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. There is a short business meeting prior to the evening’s presentation, which begins at approximately 8:00 PM

"Eight Turquoise Mines"

by Todd Brown

Club members Todd and Patricia Brown live in Cerrillos, NM and are the owners of: the Casa Grande Trading Post, the Cerrillos Turquoise Mining Museum, and a petting zoo, all in Cerrillos. The October field trip will take you along the Turquoise Trail with a stop at their store and museum. Of course you can stop by and see them any time you are out and about near Cerrillos.

Todd loves rocks. He has a rock shop and keeps busy as the Park Manager for the Cerrillos Hills Park (a Santa Fe County Open Space) and as Preserve Manager for the Ortiz Mountains Educational Preserve, both near Cerrillos. Todd and Pat also have a mining claim near Cerrillos where they mine a beautiful green turquoise that they sell in their shop.

During 2007 and 2008 he gained permission to work eight different turquoise mines located in the Cerrillos Mining District. Todd has walked this mining district for over 30 years and has first hand knowledge about the various mines. This presentation will show his work at each mine and what he has found.

I think our Club has been around as long as it has (the Club is starting its 66th year) because the Club has been able to grow and change with time and meet the needs of its members. We would like to hear thoughts you might have on how the Club can better serve its members. A brief paragraph turned in to me or a board member at the regular meeting should suffice. You may also E-mail me at jrhall49@gmail.com. I'm sure most of you realize that not everyone can be satisfied. We will take a look at your suggestions.

Last month we had 113 members at our anniversary meeting in the upstairs room. We tried to get that room for our meetings and did not succeed. The museum has had to tighten its belt due to budget constraints. They will rent that room out for special events. We will continue to use the room downstairs. Our biggest event of the year (the TOTE Show) is rapidly approaching. Volunteers are still needed. Give a big hand to Paul Hlava and the show committee for all the planning and work that has been done to make this event a success.

The Junior Club has been busy getting their table ready for the show. I'm sure we'll see some nice displays from these young rockhounders. There is one more topic that I would like to touch on, SAFETY ON FIELD TRIPS! All field trips have elements of danger. A trip or fall, insect bite or sting, falling rocks, snakes, eye damage due lack of safety glass and the list could go on and on. The club is refurbishing our first aid kits. The lead person of each trip will have the kit.  It would not be a bad idea for each person or family to have a small kit with them. Our thanks go out to Anita Willard and Robert Lobato for working on this important project.  See you at the meeting!

John D. Reinert

All memberships expired Dec 31, 2008. Dues are still only $20 per household for 2009.

The membership form is near the end of this news letter as well as on our web site. You can print a copy and fill it out ahead of time to renew at the general meeting or mail it to: AGMC, PO Box 13718, Albq., NM 87192-3718.

PLEASE: We need ALL THE INFORMATION on the form FILLED IN for insurance and/or club purposes. Yes, even if you filled out all the information last year.

The February issue of the News Nuggets (that is this issue!!!!) will be the last sent to households that have not renewed their membership for 2009.

Saturday’s trip enjoyed fair weather except for one small cloud that seems to have developed an affinity for Jim Hutchins. The other 16 of us had a fine day exploring and collecting from walls and dumps. Lots of fluorite left the site, I got a couple of nice cabinet sized pieces and a better than last time barite druse in that dark pyrite included color. Bill Barr and Jim Hill worked a small showing of willemite using a UV light and collected some, too. Some new members were there enjoying it all, it was fun to meet them. That last ¼ mile isn’t any better than last year and gave some folks some trouble, that’s probably where Jim cut his tire. Aah, the hazards of hounding. Suzanne Seymour

Our January Jr. Club meeting was attended by 10 Jr. members and 4 visiting or soon to be Jr. members. Our meeting topic was "Gemstone Lore and Legend", and we learned about Anniversary Stones, Birthstones and the Zodiac, and Mysticism and Minerals. Did you know that there is an anniversary stone for a 100th anniversary? It's a 10-carat diamond. We also discussed a little bit about the anatomy of a faceted gemstone. Jim Hill brought many beautiful examples of cut gems and cabochons.

