Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club...Highlights of the Spring 2015 New York City Gem,...

Highlights of the Spring2015 New York City Gem,Mineral & Jewelry Show

Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical ClubFounded 1886 Ë New York City, New York Ë Incorporated 1937

Volume 129, No. 4 Celebrating the International Year of Light April 2015

April 8 Meeting:th

Jamie Kruse: “New York City is aGeologic Force”

New York City’s architecture andinfrastructure depends upon extractions ofgeologic materials that took millennia toform. Yet, we have virtually no culturalawareness of this reality. Some peopleargue that this is because humans arecognitively incapable of imagining deeptime. Jamie Kruse (and her partner,Elizabeth Ellsworth) disagree. They, infact, offer a speculative tool that we canuse to project our imaginations into deeptime as we move through the City. Theybelieve that as works made in response togeologic time become more common, ourcapacity to design, imagine, and live inrelation to deep time will expand.

Geologic City: a Field Guide to theGeoArchitecture of New York takes youto 20 sites where you can sense thegeologic pulse of the City. With the fieldguide in hand, residents and visitors areable to interact with both unfamiliar andiconic New York architecture andinfrastructure in unexpected ways: bysensing for themselves the forces andflows of geologic material that give formto the built environment of the City.

Jamie Kruse is an artist, designer andpart-time faculty at Parsons, The NewSchool for Design (New York, NY). In2005 she co-founded smudge studio, withElizabeth Ellsworth, based in Brooklyn,NY. Her work has been supported by theGraham Foundation for Advanced Studiesin the Fine Arts, The New School GreenFund; New York State Council for theArts and the Brooklyn Arts Council. Shehas exhibited and presented her work bothnationally and internationally.

(Continues on page 14)

website: http://smudgestudio.org

By Mitch PortnoyThe Spring New York City Mineral &

Gem Show was held on March 7-8, 2015at the Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan, itsstandard location. The preceding weeks ofterrible weather finally abated, allowing agood show for all concerned. Here aresome of the highlights:

The booth setup (and later, breakdown) was easy (our minimalist approachcontinues). The posters and bannersdecorating our area was inviting andvisually engaging. The usual club andshow information flyers were available tothe public as well as postcards, calendars,old bulletins, etc.

Attendance was brisk and constant.There was NEVER a time when it was notbusy from the opening bell on Saturday tothe closing announcements on Sunday.

We have no direct financial interestsin the show. Tony (Nikischer – ExcaliburMinerals) gives us a valuable booth space(free) in exchange for show support. Wesell some mineral/gem/club-relatedmaterials to help defray our showexpenses.

The floaty gemstone pens sold VERYwell. Indeed, we have only five left! Thenote card sets remain popular as do theeducational CD-ROMS. We may need tocome up with some new items that we canlegitimately sell to help defray our showexpenses.

Every dealer made a contribution tothe club and you can see the list in nextmonth’s bulletin. Most of these specialitems will be offered to members at theJune Benefit Auction although thegarnet-related specimens and jewelry willbe made a special part of the silent auctionat the October Banquet which has a garnettheme this year.

We enrolled six new enthusiasticmembers at this show. These newmembers were given many welcoming

gifts as well as having a choice of asplendid mineral donated by TonyNikischer specifically for this function.Renewal of now-expired members wasnot, however, very strong this year, alas!

The gemstone carving demonstration,given by Naomi Sarna, with the assistanceof her grandchildren Luca and Enzo, wasa standing-room-only affair!! Herimparting of information was socompelling, nobody left the lecture roomeven though the talk went more than theusual hour. Tremendous thanks to her!

There was a noticeable number ofchildren at the show. They seemed to bequite enthusiastic about getting some freeminerals or playing the mineral ID game.

The Saturday evening dinner was funand intimate, with 13 members and friendsattending. There was lots of wine for usall!

I want to finally thank Rich Rossi,Anna Schumate, Diane Beckman, VivienGornitz and Mark Kucera for their supportand work before, during and after theshow.

Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2World of Minerals: Nanominerals I. . 3Sandstone Arches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4In Defense of Science.. . . . . . . . . . . . 4Dirty-Sounding Geologic Words. . . . 5Peanut Butter Diamonds.. . . . . . . . . . 6Another Mars Rock Debate. . . . . . . . 7Dark Matter Evidence?.. . . . . . . . . . . 7The 100: Sulfides of Iron. . . . . . . . . . 8Topics in Gemology: Opal. . . . . . . . . 930,000 Diamonds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Asbestos vs. Fiber Basalt. . . . . . . . . 10Not Seeing the Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . 12A Geologist’s Manhattan. . . . . . . . . 13Greetings from Namibia. . . . . . . . . . 14Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . . 15

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club April 2015

President’s MessageBy Mitch Portnoy

I hope those of you who made it to theSpring NYC Gem & Mineral Show hadan enjoyable time and that you found somewonderful items to add to your collection.Perhaps you could bring in a favorite andshare it with us at the next meeting, whenwe discuss how the show went overall.

For a few years now I have been“honoring” the topic of April Fool byplacing relevant mineral/gem/geologyjokes and cartoons throughout the AprilBulletin. I hope you enjoy them!

This “April Fool” motif will evencontinue at the next meeting. I will quicklyrun a Fun Periodic Tables Presentation!

See you soon!

April Meeting Special Show

April Meeting: Light Game #3

Receive Your Bulletin Electronically!Advantages Early Arrival Pristine Condition Full-Color Version Electronic Storage Club Saves Money Receive Special Mailings Go Green!Requires Email Request to Mitch

([email protected]) Adobe Reader (Free)Optional Printer (B/W or Color)

Club Meeting Minutes for March 11, 2015By Vivien Gornitz, SecretaryAttendance: 40President Mitch Portnoy presided.

Announcements: New members and guests were

welcomed and the monthly raffle held. A recent video about Oliver Sacks was

played. The usual meeting historical notes were

presented. Both a game about grey minerals

(relating to Alfredo Petrov) and a gameabout asterism in gems (relating to theIYL) were played.

The Spring 2015 NYC Mineral Showreviewed and the Fall 2015 NYCMineral Show previewed.

The items available for sale were listedand an overview of the Club’supcoming special publicationspresented.

Upcoming Club events werepreviewed.

The New York State patch with theClub Subway garnet was shown.

Special Lecture: Alfredo Petrov –Marvelous Pseudomorphs

The adventurous traveler can unearthmany unusual mineral finds by wanderingaround the by-roads of Bolivia, from desertbadlands to the high Altiplano. AlfredoPetrov, mineralogist, dealer, and Clubmember regaled us with tales of his searchfor strange pseudomorphs in remote cornersof Bolivia, Japan, and elsewhere.

(Continues on page 14)

Members in the News Elise A. Skalwold, who lectured to us

last year about “The Edward ArthurMetzger Gem Collection of CornellUniversity,” received a Friends ofMineralogy Award for Best Articlepublished in 2014 in Rocks & Minerals(co-authored with John I. Koivula) forthe article entitled Microworld ofDiamonds: Images from Earth'sMantle.

