ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS The Monthly News Bulletin of the Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society Huntsville, Alabama Volume 44 No. 12 “We’ll go to the Moon for a Rock” December 2012 No Meeting In December Merry Merry Merry Merry Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas And And And And Happy Happy Happy Happy New Year New Year New Year New Year Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society (HGMS) 2012. Reprinting Rights are granted for all material (except for minutes of the meeting and copyrighted articles) to any organization officially affiliated with the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) or Southeastern Federation of Mineralogical Societies (SFMS), provided credit is given to the author, the original publication, and this newsletter. INSIDE THIS ISSUE President’s Message……..2 Dec & Jan Birthdays & Anniversaries ….….. 2 Minutes of Dinner Mtg ...3 Hours for Lab ………….....4 Various Articles ………4-6 2013 Officers and Committee Chairmen …..7 Calendar .…………..….…..8 Dues for 2013 are Due
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ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS
The Monthly News Bulletin of the Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society
Huntsville, Alabama
Volume 44 No. 12 “We’ll go to the Moon for a Rock” December 2012
No Meeting In December
MerryMerryMerryMerry ChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmas AndAndAndAnd Happy Happy Happy Happy New YearNew YearNew YearNew Year
Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society (HGMS) 2012. Reprinting Rights are granted for all material (except
for minutes of the meeting and copyrighted articles) to any organization officially affiliated with the
American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) or Southeastern Federation of Mineralogical
Societies (SFMS), provided credit is given to the author, the original publication, and this newsletter.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
President’s Message……..2
Dec & Jan Birthdays & Anniversaries ….….. 2
Minutes of Dinner Mtg ...3
Hours for Lab ………….....4
Various Articles ………4-6
2013 Officers and
Committee Chairmen …..7
Calendar .…………..….…..8
Dues for 2013 are Due
December 2012 ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS Page 2
January Birthdays Steve Tesh 3 Ann Caves 17
Wayne Hall 4 Neda Hastings 18
Martin Hardy 8 Betty Zoller 22
Brian Burgess 9 Lowell Zoller 23
Troy Haggerty 14 John McMahon 27
Mike Wesley 27
Anniversaries None listed this month
President’s Message – December 2012 Hello one last time from the president’s desk. As I sit here, I can’t help but reflect upon the past couple of
years that I have been president. It has had its good times and bad, and has definitely been an experience.
In looking back, I have to remember the many people who have been instrumental in the formation of the
club, and it is up to each and every one of us to ensure its continued success. Those people dedicated
themselves to the love of the lapidary hobby and gave unselfishly of themselves. Unfortunately, many of
them are not able to make the meetings anymore and I ask that everyone give thought to them. And to
honor them, I call upon everyone to take an active part in the club; to chair a committee, help with field
trips, assist with our 2013 show that will be coming all too soon, or run for an office next year.
For those who didn’t make the December meeting and dinner, you missed a really good time. The
meal was good, the fellowship was great, and the officers for 2013 were elected. I want to thank both the
outgoing and incoming officers and ask that you support the new ones.
Clara Goode – Treasurer; Wayne Hall and Mindy Shell – Directors-at-large.
Remember, we have had our December meeting, so I hope to see you at the next meeting on
January 28, and hope you have a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season.
