el gambrisino 2012-01

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ELGAMBRISINOGem Crafters & Explorer's Club Bulletin, Las Cruces, NM

Affiliated with the AFMS and member of the RMFMS

January 2012 - Volume 54 - Issue 1

There was no meeting in December

Reminders & Gen. Info

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Our next meeting will be as usual on the third Friday ofthe month, Jan. 20

th, Room 118, Gardiner Hall on the

NMSU campus, 6:30 PM for socializing and 7 PM forthe meeting.

The El Paso Show was well attended by our membersthis year again I am happy to report. The El Paso clubis a very active one and I was happy to see that wecould support it so well and did you know that all areinvited on their field trips? Anyway, its always a niceshow with very good vendors that always have a lot oftreasures for sale. One vendor had just gotten backfrom a trip to Namibia and he had a lot of very niceminerals for sale. Now we have time to rest up andsave our pennies for March when the Deming andAlbuquerque shows will take place. Hoo rah!

Id like to take this opportunity to thank all members

who helped out this past year with ournewsletter bysending in articles, web sites, reports and advice. Thismuch appreciated help was, however, given by onlyabout three or four different members. The newsletteris yours and without your help and suggestions willnever improve. Im open to suggestions and amalways looking for items to print.

Lets not forget that dues are due again and yes, youhave to fill out thatmembership form every year.As I have already hadrequests for the form it will besent out as an attachment

with this issue of ElGambrisino againthis month.

Mineral Group Meeting Nov. 30, 2011

Another good group met to discuss and show off theirlatest finds. Almost everyone brought something toshow off or to identify. Brecken had his usual silverand gold samples to check out under the microscopewhich kept him busy most of the evening. Don alsospent some time with the scope identifying some of theother finds.

The chatter was nonstop. We had a variety ofspecimens to look at, some to be identified, some to be

admired and some just there. Groups of like interestsformed and a good time was had by all.

Al brought the Breastplate he had made A final polishand it will be ready to deliver to the Synagogue. Itcertainly is a piece of work to be proud of. He alsobrought a piece of petrified wood that he hadpurchased from Jack Green. Jack said he had found itin the Hatch area. It had a little chalcedony seamrunning through it so he cut and polished one side of it.He named it Waterfall Rock. Several offered to buy itbut Al wouldnt sell. It is truly a striking piece of wood.

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Gemcrafters and Explorers Club "EL Gambrisino" Volume 54, Issue 1, January 2012 2

CHRISTMAS PARTY 2011 REPORT: Christmas Party time has come and gone this year. Pat and Tony,our gracious hosts this year once again, put us all into the spirit of Christmas as their home was decorated so nicely with andwith many decorated trees. Some forty-five of us showed up for the festivities and food. Ahh, the food was excellent as usualand the deserts were outstanding. The gift giving was fun but thanks to our president elect there was no stealing of gifts thisyear. It cut down on the mayhem but wasnt as much fun (editors opinion only). A good time was had by all.

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Gemcrafters and Explorers Club "EL Gambrisino" Volume 54, Issue 1, January 2012 3

Trips & Such: You read Pats version of the Hachita campout last month and seen her challenge. Well,Brecken took her up on it and here is his version:

A Halloween in Hachita and Sylvanite, New Mexico by Brecken Uhl

All rights reserved, 11/23/2011, Scientific Value, LLC

Non exclusive permission to reprint in its entirety granted to:Las Cruces Gemcrafters and Explorers Club

Hachita, New Mexico is located just West and South of Lordsburg, which is on Interstate 10. Previously a miningtown, the location of the original town site, Old Hachita, was moved to the new location when the railroad camethrough. The area is near the interior corner of the boot heel of New Mexico, and is thus not far from Mexico itself.Many of these facts and a lot more are available in the electronic literature packets sent out by our dedicated andprecious Activities Leader, Eric.

There were a total of nine Gambrisinos who braved the slight chill of the desert nights for yet another Halloweenweekend Hachita campout. The trip was well worth three days of an otherwise ordinary life, with crisp, star,satellite and meteor filled skies at night, and clear, windless, and quite pleasant days. Of course, there was alsoample icing on the cake as well, with best in the state ruins at Old Hachita and the surrounding areas, a widevariety of mine dumps to pick through, plenty of dirt road travel, wildlife encounters, interesting rock formations, and

clean air. The coyotes (the animal ones) even helped out, providing an eerie Halloween backdrop each night as thesun dipped below the stark horizon in a blaze of deep kaleidoscopic color.