Oliver Sacks was an Op-EdContributor to the New York Times onFebruary 19, 2015 with a beautifulpiece entitled My Own Life on learninghe has terminal cancer.

Many members participated in theJewelry History Series held before theMiami Beach Antiques Show in lateJanuary including Eric Hoffman(Jade), Elyse Zorn Karlin (20th

Century Jewelry Design) and Gail BrettLevine (Jewelry Design History).

Naomi Sarna is a Cover Girl!

Welcome New Members!Donna Dempsey. . . . . . . . . . . . NYC, NYNicholas Groschen. . . . . Forest Hills, NYErica Hirsch. . . . . . . . . . Ocean Grove, NJAshley Moy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NYC, NYEthel Murray. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NYC, NYJames Peach.. . . . . . . . . . . . Brooklyn, NY

Coming in May . . .

. . . And Coming in June!

April 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 3

The World of MineralsThe World of Minerals is a monthly column written by Dr. Vivien Gornitz on timely and interesting topics relatedto geology, gemology, mineralogy, mineral history, etc.

Part I: Nanominerals—A Journey Into the Ultra-TinyImagine bio-robots smaller than the most minuscule viruses!

In the sci-fi thriller “Nano”, by Robin Cook, surreptitious activitiestake place within a top-secret hi-tech company where nano-sizedrobotic microbes have been bioengineeredto cure disease, or … possibly kill offopponents. The potential benefits andeven scarier dangers of nanotechnologyare endless. Setting aside the natural orm a n u f a c t u r e d n a n o b i o s p h e r e ,nanominerals are ubiquitous throughoutthe Earth. They occur as tiny sheets, rods,or particles in a size range between 1 andtens of nanometers (1 nanometer = onebillionth of a meter). Regardless of howthey form, whether through primary crystallization, orbiomineralization, all minerals pass through an early nano-sizedstage, before growing larger to micro- or macroscopic dimensions.But in certain cases, for instance where multiple crystallites form,yet growth rates are slow, single nanocrystals may persist. Morecommonly, many other processes, such as weathering, create nano-sized mineral particles. Common examples include iron andmanganese oxides and oxyhydroxides. Welcome to the world ofnanominerals!Size Matters

Nanominerals and nano-sized mineral particles are widelydistributed in soils, rivers, groundwater, oceans, and atmosphere;even on or in living organisms. In nanominerals, a high proportionof atoms or molecules are exposed on surfaces. The surfaceexposure to a sharply different atomic environment stronglyinfluences the subsequent behavior of nanoparticles. Thus, mineralnanoparticles may often differ in physical and chemical propertiesfrom their larger-sized counterparts. For example, nanocrystalsmay possess structurally disordered, variably ordered, and strainedsurfaces, which can extend into the interior, causing variations incrystal structure. Edges and corners of nanocrystallites experiencea greater proportion of bonding deficiencies than on flat surfaces;thus, well-defined crystal faces cannot develop below a criticalsize. The abundance of multiple atomic dislocations and stackingfaults in nanocrystal lattices create potential instability. Whiledislocations can migrate to the surface and be eliminated, they areoften trapped at nano-grain boundaries. These myriad defects makenanocrystals much stiffer, less compressible, and harder (a factexploited in nanodiamonds, see Part II, next month). They alsoinduce a greater ability to incorporate impurities. Furthermore,these differences affect chemical reactivity and solubility. (Ingeneral, the smaller the particle size, the more soluble).

Chemical reactions between solutions and minerals take placeon crystal surfaces at the nano-scale. In many cases, as the surfacelayers dissolve, the replacing atoms or ions closely match thelattice dimensions of the dissolving host mineral (i.e., epitaxy),leading to pseudomorphic replacement. In other cases, dissolutioncreates pores or spaces into which the new atoms fit. The tight holdof oxygen atoms on hydrogen ions at corners and edges makesnanoparticles more alkaline, altering the exchange rate of H ions+

in acid-base reactions.Nanoparticles in Earth Processes

Crystallization of minerals from the melt, in solution, or

directly from the vapor stage begins with the assemblage of atoms,ions, or molecules into a few nano-sized unit cells, before growingto microscopic or larger dimensions. Nanominerals and particlesplay an important role on the Earth’s surface as well. Weathering

of minerals involves chemical reactionsbetween exposed mineral surfaces andsolutions containing rainwater, dissolvedcarbon dioxide, metal ions, andnanomineral particles. The latter particles,by virtue of their tiny size, facilitatechemical reactivity. Iron and manganeseoxides and oxyhydroxides, derived fromthe weathering of iron and manganese inigneous, and metamorphic silicateminerals, are widespread at the Earth’ssurface, incorporated into sedimentary

rocks, soils, or suspended as colloidal particles in rivers andoceans. Their presence splashes surface rocks with a widespectrum of colors ranging from bright yellows, to ochre, rust red,vivid vermilion, maroon, dark brown, to black desert varnish.

Less appreciated is the influential role of iron for oceanic life.Iron is a critical nutrient for ocean phytoplankton (microscopicsingle-celled photosynthesizing organisms, such as diatoms andcoccolithophores). Oceanic iron occurs as nanoparticles, whichbond strongly to organic compounds and other minerals. Such anintimate association between iron nanoparticles and biogenicmaterials may have been significant in the early stages ofdevelopment of life.Nanominerals and Health

Mineral nanoparticles may also play an important role inhuman health. In particular, apatite nano-articles (calciumhydroxyphosphate carbonate) bind readily to biologicallysignificant molecules, such as carbohydrates, lipids (fats), proteins,and even DNA and RNA. Certain blood proteins (e.g., albumin,fetuin-A) attach tightly to calcium in nano-apatite, which may helpprotect the body against undesirable calcification. On the otherhand, this tight association also promotes beneficial growth ofbone and teeth. However, calcification in the wrong tissues maylead to diseases, such as hardening of the arteries, where fattydeposits clog the arteries like boiler scale, or arthritis, wherecalcium deposits stiffen the joints. Calcification of tissue has evenbeen possibly linked to certain cancers. Here is yet anotherexample of the ability of certain organic compounds to bind tomineral nano-particles—the further study of which may offeradditional clues to the emergence of life on Earth, billions of yearsago (a topic to be explored further in a later article).Further ReadingHochella, M.F. Jr, 2008. Nanoscience: from origins to cutting-edge

applications. Elements 4:373-379.Hochella, M.F. Jr., et al., 2008. Nanominerals, mineral

nanoparticles, and Earth systems. Science 319:1631-1635.Putnis, A., 2014. Why mineral interfaces matter. Science

343:1441-1442.Young, J.D. and Martel, J., 2010. The rise and fall of nanobacteria.

Scientific American Jan. 2010, 52-59.Waychunas, G.A. and Zhang, H., 2008. Structure, chemistry, and

properties of mineral nanoparticles. Elements 4:381-387.(Continues next month)


Sandstone Arches Shaped By DownwardPressure & ErosionBy Richard A. Lovett

The fantastical arch shapes of sandstone formations have longbeen thought to be sculpted by wind and rain. But a team ofresearchers has now found that the shapes are inherent to the rockitself.

