el gambrisino 11-2010

EL GAMBRISINO Gem Crafters & Explorer's Club Bulletin, Las Cruces, NM

Affiliated with the AFMS and the RMFMS November 2010 - Volume 52 - Issue 10

Meeting Notes - Oct. 15, 2010 Vice President Kathy Fuller brought the meeting to order. Our guests were introduced: Dave & Georgia Hoggart visiting from Illinois and Steve Cuthbert of Las Cruces. Refreshments were provided by Brenda Gadberry and Mike Cherry. A round of applause for them was given. Nancy Galloway had rocks and cards for sale. There were Mineral Symposium brochures at the sign up sheet for those who wanted to learn what it is about or would like to attend and Eric Fuller passed out some BLM brochures. Treasurer’s Report : Treasurer Cookie Saathoff reported that we have $1,336.59 in the bank as of the first of the month. Nominating Committee Report : Ed Leake reported that the new nominees for office are: President – Kathy Fuller Vice President – Al Spencer Treasurer – Pat Grace Secretary – Brenda Gadberry Our volunteer Chairs remain the same: Historian-Don Saathoff; Refreshments-Pat Mauer; Programs/Field Trips- Eric Fuller. There were no nominations made from the floor. This will be the slate to be voted on in the November meeting. Field Trip leader Eric Fuller gave a report on the Round Mountain Campout held the first of October. Including both the campers and the day trippers there was a total of 28 people who attended. The ATV’ers did a lot of exploring and found among other things an area where the chalcedony nodules were weathering out. Jan Hoffman had three flat tires and Doug Hall broke an axle shackle on his trailer. The 24 Hour Emergency Service in Lordsburg helped them out of a jam, on a Sunday yet and at very little cost. There will be a campout to Orogrande on Oct. 29, 30 and 31. Eric has already sent out information and maps via email. Alan Gadberry is arranging a gold mine tour and Eric is trying to set up another mine tour with a friend of his. Al Spencer volunteered to hold a Halloween Party at his house on Saturday the 23rd. Maps were handed out. This will be a pot luck dinner. Costumes not required but wanted. Kathy Fuller said that the EZY UP purchased for the club proved to be too small and so was returned and exchanged for a larger one. There was actually a decrease in the price. The radio batteries were $20 more than was approved. Ed

Leake made a motion to repay the Fullers and Val Peebles seconded it. There was a unanimous vote to pass. Cookie Saathoff announced that Don would hold a Mineral Meeting on Wednesday the 20th. Brecken suggested that everyone bring a psuedomorph. It will be at Don’s Lab as usual. The meeting was then adjourned.

PROGRAM NOTES – OCT. 15, 2010 Photos by Julie Uhl Our speaker, Fred Hurd is a well known mineral collector in our state. He and fellow collector Chris Cowan showed us a great program and many boxes of wonderful agates. His topic was “Agates of Luna County” which they had presented at last year’s Mineral Symposium in Socorro. His point at the symposium was that they are one of the best things New Mexico has to offer.

Fred Hurd & Chris Cowan

For many years he said he had looked down on agate collectors but has recently seen the light and now is an avid collector. He mentioned several books that are favorites of his: “Mineralogy” by John Sinkankas (the mineralogist’s bible), “Geodes” by June Zietner (who is the expert on Agates in the country) and Brad Cross and “Agates 1 and 2” by Johann Zenz. “Geodes” has a Baker agate on its cover. June Zietner also wrote the classic “Southwest Minerals”. Four areas in Luna County were covered. They were Cook’s Peak for it’s Carnelian and Agates, Rockhound State Park noted for it’s tilt nodules, Big Diggin’s for its plume agates and the Baker Egg Mine for the famous Baker nodules. These localities are all tertiary ash flows associated with the Rio Grande Rift.

