2007 bulletins of the new york mineralogical club

Queens Mineral Society Mergeswith NYMC; Benefit Sale Planned

Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical ClubFounded 1886 Ë New York City, New York Ë Incorporated 1937

Volume 121, No. 1 January 2007

January 10 Meeting:h

Vivien Gornitz: “Turquoise - TheBlue Sky Stone”

Vivien Gornitz has a broad range ofinterests both scientific and otherwise but turquoise occupies a special place in hermineralogical spirit. Ever since she spenttime in the American Southwest, she has loved the gemstone and been fascinated byits ornamental uses and relationship to thecultures of the Native Americans from thatpart of the United States.

In a PowerPoint presentation thisevening, Vivien will share her enthusiasmwith us in addition to giving us anoverview, the mineralogy, significantlocations and related minerals regardingturquoise.

Her lecture will also focus on thevarious cultures that have used turquoisefor both its beauty and what was seen bythem as its spiritual meanings.

(Continues on page 8)

Send in Your 2007 Club DuesIt is time to send in your 2007 club membershipdues! All memberships run from January 1 toDecember 31 of each year (with a fewexceptions).If your mailing label says “2006",you owe your 2007 dues. Please take the timenow to mail in your dues in order to preventuninterrupted delivery of your bulletin. A handyform appears on page 10. Dues are $25 forindividual, $35 for family. Mail to: MembershipCoordinator, N.Y. Mineralogical Club, P.O. Box77, Planetarium Station, NYC, NY 10024-0077.

By Mitch PortnoyAt the end of November 2006, at what

turned out to be their penultimate officialmeeting, the members and officers of theQueens Mineral Society voted to mergewith the New York Mineralogical Club.

This is the third time in the last fewyears in which a local regional Club hasbecome part of the NYMC. A few yearsago the Westchester Club merged with us;last year it was the BrooklynClub.

The Queens MineralSociety (QMS) was foundedin 1937, the same year that theNYMC was incorporated.

David Brand, the formerpresident of the QMS, citedd ec l in in g m em b ership ,irregular activity participationas the primary reasons for theSociety’s decision.

The QMS’s remainingtreasury was transferred to theNYMC after cleaning up someoutstanding expenses.

David Brand has beenappointed a Director of the NYMC.Similarly, we appointed Sam Waldman,former president of the Brooklyn Club, asa Director. Alla Priceman, formerpresident of the Westchester Club iscurrently the NYMC’s treasurer.

All members of the Queens Club weresent the November Bulletin of the NewYork Mineralogical Club.

A list of our new members appears onpage four of this bulletin. In addition,there were twelve other people who haddual memberships in both clubs.

David wisely did not collect 2007dues from members of the Queens Club,anticipating this decision. All Queensmembers who were in good standing in2006 will be given 2007 membership inthe New York Mineralogical Club, withall benefits and privileges. If you werealso a member of the NYMC and hadalready paid your 2007 dues, you will begiven an additional years membership

(for 2008).The Queens club has a long history

with an interest in micromounting andmineral species. Many famousmicromounters, such as Howard Belskyand Curt Segeler were active members indecades past of the club. David Brand andothers have continued this tradition to thepresent.

Accordingly, we have suggested toDavid that he come up withsome possible new activitiesfor the NYMC relating to thisarea. This may be weekenddemonstrations, study groupsor NYMC meeting speciallectures.

In addition, there hasbeen a suggestion to continuethe arranging of a yearlybanquet for the QMS Alumni- to which all NYMCmembers will of course beinvited.

All new NYMC memberscoming from the Queens Clubare encouraged strongly to

provide any ideas or suggestions foractivities and events.

And speaking of events. . .(Continues on page 7)

Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2World of Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Welcome Queens Club Members!. . 4Club History: Edwin Over.. . . . . . . . 5Website Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Benefit Sale Information.. . . . . . . . 7Rutgers Open House Flyer. . . . . . . . 8Topics in Gemology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 92007 Dues Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . 11

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club January 2007

President’s MessageBy Anna Schumate

Happy Year! I hope everyone had asimply wonderful holiday season! As youwill read in this issue, we have a new VicePresident, Dr. David Shipman! David hasbeen a NYMC member for several yearsnow and has recently married Dr. AlinaGouller, who has one son, Ellis Pinsky. Therest of your Executive Board members arestaying on for another term. I'd like to thankeveryone on the Executive Board for all oftheir help in 2006. Special thanks go tooutgoing Vice President Karen Rice, whocontinued to act as liaison between us andthe Museum staff in scheduling a/vequipment, engineers and booking themeeting space, even after she relocated toAlbuquerque!

I hope you are planning to join us forthe Rutgers Geology Department OpenHouse on Saturday, January 27. Forinformation about the lecture topics, see thereprint of the flier in this Bulletin. Here issome transit information. The New Jerseytransit trains leave from Penn Station(Northeast Corridor Line.) Get a round-tripoff peak ticket to New Brunswick. Roundtrip fare is $16. The New Brunswick depotis just outside the Rutgers campus gate. Atrain leaves Penn Station at 8:12 AM andarrives at 9:07 AM, just in time to shop atthe Mineral Sale that opens at 9:00 AM. Ifyou would like to leave your shopping untillater, another train leaves Penn Station at9:01 AM and arrives in New Brunswick at9:47 AM. You will be on time for the firstlecture, which begins at 10:00 AM. Thereare two lectures in the morning and twolectures in the afternoon, with the last oneending a little after 4:00 PM. There is abreak with ample time to visit or revisit theMineral Sale, see the Geology Museum andhave some lunch. The Mineral Sale is worthseeing because of its reasonable prices andthe occasional great find. Trains return toManhattan at 3:36 PM, 4:07 PM, 4:36 PM,5:02 PM and 5:36 PM and later onesregularly throughout the evening.

Don't forget about the sale at Mitch'sapartment on Sunday, January 14! We havesome really intriguing specimens andinteresting books for your cozy winterreading! Also, keep the Members Showcasein mind for the February meeting. All arewelcome to present any aspect of interest toour hobby. I hope your plan to participate!

Club Meeting Minutes forDecember 13, 2006By Vivien Gornitz, SecretaryAttendance: 35President Anna Schumate presided

Announcements� Annual Club elections were held. The

current Executive Committee wasre-elected by acclamation, with DavidShipman replacing Karen Rice asVice-President. (Karen has recently movedto Albuquerque, New Mexico).

� The Club will hold a special benefitmineral sale at Mitch Portnoy's apartment(46 W 83rd St) on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007.

� The Rutgers Geology Museum will hold itsannual Open House on Saturday, Jan. 27,2007. (See page 8) All events are free andopen to the public.

� February's meeting will feature theMembers Showcase. Members areencouraged to bring in recent mineral andgem acquisitions, relate their field tripadventures, show lapidary or hand-craftedjewelry items, or discuss mineral-orientedtopics.

� This year's theme for the Spring (March)Mineral & Gem Show is Quartz. AnnaSchumate will coordinate a special jewelryexhibit case. Loans of quartz (alsochalcedony, agate,...etc.) specimens andjewelry for the exhibit cases are requested.

� Mitch Bogen showed fine needle clustersof millerite from Hall's Gap, Kentucky andsmall, gemmy crystals of rhodochrositefrom the Hotazel, Kalahari manganesefield, Cape Province, South Africa. Hepresented a short news clipping from theOct. 22, 2006 Daily News, featuring aWisconsin man who recently found a5.47-carat Canary diamond estimated atbetween $15,000 to $60,000 at the Craterof Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro,Arkansas!

Special Lecture – Irving Horowitz:“Microminerals and Lava Flows”

Irving Horowitz, retired educator andlong-time club member, discussed the largevariety of rare and unusual microminerals foundin lavas from around the world. Starting with anoverview of the geology of Hawaii, Irvingshowed slides of the famous black sands beach,examples of smooth, ropy pahoehoe lava andsharp, blocky aa lava. In spite of its lovelyscenery and dynamic geology, Hawaii is not agreat source of microcrystals, aside from somenative sulfur and small amounts of olivine. Asuperior source of gem-quality olivine (peridot)are the volcanic "bombs" from the basalt-toppedmesas of Arizona.


Editor’s MessageBy Mitch Portnoy

2006 EFMLS Bulletin Editors’Competition Club ResultsOriginal Educational Articles-AdvancedFirst Place (Both!)� “New Diamond Directions–Part I. The

Arrival of Canada” by Vivien Gornitz(6/05)

� “New Diamond Directions–Part II.Making Gem Diamonds” by VivienGornitz (7/05)

Features (Written)First Place� “A Closer Look: Scepter Quartz from

the Dugway Range, Utah” by SaulKrotki (4/05)

Eighth Place (Both)� “Stamp Collecting and Mineral

Collecting Commonalities” by MitchPortnoy (10/05)

� “Topics in Mineralogy: A Collector’sStory” by Bill Shelton (7/05)

Original Non-Technical ArticlesSixth Place� “History of Jewel Collecting” by Diana

Jarrett (6/05)Honorable Mention (Both)� “Crystallographic Elements in the Art

of M.C. Escher” by Vivien Gornitz(9/05)

� “Exhibition Review: Totems toTurquoise–Native American JewelryArts of the Northwest and Southwest”by Vivien Gornitz (1/05)

PoetryFirst Place� “Garnet” by Mitch Cohen (3/05)Second Place� “Tourmaline” by Mitch Cohen (3/05)Fifth Place� “All That Glitters” by Mitch Cohen

(9/05)

Members in the NewsIn an article entitled “The ArkansasDiamond Rush Continues!” (Min Rec Nov-Dec 2006) member John Betts ismentioned. Author Jim Houran refers tohim as “a well-known diamond dealer.”

January 2007 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 3

The World of MineralsThe World of Minerals is a monthly column written by Dr. Vivien Gornitz on timely and interesting topics related togeology, gemology, mineralogy, mineral history, etc.

Cerrillos Turquoise – Part IIIThe Kunz and Tiffany Connection(Continued from last month)

The Cerrillos District, around 20 miles southwest of SantaFe, New Mexico, is the site of some of the oldest mines in NorthAmerica, spanning a period of over 1000 years. The AnasaziIndians began mining turquoise by at least 900 AD. By 1325,galena was also extracted for use in ceramic glazes. After thearrival of the Spanish in the late 1500s, some sporadic miningfor silver and lead took place. The years 1879-1884 saw a short-lived mining boom for silver and gold, spurred by misleadingreports that greatly exaggerated the precious metal content of theore (Milford, 1995a).

But prior to the 1890s, only the Native Americans valuedturquoise, which they used in their jewelry and for ceremonies.Yet within a few years, annual U.S. turquoise production, whichhad averaged only $2,000-$3,000/yr prior to 1889, soared to$175,000 in 1892 and remained fairly high throughout the 1890sand early 1900s (Milford, 1995b). What triggered this suddeninterest in turquoise? What, if any, was the connection betweenthe famous Tiffany Mine, which yielded some of the finestquality Cerrillos turquoise, and the New York jewelry companyof that name? Until recently, the facts were obscured byconflicting, often inaccurate stories from period newspaperclippings and magazine articles. But thanks to a new book, someof these once murky connections are now much clearer.

“Tiffany Blue” by Patricia McCraw (2006) presents aninsider’s view of the late 19 century turquoise boom. Ms.th

McCraw is the great-granddaughter of James Patrick McNulty,superintendent of the American TurquoiseCompany mines, including the TiffanyMine, between 1892 and 1913. Heraccount is pieced together from personalcorrespondence, meticulously-kept minerecords, and newspaper articles.

The American Turquoise Company(ATC) was initially financed by thePinkertons (of the detective agency), theNew York City Bank, and Charles LewisTiffany of Tiffany and Co. Charles RuttAndrews, the first president of the ATC,

was a former jewelry manufacturer at Tiffany’s and also a majorstockholder of ATC. Joseph G. Doty, who supervised thecutting, polishing, and salesof turquoise for ATC, alsohad prior connections toT i f f an y ’ s . Howeve r ,turquoise would haveremained a stone with onlytrinket value, had it notbeen for George F. Kunz,gemologist, who workedfor Tiffany’s at that time,

and who envisioned the gem potential of Cerrillos turquoise.Kunz took a strong interest in promoting North American

gemstones, as summarized in his book “Gems and PreciousStones of North America” (1892, 1968). Curiously, in ChapterIII, he mentions only “desultory” mining at Cerrillos by Indiansor local lapidaries (p. 54-56). The value was considered quitelow, fit only for cabinet specimens or ornamental inlay. Onlyflawless (i.e., no matrix) deep sky-blue or “robin’s-egg” bluestones from Persia were considered suitable for jewelry.However, in the Appendix,he describes turquoise ofsuperior color from theCastilian Mine that hadbeen opened in 1890, andsubsequently acquired bythe ATC in 1892. This newmaterial must have vastlysurpassed any turquoisepreviously mined in thearea. Kunz maintained thatthe stones “although not equal to the finest Persian, were yet fineenough in quality to make them worth more than one hundredthousand dollars” (p. 342-343). A local newspaper article in1892 stated “Mr. George Kunz, the noted expert of Tiffany, NewYork, and the highest American authority on gems, says...‘Is notthat an exquisite blue? It is the blue of a sky upon a perfect Juneday. That is a turquoise, far and away the finest in America, andit came from these new mines in New Mexico. It is worth$4,000....it is probable that gems to the value of $200,000 a yearmay be obtained from this mine’” (McCraw, 2006, p.6). Such anendorsement by an eminent gemologist sufficed to stimulate aturquoise boom in the district, soon erasing the memory of theearlier disappointing non-discovery of precious metals.

Tiffany and Co. was one of the main purchasers of themines’ output and demanded the “perfectblue”– still a favorite company color intheir packaging to this day! The TiffanyMine (also known as the Muñiz claim)was one of the most productive in theCerrillos district. But as with many mines,its heyday was short-lived. The death ofCharles Lewis Tiffany in 1902 was amajor blow. While his son, LouisComfort Tiffany continued in his father’sbusiness, he had little interest in the bluestone and devoted much of his attentionon creating art glass. Furthermore, legaldisputes over land claims, decliningproduction of high-grade ore, growing competition from otherturquoise mines, and changes in fashion all contributed to thedecline and ultimate demise of the ATC.


“Tiffany Blue” illuminates the roles of G. Kunz and theTiffany jewelry company, which had been clouded by someconfusion. Favorable assessments by George Kunz helped

launch the late 19 century turquoiseth

boom. Kunz was also an ATCshareholder. Tiffany’s never actuallyowned the Tiffany Mine in NewMexico, nor did it have controllinginterest in the American TurquoiseCompany, which did own andoperate this mine. However, it wasamong the mining company’s main

financial backers, especially during the initial mining phase andalmost certainly was a major purchaser of the turquoise rough.The first president of the ATC had one worked at Tiffany’s.Clearly the connections between the Tiffany Mine and thejewelry company ran much deeper than naming the mine after awell-known Eastern-based luxury company in order to enhancethe value and prestige of New Mexican turquoise.

Further ReadingKunz, G. F., 1892, 1968. Gems and Precious Stones of North

America. Dover Publications, Inc. New York, 367p.McCraw, P., 2006. Tiffany Blue. Lone Butte Press, Santa Fe,

New Mexico, 378p.Milford, H., 1995a. Turquoise Mining History–Cerrillos District

Turquoise Mining History. New Mexico Abandoned MineLand Bureau. Report 1994-1.http://www.cerrilloshills.org/mines/turq04.htm

Milford, H., 1995b. Turquoise Mining History–History of U.S.turquoise production 1882-1921. New Mexico AbandonedMine Land Bureau. Report 1994-1.http://www.cerrilloshills.org/mines/turq07.htm

Request for Exhibitors at the Spring ‘07NYC Gem & Mineral Show

The show theme at the 2007 Spring New York City Gem &Mineral Show is Quartz. If you would like to put togethera display relating to this topic at the March show, please letus know! Call Mitch Portnoy at (212) 580 1343 or emailhim at [email protected]

Show Exhibit UpdateBy Mitch Portnoy

As of today we have the following exhibits scheduled forthe Spring ‘07 Show:� American Museum of Natural History (Quartz Treasures)� Larry Conklin (Eye Agates)� Jake Kaufman (Quartz Oddities)� Annual Club Jewelry Case� Bill Mancuso (Faceted Quartz)� David Shipman (Quartz Variety)

There are 2-3 cases still left. Let us know ASAP!

Welcome New Members!The New York Mineralogical Club welcomes its new comradesfrom the Queens Mineralogical Society:

Laura Brandkamp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fresh Meadows, NYHoward & Rochelle Bruder.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rego Park, NYJoan Daniel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NYC, NYCharles Haberzettl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Massapequa, NYMarian Lodico. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Whitestone, NYMiriam Mopper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flushing, NYJerry Nizza. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flushing, NYMadaline Orfanos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Little Neck, NYKaren Ottendorfer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Little Neck, NYJames Regnante. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forest Hills, NYFlorence Rich.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Hyde Park, NYPaul Roth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flushing, NYMoshe Schmidt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rego Park, NYJack Segall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flushing. NYMilt Soman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deerfield Beach, FLHeinz Tamm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Glenwood Springs, COMadelyn Todd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Glencove, NYRobert Waltke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bayside, NY

In addition, there were 12 members of the QMS who werealready members of the NYMC!

The 2007 Spring New York CityGem & Mineral Show

Theme: QuartzA Show & Sale of Minerals, Gems, Jewelry,

Crystals, Fossils & MeteoritesSaturday, March 3, 2007 10:00 am – 6:00 p.m.

& Sunday, March 4, 2007 11:00 am – 5:00 p.m.

at theHoliday Inn Midtown Manhattan

440 West 57th Street (Between 9th and 10th Avenues)New York City, New York 10019

Hotel, Parking & Restaurant on Premises

Hosted by the NYMCFine Dealers O Mineral & Gem Exhibits

Illustrated Lectures O Door Prizes O Kid’s Events & GiftsSouvenir Show Card O Lapidary Demonstrations

Admission $6.00This ticket good for$1.00 off adult admission

Children under 12 accompanied by adult admitted free

An Excalibur Mineral Corp. ProductionCall (914) 739-1134 for Show Information

www.excaliburmineral.com


Ed Over sitting on topaz-bearing pegmatiteat Devil’s Head, Colorado

A label for one of the Ed Over Red Cloudwulfenites, collected in 1938.

Club HistoryThe following appeared in the March-April 1964 issue of Rocks and Minerals. Used with permission.

EDWIN OVER1905-1963

By Arthur Montgomery, Geology Dept., Lafayette College, Easton, Pa.

This is a further tribute to Edwin Over, following the finememorial in the last issue by Robert Chadbourne. I will firstmention a few items of his personal history, then concentrate onthat side of him that I knew best, his work andachievement as a mineral collector.

He was born in Spokane, Washington.After his mother’s death. He spent hischildhood with his grandparents in Kansas andOklahoma. His early school years were spentwith an aunt in San Francisco, where hisinterest in minerals began. Colorado, with itsmines and minerals, drew him like a magnet,and he first came to Colorado Springs in 1921to complete his schooling. During thesucceeding years he attended the ColoradoSchool of Mines for a time, worked in a goldmill, and fell under the influence of the well-known mineralogist and mineral dealer,Lazard Kahn. From there on, he spent moreand more time in the field exploring andmining for minerals. His death came lastOctober. He is survived by a daughter, Mrs. H.E. Holmes of Helena, Montana.

Professor Charles Palache of Harvardbrought Over and me together in 1934. Weformed a mineral collecting partnership, out ofwhich grew a small specimen business. Forseven years we roamed the desert andmountain regions of the western states insearch of rare and beautiful minerals.Summers, we collected together in the field.Winters, Over collected alone in the warm climate of theSouthwest while in the east I marketed our specimens to themuseums and private collections. We never did much better thanbreak even – who does in the mineral specimen business! – butour collecting work was favored by such enviable opportunitiesand such good fortune as have been the lot of few others incollecting history.

The guiding genius of our enterprise was Over. He was theone chiefly responsible for our explorations, discoveries andcontinuing output of superlative mineral specimens. Ourcollecting was all done the hard way, most of it by small-scalemining operations. Drilling was performed by a single-jack inone hand and a length of drill steel in the other. Over was anaccomplished miner, an expert blacksmith as well, who kept ourdrill bits properly sharp, and he taught me all I know about rock-moving techniques. We always camped out, lived off the countryas far as possible, and carried in our car the food provisions andmining equipment needed for a long siege of work. Jeeps did notexist in those days and when the wagon tracks quit, we took offthe rest of the way by foot.

Ed was small and slight of build, but as wiry and tough asa panther. He was absolutely tireless and could accomplishextraordinary feats of physical endurance. In the summer of

1932, before we joined forces, he spent tenweeks excavating aquamarine and phenakitepockets on Mount Antero in central Colorado.He slept in an old cabin at 9,200 ft. elevation.His mining areas all lay close to 14,000 feet.Every day he climbed 10,000 feet vertically,to and from the scene of his labors! He wasrichly repaid for those labors, incidentally – sooften are great and selfless efforts rewarded! –through the finding of aquamarine crystals ofunrivaled size and quality for North America.

Ed’s success as a field collector was inpart due to his roughness and stamina. Heseemed impervious to hardship. He neverhesitated to penetrate areas of extreme inaccessibility, and he tackled and solved allalone, sometimes in the darkness and dangerof abandoned mine tunnels deep belowsurface, difficulties of mining exploration thatwould have defeated anyone else.

One of his greatest discoveries, I think,was the one he made in January, 1936, at thered Cloud Mine, Yuma Country, Arizona.This old lead-silver mine was then noted for itpast production of exceptional crystals oforange-red wulfenite, the finest known fromany locality. In Yuma Ed secured permissionfrom the mine owners, as he always made a

point of doing, to collect mineral specimens in the ancientunderground workings. Deep in an abandoned tunnel of the minehe finally found a promising vertical fracture, the sides of whichwere lined with a scattering of tiny wulfenite crystals, and beganto open it up and follow it into the solid tunnel wall.

After blasting his way along the seam for seven or eightfeet, he suddenly brokeinto a large cavity.Directing the light of hiscarbide lamp into thejagged opening, he let out agasp. On the floor, lying asif placed there withpainstaking care on a bedof soft, earthy, blackmaterial, lay a number of loose crystals and crystal clusters ofwulfenite of incredible size and beauty. Nothing like them hadeven been seen. For this mineral, they are by far the world’s finest!


Ed Over at Clay Canyon, Utah in 1938

During the years of our partnership he was responsible formany remarkable collecting exploits, on a few of which can bementioned here. There was the mining operation for variscite atFairfield, Utah; for topaz at Devil’s Head, Colorado; for topaz,red beryl and pseudobrookite in the Thomas Range, Utah; forepidote on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska; for gem tourmalineat the San Diego Mine, Mesa Grande, California; for

a q u a m a r i n e ,phenakite and smokeyquartz on MountAntero and WhiteMountain, Colorado;for yellow wulfeniteat Hilltop, NewMexico. Since theearly nineteen-fortiesI have been out oft o u c h w i t h h i sactivities, but I knowthat he continued todo notable collectingin Colorado andelsewhere. I owe hima debt I can neverrepay for making

possible for me, in the years of our partnership, the most excitingexperiences of my life.

Ed’s success as a mineral collector was in part due tosomething else. And present-day collectors should note this. Hisfield work was marked always by keenness of observation, useof a broad background of geological knowledge, and thoroughunderstanding of mineralogical association, occurrence andorigin. He used to make detailed field notes from hisobservations at some localities. A good example of theexcellence of such notes may be found in the early part of thepaper on out topaz crystals from Devil’s Head by Peacock(American Mineralogist, 20, 1935, pp. 354-363). Ed was athoughtful person always, in the sense of never lacking a fund ofintellectual curiosity. He had a tremendous respect and feelingfor nature.

It goes without saying that he knew minerals andmineralogy marvelously well. He could have been a first-rateprofessional mineralogist. But he preferred to stay at arm’slength from science, so that he could be forever free to followany impulse that promoted him and head off on the spur of themoment to explore the wide-open spaces that were in his blood.That his collecting work, the thousands of uniquely finespecimens that he dug from the earth, have proved a powerfulcontribution to scientific mineralogy, cannot be denied.Mineralogical research depends for its life blood on the data andspecimens derived from documented field occurrences of newly-found minerals. One of those minerals, discovered by Ed atFairfield and occurring in tiny, transparent, orthorhombiccrystals of the palest greenish-yellow color, carries the nameoverite.

What made Edwin Over such a great mineral collector?Probably a mixture of the same qualities that personified suchfamous collectors as Niven, Hidden and Foote. There have only

been a handful of first-rank figures since mineral collectingbegan. What seems to have marked them all was a passion forcollecting and exploration, a burning desire to see what lay overthe next hill, willingness to sacrifice comfort, security andeverything else, in an endless search for the rainbow’s end. Thedriving spirit behind all they did, which kept the effort andgamble infinitely worthwhile, was their ever-fresh appreciationfor the fascination and beauty of the minerals they sought.Above all, they were moved by a perception of something stilldeeper, something hidden and mysterious, which illumined forthem the ever-marvelous creation of nature’s handiwork in thecrystals they brought out from the imprisoned darkness into thefull light of day. It was always the search that meant the most;never the finding. And I find it wholly fitting that Ed was on amineral search, in October last, when his own trail came to anend.

Club Website UpdateBy Mitch Portnoy

Here is an overview of the tentativecontent of the Club’s upcomingInternet website:

General look: pages will be designed with dark(garnet) reds, whites, grays and black and the club logo andaddress on every page.

www.nymineralclub.org

Page 1: Overview, Mission, Address, OfficersPage 2: Short History

Downloadable: Minerals Named after Members, Kunz Bio,Kunz Garnet, Collection InfoPage 3: Membership Info, Dues, Benefits, Contacts

Downloadable: Membership FormPage 4: Meeting Schedule & Location, Lecture ProgramsPage 5: Special Events: Both Shows, Symposium, Auctions,Banquet, etc.

Downloadable: Admission Coupons, Schedules, etc.: Featured Recent Articles from Bulletin

Downloadable: Old Bulletins, Award-Winning ArticlesPage 7: Almanac Overview, Tables of Contents

Downloadable: Article about Color Cover, Ordering FormPage 8: Links: AFMS, EFMLS, Mineral News, Hudson Institute,Mindat.org, etc.

Comments? Ideas? Additions? Deletions?


Club Benefit Sale Scheduledfor Sunday, January 14, 2007

Event: Annual Club Benefit SaleDate: Sunday, January 14, 2007Time: 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.RSVP: 212-580-1343 or email [email protected]: 46 West 83rd Street #2EBuzzer: #34 PortnoyQuestions: 212-580-1343

Mark your calendar! Reserve the day! On Sunday, January 14,2007, the Club's 6th Annual Benefit Mineral Sale will take placefrom 12:00-4:00 p.m. at the apartment of Mitch Portnoy

The funds raised at this sale will have a multi-fold purpose:1. To help pay for the meeting room, lecture fees and

expenses;2. To enhance our regular meeting lecture program;3. To offset the ever-increasing cost of producing and mailing

the monthly bulletin;4. To subsidize the growing banquet costs;5. To partially fund next year’s Symposium;6. To get our new website going;7. To fund any new initiatives we may come up with!

The generosity of our membership has continued with a torrentof donations last year. The donated minerals and other items,that have not yet been distributed by other means, form a pilethat towers over my head in my hall closet! There are more than50 flats of minerals. The monthly raffles, banquet silent auctionand June voice auction outflows simply could not disperse theinflows!

There are literally thousands of items that you will be able tochoose from. You can expect to find:� Minerals of many species from classic and unusual localities� Crystals� Books & magazines� Fluorescent minerals� Unusual thumbnails and micromounts� Oddities

Let me assure you that all of the specimens will be priced to sell.By this I mean that the amount that we ask for each mineral willbe designed to make purchases as easy as possible while at thesame time not disrespecting the good intentions of the donors.Nevertheless, there will be bargains to be had! Most items willbe only a few dollars each, if that.

Each year, we try to put the best (i.e., the most expensive orlargest) donations into the June auction and the more modest orsmaller ones into the November banquet silent auction. This salewill present what remains but keep in mind that we often getmultiples of the middle-range and interesting material. Do notexpect to find a museum-quality benitoite at this sale, however!

In addition, you can expect doorprizes, freebies (for both kids andadults and friends), quantitydiscounts and other surprises!

Please come to this event and getsome interesting items for yourcollection and help the Club atthe same time.

Special Note to New Queens Society Members:If you have not yet attended a meeting of your “new” Club, thisweekend event might be a good first-time activity. Here you can1. Pick up your “welcome to the NYMC” gift of the 2004

Mineral & Gem Almanac;2. Get some terrific bargains and add to your mineral

collection;3. Meet some of the officers and members of the NYMC and

speak your mind regarding the future.

Recommended Recreational ReadingBy Mitch Portnoy

Tyrannosaur Canyonby Douglas PrestonA moon rock missing for thirty years...The greatest scientific discovery of alltime...Five buckets of blood-soaked sand found ina New Mexico canyon...A scientist with ambition enough to kill...A monk who will redeem the world...A dark agency with a deadly mission...What fire bolt from the galactic dark shattered the Earth eonsago, and now hides in that remote cleft in the southwest U.S.known as . . . Tyrannosaur Canyon?

Besides the fact that the story is riveting and you will not putthis book down, you will like this book because:� It is partially set in the American Museum of Natural

History with an emphasis on their mineralogy department;� Descriptive, analytical, mineralogy is featured;� The Tucson mineral show is mentioned as are� Southwestern collecting areas such as Bisbee and

Cerrillos are mentioned; and� Don’t assume paleontology is what this book is about!


Turquoise Lecture by Vivien Gornitz(Continued from page 1)

Vivien Gornitz grew up in Queens and New York City, but spent afew formative years in Switzerland, where exposure to the Alpine scenerystimulated a lifelong interest in geology and mineralogy. She studiedchemistry at Barnard College, and mineralogy/geology at ColumbiaUniversity under Profs. Paul F. Kerr and Ralph J. Holmes, both formerClub members. While current research is focused on sea levels rise andcoastal impacts of climate change, she still retains a keen interest inminerals, gems (turquoise!) and planetary exploration (Mars!). She alsoenjoys working with stones and setting them in silver.

Vivien has surely been the most important and prolific contributingwriter for the Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club during thepast decade. Her articles appear in every issue – and this has been true forat least twelve years. These articles are regularly reprinted in mineralclubs’ bulletins throughout the USA. Numerous trophies, given to her byboth the EFMLS and AFMS, have acknowledged their unrelenting highquality. In addition, Vivien wrote two information books about mineralsfor the club, both now out of print and was recognized a few years ago forall her educational activities with the Each One, Teach One award givenannually by the EFMLS.

Vivien is also affiliated with the National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and is currentlyworking on, as Senior Editor, a soon-to-be published Encyclopedia ofClimatology. She is a regular contributor to Mineral News as well.

Horowitz Lecture(Continued from page 2)

Afer a brief review of igneous petrology, Irving showed lithophysae(concentric circular structure) of tridymite–a high temperature form ofquartz in rhyolite lavas from Grants, New Mexico. Clear red spessartinegarnet, black, cubic bixbyite and topaz crystals occur in rhyolite in theThomas Range of Utah. The nearby Wah Wah Mts. yield fine, thoughsmall crystals of red beryl ("bixbite"). The andesine basalts of CraterLake, Oregon contain stubby, dark enstatite prisms, also in transparentbrown crystals, as well as hexagonal ilmenite rosettes, phlogopite and rareosumilite. The Lacher See area of Germany is a major source of volcanicmicromounts. The pumice rocks enclose a large variety of mineralsincluding hornblende, perovskite, hematite, augite, cordierite, nepheline,and haüyne. Irving pointed out that the colors and habits of microcrystalsoften differed from their macroscopic counterparts.

Another stop on this whirlwind tour was the felsic lava of MonteSomma, Vesuvius, Italy, which produces white sodalite crystals, melanite,anorthite, magnetite, anatase, and dark blue spinel octahedra. Vugs oramygdules in the Columbia River basalts house numerous zeolites, suchas mordenite, erionite, thomsonite (often as stilbite-like "bowties"),mesolite, natrolite, and phillipsite. Closer to home, the basalts of theWatchungs in New Jersey have yielded (among other things) thomsonite,babingtonite, diopside, galena in prehnite, and hematite rosettes. If onethinks small, a world of lovely and unusual crystals can be found in eventhe most ordinary rocks.


The Amsterdam Black

Topics in GemologyTopics in Gemology is a monthly column written by Diana Jarrett, GG, based on gemological questions posed to herover the years by beginners and experts alike. Contact her at: dianajarret.com.

Total BlackoutAt one time, pairing the words black with diamond would

have seemed an oxymoron. For most diamond lovers, the whiterthe better, with the adulation over fancy colored diamonds beingthe exception to that rule.

But diamond mining has always produced black material,with superior specimens going directly into private collections.Since diamonds were first mined in India centuries ago, blackdiamonds routinely appeared in the muddle. Thereafter,unattractive blackish diamonds were downgraded to industrialapplication, called carbonado. This type of black diamond isdistinguished by irregular shaped and undefined rough, porousless dense crystals, and generally a dull, dead lookingappearance.

However, when a black diamond is discovered to be rich,tough, and elegantly opaque, another story unfolds. TheAmsterdam Black Diamond, originally earmarked for industrialuse was soon determined to be much tougher whensawn, than other industrial diamonds. This is onetrait of a gem quality black diamond, so the Africanblack crystal of 55.85 carats was cut into a 33.74carat pear shaped stone. When it went on Christiesauction block in 1973, it set a world record for thehighest price fetched for a black at auction-a cool$352,000 US dollars.

Exactly what is meant by black diamond? Itsapparent blackness may be the result ofcrisscrossing fissures in the diamond structureitself. With black sulfide deposits on them, theyemerge as opaque. A truly semi-transparent ortranslucent black stone rarely occurs. Gem qualityblack diamonds are actually a range of very darktoned semi-opaque stones described as: charcoal orpale black; gun metal, a bright lustrous black; and ink black, anonyx-like appearance, possibly with a lighter saturation.

The “tougher” trait in gem quality black diamondscontributes to a superior polish. While the intense blackappearance renders the finished stone nearly opaque, thisproperty produces glamorous highly reflective facets, and razorsharp facet junctions. Well cut black diamonds in large caratsizes offer the best viewing opportunity of this distinguishingfeature.

Public recognition often drives the demand and the soaringprices placed on such distinctive jewels. Before attractinginternational acclaim, the celebrated Black Orloff Diamondsported a lesser known epithet, the Eye of Bramha. When NewYork gem dealer Charles F. Winson owned it, he valued it at$150,000. Conflicting reports say he valued it at $50,000. In1969, the stone was sold for $300,000. Inexplicably, it resold in1990 at Sotheby's for $99,000. The 67.50 carat oval cut “verydark gunmetal colored diamond” had been meticulouslyfashioned into a diamond and platinum combinationbrooch-necklace at Cartier. And in 2006, it was purchased froma private collector once again at a jaw dropping $1.5 million US

dollars.A review of black diamonds must make mention of famed

Swiss jeweler Fawaz Gruosi who is credited for fueling thecurrent enthusiasm for black diamond jewelry. His luxuriousjewels beautify celebrities who grace red carpet events, causingone young star sporting borrowed black stud earrings to gush–“I didn't even know diamonds came in black.” Gruosi's self-named heart shaped black diamond might be the largest blackdiamond of such cut in the world, weighing a hefty 115.34carats. The outstanding black heart is the focus of a necklacewith 58.77 carats of smaller black diamonds, hundreds of whitediamonds, and tsavorite garnets fashioned in white gold.

The dictionary defines black as: “That which is destitute oflight or whiteness; the darkest color, or rather a destitution of allcolor.” Applied to today's black diamond supply, destitute hardlydescribes its impression made on goldsmiths and consumers.The black beauties elicit metaphors such as smart, sleek and

cosmopolitan. Black diamonds are ideal for men'sand women's jewelry. They add class to importantneckwear and they bring a contemporary twistwhen paired with color stone goods.

Currently black diamonds in all carat weightsare seen in luxury goods, and each artisan makes hisown statement with these dramatic stones. “Less ismore” define Paolo Piovan's Phantom of the Operablack diamond ring. Even the white diamondencrusted shank does not upstage the impressiveblack oval solitaire. There are only three diamondladen prongs on his snazzy piece.

Contrastingly, the oeuvre accomplished byrenowned jeweler Stenzhorn in his wildly excitingblack diamond swan brooch deserves kudos for thesuccessful use of midnight colored diamonds in

interpreting this lyrical design. Things of beauty unchain genuine inspiration as evidenced

with custom creator Sheryl Jones. Her innovative take onclassical forms refresh the eye of jewelry lovers. Her offeringsare both modern and chic. Using high quality black diamonds instylish white gold cuff links, Jones makes good use of blackdiamonds' very uptown look.

Black diamond's star is undeniably on the ascent as publicperception of this natural gemstone evolves. Appreciation for itscolorless place in diamond history has yet to be fully realized.But with pacesetters on task to exploit the sultry stones'particular elegance, we'll be seeing black for some time.


Name (s)

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G Please also send me a 2004-5 Gem & Mineral Almanac ($15 each + $4 shipping)

Mail this form (or copy) with yourcheck to:

Membership Coordinator, New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.PO Box 77, Planetarium Station, NYC, NY, 10024-0077

Send in Your 2007 Membership Dues!

Please take the time to send in your year 2007membership dues if you have not already done so.

(Otherwise, this is your last Bulletin!)And get yourself a 2004-5 Gem & Mineral Almanac too!


2007 Club Event Calendar

Date Event Location Remarks & Information

January 10, 2007 Meeting at 6:45People Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Special Lecture: Vivien Gornitz – “Turquoise – The Blue Sky Stone”

Sunday AfternoonJanuary 14

Special Club BenefitMineral Sale

46 West 83 #2E (Mitchrd

Portnoy’s apartment)Mountains of rocks, minerals, crystals,magazines, books, etc. Terrific bargains!

February 14 Meeting at 6:45People Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Club Members’ Showcase

March 14 Meeting at 6:45People Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Special Lecture: Jim Webster – The Gold!exhibit at the American Museum

April 11 Meeting at 6:45People Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Special Lecture: Alfredo Petrov –“The Minerals of Malta”

Note: 3rd

Wednesday!May 16

Meeting at 6:45People Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Special Lecture: Dave Wilber –“My Early Collecting Days”

June 13 Benefit AuctionPeople Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Great variety, quality and values; 100+lots. Something for everyone!

July Club Round Robin? Several locations Details to Follow

August Springfield Show Trip? Springfield, Massachusetts Details to Follow

September 12 Meeting at 6:45People Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Details to Follow

October 10 Meeting at 6:45People Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Details to Follow

NovemberSymposium, Banquet &Fall Mineral Show

Holiday Inn MidtownManhattan

Details to Follow

2007 Show Calendar


Jan/Feb 2007 Tucson Mineral “Show”Dozens of locations.Tucson, Arizona

Details to Follow

SaturdayJanuary 27

Rutgers Open House Scott Hall, Rutgers U Info: W. Selden (732) 932-7243

February 24-25Campbell MemorialMineral Show

4 Floor, NY State Museum.th

Albany, NYSponsored by Capital District Club &State Academy of Mineralogy

March 3-4Spring New York CityGem & Mineral Show

Holiday Inn MidtownManhattan, NYC

Large Dealer Bourse, Lectures, ClubExhibits; Show Theme: Quartz

March 10-11Clifton Gem & MineralShow

Pope John Paul ElementarySchool, Clifton, NJ

Sponsored by the North JerseyMineralogical Society

Mineral Clubs & Other Institutions —If you would like your mineral show included here, please let us know at least 2-3 months in advance!

Also, for more extensive national and regional show information check online:AFMS Website: http://www.amfed.org and/or the EFMLS Website: http://www.amfed.org/efmls

George F. KunzFounder

New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.

Founded in 1886 for the purpose of increasing interest in the science of mineralogy through

the collecting, describing and displaying of minerals and associated gemstones.

P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station, New York City, New York, 10024-00772007 Executive Committee

President Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY 10003; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . (212) 675-6979Vice President David Shipman 400 E. 90 Street, #14D, NYC, NY 10128; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (646) 247-0879th

Secretary Vivien Gornitz 101 W. 81st Street #621, NYC, NY, 10024; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 874-0525Treasurer Alla Priceman 84 Lookout Circle, Larchmont, NY,10538; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (914) 834-6792Bulletin EditorMitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY 10024-5203; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343Membership Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY 10003; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . (212) 675-6979Director Sam Waldman 2358 East 24 Street, Brooklyn, New York 11229; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . (718) 332-0764th

Director Richard Rossi 6732 Ridge Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11220. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (718) 745-1876Director David Brand 39 Alexine Avenue, East Rockaway, NY, 11518; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . (516) 599-1845

Dues: $25 Individual, $35 Family per calendar year. Meetings: 2nd Wednesday of every month (except July and August) at the American Museum of Natural History, CentralPark West between 77th and 81st Streets, New York City, New York. The Museum is closed at this time, so you must enter from the lower entrance off Central Park Westor from the parking lot on the north side of the Museum. The doors open at 5:30 P.M. and the meeting starts at 6:45 P.M. (Please watch for any announced time / datechanges.) This bulletin is published monthly by the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. The submission deadline for each month’s bulletin is the 20th of the preceding month.You may reprint articles or quote from this bulletin for non-profit usage only provided credit is given to the New York Mineralogical Club and permission is obtainedfrom the author and/or Editor. The Editor and the New York Mineralogical Club are not responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of information or information in articlesaccepted for publication, nor are the expressed opinions necessarily those of the officers of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 from 6:45 pm - 8:30 p.m.Special Benefit Sale: Sunday, January 14, 2007 from 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

People Center, American Museum of Natural History, New York CitySpecial Lecture: Vivien Gornitz – “Turquoise – The Blue Sky Stone”

New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.Mitchell Portnoy, Bulletin EditorP.O. Box 77, Planetarium StationNew York City, New York 10024-0077

FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

Highlight

Special Club BenefitSale a Huge Success!


Volume 121, No. 2 February 2007

February 14 Meeting:h

Club Members’ ShowcaseAt this meeting, the second of 2007,

everyone has a chance to share somethinginteresting with fellow members.

Although there are no specific topicalrestrictions, here are some areas in whichwe would encourage members to focus onin their short presentations:

� Recent Acquisition(s)

� Field Collecting Stories

� Museum/Exhibit Visits

� Show Reviews

� Recent Creations/Designs

� Business Stories

� Gem Topics

� People Reminiscences

� Book/Magazine Suggestions

If you intend to participate in the ClubMembers' Showcase, it would be helpfulif you let Anna know so she can put youon the agenda and thereby give everyoneadequate time to speak. Please telephoneor email her (see last page fornumbers/email address).

The club display case will be on handto safely place any important or valuableobjects.

Mini-Silent Auction at MeetingIn an effort to begin distributingmore of the specimen donations, theClub will have its first “mini-silentauction” before the meeting begins.Lots will tentatively include someof the following gemstones:� Garnet from Canada� Emerald from Colombia� Aventurine from Brazil� Tourmaline from Brazil

By Mitch Portnoy

On January 14, 2007 at the home ofMitch Portnoy, the Club’s annual benefitsale was held in the afternoon.Approximately $1,000 was raised makingthis the best such event we have ever had.

The $1,000 includes monies taken induring the sale as well as some specialityitems sold in advance.

The factors contributing to the successof this sale were (1) terrific, enthusiasticattendance, (2) the unusually largequantity of specimens available, (3) thegreat variety of material available and (4)the good organization and presentation ofthe donated minerals.Attendance

More than 30 club members and theirfriends and family came to the 4-hourevent. My place is small but the peoplecame and left at a reasonable pace. It wasnice to see some members who rarelyattend meetings as well as some of the“new” members from the Queens MineralSociety. The Queens members who camealso received a 2005 Almanac as awelcoming gift. A special thanks to newmember Laura Brandkamp who broughtme a lovely bouquet of flowers and willforever be on my “A+ List” as a result.Quantity

A few people may have doubted mewhen I said I had a 12-foot mountain ofmineral flats, two-by-two, filling mycloset - until they got to see it in the fleshbefore set up. The good news is that fully40% of the flats have disappeared and thelaundry basket of books and magazines(taking a book or two away with you wasrequired!) is virtually empty.

The volume of material offered is theresult of the continued generosity of manyincluding Gene Carmichael, NikNikiforou, Chris O’Neill, Bill O’Neill,Irene Leung, David Trevas, VivienGornitz, Karen Rice, the dealers of theNYC mineral shows and others who wish

to remain anonymous.In addition to the 20+flats of minerals

remaining, we still have the “best”material which had been segregated out ofthe June benefit auction, as well as anadditional four flats of new minerals thatwas brought by one of the attendees as aneven bigger donation.

There are 20+ flats of donated minerals remainingafter the special sale. If anyone would like to havea chance to select from hundreds of interestingspecimens, please let me know. They are still inmy apartment and very easy to access for quickand easy viewing. Just give me a call to make anappointment. – Mitch Portnoy (212) 580-1343

VarietyGiven the volume of minerals that

were available and the fact that they camefrom many sources, it should come as nosurprise that there was a remarkablevariety of minerals to choose from. Sizeranged from thumbnails to cabinet sizedspecimens. All continents wererepresented (excluding Antarctica!) withhighlights from Africa (especiallyTsumeb), South and Central American(especially Brazil and Mexico) and NorthAmerica (Canada!). People who lookedcarefully found treasures from European


Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2World of Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Specimen Handling Etiquette. . . . . . 4‘07 Mineral Show Dealer Preview. . 5Eye Agates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Topics in Gemology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 92007 Mineral Show Poster. . . . . . 10Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . 11

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club February 2007


It's Members' Showcase time again!Do you have any interesting newacquisitions to you collection? Did youtake a vacation with mineral-relatedactivity? How about a good gem ormineral-related book or article you read?We'd love to hear about it during ourFebruary 14th meeting. (Yes, I know it isValentine's Day.) So bring your date!

In early January, I received an emailfrom Beth Alberty, Director ofCollections, Brooklyn Children's Museum,asking for a volunteer to help themorganize their geology collection. Shewrote “ideally, we are looking for a retiredperson with geological expertise, who isable to donate time on a regular basis, orwho would undertake a limited-termproject, jointly agreed upon. Although wecannot offer reimbursement, there may besatisfactions in working with specimensand helping to make the collection moreaccessible to staff and visitors. A smalladvantage is that museum ID offers freeentry to many museums in New York andaround the country.”

If you are interested in this, pleasecontact Beth Alberty, Director ofCollections, Brooklyn Children's Museum,at 718-735-4400, ext.170 or email:[email protected].

The 2007 New York City Spring Gem& Mineral Show will take place onSaturday and Sunday, March 3- 4. We willneed help setting up the exhibit cases onFriday evening, March 2 and taking themdown on Sunday evening after the showcloses. Please contact Mitch or me if youwant to help. I am coordinating a jewelryexhibit case, in keeping with the showtheme, quartz.

Amethyst, rock crystal, citrine, rosequartz, all the chalcedonies, agates, jaspersand opals are welcome! If you have aunique piece with any of these gemstonesthat you want to show off, let me know!

Vivien Gornitz is scheduled for anencore of her presentation on Los Cerillosturquoise at the next GIA alumni meetingon Tuesday, February 21. There is a fee of$46 for the event, but you get a nicedinner with it. If you missed the Januarymeeting and want to attend, email me andI’ll give you details on reserving a place.

Club Meeting Minutes forJanuary 10, 2006By Anna Schumate & Mitch PortnoyAttendance: 33President Anna Schumate presided.

Announcements by Anna� Anna’s announcements are contained

within the President’s Message, leftAnnouncements by Mitch� We have one lecture scheduled for the

March Show relating to quartz, theshow theme. Two more are needed.

� Most of the exhibit cases for the showare reserved; if someone has an ideafor one, please let me know.

� Karen Rice sends her regards fromAlbuquerque to the Club; she isenjoying her new job and loves beingin the Southwest; She intends to writemore for the Bulletin.

� The consensus seems to be positiveregarding a simple dinner on Saturdaynight during the March Show at thehotel. Mitch will provide details at thenext meeting.

� After discussing several options todistribute some of the donatedminerals to supplement the twoauctions, special sale and meetingraffles, it was decided a mini-silentauction would be good. See details,page 1.

Special Lecture – Vivien Gornitz:“Turquoise – Gem of Sky and Water”

Turquoise was revered by ancientcultures as the gem of sky and water. ThePersians believed that gazing upon aturquoise would strengthen their eyes.Tastes varied then as today in what wasconsidered the ideal color and appearanceof turquoise. For example, the Persianshave always preferred the light sky bluematerial without veining of matrix.

Other cultures, particularly in theAmericas, favor the “spider web” type,which shows a generous amount ofveining. Some material is bluish green togreen, due to the presence of iron.Turquoise is a hydrated copper aluminumphosphate, and crystallizes in the triclinicclass. However, crystals are rare. Thematerial usually occurs as crypto-crystalline or fine-grained botryoidalmasses. The Bishop mine, Lynch stationin Campbell County, VA is one of the fewlocations in the world where small (1-2mm) crystals have formed.

Turquoise was named originally forTurkey, believed to be the source of thematerial in antiquity. Other world sourcesinclude numerous sites in Iran, China,Tibet, Egypt, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Peru,Poland, Belgium, and of course, manylocations in western United States andMexico. Some copper-bearing mineralsrelated to turquoise can appear quite similarin color, texture and luster. Among theseare chalcosiderite, variscite, faustite,chrysocolla and amazonite. Lazulite isanother copper mineral but is usually darkblue. Turquoise hardness, usually 5-6,varies with the quality of the material.Turquoise forms in aluminum-rich igneousrocks such as monozonite porphyries,granites, and trachyte.

There are various types of turquoiseused in jewelry and ornamental materialtoday. They include natural untreatedmaterial, becoming increasingly rare today.Enhanced turquoise is treated to intensifycolor and decrease porosity. Stabilizedturquoise is treated with waxes or polymersto strengthen friable or porous material,which could fracture with, wear or darkendue to absorption of oils from the wearer'sskin. One such stabilizing method is theproprietary Zachery treatment, whichimproves color and d(uCroabnitliintuye..s on page 6)

Request for Exhibitors atthe Spring ‘07 NYC Gem

& Mineral ShowThe show theme at the 2007 SpringNew York City Gem & Mineral Showis Quartz. If you would like to puttogether a display relating to this topicat the March show, please let usknow! Call Mitch Portnoy at (212)580 1343 or email him [email protected].

February 2007 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 3

Late neolithic jade ts’ung


Understanding Old Chinese JadesLecture By Eric HoffmanGemological Institute of America Manhattan AlumniAssociation Meeting, November 15, 2006

The Chinese have revered jade, the “Stone of Heaven”, forover 6,000 years. Today, the jade most often employed injewelry is a bright green jadeite.However, nephrite is the jade thathas historically been carved intoa wide variety of beautifulobjects in China. Eric Hoffman,a retired systems engineer andnow expert on antique Chinesejades , o f f e red would-becollectors some knowledgeableinsights into the appreciation andevaluation of this uniquematerial.

Nephrite is a member of thetremolite-actinolite series of theam p h i b o le f am i ly , w i th

2 5 2composition Ca (Mg,Fe) (OH) •

8 22Si O . Although its hardness isonly 6-6.5 on the Mohs scale, itsinterlocking felted texture makesfor an extremely tough material,used by prehistoric peoples inmany regions to make tools.Nephrite lacking iron is white–a highly desirable color, buttraces of iron and other elements give rise to a wide range ofhues, such as a creamy buff “mutton fat”, and many shades ofgreen, brown, red, tan, and gray. River-worn pebbles andcobbles are often covered by an outer reddish-brown rind, andthis color contrast has been cleverly exploited by the Chinesecarvers.

The collector, Hoffman pointed out, needs to ask threequestions: is it jade, is it Chinese, is it old? Many other materialshave been called “jade”, for example serpentine (includingyellow-green bowenite), massive prehnite, chalcedony, massivegreen idocrase, and even opaque, dense “Peking” glass. Thelatter can be spotted by its bubbles and swirls. Serpentine, themost common simulant, is recognized by its hardness (softerthan nephrite, it can usually be scratched by a penknife), andlower specific gravity. Simple tests for refractive index andspecific gravity will usually suffice to identify the mineral.

Diverse culture have used nephrite, including NeolithicSwiss lake dwellers, North American Indians (note, however,that Mesoamericans carved jadeite), and the Maoris of NewZealand. However, nephrite has been an integral part of Chineseculture for longer than anywhere else. The styles and methods ofcarving have changed over the centuries and these subtle detailsallow the expert to date the piece and determine its authenticity.Unfortunately, no scientific tests exist at present to accurately

date a carving. Thus the collector must rely on experience,honest, reliable dealers, and comparison with pieces of knownprovenance in museums or in published books and catalogs. Beskeptical of the items offered for sale in local flea markets andantique shops–fake jade factories in China churn outreproductions and forgeries on a mass production basis. Oftenthey use real nephrite, but the design and carving technique may

not be consistent for the period claimed, styles fromdifferent periods may be mixed, and the type andcolor of nephrite may not fit either. Modern pieces areoften not as carefully carved. Fast-cutting abrasivesand motor-driven tools produce a glossier, shiniersurface. Holes are too round and regular. Evensurfaces that appear altered through burial can befaked.

Hoffman illustrated his lecture with numerousexamples spanning China’s lengthy history, beginningwith simple stone tools and weapons that graduallyevolved into more elaborate ceremonial pieces, suchas the circular “pi” or “bi” disk with a central hole,representing heaven or the Sun, and the square,tubular “ts’ung” symbolizing Earth. From the time ofthe Han dynasty (200BC-220AD) and later, carvingsbecame more three-dimensional and artistic in form.Some examples from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644)illustrate the way in which the external brown rindwas incorporated into the design of the piece. Animalfigures, such as reclining horses or two deer with afungus plant, had

symbolic meaning. The deerand fungus, for example,represent longevity. By theChing dynasty (1644-1911),p i e c e s b e c a m e m o reelaborate and baroque;spinach green jade was oftenused.

For more on nephrite jade,see:

Wilson, M., 2004. ChineseJades. London, V & A Publ.www.hoffmanjade.comwww.friendsofjade.org


Specimen Handling EtiquetteBy Rock Currier

As a young collector, I was kindly given a lecture on how tohandle specimens by an old collector and I took it to heart. It hasstood me in good stead and I in turn pass it on to you.

The best way to learn about mineral specimens is to handlethem and look at them closely from a variety of angles. Withoutthis kind of activity, many of the things you read about mineralsin a book will not seem real and will be difficult to remember.

But no matter how wealthy you are, the fact will alwaysremain that most of the mineral specimens in the world willbelong to other people. So if you wantthe privilege of handling thesespecimens freely, you must gain theconfidence of the owners of thesespecimens and show them you knowhow to handle them properly.

Almost all collectors are glad toshow other collectors their collectionsand some of them will tell you far moreabout their collections than you reallywant to know. Most collectors, ifapproached in an intelligent fashionwill be only too happy to open theirhouses and collections to you.

So there you are in front of aspecimen cabinet or leaning over adrawer of specimens. What do you do?Do you reach out and pick up the most colorful specimen? Youhad better not unless you first find out how your host feels aboutother people handling his specimens. A lot of how he feels aboutyour handling his specimens depends on how knowledgeable hefeels you are. If he feels you couldn't sight-identify 50 species ona good day, he is going to be reluctant to let you handle any ofhis specimens. If you look closely at an exquisite blue furrymineral, make no effort to touch it and comment, “This is one ofthe best Grandview cyanotrichites I have ever seen,” you will atone stroke show him that you: (1) know a good specimen whenyou see one (providing of course it is a cyanotrichite you haveidentified and is indeed a good one), (2) know more than justenough to discern the correct locality by knowing the sometimessubtle but positively identifying characteristics of specimensfrom the particular locality, (3) by not picking it up also knowenough about specimens to know how incredibly delicatecyanotrichite can be and (4) paid a compliment to his good taste.

Possibly next to the cyanotrichite is an incredible, drool-provoking azurite rose from Bisbee, Arizona that you wouldmurder your grandmother for, which you would like to fondlefor a minute or two even if you could never hope to ownanything so fine. The correct procedure is to say something like“That is a wonderful Bisbee azurite, may I look at it?” Theanswer will almost certainly be “yes,” unless you have alreadymade some social or mineralogical blunder. So when you havepermission, you should wait a moment to see if the collector isgoing to pick it up and hand it to you or not. If he makes nomove in that direction, you may assume that you now havepermission to actually pick up the specimen.

Before you actually pick up the specimen, note carefully justhow the specimen is sitting on the shelf or lying in the drawer.Be careful how you pick up the specimen. If it is a smallspecimen, pick ft up carefully with your thumb and forefinger.If it is larger than, say an apple, use both hands. If you havepicked it up with your thumb and forefinger, as soon as possibleplace the cupped palm of your other hand under the specimen,This gives the collector the warm and comfortable feeling thatshould the specimen slip from your fingers that it will drop nofurther than an inch or so into the palm of your other hand, ratherthan onto the floor, or even worse onto the specimens in thedrawer where damage to more than one specimen is likely tooccur. When you have finished looking at the specimen, return

it carefully to the exact spot fromwhich it came.

It is also a good idea, but notabsolutely necessary, to remove anyrings you may be wearing on yourfingers. I have seen collectors heft aspecimen in their hand to get a feelingfor the density of the mineral whilewearing a ring and with each heft, thespecimen will go clank, clank against aring. It does not leave a good feeling inthe mind of the collector to whom thespecimen belongs. In a few instances,I have seen collectors wearing bolo tiesor regular ties bend over somespecimens to look at them and seen the

weighted metal tips of the bolo tie or the end of the tie hit thespecimens. It would be very unusual for the end of a regular tieto damage a specimen, but the weighted metal ends of a bolo tiewill almost certainly cause damage.

Why is it even necessary to point out the above which withtime seems obvious and even second nature? Well, it has to dowith the nature of humans and their innate desire to experiencenew things. To the average man or woman on the street, a finemineral specimen is just like a fire to a young child who hasnever seen one. The instinct is to reach out and directlyexperience a beautiful facet of reality that is new. I saw once a70-year-old lady encountering a fine acicular ulexite specimenfor the first time and watching as her universe narrowed down tojust her vision of the specimen, her hand reaching out to touch,and the specimen which would certainly be damaged if shesucceeded. I really had to yell at her to get her to stop, since aless forceful request was ignored.