Beginning in January, we have a new addition to our merit badge program. The club has subscribed to Mini Miners Monthly, a publication for young mineral collectors and endorsed by the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS).  This publication is full of information for kids of all ages and has many activites and curious facts.  With our subscription, we have permission to reproduce coloring pages and activites for our meetings.

Each month, there is a Mini Miners Contest. For January, the contest was to draw and color a "crazy" mineral. The Jr. members created some pretty crazy minerals - even a "Banana Split" crystal.   The winner will receive an autographed copy of "Minerals of the U.S.A.: A History of Important Mineral Discoveries in the United States of America".  We hope we have a winner!  If you would like more information about the AFMS and their merit badge program, visit their website at www.amfed.org. For more information on the Mini Miners Monthly publication, visit

www.diamonddanpublications.com.

Earlene Shroyer

The meeting was called to order by President John Reinert at 7:35 p.m. The club welcomed new members and guests. John announced that the club is now on the Calendar Page of The Albuquerque Journal West Side. John asked past and present officers to stand and asked for everyone to thank them for their work. He reminded everyone we still need to fill the Vice President Field Trips positions.

Treasurer Amy Penn announced she has membership forms available for joining the club. She also has the rhodochrosite DVD to loan.

Editor Jay Penn had no announcements to make.

Bill Barr attended the recent field trip to Nakaye and reported that it was a beautiful day and beautiful minerals were found.

Michael Johnson, Membership Chairman, described the name tags and advised the prices are $7.50 for ones with pins and $8.50 for ones with magnets. Please contact him to order the pins.

Jim Hill, Junior Club Co-Chair, said 15 juniors attended tonight’s meeting and they discussed gemstone lore and legends. Earlene Shroyer, Junior Club Co-Chair, added they did coloring contest entries and crossword puzzles. She also announced they will have a Junior Club Web site. The kids who attend are ages 5 to 16. Jim also asked to have donations of minerals for the TOTE show. He also talked about the Junior Club table at the show, which will be run by the juniors themselves. The kids will be behind the table talking with the visiting kids.

Paul Hlava, TOTE Show Chairman, passed around sign-up sheets for volunteers for security on March 19^th, set up on March 19^th and tear-down on March 22^nd. Hank Miller has the sign-up sheet for the raffles, and Kimberly Richie has the sign-up sheet for admissions. The show dates are March 20 through 22. Paul also added that we are getting national attention on it.

Gwen Poe spoke about coordinating the food and set up of the show dinner on March 19^th, when the club hosts the dealers. The club provides Rudy’s barbeque meat, dessert and drinks. Club members provide good-sized side dishes to share with the dealers. Gwen asks for someone to be the agent for coffee and doughnuts in the morning of the 19^th, an agent to order and pick up pizza for the lunch, and an agent for drinks and ice in the evening. She also wants greeters, preferably people newer to the club, for the evening. The post cards can be purchased at 25 cents each or six for $1.00. The money raised last year helped send a youth to a national competition.

Mike Sanders spoke about filling 17 display cases for the show. This year’s theme is rubies, but anything would be considered. See him or call him. He’s listed in the phone book as Michael R. Sanders on Hastings.

Hank Miller talked about needing people to volunteer for the raffles at the show. He also needs judges for a science fair which occurs at about the same time as the show.

Jim Hutchins ("the person to whom everything happens") thanked those who helped change his tire on the field trip last weekend. He also talked about the raffles/door prizes at the general meetings. Everyone who attends gets one free raffle ticket. Additional tickets can be purchased for 25 cents each.

Kathy Lawicki announced she needs a refreshment person for February’s meeting. That person organizes treats for after the meeting. Keep the receipts and get reimbursed, unless donating the treats to the club.

Anita Willard introduced Dayton Simmons of Silver Day Trading Company in Santa Fe, who gave an informative presentation on turquoise.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m. for refreshments and door prizes.

Submitted by Janey Johnson, Secretary

Howdy Folks. The show is coming up fast! As I write this it is just about 6 weeks 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 on Thursday. 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 for a couple of partials because of tight money problems. But they are sending in more as I write.