“Erosion gets [excess] material out, but doesn’t make theshape,” says Jiri Bruthans, a hydrogeologist at Charles Universityin Prague, who led the research. Rather, erosion is merely a “tool”that works in combination with more fundamental factorsembedded in the rock.

These factors are stress fields created by the weight ofoverlying rock. Under low stress, Bruthans says, sandstone erodeseasily. But as stress mounts — as parts of a cliff or pillar areeroded away, for example — the sand grains on the surface of theremaining rock lock together and become more resistant to furthererosion.

Bruthans’ insight came when he visited the Stralec Quarry inthe Czech Republic, where a loosely packed form of sandstoneknown as ‘rock sand’ is mined.

Even though there is no natural cement binding the sandgrains into rock, mining it requires blasting at the sandstone’s faceto break the sand loose, says Alan Mayo, a hydrogeologist atBrigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and a co-author of thestudy. But once the rock is disrupted, he says, “it justdisintegrates”.

Bruthans adds that after blasting, the sandstone in the quarryrapidly formed arches and other features common to the touristattractions seen in places such as Utah’s Arches National Park.

To find out how such soft material could do this, the scientiststook samples into the lab, cut them into small cubes, and usedpressure plates to simulate the weight of overlying material. Theythen subjected the cubes to simulated rain or other erosive forces.

What they found, as report in Nature Geoscience, is that whensubjected to such pressures, even these otherwise crumblymaterials quickly eroded into arches, alcoves and pillars that thenbecame extremely resistant to further erosion. Subsequentexperiments with more firmly consolidated sandstones from theNorth American Southwest produced the same result.

What happens, Mayo says, is that as erosion undercuts thematerial in ways that would normally cause it to collapse, pressuremounts along the remaining rock where the greatest amount of

material has been removed. Eventually, a critical pressure isreached at which the sand grains lock together and become“incredibly stable”, he says.

Numerical modeling revealed that the resulting shapesfollowed the stress fields — a finding that also applied to naturallandforms such as Utah’s emblematic Delicate Arch, afree-standing structure that is 20 meters tall.

Supporting the theory, Mayo adds, was a field trip to a part ofArches National Park where there have been recent rock falls. “Welooked at the blocks on the ground, and they were completelydisintegrated,” he says. “[They] no longer had that critical stress.”

Other scientists, (including sedimentologist Chris Paola of theUniversity of Minnesota in Minneapolis, who wrote anaccompanying News & Views), say the work provides an answerto the long-standing question of how such sandstone landscapesform. Gordon Grant, a research hydrologist at the US ForestService’s Pacific Northwest Research Station in Corvallis, Oregon,calls the explanation “simple, elegant, and plausible”.

The findings do not mean that all sandstone arches, alcoves orother features should be identical. “Nature is very complex,”Bruthans says. “Initial conditions matter.”

This story originally appeared in Nature News.

In Defense Of ScienceBy Jonathan Bines

In human history, no practice has more profoundly advancedhuman understanding of the natural world than that of science. Soit seems tragic, in the year 2014, that science should require adefense (by a comedy writer, no less). And yet, in both the nationaldialogue on issues such as climate change, evolution, and vaccines,and in recent conversations I have had with people I considerreasonable and well-educated, I have discovered a shockinganti-science narrative emerging; a fundamental ignorance of ordistrust of science that expresses itself in opinions such as:


Scientists have been wrong in the past and thus should not betrusted now

Scientists are biased by personal prejudices, financialincentives, and the desire for personal or professional success,and therefore their conclusions are suspect

Scientific results are not certain, and therefore they can bediscounted

Science is just another way of knowing that should not begiven primacy over other ways, such as intuitive knowledgeor personal experience.

Some scientists disagree with the consensus view so there isno way to assess who is right.

Science is the cause of the problems resulting fromtechnology and therefore suspect.

Policymakers may ignore science on the grounds that they,themselves, are not scientists.While some of these opinions are simply misguided, others,

at some level, could offer potentially useful critiques of the actualpractice of science. However, none of them represent any kind ofa rebuttal to the basic, essential fact that, for all its imperfection,hubris, sloppiness, or uncertainty, science works. Like a flashlightshined into dark spaces, science shines the light of its analyticalmethod into the opaque mysteries of the natural world and makesthem comprehensible. And it does this over and over again, in fieldafter field of scientific inquiry.

Science is able to achieve its results by following a rigorousmethod of investigation involving the creation and testing ofhypotheses against observational evidence. At every stage, thesehypotheses are subjected to intense challenge. First, they are testedthrough the process of scientific research. Then through theprocess of publication and peer review they are subjected tochallenge by the larger scientific community. After publication,they continue to be challenged, corroborated, modified, or refinedby new research and new hypotheses. Science that has withstoodthis onslaught of skepticism is seen to be accurate and trustworthy,and consequently it earns the backing of a consensus of practicingscientists.

Because science is based on such a strong foundation ofevidence and analytical rigor, anyone who would challengescience, particularly well-established science such as that onevolution, climate, or vaccines (or, for that matter, gravitation andquantum mechanics), rightly faces a very high burden of proof, aburden which most science skeptics fail even to acknowledge,much less satisfy. Science cannot be refuted by appeals to intuitionor personal experience, attacks on the character or motivations ofscientists, accusations of institutional bias, or by "cherry-picking"a particular authority figure, alternative theory, or research study.It cannot be denied because it is inconvenient, or because onedislikes the policy implications. It cannot be dismissed onsupernatural grounds or through suggestions of conspiracy. Itcannot be undermined by dreaming up alternative hypotheses(unsupported by strong evidence), or by pointing to remaininguncertainties in the established theory. All these are utterlyinconsequential as refutations – not because scientists "knowbetter" than the rest of us – but simply because they fail toconvincingly meet the burden of proof.

Science works, and so we accept its findings – not because wehave "faith" in them or because they are perfect – but because inan uncertain world, we wish to use the best available informationto solve our problems, improve our condition, and understand oursituation. This means, in the year 2014, accepting the current

scientific consensus that vaccines are well-understood, safe, andeffective. It means accepting the current scientific consensus thathumans are causing the climate to change through the emission ofatmospheric carbon and other greenhouse gasses with results thatwill almost certainly range from bad to catastrophic. It meansaccepting the current scientific consensus that evolution throughnatural selection is the theory most likely to describe observedbiological diversity at all levels from DNA to species, includinghuman beings. Certainly, we should maintain a "healthyskepticism," but we should focus that skepticism, not on thescience, but rather on the claims of those who profess to be inpossession of some special knowledge or authority outside of theformal scientific process. To do otherwise would be to depriveourselves of the greatest tool for human advancement mankind hasever known, at exactly the time when such a tool is needed most.Source: Huffington Post from October 18, 2014

These Dirty-Sounding Words Are JustGeologic or Mineralogical Terms(So Get Your Mind Out Of The Gutter!)

Fukalite. Calm down. Fukalite is a mineral composed mostly ofcalcium, oxygen, and silicon.