Copyright-free with the blessing of the author.

A poster for the Spring 2007 NYC Gem &Mineral Show is on page 10 of this bulletin.Please post it or copies of it in your building,work, school, church, synagogue, etc. Helpus promote this show!


Spring ‘07 NYC Mineral Show Dealer PreviewBy Mitchell Portnoy

We should not forget that the main reason we like to attendthis show is to be able to buy minerals, gems, jewelry, books, etc.for our collections. Tony Nikischer, the show's promoter, hasmaintained the quality and variety of dealers at the show.

Following is a list of all the dealers that you can patronize atthe show. I have listed under each dealer the items that theyspecifically wanted to highlight at their booth. You will clearly beable to find treasures for yourself or gifts for others in all priceranges, sizes, colors, and species!

Joe & Marie DeCristoforoAmazon ImportsPO Box 58Williston Park, NY 11596� Varied inventory of sapphires, garnets, tourmalines, etc,John AttardAttard's MineralsPO Box 17263San Diego, CA 92177� Rare species and unusual crystals.Harvey SiegelAurora Mineral Corp.679 South Ocean AvenueFreeport, NY 11520� South American minerals, cabochons, figurines, amethyst

cathedrals, mineral artJohn BettsJohn Betts Fine Minerals215 W. 98th StreetNew York, NY 10025� Wide range of worldwide minerals, classics from old

collections, colorful and aesthetic crystalsElaine Casani & Marty BessoCelinka1522 Walnut AvenueBohemia, NY 11716� Gifts, jewelry, oddities, minerals and surprisesTony NikischerExcalibur Minerals1000 North Division StreetPeekskill, NY 10566� Rare species, worldwide diamonds and gemstones,

Microscopes and other equipment, fluorescent mineralsNEW!Dimitri BelakovskiExotic Minerals of Russia� Rare Russian minerals, unusual handicraftsNik NikiforouGlobe Minerals3024 37th AvenueAstoria, NY 11103� Pakistani and Chinese minerals, aesthetic pieces, Tucson

surprises, moderate price rangeRich EisenmanHighland Rock & FossilPO Box 867New Brunswick, NJ 08903

� Unusual fossils., spheres and other lapidary creations, NewJersey traprock specimens

Mel & Charlotte BelskyHoward Minerals2775 Bedford AvenueBrooklyn, NY 11210� Classic minerals, unusual gifts, unusual jewelry.Syed M. ShahHunza Gem Corporation84-31 122 StreetKew Gardens, NY 11415� Varied and high-quality Pakistani minerals and gemstonesGary WallaceMahalo Minerals8300 Eastridge AvenueTakoma Park, MD 20912� Worldwide minerals, all sizes, healing crystals, stones for

craftsmenAlfredo PetrovPetrov Rare Minerals531 North James StreetPeekskill, NY 10566� Superb Japanese minerals, natural red coral (Spain), Bolivian

mineralsAudray & Don LaphamQuarry EnterprisesPO Box 22Northvale, NJ 07647� Something for everyone, New Jersey minerals, cabochons,

gifts, unusual itemsRajender S. MukarRaj Minerals, Inc.7 Kubala AveCarteret NJ 07008� Varied and high-quality Indian minerals and zeolites, one-of-

a-kind museum specimensRob & Mandy RosenblattRocko Minerals & JewelryRoute 3, Box 3AMargaretville, NY 12455� African minerals, museum pieces, rare species and jewelry

that makes a statementArlene JosephSomethings544 BoulevardNew Milford, NJ 07646� One-of-a-kind and singular traditional jewelry designs,

unusual and varied cabochonsStephanie & John SnyderStonetrust86 Washburn RoadCanton, Ct 06019� Worldwide minerals, collector pieces, cabinet specimens,

classics and new finds


Traditional Zuni Design

Traditional Navajo Design

The 2007 Spring New York CityGem & Mineral Show

Theme: QuartzA Show & Sale of Minerals, Gems, Jewelry,

Crystals, Fossils & MeteoritesSaturday, March 3, 2007 10:00 am – 6:00 p.m.

& Sunday, March 4, 2007 11:00 am – 5:00 p.m.

at theHoliday Inn Midtown Manhattan

440 West 57th Street (Between 9th and 10th Avenues)New York City, New York 10019

Hotel, Parking & Restaurant on Premises




Children under 12 accompanied by adult admitted freeAn Excalibur Mineral Corp. Production

Call (914) 739-1134 for Show Information


Special Sale Overview and Results(Continued from page 1)

classic localities and excellent USA specimens from Paterson,New Jersey. And if you liked unusual species or commonminerals from uncommon locations, you certainly would havedone well at the sale!Organization

A lot of people have to be thanked for helping to make theoverall presentation, display and labeling of the minerals.Alfredo Petrov, Nik Nikiforou, Sam Waldman, Anna Schumate,and Rich Rossi all helped to make sure the minerals were boxed,labeled correctly and neatly presented in the flats. This made iteasy for people to select what they wanted or to find things thatwere requested. And it made cleanup just as easy afterwards!The “Leftovers”

So the big question of the day was what was to be done withthe remaining material? We have several suggestions including:(1) participating in a local flea market and selling the items tothe public while at the same time promoting membership in theNYMC; (2) setting up a table at the outdoor Franklin mineralshows and selling the items cheaply to mineral collectors; (3)having a mini-silent auction at the beginning of all regularmeetings; (4) selling some of the minerals at the beginning ofevery meeting; and lastly (5) to sell minerals or grab bags ofminerals at our booth at the New York Mineral Show.

We are not allowed to do #5 since we do not want tocompete with the dealers at the mineral show. Tony gives us abooth for free and the dealers themselves give us donations for

our auction. All of the other suggestions will be looked into orsimply implemented over the next few months.Summary

This event was a spectacular success for the Club and I amsure everyone went home happy in terms of the variety ofminerals they obtained and the terrific values they received.Once again, we thank all the donors and will likely have thisevent again next January, assuming we have the material.

Vivien Gornitz: “Turquoise” Lecture(Continued from page 2)

Turquoise is often dyed to obtain a more desirable saturatedblue color. Small chips and fragment or tailings from the cuttingprocess are reconstituted, often bysuspending them in an epoxy resin,for setting into jewelry. Finally,there are the simulants andimitations. Howlite, an evaporiteborax mineral, usually white withgrayish veining, is often dyed toimitate turquoise. Vivien showed usan interesting slide of a necklacethat incorporated “bone turquoise.”This is actually natural bonepartially replaced by copperminerals. Glass, ceramics and plastic have all been fashioned toimitate turquoise as well

Vivien showed a map with the locations of famous turquoisemines in the American southwest. She went on to show anddescribe typical specimens from some of the more well-knowmines. One interesting mine is Carico Lake, which yields a greenturquoise that resembles gaspéite. Since Vivien had recentlyvisited the Cerillos Mine, she had some wonderful photographsof the location. Los Cerillos is actually a district in New Mexico,where mining has been active since ancient times. Trading ofthis material extended into Mexico. Mt. Chalchihuitl, in thisdistrict, is named from the Aztec and means blue green stone. Itwas the Cerillos district that G. F. Kunz helped develop forTiffany. The turquoise connection lives on today in the famousTiffany blue packaging.

Vivien went on to showphotographs and describe differentstyles of Native American jewelry,including Zuni, Santo Domingo,Navajo and Hopi designs. Alongwith traditional pieces, she showedsome pieces by contemporarydesigners. One world famous artistis Jesse Monongya, who oftenemploys inlay of various gemstones,spiny oyster and coral to “paint”scenes of nature and the night sky on his jewelry. We all enjoyedthe gorgeous display of turquoise jewelry, fetishes andspecimens that Vivien brought along to enhance herpresentation.


Eye Agate from Botswana

Eye Agate from Tibet

A well-known mineral dealer and clubmember describes his personal fascinationwith rare but compelling eye agates.

More Is Never EnoughBy Lawrence H. Conklin

George Frederick Kunz, in hisbooks The Curious Lore of Precious

Stones and The Magic of Jewels and Charms,Philadelphia, 1913 and 1915, respectively, relatesthat eye-agates have a venerable history.Apparently they were known to the ancientEgyptians and to the peoples of Mesopotamia. Thesimpler examples were often used as eyes in the statues of idols.Later, eye-agates were used as amulets to ward off the curseknown as the “evil-eye.”

Structural or true eye-agates show their eyes when they arecut flat, for the material itself forms an unusual pattern ofconcentric circles. What looks like an eye can, however, bemanufactured by cutting any piece of flat, banded agate of twoor more colors into a domed shape.

Kunz does not make clear whether the examples hediscusses and illustrates were structural eye-agates (as are all thespecimens in the Conklin collection with the exception of a cuff-link stud set) or were of the manufactured type. In Curious Lore,however, Kunz does depict one structural eye-agate that wasmounted in metal and used as a “votive or curative stone” in the14 century. At one point in their history, according to Kunz,th

eye-agates were known as “the eye of Osiris.”It should be understood from the beginning that

true eye-agates are rare. I became interested incollecting them personally around 1985. It was thetime of the Tucson gem and mineral shows and Italked with my friend Richard Heck out of a largecarnelian-red one that he had just purchased. I nowaffectionately call this piece “Big Red.”

Although the piece was nothing at all like theone my uncle, Anthony Schumacher, had boughtfrom the mineral dealer Hugh Ford some 40 yearspreviously (for the sum of $5), it somehow pluckeda responsive chord in my memory and I simply hadto have it. (Normally I believe that mineral dealersshould not collect minerals and complete with their clients butagates, which I do not sell, were clearly a different case and Iconsidered them to be fair game.)

I vividly remember asking my great uncle, late in his life,why he did not have more than that one eye-agate, for he hadmany other nice agates. Ever since I had seen it for the first timeas a young boy, I had found this piece particularly fascinating.In all of his collecting life of more than 50 years, he replied, hehad seen only that one example for sale, and he would havebought more had they been offered to him. Incidentally, I soldthat specimen in the late 1960s and would dearly love theopportunity to repurchase it.

So the stage was set. The agate i got in Tucson from Dickwould be the first of hundreds that I would eventually end upwith — or so I thought. After all, who would be better able toassemble such a collection than I who, at that time, already had

almost 30 years in the mineral specimen businessand many, many sources, both dealers andcollectors, to contact?

About a year later, I showed Big Red to aprominent West Coast dealer and asked her if shecould help me locate similar specimens. Her replywas that she had never seen such an agate for saleand that, furthermore, should one come her way inthe future she would place it in her privatecollection! Norm and Roz Pellman have severalfine agates in their excellent mineral collection,

including some superb examples of Laguna agate, but they havenever seen an eye agate for sale.

Even pictures of eye-agates are few and far between, shownonly sparingly in the mineral and gem literature. The earliestexample of which I am aware is part of the frontispiecephotograph for the September 1896 issue of the MineralCollector, and it was part of the collection of the magazine’spublisher at the time, Arthur Chamberlain.

An excellent specimen is pictured on The American Gem &Peal Company’s American Gem and Pearl Card, Number 56,dated November 20, 1914. This is one of a series of some 89(perhaps as many as 95) sequentially numbered pictorialpostcards in my library, depicting all manner of gems, minerals,mining scenes, etc. Between 1912 and 1916, the cards weremailed, one at a time, to the customers and VIPs of the AmericanGem & Pearl Company.

The set I now own was sent to Douglas B.Sterrett, after whom the mineral sterrettite (Nowcalled kolbeckite – Editor.) was named. Duringthose years, Sterrett was responsible for theannual gem production reports issued by theUnited States Geological Survey, succeedingGeorge F. Kunz in that duty. The agate depictedon card 56 is so much like the example from myuncle’s collection (allowing for the fact that thephotograph is not in color) that it could very wellbe the same one!

The September-October 1936 issue of Rocksand Minerals, called “Special Agate Number,”

contains an article by the noted collector Ernest Weidhaasentitled “Freak Simulations in Agate.” In it are black-and-whitephotographs (credited, incidentally, to Lapidary Journal’sContributing Editor Frederick H. Pough) of two superb eye-agates, then in the Weidhaas collection. These became part ofthe Richard and Elna Hauck collection some 50 years later andare now in my collection.

Curiously, in another article in this special issue entitled“Agate — Some Facts and Uses,” written by the magazine’seditor, Peter Zodac, a straightforward slice of ordinary bandedagate is incorrectly labeled “eye agate.” It has always been myunderstanding that the banding must be round or oval (like aneye!) for an agate to be called an eye-agate.

The eye-agates in the “Freak Simulations” article were


catalogued by Weidhaas as coming from Serra da Mar, brazil;only rarely is a specific Brazilian locality claimed for suchspecimens and this is probably incorrect. Eye-agates can,theoretically, come from any locality that produces agate, but Ibelieve that all the examples in my collection, as well as all thatI have seen in museums and elsewhere, came from the depositsin Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, that trail into Uruguay.

One of the agates in my collection was sold to me as comingfrom the historic gem cutting center at Idar-Oberstein, longassociated with agates. I am convinced, however, that this agate,too, came from Brazil, although it was probably cut in Idar.

The late Paul Desautels, curator of minerals and gems at theSmithsonian for many years, once told me that he believed eye-agates were not really rare at all, that is was just a matter ofproper orientation in cutting the agate nodule. This is havefound, unless Paul meant the manufactured, domed agatesreferred to earlier, to be simply not so. An agate importer of myacquaintance boasted, in a rather obnoxious manner severalyears back, that my desiderata was indeed common, essentiallyvalueless, and that he would supply me with “hundreds ofspecimens at little cost.” As of this writing, I still await the firstspecimen.

I hear that the extensive agate deposits of Brazil, which havebeen mined voraciously for more than a century (and exportedin huge shipments, mostly to Germany) are finally drying up. Itis my belief, however, that the eye-producing nodules have beenextinct for about 50 years.

About 10 or 15 years ago, a quantity of a particular kind ofagate appeared on the market. The pieces were longitudinal flatslices of stalactitic, concentric banded agate, fringed withcrystallized quartz, all with a certain sameness. They wereattributed, I believe, to a Uruguayan locality, and a goodexample is pictured on the front cover of Mineral Digest,Volume I. I, along with others, do not consider these (non-nodular) examples to be traditional eye-agates, and I do notcollect them.

By now, I have been vigorously collecting eye-agates forabout eight years. In my pursuit, I’ve advertised often, offeringto buy or trade for them, made many appeals in my price-lists,squeezed friends and acquaintances alike, and tried trading forthem with museums (both Harvard and the American Museumhave but one, albeit superb, example each). Disregarding theeye-agate I obtained from my uncle and sold prior to myconversion, with the exception of one specimen which I tradedto David Wilbur for an excellent (at least that is what he said)example of Laguna agate, I retain all the specimens I haveacquired to date — a total of only 31! (It is possible, however,that these 31 specimens represent a significant percentage of theworld’s supply and could well be the largest assemblage of eyeagates in any one place.)

In my nearly eight years’ pursuit, however,I have managed to acquire specimens that wereformerly in the collections of the AmericanMuseum of Natural History, the SmithsonianInstitution, Smith and Amherst Colleges, andimportant individuals such as George Kunz, Ernest Weidhass,Asa Packer, and Richard and Elna Hauck. I should probably behappy with the total number, but I am not. More is neverenough.

In only one instance was an eye-agate sent to me cold inresponse to one of my numerous printed appeals. In most cases,I extracted them singly (like teeth, but with much moredifficulty) from private collections and, as time went by, at veryhigh prices.

I hear now that certain individuals, who several years agotold me (when I asked for help in locating examples for mycollection) that they would never admit a mere agate to theirmineral collections, have acquired, and are keeping, at least oneeye-agate each — and boasting that theirs are better than any Ihave. The life of a trend setter is tough.

As far as colors of my agates are concerned, I assume, to beon the conservative side, that they have all been treated in oneway or another. I believe, for example, the Big Red has beenheated to produce its particular shade of brownish-red, orcarnelian color.

George F. Kunz, writing in the Mineral Collector about“How Gems Change Color” in the issue of August 1896says,“Exposure to strong sunlight was long ago found to imparta reddish tint to gray-colored agates, and this method has beenused to convert them into carnelians.” Since such treatment ofagate is traditional, as is also the application of certain dyes, andsince the entire tradition goes back centuries, it does not botherme too much. (There is nothing I can do about it in any case , asthe treatments are permanent.)

Concerning the theories about the formation (spontaneousversus gradual, etc., etc.) and origins of agate, there have beenthousands of pages written on the subject. Such a profusion ofwriting usually means a subject is not well understood even bythe writers! A lot, but not all, of it I have read comprehend. Irecently read an as-yet unpublished work, which I was loaned inmanuscript form, and which I found unintelligible. In myopinion, the jury is still out on these fascinating but very basic,questions.

Several of the agates in my collection needed repolishingurgently. It is always a wonder to me to see how a fine job ofpolishing can improve a specimen.

In true amateur fashion, and taking my lead from ErnestWeidhaas’s action of 56 years ago, I have had much fun ingiving my agates names whenever I thought one wasappropriate. Some examples of these names include “Owl Eyes,”“The Target,”, and even “Mickey Mouse.”Source: Lapidary Journal November 1993 with editing;Permission to use granted, in conjunction with an exhibit at theSpring 2007 NYC Gem & Mineral Show.

Topics in GemologyTopics in Gemology is a monthly column written by DianaJarrett, GG, based on gemological questions posed to her over


the years by beginners and experts alike. Contact her at: dianajarret.com.

It’s About Time

Oh! Do not attack me with your watch. A watch is always toofast or too slow. I cannot be dictated to by a watch.Jane Austin (1775 - 1817) Mansfield Park

Antique wristwatches are both an elegant and an amusinghistorical jewelry item. Many retailers, who carry vintagejewelry in their stores, occasionally offer these intriguingminiature machines. Your customers will deepen theirappreciation for this petite apparatus if you offer them somefascinating background. The more your customer knows, themore likely they are to take theinitiative by expanding theircollection.

Recently I spent some timewith a friend doing what I mostenjoy, rummaging through a boxof family jewels and listening tothe stories behind each piece.Jewelry often represents atangible timeline to the familystory. One such piece in ourshow-and-tell on that occasionwas a delicately handmadeplatinum and diamond wristwatchsupported by a black silk doublecord band. I placed the date toabout 1915 on her minusculetimepiece.

While we usually play with jewelry by ourselves, on thisparticular day a neighbor joined us. When I encouraged myfriend to wear her mother-in-laws delicate antique, the neighborsniffed, “Why would you wear that? It's so small you can’t evenread the time!” To assume that these early chronometers mainfunction was to tell time missed the point entirely. That’s likethinking that a Daytona Ferrari was made to solve atransportation problem.

Watches adapted to the wrist begin appearing in the earlylate 16th century. Queen Elizabeth I who is said to have beengiven one, more likely owned an early timepiece with one handshowing the hour. By the early 19th century, the wristwatchmade more frequent appearances in the form of gem encrustedtimepieces created for royalty.

During those early years of lady’s wristwatch manufacture,they were certainly viewed as a wealthy woman’s status symbol.I don’t suppose any of those first watch owners had a job outsidethe home, or actually needed to know the exact hour. They weremade to impress, and they performed that function exquisitely.Often created from 18 karat or higher white gold or platinum,these wee chronometers were perfect ornamentations for theEdwardian era, when fashion dictated a light ethereal look toclothing, accessories, and home decor. This was in stark contrastto the previous époque of the heavy, dour Victorian period.

So it seems that wristlets, as they were first called, werereserved for women, and considered more of a passing fad than

a serious timepiece. In fact, they were held in such disdain thatmany gentlemen were actually quoted to say they “would soonerwear a skirt as wear a wristwatch”.

Though hard to fathom in our Time Is Money age, just 100years ago, no self-respecting civilian gentleman would be caughtdead wearing a wristwatch. In those days, real men carriedpocket watches, with a gold half-hunter being the preferredstatus symbol of the time—no pun intended. So, wristwatchesdid not begin to enjoy widespread acceptance until the 1920’s.

War changes everything, we hear. And war was pivotal tothe advancement of wristwatches for sure. The concept of anaccessible chronometer became indispensable to military

campaigns as mechanization inwar grew. The ability to read timewith a glance rather than havingto ferret through heavy gear wascritical in battle. By World War I,military organizations began todemand them. And despite theirprevious feminine association,they became especially crucial tof l e dgl in g a e r i a l c o m b a toperations.

At the turn of the 20thcentury, the traditional watchm akin g co m m u n i ty s t i l ldismissed them somewhat.Because of their size, fewbelieved that wristlets couldperform with any level of

accuracy, or could they hold up to the daily rigors of humanactivity. Therefore, very few companies produced them inquantity, with the vast majority of those being small ladies’models, featuring delicate fixed wire or chain-link bracelets.

By the late 1930s and early 1940s the wristwatch was firmlyestablished as the dominant means of timekeeping among bothmen and women. By then, their development insured a moreaccurate means of time keeping. The sportier life style known tothe post World War I years, launched the introduction of morerugged wristwatches for both men and women. Rolex premieredtheir first water resistant watch which was worn unscathed by awoman channel swimmer in 1927. Both Charles Lindbergh andAmelia Earhart strapped on wristwatches for their celebratedflights.

To the inexperienced, glancing at a tray full of vintagewatches might seem like gazing at dinosaur bones; curious byirrelevant. For jewelry historians however, antique watches tellso much more than time, they tell about the times; leaving daintyclues to their fascinating provenance.










3 Wednesday!rd

May 16Meeting at 6:45

People Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History




JulyClub Round Robin?Museum Trip?

Several locations? Details to Follow

August Springfield Show Trip? Springfield, Massachusetts Details to Follow

3 Wednesday!rd

September 19Meeting at 6:45


Details to Follow


Details to Follow

FridayNovember 2

Symposium, Banquet &Fall Mineral Show


Details to Follow

December 12 Meeting at 6:45People Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Details to Follow

2007 Show Calendar


SaturdayJanuary 27

Rutgers Open House Scott Hall, Rutgers U Info: W. Selden (732) 932-7243

February 24-25Campbell MemorialMineral Show

4 Floor, NY State Museum.th

Albany, NYSponsored by Capital District Club &State Academy of Mineralogy

March 3-4Spring New York CityGem & Mineral Show

Holiday Inn MidtownManhattan, NYC

Large Dealer Bourse, Lectures, ClubExhibits; Show Theme: Quartz




April 28-2935 Annual NJESA Gemth

& Mineral ShowFranklin School, Franklin,New Jersey

Speakers, children’s activities, displaysInfo: Fred Stohl @ (732) 341-2553

Mineral Clubs & Other Institutions —If you would like your mineral show included here, please let us know at least 2-3 months in advance!






P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station, New York City, New York, 10024-0077New website: www.nymineralclub.org

2007 Executive CommitteePresident Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY 10003; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . (212) 675-6979Vice President David Shipman 400 E. 90 Street, #14D, NYC, NY 10128; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . (646) 247-0879th

Secretary Vivien Gornitz 101 W. 81st Street #621, NYC, NY, 10024; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 874-0525Treasurer Alla Priceman 84 Lookout Circle, Larchmont, NY,10538; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (914) 834-6792Bulletin Editor Mitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY 10024-5203; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343Membership Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY 10003; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . (212) 675-6979Director Sam Waldman 2358 East 24 Street, Brooklyn, New York 11229; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . (718) 332-0764th

Director Richard Rossi 6732 Ridge Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11220. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (718) 745-1876Director David Brand 39 Alexine Avenue, East Rockaway, NY, 11518; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . (516) 599-1845


Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 from 6:45 pm - 8:30 p.m.

People Center, American Museum of Natural History, New York CitySpecial Event: Club Members’ Showcase (Show & Tell)


FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

Highlight

Spring 2007 NYC Gem andMineral Show is March 3-4


Volume 121, No. 3 March 2007

March 14 Meeting:th

Jim Webster: “Gold! – SpecialExhibit at the AMNH”

Its Latin name, aurum, means"glowing dawn." Though extremely rare,it is found on nearly every continent. It isprized above all other metals. It is gold.

With its distinctive combination ofqualities, gold may well have been thefirst metal worked by humans. It waseasily visible in stream- and riverbeds; itwas easily shaped because it is soft; itsalluring luster never grew dull. Overthousands of years, the pursuit of goldlaunched explorers, built empires andinspired artists. Gold itself became asymbol of wealth, beauty, purity,spirituality and the afterlife.

Today, gold is increasingly difficult tomine, but the demand for gold continuesto grow. Gold's high status and value areunsurpassed around the world, its pivotalrole in human history unending.

Gold! is curated by the AmericanMuseum of Natural History scientistJames D. Webster, Chair and Curator inthe Division of Earth and PlanetarySciences. Charles Spencer, Curator in theDivision of Anthropology at the Museum,acted as advisor.

James D. Webster applies methods ofgeochemistry and petrology to studyigneous rocks and ore samples todetermine how volatile elements andcompounds of water, fluorine, chlorine,sulfur, and carbon dioxide influence theformation of metallic ore deposits.

(Continues next page)

By Mitch Portnoy

The Spring New York City Gem andMineral Show is an annual two-day eventoccurring this year on March 3-4, 2007(Saturday & Sunday) at the Holiday InnMidtown Manhattan (57th St. near 10thAvenue).

This is the eleventh year that the showhas taken place at this location after itssensible relocation from the Armory on theEastside.

This is also the eleventh year that theNew York Mineralogical Club haspartnered with the Excalibur MineralCorporation (Tony Nikischer, president) toproduce this event.� A list of the dealers that will be selling

their fine wares at the Show can befound on page 7;

� A description of the lecturers and theirtalks can be found on page 8;

� A roster of the many exhibits and theirtitles appears on page 8.For the fifth time, the Show has a

theme – Quartz – and the majority of theexhibits reflect this topic.

The Club’s Booth will be in its regularlocation (to the left as you enter the Show).There you can obtain a souvenir card andother show information, purchase a clubpublication, or just say hi to your fellowNYMC friends.

The 2004-5 Gem & MineralAlmanac, the latest club publication, willbe available for sale to the public onceagain and this time at a special show rate.

One club member recently suggestedthat the show should have door prizes likeother shows. We agreed – indeed there havebeen door prizes available for at least aslong as we have been hosting the Show withExcalibur Minerals as sponsor. You do,however, have to fill out the form providedat the admission booth to be in the contest!

For the kids, we will have a selectionof free specimens – stibnite fromRomania – donated by Nik Nikiforou.Some kind of fun activity is also planned atthis time.

Anna Schumate will be on hand,wearing her dual hats as president and

membership coordinator, as we attempt tosign up new members as well as dues frommembers who have “forgotten” to sendthem in.

We have no direct commercial interestin the show – we do ask each dealer,however, for a donation to the Club'sBenefit Auction in June as a token of thanksfor all the work we do to help promote theShow. These items tend to be the best lotsin the whole auction so please come andpatronize these top-quality dealers.

You might want to wear your Club teeshirt during the Show to express yoursupport for both the Club and the Show.We do ask that you remember a fewimportant things:� You can ask for discounts but be

reasonable – most of the dealers haveprices that are already more than fair;

� The dealers are not charging sales tax,they are collecting it;

� You are a representative of the NewYork Mineralogical Club. Pleaseconduct yourself accordingly;

� Have a great time!

Issue HighlightsSpecial Show Edition

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2World of Minerals: Gold. . . . . . . . . . 3Emerald Branding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Diamond and Adamant. . . . . . . . . . . 6Show Theme Poem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Show Dealer List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Show Lecture Series. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Show Souvenir Card. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Show Exhibit List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Topics in Gemology. . . . . . . . . . . . 10Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . 11

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club – Special Spring Gem & Mineral Show Edition March 2007


Last month's Valentine's Day snowstormhas forced us to postpone our Member'sShowcase. Only a few intrepid souls turned upfor the meeting and so we have decided toreschedule the Showcase for the Septembermeeting. We did not hold our mini silent auctioneither and will do that at the next meeting. Whatwe did accomplish last month was to adjourn tothe Pizzeria Uno for dinner, drinks and somelively conversation. We persuaded Bill Mancusoto show us his diamond crystal collection that hebought last summer in Springfield. These arevery small diamond crystals mounted in theirown case. Bill took some incredibly finephotographs of quite a few of them, representingseveral crystal habits, including octahedrons,cubes and macles. The sharp detail Bill was ableto achieve was quite impressive. I hope we canpersuade him to show them again nextSeptember. Since it was Valentine's Day, thestaff at Pizzeria Uno presented each woman witha fresh rosebud!

If you come to the meetings and never joinus at Uno, you should try it sometime. Wealways have some interesting mineral and gemconversations and often we branch out intohistory, art, music, movies and books!

If you have emailed me for the first timerecently, I apologize if you received a messagefrom Earthlink saying you have been blocked! Ihad to place a filter on my email to blockunknown senders from downloading into myinbox. All I have to do is look at my Spamblocker messages and manually downloadsenders (like NYMC members) that I recognizeand know are safe. Once I add you to mymailbox, you will not be blocked again.

Some may think this next suggestion mayhave no place in a message to a mineral club,but I would like to recommend the BronxBotanical Garden's annual orchid show, runningfrom February 24 to April 8. As mineral andgem lovers, we appreciate beauty. The orchidshow will nourish your winter weary spirit witha sumptuous feast of beauty! For more info go towww.nybg.org or call 718-817-8700. Also, ifyou have not seen the Gold exhibit at theAMNH, do go! You are in for a treat!

The spring Show is here! Please considerjoining us for dinner on Saturday night after theshow closes for the evening. You can bringguests as well! We had such delicious food atthe November banquet, and although this will bea simpler meal, I'm certain whatever you choosewill be very tasty! I am really looking forward toseeing and buying what the dealers have for thisyear. I hope you plan to attend the show andbring your friends!

Club Meeting Minutes forFebruary 14, 2007 - “Cancelled”

By Mitch Portnoy, Acting SecretaryAttendance: (9)President Anna Schumate presided.(And she brought in chocolate kisses since it wasValentine’s day!)

The incorrect weather reports about asevere blizzard scared off too many attendees sothis meeting is considered officially “cancelled”.No raffle was held and the first mini-silentauction will take place next month.

The “Members’ Showcase” will berescheduled for the September 2007 meeting.

Announcements� We decided an informal dinner after the

Mineral Show on Saturday evening wouldbe fun and will be arranged (see detailsfollowing).

� Mike & Anita Kessler send their regardsfrom the Poconos to all members whoremember them.

� Mitch Bogen showed a cinnabar and purple apatite he bought at the Rutgers’mineral sale.

� Vivien Gornitz showed Cerrillos turquoiseand Tiffany Mine turquoise.

Webster Lectures about Gold!(Continued from page 1)

Based on laboratory and field-basedinvestigations, Dr. Webster is particularlyinterested in the role hot fluids play intransporting and depositing ore metals to createmineral deposits, and in how the violent escapeof volatile compounds from magmas drivesexplosive volcanic eruptions. Specifically, he isinterested in how these volatiles in magmas leadto volcanic eruptions at such sites as Mt.Vesuvius, Italy, and Augustine Volcano, Alaska.

Dr. Webster studies the influence ofvolatiles on rock melting behavior, and on howand when fluids are released from magma. In hislaboratory, molten rocks are reacted withvolatile compounds to understand how hot fluidsand magma interact in nature. He is an adjunctresearch scientist with Columbia University andis a member of various professionalorganizations including the Society of EconomicGeologists and the Geochemical Society. Hereceived his B.S. in geology from NorthCarolina State University in 1978, his M.S. ingeochemistry from the Colorado School ofMines in 1981, and his Ph.D. in geology fromArizona State University in 1987. He served asa NATO post-doctoral research fellow at theUniversity of Edinburgh before joining theMuseum in 1990. He served as co-curator for thedesign of the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth.

You are encouraged to bring in any goldspecimens you may have to share with theClub members. The Club display case willbe on hand for display and security of anyspecimens.

Spring 2007 Mineral ShowSaturday Evening Dinner

Date: March 3, 2007Place: Holiday Inn (Show Locale)Time: 6:30Cost: $25 each (wine donation happilyaccepted!)RSVP: PLEASE!Attire: INFORMALAll members, family, friends, dealers

and colleagues are invited!

Dinner will include salad, entree,dessert, breads and beverage. Entree willbe a choice of either chicken, fish orbeef (subject to change).

Although reservations and payments canbe accepted on the day of the dinner atthe show, it would be incredibly helpfulif you could RSVP to either Anna orMitch if you intend to come to thisevent. (Phone numbers and/or emailaddresses can be found on the last pageof the Bulletin.)

Payments can be sent in advance to theclub mailbox or given directly to us atthe Club booth during the Show.

Attention!New Queens Club Members

If you attend the Spring 2007 NYC Gem &Mineral Show, stop by the NYMC Booth asyou enter the show. We have your newmember packet for you as well as a specialgift to welcome you into your “new” club.

March 2007 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club – Special Spring Gem & Mineral Show Edition 3


GoldExhibition at the American Museum of Natural HistoryNovember 18, 2006–August 19, 2007

This glittery exhibition tells the story of gold, the noblemetal that has symbolized light, the Sun, spiritual purity, wealth,and status across the ages. The story begins with dazzlingglimpses of aurum naturae–gold in its natural, elemental form,pure and rare, constituting only 1 in a billions atoms in theEarth’s crust. Its value derives from its physical attributes: awarm, glowing luster that never tarnishes, a strong resistance tochemical attack, and a high malleability and ductility that allowthe metal to be hammered and drawn into extremely thin sheetsand wires. A stunning example of this is the Gold Room inwhich 300 square feet of walls and ceiling are covered with 23Kgold sheet, seven millionths of an inch thick, weighing only 3oz! Spectacular gold nuggets and crystallized gold specimens areon view, for example the “Boot of Cortez” (named after itsshape)–the largest in the Western Hemisphere, at 389 troy oz,found in Sonora, Mexico in 1989. Other nuggets come in a greatvariety of shapes, such as the “Ring” from Wright Creek, BritishColumbia, “Africa”, looking like the continent, the “Seahorse”,and “Texas”. However, most of the gold mined today occurs intiny, barely visible grains, such as in the large conglomeratefrom the Witwatersrand, South Africa, a major source of theworld’s gold.

Not all gold appears in its native state; it also combines withother chemical elements, for example silver (electrum) andtellurium (e.g., calaverite, petzite, krennerite, sylvanite), copper(auricupride), antimony (aurostibnite), bismuth (maldonite), alsosulfur and selenium, forming many rare minerals, specimens ofwhich are on display. Gold is readily alloyed with differentmetals, with a purity ranging from 999.9% (24K), 75% (18K),58.3% (14K), to only 37.5% (9K)–the latter used mainly ininexpensive British jewelry. The color can vary depending onthe alloying metals. For example, 18K yellow gold contains 75%gold, 16% silver and 9% copper. White gold (18K) is 75% gold,17% palladium, 4% silver and 4% copper. Rose gold (18K) is75% gold and 25% copper. Less common colors, such as greengold (18K) come from addition of 25% silver; black gold (18K)is an alloy of gold, with rhodium and ruthenium.

Gold occurs in a wide range of geologic settings,schematically illustrated in a large cross-section of the Earth’scrust. The role of heated water is the common thread thatconnects these diverse deposits. Gold precipitates along withother metals in massive sulfide deposits at spreading mid-oceanridges on the seafloor (e.g., “black smokers”). It also crystallizesfrom magmatic fluids deep within stratovolcanoes (e.g., inporphyry copper deposits) associated with plate subduction, in

epithermal quartz veins in the upper portions ofthese volcanic systems, and in hot springs further away. Goldalso deposits from circulating hydrothermal fluids inmetamorphic rocks during tectonic activity and finelydisseminated in carbonate-rich sedimentary rocks along majorfault zones. Finally, resistant to chemical weathering andreleased by erosion, native gold grains and nuggets canconcentrate in streambeds, producing alluvial deposits.

The story of gold continues with a review of the majorhistoric gold rushes, most notably in California (1849), Australia(1851), and Klonkike and Alaska (1896-1897). These major goldstrikes opened up the American West and greatly expanded thesettlement of Australia.

The products of the mining of gold are arrayed in animpressive display of objects from around the world. Among thehighlights are delicate cast bird and animal ornaments from pre-Columbian Costa Rica, wide neck collars, flared beakers andstirrup-shaped vases from Mochica and Inca Peru (“the sweat ofthe Sun”), an Asante statuette from Ghana , heavy, ornatejewelry from Persia, India, and southeast Asia, jewel-encrustedstatues of Buddha and the Wheel of Law from Tibet and Nepal.Also on view are a golden Tiffany coffee pot, a malachite-inlaidFabergé Easter egg, vintage jewelry by Cartier, van Cleef &Arpels, and Bulgari, as well as pieces worn by famous moviestars such as Ginger Rogers (shell-shaped diamond and enamelpin and bangle) and Elizabeth Taylor (a Cartier tank wristwatch).

Additional treasures await the already bedazzled visitor. Afortune in gold has been recovered from shipwrecks. The S.S.Central America, which sank in 1857, carried 3 tons ofCalifornia gold, worth $58 million today. The loss of this fortunetriggered an economic recession. Stacks of coins and ingots fromthe S.S. Central America have been recovered intact from 7000ft. deep. The Eureka Bar (30 kg; 66 lbs) is the largest ingotretrieved from this shipwreck. More gold bars, coins, andassorted jewelry came from the 1622 wreck of the SantaMargarita (sister ship of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha) and the1715 Plate Fleet. Not to be overlooked beyond a hoard of ancientto modern coins from around the world is a stack of 27 goldingots, each weighing 12 kg (26.5 lbs), conservatively estimatedworth at least $7 million, on loan from the U.S. Department ofthe Treasury.

The exhibition concludes with a suite of trophies, includingthe Golden Globe award to Harrison Ford in 2002, the Emmy toTom Brokaw in 2004, and the Oscar to Susan Sarandon in 1996.


How One Man Riled the Emerald TradeCleopatra loved them. Wars were fought over them. ArthurGroom wants to brand them.By Timothy Aeppel

BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Walking through this city's historicemerald district last summer, Arthur Groom was approached by aman who sidled up and flashed a fistful of white folded paperscontaining cut stones.

“Hello Mr. Arthur, hello Mr. Arthur,” the trader mutteredsoftly. Wary of watchful eyes, and not wanting to attract attention,Mr. Groom, a 58-year-old jeweler from Ridgewood, N.J., told theman to meet him later in a small, nondescript office nearby.

Mr. Groom has good reason to keep a low profile inColombia, the source for 60% of the world's emeralds. A decadeago, he began calling attention to common flaws in the stones, andthe secretive and often faulty methods used to disguise them. Now,he's stirring up this sometimes shady nook of the gem world bybecoming the first person to try selling branded, natural emeralds,just as De Beers did with diamonds.

For centuries, gem dealers discretelysoaked emeralds in oils and resins beforeselling them to sometimes unwittingconsumers. Eventually, the treatments fadeand have to be restored. Mr. Groom'sanswer is Eternity Natural Emeralds, abrand he launched in 2003. His gems aretreated in a lab Mr. Groom co-owns, usinga proprietary technique, and carry a lifetimeguarantee

He's promoting them in a glossyadvertising campaign that ran in magazinesincluding Harper's Bazaar over Christmas,and fancy in-store promotions. He sells to300 retailers across the U.S. and fivejewelry manufacturers, which tout Eternityemeralds just as computer makers promoteIntel's chips.

Mr. Groom has received two deaththreats, one personally delivered over breakfast. He no longer letshis wife and two teenage children accompany him on businesstrips to South America, and has sharply curtailed his own visitsbecause of security concerns. He's begun journeying toAfghanistan, recently hiking the remote Panshir Valley to visitmines, hoping one day to bypass Colombia entirely.

“I don't go out of my way to irritate the Colombians,” says Mr.Groom, “but I can't let them stop me from building my businesseither.”

Quality and provenance are explosive issues with all gems, butpose a particular conundrum in emeralds. Nearly all emeralds havefissures, known as jardin – French for garden – because they oftenlook like feathery plumes of greenery. While there are flaws inrubies and sapphires, they aren't as visible to the human eye.

Unlike the diamond business, which is dominated by a singleglobal trading giant – De Beers – the emerald world is made up ofhundreds of dealers working in some of the most turbulent cornersof the world, which makes the industry hard to value. BesidesColombia and Afghanistan, another major producer is Zimbabwe.Emeralds helped finance Afghanistan's battle against the formerSoviet Union and, later, the Northern Alliance's fight against the

Taliban.“We don't know what the size of the market really is, and I

don't know that anybody does,” says Stuart Robertson, researchdirector for Gemworld, a top trade publication that tracks industrydata. Based on data provided by the Commerce Department, theU.S. imported $137 million in emeralds in 2005. But some dealersundervalue their product, says Mr. Robertson, in part to avoidimport and export duties. The average U.S. dealer, he says, has afew million in sales. A large dealer would be one with $15 million.

People in the emerald world say they can't recall anyone elseever trying to sell branded, natural emeralds – aside from Mr.Groom, who says he has about $7 million in sales. There havebeen attempts to market synthetic emeralds.

Mr. Groom was a young, disillusioned stock broker inManhattan in the 1970s when he first started dreaming of the gemtrade. “One day you were the hero, but the next day you were abum,” he says of being a broker. When he heard about a successfuljewelry business owned by a co-worker's family, he began to seejewelry as a way to wealth. He used his vacation time to takeclasses in gemology.

Eventually, he started his own business, Arthur Groom & Co.,a store with glistening glass cases in anupscale shopping area of Ridgewood, abouthalf an hour's drive from Manhattan. Hebelieves he was the first Irish Catholic tojoin New York's heavily Jewish DiamondDealer's Club, and opened a small office inNew York's diamond district, where thestreetlights are shaped like huge gems.

Over the years, he dabbled with othergems, first buying rubies in Myanmar, andthen rough diamonds in Africa. He decidedto focus on emeralds after a 1991 trip toColombia's emerald-trading district, whichwas filled with emerald cutters and tradersand groups of men and women exchangingwhite folded papers. By then, the violencethat characterized Colombia's emeraldbusiness had eased. Some 3,500 died duringa six-year span in the 1980s when drug

cartels battled unsuccessfully with emerald miners for control ofthe business.

Mr. Groom opened a large office in Bogotá, occupying theentire top floor of one of the most prominent buildings in theemerald district and employed 16 people to cut and polish stones.He quickly became familiar with methods used to treat flaws,visiting labs where pots simmer on stoves, preparing baths to treatgems.

References to “oiling” emeralds can be found far back inhistory. Emeralds are thought to have been first mined in Egypt,around 2,000 B.C., where they symbolized eternal life. AncientRomans associated the stone with Venus, the goddess of love.Cleopatra, who ruled Egypt just before the birth of Christ, hademerald mines named in her honor.[Chart]

Written records and discussions about types of oils becamemore elaborate only in the early 1960s, as gemologists begandiscussing the virtues and drawbacks of naturally occurring oils,such as linseed, rapeseed, and cedar-wood oil. The oils fill thecracks and fissures, camouflaging them.


But these traditional materials tend to dry out or change colorinside the gem. In 1996, Mr. Groom acquired a company inBogotá, maker of a synthetic filler that expanded inside the gem toconceal its flaws. The downside: It sometimes shattered stones. Hequit the business and instead hired a scientist in New York torefine the process, which he dubbed Excel. All Mr. Groom willreveal is that Excel uses a special polymer and a secret applicationtechnique. He hasn't applied for a patent to avoid revealing hismethod.

In 1997, an article about Mr. Groom appeared on the cover ofa respected trade magazine, “Jewellery News Asia,” accompaniedby photos. An emerald in the “before” picture looked like shatteredgreen ice; the “after” image was lustrous and clear. In other articlesand speeches, Mr. Groom said jewelers and traders should alwaysinform consumers about cracks and unsightly clouds in stones, aswell as the methods used to conceal them.

His comments set off a firestorm. Mr. Groom's critics,especially those in Colombia, blamed him for hurting the industry'sreputation and for implying that jewelers hid flaws fromcustomers. Others accused him of denigrating his competitors topromote the “Arthur Groom” method.

The message was especially unwanted given its timing. In1997, a Washington, D.C., woman won a $78,000 verdict againsttwo jewelers who sold her an emerald ring that had been treated tocover a large crack, which later reappeared. The award was lateroverturned, but the highly publicized case put a chill on thebusiness that has never quite lifted. Fine quality emeralds that soldfor $5,500 a carat in 1995 dropped as low as $3,000 a carat by2000 and now sell for about $4,500 a carat, according toGemworld.

“When he came out with his technology, it was very negativefor Colombia business. That's why people started hating him,” saysAshok Kumar Sancheti, a New York-based emerald dealer.

Says Guillermo Angarita, a Colombian emerald-mine owner:“Nobody likes someone talking bad about your product.”

Mr. Groom says he regrets the timing of his comments, butdoesn't mind the brickbats because he believes in his method. “IfI were head of Boeing, and I thought I had the best jet, I would sayso, too,” he says.

Soon after, Mr. Groom was in Brazil having breakfast withNanette Forrester, a gemologist who was then president of theAmerican Gemological Trade Association. “One of theColombians came up and argued loudly with Arthur and threatenedto kill him, right over the orange juice,” recalls Ms. Forrester. Mr.Groom says he didn't take the comments literally.

Jeffrey E. Post, head of the mineral collection at theSmithsonian Institution, says part of the animosity reflectsjealousy. Mr. Groom, he says, is the only one with the technology.“If others want to do it, they have to come to him.”[emeralds jump]

The industry has slowly been moving toward greaterdisclosure, at least in the U.S. The Gemological Institute ofAmerica in 1999 unveiled a grading system specifically designedfor emeralds. Assessments in GIA's lab cost about $150, but eventhat process doesn't identify the filler -- just the degree to whichthe stone was enhanced.

“The jeweler is supposed to disclose to you what has beendone and the customer should ask,” says James Shigley, GIA'sdirector of research. But, he adds, many dealers considertreatments proprietary and resist telling buyers the nature of the

fillers used.Mr. Groom is now focused on building his Eternity Natural

Emeralds business. He sells branded stones to independent retailersand large U.S. manufacturers. The Clarity EnhancementLaboratory, which Mr. Groom jointly owns with his Colombianbusiness partner, Fernando Garzon, also treats other people'sstones, charging anywhere from $50 to $200 per carat, dependingon volume. Traditional treatments back in Colombia cost as littleas 50 cents a carat.

One of Mr. Groom's clients is New York-based Michael Gad,considered one of the largest emerald dealers in the world. AmnonGad, another member of the extended Gad family, isn't so thrilledwith the jeweler. At New York's Diamond Dealer's Club recently,Amnon Gad poked a finger toward a startled Mr. Groom: “Youruined the business,” snapped Mr. Gad. He blames Mr. Groom formaking customers afraid to buy emeralds.

Just before Christmas, Mr. Groom bought a glossy, four-pagespread in Harper's Bazaar, along with smaller ads in othermagazines. He has staged about 20 demonstrations at retailersacross the U.S.

Bob Kagan, president of New York jewelry manufacturerCordova Inc., which is a customer, says it's too early to assess themarket's response to Mr. Groom's emeralds. Given the price of thejewelry that features them -- $4,000 to $10,000 -- he isn't expectingto sell a lot. But he thinks there's an appeal to this approach. “Forthe consumer, it takes some of the worry about emeralds out of theequation,” says Mr. Kagan.

Mr. Groom's challenge ultimately has less to do with brandingthan with the nature of his enhancement technique. Especially, atthe high end of the jewelry market, many people balk at“permanent” treatments, which they believe irreparably harm thevalue of the gem, just as the Mona Lisa would suffer from a newcoat of paint.

“When you guarantee the stone color is staying intact forever,it brings up a whole other issue: What are you putting in the stoneto get that?” asks Bonnie Self, vice president of merchandise atFred Leighton, a Madison Avenue store that specializes inexpensive, antique jewelry. She says the best way to reassureconsumers is to get a certificate from an independent laboratory.

Mr. Groom says if flaws reappear, he will replace the stone orrestore the old one. He says he can remove the material he uses atany time, thereby restoring the stone to its “natural” state. As foroutside labs, he notes that most don't give buyers enoughinformation to make an informed choice.

Back in Bogotá, Mr. Groom has moved out of his bigheadquarters – he scaled back after offending the Colombianemerald establishment -- and now works out of a tiny, two-roomoffice on the 12th floor of a building packed with other traders. Hisname doesn't appear anywhere.

The center of the office is dominated by a large, carvedwooden desk, with an array of tools laid out: long-tipped tweezersfor picking up stones, eye pieces for studying them against thelight, and a measuring scale.

One hopeful seller is Gloria Mayorga, one of the few femalemine operators in Colombia. A tiny woman with a broad smile, shesettled into a chair opposite Mr. Groom and placed a white bundleon the desk. Inside was a large stone. Mr. Groom's partner, Mr.Garzon, picked it up, wiped the flat surface against his baldforehead -- the natural oil of his skin helps highlight fissures – andstudied it under his eyepiece.


When it was his turn, Mr. Groom eyed the stone using ajeweler's loop he always carries, assessing flaws obscured by arecent chemical treatment. “It's a nice bluffy stone,” he mutteredto Mr. Garzon in English, outside of Ms. Mayorga'scomprehension. “Bluffy” means it looks better than it actually is.Ms. Mayorga says nothing about how the stone was treated andneither of the traders ask. They pass.

“The thing about this business is that it doesn't really matterwhat other people say to you,” says Mr. Groom. “You can onlytrust your own eyes.”Source: February 7, 2007; Page A1 Wall Street Journal

Diamond and Adamant By David Brand

Ezekiel 3:9 - As an adamant harder that flint….Zechariah 7:12 - Yea, they made their hearts an adamant stone,lest they should hear the law…Jeremiah 17:1 - The sin of Judah is written with a pen of ironand with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table ofthe heart and upon the horns of your altars.

These verses can be found in the Old Testament of the KingJames Version of the Bible. Both terms, diamond and adamant,are rooted in the Greek word adamas meaning “the invincible.”The term diamond is now used to define the hardest gemstone.In medieval mythology “adamant” was a hypotheticalimpenetrable hard mineral, and is still occasionally referenced infantasy fiction. The current contemporary usage of adamant isusually in reference to resistance to reason, firmly determined orinflexible. The increasingly archaic adamant has mostly a poeticor figurative connotation, but It is still in use in its adjectiveform adamantine, as in “adamantine luster” and is used todescribe a diamond-like luster on minerals.

The reference to adamant in Ezekiel 3:9 is for a very hardrock or very hard mineral and it was possibly translated from theHebrew term shamir. Shamir describes something very hard butwith no connection to adamas. The reference to shamir recallsthe Hebrew legend in the Talmud of a miraculous instrument,“the shamir,” which Aaron used to cut the stones for the highpriest’s breastplate. The diamond was named as the third stoneof the second row in the breastplate of the high priest. It isspeculated that it might be rock crystal (quartz) as diamondshave never been found in the treasures uncovered fromarcheological digs dating from biblical times.

Diamonds have been treasured as gems and were used asreligious icons in India from at least 2500 years ago. Also datingfrom early Indian history came references to diamonds beingused as drill bits and engraving tools. The earliest diamondscame exclusively from India until the beginning of theeighteenth century when African diamonds were discovered.Many famous diamonds are from India including the Kohinoor(British Crown Jewels) and the Hope diamond (Smithsonian).

It is recorded that Marco Polo upon his return from Cathay(China) was the first to bring diamonds in any quantity intoWestern Civilization. However, there are references that predateMarco Polo. The Roman poet Manilius recorded the first definitereference to a diamond about 12 AD. Later, Pliny the Elder (AD

23-79) described unmistakably anewly acquired, extremely hard,bipyramidal (octahedral) crystalfrom India in his famous worktitled, “Natural History.”

Speculation has attached anumber of minerals to thebiblical reference to adamant.Pliny mentions a possibilitywhen he referred to adamassiderite in “Natural History.”Siderite is an iron compound (iron carbonate), and wasmentioned by one of Pliny’s predecessors. The Roman poetVirgil referred to the doorposts of Avernus, an entrance to thelower world as “solid adamant,” possibly meaning iron or steel.Some later authors seem to have considered adamant to bemagnetite or loadstone as in Shakespeare’s, “A Midsummer’sNight Dream” where he wrote, “You draw me, you hard-heartedadamant.”

With no known archeological substantiation from biblicaltimes, the references to diamond are not the gemstones knowntoday. Nor were the references to adamant in biblical timeslikely a synonym for diamond. There is nothing to indicate thatthe diamond was used or even known during Old Testamentbiblical times. There is considerable doubt that the diamond wasfamiliar to early New Testament writers as well.

Among the archeological treasures of the Middle East, theminerals found and gemstones identified consisted of turquoise,lapis lazuli, emeralds, sapphires, rubies and rock crystal. Sincediamonds have never been uncovered in archeological digs, thetheoretical consensus is that these biblical references to a stoneharder than flint could be corundum. Corundum is second onlyto diamond on the Mohs scale and was a familiar mineral andgemstone (sapphire and ruby) in early biblical times.


Spring 2007 New York City Gem & Mineral ShowRoster of Dealers

Booth # Name and Location

1 New York Mineralogical Club, Inc., New York City, New York

2 Excalibur Mineral Company, Peekskill, New York

3 Aurora Mineral Corp, Freeport, New York

4 Quarry Enterprises, Northvale, New Jersey

5 Exotic Russian Minerals, Moscow, Russia

6 Somethings, New Milford, New Jersey

7 Petrov Rare Minerals, Peekskill, New York

8 Globe Minerals, Queens, New York

9 Stonetrust, Canton, Connecticut

10 Rocko Minerals & Jewelry, Margaretville, New York

11 Raj Minerals, Jersey City, New Jersey

12 John Betts Fine Minerals, New York City, New York

13 Amazon Imports, Williston Park, New York

14 Howard Minerals, Brooklyn, New York

15 Hunza Gem Corporation, Kew Gardens, New York

16 Highland Rock & Fossil, Highland Park, New Jersey

17 Mahalo Minerals, Takoma Park, Maryland

18 Celinka, Bohemia, New York

19 Howard Schlansker, Marshfield, Massachusetts (Wholesale Only)

Spring 2007 Show Theme Poem — “Quartz Poem”This poem by Mitch Cohen was written upon request to reflect the theme of the Spring 2007 NYC Gem & Mineral Show.

Brazil is the most important source of quartz,Which comes in many colors, as a matter of course.

Because quartz makes up most dust,Gems as hard as quartz or harderAre the only ones that jewelers trust.

The quartz amethyst purple and citrine yellowAre colored by some impurity.While rose quartz gets its color from titanium,If this is the type you happen to see.

Smokey quartz, common too, gets its color from uranium,the element for this one.Impurities, like rutile, can also give added beauty,With the stone now doing double duty.

Chalcedony and jasper are like the chameleon,Because of the extent of colors they run.Iron oxide causes the brown in agate,Though it might not cause you to agape.

Quartz is perhaps the most used gem,Both in the past and now again.


Spring 2007 New York City Gem & Mineral ShowLecture Series

The Spring 2007 New York City Gem and Mineral Show is here once more! As in previous years, the New York Mineralogical Club hasput together an interesting lecture program. Here is the schedule of speakers and their topics.

Saturday, March 3 at 1:00 p.m.“Geological Wonders of Yellowstone National Park”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Charles Merguerian

Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming sits atop a cooling magma chamber that someday will erupt as a deadly supervolcano as ithas done repeatedly in the geologic past. With ongoing seismicity, more hot spring activity than any other place on earth, and associatedexhalative heaving of the earth's surface, Yellowstone is one of the truly remarkable "fire-breathing" active calderas on earth. A veritableland of "Fire and Ice", the glacial and volcanic history of the Yellowstone area of Wyoming makes it one of the most picturesque regionson our planet. Come hear Dr. Charles Merguerian discuss the geology of this unique region with a video-enriched PowerPoint presentation.

Dr. Merguerian is Chairman and Professor of Geology at Hofstra University in NY and President of Duke Geological Laboratoriesin Westbury, NY. He is the recognized expert on the geology of New York City. His consulting experience encompasses basic andsite-specific geologic mapping, subsurface tunneling geology, bridge footing and foundation analysis, mineral exploration.

Saturday, March 3 at 2:30 p.m.“Turquoise – Gem of Sky and Water”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Vivien Gornitz

Vivien Gornitz has a broad range of interests both scientific and otherwise but turquoise occupies a special place in her mineralogicalspirit. Ever since she spent time in the American Southwest, she has loved the gemstone and been fascinated by its ornamental uses andrelationship to the cultures of the Native Americans from that part of the United States.

In a PowerPoint presentation this evening, Vivien will share her enthusiasm with us in addition to giving us an overview, themineralogy, significant locations and related minerals regarding turquoise. Her lecture will also focus on thevarious cultures that have used turquoise for both its beauty and what was seen by them as its spiritualmeanings.

Vivien studied chemistry at Barnard College, and mineralogy/geology at Columbia University underProfs. Paul F. Kerr and Ralph J. Holmes, both former Club members. While current research is focused onsea levels rise and coastal impacts of climate change, she still retains a keen interest in minerals, gems(turquoise!) and planetary exploration (Mars!). She also enjoys working with stones and setting them in silver.

Vivien is affiliated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Goddard Institute for SpaceStudies and is currently working on, as Senior Editor, a soon-to-be published Encyclopedia of Climatology.She is a regular contributor to Mineral News as well.

Sunday, March 4 at 1:00 p.m.

“Agates, Their Origin and Varieties”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John SanfaçonJohn Sanfaçon will be speaking about the latest thinking on the origins of banded agates. In addition, he will be giving a worldwide

pictorial survey of the many varieties of agate and discuss how they differ from the other cryptocrystalline forms of silica, such as jasper,chrysoprase, carnelian, sard, etc. He will provide free packets of technical notes and data about agates, as well as free CD copies of hisslide show. John has been a teacher of foreign languages at Delbarton School in Morristown, N.J. since 1963. Growing up in Paterson, he becamehooked on minerals which he saw at the Paterson Museum. He would occasionally collect at the Upper New Street quarry

He started his college years at Notre Dame as a geology major. In the mid-60's, he would take his Delbarton Mineral Club studentson the many FOMS field trips, as well as monthly trips to the Buckwheat Dump and Ewald Gerstmann's Museum in Franklin. He has aworldwide collection with a strong interest in the silica family of minerals

He has been president and vice-president of the N.J.E.S.A., and is currently the secretary and in charge of white-light exhibits withthat organization. He has also served in all four offices of the Morris Museum Mineralogical Society, and is currently the treasurer andprogram coordinator of that group.

