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The Georgia Mineral Society *Atlanta, Georgia* Volume MMXIII/Twelve December 2013
Christmas Party “General Meeting”
Monday, December 2, 2013
7:00 pm GMS Building
We will begin with a
covered dish dinner. GMS will supply trays of
sliced meat, ice, drinks, and paper products.
You bring the goodies!! There will be a very
brief business meeting followed by a gift exchange. Please bring
hobby related gifts valued under $2500.
Please label them male, female, or either. If you wish to receive a gift, please bring a
gift.
This is always a fun and social event. Please try to attend. It is a great way to
get to know us if you do not come on a regular basis.
Kim Cochran
Special Events
President’s Message for December
The Holidays are usually fun and exciting but occasionally, some people get
depressed this time of year. If you see someone who needs an extra hug, please
give ‘em one!
Our Holiday Party will be December 2nd at the GMS building. Please bring food to
share and a geology related present or two. Kim Cochran will have more about
this in his Special Events column. My first meeting as GMS President is now
just a memory. Unfortunately my memory failed me and I forgot to thank Tom and
Linda Batcha for the wonderful refreshments they brought. I know that
Carl Z and Richard G also contributed. Thank you all for your time and culinary
talents! 2014 is just around the corner. Let’s all be
optimistic and think good thoughts for the
coming year.
Anita Westlake, GMS President
Tips and Trips
Announcements for educational publications, continuing education classes, and shows or exhibits are provided in Tips and Trips as a service to GMS members. Appearance of the above in Tips and Trips does not constitute an endorsement by GMS.
President Anita Westlake
Executive Vice President/Membership
Ron Holt 4138 Steve Reynolds Blvd. Norcross, GA. 30093-3059 [email protected]
Vice President –Programs Carl Ziglin
Secretary Mary Porter
196 High Creek Drive Roswell, GA 30076
770.317.2158 [email protected]
Treasurer Mary Gurney
1814 Wilson Wynd Way Lawrenceville, GA 30043
678.985.9129 [email protected]
Correspondence Secretary Kristen Blackwelder
Facilities Chair Elizabeth Lamb 404.542.2044
Field Trip Chair Charles Carter
Fossil Section Chair Gail Leadingham
4138 Steve Reynolds Blvd. Norcross, GA. 30093-3059
Gem Section Chair Phil Herren
615-869-9997
Junior Section Chair Open
Micromount Section Chair Dave Babulski
2677 Colony Circle Snellville, GA 30078
404.405.0635 [email protected]
Mineral Section Chair Tom Batcha
2300 Oakland Chase ct Lawrenceville,GA 30044
678-407-4224 [email protected]
Sand Section Chair Lori Carter
Tips & Trips Editor Roxanne Lopez
2550 Cumberland Blvd. apt 504 Smyrna, GA 30080
678-491-0489 [email protected]
Webmaster Jim Flora
P.O. Box 605 Hiawassee, GA 30546
706.896.8040 [email protected]
Education Chair Bill Waggener
1909 Moores Mill Road Atlanta, Georgia 30318
404.354.8752 [email protected]
Immediate Past President Bill Waggener
1909 Moores Mill Road Atlanta, Georgia 30318
404.354.8752
Trustee to 2013 Martha Brown
4837 Greenway Road Norcross, GA 30071
770.448.0876
Trustee to 2014 Kim Cochran
2695 Van Court Snellville, GA 30278
770.979.8331
May Show Chair
Shelly Stubbs
Trustee to 2015 Carl Ziglin
The Georgia Mineral Society on the Internet: http://www.gamineral.org
E-mail Early Notification Program: A field trip and club news update service. To join, members are requested to send in their current e-mail address to:
GENERAL MEETINGS General meetings are held on the first Monday of each month. In the event that the first Monday is a holiday, the meeting will be held on the third Monday of the month. General meetings are held at the Georgia Mineral Society Building in Norcross, Ga. Any deviations from the above schedule will be announced in Tips and Trips.
