AUGUST 2014 | VOL. 44 ISSUE 08

THE EARTH’S TREASURES • MINERALS AND JEWELRY

PIKES PEAK MINERALS A Museum Display

R&G KIDS Fossil Sand Dollars

CURIOUS CONCRETIONS

The Moeraki Boulders of New Zealand MONTHLY MINERALS

A Club for Collectors CAMEOS

Ancient and Contemporary Carvings

CRYSTAL SKULLS

Modern Art or Genuine Artifacts?

www.rockngem.com

THE MICA GROUP

Accessory Minerals Extraordinaire R&G_Gray_Bluecover_0814.indd 2

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CABBING.

TREASURE SCOOP Kingsley North is the sole manufacturer of the Treasure Scoop. Available in two lengths, a 36” the original length, or a 42” length. Both are handy to reach under brushes, scoop has slots that allows water or sand to sift though. Lightweight, made of cast aluminum, with vinyl grip for a non-slip grip. Shipping weight 2 lbs. Stock No.

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6” STAINLESS STEEL CABBING UNIT This machine is made in the USA for Kingsley North. Features an all stainless steel construction 18/8 grade, ¾” stainless steel shafts with ball bearings. It also has a 1/3 HP, 1725 RPM thermal protected ball bearing motor with rear mounting plate, complete with a 2 qt. capacity adjustable drip water system with 6 shut off valves, one for each wheel. Water system mounts are on the back of the machine. Lid has three hold down screws for easy removal, the shaft is tapped for a ¼-20 spin-on polish head at both ends, the machine comes with only a right had spin on head and features a front drain valve. Features two 6” x 1½” metal bonded 80 and 220 grit diamond grinding wheels,

plus four 6” x 1 ½” resin bonded diamond wheels, 325, 600, 1200 & 3000 grits. A right hand 6 x ¼” 20 spin – on polish head, polishing pad and 5 grams diamond compound is included along with complete instructions, and a 1 year warranty on machine and motor. Dimensions – 26” W x 19-¾” L x 9” H. Ships in two boxes (motor ships separately). *Free ground shipping on Machines only - Continental 48 states. Item #1-0674 List price $1,550.00

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on THe coVer

Volume 44, Number 08

August 2014

FeaTures

The displays in the Pikes Peak Historical Society Museum, in Florissant, Colorado, include the area’s minerals. This unusual specimen of quartz with fluorite is from a claim near Crystal Park, Colorado, at the base of Pikes Peak. (Jeff Scovil photo/ Collector’s Edge Specimen)

Colorado’s Mining History on Display......38

Mica: An Accessory Group ...................... 12

stunning specimens at the Pikes Peak Historical society museum

sheet silicates grace mineral and gem specimens

by Andy Weinzapfel

by Bob Jones

The Art of Cameos ..........................................44 ancient and contemporary carved treasures

The Mineral of the Month Club............. 18

by Helen Serras-Herman

It’s bigger and better than ever

The Moeraki Boulders ....................................54

by Steve Voynick

unusual, large concretions in new Zealand

Art or Artifacts? ........................................... 28

by Bill Vossler

The myth and mystery of quartz crystal skulls by Bob Jones

regular columns

Rock & Gem Kids .......................................... 34 articles and puzzles 12

Field Notes ........................................... 6 Lapidary of the Month.............................. 8 Show Dates ........................................10 Shop Talk ............................................16

38

Rock Science .....................................26 What to Cut .......................................48 Picks & Pans .......................................52 On the Rocks .....................................64 Parting Shot.......................................66

44

SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS? Call (760) 291-1549 Printed in U.S.A. Notice: On rare occasions, typographical errors occur in prices listed in magazine ments. For this reason, ments appearing in Rock & Gem should be considered as requests to inquire, rather than as unconditional offers to sell. All prices are subject to change without notice.

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Rock & Gem (ISSN 0048-8453, USPS 486-290) is published monthly by Beckett Media LLC, 4635 McEwen Rd., Dallas, TX 75244. Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, TX 75260 and at additional mailing offices. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright 2014 by Beckett Media LLC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Rock & Gem, c/o Beckett Media, 4635 McEwen Rd., Dallas, TX 75244 or [email protected]. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Single-copy price $4.99. Subscription in U.S.A. and possessions: 1 year (12 issues) for $27.95; 2 years for $49.95; 3 years for $66.95. Add $15.00 per year postage for Canada and all other foreign countries.

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6/24/14 11:00 AM

Reader Letters

ield

Notes

EDITORIAL

BOB JONES Senior Consulting Editor

Collecting Clarification

After reading “3 Feldspar Gems”, Bob Jones, in the May 2014 issue, we felt a bit of clarification was in order for the part about sunstone collecting in the Rabbit Basin area in Oregon. The BLM has set aside a 4-square-mile area (minus the 20 acres of the Spectrum mine) for collecting by the public. There is a pit toilet and a couple shade canopies at the entrance to the public area, and camping is OK anywhere within the area. No electricity or water is available. Normal rules apply: no power equipment and no mining for commercial purposes. The road in was graded and rolled in early March, and there is no fee for using the public area. —Larry and Carol Larson via e-mail In the article “3 Feldspar Gems”, I noticed some mistakes. 1. The oldest sunstone mine in Oregon is the Spectrum, owned by Chris Rose. The mine was originally owned by Tiffany Co., who mined it for the Plush diamond. Spectrum currently holds the world record for the largest red sunstone ever found. 2. The public collecting area is open to the public year round. It is surrounded by private claims on all sides. There are several small, but active, mines in the Rabbit Basin, with a few more starting up this year. —Dara Schafer via e-mail

Gemstones

More Than a Stone I think you’ll find you’re not alone, ‘Cause everyone, we all are prone To feel joy right down to the bone, When looking at a fine gemstone. A gem that first comes to my mind Is what was once a diamond find. That now is called the Hope Diamond. Its color blue makes all respond. Gem settings are just like a frame To any gemstone you can name. The stone itself is the picture, ired by each connoisseur. There’s color, clarity, and cut, And carat weight to each gem, but There’s also rarity to know, And provenance that does not show. A gemstone’s sparkle and glitter From shiny facets with luster, Or a cat’s-eye chatoyancy With sheen and shimmer, adds beauty. And iridescence, color change Or rainbow-like bright color range Can add a lot to gem’s value. These make the gem a joy to view. Add in color intensity And saturation to beauty. There is another factor too. All jewelry styles are old or new. Bring to your life some fun and joy, And get a gem to just enjoy, For beauty must be seen each day To tame what’s beastly, that’s cliché.

LYNN VARON Managing Editor JIM BRACE-THOMPSON MARC DAVIS SCOTT EMPEY WILLIAM A. KAPPELE STEVE VOYNICK Regular Contributors

ART

MARY ROBERTSON Art Director

PRODUCTION

CELESTE WEINGARDT Production and Marketing Manager

ADVERTISING

BILL DUMAS Advertising Director, Beckett Media BRIAN ROBERTS Rock & Gem Advertising Director EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS: Lynn Varon / Rock & Gem 5235 Mission Oaks Blvd. #201 Camarillo, CA 93012 (972) 448-4626 e-mail: [email protected] SANDEEP DUA President JAMES L. MILLER Founder

—Ronald J. Yadusky, BS, MD, FACS

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Field Notes.indd 6

Rock & Gem 6/25/14 3:51 PM

SEPTEMBER 6Th - 9Th, 2014 :: Denver Marriott West, 1717 Denver West Blvd, Golden, CO ::

Dealers attenDing our inaugural event:

FREE ISSION • FREE PARKING • OPEN TO THE PUBLIC For more information Dave Waisman at 509.458.2331 or visit: www.FineMineralShow.com Like us on Facebook.

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Photo: James Elliott

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6/24/14 10:13 AM

L

apidary of the

W

August 2014

Month

hether we grind, saw, polish or facet our rough mineral specimens, we are really seeking to unveil the beauty that we think the Creator has hidden inside. I look for unique ways to expose beauty in rough petrified wood, geodes and agate. “This finished Crater agate is a good example. I purchased this nice-size specimen in uncut form from Luis De Los Santos at the 2013 Tucson Show. Luis discovered Crater agate in 1997. I had no idea what might be hidden inside when I made my purchase. After considerable examination, I decided that I would try to work toward the center of the piece by grinding three faces at different angles to produce three intersecting planes. “The top two planes open like a book. They are equal in size and larger than the lower plane area. The angle between them was small initially, perhaps 30°. The bottom plane is an upward-sloping, horizontal plane that intersects the other two. “I only have unsophisticated tools, including a hand-held 4-inch wet grinder, a Dremel, a Mystic high-pressure water cleaning gun, many diamond grinding wheels and polishing discs, and vials of Lasco diamond polishing powder. I started developing the two upper planes using my coarsest 4-inch diamond grinding wheels, being careful to stay well above where the lower plane might eventually be. As I gradually increased the angle between the two upper planes, I began to locate the interior channels of red hematite. I continued to grind the upper two planes, increasing the small initial angle between them to about 120 degrees This gave me an idea as to where the bottom plane should be located, and I then began to develop it. “The tricky part is deciding how much to develop each plane so as to maximize the beauty of the finished piece. There is no totally correct answer here, but I tried to expose as much in the way of hematite channels as possible, without overdoing the breakthroughs. About as much time is spent trying to visualize the optimal locations for the final plane intersection lines and single common intersection point as in actually grinding. “At this point, I had three planes fairly well developed, with an oddball structure in the center hiding the final center intersection area. I broke off the top of that center column and, with coarse diamond wheels in my Dremel, gradually set about grinding toward the intersection point of the three planes. that that point has already been defined by the earlier work on the

three planes, and care must be taken to keep everything in line. All I had to do was to carefully develop each plane toward the center using smaller and smaller diamond tools. Once the three planes were fully developed, it was a matter of smoothing and polishing the three surfaces as one would do for any agate. The intersection lines and center point area are, ittedly, difficult to polish. “This project took me about 40 hours in total and more grinding wheels than I care to say. The finished product, though, is breathtaking and always draws a second look because the beauty that was in there has been exposed in a unique way. The question ‘How did you do that?’ invariably follows.” —John Mayer Seal Beach, CA

Would you like to be named Lapidary of the Month? To enter the contest: • Write a 500-word step-by-step description of how you crafted your lapidary project from start to finish. Save it as a document file. • Take at least one sharp, close-up, color digital photo of the finished project. Photos must be high-resolution (300 dpi at 4 inches by 5 inches, minimum). • Attach your document file and digital photo (.tif or .jpg) to an e-mail and send it to [email protected] with the subject line “Lapidary of the Month”. • Make sure you include your name and street address (not a PO Box) for prize delivery should your entry be selected for publication. Only winners will be notified. E-mail the editor or call (972) 4484626 with any questions about these requirements. Lapidary of the Month winners receive a two-speed Dremel Model 200 N/40 MultiPro kit and a wall plaque in recognition of their creativity and craftsmanship. Winning projects are also posted on our Web site, www.rockngem.com.

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Mark Your Calendar!

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Dates

Submit show date information at least four months in advance using the electronic form at www.rockngem.com.

AUGUST 2014 1-3—HILLSBORO, OREGON: Wholesale and retail show; Gem Faire Inc.; Washington County Fairgrounds; 873 NE 34th Ave.; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $7 , children (0-11) free; fine jewelry, gems, beads, crystals, gold and silver, minerals, exhibitors, jewelry repair while you shop, hourly door prizes; Yooy Nelson, (503) 252-8300; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www. toteshows.com 8-10—HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN: Annual show; Copper Country Rock & Mineral Club; Houghton Elementary School; 203 W. Jacker, corner of Bridge St. and Jacker Ave.; Fri. 1-8, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-3; free ission; dealers, gems, minerals, fossils, lapidary, mining certificates, jewelry, kids’ copper hunt, geode sales and cracking, door prizes, grab bags, silent auction; Norman Gruber, 1850 Clark St., Marquette, MI 49855, (906) 228-6764; e-mail: pres@ccrmc. info; Web site: www.ccrmc.info

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8-10—NORTH BEND, OREGON: 52nd Annual Gem and Mineral Show; Far West Lapidary & Gem Society; North Bend Community Center; 2222 N. Broadway; Fri. 10-4, Sat. 10-4, Sun. 10-4; adults $1, children (under 12) free; silent auctions, door prizes, displays, jewelry, gemstones, rough and polished rocks; Don Innes, (541) 396-5722; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.beadshows.com 14-17—LAKE GEORGE, COLORADO: Retail show; Lake George Gem & Mineral Club; field between the Post Office and General Store; 37400 US Hwy. 24; Thu. 9-5, Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free ission; dealers, local amazonite, smoky quartz, fluorite and topaz, minerals, gems,

continued on page 24

Rock & Gem

6/30/14 9:58 AM

The Original

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150 Retail & Wholesale Dealers Museum & Competitive Displays Gold Panning & Hands-on Activities Lectures

Featuring Agates

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6/24/14 10:28 AM

MICA:

An Accessory Group Sheet Silicates Grace Mineral and Gem Specimens Story by Bob Jones

J

ust about every major mineral collection includes mica—just not as a stand-alone specimen. Even in large pieces, it is mainly considered a novelty because of the ability to peel it apart in sheets. You may not realize,

BOB JONES PHOTO/GROBEN COLLECTION

however, how many beautiful, well-crystallized mineral and gem specimens accessorize with some form of mica. When you collect minerals in a granite environment, especially a granite pegmatite formation, you are bound to run into some form of mica. There are several common forms of this monoclinic mineral, and pegmatite deposits, due to slow cooling of the rock, are an ideal place for large crystals of several minerals to form. These include the mica group minerals, most commonly muscovite, biotite and lepidolite. The mica group is composed of more than 50 alumino-silicate minerals with a sheetlike structure, which are often referred to by the generic term “mica”. The common include biotite, phlogopite, muscovite and lepidolite. There are many other minerals that fit into the mica group—some 50 species all in all—but most are obscure or very difficult to distinguish from the four

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above. Some of the lesser-known mica-type species are zinnwaldite, margarite, mariposite, paragonite and celedonite. Celedonite forms the green lining seen in many agates. Zinnwaldite is common only in combination with cassiterite from Zinnwald, . Margarite was popular in the Eastern United States for a time; it was found as pearly scales with emery in a corundum mine in Chester, Massachusetts. Mariposite got its name from Mariposa, California, in which vicinity it was found as a green micaceous material in gold mines. Paragonite may be familiar to you as the white micaceous material found with the blue kyanite from Brazil. The real problem with the mica group is the confusion caused by the very similar chemistries and physical properties of these

alumino-silicate species. For decades, scientists had a real problem trying to decide the differences between the micas and in the chemistry of minerals that look like mica minerals, but are not. I would imagine that the job was made even more difficult by the relatively crude instruments that were available in the early days of mineralogy. Most micas are hard to distinguish from one other, and since they almost never occur in noteworthy collector specimens, there was no pressing need to study them in detail. Consequently, not much has been much written about them in the popular collector literature. This choice and uncommon cluster of lepidolite crystals came from Baixio (Galilea, Minas Gerais), Brazil.

Rock & Gem 6/25/14 3:49 PM

BoB Jones photo

TOP RIGHT: Some of the finest cassiterites ever found occur on muscovite at the Xuebaoding mine in Sichan Province, China. RIGHT: Pakistan has produced superb aquamarine crystals that often sit on a bed of muscovite crystals.

In most cases, mica occurs only as an accessory mineral, playing a subservient role to a more spectacular species. Check your specimens of elbaite, kunzite, and other pegmatite gem minerals, and chances are one of the forms of mica will be on it. Collectors tend to prefer nicely crystallized specimens, and mica minerals are seldom found in fine crystals. When they are well crystallized, they are not particularly appealing or well suited for display, so few collections feature a crystallized mica specimen. When you do see mica in a display, it is only as a less-important part of a group of showy minerals. At one time, the collection of mica was a very significant industry because the mineral is impervious to heat and fire. When colonists came here from Europe, they were more than excited when they found a deposit that yielded fine sheets of mica. Because it has perfect cleavage, it can be split into thin, transparent sheets that were used for windowpanes in cabins and stoves. As the industrial evolution gathered steam and huge furnaces for making steel and other metal products evolved, mica was the main material used in windows and viewing ports that enabled workmen to peer into the raging fires.

