News Nuggets

Newsletter of the Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club

Volume 50 Number 5

MAY 19

Next Meeting

The May meeting is the 19^th instead of the traditional 4^th Monday of the month. The change is necessary because of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday.

*************************************

Yes. I know. We have just finished this year’s show and Hlava is already beating the drum for next year’s show! Don’t we ever get any rest? Well ---No! Stalwart members of the show committee have already started the ball rolling for TotE – 2004. We met on April 9^th (let’s see – that’s 17 days after this year’s show). And we made some momentous decisions – we decided that –

we had a SUCCESSFUL show!,

we Do plan to have a show next year,

we plan to have it about the same time of the year as the past show,

we plan to have it at the same place,

we plan to ask most of the same dealers back,

There are some changes. The theme mineral is TOPAZ so scout around for your best specimen to enter in the Best Topaz Display and competition. I have contacted the State Fair –er, excuse me! The EXPO New Mexico people to reserve the building for next year. The only March weekend open was the last – March 26 - 28, 2004! So that has now been secured for us. In order to improve some parts of the show, we have concentrated on beefing up a couple of committees. Orlando is heading up a committee to get new display cases built. And Judy DeMark is going to be in charge of promoting the show through Radio and Television coverage.

I have also asked three people to act as Co-chairs. They are Orlando Garcia, Mike Sanders, and Scott Wilson. Between the four of us we hope to keep the momentum going on this show. So you see that we have a strong effort going for TotE – 2004. This does not mean that YOU are locked out. Anyone who is interested in helping can join the group. We have not set a definite date for our next meeting so contact any of the four of us to throw your hat in the ring and get on the committee list!

President/Editor- Orlando Garcia; Home phone: 345-0520; e-mail: jabog02@msn.com

VP-Programs - Grant Kuck; Home phone: 323-1520

VP-Field Trips- Kimberly Richie; Home phone: 296-8847

VP-Field Trips- Ray DeMark; Home phone: 822-8715; e-mail: RayDeMark@msn.com

Secretary/Historian- Dave Moats; Home phone: 892-8163; e-mail: beepbeep59@hotmail.com

Editor- Darlene Nelson; Home phone: 271-4694; e-mail: agmcnews@aol.com

VP-Special Events- Hank Miller; Home phone: 255-7218; e-mail: rgmhgm2@msn.com

Show Chair- Paul Hlava; Home phone: 255-5478; e-mail: hpf1@quest.net

Membership- Donna Scott; Home phone: 934-6564; e-mail: dutchessofalb@aol.com

Jr. Club: Carl Johnson; Home phone: 344-3178

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. The general meeting is held on the 4^th Monday of the month (unless otherwise announced) at 7:30 pm at the New Mexico Natural History Museum, Albuquerque, NM. The Junior Club meets at 6:45 pm prior to the general meeting. The public is welcome to both meetings. Board of Directors meetings are held at 7:30 pm on the first Monday of each month. (Call for location).

All memberships are family memberships and can include all members of the household. Dues are $20. Send checks to the AGMC, P.O. Box 13718, Albuquerque, NM 87192 or pay Donna Scott ,Membership Chair, at the monthly meeting.

Hello everyone. It’s hard to believe we are almost half way through another year, isn’t it? Time flies when you’re having fun. We have the summer picnic coming up in July and right after that we have the state fair in early September. Please remember that Walter Morris needs more tumbling material for the giveaways at the fair this year. He needs the material ASAP because it does take a month to tumble stuff to a polish. Also, if you have small specimens which need labeling bring them by the July meeting to give us time to make the labels. If you can, label them on your computer and bag them in 2"x3" or 3"x4" ziplocks and bring them to the meeting. We gave away over 1,000 specimens last year so we need to get started like last month on this project. Here is what last years template looked like if you want to make your own labels this year.

(Calcium Carbonate)

Calcite is one of the most common minerals comprising approximately 4% by weight of the Earth’s crust. There are over 300 identified crystal forms of this mineral. This is a rhombehedroid crystal.

The Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club

Remember that the meeting this month is on the 19^th. See you then.