The article submittal due date for the January 2014 newsletter is
December 15, 2013.
May Show Committee Chairs
Show Chair Shelly Stubbs
Dealer Chair Lawrence Parker 404.213.9727
Exhibits Martha Brown 770.448.0876
Demonstrations Anita Westlake 404.761.7849
Hospitality Richard Graveline 770.972.8714
Treasurer Open for Volunteer
Advertising Open for Volunteer
Dealer Dinner Roxanne Lopez 678.491.0489
Database Mary Porter 770.998.1018
Auction Kim Cochran 770.979.8331
Set Up/Take Down
Open for Volunteers
Page 2 Tips and Trips
The Georgia Mineral Society December 2013
The Georgia Mineral Society, Inc. A Non-Profit Educational Organization
Seventy Years of Tradition Objective and Purpose
To Educate the Youth of the State and the Members of this Society
In the Field of Earth Science
AFMS Education - All American Club 2003
Committee Chairs
Adopt-A-Highway
Casey Sosebee 706.635.3246
Awards Open for Volunteers
Carpool Cheryl Dalton carpool@gamineral
.org
Curator/Gem Box
Kim Cochran 770.979.8331
Historian Roxanne Lopez 678.491.0489
Hospitality Shirley Parker 404.906.3763
Librarian Anita Westlake 404.761.7849
Parliamentarian Open for Volunteer
Refreshments Shelley Stubbs [email protected]
Special Events Kim Cochran 770.979.8331
Sunshine Susan Filak 404-634-6931
Telephone Frankie Burks 770.978.2117
SFMS Rep. Open for Volunteer
Tips and Trips Page 3
December 2013 The Georgia Mineral Society
Sunshine News
Season's Greetings Fellow Rockhounds ! I hope everyone had a relaxing and lovely Thanksgiving holiday. I'm sorry to report that Nedra Palmer passed away on June 18, 2013. Her husband, Dick, reported that she lost her 6 year struggle with ovarian cancer. Dick said she is survived by their 3 children, 7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Dick and Nedra were GMS members for 10-15 years, and had also been members of the Lanier Area Club before joining GMS. They were most active in Field Trips, and joined GMS on 3-4 trips a year. They were attending Field Trips up until September 2012, and the last trip they made was to the Quarry at Summerville in 2012. Dick said they also enjoyed coming to our Annual GMS Picnic. [An aside: Dick suggested any woman with persistent abdominal pain get an ultrasound exam.] Our sympathy and condolences to the Palmer Family and Friends. You are in our thoughts and prayers. I hope to see everyone at The Annual GMS Party in December. Until then.... Please send any news or information you would like to share with other club members to my email, or phone me at 404-634-6931. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you. Stay warm. Be well. Blessings of the Season To You ! Susan Filak
Mineral Section There will not be a meeting in December. Our next meeting will be Wednesday January 15th at the GMS building. Everyone have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. See you in 2014. Tom Batcha Mineral Section Chair
Fossil Section The fossil section of GMS met at my house on Nov. 11th. I am downsizing my fossil collection and giving away lots of fossils. There are plenty left and I am opening the collection to any member of GMS or any teacher that would like to start a collection. Children are welcome. There is lots of variety and this is a perfect way to get started. Give me a call and we can select a time for you to come. There will be no meeting in December. Gail Leadingham 770-979-9746
Gem Section
The Gem Section will make cold connection earrings using wire and tube for the December 30
th meeting. Join us and participate or just
watch as we saw, hammer and bend non-ferrous metals to create the earrings in the image. Required tools: Jeweler’s pliers & flush cutter Jeweler’s saw Saw blades Jewelry saw jig tool Anvil bench pin Chasing hammer Materials: Brass tube Copper tube 28 ga brass wire 20 ga brass wire 2 freshwater pearls 6-3mm beads Thanks Phil Herren
The Georgia Mineral Society December 2013
Page 4 Tips and Trips
Sand Section We had a lively November meeting as we stuffed gobs of goodies into the SandFest conference bags. Thank you to everyone who helped. It was a lot of work but we were rewarded with some sand from the Gobi Desert donated by Linda Coheleach! There are many more sands donated by other GMS members we did not get to, but that just means we have plenty to look forward to next year. December is our chance to relax after SandFest. We will celebrate a full year of Sand Section. And what a year it was! From the first meeting at Olga’s house almost 2 years ago to becoming an official section to co-hosting an international conference – here we are and it is still as much fun as it was that first day. So bring some sand to trade, bag up some sand others are sharing, and enjoy some holiday treats! Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2013 Time: 7:30 Location: GMS Building Topic: Holiday Party Trading: Anything you have :o) Lori Carter Sand Section Chair [email protected]
Adopt-a-Highway Report!
