From my observation of the workings of the Board of Directors the last two years I believed that the job of President was pretty straightforward. Events follow events and all were handled with little apparent effort by a cadre of "Top Guns" as Paul Hlava likes to refer to the long time members. Door prizes appear and are won, scholarships are awarded, we sponsor a very nice show in March with he attractions, the Junior Club meetings are well attended with many wonderful programs and presenters, every month except December we have a killer field trip to collect in some special place, the program featured at each one of our monthly meetings always introduces me to someone or some thing new and exciting and totally interesting. What I’m finding out is that this position I’ve been elected to is less straight forward and more like allover the place. And that’s fine by me. This club membership encompasses an incredible depth and breadth of resources in every aspect of interest in earth sciences from lapidary to faceting, to prospecting and mining, to the study of mineralogy, petrology, and paleontology. We are sculptors, rock gardeners, space mission specialists, jewelers, scientists, engineers, collectors, desert rats, and seekers, hungry to rock around the clock. Every activity is an opportunity for enrichment on some level, and fortuitously an opportunity to share your precious self with kindred spirits is just around the corner. By helping to host the Treasures of the Earth Show you might meet the person that holds the answer to enhancing your knowledge, deepening you appreciation, or increasing your skills. Four days of interaction with club members and the public creates awesome possibilities. You might even get answers to questions you don’t even know how to ask. Snag the sign-up sheet as it makes the rounds at the meeting on Feb.26TH and secure a staffing position that you can fill [free parking pass included].

Late January and early February are blocked out on many club members’ calendars. It’s Tucson Time. Though I’ve yet to make this event, by all accounts this is BIG BIG BIG. Venues for the full spectrum of retail dealers consist of hotels, motels , convention facilities and the Tucson Electric Park. Rooms in town book a year in advance. We are lucky to have our very own Dave Moats on the scene. He is a proven purchasing agent fortified by budgeted and donated cash to secure a years supply of specimens for the Door Prize Drawing that is eagerly anticipated at the end of every club meeting. Can’t wait to see what’s going to be stocking the larder this year!

But sadly, no amount of carefully selected prizes will compensate for the treasure that was lost the same week right here at home. I was stunned to learn that club member Ron Boyd passed away unexpectedly. Ron was a native New Mexican degreed in geology at UNM , and though he worked professionally as a geologist in the mining industry for a couple of years out of state, he returned and began focusing on his passion for stonecutting. He was a skilled faceter and lapidarist, and was well respected and liked in the artisan community where he made his way. Ron has been a club member for a dozen or more years and most recently shared his time, knowledge, expertise, and infectious enthusiasm for collecting with us in the capacity of VP Field Trips Chair for the last two years. Ron was always eager to share his familiarity with collecting localities and delighted in bringing in special location experts to enhance the educational opportunities that a particular area offered. Ron carefully prepared for the hunt, and was always hopeful for the gemmy best of the species that was the days quarry. So when he and his comrade set off to search I hovered nearby listening to the dialogue of divination that illuminated the intricate relationship of geology, petrology, chemistry, mineralogy, and chance that constituted the most likely area of the landscape to foster the ideal environment for the target species. They recited facts like mantras, they knew what the intimate associates of the species were likely to be, they discussed the environmental forces that affected the neighborhood and examined the float as they refined their search. I lurked, filling my pack with the leaverite that so beautifully illustrated the details of the mental map they were creating. I learned some too. And when the dirt was right the dig was on. Sector by sector the quarry was revealed and harvested. Ron made sure to supply the rookies with something nice even if their packs were already full of unpedigreed material that called into question their judgment. It was never "pearls before swine"with Ron. He was having fun. GOOD FUN.

Suzanne Seymour

_________________________________

Here’s information on two important shows coming up in March:

Mar. 8-11, Deming, NM - Deming Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. 42nd Annual Rockhound Roundup. S.W. New Mexico Fairgrounds. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily

Mar. 16-18, Albuquerque, NM - Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club. 38th Annual Treasures of the Earth Show. New Mexico Expo Fairgrounds, School Art Bldg. 16th-17th, 10-6; 18th, 10-5 agmc.info

February 24^th: Field Trip to New Bureau of Mines Museum – Meet in Socorro at 9:00 a.m.