-Orlando

At their May meeting, the board decided to replace the current award of a $150 U.S. Savings Bond to best junior and senior science fair entrants in earth sciences with $100 gift card from Barnes and Noble Booksellers. The Board believes this new format will provide more options for the winners for future educational needs either in high school or college and is a reasonable increase to compensate for inflation since the last time these awards were reviewed. The new award will increase the total amount donated to the Northwest Regional Science Fair by the Club from $150 to $200.

If you took the opportunity at the last general meeting to visit with our Science Fair winners you know these awards support a great group of students. This year the number of students entering the fair in the earth sciences was the largest the judges have seen in recent history. And on average, the over all quality of projects entered exhibited better understanding of the scientific process and attempted to address more complex problems than found in the past. If you have the time and interest, and want to spend an afternoon with some very exceptional kids consider volunteering to be a judge next year.

*********************************

The following "scams" were received as emails to our members. Since they pertain to minerals, they are being reprinted in the News Nuggets as warnings to members.

ATTN.Sir,

I WROTE TO INFORM YOU OF MY DESIRE AND I KNOW THAT THIS PROPOSAL LETTER MIGHT BE A SUPRISE TO YOU BUT DO CONSIDER IT AS AN EMERGENCY.I AM AHMED JAWARA ,FROM THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEON,BUT NOW SEEKING ASYLUM HERE IN DAKAR SENEGAL WITH MY MOTHER,MY WIFE AND TWO KIDS UNDERTHE(U.N.H.C.R.)REFUGEE CAMP GROUND LIBERTY AVENUE BOURGUIBA ACTUALLY I DON'T KNOW YOU BEFORE, BUT I GOT YOUR CONTACT AS A TRUSTWORTHY BUSINESS MAN FROM THE WEST AFRICAN/EUROPEAN TRADE ASSOCIATION THROUGH INTERNET SEARCH FOR A POSIBBLE TRANSACTION. MY LATE FATHER DR.ISSA.JAWARA WAS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF RAINBOW GOLD AND DIAMOND MINE COMPANY IN (KENEMA)SIERRA LEON,HE WAS KILLED IN THE LONGING CIVIL WAR AND ALL HIS PROPERTY WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED HOWEVER,WE MANAGED TO ESCAPE WITH SOME OF MY FATHER's PRECIOUS DIAMONDS WHICH IS PRESENTLY DEPOSITED IN A SECURITY AND FINANCE COMPANY HERE IN DAKAR AS WELL AS VALID DOCUMENT AND FAMILY TREASURES.MEANWHILE WE ARE SADDLED WITH THE PROBLEM OF CONTACTING A FOREIGN PERSONALITY TO HELP AND ASSIST US TRANSFER THE DIAMONDS OVER TO HIS COUNTRY AND UNDER HIS POSSESION PENDING MY ARRIVAL TO MEET WITH HIM,

FURTHERMORE,WE ONLY WANTS THIS DONE THIS WAY BECOUSE YOUR COUNTRY IS POLITICALLY STABLE FOR ANY PROFITABLE INVESTMENT,IF ONLY YOU ACCEPTS OUR PROPOSAL.YOU WILL SERVE AS THE ORIGINAL BENEFICIARY OF THE DIAMONDS ON COMMENCEMENT OF THIS PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS,I AM GIVING YOU THE OFFERS AS MENTIONED WITH EVERY CONFINDENCE ON YOUR ACCEPTANCE TO ASSIST US,WE HAVE DECIDED TO GIVE YOU 15% OUT OF THE TOTAL GENERATED AMOUNT FROM THE DIAMONDS SALES.SECONDLY,WE SHALL ALSO GIVE YOU 2% MAPPED OUT FOR ANY MISCELLENEOUS EXPENSES THAT MAY OCOUR DURING THE TRANSFER OF THE DIAMONDS OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY.FINALLY,THE DIAMOND WEIGHT "IN QUESTION"IS 14,220 CARATS.CONCLUSIVELY,I WISH YOU SEND ME A REPLY IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS YOU RECIEVE THIS PROPOSAL IN ORDER FOR US TO ARRANGE ON HOW TO LIFT AND SHIFT THIS DIAMOND OUT OF DAKAR SENEGAL TO YOUR COUNTRY.ON COMENCEMENT,THIS TRANSACTION WILL TAKE NOTHING LESS THAN 14WORKING DAYS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED.A CERTIFICATE COPY OF THE DEPOSITED BOND RECEIPT OF THE SECURITY COMPANY AND IT's LAB-TEST RESULT CERTIFICATE WOULD BE SENT TO YOU FIRSTLY AS WE RECEIVE YOUR URGENT AND POSITIVE REPLY.FOR DETAILS CALL ME FOR MORE BREIFING REGARDING THIS TRANSACTION ON 00221-691-33-81 WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON TILL THEN,I REMAIN WITH THE BEST REGARDS