On this trip, the group gravitated toward the Sylvanite area to the south and across Howells Ridge from OldHachita. Numerous mines dot the area, and of course unqualified Gambrisinos should STAY OUT to STAY ALIVE.Careful examination of dumps and surrounding area should always yield plenty of small specimens from all parts ofthe past excavation at the mine. Besides, sometimes the mines have guardians that may get angry if you intrudetoo far into their cozy abode; like this little Banded Rock Rattlesnake found right outside a tempting adit. Theancient grindholes were located elsewhere in the range, and though unguarded, were nearby to three unmarkedgraves of indeterminate age situated right in the pass of the mountains.

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Gemcrafters and Explorers Club "EL Gambrisino" Volume 54, Issue 1, January 2012 - 4 -

Of course, sometimes you can turn the tables on the denizens of the area, as happened with a rather cute Javelina.First spotted in the steep arroyo below, the critter was stalked up the ridgeline in expectation of being able to snapmore pictures of it far below. Lo, and behold, however, for the stalking proved even more successful than imagined,and the Javelina instead came directly up the arroyo bank to the ridge top, literally right to the feet of the stalker!Pausing in unknowing confusion, it was several shakes of the head before the little potential snack realized thatsomething was amiss and wheeled about and high tailed it back to the relative safety of the arroyo bottom. Such apeaceful close encounter almost made the author understand the viewpoint of the antihuman ecofascist hypocritesthat, if allowed, would deny all of us the ability to have such an experience entirely, let alone pick up a few rocks in

the process.

And speaking of rocks, beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder. While some turquoise, azurite and malachitewere collected on this trip, many of the mines were also awash with ore the likes of which fires the imagination forGold and Silver, even though it may not be pretty. Specimens likely containing the namesake Sylvanite (aTelluride ore), and streaked with sulfides, garnet, and quartz were collected, as were ores bright with healthy vugsof argentiferous Galena. The Galena ore was later fired, with brilliant blebs of silver evident in the resulting glassyslag.

Back at camp, food was, of course, a focus of the evening activities. And such food there was, with only fourgroups with better Haves present and one Gambrisino playing bachelor. The final night of the campout featuredan especially hearty dish in the form of an entire iron crock full of fat bodies rats. In honor of Halloween, Patspent hours preparing a scary looking, but VERY TASTY, cauldron of lumps composed mostly of rice and meat ina tomato based sauce that reminded this author of a new take on Albondigas meatballs. Outnumbered by the rats,

the group nonetheless made a valiant effort at vanquishing the beasts, with Ruby the Wonder Dog coming to therescue to finish off what must have been the leader of the formidable pack.

The final day, some of the group ventured forth to the dig site of a duck billed dinosaur and talked with an NMSUprofessor and his graduate student about the find. As featured in the electronic information pack supplied by Eric, thedig includes some very well preserved impressions of the skin of the beast in addition to the bones themselves, andthe local area also abounds in invertebrate fossils in other nearby strata.

The fun continues back in the lab to process, catalog, and identify many of the finds and specimens, and those thatmissed the action this time should definitely consider making the choice to attend a future fun filled outing the likesof which those who live in more overrun places will never experience, and in fact seek to make an endangered formof human experience.

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Columnar JointingArticle & Photos by Brenda Gadberry

In Northern Ireland there are about 40,000 hugeobelisks, referred to as the "Giant's Causeway" or thegeological term "columnar jointing". Each column hasroughly six sides, but five to seven sided columns arecommon. The tallest column stands between 35 to 40

feet above the shoreline at the Irish Sea.

Columnar jointing is found across the world, but noneas magnificent as the ones located in Northern Irelandwhich formed 50 to 60 million years ago from volcanicactivity.

While visiting Colorado, we found a hillside coveredwith columnar jointing. Although these columns werenot as colossal as the ones in Ireland, they were still aninteresting piece of geology to behold.

.

Basically, columnar jointing occurs during the coolingand contraction process of hot lava. The rightconditions under the lava and the environment aroundthe cooling surface must exist. When lava cools rapidlyfrom the outside toward the center, it contracts, whichproduces cracks that continue to grow usually in ahexagonal pattern. The cracks spread normal to

isotherms, not gravitational direction, creating variousforms of columnar joints.