February 26^th: 6:30 p.m. Junior Club Meeting – Natural History Museum Annex

February 26^th: 7:30 p.m. – AGMC Club Meeting – NM Natural History Museum

President: Suzanne Seymour

Home Phone: 877-3621

E-mail: suzannerox5@unm.edu

VP – Programs: Mike Sanders

Home Phone: 256-1794

E-mail: mesande@sandia.gov

Co-VP Programs: Marcus Price

Home Phone:

E-mail: priceabq@aol.com

VP – Field Trips: Grant Kuck

Home Phone: 323-1520

E-mail: (changing)

Co-VP – Field Trips: Rex Nelson

Home Phone: 271-4694

E-mail: sagebrushhome2@aol.com

Secretary:

Treasurer: Amy Penn

Home Phone: 883-4195

Email: el.chivo.Viejo@earthlink.net

Historian: Dave Moats

Home Phone: 892-8163

E-mail: beepbeep59@hotmail.com

Editor: Patricia Amschoff

Home Phone: 920-3299

E-mail: naturalstonelights@yahoo.com

Show Chair: Paul Hlava

Home Phone: 255-5478

E-mail: hpf5@qwest.net

Past President: Orlando Garcia

Home Phone: 345-0520

E-mail: jabog02@msn.com

Please call the appropriate Board member for information regarding club functions.  Call Kimberly Richie (281-3886) or Orlando Garcia for missing News Nuggets or change of address.

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: Patricia Amschoff, Editor, 83 Placita de Oro, Apt. 6, Santa Fe, NM 87501, or e-mail at natural stone lights@yahoo.com.

The Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club was organized on January 22, 1944. The club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and enjoyment of the Earth Sciences and associated subjects. Its primary purpose is the exchange of information and the furtherance of knowledge of Mineralogy, Fossils, Geology, Rock Cutting and Gem Faceting and to stimulate interest in the development of these studies.

All meetings are held at the NM Museum of Natural History, 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. Board of Directors meetings are held at 7:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month. (Call for location.) The public is welcome at both meetings.

Being a member of the Albuquerque Gem & 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.

The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m. on Monday, January 22, 2007 by the president, Suzanne Seymour.

There were five visitors to the club meeting and each was introduced by Grant Kuck. The visitors included Dave Burwell, Merrill Weaver-Haskell, Sue Weaver-Haskell, Rick Gallegos, and Storm Wickham. (Rick was brought to the meeting by his grandfather and Storm by his aunt and uncle.)

The president announced that there were many things going on this year in the club. She reminded attendees that memberships dues are now due. She stated there was a sign-up sheet for the March show and that there are many jobs to be done.

Reports were given as follows:

Treasurer: Dues are due. Membership forms need to be filled out.

Field Trips: The January field trip to the Nakaye mine was cancelled. The make-up day will be February 10. The March field trip will be an overnight trip to Orogrande.

Refreshments: The first three or four months are settled. The Club needs volunteers for later.

Show Committee: Paul Hlava announced that the Treasures of the Earth Show needs a lot of help. Sign-up sheets are available. Paul especially needs show security (people to stay overnight, set up and tear down help. Set up is scheduled for Thursday, March 15. Tear down will be at the end of the show on March 19. Pick up trucks are needed during set up and tear down. Paul asked some of the show committee to discuss their parts in the show and what is needed. Amy Penn spoke for Kimberly Richie about needing help with admissions. She passed around a sign-up sheet. Gwen Poe is in charge of refreshments and the Thursday night potluck. Mike Potts is in charge of the silent auction. Jay Penn is in charge and the junior table and Mike Sanders is handling the display cases. The theme mineral is turquoise.

The business meeting ended at 8:12 p.m. Mike Sanders, Co-vice president of Programs, put out a call for speaker ideas. Then he introduced the night’s speaker, Ray DeMark. This talk was given at the New Mexico Mineral Symposium in November. It was titled "Selected Minerals from the Grants Uranium Region."

