May - New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.

Transcription

The
BULLETIN
OF THE NEW YORK MINERALOGICAL CLUB, INC
Volume 130 No. 5
May 2016
ZACKRY WIEGAND
NEW GEOLOGIST
2016 NYMC
MEMBERS
WORLD’S FINEST MINERAL
See page 13!
BLACK IS BACK
May 11, 2016
Art of Light &
Minerals
AUCTION
DONATIONS
SNOWBALL
EARTH
America’s Oldest Gem & Mineral Club
Founded 1886

Incorporated 1937
Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club
Founded 1886
Volume 130, No. 5
May 11th Meeting Presentation:
Zackry Wiegand: “Subtle Bodies:
The Art of Light & Minerals”
Subtle Bodies is a collection of
sculptural objects incorporating neon lights
and minerals that examine our relationship
with Earth and Space. Created between
2012-2014 the nine pieces present minerals
as relics of nature. Through forced
perspective and
the use of light the
objects become
a mb i g u o u s i n
scale and infinite
in depth. The
ability to perceive
stars, galaxies, and
nebulas in objects
that come out of
the Earth provides
a meaningful and
tangible connection to Space by
compressing and demystifying our distance
from it. Referencing cinematic lighting
techniques and narrative tropes found in
science fiction, the works simulate nature at
its farthest and most ephemeral boundaries.
By embracing those narratives and using
light as visual tool, you can elevate the
perceived significance of your own
minerals and document them accordingly.
Zackry Wiegand is New York based
artist and lighting designer from Vermont.
His background in film production and
architecture support a deep fascination with
light as a creative and narrative tool, and
themes of illusion and transition drive his
curiosity with nature.
His interest in rocks and minerals
started early in his life. His family collected
wishing rocks (river stones with a complete
line going all the way around), pieces of
quartz, and other
unique stones
everywhere they went,
and his father is a
landscaper who builds
stone walls. Rocks
became valued objects
with the potential to be
found, and the process of searching for
them created a heightened awareness of the
natural world. He continues to be inspired
by minerals with unique optical properties
and the various associations rocks and
minerals have in pop-culture.
Ë New York City, New York Ë Incorporated 1937
America’s Oldest Mineral & Gem Club
May 2016
Physicists Have Observed a
New State of Quantum Matter
The new state was observed in crystals
By Alfredo Carpineti
Physicists have just observed in a real of ruthenium chloride (RuCl3). The team at
material a mysterious state of matter that the Oak Ridge National Laboratory shot
was first predicted 40 years ago. And if you neutrons at the crystals and looked at the
thought quantum mechanics couldn’t get magnetic properties. The results are
published in Nature Materials.
any weirder, think again.
“This is a new addition to a short list of
An international team has observed for
the first time a quantum spin liquid, a state known quantum states of matter,” said
in which electrons break apart and behave Knolle.
“It’s an important step for our
in a very curious way. Electrons in typical
magnetic materials are well aligned when understanding of quantum matter,” added
Kovrizhin. “It’s fun to have another new
the material is cooled down
quantum state that we’ve
to absolute zero. But in a
never seen before – it
quantum spin liquid,
presents us with new
electrons are not organized.
possibilities to try new
“This is a new
things.”
quantum state of matter,
The understanding of
which has been predicted
quantum spin liquid could
but hasn’t been seen
have consequences for
before,” Dr. Johannes
Patterns
formed
by
bombarding
room-temperature
Knolle of Cambridge’s
materials in a quantum spin liquid state
sup er co n d u c to r s and
Cavendish Laboratory, one with neutrons
q u a n t u m c o m p u t e r s.
of the paper’s co-authors,
said in a statement. It should be noted, it is Quantum spin liquid could even be used as
not really a “liquid” per se – rather, the term memory storage for quantum computers.
indicates that electrons are not lined up as
Source: iflscience.com from April 6, 2016
they should be.
Electrons are thought of as fundamental
indivisible particles, but they can also be
Issue Highlights
mathematically described by two
quasiparticles bound together, one
President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
representing the spin and one the charge.
Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Quasiparticles are essentially the
World of Minerals: Mars Update (I). 3
fundamental properties of the electron
A New Geologist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
acting as individual particles, although they
Volcanic Eruption Cause?. . . . . . . . . 4
can’t move freely through space.
Even More Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
In a quantum spin liquid, the spin and
Cave Art Volcano.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
c h ar ge q uasip ar ticle can mo ve
Periodic Table Game. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
independently from each other and the
The 100: Black is Back.. . . . . . . . . . . 8
electron is broken. The free spin
Topics in Gemology: Rare Watches.. 9
quasiparticle is also a Majorana fermion, a
2016 NYMC Members.. . . . . . . . . . 10
curious excitation that is its own
Climate & Gravel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
antiparticle. The first Majorana fermion was
Snowball Earth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
only discovered last October.
Lawrence Conklin Reprint. . . . . . . . 13
“Until recently, we didn’t even know
Massive Blue Sapphire.. . . . . . . . . . 14
what the experimental fingerprints of a
New Low-Density Ice.. . . . . . . . . . . 14
quantum spin liquid would look like,” said
March ‘16 Show Dealer Donations. 15
paper co-author Dr. Dmitry Kovrizhin.
Banquet Invitation / Preview. . . . . . 15
“One thing we’ve done in previous work is
Curium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
to ask, if I were performing experiments on
Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . . 17
a possible quantum spin liquid, what would
I observe?”
2
Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.
President’s Messages
By Mitch Portnoy
At last month’s meeting I presented a
mock-up screen of a “Members Only” tab
on the website that would have classified
ads in a variety of categories that only
members could place or access. Reaction to
this benefit was extremely positive so I will
contract our webmaster to program the tab
. We will start with a “Rides
Offered/Wanted” category with more to
follow over the near future.
For many years now the Club has
produced free postcards advertising the
club and given them out at meetings and at
mineral shows. I presented 4 designs to a
group of members and there was no
consensus which to use. However, it turned
out it was actually cheaper to produce all
four than just two! They will be distributed
over the next two years.
A large quantity of specimens from the
late Mitch Bogen’s collection have been
donated to the club. A lot of work has to be
done to organize the unbelievably
disorganized mess that they currently are in.
The minerals will find their way into the
auction, raffles, etc over the next few
months. At first inspection, I think they will
also form the foundation of a special benefit
sale that we will have later in the year,
perhaps during the summer.
I received the above item from esteemed dealer
James Zigras as a donation to our archives. Does
anybody know what it was used for?
Club Meeting Minutes for
April 13, 2016
By Vivien Gornitz, Secretary
Attendance:45
President Mitch Portnoy presided
Announcements:
The monthly raffle was held.
The meeting day’s historical events
were announced.
A Mineral Hardness (Mohs 10) game
was played, the first of a new series!
Information about mineral hardness in
general was presented.
A special door prize was given, a book
about gemstone inclusions relating to
the evening’s lecture.
A new book about the minerals of New
York State and where to collect them
will soon be available.

The NYMC items for sale (gemstone
pens, backpacks, etc.) at the meeting
were exhibited.
The Club’s upcoming events through
March 2017 were presented.