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club "EL Gambrisino" Volume 52, Issue 10, November 2010 - 2 -

Mention was made of the Deming Mimbres Museum. Paul “The Geode Kid” Colburn donated his personal collection of geodes to this museum and it is displayed beautifully. This is a life long collection from all over the west. A lot of us are familiar with Paul Colburn and Chris Blackwell and their Geo Lapidary Museum & Shop which is near the Rockhound State Park. If you want to talk geodes this is the place to go. The Rockhound State Park, southeast of Deming, was established in 1966 and consists of 250 acres in which anyone can collect. The thunder eggs range in size from 1” to 2’. It is one of the mysteries of geology as to how their tilt nodules were formed. If you find a nodule and plan on cutting it mark it in place perpendicular to the slump. Close by is the old Spanish Stirrup Ranch, once a Bed and Breakfast and now for sale. Pete Gitney bought it in the 80s and proceeded to collect agate. There is a huge collection both inside and out and all is for sale also (all for only $100,000). He had intended to start a rock shop but it never happened. One note: there is a BBQ in the back that will do a whole cow at once. It’s really biggggg. The Big Diggin’s which is located in the Burdick Hills is world famous for its various agates. The Deming Rock Club holds a claim on some of it. Rich Little also has one of the original claims as did the Limburg’s, all of Deming. The agate occurs in veins of the weathered perlite. The best agates are the Golden Plume and the Smoke and Flame (red, black and white). Rich Little has a Rock Shop east of Deming; call first if you plan to go. The Baker Egg Mine claim belonging to the Geode Kid is over 30 feet deep now. These geodes are not pretty on the outside as they look like they have warts. If one is fortunate the inside is another story. They are beautiful with many, many variations. The Deming Rockhound Round Up, held the 2nd weekend in March every year was talked about. It is the best local show in the state and you will find many of the local agates there. The first show was held the same year as the Rockhound State Park opened. Mr. Hurd’s final remark was: “Great Agates have a place in any mineral collection. We are fortunate to live in an area which has so many opportunities to collect”.

A Flat of Thunder Eggs belonging to Fred Hurd

MINERAL MEETING NOTES – OCT. 20, 2010 The Mineral Group consisted of seven attendees this Wednesday evening.

Al Spencer, Marie Mathewson, Ed Leake, Don Saathoff ,

Alan Gadberry & Brecken Uhl Sunset was approaching, a storm was brewing over the Organs and the clouds were beautiful. Some time was spent watching and photographing them before starting. Our topic this month was Psuedomorph’s and we brought examples from our collections. Some were not sure exactly what a psuedomorph was and Don patiently explained, in layman’s terns, that it is a mineral that has replaced another mineral while keeping the original’s form. We also learned that an Incrustation is a mineral crust over another mineral and the inner mineral (or crystal) may be entirely carried away by solution and only the crust is left. Don had many examples of both to show us. One Incrustation collected in Orogrande, for example, was quartz having formed over calcite crystals. Not a pretty piece but a great example. The mine dump where it was collected has since been reclaimed and is no longer available for collecting. As usual some people had minerals to be examined under the microscope both for identification purposes and just to see the beauty of the tiny crystals in the specimens. If you have any minerals to be identified all you have to do is show up at the meetings with your material and Don (or someone) will help you out. Hope to see you there.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL


Reminders & Gen. Info Our next meeting will be as usual on the third Friday of the month, Nov. 19th, Room 118, Gardiner Hall on the NMSU campus, 6:30 PM for socializing and 7 PM for the meeting. Refreshments will be hosted by Jannette Hale and Rose Mary LaPlante. NOTE: The November meeting will be a business meeting so there will be no program. We will be voting on the new slate of officers for 2011. Please try to be there, all votes are important. There will be Show & Tell.

Just a reminder that the Geology Dept. lets us use the room free of charge so we need to leave it as clean as possible. Please do not use their trash cans but do use the black trash bag we bring. Also our new meeting room does not have enough chairs when attendance is large so you might throw a folding chair or stool in your vehicle in case it’s needed. Because of the fact that the 24 Hour Emergency Road Service in Lordsburg helped us out so well with our Sunday emergency, we feel that they deserve a big plug. The shop is located on Motel Blvd. next to the Pilot Station. The owner is Steve Hills and their phone no. is 575-542-3023. They do good work and are very reasonable if you ever need help in the Lordsburg area.

