Kerry Day - Ottawa Lapsmith & Mineral Clubolmc.ca/news/dec17.pdf · synthetic cubic zirconia due to similar names and shared use as diamond simulants. Few people realize that zircon

The Cutting Edge

Monthly Newsletter of the Ottawa Lapsmith and Mineral Club

In the month of December three more donations came in from former club members and others. Norma Saunders donated a small pile of stones left over from her brother-in-law's jewellery store. Harold Fireman donated the remains of his Silver-working shop and Roland Boulanger donated the mineral collection he assembled pre1991.

We will have a significant amount of stuff in our January auction (January 11) including two saws. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate.

At this month's Christmas party there will be prizes to everyone who shows up, in addition to the raffle items.

Last month Phil Belley attracted over 40 attendees for his Nov 23 talk. Well done Phil!

Our hallway coat rack developed legs and walked away. We will try to find a replacement.

As we wind down the year there are no outstanding issues that the executive is aware of.

I forward yet another reminder that the club runs on volunteers and more help is always needed.

Have good Festivities!

Kerry Day

In this month’s Newsletter: President’s Message p. 1 No OLMC General Meeting,

& No MiG Meeting CHRISTMAS PARTY! p. 2 New MiG Coordinator p. 2 Saint-Leonard Cave p. 3 This is Niobium p. 4 December Birthstones p. 6 OLMC Classified p. 8 Workshop calendar p. 9 Membership form p. 10

Workshop Address: 1000 Brookfield Road, Ottawa Mailing Address: Room #22, 1000 Brookfield Road Ottawa, ON K1V 6J1 Phone: 613-700-GEMS (4367) Website: http://www.olmc.ca Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ OttawaLapsmithMineralClub

Newsletter Editor: All members are invited to submit articles, proposals, or any thoughts that could be included in the newsletters. Also, feel free to send your Classified ads by e-mail to: [email protected]

Stéphane Jetté, OLMC Newsletter Editor

http://www.olmc.ca/

http://www.facebook.com/OttawaLapsmithMineralClub


mailto:[email protected]

OLMC’s monthly newsletter – December 2017 Page 2

Saturday, December 16th Wabano Centre ‘Earth’ Room 299 Montreal Rd, Vanier http://wabano.com

Doors open at 5:00 PM Pot Luck dinner starting at 6:00 PM!

There is ample on-street parking in the area and a parking lot across the road from the Jean Coutu pharmacy at 262 Montreal Rd.

We won`t have access to a full kitchen - only a microwave, water and electrical outlets, so please plan your pot luck dish accordingly. The Club will provide free wine and soft drinks.

The raffle ticket are for sale at the workshop!

The raffle rocks are in display at the workshop →

If you would like to help setting the Christmas Party, feel free to share your thoughts with me!

John Skelton, [email protected]

Hello to all, I am now the new Mineralogy Group (MiG) coordinator!

There is no MiG meeting for this month; however, we have tentatively scheduled Paula Pillonen, researcher at the museum, to speak at the January meeting – it is to be confirmed.

John Biczok is hosting a Christmas Party for MIG members at his home, and we can take this occasion to share our thoughts about all our coming meetings! Note that we are also OLMC members, and the official Christmas Party is open for all!

Have a great time! John Montgomery, [email protected]

http://wabano.com/




Extracts from: http://www.375mtl.com/en/2-minutes-of-history-the-saint-leonard-cavern http://www.lapresse.ca 2017-12-01 Did you know that there’s a cave right in the heart of Saint-Leonard, in Montréal?

It’s rare to find a speleological site in the middle of any big city; those that exist in Quebec are becoming less and less accessible as time goes on; however, the cavern that lies in Saint-Leonard’s Parc Pie XII allows visitors to wonder at geological mysteries dating all the way back to the ice age, without even leaving the city.

Technically speaking, the Saint-Léonard Cave is not a cavern! It is made of limestone, but not from the dissolution of limestone by water like a cavern. Saint-Léonard Cave is glaciotectonic in origin. The cavern formed as a result of a fissure in rock caused by passing glaciers about 10,000 years ago.

Despite the cave’s young age, the Speleological Society of Quebec’s website claims that calcified fossils have been found on the site that are believed to be over 450 million years old! Imprints of seashells and corals are most commonly spotted in the space.

The first mention of the site appeared in a newspaper called the Spectator back in 1815 – curious Montrealers have been flocking to the spot to discover it for themselves ever since. In 1980, over a century later, the cave’s entrance and nearby grove would be declared an official cave site. In 1988, the Communauté Urbaine de Montreal deems the Saint-Leonard Cavern a historical site, taking measures to preserve and protect it.

In August, 2016, the Speleological Society of Quebec studied the deepest fissure at the end of the cave with an endoscopic camera. They discovered that the cave goes much further.

http://www.375mtl.com/en/2-minutes-of-history-the-saint-leonard-cavern

http://www.lapresse.ca/


They just released the information that they finally explored the 200 meters of caves, stalactites, crystal clear water, and calcite formation of this newly discovered section!