For more information :http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200705/causeway.cfm

RINGING ROCKS! By Beth SimmonsVia Tips & Chips 10/2010

The volcanic rock called PHONOLITE is named becausewhen struck it rings like a telephone! (Not kidding!) There aremany phonolites in Coloradoat Cripple Creek and atCochetopa Dome along Highway 114 west of Saguache toname two. However, these arent the only ringing rocks inthe country. I bet even DGMG member Fred Olsen who hasbeen to almost every geological site on Earth hasnt heardthe ringing rocks!

Watch these videos from www.youtube.com to listen to therocks ring like a bell choir! Butte, Montana, offers a pile ofringing rocks! Watch: Ringing Rocks Montana and RingingRocks of Montana!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR7y3umM7eghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smiCS1Ixfts&feature=related http://ringrocks.yolasite.com/

Bucks County, Pennsylvania, offers a scree pile of ringing

diabase! Watch: Ringing Rocks Concert, Ringing RocksPark, Ringing Rocks Mysterious Pennsylvaniahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPv0CTgZrpc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufCLU8nBldY&feature=related

HTTP://WWW.DENVERGEM.ORG

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Rare Pallasite Meteorite

Found in Missouri

By Jon Voisey on November 10, 2011

Dr. Randy Korotev at Washington University with theConception Junction meteorite.

Meteorite hunter Karl Aston finds meteorites not by digging inthe ground, but by placing ads in local newspapers. Heasked people who found unusual rocks to contact him. Mostresponses were bum leads, but in 2009 Aston heard from afarmer in the northwestern Missouri of Conception Junction,who found something interesting: An unusually heavy stoneburied in a hillside. The overall size was similar to that of abasketball and had a mass of 17 kilograms (37 pounds). Itsrusty exterior hid its true nature. When the farmer had sawedoff one end, olive-green crystals embedded in a shiningmetal shone forth. It was one of the rarest types ofmeteorites, a pallasite, of which only 61 samples arecurrently known. Recently, scientists at WashingtonUniversity in St. Louis have gotten involved in an attempt todiscover the meteorites history.

Pallasites and other meteorites are relics of the formation ofthe solar system. The most commonly accepted story fortheir formation is that they represent a boundary regioninside larger asteroids where the heat from formation meltedthe iron and nickel metal which sunk to the core. The lightercrystals would float, and near this transition, there would besome mixing which, when broken apart due to later impacts,

would form the pallasites. These asteroids formed in theasteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and similar layerswould likely be found in larger asteroids still present as wellas in planets like the Earth. An alternative theory is that thematerials formed independently and were mixed morerecently due to large impacts.

Within the United States, 20 pallasite meteorites have beendiscovered. The majority of them belong to a single family ofmain group pallasites due to a similar chemical compositionof their olivine crystals. When compared to other samples,the Conception Junction meteorite was unique. Because ofthis, the sample was given a unique designation this past

August, named after the location of discovery. Before theMeteoritical Society recognizes a designation, it is requiredthat a museum or other institutional collection houses a typespecimen which will make the material available forscholarly research. As such a portion of the sample will behouse at UCLA where the chemical analysis on the metalwas performed (the olivine was examined at WashingtonUniversity).

The rarity of pallasite meteorites makes them uncommonlyvaluable. Some slices of the Conception Junction meteoriteare still availablefor sale or trade, but dont expect it to be animpulse buy. While more common stony meteorites sell for afew dollars per gram, pallasite meteorites sell for a fewhundred dollars per gram. The overall price is alsodetermined by the condition (some are unstable in Earthsatmosphere) and whether or not it has a unique history.Meteorites for which the fall was observed are especiallyprized.

The rusting fusion crust on the outside of the ConceptionJunction meteorite disguises it as just another rock, but oneglimpse of the interior gives the game away. The olive-greencrystals set in lustrous metal are unique to pallasites. Imagecredit: Dave Gheesling

Wondering if the discovered meteorite was part of a largerbody, Aston and other meteorite collectors including RobertWard and Dave Gheesling conducted an extensive search ofthe region. They looked for 16 months in concentric circlescentered on the original discovery location, but did not findany other specimens.

Jon is a science educator currently living in Missouri. He is ahigh school teacher and does outreach with the St. LouisAstronomical society as well as presenting talks on scienceand related topics at regional conventions. He graduatedfrom the University of Kansas with his BS in Astronomy in2008 and has maintained the Angry Astronomer blog since2006. For more of his work, you can find his websitehere.

Originally published on Universe Today.