Some smarty (whom shall remain anonymous) asked if I stayed on as Editor because the Club gave me a raise. The answer is NO raise was offered, I’m just tilted a little off center is all.

Why Gold Discolors From “Thomas” in The Orchid Digest (daily jewelry digest), Via Fire & Ice, Aug. 2003 The most common reason gold will turn different colors is due to chemical reactions with the alloyed metals mixed with the gold when it is exposed to a caustic element. Some of these chemicals are present in common household products. Swimming pool chlorides and Clorox based household cleaners will definitely cause gold to change to an ugly gray. Mercury from a broken thermometer can literally dissolve the gold right out of a ring leaving a burned black spot of hole. Copier ribbons contain xylem, which can cause yellow gold to turn white, and some ink stamp pads contain a medium, which will do the same thing. Smog fumes, perspiration, saltwater, or even certain fruit juices can all cause a discoloring effect on gold. Whenever you are going swimming in chlorinated water or will be working with solvents or cleaners it is best to remove your jewelry. If you get any of these chemicals on your jewelry, clean it with a mild solution of baking soda and rinse well before wearing it again or take it to your local jeweler for a professional cleaning. The most common reason gold will discolor your skin is metallic abrasion. Many cosmetics contain compounds harder than the jewelry itself. These compounds in the cosmetics will wear away microscopic particles of gold, which will collect in the pores of your skin. Very fine metal

particles always appear black, not metallic. When the particles stick to your skin in quantities, they will form a black smudge. To prevent this you should remover your jewelry when applying cosmetics where the jewelry is to be worn. Changing cosmetic brands may also help. Gold itself will not corrode, but the primary alloys that are mixed with 10 and 14 karat gold will. They are copper and silver. Under moist conditions, a person’s perspiration, which contains fats and fatty acids, can cause corrosion in karat gold jewelry. The level of corrosion will differ based upon each individual’s unique body chemistry. Things that you can do to prevent your jewelry from tarnishing or turning your fingers black are: remove all jewelry before using soaps, perfumes, or cosmetics, and have your jewelry cleaned frequently. You will be amazed at how nice it will look when kept free of oils and dirt. Eighteen karat gold jewelry is less likely to change because of the lower alloy content and platinum jewelry is nearly impervious to chemical corrosion. Of all the different types of jewelry it will wear the best and give the least amount of trouble, especially if you experience constant problems with discoloration and black smudges.

Once you can accept the

universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something,

wearing stripes with plaid comes easy.

Albert Einstein


Trips & Such: Orogrande Campout

Oct. 29-31, 2010 Orogrande was “grande” once again for the 19 campers and 9 day trippers who showed up, another record turnout for us. We all enjoyed the balmy weather, good collecting, good friends and, of course, the great Happy Hours. Friday was spent setting up camp and doing some metal detecting and a little rock hunting but we were all waiting for 6 PM when our guest Eddie DeLuca was to show up and talk to us about his mine claims and the area. Well, he showed up mid-afternoon looking for our field trip leader Eric Fuller who was out metal detecting. After introducing himself we chatted quite awhile and then he took off to find the Fullers. It wasn’t long before they were all back in camp and the discussion began. Eddie talked to us about Orogrande and its mining history, his own mine claims and various other topics. He’s a very interesting man of many facets and he kept our attention for sure. We started Happy Hour (food) and he stayed and ate with us, talking and answering questions as fast as they were asked. It was agreed that he would arrive back at camp at 9 AM the next morning and take us to some of his mine claims for collecting. A campfire was started and we chatted away the hours. It was another successful Happy Hour for the campers. Saturday morning more campers and day trippers showed up to add to the fun. We got off to a bit of a late start but Eddie took us to four or five different mines and let us collect to our heart’s content. We found Garnets, Turquoise and Jasper along with many different rocks for cabbing. Late in the afternoon Eddie had to leave but gave us permission to continue