Special Lecture: Dr. Roland Scal –
“Gemstone Microscopy”
In his recent presentation, Dr. Roland
Scal, professor at Queensborough Community
College, revealed the hidden beauty and
important information concealed in tiny
inclusions embedded in gemstones. Regarded
by many as flaws, these inclusions disclose
much about the environment in which these
crystals grew and where they originated,
whether in nature or a lab, and even in some
cases their home country. Knowing this can
add value to the stone, particularly for
emeralds that originate in Colombia, a
demantoid from Russia, or a ruby from
Myanmar (Burma).
Roland began by pointing out basic
instruments used to study inclusions—the
optical microscope and the scanning electron
microscope (SEM) for viewing at even higher
magnifications. The latter instrument also can
analyze an inclusion chemically, by
bombarding it with x-rays. In general, the
microscopist uses darkfield illumination, in
which light enters the field of view from an
angle, rather than from directly below, to
create a high contrast that shows up otherwise
overlooked, subtle features.
Many colorful slides were shown to
illustrate these points. For example, swirls and
bubbles usually mean a stone is fake—i.e.,
glass, but some natural fluid inclusions may
freeze into a glassy mass. Randomly oriented,
thin rutile needles in sapphire or ruby gives
these stones a “sleepy”, milky look, but when
they intersect at 120° angles, the resulting star
gem becomes highly desirable. The Linde
Company manufactured synthetic star rubies
and sapphires in the 1950s-1960s that could
be easily spotted because they were just too
perfect. A zircon inclusion in an Australian
sapphire became metamict (lost its
crystallinity due to natural radiation), which
set up stresses that fractured the host crystal
and produced a halo. But tension haloes
around rutile, zircon and other high
temperature inclusions may also be evidence
for heat treatment. (Rutile needles also
become fuzzy and indistinct when heated).
Black inclusions within a diamond point to
graphitization caused by the rapid transit to
the surface within a kimberlite eruption that
brought the stone into a zone of
disequilibrium (i.e., much lower temperatures
and pressures than where it first crystallized).
In many cases, inclusions in gemstones
can indicate the country of origin. For
example, Sandawana emeralds from
Zimbabwe typically display actinolite needles,
whereas Colombian emeralds have 3-phase
May 2016
inclusions consisting of trapped brine, gas, and
halite. Demantoid garnets from the Urals are
characterized by “horsetail” inclusions of
chrysotile, whereas demantoids from other
locales have needles of actinolite, or other
minerals. In both examples, the Colombian and
Russian gems are considered more valuable
than those from elsewhere.
The microscope unveils many other
interesting internal features, such as growth
zoning, changes of crystal habit during growth,
or more importantly, whether a stone is natural
or lab-grown. The fairly rare Lechtleiter
synthetic emeralds look heavily fractured like
broken glass, or “crazy paving stones.”
Hydrothermally-grown synthetic emeralds
show nail-head inclusions with phenacite, often
aligned, which give the stone a roiled, hazy
luster. Ramaura-grown rubies contain orangey
blobs of flux and metallic Pb, La inclusions.
Roland’s journey into the hidden world of
gemstones unlocked a whole new dimension
and host of fascinating and useful facts about
these lovely crystals.
Members in the News

In 2003, one of John Betts’s mineral
photographs was used on a postage stamp
of Guinea-Bissau.
Renée Newman, who spoke to the NYMC
last year about exotic gems, has just had
her fourth book in the Exotic Gems series
published, focusing on jade and pearls.
(More information to follow.)
May Meeting Game!
May 2016
3
The World of Minerals
The World of Minerals is a monthly column written by Dr. Vivien Gornitz on timely and interesting topics related
to geology, gemology, mineralogy, mineral history, etc.
The Minerals of Mars – An Update (Part I)
Mars, the Red Planet
Mars, a planet of dramatic contrasts, displays heavily-cratered,
moon-like terrains in the southern highlands, towering volcanoes,
the Valles Marineris canyon system (2000 miles long and 12,000
feet deep) that dwarfs the Grand Canyon, deep channels gouged by
biblical-sized floods, dune fields rivaling the Sahara, and smooth,
sparsely-cratered northern hemisphere plains. Its thin, mostly
carbon dioxide atmosphere has a surface pressure less than one
percent that of the Earth. Surface temperatures range from near
freezing during southern hemisphere summer to -190E F at the
poles in winter. Although once much wetter, the red planet is now
bone dry and frigid (Table 1). Any liquid water either seeps into
the ground and freezes, or evaporates. Yet copious volumes of
water once carved out dendritic (or branched) river valleys–now
dry–scattered across much of the cratered southern highlands.
Catastrophic floods streamlined teardrop-shaped “islands” in giant
outflow channels. River-like formations hint at to a formerly more
clement climate—one more hospitable for the origin of early life.
Recent mineral discoveries strengthen this possibility.
Finding evidence for life on other planets has motivated recent
space exploration. “Follow the water” is NASA’s chief guideline
for seeking possible life abodes–past or present–on Mars. Certain
types of minerals can reveal important clues about past
environments and climates of a planet and its potential habitability.
Most informative are those minerals, such as clays or evaporites
that deposit at or near the surface by interaction with atmosphere
and water. Instruments onboard orbiting spacecraft and surface
rovers have discovered the presence of sheet silicates, sulfates, and
crystalline iron oxides. These minerals date to a very early period
in the history of Mars, when water was more abundant.
Furthermore, geologic mapping shows not only that some hydrated
sheet silicates are much older than sulfates, but that the latter
formed under markedly different geochemical environments. As
the planet grew drier, new minerals formed under brinier, more
acidic conditions, which imply a harsher environment for early
life. The overall scarcity of carbonates was also a surprise, since
CO2 is the dominant constituent of the martian atmosphere,
carbonates generally precipitate from CO2 - H2O solutions, and
evidence for aqueous alteration abounds.
(Continues next month)
Astro Gallery of Gems, now along Fifth Avenue, is to open a
second location in a 1,200 square-foot-space on the ground floor
of this six-story 1931 apartment building across from the American
Museum of Natural History (102 West 79th Street). The gallery,
which plans to to sell minerals, fossils and jewelry, as well as
items for children there, and is to have a storage basement, has
signed a 10-year lease and received a three-month rent concession
for its build-out. Approximate annual rent: $171,000.
4
The Origins of a Geologist:
From the Shores of Lake Michigan to the Halls
of Oberlin College
By Emilie Lozier
My love affair with geology began early. Wandering the
shores of Lake Michigan as children, my sisters and I would
comb our fingers through the coarse sand grains. Occasionally
one of us would straighten abruptly, squinting at whatever
treasure our sifting hands had unearthed. Sea glass; shelly
conglomerates; dull, rounded rocks that turned luminous colors
when dunked in the surf. These objects were like precious gems
to us, and we stuffed our pockets full to bursting.
Years later I had amassed a respectable collection of rocks
and minerals. With a backbone of lake stones from my summers
of beach combing, it was fleshed out by a number of more
“serious” specimens from my grandmother’s neighbor, Mitch.
Whenever I would go to stay with my grandma in Manhattan,
Mitch would invite me to look through his own considerable
collection and choose a mineral to take home.
Like many budding collectors, my choices were driven by
an appreciation for distinctive shapes and colors. I chose
hematite for its globular structure and metallic sheen, wavelite
for its radial spray of pale green needles. Months later, I still
found myself puzzling over their unique beauty. I wanted to
understand the whole story, the series of mechanisms that could
create minerals of such startling complexity.