Extracts from: http://minesqc.com and http://aisphysicalscience.pbworks.com

It’s said that niobium is a strategic metal, and that it is the strength behind modern steel. Why is that?

Niobium is considered a strategic metal because the operations of a good number of industries depends on it. It allows a few players to reduce their environmental footprint. Finally, production depends upon a limited number of sites on the planet.

When niobium is used as a steel alloy, it makes the steel lighter, more resistant and non-corrosive. It’s not surprising, then, that it is an essential component in materials used by the construction and automobile industries, among others.

http://minesqc.com/

http://aisphysicalscience.pbworks.com/


The mining of niobium is constantly on the increase, thanks to the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) who are currently developing their infrastructures and whose automotive market is exploding. These aren’t the only industries who benefit from the major advantages of niobium: the field of high tech medicine needs it for the manufacture of cutting edge equipment.

USE

Niobium is a component of the stainless steel used, most notably, in the construction of nuclear reactors. It is also used by the arms industry in missile construction, and it reduces the weight of automobiles. A $9 CAD investment of niobium in the construction of a single automobile reduces its weight by 100 kg, which increases its energy efficiency by 5%. What’s more, thanks to its high resistance, niobium allows for the construction of more secure vehicles.

Several steel bridges contain niobium. By adding niobium, one diminishes the overall quantity of steel while gaining in lightness. The oil and gas industry is a big consumer of niobium, given that it is more reliable for preventing cracks in the pipelines which transport gas, liquids and solids. The aerospace industry uses niobium in the construction of rockets and satellites. The Apollo 11 rocket was composed of 60% niobium steel.

MINES

98% of niobium can be found in Canada and Brazil. Other sources included Australia, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi. The world’s reserves of niobium are estimated at 2.7 million tonnes.

In Canada, Niobec Mine exploits niobium deposits through an underground mine, making it unique. These deposits are found in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, 200 km north of Quebec City. Eight to ten percent of the world’s niobium production comes from this mine.

INTERESTING FACTS

Niobium doesn’t seem very glamourous, but don’t be fooled. The metal in your ring which seems like titanium may, in fact, be niobium. Jewelers like to use niobium because, much like gold, it can be forged cold with surprising results. Go online if you want to research this further: you’ll find images of jewellery made, in part, with niobium.


Extracts from: American Gem Society http://www.americangemsociety.org/en/birthstones and Geology.com: http://geology.com

December’s birthstones offer three ways to fight the winter blues: tanzanite, zircon and turquoise – all of them, appropriately, best known for beautiful shades of blue. These gems range from the oldest on earth (zircon), to one of the first mined and used in jewelry (turquoise), to one of the most recently discovered (tanzanite).

All of these stones are relatively inexpensive, but their beauty rivals even precious gems. Colorless zircon is a convincing replacement for diamond, tanzanite often substitutes sapphire, and turquoise is unmatched in its hue of robin’s egg blue.

Tanzanite is the exquisite blue variety of the mineral zoisite that is only found in one part of the world. Named for its limited geographic origin in Tanzania, tanzanite has quickly risen to popularity since its relatively recent discovery. Due to pleochroism, tanzanite can display different colors when viewed from different angles. Stones must be cut properly to highlight the more attractive blue and violet hues, and deemphasize the undesirable brown tones.

The majority of tanzanite on the market today is heat treated to minimize the brown colors found naturally, and to enhance the blue shades that can rival sapphire.

Tanzanite is still only found on a few square miles of land in Tanzania, near majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. Its price and availability are directly tied to mines in this region. Tanzanite measures 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness – which is not nearly as hard as the sapphire it often substitutes. Given its vulnerability to scratch during daily wear and abrasion, tanzanite is better suited for earrings and pendants than rings.

http://www.americangemsociety.org/en/birthstones

http://geology.com/


Zircon is an underrated gem that’s often confused with synthetic cubic zirconia due to similar names and shared use as diamond simulants. Few people realize that zircon is a spectacular natural gem available in a variety of colors.

Zircon commonly occurs brownish red, which can be popular for its earth tones. However, most gem-quality stones are heat treated until colorless, gold or blue (the most popular color). Blue zircon, in particular, is the alternative birthstone for December.

Color differences in zircon are caused by impurities, some of which (like uranium) can be slightly radioactive. These gems are also treated with heat to stabilize the radioactivity. While radiation can break down zircon’s crystal structure, it plays a crucial role in radiometric dating. Zircon, the oldest mineral on earth, contains important clues about the formation of our planet.

Colorless zircon, known as Matura Diamond, displays brilliance and flashes of multicolored “fire” that can rival fine diamond. There’s one key difference though: Zircon is more brittle. Though it measures 7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness, its faceted edges can chip.