All lectures are held on the 2nd floor of the hotel in the Renaissance Room.Each runs approximately one hour in length.


Spring 2007 New York City Gem & Mineral ShowSouvenir Card

Sprin g2007 New York City Gem & Mineral Show

Exhibit List

Exhibit Title Exhibitor Location

1. Quartz Jewelry Members of the NY Mineralogical Club NYC

2. Quartz Treasures American Museum of Natural History NYC

3. Quartz Oddities Jake Kaufman NYC

4. Rare Eye Agates Larry Conklin NYC

5. Quartz Varieties Dr. David Shipman NYC

6. Faceting Quartz Bill Mancuso Bronx, NY

7. New York State Quartz New York State Museum Albany, NY

8. Ellenville, New York Quartz Mike Walter NYC


Topics in GemologyTopics in Gemology is a monthly column written by Diana Jarrett, GG, based on gemological questions posed to her overthe years by beginners and experts alike.

Rosy FuturePink, red, rose - when it comes to gold, what’s what? Gold

values, seen strong at present, are the highest they’ve been inyears.

And while white gold has captured first place in designerjewelry for several seasons now, the latest chatter from red carpetwatchers is that young celebrities are turning to yellowgold jewelry for important occasions. Platinumwatchers also report a decrease in platinum use as itsprice soars astronomically.

Before you sell all and gather a trove of yellowgold goodies, watch out for something blushingaround the corner; make mine red gold.

Consider the appeal and versatility of rose gold.You may hear it referred to as pink, or red gold aswell, but whatever you call it, it’s everywhere. Thegold we use in jewelry is an alloy of pure gold andtwo other metals. Most commercial jewelry is yellowor white gold. Artisan jewelers create other alloys orcombinations of metals to arrive at exotic gold tints;green, blue, gray, and rose gold.

The finest watch purveyors at the turn of thecentury fashioned expensive men’s and women’s timepieces inpink gold and they are doing it again. This is no momentaryhiccup. The prices in double digit thousands testify to their broadacceptance.

In a few winter trade journals alone, I found the highest enddesigner goods and moderately priced goods in a variety of rosyshades of gold. Watches in rose gold and diamond, for both menand women found their way unto the pages of most magazines.

Rose gold is not new. Estate and antique dealers may haveseveral Victorian era items in rose gold. Mid 19th century jewelryfeatured nine karat (and higher) rose gold for posy rings, asentimental type of ‘friendship’ ring, and it was oft seen incomplicated filigree cross pendants and brooches. Early 20thcentury fine watch manufacturers favored the rose gold for tankstyle men’s watches.

Rose, pink or red gold are for the most part interchangeableterms. According to the Gold Council, however, the terms aremore specific and a recipe exists for proportions of silver, copperand gold at each karat level. For instance, 18 karat pink goldconsists of 75% pure gold, with 9% silver and 16% copper. 18karat red gold is 75% pure gold, 4.5% silver and 20.5% copper. Ofcourse, it’s the copper that contributes the rosy tint to the finishedmetal product.

Customers may be intrigued to learn a little bit of metallurgy.You may tell them also that gold is alloyed to strengthen thematerial, not done to ‘stretch’ the gold. Jewelry has been madefrom pure gold. Ancient Mayans, Aztecs, and Egyptians used it.Some pure gold jewelry is still manufactured in the Far East, andis distinguished by the color, patina, and extreme softness. Thepurpose of alloying gold is for durability. We know these things,but sometimes forget how interesting and new it is to our clientele.

Consider creating a display case to showcase rose gold. Yourcustomers are used to groupings by stone or jewelry type. A stop-and-browse area dedicated to rose gold can spark an educational

chat. It’s a nonthreatening way to transform a casual browser intoa customer. You’ve probably seen the extent to which rose goldhas been used recently in everything from mass manufacturedgoods to one-of-a-kind creations - but a potential customer mayactually have never heard of it.

White gold is also seen accented with rose gold and that’s agood thing. Perhaps someone is attracted to rosegold, but doesn’t want to change out their entirejewelry wardrobe. Adding two-toned white androse gold pieces is a beautiful way to expand acollection by pairing it with the white gold that acustomer owns.

Sometimes education is the first step togaining interest, and subsequently a new purchase.A little information to a casual looky-loo mayconvert that person into a passionate collector.Those who know you have trustworthy,entertaining information, will rely on you when it’stime to invest in jewelry. Sounds like things arecoming up roses.Original Source: Southern Jewelry News, May2006

Spring 2007 New York CityGem & Mineral Show

Theme: Minerals & Gems of Asia

A Show & Sale of Minerals, Gems,Jewelry, Crystals, Fossils & Meteorites

Saturday, March 3, 2007 10:00 am – 6:00 p.m.&

Sunday, March 4, 2007 11:00 am – 6:00 p.m.at the

Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan440 West 57th Street (Between 9th and 10th Avenues)

New York City, New York 10019Hotel, Parking & Restaurant on Premises




Children under 12 accompanied by adult admitted free

An Excalibur Mineral Corp. ProductionCall (914) 739-1134 for Show Information





Saturday EveningMarch 3

NEW!Mineral Show Dinner

Small Dining RoomHoliday Inn Midtown

Informal dinner after show on Saturdayevening; see details on page 2; RSVPplease to Mitch or Anna to get a count!





3 Wednesday!rd








August Springfield Show Trip?East Coast Mineral ShowSpringfield, Massachusetts

Details to Follow

3 Wednesday!rd



Members’ Showcase (rescheduled fromcancelled February meeting)


Details to Follow

FridayNovember 9

2 Symposium &nd

Banquet (& Fall MineralShow)


Details to Follow


Details to Follow

2007 Show Calendar


March 3-4New York City Gem &Mineral Show

Holiday Inn Midtown57 St. & 10 Ave, NYCth th

Contact Tony Nikischer (ExcaliburMinerals) at (914) 739-1134







July 28-29LIMAGS 26 Annualth

Gem & Mineral ShowCutchogue East ElementarySchool. Cutchogue, NY

Ample parking, two dealer rooms, granddoor prize

Mineral Clubs & Other InstitutionsIf you would like your mineral show included here, please let us know at least 2-3 months in advance!







President Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY 10003; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . (212) 675-6979Vice President David Shipman 400 E. 90 Street, #14D, NYC, NY 10128; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . (646) 247-0879th

Secretary Vivien Gornitz 101 W. 81st Street #621, NYC, NY, 10024; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 874-0525Treasurer Alla Priceman 84 Lookout Circle, Larchmont, NY,10538; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (914) 834-6792Bulletin EditorMitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY 10024-5203; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343Membership Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY 10003; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . (212) 675-6979Director David Brand 39 Alexine Avenue, East Rockaway, NY, 11518; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . (718) 745-1876Director Sam Waldman 2358 East 24 Street, Brooklyn, New York 11229; email: [email protected]. . . . . . . (718) 332-0764th

Director Richard Rossi 6732 Ridge Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11220. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (718) 745-1876


Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

People Center, American Museum of Natural History, New York CitySpecial Lecture: Jim Webster – “Gold! – Special Exhibit at the AMNH”


FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

Highlight

Spring 2007 NYC ShowReview: Okay But Barely


Volume 121, No. 4 April 2007

April 11 Meeting:th

Alfredo Petrov: “Mineral andFossil Collecting in Malta”

This talk might also be titled “MineralsFrom a Tiny Country That Doesn’t HaveAny”! A Maltese mineral collector toldAlfredo Petrov that Malta had no mineralsat all. Alfredo – who believes he can findsomething interesting anywhere – set out toprove him wrong, fortified by theknowledge that Malta is group of tinyislands in the Mediterranean which arecomposed of solid limestone.

Malta, officially the Republic of Malta,is a small and densely populated islandnation comprising an archipelago of sevenislands in the Mediterranean Sea. A countryof Southern Europe, Malta lies south ofSicily, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya.The country's official languages are Malteseand English. Roman Catholicism is themost practiced religion. The islandsconstituting the Maltese nation have beenruled by various powers and fought over forcenturies.


By Mitch Portnoy

IntroductionWe all have some work to do.The Spring 2007 NYC Gem &

Mineral Show (March 3-4, Holiday InnMidtown Manhattan) was a success onlyinsofar as there were no major problems.But that’s a bit like saying you are healthybecause you are not in an ICU.

I looked back over the Bulletin’sNYC show reviews for the last ten yearsand this is the first time, if I am being trulyhonest, that I have to write something thatis at least partially on the down side.Attendance

On Saturday, the normal “big” day,attendance was “mediocre”. On Sunday, itwas “poor”. (I am quoting TonyNikischer, the Show’s promoter and theClub’s partner in hosting the show.) Theshow may have seemed busy, but it neverreally was. And those that did cometended to be the same people who comeevery year. There were VERY few newfaces. It is getting to the point that Irecognize the face of almost every personcoming into the show! This is a problem!Dealers

For many years now, all I heard fromthe dealers at the show’s end was that theyhad had a great show or even that this wasalways their BEST show! Not so this time.A few said they had done very well orgood but just as many said their sales weredown or only so-so.

There are two sides to this equation,however. It is true that a decliningattendance is not going to help anyone.However, let’s also remember that most ofthese dealers were here only a few monthsago at the November show. If they did notbring anything new or different from thattime, how can they expect their sales tostay the same let alone increase?

The presence of ExtraLapis, Inc. wasa pleasant surprise. They were anemergency replacement for John AttardMinerals. Gloria and Gunter, the ownersof this company, both said they did verywell and were happy to be directly inattendance at the NYC show.

All dealers contributed items to ourJune auction (see list later in this issue).Club Finances

I know I sound redundant but since itdoes not seem to get though, I feel it bearsrepeating: The Club has no directfinancial involvement in the show. Inexchange for Tony's giving us a valuablespace he can rent out to another dealer ortwo, we help with some graphicalproduction (show badges, passes, doorprize tickets, etc.), provide a lecture series,and a wall of exhibits. We receive neitherthe money from the gate nor the booth feesfrom the dealers. It has been a pleasantand practical partnership.

Basically, the monies we take in frommemberships, almanac sales, etc., equalsthe money we spend on photocopying,paying speaker fees, supplies, cab fares,etc. The only way we make any money isindirectly, from the dealer-donated itemsfor our auctions and special sales.

This was a standard year for us. Theshow income vs. costs was a total wash.


Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2World of Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Solubility & Villiaumite. . . . . . . . . . 4Spring Show Dealer Review. . . . . . . 6Dealer Auction Donations.. . . . . . . . 6More on Malta & Alfredo. . . . . . . . . 7Spring Show Exhibit Review. . . . . . 9Topics in Gemology. . . . . . . . . . . . 10Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . 11

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club April 2007


We had a very pleasant time and adelicious dinner on Saturday, March 3after the show closed. This was the firsttime we actually tried this activity,although we had discussed it for severalyears. We had several dealers join us,Mandy and Rocko Rosenblatt andStephanie Snyder of Stonetrust, along withabout a dozen NYMC members. Two ofmy friends, Dale Lamb and Richard Feltonalso partook of a tasty meal. Oneanonymous club member donated severalwonderfully full bodied, semi-dry bottlesof Chateau Marjosse Bordeaux and thehotel poured a crisp, fragrant chardonnay.We started with a savory Caesar salad, andthen proceeded to entrees of beef, chickenor salmon. My friends and I had thesalmon, served with a delicate caper creamsauce along with a vegetable medley andreally awesome mashed potatoes. Therewas equally delicious apple pie andcheesecake with very mellow, flavorfulcoffee. The conversations at each tablewere lively and much laughter driftedthrough the attractively appointed room.The waiters were gracious and attentive.Now you know what you missed! So, nextyear join us!

We received some very finedonations from dealers for the auction onJune 13. My review of the dealers is alsoin this issue. Mitch will be posting acatalog of the auction lots in the JuneBulletin. I hope you plan to attend,enhance your collection and support theClub.

One question that people often ask meis whether Club members may bringguests and if there is any charge forattending. I would like to clear up anydoubts now: Guests are welcome to attendour meetings at the AMNH free of charge.

Does anyone have any ideas orsuggestions for a summer activity, suchas a museum trip or similar outing? Wouldanyone like to volunteer to be a RoundRobin host? We have had some veryenjoyable Round Robins in past years,visiting 2 or 3 members’ homes and seeingtheir collections. If you would like toparticipate, please contact me.

Club Meeting Minutes forMarch 14, 2007By Vivien Gornitz, SecretaryAttendance: 33President Anna Schumate presided.

Announcements� The first “mini-silent auction was

held; items sold included a greentourmaline from Brazil, a quartzfrom China and a sphalerite crystalfrom Spain.

� The raffle was held.

Special Lecture:Gold! Special Exhibit at the AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Over the millennia, gold has beenprized for its warm glowing luster,resistance to tarnish, and ease in shaping.It universally symbolizes light, the Sun,spirituality, wealth, and status. Dr.James Webster, Curator and Chair,Division of Earth & Planetary Sciences,AMNH, described the gold exhibit,currently on view at the museum. Theexhibition is organized around severalt h e m e s , i n c l u d i n g “ A u r u mNaturae”–gold in its natural state,“Incomparable Gold and Mining”–areview of mining history and the majorgold rushes, “Golden Ages”–gold objectsfrom around the world, “Lost andFound”–sunken treasures recovered fromthe ocean depths, “Gold Standard”–theuse of gold in commerce, coins, andi n go t s , a n d f i n a l l y “ G o l d e nAchievements”–trophy awards in sportsand entertainment.

Webster provided an insider’s viewof the exhibit, pointing out little knownfacts, for example that the Lydians werethe first to use round gold coins or thatthe Turin papyrus, Egyptian in origin,was the world’s oldest “geological” mapdating to 1150 BC, showing gold mines,mountains, and other landmarks. Hereviewed the physical properties of goldhighlighting its extreme malleability witha 300 square foot room entirely coated bya thin sheet of gold weighing only 3 oz!He then proceeded to review the geologyof gold, pointing out the closeassociation of gold with other metalsfound around the Pacific “Ring of Fire”,where ocean crust is subducted, givingrise to volcanic activity. Gold is alsofound as veins in metamorphic rocks.

Hot solutions penetrated cracks in therocks, first depositing quartz andultimately gold in thin seams. Because ofits resistance to chemical attack, gold isliberated during the weathering anderosion of rocks and carried downstreamby rivers, where it concentrates in theslowest moving parts of the streambed.While most of the gold in the historicgold rushes were found in such placerdeposits, modern mines extract very lowgrade ore using cyanide leaching, such asin the mines along the famous Carlintrend in Nevada.

Jim Webster ended his talk byindicating the chemical similaritiesbetween active (although barren)volcanoes, such as Mt. Vesuvius, Italy orAugustine volcano, Alaska and historicgold deposits like Butte, Montana orCripple Creek, Colorado. He alsodescribed lab experiments designed tosimulate the conditions under which goldforms in nature.

The Gold! exhibit, on view at theAMNH until August 19, 2007, is well-worth a visit for its spectacular displaysof native gold specimens, the beautifully-crafted jewelry and artefacts, hordes ofgold coins, bars, and ingots, and itseducational content.

Donations Being Acceptedfor the

2007 NYMC AnnualBenefit Auction

Wednesday, June 13, 2007including

Minerals, Gems, Jewelry,Meteorites, Crystals, Magazines,

Books, Ephemera, Fossils

A Call for SpeakersIn order for the Club's new NovemberSymposium to succeed we need anexcellent program of speakers. If you wouldlike to give a presentation or know ofanyone that you think would make a goodpresentation, PLEASE let one of the Club'sofficers know. Other Symposium ideas arealso welcome.

April 2007 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 3


Fast-Forming GoldUntil quite recently, it was generally assumed that gold

took millions of years to deposit. But recent studies of ayouthful gold orebody on a tiny volcanic island in Papua NewGuinea have drasticallyaltered this view. Newdiscoveries suggest thatthe gold ore could haveaccumulated within55,000 years andpossibly in as little as 50or 60 years. Thesestriking findings comefrom undisturbedsamples of deep-seatedmagmatic fluids tappedfrom beneath theLadolam ore deposit onLihir Island in PapuaNew Guinea.

The Ladolam golddeposit is one of thelargest in the world, estimated at 1300 metric tons. It is alsoone of the youngest, geologically speaking, having formedonly 400,000 years ago, when a volcano collapsedcatastrophically following a major eruption. Although thevolcano is considered extinct today, geothermal activity stillcontinues and in order to extract the ore safely from the hot,fluid-saturated rocks in the mine, the ground has to be cooledwith water and the resulting steam allowed to escape. Sincethe modern geothermal brines contain detectable traces ofgold, mineralization may be still ongoing.

The Ladolam orebody is a shallow (0-400 m deep)epithermal-type deposit, meaning that it formed at relativelylow temperatures, estimated at between 250E and 150EC, frommagmatic-hydrothermal solutions under neutral to slightlyalkaline conditions. Host rocks are alkali-rich mafic tointermediate volcanics and intrusives. Around 20% of theworld’s gold deposits are related to volcanic activity.

In order to learn more about the origin of this deposit,researchers drilled several wells penetrating beneath theorebody, to about 1100 m depth, where temperatures exceed250EC. Specially fabricated titanium cylinders were loweredinto the boreholes in order to recover samples of the heatedsolutions. The brine-rich fluids contain ~2-3% sodium, ~2%chloride, ~3% sulfate and significant traces of arsenic, copper,boron, tin, vanadium, zinc, lead, molybdenum, and manganesein addition to the gold. Based on the overall transport of goldnow at a rate of 24 kg/ year, it would take only around 55,000thousand years to accumulate, if the gold content and flow rateremained constant over time.

The gold occurs in minerals cementing rocksthat were highly fragmented during a violent event nearly halfa million years ago, when a large chunk of the volcanocollapsed, following a large eruption. The sudden release of

confining pressurecaused the magmaticfluids to expand rapidlyand boil, letting volatileconstituents, including

2H S and HS , escape.!

The loss of sulfur issignificant, because goldis soluble andtransportable as abisulfide complex. Itquickly precipitates afterthe removal of sulfur.Some researchersspeculate that thegeothermal solutionsseen today are a “meretrickle” and that they

may have initially held much higher concentrations of goldand the sulfur complexes needed to keep it in solution. If goldconcentrations had once been up to 1000 times higher, assuggested by microanalysis of fluid inclusion in quartz fromancient hydrothermal deposits, the Ladolam orebody couldhave formed in as little as 50 to 60 years! These findings aretransforming not only our understanding of how gold forms,but also where to look for new deposits.Further readingHeinrich, C.A., 2006. How fast does gold trickle out of

volcanoes? Science, 314, 263-264.McKenna, P., 2007. Instant gold. New Scientist, Jan. 20, 2007,

p. 30-33.Simmons, S.F. and Brown, , K.L., 2006. Gold in magmatic

hydrothermal solution and the rapid formation of a giantore deposit. Science, 314, 288-291.


Villiaumite from Koashva Mt, KhibinyMassif, Kola Peninsula, MurmanskajaOblast, Northern Region, Russia

Solubility & VilliaumiteBy Bill Shelton

As some of you who collect minerals already know andothers found out to their horror, certain minerals that form sturdylooking crystals can, and do, dissolve in water at roomtemperature. A couple of years ago, a collectortold me he had attempted to dissolve the raremineral villiaumite with little or no success. Ibelieve he told me he even tried leaving it ontop of his furnace thinking that compoundsgenerally dissolve faster in hot water than roomtemperature water. One Russian dealer long agosaid “Don’t wash this one” when he sold me avilliaumite.

In Russia, the Kola Peninsula has been andremains a source for large pieces of generallycrystalline deep red villiaumite. Chemically, itis sodium fluoride or NaF if you like. Manytimes, specimens deteriorate, particularly whena white, powdery material is present. This is, atleast according to one specimen tested at theSeaman Mineral Museum, proven to bethermonatrite. My examination shows thevilliaumite may come apart but the pieces stillappear to be rather sturdy. Then, the questionremains how soluble, and under whatcircumstances, will these fragments dissolvecompletely away? The following process describes my work andresults. Being somewhat scientific in nature, you are invited tocheck the results by repeating the process yourself. Caution is inorder since the solution of NaF in water is highly toxic. I did notverify this and suggest that you probably should not either.

One thin sliver, approximately one mm across and much lessthick was placed in a clear glass container with about 50 ml ofwater taken from the tap. This was left open and at room

temperature (about 18ºC).Within the first hour, nodiscernable changes wereevident. After four hours, avery slight red corona seemedto surround the piece. Slightagitation caused this todecrease but the sampler e m a i n e d e s s e n t i a l l yunchanged. With my interestwaning a bit, I returned aftertwelve hours and much to mysurprise found the samplecompletely dissolved and thecolor of the solution wasabsolutely clear. Apparently,the villiaumite dissolveswithout a trace of the red

color. Other reports claim that if you recrystallize the salt youwill get a nearly white material which is interesting in and ofitself. I did not do this and probably won’t anytime soon. WhatI wonder about is the red color and what causes it but that’s

another story. Based in part on Povarennykh’s (1958) article, consider the

following facts. One needs to know about the nature of themineral and the solvent. Water is a very effective solvent with “ahigh degree of dielectric penetration” and is very significantrelated to minerals. Temperature and pH can play a major role as

can energy of hydration and lattice energy. Ionicsize and polarization may also have an effect. Apossible key, the formation of crystal hydrates(basically this means it tends to react withwater) may be a very important factor,particularly for NaF. Higher solubility is relatedto the formation of crystal hydrates (see Table 2in reference) particularly for halides of the alkalimetals such as NaF. By way of comparison,NaF with no crystal hydrates has a solubility of1.0 mole/L and KF with hydrates has asolubility of 15.9 mole/L. Similarly, commonsalt, NaCl, with hydrates has a solubility of 6.2mole/L according to the reference. Other factorslike the type of chemical bond, valence andcoordination number may be significantdepending upon what mineral is involved.

A standard fact in chemistry is easilyobserved and widely known – solution isaffected by particle size. Sugar cubes don’tdissolve as readily in hot coffee as granulatedsugar will because of this fact. Crushing,

grinding and powdering facilitate solubility in a general way.Exceedingly fine particles, surprisingly, may show the oppositeeffect.

So, based on this, one might give a villiaumite a quick rinse(I do not recommend it) with water and do little harm.Personally, alcohol might be a better alternative but may causedamage so proceed with care. A nice long soak overnight will bedisastrous based on this procedure. Finally, remember: do notdrink the clear solution remaining. It is toxic.ReferencePovarennykh, A. S. (1958) On the nature of the solubility of

minerals. Trans. All_Union Miner. Soc. 87, pp. 215-223.

Crystals Helped Viking SailorsVikings may have used a special crystal called a sunstone tohelp navigate the seas even when the sun was obscured by fogor cloud, a study has suggested.

Researchers from Hungary ran a test with sunstones in theArctic ocean, and found that the crystals can reveal the sun'sposition even in bad weather.

This would have allowed the Vikings to navigatesuccessfully, they say.

The sunstone theory has been around for 40 years, but someacademics have treated it with extreme scepticism.

Researcher Gabor Horvath from Eotvos University inBudapest led a team that spent a month recording polarization –how rays of light display different properties in differentdirections - in the Arctic.

Polarization cannot be seen with the naked eye, but it can be


viewed with what are known as birefringent crystals, orsunstones.

Birefringence, or double refraction, is the splitting of a lightwave into two different components - an ordinary and an

extraordinary ray. The researchers found that the

crystals could be used to find outwhere the sun was in the sky incertain foggy or cloudy conditions.

It is already thought thatVikings used sundials aboard shipsto navigate.

Vikings were a seafaring racefrom Scandinavia who used their longboats to explore andconquer parts of Europe, Greenland, Iceland and Russia.Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6338535.stmArticle submitted by Marc Couch“I stayed on a farm (Bjordammen Farm) in Bamble Norway in1983, it has the sunstone pegmatite on the farm! I have pieces ofit at home.”

Spring 2007 NYC Mineral & Gem Show Review(Continued from page 1)

New Memberships/RenewalsI was a little down about the results here at first – with only

(4) renewals and (3) new memberships. However, when Irealized that we had done very well in this category at theNovember show and added the results, we did rather well.Almanac Sales & Distribution

We sold a few; but more were given to new members and afew as gifts to the speakers or other volunteers. We still have agood quantity available although the pile is disappearing.

What did disappoint me was not a single former QueensClub member asked for one! They were supposed to be availableas welcoming gifts to them. I don’t know if this means theyalready got one, did not ask for one or simply did not make it tothe show.Souvenir Cards

Not as many were taken this year, probably related to thelower show attendance. Nevertheless, people still ask for themand collect them. I'll continue doing this for each show but itwould be wonderful if someone else would design one insteadof me for a change.Exhibits

This year's show's theme was “Quartz” and every caserelated to that theme. (See review in this issue by Rich Rossi.)There were highlights in each case and I thank every exhibitorfor the hard work and well-thought out job he/she did!

I would like to suggest, however, that some of the casessimply had too many specimens, interfering with both theeducational and aesthetic objectives of a good exhibit case.

There is no hard and fast rule but I would suggest that noexhibit put into cases of the size we provide should have morethan ten or twelve high-quality examples or specimens. Labelsshould be clear and readable and guide (educate) the viewer asto why the example was put in the case, if needed. We will tryto encourage the idea that “less is more” works as well in this

instance as in architecture or room decor.Next Year’s Theme - Copper & Copper Minerals

After a brief discussion, it was decided that copper will bethe overriding theme for the cases at next year’s March show.(There are no cases in November.)Lectures

The biggest surprise for me - given the relatively low showattendance, was how well attended all three lectures, even JohnSanfaçon’s Sunday lecture (on agates). Vivien Gornitz reprisedher turquoise lecture that she gave to the Club a few months agoand Charles Merguerian gave a gripping talk aboutYellowstone Park. (Note: Both John and Charles will be givingtheir lectures to the Club later in the year.)Children (Giveaways & Activities)

Overall there were fewer children at this show than at theprevious one; those that did come certainly liked the freestibnites (thanks to Nik Nikiforou) and agates we gave assouvenirs. About 5 kids also enjoyed the coloring game (theyhad to draw some of the quartz specimens in the exhibits) andwe had a galley of their artwork on the wall in our booth.Breakdown/Volunteers

Problems here again, I am afraid to report. Three peoplewho said they would help either left early (in spite of getting intothe show for free) or did not show up at all. Other volunteers,with the best of intentions, were really not physically equippedto help out. A few more able bodies would have cut an hour offof this final show task by my estimation.New Saturday Evening Dinner

Perhaps the biggest success of the entire weekend was thisnew club social activity! Eighteen members, friends and showdealers attended and everyone said the food was delicious, thevalue (only $25 for everything) terrific and the atmosphere lowkey and pleasant after a long day of work. We will do this againnext year without question.Wine Donations

Thanks again to the members who contributed towards thedinner wine fund but especially to the anonymous member whodonated five bottles of terrific red wine.Show Promotion & Publicity

Publicity, publicity, publicity. Aside from what each of usalready does, we need to do more to bring NEW faces into theshow (and into the Club). Tony has suggested that the Clubappoint a formal publicity chairperson who would be responsiblefor OUTREACH to the non-member community. I think a $5.00auction coupon given to a member who brings a NEW friendwould also work. More brainstorming, please!Conclusion

Sorry for the relatively depressing show review this time butthings are what they are. We need to improve the attendance,publicity, exhibits, booth appearance, etc. As I said to start with,we all have some work to do.


Spring 2007 NYC Gem &Mineral Show Dealer ReviewBy Anna Schumate

Each year I look forward to seeingdealers who have become old friends.Some are NYMC members, like JohnBetts, Alfredo Petrov, Tony Nikischer ofExcalibur Mineral Company, NikNikiforou of Globe Minerals, Don andAudray Lapham of Quarry Enterprises,Elaine Casani and Marty Besso ofCelinka, Harvey Siegel of AuroraMinerals, and Charlotte and Mel Belskyof Howard Minerals. Then there areothers who have becomefriends solely from thisshow.

Mandy and RockoRosenblatt immediatelycome to mind. Mandy has awarm and sunny presencethat brightens the entireballroom. She continues tocreate amazing jewelrycreations that have manydevoted fans. Her husbandand partner, Rocko, hadsome really exciting mineral finds,including polished agates from SidiRahal, Morocco. These agates haveunusual red jasper bands and “free-form”patches with translucent quartz centers.He also had some gorgeous Pakistaniaquamarine crystals of excellentsaturated sky blue color. Speaking of skyblue, Tony Nikischer had some turquoisenodules from an unusual location,Majkojyn, Kazakhstan. These specimenswere very beautiful, saturated light blue,most with very little matrix. I couldn’tresist buying one! I purchased also fromTony a deep blue-green botryoidalsmithsonite from the Kelly Mine inMagdalena, N.M.

Nik Nikiforou of Globe Mineralsalso had incredible agates. These aresmall dark colored geodes lined withdrusy quartz, from Tabasco, Jalisco,Mexico. It was difficult to choose amonghis lovely selection, sold in pairs ofpolished halves. Each set was stunning!

New to the show this year wasDimitri Belakovsky of Exotic RussianMinerals. He had some beautifulpolished slabs and cabochons ofclinochlore, charoite, and eudialyte aswell as polished slabs of pallasite

meteorite. Another real oddity he hadwas a box of mammoth hair! Syed Shahof Hunza Ranger was another newcomerto the New York show. He had somelovely Pakistani aquamarine crystals andlapis lazuli items. He also carried beads,including the largest banded agate beadsI have ever seen … some approximately40 millimeters in diameter! ArleneJoseph of Something’s always has somereally unusual and lovely jewelry, and ifyou prefer to make your own, she has agreat selection of cabochons. Joe andMarie de Cristoforo, Amazon Imports,had some extraordinarily fine faceted

gems, such as morganiteberyls that were deeper pinkthan one usually sees in thisgemstone. Large vivid blueaquamarines, very fine, deepsaturated green tsavoriteg a r n e t s , h o t p i n ktourmalines, intensely redruby and orange mandaringarnets made his showcaseblaze with color. A pendantfeaturing a silver grayTahitian pearl with a

raspberry spinel caught my attention.Their very generous donation was agorgeous 1.6-carat faceted oval chrometourmaline for our auction in June!Highland Rock and Fossil always has aninteresting fossil section as well ascarvings, cabochons, jewelry and mineralspecimens. Their donation of mineralspheres is always a hit at the auction.

Returning this year were the Syndersof Stonetrust. They have a very classybooth, with fresh flowers, but they alsohave great specimens, many a veryreasonable prices. Raj Minerals was backwith lovely classic Indian minerals. JohnBetts always has some spectacularminerals. I was especially taken with alarge liddicoatite tourmaline slice, with atriangular zone in the center that shadedfrom red to green. These are only a fewof the highlights of the show. There weremany more wonderful specimens. If youmissed it, plan to attend in November!

2007 New York City Gem &Mineral Show Dealer BenefitAuction DonationsThe following list includes all thedonations that the NYC Show dealersmade to the Club this year. There was100% participation this year (again) andwe received some unusually attractiveitems!

Amazon Imports1.6 Carat Faceted Tourmaline. . . . BrazilAurora Mineral Corp(2) Drusy Quartz Pendants. . . . . . . . . NAJohn Betts Fine MineralsCerussite Crystal.. . . . . . . . . . . . NamibiaCelinka (Elaine & Marty)Cactus Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . South AfricaPolished Malachite. . . . . . . . . . . . CongoAmazonite/Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . Ethiopia(4) Cloisonné Gem Boxes. . . . . . . ChinaTurquoise Nugget. . . . . . . . . . . . NevadaQuartz.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ArkansasLapis & Silver Pendant.. . . . . . . . . . . NADrusy Quartz Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . NAExcalibur MineralsLarge Zeolite Specimen. . . . . . . . . IndiaExotic Russian MineralsPyritized Ammonite. . . . . . . . . . . RussiaextraLapis InternationalOpal (recent magazine). . . . . . . . . USAGlobe MineralsVanadinite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ArizonaMimetite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MexicoHighland Rock & Fossil3 Polished Stone Spheres. . . . . . . . . . NAHoward MineralsStromatolite Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . NAHunza RangerGypsum Crystals on Matrix. . . . PakistanMahalo MineralsPegmatite Specimen. . . . . . . . . . . . ChinaPetrov Rare MineralsTourmaline Cabochon. . . . . . . . . BurmaQuartz Snail Carving. . . . . . . . . . . BrazilQuarry EnterprisesPolished Agate Bookends.. . . . . . . BrazilLarge Zeolite Plate. . . . . . . . New JerseyRocko (Rob, Mandy)Chrysoprase/Silver Earrings. . . . . . . . NARaj Minerals(3) Diverse Zeolites. . . . . . . . . . . . IndiaHoward SchlanskerTourmaline in Marble.. . . . . . . . . . BrazilSomethingsDendritic Opal & Silver Pendant. . . . NAStoneTrustRhodonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PeruFluorite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China


More on Malta(Continued from page 1)

Malta has been a member state of theEuropean Union (EU) since 2004 and itis currently the smallest EU country bothin population and in area. Malta is theonly nation in the world that hascollectively been awarded the GeorgeCross for conspicuous gallantry in WorldWar II as a part of the British Empire,and its flag bears a replica of that award.

Malta is an archipelago in the centralMediterranean Sea (in its eastern basin),some 93 km south of the Italian island ofSicily across the Malta Channel; east ofTunisia and north of Libya in Africa.Only the three largest islands MaltaIsland (Malta), Gozo (Ghawdex), andComino (Kemmuna) are inhabited. Thesmaller islands, such as Filfla,Cominotto and the Islands of St. Paulare uninhabited. Numerous bays alongthe indented coastline of the islandsprovide good harbors. The landscape ischaracterized by low hills with terracedfields. The highest point is at Ta'Dmejrek on Malta Island at 253 meters(830 ft) near Dingli. Although there aresome small rivers at times of highrainfall, there are no permanent rivers orlakes on Malta. However somewatercourses are found randomlyaround the island that have fresh waterrunning all year round. Such places areBahrija, Imtahleb and San Martin.Running water in Gozo is found atLunzjata Valley.

One of the very earliest marks ofcivilization on the island is the temple ofHagar Qim, which dates from between3200 and 2500 BC, stands on a hilltop onthe southern edge of the island of Malta.Adjacent to Hagar Qim, lies anotherremarkable temple site, Mnajdra. Theoldest of all the megalithic temples onthe islands is Ggantija, in Gozo, datingback to before 3500 BC. The society thatbuilt these structures eventually died outor at any rate disappeared. Phoenicianscolonized the islands around 1000 BC,using them as an outpost from whichthey expanded sea explorations and tradein the Mediterranean.

The islands later came under thecontrol of Carthage (400 BC) and then ofRome (218 BC). The islands prosperedunder Roman rule, during which time

they were considered a Municipium anda Foederata Civitas. Many Romanantiquities still exist, testifying to theclose link between the Malteseinhabitants and the people of Rome. InAD 60, the islands were visited by SaintPaul, who is said to have beenshipwrecked on the shores of theaptly-named “Saint Paul's Bay”. Studiesof the currents and prevalent winds at thetime however, render it more likely thatthe shipwreck occurred in or around St.Thomas Bay in Marsaskala.

After a period of Byzantine rule(fourth to ninth century) and a probablesack by the Vandals, the islands were

conquered by the Arabs in AD 870. TheArabs, who generally tolerated thepopulation's Christianity, introduced thecultivation of citrus fruits and cotton, andirrigation systems. Arab influence can beseen most prominently in the modernMaltese language, which also containssignificant Romance influences, and iswritten in a variation of the Latinalphabet.

The period of Arab rule lasted until1091, when the islands were taken by theSicilian Normans. Subsequent rulersi n c l u d e d t h e A n g e v i n e , t h eHohenstaufen, and the Aragonese (1283).The Maltese nobility was establishedduring this period; some of it dating backto 1400. Around thirty-two noble titlesremain in use today, of which the oldestis the Barony of Djar-il-Bniet e Buqana.

In 1530, Holy Roman EmperorCharles V of Spain gave the islands tothe Order of Knights of the Hospital of St

John of Jerusalem in perpetual lease.(The Kingdom of Aragon had owned theislands as part of its Mediterraneanempire for some time). These knights, amilitary religious order now known asthe “Knights of Malta”, had been drivenout of Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire in1522. They withstood a full-blown siegeby the Ottoman Turks in 1565. TheTurks, at that time, were considered to bea great power. After this they decided toincrease the fortifications, particularly inthe inner-harbor area, where the new cityof Valletta, named after Jean Parisot dela Valette, was built.

Their reign ended when Malta wascaptured by Napoleon en route to hisexpedition of Egypt during the FrenchRevolutionary Wars in 1798. As a ruse,Napoleon asked for safe harbor toresupply his ships, and then turned hisguns against his hosts once safely insideValletta. The Grandmaster, knew that hecould only allow a few ships at a time toenter the harbor, due to the Treaty ofTrent. Grand Master Ferdinand vonHompesch zu Bolheim capitulated, andNapoleon stayed in Malta for a fewdays, during which he systematicallylooted the movable assets of the Order,and established an administrationcontrolled by his nominees. He thensailed for Egypt, leaving a substantialgarrison in Malta.

The occupying French forces wereunpopular, however, due particularly to

their negative attitude towards religion.The financial reforms and the religiousreforms did not go down well with thecitizens. The Maltese rebelled againstthem, and the French were forced behindthe fortifications. Great Britain, alongwith the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies,sent munitions and aid to the rebels.Britain also sent her navy, whichinstigated a blockade of the islands. Theisolated French forces, under GeneralClaude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois,surrendered in 1800, and the islandbecame a British protectorate, beingpresented by several Maltese leaders toSir Alexander Ball.

In 1814, as part of the Treaty ofParis, Malta officially became a part ofthe British Empire, and was used as ashipping way-station and fleetheadquarters. Malta's position half-waybetween Gibraltar and the Suez Canalproved to be its main asset during these


years, and it was considered to be a mostimportant stop on the way to India.

In the early 1930s, the BritishMediterranean Fleet, which was at thetime the main contributor for thecommerce on the island, was moved toAlexandria as an economy measure.Malta played an important role duringWorld War II, owing to its vicinity toAxis shipping lanes. The bravery of theMaltese people in their long struggleagainst enemy attack moved H.M. KingGeorge VI to award the George Cross toMalta on a collective basis on 15 April1942, “to bear witness to a heroism anddevotion that will long be famous inhistory”. A replica of the George Crossnow appears in the upper hoist corner ofthe Flag of Malta, outlined in red.

After the war, and after a shortperiod of political instability due to theMalta Labour Party's unsuccessfulattempt at “Integration with Britain”,Malta was granted independence onSeptember 21, 1964 (Independence Day).Under its 1964 constitution, Maltainitially retained Queen Elizabeth II asQ u e e n o f M a l t a , w i t h aGovernor-General exercising executiveauthority on her behalf. On December13, 1974 (Republic Day), however, itbecame a republic within theCommonwealth, with the President ashead of state. A defense agreementsigned soon after independence (andre-negotiated in 1972) expired on March31, 1979 (Freedom Day) when theBritish military forces were withdrawn.Malta adopted an official policy ofneutrality in 1980 and, for a brief periodwas a member of the Movement ofNon-Aligned Countries. In 1989, Maltawas the venue of an important summitbetween US President Bush and Sovietleader Gorbachev, their first face-to-faceencounter, which signaled the end of theCold War.And More on Alfredo . . .

Alfredo Petrov was born in Englandand went to primary school there. At tenyears old his interest in rocks wasawakened by a classmate who came backfrom a trip to the United States with abag of tumble-polished agate, whichseemed like quite a treasure at the time.He spent his more adventurous teenageyears in the East African Rift Valley,where the volcanoes, caves, hot springsand wildlife erased all desire for doing

his school homework.Nevertheless he did manage to get

some schooling in Beirut, Lebanon, andin Ethiopia, where he finally graduatedfrom high school as the only Caucasiankid among 800 students. His teenage jobsincluded working as a cowboy, chocolatesmuggler, guano miner, and a factorystint making car seats in Germany.

At 18, Alfredo came to the U.S.A.,where his parents wanted him to studymedicine but he secretly studied geologyand geomorphology instead, whileworking part-time in the mineralogydepartment of the San Diego NaturalHistory Museum, where he acquired afascination for microscopic rare mineralsand micromounting from the curator, Dr.Russell MacFall.

After earning his M.Sc., Alfredomoved from San Diego to Japan, wherehe worked for four years as an editor ofresearch papers, and fell in love with theculture, rocks and food. This wasfollowed by 12 years in Bolivia, wherehe worked in various geological andenvironmental projects for miningcompanies, NGOs and national parks. Hehas also lived and worked in Mexico andBelize, and has authored numerousarticles on minerals and gems for theMineralogical Record, Rocks andMinerals, Mineral News, Lapis, andMineralien Welt. Alfredo currentlydivides his time between homes inPeekskill (Westchester Co.), andCochabamba (Bolivia), and pays for hisbad habits by selling mineral specimens,translating mineralogical literature, andleading collecting tours to Bolivia andJapan, his two favorite countries forhunting rocks.

Alfredo has been in great demand asa speaker throughout the United States.This should be no surprise to anyonewho has ever heard him! If you wouldlike to see the breadth of his topics, do aGoogle search under his name and beprepared to go through a dozen pagesreferencing him! I state with fullconfidence and enthusiasm that he isamong the best speakers, in terms of bothstyle and content, that we have had overthe past decade.Nota Bene: The bird perched onAlfredo’s hat in the picture on page 1 isan eagle that took a liking to him. This isNOT a posed shot!

Minutes–Executive Meeting,March 14, 2007Present: Anna Schumate, Alla Priceman,Mitch Portnoy, Rich Rossi, SamWaldman, Vivien GornitzAgenda: Evaluation of March New YorkCity Gem & Mineral Show

Mitch Portnoy pointed out that whilethe special lectures were well-attended andthe Saturday evening dinner wassuccessful (20 people came), showattendance was down overall, as comparedto previous years. Suggestions for how theClub could enhance future Show qualityinclude the following:� Improve display attractiveness by

avoiding clutter, selecting fewer, finerpieces, and fixing the lighting.

� Club booth–make more efficient useof allotted space; provide extra chairsoutside the booth as a temporary restarea, but discourage lounging, snacks,package storage within the boothitself.

� Security–people should be required toleave promptly when the Showofficially closes.

� Attendance–expand publicity beyondthe usual mineral-oriented groups toschools, scouts, craft groups, andothers.

Welcome New Members!The Agus Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . NYCWilliam Chambers. . . . . . . . . . . . . NYCParvin Hartramph. . . . . . . . . . . . . . NYCLenore Weber.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NYC


Quartz and Collectibles on Display at theMarch 2007 New York Mineral ShowBy Richard J. Rossi

Seven displays were “showcased” at the 2007 Mineral Show– each reflecting the quartz theme for this event.

This year, for the first time, our display lineup was set alongthe far right wall upon entry to the venue. Although further awayfrom the Club booth, the new location made it easier to set up andbreak down.Faceted Quartz by Bill Mancuso

In a slight departure from previous displays, Bill presentedpolished but not cut varieties of quartz. Central to the presentationwas a lovely tray of agates and jasper cabochons primarily from U.S. localities. Some standouts included:• Bruneau Canyon, Idaho jasper• Flowering jasper from Oregon• A dramatic Hart Mountain morrisonite

A highlight was a gold-in-quartz polished section from theHugh Ford Collection, obtained from Larry Conklin. There wasalso a tray of very colorful, small, bright, beautiful quartz rounds,ovals, and cabochons.

Quartz Oddities by Jake KaufmanJake assembled a number of quartz curiosities of varying

sizes. Some of the oddities certainly enhance the scope anddiversity of this material. There was a large Thunder Bay, Canadafragmented agate piece “cemented” together (Breccia-style) withamethyst crystals! There was a nice pairing of zeolite piecesshowing quartz casts after anhydrite. In my opinion, the eyecatcher of the group was a large Tampa Bay petrified coral piece.Smaller items included distorted Herkimers and faden quartzspecimens from Arkansas.

Quartz & Associates by David ShipmanDavid’s presentation took an educational approach with a

written description of quartz’ related minerals and their formationsequence. The specimens were placed in the center of the case andsurrounded by related specimens – a sort of “case study” (ha-ha)in mineralogy.

In all seriousness, David is an active and focused collector,which was evident in his display.

Most of the items ranged in size from aesthetic miniatures tosmaller cabinet pieces. Each piece focused on a different mineralwhich forms with quartz. The emphasis being more on theassociated minerals rather than quartz itself.

Some impressive highlights included a Dal’negorsk look-alikepyrrhotite from Chihuahua, Mexico. There was also a truly niceand very gemmy rhodochrosite from Colorado, a Chinese fluorite,and a quartz/galena piece from the Madan district of Bulgaria.

New York Quartz – The New York State Museum, Albany(Courtesy of Michael Hawkins, Curator)

Many thanks to Michael Hawkins who always seems to findthe time to attend the Show and highlight some of the Museum’sgreat pieces for our pleasure.

In contrast to some of the other displays, New York State tookthe “less is more” approach with nine large and dramatic quartzspecimens from famous New York localities. Since I have one ofmy own, I was pleased to see a terrific quartz/hematite from thefamous Chubb Lake locality in St. Lawrence County. A dramaticquartz and chalcopyrite from Ellenville was displayed. Also,rutilated quartz from Rhinebeck in Duchess County. From furtherUpstate in Antwerp came a quartz and dolomite piece. I wasunexpectedly surprised to see a Harrisville amethyst collected andpresented to the Museum by a familiar dealer at the Show – our“own” Robert (“Rocko”) Rosenblatt of Rocko Minerals.

Quartz Treasures – American Museum of Natural History(Courtesy of Jamie Newman, Assistant Curator and Directorof Acquisitions)

The American Museum of Natural History also selected largepieces for display that numbered eight in total from worldwidelocalities, but primarily from the United States and Russia.

I loved the “huge”, stunning, and dramatic scepter amethystfrom Hopkinton, Rhode Island. There was also a terrific rosequartz from the famous Mt. Mica region of Maine. Center stage inthe case was an enormous quartz gwindel from the polar UralMountains of Russia that was donated by Larry Conklin.

Rare Eye Agates by Larry ConklinLarry’s case was unquestionably fun in every good sense of

the word! His eye-catching “eye candy” – eye agates from Brazil– stared back at me from this amazing spectacle. There were 15polished agates with their colored, concentric circles all prominentand large. Some pieces had one series of circles, while others hadtwo or three circles in each piece. The size, consistency, andnumber of pieces combined to create a wonderful visual impact. Itwas like looking at a flock of “stony owls” – and one “3-eyedJack” really got my attention!!!

Quartz Jewelry by Various Club MembersEach year our Club features a display crafted and assembled

by several of our Members. This year it was a female efforthighlighting quartz jewelry of every type, size, and form from thecollections of Susan Rudich, Vivian Gornitz, Ellen Sandburg,Coreen Orr, and Club President Anna Schumate. Building on thetheme of “more is more!”, the group painstakingly and lavishlyfilled the venue totally. All colors, sizes, shapes, and styles werefeatured. There were pins, bracelets, wrist cuffs, brooches,necklaces, clasps, and more! Included were all forms ofcryptocrystalline quartz. The jewelry pieces ran the gamut fromdelicate and dainty to dramatic and massive. Thank you all for theteam effort!!!

On behalf of myself and fellow Club Members, I would liketo extend my appreciation and thanks for the efforts and results ofthese displays. Now that the March 2007 New York Mineral Showis history, we can start thinking about and planning next year’sevent, featuring the theme of “COPPER MINERALS”.


Topics in GemologyTopics in Gemology is a monthly column written by Diana Jarrett, GG, based on gemological questions posed to her overthe years by beginners and experts alike.

Hammer Time and Scissors on the SideHaving cut my jewelry teeth at Sotheby's Auction House in

Beverly Hills as part of their support team for their Elite JewelryAuctions, I am still magnetically drawn to the frenetic activitythat rare jewels stir up prior to their auction date. Becauseworld-class gems are most often in privatehands and part of numerous clandestinetransactions over time, when they do reappear,something verging on hysteria ensues.

Of late, the re-emergence of sensationallylarge and rare color diamonds among otherstones have been up for bid at noble auctionhouses around the world. Some auction sitesactually specialize in certain gemstones. In a“which came first?” conundrum – the auctionhouse itself or the bidding group, closeobservers detect a preference for phenomenalstones in Asian auction houses in addition to theexpected jade allegiance. The Middle East is theperfect venue for pairing rare color diamonds with enthusiasticsuccessful bidders.

What's that got to do with me, you wonder? Aside from thebenefit of keeping up with world jewel trading and trends, thetrickle down effect of knowing what sells where and moreimportantly for what amount makes for great customer dialogue,helping many a vacillating client to jump into ownership.

How's that work? Say for instance you remembered thatChristie's London just received the highest ever per carat pricefor their recently auctioned pink diamond. You may have smallpinks or even pink sapphires or pink topaz.You pique interest of your customer with that'insider's information' which is irresistibleanyway, and then parlay that into reinforcinghow fashionable pink gems are. That fortifiesa customer's own sense of taste – they areholding the goods by now.

With all the outlets that customers havefor purchasing jewelry today, we owe it tothem to provide the added value-informationin a conversationally interesting delivery. Afrequently running TV Public ServiceAnnouncement says: “The More You Know. . .”

It's true. Engaging tidbits about the verysubject (jewelry) a shopper came into yourstore to peruse can be transformed into theseeds of loyalty – and a purchase!

We can't read all day because we have abusiness to run. I'll be overtaken by trademagazines if I leave the task unattended forjust a week. The pile becomes a mountain, themountain becomes a wall, and then it becomes odious. To keepthat potential problem in check, I regularly sit down on a comfysofa with a pile of trades, some scissors or a page ripper, and a

manila folder marked Research or Reference. Then I speed readand rip. Everything even remotely interesting goes right into afolder. It doesn't take long before the overwhelming pile is –well – quite manageable actually. See what I mean?

Why “auctions” you may be thinking? Well, we can seesuggested retail pricing listed in the trades formerchandise, but rarely can we say “Some otherstore just sold something like this”. We are justnot privy to our competitions’ sales. Butauctions are another thing entirely and for morethan one reason. First of all, like property valueson housing, final hammer prices are usually amatter of public record. Secondly, to sweetenthe attraction, those items were actually activelybid on by several people, sometimes by thosewho were rabid with auction fever. That meansthey couldn't put their paddle down. That lendsan air of extreme desirability to the jewelry itemin question. Sort of like a modern day version of

a “duel to the death”.And just remember, every auctioned item has a greater take

home price than the final hammer price alone. Take for instancea very important diamond which sold for one million dollars US.The owner of the property pays to the auction house a sellers feeof perhaps 15%. The fee is pre-agreed upon at the time theauction house accepts the property. The successful winningbidder pays a premium of say an additional 15% onto thewinning bid. Add tax. All of a sudden one million dollarsbecomes a lot more money. Did I mention storage fees shouldthe buyer not want to take delivery of their new property

immediately? See what I mean?The next time you see that pile of trades

beginning to take over your work space-andfeel the urge to delete the e-newsletters fromindustry periodicals that take up space inyour inbox, try my routine. Grab a folder ortwo, rip and read and create your ownpersonal resource and research folders. You'llbe surprised at how quickly you can whittledown a mountain of publications threateningto overtake your life. At the same time, youwill have created your own mini-library ofjewelry news. Your customers will thinkyou're a genius-always on top of your game.And you will have helped them to increasetheir gem knowledge while expanding theirjewelry collection.






3 Wednesday!rd









Details to Follow

3 Wednesday!rd





Special Lecture: Charles Merguerian –“Geological Wonders of Yellowstone”

FridayNovember 9

2 Annual Symposium,nd

Silent Auction & HolidayBanquet

Holiday Inn MidtownManhattan, New York City

Details to Follow; In conjunction with FallNYC Gem & Mineral Show


Special Lecture: John Sanfaçon – “Agates,Their Origin and Varieties”

2007 Show Calendar








August 10-12East Coast Gem, Mineral& Fossil Show

Exposition Center, WestSpringfield, Massachusetts

200 dealers, exhibits, lectures;

Corrected Dates!November 10-11

Fall NYC Gem &Mineral Show


Details to Follow









Secretary Vivien Gornitz 101 W. 81st Street #621, NYC, NY, 10024; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 874-0525Treasurer Alla Priceman 84 Lookout Circle, Larchmont, NY,10538; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (914) 834-6792Bulletin EditorMitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY 10024-5203; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343Membership Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY 10003; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . (212) 675-6979Director David Brand 39 Alexine Avenue, East Rockaway, NY, 11518; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . (718) 745-1876Director Sam Waldman 2358 East 24 Street, Brooklyn, New York 11229; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . (718) 332-0764th



Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

People Center, American Museum of Natural History, New York CitySpecial Lecture: Alfredo Petrov – “Mineral and Fossil Collecting in Malta”


FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

Highlight

Proper Behavior at MineralShows Can ComplementTransactions with Dealers


Volume 121, No. 5 May 2007

May16 Meeting:th

Please Note: 3 Wednesday!!rd

Steve Okulewicz: “The Geology& Mineralogy of Staten Island”

Steven Okulewicz was born on StatenIsland, N.Y. He was educated at the College ofStaten Island, and Brooklyn College andcompleted all credits toward a Ph.D in geology.

He is a certified professional geologist anda licensed geologist for the State ofPennsylvania. He currently teaches physical andhistorical geology part-time at the College ofStaten Island, Hofstra University andKingsborough Community College and has beenteaching at the college level for 26 years. In1992, he starred in an educational video aboutthe geology of Staten Island entitled“TheGround Beneath Your Feet,” which theBrooklyn Union Gas Company sponsored. He isone of the founders of the Staten IslandGeological Society back in 1972. In the past, Hehas taught geology and oceanography atFairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NewJersey and Kean College in Union New Jersey,at Hunter College in NYC.

His other job is a professional magician. Hehas been performing magic since 1969 and usedit in class to illustrate different scientific andgeologic principles. He has even appeared onHBO and several talk shows. This led to thecreation of an entire act of about 45 minutes inlength on the “Magic of Geology” which heregularly performs at the Morris Museum inMorristown, New Jersey for their annual openhouse in November and has worked thislecture/show at several mineral and gemconventions in the metropolitan area.

He has also worked at the AmericanMuseum of Natural History in the Dept. ofMineral Sciences where he did research onchromites in meteorites as part of his doctoralthesis. He has researched, written, and publishedextensively on the geology of Staten Islandincluding a book in July 1990 entitled, “TheNew Field Guide to Staten Island's Rocks andMinerals,” for the Staten Island Institute of Artsand Sciences. (Continues next page)

Here are some things to thinkabout before going to your nextmineral show!By Mitch Portnoy

The day that you have been lookingforward to for weeks has arrived! Yourfavorite annual mineral show opens in afew hours and you will shortly be at thefront of the line to get in. It’s going to bea great day!

Going to a show has definiteadvantages for acquiring minerals for yourcollection. Obtaining minerals from theInternet or from a monthly mail-ordercatalog is fine but nothing has the energyof a physical mineral show. There are lotsof dealers in one spot. You can shoparound for the quality and size of mineralsthat you want and make pricecomparisons, perhaps finding a good buy.When you find something that you mightwant, you can handle it (carefully),examine it from many angles with yourown magnifier or lamp and check forunique qualities or flaws that might neverhave been apparent in a two-dimensionalphotograph. No dealer’s excellent textdescription of a mineral can possiblyreplicate the on-site, in-hand experience.Basically, you can make sure it is reallywhat you want and you can avoid buyer’sremorse and all the problems of makingreturns.

But if you want to make the most ofyour limited time and resources, there is alot more to going to a show than justgetting though the door. You need a planand information about your collection soyou can make the most efficient use ofyour time and your pocketbook. Also, andmore to the point of this article, youshould make the best use of the dealer’stime – he is just trying to make a living,after all – not just there to enjoy a funhobby like you!

Arrive atthe show in agood frame ofmind. Knoww h e r e t h eshow is, theh o u r s o foperation, andwhether or notthere is an admission fee (from which youare NOT exempt). Traffic may have beenbad and parking impossible or expensiveonce you got there but please rememberthe dealer has had absolutely nothing to dowith this. In the vernacular of the 60's,don’t lay a trip on him with yourtransportation problems. He has concernsof his own.

Food and drink at a show may beproblematic or mediocre. If you plan to bethere for a long time and have some kindof special dietary needs, make sure youthink about this in advance. Restaurantsmay not be close by. You can alwaysbrown bag it but OBVIOUSLY not at adealer’s table. And no coffee cups or cansof soda on the table. Ever.


Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2World of Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32007 NYMC Members. . . . . . . . . 4-5More Auction Donations.. . . . . . . . . 8Topics in Gemology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Baseball& Geology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . 11

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club May 2007


Does anyone have any ideas or suggestionsfor a Club summer activity? How does the ideaof a field trip/picnic to Fort Tryon Park and theCloisters sound? The views from Fort Tryon andthe Cloisters Museum are spectacular,overlooking the Hudson, with a view of thePalisades to the west. To the south you can seethe Harlem River, the Bronx and the Harbor HillMoraine on the south shore of Long IslandSound. Along the walkways are some outcropsdisplaying glacial striations and some brokenexposures containing biotite mica withplagioclase and occasionally garnet. I would likesome feedback on this idea. Also, does anyonehave other ideas? Please contact me (emailpreferred) with any thoughts on this matter.

From time to time Mitch and I receivecatalogues that may hold some interest for clubmembers. From time to time, I will shareinformation about some of these. Recently, wereceived a catalogue with information aboutmetal detectors and hunting for “buriedtreasure.” On perusing the catalogue, I wassurprised to learn that metal detectors are quiteexpensive to buy and all sorts of accessories areavailable to further increase that sum! I gave thecatalogue away at the April meeting, but if youare interested, visit:www.WhitesElectronics.com or call 1-800547-6911 for a free catalogue and info packet.