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BoB Jones photo/Marc Weill collection

BoB Jones photo

ABOVE: Superb, violet lepidolite crystals crown a gemmy green elbaite from the Himalaya mine in Pala, California.

Because mica will never burn and boasted an inherent sparkle, it was used for years to make Christmas decorations. The material could be reduced to small flakes that sparkled even in subdued light. The fact that it would not burn was important in the days when candles were used to light a real tree. Benjamin Franklin made what may have been the most interesting use of granulated mica when he was given the task of printing the first paper money in the Pennsylvania Colony. He actually charged the paper stock with flakes of mica, making the bills very difficult to counterfeit! An even earlier event in Colonial America that made use of mica took place when a large deposit of fine muscovite mica was found in the Grafton, New Hampshire, pegmatite deposit. The farmer who found the deposit realized he had something valuable, but the law at the time required that any raw materials found be sent to England for processing, returning only as finished products. This policy enabled England to levy taxes on everything coming and going across the Atlantic Ocean. To circumvent this law, the farmer extracted large, transparent sheets of mica and smuggled them into Boston, to be surreptitiously shaped into stove and lantern windows and sold on the sly.

As mining began in many of the pegmatites throughout New England, mica was found in abundance, particularly at Mount Apatite and the aptly named Mount Mica! Muscovite is named for Muscovy, a Medieval principality centered around the city of Moscow. (The name seemed curious to me as a kid because a farmer near us had Muscovy ducks, and I always wondered where they came from!) Large quantities of muscovite mined in the Ural Mountains were shipped all over the world. Muscovite is found primarily in granite deposits. It is seen as tiny, sparkly bits mixed with the quartz and feldspar that make up the rock. When granite is metamorphosed, it first forms gneiss, in which the grains are still coarse enough for each of the three major minerals to be seen. Additional heat and pressure turn the gneiss into metamorphic schist, which has a micaceous or silky luster with a sparkle, but is so fine-grained you can’t distinguish the constituent minerals. All the micas crystallize in the monoclinic system and have perfect—or nearly perfect—cleavage. The common forms of the mica group have a pseudo-hexagonal crystal habit. Crystals sometimes take on a star or diamond shape.

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Fine crystals of the rare phosphate eosphorite are encircled by a skirting of muscovite mica “books”.

The color of muscovite is quite varied, ranging from colorless to brown, yellow, yellow-green and, in rare instances, reddishbrown. The amazing thing about muscovite, and some phlogopite, is the enormous size some sheets of the mineral can reach. In the section on mica in Mineralogy for Amateurs (D. Van Nostrand and Co., 1964), Dr. John Sinkankas reports that muscovite has been found in crystal sheets up to 15 feet long and 10 feet across. A Russian reference book in my library, simply titled Mineralogy, reports finding biotite mica crystals up to 33 feet long and 14 feet across! The only time I’ve seen any crystals that size was when I was underground in the Naica mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, where huge selenite crystals are found. The type of mica that is easily confused with muscovite is phlogopite. Phlogopite is found with granitic rocks, as earlier mentioned, but is far more common in marble and partially altered limestone. It can be similar in color to muscovite, but more frequently it shows a fairly strong reddishbrown color. This color inspired the mineral’s name, which is derived from the Greek word phlogos, meaning “firelike”. Huge quantities of phlogopite were mined around Lake Baikal, at Slyudyanka, Russia. This material had fairly good cleavage—not as good as muscovite’s, but still good enough to produce transparent sheets for fireproof windows. At Yinnethera, Western Australia, large, textbook-perfect dravite tourmalines were found enclosed in a deposit of badly weathered mica schist. Some of the mica was embedded in the dravite crystals, which suggests that both species formed

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A choice cluster of pale lepidolite forms a platform for a gem-quality elbaite crystal from Brazil.

simultaneously. Weathering had partially decomposed the mica schist, revealing the tourmalines to prospectors. Literally tons of large dravite crystals were mined here, but because of the decomposition of the mica, no matrix specimens were recovered. Biotite is probably the easiest mica-group mineral to identify because its colors range from very dark brown to black. It is most commonly found as small, black scales in a variety of rocks. The mineral is named for a French scientist, Jean Baptiste Biot, in honor of his research on the mineral. Biotite is a potassium magnesium iron aluminosilicate. Chemically, phlogopite is almost identical, lacking only the iron. Iron probably s for the very dark color normally seen in biotite. Some localities have yielded crystals of these three micas that are suitable for display, but mica much more often appears in collections as an accessory mineral to a more noteworthy or showy species. The exception to this rule is lepidolite, the lovely potassium lithium aluminosilicate fluoride. The presence of lithium undoubtedly plays a role in the lovely color of lepidolite, which shades from lilac to rose to pink. This makes lepidolite by far the most attractive of the micas. The mineral is often referred to as “lithiamica”. When found in abundance with high levels of lithium, as at the Stewart Lithia mine in San Diego County, California, lepidolite is actually mined as an ore of lithium. This type of occurrence is, however, an exception; lepidolite is far more often collected as an accessory to very valuable pegmatite gems like morganite, elbaite, beryl and kunzite. The material from the Stewart Lithia mine is particularly handsome, as the matrix is a compact, micaceous form of lepidolite shot through with lovely pink, pencilsize elbaites. Many of the elbaite crystals are randomly oriented in the lepidolite, but often several elbaites radiate out from radiating sunbursts of pink elbaite, making superb display specimens.

Joe Budd photo/courtesy Arkenstone

BoB Jones photo

BoB Jones photo/steve smAle collection

Mica: An Accessory Group from page 13

An apron of richly colored lepidolite skirts a cluster of elbaite crystals from the Pederniera mine, Brazil.

The beauty of the Stewart mine lepidolite is that it is so compact it can be shaped into cabochons. No other mica species I know of lends itself to lapidary treatment. I have a small collection of spheres that were made before World War II, and prominent in that collection is a nearly 3-inch sphere made of lepidolite from the Stewart Lithia mine. The sphere has a subtle sparkle to it and a very rich violet color. To learn more about the unique Stewart Lithia deposit, look it up on the Internet. Tours and limited collecting have been occasionally offered in the past. The most attractive crystallized lepidolite is found in lithia pegmatites, primarily those in Southern California. Well-known tourmaline localities like the Himalaya mine are located near Pala. Nearby Mesa Grande and Ramona have also been sources of fine lepidolite crystals. Several of the well-known mines of Minas Gerais, Brazil, including the Virgem de Lapa mine, the Urubu mine (Taqueral), and the Cruziero mine, are noted for excellent lepidolite crystals. Newer deposits being worked at Pech, Afghanistan, are becoming noted for lepidolite, and increased activity in the pegmatites of Madagascar is producing lepidolite these days. Most of the crystallized mica crystals I’ve seen show a pseudohexagonal form and look shredded or fuzzy around the edges. They tend to be under an inch, but some do reach 2 inches in length. Crystals occur both as singles on feldspar and as intergrown clusters, again with feldspar and pegmatite gem minerals. Even though it doesn’t often form showy crystals on its own, you’ll find mica accessorizing fine gem or mineral specimens.

Rock & Gem 6/27/14 12:06 PM

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Fine Jewelry

HOP

Beads

TALK

by William A. Kappele

How to Get Started

Crystals

Minerals

Gems (503)

300

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Shop Talk.indd 16

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O

ne thing that all of us in the rockhound/lapidary hobby have in common is that, whether we have been at it for 50 years or five minutes, we all started from scratch at some time. How we all decided to pursue the hobby has almost as many variations as there are people doing it. Some, like me, began while camping and hiking. One summer, my wife, Cora, and I were camping at Navajo Lake in southern Utah. On a side trip over to Cedar Breaks, we came to a forest road with a sign for Rattlesnake Creek. We couldn’t up a name like that, so off we went. Fortunately, we didn’t find any rattlesnakes, but Cora found a beautiful fist-size chunk of agate. Of course, we didn’t know agate from a turnip sandwich at the time, but we took it home because it was a “pretty rock”. It wasn’t long before the rock had a lot of companions, and I had to decide what to do with them. Somewhere along the way, I had picked up a copy of Rock & Gem and had subscribed. I was aware of tumbling and cabbing and decided that I would like cabbing better. Fortunately for me, in those days there were classes at a local rock shop, so I spent a few evenings there, and the rest is history. Today, it is difficult—if not impossible—to find classes in lapidary. This makes it very difficult for the beginner. Someone who has gotten the bug to learn crocheting can buy the necessary tools and materials to get started for a few dollars, but the would-be lapidary doesn’t have such an easy option. To get started in cabbing, a cabbing machine and at least a trim saw are needed. These are fairly costly, and the thing that keeps the lapidary from making such a substantial investment is that they usually don’t know if they will like the activity. No one

wants to spend big bucks on equipment that will ultimately end up gathering dust in a closet. While it may be a fruitless search, looking for a class may be worth the effort. Maybe the best way to start is to see if there is a club in your area. The American Federation of Mineralogical Societies’ Web site, www. amfed.org, has links to the Web sites of each of the regional federations. There, you can find a list of member clubs, organized by state. Hopefully, there will be one near your home. If there is one, it is pretty certain that it will have a club shop. I am certain that the good folks in the club would be more than happy to welcome someone who is trying to get some hands-on experience before spending the baby’s milk money. Once in a while, adult night classes will be available at a local high school or community college. Another possibility is to check with the geology department at a local community college. There are also several excellent DVDs available from Marzee Tutorials, including “Beginning Cabochon Cutting”, “The Flat Lap”, and “Beginning Faceting” (www.mar zeetutorials.com). These aren’t hands-on lessons, but may be the next best thing. A final possibility is the good old Internet. There are numerous sites that have video tutorials on cutting cabochons, tumbling stones, making lapidary machines, and other topics. Please feel free to send your questions and comments about any of my columns to Shop Talk, 25231 Pericia Dr., Mission Viejo, CA 92691 or [email protected].

Rock & Gem

6/30/14 10:05 AM

OPALS: The Queen of Gems Just back from Australia with Steve’s suitcases bursting with new parcels of Australian opal from the famous opalfields around Coober Pedy. These photos are samples of some of the new gemmy material now available. There are new opal listings on our website that range from $25.00 per ounce to $4500.00 per ounce. Please keep an eye on our website as we are adding new material almost daily.

Colin Seekamp setting up a 9” investigator drill to prospect for opals on Tim Seekamp’s claim at Turkey Ridge…bought a lovely parcel of gem grade opal from the Seekamps: Sam, Tim and father Colin.

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6/25/14 10:29 AM

The

Mineral of the Month Club

It’s Bigger and Better than Ever

STEVE VOYNICK PHOTO

Story by Steve Voynick

Past Minerals of the Month include datolite from Russia, fluorite and calcite from South Africa, quartz from Brazil, and chalcocite from the United States.

T

he Mineral of the Month Club offices in Woodside, New York, are particularly busy at the end of each month, when the specimens of that month’s featured mineral are packaged and mailed to the club’s hundreds of .

“We sort the specimens by size and grade,” says club manger Christine Domino. “Each specimen comes with a box, a mineralidentification label, a computer-generated mailing label, a 10-page write-up, our newsletter, and a mailing envelope. It’s a lot of work, and our monthly postage costs are well over a thousand dollars. But it’s all worth it, because we know how pleased our are to receive their mineral specimen every month.” Recent Mineral of the Month Club specimens have included indigo-blue cavansite from India, red rhodochrosite from China, blue celestine from Madagascar, green fluorite from England, amethyst

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quartz from South Africa, and sky-blue turquoise from Arizona. Each is accompanied by a detailed write-up that explains almost everything there is to know about that particular mineral. Club also occasionally receive specimens of non-minerals such as amber from Lithuania, iron-nickel meteorites from Russia, opal from Australia, and obsidian from Arizona. The Mineral of the Month Club has recently made some big changes. In March 2012, then-owners Richard and Cheryl Sittinger sold the club to Dimitri and Mary Spanos, who have since moved its headquarters from Cambria, California, to Woodside, New York.

Rock & Gem 6/25/14 12:21 PM

Steve voynick photo celeStialearthmineralS.com

“ still receive the same quality specimens and detailed write-ups at the same affordable prices,” says Dimitri, “but now we serve a broader range of collectors by providing everything from study specimens for students and beginners all the way to fine specimens for advanced collectors. “Mineral collecting is changing, and the Mineral of the Month Club is changing with it,” Dimitri explains. “Because this is the computer age, we’ve greatly expanded our online presence. By combining our specimens and write-ups with our new Web site resources, we’re making mineral collecting a richer and more educational experience than ever before.” The idea of mailing a mineral specimen to subscribers each month began with California mineral collectors Russ and Alexandra Filer in the early 1970s, a time when the hobby of mineral collecting was growing rapidly. The big gem and mineral shows in Tucson, Arizona, and Denver, Colorado, were already well established, magazines like Rock & Gem and The Mineralogical Record had published their first issues, new gem and mineral clubs were being founded across the country, and more people than ever were collecting minerals. The Filers provided their Mineral of the Month Club with small, inexpensive, study-grade specimens until they retired in 1982 and disbanded their program. The demand went unfulfilled until the mid1990s, when the Sittingers, mineral collectors who were establishing themselves as dealers, brought the concept of the mail-order mineral club back to life, using the same name, but with a few changes to the program. “The Filers’ club worked well in the 1970s,” Richard recalls, “but mineral collecting had since changed a great deal. Cheryl and I realized that collectors were much more sophisticated and knowledgeable, and that if a similar club were to succeed in the 1990s, it would have to offer more than just mineral specimens.” The Sittingers began by upgrading the size and quality of the specimens and offering two hip levels to serve collector interests and budgets. Most importantly, they included a detailed, informational report with every specimen.

CENTER: “By combining our specimens and write-ups with our new Web site resources, we’re making mineral collecting a richer and more educational experience than ever before,” says Dimitri Spanos. BOTTOM: Mineral of the Month Club recently had the chance to acquire beautiful specimens of orange quartz included with hematite from China.

August 2014 Mineral of the Month Club.indd 19

Steve voynick photo

TOP: In May 2012, club received nodular “suns” of bright-blue azurite in a kaolin clay matrix, mined at a remote site on Aboriginal land in Australia’s Northern Territory.

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The Mineral of the Month Club has three tiers of hip that offer specimens to suit different budgets and collecting interests.