hunting his claims all weekend. All in all it was a great day of hunting with another good Happy Hour that was full of stories of the day’s hunts. The campfire was an especially big one with everyone cozying up to it enjoying the warmth. Sunday we split up into three groups: the metal detectors off to some old long abandoned mines, some off to locate large (hopefully) Garnet crystals and the rest of us die hards set off to check out several sites we had missed Saturday. What a time we had. We collected Christmas Rock/Bloodstone/DeLuca Red (same rock, take your pick of names), Garnets of course, some pretty jaspers and more prospective cutting material. We even got to do some 4 wheeling on the mountain side. That was a fun drive wasn’t it Ilene? Did I mention that it was a beautiful day? Well, it was sunny, warm and what I would have called a perfect October day if it hadn’t had to end so soon as we had to head back around 1:30 to break camp. Back at camp some had already left and others were packing up so we got to it. The record for rocks collected went to Al Spencer. By the time he left his Cherokee was riding a whole lot low in the rear. That vehicle must have a great springs and shocks to haul all the rock he picks up. Soon all straggled off with yet another happy adventure behind us. Orogrande is a fascinating area with its mining history and relics, its minerals and great variety of rocks to be found. As much as we touched on this trip there is much we didn’t have time for. Looks like another trip to me. Having one of the claim holders there to guide us was a big plus. We enjoyed his stories and company and owe him many thanks.

Until next time, Happy Hunting to all. If you haven’t already checked out Eddie’s web site yet you might want to: www.TheHitManMine.com

Happy Hour has started

Maxine Wyman & Eddie DeLuca

Eric Fuller photo

Al Spencer on the mountain

(Yes, those are all rocks in bags, boxes, crates, etc.)

Collecting on the side of a

mountain. Eric Fuller photo


Halloween Party – Oct. 23, 2010 What a Blast! Many thanks go out to Al and Kathy Spencer for their gracious offer to host a party for us this year. The ghost and goblins (to say nothing of the witches and monsters) turned out in good numbers and fun was had by all. The food was great and Kathy’s tempura was really yummy. No more talking, here are a few pictures for your enjoyment. Photos by Brenda Gadberry, Al Spencer & Maxine Wyman


You Can Collect Micro Meteorites In Your Back

Yard Every day, meteorites fall to the Earth. However, most of these are very small and can easily be mistaken for just ordinary dust and small pebbles. Try collecting your own micrometeorites (very small meteorites) in this experiment. Materials: Large piece of white paper Flat ground with no trees or buildings overhead Magnet Magnifying glass or microscope What To Do: 1. Pick a day that is supposed to have very little chance of precipitation. 2. Place the paper on the ground where it won't be disturbed and there is clear, open sky above it. 3. Leave the paper there for several hours, about 4-8. The longer you leave the paper outside, the better chance there is of collecting meteorites. However, don't leave it out too long; otherwise the wind may blow it away. (You may want to use something heavy to hold the paper down. Place the weight in the center so that the debris slides towards the center.) Also, bring the paper in if it starts to rain. 4. When it is time to bring the paper in, lift the edges up so that the material on the paper falls toward the center. If needed, lift the opposite edges up and tap the paper so that all the material is collected in the center of the paper in one big pile. 5. Place the magnet on the underside of the paper beneath the pile of material. You may want to move the magnet around under the pile to help the magnet capture as many metallic particles as possible. 6. With the magnet still touching the paper, gently tip the paper to remove dust and debris that is not attracted to the magnet from the pile. 7. Use a magnifying glass or microscope to examine the remaining particles on the paper. If you find round, dark particles with pitted surfaces, you may have just found micrometeorites!

What's Happening? Meteorites are actually very common, but finding them can be hard to do. You may experience this while trying to collect your own micrometeorites. Larger meteorites also fall to the Earth every day, but most of these fall into the oceans which cover 70% of the Earth's surface. Those that do fall on dry land are often covered up by vegetation or hidden among other rocks of similar size. The best places for scientists to find meteorites are in barren landscapes such as deserts and Antarctica. Also, whereas micrometeorites (like the ones found in this experiment) tend to be round, larger meteorites tend to be irregularly shaped. If you think you might have found a larger meteorite, use this list of meteorite properties to help identify whether or not you found one.