If you make jewelry or do lapidary, hereare a few of my favorites. You can call andrequest the catalogues or visit their websites. Kingsley North, Inc:www.kingsleynorth.com or 1-906 563-9228Rio Grande:www.riogrande.com or 1-800-545-6566Indian Jewelers Supply:www.ijsinc.com or 1-505-722-4451

These companies carry bench tools,polishing equipment and supplies, castingequipment, gem testers, optical instruments andmicroscopes, plating equipment, hand tools,torches and soldering supplies and more.Micro-Markwww.micromark.com or 1-800-225-1066

Micro-Mark is the “small tool specialist.”Model builders are their target customers but Ihave found many of their tools and polishingsupplies very useful for jewelry making.

If you are a beader, Fire Mountain Gemshas you covered, with high quality beads,findings, tools, instructional books and videos.Visit:www.firemountaingems.com or cal l1-800-355-2137.

If you would like to investigate jewelrymaking in precious metal clay, visit:w w w . P M C C o n n e c t i o n . c o m o rwww.artclayworld.com for instruction, tools andsupplies.

These, of course, are only a very few of thevast resources available to the jewelry hobbyist.Trusted friends and I have had personalexperience with the companies listed in this

article and so I can recommend them withconfidence.

Club Meeting Minutes forApril 11, 2007By Vivien Gornitz, SecretaryAttendance: 36President Anna Schumate presided.Announcements� Café Science is a series of science

lectures held at the Picnic Café,Broadway and 102 St. The next eventwill be: “Earthquakes as life support onthe seafloor”, Maya Tolstoy, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, speaker,May 14, 5:30–7:00pm. $10 chargeincludes admission and 1 drink.

� “Making Gold Wire Jewelry”–a hands-on mini-course will be offered at theAMNH, May 20, 10am–4pm. $75including materials and tools.

� Anna Schumate suggested severalsummer activities, including a picnic atFort Tryon Park or lunch at theirrecently refurbished café. Othersuggestions are welcome.

� Anna called for volunteer drivers for carpooling to the Springfield Mineral &Gem Show this August.

� Corinne Orr was thrilled by several newexhibits and the recently re-opened Hallof Minerals & Gems at the AmericanMuseum of Natural History.

� Bill Mancuso showed a 40g gold nuggetand another gold specimen from RhodeIsland Creek, Alaska.

� Mitch Bogen brought in gold specimensfrom the Harvard Open Pit, Jamestown,California, Whiskey Hill, California, andthe Gwynfynydd Mine, Wales. Goldfrom the historic Gwynfynydd Mine,dating back to 1198, has been used in thewedding rings of British royalty.

Special Lecture – Alfredo Petrov: “TheMinerals and Fossils of Malta”

Alfredo Petrov, club member andmineral dealer, travels extensively and returnswith unusual minerals from exotic locales.His Maltese adventure began with a bet. JohnAttard, a good friend and California mineraldealer, originally hailed from Malta. He toldAlfredo that Malta is a “monomineraliccountry made up entirely of calcite. Thewhole country–the rocks, the soils, thebuildings–will fizz with hydrochloricacid–it’s all calcite!” In 2004, Alfred went toMalta to prove John wrong. First checkingout the National History Museum andstudying geological maps of the country,Alfredo soon discovered that a blue clay layerwas sandwiched in between the ubiquitousstrata of limestone making up the bedrock ofthe island. Blue clay, formed under anaerobic

(oxygen-deprived) conditions, is a goodcandidate for hosting pyrite and other non-oxidized minerals. The blue clay outcrops canbe recognized because they form gentlebrownish slopes in contrast to the cliff-formingbuff, tan, or gray limestones (the brown colorcomes from the oxidation of Fe in the clay+2

minerals to Fe ). +3

By diligent searching, Alfredo foundsome iron oxide concretions at the contactbetween two limestone layers. While he neverfound the expected pyrite (in all likelihood,any initial pyrite probably weathered andoxidized to Fe oxide minerals in Malta’swarm, semi-arid climate), he did manage toobtain jarosite, lenticular gypsum andcarbonate-apatite. In the National NaturalHistory Museum, he also discovered a jar ofmagnetite sand from the blue clay layer. Inolden days, it had been used for blottingprinters’ ink.

In addition to scouring the countryside forthe elusive non-calcite minerals, Alfredomanaged to find marine fossils, such as sanddollars, embedded in limestone and alsovisited ancient ruins reputed to be among theworld’s oldest stone structures. He also tooktime out to swim at some of the rare islandbeaches (most of the shoreline consists of near-vertical cliffs). He also took a boat ride to agiant water-filled sinkhole, reachable onlythrough a narrow tunnel in the rock. Whileshort on minerals, Malta is long on history andhas many unusual and interesting things to see.Alfredo gave us a short, but enjoyable tour ofthis small yet fascinating, history-packedisland nation.Members in the NewsBy Mitch Portnoy

A letter, written by member IrvHorowitz, appeared in the March-April 2007Mineralogical Record. He recounted the storyof how he obtained a mineral cabinet from theshop of John Grenzig after WWII. It wasidentical to an oak model sold by Roy Hoppingof New York pictured in an advertisement inThe Mineral Collector in 1902.Staten Island Geology Lecture(Continued from page 1)

Steve’s talk will cover the generalgeology of Staten Island from the 435 millionyear old Ordovician serpentinite body to the12,000 year old Pleistocene glacial depositsand the accompanying minerals. In addition,He will be bringing hand specimens of justabout every mineral and rock that can be orwas found on the Island over the last 40years. He will also point out which mineralsare still “collectable” and what outcrops arestill in existence. Indeed, he has offered to leada field trip for us later in the year. (We arehoping he will throw a bit of magic into thetalk as well!)

May 2007 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 3


Black Diamonds from SpaceCarbonados—the black diamonds that are considered the

dregs of the gem diamond world–may have had a more rarefiedpedigree as pieces of a dead star that crashed to Earth some 2.6to 3.8 billion years ago. This startling conclusion comes from thepresence of unusual infrared spectral bands that closely resemblethose seen in certain types of stars and in interstellar dust.

Carbonados are industrial-grade black, polycrystallinediamonds of enigmatic origin. They are found in only twoplaces–Brazil and the Central African Republic--which wereonce part of the supercontinent of Gondwanaland. They differfrom single crystal diamonds in having a fairly high degree ofporosity (up to 10% void space) as well as superior hardness andtoughness, caused by their polycrystalline structure whichinhibits cleavage and fracturing. These physical properties makefor excellent abrasives. Carbonadoes can also be fairly large. Thelargest diamond ever found was the carbonado “Sergio” fromBrazil, weighing 3167 carats! These diamonds also possess aunique suite of solid inclusions, such as florencite ( a hydratedrare-earth phosphate), xenotime, zircon, kaolinite, quartz, andorthoclase. These minerals are found in crustal rocks andcontrast sharply with typical diamond inclusions, such as Cr-richpyrope garnet, Cr-rich clinopyroxene, and chromite associatedwith peridotites, or almandine-pyrope and omphacite (jadeite-diopside pyroxene) from eclogites. Furthermore, non-carbonadoblack diamonds are colored by graphite, or in the case of crystalsfrom Siberia, by magnetite, hematite, and native iron.

Another way in which carbonados differ from otherdiamonds is in their unusual carbon isotope composition. Theisotopic ratio of carbon-13 to carbon-12 in carbonado is muchlower than in all other types of diamond, but is similar to thatfound in organic matter, leading some scientists to suggest thatthe carbon in these diamonds was originally contained in oceansediments that were subducted beneath continental margins.However, other researchers detect deformation features that theyinterpret as consistent with shock effects produced by meteoriteimpacts.

In a recent study, infrared absorption spectra were collectedin the middle-infrared range (650–4000 cm or 15.34–2.50ì m),-1

using the Brookhaven National Laboratory synchrotron as aradiation source, which offers a much clearer resolution thanstandard laboratory instruments. Major spectral peaks appearingat 2855, 2926,and 2961 cm (3.50, 3.42, and 3.38ì m) are related-1

to stretching of C–H bonds in the crystal lattice. Another strongpeak at 1102 cm (9.07ì m) is associated with C–N (or possibly-1

C–O) bond stretching. Although H and N impurities are oftenpresent in diamond, the observed infrared absorption peaksdiffer from those commonly observed in diamond, but insteadare nearly identical to spectra reported from interstellar dust andsome types of stars. In addition, the presence of SiC and TiNinclusions (only found in meteorites), as well as abundant planarlamellae suggesting intense deformation (as during a meteoriteimpact), favors an extraterrestrial origin for carbonadodiamonds, possibly from an interstellar environment. The

carbonadoes may have arrived on Earth by thecollision of an asteroidal-sized object, which some astronomerssuspect may have been pieces of the diamond core of a whitedwarf –the superdense remnant of a dead star.1

Further ReadingGarai, J., Haggerty, S.E., Rekhi, S., and Chance, M., 2006.

Infrared absorption investigations confirm theextraterrestrial nature of carbonado diamonds. TheAstrophysical Journal, 653, L153-L156.

Haggerty, S.E., 1999. A diamond trilogy: superplumes,supercontinents, and supernovae. Science, 285, 851-860.

Heaney, P.J., Vicenzi, E.P., and De, S., 2005. Strange diamonds:the mysterious origins of carbonado and framesite.Elements, 1, 85-89.

Titkov, S.V., et al., 2003. An invesrtigation into the cause ofcolor in natural black diamonds from Siberia. Gems &Gemology. 39 (3), 200-209.

Diamonds in the SkyThe galaxy's largest diamond, weighing 10 billion trillion

trillion carats, resides in the crystallized core of a white dwarfstar, according to astronomers from the Harvard-SmithsonianCenter for Astrophysics. The diamond star, unromanticallynamed BPM 37093, is a crystallized white dwarf, which is thehot, super-dense core of a star that has consumed its nuclear fueland died. It consists mainly of carbon, surrounded by hydrogenand helium gases. Although astronomers have long suspectedthat the interiors of white dwarfs were crystalline, directevidence has been obtained only within the last few years. Bymeasuring the steady pulsations emitted by the white dwarf,much in the same manner as seismologists study the vibrationsfrom earthquakes to infer the structure of the earth's interior, theastronomers were able to establish that the star's carbon core hadsolidified into a massive diamond. This stellar gem is “definitelytoo big to wear”, according to Ronald Winston, CEO of HarryWinston, Inc.

Pieces of a white dwarf, broken off in some ancient cosmiccollision, may have been the source of the black, polycrystallinediamonds known as carbonadoes.For further information, see:http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/press/pr0407.html

(1) A white dwarf is the ultimate fate of a sun-sized star that has burnedup its nuclear fuel, having transformed its initial hydrogen and heliumatoms into carbon and lesser amounts of oxygen. Once the nuclearreactions cease, the force of gravity crunches the star into an objectapproximately twice the diameter of earth, but over a million timesdenser.


2007 Membership List of theNew York Mineralogical Club, Inc.

The Agus Family, New York, NY

Alicja Andrejczuk, Scarsdale, NY

Davera Banks, Hollis, NY

Linda Barrett, New York, NY

Charlotte & Lawrence Bassett, Thornwood, NY

Elizabeth Bawn-Hufford, New York, NY

Melvin & Charlotte Belsky, Brooklyn, NY

Ted Berkowitz, New York, NY

Philip Betancourt, Moorestown, NJ

John Betts, New York, NY

Richard Blackman, Randolph, NJ

Mitchell & Jules Bogen, New York, NY

Fran & Richard Bolinder, Flushing, NY

Richard Bostwick, New York, NY

David & Patricia Brand, East Rockaway, NY

Laura Brandkamp, Fresh Meadows , NY

Barbara Brewka, Bronxville, NY

Jeffrey L. Bromberger, Farmingdale, NY

Kevan & Claudia Brown, New York, NY

Howard & Rochelle Bruder, Rego Park, NY

Otis Kidwell Burger, New York, NY

Eugene Carmichael, Kew Gardens, NY

Elaine Casani, Bohemia, NY

Gloria Catalanotto, Queens Village, NY

William J. Chambers, New York, NY

Lawrence & Mitchell Cohen, Brooklyn, NY

Lawrence Conklin, New York, NY

Mark Couch, Jersey City, NJ

Lillian Cozzarelli, Brooklyn, NY

Bob Cullen, Mamaroneck, NY

Richard Currier, New York, NY

Ralph Dames, Kearny, NJ

Joan Daniel, New York, NY

Scott De Mel & Family, Plainview, NY

Nick Del Re, Brooklyn, NY

Patricia Dolan, Yonkers, NY

Philip Elenko, New York, NY

Levena & Terry Evans, Victoria, Australia

Ken H. & Catherine Ewing, Ontario, Canada

Peter & Mickey Felleca, Brooklyn, NY

Albert Francken, Beechhurst, NY

Dennis Gaynair, New York, NY

Norma Gilbert Goldfein, New York, NY

Julie Gold, Flushing, NY

Eliot Goldfinger, New Rochelle, NY

Irma, Jose, & Jose Gomez, Rye Brook, NY

Vivien Gornitz, New York, NY

Alina Gouller, New York, NY

James A. Groves, Savoy, MA

Charles Haberzetti, Massapequa, NY

Dr. Daniel Hall, Columbus, OH

David Hargett, New York, NY

Dr. George Harlow, New York, NY

Parvin Hartramph, New York, NY

Michael Hatskel, New York, NY

Richard Hauck, Franklin, NJ

Tema Hecht, New York, NY

Will Heierman, Stafford, TX

Irving Horowitz, Floral Park, NY

Phyllis Jaffe, Larchmont, NY

Diana Jarrett, Knoxville, TN

Rudolph B. Jones, Irvington, NJ

Tracy Jukes, Pembrokeshire, UK

Jacob Kaufman, New York, NY

Dr. Daniel & Lois Z. Kobal, Riverdale, NY

Michelle K. Kondich, Cliffside Park, NJ

Victor & Margaret Krasan, Jamaica, NY

Saul Krotki, Seattle, WA

Mark Kucera, Yonkers, NY

Don & Audray Lapham, Norwood, NJ

Michael Lasky, Brooklyn, NY

Delores Lawton, Brooklyn, NY

James Lee, Bronxville, NY

Aaron Mount Lemle, New York, NY

Irene Leung, Bronx, NY

Jacob Lieberman, Brooklyn, NY

The Litvin Family, Englewood, NJ

Richard Lopus, Lords Valley, PA

Annette Lowey, Brooklyn, NY

Donna M. Luisi, Middle Village, NY

Olga Makrai, New York, NY

William Mancuso, Bronx, NY

Alexander Mann, New York, NY

Robert J. & Doris Martinchek, Newington, CT


Charles S. Matson, New York, NY

Park McGinty, New York, NY

Donald McLeod, Jr., Briarcliff Manor, NY

Dr. Charles Merguerian, Westbury, NY

Miriam Mopper, Flushing, NY

Robbin Moran, Bronx, NY

Beth Mount, New York, NY

Diane L. Nadler, New York, NY

Peter Nalle, Greenwich, CT

Jamie Newman, Brooklyn, NY

James Nickel, New York, NY

Nik Nikiforou, Astoria, NY

Tony Nikischer, Cortlandt Manor, NY

Jerry Nizza, Flushing, NY

Keith Noyes, Blauvelt, NY

William O'Neill, Brooklyn, NY

Christopher O'Neill, Brooklyn, NY

Madaline Orfanos, Little Neck, NY

Corinne Orr, New York, NY

Karen Ottendorfer, Little Neck, NY

Peter Palese, Leonia, NJ

Seymour Perlowitz, Brooklyn, NY

Alfredo Petrov, Peekskill, NY

Sivia Phoenix, Brooklyn, NY

Martin Pope, Brooklyn, NY

Mitchell Portnoy, New York, NY

Alla Priceman, Larchmont, NY

Elayne Prince, Delray Beach, FL

George Rappaport, Staten Island, NY

James Regnante, Forest Hills, NY

Vesta Sue Rhodes, New York, NY

Karen Rice, Albuquerque, NM

Florence Rich, New Hyde Park, NY

Gregg Rockefeller, New York, NY

Florence & Sari Rosenwein, Brooklyn, NY

Richard Rossi, Brooklyn, NY

Paul Roth, Flushing, NY

Olga Rubio, Jackson Heights, NY

Susan Jane Rudich, New York, NY

Adele Ruotolo, New York, NY

Dr. Oliver Sacks, New York, NY

Ellen Sandberg, New York, NY

John F. Sanfaçon, Morristown, NJ

Victor Sapienza, Staten Island, NY

Moshe Schmidt, Rego Park, NY

Anna Schumate, New York, NY

Jack Segall, Flushing, NY

Charles & Ruth Severson, New Providence, NJ

Susan Shackter, New York, NY

William Shelton, Tucson, AZ

Dr. David Shipman, New York, NY

Harvey Siegel, Freeport, NY

Jose Sole, Hollis, NY

Milt Soman, Deerfield Beach, FL

Paul & Jeannine Speranza, North Bellmore, NY

Frederick G. Stark, Bronxville, NY

Steven B. Stieglitz, New York, NY

Sarna Strom, Kinnelon, NJ

Arpad Szabo, New York, NY

Heinz Tamm, Glenwood Springs, CO

Madelyn Todd, Glen Cove, NY

David U. Trevas, Kew Gardens, NY

Josef Vajdak, Massapequa, NY

Ann Vitiello, New York, NY

Sam M. Waldman, Brooklyn, NY

Gilbert Wallace, New York, NY

Mrs. Marga Walter, New York, NY

Robert Waltke, Bayside, NY

Lenore Weber, New York, NY

Jeffrey P. Wiegand, New Rochelle, NY

Susana Wilches, New York, NY

A Call for SpeakersIn order for the Club’s new NovemberSymposium to succeed we need anexcellent program of speakers. If youwould like to give a presentation or knowof anyone that you think would make agood presentation, PLEASE let one of theClub’s officers know. Other Symposiumideas are also welcome.


Mineral Show Behavior(Continued from page 1)

You may see a dealer with a cooler behind him, filled withsoda or bottled water. It’s one thing if the dealer offers you abeverage – but never ask him for one and put him in theuncomfortable position of having to say no. He is there for manydays and often cannot leave his booth for many hours. You canalways walk to the concession stand and get something foryourself. In fact, maybe YOU should offer to get something for thedealer!

Before you go make sure you take everything you need suchas your favorite magnifier, reference book, a note pad, somethingto write with, your credit cards or checkbook, a reasonable amountof cash, and any medications you may need during the day. I betmost of the dealers bring aspirin and antacids with them, but theyare not a hospital dispensary waiting for your requests. Mostimportant, remember to take your collection inventory (often onone’s laptop today) and your wantlist, maybe even a few copies ofit of that so you can distribute it to appropriate dealers. Make sureyou make yourself as independent as possible and do not replyupon the busy dealer to supply you with any of the things youmight need.

When you arrive, look for a show program, guidebook orlayout map. It will list all the dealers and their locations on thefloor. There may be an information booth at the entrance to theshow but do not ask one dealer for the location of another dealer.There may be HUNDREDS and all dealers do not know each otherlike members of a small college fraternity. They have their ownbooth and business to worry about. Do your own work.

If you have important buying to do or have asked a dealer tobring something in specifically for you, get there early and go tohim FIRST, NOT as an afterthought. Acknowledge that you arethere and intend to pay for and pick up what he speciallytransported for you. You may not have to carry it around duringthe whole show (he’ll hold it for you) but at least he sees you area person of your word and you have not made him waste valuabletruck space for something he cannot sell to anyone else.

I know many collectors say that the really good deals go fastbut of that I have always been skeptical, indeed derisive. It alldepends on what you collect, not everyone is looking for a “deal”and I truly believe there is always something else of interest tobuy. The logical corollary to the belief about all the good deals aregone fast and early is that if you cannot get to a show when it firstopens, you should not bother going at all. I wonder how a showpromoter and the group of dealers at a show would feel about thatopinion? In fact, the real problem most of us have at mineral showsis not having too little to buy but rather having to make a choicefrom so many beautiful stones!

In fact, the opposite may be true - arriving a little late after theinitial frenetic crowd has calmed down, will allow you to really geta good look at the show. Consider this - a dealer may not be fullyunpacked at the beginning of a show or he may have forgotteneverything he has brought with him. In all likelihood, he will havemultiple examples of minerals with him in a wide variety of sizes,prices and qualities. No need to worry! If you stay until the showis about to close, you might get a bargain from a dealer who wouldrather sell something to you cheaply, than pack it up and schlep itback home with him. However, assuming that this will happen andlurking around a dealer like a hungry vulture eyeing a dying

carcass is rude and inappropriate behavior.I recommend that once you arrive at a mineral show, using the

map that you previously obtained, the first order of business shouldbe to make a complete loop through the entire sales area where theretail dealers are located (assuming no one has brought somethingespecially for you as discussed above). As you walk around thefloor, say hi QUICKLY to any dealers you may know - and tellhim you will be back. This will get him thinking about what hemay have for you. Using the notepad and pen that you brought,take short notes about items of interest and new dealers that youpass by to which you want to return. Remember to include boothnumbers - that’s the best way to locate something you have seen.

After your initial survey, pick out the dealer whose table andstock looks most promising, using your notepad as a reference, andget started. Begin examining the pieces you might want to buy.Indeed, you might want to begin a professional dialog with thedealer.

Now let’s discuss what I mean by “dialog.” Here’s what thedealer is NOT: (1) He is not your personal bragging post, standingthere to hear about what you have in your collection that is betterthan anything you see on the table; (2) He is not there to provideendless technical information about pieces you already own andhave not even brought with you for on-site examination; (3) He isnot there as a free identification service or appraiser – theseservices can cost money; (4) He is not there as a replacement fora mineralogy/geology textbook or a mineral collecting guidebook.Indeed, you should already own a good book and have read it anduse it!

The dealer DOES, however, want to talk to you and developa relationship with you (if you don’t already have one with him) ofa sort. This relationship should be seen as a partnership by whichhe can help you obtain minerals to add to your collection. Take outyour wantlist and show it to him. You may collect things out of hisrealm. He can probably guide you to the items he has on site thatare relevant. He may have interesting alternative suggestions thatshould be politely and thoughtfully considered. He may know thethings he has back home that will be of interest to you – that’s agood time to give him your business card (it’s less writing forhim!) so he can make notes on it for the future.

If you are just looking, make that clear from the start. If youcannot quickly and properly identify the minerals you want, youare wasting everybody’s time, both yours and the dealers. You arenot the only person he may need to tend to. He needs to keep alertat all times since shoplifting is a MAJOR concern at all mineralshows. He may not look busy, but he may have an administrativetask to tend to such as getting a check cleared or making sure hiscredit card reader is working properly. He is there trying to run abusiness. Give the dealer a break!

Some dealers may even limit the amount of time you arespending at his table, minutely examining his stock. You may beas honest as Abe Lincoln but he does not know that and he has towatch you the whole time - it is nothing personal. This isparticularly true for “specialists” – collectors who are looking forhighly arcane or unusual mineral specimens. I once witnessed adealer telling a collector that he simply could not examine everymineral he had with him with a UV lamp in order to discoverwhether it was fluorescent or not. Too much baggage.

If for whatever reason you want to go through a dealer’s stockwith a fine-toothed comb – perhaps to find a sleeper or somethingodd or unique because of some knowledge that you might have –make sure you discuss this with the dealer. He may agree that you


can do it during a quiet time. If he does, make sure everything isreplaced in exactly the same place and exactly the same conditionas when you began. But he may not give his consent and becomfortable with a “no.” You have no “right” to look at anything!

Now let’s suppose the dealer DOES have some minerals thatyou would like to purchase. Here are some things to think about.

Price. Try to get a feel for how the dealer prices his material.Some have a net price that they really expect you to pay. Othersmay have a sign with a color coding system of discounts.Remember that the dealer has to sell a lot of minerals just to breakeven at a show. The price is NOT the mineral’s “value.” It is acombination of his wholesale costs, business expenses (insurance,breakage, hotel, travel, food, labor, security fees, table costs,advertising, mailing, etc.) and profit margin.

Always keep in mind what I call the five “L’s” of a mineral’svalue: If it is (1) Large, has an important (2) Label (provenance,rare species, etc.), comes from a special (3) Location (classic orunusual), (4) Looks good (great aesthetics, maybe even agemstone)and you (5) Like it (in demand, on a Min Rec cover,something really special), you are going to pay for it. Don’t getangry. Either buy it or move on. The dealer lives with the market. He does not set it.

A Comical Tangent – A Mineral’s Price at a Show. With this article, I finally have a chance to relate in writing a funnyoccurrence about a mineral and its price that I was part of about tenyears ago. I was sitting in the booth of one of America’s greatest andwell-known mineral dealers at the East Coast (Springfield) MineralShow. He is famous for museum-quality pieces and had several ofthem on display, for sale, in front of us. Next to each spectacularspecimen (there was a total of perhaps 10) was a catalog number,much like the way a fine art gallery works; the list with the actualprice of each piece was at the end of the table. In front of me was specimen #135, a remarkable greenish Russianpolar gwindel, perhaps a foot in length. For well over an hour awoman was looking at it from a slight distance but directly in front ofthe table. At last she got up the courage and asked me if I thoughtmaybe she could get a discount on the piece. I said I was just a friendof the dealer’s and that she had to discuss it with him. I was naturallycurious about the price so I looked in the catalog. It was then a“mere” $12,000. (I bet you know where this is going, right?) Long story short, once the dust settled, it was made clear to thewomen that the price of the piece was NOT $135 - #135 was a catalognumber. What is amazing (and funny) to me is that she actually had tothink about whether or not she should buy a $12,000 piece for $135and still ask for a discount. The piece, by the way, is currently in the collection of the AmericanMuseum of Natural History in New York City.

Discounts. Never assume a discount. Some dealers will offera discount if you make a major purchase in terms of quantity orquality. Others will give a discount if you pay by check or cashsince he will not have to pay a credit card fee. Your regulardealer(s) will likely give you some kind of discount so you don’thave to say anything. If he does not, the likely reason is that theitem(s) you are buying are already at a good value so have somefaith in him.

If you want a discount from a new dealer, ask him about itdiscretely. If you yell out your request in front of other customersat his table or those nearby, you put the dealer in what might be anembarrassing spot. Don’t expect a discount on prime material thatis appropriately priced to begin with and in great demand. You do

not have that kind of relationship with this dealer yet – it needs tobe earned.

If you are considering a $5 specimen, don't bother. If youwould buy more from a dealer if you knew you in advance youwere getting a discount, ask him. Negotiate honestly and bepleasant about it. If he meets your terms, buy the piece(s). Don'tplay games.

Sales Tax. Know how the dealer handles sales tax and beprepared to pay it. Some dealers include tax in their prices and thisis clearly posted. Do not expect a dealer to break the law so youcan save a few dollars. You know the cliché – he is not chargingthe sales tax, he is collecting it. If he is shipping it to you at an out-of-state address, you will be expected to pay for shipping. There’ssimply no free lunch.

Payments, Holds, and Credit. Find out what the dealer’srequirements and limits are for accepting checks and whether ornot he can accept charge cards or debit cards. If he has a piece youmight want and want to think about it, discuss it with him. Perhapsyou and he can set a time and you could come back in a little whilewith your decision. Whatever the time limit is, make sure youabide by your agreement. It is unlikely that you can get any kindof credit from any but a dealer with whom you have a very closerelationship. You might be able to negotiate a payment schedulefor an expensive piece but do not expect to take possession of ituntil it is paid in full. And if it does arrive before you have paid infull for it remember you are still responsible for any outstandingbalance no matter what happens to it.

Returns. This can be complicated so find out a dealer’s policybefore you buy. Remember that something sold “as is” is yoursfrom the moment you pay for it regardless of what follows. Somedealers have a no questions asked policy (assuming the item isreturned in identical condition); others will even allow you to“trade up” and apply the price of the mineral you are returningtoward a better and more expensive one many years after the initialpurchase.

If you intend to have something you buy expertised andanalyzed for authenticity, make sure you understand the dealer’sterms. Usually the customer pays the analytical costs if the mineralis what it is supposed to be and the dealer will pay the cost besidesrefunding your purchase price if it isn’t. Assume nothing, however.

Mineral Handling. It should go without saying (although itdoes not) that you should handle minerals very carefully, with bothhands free and with your full concentration. This is true for allminerals but is supremely true for the more delicate, acicular orneedle-like minerals. You can always, indeed you are encouraged,to ask the dealer for help. If there is a “do not touch” sign, respectit, it is there for a reason.

Breakage. A number of years ago, as the mineral showsponsored by my club had just opened, the following event tookplace. One of the frenetic, early comers that I talked about beforeran over to one of the high-end dealers at the show. He picked upthe dealer’s BEST and MOST EXPENSIVE piece. Somethingunfortunate then occurred. Not to make light of it, but I wrote ashort limerick about what had happened:

A dealer quite famous for salesof quality pieces (never fails)

let a customer too bolda great specimen hold.

Oops! Crash! Thumbnails.A few minutes later I heard an intense argument. The potential

customer, had apologized and said he assumed that the dealer’s


insurance would take care of it and was walking away. This isOUTRAGEOUS and I hope everyone reading this agrees with me.The dealer brought this piece to sell and hoped his profit on themineral would help pay for his show costs, and eventually feed hisfamily if you get my point. For the customer to cavalierly assumehe had no responsibility for breakage borders on the criminal.

If you break something, you have bought it. And at the fullretail price that the dealer was intending to charge. Perhaps thedealer will be nice and suggest you pay only his wholesale cost butthat is for him to decide, not you. Period. So be careful.

It is great to bring friends, your spouse and especially childrento a mineral show. Children add an energy and freshness to a showwith their enthusiastic reactions and awe at the specimens. Andyou may be creating a future mineral collector or creating a hobbythat you can share, as parent and child, together. However, amineral show is NOT a free day care center. You have to watchyour children and make sure they understand, IN ADVANCE, thatthey should touch nothing. Any problems that your children causeare your responsibility. I actually watched a child drop a(fortunately inexpensive) specimen at Springfield, the parent thenpicked it up, said “oops,” placed it back on the table and walked onas if this was the way it was. See “breakage,” above.

And there’s another kind of “breakage” that I want to bringup. A dealer’s table and display cases or flats are not appropriatesurfaces on which to place packages, suitcases, handbags, etc., thatyou are tired of carrying. You may directly break minerals beneathyour stuff or, even worse, break through the glass of a flat displaycase under in which is usually kept the most expensive items thedealer has for sale – gem beryl crystals, remarkable barites,sparkling dioptases, the reddest rhodochrosites, etc. I hope you getmy point here. (Again, see “breakage,” above.) You are directlyblocking from view other potential customers minerals that thedealer would like to sell. Put your packages between your legs onthe floor and NEVER on the table itself.

I could now write about fraud and shoplifting and switchingprice tags at mineral shows but actually these clearly illegalactivities are beyond the scope of this essay. I am talking aboutyour personal conduct here, not criminal behavior. You can helpthe dealer by not distracting him from his vigilance so as toprevent this from happening to him. Once you have you minerals

in hand, nicely wrapped and paid for, make room for the nextcollector and move onto the next dealer on your list.

Overall, I hope when you think about everything I said aboutyour behavior at a mineral show. Nothing should seem verypeculiar. It is simply a matter of respect, common courtesy andthinking about someone beyond yourself. Just remember what yourmother and kindergarten teacher told you about handling yourselfwith others. Everything they said still applies even after manydecades. Try to make common sense and common courtesy morecommon than it is. Following the simple suggestions I have madeabove will complement the collecting experience for you and allothers involved.Source: Mineral News Jan. 2007. Permission to reprint granted

More Auction DonationsThe following items were received since the last bulletin waspublished. All donors are thanked for their generosity.From Vivien Gornitz� Large Greenish Fluorite (!!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China� Mineral Up 2006/1 & etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magazines

Vivien also obtained a near-perfect copy of The Minerals ofNew York City and its Environs by James G. Manchester!Commission bids being accepted in advance

From Corinne Orr� Stone & Bead Earrings/Necklace Set.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA� Green Glass Bead Earrings/Necklace Set. . . . . . . . . . . NA(Unusual and Sophisticated! Designed by Anna Schumate)� Dark Green Agate Bead Necklace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA� 13 Large Jasper Beads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NAFrom Susan Rudich� Jasper Rough. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Colorado� Fluorescent Hemimorphite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Franklin, NJ� Various Mineral Specimens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MiscFrom Mitch PortnoyMTA Jewelry District Poster.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA


Topics in GemologyTopics in Gemology is a monthly column written by Diana Jarrett, GG, based on gemological questions posed to her overthe years by beginners and experts alike. Contact her at dianajarrett.com.

Dusty Road — Glittering OasisImagine this. It’s 1955 and a couple of rock hounds and

local mineral collectors think it might be a neat idea to showtheir stuff at the elementary school in a free exhibit open to thepublic, wondering if anyone would come.

Today, the annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Shows serveeveryone. Trend-setters, miners, retailers, and designers whocaravan to the dusty desert town of Tucson en masse bearwitness to the behemoth that was spawnedfrom a simple idea.

The entire city transforms itself into theMecca for gem and mineral lovers foralmost as many reasons as there are tentsspread over the landscape. Ground Zero isclearly AGTA’s GemFair in the ConventionCenter, and Gem & Jewelry Exchange(GJX), housed under massive white tentsacross the street. But one could actuallyarrive the week prior and stay on foranother two weeks after those shows close,doing plenty of gem trade business.

Respected gemstone and jewelry authorRenee Newman (www.reneenewman.com.)who makes the annual pilgrimage to Tucson, put it this way, “Asa gem writer and researcher, I must keep updated on new gemfinds, treatments, prices, and jewelry styles, so the Tucson showis an invaluable resource for me.” It’s also an opportunity for herto promote her sought after gem books. “When asked what mylatest book was, I show people a sample of my JewelryHandbook: How to Select, Wear & Care for Jewelry.” Her latestfull-color guide is essentially a “Jewelry 101"; easy to read,comprehensive in its coverage of jewelry metals, gemstones,manufacturing methods, with a section dedicated to jewelryselection and care. This book will be available the end of March.

Charles Carmona, President of Guild Laboratories in LosAngeles, considers his time in Tucson to be essential formaintaining and advancing a global presence in this industry. “Ifyou really want to know what's happening in the colored stoneindustry, Tucson is the place to be every February. Sellers andbuyers from all over the world converge there to do business.You learn so much just walking around, looking and listening.”

And certainly international trade is what Tucsonaccomplishes. The business of colored stones dominates everyTucson experience, and numerous first-rate free seminars aredesigned to assist those professionals. Colored stone expertRichard Drucker of Gem World International presented BestBuys in Tucson, citing in part, the top colored stones sold in2006 and contrasted them with sales from previous years.

The Tucson experience is an ever evolving conglomerate,just as this industry changes with each new product, discovery,and trend. So it makes sense that new players arrive on the sceneeach year. The company name of eFiligree comes quickly tomind for many quality retailers who offer high end authenticvintage jewelry to their clientele, especially original filigree

rings and semi-mounts. This year, owners Dvori & Tuvia Paulexhibited at Tucson for the first time, discovering the experienceto be a profitable one.

For veteran exhibitors, like owners Pete and Bobbi Flosser,of Overland Gems, Inc. Los Angeles, traffic seemed a bit ‘off’this year, but they saw a nice spike in colored diamond sales.They specialize in hard-to-find fancy colored diamonds andprecious colored gemstones. A bonus for them was “finding new

manufacturers who bought.” The strong sales in colored diamonds

might be the result of buyers shoppingspecifically for those goods. New this year,was the Color Diamond Pavilion, providingone-stop shopping for natural color andtreated diamonds. The gem-specific areawas housed in AGTA’s GemFair building.It offered for the first time, one concise areafor comparison shopping for both naturaland enhanced colored diamonds. Therefore,exhibitors like Amgad Inc., New York, whocarry loose and mounted natural fancycolored diamonds, conduct ed business insynergy with their neighboring booth,

Chimère Designs, who are known for vividly saturatedtreatment-enhanced colored diamonds.

Although marketplace competition may seem fierce, ourindustry is tightly woven together by friendships that becomedeeply bonded over time. Returning to Tucson annually, gemindustry professionals rediscover just how many friends they’vemade throughout the years, and how connected, andinterdependent we are with one another.

Bob Craig, president of ZEONTES International, Knoxville,TN, knows a lot about our industry. Top-notch bench jeweler,custom designer, buyer and seller, his experience is vast.Throughout the years, he’s met people from all over. Morerecently, Craig segued into the role of independent dealer. Forhim, the Tucson experience this year not only re-enforced justhow many exceptional jewelry allies he has gathered, but wasreminded of how helpful fellow professionals are to one another.Of course in Tucson, he’s on task to buy and price gemstones inorder to keep current with trends. But for Craig, “It wasdelightful to see how warmly Iwas received by my peers. It wasa huge encouragement to experience those friendships I’veamassed over the years, all in one place.”

News is often being made there, and Tucson is also thedestination of choice to deliver announcements to our industry.In a move to bolster consumer confidence specifically forcolored stones, International Colored Gemstone Association(ICA) choose it’s annual dinner to announce the collaboration oftwo prominent laboratories, The American GemologicalLaboratories (AGL) and the Gem Certification and Assurancelab (GCAL) each offering distinct services, became ICA'sofficial gemstone and diamond laboratories for North America.

Industry leader Bill Boyajian’s name is synonymous with


excellence in and advancement of the global gem industry, andhe was at Tucson this year. Boyajian is currently focusing hisunstoppable energy toward The World Jewelry Center in LasVegas, as Managing Director. When asked about the results ofthe time spent at Tucson this year, Bill responded “Those thathave signed on as a result of contacts in Tucson include, GaryWasserman of Wexler Insurance, Leon Haytayan of HaytayanJewelers and Leon’s Fine Jewelry in Beverly Hills, and RovenHogobian of R& H Company, a fine turquoise and coral dealer,with several others that are very interested or pending.”

Director of West Coast Identification Services at the GIALaboratory, Shane McClure, was fêted at the AccreditedGemologist Association (ASA) ceremony for his contributionsto the field of gemology. He is most celebrated for his researchon gem treatments. Citing the numerous accomplishments offellow nominees, McClure voiced, “I am incredibly honored tobe this year’s Antonio C. Bonanno Award recipient, I considerit a great privilege to be chosen for this award.” At the same

event, guests applauded the news thatrenowned gemologist John Koivulahad recently rejoined GIA.

Not all the action took place at theGemFair or in the GJX tents. Allacross town, simultaneous large scaletransactions were taking place in lessconvenient locales. Many Tucsonold-timers firmly believe that the ‘realbargains are to be found at the Gem &Lapidary Wholesalers”- often referredto simply as the Holidome. Coloredgemstones stacked unceremoniouslyhigh upon tables lent credence to thatidea. Closer to the hub of activity, theWorldwide Gem & Jewelry at TheHotel Arizona showcased the breadthof gem interests from antique jewelrydealers, mass manufacturers, andloose colored stone wholesalers.

No one sees it all, whether they spend a day or a week inTucson during the February shows. The vast enormity of thiswild gem bazaar creates a unique experience for everyone.Considering the plausibility of actually taking it all in, CharlottePreston, (Charlotte Preston Catalysts) provider of conferenceplanning and support services for the AGTA GemFair, reflected,"In the end, whatever you see in Tucson is your Tucson showexperience.” ?

Fortune Smiles on Dodgers' WhiteJourneyman Reliever Ends up with WildlyValuable PropertyBy Ken Gurnick / MLB.com (Source)

VERO BEACH, Fla. – Who's thewealthiest Dodger? Jason Schmidt? Jeff Kent? FrankMcCourt?

It could be Matt White. Who? White is a 29-year-old left-handed

journeyman pitcher in camp on aMinor League contract who's pitcheda total of 9 2/3 Major League inningsin nine professional seasons and he'ssitting on a gold mine.

Actually, it's a rock quarry. Four years ago, White bought a

50-acre piece of property inMassachusetts from his ailing AuntJosephine, who was going into a nursing home. He planned tobuild a house on the property, but discovered it to be absolutelycovered with rock. A geologist determined the property wasloaded with mica schist, a slate-like shiny metamorphic stoneused for patio decks and other construction.

“I never built the house and instead started selling the rock,”said White, whose father runs the business. “It turned out to bea blessing in disguise. The geologist said I've got 24 million tonsof it and it sells for $100 a ton.”

So, according to White's math, he's sitting on a $2.4 billionmountain of rock. That's billion, with a “B.” The property costhim $50,000.

He could parlay the fortunate real estate play into buying,say, a baseball club. It's been known to happen. So, why stillbother with baseball on the player end, especially with thelikelihood of cracking the Dodgers' deep Major League pitchingstaff no better than remote?

“This is fun,” said White, who has played with Boston,Seattle and Washington. “I wouldn't retire. What else am I goingto do?”

A teammate of Billy Koch and Kris Benson at Clemson,White was originally drafted by Cleveland and was twice takenin the Rule 5 draft. He spent the 2006 season at Philadelphia'sTriple-A affiliate at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he was 7-9with a 3.58 ERA, and played winter ball in Venezuela.

2007 NYMC

Annual Benefit AuctionWednesday, June 13, 2007

People Center, AMNH




3 Wednesday!rd



Special Lecture: Steve Okulewicz –“Mineralogy & Geology of Staten Island”



JulyPicnic & GeologicWalking Tour

Upper Manhattan / Fort TryonPark Area

Details to Follow (Tour Given by CharlesMerguerian)


Details to Follow(Requests for drivers to offer rides)

3 Wednesday!rd





Special Lecture: Charles Merguerian –“Geological Wonders of Yellowstone”

FridayNovember 9

2 Annual Symposium,nd

Silent Auction & BanquetHoliday Inn MidtownManhattan, New York City

Details to Follow; In conjunction with FallNYC Gem & Mineral Show



2007 Show Calendar








November 10-11Fall NYC Gem &Mineral Show


Details to Follow









Secretary Vivien Gornitz 101 W. 81st Street #621, NYC, NY, 10024; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 874-0525Treasurer Alla Priceman 84 Lookout Circle, Larchmont, NY,10538; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (914) 834-6792Bulletin EditorMitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY 10024-5203; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343Membership Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY 10003; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . (212) 675-6979Director David Brand 39 Alexine Avenue, East Rockaway, NY, 11518; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . (516) 599-1845Director Sam Waldman 2358 East 24 Street, Brooklyn, New York 11229; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . (718) 332-0764th



Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

People Center, American Museum of Natural History, New York CitySpecial Lecture: Steve Okulewicz – “The Geology & Mineralogy of Staten Island”


FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

Highlight

Annual Benefit Auction toBe Held on June 13, 2007

Important Request: We need helpin transporting all the lots to theMuseum as well as help in theirdisplay. Please call me tovolunteer. — Mitch


Volume 121, No. 6 June 2007

Annual Benefit AuctionContributions ReceivedBelow is a partial list of auctioncontributions received since the lastbulletin. Thanks to everyone!

From Vivien GornitzSelection of magazine and bookletsSelection of (4) books by John McPheeThe Complete Metalsmith (Book)Small quantity of findingsDioptase (!!).. . . . . . . . . . . . . Kazakhstan

From the BelskysProustite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GermanyDescloizite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . South AfricaTetrahedrite & etc... . . . . . . . . . RomaniaRed Barite (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morocco

From David Brand“50 Year History of the Tucson Show”(Special 2004 Mineralogical Record)

From the MTASpecial Jewelry District POSTER

From Alla PricemanLapis Crystal. . . . . . . . . . . . AfghanistanMalachite Stalactite. . . . . . . . . . . . CongoEpidote.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PakistanQuartz & etc.. . . . . . . Cornwall, England

From EMACO(Anne Vitiello & Adele Ruotolo)Huge annual gift of gemstone rough,cabochons, cut gemstones, figurines,jewelry and other treasures andsurprises!

Auction Checklist

� Checkbook / Cash� Auction Catalog� Pen / Pencil� Packing Materials� Tote Bag

By Mitch Portnoy

Note: If you cannot attend the auctionbut would like to bid on any of theitems listed in the Bulletin, please letme know. I can act as your agent atthe auction. — Anna Schumate

Don't miss this year's auction! Allmembers (and their friends and guests)eagerly await this event each year and forgood reason. There is always a widevariety, impressive quality and greatprices for all sorts of items. You have seensome of the donated items listed in theBulletin during the past few months; moreare included here (left). And even morecontributions will come in on the eveningof the auction! For newer members, youcan look forward to adding some greatitems to your collection. For old members,you know how exciting this auction canbe. For everyone, expect terrific value!

The auction is the primary fundraiser for the club. The money goes tosubsidize the costs of the newsletter,special lecture speakers, gala banquet,administrative costs, etc. (The yearly duesdo not cover all club expenses!) We relyon your generosity to make this asuccessful event. Please plan to attend. ..and bid! Please bring a friend or make adonation if you have not already done so.

The auction will be held from 6:30 to8:45 p.m. in the People Center in theAmerican Museum of Natural History.The lobby will open at 5:30 P.M. forsetup. You may preview from 5:45 until6:30 when the meeting begins. Make sureyou arrive in time to view all the lots. Theauction proceedings cannot beinterrupted to allow more “personal

viewing.” After some brief club businesswe will start the auction.

A 2007 catalog is on pages 5-6 foryour preview and on which to take notes.Please bring these pages with you to theauction since therewill not be manye x t r a c o p i e savailab le. Thislisting containsonly those itemsthat were receivedin time to print;there will be even more (surprise!) lotssold during the auction itself. Please readthe introduction on the page top foradditional auction guidelines andsuggestions. For the second time, we willactually be auctioning the lots more or lessin the same order as they are listed in thecatalog. Most people reacted favorably tothis procedure so we decided to continuedoing it.

Reminder: No personal selling isallowed at this meeting!

You can see in the catalog that there isa varied roster of lots to bid on. However,we can never have too many auctionitems. Don't be shy! Donations are stillhappily accepted. Your duplicate mineral,gem, book, piece of jewelry can be atreasure for someone else.

Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2World of Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Kryptonite?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Immense Stibnite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42007 Benefit Auction Catalog.. . 5-6Auction Poster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Huge Pearl Auctioned. . . . . . . . . . . . 8Topics in Gemology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Staten Island Lecture Notes.. . . . . . 10Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . 11

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club June 2007

Zultanite, one of the newest gems at Tucson, changescolor from kiwi green to purplish pink.


It's finally time for our annualauction! We have some really unusualand valuable items. You won't bedisappointed with the variety andselection! I hope you are planning toattend. This is one of our majorfundraisers for the year and yourparticipation as a bidder makes asignificant contribution. As usual, we needschleppers to transport the lots fromMitch's apartment to the Museum. Pleasecontact Mitch or me if you can help.

We have a great summer outingplanned! On Sunday afternoon, August19th, Dr. Charles Merguerian will lead uson a geological tour of upperManhattan. We will have either a picnicor refreshments at a restaurant in the area.You may know that the Inwood area hassome interesting mineralogical andgeological features. Join us as Dr.Merguerian gives us a guided tour offascinating geological history in our ownbackyard! Watch for more details aboutmeeting place exact time in theJuly/August Bulletin.

Recently, I had a fascinatinggemological encounter and thought I'dshare it with you. At the April GIAAlumni meeting GIA instructor DanCampbell spoke on phenomenal gems. Hediscussed various type of phenomena sucha color-change, play of color,adularescence and labradorescence and thegems that show these properties. The mostpopular example of a color-change gem is

alexandrite. A few days later, however, Ihad the privilege to see a color-changeZultanite, or mineralogically, diaspore.Gem-quality Zultanite crystals are fairlyrare and some exhibit a color change frombright slightly yellowish green in daylightto brownish purplish pink in incandescent(indoor) light. Zultanite is entirelyuntreated and is found in the mountainousregion of Anatolia, Turkey. It is usuallyeye-clean, difficult to find in large sizesand has a perfect cleavage, which requiresgreat care when cutting. Zultanite has aMohs hardness of 6.5 to 7.0, making it agood jewelry stone. It is an orthorhombiccrystal with a Refractive Index of 1.74 -1.77. Retail prices range fromapproximately $200 to $800 per carat,depending on size, color saturation andclarity. The Zultanite that I saw was agorgeous faceted oval stone with adramatic color-change weighing just under2 carats.

If anyone knows the whereabouts oflong-time member David Hargett,please let us know. His bulletin hasbeen bouncing back to the mailbox.

Club Meeting Minutes for May 16, 2007By Vivien Gornitz, SecretaryAttendance: 30President Anna Schumate presided

Announcements� Café Science Maya Tolstoy,

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory,spoke about submarine earthquakes,volcanism, and life on May 14 at thePicnic Café. We plan to invite her tothe Club in the near future.

� Vivien Gornitz announced someupcoming events at the AmericanMuseum of Natural History. Theseinclude lectures: "The griffin and themonster of Troy: Ancient fossildiscoveries" (June 14 7pm, $15,$13.50 members) and "Seeingbeneath Mt. Everest: probing abreeding ground of destructiveearthquakes"(June 14 7pm, $15,$13.50 members) and field trips: "Upthe Hudson River" with SidHorenstein (June 19, 6-9 pm $45,$42.50 members), "Collect call fromthe Cretaceous"–fossil collecting in

NJ (June 9, 9-5, $85), "Ancient amberfields of New York and New Jersey"stops in Staten Island and New Jersey'sRaritan Formation (July 14, 9-5, $95),and "Crystal Cave and Lost RiverParks" (July 28, 9-6, $95).

� The Geology Museum, RutgersUniversity is giving a lecture on "HowTetrapods Got Their Legs", Wed., May31. Rutgers University is easilyaccessible by train from Penn Station.

� The Orange County Annual MineralSale & Swap will be held in Monroe,New York, June 9 and 10.

� Anna Schumate outlined a plannedClub field trip exploring the geology ofupper Manhattan to be led by CharlesMerguerian, Sunday Aug. 19.

� EFMLS raffle tickets are for sale at$1.00 ea.

� John Betts reported that thePhiladelphia Academy of Sciencesrecently sold their once extensivemineral collections. Attempts havebeen made by regional museums toacquire minerals relevant to theircollections, e.g., the New York StateMuseum, Albany, obtained the NewYork suite, Pennsylvania mineralswent to the Carnegie Institute, and theFranklin Mineral Museum picked up700 unique early Franklin specimens.John got a suite of New Jerseyminerals other than those fromFranklin.

Special Lecture: “Staten Island Geology& Minerals” by Steve Okulewicz


Bulletin Costs Exceed $1.00!For the first time in the history of theClub (probably), the total cost ofcopying (60¢) and mailing (41¢) each ofthe monthly Bulletins of the NYMC willnow exceed one dollar @ $1.01!

Welcome New MemberKaren Karlebach. . . . . . . Great Neck, NY

Coming Soon . . .

Musicophilia: Tales of Musicand the Brain by Dr. Oliver Sacks

June 2007 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 3

The World of MineralsThe World of Minerals is a monthly column written by Dr. Vivien Gornitz on timely and interesting topicsrelated to geology, gemology, mineralogy, mineral history, etc.

Book ReviewOpal–the Phenomenal Gemstone, J. Clifford et al., editors,2007, Lithographie, LLC, East Hampton, Connecticut, 112p.

A rainbow of colors greets the reader of this latest volumein the English edition series of extraLapis (No. 10). Opal wasknown to the Romans and in Mexico, the Aztecs and Mayansused it occasionally in their ornaments and ceremonies, seeing

in its fiery colors an echo of thevibrant green and red plumage of theirsacred bird, the quetzal. Opal is a non-crystalline form of silica that usuallycontains some water. Precious opalowes its unique spectral play of colorsto an orderly arrangement of tinyspheres within a certain size range thatresembles the three-dimensionallattices of atoms or molecules in a truecrystal. The spheres must be uniformin size, averaging 0.15-0.30 microns(1/1000 of a millimeter) in diameter,somewhat less than the wavelength of

visible light (0.4 to 0.7 microns), and neatly packed in close-fitting three-dimensional arrays, much like the stacks of orangesin a grocery shop. The grids of silica spheres act as a diffractiongrating, bending light waves that pass through the sample andseparating them into their spectral colors. If the spheres areeither too big or too small, or too variable in size, preventingthem from packing closely, they cannot diffract the light and willform common opal or “potch”. Needless to say, the geologicalconditions for creating gem-quality opal are fairly rare in nature.

Historically, opal was mined in the Czech Republic andneighboring Slovakia, but most of the opal used in jewelry todaycomes from Australia. Most Australian opals occur in depositsin the Great Artesian Basin–an enormous Mesozoic basin filledwith 206 to 65 million year old sediments, covering a fifth of theAustralian continent. Most of the opal formed much later–c. 18million years ago, after deep weathering of the underlyingsediments released silica, some of which subsequently depositedas opal in seams, veins, and even cavities in fossils within theweathered rock. Spectacular and unusual specimens areillustrated from classic localities, such as the dramatic stained-glass-like “church window” boulder opal from Queensland,

3 2“pineapple” pseudomorphs of opal after ikaite (CaCO .6H O)from White Cliffs, New South Wales, and vibrant multi-coloredblack opal, also opalized clams, snails, and even a pine conefrom Lightning Ridge, New South Wales. Other importantlocalities include Coober Pedy, Mintabie, and Andamooka,South Australia. Coober Pedy has also yielded a complete, well-preserved opalized fossil plesiosaur, affectionately known as“Eric”.

In Mexico, fiery opals are extracted from small nodules insilicic volcanic rocks. Some stones display an intense play ofcolor, while others appear deep orange to red.

Gem-quality specimens from lesser-known localities arealso illustrated, including some from the Boi Morto Mine,Brazil, Honduras, Java, and a recent discovery in Ethiopia,which resembles some Mexican material. In the United States,Virgin Valley, Nevada yields some lovely opal, often asfossilized wood. Opal Butte, Oregon produces pale blue, nearlytransparent shimmery opal with intriguing inclusions–ideal forcarving, but unfortunately with a tendency to craze (crack).

This book will be a welcome addition to the bookshelf ofevery gem and mineral collector for its fabulous photographs,wealth of information, and locality descriptions. A glossary ofopal terms and extensive bibliography are also provided. At only$30, the book provides an affordable alternative to purchasingstones comparable to those illustrated, most of which areprobably beyond the reach of the average collector. The bookcan be obtained from: Lithographie, LLC, P.O. Box 263, eastHampton, CT 06424-0263.

Skeleton Gets Mammoth Bid at Christie'sPARIS (April 17 - Associated Press) - If you were looking forthe skeleton of a prehistoric mammoth, Monday was your day tobuy. Christie's auction house sold one for $421,200 - a worldrecord.

The unidentified buyer wasa European who collectscontemporary art and 19thcentury furniture, Christie'sspokeswoman Capucine Milliotsaid.

The mammoth sale was oneof a dozen world records setduring Monday's auction ofpaleontological curiosities that brought in a total of more than$1.53 million, Christie's said.

The 10,000-year-old skeleton of a 13.5-foot-long rhinocerossold for a record $162,000. That of a 7.5-foot-high prehistoriccave bear from the Russian Urals sold for $63,180.

The skeletons previously were owned by private collectors. Most were bought by individuals, although a German

museum and a French museum - neither identified - purchasedfossils for smaller sums, Milliot said.

The Siberian mammoth from the High Pleistocene era,dubbed the “The President,” was the star item at the auction. At12.5 feet tall and 16 feet long, it had been estimated to sell forabout $199,000.

The last such item sold at auction, last year in Paris, wentfor $254,340, Milliot said.

Among other items sold was a bezoar, a sort of pearl formedin the stomach of some herbivores, made of a stone or haircovered by a layer of calcium phosphate. Bezoars that reach orexceed the size of an egg become tremendously valuable. Thisone went for $45,360.

The molar of a Siberian mammoth sold for $6,480.


Club member and Museum associate Jamie Newman looking overthe spectacular specimen.

New Mineral Has Kryptonite Composition London (AP) – A mineral recently discovered in Serbia has thesame composition as kryptonite – the fictional substance thatrobs Superman of his powers – the British Museum saidTuesday. While the material is not a perfect match, its chemicalbreakdown is strikingly similar.

A drill core of the unusual mineral was unearthed in Serbiaby the mining group Rio Tinto PLC, which turned it over tomineral expert Chris Stanley at the Natural History Museum foranalysis.

“Towards the end of my research I searched the Web usingthe mineral's chemical formula, sodium lithium boron silicate

hydroxide, and was amazed todiscover that same scientific namewritten on a case of rockcontaining kryptonite stolen byLex Luthor from a museum in thefilm “Superman Returns,”“Stanley said.

The material is white,powdery and not radioactive –unlike the glowing green crystalsusually depicted in the Supermancomics. It will be formally namedJadarite when it is described in theEuropean Journal of Mineralogy

later this year.Approximately 30 to 40 new minerals are discovered each

year, the museum said, although usually only in the form of afew grains only visible under the microscope.Source: The Associated Press, April 24, 2007

Senior Citizens are Valuable!They have SILVER in their hair.They have GOLD in their teeth.They have STONES in their kidneys.They have LEAD in their feet.They are loaded with NATURAL GAS.Source: Waverley Gem Club (Australia) newsletter April ‘07

Pearls Fetch $7 Million on BlockApril 26, 2007 – A necklace of 68 rare natural pearls that wereonce owned by a maharaja sold for $7million at Christie's in New Yorkyesterday.

It was assembled for MaharajaKhande Rao in the 1850s and had sevenstrands of pearls as big as marbles until itwas broken up sometime after 1948,Christie's said.

The maharajas of Baroda reigned inwhat is now the Indian state of Gujarat.

The buyer was an anonymous phonebidder. Source: New York Post via Associated Press.

American Museum of Natural History UnveilsSpectacular New Mineral SpecimenGlittering, Half-ton Stibnite Saved from Destruction byChinese MinersBy Ken KostelDepartment of Communications, AMNH

New York City – One of the Museum's newest and mostspectacular mineral specimens, a 1,000-pound stibnite withhundreds of sword-like, metallic blue-gray crystals sproutingfrom a rocky base, went on display April 4. Stibnite (Sb2S3), acompound of the elements antimony and sulfur, occasionallyforms nests of delicate, six-sided crystals, but examples thislarge and intricate are exceedingly rare.