AHMED JAWAR

--------------------------------------------------

ASSYLUM CAMP COTONOU
From: FRANK KAMARA

CONFIDENTIAL

I am FRANK KAMARA the only son of late former Director of finance,Chief Vincent

KAMARA Sierra-Leone diamond and mining corporation. I must confess my agitation is real, and my words is my bond, in this proposal. My late father diverted this money meant for purchase of ammunition, for my country, during the peak of disastrous civil war in my country, now he has deposited the money with one of the BANK in Cotonou whereI am residing under political asylum with my younger sister.

Now the war in my country is over with the help of ECOMOG soldiers, the present government of Sierra Leone has revoked the passport of all officers who served under the former regime and now ask countries to expel such person at the same time freeze their account and confiscate their asset, it is on this note that I am contacting you, all I need ed from you is to furnish me with your bank particulars:1) Account name2) Account number3) Bank address, telephone and fax number For you to assist me transfer this money in your private bank account, the said amount is (Twenty seven Million Dollars) $27 Million. I am compensating you with 15 % of the total money amount, now all my hope is banked on you and I really wants to invest this money in your country, were their is stability of Government, political and economic welfare.

Honestly I want you to believe that this transaction is real and never a joke. My late father Chief KAMARA gave me the photocopies of the certificate of deposit issued to me by the BANK on the date of deposit, for you to be clarify because, I do not expose my self to anybody I see, I believe that you are able to keep this transaction secret for me because this money is the hope of my life, it is important. Please mail me immediately after you must have gone through my message fill free and make it urgent. That is the reason why I offered you 15 % of the total money amount, and in case of any other necessary expenses you might incur during this transaction.

N.B Try and negotiate for me some profitable blue chip investment opportunities

which is risky free which can invest with this money when it is transferred to your

account, personally I am interested in estate management and hotel business, please advise me.

Mail me back immediately you receive this message for more explanation . And promise me my younger sister to be a father considering our situation and not to betray us.

Thanks and God bless

Best regards,

FRANK KAMARA.NB: my late father used me the only son as the beneficiary / next of kin on the day of deposit and also told me I need a foreign assistance of a foreigner with a legitimate bank Account abroad who will stand as co-beneficiary and partner abroad

****************************************

A poem by a female rockhound

I have so very much to do

(What’s in that rock that looks so blue?)

I guess I’ll get the dishes done

Bed isn’t made – I must get busy

Furniture’s dusty – windows drab

Have to vacuum up the floor

Get dinner started – that’s my duty

Lawn needs watering and raking

I must hurry – it’s time to eat

I don’t know where this day has gone!

by Pat Wong in the East Bay Nodule; via various bulletins

Tonight’s meeting began with the introduction of guests to the 79 souls present. Hank Miller made the introduction of this year’s Science Fair winners selected by our club’s judges Phil Fischer, Tim Tessendorf and Hank Miller. Each of the two winners received a ribboned medallion, a certificate suitable for framing and the receipt for a $150 U.S. Government Savings Bond that they will be receiving in the mail soon. Eleven year-old Laura "Megan" Gray from South Mountain elementary school won in the Junior Division with her project entitled "Rocks In Our Back Yard". Kelsey Seals, a senior at her Los Lunas home school, won in the Senior Division with a project entitled "The Effects Of The Jemez Volcano On The Rio Grande". After the meeting both stood by their projects to answer questions and meet our members.