Properties of meteorites that are useful in

identification : Meteorites are : HEAVY: Most meteorites contain a significant amount of Fe-Ni metal, and are thus heavier (high-density) than rocks typically found at the surface of the Earth. There are exceptions to this rule. Some meteorites contain no metal at all, and are about as heavy as the dark volcanic rocks found in Hawaii and the Columbia Gorge. MAGNETIC: Most meteorites contain a significant amount of Fe-Ni metal, and are attracted to a magnet. Again, there are a few exceptions of stony meteorites that contain no metal and are not attracted to a magnet. IRREGULAR IN SHAPE : Meteorites aren't round. If a meteorite has entered the Earth's atmosphere without rotating, it can develop a conical shape similar to the reentry capsules used in the Apollo space missions, although this is not typical. Most meteorites are irregularly shaped, as shown by the five views of CML 0023 (an unclassified North African meteorite) below. The second image from the right shows

the start of what could be considered an aerodynamic shape. COVERED BY A FUSION COATING: When a meteorite enters the Earth's atmosphere, friction raises the surface of the meteorite above its melting temperature. As the meteorite descends, it slows down, frictional heating decreases, and the melt quenches to form a fusion coating, a thin layer of dark glass. The fusion coating may be black or brown, dull or shiny on a recently fallen meteorite. After the meteorite has been on the Earth's surface for a while, the fusion coating may rust, giving the outside of the meteorite a reddish-brown coloring or the fusion coating may erode off partially or completely. The fusion coating is a thin, discrete layer surrounding an interior that looks quite different from the fusion coating. Some Earth rocks can develop a weathering rind (from chemical weathering) on their exteriors that is similar in appearance to a fusion coating. However, there is rarely a sharp boundary between a weathering rind and the interior of the rock. Many meteorites’ surfaces develop shallow pits during entry into the Earth's atmosphere. These pits, known as regmaglypts, resemble thumb prints, and are usually better developed on iron meteorites than on stony meteorites. Submitted by Eric Fuller Polishing Picture Rock: After cutting, sand on the 220 grit sander, then move to the 600 grit sander; polish with cerium oxide. Use no water to wet the sheet at first polish. Spray the wheel with a diluted solution of cerium oxide and polish lightly without pressure until you have worked it dry. Then wet the wheel again and work until the stone becomes dry again. Final polish is brought out by spraying the wheel with cerium oxide and working the stone, keeping it wet about two minutes. Wash and dry off your cab or picture. This will produce a beautiful finish! From Quarry Quips 11/03 via The Backbender’s Gazette, 9/04 via The Rock Collector 11/04


SULFUR By Betty M. Jones via the Rock Collector June 2004 Sulfur is not one of our modern minerals, but has been known to man since ancient times. It was known to Homer of Greek times and Pliny, the Roman writer, as “brimstone.” or the “rock that burns,” and is mentioned in the Bible. It seems to have been used then, as it still is today, for fumigation and disinfection. The yellow of sulfur is so distinctive that has given its name to the colour “sulfur yellow,” but its most important property which caused it to be called “brimstone” in early days was that it can be lit by a match and give off sulfur dioxide gas when burnt. The ancient Greeks and Romans, living as they did on the Mediterranean in proximity to Mount Vesuvius and Mount Etna, must have found sulfur around the volcanoes and fumaroles. Sometimes extinct volcanoes are seen to have deposited large amounts of sulfur over thousands of years, thus giving us large deposits such as those found in Chile at 19,000 ft. Here vast amounts have been mined. Similar deposits have been found in Italy and Japan. It was originally thought that the deposits of Mount Elba in Sicily were made by the fumes emitted by the volcano, but later it was found that the origin of this deposit was from flat sedimentary rocks of limestone with accompanying beds of sulfates, anhydrite and gypsum. It is now thought that the sulfur comes from the anhydrite and gypsum and is caused by bacterial action! Ii is from the mines of Sicily that most of the fine crystallized samples of sulfur and also celestine (celestite) and aragonite have come. Sulfur has been mined in Sicily since about 1250, but it was at the end of the eighteenth century that it became an important industry. This was because at that time, sulfur was necessary to obtain sulfuric acid for the manufacture of glass. The method of mining was very primitive. The rock was carried from the mine by women and boys in ore baskets on their heads and tipped into a large hole in the ground where

