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 7:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month. All club members are welcome.

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

2324 Alvarado NE

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110

el.chivo.viejo@earthlink.net

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

The meeting was called to order by President Suzanne Seymour at 7:38 p.m. She welcomed guests.

Hank Miller announced the winners of the New Mexico Science Fair, Junior Division: Rachel Shroyer and Marshall Chavez. Hank presented them with medals, plaques and gift certificates.

Suzanne talked about requests she has received from teachers and others, and she would like to have volunteers to identify and put together mineral identification kits for the schools.

Jim Hill gave the report on Junior Club activities. Tonight they started a series of workshops on lapidary, which should continue for two to three months.

Grant Kuck talked about the field trip to Puerto de Luna. The next trip is on June 28^th to Hondo Canyon, south of Taos, for staurolites. Rex Nelson spoke about the July field trip and picnic currently scheduled at the Section 21 Mine south of Grants, although a search is being done for a location nearer to Albuquerque. Gwen Poe will be organizing the picnic.

Kathy Lawicki needs help with the snacks for the meeting in August.

Anita Willard introduced club members Ray DeMark and Mike Sanders, who spoke about eminent New Mexico fluorites and collectors.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m. for refreshments and door prizes.

Submitted by Janey Johnson, Secretary

The topic of the May Jr. Club meeting was Lapidary Arts, which was attended by 7 junior members.

We began the meeting with a discussion of the different kinds of lapidary machines. Jim Hill and Earlene Shroyer both brought their combination lapidary machines, which can cut, grind and polish. Jim also brought his flat lapidary machine, and a rock tumbler. We then talked about the different kinds of lapidary materials, especially those that are found in New Mexico, such as agate, jasper, petrified wood, and fluorite.

Discussion then followed about workshop safety and maintenance; how important it is to have safety glasses, and to respect the cutting machines. Finally, we choose a lapidary project that will fulfill the requirements to earn the Lapidary Arts merit badge.

Be sure to join us for the June Jr. Club meeting, as we will be creating beautiful works of lapidary art – wire wrapping, critter creating, and making jewelry.

Earlene Shroyer

At the June Junior club meeting we will continue a unit on Lapidary Arts. This month we start our projects.

This subject will take several meetings to complete so be sure to attend.

Questions? Contact Jim Hill or Earlene Shroyer

"Mineral Names"

by Paul Hlava

Did you ever wonder how minerals get named? Why aren’t the names based on chemistry or such? Why are some names so weird? Is there anybody in charge? And just how do you pronounce THAT? Paul will provide answers to many of these questions.

Paul is a long-time member of AGMC and has been active in a number of board positions including 3 stints as president. He is presently show chairman and has been so for about 15 years.

Paul was born and raised in the Chicago area. His interest in minerals stems from a 5^th grade field trip to the Field Museum and his purchase there of a quartz crystal from Hot Springs, AR ($0.15!).

After high school, he went to the U of Tulsa, U of WI (BS) and UNM (MS) always majoring in geology. At UNM he was a research assistant at the Institute of Meteoritics where he learned to run the electron microprobe on Moon rocks, Hawaiian basalts, ultramafic rocks, and inclusions in diamonds.

After graduation, he hired into the probe lab at Sandia National Laboratories where he analyzed exotic alloys, nuclear waste simulants, thermal battery reaction products, hi-tech glasses and ceramics, superconductors, welds, brazes, solders, et hoc genus omne. He has retained his interest in minerals and such, and remains active in the AGMC and the New Mexico Faceters Guild. He often talks on minerals, gems, and related topics. He obtains and sells gems, jewelry, and related items through his company, Access to Gems and Minerals. Paul was deafened when he was 5 and the only voice he hears well is his own and you will discover that he loves to hear it when he gives his talk!

Paul Hlava for Anita Willard

This month’s field trip will be under the guidance of our webmaster, collector and dealer, John Scully who has prepared the following article.

The field trip in June will be to Hondo Canyon just south of Taos. We will be collecting staurolites, also known as fairy crosses, or to the inhabitants of the region, Lagrimas de Cristo (Tears of Christ).