This curiosity has stuck with me. As a student at Oberlin
College, I have stuffed my schedule full of geology courses,
even while pursuing a major in chemistry. In my mind, this
approach makes a lot of sense. With an ultimate goal of
geochemical research, my foundation in chemistry must be
unshakeable – and so I study chemistry. At the same time, it is
the tantalizing mystery of the Earth’s processes that drives me to
shore up my knowledge of the natural sciences – and so I study
geology. In brief, while chemistry is my vehicle, geology is the
furnace that keeps the wheels turning.
Last summer, with one year at Oberlin tucked away in my
pocket, I spent two months helping out in the Department of
Earth and Planetary Sciences at the American Museum of
Natural History. More specifically, I worked with Jamie
Newman, who assists in the curation of the Mineral and Gems
collection. Earlier in the year, Mitch had brought me to meet
Jamie and get a peek at the collection.
May 2016
Although I’d been to see AMNH’s Hall of Minerals many
times before, I was completely floored when faced with the
museum’s entire collection. Where before I had spent my time
marveling at a mere 5,000 specimens, here, ranged in
unassuming metal shelves and cabinets, over 100,000 individual
minerals stood waiting to be wondered over.
Later, my job would be to go through just a subset of this
collection, drawer by drawer, removing each mineral from its
box, lining it up with its label and catalog number, and snapping
a photo to be uploaded to the online database. To some, this duty
may seem monotonous, but to me it was a blast of energy,
kindling in the fire of my curiosity. Here, I could hold in my
hands the very objects of my passion. Every day I encountered
new oddities to pique my interest: a carpet of dark, glittering
azurites, a pale purple fluorite with a structure like a honeycomb,
a septarian concretion all crisscrossed with cracks, and native
copper entombed in a perfect, football-shaped crystal of calcite.
Even the more humble minerals did not escape my attention,
and in the end these were the ones that taught me the most. After
handling countless examples of a single variety of mineral, I
soon gained an instinctive – albeit rudimentary – feel for its
typical hues, densities, and morphologies. One day, when
photographing a drawer of calcites, I came across a mineral that
provoked my suspicion the moment I picked it up. For its size,
the specimen was much heavier than my hands-on understanding
of calcites had led me to believe. Turning the mineral over in my
hands I realized with a low thrill of excitement that its reverse
side was coated with a thick layer of galena, a dense, leadcontaining mineral.
Of all my experiences at the museum, moments like these
were the ones that reminded me most dramatically of why it is
I study the natural sciences. They brought me back to the days
spent darting in and out of Lake Michigan waves, holding
gleaming wet pebbles up to the sun and marveling at their gemlike colors. To the camping trips at Devil’s Lake State Park in
Wisconsin spent puzzling over the ponderous quartzite cliffs.
Like the first geologists, my curiosity was purely visceral,
stemming from that which I saw and touched and tasted. Today,
this sense of primitive wonder remains to me an invitation, and
all the motivation I could ever need.
What Causes A Volcanic Eruption?
By Robin Andrews
A team of volcanologists led by the University of Liverpool
have released a perhaps controversial Nature study on the causes
of volcanic eruptions. Going against the current consensus, they
have suggested that it isn’t huge pressure differences that trigger
volcanic blasts, but a strange behavior of magma called
“frictional heating.”
Volcanic eruptions, despite being studied for several
thousands of years in one form or another, are still relatively
poorly understood phenomena. Although volcanologists have
attempted to categorize eruptions as best they can, observing
their underlying physical processes is impossible, and can only
be interpreted after the act. The arguable “holy grail” of
volcanology is to determine why exactly an eruption,
particularly an explosive one, occurs, in order to aid our ability
to predict when the next one will happen.
Volcanic eruptions are largely thought to occur when there
is a huge pressure difference (or “gradient”) between the broiling
May 2016
5
magma within the chamber and the outside world. When this
gradient becomes too large for the encasing rock to keep it in, it
fractures, allowing the magma to violently decompress onto the
surface.
“A good analogy to this is peanut butter,” Lavallée said in
a statement. “When it is too cold and viscous, we plunge a knife
into it and stir to warm it up and make it runnier.”
This “frictional heating” caused substantial temperature
increases in the laboratory, which had several effects: Primarily,
the formation of bubbles is easier when the magma is hotter, or
more energetically excitable. The more fluid, less confining
magma also permits the more efficient growth of bubbles.
In addition, this temperature increase induced the melting of
solid crystals within the magma, depositing a huge amount of
chemical compounds into the molten phase of the magma. This
so-called “supersaturation” causes a chemical imbalance within
the magma, which releases these compounds as gassy bubbles in
order to redress this.
These findings, if corroborated by other independent studies,
have the potential to rewrite a key component of volcanological
science, potentially transforming how we determine when, and
indeed how, the most dangerous volcanoes on Earth erupt.
Source: iflscience.com from January 6, 2016
What causes the world's explosive volcanic eruptions, like the 1980s blast at
Mount St. Helens, to occur? USGS
The Race to Find Even More New Elements to
Add to the Periodic Table
This chamber pressure is largely controlled by the gas
content of the magma, which itself is variably gloopy, or
“viscous.” As the magma initially begins to decompress as it
rises from the depths of the Earth, gas bubbles form from the
magma in a process known as vesiculation, which increases the
internal pressure of the magma chamber. The more viscous and
gassy the magma is, the greater the pressure gradient will be, and
the more explosive the subsequent eruption.
By David Hinde
In an event likely never to be repeated, four new superheavy
elements were last week simultaneously added to the periodic
table. To add four in one go is quite an achievement but the race
to find more is ongoing.
The expanding periodic table of elements. Shutterstock/Olivier Le Queinec
Is temperature or pressure more important when it comes to triggering explosive
eruptions? Credit: mik ulyannikov / Shutterstock
This new study, led by Yan Lavallée, professor of
volcanology at the University of Liverpool, has concluded that
temperature, not pressure, is the controlling mechanism for
vesiculation. Laboratory experiments were set up to melt various
types of igneous rocks in various ways. The team looked
carefully at how each melting technique produced varying
degrees of vesiculation, comparing their results with fieldwork
on Santiaguito volcano.
Their experiments show that magma and partially molten
rocks moving up through a tube or “conduit” heat up as they do
so. This temperature increase is caused by the “drag” of the
magma against both the walls of the conduit and the internal
currents within the magma itself.
Back in 2012, the International Unions of Pure and Applied
Chemistry (IUPAC) and Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP)
tasked five independent scientists to assess claims made for the
discovery of elements 113, 115, 117 and 118. The measurements
had been made at Nuclear Physics Accelerator laboratories in
Russia (Dubna) and Japan (RIKEN) between 2004 and 2012.
Late last year, on December 30, 2015, IUPAC announced
that claims for the discovery of all four new elements had been
accepted.
This completes the seventh row of the periodic table, and
means that all elements between hydrogen (having only one
proton in its nucleus) and element 118 (having 118 protons) are
now officially discovered.
After the excitement of the discovery, the scientists now
have the naming rights. The Japanese team will suggest the
name for element 113. The joint Russian/US teams will make
suggestions for elements 115, 117 and 118. These names will be
6
assessed by IUPAC, and once approved, will become the new
names that scientists and students will have to remember.