F u k a m i n e , F u k a ,Bicchu-cho (Bitchu-cho),Takahashi City, OkayamaP r e fe c t u r e , C hu g ok uRegion, Honshu Island,Japan

Cummingtonite. Not kidding, cummingtonite is a brownishmineral made mostly of iron and magnesium (see below for itschemical formula). It’s named after Cummington, a town inMassachusetts.

Schist. Nope, not a curse word. It’s actually a common type ofmetamorphic rock that can be split easily into sheets.


Albedo. It might sound like another word for your sex drive, butalbedo is actually a measure of the reflectivity of Earth’s surface

– the amount of solar energy reflected from the Earth’s surfaceback into space.Galactic bulge. You might hear an astronomer use this word, butnot in the bedroom – a galactic bulge is the center of a galaxymade of mostly older stars. The Milky Way’s core is made of10,000 stars, and last year, scientists discovered it is shaped like apeanut.

Stimulated Emission. Get your mind off biology and thinkchemistry and physics. This is a process that occurs when a photoninteracts with an atom’s electron and causes it to drop to a lowerenergy level, which then releases energy in the form of anotherphoton.

Arsole. Arsole is an arsenic-based organic compound. Itsmolecules are ring-shaped.

2 2 5 4Dickite. Dickite, Al Si O (OH) , is a (kaolin) clay-like mineralwhich exhibits mica-like layers with silicate sheets of 6-memberedrings bonded to aluminum oxide/hydroxide layers. It got its namefrom the geologist that discovered it around the 1890s, Dr. W.Thomas Dick, of Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Source: The Huffington Post from July 20, 2014. [Editor’s Note:These entries were extracted from a longer article with similarexamples. About half of the words, all shown here, were related toour hobby. I also added a few of my own. The illustrations, easilyfound on the Internet, were added by me for “emphasis”. – Mitch.]

Diamonds Created from Peanut ButterIf diamonds are a girl’s best friend, then diamonds made from

peanut butter are too much to handle.Over four million people were killed in a regional African war

between 1998 and 2003 over limited mineral resources, includingdiamonds, according to NBCNews. However, the processto create fake diamonds isbecoming much simpler. Todemonstrate the point,German scientist Dan Frostclaims he is able to makediamonds from peanut butter.The process takes severalweeks to create a diamond just 3 millimeters in length.

Real diamonds are made of carbon atoms that have beenheated and compressed at depths about 100 miles in the Earth’smantle.

Frost makes his peanut butter diamonds by using the sandwichstaple as a source of carbon. He puts it between two diamonds andsqueezes the peanut butter.

The result is a very tiny, and less pure diamond.This process as the potential to alleviate conflict or “blood”

diamonds.It would be interesting to see what other materials could be

used to make diamonds. People would pay a ton of money fordiamonds made from Big Papi’s (David Ortiz of the Boston RedSox) broken bats.


Tiny Space Rock Stirs Debate Over Life On MarsBy Jacqueline Howard

An international team of researchers say they’ve foundevidence of biological activity inside a meteorite that fell to Earthfrom Mars three years ago–in other words, possible evidence thatthere was once life on the red planet.

But other scientists aren’t convinced.The meteorite in question is the “Tissint” specimen, which

famously fell on the Moroccan desert on July 18, 2011.As the team of researchers–including scientists in China,

Japan, Germany, and Switzerland–report in a new paper, chemical,microscopic, and isotope analyses show traces of organic carbonwithin tiny fissures in the space rock, and that the carbon had tohave been deposited before the rock left Mars. Just check out thevideo above describing the research.

“I’m completely open to the possibility that other studiesmight contradict our findings,” Dr. Philippe Gillet, director of theEPFL Earth and Planetary Sciences Laboratory in Lausanne,Switzerland and a co-author of the paper, said in a writtenstatement. “However, our conclusions are such that they willrekindle the debate as to the possible existence of biologicalactivity on Mars–at least in the past.”

And contradiction wasn’t long in coming.As Dr. Marc Fries, a scientist with NASA’s curation office at

the Johnson Space Center in Houston who was not involved in themeteorite research, told The Huffington Post in an email, “Theresearch group claims that this carbonaceous material is evidenceof past life on Mars. I do not agree, and it is not the currentconsensus of the scientific community that their claim is valid.”

Fries said the meteorite could have been contaminated withcarbon from terrestrial sources, even if the carbon did come fromMars.

“A biological origin is not the only possible explanation forthe carbon found in Tissint,” he said in the email. “Otherpossibilities include volcanic and/or hydrothermal activity on Marswhich could permeate Tissint with carbon-bearing fluids...Regardless of whether this particular meteorite contains evidenceof life, the implications are more complicated than any simple yesor no answer to whether there is or was life on Mars.”

The study was published online in the journal Meteoritics andPlanetary Science on November 26, 2014.

Evidence For Dark Matter Finally Found?By Macrina Cooper-White

After a decades-long search, astronomers may finally havefound the first sign of dark matter. That’s the invisible substancethat scientists believe makes up the bulk of our universe, sincevisible matter accounts for only about 20 percent of our universe’smass.

While scientists can observe dark matter indirectly by lookingat its gravitational effects on visible matter, they have struggled tocome up with tangible evidence that proves the stuff exists--untilnow.

This week, a team of researchers from Switzerland and theNetherlands announced that they may have detected the signal ofdecaying dark matter particles.

For the research, the team analyzed the x-rays emitted fromtwo celestial objects: the Perseus galaxy cluster, an array ofgalaxies located approximately 250 million light years from Earth,and our “sister” galaxy Andromeda, which is approximately 2.5million light years away. The researchers looked at data collectedby the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton telescope andspotted a mysterious “anomaly” that could not have been emittedby any known atom or particle.

The same strange x-ray spike was also detected by a researchteam at Harvard in June, who announced they had spotted theemission in data from 70 different galaxy clusters.

“This tiny (several hundred extra photons) excess has beeninterpreted as originating from very rare decays of dark matterparticles,” Dr. Alexey Boyarsky, a professor of physics at LeidenUniversity in the Netherlands and the lead researcher for the newstudy, told The Huffington Post in an email. “Although the signalis very weak, it has passed several ‘sanity checks’ that one expectsfrom a decaying dark matter signal.”

For instance, the researchers say the signal was moreconcentrated in the center and weak at the edges of Andromedaand the Perseus cluster, which corresponds to what they expected.Boyarsky added that the team has now found a signal at the samewave length coming from our own galaxy, the Milky Way.

Boyarsky and his team believe the signal comes from thedecay of a dark matter particle, possibly a “sterile neutrino,” whichis a hypothetical particle believed to be 1/100th the size of anelectron.

“Confirmation of this discovery may lead to construction ofnew telescopes specially designed for studying the signals fromdark matter particles,” Boyarsky said in a written statement. “Wewill know where to look in order to trace dark structures in spaceand will be able to reconstruct how the Universe has formed.”Source: Huffingtonpost.com Dec. 13, 2014

The Mars meteorite, named Tissint

This image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope shows the inner region of Abell1689, an immense cluster of galaxies located 2.2 billion light-years away. The cluster'sgravitational field is warping light from background galaxies, causing them to appearas arcs. Dark matter in the cluster, which represents about 80 percent of its mass, ismapped by plotting these arcs. Dark matter cannot be photographed, but itsdistribution is shown in the blue overlay. | NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech/Yale/CNRS


Collector’s Series – “The 100"The 100 is a monthly feature of interest to mineral collectors written by Bill Shelton, based upon his many years ofexperience as a mineral collector, educator, author, appraiser, philanthropist and dealer. Comments as well as suggestionsfor new topics are most welcome. Contact him at [email protected].