The road into the location is rugged and only a high clearance 4WD can make it. Because of this we will need to meet at the Rio Grande Visitor Center in Pilar 5 miles south of the canyon entrance and consolidate into 4WD vehicles. I wish to stress that we will need to cram into as few of these as possible since the road is narrow (causing difficulties if a vehicle is coming the other way) and there is limited parking at the end of the road.

The collecting area is in extremely rugged terrain, and it is very easy to get lost in the dense underbrush. I am very concerned about people getting lost in the wilderness. I have been myself twice. In exploring the area, I thought I would try to find my way back to the truck without the aid of my GPS. I failed totally and was reduced to turning on the GPS to find my way back. One time, I was two miles off the mark. I also know that, once on location, people will want to wander to find ever better outcrops of the Staurolite bearing schist which are all over the area. So, I urge those of you who have a GPS to bring it and lead small groups that stick together during the day. We will discuss this at a brief organizing session at the visitor center.

What to bring: GPS!!! This is high country so be prepared for the usual changeability of NM weather. Bring plenty of water, lunch and some warm removable clothing. Light collecting tools – a trowel is a must, a geology hammer, a sturdy screwdriver, and plastic sandwich bags for your new treasures. For the sturdier of you, a chisel might be handy to chip out a matrix specimen. And, of course, a backpack to haul it all in and out.

Directions: Go to Espanola about 90 miles from Albuquerque. The road splits just as you get into town with 84/285 going off to the left toward Chama and 68 going straight on up towards Taos. Take 68. Go to Pilar, and just after mile maker #28 turn right into the Rio Grande Gorge visitor center parking lot. 10:00AM seems like a good hour to meet. We will drive about two miles up the 4WD road in Hondo Canyon to the point beyond which vehicular traffic is not possible and proceed on foot about ½ mile to the beginning of the collecting area. If you get to the visitor center early, you can get a latte across the road.

Just after mile marker #17 (heading north) is a wonderful restaurant called Embudo Station with outdoor seating right on the Rio Grande river. Might be a nice place for dinner on the way home. It also has cabins for rent should you want to be closer to the meeting area. 505-852-4707.

Special note from Rex and Grant: We will need to consolidate into as few 4 wheel drive vehicles as possible. This poses several problems which everyone must be willing to cooperate to solve.

Be willing to abandon your vehicle at the parking lot and ride in a vehicle more suited for the area. Such as one capable of carrying more people safely. When we consolidate into as few vehicles as possible we are stuck with riding in and out with those passengers or driver. If you drive in with passengers, you need to drive out with them and look out for them somewhat.

Last year we had a very large turnout for this trip which made navigating the canyon very difficult. We did meet vehicles coming out which posed a lot of problems. Several people who brought passengers in decided to leave early without consideration for the members that they took in. This caused a lot of grief and problems for all concerned. Please be considerate on this field trip or consider staying off this trip until another day.

Grant Kuck and John Scully are the trip leaders for this outing so please respect their instructions. Safety item: As usually advised, bring a whistle in case you get lost or hurt. It is a big area. Another consideration as you hike looking for specimens: When hiking it is easy to cross a ridge or saddle without paying much attention. Once over a hill you can become disoriented and or lost so always stay alert for where you are.

Questions, call 505-400-8239 or 505-323-1520. See you there. Rex and Grant

Last month's field trip found club members in Puerto de Luna, just south of Santa Rosa. At 10:30 am on a beautiful March 24^th twenty-two avid rock-hounds gathered in the parking area of a graveyard next to the aforementioned town. Following a short briefing by Rex Nelson, along with one of his show-and-tells, we departed for the collecting area.

The prize of this little outing were crystals of dolomite that had pseudomorphed aragonite. At first we found little crystals here and there on the ground. Audrey Connolly was one of the first to discover a little hill strewn with specimens. It took little time to collect a good number of nice specimens and many people left shortly thereafter. Some members stayed around to do a little digging, which was also productive (Rex Nelson found some good crystals this way). Robert Hall found one of the larger specimens where many of the crystals had merged together. He gave the piece to his friend Rhea Rakes.

