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Strata Gem March 2003
President’s Message
I would like to thank all that came out to our meeting.
Donna had a plaque made from our club to be given to Leona Adams for a lifetime membership. Don gave it to her Friday afternoon as I had to work, she was excited to get it and loved it very much.
I would like to say thanks to our Dennis Chapman for all the great work he does for our paper, and putting up with me.
We voted in November to get a TV to use up at the Senior Citizen Center. Larry Higley got it and it is now sitting in my hallway. Don is going to try and get it up there this week sometime.
I can’t hardly wait for you snowbirds to come home.
Love you all very, I hope this finds everyone Well and Happy.
Good Luck Always Ruth S. Smith President
Tooele Gem &Mineral Tooele Senior Citizens Center Februarys 11th 2003 7:30 P.M.
The meeting was called to order by president Ruth Smith every one was welcomed, the minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. The treasurers report was read and approved. The show expenses were discussed Larry said he had not figured it out completely but he estimated it costs about two thousand dollars for the basic items. It was brought to our attention that the Dow James building is now used by the boy’s and girls club, we wondered if this will have an impact on us using it for our show, it was reported that we have the building reserved for our show but we will check to make sure that we are not affected by this change.
The steak fry was discussed in the old days we did not have to do any crafts we just had a good meal and fun, Ruth thinks we should do it that way again and have our crafts on some other day, we will discuss this idea later when the snow birds return, and see what the majority thinks about this. Selma sent a thank you note for the fruit basket the club sent her, Selma will have surgery on the 20th at ST Marks Hospital , we all wish her well. Leona Adams had another setback and had to spend some time in the hospital Ruth sent her a fruit basket , we hope she gets feeling better soon. Their was a question about what time search and rescue people are on station during our show it was unclear what time they are to be their so we will check into it and get some answers. Larry Wilson will bring the treats for our next meeting. Ruth Smith won the door prize. The meeting was adjourned.
Minuets submitted by Larry Wilson Secretary
From The Sunshine Corner
Get Well Soon Everybody: Leona Adams was in the hospital for a couple of days. She is doing a little better now.
Selma Jockisch is going to have surgery on the 20th of Feb. for hip replacement.
Joyce Richardson is very sick. Ruth Smith
Members News
Sorry The Newsletter’s Late: I apologize it is so late this month. I went on a trip to Texas at the end of February & I just couldn’t get everything finished before I left. Also mom’s went into the hospital with congestion & low oxygen count.
Get Well Soon: To all of you: Dean Richardson's wife, Joyce, became ill at Quartzsite. Doctors in Parker discovered a lump the size of a walnut in her lungs, so they went home to SLC. Another X-ray there showed the lump had grown to the size of a grapefruit in that short time. It looks very grim for Joyce. Now I want each of you to send her your collective positive thinking. Miracles DO happen, and we hope this will be another one. If you know someone who knows them and would want to know that is not on this list, do let them know. They need our circle of love at this time.
Ruby Lingelbach
Note: Robert Cranston sent this to me
Oklahoma “Rattlesnake Eggs”
Rattlesnake eggs is an interesting common name for a gypsum crystal, “variety selenite”. Unlike the Great Salt Plains, it is not well known. It is called rattlesnake egg because it grows in a roughly egg shape with twelve selenite crystals, each in a rough diamond shape, around a white spar center. These joined gray crystals resemble a rattlesnake skin, hence the name.
The crystals grow in books of very thin diamond shaped leaves. In the best eggs, all crystals will grow flat from the center. Some may not.
To sand and polish an egg, use hand methods since selenite is very soft. Use a fine sandpaper. Try to get an eye in each diamond crystal — formed by different colors in the layers of selenite. The center of each diamond should be higher than the edges to show this effect. For polishing, I have found white clay is the best - the same clay umpires use to rough up new balls. Silver polishing paste may also be used.
When the egg is polished, the light striking the crystal makes it luminous and the crystals change from light to dark as it is turned in the hand.
From Hunting & Digging 4/90 Via The Glacial Drifter 1/03 & others
Life After Death
“Do you believe in life after death?” the boss asked one of his employees.
“Yes, Sir,” the new employee replied.
“Well, then, that makes everything just fine,” the boss went on. “After you left early yesterday to go to your grandmother’s funeral, she stopped in to see you.”