it was burnt. It took 2/3 of the sulfur to melt the remainder. This was put to crystallize in vats. The sulfur dioxide that was produced killed the vegetation for miles around. By the nineteenth century a safer and more economic method was introduced in which half of sulfur was recovered, and later, a method of retrieval was used where the sulfur was melted at depth and brought up as a liquid In 1868, oil drillers in Louisiana found, at 600ft, a layer of porous limestone a hundred feet thick, which was impregnated with sulfur. Below this rock was an undetermined thickness of gypsum and anhydrite. The limestone above it was covered with quicksand. A lot of money was spent in sinking shafts to bring up the sulfur for processing, but it was found to be beyond the engineering of the times. Finally, in 1890, Herman Frasch invented a process for bringing the sulfur to the surface. This was by pumping superheated water down to melt the sulfur and force the liquid sulfur up in another pipe. This successful method changed America from a major importer of sulfur to a major exporter and world supplier. There are many salt domes on the Gulf coast – some in the ocean - and about half of these produce sulfur.

A sulfur specimen from Betty’s collection. This sample came from Steamboat Springs, CO Photo by Clyf Bourne One may wonder what all this sulfur is used for. The largest amounts are used in the production of sulfuric acid, but it is also used in the making of matches, gunpowder, Fireworks, fungicides and insecticides, for vulcanizing rubber and for bleaching processes involving the use of sulfur dioxide. Native sulfur and metallic sulfides, mainly iron pyrites, (FeS2), are practically the sole source of sulfuric acid in commerce and these are

considered the most important minerals in connection with the chemical industry. Iron pyrite theoretically contains 53.46% sulfur and is sold by guarantee of 45%-50%. It is used more than any other mineral except sulfur itself. The oxide of iron, which is formed during the process of roasting the pyrite, can be sold for its iron content, and if it contains even a small amount of gold, silver or copper, it is paid for at a higher price. Special care has to be taken in the manufacture of sulfuric acid, owing to the association of arsenic with sulfur in mineral sulfides, especially in pyrites, but pure sulfur seldom contains arsenic. However, it may contain selenium which is also dangerous. Sulfur rarely contains selenium, and when it does, the color changes from yellow towards orange - a prize for the collector. The mineral is soft, hardness being only 1 ½ to 2 ½. The crystals are orthorhombic and platy and are very brittle, resinous and greasy. They are usually found in thin crusts as a coating round the ruins of volcanoes and fumaroles and in cavities in limestone and sedimentary rocks associated with celestine (celestite), calcite, aragonite and gypsum. Sulfur is a poor conductor of heat and samples should be handled as little as possible, for the warmth of the hand is sufficient to cause the crystals to crack. You can hear the cracking if you hold it to the ear. Sulfur is associated with sedimentary deposits of the evaporate type and with oil-bearing deposits believed to be the product of dissolution (alteration) of sulfates, especially gypsum, caused by the action of the bacteria forming crusts on the top of the salt domes such as those on the Gulf of Mexico, in Texas and Louisiana. Sulfur has become a by-product of the oil industry. References: Hurlburt, Cornelius S. Jr., Minerals and Man. Published by Thames and Hudson, London 1969. Read, H.H., F.R.S. Rutley’s Elements of Mineralogy , 26th ed. Published by Thomas Murby & Co., London.