Sulfides of Iron

Marcasiteiron

disulfideorthorhombic

yellow-green

4,192places

Pyriteiron

disulfideisometric yellow

32,390places

Pyrrhotite iron sulfide hexagonalyellow to

brown7,028places

At Dalnegorsk, I believe one can find pyrite, pyrite afterpyrrhotite, pyrrhotite, pyrrhotite altering to pyrite, pyrrhotitealtering to marcasite and marcasite. There is a possibility of othersas well. The three species as indicated above have a propensity toalter and very often do so. Goethite “limonite” after pyrite isexceedingly common worldwide. Some members of the collectingfraternity are concerned with the stability of specimens – and theyare justified based on observations of samples in even the best-maintained collections.

The specimens I am most familiar with (Dalnegorsk) allappear to be remarkably stable and they make excellent cabinetmaterial. Notable pieces in my collection include a four inch singlecube, a four inch tabular crystal of pyrrhotite, a stacked crystalcluster (five inches) of pyrrhotite and a seven inch plate ofiridescent pyrite cubes to about one-half inch on a matrixspecimen. A more unusual piece has a three inch pyrrhotite crystalwith a one-half inch pyrite right in the center – all on a calcitematrix about six inches across. I believe it is interesting to findthese two species in fine crystals in intimate association. It hasbeen reported before where pyrite forms on top of pyrrhotite.

Incidentally, other places have produced specimens thatappear to be somewhat unstable like marcasite after pyrrhotitefrom Llallagua, Bolivia with crystals to six inches (although platescan be nearly a foot across!). Wavellite and quartz may overgrowthese pieces. Some fossilized snails, etc. will decompose; I havesamples from Lyme Regis, England and upstate New York that arecompletely ruined. They were, I believe, marcasite at one time.

For those who want to own a specimen from some other place,I am reasonably sure that the following items are relatively stablebased on personal experience. Marcasite, in small clusters perched

on galena or sphalerite (i.e. Tri-State material) appears to be verystable and reasonably attractive. Pyrite from Peru also is solid;specimens are brilliant and can have large crystals. Olderpyrrhotites from Mexico and Yugoslavia appear to be very durabletoo. The relatively new pyrites from Tanzania are exceptionallyfine. Long ago, pyrrhotites were found in a pegmatite in Maine –they were particularly peculiar but lovely specimens.

In the past, Roxbury iron mine and Thomaston dam (both inConnecticut) as well as local Manhattan rocks were noted toproduce nice pyrite crystals. You may still be able to find thesetoday. Western New York has been a good area for pyritizedfossils but some may actually turn out to be marcasite. In the past,Chester, Vermont produced some pyrite as did a road cut on I-91in Vermont. So, if you feel adventurous, look around and you mayfind some iron sulfides beneath your feet.

As I have mentioned before, some minerals are collected tothe exclusion of all others by certain people. The iron sulfidesmight seem too limited but the diversity of forms along withtwinning and various associated species can make an awesomedisplay. Tiny pyrite crystals are found dusting calcite and quartzclusters – these can be brilliant under the proper type of lighting.Combinations like marcasite on sphalerite are also very nicecollection pieces. On occasion, you can even find tanzanite withpyrite – what’s not to like about that? Some pieces have fancifulnames such as pyrite suns from Illinois and elsewhere. They aregenerally in sedimentary rock and, if the rock is black, theyabsolutely glow when illuminated.

Finally, as far as fluorescence in gems goes, these species donot have much to offer. You can see the occasional cabochon butI think this is not very popular. The most beautiful example I canthink of is lapis with pyrite flecks in it. This makes a really nicecabochon material but it is only a few percent pyrite.

Spectacular Pyrite Cubes on Matrix from Navajun, Spain


Topics in GemologyTopics in Gemology is a monthly column written by Diana Jarrett, GG, RMV, based on gemological questions posed toher over the years by beginners and experts alike. Contact her at dianajarrett.com.

Mine to Market– Opal’s Colorful JourneyPrecious opal has been holding fans spellbound for centuries.

The gemstone is unique in more ways than its kaleidoscopicappearance. This stone is a hydrated amorphous form of silicaand usually contains between 6 - 10% water by weight. It’s notunheard of for specimens to have up to 20% water, either.

The mesmeric play of colors for which opal is revered owesa debt of gratitude to its unusual internal structure. Unlikediamonds and gemstones with a cubic crystal structure, opal iscomposed of microscopic silica spheres which diffract light intoits rainbow hues.

When people get the opal bug, it often bites deep. Take JohnTernus for example. Called the Opal Guy for good reason, John’sbeen mining these treasures in Australia for over 35 years. Opalis found around the world in certain geological conditions, but byfar, the most renowned region remains Australia. The finest ofthe fine is said to occur in the famed Lightning Ridge deposits ofNew South Wales, bordering Queensland. It is the only localewhere stable black opal can be found. The deep opaque tone ofblack opal creates a dramatic contrast for vibrant colors to danceacross the face of these majestic gems.

A recent conversation with Ternus illuminates the miner’slove for these marvels. “I am continually amazed at the varietiesof opal colors in proximity to each other and in combination withthe same stone,” he confides. The base colors, whethertransparent, white, grey, or black, Ternus feels, “are influencedby the inclusion of trace elements in the opal, and the gem colorwhich is dictated by the size of microns of the light refractingsilica spheres.”

Opal Guy Ternus is still enchanted by what he uncovers inthese remote deposits. “In mining, I have found black crystalopal with red and green color-play next to root beer brown bodycolor opal with a globule of gem multi-color crystal opal in thecenter of it. Trying to imagine what was going on with regards tothe geological events that came to form the opal is fascinating.”Besides their intrinsic beauty, each opal is distinct in shape, size

and color combination. And that aspect has endeared them toboth art lovers and devotees of one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces.

He also finds these magnificent gems have a story tell.“Though some might be similar, they are all different and theirvariety is astounding,” he said. “They are like people, each withtheir own personality.”

“Personally, when I look at an opal,” Ternus confides, “It’seasy to believe that there is a greater power at work in theuniverse that would gift such treasures like these stones.” I thinkwe’d all agree there is something out of this world about thismulti-color muse.

During a heated discussion Opal screamed at Amber,telling her that not only was she not a jewel but she wasn'teven a mineral.

“Is that so,” Amber snorted, stating flatly that Opal hadno cleavage.

“Perhaps so,” replied Opal, “but at least I'm not justorganic ooze with bugs - I'm pristine, white, and smooth.”

“That's tuff,” said Amber, secreting with rage.