“Anyone could buy mineral specimens, but not the stories behind them,” Richard says. “Because many collectors had neither the time nor the resources to research the specimens, they couldn’t fully benefit from the collecting experience. By providing that research, we imparted a substantial added value to club hip.” The Sittingers launched their Mineral of the Month Club in March 1996 with only a handful of . Their first featured mineral was pyrite in the form of perfectly formed cubic crystals from the classic locality at Navajún (La Rioja), Spain. Interest in the club grew steadily, and it soon had three hip levels, a growing Web site, and hundreds of . To promote the club, the couple attended as many as 15 gem and mineral shows each year, which—together with day-to-day club business and monthly mailings—kept them quite busy. By 2010, with their son grown, the Sittingers were looking forward to a new phase of their lives, one with a less rigorous schedule. They decided to sell the club, “But not to just anyone,” Richard emphasizes. “We wanted new owners who would continue to develop the club and take good care of our .” At the Mineral of the Month Club booth at the 2011 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show™, the Sittingers met Dimitri and Mary, businesspeople and avid mineral collectors from New York City. “Dimitri and I had always loved minerals,” Mary says. “An entire room of our home is devoted to our collection and our mineral library, but we were looking for a

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Steve voynick photo

Steve voynick photo

The Mineral of the Month Club from page 19

A recent Mineral of the Month Club mailing brought a fine specimen of gemquality turquoise from Kingman, Arizona.

way to move beyond collecting and share our interest in minerals with others. That’s when we learned that the Mineral of the Month Club was for sale.” The Spanos and Sittingers kept in touch and, in spring 2012, Dimitri and Mary decided to purchase the club. When the sale was finalized that March, the former and the new owners began working together to assure a smooth transition. Richard and Cheryl agreed to continue to handle the next two monthly mailings from California. The featured mineral that April was astrophyllite from the Khibiny Massif on Russia’s Kola Peninsula. These specimens were radiating, starburst-shaped aggregates of thin, bladed, bronze-yellow crystals with a bright, submetallic luster that contrasted nicely with their light-colored, nepheline-syenite matrix. The write-up detailed the geology of the Khibiny Massif, a region of great mineralogical diversity that has yielded some 477 mineral species. The May 2012 mineral was an unusual form of azurite from the Malbunka Copper mine in Australia’s Northern Territory. Consisting of deep-blue, semispherical nodules, or “suns”, in a matrix of white kaolin clay, these specimens had been “reliefed” to more dramatically display the azurite. From the write-up, learned how these specimens were collected after the Aboriginal Malbunka clan leased the mine site to an Australian specimen miner. “We were pleased knowing that our would enjoy those beautiful azurite suns,” Richard says. “But we were also a little sad, because they were no longer

‘our’ . Cheryl and I, along with our friends, had managed 196 monthly mailings, and this was our last.” Richard and Cheryl remain connected with the Mineral of the Month Club as historians and advisors to this day. Meanwhile, Dimitri and Mary were busy setting up offices and working space at 37-14 61st St. in Woodside, a section of Queens near LaGuardia Airport. They also hired a manager for the Mineral of the Month Club, Christine Domino. An accomplished jewelry maker, Christine has collected minerals all her life. She was initially hired to work part-time, but her duties soon expanded to include answering telephone calls and e-mails from club , ing dealers to acquire specimens, managing the office, supervising the monthly mailings, and filling special orders. When Dimitri and Mary realized that they needed a full-time club manager, they offered her the job. “I was elated,” Christine says. “I had always loved minerals and crystals, and now I had a full-time job working with minerals and mineral collectors.” Dimitri, Mary, and Christine handled the June 2012, mailing from New York. The featured mineral was marcasite from the Czech Republic’s Komorˇany lignite mine. The specimens were coxcomb clusters of twinned, spear-shaped crystals with a silverbronze color, a brilliant metallic luster, and a hint of blue iridescence. That accompanying write-up explained the dimorphism of marcasite which, like pyrite, is an iron disulfide. Club also learned how 600 years of lignite min-

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August 2014 Mineral of the Month Club.indd 21

Steve voynick photo

Unusual specimens of purple, botryoidal fluorite from Henan Province, China, were among the 2013 mailings.

Steve voynick photo

ing at Komorˇany had caused serious environmental degradation, most of which was inflicted during the intensive mining operations conducted during the years of Nazi and Soviet occupation, and of the remediation efforts that are now underway. Compiling the club’s monthly write-up is a big job that demands time-consuming research from dozens of sources. The 10-page write-ups consist of sections on physical properties, name origin, chemical composition, crystal type and structure, collecting localities, jewelry and decorative uses, history and lore, and technological uses. A special section provides an in-depth discussion of a particular aspect of the featured mineral, while an “About Our Specimens” section explains how, where and when the specimens were collected. “About Our Specimens” also offers suggestions on how to view and study the specimens, and discusses lighting techniques, the use of loupes or magnifying glasses, viewing by reflected or transmitted light, specific features to look for, and how to vary lighting and viewing angles to reveal such phenomena as color zoning, iridescence, and pleochroism. Additionally, when necessary, the writeups advise club of special storage and handling considerations. This happened most recently when the featured mineral was realgar-orpiment. Red realgar and yellow-orange orpiment are closely related arsenic sulfides. Orpiment is often powdery and tends to rub off on the skin, and its arsenic content can make it toxic if ingested or inhaled. This write-up reminded club to wash their hands thoroughly after handling the specimens and, because realgar is light sensitive, to store the specimens in lidded boxes after display or study. The club’s second mailing from New York in July 2012 featured the ruby variety of corundum from Mysore, India, a locality in which star ruby has been mined since ancient times. These specimens consisted of hexagonal, purplish-red, ruby crystals as large as 1 inch in a black-andwhite syenite matrix. In August, received specimens of an industrial mineral, probertite, a basic hydrous sodium calcium borate. The mineral was from California’s famed Boron Pit, the world’s leading source of boron minerals. These specimens were once part of the personal collection of Jim Minette, a long-time Boron Pit manager. Minette sometimes collected specimens by redirecting mining operations when unusual mineral occurrences were found. After the Minette collection was sold, the Mineral of the Month Club had the good fortune to acquire some of its specimens. next received pink crystals of manganoan calcite from China’s Manao-

The September 2013 mineral was the sand-rose variety of gypsum from the Erg Chebbi dunes of Morocco.

shan mine. The write-up explained how Manaoshan management authorizes “collection teams” of miners to gather commercial quantities of specimens under a profit-sharing arrangement. The write-up also detailed how the rapidly growing Chinese mining industry has become a major source of mineral specimens. hip in the Mineral of the Month Club is structured in a three-tier arrangement. Each month, Silver Level receive a small, quality specimen of the featured mineral that is usually between 1 inch and 2 inches in size. This

basic level is aimed at families, youngsters and students as a starting point for developing an interest in minerals and in the earth sciences. The club’s youngest Silver Level member, age 6, recently told Christine that he studies his monthly specimen and reads the write-up with his family. Many teenage use the specimens and write-ups in school reports and presentations. Silver Level hip costs $150 per year and includes the specimen, write-up, newsletter, a list of special monthly offers, and all shipping and handling charges.

21 6/25/14 12:22 PM

celestialearthminerals.com

The Mineral of the Month Club from page 21

Specimen photos and write-ups on past months’ featured minerals can be found on the Mineral of the Month Club’s parent company’s Web site, www.celestialearthminerals.com.

Gold Level , who are often intermediate-level collectors, receive larger and more visually appealing specimens that can measure 2 inches to 3 inches, are suitable for display, and offer the opportunity for detailed study of color, crystal structure, and other features. Both Silver Level and Gold Level specimens can be larger, depending on the specimens available. The cost of Gold Level hip is $345 per year. Many Gold Level who are building collections or have serious interests in mineral education have upgraded their original Silver Level hip to Gold. Platinum Level do not automatically receive a monthly specimen. Instead, they are sent a descriptive list of the best available specimens of each featured mineral. These are often high-quality, cabinet-size specimens that make attractive display pieces. Platinum Level specimens are sorted into three groups based on size, quality, crystal development, color, matrix associations, overall visual appeal, and cost. Platinum Level can select a specimen from any group, then Christine by telephone or e-mail to discuss details. When necessary, she will even e-mail photographs of individual specimens. The cost of each Platinum Level specimen ranges from $40 to about $300. “With three levels of hip, we can accommodate every type of collector,” Christine says, “and our like that.” Club of all levels also receive a description of five special offerings, which they can obtain at an additional cost, each month. These are specimens of unusual interest that were acquired from dealers in small lots. “When we acquire large lots of

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Mineral of the Month Club.indd 22

specimens for our Minerals of the Month,” Dimitri explains, “dealers also show us small lots of unusual specimens that we then make available to our as special offers.” Although previously limited to Platinum Level , Dimitri and Mary now make these specimens available to all . A recent special offer was a composite specimen from Pakistan that featured black crystals of the uncommon tourmaline mineral uvite on a matrix of pearly, greenish muscovite, with a scattering of blue sapphire crystals. Another, from Peru, consisted of bright, turquoise-blue chrysocolla and small, water-clear, terminated quartz crystals on a matrix of orange-brown hematite. Dimitri and Mary also established a parent company—Celestial Earth Minerals (www.celestialearthminerals.com) to the Mineral of the Month Club. The Web site is now the “home” of the Mineral of the Month Club and serves as a complete system for the club that provides mineral photographs, mineralogical information, club hip services, and an online store stocked with everything from display stands and cabinets to loupes, books, and even fine mineral art prints and note cards by such noted artists as Fred C. Wilda. Another new Web site feature is the Atlas of Minerals, which is intended for who might not be familiar with the many different minerals that are mentioned in the write-ups and special offers. With the click of a key, can now open brief or detailed descriptions of more than 100 minerals and mineral varieties. also have access to a library with all the write-ups on featured minerals from 1996 to the present.

Informational, magazine-type articles about various aspects of collecting, written by noted gem-and-mineral writers, can also be found on the site. It includes the special offers, a fine mineral gallery, the Platinum Level letters, and previous newsletters. A full range of online services enables to quickly and conveniently renew their hips or order gift hips. “Our online services are there for our ’ convenience,” Christine emphasizes. “But they’re not intended to replace personal . with questions or concerns can call me directly during business hours.” When some club expressed interest in high-end specimens, Dimitri, Mary and Christine responded by introducing a monthly “fine mineral” offering, which is ed by a four-page article and close-up photographs. The first finemineral offering was brazilianite, a rare gemstone from Minas Gerais, Brazil. A basic sodium aluminum phosphate, brazilianite was only recognized as a mineral in the 1940s, and is the most recently discovered of all major gemstones. Other fine mineral offerings have included crocoite from the Red Lead mine in Tasmania, Australia; amethyst from Piedra Parada, near Las Vigas de Ramírez in the Mexican state of Veracruz-Llave; and composite specimens of aquamarine and muscovite from Pakistan. The ultimate key to the club’s success is volume buying. Purchasing thousands of specimens each year substantially reduces costs, savings that are ed along to . To find sources for all its specimens, the club relies on an international network of mineral dealers and specimen miners who can provide large lots of quality specimens. This supply network, which was built by the Sittingers, has recently been expanded, with new dealer connections in the United States, Brazil and Morocco. Since the Filers came up with the idea of mailing monthly mineral specimens, club have received more than 125,000 specimens representing 70 different minerals and mineral varieties. During the 26 years that the club has been active, it has been personally owned and operated by just three couples, all of whom share a love of minerals. Despite the changes made by current owners Dimitri and Mary, the basic purpose of the Mineral of the Month Club remains the same: providing monthly mineral specimens, and the stories behind them, at affordable prices. For further information about the club, call (800) 941-5594, e-mail info@celestial earthminerals.com, or visit www.celestial earthminerals.com.

Rock & Gem 6/25/14 12:22 PM

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AUGUST 2014 fossils; Dan Alfrey, PO Box 171, Lake George, CO 80827, (719) 440-6234; e-mail: [email protected] 16-17—BOSSIER CITY, LOUISIANA: Annual show; Arklatex Gem & Mineral Society; Bossier Civic Center; 620 Benton Rd.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $4, students $1, children (under 6) Free; silent auctions, door prizes, kids’ area, demonstrations, displays, jewelry, rough and finished gemstones, beads; Del Glasner, PO Box 6633, Bossier City, LA 71111, (318) 517-7372; e-mail: larockclub@ gamail.com; Web site: www.larockclub.com

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Show Dates from page 10

16-17—DULUTH, GEORGIA: Annual show; Intergalactic Bead Shows; Gwinnett Center-Hall C; 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $5 Sat., $4 Sun., children (12 and under) free; beads, gemstones; Chris Murray, 3865 Lawrenceville Hwy., Ste. 107, Lawrenceville, GA 30044, (888) 729-6904; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.beadshows.com 16-17—HELOTES, TEXAS: Wholesale and retail show; The Bead Market; Pedrotti’s Event Center; 13715 FM 1560 N; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; free ission; lampwork and glass beads, vintage, bone, gemstones, wood, silver, findings,

tools, books; Rebekah Wills, (903) 240-7198; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.ozarkearthscience.org 23-24—PEORIA, ILLINOIS: 51st annual show; Geology Section of the Peoria Academy of Science; The Grand Hotel; 4400 N. Brandywine Dr.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5; free ission; silent auctions, kids’ area, fluorescent display, panning flume; Jim Travis, (309) 645-3609; e-mail: boatnik@aol. com; Web site: http://pasgeology.com 23-24 —SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: 60th Anniversary Golden Gateway to Gems; San Francisco Gem & Mineral Society; San Francisco County Fair Bldg.; 9th Ave. and Lincoln Way; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $10, seniors and students $8, children (under 12) free with adult; “All That

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30-31—ASHLAND, OREGON: Annual show; Scott’s Rocks; First United Methodist Church, Wesley Hall; 175 N. Main; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 12-5; adults $2, children (under 12) free; fossil field trip, free rock for children, door prizes, silent auction; Scott Blair, 1009 Talent Ave., Talent, OR 97540, (541) 621-2558; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: kennebecrocksandminerals.com

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2014 29-1—CRAWFORD, NEBRASKA: Annual Crawford Rock Swap; Northwestern Nebraska Rock Club; Crawford City Park; Crawford Park Loop; Daily 8-6; free ission; field trips, Agate Collectors meeting, auction; Valerie Homrighausen, 1010 5th St., Crawford, NE 69339, (308) 430-4404; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.trea suresoftheearth.com 30-1—CANBY, OREGON: Annual show; Jean Miller; Clakamas County Fairground; 694 NE 4th Ave.; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 9-6, Mon. 9-4; free ission; free pear strand to first 75 ladies, gems, minerals, beads, fossils, lapidary tools, rough and polished rock, jewelry; Jean Miller, (971) 219-0323; Web site: www.ogmshows.com

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30-1—SILVER CITY, NEW MEXICO: 31st Annual Gem and Mineral Show; Grant County Rolling Stones Gem & Mineral Society; Grant County Business and Conference Center; 3031 US Hwy. 180 at 32nd St.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5, Mon. 10-4; free ission; more than 35 dealers, displays, collecting and geology field trips; Lee Stockman, 16 McKinley St., Silver City, NM 88061; e-mail: Leet@ BR_RocknGem_April_2014_0714.indd 1 stockmanfamily.net

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SEPTEMBER 2014 5-7—FAIRFIELD, IOWA: Annual show; Sac & Fox Lapidary Club; Fairfield Art & Convention Center; 200 N. Main St.; Fri. 6-9, Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $3, children $1; jewelry, geodes, mineral specimens, fossils, beads, lapidary supplies, displays, lectures; Betty Morris, 618 N. Lincoln St., Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641, (641) 233-1300; e-mail: eliza [email protected] 5-7—GREENFIELD, INDIANA: 38th Annual Greater Indianapolis Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show; 500 Earth Sciences; Hancock County 4-H Fairgrounds; 620 N. Apple; Fri. 10-7, Sat. 9-7, Sun. 10-4; free ission; dealers and swappers, fossils, minerals, gems, jewelry, lapidary equip-

continued on page 32

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ineral localities can sometimes be as interesting as the specimens they produce. Consider the Ojuela mine at Mapimí (Durango), Mexico, one of the world’s top sources of mineral specimens. It has yielded 126 mineral species and is the type locality for six of those species. It has produced either ore or mineral specimens for a remarkable 416 consecutive years. Spanish prospectors discovered silver ore at Ojuela in 1598. Ojuela was a major source of Spanish silver for over 200 years. Although it was officially shut down during the Mexican War of Independence, many miners continued working on their own, smelting the high-grade silver ores in makeshift charcoal furnaces. By the time Mexico gained its independence in 1821, the Ojuela mine, due to centuries of poorly planned, piecemeal expansion, had become an inefficient operation with obsolete equipment and workings. When regular operations resumed several years later, outdated mining technology and equipment, lack of roads, raids by outlaws, and government instability severely limited production. In the 1870s, Durango-Mapimí Mining Co. of Council Bluffs, Iowa, purchased Ojuela. Although the company invested $100,000 to increase production, it went bankrupt in 1890. Mexican-owned Compañía Minera de Peñoles then purchased the mine and hired American mining engineers to modernize the operation by adding a new smelter and railroad and deepening the workings to 1,800 feet. By 1900, Ojuela was Mexico’s most profitable mine, with 1,200 miners turning out 500 tons of high-grade ore daily and a modern smelter recovering 1 million troy ounces of silver, along with huge tonnages of lead and zinc, each year. But in 1912, troops under revolutionary leader Francisco “Pancho” Villa attacked a federal strongpoint at Mapimí. From that time, Ojuela managed only token production until the Mexican Revolution ended in 1920. Then, Compañía Minera de Peñoles rebuilt the Ojuela once again. Core-drill exploration delineated deeper ore bodies, while powerful new pumps dewatered the lower workings. Higher metal prices and the new flotation-separation milling process made the mining of lower-grade ores profitable. But production was again cut short, this time when the Great Depression of the 1930s undermined metal prices.