Zircon from Australia dates back 4.4 billion years. Australia still leads the world in zircon mining, producing 37 percent of the world’s supply. Other sources include Thailand, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Cambodia, Canada and the United States.

Turquoise is known for its distinct color, which ranges from powdery blue to greenish robin’s egg blue. It’s one of few minerals to lend its name to anything that resembles its striking color.

The U.S. is now the world’s largest turquoise supplier. Nevada, New Mexico, California and Colorado have produced turquoise, but Arizona leads in production by value, as well as quality. The stone’s popularity makes it a staple in Native American jewelry.

Turquoise is found in arid regions where rainwater dissolves copper in the soil, forming colorful nodular deposits when it combines with aluminum and phosphorus. Copper contributes blue hues, while iron and chrome add a hint of green. Some turquoise contains pieces of host rock, called matrix, which appear as dark webs or patches in the material. This can lower the stone’s value, although the uniform “spiderweb” pattern of Southwestern turquoise is attractive.

Turquoise is sensitive to direct sunlight and solvents like makeup, perfume and natural oils. The hardest turquoise only measures 6 on the Mohs scale, which made this soft stone popular in carved talismans throughout history.


SIMPLE CASTING AND METAL CLAY CLASS A combined class of silver metal clay and silver casting is proposed for Thursday evenings in January and February. Sign up at the club or phone Karl at 613 220-8729.

PRECIOUS CANTAINERS AND CHASING A combined class of making small silver containers about 2 inches high and 1 inch in diameter with a fancy lid or making a small project in silver using a chasing and repousse technique is planned for Thursday mornings starting at the end of January for 4 weeks. Sign up at the club or phone Karl at 613 220-8729.

COAT RACK We would need a coat rack for the Club. If you have one free or at cheap price, please let any supervisor know. Thanks!

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL Note that 2017 Membership expired by the end of January, 2018. Please renew your membership at the workshop or by using the form on page 10. Thanks!

NOTE Library procedure for borrowing books has changed: There is now a clipboard hung on the exterior of the cabinet where you can write your name the name of the book the date it's borrowed and returned. Thanks!


December 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 Lapidary 10am - 4pm

3 4 Carving 6:30pm-9pm

5 Lapidary 9am - 2pm

Silver Smiths 6:30pm - 9pm

6 Lapidary Noon - 9pm

7 OLMC No Meeting


10 11 Faceting 6:30pm-9pm




14 No Board Meeting

15 16 Lapidary 10am - 4pm Christmas Party!

17 18 MiG No Meeting




21 22 23 Workshop Closed

24 / 31 25 Workshop Closed Merry

Christmas!

26 Workshop Closed

27 Workshop Closed

28 29 30 Lapidary 10am - 4pm

January 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Workshop Closed

Happy New-year!



3 Lapidary 2pm - 9pm

4 5 6 Lapidary 10am - 4pm

7 8 Carving 6:30pm - 9pm




11 OLMC General Meeting 7:30pm-9pm


14 15 MiG meeting 7:30pm-9pm




18 Board Meeting 7pm- 9pm


21 22 Faceting 6:30pm-9pm




25


28 29 Carving 6:30pm-9pm




Contact: President Kerry Day [email protected] Vice-President Arnold Roos [email protected] Secretary John Skelton [email protected] Treasurer Rita Hudec [email protected] Workshop Chair Jean-Guy Bradette [email protected] Membership Chair Nathalie Bourget [email protected] Program Chair Russell Black [email protected] Newsletter Editor Stéphane Jetté [email protected]

We are on Facebook, join us! http://www.facebook.com/OttawaLapsmithMineralClub











Membership Application for the Year: 2018

New Membership Membership renewal

$20 Single (one individual) $30 Family (2 or more persons under the same residence)

$60 Annual workshop access fee (optional)

Name:

Address:

City:

Province:

Postal Code:

Tel.:

Please specify how you would like to receive OLMC’s newsletter:

By e-mail:

By mail

Do you need a receipt? Yes No

Administration use only:

Card provided: Yes No Supervisor signed: Yes No

Payments are payable to Ottawa Lapsmith and Mineral Club. Please mail your membership form and fees to: Ottawa Lapsmith and Mineral Club 1000 Brookfield Road, Room #22 Ottawa, ON, K1V 6J1 OLMC phone: 613-700-4367 Other services: • $25 Members’ Newsletter advertisement — half to a quarter pages per calendar year;

$55 Businesses’ Newsletter advertisement (advertising fee plus a business membership). • Locker Fee: $25 per year – depends on locker availability • Mandatory Workshop Course for Making Cabochons:

$55 - required for all members who want to use the workshop machinery.

Questions? Please contact us by phone or email [email protected] for details.


Documents

Kerry Day - Ottawa Lapsmith & Mineral Clubolmc.ca/news/dec17.pdf · synthetic cubic zirconia due to similar names and shared use as diamond simulants. Few people realize that zircon