Via Gravel Gazette September 2002
Oddities Of The Mineral Kingdom
Itacolumite - The Rock That BendsIt will bend and when turned over will bend in the opposite direction. No known practical use has been found for this bend rock, but it is a source of gold and some diamonds in Brazil and India. It is also found near clay with diamonds in it in these countries.
Itacolumite is a metamorphic rock. The rock is a most extraordinary kind of sandstone and will bend under it own weight and slabs of it will bend even if the slabs are thick.
The rock's flexibility is caused by symmetrical quartz grains, which interlock and therefore, rotate against each other when it bends. There is also some mica in it that helps as elasticity for the bending. Minerals of chlorite and talc are also found flexible. Itacolumite is porous to some degree from the water running through the veins in the rock.
Bentonite - The Rock that SwellsThis rock, when put in water, will swell, taking up some five times it own weight and can enlarge to 50 times its own weight and can enlarge to 50 times its own volume.
Bentonite is used by oilmen in filling the pores in rocks in which they are drilling for oil.
Bentonite is a clay mineral, which makes it soft and slippery. The Black Hills region has beds of this material and they have a very wrinkled look when viewing them, as there is hardly any vegetation growing on them.
Bentonite is in beds and is mined with mechanical shovels used for industrial purposes. It filters and also purifies some commercial products and holds molding sand together.
It is also used as a paper filler/carrier for use in such things as drugs and in farm ponds to prevent leakage. There are many other uses as well. Utah is one of the sources of bentonite.
Magnetite - The Rock That AttractsThe mineral magnetite, used in compass needles, has been found in Monarch butterflies. This discovery may help explain the well-known yearly migration of this species from eastern North America to Mexico.
The Rock Rattler 2/92 via The Quarry, 1/03 Via The RockCollector 2/03
Agates - Rich in Fiber!
Sometimes chalcedony, including agate, is described as a fine-grained quartz, but the real case isn't quite this simple. There are lots of dues for this. Arrowheads and other stone tools are harder and more durable when made from chalcedony rather than coarse quartz. On the other hand, coarse quartz is better to grind up as a concrete additive than chalcedony. The chalcedony causes various chemical reactions in the concrete which can fail, while quartz is unreactive. With the advance of modem analytical tools, the reasons for these differences can finally be investigated.
Chalcedony has a microscopically fibrous structure, made of evenly spaced silica rods. More surprising is the fact that the fibers show a regularly alternating pattern of elongation -some parts being "length fast" and some parts "length slow". This means that in part of a particular fiber, light travels faster parallel to the long axis of the fiber. In other parts of the same fiber, the light travels slower parallel to the fiber length. This further implies that the silicon and oxygen atoms for some reason regularly twist or change in orientation as each fiber grew. Mineralogists are still trying to figure out why the fibers twist and what different forms of silica are intertwined with each other.
It is these intergrown fibers that gives chalcedony its great strength and durability. The peculiar structure also gives chalcedony its unexpected chemical reactivity In concrete.
One theory for the growth of the fibers is being developed by two researchers (Yifeng Wang and Enrique Merino) at Indiana University. They envision agate as developing as fingers of silica growing progressively outward into a cavity filled with siliceous "media". They do not specify as to whether this "media" is a solution or a gel. The first step is the formation of a coating of silica around the cavity. The coating (this being the real world) won't be completely smooth. In some places, the coating will bulge out slightly into the "media". It is these bulges which will grow rapidly outward into the solution to form the fibers. Impurities in the solution (such as iron or copper) will slow the growth briefly until these impurities precipitate as their own minerals on top of or between the silica fibers. Once the impurity's concentration is briefly reduced in this manner, silica growth will proceed again. Withdrawal of silica makes the solution richer in impurities, causing them to form another layer. This rhythmic precipitation is repeated many times as the agate grows. These layers of impurities show up as the color banding that characterize agates.
Bill Cordua, U. of W. - River Falls
References: Heaney, Peter J., D. Verten and J. Post, 1994, "Structural disparities between chalcedony and macrocrystalline quartz", American Mineralogist, vol. 79, p. 452-460.
Wang, Yifeng and Enrique Merino, 1995, "Origin of Fibrosity and Banding in Agates from Flood Basalts", American Journal of Science, vol. 295, p. 49-77.