During that decade, the lowest levels of the mine, which descended 2,600 feet, flooded. In 1946, Compañía Minera de Peñoles relinquished direct operational control and leased mine sections to independent mining cooperatives. Over its long life, Ojuela has produced about 7 million tons of ore. Economic geologists estimate that each ton contained, on average, 15 troy ounces of silver, 15% lead, 12% zinc, and 0.1 troy ounce of gold. Total mine production is estimated at 100 million troy ounces of silver, 700,000 troy ounces of gold, and roughly 200,000 tons of lead and zinc. At today’s metal prices, that silver and gold alone would be worth about $3 billion. The occurrence of so many colorful and collectible minerals, particularly arsenates, at Ojuela is due to two factors. One is that Ojuela has an extraordinarily large volume of oxidized mineralization. Its unusually deep water table level of 1,200 feet has enabled huge volumes of sulfides to oxidize into secondary minerals. The other is Ojuela’s abundance of arsenopyrite (iron arsenic sulfide), a ready source of arsenic for an array of colorful, often rare, secondary lead, zinc, and copper arsenates. Though Ojuela’s lower levels remain flooded, groups of miners lease its upper sections to recover fine minerals. The mine’s remarkable history makes the specimens of adamite, wulfenite, austenite, conichalcite, and other minerals even more interesting. Steve Voynick is a science writer, mineral collector, former hardrock miner, and the author of books like Colorado Rockhounding and New Mexico Rockhounding.

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SKULLIS.COM PHOTO

Aor RT ARTIFACTS?

The Myth and Mystery of Quartz Crystal Skulls

A

Story by Bob Jones

s I walked the aisles of the April 2014 NY/NJ

son, New Jersey, I saw several carved quartz crystal skulls being offered for sale. Seeing them reminded me of an interesting encounter I had with a crystal skull in the 1970s.

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DENNIS JARVIS PHOTO/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Metro Show in Edi-

TOP: The lower jaw of the Mitchell-Hedges skull, is detachable from the top half. The entire skull was carved from a single large quartz crystal.

BOTTOM: Lubaantun, Belize, was the site of one of Frederick Mitchell-Hedges’ archaeological expeditions and the supposed site of the skull’s discovery.

Rock & Gem 6/27/14 9:08 AM

August 2014 Crystal Skulls.indd 29

Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com/Wikimedia commons

Brazil is the source of fine quartz crystals, including the material from which the British Museum and MitchellHedges skulls were carved.

lizations. He found the ruins of Lubaantun, a pre-Columbian Maya city. This marvelous discovery included large, ancient, stepped pyramids and an abundance of ceramic figurines. According to Anna, she ed her father on his archaeological dig at Lubaantun. Intrigued by the ancient pyramids and the tales about them she had heard from the locals, she decided to climb to the top of one of the large pyramids. When she did, she found an opening in the structure, and when she looked into the opening, she saw a bright flash of reflected light. She told her father about it and they determined to investigate. It took days to clear

away the tangled, dense jungle overgrowth that covered the base of the pyramid, but they finally discovered a way to the pyramid’s interior. Determined to see what it was that had flashed back at her, Anna was lowered into the pyramid and found herself in a tunnel leading to a room. It was there, she said, that she found the source of the flash of light: a brilliant, lustrous human skull carved out of pure quartz. Interestingly, Frederick never mentioned the skull in any of his documentation of his Lubaantun excavations, nor is there any verification that Anna was present at the dig (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._A._ Mitchell-Hedges). The day I saw Anna and her skull, she told a slightly different version of the discovery story. I had a chance to visit with her after the exhibition, and she told me she had been working hard on the archaeological dig and decided to take a break one day. She was walking in the jungle when she was suddenly struck by a flash of light, and she knew she had to dig at that very spot. And dig she did, for three days. Finally, she struck something in the ground and dug it up. It was the crystal skull. These two versions differ in some detail, but the core claim remained that the skull had been found in Belize in the 1920s during an archaeological dig. When I visited the Scottsdale Center for the Arts display, I was fascinated by the people who ed me in paying $5 to see the skull. Anna had the skull sitting in the center of a black cloth-covered card table. This display was quite effective, as the skull was brilliantly polished and glowed mysteriously. Anna briefly told the story of her discovery, and when she was finished she invited the audience—some of whom had

bRitish museum photo

I had read in a local paper that Anna Mitchell-Hedges was coming to Arizona to exhibit a reportedly ancient quartz crystal skull at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts. I had heard of this remarkable discovery and was intrigued enough to the hundreds of others who paid ission to see her and her fascinating quartz skull. Anna’s narrative related how she found the quartz skull as a teenager while on an archaeological dig in Belize with her father, English archaeologist and adventurer Frederick A. Mitchell-Hedges. It also included a legend that a Maya high priest could use the skull to will someone’s death, which caused the carving to be nicknamed the Skull of Doom. During the emergence of the New Age counterculture in the 1960s and ’70s, the idea that quartz skulls, as well as crystals of quartz and other minerals, possessed supernatural powers and energy was growing in popularity. Today, however, due to recent scientific findings, carved quartz skulls are mainly just another novelty available at many rock shows. The idea of “crystal power” was based on both ancient and modern beliefs. The only scientific for this notion is the discovery that quartz does emanate an electrical pulse when twisted or stressed. For this reason, quartz is used in timepieces and was an integral part of the portable radios used during World War II. The electrical properties of quartz were well demonstrated by scientists, including Pierre Curie, who discovered the phenomenon. Pierre called the very unusual property the “piezoelectric effect”. This same property was eventually found in some other mineral crystals, like tourmaline. Just how does this odd property work? When a quartz crystal is subjected to any strain, its free negatively charged electrons move to one end of the crystal, causing the other end to become positively charged, a situation referred to as ionic polarization. Granted, the charge is really very minor, but it is there. The same effect can be induced when an electric field is created around the crystal. In ’60s and ’70s, alternate lifestyles and the rejection of the status quo emerged. The belief in the power of mineral crystals grew dramatically during this time. It was into this environment that Anna brought her reportedly ancient crystal skull, the story of its discovery, and the implication that it possessed supernatural powers. Anna told a remarkable story about the discovery of the skull. Her father, Frederick A. Mitchell-Hedges, was an Indiana Jonestype archaeologist who went off into the wilderness in search of lost civilizations. In the 1920s, he mounted an expedition to the jungle of Belize, Central America, to search for lost Mesoamerican civi-

When I was planning to lead a group of rockhounds on a mineral tour of England in 2010, I included the British Museum on our itinerary so that we could get a look at their quartz crystal skull.

29 6/27/14 9:08 AM

Gryffindor photo/Wikimedia Commons

The original crystal was determined to have been left-handed. Quartz crystals are considered either left-handed or righthanded depending on how the molecules of silicon dioxide stack. This is significant to people who believe in quartz’s powers, as they prefer to possess crystals that match their own handedness. It is interesting to note that none of the purportedly ancient crystal skulls that have been scientifically studied have been authenticated as pre-Columbian Mesoamerican artifacts, including those that reside in the collections of the world’s major museums (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_skull#cite_note-3). When Anna died in 2007, at the age of 100, the ownership of her fabled skull ed to her husband, who turned it over to the Smithsonian Institution for examination. By that time, much more advanced testing equipment was available, including the scanning electron microscope. It took some time, but testing eventually proved that the skull that Anna claimed to have found in Belize was actually carved using metal tools that only became available in relatively recent times. Further refutation came from the British Museum in London. Studies conducted by museum staff had determined that their skull had been made with modern tools in Europe in the 1930s. The remarkable similarity between the two convinced scientists that the Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull had also been carved in Europe and was probably modeled on the British Museum skull. When I was planning to guide a tour group of rockhounds to England in 2010,

brought quartz crystals of their own—to place their crystals close to the skull. The idea was that being close to the skull would energize the crystals with the power emanating from it. The fellow next to me placed two crystals next to the skull for a brief moment before retrieving them. I asked him how he could tell whether the crystals were energized. He said he knew they were because one of them was already so powerful that when he pointed the crystal at his parrot across the room the parrot fell off its perch. Another visitor, a woman, asked if she could place her hands on the skull and was given permission to do so. When she did she began to shake, gently at first, then more and more violently, moaning gently as the intensity of her vibrations increased. Quickly, she pulled away and left. I followed her outside to ask what she had felt. Her answer was that she had just had the most exhilarating and powerful experience she had ever felt. Who could challenge such a claim? Anna gained possession of the skull after her father’s death. Anna took the skull on the road, displaying it to paying crowds, telling her story of its discovery, and asserting the claim that the skull possessed mystical properties. For some years, she lent it to art restorer Frank Dorland, who allowed the Hewlett-Packard laboratory to examine it. Dorland reported that the scientists determined it to have been carved from a single quartz crystal, but without regard for its axes (http://science.howstuff works.com/science-vs-myth/unexplainedphenomena/crystal-skull4.htm).

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stranGeWorldofmystery.bloGspot.Com

The crystal skull in the British Museum has been shown to have been made in Europe in the 1930s.

Many people are fascinated with carved-stone skulls, which can often be found for sale at rock shows.

bob jones photo

Art or Artifacts? from page 29

A single water-clear quartz crystal from Brazil was the material used to carve the Mitchell-Hedges skull.

I included a visit to the British Museum so we could see their skull. By that time, the “pre-Columbian” artifact had been carefully examined and established as a fake. I had already been in correspondence with the curator there and knew the shady history of the skull. Before it ended up in the British Museum, it had ed through the hands of private parties, one of which was American mineralogist and collector George F. Kunz, of kunzite fame. Once the Mitchell-Hedges skull was shown to be of modern vintage, a careful search into where and how Anna had actually obtained the skull began. Exactly when it was carved has not been determined, but it is well known that Eugene Boban, a French antique dealer, was doing brisk business selling Mexican artifacts in the late 1800s, when Mexico was under French control. Apparently, this enterprising merchant had been having skulls carved in Europe and was selling them as authentic pre-Columbian relics. How the Mitchell-Hedges family had obtained the skull I saw displayed in Scottsdale was eventually established: Frederick had bought the skull at auction in 1934. Later in her life, Anna attributed the legend of the Skull of Doom to her father’s wellknown active imagination and attempted to re-mold its reputation into that of a “healing skull”. In spite of the scientific findings, people remain fascinated with skulls carved from quartz and other minerals, which can be quite artistic. The skulls are still being offered for sale, some of them for several thousand dollars.

Rock & Gem 6/27/14 9:08 AM

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Show Dates from page 25 Please call for our 2013-2014 COLOR CATALOG! Be sure to check our web site www.neweragems.com

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SEPTEMBER 2014 ment, silent auctions, door prizes, kids’ activities, demonstrations, educational displays; Cheryl Hamilton, 3507 Luewan Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46235, (317) 897-6639; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.ColiseumShow. 2010] com 7-14—DENVER, COLORADO: Wholesale and retail show; Martin Zinn Expositions; Ramada Plaza Denver Central; 4849 Bannock St.; Daily 10-6; free ission; 200 wholesale and retail dealers; Regina Aumente, PO Box 665, Bernalillo, NM 87004, (505) 867-0425; e-mail: mzexpos@ gmail.com; Web site: www.mzexpos.com

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12-14—DENVER, COLORADO: Annual show; Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council; The Denver Mart Expo Hall (formally the Denver Merchandise Mart); 451 E. 58th Ave., I-25 Exit 215; Fri. 9-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $6, seniors and students $4, children accompanied by an adult free; “Agate”: nearly 200 dealers, speakers, demonstrations, shuttle to satellite shows, free gem and mineral identification, door prizes, “Mr. Bones”, kids’ activities and gold panning; Robert Berry, Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council, c/o Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Box 4, 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO 80205-5798, (303) 638-5000; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.denvermineralshow.com

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Holland Civic Center; 150 W. 8th St.; Fri. 9-8, Sat. 9-7, Sun. 11-5; adults $3, students free with adult; Birthstones “Everyone’s a Gem”: 12 dealers, special exhibits, lapidary and jewelry demonstrations, kids’ games, club sales, silent auction; Jodi and Steve Miller, 4420 Oak Hollow Ct., Hamilton, MI 49419, (269) 751-2808; e-mail: sjmillerman@ yahoo.com; Web site: www.tulipcity.org 13-14—COLOGNE, NEW JERSEY: Show and sale; CapeAtlantic Rockhounds; Clubhouse; 2641 Cologne Ave., off Route #30; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free ission; outdoor event, rain or shine; Billie Brockhum, (609) 879-1179 13-14—HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA: Annual show; Central Pennsylvania Rock & Gem Club; Zembo Shrine; Third St. and Division St.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $6, children (under 12) and Scouts in uniform free; dealers, jewelry, beads, gemstones, minerals, fossils, children’s activities, prizes, educational exhibits; Betsy Oberheim, PO Box 6271, Central PA Rock & Mineral Club, Harrisburg, PA 17112, (717) 469-2243; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.jaxgemandmineral.org

Rock & Gem

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19-21—LINCOLN, MISSOURI: Annual show; Mozarkite Society of Lincoln; Lincoln City Park; Shelter House, behind Casey’s; Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4; free ission; Ted Bolich, (660) 890-4983; Web site: www. Mozarkite.com 19-21—RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: Retail show; Treasures of the Earth Inc.; Richmond Raceway Complex; 600 E. Laburnum Ave.; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-5; adults $5, students (16 and under) free with adult; 14K and sterling silver, classic, estate, fashion and handmade jewelry, loose stones, beads, findings, pearls, minerals, crystals, lapidary supplies, jewelers, wire wrappers, jewelry design and repairs on site; Virginia rock and mineral and dinosaur bone display by the Richmond Gem & Mineral Society; Jane Westbrook, PO Box 59, Gloucester Point, VA 23062, (804) 285-4281; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.mhvgms.org

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ROCK & GEM Aragonite

Calcium Carbonate Aragonite was named for Aragon, Spain, where it was first discovered, but it’s a common mineral that is found worldwide. Aragonite is a polymorph of calcite, that is, it shares the same chemical composition (CaCO3), but because of different conditions during crystal formation, its crystal structure and characteristics differ slightly. Aragonite tends to be unstable, and if heated above Corallike aragonite 725°F, it will change to calcite. At Mohs 3.5-4, it’s a little harder than calcite (Mohs 3), but both are relatively soft carbonate minerals. “Classic” aragonite grows in elongated, prismatic, orthorhombic crystals that often form in twinned clusters, as compared to calcite, which often grows as pointed trigonal Stalactitic aragonite crystals. However, aragonite grows in varied forms: it may be found as fibrous masses, as corallike structures, or as banded stalactites. It also varies in color. Often white, it may also be colorless or show shades of yellow, red, green, purple, blue or gray, depending on the other minerals that formed alongside it. Whatever its exterior color, it leaves a white streak and usually has a vitreous to dull luster. Like its close cousin calcite, it will fizz in hydrochloric acid. It also often fluoresces bright pink under ultraviolet light. “Classic” aragonite Aragonite is a common mineral that crystallizes in low-temperature solutions, especially in sedimentary rocks. For instance, it may form in veins and caves in limestone areas and around hot springs. It’s often found as stalactites and corallike shapes in cave deposits, and marine creatures such as clams and corals secrete shells or skeletons composed of aragonite that later change into calcite during fossilization. —Jim Brace-Thompson

Fossil Sand Dollars

Beachcombers and fossil hunters alike love sand dollars! They belong to the phylum Echinodermata, which includes marine animals like starfish, sea cucumbers, crinoids, and sea urchins. One thing all hold in common is five-fold symmetry, as illustrated by the five-rayed star atop a sand dollar. What beachcombers find is the test (skeleton), which is made up of interlocked plates. In life, these tests are studded with short spines that, in turn, are covered with small, hairlike structures called cilia, which make living sand dollars look fuzzy. They use the spines to move across the seafloor, burrow within it, and to direct food particles to their mouths, located at the bottom center of the test. Their five-rayed stars on top are called petals and are used for gas exchange or respiration. In the history of life, sand dollars are young. Their close relatives, the sea urchins, have a long fossil record. For instance, my collection includes 300 million-year-old spiny sea urchins. During the Age of Dinosaurs (Mesozoic Era), sea urchins became especially common. The earliest sand dollars began Sand dollar colony diverging from cassiduloids, an order of irregular echinoids. It wasn’t until 65 million years ago that true sand dollars appeared, during the Paleocene, or the first epoch of the “Age of Mammals” (Cenozoic Era). Sand dollars still abound, with 250 living species. Their rigid tests and their tendencies to live in large colonies and burrow into sandy or muddy seafloors are all perfect for fossilization. Where you find one fossil sand dollar, you tend to find hundreds! —Jim Brace-Thompson

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Rock & Gem 6/24/14 3:14 PM

Fossil Hunt

The Gem Shop, in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, is holding its annual Summer Fossil Hunt Contest for kids who are entering grades 1 through 8 in fall 2014. The contest is an opportunity for fun and education in the field of paleontology. Contestants must discover and dig their fossils from the earth. They can prepare the fossil to show it to its best advantage or submit it as found. Prizes consist of cash and fossil specimens and will be awarded in multiple categories, including Best Fossil Coral, Best Fossil Shell, Most Unusual Fossil, Best Wisconsin Fossil, and the Fossil Found Farthest from The Gem Shop. Each child may enter up to two fossils. Entries are being accepted now and must be submitted by Aug. 31. Each fossil must be accompanied by a completed entry form. Forms and complete rules are available at www.thegemshop.com.