Publicity for the show is underway. My supply of garish flyers is getting quite depleted but you are all welcome to the rest! We have 6000 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 6 for a dollar. We will soon send a stack of the postcards out to each of our out-of-town dealers. 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 (Rudy’s Bar-Be-Que). Club members supply casseroles and hearty salads and such like. Hmm. I may bring tamales again or maybe green chili stew. Oh, Gwen is handling hospitality for Thursday and Carolyn Wood will help with Friday thru Sunday. They need another person or two to help take care of coffee, "power pills" (donuts), et cetera. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Others interested in volunteer help include Kimberly Richie (admissions) and Hank Miller (door prizes & raffle),

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.

I will be out of town from Feb. 5 thru Feb. 15. If you need help or info try John Reinert or Amy Penn or some of the other board members.

Paul Hlava

Our Treasures of the Earth show is quickly approaching and it's time to make your plans for the silent auction – whether you are donating, selling or buying.

Donations: We need donations to sell at the club tables. You can take them to the silent auction area beginning Thursday night at the pot luck dinner. Most of the tables get sold in advance to dealers and club members so your donations of a few better pieces rather than large numbers of the same thing are much better for the club. While your donations are greatly appreciated, we don’t need flats of scrap material.

Selling: Selling at the silent auction is a great way to offload some of your excess material - it also makes money for the club which is a good thing.  You can expand your collection by purchasing flats of material for a good price, keeping the best for yourself and selling off the remainder for enough to pay your table cost and recover your cost of the whole flat.  Minerals for free!

You can buy a six foot section of lighted table for $20 per auction.  There are three auctions per day of the show and you or a representative needs to be at the table during the auction (limit of two adults per table, please).  You can sign up for table space on a first-come basis beginning Thursday night at the pot luck dinner.  You will need to pay for the table in advance in order to reserve it.  See Rex Nelson or Jim Van Loan to sign up.

Buying:  Because of the way we now do the silent auction, there is often some really nice material available at great prices.  You should try to attend as many of the auctions as possible to see what is offered. Whether you are working at the show at auction time or not, it’s worth the trip to attend every auction if you love a bargain! Thanks for your support.

The Silent Auction Staff: Jim Van Loan, Grant Kuck, Jim Hill and myself, Rex Nelson

Meeting time for both days is 9:00 am. We will leave the meeting site at 9:15. If you will be driving in Saturday morning, I can arrange for a second meeting time at the Super 8 Motel at 12:30, so that you can join us for collecting in the afternoon. Call Suzanne by 12 noon on Friday if you want to meet at that time. If people do not call to make arrangements to meet at 12:30, I will not go to pick up people. Jane Bardal & I will be traveling together. Her cell phone # is 505-999-9918, if you need to get a hold of me on the weekend. Keep in mind that cell phones often don’t work in remote locations, so it’s best to make arrangements ahead of time and not rely on cell phone communication.

PLEASE NOTE: If a winter weather warning or advisory is in effect from anywhere between here and Lordsburg for after 12:00 noon on Friday the trip will be cancelled. Call me up until noon Friday if you are unsure of the status. Suzanne 877-3621.

Meeting place: The large dirt parking lot just south of and adjacent to the Super 8 Motel on Main St. just south of I-10 in Lordsburg (Exit 22).

Directions: Lordsburg is a 5 hour drive (about 295 miles) from Albuquerque. Take I-25 south to the Hatch cutoff (185 miles). Take highway 26 from Hatch to Deming (50 miles). Take I-10 west from Deming to Lordsburg (60 miles). Local accommodations include a KOA (575-542-8003) and the Super 8 (575-542-8036) and some others. Some of the cheaper motels are a little scary, and are not recommended.

Saturday Feb.14th

The first day we’ll be visiting a couple of sites within 10 miles of the meeting place. There are occurrences of azurite and other copper minerals, some quite nice light green fluorite, and glittery quartz I couldn’t resist. The sites haven’t been commercially worked recently so there’s surface collecting, digging in dumps, and above ground hard rock possibilities. Bring your tools and safety gear, gloves too. Scorpions possible!!! No facilities, please be prepared to be responsible. The roads are graded dirt passable in 4x2, though 4x4 and/or high clearance is necessary for the last 1/4 mile or so to the fluorite location.