Ray began his talk with a bit of history of uranium mining in New Mexico. Uranium mining started in New Mexico in 1950 when Paddy Martinez discovered uranium in an area where sheep had been dying. This was at Haystack Mountain. Ray said that most of the uranium mines were closed by 1980. The last one closed in 1990. The present world need for yellow cake has meant an increase in interest in New Mexico uranium. The type of mining that is being done is "in situ" mining, meaning that the uranium is leached out by chemicals in place, destroying any other minerals. Thus mineral collecting in the Grants District will no longer be an option.

The Grants Uranium district is 85 miles long and 35 miles wide. The area of Poison Canyon is about 15 miles north of Grants off NM 53. Since the mines have closed, the ground has been reclaimed.

Ray then showed several slides, with most mineral photos taken by Dan Behnke. There were slides of selenium (a mineral found underground), urananite from Poison Canyon (very rare in crystal form), and coffinite and uraninite (the two primary minerals at Poison Canyon. There were also marvelous slides of fluorite, pyrolusite (a manganese oxide), calcite (some with tyuyamunite), barite (generally amber), uranophane (which can be found in crystals up to 12 mm, santafeite (a complex vanadium mineral named for the railroad - not the city) and others such as specular hematite, tyuyamunite, carnatite, hewetite and pascoite. Ray said that both the santafeite and grantsite found in the Grants area are type location minerals.

Ray also talked about East Grants Ridge and showed slides of minerals such as topaz and spessartine garnets (can be very gemmy). Ray said that some of the garnets found at East Grants Ridge are coated with a mixture of hematite and bixbyite (and some are coated with braunite).

After an informative talk, attendees were invited to share refreshments and discuss all sorts of mineral topics.

Our next field trip is scheduled for Saturday, February 24^th. The destination is the NMBGMR Mineral Museum at Socorro’s New Mexico Tech. (directions below).

The gathering point is the parking lot at Tech’s Macy Center on Olive Lane. We will assemble around 9:00 a.m. and proceed on foot to the museum at 9:30 a.m.

A guided tour is possible, but, in any case, we will be afforded the opportunity to view a collection of over 15,000 mineral specimens. In addition to a top quality collection of Southwest minerals, many other world class pieces are on display. Mining memorabilia, fossils, and a uv-mineral exhibit are also available for viewing. Many wonderful specimens are for sale, so bring plenty of cash and your checkbook. Your purchases will help fund new acquisitions.

At a convenient time around noon, we will break for lunch. If weather permits, those who so desire will proceed for a short local collecting trip. This location will likely be in the Chupadera Mountains or the Tower (Nancy) mine.

Proceed on I-25 South to Exit 150 at Socorro. This exit turns into California Street. Continue South to Bullock Blvd and turn right. Continue West on Bullock past Camino Real and Leroy Place. Bullock Blvd changes to Olive Lane and curves to the left. The Macy Center will be on the right. Park at the (South) far end of the Macy Center parking lot.

See you there - and don’t forget some collecting equipment!

PASSWORD: rock

Howdy Folks. The show is coming up fast! As I write this it is 4 weeks exactly to our show (YIKES!). I was really gratified by the wonderful response I got for set-up and tear down volunteers at January’s meeting. 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 and so you all (I suppose that should read "all y’alls") can relax with coffee/tea and some nice, healthy, dietetic donuts! I do still need some folks to help with overnight security. If you are interested, call me at 255-5478 or email hpf5@qwest.net

Dealers. We have no booths left at the show. Nada, zip, zero. They are all gone! They are all paid for except those few that just got the paperwork and the contracts and money are coming by the notoriously speedy(?) NM mail, but they have been promised

Publicity for the show is underway. My supply of garish flyers is getting quite depleted but you are all welcome to the rest! We will soon sent a stack of these flyers out to each of our out-of-town dealers. We have 7000 postcards to mail out to our lists of past attendees and to pass on to treasured friends and another 1,000 with blank backs for us to sell as regular post cards. This was Gwen Poe’s suggestion. If you want some, they are $0.25 each or 5 for a dollar. 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. 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 generous dish 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 bring tamales again. Oh, Gwen is handling hospitality for Thursday and Carolyn Wood will do Sunday. I could use another person or two to take care of coffee, "power pills" (donuts), et cetera. on Friday and Saturday.