Word Trail

Starting with the highlighted square, draw a line connecting the letters to form a sentence that relates an interesting fact about some sweet polymorphs. The trail will randomly change directions, from horizontal to vertical, left and right. (Solution at the bottom of the page.)

WORD TRAIL SOLUTION: “The molecules in cocoa butter can form polymorphs at different temperatures because heat changes the way they stack up.” Learn more at www.compoundchem.com/2014/04/19/the-polymorphs-of-chocolate/.

August 2014 R&G Kids.indd 35

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September 7 - 14 DENVER, CO Colorado Mineral & Fossil Show; Ramada Plaza Denver Central; 4849 Bannock St. Room 200, Denver, CO

September 20 & 21 CHICO, CA Feather River Lapidary & Mineral Societies Gem Show; Silver Dollar Fair Grounds, 2357 Fair St., Chico CA

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COLORADO’S Mining History Stunning Specimens at the Pikes Peak Historical Society Museum

T

he Pikes Peak region, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, offers some of the best mineral collecting anywhere in the world.

Clusters of superb blue-green amazonite and smoky quartz crystals make stunning eye candy and are found in the finest mineral museums across the globe. The Pikes Peak area also yields well-formed crystals of topaz, fluorite, goethite, and other minerals too numerous to mention. Native Americans first discovered and collected crystals, which they used in ceremonies and for healing, and during their “vision quest” journeys to Pikes Peak. In the late 1860s, a translucent, smoky quartz crystal from the Pikes Peak region was sent to Tiffany & Co. in New York City, a highly successful, growing jewelry business founded in 1837. After noticing the warm color, which was more pleasing than the grayish smoky quartz supplied by Brazil, Tiffany’s offered the owner the fabulous price of $5 per pound for the crystal. This was at a time when $1 was considered a good day’s wage. Thus, a new mineral market centered on the Pikes Peak region was born. By the early 1870s, prospectors were busy mining at several sites within the granitic Pikes Peak batholith, which covers about 1,550 square miles. A batholith is an extremely large body of intrusive rock constructed from numerous smaller centers, known as plutons.

LENORE HOTCHKISS PHOTO

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Display

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The Pikes Peak region is famous for colorful clusters, or “plates”, of amazonite and smoky quartz crystals.

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By far, the most famous and productive site for smoky quartz and amazonite was near Crystal Peak, called “Cheops Pyramid” by the old-timers due to its shape. This landmark lies within a nearly circular pluton with an area of approximately 4 miles by 5 miles that is known today as the Lake George intrusive. It is mineralogically zoned, ranging from granite to syenite to gabbro, with an outer granitic ring that is the most productive area for museum-quality specimens. In the early days, the highly successful Philadelphia collector Dr. A.E. Foote was quite active here. Specimens he collected can sometimes be found for sale on the Internet. Today, the Crystal Peak area is noteworthy because it still yields exceptional treasures, especially through the use of mechanized equipment. The cable TV series “Prospectors”, broadcast on the Weather Channel, gives a snapshot of this modern-day hunt. The show has recently increased mineral collectors’ interest in the region. Near the heart of “mineral nirvana”, at the small town of Florissant, Colorado, about 45 miles west of Colorado Springs, lies the Pikes Peak Historical Society Museum. This free-ission facility was first established to showcase and preserve artifacts from local Native Americans, as well as provide a glimpse into the lives of pioneer homesteaders and others who followed the 19th-century westward migration. The museum is now drawing international interest because of its fine inventory of local minerals. How did a museum with a historical focus end up with an amazing mineral and rock collection? In 2005, the Lake George Gem & Mineral Club (Lake George, Colorado) established a “legacy project”, which had the goal of assembling an exceptional collection of Pikes Peak-region minerals for all to enjoy. Finding a home for the proposed collection was a “no-brainer”. The Pikes Peak Historical Society was renovating a building in Florissant as a museum expansion. This not-for-profit organization

August 2014 Pikes Peak Museum.indd 39

AnDY WeinZAPFeL PHoto

The displays in the Pikes Peak Historical Society Museum include minerals from five counties in the Pikes Peak region thanks to a “legacy project” of the Lake George Gem & Mineral Club.

Lenore HotcHkiss PHoto

Lenore HotcHkiss PHoto

This deep-purple fluorite cube, resting on microcline, was found in a miarolitic cavity in a pegmatite.

Two smoky quartz crystals from Rich Fretterd’s Godsend claim, near Crystal Peak, Colorado, are thought to be the largest intact, well-formed specimens ever discovered in North America.

had parallel missions of education and preservation, and a long history of responsibly serving the region. Today, the society has more than 500 . The Lake George club initially funded the purchase of a specimen cabinet and challenged its , local miners, and other interested individuals to donate some of their finest minerals for future generations to enjoy. In a single day—Dec. 5, 2005—a first-class collection was born. Donors showed up at the museum with some truly remarkable items. This rapid expansion of the collection soon required more display cases. The Greater Denver Gem & Mineral Council provided a generous grant, which was used to purchase additional cabinets. On Feb. 2, 2002, Groundhog Day, local prospector Rich Fretterd had discovered a bonanza at his Godsend claim, five miles north of the museum, near Crystal Peak: two huge smoky quartz crystals from the

same pocket. These are thought to be the largest intact, well-formed smoky quartz crystals ever discovered in North America. In 2006, Fretterd loaned one of the behemoths, a doubly terminated, 4-foot-long specimen weighing 439 pounds, to the museum. With financial assistance from a major local gold producer, Cripple and Victor Gold Mining Co., the museum later purchased this crystal, making it a permanent part of the collection. In December 2013, Fretterd generously donated the second goliath from the same pocket. Weighing 345 pounds and standing 4 feet, 3 inches tall, it is a slightly longer but skinnier version of its twin. The gift was to honor his recently deceased brother and digging partner, Vincent “Scruffy” Fretterd. He felt these unique “crystal brothers” should be preserved and displayed together in Teller County, where they had formed a billion years ago in the same womb.

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Natural radiation, and possibly trace amounts of aluminum, are the causes of the dark smoky color in these twin Colorado quartz crystals.

Fretterd is a different “breed of cat”. He has a hardrock mining background, perseverance, uncommon finding instincts, and— presumably—a good measure of luck! His large smoky quartz discovery came from an area that had already been searched by many others. How did he do it? He first found a pegmatite vein with small crystals and decided to follow it underground. His experience as a hardrock miner ensured that he was proceeding safely; normally, underground mining is far too dangerous for the typical mineral collector. Pegmatites are characterized by large crystal size and typically develop in the late cooling stages of magma. An extremely water-rich late phase reduces the magma’s viscosity, promoting the growth of nearly perfect crystals. The residual magma often contains unusual elements, increasing mineral diversity. For large, wellformed crystals to grow, adequate space is required. An opening called a miarolitic cavity can be created during the vapor phase of cooling. Fractures in rock are typically lined with much smaller crystals due to limited space. Fretterd continued to follow the pegmatite seam underground and located several small pockets containing smoky quartz crystals and fluorite cubes. The seam finally opened into the Holy Moses pocket, a major, iron-stained miarolitic cavity in which only the tips of the two big crystals were exposed. Only through careful excavation did he realize the immense size of his find. A block and tackle system, hooked to a tripod, was necessary to extract the crystals, and many fellow miners aided him in his task. Afterward came a big cleaning job. The crystals were soaked in an acid bath in an

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Lenore HotcHkiss PHoto

Lenore HotcHkiss PHoto

Colorado’s Mining History on Display from page 39

There is significant color variation among specimens of amazonite from the various deposits of the Pikes Peak region.

old hot tub for several weeks in order to remove the coating of iron oxide. The residual acid was then neutralized. Finally, the crystals could puff up their SiO2 chests for everyone to appreciate! Miarolitic pockets in pegmatites have proximity indicators such as graphic granite, bleached rock, finely layered features that may be flow textures, and the presence of biotite crystals. The novice can sometimes abandon digging as they enter a pocket because they typically are presented with messy, iron-stained clay, which masks the prize. Local collectors have told stories about people who invested much effort in digging, stumbled into a pocket they didn’t recognize, and abandoned the hunt. On a sunny day after a hard rain, crystals could then be found beckoning all over the dump. The collection at the Pikes Peak Historical Society Museum contains many other fine specimens from the Pikes Peak region. The Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Co. has donated a suite of interesting rocks and minerals from one of the most important gold-silver districts in the United States. The specimens range in age from 28 million to 1.7 billion years and highlight the tremendous geologic diversity of that area. Gold was first mined at Cripple Creek in 1891, well after most gold discoveries in the West. That is because the gold and silver were disguised, bonded with the element tellurium as calaverite and sylvanite. The museum has also received donations of roasted gold ore, turquoise and amethyst from the region. Cripple Creek turquoise is prized because it is less porous and permeable than that from other localities. It is sold in its natural state, not requiring treatments to improve its color and durability.

The museum also exhibits exquisite plant and insect fossils extracted from the sedimentary rocks of the local Florissant Formation, on which the museum rests. These fossils, preserved in lake sediments, represent a snapshot of a Late Eocene (34 million years ago) climate that was much hotter than it is today. Incredibly, an ancestor of the tsetse fly—known today as a disease-carrying insect found in hot, humid equatorial Africa—has been recovered from this formation. If you visit the museum, check out the new Visitor Center at the nearby Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, which is well stocked with fossils and has a paleontologist on staff (www.nps.gov/flfo/index. htm). This facility has very informative exhibits, as well as a recently updated movie explaining the geology of the area. There are abundant hiking trails, and while fossil collecting is forbidden in the park, there is a fee-collecting area near the museum in the most fossiliferous part of the Florissant Formation. The Florissant Fossil Quarry, owned by the Clare family for over 50 years, is run daily in the summer on an appointment basis. Call (719) 748-3275 to arrange a visit. Immediately north of the Lake George intrusive is a little-known, but most interesting, zoned pluton. Its outer ring of olivine gabbro is rich in ilmenite, a titanium oxide mineral. The core of the intrusive, which is probably a quartz latite porphyry, crops out on an unnamed topographic high that I call “Blue Quartz Mountain” because blue quartz is an accessory mineral there. Many mineral collectors are aware of a hard, attractive rock from the Texas Hill Country, west of Austin, that is informally known as “llanite”. Occurring as dikes inject-

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ed into the 1 billion-year-old Town Mountain granite and older metamorphic rocks, the Hill Country rhyolite also contains unusual blue quartz crystals. The blue color of Texas llanite is a result of the Rayleigh scattering of light by submicrometer ilmenite inclusions. The genetic association of ilmenite in the outer ring and blue quartz in the center of the Colorado Blue Quartz Mountain pluton strongly suggests that the cause of the blue color is also ilmenite inclusions. Just north of Blue Quartz Mountain is a classic mineral-bearing locality, a zoned pluton known as the Redskin Granite. Indeed, the reddish appearance of the outcrops is quite distinctive, as is its blocky weathering pattern. Chemically, the Redskin is considered a tin granite, the last type of rock to form as the Pikes Peak batholith cooled. Perfect crystals of topaz, some of them quite large, have been extracted from the miarolitic cavities in it. The topaz comes in several colors, as well as multicolor crystals. Beryllium is present in the Redskin as an anomaly, with bertrandite being the main beryllium mineral. One U.S. beryllium mine that was considered most important during World War II was the Boomer, located in the Redskin Granite. Can the exceptional mineral and fossil endowment of the museum be geologically connected by a unifying theory or hypothesis? I believe the answer is “yes”. In 2004, I proposed the “Florissant lineament” hypothesis, hoping the concept can provide some new regional exploration ideas for the continued discovery of fine minerals in the Pikes Peak region. A lineament is a linear feature of regional extent that is expressed in the topography, influenced by the underlying geology. When several geologic elements occur in

August 2014 Pikes Peak Museum.indd 41

a straight line over tens of miles in length, a major fault, or deep crustal tear, should be suspected. These major faults almost always consist of multiple, complexly interconnected faults that relieve regional stresses along the same zone of weakness. There is a near-alignment of several geologic elements along the western edge of the Pikes Peak batholith. The northwest-southeast orientation corresponds closely with the most prominent ting (fractures without displacement) direction that was previously mapped within the Lake George intrusive. It is believed that a deep crustal, Precambrian tear exercised control over the rise of magma and mineralizing solutions, from which four Precambrian plutons of the Pikes Peak batholith emerged. These discrete, relatively small plutons are likely the roots of an eroded volcanic chain. They are, from northwest to southeast, Redskin, Blue Quartz Mountain, Lake George, and Spring Creek. The first three are zoned and mineralized, but little is known about the fourth. A fault remains a zone of potential weakness long after initial displacement ends, prone to re-activation through geologic time as the region encounters new stress fields induced by plate tectonic motion. Two geologic elements lying along the Florissant lineament are much younger than those described above, but are likely genetically linked. First, the fossil-rich Florissant Formation is an isolated sedimentary unit lying in a “sea of granite”. Erosion has not stripped it away because it presumably lies in a graben or half graben (down-dropped fault block). Second, the Oligocene Cripple Creek-Victor volcanic gold-producing area on the southern end of the lineament is also in near-alignment. A major fault is a likely control for this volcanic feature.

Lenore HotcHkiss PHoto

Lenore HotcHkiss PHoto

The sedminetary rocks of the Florissant Formation hold exceptionally well-preserved fossils from the Late Eocene (34 million years ago), such as these leaf and bird foot fossils.

Rich Fretterd donated one of the giant smoky quartz crystals from his Godsend claim to the museum.

Additional evidence for the existence of the Florissant lineament is that its hypothetical path roughly parallels at least four other recognized major faults of the Colorado Front Range. They all likely served to relieve the regional stresses that were present as far back as Precambrian time. Practically all fluorite deposits occur near major faults. The element fluorine, which is generally believed to be of very deep origin, is well represented in several lineament components: topaz of the Redskin Granite, fluorite in the Lake George intrusive, and fluorite associated with high-grade gold veins at Cripple Creek. It should be emphasized that that some of the best collecting areas in the area are either on private property or held by federal mining claims, and are off limits to collectors except with permission from the landowners or claim holders. The Lake George Gem & Mineral Club, which currently has about 160 , has developed relationships with several key landholders who have granted access for occasional field trips in the past. Check out the club at www.lggmclub.org. The Pikes Peak Historical Society Museum is located at 18033 Teller County Road #1, a few hundred yards south of the intersection with U.S. Highway 24. The museum is open to groups by appointment on Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Memorial Day until Labor Day. For hours and reservations, call (719) 748-8259 or visit www.pikespeakhsmuseum.org. The Lake George Gem & Mineral Club continues to provide technical for the collection. As interesting new minerals are uncovered in this incredibly rich and geologically diverse region, the museum collection is bound to grow.