The day started off very cold, but with lots of sunshine beaming down it turned out to be a very nice warm day! Also very nice was having 15 members of stout heart take on the task of making Ball Ground a little cleaner! We removed 19 bags of trash from the roadside! I thank each and every one of you for your hard work. You did a great job! There were no fantastic finds of useable items this pick-up. Are the days of finding hand tools and bowling balls over? Well, maybe no more bowling balls! But tools? Maybe? After door prizes were chosen we chose to have lunch at Two Brothers BBQ. After lunch, special thanks to Charles Carter, we collected Staurolite by the roadside a short distance from Ball Ground. I had to leave before everyone was through but I think Tom Batcha had the find of the day with a beauty of a 90 degree cross! The next trash pickup will be on the Saturday before Easter, 2014. Hope you can make it! Casey Sosebee.
December 2013 The Georgia Mineral Society
Tips and Trips Page 5
NO GMS FIELD TRIP For December
Time, temperature, and too much work mean no field trip
for December. Enjoy the holidays! Charles Carter, GMS Field Trip Chair email: [email protected]
Gem Section Information Pat Brown demonstrated making
a wire wrap ring using silver-fill
wire for the October Gem
Section Meeting. The ring will
be put on display in the display
case at the GMS Building for all
to view and enjoy.
October Field Trip
Report
Clarkesville, GA
By Lori Carter
Many thanks to Jim Haege
and Wayne Dodd for
scouting this location! Jim and Charles started us off
with a quick talk about where we could go and what
we could do. Mostly, stay away from the electrified
fences!
After arrived at the location, the property owners
asked us to pose for a picture, then we pounced on the
kyanite which was everywhere! Most people started
along the drip line of some chicken houses and
immediately began filling up their baggies.
Then we migrated to a wooded area where clusters of
kyanite were readily available on the surface and with
a little digging (everyone filled their holes afterwards).
Several very nice specimens were found. Linda
Batcha found one of the best pieces all day without
any digging at all! Mickey McClain found several
great pieces (of course) as did Tom Bates.
All of the kids on the trip found lots of kyanite as well
as lots of fun. Little Eli found a woolly bear caterpillar
and his older brothers Nick and Matthew did too.
They also found where
some small creatures
had stored some
supplies for the winter.
At first they suspected
leprechauns but later
concluded it must be
gnomes, so they built a
new storage area and a slide for the elusive little
creatures. Jeremiah discovered a perfect climbing tree
and several new friends.
The animals there are so beautiful we had as much fun
seeing them as we did collecting kyanite. Some cute
little mushrooms were in the woods (where the
gnomes live) and
there were some
pretty flowers all
around too. We even
had a gigantic spider
make a pre-
Halloween
appearance for us!
The weather was cool
and comfortable and
the collecting super
easy, so it was
another great trip!