The unique specimen on display at the Museum was sparedfrom destruction by alert miners in the Wuning (Wuling)antimony mine in Jiangxi Province of southeastern China.Stibnite is most commonly pulverized and heated to extract theantimony and make flame retardants and engine bearings. "Thatit survived the mining process at all is a miracle," said GeorgeHarlow, Curator in the Department of Earth and PlanetarySciences. "This is truly one of nature's treasures."

The Museum's stibnite specimen is the largest on publicdisplay in the world. It was likely formed some 130 millionyears ago when water heated by volcanic activity dissolvedantimony and sulfur from surrounding rocks and flowed betweenlayers of limestone, leaving a dense band of stibnite andoccasional pockets containing long, elegant crystals. Completestibnite crystals as long as the ones this specimen exhibits arerare-they are typically found broken because of their extremefragility and the industrial nature of modern antimony mining.

The stibnite was donated by Marc Weill, founder and CEOof City Light Capital and world-renowned mineral collector. Itis currently on display in the Museum's newly renovated 77thStreet Grand Gallery.

Source: Mineral News, April 2007 via AMNH


2007 New York Mineralogical Club Benefit Auction CatalogWednesday, June 13, 2007, People Center, American Museum of Natural History, NYC

Auction Procedures & GuidelinesThis catalog contains short descriptions of the items being offered. Fuller descriptions are on the labels included with the items themselves. In addition, more items

will be donated after this catalog is printed, including on the evening of the auction itself. Please allow yourself enough time to see all the lots. The auction proceedingswill not be interrupted to allow additional “personal” viewing.

Each bidder will be assigned a number. This allows the club to keep track of the transactions, winning bids and successful bidders. Arrive early to sign up for one. Theorder of the items offered will be determined by the auctioneer.

Each lot will be offered with either a minimum bid or a starting bid determined by the auctioneer. Minimum bids may be determined by the auctioneer. Bids will be:in $1.00 increments to $10.00; in $2.00 increments to $20.00; in $5.00 increments thereafter. Some lots have a reserve price.

Each lot will be distributed to the successful bidder immediately. Only after the auction is finished should the successful bidder reconcile with the club volunteers. (Theyare recording bids during the auction.) Cash or personal check only. No credit allowed. There are no consignment lots. All monies go to the club to support lectures, papers,prizes, field trips ,the banquet, meeting room expenses, etc.

Items of unusual quality, size or rarity are in bold. Have fun!

If you have any specific questions about any of the lots below, please contact Mitch.

Lot # Locality

1. Amethyst Cathedral Base. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil

2. Orpiment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quiruvilca, Peru

3. Scapolite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ontario, Canada

4. Crocoite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tasmania

5. Necklace & Earring Set (Green Glass Beads). . . . . . . . NA

(Designed by Anna Schumate)

6. Apophyllite on Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Québec

7. Barite pseudo after Calcite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico

8. Sulfur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baja California, Mexico

9. (1) Black & (1) White Sphere with Bases.. . . . . . . . . NA

10. (2) Matching White Marble Spheres with Bases. . . . NA

11. Chlorite on Pericline (Feldspar). . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austria

12. Blue Apatite in Quartz.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Québec, Canada

13. Jasper Beads & etc. Necklace & Earrings Set. . . . . . NA

14. Green Agate Bead Necklace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA

15. Fluorite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hunan, China

16. Calcite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cavnic, Romania

17. Micromount Collection of 35 Specimens. . . . . . . . . . NA

18. Realgar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Humboldt, Nevada

19. Amethyst & etc. “Sun” with Base. . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil

20. Cut & Polished Geode.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil

21. Amazonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virginia

22. Apophyllite & Stilbite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . India

23. Stromatolite Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . (2 Billion Years Old!)

24. Mimitite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico

25. Quartz Crystals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arkansas

26. Heulandite, Stilbite, etc.. . . . . . Paterson, New Jersey

27. (2) Chalcedony Pendants (Butterfly & Heart). . . . . . NA

28. (3) Indian Zeolites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . India

29. Fibrous Tourmaline Cab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mogok, Burma

30. Pyritized Ammolite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia

31. Rhodonite Crystals & etc... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peru

32. Amazonite & Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ethiopia

33. Faceted Green Tourmaline 1.6 carat. . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil

34. Tourmaline in Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . Minas Gerais, Brazil

35. (2) Cloissoné Boxes.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China

36. (2) Cloissoné Boxes.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China

37. Lapis & Silver Pin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA

38. Chalcedony & Silver Pin.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA

39. Vanadinite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arizona

40. “Cactus Quartz”.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . South Africa

41. Cerussite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Namibia

42. Dendritic Opal & Silver Pin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA

43. Quartz & etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peru

44. Calcite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Czech Republic

45. Calcite & etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Czech Republic

46. Purple Smithsonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico


47. Faceted Topaz with Limonite, 20.5 carats. . . . . . . Brazil

48. Apache “War Paint” Limestone. . . . . Morenci, Arizona

49. Agatized Coral Geode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florida

50. Garnet on Feldspar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China

51. Barite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peru

52. Celestite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohio

53. Aquamarine in Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pakistan

54. Cerussite & Malachite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tsumeb

55. Dioptase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Namibia

56. Dioptase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Namibia

57. Minerals of NYC & Environs.. . . “Manchester Book”

58. Jade Earrings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Designed by Mandy)

59. (2) Large Apatite Crystals. . . . . . . . Durango, Mexico

60. Meteorite (Magnetic).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China

61. Golden Fluorite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Germany

62. Green Fluorite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China

63. Brazilianite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Minas Gerais, Brazil

64. Calcite, Pugh Quarry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Missouri

65. Vivianite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cameroons

66. (2) Matching Spheres &Bases.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China

67. Calcite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elmwood, Tennessee

68. Apatite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quebec

69. Barite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Romania

70. Datolite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Jersey

71. Libethenite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Congo

72. Polished Malachite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Congo

73. Carved Gemstone Snail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil

74. Ruby in Zoisite (Ford Label). . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tanzania

75. Almandine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York City

76. Fluorite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico

77. Pink Datolite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Jersey

78. Albite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Minas Gerais, Brazil

79. Gem Apatite in Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico

80. Sodalite in Silver Watch Band. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bolivia

81. Emeralds in Schist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia

82. Variety of Pearls on Choker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA

83. Vintage Mother of Pearl Kitty Pin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA

84. (3) Turquoise Specimens.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nevada

85. Calcite Crystal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tsumeb, Namibia

86. Calcite & Pyrite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chihuahua, Mexico

87. Amazonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pikes Peak, Colorado

88. Emerald (Gem Beryl). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Colombia

89. Rubellite (Red Gem Tourmaline). . Minas Gerais, Brazil

90. Orpiment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia

91. Dioptase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kazakhstan

92. 50-Year History of the Tucson Show. . . . . . . . Min Rec

93. Lapis Lazuli Crystal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Afghanistan

94. Malachite Stalactite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Congo

95. Epidote.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gilgit, Pakistan

96. Quartz with Pyrite... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cornwall, England

The following lots represent the unabated and relentlessgenerosity of Adele Ruotolo and Anne Vitiello of EMACO!

97. Selection of Smoky Quartz Cut Stones

98. Wyoming Jade Slice and Cut Stones

99. Red Jasper Necklace, Rough and Cut Stones

100. Turquoise Rough and Cut Stones

101. Garnet Rough and Cut Stones

102. Coral Branch Necklace and Miscellaneous Pieces

103. Tiger Eye Strand and Cut Stones

104. Assorted Blue & White Zircons

105. Fluorite Rough and Figurines

106. The Magical Horn Box Treasure Chest with 94Gemstones!

Please note that there may be (almost certainly will be!)additions, subtractions, substitutions or other changes made tothe list of auction lots made after the bulletin was printed.


Auction Poster goes here


World's Largest Natural Pearl for Sale to BeAuctioned in Abu Dhabi By Barbara Surk

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The world's largestavailable natural pearl is set to be auctioned in this Emirates'capital Thursday.

The 575 carat pearl from 12th century Mongolia wasformerly owned by Chinese emperors, Persian kings, the grandsonof Genghis Khan and Marco Polo. It will be up for bidding in Abu

Dhabi's Emirates Palace andon the Internet, where it isestimated to raise up to US$8million (€5.89 million).

The value of the 3.1inch (7.87 centimeters)saltwater pearl known as the“Arco Valley pearl” is basedon its size, color, weight,exclusivity, history and

previous records of what people have been prepared to pay forsimilar precious items.

“It's 800 years old and it still takes your breath away,” saidKhaled al-Sayegh, 35, a jeweler from Abu Dhabi and chairman ofthe organizing committee for Thursday's event.

Arco Valley is the biggest pearl for sale in the world, but notthe largest in size. The 9.45 inch (24 centimeter) Pearl of Allahcarries that title. It was found by a diver off the Philippine islandof Palawan in 1934 but is not up for sale and is stored in a museumin the Philippines.

The Arco Valley pearl, named after a previous owner fromAustria's Arco Valley family dynasty, is white with a touch of blueand mixed with pink and cream colors on its sides. It has beendrilled three times: to fit among the jewels of an unknown lady'stiara, to go with a ceremonial mandarin suit and to fit a crown orturban decorated with precious stones belonging to a Persian king.

Though it has since been restored to its original shape, thepearl remains shrouded in mystery.

The pearl's whereabouts and ownership have puzzled expertsand collectors for centuries. However, documents in the ArcoValley court prove the pearl was owned by Kublai Khan, the 13thcentury emperor of China and grandson of Genghis Khan. Expertsbelieve Kublai Khan gave the pearl to Marco Polo as a gift.

Al-Sayegh said he and his partner brought the Arco Valleypearl to Abu Dhabi less than two months ago. He said the pearlwas privately owned but did not disclose its latest owner's nameand location.

Al-Sayegh said he wants Abu Dhabi to become a pearltrading hub. Pearls are already featured in the Dubai StockExchange alongside gold and silver.“I want Abu Dhabi to become again what it used to be — thecapital of pearls,” al-Sayegh said. He plans to rehabilitate the tradein natural pearls, which until the 1960s was mastered by a woman,Sheika Hassa bint Al Moor, the mother of Dubai's ruler until 1990,the late Sheik Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

Al-Sayegh is convinced there are still pearls in the Gulf butnot as many as a century ago, when they were the biggest incomeproviders for Arab inhabitants of the Persian Gulf before thediscovery of oil in the 1930s.

The quest for black gold on land and later in the sea madediving excursions around the Gulf, where the first pearls werefound 7,000 years ago off the shore of today's Kuwait, too timeconsuming and labor intensive compared with quick earnings fromthe emerging oil industry. Pollution and the invention of cultivatedpearls also contributed to the death of the pearl industry in theGulf.

But for al-Sayegh, Thursday's auction is not only aboutcleaning up the waters, reviving a lost tradition and spreadingawareness of the pearl's heritage among the post oil generation —it's also business.

“And what will make you more money than jewelry?”al-Sayegh said.

At least 400 people from around the Emirates and the Gulfcountries as well as from China, India, the U.K., the U.S. andTahiti are expected to attend the auction.Source: The Associated Press, Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Death of Royal Postpones Pearl Auction DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - A death in the Emiratesroyal family postponed the auction of the largest pearl on the worldmarket, just hours before the bidding was to start Thursday.

According to the organizers of the auction, the news thatSheik Saeed Bin Nahyan Bin Mubarak al Nahyan, son of theEmirates' education and science minister Sheik Nahyan binMubarak al Nahyan, had died in a car crash on Tuesday led to thepostponement.

No new date was set, said Paul Fletcher, manager of theDubai-based Lifestyle Auctions. The 800-year-old pearl, whoseillustrious owners included Chinese emperors, Persian kings, thegrandson of Genghis Khan, and the famous Venetian adventurerMarco Polo, was expected to fetch up to $8 million.

Auction proceeds were supposed to help rehabilitate thepearl trade in Abu Dhabi and the Gulf region, where a century agomost people lived of treasures hidden in the oyster beds of the sea.

“The organizers felt it was not appropriate to celebrate arevival of the pearl trade at the time of mourning in the royalfamily and in the Emirates,” Fletcher said.Source: The Associated Press, Thursday, May 3, 2007

Congratulations!By Mitch Portnoy

Congratulations are in order to Mitch Cohen. His poem,“The Minerals and Gems of Asia,” has been judged in the 2007AFMS Bulletin and Article Contest and it has placed in the top tenin the category of “Adult Poems.”

The exact position will be announced at the AFMSBreakfast in Roswell, New Mexico on June 9, 2007. At that time,trophies for 1 thru 3 place, and certificates for 4 thru 10 placest rd th th

will be presented.The final results will appear in the July Bulletin. Also, Since

the EFMLS only sends the top three winners in their competition,we can infer that Mitch’s poem is one of those!

Mitch wrote this poem in reference to the theme of theMarch 2006 NYC Gem and Mineral Show which was Asianminerals and gems.

The poem appeared in the March 2006 Bulletin of the NewYork Mineralogical Club.


Topics in GemologyTopics in Gemology is a monthly column written by Diana Jarrett, GG, RMV, based on gemological questions posed toher over the years by beginners and experts alike. Contact her at dianajarrett.com.

Heads Up!Reason is God’s crowning gift to manSophocles 496-406 BC

The phrase “the crowning gift – or touch” is uttered whensomething reaches perfection. And it appears that tangiblecrowns, tiaras and diadems were also created to portray thatsymbolism. They served as emblems of achievement, a sportsvictory, part of religious garb, a sign of sovereignty, or toidentify a deity. All three articles share ancient roots, but eachname identifies a distinctly separate topper.

From its beginning, the majesticcrown played a role of tremendous import ininestimable societies. They were essential toroyal regalia. Middle Eastern and earlyEgyptian crowns in particular wereimposingly tall and funnel shaped headgear.Perhaps the extreme height in itself served apurpose. During those early times, elaboraterituals were conducted before an entirenation. The huge headgear made it possiblefor thousands of people to see the leader from afar. Andthroughout its long evolution, a crown is still distinguished byentirely covering the dome of the head, and is often enclosed.

Consider just how gargantuan early crowns were byreading this ancient Biblical account.

David took the crown from the head of their king—itsweight was found to be a talent (75 pounds) of gold, set withprecious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. IChronicles 20:2

Modern crowns are interpreted as elaboratelyjewel-studded golden headwear. However for early crowns, theuse of precious metals and gemstones werean occasional or later addition. For example,The Assyrians fixed a pair of bull horns oncrowns for embellishment, and to symbolizeauthority. A circle of short feathers wasadded to their ancient tiaras. As these regalcaps developed over time, they transformedinto magnificent gear, flaunting the nation’spower and wealth.

Modern society connects diamondswith crowns and tiaras, but a surprisingnumber of other gemstones have beenemployed in designing majestic headwear.The 13th century Russian Crown ofMonomakh looks like a golden fur trimmed beanie decoratedwith pearls and colored stones. The 19th century tall domedshaped French crown of Charlemagne is encrusted with cameosall around.

Another example of surprising gem choices for posh headcoverings occurs in an opulent turquoise and diamond crownNapoleon I gave to his consort Empress Marie Louise. The silvercrown contains 950 diamonds and 79 large rare Persian

turquoise stones cut en cabochon. They replaced emeraldsoriginally set in that crown, and it attracts great attention to itsdisplay at the Smithsonian Institute’s Museum of NaturalHistory.

In 1967, celebrated jeweler Van Cleef & Arpel created anextremely structured crown for the then Empress of Iran.Massive, intricately carved emeralds and sapphires dominate thecoronation piece also featuring natural pearls, diamonds andrubies.

Diadems, first made for male royal regalia, and as a markof distinction, were awarded to the victors atGreek games, and were a woven ring ofleaves. Early royal diadems were fashionedfrom long strips of silk or other fine fabricsabout two inches wide. They were placed asa band wrapped tight and low about theforehead, with the long strands falling acrossthe shoulders where it tied at the back of theneck. Diadems later evolved into archedfront gold headbands worn low, eventuallyeliminating the long flowing strips. Yes,

Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman of the 70’s, wore a classicdiadem placed across her forehead.

A beautiful young Princess Diana thrilled onlookers yearsago as she danced with Prince Charles at a ball honoring theirofficial visit to Australia. To complete her regal ensemble thatevening she chose an elaborate emerald encrusted neckpieceworn low across her forward in true diadem fashion, creating anunforgettable fashion statement.

Tiaras, now so associated with beauty pageants that thedictionary defines them as: An ornamental, often jeweled,crown-like semicircle worn on the head by women on formal

occasions. Historically though, theirfunction and form were much morecomplex. Popes wore—and still wear richlyembroidered fabric tiaras while performingreligious duties. Online encyclopediawww.wikipedia.com cites that ancient malerulers wore tiaras described as “a highcrown, often with the shape of a cylindernarrowed at its top, made of fabric orleather, and richly ornamented. It was usedby the kings and emperors of ancient peoplein Mesopotamia.”

While religious figures still use tiarasof highly embellished fine fabrics, the

contemporary feminine tiara is a semi-circular bejeweled headdecor usually of fine metal with diamonds or other preciousstones, often secured to the head with small metal combs at eachend of the tiara, which shall disappear under the coiffure.

Victorian jewelry is renowned for its complicated look ormulti-functional ability. One such item in the collection ofwholesale antique jeweler eFiligree, is a rare 1840’sbracelet-tiara combo. This unusual piece was fabricated from


diamonds set in goldoverlaid with sterling, acommon practice of thatera. It functioned as a tiarashaped bracelet, and whilesmal l , se rved as ad im inu t ive t ia ra onoccasion.

When importantdiamonds are embedded instately headwear the effect

is jaw-dropping. The late Princess Margaret’s historic PoltimoreTiara went up for auction at Christies London in June 2006.Designed in 1870 by Garrard for the wife of second BaronPoltimore, Christies estimated its value at US $ 370,000.Princess Margaret wore the famed tiara at her wedding. Whenthe furious bidding was over, the hammer came down with$925,000 pounds for an elated anonymous Asian collector.

If anyone can trump the attention paid to actual royalty, itwould be Hollywood celebrities. A young Elizabeth Taylor worea diamond tiara given to her by producer husband Michael Toddone year to the Oscars. Although she demurred that they were abit out of style at the time, Todd called her his queen and shecould hardly refuse to acknowledge his romantic gesture.

Today’s young stars are once again giving preference tothese splendid embellishments.

When raven haired beauty Catherine Zeta-Jones marriedMichael Douglas in 2001, she opted to finish her look with anEdwardian tiara. And TV chat show personality Star Jonesheaded straight to legendary jeweler Fred Leighton for one of hisopulent diamond tiaras when she tied the knot in 2004.

Florida artisan Karen Tweedie received an unusual requestfrom a client recently asking for something completely unlikeher tropically inspired contemporary fashion jewelry. His wife’smilestone birthday warranted an especially creative present.When younger and less affluent, he would often tease that sheshould wear her tiara on date nights. Now he wanted to actuallygive her one. So Tweedie produced a modern tiara in freshwaterand cultured pearls, with white and golden topaz faceted stonesset in sterling, to the delight of the recipient.

With so few occasions actually requiring crowns diademsand tiaras nowadays, one turns to beauty contests when the urgefor coronet-ogling occurs. Indian pageants rank supreme whenit comes to extraordinarily imaginative tiaras. For example, theMiss India-Earth tiara for 2004 is a delicate feathery spray ofwhite, blue, and green transparent faceted stones artfullyarranged to represent a showy peacock.

Crowns, diadems, and tiaras have a come a long way sincetheir humble, leathery animal horned beginnings. Most of uswho will never actually own a bonafide regal headpiece can stillappreciate their ability to transform the wearer into becomingsomething out of this world.

Upcoming Weekend of Minerals & GemsSymposium, Banquet & Show

November 9-11, 2007Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan

May Meeting Minutes & Okulewicz Lecture(Continued from page 2)

Special Lecture–Steve Okulewicz: The Geology andMineralogy of Staten Island

Steven Okulewicz, native Staten Islander, geologyprofessor, and magician, provided us with an insider's view ofthe geology and minerals of our neighboring borough. Amongthe oldest rocks are the serpentinites which are part of a beltextending from Newfoundland down to North Carolina–scars ofan ancient collision between a volcanic island arc and the NorthAmerican continent, over 400 million years ago. Hydration ofupper mantle peridotites resulted in the formation ofserpentinites–rocks made up primarily of serpentine minerals.

The Staten Island serpentinites are fairly erosion-resistant,forming the highest point on the Coastal Plain at 1413 feet. Theserpentine weathers to a mottled greenish-white mesh-liketexture. Under the microscope, thin sections show relictMg-enstatite and forsterite (from the peridotite) altering toserpentine, with minor chromite and magnetite grains. Theexpansion of serpentine (due to hydration) has cracked thechromite. Serpentine occurs as platy lizardite (the mostcommon), fibrous antigorite, and finely fibrous chrysotileasbestos. A seafoam green talc can be found in seams and veinsin the serpentine. Ancient faults not only shape the topography,but provide conduits for mineralizing solutions. Mineralslocalized along such faults include a woody-lookinganthophyllite, cummingtonite, hydromagnesite, brucite, andartinite in delicate radiating needles. Graphite is occasionallyencountered in serpentine. Severe weathering of serpentine hasproduced iron oxides (hematite, limonite), some exhibiting apisolitic texture.

The splitting apart of Pangaea and opening of the AtlanticOcean began in this region in the late Triassic-early Jurassic,some 200 million years ago. Associated with this large-scalerifting process were intrusions of the Palisades diabase, whichmay have originated in Staten Island, according to CharlesMerguerian. Since the diabase is primarily a fine-grainedintrusive igneous rock, it lacks the vugs or vesicles that hostedthe famous zeolites of the nearby basaltic lava flows of theWatchungs.

Subsequent to the opening of the Atlantic Ocean, thisregion saw the accumulation of a thick pile of sediments–clays,silts, sands–washed down from the continental interior. In 65million year old clay pits, small pieces of amber in lignite can beretrieved from the Raritan-Sayreville Formations. The clays alsoyield nice plant fossils, e.g., sassafras and tulip tree leaves.Glaciers of the last Ice Age contributed more sand and gravel.Ironstones can be collected from late Pleistocene kettles(depressions left by melting ice masses in glacial drift). Stevepointed out a geologic curiosity–a recumbent fold ( folded on itsside) in the sand that had been deformed by the glaciers. Heconcluded his presentation with several magic tricks.






August 11? Springfield Show Trip?East Coast Mineral Show,Springfield, Massachusetts

Details to Follow(Request for drivers to offer rides)

SundayAugust 19

Picnic & GeologicWalking Tour

Upper Manhattan / Fort TryonPark / Inwood Area

Details to Follow (Tour given by Dr.Charles Merguerian)

3 Wednesday!rd





Special Lecture: Dr. Charles Merguerian –“Geological Wonders of Yellowstone”

FridayNovember 9Afternoon

Mineral Symposium,Silent Auction Mezzanine Level

Rooms A, B & CHoliday Inn Midtown

Club Event: 3-hour lecture series,literature, souvenirs; high-quality silentauction

FridayNovember 9Evening

Annual Gala BanquetWine, games, awards, prizes, excellentfood, special desserts, fun, etc.



2007 Show Calendar


WednesdayMay 30

Lecture: “How TetrapodsGot Their Legs”

Winants Hall, RutgersUniversity, New Jersey

Info: [email protected] or(732) 932-7243









Details to Follow









Secretary Vivien Gornitz 101 W. 81st Street #621, NYC, NY, 10024; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 874-0525Treasurer Alla Priceman 84 Lookout Circle, Larchmont, NY,10538; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (914) 834-6792Bulletin EditorMitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY 10024-5203; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343Membership Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY 10003; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . (212) 675-6979Director David Brand 39 Alexine Avenue, East Rockaway, NY, 11518; e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . (516) 599-1845Director Richard Rossi 6732 Ridge Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11220. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (718) 745-1876Director Sam Waldman 2358 East 24 Street, Brooklyn, New York 11229; e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . (718) 332-0764th


Annual Benefit Auction: Wednesday, June 13, 2007

People Center, American Museum of Natural History, New York CityAuction Lot Viewing from 5:30 - 6:15 pm; Auction from 6:15 - 9:00 pm


FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

Highlight

June Benefit Auction TrendsContinue, Results as Expected


Volume 121, Nos. 7 - 8 July/August 2007

No July or August MeetingsThere will be no regular meetings of theClub during July or August.

However . . .

NYMC Field Trip AnnouncementCome see the gorgeous vistas of the Cityand Hudson River, learn something andget some exercise!

RAIN OR SHINE!

DescriptionWe will be treated to a walking geologicaltour of Upper Manhattan and the InnwoodPark environs. Your friends, family andchildren are invited, of course!LeaderDr. Charles Merguerian will lead us andexplain the geological features andmineralogy of the highest elevation inManhattan. Dr. Merguerian is recognizedas the leading authority on the geologicstructure of the New York City area.Date: Sunday, August 19, 2007Time: 10:00 AM (REALLY!)Start Location: Intersection of SeamanAvenue & Isham Street (Very close to207 Street Exit on the A/C Subway Line)th

ProvisionsA box lunch will be provided.Equipment NeededBring water or other beverage, sunblockand wear comfortable shoes. A light totebag is suggested for carrying lunch, waterbottles, notepads and maybe your camera.Remember - this is NYC in August!RSVP RequiredP l ease em a i l An n a S c h u m a t e([email protected]) or callher (212-675-6979) so that we know howmany lunches to order.

REMEMBERPromptness is next to godliness!

By Mitch Portnoy

The yearly NYMC benefit auctionwas held on June 13, 2007 in the PeopleCenter at the American Museum ofNatural History and $2,200 was raised, allof which will go into the Club’s bankaccount. This was completely in line withthe expectations and predictions of theClub’s executive team based on theauction trends over the past ten years.

For the second time you can see alisting of the prices realized for eachauction lot item this year (see page 4 inthis bulletin). Sam Waldman volunteeredto keep this record for us again – thanks tohim for so doing!

Many of the auction’s highlights (i.e.,the most expensive) are highlighted inbold text on that list. They included aspectacular dioptase from Namibia, a“Manchester” book and the wonderfulbone box of gemstones. (Anotherhighlight is that I can see my kitchen tablein its entirety for the first time sinceMarch! Perhaps I’ll be able to ask peopleover for dinner now.)

We have thanked all of the donors andshow dealers in the past; Several moreitems were donated by Bill Mancuso(emerald) and Anne Vitiello and AdeleRuotolo (amethyst collection) so we thankthem now.

I also want to thank our team ofschleppers this year which includedVivien Gornitz, Sam Waldman, RichRossi, Seymour Perlowitz, Ted & MarisBerkowitz, and Anna Schumate. Theyalso helped with the setup at the museum,as did some early arrivers.

Another carryover from last year wasthat the lots were displayed in the sameorder as they were listed in the catalogAND they were offered in that same order(with the exception of the treasures givenby EMACO, which were mixed in forvariety). Both the audience and theauctioneer (me) found this very helpfuland we will continue to do this next year.

Richard Rossi and Alla Pricemantold me they found the record keepingduring the auction extremely easy thisy e a r . T h i s i sb e c a u s e w eactually reducedt h e t o t a lnumber oflots that weu s u a l l yoffer from120-130 to“only” 109 thisyear.

We decided to do this (1) because theClub’s treasury is in rather good shape atthe moment and (2) we wanted to makethe auction’s overall process a little lesstaxing with regards to time. We feel thissucceeded.

Even so, the AVERAGE lot went forabout $22, on par with the averages of$20-$22 that we have seen in the past.Thus, we will likely continue to limit thetotal number of lots offered in the future toone hundred.

Surprisingly, nine of the 109 lots didnot sell this year at all and no one cameover afterwards to buy them as a lot. Theyare all back in my apartment and will findtheir way into the future silent auctions orbenefit special sales. In fact, if anyone


Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2World of Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Auction Prices Realized. . . . . . . . . . 4Oops! Not a Meteorite. . . . . . . . . . . . 5Taj Turning Yellow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Geology (A Love Poem!). . . . . . . . . 6Carbuncle.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Minerals of Asia (Poem Reprint). . . 7From 10 Years Ago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Topics in Gemology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9David Hargett Obituary. . . . . . . . . . 10Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . 11

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club July / August 2007


Summer 2007 is here! I hope you allhave some fabulous vacation plans! Whenwe reconvene in September we will startthe season with our Members’ Showcase.As some of you remember, we postponedthe Members’ Showcase last Februarybecause of the snowstorm. Some of usshowed up, had a brief meeting and thenadjourned to Pizzeria Uno. Anyway, ifyou were planning to present somethinglast February or if youhave something newto show and tell,perhaps some mineralr e l a t e d v a c a t i o nactivity, come andshare it with us!

Don’t forget abouto u r g e o l o g i c a lwalking tour with Dr.Charles Merguerian onSunday, August 19.For details, see thenotice in this issue. Ihope you can join us!

After 631 issues,Lapidary Journal haschanged its name toJewelry Artist. Over the years, thispublication has extended its scope.Originally a magazine mostly forlapidaries and rockhounds, LapidaryJournal later began to cover jewelrymaking techniques so that lapidaries couldcreate an original design from start tofinish. Gradually the lapidary part becamea minor feature while the publicationprofiled of famous designers and gemcutters. The beading craze receivedextensive coverage, including articles onglass “lampworked” beads. The publisherseventually started separate bimonthlypublications for more in-depth coverage ofthe various jewelry techniques. InterweavePress, the present publishers, now produceWire Jewelry, Art Jewelry, Step by StepBeads and Colored Stone.

In its 50 plus year history, LapidaryJournal’s contributors have includednotable mineral and lapidary experts suchJohn Sinkankas, Si and Ann Frasier, JuneCulp Zeitner. In its recent history, theJournal seemed to move away from“rockhound” subjects like collecting sitesand mineral articles. However, market

research proved that the Journal’sreadership wanted those mineral features!Enter, Claus Hedegaard, a mineral dealerwhose motto is: “information is as much apart of collecting as are specimens.” In theJune issue Hedegaard writes about barite:“I am a bit disappointed by barite. Not bythe mineral itself but by the relative lackof interest in it. It seems fashionable forcollectors to specialize in something –colored tourmaline, pegmatite minerals,aesthetic specimens, whatever, but I nevermet anyone specializing in barite. Which

is really surprising, asbarite is an interestingmineral, diverse in habit,occurring in hundreds ofd ep o s i t s , w i t h f in especimens that can bepurchased at relatively lowprices. Oh, an you canactually collect good piecesyourself – don’t tell anyone– that’s so unvirtual andold-fashioned!”

He goes on to discussb a r i t e ’ s p r o p e r t i e s ,locations, present and pastindustrial use. Hedegaard’swriting is accessible andentertaining. I am eager to

read his future articles.Other regular features include: Ask the

Experts, with Tom and Kay Benhamanswering readers jewelry techniquequestions, reviews of new products andbooks, artist profiles, gem articles, variousjewelry projects and yes, a facet designproject! I have always enjoyed themonthly smorgasbord that LapidaryJournal deposits in my mailbox eachmonth. You can take a look for yourself atjewelryartistmagazine.com.

Club Meeting Minutes for June 13, 2007By Vivien Gornitz, SecretaryAttendance: 33President Anna Schumate presided(No minutes taken; see auction reviewbeginning on page 1)Announcements:� Anna Schumate: the geology walk is

going to happen in August (see page1 in this bulletin).

� Irving Horowitz: a lovely antiquemineral case is available.

Members in the NewsBy Mitch Portnoy

A long article entitled “Lawrence H.Conklin: A Half-Century of Dealing inMinerals” appeared in the May-June 2007issue of The Mineralogical Record. It wasauthored by publisher Wendell E. Wilson.

Another NYMC member was quoted inan article called “Brown Tourmaline” byDavid Federman in the May 2007 issue ofModern Jeweler:

No wonder New York dealerSteve Stieglitz brushes off myquestions about proper speciesnames for brown tourmaline.“Dealers tendto call anyt o u r m a l i n ewith a brownc o l o rcomponent bythe name ofdravite,” hesays. “Do wek n o w f o rsure? No. Theterm has moreto do wi th cus tom andconvenience than gemology.”He’s right. As long as I canremember, dealers have beenusing dravite as a kind ofcode-word for brown.

Member Tony Nikischer repeated hislecture “Mineral Localities of the KolaPeninsula” for the North JerseyMineralogical Society on June 14, 2007.

Thanks for AdditionalAuction Donations

Additional thanks go out to SteveStieglitz for donating a lovely 14-caratamethyst from Brazil, to Anne Vitielloand Adele Ruotolo for a boxed set of

21 faceted amethysts and rough, and toBill Mancuso for a gorgeous 2.1 carat

emerald cabochon

July / August 2007 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 3


An Emerald Treasure SagaPrecious gems evoke images of past royalty, great wealth,

an aura of mystery, and exotic lands. These elements are closelyinterwoven in a labyrinthine saga of emerald treasure, as told byCynthia Zarin in an article which appeared in theNew Yorker, November 21, 2005. Walking pastFred Leighton, an upscale jewelry store on MadisonAvenue, in May, 2005, Ms. Zarin was overwhelmedby an elaborate set of emerald earrings prominentlydisplayed in the shop’s window. Yearning for aclose-up view of the jewelry, she arranged a privateshowing which led her on the trail of thetantalizingly entangled and murky history of thesegorgeous gems.

The earrings formed part of a set that includedan impressive gold pendant with forty-five square-cut, pear-shaped and briolette emeralds, twoemerald cluster rings, and sixteen button-like links. The wholeensemble contained 309 emeralds, weighing 232.6 carats, andwas worth an estimated $2.1 million. Fred Leighton had beeninformed by a coin dealer, who was acting as agent for the seller,that some of the gold coins she was selling came from the 1715Fleet , others were from the Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas,1

which sank off the Bahamas in 1656. The coin dealer and hisjeweler further maintained that the seller’s husband hadrecovered the emeralds from the 1715 Fleet in the 1970s. Thejewelry had been authenticated as genuine emeralds, of probableColombian origin, in a style and workmanship consistent withitems of that period, that had been recovered from Spanishgalleons. Fred Leighton and his staff believed that the jewelrywas intended for royalty, in particular, Queen Elizabeth, wife ofKing Philip V of Spain.

Further investigation by Ms. Zarin indicated that DickAnderson, the seller’s husband, had been a salvage diver, who inaddition to other adventurous activities, had at one point brieflyworked on the Maravilla shipwreck. However, querying severalsalvage divers and treasure hunters in Florida failed tocorroborate the coin dealer’s story. Photographs of the jewelrydid not jog any memories either. Such a major treasure findwould surely have generated rumors that would have widelycirculated among the divers.

During an interview with the seller, Mrs. Anderson statedthat her husband had not actually found the emeralds himself,but instead had bought the emeralds in 1975 from a diver inPalm Beach who claimed that they were from the 1715 Fleet.Further discussions with Fred Leighton and his staff concerningthe sale of the gems revealed that Dick Anderson had once beeninvolved in a lawsuit with the U.S. Government regardingpossible charges of smuggling from Panama. Investigating the

circumstances of that case showed that Anderson had allegedlytold an undercover customs agent, who he thought was apotential buyer, that he had found the emeralds in a Spanishshipwreck off the Panamanian coast, without appropriate

permits, and had snuck them into the United States.At his trial, however, he claimed to have made upthe story in order to enhance their value, and thatduring the period he presumably was diving inPanama, he actually was working on a film in theBahamas. The charges were eventually dropped forlack of sufficient evidence and the jewels werereturned to Anderson.

When Zarin related this information to FredLeighton, he simply observed: “Those emeraldshave had a hectic life...there are places were historystops, then picks up again. The person who buysthem will make up another story”. Such is the

romance and allure of precious gems and the circuitous routesover which they travel.Further ReadingCynthia Zarin, “Green Dreams: A Queen, a Shipwreck, and theMystery Behind a Rare Set of Jewels”. The New Yorker,November 21, 2005, p. 76-83.

Gold ingots and coins from the 1715 Fleet, which sank off the1

Atlantic Coast of Florida, are currently on display at the Goldexhibit at the American Museum of Natural History.


Benefit Auction 2007: Prices RealizedBy Sam Waldman

Fuller lot descriptions can be found in last month’s Bulletin. Bold items are some of the auction highlightsLot # Price Realized ($)1. Amethyst Cathedral Base.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302. Orpiment.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33. Scapolite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Unsold)4. Crocoite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35. Necklace & Earring Set (Green Glass Beads). . . . . . . . . . 56. Apophyllite on Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Unsold)7. Barite pseudo after Calcite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58. Sulfur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79. (1) Black & (1) White Sphere with Bases. . . . . . . . . . . . 1010. (2) Matching White Marble Spheres with Bases.. . . . . . 1011. Chlorite on Pericline (Feldspar).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312. Blue Apatite in Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1713. Jasper Beads & etc. Necklace & Earrings Set. . . . . . . . . . 514. Green Agate Bead Necklace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515. Fluorite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1016. Calcite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517. Micromount Collection of 35 Specimens. . . . . . . . . . . 4018. Realgar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Unsold)19. Amethyst & etc. “Sun” with Base.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4020. Cut & Polished Geode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2021. Amazonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1022. Apophyllite & Stilbite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1023. Stromatolite Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1724. Mimitite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525. Quartz Crystals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1226. Heulandite, Stilbite, etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527. (2) Chalcedony Pendants (Butterfly & Heart). . . . . . . . . . 428. (3) Indian Zeolites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629. Fibrous Tourmaline Cab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3530. Pyritized Ammonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2531. Rhodonite Crystals & etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2532. Amazonite & Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Unsold)33. Faceted Green Tourmaline 1.6 carat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2534. Tourmaline in Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535. (2) Cloissoné Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 836. (2) Cloissoné Boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 837. Lapis & Silver Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2538. Chalcedony & Silver Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2039. Vanadinite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1540. “Cactus Quartz” (Amethyst). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2041. Cerussite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4542. Dendritic Opal & Silver Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2543. Quartz & etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 744. Calcite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1245. Calcite & etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1546. Purple Smithsonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1047. Faceted Topaz with Limonite, 20.5 carats.. . . . . . . . . . . 2048. Apache “War Paint” Limestone.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1249. Agatized Coral Geode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2550. Garnet on Feldspar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3051. Barite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2552. Celestite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Unsold)

53. Aquamarine in Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4054. Cerussite & Malachite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2055. Dioptase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2556. Dioptase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20057. Minerals of NYC & Environs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9058. Jade Earrings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1559. (2) Large Apatite Crystals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3060. Meteorite (Magnetic).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4061. Golden Fluorite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3062. Green Fluorite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2063. Brazilianite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Unsold)64. Calcite, Pugh Quarry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1565. Vivianite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2066. (2) Matching Spheres &Bases.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 767. Calcite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5568. Apatite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569. Barite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570. Datolite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571. Libethenite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3572. Polished Malachite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 773. Carved Gemstone Snail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2574. Ruby in Zoisite (Ford Label). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1575. Almandine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1576. Fluorite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1077. Pink Pectolite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1578. Albite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379. Gem Apatite in Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4080. Sodalite in Silver Watch Band. . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Unsold)81. Emeralds in Schist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1082. Variety of Pearls on Choker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583. Vintage Mother of Pearl Kitty Pin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 784. (3) Turquoise Specimens.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3585. Calcite Crystal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1086. Calcite & Pyrite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 787. Amazonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 788. Emerald (Gem Beryl). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2589. Rubellite (Red Gem Tourmaline). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3590. Orpiment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1091. Dioptase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5092. 50-Year History of the Tucson Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1593. Lapis Lazuli Crystal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2094. Malachite Stalactite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2295. Epidote.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2096. Quartz with Pyrite... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1097. Selection of Smoky Quartz Cut Stones.. . . . . . . . . . . . 2298. Wyoming Jade Slice and Cut Stones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3599. Red Jasper Necklace, Rough and Cut Stones. . . . . . . . 15100. Turquoise Rough and Cut Stones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25101. Garnet Rough and Cut Stones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35102. Coral Branch Necklace and Misc. Pieces. . . . . . (Unsold)103. Tiger Eye Strand and Cut Stones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35104. Assorted Blue & White Zircons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40105. Fluorite Rough and Figurines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40106. Horn Box Treasure Chest with 94 Gemstones. . . . . 55107. Amethyst Rough with 21 Stones.. . . . . . . . . . . . (Unsold)108. 14-Carat Pear Shaped Amethyst. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40109. 2.1 Carat Emerald Cab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Mysterious Object Turns Out to Be Space Junk


It's slightly bigger than a golf ball but weighs aboutas much as a can of soup. Based on its size anddensity, several scientists agreed that it was ameteorite. They were wrong.

By Janet Frankston Lorin

NEWARK, N.J. (May 12) - The mysterious metallic object thatcrashed through the roof of a central New Jersey family's homeearlier this year was not a meteorite after all, geologists saidFriday.

While the rocklike object looks like a meteorite, scientistssay it is a stainless steel alloy that does not occur in nature andis most likely “orbital debris” - perhaps remnants of a satellite,a rocket or some other spacecraft component.

It's still a mystery where the object came from. “That's the $64,000 question, and there's probably no way

to answer it,” said Rutgers University geologist Jeremy Delaney.“A piece of scrap iron dropped out of the sky. The question ishow did it get into the sky in the first place? That one I simplycannot answer.”

Orbital debris is another term for space junk, “all the stuffthat falls off of various space crafts on their way to orbit,”Delaney said. They could be boosters, satellites, even nuts andbolts.

“There's huge amounts of material that have been left bythe various space programs of the world,” he said.

Srinivasan Nageswaran, whose family discovered thesilver object after it crashed through the roof and into theupstairs bathroom of his home in Freehold Township, wasdisappointed by the news.

“That's the nature of science,” he said Friday. “If theconclusion from the test says it's not a meteorite, then it's not ameteorite. We have to move forward.”“It's still the world's most popular metallic object that fell fromthe sky,” Nageswaran said.

Scientists had initially determined it was a meteorite. Inlate April, it was brought to the American Museum of NaturalHistory in New York City so its composition could be examinedby its new variable-pressure scanning electron microscope.

The testing took a few hours. The microscope shootselectrons at the surface of the sample, which causes X-rays to begenerated, Delaney said.

“From those X-rays, you can tell the composition and whatelements are present in the sample,” he said.

This was the first diagnostic testing of the object, whichpreviously been available only for visual examination.Nageswaran accompanied his object, which weighs 377 gramsand is about 3-inches by 2-inches, for the testing.

While extraterrestrial rocks fall to the Earth with someregularity, it is rare for them to strike homes.

The Nageswarans, originally from India, moved to theUnited States in 1997 and since 2003 have lived in FreeholdTownship, a town of about 34,000 about a half hour east ofTrenton.

On the night of Jan. 2, Nageswaran walked into hisbathroom and spotted a hole in the ceiling and noticed smallchunks of drywall and insulation littering the room. His mother, who has been staying with the family, heard a loudboom and thought it was a post-New Year's fireworks explosion,or that some kind of old patch job in the bathroom ceiling hadcome loose.

Federal aviation officials visited a few hours later andruled it wasn't a piece of an airplane.

Geologists fromRutgers, along with anindependent metals expert,concluded that the rockwas an iron meteorite.

D e l a n e y , w h oexamined it at the policestation, said his initialconclusion was based onthe object's shape anddensity.

“I was wrong, nomatter what misled me,sneaky little devil,” he said.Source: Associated Press via AOL

White Marble Taj Mahal Turning Yellow

NEW DELHI (May 14) - Taj Mahal, the world famouswhite-marbled monument of love, is fast losing its sheen due topollution, a Parliamentary committee report has said.

The committee, headed by Rajya Sabha MP SitaramYechury, recommended that caution should be taken to retain the

original glory of the Tajwhich is turning yellowday by day.

“The committeeexpresses its concern thatTaj Mahal, the worldfamous monument atAgra, is becomingy e l l o w i s h d u e t odeposition of suspendedp a r t i c u l a t e m a t t e r

(SPM),” its report which was tabled in Parliament, said.It recommended that the Archaeological Survey of India

(ASI) while undertaking any conservation activity at Taj Mahaltake abundant cautions to retain the original glory of theshimmering white marble used in this.

The Air Pollution Monitoring Laboratory at Agra, hasfound that the level of air pollutants – sulphur dioxide and nitricoxide gases - are generally permissible limits whereas thesuspended particulate matter is always at a very high levelexcept during the rainy season, it said.

The laboratory is continuously monitoring the ambient airquality in and around Taj Mahal to study the possible impact ofair pollutant on the monument and to formulate conservationmeasures accordingly.

Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, is about 130 miles southeastof India's capital, New Delhi.

The report said while levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogenoxide in the air were acceptable, high levels of particulate matterwere a constant, except during the brief rainy season.

Currently, to cut back on pollution, cars and buses are notallowed to drive to the Taj Mahal but to a parking lot about 1 ½miles away, where visitors can take battery-run buses orhorse-drawn carriages to reach the monument.


The report recommended applying a special mud pack tothe building to restore its alabaster look.

“To restore the pristine glory of the Taj Mahal, as aconservation measure, the clay pack treatment which isnon-corrosive and non-abrasive (should be) carried out for theremoval of the accretionary deposits,” the report said.

The white-marbled domed monument was built by theMogul Emperor Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1654 for hisfavorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It houses their graves and amosque, as well as several other graves of lesser Mogul royalty.

Some 3 million tourists visit the site every year.Source: Various Internet and Print Sources

American Life in Poetry: Column 046By Ted Kooser, U.S. Poet Laureate

We constantly compare one thing with another, or attempt to,saying, "Well, you know, love is like...it's like...well, YOU knowwhat it's like." Here Bob King, who lives in Colorado, takes anoriginal approach and compares love to the formation of rocks.

GeologyI know the origin of rocks, settling out of water, hatching crystals from fire, put under pressure in various designs I gathered pretty, picnic after picnic.

And I know about love, a little, igneous lust, the slow affections of the sedimentary, the pressure on earth out of sight to rise up into material, something solid you can hold, a whole mountain, for example, or a loose collection of pebbles you forgot you werekeeping.

Copyright (c) 2005 by Robert KingSource: LitKicks (Internet)

CarbuncleBy Dave Brand

Definition: Noun. 1a. A deep-red garnet, as a cabochon orunfaceted. 1b. Obsolete. A red precious stone. 2. A painfullocalized bacterial infection that looks like deep red cabochon.A carbuncle in its archaic or obsolete form is the name given toany red cabochon cut gemstone. While this definition includedrubies and spinals, the name was applied in particular to a redgarnet.

The etymology of carbuncle is from the Latincarbunculas, referring to a glowing ember or coal. Thediminutive term carbo is in Latin referring to coal. The origin ofthe word “garnet” is from the name “pomegranate”. The laterpart of that term granum referring to “seed”. It can be assumedthat older civilizations saw a resemblance between garnet gems

and certain types of seeds. Within the garnet family the mostcommon red garnet is the almandine garnet. The term is derivedfrom Alabanda, an ancient city in Asia Minor.

In myths, the stories of glowing embers prevailed. Therewas supposed to be a gem called the carbuncle, which emittednot reflected, but its own light. Ludovicus Vartomannus aRoman whiter, reported “that the King of Pege (or Pegu) a cityin India had a carbuncle of so great a magnitude and splendor,that by the clear light emitting from the stone, he might be seenin a dark room, as if the room hadbeen illuminated by sunbeams”.This illusion to self-containedradiance was echoed by Saint orBishop Epiphanius who said ofthis gem “that if it be worn,whatever garments it be coveredwithal, it cannot be hid”. Inanother reference he described thecarbuncle as a “beautiful gem ofred color found in the East Indies. When it is held up to the lightit loses its deep tinge and becomes the color of a burning coal.”At times it was also referred to as the “firestone”.

Other ancient authors also said this stone radiated ainternal light without reflection. They ranked it fifth behinddiamonds, emeralds, opals, and pearls. It is described amonggems ruled by the sun, possessing both male and femaleproperties. The reference to male and female traits alludes to itsexpelling brightness, supposedly meaning that it borrows nocolor from any other gem (male), but instead imparts it ownunique color (female).

Reference attributed to the carbuncle appears in works ofTheophrastus (De Lap.18) as anthrax. Theophastus refers to itsred color when held against the sun it resembles a burning coal.He states that the most perfect carbuncles were brought fromCarthage, Marseilles, Egypt and “the neighborhood of Siena”.There are also reference by Pliny (Hist.Nat.,XXXVII) ascarbunculas. However, Pliny refers to lithizonites, oramethystizontes as Indian carbuncles, the color of whichapproached that of the amethyst. Most probably, Pliny appliedthe name carbuncle to several stones of varying color.

The word occurs in four places in the Bible. Each useoriginated from the Hebrew word bareqath (baw-reh-keth orbawrek-ath). It is usually taken as a reference to a red gemstonealthough the Hebrew definition is less definite and the precisecolor of the gems is not known. There are two references inExodus (28:17 and 39:10), both referring to the carbunclespresence as the third stone in the breastplate of Aaron. In Ezekiel(28:13) there is a reference to the carbuncle’s being present inthe Garden of Eden. Lastly in Isaiah (54:12) the carbuncle isused to convey the value of the Lord’s blessing on His faithfulservants.

According to Karl Jung the carbuncle is a synonym for thelapis, fabled philosopher’s stone. The alchemist Johann Glauberin his book “Of Natural Salts”, the carbuncle is called corpusglorificatum. In the Rosicrucian literature, in ChristianRosencreutz’s “Chymical Wedding” he describes thebedchamber of Venus as being lit by carbuncles.


The curative effects attributed to the carbuncle includedispelling poisonous air, releasing luxury, preserving health ofthe body and reconciling differences among friends. There is notrace in Shakespeare’s works of any belief in the curative ortalismanic effects of precious stones that was very much aprevailing, if not curious superstition in his day. However

Shakespeare referred to carbuncles withsome frequency. The carbuncle firstappeared in Hamlet published in 1603, thenin Cymbeline, Comedy of Errors, Anthony& Cleopatra, and Coriolanus, all publishedin 1623, and at various places in his poetry.

Other literary references include “TheGreat Carbuncle” by Nathaniel Hawthorne(1804-1864; “a party of adventurers wererefreshing themselves, after a toilsome andfruitless quest for the Great Carbuncle”.And lastly in “The Blue Carbuncle” SirArthur Conan Doyle had Sherlock Holmes

in hot pursuit to recover the Countess of Morcar’s bluecarbuncle. Sherlock Holmes sat up with a whistle “By Jove,Peterson…you know what you have got”. “A diamond sir?....Itcuts glass as though it were putty”.

Thousands of Pearls Found in ShipwreckKEY WEST, Fla. (June 16) - Salvagers discovered thousands ofpearls Friday in a small, lead box they said they found whilesearching for the wreckage of the 17th-century Spanish galleonSanta Margarita.

Divers from Blue Water Ventures of Key West said theyfound the sealed box, measuring 3.5 inches by 5.5 inches, alongwith a gold bar, eight gold chains and hundreds of other artifactsearlier this week.

They were apparently buried beneath the ocean floor inapproximately 18 feet of water about 40 miles west of Key West.

"There are several thousand pearls starting from an eighthof an inch to three-quarters of an inch," said Duncan Mathewson,marine archaeologist and partner in Blue Water Ventures.

James Sinclair, archaeologist and conservator consultingwith Mel Fisher's Treasures, Blue Water's joint-venture partners,said the pearls are very rare because of their antiquity andcondition. Sinclair said pearls don't normally survive the ocean water oncethey are out of the oyster that makes them.

"In this instance, we had a lead box and the silt that hadsifted into the box from the site of the Margarita, whichpreserved the pearls in a fairly pristine state," he said. An initial cache of treasure and artifacts from the SantaMargarita was discovered in 1980 by pioneering shipwrecksalvor Mel Fisher. The ship was bound for Spain when it sank ina hurricane in 1622.

The pearls will be conserved, documented andphotographed in an archaeological laboratory above the MelFisher Maritime Museum in Key West.

"Until they're properly cleaned and conserved we don'tknow their value, but it would seem they would be worthupwards of a million dollars," Mathewson said. Source: Associated Press

Editor’s MessageBy Mitch Portnoy

Congratulations are in order to Mitch Cohen. His poem,“The Minerals and Gems of Asia,” has been judged in the 2007AFMS Bulletin and Article Contest and it has placed 8 in theth

USA in the category of “Adult Poems.”

The Minerals & Gems of AsiaBy Mitch Cohen

Asia is full of treasures.You can see it in their stones.Its nations give us pleasures

of gems, minerals, unknowns.

From China we get wolframite,realgar, and cinnabar, too.

Also found is green fluorite, And the list is barely through!

India has its zeolites now,and huge diamonds in its past.

A study of the Moguls will providean appreciation of the quantity, quite vast.

Sri Lanka (once Ceylon) is a gem land,filled with ruby, zircon and spinel.

There’s topaz and sapphire in its sandI can also tell.

But other nations fill the roleof the world’s treasure chest.

Burma and Thailand are your goalto find rubies and sapphires, the best!

The many islands of Japanhave more than just stibnite spears.

Ask Alfredo Petrov when he ranaway with sulfur in his tears.

Pakistan is a modern sourcefor kunzite, peridot, aquamarine.

It’s a collector’s paradise, of courseYou must know what I mean.

The eastern Russian world of plainsand steppes have minerals countless.It seems that the list of species gains

are recorded daily, I confess.

You’d think these lines would sufficedescribing Asia’s mineral world, but then

I fear that I can’t do it justicewith my insufficient writer’s pen.


June Benefit Auction Review(Continued from page 1)

would like to look through the many remaining donations thatthe Club still has available (100's of minerals!), just give me acall and we can figure out a convenient time.

Overall participation in the bidding was good – almosteveryone at the meeting bought at least one item. However, wefeel that meeting attendance (33) was lower again for the secondyear than we have come to expect (40 vs. 60). Many of themeeting “regulars” did not come, We will try to assessinformally why this was the case.

One major item was accidentally damaged after it wasbought, and not by the successful bidder. We all agree thatthings happen and in thinking about it, it is actually remarkablethat we had no memory of something like this happening before.Anna wisely said that in the future we should solicit sturdierstuff as contributions to the auction.

The auction is a very important fun raiser for the Club asit helps to fund the lecture programs, meeting room andprojector costs, bulletin production and mailing and other eventsand programs.

From Ten Years Ago . . .I thought it would be interesting to members, old and new, to seesome of items that were in the Bulletin of the New YorkMineralogical Club from July of 1996. – Mitch

Quartz Alert!!Dear Dealers and Collectors,

At a show yesterday, our booth was paid a visit by one ofthe “enlightened” meta-physical people who told us to keep allquartz, amethyst, and citrine out of direct sunlight as the crystalswill “actually grow”. I have never personally experienced thisphenomenon, and I wonder-ed if any of my fellow rockhoundshave?

According to this person, the crystals “will continue togrow as long as they are exposed to sunlight”. I just thought I'd pass this one along because I wouldn't want anyone to have toreplace a display case that the “growing quartz crystals” destroyby busting through the glass.

Aren't people funny?Source: Mike Shell (via the Internet)

Diamond RediscoveredThe world's largest flawless diamond was rediscovered

recently in Bombay, India. The 17th century Kingdom ofGoldonda (now just a ruined fort in the State of Andhra Pradesh)was the site of some of the greatest diamond discoveries of alltime. Such stones as the Koh-I-Noor (now set in the Britishcrown jewels) and the Idol's Eye (at 70.21 carats - the largestknown natural blue diamond in the world) were unearthed there.One diamond from that era, cut to more then 50 carats, wasbelieved to have been set (along with the Koh-I-Noor) into thePeacock Throne of Shah Jahan, the Mogul Emperor of India whobuilt the Taj Mahal. Then, in 1739, Persia's Nadir Shah invadedIndia, seized the Peacock Throne and stripped it of its mostimportant gems. The 50-carat diamond was never seen again

until recently, when it was rediscovered in Bombay. London'sLaurence Graff purchased it, had it repolished in New York (therepolishing cut it to 47.29 carats) and then sent it to theGemological Institute of America for certification. GIA gave ita “D” flawless rating - making it what they believe is the largest“D” flawless diamond in the world. The magnificent diamondhas now been named “The Goldonda D”.Source: “American Gold News” via “The Pegmatite”

Murphy's Law for Rockhounds� When using a stone as an anvil, the rock underneath will

always be softer than the one being smitten and will breakfirst.

� Rocks project from the ground like an iceberg – one tenthabove, nine tenths below.

� The rock that looks easy to break will smash yourhammer.

� It is easier to get a camel through the eye of a needle thanto descend a mine dump with dignity.

� The best rock is the one just out of reach.� Rain is caused by camping trips, gold tournaments and

field trips.� Heat waves are the direct result of air conditioners going

on the blink.� The inside of a rock is never how you picture it.Source: May 1996 EFMLS News via Gem Cutters News



Purple RainMy hectic winter schedule was evidenced by a languishing

stack of trade journals teetering precariously high on my desk.Over the next two days, I turned the phone off and plungedheadlong into the bottomless sea of jewelry news.

Soon I developed a sort of speed reading system– circlingand ripping out articles, creating a manageable mini-mountain.Mercifully, many industry trades share stories. If I perused asubject in one journal, I could pass over it in thenext paper until something new caught my eye.Soon something did.

Purple, The New Pink, it read. I likepurple, but you may too, but wonder how it canbe new. If purple spans the gamut from lilacquartz to blue zoisite (tanzanite), then we dohave a lot to pick from.

Only a decade ago, consumers reliedheavily on their local jeweler to educate them.With the ubiquitous home shopping networkscranking out jewelry with “information” 24/7,plus the behemoth of online shopping,customers have developed higher expectations.

But no one knows your customer betterthan you. Television or the Internet cannotreally offer personal interaction with a human.If purple is the next hot color, think of the possibilities for yourcustomers.

Pink– the recent hot color –may presume to be feminine,but purple is unisex. For example, sales are brisk in men’stanzanite jewelry. Strong, saturated purples are well suited formen’s accessories, cuff links being a smart choice. Plentifulamethyst has been a unisex choice for a few thousand years.London’s Crown Jewels feature a prominent amethyst in theking’s regalia. Ancient Romans loved it so much, they attributedspecial powers to it. Wine goblets carved from single amethystswere prized by Romans who believed that drinking from such agoblet, or holding an amethyst while imbibing, would preventdrunkenness.