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Show Dates from page 33 26-27—HURRICANE, UTAH: Southern Utah Rock and Gem Show; Eric Funk; Washington County Regional Park; 5500 West 700 South; Fri. 10-7, Sat. 10-7; free ission; dealers, rocks, gems, faceted stones, fossils, minerals, geodes, crystals, petrified wood, silent auction; Eric Funk, PO Box 537, Ferron, UT 84523, (435) 609-0136; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.lexingtonrockclub.com

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27-28—MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; Carmel Valley Gem & Mineral Society; Monterey Fairgrounds; 2004 Fairgrounds Rd.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $4, children free with adult; 15 dealers, jewelry, cut and uncut gemstones, beads, crystals, rough and polished rocks, mineral specimens, fossils, more than 50 guest and member gem, mineral, and fossil displays, demonstrations, jewelry making, sphere making, rock grinding, polishing, silent auction, kids’ activities; Janis Rovetti, 1047 Roosevelt St., Monterey, CA 93940, (831) 372-1311; e-mail: janis12@sbc global.net; Web site: www.cvgms.com 27-28—OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN: Oshkosh 43rd Annual Gem and Mineral Show; Oshkosh Earth Science Club; Sunnyview Expo Center; 500 E. County Road Y; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $2, students $1 with ID, children (under 12) free; 25 dealers, mineral specimens, geodes, fossils, jewelry, lapidary material, home decor, member, dealer and museum displays, demonstrators, silver work, gem faceting, lapidary, beading, children’s area, rock polishing, rock painting, jewelry making, fluorescent rock display; Ann Voges, (920) 725-1640; e-mail: hankemps@milwpc. com; Web site: www.facebook.com/pages/Oshkosh-EarthScience-Club/202088083155987 27-28—SOUTH SIOUX CITY, NEBRASKA: Retail show; Siouxland Gem & Mineral Society; S. Sioux City Senior Citizens Center; 1501 W. 29th St.; Sat. 9-4, Sun. 10-4; free ission; exhibits, four dealers, gems, agates, rough and polished specimens, beads, geodes, minerals, faceted jewelry, fossils, door prizes, spin the wheel, silent auction, displays, artifacts; Bob Powell, 406 Brandon, Kingsley, IA 51028, (712) 378 2775; e-mail: [email protected]

OCTOBER 2014 1-5—JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; The Hi-Desert Rockhounds; Sportsman’s Club of Joshua Tree; 6225 Sunburst St.; Daily 9-6; free ission; rocks, minerals, jewelry, gold panning; Roger Thompson, 6225 Sunburst St., Joshua Tree, CA 92252, (760) 366-2915 or (760) 902-5340; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.toteshows.com 4-5—JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS: Annual show; Central Arkansas Gem Mineral and Geology Society; Jacksonville Community Center; 5 Municipal Dr.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free ission; 25 dealers, rocks, minerals, fossils, lapidary material, jewelry, beads, displays, demon-

Rock & Gem

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strations, kids’ dig, door prizes; Tom Sharp, 14705 Chambery Dr., Little Rock, AR 72211, (501) 379-8653; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.mtida chamber.com 10-12—MOUNT IDA, ARKANSAS: 30th Annual Quartz, Quiltz and Craftz Show; Mount Ida Area Chamber of

continued on page 50

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A

The

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CAMEOS

Ancient and Contemporary Carved Treasures PHOTO COURTESY RAINFOREST DESIGN

Story by Helen Serras-Herman

A

cameo is a type of gem carving that

face. The height of the cameo can vary con-

depicts faces or scenes with fig-

siderably, from what is considered a high re-

ures. The design is raised above

lief, projecting more than 50% of the depth

the background material in a relief style by

of the sculpture, to low reliefs, also known

removing matter from the surrounding sur-

as bas-reliefs.

The gem material can be monochromatic (one color), such as in lapis, moonstone or chalcedony and the organic gems amber, coral, ivory and jet. Most commonly, however, cameos are carved on layered materials such as onyx and sardonyx, which are cryptocrystalline varieties of quartz. Sardonyx is a variety of the chalcedony gem onyx in which bands of red-brown to almost black sard alternate with orange to

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red-brown bands of carnelian and layers of white chalcedony. These cameos are considered “hard stone” carvings, as opposed to those made from glass or shell. The term cameo (plural, cameos or camei) comes from the Latin cammaeus, which most probably came from the Greek keimelion (“heirloom”). Other sources cite possible origins in the Arabic words camant meaning “flower” (“The Johnston Collection

of Engraved Gems”, C.W. King, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1904) and kmamea, which refers to an amulet (Cameos Old & New, Anna M. Miller (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1991). This fabulously carved shell cameo necklace features the images of Cattleya Laeliinae orchids and is set with rubellite tourmalines and raspberry-pink garnets.

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In most of the commercially produced natural-gemstone cameos, the design has been created by ultrasonic or laser machines.

marie-lan nguyen pHoto/Wikimedia CommonS

Ancient cAmeos Cameo carving dates back to the late Paleolithic Era, when ivory was the preferred material. Cameo carving on hard gemstones, such as onyx and sardonyx, became popular during the Greek Hellenistic period, around the 3rd century BCE, with gods, goddesses, bucolic scenes, and battle settings being favorite subjects. The campaigns of Alexander the Great brought back to the Greek world a variety of new stones, such as the multilayered sardonyx from India and Arabia. Greek carvers took advantage of these new gems and cultural styles. The art form truly saw its peak during the Roman Empire, when the faces of emperors or scenes from their campaigns were being immortalized in gemstones. Many of these cameos were set and worn as jewelry such as bracelets, diadems, pendants, and clothing adornments, but some of them were so large that they were probably ired as art objects. Cameos were purely ornamental, as opposed to intaglio engravings, used as seals to document property (Cameos: Classical to Costume, M.L. Clements and P.R. Clements, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1998). One of the most famous—and the largest—cameos of antiquity is the Great Cameo of , carved on a five-layered sardonyx around 23 CE. It measures 31 cm by 26.5 cm. The cameo is part of the Bibliotheque Nationale collection in Paris. The scene depicts 24 figures, arranged in three levels. The five emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and various other important persons occupy the first two tiers, with captive barbarians from the Battle of Germanicus featured on the lowest level.

Helen SerraS-Herman pHoto

Helen SerraS-Herman pHoto

The impressive Cameo Portrait of Augustus, carved in Rome (circa CE 14-20) from a three-layer sardonyx, is in the British Museum collection.

One of the most famous cameos of the antiquity is the Great Cameo of , which was carved on a five-layer sardonyx, around CE 23. It depicts the five emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and other important persons.

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Roman glass Cameos Cameo glass vases were made within two generations in Rome as experiments, when the glass­blowing technique (dis­ covered around 50 BCE), was still in its infancy. One of the most famous cameo glass vessels is the Portland Vase, which is on display at the British Museum. The vase is 25 cm high and 56 cm in circumference.

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The vessel is made of violet­blue glass, and the lower part is covered with a layer of white glass. The figures and scenes were hand carved into the white glass, allowing the blue layer to show through. Recent research shows that these vases were made by the dip­overlay method: An elongated bubble of blue glass was partially dipped into a crucible of white glass before the two were blown together. After cooling, the white layer was carved into to create the design after the manner of hard stone carving, probably by skilled gem cutters. It is believed that the Portland Vase was created in Rome between 5 CE and 25 CE. Its existence was first recorded in Rome in 1600, and in 1784 it came into the hands of Margaret, Dowager Duchess of Portland (Buckinghamshire, England). It has been at the British Museum since 1810 (The Portland Vase, Susan Walker, The British Museum Press, 2004). Josiah Wedg­ wood made the vase famous by replicating it in jasperware pottery. ContempoRaRy Cameos There is a lot that contemporary gem carvers can learn from studying the ancient masterpieces. The precision of their tech­ nique and meticulous workmanship, the way the ancient carvers used the patterns and colors of the gem materials to their ad­ vantage, their approach to fitting the figures and scenes and filling the background, the way they used undercutting to create depth of field, and their methods of telling a story, can all be employed in modern cameo work, even if the carving style is different. Today, almost every quality of cameo carving is available on the market. Excep­

M.J. Colella Photo/helen serras-herMan CaMeo

This high-relief cameo portrait of Queen Sikirit of Thailand is carved in a 550.0-carat aquamarine.

Chrysoprase with brown ironstone matrix lends itself to two-layered cameo work like this “Satyr” pendant.

helen serras-herMan Photo

There are many ancient cameos in mu­ seums around the world. Two examples are the Gemma Augustea, a two­layered onyx carving from the 1st century CE, made by the Greek gem carver Dioscorides, and the Gemma Claudia, a five­layered onyx cam­ eo, carved around 49 CE, both of which are now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The Tazza Farnese (Farnese Cup) is shaped like a chalice without a foot. Mea­ suring 20 cm wide and carved in a four­ layered sardonyx agate, its scene features a sphinx and seven symbolic figures, creating an impressive Greco­Egyptian allegory. To­ day, the cup resides in the Naples National Archaeological Museum in Italy. Several fabulous Roman­era cameos are part of the British Museum (London) collec­ tion. During a 2010 trip, my husband, An­ drew, and I spent several days visiting the museum’s galleries, including the Cameo Collection Gallery. Many of the pieces were displayed suspended in glass cases, so that both sides were visible. Among them is the impressive Cameo Portrait of Augustus, carved in Rome sometime between 14 CE and 20 CE, on a three­layered sardonyx. The cameo is 12.8 cm high by 9.3 cm wide, and depicts the emperor Augustus in a way that gives him godlike status. The cameo came from the Strozzi and Blacas collections, so it is also known as the Blacas Cameo. Another beautiful cameo in the museum is a large, almost oval­shaped sardonyx carv­ ing of of the Roman imperial fam­ ily featured as Jupiter Ammon and Juno (or Isis) (circa 37­50 CE). Two more cameos, both carved in the round on monochromatic materials, caught our attention. One is the chalcedony cameo featuring the Empress Domitia carried by a peacock (circa 81­96 CE), and the other is the portrait of a woman carved on green aventurine quartz. The art of cameo carving enjoyed a re­ vival during the Renaissance, and again during the neoclassical revival of the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1910, English sculp­ tor and gem engraver Cecil Thomas went to Thailand (Siam) and created a series of cameo portraits of the royal family. Cameos were regularly produced at the agate­cutting workshops in Idar­Oberstein, . The tradition continues today, with some bearing traditional designs and others being very contemporary in style.

M.J. Colella Photo/helen serras-herMan CaMeo

The Art of Cameos from page 45

One of the most famous cameo glass vessels is the Portland Vase, made of violet-blue glass layered with white glass.

tional, hand­carved cameos are signed by well­known artists such as Thomas Mhee, Chu­Alice Chan, the late Ute Klein Ber­ hardt, Erwin Pauly and Hans­Ulrich Pauly, Piotr Salzman, and me. Contemporary cameo carvers use the classic layered gem materials, such as onyx and sardonyx, but also utilize transparent gemstones like amethyst, aquamarine, blue chalcedony, rock crystal quartz, and rutilated quartz. Turquoise in all qualities and types— from natural and untreated to stabilized and

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Helen SerraS-Herman pHoto

This Roman sardonyx cameo, in which the goddess Diana is depicted in a chariot drawn by bulls, dates from the 3rd century CE and is part of the collection in the British Museum.

reconstructed turquoise, and even plastic imitations—and jade, especially multicolor jades, also lend themselves to cameo carving. Ultrasonically created reproductions are made from an original carving, very much in the manner of a giclée print (photographically reproduced on canvas) of an original painting. In commercially produced natural gemstone cameos, the stone is often dyed and the design is created by ultrasonic or laser machines. Mass-produced pieces have a carved top affixed to a plain-colored background. Cameos are also made of molded glass, plastic, resin, polymer clay, or porcelain. Often, the price will be a good indicator of the type of material. To learn more about how to distinguish between hand-carved cameos and ultrasonic-carved cameos, as well as dating ancient and antique cameos, refer to Miller’s fabulous book Cameos Old & New, which was revised and updated by Diana Jarrett in 2009 (Gemstone Press). Shell cameoS Cameos carved on shells started appearing during the Renaissance, but they became very popular during the 18th and early 19th centuries, when French and Italian carvers took up the practice. At that time, the carnelian-and-white King Helmet shells (Cassis tuberosa) came into Europe from the West Indies and the pink Queen Conch shells (Strombus gigas) from the Bahamas. Today, among the favorite shells for carving are the cassis rufa (bull mouth), known as the carnelian shell, and the cassis madagascariensis, the Emperor Helmet shell, also known as the sardonyx shell. Most of the antique cameos are skillfully carved with individual designs. The archae-

August 2014 Art of Cameos.indd 47

ological discoveries of ancient civilizations during the 19th century renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman mythological subjects, along with beautiful floral patterns, in cameo carving. Many of the contemporary, mass-produced shell cameos, however, feature the generic profile of a girl with curly hair and a nose always turned upwards. Some are handmade, while others are created by ultrasonic machines, and some of them are finished by hand. One large center for carving shell cameos is the tranquil fishing village in Southern Italy called Torre del Greco. It has been famous since the 18th century for its handcarved shell and red coral cameos, which emulate the style of antique cameos. The unique shell cameos created by Rainforest Design® are exotic in style and subject matter, and have their roots deep in the rainforests of Panama. The carvers are Wounaan Indians who were born in the dense Darien jungle on the east side of the country, where it borders Colombia. The cameo carvers, all of them male, were taught shell carving by a North American entrepreneur, Andy Ike, who lives in Panama. He is very familiar with the Queen Helmet shells (Cassis madagascariensis spinella), as he used to export them from Panama to Italy for the carving trade. The first carver he taught was Lider Peña, who in turn taught his brother and cousins. These men had previous experience in carving the local tagua nuts, which proved a great asset. The nuts are usually carved as miniature sculptures in the full round and in very high relief. Carving shell, however, is a more complex endeavor than carving the nuts. Even

though the two are similar in hardness (Mohs 2.5-3.0), the taguas are tougher and more compact, so they are not as fragile as the shells. The Queen Helmet shells also have at least two color layers, “knuckles”, and a curvature that the carver must take into consideration. Their tools include a Dremel® power tool with diamond and tungsten carbide burrs for rough preforming and carving. Finishing is completed with hand gravers and fine sandpaper, achieving a wonderful, gleaming luster on the carved surfaces. In 2004, Roslyn Zelenka, another expat American living in Panama, came onto the scene, creating new designs and pushing the limits of the Wounaan carvers’ capabilities. Traditional designs featured the fauna and flora of the rainforest and the cultural heritage of Panama. Roslyn has brought in new ideas, compositions and designs. Frogs, lizards, orchids, birds of paradise, lilies, hibiscus, hummingbirds, macaws, and toucans are some of the nature subjects featured in the designs. The carvings are so lifelike and realistic that they grab your attention immediately and keep you captivated. Recent pieces show a lattice of small open areas that give the carving more depth and a more 3-dimensional look. This piercing method can be very risky, though, as the shell may fracture or break. Andy selects the shells, cuts the blanks into ovals or other shapes, and provides the Wounaan carvers with a ready-to-carve material. Roslyn discusses the design for each piece with the carvers. Once the cameos are finished, she collaborates with local goldsmiths to create astonishing jewelry pieces. In some, a simple pendant or pin bezel in 18K gold or 950 silver frames the cameo, while some of the necklaces feature multiple strands of small pearls and gemstone beads. Roslyn is also in charge of marketing these exotic pieces under the name Rainforest Design, and placing them with Panamanian and U.S. galleries, jewelry stores, and authorized retail representatives, like Elaine Rohrbach, the president and owner of Gem-Fare, who attends the Tucson gem shows. I met Roslyn over a decade ago, and when I saw the cameos, I was astounded by their beauty, quality, fine detail, and unique subject matter. Every February, we meet in Tucson, and I am always surprised by the new designs—angelfish, starfish, geckos, butterflies, and new orchid styles—in the beautifully crafted jewelry pieces. For more information, visit the visually rich Web site www.rainforestdesigns.com. Helen Serras-Herman is a gem sculptor and jewelry artist with 30 years of experience. She was inducted into the National Lapidary Hall of Fame in 2003. See her work at www.gemart center.com.