Live in such a way that you would not beashamed to sell your parrot to the town

gossip."- Will Rogers

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Preparing Fossilsby Marc Behrendt

Youve been collecting really great fossils all day, wouldnt itlook better if all that mud and rock still stuck to it were gone?

Fossil preparation or cleaning can be done in the home or ina fancy lab. Sometimes all it takes is a toothbrush and water.

If the fossil is sturdy, like coral and many brachiopods, thismethod will remove all the mud and loose matrix. However, ifyour fossil has any cracks in it, if it is fragile, or if it sits on softshale, do not try to brush it off with water. Fossils liketrilobites, bones and fragile brachiopods will dissolve orfragment and leave you with an empty rock and memories.To make something fragile look better, you need a differentmethod to clean your specimen.

Lets assume you have a complete trilobite and would like itcleaned. Part of it is buried in the rock and part is exposedbut covered with a thin layer of shale.

The first step is to stabilize the specimen. When the rockdried after it was dug up, all the water evaporated, leavingcountless microscopic cracks both in the rock and in thefossil. Apply super-thin super glue under a microscope bydipping the tip of a pin into a drop, then touch the pinpoint toa crack, which sucks up the glue instantly. The glue hardens,filling in the crack and holding everything together. If toomuch glue is used, such as with a single regular drop, thenthe glue will have to be cleaned away before the matrix canbe cleaned from the trilobite.

To expose the buried portion of the trilobite, pneumatichammers will be used. These are just like the loud

jackhammers road workers use to dig holes through theroads, except fossil preparing hammers are so small theymust be used under a microscope. Ever so carefully the

hammers pounding chips away tiny fragments of the matrixhiding the trilobite. Usually the matrix touching the trilobiteshell pops right off after most of the upper matrix is removed.Great care is taken not to touch the trilobite with the hammer,because a hole in the fossil is not pretty.

Before micro-air hammers were used, fossils were exposedusing small steel picks like dentists use (this process is stillused in many labs today). The method works well, as youcan see in any older museum collection, but its much slowerthan air hammers.

OK, the trilobite has been totally exposed, but is still coveredby a thin layer of shale. It is time to pull out the microsandblaster. Also known as air abrasive machines, theseinstruments, using high air pressure, shoot a tiny regulatedamount of powder through a hose and nozzle onto the fossil,eroding the soft rock away while leaving the harder trilobitesshell intact.

Depending on the type of rock and the hardness of the fossil,

the air pressure, the amount and type of powder, and thesize of the nozzle can be changed to meet the situation.

With experience or careful experimentation, the air pressureand powder flow are adjusted to remove the matrix from thefossil without burning the trilobites shell away. All the workis done under a microscope under the watchful eye of thepreparator, who is alert for new or previously unnoticedcracks in the shell that will need to be stabilized.

The eyes need special attention. Many kinds of trilobiteshave the lenses still in the eyes, and these are very fragile.With delicate and precise micro sandblasting, the entire eyeis cleaned so each lens is perfectly exposed without beingdamaged!

Finally, the rock itself is spruced up. All the chisel marks fromthe hammers are ground away using either a combination ofair hammer and air abrasive, or with a grinder like a Dremaltool. The matrix is shaped into the way it best displays thetrilobite. Occasionally, new fossils are discovered under thematrix during this step. Cleaned up, these make nice surpriseadditions for the piece.

Your trilobite is no longer gray and covered with rock. Its abeautiful black or brown color, looking like it will crawl off the

rock any moment.

http://www.basicpage.com/fossilprep/ from Brantford Crystal,3/03 Via Newsletter of Rochester Lapidary Society 11/2003

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WHAT IS A TRILOBITE?

Trilobites are an extinct group of arthropods that firstappeared early in the Cambrian Period, and met their demiseat the end of the Permian Period. They occupied aremarkable range of ecological niches of the early Earth'soceans, and were a prominent part of marine communitiesfor millions of years. Trilobites were stunningly complex andbeautiful animals, which is why their fossilized remains are

extremely sought-after by serious fossil collectors. And dueto their unique anatomy and bizarre body designs, trilobitesare also admired by untrained amateurs. Fossil trilobiteshavebeen found in Native American excavations - they weredrilled and used in ritualistic jewelry hundreds of years ago.These fascinating fossils are found worldwide, and areimportant as index fossils, particularly in Lower Paleozoicrocks.

For more information, visit www.trilobites.com, a division ofExtinctions.com, and a fabulous source for fossils of all kinds.Theres even an internal auction site!