Others interested in volunteer help include Kimberly Richie (admissions), Hank Miller (door prizes & raffle), and Mike Potts (silent auction). I hope enough of you help Mike so HE has a chance to see some of the rest of the show this year!

And lastly - The club has been having new display cases made the last few years. As these new ones arrive we are trying to dispose of the old cases. There are free to any club member who asks for one. Eventually we will dump the last of them.

The next club meeting will be on February 26^th at 6:30 p.m. at the New Mexico Natural History Museum Annex. Our speaker will be Ray DeMark, who will show us how to set up a display for show or competition. Also, you can get rocks identified by club members if you bring them in.

This is a timely talk because show time is coming! You can enter specimens in a display case at our March show. Start deciding on or collecting some rocks you'd like to enter. There will be an award for the best display. The February 26th Junior Club meeting will be on how to present your specimens in the display.

Another chance to enter a specimen is at the Rocky Mountain Federation show June 7 - 10 in Roswell, NM at the Convention & Civic Center. This show is very small, but if you're in the area or have a relative living nearby, you may want to enter.

The rules are:

1. The specimens must be collected by the junior.

2. He/she must prepare it for exhibit.

3. He/she must make a label with the name of the material and where it was found.

4. The junior must get the specimen to the show. The junior does not have to be present at the

show. Any club member can bring the entry.

5. The junior must fill out the registration form and send it in to the Junior Chairman prior to the

show.

The winning junior up to age 12 will win $25.00, a certificate and some other goodies.

The winning junior age 13 - 17 will win $25.00, a certificate and some other goodies.

Diane Weir, 2300 S. Union Ave, Roswell, NM 88203, dcweir@dfn.com, 505-622-5679

Amy Penn

Before I begin this year’s MM I want to know if any of you are still playing this game. Email me at hpf5@qwest.net and let me know. This includes AGMC members and everyone else who reads the "News Nuggets". If no one responds I will stop wasting space on the newsletter. I got responses from 2 people only. I assume I should shut this down. If I don’t get at least 6 more, next month’s Mystery Mineral will only list the answers to this one. (email to hpf5@qwest.net)

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.

Last year I discussed minerals that are named for geographic localities. This year I thought I’d concentrate on minerals named for some physical property that they possess.

This month’s MM is a common, orthorhombic, hydrous and hydrated silicate of a relatively common metal. It is found in the oxidation zone of base metal ore deposits. It most commonly forms crystalline crusts and layers. It also forms massive, granular, rounded and reniform aggregates, concentrically striated, or finely needle-shaped, fibrous or stalactitic, and rarely the desirable fan-shaped clusters of crystals. This mineral has perfect cleavage at about 90 degrees and a conchoidal fracture, vitreous luster, hardness of 5, and specific gravity of 3.4 – 3.5. Transparent to translucent, colors can be colorless, white, greenish-gray, yellow-brown, to brown.

What is the name of the mineral?

What is the origin of the name?

What is the name of the mineral it was often confused with (long ago)?

What is the name given to both minerals?

What is it used for?

What is that metal used for?

Name a NM locality. –

Name some other US localities. –

Name some world-wide, world-class specimen localities.

What is the name of the mineral? Actinolite

What is the origin of the name? From the Greek aktinos for ray in allusion to its common habit.

What is the name of the white analog? Tremolite (Tremola Valley, Italy)

What is the name of the pink analog? Hexagonite (common shape)

What makes it pink? Manganese

(OK. What makes the regular stuff green to black?) Iron

What is it used for? Nothing.

What is the name of the semi-precious gemstone composed of this mineral? The fine-grained, felted variety is nephrite jade, the jade of ancient China and it is used for ornamental purposes

Name a NM locality. – Harding area

Name some other US localities. – Chelmsford, MA; WA

Name some world-wide, world-class specimen localities. – Austria, Brazil, Burma, Norway, etc.