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W

by Scott Empey

hat to

Cut

Amethyst Sage Dendritic Agate

O

ne type of agate that has been on my cutting list for as long as I can is Amethyst Sage dendritic agate from Denio, Nevada. Amethyst Sage has a gorgeous, deep amethyst color, as well as gold mossy patterns and dramatic black manganese dendrites. There are not a lot of purple agates out there, and many of the known deposits are mined out. Holly Blue and Indonesian purple agates are no longer being mined. Some Mexican agate deposits yield purple agates, but they are rare these days. Few of these types are quite as truly purple as Amethyst Sage agate, which is still being mined today. As with most agates, the quality varies, but at its best, it is exceptionally beautiful: The clear pools of deep purple contrasting with the lacy gold and dramatic black dendrites provide a lot of interesting details for the cab cutter. The source of Amethyst Sage agate is in the Bilk Mountain Range in Nevada. The location is currently under claim and the material is being mined by Dale Huett of West Coast Mining. (Dale is also currently mining Owyhee Picture jasper, Polka Dot agate, and Paiute agate, and he holds a claim for diging Oregon opal at Opal Butte.) Dale has held the claim for Amethyst Sage for over 15 years, and the agate is available in several different grades from his Web site, www.wcmining.com. Cutting cabochons from this chalcedony material is pretty straightforward; it generally consists of a nice, solid agate with just a few problem areas. There are also won-

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derful patterns and combinations of color that you can incorporate into your cabochon designs. The purple agate tends to be on the outside portions of the veins and nodules. I usually look for some nice, black dendrites to feature in my stones and try to include some of the purple from the outside sections, accented with the gold and white colors in the center. There are occasional vugs in the stone, which are usually lined with a fine, sparkling druse that is beautiful when it is incorporated into your cabs. I use 100 and 260 grit diamond disks to rough out the stones and flatten the backs. For sanding, I run through a series of diamond resin bond belts from Eastwind. I start with 220 grit to obtain the final shape and curvature, then continue through 400, 600, 1200 and 3000 grit. I move on to cerium oxide mixed with a couple of teaspoons of white vinegar to obtain the final, glossy polish. I initially added the vinegar to my polish when I was working on some fussy silicated rhyolite, but I find that it also makes the polish a little more aggressive on agates, so now I add it all the time. Scott Empey, owner of Gerard Scott Designs, creates hand-cut gemstones, designer jewelry, and props for the motion picture industry. His Web site is www. gerardscottdesigns.com.

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Thomas Heffron Nov. 9, 1942—May 21, 2014 We are sad to announce the ing of Tom Heffron, our friend and former employee, who had retired late last year. Tom lost his recent battle with cancer and ed away at his home in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, surrounded by his family. Tom had a great impact on our company over the many years he worked at Lyman (1987-2013) as President of our Raytech Industries division. He had ed Raytech in 1974 and later became President. Raytech ed Lyman in 1987 and Tom stayed on to manage the Raytech business. In his later years with the company, Tom pioneered our overseas partnerships and personally developed many critical business relationships with our overseas suppliers. He enjoyed this part of the business immensely; he had a natural curiosity for finding new ventures and suppliers, which stemmed from his earlier years as a purchasing manager. Tom loved traveling and meeting new people. Tom’s word and handshake formed many long-standing and valued relationships for us. He came to know many of our business partners as personal friends. Even though he had retired late last year, Tom continued to consult for us and was still working on new projects right up until his last days. We will miss his laughter, his guidance, and his friendship. World Gold Supply Running Out It stands to reason that the amount of gold in the earth is limited, but mankind may be reaching that limit sooner than we thought. Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan of gizmodo.com, citing a Wall Street Journal article, reported that, at the current rate of mining, the supply will be depleted in just two decades. New gold-deposit discoveries, the article says, have been on the decline since 1995, and none at all were made in 2012. Historically, gold has been recycled, melted down and re-worked into new ornaments, coins or other objects over the ages. Today, billions of electronic devices use very small amounts of gold as a component. It is impractical to recover these tiny bits of gold from millions of devices for re-use. Earth’s remaining gold is so fine that tremendous effort and money must be expended in order to recover usable amounts. (www.gizmodo.com) Lizzadro Special Exhibits “Faces of Eternity”, a collection of 15 life-size skulls by Peruvian gem carver Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio, began on July 1 and is scheduled to run through Nov. 2, 2014. Each of the skulls, which were inspired by the juxtaposition of human mortality and the timelessness of gemstones, has a distinctive personality. Aparicio will give a program at the museum in early November. Details are on the museum’s Web site. “Modern Designer Jewelry from the Smithsonian” features 11 pieces, circa 1960 to 2010, created by awardwinning American jewelry designers. All the pieces reside in the National Gem Collection. The exhibit has been extended through Sep. 28, 2014. On Sept. 28, the presentation “Jeffrey Post Presents The Smithsonian Gem Collection” will close the exhibit. Dr. Jeffrey Post, geologist and curator of gems and minerals at the National Museum of Natural History, will present a program on the most important and awe-inspiring gems in the Smithsonian collection. Learn about the legends and lore behind famous gems and the variety mineral species represented. The 60-minute lecture has an extra cost of $15 per person. Make reservations by calling (630) 833-1616.  Luis ALberto Quispe ApAricio photo

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The MOERAKI BOULDERS

NIKKI RAJALA PHOTO

Unusual, Large Concretions in New Zealand

The 50 boulders on Koehohe Beach are gigantic, 60 million-year-old mudstone concretions, in which sediment is cemented together by minerals.

L

Story by Bill Vossler

eaving Oamaru, New Zealand, I drove on the left side of scenic Highway 1 like everybody else, heading south. Driving on the “wrong” side of the road required a few split-second decisions, often because I suddenly wanted to stop to eye the many rock structures and take pictures. Just off the narrow road to our left seals basked in the warm sun on the South Island coastline, while white spume sprayed over them from the blue waters of the South Pacific Ocean. 54

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August 2014 Moeraki Boulders.indd 55

Nikki Rajala Photo

William m. CoNNolley Photo/Wikimedia CommoNs

Some of the Moeraki Boulders were broken into pieces, and we could see where brown or yellow calcite, or possibly dolomite or quartz, had seeped into the center of the boulder.

This broken-open Moeraki Boulder displays a hollow interior and mineral seepage.

Bill VossleR Photo

We didn‘t realize that within a half hour we were going to view something much more marvelous just down the road on Koehohe Beach when we pulled off to look at the Moeraki Boulders. A trail of crushed rock lined with a wooden handrail led down toward the beach and the gray ocean, filled with whitecaps. About 400 feet down the beach, we could see boulders. Since we knew nothing about them, they jumped out at us because of their unusual size and generally spherical shapes, although a few are somewhat elongated. In my journal, I wrote, “They are unlike anything I’ve ever seen, several dozen of them, ranging in size (from 1.5 to 7 feet in diameter.) Several clumps are visible, some perhaps a dozen feet out in the surf, others high and dry on the beach. They form a gray- and black-dotted, haphazard line open to the ocean’s unceasing waves.” The most striking feature of some of the first boulders we saw was their resemblance to a chunk of dinosaur, perhaps, with ancient, grayish-black skin. (Curiously, other concretion boulders found 12 miles away do have bones of ancient dinosaurera mosasaurs and plesiosaurs inside.) The scales that make the dinosaur-skin pattern on these Moeraki Boulder surfaces are softball size or larger, and have all kinds of odd shapes. The scales are delineated by wandering lines of a vaguely yellowish material that resembles dirty putty. Other boulders sported giant cracks in similar patterns, and still other boulders were broken apart, making a person wonder whether some giant had taken a huge hammer to them. The 50 boulders on Koehohe Beach have been variously called “hooligan’s gallstones”, “giant gobstoppers”, “aliens’ brains”, “bowling balls of giants”, “marvelously huge marbles”, or “the Stonehenge of New Zealand”. Sailors called them “Vulcan’s foundry”. The names serve to elucidate how unusual the boulders seem to people. The indigenous Maori people have a legend that explains the origin of the huge boulders. They say that a large sailing canoe, Arai-te-uru, was returning from harvesting sweet potatoes in their ancestral Polynesian homeland, Hawaiki. The canoe became waterlogged and lost cargo at Koehohe Beach, where its fishing net, eel baskets, sweet potatoes, and calabash water gourds became petrified. The canoe made it another 30 miles to Shag Point, where it upended and turned to stone, forming petrified shoals. The rocky promontory nearby is said to be the petrified body of the canoe’s captain. There is no explanation for why everything became supersized. While a viewer on the beach insisted that the boulders were volcanic in origin, geology dictates something different: that these boulders are mudstone concretions.

Some of the boulders showed mineral-filled septa that formed a pattern that made us think of dinosaur skin.

55 6/25/14 2:01 PM

Bill Vossler Photo

The Moeraki Boulders from page 55

The weathering action of waves, rain and wind have released boulders from the cliffs near the shore, after which they rolled down onto the beach or into the booming surf.

Moerakiboulders.com says, “The boulders grew in a pile of mud, some 60 million years ago. They are called ‘concretions’, lumps of sediment bound together by a mineral cement. Imagine dropping a lump of glue onto sand. The resulting clump would be a concretion.” The Web site identifies the “glue” in these boulders as calcite from decomposing marine life. According to “The Moeraki Boulders: anatomy of some septarian concretions”, by J.R. Boles, C.A. Landis, and P. Dale, (Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, Vol. 55 No. 3, Society for Sedimentary Geology), detailed analysis of the fine-grained rock using optical mineralogy, X-ray crystallography, and electron microprobe found that they consist of mud, fine silt, and clay, cemented by calcite. Wikipedia says, “The degree of cementation varies from being relatively weak within the interior of a boulder to quite hard within its outside rim. The outside rims of the larger boulders consist of as much as 10 to 20% calcite … [which] not only tightly cements the silt and clay but has also replaced it to a significant degree” (http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Moeraki_Boulders). Many people think the boulders’ roundness was caused by tumbling in the surf, which is how many smaller rocks become rounded. Instead, the Moeraki Boulders are round because they expanded evenly in every direction during the 4 million to 5.5 million years it took them to form. Some of the massive boulders weigh 7 tons, making them some of the world‘s largest concretions. (The term comes from the Latin con crescere, or “together to grow”.) According to an Aug. 7, 2013 article by Sarah Griffiths posted on www.mailonline. com, scientists know the spherical boulders began forming in the marine mud of the Paleocene seafloor, as testing on the boulders revealed that their magnesium and iron content, along with stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen, were identical to those of the seafloor. The boulders grew for millennia beneath 160 feet of marine mud that settled over them (www.daily mail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2385913/).

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Though some people actually believe they were man-made or “alien eggs”, Wikipedia says, “They usually form early in the burial history of the sediment, before the rest of the sediment is hardened into rock. This concretionary cement often makes the concretion harder and more resistant to weathering than the host stratum” (http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concretion). The “dirty putty” that formed the meandering lines on the surfaces of the boulders was actually brown calcite, yellow calcite, and small amounts of dolomite and quartz. These minerals progressively filled cracks in the boulders when the sea level dropped. That allowed fresh groundwater to flow through the mudstone that enclosed them. The correct name for these big boulders is “septarian concretions”. The septaria, from the Latin septum (“partition”), are the cracks or separations in these rocks. The process that created the cracks in the sedimentary boulders remains a mystery. In “Septarian concretions: internal cracking caused by synsedimentary earthquakes” (Sedimentology, Vol. 48, International Association of Sedimentologists), B.R. Pratt theorizes that a number of mechanisms could be responsible: the expansion of gas from decaying organic matter; fracturing or shrinkage of the interior of the concretion by earthquakes or the weight of compaction; or dehydration of the cores, rich in clay, gel, or organic material. There may be other causes that are yet unknown. What is known is that septaria usually contain crystals of minerals that precipitated out of circulating solutions, most often calcite, as in the case of the Moeraki Boulders. Also, on rare occasions, these formations contain late-stage quartz and ferrous dolomite (“Isotopic evidence for origin of the Moeraki septarian concretions, New Zealand”, G.D. Thyne and J.R. Boles, Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, Vol. 59, No. 2, Society for Sedimentary Geology). The outsides of these concretions are generally harder than the interiors. The boulders can also be hollow.

People sometimes mix up the “concretions” and “nodules”. Wikipedia says the difference is that “Concretions are formed from mineral precipitation around some kind of nucleus while a nodule is a replacement body” (http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Concretion). Some of the concretions, which appear to be giant marbles left by giants, are partly covered by kelp and seaweed. The relentless pounding of the ocean’s waves and the weathering action of rain and wind have released many of these boulders from the cliffs near the shore, after which they rolled down onto the beach or into the booming surf. The concretions are harder than the surrounding mudstone, so they remain when the mudstone is eroded. Some boulders can be seen sticking halfway out of the cliffs, waiting for the next storm or large series of waves to free them. A viewing platform gives a good view of Moeraki Boulders in various stages of weathering—complete, cracked open, and in pieces—on Koehohe Beach. Unfortunately, some people cannot resist defacing the Moeraki Boulders, carving their initials and names in some of the largest ones. Moerakiboulders.com describes the days in which the boulders were more plenteous, and how their numbers were diminished by visitors taking home souvenirs. One very large boulder that was taken to a museum began to break up in the dry environment. In 1971, designation as a scientific reserve gave the beach and the boulders legal protection. Somehow, we missed hearing or reading about two other sites with giant septarian boulders in New Zealand. The Koutu Boulders are found in a similar situation as the Moeraki Boulders: beneath the water, in the cliffs, and on the beaches of Hokianga Harbour, North Island, between Koutu and Kauwhare points. These spherical giants can be up to 10 feet in diameter. A YouTube video of the Koutu boulders shows them to be just large, black boulders, indistinguishable from other large boulders. They are generally of a uniform

Rock & Gem 6/25/14 2:02 PM

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BILL VOSSLER PHOTO

MOERAKI from page 56

From atop the observation deck on Koehohe Beach, the Moeraki Boulders are visible in the distance.

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color, without major cracks for the most part, and without the colored calcite that makes the Moeraki Boulders attractive. They are mixed among other rocks of all sizes that are strewn across the beach. The largest is over 18 feet in diameter (www. itravelnz.com). About a dozen miles south of the Moeraki Boulders lie the Katiki Boulders, on the north-facing shore of Shag Point. According to Wikipedia, the concretions are both “spherical cannonball concretions and flat, disk-shaped or oval concretions”, and some of them “contain the bones of mosasaurs and plesiosaurs” (http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Moeraki_Boulders). The Katiki Boulders are more numerous than the Moerakis. Clumps of the black boulders rise out of the ocean not far from the shore. Some of these are broken open, like those at Koehohe Beach, but the Katiki Boulders are different in that some of them are much larger and they are strewn about rather messily compared to the Moerakis. They also have an unusual appearance; the tops of some are sheared off, leaving just the bottom of the egg-shaped rock, others are broken or even cracked in half, and still others are broken open on the bottom. Many of the Katiki Boulders are more yellowish than the Moeraki or Koutu boulders. Koehohe Beach is one of only a few places you can find boulders like these in the world. If you’re ever in New Zealand, it is well worth the time to go visit them.