Sunday Feb. 15^th

Destination: Steeple Rock Mining District

The district is approximately 45 miles NW of Lordsburg. High clearance and/or 4x4 vehicles needed for the last 4-5 miles. I have not been to this area, so this portion of the weekend is more of a reconnaissance of this large historic district. Near surface gold and silver provided the values in the district and were mostly worked out by early 1900, but intermittent work continues to the present. Some 37 species have been reported here and collecting opportunities will be had along the way. Expect mostly micros and thumbnails, so bring a loupe if you have one. Based on information from others, collecting possibilities include malachite, azurite, calcite, chrysocolla, jasper, agate, geodes, and scepter quartz crystals. Some open shafts exist in the area, so children need to be closely supervised. Again, this is a remote area and you need to bring food, water, sunscreen, hats, gloves, tools, personal sundries, etc.

Suzanne Seymour

This month the project will be to finish the Showmanship award by showing off what we have collected and what we have learned about rocks and minerals.

We will be putting together a display case for display at the Treasures Of The Earth show in March. Each Junior should bring 4 to 6 minerals or rocks from his or her collection (or a favorite rock or mineral and tell why it is a favorite) and we will show how to display them. We will have a display case set up to work with and demonstrate.

See you there.

Earlene and Jim

"Eight Turquoise Mines"

by Todd Brown

(See page one for abstract)

Feb 14-16, Lordsburg area and Steeple Rock leader: Suzanne Seymour

Mar 12-15, Deming Gem and Mineral Show leader: Michael Johnson

Apr 4-5, Orogrande (South of Alamagordo)

leader: Suzanne Seymour

May ?, Ghost Ranch (near Abiquiu)

leader: Anita Willard

Jun ?-?, Mt. Antero (North of Salida, CO)

leader: Michael Johnson

Jul ?, AGMC picnic, San Pedro Mine maybe? (east of Albuquerque) leader: John Reinert

Aug ?, Molycorp Mine maybe? (east of Questa)

leader: ??

Sep ?, Harding Mine or Zuni Mts

leader: ? or Jane Bardal

Oct 24, Turquoise Trail (East of Albuquerque)

leader: Paul Hlava

Nov ?, Blanchard Mine (East of Socorro)

leader: Ray DeMark

Dec 12, Club Christmas Party Potluck

leader: Gwen Poe

Questions? Contact Suzanne Seymour

______________________________________

The AGMC field trip for March is actually the field trips provided as part of the Deming Gem & Mineral Society's "Rockhound Roundup" Gem and Mineral Show March 12-15. The club holds field trips Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. They offer 5 different field trips, 3 each day (you can attend one per day).

The show is located at the Southwest New Mexico State Fairgrounds off Country Club Road just south of Pine Street.

The trips cost $5 per person per trip ($10 for the Big Diggins trip, where the moss agate is found). You can pay the morning of the field trip, but get there early. Or you can select and pay for your trip(s) anytime starting Wednesday afternoon through Saturday morning.

Trips leave from the Fairgrounds at 8:30 a.m. Do not be late. You caravan in your own vehicle 25 to 75 miles away depending on the trip. Regular 2 wheel drive cars should be able to make any of the trips unless they have had recent heavy rains, ask when you sign up to be sure. The club does a good job of making the collecting very easy (i.e. no hiking, loose dirt if digging is required, etc.). Make sure you have plenty of gas, easy digging tools, windy/cool weather clothes, water, and lunch. Also do not forget your sun block and first aid kit. Remember this is spring time in New Mexico with high winds the rule rather than the exception, be prepared for dust storms. There are no restrooms at any of these sites.

Depending on which trip(s) you chose the materials found are: peridot, sagenite (rutile in quartz), onyx, agate, rhyolite, fossils, chalcedony, and geodes. The geodes are Baker Ranch geodes which are distinctive. For the best agate, you should plan on the Big Diggins trip on March 12. Later days it is pretty picked over. The club pays for a back hoe to dig the agate, so there is a limit of 25 pounds of agate per day, and your collecting bucket will be weighed. I will bring samples of the geodes and agate found on previous trips to the Feb. 23 general meeting. The agate is blue, red, and orange moss patterns.