The Georgia Mineral Society December 2013
Page 6 Tips and Trips
NO DMC FIELD TRIP FOR
DECEMBER 2013
CCGMS Field Trip Team December Trip
Pegmatite in La Grange, GA December 14, 2013: 10 am New site, you must sign up, the trip is
limited to 20 participants
Collecting: Quartz: rose, smoky and clear quartz, (some faceting grade) good sized tourmaline crystals (both loose and embedded in smoky quartz), and mica books. This is an area known for aquamarine, we haven’t been on the property long enough to ascertain if it is present at this locality. You will be parking right in the collecting area, and will not be more than 50 yards from the cars. Meet: At 10 am at McDonald’s Fast Food on Whitesville Rd. at I-85 Exit # 13 in La Grange. We will go to the collecting site as a group. Tools: Most of the specimens are scattered in the loose soil. Rock hammers, sledge hammers and chisels if you want to break the larger boulders, screens to sift for crystals in the soil, a bucket, and a spray bottle to remove the soil coating found on many specimens. Children & Dogs: Children should be eight or older; this is a safe, mostly level site, without any dangerous walls or pits, and no traffic. The site is
good for all age and skill levels. Dogs must be kept on a leash. Directions: From Atlanta, take I-85 south to the town of La Grange, which is 10 miles from the Alabama State line. In La Grange take Exit 13 off I-85, on to GA 219 which is Whitesville Rd. Turn right (north) to enter McDonalds drive way.
CCGMS Field Trip Team Leader: Dion Stewart. Please send an email to reserve you place on this trip to CCGMS Field Trip Coordinator Toby Stewart at [email protected] or call 678-417-1786. This trip will fill quickly, you need to reserve you spot early!
Membership
Please welcome the following new members to GMS! Adams, Norma McDonough, GA Adams, Larry McDonough, GA Hall, Colleen Anne Linden, VA Hall, James Irving Linden, VA Johnson, Catherine McDonough, GA Johnson. Paul McDonough, GA Kubilius, Walt Aiken. SC Wallis, Kathleen Aiken, SC McCormick, Mary Dayle Lawrenceville, GA McCormick, Hugh Lawrenceville, GA Sanders, Sharon Ellijay, GA Sanders, George Ellijay, GA Skutar, Matthew Winder, GA Skutar, Kateryna Winder, GA
December 2013 The Georgia Mineral Society
Tips and Trips Page 7
Monthly Membership Message Happy Birthday to these December Birthday
Folks Jeff Anderson
Ben Arnett Emma Arnett Brenda Atkins
Jerry M. Bartenfeld Kristin Blackwelder Maria T. Buznego
Naomi Cohen Marie Daum Mary M. Dow John Endress
Donna Jean Erler Rosina Everitte Mark Fenoglio
Jennifer Gifford Miranda Gore
Lorrie Harris Hannah Heetderks
Jennifer Hefner Brad J. Herbert
Jean Marie Herbert Jim Huggins
Kimberly Kimbrough Al Klatt, Jr.
Dorothy E. Kraft George Lamb Larry Landry Anita Leasure Russell Love
Robert S. McDivitt, SGM Burke Mitchell Marc Mueller
Fernando R Munoz, Jr. Wyatt Nichols Tom Padgett
Doona Pause Leslie Perry
George Prince Debra Rhiver
Mildred Roberts Thomas Seal Stephen Sisk Marc Stahl
Dion C. Stewart James L. Stoops
Chrissy Streeter Ed Taylor
Jennifer Tweed Celesta Waggener Bonney Weathers
Terry White Christopher Wilson
James Wilson Anthony Winchester
Image of Distinction
2013 Photomicrography Competition
Julian Gray
Tellus Science Museum
Cartersville, Georgia
The results of judging for the 2013 Nikon Small World Competition were announced today. One of Julian Gray’s photographs won an “Image of Distinction” award. This is in the top 100 out of 2000 in this international contest. All winning photos can be seen at the Nikon Web site: http://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/photo/2013-photomicrography-competition You can check out the photo here or at: http://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/entry/2013-photomicrography-competition/56 Subject Matter: Vauxite mineral crystal cluster
(50x)
Technique: Reflected Light, Image Stacking
Click on ‘Tellus Science Museum’ and you can
see all (one) winning images from Tellus
Museum! The top 20 images will be on exhibit at
Tellus from January 17, 2014 through April 4,
2014. I will ask if we can not exhibit the
disgusting image of the spider with a parasite
wasp larvae – yuck! (That’s why I didn’t go into
biology.) Tour info at: http://
www.nikonsmallworld.com/tour
The Georgia Mineral Society December 2013
Page 8 Tips and Trips
More Bench Tips
By Brad Smith
MINI DRILL PRESS If you find yourself drilling a number of small holes for your work, you might want to look at the small, inexpensive drill presses now available. They take up just minimal space on your bench and are always ready to give you nice straight holes. Some models even have a variable speed control. I've been very pleased with a low-priced one that's been well-used in my classes for over a year. Because these machines are only a foot high, they're limited as to the size of workpieces that can fit into the machine and the size of the drill bits you can use. But I've had no problems with drill bits up to about 3/16" (4.5mm), even drilling steel. The machines are sold by a number of
companies. If you do get one, be sure to buy a
spare belt because they are generally not
available at local hardware stores.