Ray DeMark related the success of this last weekend’s field trip in which 19 people convened together and were able to collect material from two new locations for our club. Ray brought in several show and tell samples and donated several very nice specimens for the door prizes and Tom Schmierer brought in some give away specimens collected on this last trip. The next field trip is scheduled for the 31^st of May in the southern Caballo Mountains. Ray will have the details written up elsewhere in this newsletter.

Paul Hlava has volunteered to be Show Chairman again for this next year and this will be made official at the next Board meeting. Thank you Paul!

Walter Morris requested that members bring in material for him to tumble in his machines so that he can then donate them to the club for the various club activities throughout the year. He has been very generous with his donations over the years and has about run out of material to give away.

Donna is collecting money for memberships and will order name tags for those that need them.

I give a big thank you to David Bleakly for the five books he donated tonight for our club’s future silent auctions.

Before introducing tonight’s speaker, Grant announced that Tom Massis will be next month’s speaker on the Blanchard Mines.

Dr. Virgil Lueth was introduced as tonight’s speaker. His business card indicates some of his many accomplishments as follows: a Ph.D.(in Geology), Mineralogist/Economic Geologist, Curator of the Mineral Museum and Assistant Director for Public Outreach at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources in Socorro, New Mexico. It was also noted that Dr. Lueth, since 1996, has been the Adjunct Curator at the Museum of Natural History in Albuquerque.

Tonight would be only the second time he has given this presentation. The first time was only two weeks ago to the USGS. In tonight’s talk he would explain how cave formation or speleogenesis (origin and development of solution cave formations) have taken place along the Rio Grande Rift in New Mexico by the influence of sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids associated with fluorite-jarosite mineralization. Dr. Lueth noted there is a similarity in the pattern of mineralization and acids at certain locations. Some of these locations showing certain similarities are at Santa Eulalia, Mx.; Carlsbad, NM.; Hansonburg District, NM.; and Copiapo Mines, in the Franklin Mountains, NM. Diagrams showing the plan view and vertical profiles of Carlsbad and Santa Eulalia caves were shown with noted similarities. The Santa Eulalia ore body is empty in the upper regions only but is similar in planniar view to the Carlsbad caverns that are only about 1/3 the size with no mineralization. The often told scenario of cave formation as a result of rain plus carbon dioxide from the air forming carbonic acid to form caverns works well for the eastern United States. Dr. Lueth believes, in this part of the country, hydrogen sulfide (perhaps a biologic product) coming off petroleum deposits, working from below (hypogene) and mixing with waters originating from the surface to form sulfuric acid is one factor in the formation of these caves and formations. Geology east of the Carlsbad Caverns focused these gases back to the reef at Carlsbad. At Santa Eulalia there was more metal than sulfur and at Carlsbad more sulfur than metal (none). He noted however that mineral deposits concentrated his attention on two ore deposits – the Blanchard or Bingham mines of the Hansonburg district and the Copiapo jarosite mine. The two caves/mines may have formed from different solution types. Dr. Lueth noted sulfuric acid speleogenesis is associated in the Hansonburg district mineralization. The commonly found minerals here are gypsum, sulfur, hydrated halloysite, jarosite, quartz, and todorokite. He compared the gypsum and jarosite mineralizations at Hansonburg and Santa Eulalia. At the Copiapo mine some evidence of jarosite was postulated as forming from hypogene solutions. The occurrence of caves below the level of jarosite formation implies cave formation by hydrofluoric acid speleogenesis. The fluids from depth were already acidic before hydrogen sulfide was oxidized at higher levels implying cave formation by hydrofluoric acid speleogenesis. Comparing several computer models of the geochemical processes that could be at work to what is observed in nature indicated that hydrogen fluoride coming up from below reacted with limestone to form prospite, CaAl₂(F,OH)₈, which is always found in hydrothermal (magmatic) veins until now! In order for this to work in a sedimentary rock environment you need lots of hydrogen fluoride and he thinks this came from below from a deep geothermal system. High fluorine waters are associated with magmatic bodies. Similar things are happening at Hansonburg and Copiapo. It is speculated that these gasses worked their way up from the asthenosphere, the best place to find hydrogen fluoride, following the faults associated with the Rio Grande Rift and then mixing with descending waters forming hydrogen sulfide. This is going on even today in conformance with the principle of uniformitarianism in geology. Dr. Lueth stated, we in the area of the Rio Grande Rift are living in a tectonic active area and consequently can and should expect groundwater contamination (of fluorine), earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Wow! Hope I got all that right ‘cus I was writing fast in the dark and by necessity left out a lot of information! Thanks Dr. Lueth for an informative, interesting, thought provoking presentation.

