associated with this one?

What is the mineral used for?

Localities – (Just list the famous/important ones)

(OK. This is a common rock-forming mineral so it is all over the place. One or two localities would be OK.)

--NM –

--USA –

--World –

What is the name of the mineral? Andesine

What was the mineral named for? The Andes Mountains, which are composed of lots of andesites, a volcanic rock noted for having andesine feldspar as the primary mineral

What is the mineral used for? Beats me! I don’t know of any commercial uses or even gems of andesine. But it sure makes up a lot of rock.

Localities – (Just list the famous/important ones)

(OK. This is a common rock-forming mineral so it is all over the place. One or two localities would be OK.)

--NM – Parts of the mountains in Black Range, the Datils, the San Pedros, Ortiz, and lots more.

--USA – Most of the states from the Rockies west. Some andesine is found in the East, too.

--World – Andes of South America, and just about every other continent.

Paul Hlava 050213

With all of the festivities in Tucson and the mud from the recent rains, the February trip has been cancelled.

Perhaps instead, we could all take some time to go out in the garage one Saturday afternoon and take stock of possible donations for the AGMC.

Paul Hlava

"Tsunamis"

AGMC club member and kingpin Paul Hlava will talk about earthquake-generated waves (tsunamis). He describes his talk as follows:

"Until a number of weeks ago, very few people in the USA (except for Hawaiians) had ever heard the term tsunami. My goal is to educate people (many of whom will someday visit tsunami-prone sites) about this phenomenon. You might consider this a safety lecture of sorts. I plan to discuss/describe the name(s) of these waves, what causes them in general, their characteristics, geologic settings, what happened this time, and a tad about the dynamics of tsunamis and regular waves, and why tsunamis are so very different. I shall also include a minor discussion on why this one created such a large death toll. Along the way, I’ll mention and illustrate some famous tsunamis of the past. I have included enough dramatic photos to keep the talk interesting and the audience awake, even though it is an after dinner talk. I have left out the gruesome photos."