From: The Nisqually Rockhound, 1/03. Via The RockCollector 2/03
What Has the What Has the Federation Done for Federation Done for Me Lately? Me Lately? By Judy Beck Vice-President
Sounds like a popular song from a few years past? Well it is a song you can sing if you are not familiar with the workings of the Rocky Mountain Federation. The Rocky Mountain Federation represents members in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. We are 6,500+ members strong in over 87 clubs. I’d like to cover just a few of the benefits of being a part of the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc.
First of all you benefit from the shared experiences of fellow collectors and leaders in the field of Earth Science. The Rocky Mountain Federation is a central locator of sorts that can collect information and share it throughout its membership. The primary way this is done is through our monthly newsletter and our website (www.rmfms.org). Not only will you find a calendar of events, but interesting articles pertaining to geological interests.
Secondly, you have access to a fantastic library of educational and informative slides and videos. These can be a great addition to your club meeting or event. Additionally, there is a contest each year for new slide or video programs about our hobby with a monetary prize!
Thirdly, you are protected by liability insurance. Keith Price explained it best in this year’s copy of the directory. “Think of the Federation as a family. The household liability insurance you personally have as a family protects you from a suit by someone outside your family who might be injured because of your alleged negligence. The claim might be they fell on your sidewalk because you failed to keep it clear of the kids toys.” The federations liability insurance provides protection from suits brought by non-members.
The last point I’d like to offer today is that we can have an effect on land use issue policies. 6,500+ members banded together in a united effort can affect policy development and implementation. This is one of our most important purposes today to keep our lands open and accessible.
The Rocky Mountain Federation is your federation, here to share information and provide assistance to its members. We operate under Articles of Incorporation and By-laws that are constantly being reviewed to keep procedures current. All of our officers serve in a volunteer capacity. If you’ve been around many shows or swaps you will know that we have a great diverse group of people who believe our hobby is one of the greatest and want to share it with others around them. I’m proud to serve with these folks and to be a part of the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc.
From Rocky Mountain Federation News 2/03
Wisdom Through The Ages
2000 B.C. Here, eat this root 1000 A.D. That root is heathen. Here say this prayer 1850 A.D. That prayer is superstition. Here drink this potion. 1940 A.D. That potion is snake oil. Here swallow this pill. 1985 A.D. That pill is ineffective. Here take this antibiotic. 2000 A.D. That antibiotic is artificial. Here eat this root.
From Hatrockhound Gazette Via Northside Gem and Hobby News11/02
A Little Pasties History by Dennis Westman, Publicity Director
In the mid 1800’s Cornish miners started arriving in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to work in the copper and iron mines. The Cornish (cousin jacks) were originally tin miners in their native Cornwall, England.
Mining copper or iron was a hard life. The miners would be lowered into the cold, wet, mineshaft. On their head was a leather helmet. It held a candle and reflector. This was their only source of light.
The miners would take Pasties (pronounced pass tees) into the mines for meals. The Pasty was s a portable beef stew folded in a purse of pastry dough. It gave them a “stick to the ribs” meal. The Pasty could be eaten hot or cold and did not require a dish. It also was made from root vegetables suited to the short growing season. The vegetables harvested and placed in a root cellar lasted all winter. After hours of working, the miners were chilled to the bone, and a hot meal really hit the spot. The heating of a Pasty was pretty basic. The Pasty was laid on a mining shovel and held over their candle. Others had a chest pocket in their clothes that kept the Pasty minimally warm from body heat.
If we look at the history of the Pasty, Pasties are mentioned in the Ballads of Robin Hood. There is a letter to Jane Seymour, wife of Flenry VIII mentioning Pasties. Two Shakespeare plays mention Pasties. There are other stories mentioning Pasties dating back 900 years. A story is told of the tin mines in Cornwall. They contained high levels of arsenic, therefore miners held the Pasty by it’s thick crust and threw the crust away to avoid poisoning. Fortunately the crust wasn’t wasted. Being a superstitious lot, leaving the crust appeased the ghosts in the mine.
Next time you are in Michigan, search out the Pasty, or better yet make up some off Loretta’s recipe. Speaking from experience, Loretta’s Pasties are the best.