If you count one of the colors of alexandrite, particularlythe jazzy Brazilian material, you have an elegant purple gem formen’s and women’s jewelry.

Here are other opportunities. From the subtle Rose deFrance, a lilac-y quartz which was wildly popular in the early20 century to deep purple sapphires, purple has a bright futureth

because your choices span the color wheel and price range.Tanzanite fans are legion since its debut in the late 1960's.

But with universal appeal comes the demand for affordablealternatives. Lately, treated fluorite has found allies in themarketplace for good reason. It mimics a well saturated strongblue-violet top quality tanzanite at a fraction of tanzanites’ cost.Fluorite is abundant, found in many locales, but also rates loweron the Mohs scale– not the case with tanzanite.

Once a collectible curiosity, iolite has gone mainstream.Regrettably, I’ve heard it called the poor man’s tanzanite, an

unfair moniker. This strongly pleocroic violet stone has much tooffer. Viewed from different angles in the same lighting, it mayreveal a secondary color. Use this to pique interest with yourcustomer. If you recount iolite’s rich history as a navigationalaid to early Nordic seafarers, they’ll be hooked.

As you make restocking decisions this year, consider thepossibilities of purple. Lilac-y quartz, once again billed as Rosede France, or simply pink amethyst is pretty and unusual.

Kunzite exhibits a dreamy hard to describe lilachue. Don’t forget to showcase rubellitetourmaline. Your customers already knowamethyst as a birthstone for February, so offerthe Brazilian variety which occurs in an eyepopping deep tone.

Have you seen purple spinel recently? Itwas readily available at Tucson this year. I’vebook-marked several online sources of it too.The carat sizes and cuts available will help youthink of its many applications. Clients like toknow that spinel is untreated.

Purple sapphire is my thing,-and I’vewatched the price climb with purple’spopularity. Infrequently found in large sizes, therarity factor and beauty is its selling point.

Do your customers know garnet? Theluscious grape-y colors, besides rhodolite, are unusual anddramatic. Purple garnets can be diamond indicators. Geologistsoften chose diamond drilling sites in areas rich with purplegarnet. Isn’t that interesting?

Manufacturers have done well with producing treatedpurple diamonds, and lab-created purple diamonds. Their beauty,carat size, and clarity make them well worth the price tag.

When considering less expensive purple, try laboratoryalexandrite. Russian lab-alex closely mimics natural alexandrite.Customers are willing to pay a little more when you explain thatthe Russian variety has the same chemical, physical and opticalproperties as the natural material.

It won’t be long before you’ll find what works for you andyour customer. That makes everyone prosperous and fashionablein the New Year.

White LightSometimes one stumbles on a new twist with a well known

popular gemstone. Such is the case with the current supply ofwhite topaz on the market. Because so-called white topaz isactually the colorless variety, it’s been the object ofenhancement; most recently to become the mystical topazvarieties which produce almost iridescent multi-color reflectionsoff of their coated surfaces.

It’s been around over a quarter century, it’s ultraaffordable, and plentiful, especially in large carat sizes. So theutility of white topaz is almost limitless, whether it’s beentreated to acquire a new personality or simply relied upon tolook similar to another colorless stone.


The one thing white topaz does not have is the extravagantdispersion of say a colorless sapphire, diamond or cubiczirconia. Nevertheless, what it has going for it is an impressivestatement as far as consumers are concerned. It’s a genuinegemstone straight from the earth. Because it’s so abundant andavailable in large carat sizes, that fact may be nearly lost tojewelers who forget how important that quality of ‘genuine-ness’is to consumers. Many shoppers still have to overcome theskittishness of buying what they still call ‘semi-preciousgemstones’. We more accurately refer to them as coloredgemstones, or in this particular instance, colorless gemstones.The larger portion of jewelry consumers have still not sorted outthe differences between natural, genuine, created, enhanced, andso on.

So, white topaz is taking on a new reputation of lateamongst a growing throng of contemporary designers who havefolded this nicely into their line. And why not—as jewelers aremore often focusing on prominent center stones cut in decorousunusual faceting, they can combine white topaz together withany other colored stone.

In Tucson this year, a vendor who specializes in modestpriced colored gemstones had a lot of white topaz on display.Because it was sohighly dispersive, itwas not immediatelyrecognizable to manypassers by. It sparkledwith a depth of lightreturn that made onethink this was an eyecatching laboratorystone. The differencehere? These elongatedcushions, many ofwhich had crisscross crown facets, were ingeniously cut withconcave elongated pavilion facets. This inventive choice fans outthe reflected light returning back to the eye. The result is one ofcreating an impression of great depth to the material, a moreradiant sparkle and a jazzy look to an otherwise simplegemstone.

Customers who are given the information that topaz is agenuine from-the-earth gemstone will be interested when seeingit combined in fashionable contemporary designs. A big look ispossible for your clientele who don’t have big wallets. Keep aneye out for this clean looking stone in some fresh styling fromyouthful designers all across the country.

Upcoming Weekend of Minerals & GemsSymposium, Banquet & Show

November 9-11, 2007Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan

Recommended WebsiteGeology of Central Park - From Rocks to IceBy Dr. C. Merguerian and M. Merguerian, 2004http://www.dukelabs.com/Abstracts%20and%20Papers/CMMMM2004.htm

In Memoriam:David R. Hargett, Gemologist By John Koivula, Ken Scarratt and Tom Moses

Gemologist, NYMC member and author David Hargettpassed away recently in New York, the city he called his homefor most of his adult life. He was only 53 years old.

Hargett worked for the GIA Laboratory in New York for16 years as a colleague of now-GIA Laboratory and ResearchSenior Vice President TomMoses and their gemologicalm e n t o r , G . R o b e r tCrowningshield. Hargett beganhis career with GIA in January1977 after obtaining hisGraduate Gemologist diplomain Santa Monica, California,and a bachelor's degree fromNew York University.

Hargett served forseveral years as manager of theGem Identification departmentat the East Coast GIALaboratory, where he was instrumental in developing many ofthe techniques still used today to recognize synthetic and treatedcolored stones, as well as cultured pearls and enhanceddiamonds.

The author or co-author of many Gems & Gemology(G&G) Lab Notes on unusual gem materials, he also co-authoredthe award-winning Koivula et al. article on “TheCharacterization and Identification of Filled Diamonds” in 1989.

Hargett was very fond of gemologically related travel, andhe particularly enjoyed exploring the gem mining areas ofMexico and Central America. G&G published Hargett'sdefinitive paper on the jadeite deposits of Guatemala in theSummer 1990 issue. He left GIA in 1992 to start a consultingbusiness, which allowed him to focus on areas of gemology hehad come to enjoy.

Those who were fortunate enough to know Hargett as afriend remember him as a kind and generous person with anamazing sense of humor. Those who worked with him rememberhim as an excellent gemologist with a keen and curious mind.

Through his dedicated gemological research and an overallstrong work ethic, he gained the respect and admiration ofgemologists all over the world. He will be missed by many, bothwithin and outside the gemological community.

Source: GIA Loupe Online, Volume 16-Issue 2-Spring 2007

Talk About Shelf Life!An article written by member Alfredo Petrov entitled

“Life and the Origin of Minerals” appeared in the June 2007issue of The Rockafella, bulletin of the Waverley Gem Club ofVictoria (Australia).

This essay was originally published in the August 2001Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club.

We commend the Aussies for their preservation ofinteresting and rare documents.




August 11 ? Springfield Show Trip?East Coast Mineral Show,Springfield, Massachusetts

Details to Follow(Request for drivers to offer rides)

SundayAugust 19

Picnic & GeologicWalking Tour

Upper Manhattan / Fort TryonPark / Inwood Area

Details on page 1 (Tour given by Dr.Charles Merguerian)

3 Wednesday!rd






FridayNovember 9Afternoon

Mineral Symposium,Silent Auction

»Mezzanine Level

Holiday Inn Midtown

»Restaurant or Mezzanine

Club Event: 3-hour lecture series,literature, souvenirs; high-quality silentauction

FridayNovember 9Evening

Annual Banquet &Awards Ceremony

Wine, games, awards, prizes, excellentfood, fun, etc.; possible lecture



2007 Show Calendar







200 dealers, exhibits, lectures; HUGE

August 25-2641 Annual Mineral &st

Gem ShowRecreation Center, 130 E.Merrick Road, Freeport, NY

Very easy LIRR access;For info: John Anderson (516) 781-8410

September 8-957 Annual Gem, Mineralth

& Jewelry ShowNew Milford High School,New Milford, Connecticut

Sponsored by the Danbury MineralogicalSociety

September 29-3051 Franklin-Sterling Hillst

Mineral ShowFranklin School, WashingtonAvenue, Franklin, NJ

Sponsored by the Franklin-OgdensburgMineralogical Society

October 6-714 Annual Wayneth

County Mineral ShowSt. Michael’s School, Newark,New York

Sponsored by Wayne County G&M Club;Host of the 2007 EFMLS Convention



Details to Follow


Also, for more extensive national and regional show information check online:AFMS Website:http://www.amfed.org and/or the EFMLS Website: http://www.amfed.org/efmls









No Regular Club Meetings in July or August

Have a Great Summer!Next Meeting in September but a Geological Outing on Sunday, August 19, 2007


FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

Highlight

2007 East Coast (Springfield)Gem & Mineral Show Review

Rocko Minerals at the Springfield Show


Volume 121, No. 9 September 2007

September 19 Meeting:th

(Note: 3 Wednesday of the Month!)rd


At this “Show & Tell” meeting,rescheduled from February, everyone hasa chance to shares o m e t h i n ginteresting withhis or her fellowmembers.

A l t h o u g hthere are nospecific topicalrestrictions, hereare some areas inwhich we woulde n c o u r a g em e m b e r s t ofocus on in their short presentations:

� Recent Acquisition(s)

� Field Collecting Stories

� Museum/Exhibit Visits

� Show Reviews

� Recent Creations/Designs

� Business Stories

� Gem Topics

� People Reminiscences

� Book/Magazine Suggestions

If you intend to participate in the ClubMembers' Showcase, it would be helpfulif you let Anna know so she can put youon the agenda and thereby give everyoneadequate time to speak. Please telephoneor email her (see last page fornumbers/email address).

The club display case will be on hand tosafely place any important or valuable

objects.

By Bill Shelton

The annual East Coast Gem &Mineral Show took place in WestSpringfield, Massachusetts on August 10-12, 2007. As you may know, I am one ofmany workers at the show each year. I getto see the whole set-up, public sales time,take-down and exhibit preparation(coming and going). This show, which Ihappen to be very partial to, is far andaway the best one east of the Mississippithat I know about; it will even exceed theupcoming NEW show in Georgia that willstart up next year. The date will be oneweek after West Springfield. My firstknowledge of the details was one newthing for me at the show this year.

The choices among 200 plus dealersare endless – you can find just aboutanything. Being a “mineral person”, I can'tsay much for jewelry and lapidary items.The favorite pieces for me were two hugebrazilianite specimens (from Brazil) - onea fabulous cluster of feldspar with crystalsall over the place and the other a cluster offine crystals. Several dealers had moremodest-sized examples. (Note: Rich Rossiobtained one at the show and will presentit to us at the Members’ Showcase at thenext meet! – Editor.)

It was a great year for prospecting formatrix gold specimens. I saw at leastfifteen very fine examples with prices thatcover the usual gamut from acceptable tovery creative. Copper was plentiful andone dealer had perhaps a dozen oldMichigan pieces from a few hundred tomany thousand dollars each that I'd guessmost anyone would be happy to acquire.

One new calcite caught my attentionwith oriented pyrite stripes (from China)and was one of the few new items I saw.

Happily, contrary to the overalldownward spiral of late at most mineralshows, attendance was very good withnearly ten thousand total patrons. Somedealers indicated sales were good and Isaw a lot of bags being carried about plusboxes so I guess it was good for everyone.

The exhibits were from Franklin-Sterling Hill area and had the largesttemporary fluorescent exhibit I ever saw.Also, an extensive collection of mining-related items plus a nice cross-section ofclassics with several newly-acquired itemsfrom the Philadelphia Academy torepresent the mineral diversity of thislocality was showcased.

I missed seeing a crew from the NewYork Mineralogical Club but Rich Rossiwas there. It is too bad the annual bus tripcan't become a reality again. Maybe nextyear a van full of members will come upto enjoy the show.

Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2(Upper Manhattan Field Trip)World of Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Earth’s Heat; Poison Ivy. . . . . . . . . . 4Eating Dinosaur Bones (Really!). . . 5From 10 Tears Ago. . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8(Advice on Purchasing Minerals)Topics in Gemology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 92007 Banquet Reservations Form.. 10Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . 11

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club September 2007

Charles pointing out a potholein Manhattan Schist.


For those of us who didn’t make it tothe Springfield show, there is a silverlining. You am saving the money,including transportation expense, for ourshow here in New York on November 10–11! I am urging my colleagues andfriends to support our show also. TheFranklin show is coming up on September29 –30 too. So treat yourself, you deserveit!

This is also the beginning of duesrenewal season. Some members like tosend in their holiday banquet money anddues at the same time. I find that it savestime and strain on my memory!

Please keep the date in mind; our firstmeeting of the fall season is Wednesday,September 19. We have changed from theusual second Wednesday to the thirdWednesday in observance of Erev RoshHashanah. Our activity will be theMembers’ Showcase.

Speakers Neededfor the

2007 Fall New York City Gem &Mineral Show

Ideas, references or volunteerswelcome!

I had wonderful trip to Italy,including finding a MineralogicalMuseum in Naples and a climb up MountVesuvius! I have some photographs andwill tell you about my adventures! If youmissed your chance last February becauseof the storm, this is your chance to shareyour presentation with us!

If you are looking for a good read asthe summer winds to a close, I recommend“The Book of the Dead” by DouglasPreston and Lincoln Child. It’s the latestin their Agent Pendergast series and itopens with a bang: the theft of theAmerican Museum of Natural History’scolored diamond collection. The novelmixes science with suspense and asoupçon of supernatural thrills. It’s out inpaperback from Warner Vision Books.You will be entertained! More great news:Preston and Child are currently writing thenext Agent Pendergast novel, “The Wheelof Darkness.”

See you in September!

Club “Meeting Minutes” for August 19, 2007By Vivien Gornitz, Secretary

Field Trip to Isham and Inwood ParksCharles Merguerian,

Professor of Geology atHofstra University and long-time Club member, led ourgroup of around 20 on anexcursion into a billion years of“deep t im e” in upperManhattan. His trained eyecould discern hundreds ofmillions of years of geologicalhistory compressed into a fewsquare feet of exposed barerock. He pointed out subtledifferences in color and texturethat reveal differences in mineral and rockcomposition, in turn indicating differencesin the environments in which the originals e d i m e n t a r y r o c k s d e p o s i t e d .Subsequently, the rocks have beensqueezed, contorted, and baked intomarbles, schists, and gneisses througheons of continental breakup, seafloorspreading, and tectonic plate collisions.Mountain ranges, once rivaling theHimalayas, have been reduced by theforces of weathering and erosion to merelow ridges and swales, now largelycovered by vegetation and buildings.

Starting in Isham Park, east ofSeaman Ave. and Isham Street, Charlesdescribed the Inwood Marble as calciticand dolomitic limestones that originallywere deposited offshore on a shallow,stable continental shelf, around 500million years ago during the Cambrian andearly Ordovician Periods. Similarcontinental shelf rocks formed all alongthe U.S. East Coast. In the late Ordovicianperiod, around 450-430 million years ago,during the Taconian Orogeny, thepredecessor of the Atlantic Ocean began toclose, and a volcanic island arc was thrustup over the North American continent,folding and faulting the limestones andoverlying shales into undulating, lopsidedwaves, and cooking the rocks into marblesand schists at temperature of 800EC(1472EF) and 10 km depths. Small lensesof brownish chert and quartzite aresandwiched in between the marble layers.As a result of the tremendous forces thatonce deformed these rocks, the morebrittle siliceous layers have been pulled

apart into discontinuous masses called“boudins” (= blood sausage, French).Furthermore, the rock layers have beensteeply tilted eastward and actually formone limb of a syncline, plunging to the

south. This type of structurecan be visualized as a carrotsliced lengthwise, with the tippointing south. The trend ofthe deformational axis isrepeated at all scales, fromindividual mineral grains, tooutcrops, and finally in theoveral l north-northeastorientation of Manhattan.Later periods of deformationre-folded the initial set offolds, leaving a convolutedstructural puzzle to beunraveled by dedicated

geologists like Charles. (Continues on p 5)

Very Sad NewsDavid Trevas, a lifetime member of

the NYMC and the Queens MineralSociety, passed away and was buried onAugust 20 at the family grave site. Severalth

members of both clubs attended the funeral.Travers Tool Co., Inc. was started in

1924 by David Trevas. An aspiring youngentrepreneur, David borrowed $1000 andasked a New York tool distributor to lethim place a telephone on one of the emptydesks at the office. After gaining somemeasure of success, David opened his firstmetalworking tool distribution office at 5Court Square in Long Island City, NewYork. Due to the fact that many of hiscustomers did not pronounce his last namecorrectly, David Trevas named hiscompany Travers Tool Co., Inc.

David had a long life (95) and lovedhis family, golf and minerals. He was aninteresting man who was equally asinteresting to talk to. Few would deny hemade an impression when you met himboth with his mind and energy. He will bemissed.

Members in the NewsThe past bulletin articles of Vivien

Gornitz continue to be a fertile source ofcontent for the Rockafella, bulletin of theWaverly Gem Club of Victoria, Australia.In their recent August issue, theyreproduced two of them, including “GiantCrystal Cave Discovered” from November2000 and “Guatemalan Jade” fromDecember 2002.

September 2007 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 3


A Crystal WonderlandEvery avid mineral collector and rockhound dreams of

finding a pocket or cavity lined with lustrous, well-formedcrystals. Imagine a cavern crisscrossed by giant, translucentwhite selenite (gypsum) crystals the size of large tree trunks.Such a cave, the “Cave of Crystals”, was discovered in 2000, inthe Naica mine, in the mountains 112 km southeast ofChihuahua City, Mexico. This mine has also yielded yard-sizedselenite crystals from the better-known “Cave of Swords”.

The Naica mine hosts a major lead-zinc-silver orebody insedimentary limestones and argillites, which were intruded byTertiary silicic dikes, 26.2 and 25.9 million years ago. Oreminerals include pyrite-pyrrhotite, sphalerite, galena, andchalcopyrite, which were deposited from hot, salty solutionsrelated to the Tertiary dikes. The crystal caves occur along faultsthat acted as conduits for the migrating, ore-bearinghydrothermal fluids.

The “Cave of Crystals” is filled with mega-selenite crystals,as long as 11 m (36 ft) and 1 m (3.3 ft) thick–the largest everfound to date! The floor and the walls of the cave are lined withblocky, single crystals and clusters displaying well-developedprism {1k0}, {-111}, and pinacoid {010} faces. Huge elongatedselenite crystals rise from the floor, touching the roof and wallsof the cave. Most of these crystals are at least 6 m (20 ft) long,going up to 10 m (33 ft). The miners call these “vigas” or beams.

Such giant crystals could have only formed under a uniqueset of special circumstances. It is believed that the giant gypsumcrystals grew slowly from warm, mildly saline brines at theexpense of earlier-formed anhydrite. During the waning stagesof hydrothermal activity, oxidation of primary sulfide mineralsproduced sulfuric acid, which reacted with the limestone to form

4anhydrite (CaSO ). Anhydrite becomes unstable and more

4 2soluble than gypsum (CaSO ! 2H O) below 56–58EC(136–132EF). Groundwater temperatures in the deeper parts ofthe mine are close to 53EC (127EF), close to the temperature atwhich the selenite had crystallized, based on fluid inclusionstudies. At these temperatures, gypsum crystals nucleate andgrow slowly over many thousands to more than one millionyears. By contrast, temperatures in the Cave of Swords, whichis located closer to the surface, were much lower and therefore

the nucleation of crystals proceeded much faster. Therefore thiscave became filled with a large number of smaller crystals.

The enormous size of the selenite crystals points to a narrowtemperature range and low degree of supersaturation that hasbeen maintained at a fairly constant level over long periods oftime. As a unique occurrence of the mineral kingdom, the Caveof Crystals is worthy of protection and preservation.Further ReadingGarcia-Ruiz, J. M., et al., 2007. Formation of natural gypsum

megacrystals in Naica, Mexico. Geology, 35, 327-330.


Earth's Inner Heat Keeps Cities AfloatBy Paul Foy, Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (June 27) - If it weren't for the hot rocksdown below Earth's crust, most of North America would bebelow sea level, report researchers who say the significanceof Earth's internal heat has been overlooked.

Without it, mile-high Denver would be 727 feetbelow sea level, the scientists calculate, and NewYork City, more than a quarter-mile below. LosAngeles would be almost three-quarters of a milebeneath the Pacific.

In fact most of the United States would disappear,except for some major Western mountain ranges, accordingto research at the University of Utah.

“Researchers have failed to appreciate how heat makes rockin the continental crust and upper mantle expand to become lessdense and more buoyant,” said Derrick Hasterok, a graduatestudent in geology and geophysics.

Hasterok and his professor, David Chapman, published theirfindings in the June online issue of Journal of GeophysicalResearch-Solid Earth.

In what they said was the first calculation of its kind, theresearchers said heat inside the planet accounts for half thereason land rises above sea level or higher to form mountains.

Scientists previously gave other factors greater weight inexplaining elevation differences, such as the density and makeupof rocks and tectonic forces.

The Utah team calculated how much of North Americawould sink if the engine of heat was taken away, leaving regionsas relatively cold as the bottom of the vast Canadian shield _bedrock that hasn't changed for billions of years.

They did it by estimating temperatures under the NorthAmerican plate based on previous experiments that bouncedseismic waves deep underground. The waves travel fasterthrough colder, denser rock. That data allowed the researchers tocalculate how much of an area's elevation is due to the thicknessand composition of its rock and how much is due to the heatingand expansion of rock.

Their measurements showed that among coastal cities, NewYork would drop to 1,427 feet below the Atlantic ocean, Bostonand Miami even deeper. Los Angeles would rest 3,756 feetbelow the surface of the Pacific ocean.New Orleans, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina's 2005storm surges, wouldn't have a chance without planetary heat . Nolevee could protect the city, which would sit 2,426 feet deep inthe Gulf of Mexico.

The country's midsection wouldn't be spared, either.Chicago would sink 2,229 feet below sea level. Most of thecountry, in fact, would disappear, leaving only ridges of theRocky Mountains and the Sierra-Nevada Range and the the areawest of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest.

The Colorado plateau, a major uplift of land driven by1,200-degree underground heat , consists of much the samelayers of rock found deep under the Great Plains, where the baseof the Earth's crust is relatively cooler, 930 degrees, theresearchers estimated.

Their scenario actually lifts Seattle and the Pacific

Northwest. The region sits on a cold slab of oceanic crust that isdiving under the continent, insulating the land mass from theEarth's heat . It would rise if the crust was warmed to atemperature equal to the warmer bottom of the Canadian shield.

The Seattle scenario is puzzling but emphasizes a regionthat's on a different tectonic plate than the rest of the

West Coast, said Barbara EchoHawk of GeologicalSociety of America.

The researchers used the Canadian shield _ “aspecial, stable and cool area of rock” _ as theirstatistical baseline for the effect of removing heatfrom under the continent. The slab under Seattle,

however, is colder than the Canadian shield, so itwould be the only U.S. region to rise under this analysis,

she said.Hasterok said heat from Earth's deep interior and from

radioactive decay of uranium, thorium and potassium in Earth'scrust will stay around for a long time to come.

Even if the planet's interior cooled, it would take billions ofyears for continents to sink. Coastal areas face a more immediatethreat from global warming, which could raise sea levels andflood cities, he said.For Field Collectors:

Poison Ivy More Potent Due to ClimateChangesRising Carbon Dioxide Levels Produce Stronger PlantsBy Tara Parker-Pope, the Wall Street Journal, 6-28-07

Poison ivy, the scourge of summer campers, hikers andgardeners, is getting worse.

New research shows the rash-inducing plant appears to begrowing faster and producing more potent oil compared withearlier decades. The reason? Rising ambient carbon dioxidelevels create ideal conditions for the plant, producing biggerleaves, faster growth, hardier plants and oil that's even moreirritating.

Although the data on poison ivy come from controlledstudies, they suggest the vexing plant is more ubiquitous thanever. And the more-potent oil produced by the plants may resultin itchier rashes. “If it's producing a more virulent form of theoil, then even a small or more casual contact will result in arash,” says Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist for the U.S.Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Md.

The latest research, led by Dr. Ziska, studied poison ivyplants in Maryland under different levels of carbon dioxideexposure. One group of plants was exposed to about 300 partsper million of carbon dioxide – about the same level found in theatmosphere in the 1950s. Another group was exposed to 400

2parts per million of CO – about the same level in theatmosphere today.

After about eight months, leaf size, stem length and weightand oil content of the plants raised at current carbon dioxidelevels were, on average, 50 percent to 75 percent higher than theplants under the 1950s conditions, according to the study,expected to be published this year in the journal Weed Science.

2Not only did the higher CO level double the growth rate, but itmade for hardier plants that recovered more quickly from theravages of grazing animals.


Steeply tilted layers dipping toward the east,in Inwood Marble.

Glacial striation on a roche moutonée.

Chinese Villagers Eat Dinosaur BonesBEIJING (AP) - Villagers in central China dug up a ton ofdinosaur bones and boiled them in soup or ground them intopowder for traditional medicine, believing they were from flyingdragons and had healing powers.

Until last year, the fossils were being sold in Henanprovince as “dragon bones” at about 4 yuan (50 cents) perkilogram (2.2 pounds), scientist Dong Zhiming told TheAssociated Press on Wednesday.

Dong, a professor with the Institute of VertebratePaleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of

Sciences, said when the villagers found out thebones were from dinosaurs they donated 200kilograms (440 pounds) to him and hiscolleagues for research.

“They had believed that the “dragonbones” were from the dragons flying in thesky,” he said.

The calcium-rich bones were sometimesboiled with other ingredients and fed tochildren as a treatment for dizziness and leg

cramps. Other times they were ground up and made into a pastethat was applied directly to fractures and other injuries, he said.

The practice had been going on for at least two decades, hesaid.

Dong was among a team of scientists who recentlyexcavated in Henan's Ruyang County a 60-foot-long plant-eatingdinosaur, which lived 85 million to 100 million years ago. Localofficials held a news conference Tuesday, showing off the findto the public for the first time.

Another two dinosaur fossils were being excavated in thearea, which is rich in fossilized dinosaur eggs, Dong said.Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.

August Upper Manhattan Field Trip(Continued from page 2)

The earthquake risk for New York City may be relativelylow, but cannot be ruled out altogether. The New York Citymetro area has had earthquakes of up to magnitude 4 or 5.Northwest-trending fractures seen in the rocks on this field triprun parallel to faults along nearby Dykeman Street; similar faultsalso run along 125 and 96 Sts. These fractures lie parallel toth th

fracture zones in the ocean, probably scars resulting from thebreakup of the super-continent Pangea beginning in the Triassic.

After a tasty lunch, generously provided by the Club, inadjacent, scenic Inwood Park, the field trip resumed. Frommarble we moved to schist. Here, the story gets even morecomplicated, in that the Manhattan Schist Formation mayactually consist of at least three distinct rock units, withvariations in lithology that reflect the original depositionalsettings. Seen as a single group, the Manhattan Schist is amassive gray, weathering to rusty or maroon biotite, muscovite,quartz, plagioclase, garnet schist and gneiss. In contrast to thesofter, more erodible Inwood Marble, this unit formstopographically-higher ridges thanks to the presence of hard,more weather-resistant minerals like quartz, garnet, kyanite, andsillimanite. Some layers are darker and more massive. These are

amphibolite, a metamorphic rock containing amphiboles. Theamphibolites were once basaltic lava flows, relics of the collisionbetween an offshore island arc with the North Americancontinent. Climbing up aridge westward toward theHudson River, we sawexamples of refolded foldsin “metamorphic sweats”o f q u a r t z a n dfeldspar–minerals withlower melting points thatpartially melted andseparated out duringmetamorphism. These werelater refolded during laterperiods of deformation.

A f t e r e o n s o fdowncutting and erosion,the Pleistocene glaciers lefttheir “calling cards”–largeerratic boulders of diabasefrom across the HudsonRiver and striations or grooves etched into the rocks, indicatingthe direction(s) from which the glaciers came. Charles infers atleast two periods of glaciation from the differing orientations ofthe glacial striations. Other “calling cards” include thestreamlined shapes of outcrops (“roches moutonnées”, or sheep-like rocks), smooth on the up-glacier side, and rough down-glacier, and potholes formed by boulders that got caught inswirling water and that eventually ground out a hole in solidrock.

Buried beneath our feet, but outcropping in the Bronx acrossthe Harlem River is the billion-year old Fordham Gneiss whichforms the underlyingbasement rock of New YorkCity. The Fordham Gneissconsists of lighter bands ofq u a r t z a n d f e ld spa rinterlayered with darkerbands of biotite, hornblende,and garnet. Although notseen on this field trip, theFordham Gneiss underwentthe same deformationaldistortions as the InwoodMarble and ManhattanSchist. Thus, the gneissexhibits similar patterns offolding and re-folding.

Our brief excursion intothe deep history of NewYork City was a pleasantexperience, with cooperating weather (dry and not too hot) andClub members are strongly encouraged to participate in similartrips in the future.

Further informationhttp://www.dukelabs.com/Isham_Inwood_Parks/Isham_Inwood_Park.htm


From 10 Years Ago . . . This article originally appeared in the September 1996 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club. I wrote it

based on suggestions both in terms of content and methodology by John Betts.About ten years ago I sent a questionnaire to some of the Club’s more prominent and/or knowledgeable members

with a series of questions regarding the purchase of minerals. You can see by the listing in the box who responded.Interestingly, most of them are still members to this day! Joe Arons, alas, has since passed away.

I received many accolades by readers at the time who thoroughly enjoyed its content. Indeed, as I read it over to decide whetheror not I would reprint it, I was struck by how much the content has held up! Virtually all the points and suggestions about buyingminerals expressed by the polled group remains as solid today as when I complied their opinions a decade ago. Thus, I decided toreproduce it here.

On a more sardonic note (you know me!), I want to relate the following: This was the first article I ever submitted to the EFMLSBulletin Article Contest and I did so with great joy and enthusiasm, in the category of “Original Educational” articles. Three judgesreviewed it; two gave it a score at or near 100%; the third disqualified it as neither “educational” nor “original” and felt the structureI used negated it as an article. (I saved the score sheets by the way.) Perhaps there needed to be some discussion about theconsequences about his doing this unilaterally.

Nevertheless, this was a very popular article. It was reproduced in the bulletins of over 30 mineral clubs (the I know of) acrossthe USA and for more than a year. I hope you enjoy (re)reading it and it fosters discussion among us as it did in 1996.

Mitch Portnoy, Editor

Purchasing Minerals: Rock-Solid Advice

IntroductionWe all love adding minerals to our collection. And pur-

chasing minerals from dealers at shows, meetings, symposia, orby mail order is a part of mineral collecting. (You might recallthat it was I who once expressed the opinion that the bestmineral collecting tool is the credit card!)

With this in mind and with some encouragement from JohnBetts, I decided to tap the vast experience and expertise of manyof the club’s members. We are fortunate to have numerousdealers as well as an abundance of seasoned collectors (andmany who fit into both categories). I sent out a letter to themasking the following questions:1. “What are the most common mistakes that beginning (or

even more advanced) mineral collectors make whenpurchasing or acquiring minerals for their collection?”

2. “What advice would you give to collectors whenpurchasing or acquiring minerals for their collection?”Responses came back rapidly. Here is a chart of those who

responded (and their initials that I reference within the article).I want to thank you all for sharing your thoughts with otherclub members. [Note: When a member’s initials appear after abullet point, the words may be either a direct quote, paraphraseor express the member’s general opinion.]

Joe Arons (JA)John Betts (JB)

Lawrence Conklin (LC)Richard Hauck (RH)Jacob Kaufman (JK)

Don & AudrayLapham (Lap)

Lee Lowell (LL)Bill Mancuso (BM)Don Miller (DM)

Ed Murphy (EM)Peter Nalle (PN)

Tony Nikischer (TN)Jonathan Smith (JS)Dave Trevas (DT)

Preliminary ConsiderationsFocus Your Collection� This simply means to have a collecting goal—i.e., you want

one of every species at the lowest possible cost, you wantazurites from every known occurrence, you want only thingsyou've collected yourself, you want tellurium-basedminerals, or pseudomorph, fluorescent, thumbnail, micro-mount specimens. You can place as many or as few

limitations on your collections as your pocketbook andtastes allow. But without some limiting focus, collectionstend to grow haphazardly, with a wide range of sizes andqualities, diluting the overall appeal and value of thecollection. (TN)

� One should always keep in mind in what direction thecollection is headed. What types of minerals are wanted,what sizes are appropriate, and what specialities aredesirable. Of course, a plan of action and budget areessential when going to a megashow such as Tucson,Denver or Springfield. I like topaz but I am over-extendedin topaz. I carry a little card with acquisitions I am lookingfor and at the bottom it says: “No Topaz”. (PN)

� Most beginners spread themselves too thin, while seriouscollectors tend to specialize. Collectors should try to limittheir collection to good quality specimens whether large orsmall. Try to assemble minerals from one area, be it NYC,or a particular quarry or the N.J. zeolites, or specialize inpseudomorphs, twinning, geodes, crystal habits, inclusions,etc. Other collecting categories could be particular Danaclassifications such as carbonates, sulfates, sulfides,vanadinates etc. (JK)

� Decide if you want to specialize (i.e., all micros, or allquartz family, or all rarities), or just generalize in whatreally takes catches your fancy. (LAP)

� One may build a study collection and/or one for display. Ineither case, include undamaged specimens showing typicalform for the species. (JA, JB)

� The collector should first define what he or she likes (not aneasy task in the vast world of buying minerals), so that hewon’t need to dispose of a bunch of specimens that he later,for whatever reason, comes to despise...how can he lose?(LC)

� My premise is: as collectors we are looking for unusual,uncommon, reasonably priced aesthetic minerals. Ordinaryamethyst cathedrals from Uruguay, Arkansas quartz points,“peacock ore”, and similar “mass produced” minerals haveno place in our collections. (JB)


“A collector should buy as few pieces as possiblewith his annual budget as his emotions will allow.”

Lawrence Conklin

Do Some Prepwork� Lack of familiarity with the mineral being considered for

purchase can be a problem. It is more the rule than theexception that one is attracted by the novelty of anunfamiliar mineral. Unfortunately the purchase is made andthe research is done ex-post facto. Therefore, the researchshould include knowledge of the various colors of theparticular mineral. When selecting a mineral specimen forcolor, it is important to pick out the one with the mostintense color. . . this may require several visits to variousdealers. One rule for collectors should be: “research beforepurchase”. (BM)

Considering a Purchase“Quality” is Important� Whether field collecting or silver pick, specimens must

adhere to species’ crystal habit, which may be hexagonal,octahedral, etc. (DT)

� The specimen must be free of “dings” (damaged crystals)and poor terminations. Such poor specimens are “leaverites”(i.e. leave them right where you find them). (DT, EM)...But,a well-repaired specimen may do until something bettercomes along. (JA)

� Buy by quality and NOT by price — believing that a $100piece is twice as good as a $50 piece or that a $5 one can’tbe any good is a big mistake. (RH)

� Look carefully. There may be another species or two on thepiece; the specimen may be underpriced. (EM)

� Check for repairs - we once saw Herkimers on matrix witha decidedly green color. Thinking we had missed some-thing in our years of digging Herkimers, we later dis-covered it was the sun shining on the glue the owner hadused to create his own gorgeous (?) matrix specimens.(Lap)

� Check for phonies - a lot of the large trilobites fromMorocco, for instance, are factory-made and not Mother-Nature created! (Lap)

Location, Location, Location� You must obtain and preserve precise locality information

for a specimen. This is far more important than what aspecimen is, simply because one can always have materialanalyzed to determine the what, but there is no reliablemeans of accurately determining the where. Specimens aregenerally evaluated according to their quality and rarity. Acollection of minerals without precise locality informationis worth significantly less than a well-documentedcollection. An unusual locality can add a substantialpremium to the value and uniqueness of a piece, but failingto preserve locality information reduces the specimen to itsleast common denominator: i.e.: how it looks as comparedto all other specimens of that species. Furthermore, byfailing to record and preserve locality data accurately, manyopportunities to build, study and enjoy a collection are lost:i.e., a) building locality suites, b) collecting one speciesfrom many diverse places, c) looking for and recognizingunique associations that may occur at only a single locality,etc. (TN: also JK, Lap, JA)

Labeling� Be sure the specimen is properly labeled, including locality

and other pertinent facts and that the label stays with thepiece. An unidentifiable piece loses much of its value. (DM:also LL, JK, Lap, JA)

Prices and Discounts� The price you pay for a mineral specimen should be equal

to that another purchaser would be willing to pay you. (BM)� When purchasing minerals, buy the best quality specimens

you can afford. When you buy low quality (“junk”) it willbe junk 5-10-20-30 years from now. (LL; also JA, JB, LC)

� Mistake #1 would be settling for less than the best that one’sbudget can afford. The “good bargain” is a mediocre piece,soon forgotten and relegated to the back of the drawer orcabinet. (DM)

� The question of price and negotiation depends entirely onthe circumstances. As with antiques, it never hurts to ask fora discount. (PN)

� Remember, virtually all mineral specimen prices arenegotiable. As one of New York City’s prominent artgallery owners (a good friend) put it—“prices can always beadjusted.” (LC)

� However, remember that trying to get dealers to take largediscounts off their minerals when they really cannot, in mostcases, implies an insult. (EM)

Show Behavior� Shop the show. Shopping (walking) around a show quickly

with a pad and pen, to take notes is a good idea. Then startweighing quality and comparing prices. (EM)

� See what is new and what “new” dealers are at the show.(EM, JB)

� Try not to pass by something you are strongly attracted to -it may not be there when you return! Try asking the seller toset it aside for a short period of time (say ½ to 1 hour, nomore). This gives you time to look around and also to thinka little harder about it. Be sure to return to the seller withinyour “set aside period” and let him know whether or notyou’re still interested. (Lap)

� A trap that I fall into sometimes is putting off buying amineral that I want and that meets my budget and othercriteria. Then, on reconsidering and going back, I find themineral gone — sold. I don’t believe that one should rushinto a purchase, especially for an expensive item, but myinstinct is fairly good. If it is truly a good specimen, thenwaiting until the end of the show for a better one won’twork. Usually, only the “dogs” are left. (PN)

� If I see a specimen that I really like, whether it be foraesthetics, interesting locality, or some other unusualproperty, and if the specimen is $25 or less, I recommendbuying it without too much delay. I have kicked myself forletting a relatively inexpensive specimen get away from me.The same applies to a more expensive specimen, but it must


“I don’t regret the minerals I bought, I regret theones I didn’t buy.” Richard Hauck

pass another layer of mental filters: is this really worth theasking price, do I really want this, does it compliment mycollection. Then I examine the specimen carefully, lookingfor defects (nothing is perfect so don’t expect perfection),and evaluating the quality of the specimen versus the askingprice. I know that if I purchase several specimens from thesame dealer, I can usually bargain the price down from 10%to 25%. So, sometimes I try to put together a package dealthat will bring down the price of each piece. If I am notconvinced the specimen is worth the price, I leave the dealerand go about my business. If I am still thinking about thespecimen later, then I go back for another look and gothrough all the mental trials again. If I return a third time, Iprobably really do want the mineral, and if I don’t fork overthe money I’ll be disappointed later. I am a believer infollowing my intuition, and if I hear a voice telling me“yes”, then I try to follow. Of course, you have to staywithin your present financial limits, as buying rocks is fun,but you still have to pay the rent and buy the groceries. (JS)

And What About All These Dealers?� Buy from someone who handles a wide variety of minerals.

Buy from an “educated” source rather than one who onlyknows prices. (EM, LC)

� Buying a damaged or mislabeled mineral is a regrettableerror and in part can be avoided by dealing with reputabledealers, insisting on good data and not operating in adarkened bar or back room. (PN)

� Comparison shop among the various mineral dealers. Don’tbuy from a given dealer because you have to have his labelon the specimen. (LL)

� Be sure name and location are correct — not all dealers areknowledgeable or scrupulous. (JA)

� My advice is to engage the dealer in conversation,especially one with a good reputation, and use hisknowledge of his display to your advantage. Tell him whatyou are looking for, what you specialize in, or inquire aboutnew discoveries. Ask the dealer what he has that otherdealers don't have, or if he has any minerals that hecollected personally. Inquire for old specimens from oldcollections or from well-known collections. (JB)

Be Careful But Not Too Careful� Most dealers will cheerfully allow you to “trade up”. (LC)� When purchasing minerals from unique localities, don’t

wait for another chance to make a purchase, for theopportunity may never occur again. (LL)

� If you go to a show with $300 to spend, you will build abetter collection, if you spend it all on one great specimen.The risk is you cannot find it and you go home empty-handed. That’s no risk – just add that money to your budgetfor the next show you visit. (JB)

� My advice to a collector is to buy what he or she likes, whathe or she can afford, and ignore fads. He should rarely,unless he is an expert, buy “the mineral of the year atTucson,” for instance. He should never buy specimens onthe installment plan. He should save up his money, havecash in his pocket, literally, and enjoy better buying powerat his favorite mineral dealer. (LC)

� Be careful, some dealers may not take a “return” if youchange your mind although, in my experience, most will ifthe items remain undamaged, with their original label andpackaging. (EM)

Post-Purchase ConsiderationsDisplay� Consider where and how the specimen will be displayed.

The proper lighting and mounting will add much to theenjoyment of the collection. This helps to counteract thenormal tendency to amass too much material, wherein werealize too late that all available space in closets, basementand garage is filled with rock-filled boxes. (DM)

Catalog Your Collection� Labels are easily separated from specimens over time.

Misplace the label, and all the history of a piece (how it wasobtained, from whom, at what cost, from which locality,with what associations etc.) can be lost forever. Not onlyshould collectors preserve old labels, but every effort shouldbe made to attach a number to a piece. Have that numbercorrespond to a journal, a ledger, a computer database etc.that preserves all the information about a piece. If a label isunfortunately lost, the data is still retrievable, and the valueof the piece can be maintained. The cataloging process alsohelps us study and learn about our specimens, occasionallyconvinces us to get rid of lesser duplicates, and often stopsus from buying things we may already have. (DM, LL)

Upgrade & Improve Your Collection� After a series of acquisitions comes the hard part. Be

merciless in separating the “keepers” from the “leaverites”.(JK)

� Some specimens can be improved by trimming, cleaning,brushing, mounting, acid baths. (JK)

In Conclusion (and a Terrific One!)



Quahog QuandaryThe pearl, that peerless wonder has elicited tomes of

adoration throughout time – amongst every nation who hasthrilled at discovering these amazing gifts of the sea.

These awesome natural jewels, mysterious in their creationon the ocean floor, secreted inside the rudest of mollusks —inspire poems of worship, such as this anonymous offering:

. . . Ocean’s gems, the purest of nature’s works! What days of weary journeying,What sleepless nights, what toils on land and sea,Are borne by men who gain thee!

Pearl value does not rely solely on itsbeauty. Ancient and modern people haveutilized the pearl and its nacre for beautytreatments and remedy for disease.

The founder of the great cultured pearlindustry, Kokichi Mikimoto who died in 1954,made this surprising comment. At age 94, heattributed his vigor and longevity “to the twopearls I have swallowed every morning of mylife since I was twenty.” They are after all,primarily composed of calcium carbonate. Ithink of him each morning while munching onmy calcium-chews.

The recent spotlight on unique pearls shines directly on thequahog. Pronounce it kwa-hog or co-hog, buyers’ choice, but doscout around for it. These natural but rarely occurring purplepearls are found in bivalve mollusks — the little neck clam fromRhode Island. Some experts place one such pearl discovery inevery 100,000 quahog clams. The purplish color of the shellreadily identifies it. Naragansett Indians, Rhode Island’s earliestinhabitants, favored these interesting shells for bead-making, andused them to create a local currency. Its Latin name is,incidentally, Mercenaria-mercenaria.Since I am nit-picking, I should note thatthe quahog purple pearl is not technicallya pearl. It is the byproduct of a clam, notan oyster, but who’s keeping track whentheir stories are so exciting?

Last year, a small collection ofquahog pearls created a stir at the TucsonGem Fair. Quite a feat, consideringnearly everything’s been exhibited thereby now.

When a Rhode Island jeweler wentdigging around a local antique shop a few years back, he didn’tquibble over the asking price of a well-constructed brooch.Paying the $14, he accidentally stumbled upon quite a find. Theyeventually sent this odd “purple thing in the middle,” as hedescribed the center stone, to a gemological lab for evaluation.There were actually two purple pearls in this brooch.

Turns out, he owned a 13.56 carat genuine Quahog pearlwith the eye effect, displaying the desirable hues of deep purpleto lilac. The style and manufacture dated the brooch to the mid-Victorian era. Since so few of these rare pearls have entered themarket, fixing a precise value on it was difficult. Of course,everyone involved forecasted its worth substantially higher thanits purchase price. Several thousand times higher to beprecise–perhaps fetching millions of dollars, if the owner couldever part with it.

Two major auction houses estimated a final hammer priceof the man’s property to range from $250,000 to a milliondollars; quite a spread, but understandable given its uniqueness.

The ideal sales venue was thought to be HongKong where bidders are the most pearl savvy.

Since the flurry of excitement generatedover this fortunate Rhode Islander’s discovery,many other people are in fact discovering theirown purple treasures. Could it be that they aremore abundant than previously thought?

Take for example, a segment aired onCBS-The Morning Show, around Christmas of2005. When a Newport, Rhode Island familyhad a yen for clams, they ordered a few dozenquahogs from a local take-out restaurant.

Thinking she had just shucked a rotten one, thewoman showed the odd clam to her husband. They were thisclose to tossing it in the waste bin. Surprisingly, she too was theaccidental owner of a rare purple pearl. Her pea sized beauty isnow in a custom-made ring, and while they await the verdict onits value, they were thrilled to learn that only a handful of theseare known to exist.

Or is that completely true? My interest piqued, I did somedigging of my own on the internet. I soon uncovered a blog fullof information from quahog pearl owners, anxious to determinetheir pearl’s value. After reading dozens of entries, I quitcounting. I got the idea. Numerous purple pearls are tucked

away. Some people inherited them fromgrandparents who summered on CapeCod. Other long time Rhode Islandresidents reported having pearls largerthan 15mm in diameter. Of course wedon’t know the quality of thesecuriosities.

Time will tell–that age-worn axiomapplies here. Quahog pearls areintriguingly elusive. When you factor intheir natural origin and beauty, they’re

all likely to be valuable. How many of us have dreamed ofrooting around at a yard sale junk box only to uncover the findof the century? Or, haven’t we occasionally scrutinized ournibbles at the oyster bar— just in case?

The last word about Quahog pearls has yet to be written.Maybe you will discover the next sensational pearl. I’d be happyas a clam if I could— well, you know.


121st Anniversary New York Mineralogical Club Banquet

Date: November 9, 2007 [Friday Evening]Time: 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. [Social Hour & Silent Auction from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.]Place: Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan, 57 Street Between Ninth & Tenth Avenues, NYCth

Cost: $50 for Members/Guests (Advance Payment); $55 for Non-Members (or Payment at the Door)

Gala Dinner Menu (tentative)Green Salad with Variety of Dressings

Medley of FruitsChicken Sorrentino (Mushroom/Wine Sauce)

Seared SalmonPasta Primavera

Rice PilafRoasted Potatoes

Seasonal VegetablesSelection of Breads & Rolls

Red & White WineSoft Drink Assortment

Special Holiday Dessert TrayCoffee & Tea

NameSpecial Guest Speaker

“Subject to be Announced Soon!”

Send in the reply order form below by November 7. Seating is limited. We must receive this RSVP in order to guarantee yourreservation. Make your check payable to the “New York Mineralogical Club” and send it to: New York Mineralogical ClubBanquet, P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station, NYC, NY 10024-0077. Or call Anna Schumate evenings at (212) 675-6979 or emailher at [email protected] to place your reservations.

Amount

_____ Please reserve _____ seats for me at the banquet ($50 for Members, $55 for Non-Members).

_____ I would like to help pay for the wine or dessert at the banquet. I am adding a donation to help out the Club! (Each bottle costs us $22)

_____ Also enclosed are my 2008 NYMC membership dues ($25 Individual, $35 Family).

_____ Please reserve a 2004-5 NYMC Gem & Mineral Almanac for me @ $10 each. (These make GREAT holiday gifts!)

_____ Total Included

Name(s)

Street Address Apt. No.

City State Zip

Phone Email


2007-8 Club Event Calendar


3 Wednesday!rd






Friday EveningNovember 9

Annual Holiday Banquet& Awards Ceremony

Holiday Inn MidtownManhattan, Mezzanine Level

Wine, games, awards, prizes, excellentfood, fun, etc.; guest lecture




Details to follow


Details to follow


Details to follow


Details to follow

May 14 Meeting at 6:45People Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Details to follow

June 11Annual Benefit Mineral& Gem Auction


Details to follow

2007 Show Calendar


September 835 Annual Gem &th

Mineral ShowFanwood Train Station,Fanwood, New Jersey

Rain date is September 9; Informationcontact Russell Brarens @ 732-469-1047

September 8-957 Annual Gem, Mineralth

& Jewelry ShowNew Milford High School,New Milford, Connecticut

Sponsored by the Danbury MineralogicalSociety


Mineral ShowFranklin School, WashingtonAvenue, Franklin, New Jersey


October 6-714 Annual Wayneth

County Mineral ShowSt. Michael’s School,Newark, New York




Details to Follow


Also, for more extensive national and regional show information check online:AFMS Website: http://www.amfed.org and/or theEFMLS Website: http://www.amfed.org/efmls








Dues: $25 Individual, $35 Family per calendar year. Meetings: 2nd Wednesday of every month (except July and August) at the American Museum of Natural History,Central Park West between 77th and 81st Streets, New York City, New York. The Museum is closed at this time, so you must enter from the lower entrance off CentralPark West or from the parking lot on the north side of the Museum. The doors open at 5:30 P.M. and the meeting starts at 6:45 P.M. (Please watch for any announcedtime / date changes.) This bulletin is published monthly by the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. The submission deadline for each month’s bulletin is the 20th of thepreceding month. You may reprint articles or quote from this bulletin for non-profit usage only provided credit is given to the New York Mineralogical Club andpermission is obtained from the author and/or Editor. The Editor and the New York Mineralogical Club are not responsible for the accuracy or authenticity ofinformation or information in articles accepted for publication, nor are the expressed opinions necessarily those of the officers of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

People Center, American Museum of Natural History, New York CitySpecial Event: Club Members’ Showcase (Show & Tell)


FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

Highlight

Thinking Outside the Box:The NYMC at a Flea Market


Volume 121, No. 10 October 2007

October 10 Meeting:th

Dr. Charles Merguerian: “TheGeological Wonders ofYellowstone National Park”

Yellowstone National Park inWyoming sits atop a cooling magmachamber that someday will erupt as adeadly supervolcano as it has done

repeatedly inthe geologicp a s t . W i t ho n g o i n gs e i s m i c i t y ,more hot springactivity thanany other placeon earth, anda s s o c i a t e de x h a l a t i v eheaving of theearth's surface,

Yellowstone is one of the truly remarkable“fire-breathing” active calderas on earth.A veritable land of “Fire and Ice”, theglacial and volcanic history of theYellowstone area of Wyoming makes itone of the most picturesque regions on ourplanet. Come hear Dr. Charles Mergueriandiscuss the geology of this unique regionwith a video-enriched PowerPointpresentation.

Dr. Merguerian is Chairman andProfessor of Geology at HofstraUniversity in NY and President of DukeGeological Laboratories in Westbury, NY.He is the recognized expert on the geologyof New York City. His consultingexperience encompasses basic andsite-specific geologic mapping, subsurfacetunneling geology, bridge footing andfoundation analysis, mineral exploration.

He most recently gave the club awalking tour of upper Manhattan (Inwood- August ‘07) focusing on the geology andmineralogy in the area. It was a well-attended event, surely based on thereputation that Charles has both as anentertaining and educational speaker.

Four new dealers highlightupcoming NYC mineral show!Stay tuned!

By Mitch PortnoyNone of us is perfect. To make up for

these shortcomings, it is worthwhile tosurround yourself with friends with skillsor traits that fill in these gaps. This isespecially true for a managementcommittee, whether for an immensecommercial institution or for a muchsmaller mineral club. One of the traits thatRich Rossi brings as a director to theNYMC is his ability to “think outside thebox.”

I have noticed over the past few yearsthat the officers of many mineral-relatedorganizations such as the EFMLS, AFMS,mineral clubs, show promoters, etc., donot have this ability. If they evenacknowledge that there are any problemsin our hobby at all, they tend to retreat tooutdated solutions that are now supremelyineffective. Another equally annoyingreaction is to throw up their hands in theair (I mean this literally) and say nothingcan be done. Well, not so for Rich.

He had noticed for a while that nearthe Museum of Natural History, where wemeet, is a weekly flea market. This is awell-attended event that would not befilled with the same people who alwaysattend the regular hobby events. Rather,they would be a fresh group to market thebenefits of membership in the NYMC.

He contacted the promoters and, tomake a long story short, the Club had atwo-tabled booth at the Columbus AvenueFlea Market (at 77 Street) on Sunday,th

August 26, 2007. The goals were toadvertise the club and attract newmembers and to make some money byselling our publications and minerals fromthe pile of donations that remain.Evaluation - First Try

The activity was a success to somedegree. Rain threatened but held off and itwas never too hot, fortunately. Even ourneighbor with whom we shared a tent wasa nice guy.

We certainly attracted a lot ofattention since no one had anything likewhat we had and it was out first time. I

would not say it was a very well attendedflea market but many people stopped to atleast look, including a large number oftourists from around the world.

We did not sell any almanacs orephemera that we had like patches or notecards. We did sell $250 worth of mineralsand gemstones, however, reducing thatpile of donations I keep talking about thatoccupies my hall closet. We did not signup any new members there but MANYpeople took information about the cluband our next meeting and said they wouldor might attend. This will be worthtracking in September. Also, Rich felt wewere successful enough to give this fleamarket idea another try in two weeks.Second Try - Two Weeks Later

The second attempt, two weeks later,was, again, a guarded success. The fairitself was not a busy but we still managedto sell $100 worth of minerals and again,MANY of the people who stopped to talkto us expressed surprise that we evenexisted. (Continues next page)

Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2World of Minerals – Cave Minerals. 3Club History – Agni Mani. . . . . . . . . 4From 10 Tears Ago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Topics in Gemology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 92007 Banquet & 2008 Dues Form. 10Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . 11

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club October 2007


Thank you to all who participated inthe Members' Showcase on September 19.You helped make it an enlightening andentertaining evening for everyone. We hada new member, Kenneth Conn and someguests with us and I'm sure they left with agood feeling about our Club. We need toproject a friendly approachability alongwith a chance for learning about minerals inour efforts to reach the public and sustainour hobby. I think we did an admirable job.Let's keep up the good work!

As some of you know, Rich Rossi,Mitch and Vivien manned a table at theColumbus Avenue flea market, just south ofthe Museum, the weekend before LaborDay. They handed out information on theClub and had some minerals for sale. Ournew member and the guests attended ourmeeting as a result. I think this is just onegood way to publicize our club andgenerate some interest. If your church orsynagogue is having a bazaar or similarevent, you may want to consider havingsome of our information available fordistribution, particularly with the Novembershow coming up. We would like to seemore attendance (and buying) at the shows.If you would like some fliers, applicationforms and especially show fliers, pleasecontact us.

I recently purchased a wonderfuladdition to my library: Agates, Treasures ofthe Earth. ISBN-13: 978-1-55407-098-5$35.00 Published in the United States byFirefly Books, P.O. Box1338, EllicottStation, Buffalo, NY 14205. The principalauthor, Roger Pabian, is a highly respectedspecialist on agates and a paleontologist. Hetaught geology at the University ofNebraska-Lincoln for 35 years and nowteaches gem cutting. Co-authors are BrianJackson, head of Mineralogy at the NationalMuseum of Scotland, Peter Tandy, curatorin the Department of Mineralogy at theNational History museum, London,England and John Cromartie, an expert onScottish agates with 35 years collectingexperience. The volume is replete withgorgeous color photographs illustrating thedifferent varieties of agates throughout theworld. Chapters include the geology ofagate formation, identification, cutting andhistorical jewelry. I purchased my copy atthe American Museum of Natural History'sbookshop and enthusiastically recommendit for its absorbing text and visuallystunning photographs.

Club Meeting Minutes for September 19, 2007By Vivien Gornitz, SecretaryAttendance: 27President Anna Schumate presidedAnnouncements� Long-time club member David

Trevas passed away recently. Severalmembers shared thei r fondrecollections of David with us.

� Lapidary material from the ChesterEdmond collection is available forsale. Interested persons can phoneMrs. Helen Edmond at 516-223-2870.

Highlights of the Annual ClubMembers’ Showcase� Nick Nikiforou showed a lovely

specimen of ferberite and quartz fromYaogangxian tungsten mine, Hunan,China.

� Rich Rossi displayed some recently-acquired specimens, including historiccrocoite from Bersof, Siberia, astevensite pseudomorph from BergenHill, New Jersey, also hollandite inquartz crystals from Madagascar,babingtonite from the Lane Quarry,Massachusetts, and an impressivebixbyte (red beryl) from the WahWah Mountains, Utah. He alsodescribed Club efforts to recruit newmembers from our booth at theColumbus Avenue Flea Market.

� Mitch Portnoy showed slides of thegigantic selenite crystals from Naica,Mexico, courtesy of Phil Elenko. Onanother note, he announced that Clubmember Dr. Oliver Sacks will speakabout Musicophilia–Music and theBrain at the American Museum ofNatural History on October 28.

� Anna Schumate summarizedhighlights of her recent trip to Italy,including a visit to the summit ofVesuvius and the mineral collection atthe Naples Museum of NaturalHistory.