Also, plan on attending the show, there will be plenty of time after you get back from the field trip. Admission is free. They have 103 vendors this year, both indoors and out, don't miss building #2 in the back.

There are 13 RV parks, 15 motels, & several restaurants in Deming. It is recommended that you get motel/RV reservations now.

You can also stay at the Rockhound State Park, 575-546-6182. We collected geodes and jasper there several years ago, (after hiking up a long, steep hill). The park is 12-15 miles from Deming.

Check out www.cityofdeming.org for other 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, and other interests.

Michael Johnson (with additions from a 2006 News Nuggets article by Jay and Amy Penn)

by Kreigh Tomaszewski, from S.C.R.I.B.E.

(from. the Oklahoma Mineral and Gem Society's news letter, Sooner Rockologist, 1/09)

When I was young and just getting started in the Rockhounding hobby I was encouraged from time to time by one of the adults. They would hand me a specimen and ask me if I could identify it. Most of the specimens were fairly common, but they were better than anything I had in my collection. I could identify many of them. When I couldn't, there was a teaching moment, and I learned about a new mineral.

Sometimes the adult would tell me to keep the specimen when I tried to hand it back. I remember the stammered thanks and the thrill as I found my Dad to tell him of my good fortune. I still have many of those specimens.

A couple years ago I had the opportunity to assist with a survey of Rockhounds. One of the key findings was that most Rockhounds started as kids, left the hobby as they went to college and started a family, then came back to it. You can read the full report at:

Tomaszewski.net/Kreigh/Minerals/RockhoundsReport.v.4.pdf

Most of us are experienced Rockhounds with extensive collections. Our hobby has given us a lifetime of joy as we have learned about the resources that come out of the earth; if it is not grown, it must be mined. Rockhounding is a key that unlocks the knowledge about the world we live in, and there is nothing more that kids want than to understand the world around them. Invest in the future. Take a specimen to your next Club meeting and find a kid to give it to.

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.asp

12-15--Tucson, AZ: Show, "Tucson Gem & Mineral Show"; Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave.; Thu. 10-6, Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $9, children 14 and under free with a paying adult; displays of "Mineral Oddities," 250 dealers, jewelry, minerals, fossils, door prizes, free lectures and symposiums, interactive children's event Fri. through Sun.; contact Tucson Gem & Mineral Society, P.O. Box 42588, Tucson, AZ 85733, (520) 322-5773; e-mail: tgms@tgms.org; Web site: www.tgms.org

21-22--Pasadena, TX: Show; Clear Lake Gem & Mineral Society; Pasadena Convention Center, 7902 Fairmont Pkwy.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $5, students $1, children free; contact Al Pennington, (281) 481-1591; e-mail: clgms2009@hotmail.com; Web site: www.hawkwindnovels.com/page2.html

21-22--Plainview, TX: 47th annual show; Hi Plains Gem & Mineral Society; Ollie Liner Center, south I-27; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $2, students $1; dealers, demonstrators, door prizes, silent auction, kids' wheel; contact Mildred Matlock, 701 Zephyr, Plainview, TX 79072, (806) 293-3476, (806) 293-3476; e-mail: jmmatlock@suddenlink.net

27-1--Albuquerque, NM: Show, "The New Jewelry, Gem, Bead & Mineral Show"; Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau, 20 First Plaza NW, Ste. 601; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5; adults $6, seniors and students $3, children free; door prizes, gold panning specialist and certified gemologist and appraiser on hand; contact High Sierra Investment Group Inc., 20385 Pahute Rd., Apple Valley, CA 92308, (702) 869-0269; e-mail: GEFisher39@aol.com; Web site: www.HighSierraInvestments.net

7-8--Big Springs, TX: 40th annual show; Big Spring Prospectors Club; Howard County Fair Barn; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5; dealers, demonstrators; contact Jerald Wilson, 707 Tulane, Big Spring, TX 79720, (432) 263-4662

12-15--Deming, NM: 44th annual show, "Rockhound Roundup"; Deming Gem & Mineral Society; Southwestern New Mexico Fairgrounds; Thu. 9-5, Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; displays, demonstrations, jewelry, rocks, drawings, raffle, field trips, silent auction, live auction; contact Caroline Abby, P.O. Box 1459, Deming, NM 88031, (575) 543-9816