Via The Sooner Rockologist May 2005

BENCH TIPSBy Brad Smith

USE YOUR THUMB .When using multiple bits in your Foredom, you often have todeal with several different shaft sizes - the usual 3/32 inchburs, the larger 1/8 inch shafts sizes and of course manydifferent drill sizes. For some reason I really dislike having toturn the key multiple times to open or close the jaws of thehandpiece chuck .

There's nothing you can do to avoid multiple key turns whenopening up the jaws, but there's a neat trick to close the jawsaround a smaller shaft. Hold the new bit in the center of theopen chuck jaws, put your thumb lightly onto the outertoothed collar of the chuck, and gently start up the Foredom.

As the chuck turns, it will naturally tighten the jaws aroundthe shaft of the bit. Then all you have to do is a finaltightening with the key.

More Bench Tips by Brad Smith are atgroups.yahoo.com/group/BenchTips/ orfacebook.com/BenchTipS

Weird GeologyMica from Heaven: minerals falling from the sky

From time to time, unusual objects including fish, birds,seeds, and nuts, have been reported to fall in swarms fromthe sky. But on July I7, 1806, mica fell from the sky atPimlico, England. After a storm in the middle of the day, thestreets of the town were found to be covered with mica. One

two-inch-square sample from that fall was originally labeled"talc" but was later identified as being mica.

On October 9th, 1939, coal fell from the sky on Springfield,Missouri, during a hail storm. After the storm one part oftown was peppered with small chips of coal about one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch across. Hailstones withblack interiors were reported: when these hailstones melted,they left behind a small piece of coal.

Other unusual hailstones have been observed. In one fallreported in 1872, each hailstone had a small crystal of"sulphide of iron" (pyrite) at its center. Also in 1872, inSwitzerland, was a fall of "hailstones" that turned out to bemainly composed of imperfect cubic crystals of salt (halite).

These unusual mineral falls may be bizarre and hard tobelieve, but they have a reasonable explanation. Windstormsmight sweep over piles of coal, crusts of salt in the desert, ora surface occurrence of mica or pyrite where the crystals areweathering out of rocks. The wind may pick up smallmobile fragments, then winnow them according to size,shape, or density. Thus, flakes of a single mineral might beseparated in the air from dirt, leaves, twigs or other detritus.A local downburst of wind might then deposit the mineralflakes concentrated in a relatively small area. If the sortedfragments were carried high enough, they could be suckedup into a thunderstorm, becoming nuclei for hailstones.Likewise, strong windstorms might carry fragments greatdistances. It is possible, for instance, that the halite "hail"

stones that fell in Switzerland originated in the deserts ofNorth Africa.

Ref.: Handbook of Unusual Natural Phenomena by WilliamR. Corliss, (Arlington House, New York, 1986) p. 268-279.Via Shawnee Slate 08/09

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring(Hello? Hello?), but when I immediately call

back, it rings nine times and goes tovoicemail. What'd you do after I didn'tanswer? Drop the phone and run away?

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UP COMING SHOW Dates:

JAN 1-28--QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA: Show, "Desert Gardens International Gem & Mineral Show"; Desert GardensRV Park; 1064 Kuehn St. (I-10 Exit 17, south side); 9-6 daily; free admission; crystals, minerals, rough, polished,

jewelry, lapidary equipment; contact Sharon or Sandy, 1064 Kuehn St., Quartzsite, AZ 85346, (928) 927-6361; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.desertgardensrvpark.netFEB 9-12TUCSON, ARIZONA:Annual show; Tucson Gem & Mineral Society; Tucson Convention Center; 260 S.Church Ave.; Thu. 10-6, Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-6; adults $10, seniors and active military $8 on Fri., children (14

and under) free with adult; 2-day tickets $17 ; contact Show Chairman, PO Box 42588, Tucson, AZ 85733, (520) 322-5773; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.tgms.orgFEB 14-16--GLOBE, ARIZONA: 54th annual show; Gila Co. Gem & Mineral Society; Gila County Fair Grounds, 3 mi.north of US 60-70 Junction; Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4; live demonstrations, door prizes, displays, minerals, jewelry;contact Val Lathem, (602) 466-3060; e-mail: [email protected] 15-16--FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS: 42nd annual show, "Hill Country Gem & Mineral Show"; FredericksburgRockhounds; Pioneer Pavilion, Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; contact JeffSmith, 208 Castle Pines Dr., Kerrville, TX 78028, (830) 895-9630; e-mail:[email protected]; Web site:www.fredericksburgrockhounds.orgFEB 17-26INDIO, CALIFORNIA:Annual show; San Gorgonio Mineral & Gem Society; Riverside County Fair &National Date Festival; Gem & Mineral Bldg, Bldg. #1, 46-350 Arabia St.; Fri. 10-10, Sat. 10-10, Sun. 10-10, Mon. 10-10; adults $8, seniors $7, students $6, children (under 5) free; contact Bert Grisham, 1029 N. 8th St., Banning, CA92220, (951) 849-1674; e-mail: [email protected]