Door prizes were drawn for the lucky winners while we enjoyed refreshments and visited. At about 9:30 pm the meeting was adjourned.

Dave Moats

Secretary

*****************************************

….you have taken Sick Leave from work to attend the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.

…you have a strong opinion as to whether pieces of concrete are properly called "rocks".

…your wife has asked you to remove rocks out of the tub so she could take a bath.

What is the name of the mineral?

What is the origin of the name?

What is the mineral used for?

What minerals might it associated with?

Localities – (Just list the famous ones)

--NM –

--USA –

--World –

What is the name of the mineral? Gaspeite

What is the origin of the name? The type locality of the Gaspe Peninsula

What is the mineral used for? Jewelry, some must get mined for Ni along with associated minerals.

Localities – (Just list the famous ones)

--NM – none

--USA – none

Paul Hlava 030510

****************************************

Nineteen club members met south of Artesia on Saturday, the 26^th of April for the beginning of a two-day collecting trip to four different sites in the area. The first stop was at the

"Queen" location west of Carlsbad in the Guadalupe Mountains. Pyrite crystals that have been completely replaced by goethite are found here loose in the soil. The search for the cubic crystals is akin to an Easter egg hunt. The dirt around many of the trees in the area was heavily disturbed by javelinas looking for grubs (?). The blooming cactus and ocotillo in the area, coupled with blue skies and moderate breezes, made collecting a real pleasure. Roy Greiner won the prize for the largest crystal found as he picked up a crystal just about three inches across the face. No one seemed to have a problem finding nice specimens however. We owe Roger Maynard a note of thanks for revealing this location to the AGMC.

At 12:30 p.m., we headed out through Dark Canyon and then along the Black River to the booming metropolis of Malaga and then to the "famous" selenite rose location in a road cut south of town. I advised club members to dig fast, as I wasn’t sure if the highway department might have some objections to our presence. Before long, club members were pulling very nice groups of orange, bladed selenite crystals from the weathered shale in the outcrop. Dan Sisneros was seen hauling a very large specimen to his vehicle. A location near Miles, Texas, has produced some very similar specimens. It didn’t take too long before the afternoon sun started baking our stalwart collectors (temps in the area were in the low 90s), and folks started to drift off to their motels and cold showers.

We regrouped at 9:00 a.m. at Price’s Truck Stop north of Roswell on Sunday morning for our second day of collecting. First stop was Cottonwood Draw about ten miles north of U.S. 70 and east of the Pecos (no God west of the Pecos!). Aragonite sixlings here have been replaced (pseudomorphed) by dolomite as determined by microprobe analysis (Hlava). Grant Kuck and Dan Sisneros were bush digging out crystals from a clay seam near the floor of the arroya. A huge embankment towered over their heads during this undermining process, but, fortunately, no disaster. Most folks seemed happy to stroll down the draw looking for crystals that had weathered out of the host rock and were loose in the sand. Some of the crystals form aggregates up to four inches across which I refer to as "hand grenades" while others are tabular sixlings modified by pyramidal faces. In a few cases, prismatic crystals are found that are similar to specimens from the Puerto de Luna location.