_____ Like these Bench Tips? Treat yourself to the book for Christmas! ____ LASER WELDING A question came up this week about how to solder some jump rings to hold blue topaz briolettes onto a necklace. We've all heard about ways to do some soldering close to a stone, and some of us have sized a ring without taking the stones out of their mounts. We've used wet paper towels, garnet sand, cooling gels, and my favorite
of suspending the stone in a dish of water. All techniques bank on the principal of using a small, hot flame to do the job quickly before the stone gets hot enough to crack or change color.
But each job is somewhat of a gamble. Some stones are hardy and some are frail.
Jades and jaspers will generally take a lot of heat, but I'd never chance it with the likes of topaz or opal. Trying to shield a stone from the torch is always a betting game, and sometimes you lose. If you're worried about soldering something close to a stone, perhaps it's time to consider a no-heat method like laser welding. Most jewelry stores have laser welders these days, and the cost of having it done is quite affordable. They used to have problems doing silver, but now seem to do it routinely. I've used a local shop twice in the last year, once for a piece with little emeralds a "friend" asked me to repair and for a second piece where I needed a safety catch and didn't want the torch heat to expose all the solder lines again.
More Bench Tips by Brad Smith are at facebook.com/BenchTips/ or search for "Bench Tips for Jewelry Making" on Amazon
HELPFUL HINTS via The Arkansas Rockhound News 01/11 Manual Car washes are good places to clean large rock specimens that are not fragile. The hard spray cleans all nooks and crannies. via Broccia 10/97 Before grinding and sanding cabochons, put cold cream on your hands and rub them until they are dry. This fills the pores and cracks in your fingers.
Tips and Trips Page 9
December 2013 The Georgia Mineral Society
When grinding, sawing, or sanding is completed, the dirt can be washed off easily. Good idea for painting also. Gemstar via Breccia 10/97 From Napa Gems 12/97 via Beehive Buzzer 1/98 Clean obsidian needles by washing in Castile soap using a toothbrush to get the clay off. Never put obsidian in detergent, as it leaves a white film which is difficult to remove. To remove stains, soak in oxalic acid and then wash well.
Trouble polishing peridot? Try a drop or two of lemon juice or vinegar - it will speed things up. Wash and rinse your laps and other tools with plain water when finished polishing.