May 2016
The payback from the discovery of these new elements
comes in improving models of the atomic nucleus (with
applications in nuclear medicine and in element formation in the
universe) and testing our understanding of atomic relativistic
effects (of increasing importance in the chemical properties of
the heavy elements). It also helps in improving our
understanding of complex and irreversible interactions of
quantum systems in general.
The Australian Connection
The completed seventh row in the periodic table. Wikimedia Commons
Until their discovery and naming, all superheavy elements
(up to 999!) have been assigned temporary names by the IUPAC.
Element 113 is known as ununtrium (Uut), 115 is ununpentium
(Uup), 117 is ununseptium (Uus) and 118 ununoctium (Uuo).
These names are not actually used by physicists, who instead
refer to them as “element 118", for example.
The Superheavy Elements
Elements heavier than Rutherfordium (element 104) are
referred to as superheavy. They are not found in nature, because
they undergo radioactive decay to lighter elements.
Those superheavy nuclei that have been created artificially
have decay lifetimes between nanoseconds and minutes. But
longer-lived (more neutron-rich) superheavy nuclei are expected
to be situated at the centre of the so-called “island of stability”,
a place where neutron-rich nuclei with extremely long half-lives
should exist.
Currently, the isotopes of new elements that have been
discovered are on the “shore” of this island, since we cannot yet
reach the centre.
How Were These New Elements Created On Earth?
Atoms of superheavy elements are made by nuclear fusion.
Imagine touching two droplets of water – they will “snap
together” because of surface tension to form a combined larger
droplet.
The problem in the fusion of heavy nuclei is the large
numbers of protons in both nuclei. This creates an intense
repulsive electric field. A heavy-ion accelerator must be used to
overcome this repulsion, by colliding the two nuclei and
allowing the nuclear surfaces to touch.
This is not sufficient, as the two touching spheroidal nuclei
must change their shape to form a compact single droplet of
nuclear matter – the superheavy nucleus.
It turns out that this only happens in a few “lucky”
collisions, as few as one in a million.
There is yet another hurdle; the superheavy nucleus is very
likely to decay almost immediately by fission. Again, as few as
one in a million survives to become a superheavy atom,
identified by its unique radioactive decay.
The process of superheavy element creation and
identification thus requires large-scale accelerator facilities,
sophisticated magnetic separators, efficient detectors and time.
Finding the three atoms of element 113 in Japan took 10
years, and that was after the experimental equipment had been
developed.
The race is now on to produce elements 119 and 120. The
projectile nucleus Calcium-48 (Ca-48) – successfully used to
form the newly accepted elements – has too few protons, and no
target nuclei with more protons are currently available. The
question is, which heavier projectile nucleus is the best to use.
To investigate this, the leader and team members of the
German superheavy element research group, based in Darmstadt
and Mainz, recently travelled to the Australian National
University.
They made use of unique ANU experimental capabilities,
supported by the Australian Government’s NCRIS program, to
measure fission characteristics for several nuclear reactions
forming element 120. The results will guide future experiments
in Germany to form the new superheavy elements.
It seems certain that by using similar nuclear fusion
reactions, proceeding beyond element 118 will be more difficult
than reaching it. But that was the feeling after the discovery of
element 112, first observed in 1996. And yet a new approach
using Ca-48 projectiles allowed another six elements to be
discovered.
Nuclear physicists are already exploring different types of
nuclear reaction to produce superheavies, and some promising
results have already been achieved. Nevertheless, it would need
a huge breakthrough to see four new nuclei added to the periodic
table at once, as we have just seen.
36,000 Year Old Cave Art Shows Ancient
Volcanic Eruption
By Robin Andrews
The Chauvet cave system has its own high-resolution replica. Getty
Volcanology is a fairly ancient science, with descriptions of
dramatic eruptions going back at least as far as the year 79 C.E.,
when Pliny the Elder sailed into the pyroclastic flows emerging
from Vesuvius and his heir detailed the unfolding destruction.
Now, a study in PLOS ONE has described what may be the
May 2016
earliest known images of erupting volcanoes. These paintings,
found in the Chauvet caves of France, are at least 36,000 years
old.
This particular cave system was found to contain a series of
paintings in 1994. Among them were menageries of animals – a
common theme in ancient cave paintings. Examples of human
handprints were also found there. However, some of the artwork
was at the time too abstract to be properly identified.
Nearby, a new geological survey was conducted in the
Bas-Vivarais area, which aimed to look at the geological
evolution of the area between 30,000 and 40,000 years ago. This
coincides with the period of time wherein the Chauvet cave
system was occupied by humans. During this time, the
geological survey revealed that 35 kilometers (22 miles) away
from the cave system, a major volcanic eruption took place in
the Vivarais volcanic field, a series of volcanoes spread over 500
square kilometers (193 square miles).
This research team, using geological mapping and isotopic
dating, managed to provide the most accurate timings and
precise eruption characteristics of the volcanic activity of
Vivarais to date. They note that the activity ranges from the calm
and effusive (lava flows, for example) to the iridescent and
violent, with buried water and magma interacting explosively to
form volcanoes known as maar volcanoes.
The map of the Chauvet cave system (A), the general view of the
“Megaloceros panel” (B), and the detail of the spray-like paintings (C).
Nomade et al./PLOS ONE
Indeed, carbon dating techniques show that the nearby
Chauvet cave paintings were created during this time. The later
phases of painting focused around an extinct, deer-like creature
called a Megaloceros. Painted using a red pigment, perhaps
traced with fingers, these Megaloceros appear to have a
spray-like feature emerging from their heads.
These spray shapes are unique among over 340 ornate cave
painting sites in France and Spain, which made their
identification problematic for a long time. The authors of this
study suggest that they appear to resemble the typical lava
fountains reminiscent of Strombolian eruptions, gas
slug-induced volcanic explosions.
Sebastien Nomade, lead author of the study, told
IFLScience: “We noticed that the shape is reminiscent of lava
fountains that a young kid could draw.” Although it is
impossible to be certain, the authors are cautiously confident of
their discovery, noting that the strength of the eruptions could
have meant that the original artists likely felt compelled to paint
them.
Previously, volcanic imagery was found in Catalhoyuk in
central Turkey, and dated to be at least 8,000 years old. The
7
Chauvet cave paintings predate this Turkish example by around
28,000 years, and if the Vivarais eruption theory is accepted by
the scientific community, its depiction in volcanic art will be the
oldest in human history to date.
Teach Kids Chemistry with this Homemade
Periodic Table Battleship Game
By Tom Hale
If you teach or have kids of your own, here’s a great way to
get them into chemistry.
On the homeschooling blog Teach Beside Me, Karyn Tripp
shows how to create a Battleship-esque game with a periodic
table.
All you need to do is print out four periodic tables, which
you can easily find on Google Images. Along the left side, you
then label the rows alphabetically from a to i. You then set up
the a battlestation using two folders facing back-to-back and
attached by a paper clip at the top. You can also laminate the
sheets to make the game reusable.
As Tripp explains on the blog, “The kids can then mark
where they want to place their ships by circling rows of 2, 3, 4,
and 5 elements on the lower table. They play by calling out
coordinates. If they miss they put an X on the spot they chose on
the upper table. If they get a hit, they circle it.”
After learning to play in this way, you can then use more
advanced ways to find the opponent's “battleships,” such as
using an element’s atomic number or mass number. You can also
make a rule that a “ship” has to be in each group, i.e. one in the
noble gases, one in transition metals, etc.