Eat Historical. Eat a Pasty.
http://www.pastys.com/history.shtrnl http://www.exploringthenorth.com/foods/north. html http://kenanderson.net/pasties/history.htrnl
COOKBOOK by Marilyn Westman, Publisher, RRN
The MMC produced a cookbook called the Rustler’s Grub by Rockhounds many years ago. Loretta Heininger was kind enough to loan me her copy. I was interested in the recipes and all the little saying throughout the cookbook. All the entries are from club members. This could be a enjoyable fundraiser for the club and an opportunity to share that wonderful dish from the banquet, or those scrumptious cookies brought for treats to club meeting. Or, the great ideas for trying to get those rockhounds to get nutrition when all they want to do is hunt and dig. I hope everyone, including men and children, takes this opportunity to send a recipe or little witticism to he published. Zoma Olson has kindly offered to help put together this cookbook. We would welcome any other members who would like to help out with this project. We will put you name with your entry.
The following are the categories for recipes: Breads, Bars and Cookies, Cakes, Casseroles and Hot Dishes, Desserts, Meat and Fowl, Meatless Main Course, Pastry, Soup and Salad, Vegetables, This and That.
Please take time to send me or Zoma Olson and entry or txvo. You can contact Zoma at (phone) 763-441-6111 or (e-mail) szsrocks@aol .com.
The following is an entry by Loretta Heininger. PASTIES by Loretta Heininger
FILLING Cut the following into small pieces: 1 Pound Round Steak 2 Carrots (1 cup) 1 Parsnip (1/2 cup) 1 Medium Turnip (2/3 cup) 1 Rutabaga (1/2 cup) 4 Medium Potatoes (3 cups) Onion (1/4-1/3 cup) Salt and Pepper to taste
Mix all together until well mixed. This amount will make eight Pasties (1 full cup for each).
PASTRY 2 Cups Sifted Flour 1 Teaspoon Salt 2/3 Cup Shortening 5-7 Tablespoon Cold Water Butter Sesame Seeds
Stir together flour and salt. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to combine the flour mixture and shortening until it is the consistency of rolled oats. Sprinkle with the water, using just enough to hold the dough together. Divide dough into four equal size portions. *Roll out onto floured board (or between two sheets of waxed paper) until each is an 8-9 inch circle.
Fill each with one full cup of filling to one side of the circle (the other half will be folded over the filled half). Place 1 teaspoon butter and a sprinkle of sesame seeds on each. Fold over and pinch the edges together to seal. Poke several holes in the top with a fork for steam vents.
Place on a cookie sheet. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.
*Make the pastry recipe in two separate batches for manageability.
Via The Rock Rustler’s News 1/03
Carving Rocks By Joan Earnshaw
Almost any kind of rock may be carved with the proper took and patience. There are some usual steps to follow in beginning a carving.
1. Select the rock that you want to carve. The main critena for this is just personal choice. However, I would select a rock no harder than 4 or 5 on the Moh’s scale of hardness. This is for more than one reason. Harder rocks require diamond tools to work, which cost more. Harder rocks take longer to complete. If you are just starting, it is helpful to start with a rock that is easier to work on and more encouraging to see results sooner. 2. Tools can be either hand tools or power tools. What you are familiar with is easier to use. I suggest hand took to start with so you can learn the “fed” of the stone and see how the stone will react to files, handsaws, chisels, etc. 3. After selecting your rock, then decide what you want to carve. Sometimes, you can see an animal or plant or just a geometric shape in the rock. If you can, then you’re off to a good start. Or if you can’t see something intrinsic in the rock and already have a shape in mind, then draw a rough outline on the rock. Remember that if your rock breaks unexpectedly that it may be possible to alter your design or switch to a new one. What if you can’t think of a design? Try looking at some whittling pattern books for ideas. Look at Rock and Gem magazine or Lapidary Journal. 4. Suggested tools are a pocketknife (remember that this is a little hard on the blade so use an old one), a hacksaw or coping saw, a sharpened screwdriver, chisels, hammer, and files. Wood rasps will work as course files. Angle grinders can be utilized if you want to remove a lot of rock quickly. The tools used can vary. Eye protection is a necessity. Ear protection with noisy power tools is recommended. Professional sculpture tools are expensive and no necessary when you are beginning. If you start with inexpensive tools, or with what you already have on hand, then, if you find that this is not for you, you don’t have a lot of money invested.
Remember that it is best to proceed slowly to avoid breaking the rock. Also remember that some rocks fracture. A chisel and hammer would not work on rocks that fracture easily. You need to work those with rasps, files, and small saws - tools that will not shatter your rock.