Underground with hydraulic rotary head digger; large black pipe suctions up dirt forprocessing, Courtesy: John Ternus, Opal Guy

Opal and diamond ring in yellow gold; Courtesy: John Ternus, Opal Guy


Strange Rock from Russia Contains 30,000DiamondsBy Becky Oskin

SAN FRANCISCO — Here’s the perfect Christmas gift forthe person who has everything: A red and green rock,ornament-sized, stuffed with 30,000 teeny-tiny diamonds.

The sparkly chunk was pulled from Russia’s huge Udachnayadiamond mine and donated to science (the diamonds’ tiny sizemeans they’re worthless as gems). It was a lucky break forresearchers, because the diamond-rich rock is a rare find in manyways, scientists reported Monday (Dec. 15) at the AmericanGeophysical Union’s annual meeting.

“The exciting thing for me is there are 30,000 itty-bitty,perfect octahedrons, and not one big diamond,” said Larry Taylor,a geologist at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, whopresented the findings. “It’s like they formed instantaneously.”

The concentration of diamonds in the rock is millions of timesgreater than that in typical diamond ore, which averages 1 to 6carats per ton, Taylor said. A carat is a unit of weight (not size),and is roughly equal to one-fifth of a gram, or 0.007 ounces.

The astonishing amount of diamonds, and the rock’s unusualChristmas coloring, will provide important clues to Earth’sgeologic history as well as the origin of these prized gemstones,Taylor said. “The associations of minerals will tell us somethingabout the genesis of this rock, which is a strange one indeed,” hesaid.

Although diamonds have been desired for centuries, and arenow understood well enough to be recreated in a lab, their naturalorigins are still a mystery.

“The [chemical] reactions in which diamonds occur stillremain an enigma,” Taylor told Live Science.

Scientists think diamonds are born deep below Earth’s surface,in the layer between the crust and core called the mantle.Explosive volcanic eruptions then carry hunks of diamond-richmantle to the surface. However, most mantle rocks disintegrateduring the trip, leaving only loose crystals at the surface. TheUdachnaya rock is one of the rare nuggets that survived therocketing ride.

Taylor works with researchers at the Russian Academy ofSciences to study Udachnaya diamonds. The scientists first probed

the entire rock with an industrial X-ray tomography scanner, whichis similar to a medical CT scanner but capable of higher X-rayintensities. Different minerals glow in different colors in the X-rayimages, with diamonds appearing black.

The thousands upon thousands of diamonds in the rock clustertogether in a tight band. The clear crystals are just 0.04 inches (1millimeter) tall and are octahedral, meaning they are shaped liketwo pyramids that are glued together at the base. The rest of therock is speckled with larger crystals of red garnet, and greenolivine and pyroxene. Minerals called sulfides round out the mix.A 3D model built from the X-rays revealed the diamonds formedafter the garnet, olivine and pyroxene minerals.

Exotic materials captured inside diamonds, in tiny capsulescalled inclusions, can also provide hints as to how they were made.The researchers beamed electrons into the inclusions to identify thechemicals trapped inside. The chemicals included carbonate, acommon mineral in limestone and seashells, as well as garnet.

Altogether, the findings suggest the diamonds crystallizedfrom fluids that escaped from subducted oceanic crust, likelycomposed of a dense rock called peridotite, Taylor reportedMonday. Subduction is when one of Earth’s tectonic platescrumples under another plate. The results will be published in aspecial issue of Russian Geology and Geophysics next month(January 2015), Taylor said.

The unusual chemistry would represent a rare case amongdiamonds, said Sami Mikhail, a researcher at the CarnegieInstitution for Science in Washington, D.C., who was not involvedin the study. However, Mikhail offered another explanation for theunusual chemistry. “[The source] could be just a really, really oldformation that’s been down in the mantle for a long time,” he said.

Asbestos Minerals vs. Fiber BasaltBy John F. Sanfaçon

At this year’s Rock and Mineral Weekend, a number of show-goers were intrigued by an item in my display of syntheticmaterials: fiber basalt, which, when given to me by the father ofone of my students, I first thought was spinach linguini! Thisastounding material has physical and chemical properties whichhave put a serious dent in the asbestos mining industry, which hasdeclined greatly of late due to a rash of liability suits brought byminers exposed to the carcinogenic effects of inhaling asbestosdust. You probably have heard radio commercials offering legalservices to those workers who have mesothelioma and otherrelated lung diseases. Fiber basalt’s greatest asset, perhaps, is thatit is not carcinogenic, but that’s not all it promises. But first, let’sreview what is meant by “asbestos”.

The term “asbestos” is an umbrella term used to describe sixsimilar silicate minerals which can form long, thin, weavablefibrous crystals: 1) chrysotile (a serpentine, and the only one of the

3 2 5 4six not an amphibole), Mg (Si O )(OH) ; 2) amosite (a/k/a

7 8 22 2grunerite, also known as “brown asbestos”), Fe Si O (OH) ; 3)crocidolite (the blue fibrous form of riebeckite – fine fibers areknown as “amianthus” – the French for asbestos is amiante),

2 3 2 8 22 2 2 5 8 22 2Na Fe Fe Si O (OH) ; 4) actinolite, Ca (Mg,Fe) (Si O )(OH) ;2+ 3+

2 5 8 22 25) tremolite, Ca Mg Si O (OH) ; and 6) anthophyllite, (Mg,

7 8 22 2Fe) Si O (OH) . The last three mentioned often are difficult todifferentiate in field-collected specimens. Crocidolite whichretains its blue color can be replaced by quartz, and is then calledhawk-eye. If the crocidolite has become brown by iron oxidestaining and is then replaced by quartz, we have the familiar tiger-eye.

This rock from Russia's Udachnaya mine contains 30,000 diamonds.


These six asbestos minerals are currently regulated by OSHAas hazardous materials, and the American Thoracic Society addstwo other similar amphiboles, richterite and winchite, as“asbestiform”, but are not considered as dangerous as the six. Acursory glance at the five amphiboles in Fleischer’s Glossary ofMineral Species shows them to be monoclinic, while chrysotile isorthorhombic.

I was surprised to learn that health-related issues involvingasbestos mining reach back to Roman times, and concerns for allminers’ safety increased in the1920s and 1930s, no doubt aided bythe aggressive stance of John L. Lewis on behalf of coal miners.By the 1980s and 1990s asbestos was either heavily restricted,phased out or banned outright. The classic Jeffrey Mine inAsbestos, Quebec, the world’s largest asbestos mine and home tomany highly-sought minerals, was forced to shut down operationsin 2011.

So the time was ripe for some noncarcinogenic material toproxy asbestos, and high-tech industry came up with basalt fiber,made by washing and then melting (at about 1400 C° or 2550 F°)that humble igneous rock that makes up our Watchung Mountains.No other chemicals need to be added. The molten rock is thenextruded through nozzles to produce fibrous filaments with adiameter between 9 and 13 micrometers, far enough above thestatutory respiratory limit of 5 micrometers. In other words,particles of basalt fiber are too big to be air-borne, and thus are notlikely to be inhaled by workers. Similar to carbon fiber andfiberglass, basalt fiber is cheaper than the former, and strongerthan the latter. In fact, basalt fiber has greater tensile strength thansteel, and as tubing can transport high-temperature, corrosivechemicals safely, while weighing in with a density of only 2.7g/cm3, roughly that of quartz or calcite. Like the asbestos it isreplacing, basalt fiber is flame and fire-resistant, and is evenstronger than Kevlar, which is used in a policeman’s bulletproofvest. With an endless supply of basalt worldwide, the future forbasalt fiber is also limitless!