Niagara Falls: New York State Park System to
Present Plans to ‘Dewater’ American Side of Falls
Following a public hearing, the dewatering is expected to occur
within three years to replace 115-year-old bridges accessing
Goat Island. The falls were first dewatered in 1969 for an
erosion study.
8
May 2016
Collector’s Series – “The 100"
The 100 is a monthly feature of interest to mineral collectors written by Bill Shelton, based upon his many years of
experience as a mineral collector, educator, author, appraiser, philanthropist and dealer. Comments as well as suggestions
for new topics are most welcome. Contact him at LAELIASON@msn.com.
Black is Back
I would also like to inform serious collectors that some
recent samples from Russia have excellent luster and a minimum
This curious group of black minerals shares a common
of coating present. Such a piece would be prized by many
status regarding fluorescence and gemstones - there is nothing to
collectors. In addition to Dalnegorsk, the
say regarding either! Uranium, the
former Soviet Union has other places that
element, has a bearing on fluorescence
might produce a fine specimen – here I
but it is unrelated to the species uraninite.
include Rudnyi, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
Byproducts of course are a different
and Ukraine according to the World of
matter.
Stones magazine. If you like a specimen
Stibnite, a popular species for
with multiple species present, you will
collectors, can have well-formed crystals
find quite a few possibilities here ranging
that occasionally reach 20 inches or so.
from gangue minerals to other potentially
Normal specimens and most of those
valuable species. At times, the silver
known to exist are modest sized singles or
content in tetrahedrite is concentrated
clusters to a few inches or less. The recent
enough to make it a possible ore species
influx of Chinese pieces allows an
for copper and silver.
opportunity for anyone with most any size
Uraninite is perhaps best known as a
budget to get single crystals or even
Stibnite from Nevada
source of uranium and probably
groups. Prices seem remarkably
considered in some circles as dangerous
reasonable now that we have a large
due to radioactivity. Secondary species
supply. Prior to this, a few places had
and traces of the uranyl radical are noted
samples – France, Japan, Nevada and
with bright colors, fluorescence and,
Romania are exemplary. They tend to be
sometimes, high levels of radioactivity.
sparsely represented in dealer stock and
This is much less applicable to uraninite.
many of these pieces will be expensive.
Species such as cuprosklodowskite,
Long ago, Sinkankas (1964) said
betafite and autunite may actually be
“Probably the acquisition of a fine group
more radioactive than uraninite. When
of Japanese stibnite crystals is to an
crystals are found, the price will probably
amateur mineralogist an attainment equal
be moderate and the quality variable.
to an art patron’s acquisition of an old
Among some of the samples I have seen,
master.” The best pieces are silvery to
those from Standpipe Hill, Maine are
gray and may be iridescent so some, at
most often noted to exhibit high quality.
least, are not really black in appearance. I
Tetrahedrite from Peru
Generally, they are thumbnail sized and
can’t imagine a collector not considering
have little or no matrix present. Other
this as a good addition to their suite.
sources in America include several
Tetrahedrite is a very interesting
pegmatites in Connecticut, North Carolina,
species – many elements can enter the
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.
structure including bismuth, silver and
See mindat.org for a very long list of
zinc. Arsenic can be present and when
known places. Worldwide, Canada,
enough is there, the species is properly
Congo, England and South Africa are
labeled as tennantite. A complete solid
notable sources. Pitchblende is a massive,
solution series is evidently known to exist.
sometimes impure uraninite that may be
The massive material may prove to be a bit
available but will likely be unattractive. If
elusive to identify but crystals are more
you decide to own a crystal, say thumbnail
readily recognized. It is common for
sized, I believe the relative danger to you
chalcopyrite to encompass the entire
is minute. Perhaps you will be able to
crystal and that means an error in identity
source one from lesser known and
might occur. Fifty years ago, a one inch
available places such as Norway.
crystal was considered impressive. Not
As a group, they may be
long ago, I was fortunate to find a two inch
underappreciated in the collector
beauty from Dalnegorsk, Russia. But don’t
community. Black is not the most
be overly impressed – the Handbook
Uraninite from Maine
endearing quality for fancy collection
suggests crystals exist more on the order of
pieces
anyway.
Mindat.org
reports 2,833 localities for stibnite,
six inches in length today.
1,866 for tetrahedrite and 2,503 for uraninite. Does this come as
a surprise to you?
May 2016
9
Topics in Gemology
Topics in Gemology is a monthly column written by Diana Jarrett, GG, RMV, based on gemological questions posed to
her over the years by beginners and experts alike. Contact her at diana@dianajarrett.com.
All the Subtleties of Time
knowledgeable personnel, Sarkissian believes. “Service replaces
all the discounts in the world. These professionals will follow you
Recently, the Washington Post published a report about a shift
on your collecting journey whether you own one or 50
in paradigm with ultra-luxe consumers who at one time only
timepieces.”
sported highly visible status-con labels. Now, they are regarded as
Dizzying Details
“a little trashy” shoppers were quoted as saying. Instead, the story
Limited edition watches fascinate collectors who understand
goes, consumers eschew logo-stamped products plastered with
their discreet complications. DEVON timepieces deliver a
names like Van Cleef & Arpels, Prada, Gucci or Luis Vuitton.
patented system known as interwoven Time Belts™. The
No Attention Please
Ressence, with liquid under its crystal has no crown stem
My, how things have changed. In the world of luxury
to wind. Instead, the functions happen on the reverse of the
goods, manufacturers may have relied wholly on name
case. Laurent Ferrier is the only brand offering a double
recognition to push their brand to the fore. Status minded
spiral tourbillon for enhanced security and accuracy. Both
consumers happily participated in prominently flaunting
of these brands are produced in very small editions of
logos believing it added a certain snob-value to their own
between 50 to 100 pieces annually. Girard Perregaux
identity. But the recent disinterest toward blatant self Chrono Hawk Hollywoodland pays homage to its
promotion visible on couture goods has already been
namesake while boasting self-winding manufactured
observed with the serious timepiece crowd.
calibre with visible oscillating weight. Roger Dubouis’s
Knowledgeable, cultivated and affluent, the last thing
skeleton tourbillon exhibits dynamic depth of field.
savvy watch collectors want is attention focused on
Parmigiani Fleurier’s 21 house calibres are the basis of
themselves. They are the rare watch connoisseur.
the brand’s success today.
Bonafide rare timepieces are those of the highest
“The coolest development in visual complications
manufacture and artistic merit, with discreet complications, Parmigiani Fleurier
comes from the guys at Ressence working on a novel way
often advanced technology, and crafted in limited editions.
to display time,” Sarkissian informs. “Their elegant, extremely
People have been interested in knowing what time it is eons.
comfortable case houses a beautiful, original and complicated
The earliest form of timekeeping was a sundial created in Egypt
mechanism presenting time in a completely new way with no
around 1450 BC. By the mid 16th century, countless expert
crown. The time rotates around the dial 360° while being very
watchmakers were busy in Switzerland. The phrase Swiss-made
legible.” Top watchmakers are returning to core values of
watch still denotes a fine timekeeping instrument. But inexpensive
craftsmanship with some inner improvements. “Laurent Ferrier
battery-operated fashion watches have become so cheap that people
demonstrates that principal,” he says.
often toss their watch when its battery goes kaput.