In addition to the crystal pseudomorphs of dolomite after aragonite there was a lot or iron hematite to be found in the area. Paul Stepenaskie found an area scattered with shiny pieces. Paul also found the largest specimen of hematite, about half the size of one’s fist. To get it he had to hammer and chisel it out of its host rock underneath a pine tree. Paul also had a hand held metal detector, which he used to identify the mineral. AGMC Board Member Anita Willard and her friend Susan Orchard climbed some of the nearby mesas and came away with some interesting pieces of petrified wood possibly with some iron content.

Eventually it was time to head home but not before a stop in Santa Rosa for some good grub from one of the local restaurants topped off by many drink refills. All in all a beautiful day to enjoy the incredible scenery, collect some unusual minerals, and get to know club members better. Until the next field trip keep looking down!

Grant & Rex

Note: the July trip has changed, see article below.

Jun 28, Hondo Canyon (South of Taos)

Jul 26, San Pedro Mine (AGMC picnic)

(Near Golden)

Aug 7-10, Colorado (Buena Vista, Mt. Antero)

Sep 27, Pueblo Park (Reserve)

Oct 25, Nacimiento Copper Mine (Cuba)

Nov 22, Blanchard Mine (East of Socorro)

Dec 13, Club Christmas Party

Questions? Contact Grant Kuck or Rex Nelson

Change of plans: The July picnic and field trip location has been changed to the San Pedro Mine located near the intersection of NM 14 and NM 344 about 30 minutes from Albuquerque.

Mine owners Frank and Sally Baca are graciously allowing us to rock hound and picnic on their property. This is a privately owned mine and therefore we must adhered to the owners instructions about where, when, and how much we collect, and otherwise conduct ourselves.

(Editors note: In the past the AGMC has lost the privilege of collecting at this desirable site due to members who wouldn't follow the rules. Our field trip VPs and other club members have worked hard to secure us another chance, please don't blow it.

The AGMC Collecting Ethics for Private Claims and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Code of Ethics will be printed in the next issue of the News Nuggets. For those who can't wait, the AGMC Ethics are listed on the club website and are in the new member's packets.)

This change in plans is recent and all of the details are not worked out as yet. There will not be any limit to the number of club members allowed to attend. We will have a limited collecting time and then break for a club style potluck hosted by Gwen Poe.

One stipulation that we are agreeing to is that we stick together as a group. The property is behind locked gates and once we enter, the gates will be re-locked until the field trip is over. Don't be late!!

Pets will not be allowed. Children will need to be actively supervised at all times and not allowed to roam at will.

To add to the fun during the picnic, we will have a members Tailgating Sale. Bring your rocks, minerals, gems, tools, etc., and money, to sell/trade/buy/show.

More will be revealed in next months News Nuggets.

Questions concerning the field trip:

call Rex or Grant

505-400-8239 or 505-323-1520

Questions concerning the potluck:

call Gwen Poe

321-0818 or 247-1533

The following is solely the opinion of the editor------------today.

I might change my mind tomorrow.

Preventing metal toxins at mining sites from contaminating ground water is a big problem. Well, some scientists have figured out that human waste which is very high in iron will readily react with the other metals preventing them from dissolving into the groundwater.

Now I'm all for protecting our ground water

------------ but -----------. I'm imagining myself heading off to an old mine to collect wonderful specimens of fluorite, galena, quartz etc. etc. etc. only to discover it has been "treated" and unfit for human nostrils for the next 7 to 10 days.

On the other hand, maybe the "treatment" will result in new minerals. Things like apoopalite, stinkosite, and shist.

I thought that sea levels were only affected by the amount of ice in the polar ice caps (i.e. global warming or cooling), here's another reason why they change. Duh!

The Great Flooding from Beneath the Sea

By Richard A. Kerr

Science NOW Daily News

6 March 2008

In the age of the dinosaurs, great inland seas kept the climate balmy and redirected the course of evolution by opening huge new niches. But these seas weren't constant, and scientists have long debated how high they rose and why. A new study finds that global sea level was 170 meters higher than today and chalks the dynamism up to an ever-changing sea floor.