When you get your shape close to the finished size that you want, it is time to think about smoothing and polishing. You can start with coarse grit sandpaper and switch to finer and finer grits. I recommend wet-or-dry sandpaper and sanding wet when you get down to the finer grit. It works better and faster. Yes, there is power equipment that you can use - like a Foredom tool and appropriate attachments and probably some other power tools, but remember that you are undoubtedly going to have to do some sanding by hand unless your design is totally smooth. All bumps, grooves, nooks and crannies have to be sanded.
You can polish with polish on a pad, cloth or leather. Or you can use Akemi sculpture polish which seals the stone (usually used on alabaster or marble) or Johnson’s paste wax and buff it well. This seals the carving. This is especially helpful if you plan to put the carving out in the weather. You can also talk to carvers who have been doing this for years and ask them how they polish their carvings. Carving and sculpting is best learned by hands on experience after you are shown the basics.
Warning: I have found that sculpting is habit-forming, but not harmful when done carefully. Not taking care can result in mashed fingers, rock chips in eyes and loss of skin. -from Pick Hammer News, February 2001, via The Leaverite News, April 2001 ************************************************ HINT: After a tube of epoxy has been opened, dab Vaseline on the threads. The cap will not stick and mess up your tube. Vaseline around the rim of your tumbler before bolting on the lid makes a tighter seal and it will be easier to remove later.
-from Achates, March 1994, via Rock Chips, May 2002 via Rockhound Ramblings 10/02 Via Rock Chip 12/02
Mineralogy 101 Magnetism and Electrical Properties By Lloyd BrownThe Random House College Dictionary defines magnetism as: “The molecular properties common to magnets.” There are some minerals, which in their natural state can be attracted by a strong magnet. These minerals are said to be magnetic. Magnetite stands out as a magnetic mineral. Sometimes in nature magnetite becomes a natural magnet. These “lodestones” are thought to be formed because of the earth’s magnetic field.
Pyrrhotite is magnetic to a lesser degree. Iron-platinum, and nickeliron minerals such as kamacite, taenite, and tetrataenite are other magnetic minerals. A few other minerals are sometimes attracted by a magnet, but it is thought that the primary reason for this is due to small amounts of magnetite inclusions. Iron has by far the strongest attraction to a magnet, but native iron is extremely rare in nature. The attraction of magnetite to a magnet is about 40% of the attraction of iron. Pyrrhotite is much lower in its magnetic attraction and varies a lot. A rough guess by this author would be from 5 to 15 percent of that of iron. Other minerals that show slight magnetic attraction, like hematite, siderite, ilmenite, franklinite and pyrite, have about one half percent or less attraction to a magnet as compared to that of iron. When some minerals are heated they become magnetic. In siderite and pyrite the magnetic attraction is greatly increased after being heated.
In a very strong magnetic field, all minerals are affected to some extent by magnetism. Compounds of iron are attracted, as are diopside, beryl, and dioptase. Other minerals are repelled by the magnetism, such as bismuth, copper, silver, zircon and calcite. The attraction or repulsion differs with the orientation of the crystal axes to the direction of the magnetic field. Isometric crystals, having the same length axes in all directions, have the same amount of magnetic attraction or repulsion in all directions.
Piezoelectricity is the development of an electrical charge when pressure is exerted upon the ends of a crystal. This is found only in crystals with no center of symmetry. These crystals have polar axes and provide this strange phenomenon. The best example is quartz, where carefully oriented plates are used for control of radio frequencies. Tourmaline is another mineral with these properties, but is better noted for another property called “pyroelectricity.”
Pyroelectricity is the generation of electrical charges due to temperature changes in a mineral. This phenomenon is best observed in the crystals of minerals with a unique polar axis. The physical properties of piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity are valuable to industry and science, but are of little value in mineral identification. They are included here because they are physical properties of some minerals and could help.
There are two reasons I have included these two phenomena. The first is just for their trivia value. The second reason is that these electrical characteristics, remote though the chances are, may become the deciding factor in identifying an unknown mineral. When the crystal class of a mineral cannot be determined and the unknown crystal has been narrowed down to a mineral with and a mineral without pyroelectrical/piezoelectrical properties, at test for one or both of these properties could be made.
From The Crystal, 12/02 Via The RockCollector 3/03
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