Paul Hlava

One subject that often comes up concerning mineral collecting is the "ethnics of collecting." This is especially true when collecting on someone’s personal mine or claim. This article address that subject.

As club members we are "hobby collectors". This means that we collect for personal pleasure, recreation, and interest. The following rules apply when collecting on a personal claim or mine:

"Hobby Collectors Defined"

If you dig out your samples or specimens with hand tools and carry them away unassisted, you are probably a "hobby collector".

Submitted by Rex Nelson

We had an excellent time at the March 2006 Deming Show. We hauled a lot of rock home, purchased & collected on field trips, in spite of very high spring winds.

The guided field trips are $5.00 - $10.00 per person depending on which trip you take. They offer 5 different field trips, 3 per day and you can only attend one site per day. Trips are Thurs., Fri and Sat. We collected geodes, rhyolite, and agate. The other two trips were for travertine or peridot bombs. Sign in for field trips is Wed. afternoon thru Sat. a.m., trips leave at 8 am. You caravan in your own vehicle 25 to 75 miles away depending on the trip. Bring easy digging tools, windy/cool weather clothes, water, lunch and beware, snakes are out year round. The 3 trips we went on were surface collecting or digging through pre-turned dirt. The club does a good job of making the collecting very easy. No restrooms at these sites.

There are13 RV parks, 15 motels, & several restaurants in Deming. The show is off Country Club Road just south of Pine Street.

www.cityofdeming.org has places to see, such as a walking tour of old buildings, the Deming-Luna Mimbres Museum, the Geolapidary Museum Rock Shop run by the Baker Egg Mine owners, or other interests.

You can also stay at the Rockhound State Park, 505-546-6182. We collected geodes and jasper there several years ago, up a very steep, long hill. The park is 12-15 miles from Deming. Again, we were at this park in November, and saw rattlers.

Get blown away in Deming !!

Jay & Amy Penn

There are 120 dealers, inside & outside selling lapidary equipment, jewelry, minerals, & raw rock, free admission, free parking. The club has displays, demonstrations, auctions, door prizes, raffle drawings, geode cutting and field trips.

Contacts: www.dgms.bravehost.com Bud Daley 505-267-4399; Judy Nelson 505-544-8231; Carolyn Abbey 505-546-4338, PO Box 1459, Deming, NM 88031

If you would like free parking and free admission to all 3 days of the 2007 Treasures of the Earth (T.O.T.E.) Gem and Mineral Show, all you have to do is sign up to help out for a few hours Mar. 15 - 18. The show is hosted yearly by the members of the Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club (AGMC) and is a well recognized show that happens only because of the efforts of club members. The club needs your help.

Please contact the following:

Jay Penn 883-4195 Junior Table (Staff the table where only those under age18 can buy minerals)

Hank Miller 255-7218 Raffle Tickets (To, of course, sell raffle tickets)

Kimberly Richie 281-3886 Admissions (Collect money at the entrance) (Amy Penn has Kimberly's list… 883-4195)

Pick a 2 hour slot (or 2) and join in the fun. Talk to people, watch people, learn from people. Thanks !!

Our normal reminder: Alcohol is absolutely forbidden. It's a state law. Do not bring any onto the fair grounds. We could lose our right to use that venue.

Payment type: □ Check Date Received_______

□ Cash $__________________

□ Other_________________

Our speaker for the February 26 meeting will be club member Mike Sanders. He will present a talk that describes a July 2002 one-week-long mining project in which he participated at a well-known blue barite location near Stoneham, in northeastern Colorado. The talk will present a history of modern specimen production from the locale, and will also describe geologic clues that were successfully used to help discover blue barite vugs using a backhoe. Mike presented this talk at the November 2003 New Mexico Mineral Symposium in Socorro, NM and again at an AGMC club meeting in early 2004. The talk has been well-received, and AGMC board members agreed that a repeat performance would be of interest to club members. Also, for those interested, Mike will also have barite specimens that were recovered during the project available for purchase at the meeting.