(Both hints above from Breccia 6/97, via T-Town 9/97) If you drop a stone on the floor and can't see it, put some pantyhose on the end of a vacumn hose, and turn it on. (Linda Felker, Conglomerate 7/97 via Nodule Nocker 9/'97) One of the least known methods of finding mineral specimens is also on of the easiest and many times one of the most Productive. It consists of inspecting and testing the materials which ants, gophers, prairie dogs, moles, etc. bring to the surface. Some ants tunnel down to 15 feet and spread over more than an acre. Excellent gemstones, especially red gemstones, have been found in anthills. (From Staurolite 6/97 via Rock Chips 9/97) A gram of gold can be beaten into a leaf .0000033” thick that will cover six square feet. (From Gem & Mineral 9/59 via Green Valley Rocker 9/97 via The Burro Express 10/97) To remove clay and ferrous oxide from the surface of petrified wood, use MR. CLEAN. (Do
not use oxalic acid as it darkens the specimen.) (From Scott Shrader 2/24/98 on the Internet at [email protected] via [email protected] via T-Town Rockhound 4/98 Polishing Guide by Carl Childers Cerium Oxide on Felt: from the Rockytier 6/2005, via SCFMS Newsletter 7–8/2005 Use approximately 30 ml dry cerium with enough water to make a slurry. Stir with a stick, and apply to wet pad. Polish your stone. Try different speeds, but fast is not necessary. If the pad dries out, spritz with a water bottle so that the polish does not ball up on your stone. Two to four minutes should suffice. Heat Treating Agates: from Golden SpikeNews7/2004, via Huntin’ & Diggin’ 7/2005 and SCFMS Newsletter 7–8/2005 Some agates respond well to heat treating to restore colors. For example, many Lake Superior agates have lost their vivid reds and oranges. The structures are intact, but the color has faded to almost uniform light tans and browns. Heating them restores much of their original vibrancy. Some other stones that especially benefit are the Brazilian agate and carnelian. To treat, place a layer of clean sand or kitty litter 1/2 inch deep in a Pyrex™ dish. Place a layer of rocks (slabs) in the dish. Cover thinly with sand or kitty litter. Repeat until all rocks are used. Place in oven at lowest setting (150 degrees) for two hours. This drives out the moisture that could cause the stones to explode. Then raise the temperature 50 degrees every 1/2 hour until 500 degrees is reached. Leave on for two hours at 500°, then turn off the oven to let cool—preferably overnight... NO PEEKING! Allow container to cool completely to room temperature before opening the oven door. This process takes approximately 10 hours.
The Georgia Mineral Society December 2013
Page 10 Tips and Trips
Safety Report Safe Safety SAFETY
by George Browne, SCFMS Safety Chair from SCFMS Newsletter 7–8/2005 Causes: What causes us to do the often dumb
and sometimes stupid things that may result in property damage, injury and “heaven forbid” fatalities? Well, unfortunately there is no single cause
because if there were, we could correct it and we would all be safe. In the real world, there are numerous causes which singularly or collectively contribute to our problem. Perhaps if we can identify some of them, we can eliminate them and increase our chances of being safe. The following is not a compete list. I’m sure you can think of additional items—and that is good. The purpose of this article is to make you think—safety–Safety–SAFETY. Knowledge: I think most rockhounds know how to be safe. It is your responsibility to be aware of the hazards associated with your equipment and the materials you handle. It’s just dumb to get hurt because you didn’t read the instructions. Apathy, Arrogance: Why do you think you are immune from injury? Perhaps if you thought about the bad consequence you would change your attitude. To become blind or lose a hand because you didn’t care or because you wanted to show how daring you are is absolutely stupid. Carelessness, Inattention: These are the most common causes of injury. You must be aware of what you are doing and how you are doing it. Pay attention, be aware, use caution. Keep your head in the game. A little carelessness can result in a lifetime of permanent disability. Awareness: Know your surroundings, avoid dangerous areas, be alert for danger. You must
admit it’s just dumb to pick up a piece of metal that you just heated with a torch. These are just a
few of the causes. The important thing is to constantly think about safety. Most injuries are caused by dumb acts. Before you do anything, determine if it is safe. Be sure you have the proper equipment. Develop a safety attitude, keep alert, and
practice safety until it becomes routine. Our hobby is much more enjoyable when it doesn’t hurt! Safety is your job—do it! Be safe, and develop a safety attitude! SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT!