Sources and Suggestions for Further Reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basalt_fiber http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos,_Quebec Back, Malcolm E., Fleischer’s Glossary of Mineral Species

2014; The Mineralogical Record, Tucson, 2014 Arem, Joel E., Color Encyclopedia of Gemstones, 2nd Ed.;

Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York; 1987

Source: December 2014 issue of The Rockhound Register, bulletinof The Morris Museum Mineralogical Society.

Two small chunks of basalt rock from the Watchung Mountains lying next to extrudedbasalt fiber product


Not Seeing the Forest for the TreesHow jumping to conclusions and assuming the worstwasted time and moneyBy Mitch Portnoy

One of my specific interests in the world of minerals involvesthe topic of fakes and frauds. I have read a good deal about it andcreated a presentation about this issue thathave delivered manytimes during the past few years. In fact, I keep up with the trendsand even keep the presentation up to date with new and nefariousmineral scams that come to m y attention.

Recently, a friend of mine was hired to determine the veracityof a supposed gold specimen from a locality in Colorado. And thisis where the story begins.

He jumped. Immediately he beganperforming all kinds of determinativetests on the specimen. Some he could doin his own laboratory; others neededexternal work so he sent small samplesout to various ID services around thecountry. After spending the time andmoney doing all this, he determined thespecimen was indeed NOT gold andwrote a 4-page, single spacedpaperwhich he sent to me, with severalphotographs also attached, describing allthe tests and their results and warning allof us to beware specimen fraud. He wenton a bit about how evil the dealer wasand howbadly his client was cheated.

But the story here is moreinteresting than just a simple one aboutan “expert” determining that a specimen was fake. Here are someof the facts and a bit about the person doing the evaluation.

The gold specimen was bought in 1980 (!) by a relatively newcollector for $500. The dealer, now deceased, was also rather newto the hobby at the time. The new collector had bought many itemsfrom the new dealer and these mineral specimens are still in thecollector’s collection. We would probably all agree that $500 wasa LOT of money to spend on a specimen those many decades ago.Perhaps some inquiry about the mineral’s authenticity should havebeen done at the time, but it was not.

My friend, a PhD scientist and college professor, is the typeof person who seems to see the dark side of most situations. He isintelligent if rather literal and often misses the humor or subtletyof situations. He does dabble in mineral and gem dealing (althoughrelatively inexperienced in the world of minerals). He is not a bador sketchy type but it is interesting how often he seems to beinvolved in problematic transactions.

And so, after doing all the work described above (I did not askwhat his fee for doing this was, by the way) he sent his paper andillustrations to (1) me, (2) to a well-seasoned dealer and (3) to afamous mineralogist. Here’s what happened actually within a fewhours of this paper being distributed:

The dealer, who admitted he had not even read the paper yet,told the fellow that the specimen pictured “in no way resemblesany of the golds I have ever sold from that locality” so there iscertainly some kind of problem. He suggested that my friend lookon Mindat or the Internet for photos of gold specimens from thatarea in Colorado to see what he means.

The mineralogist called it “an obvious fake.” (I assume healso had not actually read the paper but just looked at the photos.)That was all his email reply contained. Short and bitter.

I made another point. I had looked at the label which was alsopictured with the specimen and had some questions and thoughts.

My first questionwas wondering if the label was the correctone for the specimen. As you know, labels and specimens in acollection can get separated from each other and jumbled up overtime. Well, the interesting thing I saw was that the box that thespecimen came in had the same ID number as appeared on thelabel AND was clearly written in the same hand with the same ink.I know that one might think that a different specimen could havebeen put into the box but it fit so perfectly,I decided not to worryabout that. This was the specimen’s original label.

But the contents of the label was more telling. The gold wasdescribed as a “model specimen” and“leaf gold” from a very specific,famous,Colorado gold-specimenproducing area. And please note that theuse of quotation marks was actuallyused on the label in exactly the way Ihave indicated here.

My conclusion: this specimen wassome kind of display prop and NEVERwas meant to be considered a real goldspecimen. It had been part of somedisplay or exhibit or diorama.

The likely scenario: A curator orteacher or student had some time before1980 put together an historic displayabout Colorado gold or the town ormining history or something related to

those themes. Included in the display was a “sample” goldspecimen from the area, created specifically for the display.

Time passes and the student graduates, or the professor retires,or the original curator is fired. The new administrator, knowingNOTHING about minerals, decides to discontinue the display orinstall something new and happily gives the item to his brother orsells the beautiful “gold” specimen to a friend for a good price tobenefit his institution. Everyone is happy. Ignorance is bliss.

And now, 35 years later, for whatever reason, the currentowner wants to evaluate the value of his prize gold specimen thathe had obtained in 1980. A 4-page (unnecessary and redundant)article containing bad news follows. Oops.

So what do we learn from this scenario?(1) The buyer of an expensive specimen, if there are anycontroversies about it, should have the evaluation doneon it as close to the time of purchase as possible.(2) The evaluator or appraiser should take the SIMPLEsteps first, before spending a lot of money and time indetermining if the specimen is what it is supposed to be.Walk before sprinting.(3) Perhaps it is best NOT to assume the worst at alltimes. In this case, for example, we probably have anproblem of lost information rather than criminal fraud.Let the facts guide your opinion rather than fitting thefacts into a pre-written conclusion.

| Comments welcome!


Jamie Kruse: “New York City is a Geologic Force”(Continued from page 1)

Since 2005, smudge studio has pursued what we take to beour most urgent and meaningful task as artists and humans: toinvent and enact practices capable of acknowledging and livingin responsive relationship to forces of change that make theworld. Through our current projects and performative research,we design and cultivate embodied practices that support us inpaying nuanced attention to the fast and intense material realitiesthat now emerging on a planetary scale — without leaving usreeling in states of distraction or despair.

Jamie will bring copies of this fascinating guide for sale andfor the signing!

Alfredo Petrov – Marvelous Pseudomorphs(Continued from page2)

Pseudomorph, or literally “false shape”, refers to a mineralthat masquerades in the shape of another which it has replaced.Familiar examples include goethite after pyrite or malachite afterazurite. Sometimes remnant traces of the original mineral confirmthe replacement. On the road to Cora Cora, once the “CopperCapital of Bolivia” at 13,000 feet elevation, artisanal miners digout “ratholes” in the mountainside to extract copper ore. However,unusual copper after aragonite crystals lie embedded in the softclays of a nearby dried-out lakebed, easily plucked out by eagercollectors. Here, native copper has totally replaced twinnedpseudo-hexagonal aragonite crystals. But even “pseudomorphs”can deceive: a seemingly rare specimen of “copper after halite”near Coro Coro turned out to be halite (rock salt) coated by iron-oxide stained clay; a “turquoise after gypsum” specimen wasaragonite on gypsum artificially dyed with copper salts. However,a really unique “pseudomorph” was the body of a hapless trappedInca miner, now totally engulfed by copper except for his head!