MAR 8-11DEMING, NEW MEXICO:47th annual show and sale; Deming Gem & Mineral Society; SWNMFairgrounds; Raymond Reed Blvd.; Thu. 9-5, Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; more than 100dealers, displays, geode cutting, gold panning, spinning wheel, silent and live auctions, door prizes, raffle,guided field trip; contact Maurice Crawford, 713 W. Spruce PMB 726, Deming, NM 88031, (575) 546-0056; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.dgms.bravehost.comMAR 18-20--ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO: 42nd annual show, Treasures of the Earth"; Albuquerque Gem &Mineral Club; Creative Arts Center Bldg., State Fair Grounds, EXPO NM (San Pedro entrance); Fri. 10-6, Sat.10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $1 Fri., $3 Sat. and Sun., kids 12 and under free; more than 40 dealers, displays, doorprizes, silent auctions, mineral and gem identification, juniors' booth, live wolf, geode cracking, facetingdemonstration, gold panning and more; contact Paul Hlava, (505) 255-5478; e-mail: [email protected]

For further information or shows please check: www.rockngem.comWho knows, there just might be a good rock show in the area of your travels.

Thought for the Day:

Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance"Mean the same thing?

Some Interesting Web Sites for you to CheckOut Please send me any of your favorites that youthink others might be interested in and I will pass them along..

If you like opals, you may want to look at this:http://www.justluxe.com/community/worlds-largest-opal-matrix-found-in-australia_a_1669977.php

However, the American Opal Society points out that this is definitely not the largest ever found.

http://theshadowlands.net/places/newmexico.htm Haunted places in New Mexico.

http://www.molycorp.com/ There is a lot of information on rare earth minerals here.

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Gemcrafters & Explorers Club, P.O. Box 3091, Las Cruces, NM 88003

Affiliated with: American Federation of Mineralogical Societies www.amfed.orgMember of: Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies www.rmfms.orgMember of: Blue Ribbon Coalition www.sharetrails.org

2012 OFFICERS & volunteers:President Brecken Uhl 571-3554 [email protected] President Al Spencer 405-8864 [email protected] Pat Grace 202-2862 [email protected] - Brenda Gadberry 202-0200 [email protected] Patti Pickert 532-9351 [email protected] Don Saathoff 382-3464 [email protected] Director - Eric Fuller 524-0204 [email protected] Editor- Maxine Wyman 649-4900 [email protected]

We meet on the third Friday of the month at Gardiner Hall, Room 118, NMSU campus, Las Cruces,NM at 6:30 pm for social and 7 pm for the meeting. There are no meetings in July and December.Dues are $10 per person per year and each additional family member is $2 per year. They are dueJan. 1st of each year. A membership form will be emailed or mailed to you in December to be filledout and returned with your check BY MAIL to the treasurer.

Our purpose shall be to gather knowledge and provideeducational benefits to members on geological,archaeological, lapidary, and mineralogical topics ofinterest, to include assistance to members in all lapidaryproblems, the study and identification of minerals andgem stones in the rough, the field study of geologicalformations which produce minerals and gem stones, the

collection of minerals and gemstones, and theexploration of any geological or archaeological topic orarea which may be of interest to the membership.

NOTE: All articles and photographs are by theEditor Maxine Wyman unless otherwise noted.

Any address or email changes must be sent to meat: [email protected] or 4680 St. MichaelsRd, Las Cruces, NM 88011

Permission to reprint is granted if acknowledgement is given.We reserve the right to edit all material submitted forpublication

Info for the Newsletter: If you have information, articles, pictures or a website related to gemcrafting, rock collecting or exploring and would like to share please give me a call at 649-4900 or email me [email protected] If you have a good idea or story to tell I will be more than happy to help you write itup. Also if you have minerals, outdoor or camping equipment, etc. that you would like to sell please let meknow for our FREE "Classifieds." Maxine Wyman, Editor

el gambrisino 2012-01

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