NOVEMBER BIRTHSTONE By Heather Hill

Topaz is the November Birthstone, the hardest silicate mineral and one of the hardest minerals in nature, an 8 on the MOHS hardness scale. Topaz crystals can reach an incredible size of several hundred pounds. Topaz make attractive mineral specimens due to their high luster, nice colors and well formed and multifaceted crystals. The traditional color for topaz are yellow with a red tint, and come in a variety of colors including yellow, orange, red, pinky red, red-brown, blue, light blue, green, and can be colorless. The Deposits are associated with pegmatites or secondary placers. Topaz is a common gemstone that has been used for centuries in jewelry. Its golden brown to yellow color is classic but is confused with the less valuable citrine, which is sometimes wrongly sold under the name topaz. In today's mining industry, the most important suppliers for topaz are Brazil, Sri Lanka, Burma and Russia. Topaz probably derived its name from the name of an island in the Red Sea, now Zebirget, formerly Topazos. The alternate birthstone for November is citrine, one of the more rare forms of quartz, its name derived from its lemon yellow color, the color of citrus. Citrine is any quartz crystal or cluster that is yellow or orange in color. Citrine crystals are found in igneous metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. It is believed that some Citrine may have actually begun as Amethyst, but heat from nearby molten rock changed it to the yellow form of quartz. Citrine is known to change color when subjected to heat, is routinely heated in the jewelry-making process to intensify its color, and for this reason, this gemstone should not be left in direct sunlight for a long time because it will permanently alter the color. Specimens of low grade, inexpensive amethyst or smoky quartz are often cooked at high temperatures to produce the more profitable orange yellow citrine. Citrines whose colors have been produced by artificial means tend to

have much more of an orange or reddish cast than those found in nature, which are usually a pale yellow. Much of the natural citrine may have started out as amethyst but heat from nearby magmatic bodies may have caused the change to citrine. A popular gemstone, ametrine, is a mixture of half amethyst and half citrine: the manufacturer takes an amethyst stone and heats it, which converts it to Citrine, then bombards a portion of the stone to beta radiation which converts citrine back to amethyst. By using a metal mask (possibly in the shape of a heart) to block a portion of the beta radiation, an unusual citrine and amethyst gem is produced. Citrine is often confused with the more expensive orange-yellow topaz and is at times sold as topaz by unscrupulous dealers. This practice has soured many potential citrine fanciers who see citrine as a fake topaz. The finest citrine gemstones have a pure yellow color that cannot be duplicated by golden topaz, which will always have hues of orange or brown to darken the gem. There is little mention of Citrine used as a gemstone prior to the first century B.C. The Romans were thought to be the first to wear the yellow quartz, but it became more popular during the Romantic Period, when artisans used the gems to enhance gold jewelry. Citrine, like all quartz, was believed to have magical powers, was worn as a talisman against evil thoughts and snake venom, and was considered to have medicinal properties, commonly used as a remedy for urinary and kidney ailments. Most Citrine is mined in Brazil, but other sources of the quartz are Bolivia and Madagascar. The name Citrine comes from an old French word, "citrin", meaning lemon. SOURCES: www.Birthstones.com www.Aboutbirthstones.com www.Galleries.com via: The Rockhound Record - Mineralogical Society of Arizona November 2008

The Spell Checker via E-mail forwards,

Rockin'Around 09/2007

Aye halve a spelling checker,

It came with my pea see. It plainly marks four my

revue Mistakes I dew knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type

a word And weight four it two say Weather eye am wrong oar

write It shows me strait aweigh.

As soon as a mist ache is

maid It nose bee fore two long And eye can put the era

rite Its rarely ever wrong.

I've scent this massage

threw it, And I'm shore your

pleased too no Its letter prefect in every

weigh; My checker tolled me sew.