When researchers tackle the problem of high Cretaceous seas, they don't think in terms of the volume of seawater. Instead, they consider the capacity of the ocean basins: When the basins shrink, they push water up onto the continents, and when they expand, the inland seas drain back into the ocean. With this in mind, Dietmar Muller of the University of Sydney, Australia, and his colleagues scoured the geologic record to reconstruct what the sea floor was like up to 140 million years ago.

The new reconstruction, reported tomorrow in Science, comes up with sea level 82 million years ago that was 170 meters higher than today. Estimates had ranged from 40 meters to 240 meters. Most of the sea-level fall since then has been due to the loss of Pacific mid-ocean ridges and their accompanying shallow sea floor, according to the reconstruction.

The ridges had pushed water onto Cretaceous continents, but plate motions carried many of them down into the deep-sea trenches along the American coasts. That left the Pacific deeper and the inland seas withdrew.

"I think its progress," says marine geologist Kenneth Miller of Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. "Long-term sea level was significantly higher (in the Cretaceous). I would say 150 plus or minus 50 meters" is a good range now. Together with the continent-scale ups and downs driven by the churning of Earth's interior, that amount of sea-level rise would roughly account for the full extent of inland seas like the one that spread into the heart of North America.

Article found in the Obsidian Observer,

Los Alamos Geological Society

March 2008, Pg. 9

Now, I want to know. That "scoured" "geologic record" from "140 million years ago", who wrote it?

This section is for the not for profit exchange of goods and services between club members (cars, boats, rocks, minerals, tools, equipment, -------- anything). For profit (stock in trade) items will not be published.

Deadline for submission is the 2nd Monday of the month at noon. Submit to editor.

Hint: This is an excellent place to post a need for a ride to field trips and other club events. Or, to offer rides to help cover fuel expenses.

Share a Ride - I would like to invite fellow members to share a ride with me to the field trips, call Robert (Bob) Hall 505-869-6291.

Obsidian hydration dating can be used to measure the time of a past event. When a new surface of obsidian is exposed it begins to absorb moisture which leaves an identifiable (with a microscope) rind that becomes deeper with time. So the time of the process that produced the fresh surface (e.g. the making of an arrowhead, being scraped by a glacier, etc.) can be determined.

This requires calibration of the obsidian sample because the rate of moisture absorption varies with the chemical composition of the particular obsidian sample and is also affected by the availability of moisture and temperature.

In April 2007 the Great Salt Plains Hourglass Selenite Digging Area in Oklahoma was closed after a Boy Scout dug up vials of chemicals left behind during Army training exercises sometime in the past.

Of course there are now several government bureaucracies involved with making sure the area is safe for future public access and digging. Since the closing has had a major economic impact on the small communities in the area all work and report generation is being expedited. An optimistic reopening date is for the spring of 2010.

Fire Agate is chalcedony (cryptocrystalline quartz) with a very thin layer of iridescent limonite (iron oxide) trapped between chalcedony layers.

Often in order to "bring out the fire" the surface layer above the limonite needs to be thinned by careful grinding or tumbling then polishing. If too much chalcedony is removed and the limonite exposed the piece is ruined.

In about 30 places around the world there are sand dunes that generate a loud low frequency (70-100 Hertz) sound that can sometimes last for several minutes and be heard up to a mile away.

Researchers have determined the sound is created when a dry surface layer of sand slides over a wetter lower layer. The wet layer acts as a sound reflector causing the sound of slipping to resonate within the dry layer amplifying the sound.

Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado have found that the El Chicon Volcano eruption in Mexico released some 40,000 tons of chlorine into the atmosphere.

Previously, man-made fluorocarbons were thought to be the major source of chlorine in the atmosphere. Now that a natural source has been identified ozone chemistry will have to be revisited.