Mostly Manly
It’s Complicated
Each manufacturer’s creations are distinct, but the appeal
Still a robust market exists for haute horology sending prices
seems skewed towards the male sensibility. “Rare watches are
soaring into the six figures. That’s because rare watches have
mainly a male thing”, Sarkissian discovered. “Laurent Ferrier
complications that enthrall both novice and seasoned collector. An
developed the Galet Micro-Rotor with natural escapement in a
advanced albeit discreet technology is also a potent draw for
lady’s model. The response in the US to the lady’s version has
aficionados. But not every fan can play the game. Only those with
been lukewarm whereas the man’s model is in great demand. This
deep resources make the leap from admirer to high watch collector.
trend is shared by just about all brands.” The majority of female
Watch expert Andrew Block understands haute-horology and
high-end collectors prefer quartz, brand recognition, plus an
its dedicated enthusiasts. He draws on 30 years experience in
association with couture jewelry. Block concurs. “Women focus
luxury brand management as president of California-based Stephen
on fashion and style. Women truly understand the entire concept
Silver Boutique where he curates a collection of rare watches. “It’s
of accessorizing – collecting watches for women goes beyond
not an inexpensive passion, but a rewarding one that develops over
artistry.”
time,” Block finds. “We’re talking about the finest examples of
What Next?
craftsmanship and art. Once you develop a passion for any art, you
What territory remains unconquered for these timekeepers?
never loose it. With fine timepieces, the highest forms of watch
“It may not be limited to the number of functions per watch,”
making are true works of art.”
Block considers, “but rather an innovative combining of
Today’s discerning collector appreciates cutting-edge
complications never seen before. It may be utilizing new materials
technology inherent to luxury timepieces, especially when they
in combination with new technology. Smart watches are the next
themselves are in a related field. Discreet complications resonate
frontier to remain a relevant category for a younger demographic
with venture capitalists and tech-culture scions. Extraordinarily
of luxury consumer.”
wealthy, they have no intention of flaunting it, however. The owner
is usually the only one who knows how the watch performs.
Authority Alexis Sarkissian, CEO, Totally Worth It, has
tracked the evolution of rare watches on a global scale. Even first
time collectors are an educated set, he says. “More and more
novices enter the world of haute horlogerie. In the US especially,
consumers educate themselves via the internet’s multiple outlets.
My favorite resources are still great salespeople with the passion
DEVON
Ressence Type 3
and faith to share their craft.” One cannot overstate the value of
10
May 2016
2016 Members of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.
Toni Akhibi, Abuja, Nigeria
Alicja Andrejczuk, Scarsdale, NY
Scott Arsham, New York, NY
Carol Bailey, Flushing, NY
Linda Barrett, New York, NY
Charlotte & Lawrence Bassett, Thornwood, NY
Diane Beckman, New York, NY
Lorraine Bege, New York, NY
Russell Behnke, Meriden, CT
Raissa & Dr. Garrett Bennett, New York, NY
Ted Berkowitz, New York, NY
Philip Betancourt, Moorestown, NJ
John Betts, New York, NY
Mark Lowenthal & Gail Billig, Englewood, NJ
Michael Davis & Alberto Bird, Bronx, NY
Richard Blackman, Randolph, NJ
Andrew C. Blume & Family, New York, NY
Fran Radbell Bolinder, Tuckahoe, NY
Richard Bostwick, New York, NY
Pauletta Brooks, New York, NY
Alan Bronstein, Livingston, NJ
Mrs. Dale L. Brown, Bronx, NY
Kevan & Claudia Brown, New York, NY
Louis J. Brown, Bronx, NY
Otis Kidwell Burger, New York, NY
Eugene Carmichael, Kew Gardens, NY
Elaine Casani, Bohemia, NY
Andrew Chait & Family, New York, NY
Neil Chalfin, Englewood, NJ
Atilio Ciucci, Yonkers, NY
Bill Cotrofeld, East Arlington, VT
Catherine Corwin & Family, Brooklyn, NY
Lillian Cozzarelli, Brooklyn, NY
Bob Cullen, Mamaroneck, NY
Richard Currier, New York, NY
Ralph Dames, Kearny, NJ
Joan Daniel, New York, NY
Ann Darby, Elmhurst, NY
Joan Deignan, Bronx, NY
Nick Del Re, Brooklyn, NY
Donna Dempsey, New York, NY
Christine Domino, Woodside, NY
Joshua Dudley, Montclair, NJ
Tina Di, Flushing, NY
Alissa Duffy, Blairstown, NJ
Kevin & DG Duffy, Sunnyside, NY
Ray Eginton, Springfield Gardens, NY
Philip Elenko, New York, NY
Duane Farabaugh, Forest Hills, NY
Robert & Estée Fraser, Dupont, WA
Sam Gelman, Woodside, NY
Gary Golden & Family, Brooklyn, NY
Olga González, New York, NY
Vivien Gornitz, New York, NY
Joel & SusAnna Bernard- Grae, New York, NY
Fran Greder, Belleville, NJ
Richard Greene, Bronx, NY
Raymond Hakimi, Great Neck, NY
Dr. Daniel Hall, Columbus, OH
Dr. George Harlow, New York, NY
Parvin Hartramph, New York, NY
Richard Hauck, Franklin, NJ
Jeffrey Hayward, Staten Island, NY
Tema Hecht, New York, NY
Will Heierman, Stafford, TX
Howard Heitner, Tuckahoe, NY
Erica Hirsch, Ocean Grove, NJ
Pablo Hoffman, New York, NY
Sidney Horenstein, New York, NY
Irving Horowitz, Floral Park, NY
Gail Jaffe, New York, NY
Diana Jarrett, University Park, FL
Rudolph B. Jones, Fayetteville, NC
Arlene Joseph, New Milford, NJ
Tracy Jukes, Narberth, UK
Robert Karlovits, Staten Island, NY
Jacob & Ruth Kaufman, New York, NY
Michael & Robin Kessler, East Stroudsburg, PA
Victor & Margaret Krasan, Jamaica, NY
Saul Krotki, Seattle, WA
Patricia Dolan & Mark Kucera, Yonkers, NY
Alexandra Krummenacker, Glen Cove, NY
Matthew Langlois, New York, NY
Paul Vitaris & Lee Laurie, New York, NY
Delores Lawton, Brooklyn, NY
Delphine Leblanc, Hoboken, NJ
Barbara Brewka & James Lee, Bronxville, NY
Gail Brett Levine, Rego Park, NY
Florence Levy, New York, NY
The Litvin Family, Englewood, NJ
Eduardo Lopez, New York, NY
Richard & Marion Lopus, Hicksville, NY
Immacula Louisime, Jamaica, NY
Donna M. Luisi, Middle Village, NY
Robert J. Martinchek, Newington, CT
Andrew Mason, Briarcliff Manor, NY
Sydney Mazur, New York, NY
Dr. Charles Merguerian, Stone Ridge, NY
Stephen Milne, New York, NY
William Mirabello, Staten Island, NY
Miriam Mopper, Forest Hills, NY
Robbin C. Moran, Bronx, NY
Ethel Murray, New York, NY
Diane L. Nadler, New York, NY
Vanessa Napolitano-Lydon, Rego Park, NY
Cheryl Neary, Patchogue, NY
Jamie Newman, Brooklyn, NY
Nik Nikiforou, New Paltz, NY
Tony Nikischer, Keswick, VA
Keith & Barbara Noyes, Blauvelt, NY
Thomas W. Nugent, Woodside, NY
Tim O'Meara, Reston, VA
Christopher O'Neill, Brooklyn, NY
William O'Neill, Brooklyn, NY
Corinne Orr, New York, NY
Peter & Mady Palese, NYC, NY
Seymour Perlowitz, Brooklyn, NY
Alfredo Petrov, Desert Hot Springs, CA
Sivia Phoenix, Brooklyn, NY