Gypsum, also known as hydrated calcium sulfate, is a mineral that can be commonly found in marine evaporites, and in Permian and Triassic sedimentary formations. It can also be found in saline lakes, shale, limestone, dolomitic limestone, sedimentary rocks, hot springs, and some caves, where the air is dry enough to facilitate the deposition of this mineral. Fumarole fields are another place where gypsum can be found. A fumarole is basically an opening on Earth's surface through which steam and volcanic gases come out. Gypsum is an important constituent of cap rock, an anhydrite-gypsum rock formation. Though gypsum deposits can be found in several countries, its largest producers are, the United States, France, Italy, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain. In the United States, gypsum mainly occurs in New York, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Nevada, and California. Below here is a brief discussion on the uses and physical properties of gypsum, as well as how this mineral is formed in nature.
Did you know? The famous White Sands National Monument in New Mexico is actually a bed of gypsum crystals.
Tips and Trips Page 11
December 2013 The Georgia Mineral Society
SandFest (Preliminary) Report
By Lori Carter There were so many activities, outstanding presentations filled with stunning images and fascinating information, exciting field trips, super fun and informative workshops, lively discussion forums, a frenetic Family Science Night, sand trading that was like sand section on steroids – so many things I can’t begin to explain how wonderful it was. When I catch my breath I will write a proper report, but for now I’ll just say we arrived without knowing what to expect and we left with lots of little baggies of sand, great memories, and the best thing – many new friends.
Education Report
GMS continues to share earth science with students and adults. Leslie Perry spoke to a group about fossils. Anita Westlake shared meteorites with one group and fossils with Conley Hills ES 3rd graders. Anita also presented "Sand Containers" with Sandfest. Bill Waggener worked with Anita at Conley Hills ES and presented fossils to 7th graders at Fulton Science Academy. He also presented "Rocks and Minerals in the Home" to Family Science Night at Holmes ES. Bill presented rocks, minerals, and mining for Mount Vernon Presbyterian School 7th graders. He presented rocks, minerals, and fossils to 3rd graders at Berkeley Lake ES.
SandFest enjoyed the presentations and articles of Julian Gray, Thom Hopen, Bob Jarrett, Lori Carter, Linda Batcha, Tom Batcha, Olga Jarrett, Mary Gurney, and Jose Santamaria. This has been a great month for education at GMS. Please share your contributions to our objective "..to educate the youth of the state and members of the Society in the field of earth science." Respectfully submitted, Bill Waggener, Education Chair
The Georgia Mineral Society December 2013
MICROMOUNT CORNER
BROCHANTITE
By: Dr. David Babulski
Greetings everyone from the micromount bench. This month we will look at the mineral Brochantite. Chemically Brochantite is a basic copper sulfate with a chemical formula of: Cu4
(SO4)(OH)6 The mineral forms in rapidly oxidizing copper sulfide deposits under low acid conditions. The mineral was named after the French geologist and mineralogist, A.J. M. Brochant de Villiers (1772 – 1840). From a micromounter perspective, Brochantite offers some very esthetic specimens for the collection as it crystallizes primarily as micro-crystals. Although it is a fairly common mineral it’s availability from mineral dealers is problematic. The best specimens I have are from the Tex-Mex Mine, Sorocco county, New Mexico. With these specimens Brochantite occurs as acicular crystals on opaline coated quartz matrix (See the photomicrographs with this article). The specimens were obtained from Simkev micromounts in Canada. Brochantite crystallizes in the Monoclinic System with very pronounced 2/m prismatic symmetry. Crystals are stout prismatic to slender acicular in form. Additionally, Brochantite can form as loosely coherent vein fillings of acicular crystals and as massive dark green nodules. Color ranges from green-black through emerald green to a pale blue green in transmitted light. In short, very pretty crystals when strongly illuminated under the microscope. Shown below are some photomicrographs of Brochantite taken with a Nikon CoolPix S3100 digital camera using eyepiece projection with a Motic K400 stereo microscope. The microscope
Light source is dual white light emitting diodes. Figure – 1 Brochantite from the Blanchard Mine. New Mexico
Figure – 2 Brochantite from the Mashaba West Mine, Shaba Copper Belt, Republic of the Congo
Page 12 Tips and Trips
Tips and Trips Page 13
December 2013 The Georgia Mineral Society
Figure – 3 Brochantite from the Monarch Mine, Yavpai County, Arizona
Figure – 4 Brochantite from the Tex-Mex Mine, Sorocco, County, New Mexico.