Here are events located in NM, TX, OK, CO, UT, and AZ for as far ahead as there is space available. You can get more comprehensive lists at: www.rockngem.com/showdates.asp

www.lapidaryjournal.com/cal1.cfm

13-15--Denver, CO: Show; International Gem & Jewelry Show Inc.; Denver Merchandise Mart, 451 E. 58th Ave.; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-5; adults $7; contact Laurie Reluzco, 120 Derwood Cir., Rockville, MD 20850, (301) 294-1640; e-mail: laurie@intergem.net; Web site: www.InterGem.com

13-15--Oklahoma City, OK: Retail and wholesale show; Shows of Integrity; Oklahoma City Fairgrounds; contact Judi Tripp, Shows of Integrity, 504 N. College St., McKinney, TX 75069, (972) 542-7370

20-22--Houston, TX: Show; International Gem & Jewelry Show Inc.; Reliant Center at Reliant Park, 1 Reliant Park; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-5; adults $7; contact Laurie Reluzco, 120 Derwood Cir., Rockville, MD 20850, (301) 294-1640; e-mail: laurie@intergem.net; Web site: www.InterGem.com

20-22--Santa Fe, NM: Annual show; Palace of the Governors Museum; Museum Courtyard, Lincoln Ave., Blue Gate Entrance; Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; children's hands-on workshop, presentations; contact Carlotta Boettcher, 120 Lincoln Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501, (505) 476-5112; e-mail: carlotta.boettcher@state.nm.us; Web site: www.palaceofthegovernors.org

21-22--Colorado Springs, CO: 44th annual show; Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society; Phil Long Expo Center, 1515 Auto Mall Loop; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4; adults $5, children 6-15 $3, children under 6, uniformed Scouts and leaders, and active military with ID free; contact Ronald Yamiolkoski, (719) 683-2603; e-mail: info@csms.us; Web site: www.csms.us

27-29--Sandy (Salt Lake City), UT: Show; Gem Faire; South Towne Exposition Center/Exhibit Hall 5, 9575 S. State St.; Fri. 12-7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5; $5 weekend pass; contact Yooy Nelson, (503) 252-8300; e-mail: info@gemfaire.com; Web site: www.gemfaire.com

4-6--Farmington, NM: Show, "San Jaun Co. Rock & Gem Show"; San Jaun Gem & Mineral Club; Civic Center, 200 W. Arlington; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; silent auction, free kids' rocks, wheel of fortune, door prizes, raffle, vendors; contact Mickie Calvert, (505) 632-8288; e-mail: Mickie2@earthlink.net; or Ruth Rightmire, 301 S. Johnson, Bloomfield, NM 87413; ruthrightmire@msn.com.

11-13--Durango, CO: 55th annual show; Four Corners Gem & Mineral Club; La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.; Fri. 11-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; kids' activities, lapidary demonstrations; gold panning, jewelry, jewelry making tools and equipment, gems, minerals, fossils, beading, free door prizes, educational and fluorescent mineral displays, raffle, silent auction; contact Joanna Baker, Four Corners Gem & Mineral Club, P.O. Box 955, Durango, CO 81302, (970) 563-9908; e-mail: info@durangorocks.org; Web site: www.durangorocks.org

1-3--Prescott, AZ: Show and sale; Prescott Gem & Mineral Club; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Activity Center, 3700 Willow Creek Rd.; Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4; adults $2, children 12 and under free with paid adult; dealers, fine jewelry, beading components, mineral specimens, tools, lapidary equipment and rough, door prizes; contact Larry Jackson, P.O. Box 3923, Chino Valley, AZ 86323, (928) 636-9188; e-mail: lpjack65@cableone.net; Web site: www.prescottgemmineral.org

7-10--Buena Vista, CO: 25th anniversary show, "Contin-tail"; Contin-tail LLC; Rodeo Grounds, Gregory Dr. and Rodeo Rd.; Thu. 9-5, Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; outdoor show, more than 100 dealers, rocks, minerals, gems, beads, jewelry, lapidary items, demonstrations, fluorescent mineral display Fri. and Sat. evenings, close to mineral collecting locations, in conjunction with Buena Vista Gold Rush Days; contact Carolyn Tunnicliff, 1130 Francis #7010, Longmont, CO 80501, (303) 833-2939; e-mail: ctunnicliff@comcast.net; Web site: www. coloradorocks.org

14-16, Albuquerque, NM: CLASP: A CONVERGENCE OF JEWELERS. No vendors. Rio Grande, 505-839-3247, www.claspconvergence.com. Open to the public.