Charlie Willhoite, President
Membership Dues for 2013 are Due by January 1 Please don't forget that membership dues are due by January 1, 2013. The fee is $15.00 for individuals and
$20.00 for families, and checks should be made payable to the "Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society". They can be
mailed to the Membership Chairman, Lori Willhoite, at 2705 Jarvis St. SW, Decatur, AL, 35603, or you can give them
to me at a meeting. Those who joined the club on October 1 or later are covered through 2013, and their cards
should say so. Please let me know if any of your contact info changes anytime, and also, if you want to receive your
newsletters by e-mail instead of on paper, which saves the club money. I also have club name tags and patches for
sale at meetings to members who are interested. --Lori Willhoite
December Birthdays Florence Mims 4 Robert Joyce 14
Shelly Curran 4 Wil T Van Manen 20
Steve Riccio 8 Dave Wyatt 23
Kathy Bowman 12 Richard Hensarling 26
Anniversaries Duane & Patty Southerland 1
Michael & Sharon Bedard 12
Darrell & Phyllis Murphy 17
December 2012 ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS Page 3
Minutes of the December 4, 2012 Meeting (There was no meeting in November)
After we enjoyed our Christmas dinner, the meeting was called to order by Charlie Willhoite, President, at 7:15p.m. Old Business
♦ Minutes from the October meeting were approved. ♦ Treasurer’s Report: Floyd reported a current balance of $1447.62. ♦ Field Trips: Bill announced that there will be a rock and mineral sale from 10a.m. to 2p.m. this Saturday, December 8th, at Vincent Park near Birmingham. The collection, which is owned by long-time Birmingham Gem and Mineral club member Kenneth Kornegay, was scheduled to be bulldozed but was moved to Vincent Park for easy access by the public. For more information, see Bill’s Dec. 3rd email or contact him directly. He’s also working on a field trip in early Spring to the Union Chapel Coal Mine near Jasper, AL. (See “A Quick Trip to the Union Chapel Coal Mine – Steven Minkin TrackSite” in the November 2012 issue of Rocket City Rocks and Gems). Mike Soroczak announced two potential field trips for 2013: Dismals Canyon, a National Natural Landmark near Russellville, AL to see “Dismalites” (tiny bioluminescent insects aka “glowworms”). For more information, see www.dismalscanyon.com. And Brilliant, AL to collect petrified wood (in this case, the replacement of organic tissue by quartz) after Jan. 30th. ♦ Lapidary Shop: Bill announced that he’s going to start a new lapidary class in February. The class will be from 1p.m. – 4p.m. every Wednesday. (3 people have already signed up.) Jim announced that he’s going to start a new lapidary class and a new wire wrapping class next year. ♦ 2013 Membership Dues: Lori reminded us that membership dues are due by January 1st. They are $15.00 for individuals and $20.00 for families. Checks should be made to the “Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society” and mailed to Lori Willhoite, Membership Chairman, at 2705 Jarvis Street SW, Decatur, AL, 35603. New Business
♦ Upcoming Shows: Charlie reminded us that the Mid-Tennessee Gem & Mineral Society’s “Earth Treasures” show is this weekend (Dec. 8th and 9th) in Franklin, TN. There will be free parking. Mike and Myra Soroczak will be at this show. For more information, see the flyers or www.mtgms.org. He also reminded us to sign the meeting attendance sheet and to pay Floyd for the dinner. ♦ 2013 Election: Myra asked for volunteers to be officers and members-at-large. We voted, and the new board is: Treasurer - Clara Goode, Recording Secretary - Leslie Malakowsky, Vice President - Dianna O’Dell, President - Lowell Zoller, members-at-large - Wayne Hall and Mindy Schell. ♦ Other New Business: Charlie introduced new members and announced November and December birthdays. Jim announced that he and Bonnie will be resigning as Hospitality chairmen in 2013, but they agreed to continue until 2 new volunteers come forward. To volunteer for hospitality, see Lowell.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:45p.m. Submitted by Leslie Malakowsky, Recording Secretary
This article will discuss a rare mineral called Benitoite, BaTiSi3O9, barium titanium silicate. Benitoite is primarily
used as a gemstone and mineral specimen but it does have an industrial use. High quality material is used in the
tuning and alignment of electron microprobe beams. Crystallized Benitoite is only found in one area. This is in Sam Benito County, CA, where J. M. Couch discovered it in 1906 at what is now the site of the Benitoite Gem Mine. Tiny
grains in Eocene sands have been found in South West Texas and in sands in the Owithe Valley in Belgium.
Benitoite and associated minerals are found in fractured serpentine rock and were most likely deposited by hydrothermal action. Associated minerals are Natrolite, Serpentine and Neptunite. The photo below is blue Benitoite
on white Natrolite, from the Dallas Gem Mine, San Benito Co., CA.
Benitoite is in the hexagonal crystal system. The typical habit is a flattened, six faced di-pyramidal crystal. Di-
pyramidal is two pyramids back to back. The color is typically blue but it can occur in a wide range of colors such as heliotrope, purple, pink, white and colorless. Streak is white. Hardness is 6 to 6.5. Specific Gravity is 3.64 to 3.68.
Cleavage is indistinct. Fracture is conchoidal or uneven. Under short wave UV radiation Benitoite fluoresces a bright
deep sky blue. Some Benitoite crystals are blue, ranging into white. The white areas sometimes fluoresce pink-red under long wave UV light.