Martin & Lillie Pope, Brooklyn, NY
Mitchell Portnoy, New York, NY
Alla Priceman, Larchmont, NY
Elayne Prince, Westport, CT
Rafael Ramirez, Newark, N
Eric Rampello, Levittown, NY
Joaquin Ramsey, New York, NY
George Rappaport, Staten Island, NY
Mohammad Qammer, Islip, NY
George Rappaport, Staten Island, NY
Daniel J. Record, Newington, CT
James Regnante, Forest Hills, NY
Vesta Sue Rhodes, New York, NY
Karen Rice, Rio Rancho, NM
Susan Ritter, New York, NY
Olivia Roach, Brooklyn, NY
Andrea Ross, Manchester, VT
Richard & Judith Biegner Rossi , Brooklyn, NY
Olga Rubio, Chester, NY
Susan Jane Rudich, New York, NY
Roman Rudinskiy, Brooklyn, NY
Jesus U. & Meyci Sanchez, Elizabeth, NJ
John F. Sanfaçon, Morristown, NJ
Alexsandra Santiago, Corona, NY
Victor Sapienza, Staten Island, NY
Naomi Sarna, New York, NY
Roland Scal, New York, NY
Peter C. Schneirla, New York, NY
Anna Schumate, New York, NY
Ronnee Medow Segal, New York, NY
Jack Segall, Cedarhurst, NY
Charles & Ruth Severson, Gwynedd, PA
William Shelton, Tucson, AZ
Michael Silver, Los Angeles, CA
Helen Skrobut, Brooklyn, NY
Candie Smith, Staten Island, NY
Charles Snider, New York, NY
Alma Barkey Sohmer, New York, NY
Paul & Jeannine Speranza, North Bellmore, NY
Atida Stein, New York, NY
Robin Sternberg, New York, NY
Steven B. & Max Stieglitz, New York, NY
Matt & Abbey Stolle, New York, NY
Kacper Szarejko, Ridgewood, NY
Linda Ultee, New York, NY
Ann Vitiello, Brooklyn, NY
Sam M. Waldman, Brooklyn, NY
Jessica Wasserman, New York, NY
Lenore Weber, New York, NY
Jeffrey P. Wiegand, New Rochelle, NY
Susana Wilches, New York, NY
Robin Wildes, New York, NY
Leonid Zakinov, Forest Hills, NY
Vanessa Zannis, New York, NY
Theodore Zirnite, New York, NY
Anne Marie Zumer, Wantagh, NY
May 2016
New Climate Measuring Technique Uses
Gravel Coating Like Tree Rings
By Stephen Luntz
11
unlikely reservoir given how ‘messy’ most people think it is there is a mineral that accumulates steadily and creates some of
the most detailed information to date on the Earth’s past
climates,” Amundson said in a statement.
A new technique, if verified, could transform our capacity
to understand ancient climates, arming us with far more detailed
knowledge of what to expect in a warming world. The method
uses carbonate deposits between soil and gravel detritus in arid
and semi-arid zones. These are laid down like tree rings,
allowing us to learn about the climatic conditions at the time.
During a minor ice age a persistant high pressure system over the Canadian ice
sheet reversed the dominant pattern of North American precipitation, bringing
stronger rain bearing winds from the Gulf of Mexico during summer, and possibly
suppressing winter snows from the Pacific. Erik Oerter
The carbonate layers of this 3 millimeter sample are like tree rings, but laid down
over tens of thousands of years. Credit Oerter et al/PNAS
Paleoclimatology, the study of climates before we had
widespread thermometers, has been hampered by a shortage of
suitable proxy measures. Some tree species store indications of
the conditions as they grew in their growth rings. Similarly
stalactites, stalagmites, and lake sediments can provide an
insight into the local environment when they were laid down.
All have their limitations however. The further you go back
the less likely it is that there will be tree or coral records, and
other measurements tend to be geographically restricted. We
have only the vaguest knowledge of the climate over huge areas
of the world at crucial points in time.
Professor Ronald Amundson of the University of California,
Berkeley has published a new method in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, and used it to chart the
temperature and rainfall of Wyoming’s Wind River Basin over
the last 120,000 years.
Amundson’s technique relies on carbonate layers on the
bottom of alluvial gravel debris. These deposits, known as
pedothems, are far thinner than tree rings, and consequently give
far poorer resolution. Instead of being able to tell what a single
year was like, they give an average over a thousand years.
“The cool thing that this study reveals is that within soil - an
Amundson and his PhD Student Erik Oerter used laser
ablation to collect microscopic samples from pedothems. “It is
evident that the carbonate coatings formed in concentric bands
around the rocks, much like the annual growth rings in a tree,
except that these laminations form over timescales of several
hundred years,” Oerter said. The ratio of Uranium-234 to
Uranium-238 indicates the age of the pedothem, while carbon
and oxygen isotopic ratios provide an indication of temperature
and rainfall at the time
Moreover, plants preferentially remove carbon-13, so lower
levels left in the soil are indicative of higher levels of plant
productivity, indicating better growing conditions.
This analysis revealed oxygen-18 levels spiked coinciding
with a “previously hypothesized” period between 55,000 and
70,000 years ago. This has been explained as warm winds
bringing summer rain from the Gulf of Mexico replacing winter
snows from the Pacific. The minor ice age conditions at the time
were very different from anything likely to occur soon.
However, Oerter said, “The techniques that we developed can
now be applied to similar soil deposits to fill in key gaps in the
paleoclimate record,” including local effects of past climatic
conditions most similar to the greenhouse effect we anticipate.
Source: Iflscience.com from January 13, 2016
Snowball Earth Triggered
Underwater Volcanoes?
by
Explosive
By Stuart Gary
Extensive underwater volcanism caused by the breakup of
an ancient supercontinent may have pushed the Earth into a
period of extreme freezing 750 million years ago, according to
a new study.
The research, reported in the journal Nature Geoscience,
may also help explain how animal life began on Earth millions
of years later, scientists said.
“A Snowball Earth is an extreme event and the planet almost
didn’t get out of it,” one of the study’s authors Professor Eelco
Rohling, of the Australian National University, said.
12
“Our hypothesis provides a single mechanism that explains
several different aspects of the Snowball Earth state.”
According to the Snowball Earth hypothesis, most or all of
Earth was covered in ice sheets at least once in the planet’s
history, but it is not clear what caused this extreme glaciation.
It had been widely thought that the run-off from rivers into
the ocean caused by the break-up of the vast supercontinent
Rodinia changed the chemistry of the ocean, reducing the
amount of carbon-dioxide (CO 2) in the atmosphere, which in
turn increased global ice coverage.
The vast ice sheets covering the continents reflected sunlight
away from the Earth, further cooling the planet.