15-16--Tahlequah, OK: Show and sale; Tahlequah Rock & Mineral Society; Tahlequah Community Bldg., First St. and College Ave.; Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5; free admission; special exhibits, children's booths, lapidary demonstrations, live auction, contact Sara Brasel, 14236 Cross Timbers Rd., Tahlequah, OK 74464, (918) 458-0801; e-mail: crosstimbersrd@earthlink.net

15-17--Lake George, CO: Annual show; Lake George Gem & Mineral Club; Hwy. 24, just west of Starkey's General Store; Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; 30+ dealers, minerals, fossils, jewelry, lapidary, local amazonite, smoky quartz, and topaz, agate clocks, tumbled stone, petrified wood, carvings, lapidary equipment and supplies, crystals, meteorites, tektites, fulgurites, cabs, beads, jade, Australian opal; contact Rebecca Blair, (719) 748-3030; e-mail: blairra@hotmail.com; Web site: www.lggmclub.org

23-24--Jasper, TX: 14th annual show; Pine Country Gem & Mineral Society; VFW Bldg., FM 2799 and FM 1747, 7 miles west of Jasper; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $2, students and children free; rocks, fossils, minerals, gemstones, jewels; contact Lonnie Stalsby, (409) 382-5314; e-mail: rducote@cmaacess.com

30-31--Arlington, TX: Show, "Nature's Kaleidoscope"; Arlington Gem & Mineral Club; Arlington Convention Center, 1200 Ballpark Way; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $6, children $3; jewelry, beads, gems, minerals, fossils, rock food table, demonstrations, Kids' Korner, silent auction, door prizes; contact Karen Cessna(817) 903-5980; e-mail: cessnak@ont.com; Web site: www.agemclub.org

30-1--Silver City, NM: 25th annual show; Grant County Rolling Stones Society; Silver City Recreation Center, 11th St. and Gold St.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5, Mon. 10-4; free admission; more than 50 dealers, free daily field trips, Silent Auction, Wheel of Fortune, Rolling Sphere Fountain raffle; contact Judy Allen, 16 McKinley St., Silver Spring, NM 88061, (575) 388-4054; e-mail: show08@stockmanfamily.net

12-14--Denver, CO: 4 shows, see: www.rockngem.com/showdates.asp

or next month's News Nuggets for details

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 that are named for some physical property that they possess. This year I thought I’d concentrate on minerals that are used as gemstones. Hmm, I might even include a rock or two used as gems.

This month’s MM is not one mineral but two. Both are monoclinic chain silicates of common elements with slightly different properties but with a common aspect as the tough, compact gem form. They both are metamorphic in origin but most material comes from stream worn cobbles and boulders. Translucent, many colors but often green, Sp. Gr. = 3 to 3.3, H = 5.5 for one and 6.5 for the other.

What is the name of the material?

What is the origin of the name?

What are the names of the two minerals?

What metal(s) do each contain?

What non-metals do each contain?

What is/was it mined/used for?

What kind of treatment does this gem get?

What form is the usual product of this gem?

Do you have some in your collection?

In NM –

In the USA –

In the World –

What is the name of the material? Jet

What is the origin of the name? Middle English, from Anglo-Norman geet, from Latin gagts, from Greek, after Gagas, a town of Lycia.

What metal(s) does it contain? None

What non-metals does it contain? Carbon, hydrogen,

What is/was it mined/used for? Jewelry

What kind of treatment does this gem get? None

Can you name some related materials? Coal, jet is a form of lignite.

Do you have some in your collection? I think so.

In NM – Acoma, Santa Rosa, Chaco Canyon

In the USA – CO, MD, NM, UT

In the World – ENGLAND (Whitby) is the only, real famous locality, Spain, France, Germany, Russia, Portugal, Canada

Paul Hlava

June 7, 2008

NEXT MEETING: Monday, June 23^rd, 2008. 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 P.M.

by Paul Hlava

Did you ever wonder how minerals get named? Why aren’t the names based on chemistry or such? Why are some names so weird? Is there anybody in charge? And just how do you pronounce THAT? Paul will provide answers to many of these questions.

Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club

Jay Penn, Editor

PO Box 13718

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87192