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61 R&G Classified Aug14.indd 61

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Index to rs Amateur Geologist ...................................................36 Arrowhead Lapidary & Supply .................................52 Au-Rus Wax Patterns...............................................57 BCA Minerals ...........................................................57 Barranca Diamond ...................................................25 Belt, Inc....................................................................53 John Betts — Fine Minerals ....................................27 Broll Tools ...............................................................37 CarTop Camper ........................................................57 Celestial Earth Minerals ...........................................31 Copper Agates .........................................................57 Covington Engineering .......................................31, 59 Crystal Cave .............................................................57 Crystal Grove ...........................................................53 Crystal Moon Gallery ...............................................57 Denver Fine Mineral Show .........................................7 Denver Gem & Mineral Show ..................................11 Diamond Pacific Tool Corp. .....................................C4 Easy Clean, LLC .......................................................53 Easy Steps Video .....................................................52 Bill Egleston .............................................................37 Eloxite Corp. ............................................................23 Facet Shoppe ...........................................................50 Fire Mountain Gems...................................................9 Dick Friesen .............................................................37 The Frugal Collector ...........................................49, 62 John E. Garsow Gems & Minerals ...........................37 Gem & Lapidary Wholesalers, Inc. ..........................10 Gem Center USA Inc. ...............................................36 Gem Faire, Inc..........................................................16 Gem Miner’s Jubilee ................................................59 The Gem Shop .........................................................53 Gemological Institute of America .............................53 Geological Wonders .................................................53 Geode Gallery...........................................................53 Gilman’s ...................................................................50 Graves Co. ...............................................................58 GreatSouth ...............................................................53 High Desert Lapidary ...............................................53 Highland Park Lapidary, Co. ....................................27 William Holland School of Lapidary Arts .................58 Hughes Associates...................................................26 Indian Jeweler Supply ..............................................C3 JS Gems Lapidary ....................................................43 Jarvi Tool Co. ...........................................................63 Jesco Products ........................................................48 Johnson Brothers ....................................................31 Kingsley North, Inc. .......................................3, 33, 42 Knight’s....................................................................57

Kristalle ..............................................................23, 53 Lasco Diamond Products.........................................49 Lehigh Mineral Auction ............................................53 Lortone, Inc. ............................................................17 MarZee Lapidary Tutorial DVDs ...............................57 The Mineral Gallery ............................................53, 57 Mineralab .................................................................63

ROCK & GEM

Customer Service TO ORDER A SUBSCRIPTION: For faster service, subscribe online using our secure server at www.rockngem.com, or send a check or money order for $27.95 for 12 monthly issues to Rock & Gem, P.O. Box 461137, Escondido, CA 92026-9800. WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE PAID FOR YOUR SUBSCRIPTION BUT STILL RECEIVE A BILL: The check and the invoice may have crossed in the mail. You can check your order online at www.rockngem.com. It may take

Minerals Unlimited ...................................................36

up to four weeks to process your check, so if you wrote the

Miners Gems ...........................................................36

check less than four weeks ago, disregard the bill you received.

Miner’s Keepers .......................................................63

If you paid for your subscription more than four weeks before

Minertown................................................................53

you received another bill, send a copy of your cancelled check

Minnesota Lapidary Supply Corp. ......................24, 50

along with your bill to Rock & Gem, P.O. Box 461137, Escondido,

New Era Gems .........................................................32

CA 92026-9800.

Optima Gem .......................................................37, 53

TO SOLVE A SUBSCRIPTION PROBLEM: You can

Phoenix Orion ..........................................................53

check the status of your subscription online at www.rockngem.

Pioneer Gem Corp. ..................................................32

com. , it may take up to eight weeks to change an

Polaris Tool & Machine ...........................................42

address and 6-8 weeks to start a new subscription. Please give

PrettyRock.com .......................................................53

us time to get your magazine to you, and if it still doesn’t arrive,

Raytech Industries ...................................................43

please e-mail us at [email protected] or call 1-760-

Red Sky Gems .........................................................53

291-1549. If you receive a damaged copy, please email us, and

Blaine Reed ..............................................................57

we will send you a replacement copy.

Research Unlimited ..................................................57

RENEWALS: It can take up to 6-8 weeks to process your

Rio Grande ...............................................................15

renewal, so don’t wait! Renew early so you don’t miss an issue.

R.O.C.K. ...................................................................59

You can renew online at www.rockngem.com using the Inet

Rockaway Opals.......................................................53 Rocks and Minerals .................................................53 Samson Gems & Investment Co, LTD .....................57 Sapphire Mining.......................................................53 Shipwreck Beads .....................................................49 South Pacific Wholesale Co. ....................................33 Joseph Stachura Co, Inc. .........................................24 Superior Agates .......................................................57 Sylmar Displays .......................................................48 Tagit .........................................................................58

number listed on the address label of your magazine, or just return the renewal form with your check or money order. Please do not send cash! If you renew your subscription before your expiration date, we’ll add on the new issues at the beginning of your expiration issue. You won’t lose any issues by renewing early, and you’ll guarantee you won’t miss any! TO GET ANOTHER COPY OF THE ISSUE: Additional copies are available at the newsstand, or you may order them online at www.rockngem.com. BACK ISSUES: Back issues are available online at www.

Topaz Mountain Adventures ....................................57

rockngem.com.

Tru-Square Metal Products ......................................25

MOVING? You can change your address online at www.

U.S. Geological Supply ............................................27

rockngem.com using the Inet number listed on your magazine

Ultra Tec ..................................................................C2 UV Tools ............................................................42, 57 The Universe Collection ...........................................48 The Village Smithy Opals, Inc. .................................17 VR Gem Cutters .......................................................26

label, or call 1-760-291-1549. It can take 6-8 weeks to get an address change processed, so make sure you your local post office and ask them to forward all of your mail. HOW TO PLACE AN AD IN Rock & Gem: Please Brian Roberts via email at [email protected] or call

Whittmore Durgin Glass Co. ....................................32

him at 623-327-3525.

Woodies Rock Shop ................................................53

HOW TO SELL Rock & Gem IN YOUR STORE: Please

Martin Zinn Expositions, LLC .....................................5

Tim Yoder at [email protected] or (972) 448-9003. VISIT US AT www.rockngem.com.

62 R&G ad index Aug14.indd 62

6/27/14 3:25 PM

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Raytector 5-2 UV Lamp

Portable Combo SW LW, Rechargeable, two 6 watt bulbs, w/ 110V adapter. $289

Specific Gravity Kit

For your Electronic Scale Measures Specific Gravity of Gems and Minerals. Specify version either for Bench Scale or Pocket Carat Scale.Easy to use! $79

“Our company has four Facetrons. It is the only machine we would consider. None have ever broken down.” Chris Thompson, Forrestville, CA “The Facetron is the best investment I have ever made in an electro-mechanical device.” Calvin J. Cotrell, Haines City, FL

25-26—CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO: Show and sale; Akron Mineral Society, Summit Lapidary Club; Emidio & Sons Expo Center; 48 E. Bath Rd.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $5, seniors and students $4, children (under 6) and Scout in uniform free; 30 dealers, geodes, minerals, jewelry, beads and findings, slab material, lapidary equipment, silversmith work, gold findings, children’s activities, gem tree making, gem mine, kaleidoscope, treasure hunt, demonstrations, gem ID, wire wrapping, gem trees, cutting and polishing stones, faceting, displays, Ohio flint, member projects, Geo Juniors displays, silent auction, door prizes; Joyce Kish, 3014 Clarkmill Rd., Norton, OH 44203, (330) 753-7081; e-mail: gemboree@ outlook.com; Web site: www.LapidaryClubofOhio.org 25-26—FREEPORT, NEW YORK: Show and sale; Freeport Recreation and Parks Department; Freeport Recreation Center; 130 E. Merrick Rd.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $5.50, children (12 and under) free; dealers, minerals, gems, jewelry, fossils, beads, goldsmith, silversmith, meteorites, prehistoric fossils, hand-crafted gold and silver jewelry; Ralph Gose, POBox 1418, Melville, NY 11747, (631) 271-8411; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www. thebearket.net

For more Show Dates, go to www.rockngem.com.

August 2014

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Rocks

Pegmatite Minerals and the East Coast Show

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Smale collection

dening continental crust. You can ave you ever wondered why imagine how the collision of conthe best and most productinental masses would create faults tive gem pegmatite deposits of and cracks. These give the molten America are located along the basaltic rock an escape route, and perimeters of the continent? The it surges toward the earth’s surface, pegmatite deposits of Southern bursting forth as volcanoes. California are almost within sight Looking at a map of the Western of the Pacific Ocean! Maine, New United States, you’ll see clear eviHampshire, and Connecticut all dence of this in the form of the Casboast pegmatite deposits that have cade Mountains, which rose along been, at times, very productive of the subduction zone from deep fine gem minerals. And they are under the crust. The water and diswithin a crow’s flight of the Atlantic Ocean. Farther south are The pegmatite deposits of Pakistan produce marvelous bicolor elbaite solved gases in these molten masses are under extreme pressure, and the pegmatites of North Carolina, tourmalines enclosed by albite feldspar. this provides the explosive force we again, not all that far from the Atlantic Ocean. All these deposits have one subcontinent of India moved into the Asian sometimes see in an erupting volcano such crustal plate. This caused the Asian plate to as Mount St. Helens! thing in common: continental drift! As the subduction process continues, Folks on the East Coast have a fine op- crumple and rise. It’s hard to believe the portunity to enjoy those California pegma- rock formations atop Mount Everest are the molten rock, which is an interesting tite minerals next month. Aug. 8-10, the actually composed of fossilized limestone mixture of dozens of elements and comEast Coast Gem and Mineral Show at the that originally formed on an ancient ocean pounds, gets trapped under and within the Big E in West Springfield will be featuring floor. In the southern part of this great crust. It ends up miles down, heavily inCalifornia mineral collections, which in- mountain range, in Afghanistan and Paki- sulated by the overlying continental crust. clude some of those marvelous pegmatite stan, are pegmatite deposits that were, in As a result, it can only lose heat extremely slowly. This allows the minerals in the molgems. For the first time in decades, I will the distant past, near an ocean. As continental plates move, they slide ten rock to crystallize. not be giving talks at this show, and I’ll miss We have never observed this cooling over the heavier basaltic rock of the ocean being there. As we now know, the continents are floor. This causes the ocean floor basalts process, but we certainly see the results made up of the lighter feldspar and quartz to sink in a process called subduction. The on the earth’s surface. As the magma mass granites and related rocks. As difficult as it heavier basaltic rock, carrying its seafloor cools slowly over millions of years, molis to believe, we know the continents “float” sediments accumulated over millions of ecules move out of solution and begin to on denser ocean floor rock made up of years, bends downward and slides under form discrete crystals. The longer the cooling takes, the more mineral molecules beheavier, denser dark rock. These rocks are the lighter, rafting continents. As this happens, the edges of the con- come attracted to each other and the larger composed mainly of basalt, a heavy rock that comes to the earth’s surface through tinents crumple and rise, slowly building the crystals grow. The magma eventually volcanic eruptions. The forces that move mountain ranges. This explains why we see hardens into solid rock with recognizable continents are deep, upwelling magmatic high mountain ranges along our west coasts mineral grains. Crustal movement and erosion eventumovements within the earth, molten ma- of North America and South America. It also explains why some of those mountains ally expose huge masses of this rock in the terial surging and pushing. The continents move at a creep, seldom are rife with fine mineral deposits, includ- form of mountains. Because feldspar and more than an inch a year. But the move- ing pegmatites. What is important to keep quartz tend to crystallize out early, they are ment is inexorable, and over eons of time in mind is that this subducted material is the more common minerals in what ulticontinents have drifted, collided and drift- loaded with water, which is essential during mately becomes granite. These two very common, light minerals are the main coned some more. Such massive collisions are the formation of pegmatite deposits. As the ocean floor slowly subducts under stituents of granite, with lesser amounts of what create entire mountain ranges along the continent, the intense pressure creates other minerals, like mica, also present. continental borders. Not every mineral crystallizes at the same Think of the earth’s highest mountain enough heat to melt the rock. Under greater range, the Himalayas. We now know they and greater pressure, this now-molten rock time; each has a temperature range in which were uplifted from the seafloor when the will seek any weak spots in the overbur- it precipitates out of solution. Elements like

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Groben collection

stan are particularly noted for their lithium, fluorine, beryllium, manstability, producing fine matrix ganese, sodium, phosphorous and specimens with everything intact. iron will remain in solution until Some of the Southern California the final stages of crystallization. It pegmatites, however, are noted is these critically important amounts for the destructive events that disof the remaining elements and lodged their crystals. compounds that end up in a very Several decades ago, my son hot watery fluid solution continually being concentrated and trapped Pink to violet lepidolite, a colorful mica mineral that is found in pegmatites, Evan Jones and I were invited to mine a gem pocket in the Himalaya under pressure. contains the uncommon metal lithium. mine, near Pala, California. The As the entire granitic mass slowly Within the tourmaline group, iron can vein we worked was a 3-foot-wide, white moves toward the surface, the remaining mineral-rich watery solution, which is under give elbaite a nice green color. Complex streak of quartz and feldspar in gray norite heavy pressure, wants to escape. When it fi- electron actions among iron, manganese rock. When we got to an exposed pocket nally finds a fault or weakened zone and titanium in tourmaline crystals can im- we could see fragments of elbaite crystals in the crust, the pressure is great enough to part red or yellow colors. How large these embedded in yellowish clay that filled the inject the entire remaining fluid solution crystals develop only depends on the quan- pocket. The perimeter of the pocket was into the available space. When the very hot tity of elements that are available in the lined with quartz crystals, but all the elbasolutions come into with host rock, solution. Growth continues until the neces- ites—and there were plenty of them—were broken away from the pocket walls and lay some of that rock may also dissolve and sary ingredients are depleted. Once a pegmatite is in place, you’d think in fragments in the clay. There were no inbecome part of the solution. This rich fluid is injected into host rocks, and as it slowly things would settle down. But crustal move- tact elbaite crystals, only crystal sections. Digging the crystals out of the clay was cools, crystallization takes place. This kind ment can split open a pocket, allowing hot, of action forms pegmatite veins, injects gold watery solutions to enter. These sometimes relatively easy. Evan worked side by side into host rocks, and creates a wide variety of attack the existing crystals and etch them or with a very famous pegmatite expert, Ralph Potter, to dig out the pocket. Ralph was a even dissolve them away! other types of mineral deposits. One of the most interesting events that noted authority on California pegmatites Once this remaining solution finds its way into a fault, it begins to lose heat. The can happen to a pegmatite pocket is a before he ed away. The results of their two-hour dig were impressive. Evan remaining feldspar and quartz molfilled two 5-gallon buckets with elecules crystallize, developing large, baite crystals. interlocking, crystalline forms that If you attend the East Coast later will be called “graphite granShow, you’ll really enjoy the Caliite” by scientists. The incomplete fornia minerals, including pegmatite quartz crystals embedded in the minerals and fine benitoites and feldspar look something like odd neptunites from the famous Gem writing symbols, hence the “graphic” Mine in the San Benito Mountains. designation. With the mineral-rich For an ission fee of only $6, solution slowly cooling in a selfyou can see at least eight of the best contained setting, the stage is set for West Coast private collections and gem crystal pocket growth. enjoy doing business with a host of Several elements play a major mineral dealers role in the development of gem The icing on this cake is a clutch crystals. They usually include lithof excellent speakers who will cover ium, calcium, fluorine, beryllium a range of mineral-related topics. and iron. Along with aluminum and silicon, these ingredients form Ralph Potter and Evan Jones worked side by side to dig out a pocket of I’ve heard several of them in the past and learned a lot from each the beryl and tourmaline families of elbaite tourmalines in the Himalaya mine in Southern California. one. Also, be sure to check out Fred minerals. Some of the elements still in solution become ingredients for other pocket eruption. The original watery solu- Wilda’s marvelous watercolor mineral drawspecies, like chrysoberyl, fluorapatite, cas- tion is under pressure and hot, and as min- ings, which have been featured in books, siterite, spodumene, topaz, and an assort- erals crystallize, the remaining solution gets on show posters, and even on wine labels. ment of other, uncommon species. Some hotter and pressure builds. As long as the That’s a treat worth seeing. Put Aug. 8-10 on of the species trapped in this mix also act walls of the pegmatite pocket are thick and your calendar and visit the biggest and best as chromophores, elements that impart a sturdy, the pressure is contained. If there is mineral show in the East this summer. lovely color to otherwise colorless minerals. a weak spot, however, the pocket erupts. This is very important in the beryl and tour- Water in the solution flashes into steam, Bob Jones holds the Carnegie Min­ which has the explosive force of dynamite, eralogical Award, is a member of the maline families. of the beryl family are distin- enough to literally tear any free-standing Rockhound Hall of Fame, guished by color. A beryl without color beryl or tourmaline crystals from the wall and has been writing is called goshenite. When iron acts as a of the pocket. Some crystals break into sec- for Rock & Gem since its chromophore, the gem is blue aquama- tions. Others simply land unscathed in the inception. He lectures about minerals, and has rine or green beryl. Manganese is the clay debris of the pocket. Not all pegmatite pockets explode. The written several books chromophore that colors morganite a pegmatite pockets of Afghanistan and Paki- and video scripts. lovely pink.

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Minerals & Jewelry

Copper, Epidote, Prehnite Cabochon Self-collected material from mine tailings in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan BoB Wright caBochon and photo FaceBook/BoB Wright

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DIAMOND PACIFIC TO O L C O R P O R AT I O N

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