� John Betts showed a slab of smalldinosaur footprints from the UBCQuarry, New Jersey. He alsomentioned that tourmaline from Mt.Mica, Maine, is available fromWestern Maine Mineral Adventures,West Paris, ME. For a modest fee,collectors can screen through fivegallon buckets of raw material or,alternatively, arrange short trips to thequarry.

� Bill Mancuso brought in the auctioncatalog of the Roraima ShieldCollection, featuring large, rare goldcrystals.

� Alla Priceman showed an unusualpartial pyrite pyritohedron crystal fromPeru, with at least 3 distinct fossil shellimprints.

� Mitch Bogen brought in a “blooddiamond” from Sierra Leone. He alsopassed around crystals of tourmalineand aquamarine from Mt. Mica, Maineand showed photos of blue topaz fromthe Pulsifer Quarry, Maine, source of a220 ct crystal.

� David Brand described a “desert” inMaine, actually some fine-grained sanddunes derived from glacial till that wasdeposited in a now-vanishedPleistocene lake. Also, “biodynamic”agriculture in eastern Long Island,where finely-ground Arkansas quartz issprinkled over growing crops.

Welcome New Members!Jane Kaplan. . . . . . . . . . . . . Brooklyn, NYKenneth Conn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . NYC, NY

Flea Market Results(Continued from page 1)

I won’t spend a lot of time on this butbeing out in the public is a daunting task forsomeone as verbally direct as I can be –fortunately, Rich’s more easy-going naturewas a big help. What could I say (actuallynothing) to the woman who had a “major”mineral collection including marvelousquartz crystals that she had on her windowsill and “were growing?” Or to the engineerwho used to work at the “SmithsonianInstitute” who was an “international expert”on “tribolites?” Or, lastly, to the man whowanted to know the value of the mica schistrock specimen he had found in the Parkrecently? Never a dull moment . . .Meeting Results – Success!

Well, for me, the best results from thisexperiment occurred last night at themeeting. Three flesh and blood people whomet us at the flea market attended. One, anenthusiastic gemologist, joined immediately.The two others, did not join immediately buttook an application and I have everyconfidence we will see them again.

In conclusion, thinking out of the boxhas its rewards.

October 2007 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 3


Cave MineralsBeneath our feet lies a hidden world full of natural wonders.

Hollow caverns host a myriad of unusual formation resemblingimposing columns, organ pipes, frozen cascades, strips of bacon,poached eggs, and delicate popcorn, soda straws, mushrooms,and stars, to name just a few. The world of caves is also home toover 250 different minerals, including not only the familiarcalcite and aragonite, gypsum, sulfur, iron and manganeseoxides, but less commonly, fluorite, halite, malachite,rhodochrosite, and a slew of rare species. The open spaces allowlarge and well-formed crystals to grow. The Cave of Crystals(Naica, Mexico), with 10 m long gypsum crystals, is anexceptional example.

Caves can form in various ways. The most common are bythe action of groundwater on limestone, reaction of mineralizedhydrothermal solutions with carbonate rocks, tectonic fissures,and hollow tubes formed by hot, fluid lavas. Rainwater seepingbelow ground carries dissolved carbon dioxide from theatmosphere. The mildly acidic carbonic acid, produced by

2reaction of CO with water, supplemented by organic acids fromdecaying vegetation in soils, descends toward the water table,dissolving limestone bedrock along the way. The carbonate-saturated water, encountering an air-filled cavity, loses carbondioxide to the cave air, thereby precipitating calcite. Depositionof calcite also occurs by evaporation of groundwater particularlyin dry or cold environments. Accumulations hanging from theroof of the cave like icicles are called stalactites; those buildingup from the ground are stalagmites. The generic term for cavedeposits is speleothem.

Calcite is the dominant cave mineral, but aragonite is often

3present although, theoretically, it is not the stable form of CaCOunder usual cave conditions. So, why is it there at all? It is nowbelieved that the presence of magnesium in the groundwaterfavors the precipitation of aragonite over calcite. Evaporationalso increases the magnesium content over that of calcium insolution, leading to deposition of high Mg-calcite and aragonite,and ultimately magnesium carbonate minerals (e.g.,hydromagnesite or magnesite). Supersaturated or dry conditionsalso promote aragonite formation.

A wide variety of cave minerals crystallize from circulatinggroundwater. Aside from the ubiquitous calcite and aragonite,some common species include gypsum, anhydrite, barite, halite,fluorite, silica minerals (quartz, chalcedony, opal), goethite,hematite, birnessite, epsomite, mirabilite, celestite, thenardite,soda niter and hydroxyl apatite. A number of organic mineralsare derived from guano and the droppings of bats, rats, birds, andother animals living in caves. Such minerals include urea,weddellite, and whewellite.

Hydrothermal solutions carrying dissolved metals create alarge number of cave minerals. Sulfide minerals, such as galena,sphalerite, chalcopyrite, occur in hydrothermally-generatedcavities or vugs in Mississippi-type ore deposits. Secondaryminerals result from oxidation of sulfides. Some well-knownexamples include botryoidal azurite and malachite from the

Copper Queen mine cave, Bisbee, Arizona, malachite fromZaire, smithsonite in caves from the lead-zinc district ofnorthwest Illinois, and anglesite from the upper Mississippi lead-zinc district. Other, rarer secondary minerals such as base metalarsenates and vanadates have also been reported from caves.

Minerals line open clefts and fissures produced by tectonicactivity. Best-known are the magnificent, large quartz crystals(both clear and smoky) from the Swiss Alps, sometimes coatedby a dusting of greenish chlorite, tiny pyrite cubes, and highlydesirable from a collector’s viewpoint, pink fluorite octahedra..Botryoidal and stalactitic rhodochrosites occur in a tectonic cavefrom the Andalgala mining district in the Andes Mts., Argentina.

It is likely that microorganisms play an important role indeposition of many cave minerals, although the nature of theirinvolvement is still being debated. An open question is whetherthe microbes have actually led to the deposition of speleothems,or whether they were simply engulfed by spreadingmineralization. A strong case can be made for the biologicalorigin of native sulfur in caves. The enrichment of the lightersulfur isotope, S, over S in geologic deposits is generally a32 32

sign of bacterial activity. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, such asThiobacillus, convert hydrogen sulfide from decaying organicmatter and other sources into sulfuric acid, which in turn reactswith the calcium carbonate in caves to form gypsum. Reducingbacteria subsequently (e.g., Desulfovibrio) convert the gypsuminto native sulfur.

Microorganisms are also suspected to be involved in thedeposition of iron and manganese oxides in caves. While it isoften difficult to distinguish truly inorganic chemical precipitatesfrom those that have been formed by microbial action, whetherdirectly or indirectly, certain species of bacteria are known toparticipate in chemical reactions that generate iron andmanganese oxides. For example, Thiobacillus ferroxidans (as itsname implies)oxidizes the iron in pyrite to Fe and the sulfur to+3

sulfate, as in sulfuric acid. Gallionella and Leptothrix produceFe oxyhydroxides. The latter microbe also oxidizes manganese+3

to birnessite. These bacteria are virtually ubiquitous and havebeen detected in cave environments. Microbes have also beenfound in, or associated with some carbonate and silicaspeleothems, but again it is unclear whether they were merelytrapped there, or were actively engaged in the mineralizationprocess.

Finally, because of the delicacy and rarity of many caveformations and their sensitivity to minor changes inenvironmental conditions, spelunkers and cave visitors are urgedto exercise caution in not disturbing these underground mineraltreasures.Further readingHill, C. and Forti, P., 1997. Cave Minerals of the World, 2 ed.nd

National Speleological Society, Inc., Huntsville, Alabama,463p.

Perkins, S., 2006. Buried treasures: Constructing–anddeconstructing–cave formations. Science News, v. 169,p.266-268.


Agni Mani. In condition as discovered onsite on Billiton Island

Club HistoryThe following appeared in the July, 1947 issue of Rocks and Minerals. Reprinted with permission. It is based on a lecturegiven to the New York Mineralogical Club by the author on February 19, 1947. Accompanying illustrations for the articleare modern and were found by me on the Internet – Editor

THE AGNI MANI — MAGIC GEM OF THE ORIENTFar Eastern Traditions and Beliefs About a Rare Tektite

BY BARON RICHARD JOHAN DE TOUCHÉ-SKADDING

Through centuries, many legends and tales have referred tomagic stones, but most of them have vanished into the limbo ofthe forgotten past. While in the West newly discovered mineralslike radium and uranium almost approachthe definition of magic stones, in the Orientold traditions have preserved the beliefs inthe efficacy of rare stones.

In a class by itself is the Agni Mani, theSanskrit name for “Fire Gem,” according toancient chronicles it is known to have beenhighly esteemed some 2500 years ago. Itoriginated in the East Indies and ismentioned in travel records of ChineseBuddhists who visited India by way ofIndonesia in the 5 century. This gem wasth

said to be extremely rare and only kingsand emperors owned it them. Its existencewas first reported in Java, which wascolonized by South Indian emigrants in the2 century A.D. , who established mightynd

colonial empires under the Indian Pallavadynasty.

Leading European historians have translated and studiedChinese and Arab chronicles which are informative about life inIndonesia during the early centuries of our Christian era.References to the Agni Mani occur in these records which wasregarded as a magic gem of great mystic power. The King ofJava was said to own such a gem, to which his power andinfluence was ascribed. The royal dynasty itself was supposedlysafeguarded by it.

The Chinese Tang annals of the 7 century described theth

Agni Mani as being in size and shape like a bird’s egg, dark incolor, with a rough surface. It’s structure was said to be crystal-like. Ancient Indian religious literature also makes mention of it.But until recently, no definite identification had been possible,

In ancient Indonesia, India and China, gold diamonds andother precious stones were already well-known, and it isnoteworthy that the Agni Mani was treated as the most preciousof all. The Chinese called it “Huo Chu,” and the Javanese“Kumbalageni”; both names are a literal translation of “FirePearl,” defining it as a gem and suggesting its contact with fire.

Billiton Island Source of Origin of Agni ManiBased upon data in ancient records, the island of Billiton has

been identified as the source of origin of the Agni Mani. In Javamagic and healing properties were ascribed to this gem. It hasbeen recorded for years rival kings strove for the possession ofthe “Danu Raja,” a large Agni Mani (weighing about 36 carats).The Chinese Tang Annals mention that King Kalavinka of Java

sent his emissary to the Emperor of China in the year 523 A.D.,bearing one rare, precious Agni Mani as annual tribute for thatyear. These references to the Agni Mani indicate that its

popularity as a magic gem must haveoriginated in great antiquity, at least 500years before the Christian era.

By a coincidence of circumstances,these old traditions have now been linkedwith a rare mineral of celestial origin,recently discovered in Indonesia. Withinthe triangle formed by Singapore, Java andBorneo, lies the island or Billiton, wheresome of the richest tin mines in the worldare located. Early in 1939, the curator ofRaffles Museum, Singapore mentioned tome a find of meteorites on the island, andupon his suggestion, I visited Billiton.There I was fortunate to obtain a few smallblack stones with sculpted surfaces,suggestive of moon craters and lined withdeep grooves. The stones ranged from a

quarter to one and a half inches in diameter. Some were round inshape and others were oval. Javanese and Chinese mining handswere superstitious about these stones and believed them to be theseed from which tin grows (calling them “ibu budji”). When ona rare occasion such a stone is found, they immediately bury itagain in order not to despoil the riches of the soil; many tinminers shared the belief that these stones possessed greatsupernatural powers, and Javanese believed that these stoneswere black diamonds.

From what I could gather, this stone was in some wayassociated with the old beliefs, but i was unable to connect it, atthe time, with any known tradition. The Raffles Museum,Singapore, was glad to have two specimens, and the restremained in my collection. Subsequently, I learned thatelsewhere in Indonesia, certain Javanese, Chinese and Malaysknew of such meteoric stones and ascribed supernatural powersto them. But as these stones are rarer than diamonds, only veryisolated instances of ownership are known.

I became increasingly interested in this meteorite and tooktime during journey across Java, Borneo and through Malaya, toinvestigate exiting records of ownership.

Agni Mani’s Mystic PowersIn one instance, during a visit to His Highness the Sultan of

Pontianak, in Western Borneo, I learned that he possessed sucha meteoritic gem, which he placed in the basket containing hisfavorite fighting cock, and it was said that his bird wouldinvariably win. The gem, which he had inherited from his


Location of Billiton Island on a Modern Map of Indonesia.

ancestors, was also held to be responsible for the preservation ofthe royal lineage. This could hardly be doubted, judging from thelarge flocks of children with which His Highness’s palaceabounded. In any case, the gem was safely kept under lock andkey in a modern safe. Then there was the time when the Sultanwished to influence the Dutch Colonial Government to appointhis favorite son as his successor, but the Government oppositionto this plan was known to be very strong. Some time later, Iheard that the Sultan had prevailed, and that his chosen heir waseventually appointed—because he had carried the gem oh hisperson when on his mission to the Governor.

While in Java, I visited the independent native state ofSurakarta. During an evening at the ruler’s court, I brought upthe subject of the meteoric gem of Billiton, and was rewardednot only with interesting information, but a specimen of the gemwas shown to me. The Susuhunan of Surakarta, titular Emperorof Java, owns such a black meteorite, which he inherited fromhis ancestor; King Erlanga, a Javanese ruler in the 1th century,to which he attributes his long life and robust constitution. Thisgem is said to endow the owner with physical and mentalstrength. It was believed that for as long as the stone remainedwith the ruling house, that the state of Surakarta would continueto exist.

On another occasion, when I visited the mining district ofIpoh in British Malaya, I came upon the case of a very wealthy

Chinese tin mine owner, who ascribed his good fortune to thepossession of a similar meteoric gem. The man had previouslybeen an illiterate laborer and rose to become one of thewealthiest and, subsequently, most influential persons. He alsoowned a racing stable and confided in me that he occasionallyplaced the gem in a leather satchel and attached it to the lest earof his racehorse. According to him, it usually won.

While I was directing excavations in Malacca town, I met anold Malay sage, who told me this tale: It was said that theMahmud Shah, the last Malay Sultan of Malacca, owned a blackmagic stone. One day a Portuguese fleet came to anchor offMalacca with the intention of trading. Mir Abdullah, the Sultan’sadvisor, stole the precious talisman and blamed the theft uponsome Arab merchants, who in turn were accused of having soldit to the Portuguese. The Sultan, apprehensive of theconsequences, imprisoned the Europeans. The stone was notrecovered, but instead, a second Portuguese fleet came to the aidof the prisoners and conquered Malacca. My Malay informantadded that the invaders must have obtained possession of theSultan’s talisman, which then enabled them to seize and conquerMalacca.

With reference to this tale, History does record similarevents, which happened in the year 1510, when Don AlfonsoAlbuquerque commanded the second Portuguese fleet whichvanquished the Sultan of Malacca.


Lord Louis Mountbatten

Agni Mani Classified a TektiteIn the summer of 1939 I left Malaya and arrived in India,

but the outbreak of the war prevented me for some years to giveattention to the meteoric gems of Billiton. In 1944 I sent oneportion of a specimen to Professor Sir C. V. Raman, the directorof the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore, for examination.This eminent scientist made several tests and classified themineral as a tektite. The following are brief extracts from theProceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences,” Vol. XX, July1944, relating to the mineral:

“In an article regarding the examination of a tektite, Mr.A. Sigamony (Department of Physics, Indian Instituteof Sciences, Bangalore) writes about a communicationby Sir C. V. Raman, Kt., F.R.S., N.L. as follows: . . . asa result of his investigation of the ancient literature,notably the records of the seventh century A.D., Baronde Touché-Skadding has identified these stones withthe “magic stones” or “fire pearl” which were esteemedhighly by the ancients and believed to have mysticpowers . . .the material was found to be extremely hardand it has been reported that during the cutting andpolishing process of one specimen the surface of thepolishing steel disc was si severely cut, that it becamepitted with deep holes. The specimen sent forexamination had a part of it surface cute and polishedplane, while the rest of it had the original ovoid form ofthe stone and was marked with deep grooves. Amongother experiments conducted in the laboratories, themagnetic susceptibility of the stone was measured by aCurie balance, and it was found to be 7.78 x 10-6 pergm. at 250º C. The specific gravity was found to be2.448. Dr. R. S. Krishnan studied the stone by X-raymethods and found it to be of amorphous structure.From the Brewsterian angle for the reflection at thepolished surface, its refractive index was estimated at1.535. The analysis showed that it contained 70.92%silica, 1.04% ferric and 5.42% ferrous oxides.”The article concludes with the author’s wish to record his

deep sense of gratitude to Professor Sir. C. V. Raman for hiskeen interest and encouragement of this work.

While tektites are a new subject of study to Orientalmineralogists, they have been known to Western Scientists forsome time. They were at first believed to be obsidians, but theabsence of volcanic rock on Billiton rules out this possibility. R.D. M. Verbeek was the first to propose that they might be ofextraterrestrial origin. These very rare minerals are a kind ofnatural glass, consisting mostly of silica and usually alsocontaining a small quality of free alumina. They differ fromterrestrial volcanic glass (obsidians) by the proportions of iron,lime and magnesia, which they contain. Physically they aredistinguished by the complete absence of crystallization. Thetektites of Billiton are unique because of their strongly etchedsurface. Tektites occur only in fragments of definite shape,which is usually spherical or oval. They are found in very fewregion on Earth and bear no relationship to the substratum onwhich they are found, but compare closely to sedimentary rock.Tektites have now been universally accepted as being ofmeteoric origin.

Later, by comparing notes with fellow members of theRoyal Asiatic Society, interested in scientific research, it becameincreasingly evident that the Agni Mani of the ancients isidentical with the black meteorite from Billiton. It is equallycertain, that in instances where I have traced present ownershipof these meteorites, the stones are also identical with the AgniMani. A chain of uninterrupted traditions extending over twenty-five centuries has thus been established.

Agni Mani Well-Known to Ancient People of IndiaAfter reading a paper about the “Discovery of the Agni

Mani” at the Royal Asiatic Society, the interest in this gembegan to spread in India. The press and private publicationsdiscussed the relationship of the Agni with India. Professor R. G.Gyani, Curator of the Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay,revealed to me, on one occasion, that he had discovered asimilarity between the Agni Mani and the legendary“Saimantakmani” jewel, which is associated with Lord Krishna,a mythological Hindu deity. The Professor, who had made aspecial study of Hindu scriptures, pointed out that there wasclose association of beliefs between Chinese, Indonesians andthe Indians. As a leading member of the Astrological Society ofIndia, he was of the opinion that the Agni Mani was one of theancient celestial jewels associated with the zodiac.

He asserted that the Agni Mani was known to the ancinetpeople of India, which they connected with astronomical andmineralogical phenomenon. The ancient Rishis (high priests) ofIndia, who led a simple and highly cultured life, knew a greatdeal of these manifestations, and by their experiments in thedomain of astronomical, mineralogical and medicinal practices,and by co-ordinating their results, arrived at certain conclusions,which to a layman would sound like magic. Their faithfulfollowers accepted these conclusions, which have been handeddown through the generations. He further expressed the beliefthat this rare meteorite still possesses certain auspicious andefficacious qualities.

The I received a letter from Dr. Leonard J. Spencer,formerly Keeper of Minerals at the British Museum, expressinginterest in the traditions associated with the Agni Mani, andasking for further information on the subject. He later wrote anarticle about it for the Mineralogical Abstracts in theMineralogical Magazine of Britain.

About that time, the Japanese were preparing for theinvasion of India, and Allied forceswere very limited and inadequatelyequipped. Admiral Lord LouisMountbatten was the SupremeCommander of the Southeast Asiaallied front, including Burma.Possibly, in anticipation of theexpected enemy invasion of India,his headquarters moved from Delhito Ceylon. On the 28 February,th

1944, I sent the Admiral on half ofan Agni Mani, with a reprint of thepaper read at the Royal AsiaticSociety. Two days later, I receivedhis reply, confirming his receipt of the gem and expressing “the


Indonesian stamp from 2000depicting a tektite (Agni Mani)

Book by the Baron onthis topic from 1996

hope that there was something in the special qualities which areattributed to it.”

The press reported that on the 5 of March, according toth

Lord Louis Mountbatten’s personal idea, allied commandoes ingliders, towed by aircraft, were landed in the Burmese junglebehind the Japanese lines. A complete surprise had beeneffected, and the enemy’s plans were upset. This offensive,subsequently, proved decisive against the Japanese, who neveragain recovered the initiative in Southeast Asia.

Author’s Trip to the HimalayasWhen the situation in India made it safe to travel, I made a

journey to the Kulu Valley in the Himalayas. Travel from theplains into the precincts of the “roof of the world” (as theHimalayas are called) did not lack adventure; narrow roadswound around steep precipices and the cool mountain air and thepeople appeared different from those of the plains. Pale skinned

mountaineers tended flocks of sheepand goat. After a weeks travel, Ireached the Kulu Valley which issurrounded by snow-peaks risingabove 20,000 feet. I had come tothis Shangri-la of fruit orchards,pine woods and glaciers with theintention of spending a few peacefulmonths.

During my sojourn in thevalley, I received an invitation fromProfessor Nicholas Roerich, a savantand painter of world repute. Thisphilosopher and sage is also anauthority on Tibet and Mongolia,which he explored on severaloccasions. After a tortuous ride on a

mountain pony, which scrambled with the agility of a goat overrocks, along narrow ledges and up steep paths, where a slipwould have meant eternity, I arrived at the Roerich residence, setamid a forest of tall Himalayan deodar pines.

The charming, old-world courtesy of my host made me feelwelcome. The interior of his home was richly decked withcarpets, Tibetan banners and gilded Buddhas. During a verylavish lunch, served by liveried servants, the professor noticedmy ring, into which one half of a polished Agni Mani is set. Heconfessed to me a feeling of attraction to the gem. While I toldhim what is known about the Agni Mani, he listened withgrowing interest. Later, he brought out the diary of his Tibetanjourneys and read his notes on the Stone of Shambala, the mostsacred jewel of Tibet, kept by the Tashi Lama at Naran Obo. TheTibetans hold that this gem originates from the constellation ofOrion.

Professor Roerich believes that there is a strong affinitybetween the Agni Mani and the Sacred Stone of Shambala, andthat it is also identical with the stone of the Holy Grail. He alsorelated many unusual experiences in Tibet, having witnessedinstances of telepathy, transfiguration and other supernaturalphenomena, for which science has as yet no explanation.

Agni Mani Becomes Author’s CredentialWhat I heard from Professor Roerich urged me to explore

the upper plateau of Lahoul, which lies in the north towardTibet. The weather favored the progress of our expedition, andI visited several Buddhistmonasteries. On occasionthe monks recognized thegem I was wearing andbegged permission toworship it by placing itupon their heads. The AgniMani became a credential,which opened all the gatesand made our expeditionwelcomed everywhere. TheTibetans loaded us withgifts of hand-wovenscarves, copper, silver andgold ornamented teapots and wine jars, gilded and jeweledBuddhas and delicately worked silver. The Head Lama of amonastery told me on one occasion that the Agni Mani which Iwear was a free pass everywhere in Tibet and would ensure awelcome at any time. Despite my attempts to repay theirhospitality, the would invariably request the modest favor ofbeing allowed to worship the “Stone of Shambala,” as theycalled it.

After a short time on the upper Himalayan plateau, Ireturned to the Kulu Valley and eventually to Bombay, where Imet again Professor Gyani, withwhom I discussed the substance ofthe Tibetan beliefs and the identityof the Agni Mani with the sacredStone of Shambala. Shortly afterthat, I was invited to the palace of anIndian Maharajah, who told me thathis family belonged to a Rajput clan,descended in a direct line from LordKrishna, who, although deified, hadin reality been an Indian prince. HisHighness was in difficulties, andwanted to obtain an Agni Maniwhich he believed would benefithim.

He now wears a small piecemounted in gold on a string of pearlsaround his neck. His expectationswere soon justified and his turn of good fortune became knownin India. It was not long before I was approached by other rulerswho invited me to their states and expressed their eagerness topossess a fraction of an Agni Mani. As events showed, in everyinstance the owner experienced a favorable change. The ancientlegend of the Agni Mani has, therefore, been revived by a chainof coincidences which defy explanation.

These excerpts from ancient chronicles, legends andcoincidences truly confer upon the Agni Mani the title “MostMystic Gem of the Orient.”

(References omitted)


From 10 Years Ago . . . The items below are all from the 1997 October Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club. Enjoy! — Editor.

Sad, But True!(Via the Internet)

A freshman at Eagle Rock JuniorHigh School won first prize at theGreater Idaho Falls Science Fair, April26. He was attempting to show howconditioned we have become to thealarmists practicing junk science andspreading fear of everything in ourenvironment. In his project he urgedpeople to sign a petition demanding strictcontrol or total elimination of thechemical, “dihydrogen monoxide.” Andfor plenty of good reasons, since:1. It can cause excessive sweating and

vomiting.2. It is a major component in acid rain.3. It can cause severe burns in its

gaseous state.4. Accidental inhalation of it can kill

you.5. It contributes to erosion.6. It decreases effectiveness of

automobile brakes.7. It has been found in tumors of

terminal cancer patients.

He asked 50 people if they supporteda ban of the chemical. Forty three saidyes, six were undecided and only oneknew that the chemical was water (H2O).The title of his prize-winning project was“How Gullible Are We?” He feels theconclusion is obvious.

Smithsonian Halls Reopen(Based on information in the 1997September/October Rocks & Minerals)

After nearly 10 years of planningand renovation, the earth science halls ofthe Smithsonian's Natural Museum ofNatural History reopened on September20. The new hall is designed to showcasethe National Gem and MineralCollection, considered among the world'sbest. Other exhibits are related tovolcanos, the solar system and relatedgeological topics. The hall is named afterJanet Annenberg Hooker who donated $5million towards the renovation.

Some of the specific exhibits are: theHarry Winston Gallery, National GemCollection, Splendors of the Mineral

World, Mine Gallery, Rocks Above andBelow, Plate Tectonics Gallery, andEarth, Moon and Meteorites. Multimediais used throughout.

Perhaps a club trip is in order?

(Note: It never happened! – Editor.)

Mineral MicrophotographyBy Bill Mancuso

Taking close up photos has been afascination of mine and I decided to learnhow it is done for myself. Since I am thefortunate owner of a Bausch & Lombstereozoom microscope, model VB-73, Iwanted to be able to record a copy of theimages viewed through the eyepiece. Idid some research at the libraries, andeventually found that a tubewould be necessary to attach tomy single lens reflex camera.This would then permit me tophotograph directly through themicroscope eyepiece. Uponinquiry I found that there arecompanies that sell attachments forcameras which can permit takingphotographs through a microscope.However, the costs are often prohibitive,and I decided to make it myself.

I determined that I would need ahard and opaque material that could beworked. The material was found at mylocal plumbing supply. They were able togive me a plastic pipe, which iscommonly used for temporary repairs. Iwas able to find a pipe size that I couldadapt to my camera, after doing somemilling. Being a mechanically inclinedperson, allows be to also own a lathe,which I immediately began to cut theplastic down to permit adaptation to mycamera. The camera lens is removed byunscrewing the lens assembly andreplacing it with the tube that can bescrewed into the camera body. Since anenlarging ring having the right thread forattaching between the camera body andthe lens assembly, was on hand with mycamera equipment, that is what I used tofit the plastic adaptor.

This plastic adaptor or tube wasmilled so that it would fit snugly onto themicroscope eyepiece and similarly into

the enlarging ring. With the newassembly completed, I was ready tobegin taking some microphotographs.

Being a mineral collector and alapidary, I was always fascinated by thebeauty of some of the photographspublished in books and magaziness h o w i n g m i n e r a l s p e c i m e n s ,micro-mineral specimens, and inclusionswithin mineral specimens. Since mylapidary interests developed after severalyears of being a collector, the desire ofkeeping a record of the stones that I hadfaceted also was a motivating influencein learning to take my own photographs.

The stereozoom microscope modelthat I have has an objective power rangefrom 0.7 to 3.OX and the eyepieces of 10power, thereby resulting in a

magnification of from 7 to 30power. The magnification is theproduct of the objective lens and theeyepiece lens powers. This range ofmagnification is quite adequate forthe purposes that I planned onutilizing. However, the procedure

outlined can be used for anymicroscope to be adapted for takingphotos with a single lens reflex camera.

Over the years all collectors comeacross a specimen that they would like tosee enlarged and photographed. With theprocedure described, anyone who has amicroscope and a single lens reflexcamera available can take photographsenlarged to the limits of the particularmicroscope capabilities.

Safety TipBy Johnny Johnsson[Via Vol 35, No. 8 EFMLS News]You may or may not be aware, butsome minerals are poisonous. Themineral or its residue may containtoxic amounts of mercury, arsenic orselenium. They should be handledvery carefully and be kept away fromchildren. Common sense says to knowwhat you are doing in using tasteidentification techniques. Do nottouch your fingers to your skin or eyesafter handling minerals. Wash upusing good hygiene which is alwaysgood advice.



Rutilated What?Beauty, durability, and rarity top a short list for sought after

gemstones. That's why rubies and sapphires towered above othercolor gemstones for centuries.

However, an explosion of interest in colorstones lately has driven miners to search for newvarieties of color stones, and to reintroduceexisting gems, which have been relegated toobscurity through negligence.

Rarity or price alone doesn't necessarilydictate beauty, does it? Let's look at rutilatedquartz again with a “new” eye. The glimmeringgolden needles seen inside rock crystal or smokyquartz are rutile crystals, a titanium mineral thatformed in place prior to the transparent quartz

2 (SiO – silicon dioxide) being crystallized around them.This material has long fascinated sculptors who view

this stone as elegant and expressive, with randomly placedcrystal needles contributing toward an entiredesign.

Michael Scott, the renowned gemstonecollector loans his world-class collection tomuseums around the country. When hismammoth rutilated quartz sculpture,Metamorphosis VI, executed by master cutterBernd Munsteiner was exhibited at the BowersMuseum in Southern California, it warranted itsown staging area. Mounted over its under-litbase, viewers could best appreciate the rutileneedles traversing the human torso size 213.4 pound or 485,461carat carved rutilated crystal quartz. It is believed to be theworld's largest faceted gemstone, hewn from a one-ton quartzboulder at Bahia, Brazil.

A few years back, one could acquire this naturally occurringoddity at publicly attended mineral and gem shows on thetouring circuit. Visiting a flea market or summer craft fair?There it was-languishing in boxes casually strewn around byrock hounds or wired wrapped in costume jewelry. The stonewas polished en cabochon or tumbled into freeform nearlynatural shapes, with little regard placed on its final size. It wascheap---and under-appreciated.

But a revitalization has taken place with this material, andits about time. No two stones are alike, the inclusions arenaturally occurring, and look again---it's beautiful. Reallybeautiful. Rock lovers know that quartz is plentiful, and thisaspect has erroneously led to the conclusion that rutilated quartzis not precious.

Everywhere from custom manufacturers at JANY, toTucson, to regional trade shows like Atlanta, rutilated quartz hasfound a new and well-deserved audience. Lately this stone isfavored in high-end goods, and at handsome prices. Rutilatedquartz compliments the warmth of yellow gold, and it contrastsbeautifully with diamonds and color stones. Bold designers viewit with 'new eyes', and pair it with valuable accent stones in

precious metals. Creative jewel artisans will turn out a custompendant or ring featuring rutilated quartz in the $2,500 range(retail) and buyers are lining up.

Seen in today's rutilated quartz are wellthought out cuts designed to show off theinclusions, precise calibrated shapes, andoffered in specific carat sizes. Previously,freeform unrepeatable cuts were all that wererequired to market this stone to hobbyists andamateur collectors. Now the trend is towardscalibrated sizing in quantity, albeit large caratsfor maximum viewing of the needles. Stylishsugarloaf cabs are a handsome choice for manytranslucent to opaque stones and are ideal fordisplaying rutilated quartz’ unique inclusions.And because saving rough weight is not anissue, lapidaries select the most dramatic needle

arrangement when cutting this stone. The result is a much moreappealing gem. The selecting process, precisioncutting and calibrating are costly, and wholesalepricing will reflect this care in the near future.

Young innovative jewelers carry fewpreconceptions as to what defines beauty. Theyspontaneously select what draws their eye.Fortunately, rutilated quartz is among thosegemstones that fuel the imagination of creativeartists. In our industry, beautiful stonesroutinely undergo enhancement for maximumsalability. Rutilated quartz, on the other hand is

completely natural, which is a valuable sales point. Look for themarket to appreciate this under-exploited treasure–not only is ita natural stone, but it has a delightful show.

Discarded Treasures A story that Carl Krotki of the New York Mineralogical

Club used to tell was about an elderly member whose wife hadrestricted his collection to a particular closet in their high-riseapartment in New York City. She did not like mineralspecimens, or probably more accurately resented the time andmoney her husband lavished on them. Often, when he bought aspecimen, his wife would grill him about how much he hadspent; to keep peace in the family he would always fib, movingthe decimal point over a place or two. Thus a $50 specimenwould be reported to her as having cost only $5 or 50 cents.From time to time they would entertain other club members, andhe always seemed to have difficulty locating some of thespecimens he wanted to show off. The mystery was solved oneday when his wife was complaining privately to another clubmember's wife about the foolishness of mineral collecting. Sheexplained that when the specimen closet got too crowded for hertaste, she would simply take a few boxes and drop them downthe trash chute. “After all,” she said, “they didn't cost verymuch.”





Gala Dinner MenuSpinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Medley of FruitsChicken Piccata (Lemon & Caper Sauce)






NameSpecial Guest Speaker

“Title to be Announced Soon!”


Amount






Name(s)


City State Zip

Phone Email




October 10 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History



Annual Holiday Banquet &Awards Ceremony

Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan,Mezzanine Level

Wine, games, awards, prizes, excellent food,fun, etc.; guest lecture

December 12 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History


January 9, 2008 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Details to follow

February 13 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Details to follow

March 12 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Details to follow

April 9 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Details to follow

May 14 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Details to follow

June 11Annual Benefit Mineral &Gem Auction

People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Details to follow

2007 Show Calendar



Mineral ShowFranklin School, WashingtonAvenue, Franklin, New Jersey


October 6-714 Annual Wayne Countyth

Mineral ShowSt. Michael’s School,Newark, New York


October 13-1435 Annual Gem & Mineralth

ShowBeals Community Center,Bristol, Connecticut

Info: www.Bristolgem.org

October 20-2138 Annual Gem & Mineralth

ShowDutchess County Fairgrounds,Rhinebeck, New York

“Amazing World of Agates” show theme;Info: (845) 227-1188

November 3-418 Annual Gem, Mineral,th

Jewelry & Fossil ShowEastern Greenwich Civic Center,Old Greenwich, Connecticut

Sponsor: Stamford Mineralogical Society



Details to Follow











Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

People Center, American Museum of Natural History, New York CitySpecial Lecture: Charles Merguerian – “The Geological Wonders of Yellowstone National Park”


FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

Highlight

Fall New York City Gem & MineralShow is November 10-11, 2007Preceded by Banquet and Silent Auction on Friday Evening,November 9, at Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan


Volume 121, No. 11 November 2007

November 9 Events:th

Silent Auction & Banquet

After a long week , you will be treated toan evening of fun, fine tastes and fabulousshopping!

Here are the glorious details:� Silent Auction: Everyone’s favorite

activity, with a great variety of itemsto bid on (see page 6 for roster ofsome donated items and silent auctionrules)! Over 100 lots are availablethis year of unusually high variety!

� Social Hour: A time to talk and relaxwith your colleagues!

� Delicious Meal: Again this year withthe popular continental-style menu!(Note: there may be modifications inthe menu shown on page 10.) Youcan use the Symposium registrationform to sign up for the banquet.

� Red & White Wine: Wine donated byseveral club members will beavailable for the drinking.

� Special Lecture: Reema Keswani willenthrall us with a lecture about Indiandiamonds and the classic Golcondalocality!

� Mineral Fun & Games: Mitch hascome up with a game filled withhumor and creativity. And wepromise that at least threeEXCELLENT prizes will beawarded to the three top winners!

� AwardsThe following awards that acknowledgevarious contributions will be presented:� Dougherty Enthusiasm Award

� NYMC Certificates of Appreciation

� Bulletin Editor Awards

By Mitch PortnoyThe reborn Fall New York City Gem

& Mineral Show will be occurring onNovember 10-11, 2007 (Saturday &Sunday) at the Holiday Inn MidtownManhattan (57th St. near 10th Avenue).

The New York Mineralogical Club willcontinue its successful partnership with theExcalibur Mineral Corporation (TonyNikischer, President) to produce this event. A list of the dealers that will be sellingtheir fine wares at the Show can be foundon page 5; there are many regulars but alarge number of new ones as well. I thoughtI would tell you a little about them here (inno particular order):Unique Russian Minerals & JewelryFort Lee, New Jersey� Unusual cabochons� Polished lapidary specimens� JewelryPam K’s CreationsFort Lee, New Jersey� One-of-a-kind jewelry� Custom-made jewelryThe Crystal CircleCincinnati, Ohio� First class mineral specimensSilverrocks, Inc.Patterson, New York� Sterling silver jewelryWarren Gonzales MineralsMount Bethel, Pennsylvania� Brazil minerals� QuartzKainaros JewelryWestwood, New Jersey� Gold jewelry(Now that I’ve typed out the above list, itlooks like the members with an interest injewelry will be especially pleased with thenew dealers!)

We have no direct commercial interestin the show – we do ask each dealer,however, for a donation to the Club'sBenefit Auction in June as a token of thanksfor all the work we do to help promote theShow. These items tend to be the best lots

in the whole auction so please come andpatronize these top-quality dealers.

The Club’s Booth will be in its regularlocation (to the left as you enter the Show).There you can obtain a souvenir card,obtain other show information, purchasea club publication, or just say hi to yourfellow NYMC friends.

Anna Schumate will be on hand,wearing her dual hats as president andmembership coordinator, as we attempt tosign up new members as well as collectdues from members who will want torenew their membership for 2008.

We do ask that you remember a fewimportant things:� You can ask for discounts but be

reasonable – most of the dealers haveprices that are already more than fair;

� The dealers are not charging sales tax,they are collecting it;

� You are a representative of the NewYork Mineralogical Club. Pleaseconduct yourself accordingly;

� Have a great time!

Issue HighlightsSpecial Show Edition

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2World of Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Members in the News: Sacks. . . . . . 4Show Dealer Roster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Elements and Mineralogy I. . . . . . . . 6Silent Auction Listing. . . . . . . . . . . . 6Banquet Lecturer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Show Discount Coupon.. . . . . . . . . . 7How a Silent Auction Works. . . . . . 7Show Souvenir Card. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Topics in Gemology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 92007 Banquet & 2008 Dues Form. 10Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . 11

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club - Fall Gem & Mineral Show Edition November 2007


Here is a friendly reminder tonewcomers: we will not meet in theMuseum this month. Instead our annualbanquet on the evening of Friday,November 9 will be a festive alternative.I’m sure you have seen to write-ups, orderforms and fliers elsewhere in the Bulletinabout the banquet and the silent auction thatprecedes it. During the evening we haveplenty of social time with longtimemembers and the chance to get betteracquainted with newer members. We havesome very nice specimens for the silentauction! See Mitch’s article about atremendous donation we received! TheHoliday Inn prepared a very deliciousbuffet last year and I am certain we are instore for a delectable meal this year as well.I hope you are planning to attend!

On Saturday, November 10, andSunday, November, 11 the Fall 2007 NewYork City Gem & Mineral Show takesplace, also at the Holiday Inn. This is agreat opportunity to do some holidayshopping! There are minerals, gems,jewelry, crystals, fossils, meteorites andbooks, possibly something for everyone onyour list! Although the caliber of dealers atthis show is quite high, there is a range ofprices, starting with reasonable!

Before all of our Club festivities, thereis Halloween, either to celebrate or toendure, depending on your point of view. Ilive in a Manhattan apartment buildingwhere there are very few children, and I amusually out carousing on Halloween nightmyself so I don’t ever really deal with trick-or-treaters. But if the little ghosties hauntyour domicile on All Hallows Eve, haveyou considered treating them to prettyrocks? Maybe you could give them to kidsof a certain age who would know not to eatthem or throw them at the other maskedrevelers. But what if they resent notreceiving candy and throw them throughyour window or at your car? Oops …maybe this is not such a fabulous idea afterall! Maybe it’s better to wait for a calmerholiday to introduce the youngsters tomineral collecting. But the fact remains thataesthetic minerals do make wonderful giftsfor youngsters. A gorgeous quartz crystal ora shiny cube of pyrite can open up a wholeworld of fascination and discovery forchildren and the young at heart of any age.

Club Meeting Minutes for October 10, 2007By Vivien Gornitz, SecretaryAttendance: 38President Anna Schumate presided

The meeting was dedicated to the memoryof Charlotte Belsky.

Announcements� A reminder that the New York

Mineralogical Club's Annual Banquetwill be held on November 9,6:00–10:00 pm at the Holiday InnMidtown Manhattan. Rima Kaswaniof Golconda Gems will speak aboutgems from India.

� Vivien Gornitz, referring to thelengthy article on the "AgniMani–Magic Gem of the Orient" inthe October Bulletin, pointed out thatthe so-called "magic gem"–actually atektite–is not especially rare. Thistype of tektite, called “indochinite”, isfound widely scattered acrossAustralia and southeast Asia andformed around 700,000 years ago asthe result of a meteorite impact.Terrestrial rocks were melted from theextreme shock effects and moltenblobs were ejected high into theatmosphere, whereupon re-entry, theyacquired unusual shapes and pittedsurfaces. The impact crater (orcraters) has not yet been found.

� Mitch Portnoy gave us a brief updateon the Club's most recent flea marketactivity, which was somewhat lessproductive that the two earlierattempts. He also mentioned a recentdonation of 25 flats of specimens forupcoming auctions and special sales.

� Bill Mancuso bought a number ofspecimens from Mrs. Helen Edmondthat were originally part of theChester Edmond collection.

Special Lecture: “The GeologicalWonders of Yellowstone NationalPark”, Dr. Charles Merguerian, speaker.

The fascinating story behind thebreathtaking scenery of YellowstoneNational Park was brought to life in anentertaining and visually delightfulmanner by Dr. Charles Merguerian,Chairman and Professor of Geology atHofstra University, and long-time Clubmember, with special guest appearances

by Hami the Hamster! Charles began bypresenting a sweeping overview of the platetectonic setting of the western U.S.,pointing out the major physiographicprovinces of the region. Flying into theGrand Teton–Yellowstone area, he showedgreat aerial views of a classic plunginganticline and other geologic structures. TheGrand Tetons are geologically youthfulmountains–only 9 millions years old, butthey represent a fault block which hasmoved upward a total of 30,000 feetrelative to the equivalent rocks now buriedbeneath Jackson Lake. YellowstoneNational Park is a geologic “hot spot”, asite of active volcanism not on a plateboundary (other examples include Hawaiiand the Canary Islands). Hot spots arecharacterized by high heat flow, lowgravity, low density, and slow seismicwaves, all of which point to hot, partiallymolten rocks lying at depth. At least threecatastrophic eruptions puncturedYellowstone 2.1, 1.3, and 0.6 million yearsago. Volcanic ash from the largest eruptioncovered nearly half of the U.S. A giantcaldera now lies at the center of the park.The area is still geologically active, asmanifested by the myriad geysers, hotsprings, steaming fumaroles and bubblingmud pots that emit a distinct aroma ofsulfur gases. Satellite mapping shows thatthe Yellowstone caldera is “breathing”.Some parts are rising while others aresinking, and the pattern reverses over time.There is a continuous “drumroll” of smallearthquakes and ongoing hydrothermalactivity. Another mega-eruption is stilllikely in the future.

The highlights of Charles Merguerian’sfield trip to Yellowstone were lavishlyillustrated by stunning slides of eruptinggeysers, the impressive YellowstoneCanyon, Mammoth Hot Springs (travertinedeposits), and the rainbow colors of GrandPrismatic Spring, which owes its variegatedcolors to a mix of minerals and microbes(e.g., “extremophiles”) that can enduresearing temperatures and acid waters. Afterhearing this lecture, a visit to YellowstoneNational Park ranks high on the must-seelist.

Charlotte Belsky, wife of Mel Belsky,passed away on September 29, 2007. Allwho knew Charlotte will miss her.

November 2007 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club - Fall Gem & Mineral Show Edition 3


Nature's Little DiggersAn unlikely prospector has been enlisted in the search for

hidden mineral deposits: desert termites. These industrious insectshave been called “nature's little diggers”, because they dig deep –30 m or more (100+ ft) down to the water table, in order to retrievewet mud with which to build their large above-ground mounds,which keep out predators and help regulate temperature and aircirculation. Termites do not just bring up wet mud, however. Theirexcavations are natural drill holes that sample subsurface mineralsfor free. Exploration geologists are now sampling termite moundsfor gold and other economically valuable minerals.

3Tiny grains of ilmenite (FeTiO ) from a termite mound led tothe discovery, in the 1970s, of the world's richest diamond deposit,now the Jwaneng diamond mine in the Kalahari desert ofBotswana. Termite mounds have been used for gold prospectingin Niger, and elsewhere in Africa. But until recently, this form ofprospecting has been viewed as more of a “hobby” than a realexploration tool. Now scientists at the Cooperative ResearchCentre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration(CRC LEME), Geoscience, Australia, are conducting systematicsurveys of termite mounds in the desert of northern Australia, neara gold mine with well-mapped subsurface geology, in order to testwhether this approach holds any promise. They are sampling notonly the mounds but also spinifex grass–a favorite termite food.This plant, like the termites, burrows deep, sending its roots downto 50 m or more (164+ ft) in search of groundwater. Traces ofmetallic elements derived from the underlying bedrock areincorporated into its roots and leaves. By tapping into any buriedmineralization, both plant and insect bring evidence of heavy metaltraces to the surface.

Early results of chemical scanning for gold, and alsochromium, titanium, and arsenic–elements often associated withgold deposits–look quite encouraging. The trace element contentof the termite mounds appears to be closely correlated with that ofthe underground geology. Mining companies are now beginning topay serious attention to this unorthodox approach. As one of theresearchers put it: “Why not take advantage of all the hard workthat nature's little drillers have done to prepare a sample for you.”

Termites are not nature's only insect diggers. Ants, althoughbiologically distinct from termites, display similar excavatinghabits, with mineralogically interesting consequences. Forexample, George Kunz, noted gemologist and one of the foundersof the New York Mineralogical Club, in his book Gems andPrecious Stones of North America, described the “finest pyropegarnets in the United States” coming from anthills and scorpionhills in northwestern New Mexico and northeastern Arizona, onthe Navajo Reservation. Associated with loose olivine and chromepyroxene in sand, the garnets were probably weathered fromperidotitic rocks brought to the surface by volcanic eruptions.“Anthill garnets” from Arizona can occasionally be seen for saleat mineral and gem shows.

Turquoise is another mineral favored by ants. In New Mexico,ants have excavated multitudes of ancient turquoise beads fromarcheological sites, such as ruins near Fajada Butte in ChacoCanyon, northwestern New Mexico. Experiments demonstrateddistinct color preferences on the part of the local harvester ants for

blue and green hues. When identically-sized glass beads ofdifferent colors were placed at various distances from anthills,more blue and green beads turned up at the anthills than beads ofother colors. A word of warning to would be-prospectors andmineral collectors, however: both termites and harvester ants candeliver painful, toxic stings!Further ReadingArritt, S., 2005. Ants and turquoise: a discerning relationship. In:

The Allure of Turquoise, 2nd ed., A Vigil, ed. New Mexicomagazine, Santa Fe, New Mexico, p. 93-95.

Geiger, Beth, 2007. Follow that termite. New Scientist, 30 June,2007, p. 35-37.

Kunz, G. F., 1892, 1968. Gems and Precious Stones of NorthAmerica, Dover Publ. Inc., New York, New York, p. 80-81.

Welcome Back Members. . .Charles & Maureen Rosa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staten Island, NY. . . And their immense donation to the club

Over the next few years, the Club will be benefitting fromthe immense donation of minerals that these fine people made tothe Club. A few days ago Rich Rossi and I picked up 40+ flatsof highly esthetic minerals from around the world. Highlights areIndian zeolites, Brazilian gemstones, fossils and display pieces.

I have already selected about 75 pieces from this donationfor lots in the silent auction but frankly this has barely made adent in the piles of flats that are filling my dining area.

A plan to distribute these minerals and for the club to benefitwill be forthcoming.

The Club thanks these two amazing members mostprofusely!


Now Available!

Members in the NewsSacks Joins Columbia Faculty as “Artist”By Motoko Rich, New York TimesPublished: September 1, 2007

Attracted by his breadth of interests, ranging fromschizophrenia to music, Columbia University has appointedOliver Sacks, the neurologist and writer, as itsfirst Columbia artist, a newly createddesignation.

Beginning next week, Dr. Sacks, who hasbeen a clinical professor of neurology at AlbertEinstein College of Medicine in the Bronx forthe past 42 years, is leaving to become aprofessor of clinical neurology and clinicalpsychiatry at the Columbia University Collegeof Physicians and Surgeons, a post he willoccupy in addition to the new artist position.

The new appointment will allow Dr. Sacks,the author of 10 books and a frequentcontributor to The New Yorker, to range freelyacross Columbia’s departments, teaching,giving public lectures, conducting seminars,seeing patients and collaborating with otherfaculty members. Many of the details of hisappointment have yet to be worked out, but among other things,he will be teaching in the university’s creative writingdepartment as well as at the medical school.

“My first year at Columbia is going to be, to some extent, ayear of experiment and exploration,” Dr.Sacks said. “I very much look forward tomeeting students and faculty and doing classesthat could be about almost anything, frommusic to psychiatry to whatever.”

Dr. Sacks, 74, was born in London andmoved to the United States in the early 1960s.He is perhaps best known as the author of“Awakenings,” which chronicles his treatmentof patients with encephalitic lethargica(otherwise known as sleeping sickness) andwas made into a 1990 movie starring RobertDe Niro and Robin Williams.

Another well-known book is “The ManWho Mistook His Wife for a Hat,” a 1985collection of essays about various patientswith neurological problems. There are morethan one million copies of all his books inprint in the United States, and his work hasbeen translated into more than 20 languages. His latest book,“Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain,” was published byAlfred A. Knopf in October.

Lee C. Bollinger, president of Columbia, said Dr. Sacks’sappointment exemplified the university’s effort to bridge the gapbetween the study of neuroscience and other disciplines in whichscholars work to understand human behavior, includingeconomics, law and art history.

Dr. Sacks’s appointment is “a commitment both to havingone of the great clinical neuroscientists in our midst and one of

the great writers about this subject, but also a commitment to tryto take that and reach out to other fields and human activities,”Mr. Bollinger said.

The university has committed $20 million to expanding thestudy of neuroscience to include an interdisciplinary approach,and last year it received a donation worth more than $200million from Dawn M. Greene and the Jerome L. Greene

Foundation to build a new center to house theuniversity’s Mind, Brain and BehaviorInitiative, which will help apply neuroscienceto multiple areas of scholarship.

For his part, Dr. Sacks said he was lookingforward to returning to the classroom. AtAlbert Einstein, he said, he had not taughtformally since 1973. “I’ve actually missed it,”he said. He added: “In a way, for me, this is areal entrance into university life such as I’venever had, rather than a part-time medicalappointment. I’m excited, because, in a way,I’ve been a sort of an outsider or freelancer ormaverick for the last 40 years, and here I thinkit will be quite an intense sort of fullrelationship with Columbia.”

Dr. Sacks said that although he waslooking forward to exploring disciplines

outside medicine, his clinical work would remain a focus, notleast because it inspires so much of his writing.

“The medical part of my life is very, very central,” he said,recalling that his father, also a physician, kept coming out of

retirement to go back to work. “When he was90, we said, ‘Pop, at least stop the housecalls,’ and he said, ‘I’ll stop everything elsebut keep the house calls.’ I want to seepatients as long as I am able.”

The appointment grew out ofconversations that Dr. Sacks had with severalpeople, including Eric Kandel, a Nobellaureate in medicine and a professor atColumbia, and Gregory Mosher, director ofthe Arts Initiative at Columbia, which aims toincorporate an interdisciplinary approach tothe arts into the undergraduate experience. Dr.Sacks, Mr. Mosher said, is an exemplar of the“Hey, kids, you can do more than one thing ata time” message.

Dr. Sacks’s appointment at the medicalschool is being financed by a $1 milliondonation made over five years by the GatsbyCharitable Foundation, one of several

foundations financed by the Sainsbury family of Britain, whichowns a grocery chain.

On Friday Dr. Sacks will give his first lecture, atColumbia’s psychiatry department, where he will talk aboutmusic and neuroscience. He said the move to Columbia cappeda gradual transition he has been making over the past decade.

“I used to be more withdrawn or isolated,” he said. “Now Ilove meeting colleagues and finding out what other people aredoing.”


The Willamette Meteorite at theAmerican Museum of NaturalHistory.

Fall 2007 New York City Gem & Mineral ShowRoster of Dealers

1 New York Mineralogical Club, Inc., New York City, New York

2 Excalibur Mineral Company, Peekskill, New York

3 Warren Gonzales Minerals, Mount Bethel, PA ³³³³New!!

4 Quarry Enterprises, Northvale, New Jersey

5 Silverrocks, Inc, Patterson, New York ³³³³New!!

6 Somethings, New Milford, New Jersey

7 Hunza Ranger Gems & Minerals, New York, New York

8 The Crystal Circle, Cincinnati, Ohio ³³³³New!!

9 Unique Russian Minerals & Jewelry, Fort Lee, New Jersey ³³³³New!!

10 Rocko Minerals & Jewelry, Margaretville, New York

11 Howard Minerals, Brooklyn, New York

12 John Betts Fine Minerals, New York City, New York

13 Pam K’s Creations, Fort Lee, New Jersey ³³³³New!!

14 Amazon Imports, Williston Park, New York

15 Petrov Rare Minerals, Peekskill, New York

16 Highland Rock & Fossil, Highland Park, New Jersey

17 Aurora Mineral Corp, Freeport, New York

18 Celinka, Bohemia, New York

19 Kainaros Jewelry, Westwood, New Jersey ³³³³New!!

20 Howard Schlansker, Marshfield, Massachusetts (Wholesale Only)

Hot Rock Goes on the BlockBy Kate TaylorStaff Reporter of the New York SunSeptember 13, 2007

A chunk of meteorite that once belonged to the AmericanMuseum of Natural History is about to go on the auction block,with an estimate of between $1.1 million and $1.3 million. Therock, a 28-pound section of the Willamette Meteorite — thelargest meteorite every discovered in America — will be offeredat Bonhams on October 28, in what is being billed as thefirst-ever auction exclusively of meteorites.

The Willamette Meteorite, which weighs more than 15.5tons and is believed to be billions of years old, has been acenterpiece of the Museum of Natural History's collection since1906. In 1998, the museum sliced a 28-pound section off the topand traded it to Daryll Pitt, the curator of the MacovichCollection, the largest private collection of meteorites, for ahalf-ounce piece of Mars, which is now on display in the Arthur

Ross Hall of Meteorites. A spokesman for the museum, SteveReichl, said yesterday that the piece of Mars is of vitalimportance to research.

The trade wasn't publiclydisclosed until 2002, when Mr. Pittauctioned off a couple of smallerslivers of the rock. By then, theMuseum of Natural History hadgotten into a legal battle with theConfederated Tribes of the GrandRonde, who claimed that themeteorite, which was discovered inOregon's Willamette Valley in1902, was a sacred object andshould be returned. The conflictended in a settlement, giving thetribe has the right to hold a religiousceremony once a year in the RoseCenter for Earth and Space.


Part I: Elements and MineralogyBy Bill Shelton

This new series of articles will deal with the relationshipsbetween elements and minerals, including data about rarity andoccurrence in nature. Most elements are included but not allminerals due to the thousands of species known to occur. Not allsources agree on the precise elemental order but the generalpattern remains fairly consistent. Native elements will becovered first since they are the vast exceptions in nature; almostall elements occur in a combined state in nature.

Native Element. An element found uncombined with anyother and forming naturally in the earth’s crust.

There are ten elements that I consider to be the mostcommon native elements. One of these, carbon, occurs as twovery different minerals: diamond and graphite. The remainingones share their mineral name with their elemental name; that isto say sulfur is used as both a mineral and elemental name. Asyou will see below, the number of minerals noted for eachelement does not correlate well with the relative rarity. Comparethe data for platinum and bismuth and you will notice a fairlydramatic difference. A similar comparison between carbon andsulfur will also illustrate this same concept. Iron and sulfurshows a barely believable situation based on rarity. There is adifference factor of 200 in rarity but only 15% for the number ofminerals.Element No. of Minerals Relative RarityGold 28 .004 ppmSilver 126 .07 ppmCopper 437 55 ppmPlatinum 37 .01 ppmIron 883 5% (50,000 ppm)Arsenic 387 1.8 ppmAntimony 195 0.2 ppmBismuth 148 0.2 ppmCarbon 272 200 ppmSulfur 761 260 ppm

In terms of collector knowledge, most, if not all of theseminerals should be familiar to you. The most common elementin the crust and listed above is, of course, iron, but as a nativeelement it is fairly rare. It generally occurs in compounds; thereare hundreds of examples. All of the remainder are rare andcomprise a very tiny amount of the Earth’s crust. Chemically,many of the elements are classed as metals; this includes gold,silver, copper, platinum and iron. Arsenic, antimony and bismuthare examples classified as semi-metals while sulfur and carbonare considered to be non-metals. Carbon is commonly foundamong carbonate minerals while much sulfur occurs withinsulfides and sulfates. Both carbon and sulfur are elements usedto name major mineral groups (only a dozen elements are notedin this category). This matter will be covered in part 2.

Since many collectors select native elements for theircollections, they are disproportionately represented in mostcases. A casual survey at shows implies that the rarity ofminerals is totally irrelevant in terms of what you find offeredfor sale. Museums, like collectors, seem to prefer certainminerals – again, unrelated to rarity or importance in, say,industrial processes.