20-22--Albuquerque, NM: 40th annual show, "Treasures of the Earth Show"; Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club; School Arts/Flower Bldgs., New Mexico State Fair Grounds (EXPO-NM); Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $1 (Fri.) and $3 (Sat. and Sun.), kids under 13 free; more than 35 dealers, mineral displays, demonstrations, door prizes, kids' booth, silent auctions; contact Paul Hlava, (505) 255-5478; e-mail: hpf5@qwest.net

21-22--San Antonio, TX: 48th show, "Fiesta of Gems"; Southwest Gem & Mineral Society; Live Oak Civic Center, 8101 Pat Booker Rd.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4; adults $4, seniors and military $3, students $2, children 50 cents; minerals, gems, jewelry, fossils, lapidary, exhibits, silent auction; contact Robert Bowie, 1324 Kings Point Dr., Canyon Lake, TX 78133; e-mail: krbotx@gvtc.com; Web site: www.swgemandmineral.org

A few folks emailed me that they read the Mystery Mineral and try to decipher the mineral names. Email me at hpf5@qwest.net 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! 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 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 published in the News Nuggets. Good luck and have fun.

Last year I discussed minerals and rocks that are used as gemstones. This year I think I’ll work on minerals with metallic and sub-metallic lusters.

This month’s MM is another common, primary mineral found in hydrothermal vein deposits, disseminated in igneous rocks, or in massive deposits. It can form well-defined tetragonal disphenoid crystals that look like tetrahedral crystals. It exhibits poor cleavage so fuggetaboutit and irregular or uneven fracture. It is opaque with a metallic luster, the color of fresh material is brassy yellow but it can be tarnished and it has a greenish-black streak. Sp. Gr. = 4.1 - 4.3, H = 3.5 - 4.

What is the name of the mineral?

What is the origin of the name?

What metals does it contain?

What non-metals does it contain?

What other minerals might occur with it?

Name some secondary minerals that might be formed by alteration of this one.

What is it mined and used for?

Do you have some in your collection?

In NM –

In the USA –

In the World –

OK, this was about as easy as I can get for a Mystery Mineral.

What is the name of the mineral? Galena

What is the origin of the name? Ancient Greek galene

What metals does it contain? Just lead

What non-metals does it contain? Just sulfur

What accounts for the wide variation in specific gravity? Inclusions of other minerals.

Pure = 7.58

What other minerals might occur with it? Lots – pyrite, marcasite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, quartz, calcite, baryte, fluorite, etc.

Name some secondary minerals that might be formed by alteration of this one. There are many (100’s?)– cerussite, anglesite, linarite, mottramite, plattnerite, murdochite, wulfenite, jarosite, pyromorphite, vanadinite, mimetite, etc.

What is it mined and used for? Lead ore.

Do you have some in your collection? Lots

List some famous localities (Mindat.com lists 13,485 localities in just about every country world-wide so I’ll mention just a very few).

In NM – Hansonburg district

In the USA – Tri-state region (MO, KS, OK), Il,

In the World – Russia (Dal’negorsk), Bulgaria, Australia (Broken Hill), Peru

Paul Hlava

Please include all the names to be included in your Household Membership. This information is required by the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies (RMFMS), for insurance and dues purposes.

Annual dues are $20.00 per household. Please complete all the information below.

New members joining in July or August pay dues of $10.00 for the rest of the year. If you join September through December you can pay dues of $10.00 for the rest of the current year, OR pay $20.00 in dues which will pay you through December of the following year.

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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 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. You are cordially invited to mail news, articles or comments to:

Jay Penn

el.chivo.viejo@earthlink.net

Instructions for entering the Members' Page are provided in the new member packet.

President: John D. Reinert 505-299-0732; jrhall49@gmail.com

Treasurer: Amy Penn 505-883-4195; el.chivo.viejo@earthlink.net

Editor: Jay Penn 505-883-4195; el.chivo.viejo@earthlink.net

Refreshments: Kathy Lawicki 505-470-6133; klawicki@gmail.com