UP COMING SHOW Dates: NOV 13-14—SOCORRO, NM: 31st Annual NM Mineral Symposium; Macey Center, NM Inst itute of Mining & Technology, Socorro, NM. http://geoinfo.nmt.edu/museum/minsymp/ for information and registration. NOV 27-28--WICKENBURG, ARIZONA : Show, "Wickenburg Gem & Mineral Show"; Wickenburg Gem & Mineral Society; Community Center, 160 N. Valentine St.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; more than 40 vendors, gems, minerals, jewelry, door prizes, grab bags, spinning wheel, raffle; contact Beth Myerson, P.O. Box 20375, Wickenburg, AZ 85358, (928) 684-0380; e-mail: [email protected] DEC 3-5--EL PASO, TEXAS: El Paso Mineral & Gem Soci ety; El Maida Auditorium, 6331 Alabama; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $3, seniors $2, under 12 fr ee; gems, minerals, fossils, beads, jewelry, tools, books, equipment, geode cutting, silent auction, demonstra tions; contact Jeannette Carrillo, 4100 Alameda Ave ., El Paso, TX 79905, (877) 533-7153; e-mail: [email protected] JAN 1-28--QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA : Show, "Desert Gardens International Gem & Mineral Show"; Desert Gardens RV 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.net FEB 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] FEB 15-16--FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS : 42nd annual show, "Hill Country Gem & Mineral Show"; Fredericksburg Rockhounds; Pioneer Pavilion, Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; contact Jeff Smith, 208 Castle Pines Dr., Kerrville, TX 78028, (830) 895-9630; e-mail: [email protected] ; Web site: www.fredericksburgrockhounds.org MAR 18-20--ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO : 42nd annual show, Treasures of the Earth"; Albuquer que Gem & Mineral Club; Creative Arts Center Bldg., State Fai r 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, displ ays, door prizes, silent auctions, mineral and gem identifica tion, juniors' booth, live wolf, geode cracking, fa ceting demonstration, gold panning and more; contact Paul Hlava, (505) 255-5478; e-mail: [email protected]

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

Thought for the Day: THE MAIN REASON SANTA IS SO JOLLY IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE. Letters to the Editor: Ted Lewis' 9 year old granddaughter in CA is asking for a starter rock collection. If you can spare a small labeled rock(s), Ted would appreciate it. Please b ring them to the meeting on Friday. Thank you very much. Susie Gemoets. ( Let’s see how many we can collect for this young ro ckhound in the making. Editor )

Some Interesting Web Sites for you to Check Out Please send me any of your favorites that you think others might be interested in and I will pass them along.. http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/clublist.shtml A list of all rock clubs in the USA


Gemcrafters & Explorers Club, P.O. Box 3091, Las Cruces, NM 88003 Member of: American Federation of Mineralogical Societies www.amfed.org Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogi cal Societies www.rmfms.org Blue Ribbon Coalition www.sharetrails.org

2009 OFFICERS & volunteers: President – Dave Smith 521-3103 [email protected] Vice President – Kathy Fuller 524-0204 [email protected] Treasurer – Cookie Saathoff 382-3464 [email protected] Secretary (temp) Maxine Wyman 649-4900 [email protected] Refreshments - Pat Mauer 526-4939 [email protected] Historian - Don Saathoff 382-3464 [email protected] Program Director - Eric Fuller 524-0204 [email protected] Newsletter Editor- Maxine Wyman 649-4900 [email protected] We meet on the third Friday of the month at Gardine r Hall, Room 118, NMSU campus, Las Cruces, NM at 6:30 pm for social and 7 pm for the meeting. The re are no meetings in July and December. Dues are $10 per person per year and each additional fam ily member is $2 per year. They are due Jan. 1st of each year. A membership form will be emailed or mailed to you in December to be filled out and returned with your check BY MAIL to the treasurer. Our purpose shall be to gather knowledge and provid e educational benefits to members on geological, archaeological, lapidary, and mineralogical topics of interest, to include assistance to members in all l apidary problems, the study and identification of minerals and gem stones in the rough, the field study of geologi cal formations which produce minerals and gem stones, t he collection of minerals and gemstones, and the exploration of any geological or archaeological top ic or area which may be of interest to the membership. NOTE: All articles and photographs are by the Editor Maxine Wyman unless otherwise noted. Any address or email changes must be sent to me at: [email protected]

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

el gambrisino 11-2010

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