Benitoite takes its name from San Benito County, CA were it was discovered.
It is the California state gem stone, and Serpentine is the state rock Photo downloaded from Wikipedia. The following reference materials were used in preparing this article: A Field Guide to Rocks And Minerals by Frederick H. Pough.
Gemstones Of The World by Walter Schumann.
Mineralogy For Amateurs by John Sinkankus.
Simon & Schusters Guide to Rocks And Minerals.
Amethyst Galleries Mineral Gallery on the Internet at http://mineral.galleries.com.
California Geological Survey Note 11: Benitoite California State Gem
California Geological Survey Note 14: Serpentine California State Rock+.
The California Geological Survey Notes were found at http://www.conservation.ca.gov
California Geological Survey Note 11: Benitoite California State Gem
Borrowed with permission from Canaveral Moonstone = Mar2012 edition
December 2012 ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS Page 5
Amazonite: A Rare Colorado Mineral (or not?) by Bob Carnein, Lake George (CO) Gem & Mineral Society
Most mineral collectors are familiar with the blue-green feldspar commonly called amazonite (or amazonstone).
Central Colorado supplies some of the best examples known, in terms of size, color, and aesthetics, and is especially
famous for combination specimens with dark brown or black smoky quartz and white albite. Some collectors even
believe that Colorado is one of only a handful of localities.
Mineralogists do not consider amazonite to be a separate mineral. Rather, it is a color variety of microcline
feldspar, much as ruby or sapphire are varieties of corundum. Microcline is a common potassium (K) feldspar
whose composition is given by the general formula KAlSi3O8. It is especially common in silica-rich intrusive igneous
rocks (e.g. granites) that occur world-wide. The K-feldspars include a number of minerals (e.g. orthoclase,
microcline, and sanidine) that differ from each other in crystallography, chemistry, and mode of occurrence.
Although they are usually thought of as minerals of igneous rocks, orthoclase and microcline commonly occur in
metamorphic rocks (e.g. schist, gneiss) and sedimentary rocks (arkosic sandstone and conglomerate). Their colors
vary widely, and the beginning mineral collector often has a hard time recognizing them. Even professional
mineralogists may have trouble without the aid of thin sections or other analytical tools.
There are a few things the mineral collector can use to identify the common K-feldspars. If you find a light colored
volcanic rock that has squarish, sparkly (because of cleavage), colorless , transparent crystals surrounded by fine
grained material, the crystals are likely to be sanidine, a K-feldspar that is confined to silica-rich volcanic rocks and
shallow intrusive bodies (dikes, sills). For example, in central Colorado, you will find sanidine in the Wall Mountain
Tuff, exposed around the margins of the Florissant lake beds. Be aware that sanidine can be confused with
plagioclase feldspar, which differs from it in that plagioclase may exhibit striations (fine parallel scratches or
grooves) on cleavage surfaces. (These commonly can be seen with low power—10X—magnification.)
Microcline often can be identified by the presence of alternating lighter and darker "stripes" that may be visible
with the naked eye or with low power magnification. The stripes are actually alternating layers of the two minerals
microcline and albite that separated from each other as the crystal cooled. The resulting intergrowth is called
perthite if microcline dominates, or antiperthite if albite dominates. Most amazonite is really microcline perthite,
and the fine stripes of lighter colored albite commonly are clearly visible within an amazonite crystal. The same is
December 2012 ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS Page 6 true of "common" microcline, which is often reddish or pinkish in color with lighter stripes of albite. This can often
be seen in the Pikes Peak Granite.
This brings us to the subject of how amazonite differs from "common" microcline. The obvious distinction has to do
with color. Amazonite comes in various shades of blue and green, while "common" microcline may be white, gray,
pink, rusty red, or yellowish in color. Many mineralogists have studied the source of amazonite's color, and the
28 Jan ‘13 Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 25 Feb ‘13 Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 25 Mar ‘13- Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 22 Apr ‘13- Annual Rock Auction Fund Raiser, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 27 May ‘13- Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 22 Jun ‘13- Picnic - tentative date, location to be determined 22 Jul ‘13- Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 27 May ‘13- Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 27 May ‘13- Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 27 May ‘13- Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm
Rocket City Rocks & Gems Bill Friday, Editor
2508 Excalibur Dr.
Huntsville, AL 35803
HGMS December 2012
Deadline for the next Newsletter will be 16 January 2012