-
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
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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!
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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)
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4 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club April 2015
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:
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April 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 5
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.
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6 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club April 2015
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.
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April 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 7
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
-
8 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club April 2015
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
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April 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 9
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
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10 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club April 2015
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.
-
April 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 11
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
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12 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club April 2015
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!
-
April 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 13
-
14 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club April 2015
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!)
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April 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 15
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
FIRST CLASS
Mitch PortnoyHighlight