Although good micromount specimens of Brochantite can be difficult to find, it is well worth the effort for the beauty they afford a collection. Until next time, may all your skies be blue and all your vugs filled with crystals. References: http://www.mindat.org/min-779,html Mason, B., Berry, L.G.; Elements of Mineralogy, Page 370, W.H. Freeman and Co., 1968 Dana, E. B., Ford, W. E.; Dana’s textbook of Mineralogy, Page 756, John Wiley & Sons, Fourth Edition, 1966
Up and Coming Events
Dec 14th-15th —Franklin, TN Gem, Jewelry, Mineral and Fossil Show & Sale Mid-Tennessee Gem & Mineral Society Sat 9 am to 6 pm; Sun 10 am to 5 pm Williamson County AgExpoPark, 4215 Long Lane, Franklin, TN 37064 Feb 6 –8, 2014—Georgia Science Teacher Association Conference, Macon GA. Feb 8 and 9th 2014—Merritt Island, Florida—37th Annual Symphony of Gemstones show and sale,,,sponsored by Central Brevard Rock and Gem Club.
Feb 22, 2014 Lakeland, Flordia Annual
Show and Sale Imperial Bone Valley Gem,
Mineral & Fossil Society 175 Lake Hollingsworth, Dr., Lakewood, FL June 14th and 15th, 4th RockFest, 10 AM – 5 PM Tellus Science Museum, 100 Tellus Drive, Cartersville, GA www.tellusmuseum.org 770-606-5700 Two days of indoor and outdoor fun featuring nearly 30 vendors selling gems, minerals, fossils and jewelry. Plus, mineral and fossil identification, rock bingo, activities for kids and more. Free for members. Regular admission for non-members. Anyone interested in more information regarding renting a booth can call 770-606-5700 ext. 417.Joe Schulman Director of Marketing Tellus Science Museum 770-606-5732
The Georgia Mineral Society December 2013
Page 14 Tips and Trips
Tips and Trips Page 15
December 2013 The Georgia Mineral Society
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 General
Meeting
Christmas
Party
3Sand
Section GMS
Workshop
7pm-9pm
4 5 6 7
8 9
10 11 12 13
14
15 16
17 GMS
Workshop
7pm-9pm
18
19 20 21
22 23
24 25
Christmas
26 27 28
29 30
Gem
Section
31
New
Year’s
Day
December 2013
I-75 Exit 293 Cartersville, Georgia
770-606-5700 http://tellusmuseum.org/index.htm
All lectures are free for members and included in the cost of museum admission for non-members. Galleries will
remain open until the start of the lecture.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History 76 Clifton Rd. NE,
Atlanta, GA (404)929-6300
http://www.fernbankmuseum.org/
A few of the Permanent Exhibits: A Walk Through Time in Georgia
Giants of the Mesozoic The World of Shells
THE GEORGIA MINERAL SOCIETY, INC. 4138 Steve Reynolds Blvd. Norcross, GA. 30093-3059
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THE GEORGIA MINERAL SOCIETY, INC.
4138 STEVE REYNOLDS BLVD. NORCROSS, GA. 30093-3059
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
PLEASE FORWARD
Dues for New Members (Single, Couple, Family) are $25.00 per Society year. ($20.00 + $5.00 Initial Processing Fee) Renewal Dues are $20.00 per Society year. (due 12 months from the date of joining and every 12 months thereafter)
Reinstatement Dues (For Expired Membership) are $25.00 ($20.00 + $5.00 Reinstatement Fee). Mailed copies are $10+Dues (electronic copy is still free).
FAMILY MEMBERSHIPS ARE FOR THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY INCLUDING CHILDREN RESIDING WITH PARENTS. CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE ARE CONSIDERED JUNIOR MEMBERS.
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FIRST CLASS