In Potosi, once the largest city of the Americas and theworld’s primary source of silver, children still labor in the mines.However, the diligent collector can still find rare pseudomorphs:lazulite transformed into feldspar; pyrrotite turned into pyrite andgreenockite; phosphophyillite replacing a clam shell; andbournonite becoming silver-rich tetrahedrite.

Meanwhile high in the Japanese Alps, Alfredo hiked to thecrater rim of a still-active volcano belching noxious fumes, site ofan ancient sulfur mine. The acidic sulfur-laden gases had alteredan abandoned bulldozer into a “pseudomorph” of limonite andgoethite. Of greater appeal to the collector, however, are thefamous Japanese “cherry blossom” stones, or intergrowths ofcordierite and indialite, now altered to pinkish mica. The rare opalpseudomorphs after gastropods (snails) are an aesthetic delight, inspite of their rather unappealing Japanese nickname: “moon poop.”

From the frigid waters of Greenland, Ellesmere Island in thefar Canadian Arctic, Siberia, and even the Olympic Peninsula,

3Washington, come crystal clusters of calcite after ikaite, CaCO •

2H O. Ikaite, unstable above 2ºC, or more precisely, its calcitepseudomorph, is therefore a useful paleoclimate indicator. Forexample, its occurrence in the now moist temperate climate of theOlympic Peninsula points to an Arctic-like climate that prevailedduring the last Ice Age, over 11,000 years ago.

Alfredo, as usual, treated Club members to an entertainingevening filled with adventure, travelogue, arcane local history, anda wealth of mineral information.

Greetings From Namibia

I just saw the club bulletin. I’m in distant Namibia on vacation andbuying a few minerals. It’s sunny and in the 90s. A beautifulcountry. Enjoy the cold! Rich Blackman

Namibian Mineral Shop (Seriously!)


2015 Club Calendar

Date Event Location Remarks & Information

April 8 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn MidtownSpecial Lecture: Jamie Kruse – “NYC is aGeologic Force”

May 13 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn MidtownSpecial Lecture: Renée Newman – “ExoticGems and the Jewelry Business Today”

June 10 Benefit AuctionHoliday Inn Midtown New York Mezzanine C

100+ diverse lots, not to be missed!

July ? Officers’ Planning Meeting TBD Details to Follow

August ? Open House Alla Priceman, Larchmont, NY Details to Follow

September 9 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn MidtownSpecial Lecture: Steve Okulewicz – “DiggingGold in Alaska”

October 7 Annual Banquet Holiday Inn MidtownTheme: NYC Subway / GarnetLots More Details to Follow

November 11 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn MidtownSpecial Lecture: Fluorescence ( H. Heitner ) &Related Special Demo ( R. Bostwick )

December 9 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn Midtown Details to Follow

2015-16 Show or Event Calendar

Date Event Location Remarks & Information

March 27-29 EFMLS Convention/Show Hickory, North Carolina Article Contest Results; Details to Follow

April 10-12NY / NJ Gem Mineral,Jewelry & Fossil Show

NJ Convention & Expo Center,Edison, New Jersey

Minerals, Crystals, Gemstones, Beads, Fossils,Metaphysical Accouterments, Decor Items

April 23-2642nd Annual RochesterMineralogical Symposium

Radisson Hotel RochesterAirport, Rochester, NY

Lectures, Exhibits, Dealers, Presentations,Auctions, Banquet, etc.

April 25-2643 Annual NJESA Gem &rd

Mineral ShowFranklin School, WashingtonAve, Franklin, New Jersey

For Information: Sterling Hill Mining Museum(913) 209-7212

May 16-17Celinka Gem & MineralShow

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel,Patchogue, Long Island

17+ dealers; Info: Elaine Casani(631-567-3342)

October 23-24 AFMS Convention/Show Austin, Texas Details to Follow

November 14-15Fall New York City Gem,Mineral & Fossil Show

Grand Ballroom, Holiday InnMidtown, New York City

20+ diverse dealers; lectures; wholesalesection (with credentials); Club Booth

July 27- Aug 1, 2016 AFMS Convention/Show Albany, Oregon Details to Follow

October 21-23, 2016 EFMLS Convention/Show Rochester, New York Article Contest Results; Details to Follow

Mineral Clubs & Other InstitutionsIf you would like your mineral show included here, please let us know at least 2-3 months in advance!

Also, for more extensive national and regional show information check online:AFMS Website: http://www.amfed.org and/or the EFMLS Website: http://www.amfed.org/efmls

George F. KunzFounder

The New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.Founded in 1886 for the purpose of increasing interest in the science of mineralogy through

the collecting, describing and displaying of minerals and associated gemstones.P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station, New York City, New York, 10024-0077, http://www.nymineralclub.org

2015 Executive CommitteePresident Mitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY, 10024-5203 e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343

Vice President Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY, 10003 e-mail: [email protected]. . (646) 737-3776

Secretary Vivien Gornitz 101 W. 81st Street #621, NYC, NY, 10024 e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . (212) 874-0525

Treasurer Diane Beckman 265 Cabrini Blvd. #2B, NYC, NY, 10040 e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . (212) 927-3355

Bulletin Editor Mitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY, 10024-5203 e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343

Membership Mark Kucera 25 Cricklewood Road S., Yonkers, NY, 10704 e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . (914) 423-8360

Director Alla Priceman 84 Lookout Circle, Larchmont, NY, 10538 e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . (914) 834-6792

Director Richard Rossi 6732 Ridge Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY, 11220 e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . (718) 745-1876

Director Sam Waldman 2801 Emmons Ave, #1B, Brooklyn, NY, 11235 e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . (718) 332-0764

Dues: $25 Individual, $35 Family per calendar year. Meetings: 2nd Wednesday of every month (except July and August) at the Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan, 57 Streetth

between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, New York City, New York. Meetings will generally be held in one of the conference rooms on the Mezzanine Level. The doors openat 5:30 P.M. and the meeting starts at 6:45 P.M. (Please watch for any announced time / date changes.) This bulletin is published monthly by the New York MineralogicalClub, Inc. The submission deadline for each month’s bulletin is the 20th of the preceding month. You may reprint articles or quote from this bulletin for non-profit usageonly provided credit is given to the New York Mineralogical Club and permission is obtained from the author and/or Editor. The Editor and the New York MineralogicalClub are not responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of information or information in articles accepted for publication, nor are the expressed opinions necessarily thoseof the officers of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.

Next Meeting – Wednesday, April 8, 2015 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Mezzanine, Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan (57 St. & Tenth Avenue), New York Cityth

Special Lecture: Jamie Kruse, Artist – “New York City is a Geologic Force”

New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.Mitchell Portnoy, Bulletin EditorP.O. Box 77, Planetarium StationNew York City, New York 10024-0077

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