Our last stop was at Bosque Draw to search for the spectacular pyrite crystal groups that occur here. Unfortunately, in order to recover excellent specimens, a major digging effort is required, and, with only a half day available, no one reached the prime collecting zone. Mike Bertin recovered some decent specimens from the shale seam on the north side of the draw although this area seems to be "petering out". Jim Ashby, Grant Kuck and Dan Sisneros made gallant attempts at reaching the "pay zone" but, alas, it was not to be on this trip.

By the way, my theory on the formation of the long strings (up to 18 inches) of pyrite crystals that occur here is that they have formed from fossil fish poop! Anyone care to comment on this hypothesis?

See you next trip.

Ray DeMark

******************************************

Our trip for May will be on Saturday, the 31^st, to the Nakaye mine in the Derry district of Sierra County. We will meet at 9:30 a.m., just east of the Garfield exit (Exit 51) off I-25. This exit is just south of Caballo Lake and is about a 2 ½ - 3 hour drive from Albuquerque. The mine is about 5 miles from our meeting point, and I have been advised by Don Saathof (who has visited the mine recently) that there are a couple of difficult areas in the road that would require high clearance or four-wheel drive. There are no facilities or water in the area, so you will need to bring food or drink that you might require. I have been unable to locate much published information on the Nakaye mine, but other mines in the vicinity were worked for fluorspar in the 1930s – 1940s. The host rock is Paleozoic limestones and hard rock tools (hammers and chisels) will be necessary to collect specimens. Some underground workings are accessible, so lights will be required if you are inclined to collect in these areas. Fluorite, barite and calcite are the primary collectible minerals of this location. The fluorite can be gray to intense blue and is even more susceptible to light (fading) than Blanchard mine fluorite, so keep your specimens out of direct sunlight. The barite from the Nakaye mine is quite unique as it contains minute crystals of included pyrite (determined by Paul Hlava using microprobe analysis) which give the crystals olive-green color. Calcite crystals up to a foot long have been found here but the large crystals are heavily included, milky and generally pretty ugly. Smaller, transparent crystals make quite attractive specimens. They are not fluorescent under short wave UV.

See you on the 31^st.

Ray DeMark

*********************************

The plan for June is to visit the Harding mine and have a "camp over" to facilitate the scouring of the dumps at night for fluorescent minerals (apatite, eucryptite, bityite and others. The trip is slated for Saturday, the 29^th of June, so pencil in your calendars now for what should be an interesting visit to a classic New Mexico location.

Release forms (required) will be available for signing at this month’s meeting on the 19^th.

More information will be included in next month’s bulletin.

Ray DeMark

***********************************************

Gypsum is a water soluble mineral. Yet the shifting dunes of White Sands, New Mexico, are made of this mineral. How did it get there and why hasn’t it been washed away?

250 million years ago, the gypsum was a dissolved mineral floating in a shallow inland sea. As the climate changed and the ancient sea retreated into the lowest corner of its previous domain, the gypsum was concentrated. When the last of the water evaporated away, the gypsum was left behind.

The glittering white sand dunes of gypsum survive today because there are no rivers or streams that drain the low-lying basin. Even when the rare rainfall comes, the gypsum cannot escape. When the rainwater evaporates, the gypsum is left behind again. Only wind threatens to scatter the white mineral crystals.

The gypsum dunes of White Sands are very unusual, and – fortunately for all of us – President Herbert Hoover used the Antiquities Act of l906 to protect the area in 1933.

By Keri Dearborn, from Del Air Bulletin, via various bulletins

If you have ever collected minerals in the Bingham area of New Mexico – this month’s presentation (on the 19^th) is a must see!

If you have ever ogled at the Blanchard and Tex-Mex material at the Mineral Museum in Socorro – this talk is for you!

The I.R.S. and the Isotopes may want him – but only the AGMC has him!

For one night and one night only – come hear

Speak on the Magnificent Mineral of the Tex-Mex

Come early, come often, but don’t come late for one of the year’s most unique programs!

Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club

Darlene Nelson, Edior

P. O. Box 13718

Albuquerque, NM 87192-3718