Silent Auction ContributionsBy Mitchell PortnoyThe following is a partial listing of the silent auction lots thatwill be available before the banquet on Novermber 9, 2007.Thanks to all contributors!1. Aquamarine (Blue Beryl) in Matrix.. . . . . . . . . . . Pakistan2. Jarosite Thumbnail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spain3. Brachiopod and Belemnite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA4. Polished Opal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oregon5. Gem Opal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Australia6. Eudialyte, Agate Cabochons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia/NA7. World Map of Gem Deposits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA8. Jasper Beads (13). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA9. Sphalerite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Romania10. Azurite and Malachite (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arizona11. Cerussite, Barite, Galena. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morocco12. Aragonite Clusters (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spain13. Aegirine, Quartz, Feldspar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Malawi14. Amethyst Cabochons (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil15. Herkimer Diamond in Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . New York16. Calcite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tsumeb, Namibia17. Calcite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China18. Polished Septarian Nodule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . USA19. Fleischer’s (1999).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA20. Apophyllite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . India21. Calcite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Czech Republic22. Fossil Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA23. Jasper Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA24. Shell Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA25. Turquoise & Silver Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA26. Freshwater Pearls Necklace & Earrings.. . . . . . . . . . . . NA27. Multicolor Agate Bead Necklace.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA28. Various Beads Necklace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ThailandThe following lots are from the generous donation of Charlesand Maureen Rosa29. Chrysoprase Specimen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Australia30. Silver Crystals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico31. Gemmy Calcite Crystal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tennessee32. Gemmy Garnets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China33. Gemmy Elbaite Tourmalines (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil34. Splendid Quartz/Tourmaline Cluster. . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil35. Staurolite in Matrix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia36. Malachite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Congo37. Blue Apatite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil38. Aragonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spain39. Amethyst.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Uruguay40. Apophyllite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . India41. Brazilianite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil42. Topaz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil43. Ruby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia44. Trilobite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morocco45. Green Fluorite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Hampshire46. Chalcopyrite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico47. Spiral Shell Fossil.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA48. Labradorite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Madagascar49. Large Grossular Garnet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico50. Drusy Free-Form Agate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morocco



2007 Banquet Speaker – Reema KeswaniDiamonds and India or Golconda and BeyondBy Anna Schumate

Ms. Keswani will speak on the history of diamonds and finejewelry in India and will also give us an overview of presenttrends and projections for the jewelry arts in India.

Reema Keswani is agraduate of the GemologicalInstitute of America withdegrees both in gemologyand jewelry design. She hasworked in the jewelrydepartment at Christie’sAuction House and is thefounder and designer for theNew York based jewelryfirm, Golconda. She hasauthored Shinde Jewels, onthe life and work of A.V.Shinde, who designed jewelry for the Maharajas of India duringthe 1940’s and 1950’s. During the 1960’s, Shinde became thehead designer for Harry Winston. Ms. Keswani is A.V. Shinde’sauthorized biographer. Shinde Jewels (ISBN 2 84323 570 7) waspublished in 2004 by Assouline Publishing, 601 West 26thStreet, New York, NY 10001.

How A Silent Auction WorksBy Mitchell Portnoy

In addition to the dinner, meeting, awards and speciallecture, this year's banquet will againfeature a silent auction from 6:00 -7:00 p.m.

Those who have participated inthis kind of activity at either Tucsonor Rochester certainly know what afun, exciting and tension-filledactivity this can be! For all those whoare new to a silent auction, here's howit works:

You will see displayed on tables in the banquet room a greatvariety of donated items including minerals, gems, jewelry,books, etc., not unlike what you'd expect to see at a regularauction's viewing time.

However, next to each item you will find a bid sheet whichdescribes the item, the location (if applicable) and lets you knowwho donated the item. In addition, you will see a column for youto write your name and a bid. (There may be a mandatorystarting bid and bid increment indicator as well.) Write your bestoffer. Then the next person will do the same, offering more thanyou did. And so on.

Please be respectful of other bidders competingwith you for the same items. If you REALLY wantsomething, place a high bid (it all goes to the Clubanyway) and hope for the best. Physically blockingthe bid sheets from other participants is notacceptable behavior!

This continues for 55 nerve-wracking minutes. You need to watchthe bid sheets of the items you areinterested in and compete with otherbidders. The competition can getfierce! At the end of the hour therewill be an announcement that all bidsare final. At that point, pick up any ofthe items you have won with their bid

sheets and pay what you owe to the cashiers. You must even upbefore going to dinner! No creditallowed!

Please remember then to bringboth a pen and your check book soyou can participate in this event.You will not only have a stimulatingtime, you will add some terrificitems to your mineral or gemcollections.


2007 Fall New York City Gem & Mineral ShowSouvenir Card

More Silent Auction Contributions(continued from page 6)51. Fuschite (Green Mica). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil52. Quartz Geode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil53. Rock Crystal Nodule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil54. Prehnite (Odd Green Color!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Jersey55. Minerals Encyclopedia.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Book)56. Calcite, Galena, etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peru57. Native Copper.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michigan58. Tourmaline in Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil59. Fossils Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Book)60. Milky Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connecticut61. Franklinite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Jersey62. Cavansite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . India63. Huge Apophyllite Crystal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . India64. Geode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Iowa65. Red Gemmy Sphalerite Crystals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peru66. Sodalite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canada67. Pink Dolomite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indiana68. Huge Triple Aragonite Cluster.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spain69. Raspberry Garnet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico70. Amazonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Colorado71. Adamite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico72. Franklinite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Jersey73. Hydromagnesite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staten Island74. Large Quartz Crystal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil

75. Purple Smithsonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico76. Quartz & Fluorite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China77. Beryl (Aquamarine/Goshenite) on Matrix.. . . . . . . . China78. Fluorite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China79. Quartz, Sphalerite, etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peru80. Gemmy Datolite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Jersey81. Bonham’s Natural History Catalog. . . . . . . . . . . . . (Book)82. Chait Natural History Catalog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Book)83. Carbondale Formation Fern Fossil. . . . . . . . . . . . . Illinois84. Carbondale Formation Fern Fossil. . . . . . . . . . . . . Illinois85. Ammonite Fossil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morocco86. Ammonite Fossil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peru87. Trilobite Fossil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morocco88. Siderite on Ferberite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Portugal89. Come see and bid!90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97.

For questions about theses lots, call or email Mitch Portnoy at(212) 580 1343 or [email protected].


Topics in GemologyTopics in Gemology is a monthly column written by Diana Jarrett, GG, RMV, based on gemological questions posedto her over the years by beginners and experts alike. Contact her at dianajarrett.com.

All That GlittersCZ this – and Diamonique that –- there are a million ways to say and

sell diamond look-alikes. And why not? We can fold them nicely into ourinventory so that there really is something for everyone when they enterour establishment.

Diamond look-alikes will never take the place of the real McCoy, butthey serve a good purpose instead of or until we get the million dollarrock.

And with all the demand for color diamonds, it amazes me that weoften overlook something that is natural–yes a natural gemstone that canserve very well as a diamond alternative. I prefer the wording alternativeto substitute, since it can stand on its own and it's a genuine gemstone.

I'm talking zircon. There are those who actually think zircon isanother word for Cubic Zirconia. It is not.

Let's take a fresh look at zircon as an important component in ourinventory. When colorless, it mimics diamond. Why? The superdispersion, the highly refractive stone scintillates like nobody's bidness,often more impressive than diamond. And don't forget the color. Pink,blue, orange, green, all those colors have their counterpart in naturallycolored diamonds, which are hot, hot, hot.

Zircon is a substantial natural gemstone whose place in history is,well—historic. Read on.

Due to its wide range of color, great brilliance and clarity, zircon hasenjoyed a prominent role in gem history, often replacing more valuablelook-alikes when they were unavailable. In medieval time, zircon wasbelieved to be a sleep-aid, to bring prosperity, and bestow honor andwisdom upon its owner.

We now know that a characteristic of its hardness is a tendency tobecoming scratched, making it prone to abraded facets. Proper mountingsuch as bezel setting will eliminate that concern when used in a ring,which often takes more abuse than other types of jewelry. It presents noproblem of course when it is featured in a neckpiece or earrings.

However in ancient times, dulling or loss of luster, due to normalwear was thought to be a warning to the owner of imminent danger.

Zircon – The origin for the name is probably a derivation of theArabic words “zar” and “gun”, meaning “gold” and “color”.

Travelers in the Eleventh Century believed in the twofold value ofzircon, protecting them from disease, and injury, and assuring a cordialwelcome wherever their travels would take them. Zircon was relied uponas a safeguard against the Black Death, the great plague that wiped outone quarter of Europe's population in the Fourteenth Century.

December has two birthstones, ZIRCON and TURQUOISE. Natural zircon, a beautiful gemstone, is unfortunately confused with

a similar-sounding stone named cubic zirconia, the laboratory-growndiamond imitation. Because of that, many people don't realize that thereis a beautiful natural gemstone called zircon. Let's tell them about the loreand history of natural zircon, so we can help our clients develop their ownappreciation for this beauty.

If It Looks like a Diamond . . .For many years, the most popular zircon was colorless due to its

similarity to diamond's brilliance and dispersion. Colorless zircons are thebest imitators of diamonds, in appearance only, with a brilliant fire thatis almost as dazzling as the real thing.

However, the resemblance is superficial. Since the stone may haveundergone heat treatment & irradiation in it's processing, internal stressesin the crystal may modify it's durability. Despite this particulardisposition, the stone is still highly valued because of its stunning goodlooks.

The Rainbow GemZircon, in its natural form often appears colorless to pale yellow, or

green. The mineral is also frequently found in darker green, brown, andorange. Today the most popular color is blue zircon, much of it pastel intone, but some exceptional gems have a bright blue color. Its variety ofcolors, its rarity, and its relatively low cost make it a popular amongcollectors. You can actually fashion an outstanding piece of jewelry thatis bold and showy without breaking your customer's bank when youchoose zircon as the featured stone.

The rarest and most prized zircon is the red gemstone. The pure intense blue and sky blue varieties are also highly valued,

while the colorless, orange, brown and yellow stones are less expensive.Many zircons on the market are heat treated, and sold as blue, goldenbrown or colorless stones. Zircon, in its natural form often appearscolorless to pale yellow, or green.

Reddish-brown and orange-red varieties of zircon was a favoritestone of ancient Arabs and was even mentioned in the famed book,'Arabian Nights'. Green zircon was among the stones representing foliagein the 'Kalpa Tree' , a symbolic offering to the gods of the Hindu religion..Hindu poets of the 19th century described it as a glowing ensemble ofprecious stones that also included sapphires, diamonds and topaz.

Mining ZirconThe mineral zircon, is commonly found as a minor constituent in

granites, as well as metamorphic rock. Gem quality zircon stones areusually rare. These gemstones are formed mainly in pegmatite. But dueto weathering away of those environments, many zircons are found inbeach deposits, or “alluvial deposits”.

Major sources of zircon are the Chanthaburi region in Thailand,Cambodia, and Southern Vietnam near the Cambodian border. Bangkokis a major center for processing zircons, which include heat treatment,cutting. Sri Lanka, is well known for a colorless variety of zircon calledthe 'Matura diamond'. The gemstones are also found in Burma, Australiaand Canada.

Tody's buyer is more knowledgeable than ever about gemstones ingeneral, and they want to know where they come from. This is morelikely due to home shopping programs which pitch education as part oftheir sales presentations. Fashion magazines likewise devote more spacethan ever to telling the back story about gemstones featured in customwork. So when you offer these interesting facts, and indicate exoticlocales as part of the zircon story, you paint a word picture that is boundintrigue your customer.

Caring For This GemstoneZircon jewelry must be stored carefully. Although it is relatively

hard, it can abrade and facets can chip. Dealers may suspect an unknownstone in an antique setting having abraded facets to be a natural zircon,even before testing. Many dealers routinely wrap zircons in individualtwists of paper so as not knock against each other in a parcel.

And FinallyAs we know, gemstones are measured in carats, which is a valuation

of their weight, not their size. Zircon is one of the heaviest gemstones,which means that it will look smaller than other varieties of the sameweight. In deciding to replace a lost stone or simply to change out anunwanted stone, replacing it with a lovely zircon, remind the customer tonote the size in millimeters desired, not the former weight of the previousstone. This frequently overlooked natural gemstone, can be an attractivefeatured stone in your store when presented with a fresh approach. Enjoythe Bling –your customers will!





Gala Dinner MenuSpinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Medley of FruitsChicken Piccata (Lemon & Caper Sauce)






Reema KeswaniSpecial Guest Speaker

“Golconda and Beyond – Diamonds from India”


Amount






Name(s)


City State Zip

Phone Email





Annual Holiday Banquet& Awards Ceremony

Holiday Inn MidtownManhattan, Mezzanine Level

Wine, games, awards, prizes, excellentfood, fun, etc.; Guest Lecture: ReemaKeswani – “Golconda and Beyond –Indian Diamonds”


Special Lecture: John Sanfaçon –“Agates, Their Origin and Varieties”


Details to follow

SundayJanuary ?


46 West 83 Street #2Erd

(Mitch Portnoy’s Apartment)

Dozens of flats of rocks, minerals,crystals, magazines, books – TERRIFIC BARGAINS


Details to follow


Details to follow


Details to follow

May 14 Meeting at 6:45People Center, AmericanMuseum of Natural History

Details to follow

June 11Annual Benefit Mineral& Gem Auction


Details to follow

June Geology Walk & Lunch TBDBy Dr. Charles Merguerian – Details tofollow

2007-8 Show Calendar


November 3-418 Annual Gem, Mineral,th

Jewelry & Fossil ShowEastern Greenwich Civic Center,Old Greenwich, Connecticut

Sponsor: Stamford Mineralogical Society



Four new dealers,

January 26, 2008 40 Annual Open Houseth Geological & Scott HallsRutgers, New Brunswick

Full day of lectures, mineral saleInfo: [email protected]











Next Event: Friday, November 9, 2007 from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Mezzanine Level, Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan

Annual NYMC Holiday Banquet & Silent Auction


FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

Highlight

Two’s the Charm? The 2007Fall NYC Mineral & Gem Show


Volume 121, No. 12 December 2007

December 12 Meeting:th

John Sanfaçon: “Agates – AnInfinite Variety”

John Sanfaçon will be speaking aboutthe latest thinking on the origins of bandedagates. In addition, he will be giving aworldwide pictorial survey of the manyvarieties of agate and discuss how theydiffer from the other cryptocrystallineforms of silica, such as jasper,chrysoprase, carnelian, sard, etc. He willprovide free packets of technical notesand data about agates, as well as free CDcopies of his slide show.

John has been a teacher of foreignlanguages at Delbarton School inMorristown, N.J. since 1963. Growing upin Paterson, he became hooked onminerals which he saw at the PatersonMuseum. He would occasionally collect atthe Upper New Street quarry

He started his college years at NotreDame as a geology major. In the mid-60's,he would take his Delbarton Mineral Clubstudents on the many FOMS field trips, aswell as monthly trips to the BuckwheatDump and Ewald Gerstmann's Museum inFranklin. He has a worldwide collectionwith a strong interest in the silica familyof minerals

He has been president andvice-president of the N.J.E.S.A., and iscurrently the secretary and in charge ofwhite-light exhibits with that organization.He has also served in all four offices ofthe Morris Museum MineralogicalSociety, and is currently the treasurer andprogram coordinator of that group.

Send in Your 2008 Club DuesIt is time to send in your 2008 club membershipdues! All memberships run from January 1 toDecember 31 of each year (with a fewexceptions).If your mailing label says “2007",you owe your 2008 dues. Please take the timenow to mail in your dues in order to preventuninterrupted delivery of your bulletin. A handyform appears on page 10. Dues are $25 forindividual, $35 for family. Mail to: MembershipCoordinator, N.Y. Mineralogical Club, P.O. Box77, Planetarium Station, NYC, NY 10024-0077.

By Mitch Portnoy (with contributionsfrom Anna Schumate)

IntroductionThe 2007 Fall New York City Gem

and Mineral Show is now in the past. Thiswas the second time Excalibur MineralCorp. (Tony Nikischer, President) putthis “reborn” on and the second timeseems to have been the charm. It was agood show for many reasons, both for thedealers there and for the Club.

Before I give the details why I saythis, I want to thank Tony again forproviding the NYMC with the free boothat the Show’s entrance. We both maybenefit from the Club’s participation in theShow BUT this is nevertheless a veryvaluable space to be given away. We mustNEVER take it for granted.

In addition I want to thank the “everquiet and behind-the-scenes” RichardRossi for everything that he does. He hasfor years been the main transporter ofshow (and banquet) materials and exhibitcases. He has also been involved in thesetup and breakdown of every show formore than ten years now. I really don’tknow where we would be without him.Attendance

There is VERY good News here –attendance, compared to the 2006November show, was up! I thoughtSaturday was about the same but thebiggest difference to my eye was Sunday.Last year it was slow; not so this year. Ialso noticed several people whom I hadmet at the flea market booth that the Clubhad participated in over the summer cameto the show. According to Tony:

“Every new dealer I talked towants to come back again, and allwant to do March as well. One ofthe small booth people did not dowell, but wishes to give it a fairshot by two or three iterations,also asking for a large boothinstead of a small one next time.”

Dealer Overview (by Anna Schumate)Jewelry presented its glittering face in

abundance at theFall Show. Newto this venue,K a i n a r o sJ e w e l r y o fWestwood, NewJ e r s e y , h a dclassic gold andgemstone pieces.I enjoyed seeingseveral pairs of carved coral earrings inthe shape of rose blossoms. This is atraditional European design, particularly inItaly and Kainaros’ pieces were very fineexamples of this style. Another newcomerwas Pam K’s Creations. They specializein silver designs with Victorian, Art Decoand Indian Mogul influences. One of ourmembers bought a gorgeous Mogul stylelink bracelet set with diamonds, rubies,emeralds set in silver. Some of our showveterans, such as Howard Minerals,Somethings, Celinka, Hunza Rangerand Quarry Enterprises were there withinteresting gemstone jewelry along withtheir minerals. Arlene, of Somethings,always has unique jewelry pieces, mostwith natural stones or freshwater pearls. Inaddition, she stocks a varied selection ofexquisite cabochons and gemstonecarvings for collecting or setting into yourown designs. (Continues on page 4)

Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2New York State R&M!. . . . . . . . . . . 3Club History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Personal Fossilization. . . . . . . . . . . . 6Musicophilia by Sacks. . . . . . . . . . . 6Elements and Mineralogy II. . . . . . . 7We Need Your Help!. . . . . . . . . . . . 8Fall 2008 Show Dealer Donations. . 8Topics in Gemology. . . . . . . . . . . . . 92008 Dues Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . 11

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club December 2007


We had a wonderful banquet and showweekend during the weekend of November9 –11. If you missed any of it, you can readabout the weekend’s activities in this issue.We will host the show again on March 1-2with a simple dinner for members andguests on Saturday evening when the showcloses. Everyone who attended this dinnerlast year really enjoyed it and wanted us todo it again. I hope you can join us.

During the Spring NYC Gem & Showwe always display our exhibit cases. If youwould like to do a case, please contactMitch or me. The theme is copper minerals.I would like to coordinate a jewelry case ofunique pieces, preferably handmade byClub members. I would like to keep thedisplay simple and elegant, so I amrequesting one or two of your very bestpieces.

Upcoming activities in early 2008include a special mineral sale and theannual Rutgers Geology Department OpenHouse at the New Brunswick campus onJanuary 26.

Two years ago, while browsing in theMetropolitan Museum of Art’s bookshop, Icame across Color, A Natural History of thePalette by Victoria Finlay. Upon leafingthrough it, I became fascinated by the factsand anecdotes on the world history of thesources of dyes, paints and pigments. Ipurchased the volume, read it with relishand at the Members Showcase, I gave abook report on it. The very same thinghappened to me last month again in the Metbookstore. This time, I found that VictoriaFinlay has published Jewels, A SecretHistory, through Random House TradePaperbacks. Ms. Finlay has traveled theworld in search of fables, facts and personalhistories of gem minerals and organic gemmaterials. Amber, jet, pearl, opal, peridot,emerald, sapphire, ruby and diamond eachget their own chapters and each gem has anintriguing story to tell.

Club Meeting Minutes for November 9, 2007 (Banquet)By Vivien Gornitz, SecretaryAttendance: 45President Anna Schumate presided� The Club’s Annual Banquet event

kicked off with a silent auction,featuring over 100 attractive, variedlots, of which more than 3/4 (and the

Banquet’s door prizes) came from therecently-acquired Rosa collection. Theauction netted $553. Attendance at thebanquet was good, at 45 – about thesame as last year.

� The Eastern Federation Bulletin ArticleContest awards were announced byMitch Portnoy. Details appear to theright. (Vivien Gornitz was disqualifiedfrom entering in the advanced articlecategory this year for having won theTrophy last year).

� Mitch Portnoy gave an in-depth reportof the Rosa Donation (See later in theBulletin for complete details) and alsoreminded us what has already beengiven to the club in the past andremains in his apartment and thepossibility of impending donations.The bottom line is that the Club is invery good shape financially. As a result. . .

� Anna surprised the banquet attendeeswith a $10 rebate each! (About one-half of the people elected to let theClub retain the money anyway.) Shealso thanked the many people whodonated extra money to pay for thewine and/or desserts.

� Mitch Portnoy gave a shortpresentation regarding the publicationof a New York State specialized issueby Rocks & Minerals (with a lot ofClub references) and that they wouldbe for sale by Tony Nikischer thefollowing day at the Mineral Show.(Details appear later in the Bulletin)

� Rich Rossi told us about an accidentthat occurred at Rocko’s Booth at amineral show in which there was arather large loss; He encouragedmembers to at least look at what Rockohad available over the weekend andperhaps make a purchase. Rocko (RobRosenblatt) and his wife, Mandy, havebeen very generous to the Club withtheir donations to the auction for manyyears. (Note: Rich is to be thanked aswell for transporting me and all thebanquet materials from my place to thehotel and helping with the setup. –Editor)

� The Club honored Charles andMaureen Rosa with a Certificate ofAppreciation for their generousdonation of most of their extensivemineral collection. Adele Ruotolo andAnne Vitiello also received Certificatesof Appreciation for their generous giftsof gemstones, over the years. Susan

Jane Rudich received the “JamesDougherty award” for her enthusiasticefforts on behalf of the Club.After a sumptuous and tasty buffet

dinner, enhanced by wine and sinfully richdesserts, a new game was introduced, inwhich contestants had to name the title of a“thin” book, for example: “The DiamondMines of New York City”. The three besttitles, by popular acclaim were: “CollectorsWho Know When to Stop” (Al Rauch), “ThePegmatites of Nebraska” (Alfredo Petrov),and “Diamonds I Have Never Owned, by LizTaylor” (Chris O’Neill). Winners wereawarded larger Indian zeolite specimens, alsofrom the Rosa Donation! (Full details of thecontest submissions will be in next month’sBulletin.) (Continues next page)

Editor’s MessageBy Mitchell Portnoy

The following articles were submitted forjudging in the 2007 EFMLS Bulletin Editors'Competition. Articles written during 2006were eligible. Here are the results:Features (Written)� Rutgers Open House Review by Anna

Schumate (March) - TROPHY� Ten Indoor Winter Activities by Mitch

Portnoy (October) - 5 Placeth

� Fred Pough Obituary by Mitch Portnoy(May) - Honorable Mention

Original Educational Articles� Iron Mines of the Highlands by David

Brand (April) - 7 Placeth

Original Non-Technical Articles� It’s Been Ten Years by Mitch Portnoy

(January) - 1 Placest

� Carved in Stone by Diana Jarrett(October) - 10 Placeth

� As Patriotic as They Come by DianaJarrett (July) - Honorable Mention

Poetry� Minerals and Gems of Asia by Mitchell

Cohen (March) - 2 Placend

Categories with No SubmissionsLarge BulletinsFeatures (Drawn)Junior ArticlesSpecial Publications

Congratulations and thanks to allauthors!

Welcome New Members!Jeanne Fox. . . . . . . Fairfield, ConnecticutRoland Scal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NYC, NY

(Actually welcome back to Roland!)

December 2007 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 3

2007 Club Holiday Banquet Review(Continued from previous page)

Banquet Speaker: Reema Keswani, Golconda Gems, Inc.Golconda and Beyond–Indian Diamonds.

The name Golconda evokes images of fabled Orientaltreasures, and indeed, many of the world’s largest and manyfamous historic diamonds originally came from India. Ourfeatured speaker, Reema Keswani, outlined the lengthy historyof Indian diamonds from the earliest days over 400 years BC tothe present. Golconda itself was never a diamond mining district,but rather a fortress and trading center. In ancient India, the mostvalued diamonds were clear, flawless, natural octahedralcrystals, so-called “diamonds of the first order”, often describedas having come from Golconda. Such stones tend to be D, IF(according to the GIA grading system) and type IIa,= (i.e., fairlypure, with almost no nitrogen present). Jean-Baptiste Tavernier(1605-1689), a French gem dealer, traveled to India and returnedwith a number of large gems, among which was the Great Blue(or Tavernier Blue), originally weighing around 110 carats, thatwas sold to Louis XIV. It disappeared during the FrenchRevolution, only to reappear in London, recut and much smaller.The gem was briefly owned by the Hope family, subsequentlyby Pierre Cartier and Harry Winston, and now is a prize exhibitat the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of NaturalHistory, in Washington, D.C. Tavernier also described the GreatMogul diamond, believed to be the Orlov (189.6 carats), now inthe Kremlin State Museum, the Koh-i-Noor (108.9 carats),which is in the Queen Mother’s Crown, in the Tower of London,and the Great Table cut diamond, thought to be the Shah Jahandiamond (56.7 carats). Reema illustrated her talk with otherfamous diamond jewels, such as the Taj Mahal pendant, made byCartier for Liz Taylor, and Spanish Inquisition necklace set withdiamonds and emeralds cut in the Mogul style, now also onexhibit at the Smithsonian. She also showed some vintage andcontemporary jewelry. The Art Deco pieces frequently showeda classic Indian influence.

Old Indian diamonds were cut for maximum weightretention, rather than for the brilliance favored today. Therefore,flat, cleaved surfaces with minimal faceting were characteristicof traditional Mogul jewelry. The Shah Jahan diamond, forexample, is a flat table cut stone with an elongated octagonalshape and lengthwise drill hole for suspension as a pendant. Thisodd shape was based on the taveez–a traditional Islamic amuletstill worn across parts of the Middle East and India.

Indian diamond mining has long been superceded by newfinds, originally in Brazil, then later in South Africa, and morerecently elsewhere in Africa, Russia, Australia, and now Canada.However, within the last 30 years, India has rapidly emerged asthe world’s largest diamond cutting and polishing center, havingover a million cutters. It now cuts 85% of the world’s diamondsby volume and 60% by value. Exploration is underway to locatenew deposits in India. China is also beginning to develop itsdiamond cutting capabilities. With ever growing Asian demandfor gold and precious stones, these two countries are well-positioned to dominate the diamond industry in the comingdecades.

NY Mineralogical Club & Members in the NewsBy Mitch Portnoy

There are millions of references (well, maybe not millionsbut certainly a lot!) to the New York Mineralogical Club and itsmembers in the November/December 2007 (Vol. 82, No. 6)issue of Rocks & Minerals.

The issue is entirelydevoted to New York State,the first of two issuesdedicated to this subject.

Indeed, several of thei s su e ’ s i n t ro d u c t o ryparagraphs talk about theClub and its origins in 1886as evidence for theimportance of mineralogyin New York State – “Theroots of New York’smineralogical history rundeep.”

Many members –current, past, or deceased –are mentioned by name (Herbert Whitlock, George Kunz, JamesManchester) or because they have had minerals named afterthem (nikischerite for Tony Nikischer, bostwickite for DickBostwick, hauckite for Dick Hauck).

Current members who are dealers can be found includingHerb Obodda, Larry Conklin and John Betts.

We will have 10 copies of this R&M issue available atthe December meeting for sale at $8 each – you can callme to reserve one in advance – Mitch (212) 580 1343

The American Museum of Natural History, our meetingplace, is recognized as having one of the great internationalcollections. Virtually all of the scholars who have worked withthe gem, mineral and meteorite collections there have beenmembers of the Club (George Harlow, Fred Pough, Joe Peters,Jamie Newman, etc.)

You will also recognize several New York State mineralexperts who have lectured to the Club over the years includingSteve Chamberlain and Mike Hawkins.

The minerals of New York City are little mentioned andJohn Betts has told me that this situation will be rectified in thenext volume in this two-part series.

I recommend that everyone get a copy of this issue for yourhome library.

Request for Exhibitors at the Spring ‘08NYC Gem & Mineral Show

The show theme at the 2008 Spring New York City Gem &Mineral Show is Copper & Copper Minerals. If you would

like to put together a display relating to this topic at theMarch show, please let us know! Call Mitch Portnoy at (212)

580 1343 or email him at [email protected].


2007 Fall Mineral & Gem Show Review(Continued from page 1)

Rich Eisen of Highland Rock & Fossil also stocksexcellent cabochons and carved pendants along with hiswonderful spheres, carvings and fossils. Unique RussianMinerals had some eudialyte cabochons with a wonderfulraspberry red hue. Syed Shah of Hunza Ranger had lapis lazulibeads from Afghanistan in various sizes up to huge 20millimeter ones. Mandy Rosenblatt of Rocko Minerals andJewelry always has a swarm of eager shoppers around herjewelry creations, particularly the wired wrapped pendants thatfeature 2 or more minerals that Mandy selects with Reikiprinciples in mind as well as aesthetic appeal. Joe and Marie DeCristoforo of Amazon Imports had some spectaculargemstones. Stunning electric blue Paraiba tourmalines, Tsavoritegarnets, rubellite, indicolite and chrome green tourmaline viedin the Cristoforo’s showcase with mandarin garnets of bright,saturated orange and intense hot pink sapphires. They also hadmorganites of the deepest pink I have seen anywhere for thatspecies.

Exciting mineral offerings were also plentiful at this show.John Betts had some deep lavender hued kunzite crystals, aliddicoatite slice with nearly perfectly formed triangular colorzoning, diamond crystals and bright native gold in anaesthetically pleasing cluster.

Newcomers, The Crystal Circle, of Cincinnati, Ohio, madea quite a stir. They purchased many fine specimens fromHawthorneden Minerals, now out of business. The Crystal Circlepeople were showing some of these pieces at the NY show. Icouldn’t resist one of the gemmy orange imperial topaz crystalsfrom Ouro Preto. One of our friends acquired a very saturatedred Burmese spinel crystal. They had some gemmy aquamarineand peridot crystals and a very fine assortment of thumbnail adsmall cabinet specimens. Newcomer, Singh, of Silverrocks,Inc., shared a booth with Alfredo Petrov. Singh had a couple oflarge fine kunzite crystals, a very unusual curved rhodochrositestalactite and a gemmy, violet-blue tanzanite crystal among othertantalizing items in his showcase. Alfredo had back issues ofseveral foreign publications as well as some of the English Lapisissues; all of which were selling well. I always enjoy visitingMel Belsky of Howard Minerals. He and his family are friendlyand they always have a fascinating mix of mineral and jewelrymerchandise, literally something for everyone. WarrenGonzales Minerals also had an intriguing mix of polishedcrystals, carved stones and other gift items. I heard very positivefeedback from friends and other NYMC members who attendedthis show concerning the overall quality of the merchandise.Club Show Finances

We have no direct commercial interest in the show. We arethere as “hosts” only. The bottom line is that we spend ratherlittle money on the show (it's more free labor than anything else).Expenses are office supplies, copying, transportation expenses,etc. Where we do “make” money is from membership dues andprimarily from the ensuing auction results from the dealerdonations to the Club. The number of new memberships/ currentrenewals was reasonable and similar to last year (10) and wesold a few almanacs (3). For the first time we had mineral

patches and note cards to sell; we sold about half of the patcheswe had (30) and I’ll bring the rest to club meetings. The notecards were not so popular – I guess fewer and fewer people arewriting nowadays, surely an effect of email. All ten copies of theNew York State Rocks & Minerals issue sold, but they wereactually from Excalibur Minerals and not owned by the Club.We may obtain some more for sale at the meetings.Souvenir Cards

A friend of mine reproduced the show card for the club incolor this year (as a donation) and many people commented onhow much they liked the design which featured a picture of theUSA mineral stamps from 1968. I will bring the extras to thenext club meeting for additional distribution. They are simplytoo nice to throw out.No Exhibits or Lectures or Boy Scout Merit Badge Program

For reasons of planning, costs and logistics, it was decidedthat the November Show will not have exhibits. (We will havethem only once a year at the March Show). We will certainlysponsor a lecture series at both shows but originally this pastshow was supposed to have a program instead for the boy scoutsin which they could earn their Geology Merit Badge. This fellthrough at the last minute and it was not practical to set up alecture series that had no advanced advertising or promotion. Ido thank those people (Dr. Charles Merguerian especially)who were willing to provide a talk at the last minute even thoughit did not happen. You are good people!Children

There were more children at this show than last year. We didnot have an activity but there were “freebies” for then whichincluded lovely small Arkansas quartz specimens donated byCharles and Maureen Rosa and African ruby (corundum)specimens donated by Larry Conklin.Breakdown

This was the easiest breakdown ever! Very little was left forme to take home as we seem to know the correct amounts ofmaterials to bring with us to begin with. Each day I had broughthome whatever dealer donations we had been given so there wasnot a huge pile left for the final day. Without display cases todisassemble and pack up, this show is a breeze. I was home by5:30 pm. (And I began writing this article at about that sametime!)Additional Thanks

There are many other people to thank including: Paul andJeanine Speranza (the club members who run the entrancebooth and function as “operations managers” (and their sonsleeps in the ballroom overnight for security), and volunteersAnna Schumate, Vivien Gornitz, and Alla Priceman forrunning the booth and helping with preparation, setup andbreakdown. I also want to thank Dick Bostwick for donating ahuge quantity of plastic badges that we can use for many yearsand save the club some money.

Lastly, I want to thank the club membership at large whoattended the show and respected and understood (for the mostpart) why there were some basic rules to follow regarding theClub booth.Final Comments

I think we had a good show – additional ideas andcomments are most welcome.


Club HistoryThe following appeared on pages 138-9 of the American Mineralogist – Journal of the Mineralogical Society ofAmerica.– Editor

PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES

NEW YORK MINERALOGICAL CLUB

Annual Meeting, 1921

The Annual Meeting of the New York Mineralogical Club was held in the Academy Room of the AmericanMuseum of Natural History on the evening of April 20tb, at 8.15 P.M. The President, Dr. George F. Kunz, presided,and there was an attendance of 23 members.

The following names were submitted to the Committee on Membership:– Mr. Everett D. Carlson, Miss EthelM. Egan and Mr. Frederick M. Taylor.

Mr. Manchester showed a cut citrine from the Portland Quarry, Portland, Conn., weighing 134 carats.The Treasurer submitted a report for the year showing a balance of $4l7.43, and spoke of the advisability of

increasing the dues. The club declined to act on this, however. A committee of three was then appointed to preparea slate of officers for the coming year.

The question of an excursion for Decoration Day was then taken up. Dr. Allen suggested Texas, Pa., and afterdiscussion, the matter was submitted to the Committee on Excursions.

The Committee on Nominations then submitted the following nominations for Officers for the year 1921-1922:–

For President–Dr. George F. Kunz.For Vice-President–Mr. George E. Ashby.For Corresponding Secretary-Dr. Wallace Goold Levison.For Recording Secretary–Mr. Herbert P. Whitlock.For Treasurer–Mr. Gilrnan S. Stanton

In the absence of other nominations, these officers were elected.The President announced that he had been named on the Committee to arrange for the purchase of one gram of

radium to be presented to Madame Curie, and that Madame Curie would attend a joint reception, tendered by theAmerican Museum of Natural History, the New York Academy of Science and the New York Mineralogical Club,on May tr7th. The following committee for this reception was appointed from the club:-Dr. George F. Kunz,Chairman, Prof. Alexander H. Phillips, Mr. O. Ivan Lee, Mr. Herbert P. Whitlock,and Miss Agnes V. Luther.

Dr. Frederick D. Allen then read a paper on “Marmolite and Brucite from Hoboken.” He stated that marmolitewas named in l822 by Thomas Nuttall on material from Hoboken. He called attention to the fact that some specimensfrom Hoboken which have been so labeled show deposition from solution without structure. Nuttall speaks of hismineral as occurring with brucite, and named it marmolite on account of its foliated texture, giving a carefuldescription of its laminated and frequently radiated structure. Later analyses of “marmolite” show perfectly normalserpentine. Brucite was noticed by Archibald Bruce in 1810 in the American Mineralogical Journal as “nativernagnesia from New Jersey.” He determined the water content to be 30 per cent. Dr. Allen concludes that whatNuttall called marmolite was serpentine pseudomorphous after lamellar brucite.

Mr. Wintringham asked if it were possible to study Nuttall’s original material. He discussed types of serpentinepseudomorphs from Tilly Foster, and read the article on them by Dana in the American Journal of Science. A voteof thanks was tendered to Dr. Allen for his highly suggestive paper.

HERBERT P. WHITLOCK, Recording Secretary.


Letter to the Fossil Record

To Whom it May Concern:What is the best method to fossilize my remains when I

die? After my death I would like to become a fossil. Is thereanything I could have done to my remains that would improvemy chances, and where would be a good place to have theminterred? How quickly could I turn into a fossil?

D. J. Thompson London, UK 11 October 2003

Suggestion #1So you want to become a fossil? This is admirable, but you

have made a bad start. A hard, mineralized exoskeleton and amarine lifestyle would have given you a better chance. But let'sstart with what you have got: an internal skeleton and some softouter bits.

You can usually forget the soft bits. If you take upmountaineering or skiing and end up in a glacier crevasse youcould become a wizened mummy, but that's not real fossilization,just putting things on hold for a while. If you really want to survivethe ravages of geological time then you need to concentrate onteeth and bones. Fossilization of these involves additionalmineralization, so you might want to get a head start and thinkabout your diet: cheese and milk would build up your bonecalcium. And look after your teeth, as these really are your best betfor a long-term future. So get a good dentist and keep thoseappointments.

After that it comes down to three things: location, location,location. You must find a place to die where you won't bedisturbed for a long time. Caves have worked well for somepeople, so you might want to take up spelunking to scout outlocations close to home, but get the proper training.

Alternatively, you need a rapid burial. I don't mean a speedyfuneral service picked out of the telephone directory, butsomething natural and dramatic - the sort of thing that is precededby a distant volcanic rumble and an unfinished query along thelines of “What was...?”

You might want to travel to find the right natural opportunity.Camping in a desert wadi in the flash-flood season would be good.And long walks across tropical river flood plains during heavy raincould get you where you want to be: buried in fine, anoxic mud. Orhow about an imprudent picnic on the flanks of an active volcano?But take geological advice because you are looking for a niceash-fall burial, not cremation by lava.

Talking of picnics, fossil stomach contents can provide usefulpaleo-diet information, so a solid final meal would be good. AndI mean solid. Pizzas or hamburgers won't last, but shellfish or fruitwith large seeds (you will need to swallow these) could intriguefuture scientists.

Finally, trace fossils (marks in rocks that indicate animalbehavior) are always welcome. So a neat set of footprints leadingto your final location would be good. Use a nice even gait with nohopping or skipping to confuse analysis of how you really moved.

Of course, you have more chance of winning the lottery thanending up as a fossil. But if you do go for a place in the fossilrecord please keep in touch. Geologists are always on the lookoutfor interesting new specimens, so let us know where you'll be. Wecan arrange to dig you up in, say, a million years.

Tony Weighell Ampthill, Bedfordshire, UK

AlternativelyYour chances of being fossilized are very slim, but you can

significantly improve them by having your body buried at sea.However, you must make sure the water is very deep. This isbecause shallow marine conditions are turbulent and full of life,which will be only too glad to eat your remains.

Terrestrial settings are liable to erosion, even if your bodyis buried, and therefore will significantly reduce your chance offossilization. However, in the deep sea there are few creatures,and even fewer beneath the seabed, should you be able to haveyourself interred there. Make sure that your chosen location isnot near a tectonic subduction zone, where the Earth's crust isbeing consumed, because you will be quickly carried into themagma along with it.

The fine clay will help to preserve your body structure, andfossilization should proceed until you are nothing more than anoutline of carbon and petrified body fluids, thanks mainly tocompaction from the weight of clay that settles above you. Youshould allow around 200,000 years for this.

Of course, having yourself incarcerated in amber wouldprovide the best means of preservation, but you would then haveto arrange to have the amber buried in a stable environment,which is not easy from beyond the grave.

Finally, wear something gold with your name on, so you canbe identified. It will probably survive far longer than yourremains. Jon Noad Rijswijk, The Netherlands

MusicophiliaTales of Music and the BrainBy Oliver Sacks

Music can move us to the heights or depths of emotion. It canpersuade us to buy something, or remind us of our first date. It canlift us out of depression when nothing else can. It can get usdancing to its beat. But the power of music goes much, muchfurther. Indeed, music occupies more areas of our brain thanlanguage does--humans are a musical species.

Oliver Sacks's compassionate, compelling tales of peoplestruggling to adapt to different neurological conditions havefundamentally changed the way we think of our own brains, andof the human experience. In Musicophilia, he examines the powersof music through the individual experiences of patients, musicians,and everyday people--from a man who is struck by lightning andsuddenly inspired to become a pianist at the age of forty-two, to anentire group of children with Williams syndrome who arehypermusical from birth; from people with “amusia,” to whom asymphony sounds like the clattering of pots and pans, to a manwhose memory spans only seven seconds--for everything butmusic.

Our exquisite sensitivity to music can sometimes go wrong:Sacks explores how catchy tunes can subject us to hours of mentalreplay, and how a surprising number of people acquire nonstopmusical hallucinations that assault them night and day. Yet farmore frequently, music goes right: Sacks describes how music cananimate people with Parkinson's disease who cannot otherwisemove, give words to stroke patients who cannot otherwise speak,and calm and organize people whose memories are ravaged byAlzheimer's or amnesia.

Music is irresistible, haunting, and unforgettable, and inMusicophilia, Oliver Sacks tells us why.


Part II: Elements and MineralogyBy Bill Shelton

Some elements are notable in major mineral group names;they obviously occur there quite often but not necessarilynowhere else. Recall the comments in Part I (last month)regarding carbon and sulfur. Other elements may beincorporated, notably oxygen as you can see in the chart below.A name for a group tells you what the major element(s) youshould expect to find will be for the group; i.e. boron and oxygenin the borates.

GroupName

Element ofName

OtherElements(In Name)

Rarity# of

Species(Approx)

Sulfides Sulfur None 260 ppm ~600Oxides Oxygen None 47% 350Halides See below** None 950 ppm (F) 160Carbonates Carbon Oxygen C 480 ppm 200Borates Boron Oxygen B 10 ppm 150Sulfates Sulfur Oxygen S 260 ppm 350Chromates Chromium Oxygen Cr 100 ppm 10Tungstates Tungsten Oxygen W 1 ppm 30 (inc.

below)Molybdates Molybdenu

mOxygen Mo 1.5 ppm 30 (inc.

above)Phosphates Phosphorus Oxygen P 1,000 ppm 400Arsenates Arsenic Oxygen As 1,5 ppm 230Vanadates Vanadium Oxygen V 160 ppm 75Silicates Silicon Oxygen Si 28% 1050

Halides: a group of related elements including fluorine (F),chlorine (Cl). Bromine (Br) and iodine (I). Cl has a relativeabundance of 130 ppm. There are very few common mineralswith these elements present in large percentages. Fluorite isthe most common example.

It is pretty apparent here how important oxygen is in mineralgroups since eleven out of thirteen groups require oxygen fortheir formation. Next time we will be looking at the relativefrequency of occurrence of the most common eight elements.

From a collecting standpoint, any group may be aninteresting sub-collection. The last column in the chart suggestsapproximately how many minerals are involved in the group.You may also have an interest in, say, only common minerals orperhaps a representative from each major class. At least a fewcollectors choose to restrict their choices to a specific place aswell and may like phosphates from the United States or elementsfrom the former Soviet Union. The possibilities are reallyendless. Some of the museums choose to specialize and havevery significant collections of particular minerals from a certaingeographic area or chemical class.

It is significant to note that the relative abundance does notcorrelate at all with the number of species. Sulfur occurs innearly 1,000 species (sulfides plus sulfates) while silicon ispresent in just over 1,000 species. Silicon is about 1,000 timesmore prevalent than sulfur however. Comments, etc. arewelcome.

Jeff Koons's “Blue Diamond” for Sale atChristie's New York By Linda Sandler

Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) –A sculpture by Jeff Koons, whosecollectors include billionaire Eli Broad and hedge-fund managerDavid Ganek, will be sold at a November contemporary art salein New York at Christie's International.

Koons's “Blue Diamond” from 2005, made of shinystainless steel seven-feet wide, is one of a series of differentlytinted sculptures producedby the U.S. artist, theauction house said in astatement. The priceestimate and the seller'sname weren't disclosed.

The valuation is about$12 million, said the NewYork Times. The ownermay be publisher BenediktTaschen, the newspapersaid, citing people familiar with Koons's work whom it didn'tidentify.

Koons's pink diamond was on show last year in the gardenof London's Victoria and Albert Museum, on loan from Ganek'scollection. A green diamond was sold in 2006 by Gagosiangallery at Switzerland's Art Basel fair. California collector Broadpaid about $3.5 million for one of Koons' “Cracked Egg”sculptures in the same year.

Designer Jeff Koons says even though it's not real, it's theepitome of what a blue diamond should be in today's world ofwealth and luxury.

The Blue Diamond was on display – just for the day – onFriday at the Christie's entrance at Rockefeller Plaza.

President’s Message(Continued from page 2)

In the preface she has written, ”this book is mostly writtenin praise of small things. Even the biggest jewels are mostlyrather small: the word in English comes from the Old French for“little joys” and in gem terms the term “hen’s egg” meansgigantic. The book is also, largely, a celebration of mineralthings. Only jet, coral, and the creatures that reluctantly make upthe insides of some rare pearls have ever been alive, while otherprized “stones” including amber, plant-opals and ordinary pearlshave exuded from living things. But most gems are crystals thathave formed in the depths of the earth and emerged millions ofyears later, with a beauty for which men and women have, onoccasion, been prepared to commit theft, treason, torture andmurder.” The book contains detailed footnotes and abibliography for further research and an appendix with usefulgemological information. For me, Jewels, was a highlyabsorbing read; in fact it was as much a “page-turner” as any ofthe juiciest “whodunits.”


We Need Your Help! Really!By Mitch Portnoy

Here is a listing of the club donations currently living in myapartment:

Initial Rosa Donation InventoryFlats/Boxes No. % Total

Zeolites Flats 4 x 6 = 24 in each 11 264

Flats 3 x 4 = 12 in each 6 72

Flats 2 x 3 = 6 in each 4 24

Flats, Mixed Size 2 33

Huge Display Piece 1 1

Subtotal 24 394 49%Others Gypsum 1 24

Amethyst 2 35

Fluorite 1 14

Small Quartz 1 15

Fossils 1 7

Thumbnails 1 24

Assorted Quartz 1 21

Malachite/Azurite 3 39

Assorted Minerals 6 110

Unknowns 1 27

Silent Auction Various 4 70Voice Auction Various 2 20

Magazines, Books, etc. 1 NA

Subtotal 25 406 51%Grand Total 49 800

In addition:� 8 “flea market flats” – larger pieces, showier, aesthetic,

colorful and glittery easier to sell to the general public� 13 flats other donations -- filled with species, odd localities,

etc study specimens, old labels, etc.� Large laundry basket filled with books, magazines,

pamphlets and mineral/gem ephemera� Dozens of rare mineral-related postersAnd . . . � Even more promised gifts from several members on the way

By the time you are reading this, some of the above willhave been sold to benefit the Club or disbursed in other waysBUT the bulk of the flats and materials described above is stillavailable.

The rarer or more valuable specimens have been set aside aslots for the June 2008 Auction. Everything else will be put outfor sale at the Special January Benefit Sale AND we may evenhave another one during the summer in either July or August.

However, we have decided not to wait all those months tobegin finding homes for these wonderful minerals.

I encourage any members who might be interested inlooking through what we have here to call or email me and makean appointment for a private and personal viewing.

You’ll be glad you did!So will the Club!So will I!.A “win - win -win” situation indeed!

Fall 2007 New York City Gem & Mineral ShowDealer Club Benefit Auction DonationsThe following list includes all the donations that the Fall Showdealers made to the Club. There was 100% participation this time(again)! Most of them will be offered in the June ‘08 BenefitAuction although some may be made available in the January ‘08Special Sale. The total retail value that we can calculate at thistime stands at more than $1300!

Amazon Imports, Williston Park, NY� (2) Blue and (1) Golden Zircons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BrazilAurora Mineral Corp, Freeport, NY� Amethyst Candle Holder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BrazilJohn Betts Fine Minerals, New York City, NY(Promised Gift).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MiscCelinka, Bohemia, NY� Petrified Wood (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Western USA� Crystal Sphere Stands (2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA� “Hope Diamond” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA� Pyromorphite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China� Garnet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ChinaThe Crystal Circle, Cincinnati, OH� (2) Polished Jasper Spheres.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Madagascar Excalibur Mineral Company, Peekskill, NY� Amethyst w/Calcite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ColoradoWarren Gonzales Minerals, Mount Bether, PA� Schorl Crystals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil� Amethyst & Silver Earrings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA� Amethyst “Cactus”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . South AfricaHighland Rock & Fossil, Highland Park, NJ� (4) Spheres & Stands (Crystal, Jade, Marble). . . . . . . . . NAHoward Minerals, Brooklyn, NY� Agate Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA� Rhodochrosite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . South AfricaHunza Ranger Gems & Minerals, New York, NY� Golden Calcite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Afghanistan� Polished Lapis Block. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AfghanistanPam K's Creations, Fort Lee, NJ� Smokey Quartz Bracelet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA� Labradorite Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NAPetrov Rare Minerals, Peekskill, NY� Victric Tuff (Green) Egg.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BoliviaKainaros Jewelry, Westwood, NJ� Sterling Hoop Earrings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NAQuarry Enterprises, Northvale, NJ� Agate Geode (Fluorescent). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico� Dolomite Pseudomorph.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paterson, NJ� Heulandite Pseudomorph. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paterson, NJRocko Minerals & Jewelry, Margaretville, NY� Dioptase Thumbnail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NamibiaUnique Russian Minerals & Jewelry, Fort Lee, NJ� Eudialyte, Fuschite, Seraphinite Cabochons (3). . . . . RussiaHoward Schlansker, Marshfield, MA� Fluorite, Calcite, Quartz & etc. (large!). . . . . . . . . . . ChinaSilverrocks, Inc, Patterson, NY� Ammonite & etc. Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NASomethings, New Milford, NJ� Citrine & Shell Choker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA� Keshi Pearl Necklace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA



It’s All About Color No longer called semi-precious, the modern term for colored

gemstones is, well, colored stones.Years ago, customers thought all colored stones were

manufactured perhaps, or that they were of modest value. Andmany colored stones were both. But times have changed, and theworld is one big neighborhood in the 21st century. Jewelrybuyers are savvy when it comes to naturally colored gems andunderstand the pricing of true Russian demantoidgarnets or gemmy blue tanzanite when they maycost more than some diamonds. Retailers ofyesterday who wouldn't stray away fromdiamonds, pearls and the holy trinity of coloredstones –that's ruby, emerald, sapphire, now treadfearlessly into the deep end of color. It sells.

Where do all these colored gems come from?For the most part their story is an exotic tale notdissimilar to the opening of the wild-wild-west;where the law of the land is the one with a gun–orat least the one who got there first.

Take for instance the fascinating story of arelative newcomer to the gem trade, Madagascar.This ancient and until recently under-exploitednation is a veritable treasure trove ofmulti-colored natural gemstones. To the southeastof Africa, surrounded by the Indian Ocean, liesthe world's fourth largest island, Madagascar.Sixty million years ago, Madagascar separatedfrom the main land mass, forming distinct species of flora andfauna. Its wildly exotic bio-diversity flourishing in this uniqueoasis is enough to make a paleontologist swoon. But whatcatapults it into global interest lately is its vast wealth of coloredgemstones.

Coming from behind more developed nations, Madagascarhas evolved into being among the industry's leading suppliersWhile production from Asian sources for rubies and sapphiresdwindle, the international gem market has become increasinglyreliant on Madagascar to fill the void.

Gem rich Madagascar is loaded with deposits of most colorsof sapphire, aquamarine and emerald (beryl), garnet, tourmaline,and many other gem species. The frenzied gem rush may berecent to this impoverished nation, but Madagascar has longbeen known to be mineral laden. Early French explorers calledMadagascar “Île de Béryls” (Island of Beryls) spying massivequantities of colored gemstones throughout the island. But notuntil the 1990's did this productive locale become the subject ofglobal scrutiny.

Millions of dollars worth of gemstones traded locally leavethe country each year. Historically, Madagascar has not gainedfrom that latter profit whatsoever. This problem has plaguedother African nations as well, though rich with resource arelacking the ability to convert them into finished goods

Now, the World Bank is funding projects such as the“Project de Gouverance sur les Resources Minerales” (PGRM)to increase Madagascar's gem production The goal of selfsustain-ability is paramount to their plan. Part of the World Bankproject is the Institute of Gemology of Madagascar (IGM). It'sdesigned to stimulate research, technological development, andtraining through their gemology and lapidary schools. Becausethere are no other means of preparing Madagascar's citizens for

economic development, the program strives toimplement a sustainable solution for the deprivedMalagasy. The people of Madagascar shouldbenefit from marketing their own resources moreequitably than in the past.

Former gem dealer Tom Cushman tradedgems in Madagascar before becoming head of theInstitute of Gemology, (IGM) located the capitalof Antananarivo. Cushman watched Ilakaka theepicenter for sapphire mining, go from a meagerlypopulated crossroads, to a gun toting Wild Westsettlement. Today Ilakaka boasts thousands ofhouses, and the basic infrastructure to sustain itsinhabitants; schools, churches, radio stations,clinics and utilities- all built by gems.

And according to Cushman, other new townsand rushes spring up regularly.

Gemologist Charles Carmona, president ofGuild Laboratories in Los Angeles, serves asWorld Bank Consultant for the Institute, taking

him to Madagascar three times in the last year, primarily to setup the gem testing laboratory within the Ministry of Mines, forproviding gem identification services. On his most recent trip tothe Institute in March 2007, Carmona observed, “The seedsplanted by the IGM will bear fruit for decades to come, asMadagascar develops its vast natural resources, and benefitsfrom their optimal values in the gem markets.”

Similar to other emerging markets with no infrastructure toprocess their gemstone booty, it's exported at its lowest value.“In the mineral business, there is only one harvest and they needto maximize their benefits,” Carmona points out. “At IGM, weare providing the tools to compete in a global marketplace, andwe are doing it in a way that doesn't negatively impactMadagascar's spectacular resources.”

Reports of last year's gem exports from Madagascar lookpromising, with a spike up against previous year's accounts:signaling a trend toward greater transparency in reportingMadagascar's gem output. Considering the future of this ancientterrain, below which may yield another century's worth of gemproduction, Cushman forecasts, “we should expect anotherIlakaka every decade.” Due to the healthy appetite byknowledgeable consumers for colored stones, the long termsupply and hard working abundant low-cost labor inMadagascar, this will be a global supplier of colored gems foryears to come.


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G Please also send me a 2004-5 Gem & Mineral Almanac ($10 each + $4 shipping)

Mail this form (or copy) with yourcheck to:

Membership Coordinator, New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.PO Box 77, Planetarium Station, NYC, NY, 10024-0077

Send in Your 2008 Membership Dues!

Please take the time to send in your year 2008membership dues if you have not already done so.

(Otherwise, your last Bulletin is next month!)And get yourself a 2004-5 Gem & Mineral Almanac too!





Special Lecture: John Sanfaçon – “Agates, An Infinite Variety”

January 9, 2008 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Special Lecture: Steve Okulewicz –“The Magic of Geology”

(Sunday Afternoon)January 20


46 West 83 Street #2Erd

(Mitch Portnoy’s Apartment)

Scores of flats of rocks, minerals, crystals,magazines, books, posters, ephemera – TERRIFIC BARGAINS & FREEBIES

February 13 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Special Lecture: Tony Nikischer –“Disposing of Your Mineral Collection”

March 12 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Special Lecture: Darryl Pitt – “Meteorite Tales”

April 9 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Special Lecture: Alfredo Petrov – “Jadeite - A Special Gemstone”

May 14 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Special Lecture: Dr. Charles Merguerian –“Geological Wonders of Hawaii”

June 11Annual Club BenefitMineral & Gem Auction

People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Great variety, quality and values; 100+ lots.Something for everyone!

June ? Geology Walk & Lunch TBDBy Dr. Charles Merguerian –Details to follow

July/August? Possible Club Activity – Details to Follow

September 10 Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History


(Third Wednesday!)October 15

Meeting at 6:45People Center, American Museumof Natural History

Special Lecture: John Betts – “Diamonds - New Trends”

(First Friday!)November 7

Annual Silent Auction &Holiday Banquet

Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan.Mezzanine Level

Detailed information to follow


Special Lecture: Irving Horowitz –Topic to be Determined

2007-8 Show Calendar


November 24-2535 Annual Rock andth

Mineral WeekendMorris Museum, Morristown,New Jersey

Dealers, Exhibits, Lectures, Mineral IDInfo: 973-971-3720

SaturdayJanuary 26, 2008

40 Annual Open Houseth Geological & Scott HallsRutgers, New Brunswick

Full day of lectures, mineral saleInfo: [email protected]

February 2-16Tucson Arizona Mineral andGem Shows

Dozens of locations and venues,Tucson, Arizona

Too much to describe here - a national mineraland gem event

February 23-2415 Annual Gem, Mineralth

and Fossil ShowNew York State Museum, 4th

Floor, Albany, New YorkMike Hawkins: (518) 486-2011 [email protected]

March 1-2Spring NYC Gem &Mineral Show

Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan25 dealers, exhibits, lectures, minerals, gems,meteorites, children’s activity







P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station, New York City, New York, 10024-00772007-8 Executive Committee




Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

People Center, American Museum of Natural History, New York CitySpecial Lecture: John Sanfaçon – “Agates – An Infinite Variety”


FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

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Mitch Portnoy

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Mitch Portnoy

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2007 bulletins of the new york mineralogical club

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