“That kicks the world through a tipping point into a
snowball state where the oceans start to freeze over as well,”
Professor Rohling said.
Key Facts:
Volcanic chemicals released in eruptions saturate
oceans, removing carbon-dioxide from atmosphere and
cooling the planet
Chemicals leached from glassy volcanic rock formed
sediment on the sea floor
The chemicals may also explain high levels of
phosphorus in oceans thought to be catalyst for origin
of animal life
“Our hypothesis provides a single mechanism that explains
several different aspects of the Snowball Earth state.”
According to the Snowball Earth hypothesis, most or all of
Earth was covered in ice sheets at least once in the planet’s
history, but it is not clear what caused this extreme glaciation.
It had been widely thought that the run-off from rivers into
the ocean caused by the break-up of the vast supercontinent
Rodinia changed the chemistry of the ocean, reducing the
amount of carbon-dioxide (CO 2) in the atmosphere, which in
turn increased global ice coverage.
The vast ice sheets covering the continents reflected sunlight
away from the Earth, further cooling the planet.
May 2016
“That kicks the world through a tipping point into a
snowball state where the oceans start to freeze over as well,”
“Our hypothesis provides a single mechanism that
explains several different aspects of the Snowball
Earth state.”
Professor Eelco Rohling
“The sea ice forms because of the large scale glaciation on
land.”
The Earth stayed locked in this state for millions of years.
“Eventually land-based volcanism pumps so much CO 2 into
the atmosphere that it pushes the planet out of the Snowball
Earth phase,” Professor Rohling said.
But the existing hypothesis does not explain how thick
deposits of carbonate rock such as limestone — known as cap
carbonates — were laid down as the Earth warmed.
Volcanoes Altered Ocean Chemistry
Simulations by Professor Rohling and colleagues indicated
the breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent may have released
huge volumes of volcanic chemicals that saturated the oceans
and drew CO 2 out of the atmosphere cooling the planet.
As the supercontinent Rodinia started to break up, extensive
shallow marine volcanic activity produced large amounts of
glassy volcanic rock, called hyaloclastite, that readily break
down releasing large amounts of chemicals into the ocean.
“In the past the big question has been: how could large
continental weathering deposit so much mineral into the oceans
if the land is covered in icesheets,” Professor Rohling said.
“The hyaloclastite eruptions do that — turning the ocean
very rich in calcium, magnesium, silicon and phosphorus.”
Eventually when the Earth warmed and the ice broke apart,
light penetrated the oceans allowing algal life to pick up again
and undertake photosynthesis.
“The phosphorus [leached from the hyaloclastite minerals]
is a nutrient generating huge algal blooms which fix carbon and
release oxygen, essential for the development of animal life,”
Source: ABC Science Posted January 19, 2016
May 2016
Lawrence H. Conklin passed away on February 7, 2016. He was
a NYMC member, collector, art lover, author, advisor and
aesthete. For many decades he was America’s premier mineral
dealer. In September of 1994 he was overwhelmingly elected an
honorary member of the New York Mineralogical Club. I reprint
this engaging article in his memory. – Mitch
The World’s Finest Mineral Specimen
13
I had made my best shot at getting them to send the piece to
Central Park West, and, it fell, apparently, on deaf ears. Then I did
it. I made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. (I love to quote from
the “Godfather”) I actually found myself saying that I would
forego my substantial appraisal fee if the azurite journeyed
westward across town instead of down south and, to my happy
surprise, they promptly agreed.
By Lawrence H. Conklin
Dedicated in Memory of Jay Lininger (1939-2004),
Devoted Collector of the Mineral Specimens of Pennsylvania.
What is the finest mineral specimen in the world? In my mind
there is no question that it is the “Newmont azurite” at the
American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
Judgments like this are, of course, subjective but there is no
question that in my 65 years of examining fine minerals and 50
years of buying and selling them that this is the best.
This great piece was found at Tsumeb, South West Africa
(now Tsumeb, Namibia) in 1952. It is said that the worker who
recovered it, used the piece to pay an overdue bar bill and that it
sat in the barroom, properly appreciated for the treasure it was,
until the mine boss at that time, Charlie Stott, reclaimed it for the
Newmont Mining Company.
My personal connection to this specimen goes back to the
Winter of 1976-77 when Paul E. Desautels (1920-1991), who was
the curator of minerals at the Smithsonian Institution at that time,
came to New York for the specific purpose of garnering that great
trophy for the collection in Washington, and I was called upon to
appraise it. I already had a pleasant and longtime relationship with
the Newmont people and other members of the Copper Council.
Upon hearing the shocking news that this great piece might
escape, I panicked. “This azurite,” I pleaded to the company’s
board, “should never leave New York.” I pointed out to them that
they had such a fine, long-term relationship with the “American
Museum,” and that now was surely not the time to break it. They
reminded me that, after all, Desautels would be adding the azurite
to “the nation’s collection” and they liked that concept. I am sure
that Paul had done his usual great job of public relations.
I then told them my tentative evaluation of the specimen, they
approved of it, and even approved of my fee which was quite high.
I got nowhere, however, in my further attempts to change the
ultimate fate of that azurite.
Then I made another pitch for them to “throw in” to the deal
the magnificent “Newmont gold” an old-timer from Grass Valley,
California and they said yes to that suggestion, too. I do not know
of a California gold specimen that I like more than this one.
On January 13, 1977 I typed and delivered my appraisal of
that azurite and described it, simply, as follows: “Azurite, Tsumeb,
Southwest Africa. A group of huge magnificent crystals on matrix.
12x12x5 inches. $250,000.00.” At the same time I appraised the
Newmont gold, an amazing mass of superb flattened, octahedral
crystals with no matrix, of 7x4-1/2x2 inches, for the same price. I
heard nothing more of the matter until I was made aware of a
negatively-oriented article that appeared in the May, 1980 issue of
Jewelers’ Circular-Keystone.
I wondered why a jewelry magazine became interested in the
story of an appraisal and donation of a mineral specimen, or even
how they became aware of it. Nonetheless they published a
full-page article about it, with a good color photograph of the
specimen, entitled: “The Newmont azurite: As priceless as Mona
Lisa?”
Of course the article was, in my opinion, nothing more than a
“hatchet-job.” To begin, how could any reasonably knowledgeable
staff of reporters and editors think that the Mona Lisa was worth
only $250,000 in 1980? My sources tell me that $5,000,000 would
have been a better guess; and they got many of the facts in the
story completely wrong, too.
The article quoted my dear, longtime friends, Dave Wilber and
Charlie Key as saying my appraised value was too high. Dave got
bogged down, as usual, in an invidious comparison with a
specimen that he had recently sold and stated that it was finer than
the azurite. I did not agree at that time with Dave’s estimation and
I still do not agree. The superb phosphophyllite that he sold is
surely a wonderful specimen but the main crystal, it must be
remembered, needed to be reglued to its rock matrix. Charlie was
a little more generous when he explained: “To some extent you’re
appraising in a vacuum on a piece like this.” Indeed, appraising the
“unique object,” mineral specimen or whatever is, to say the least,
quite challenging.
14
That the museum staff loves the azurite is shown by the fact
that it is the only mineral specimen discussed and illustrated on
their web site. A rather poor picture and a simple description can
be seen at—
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/expeditions/treasure_fossil/Tre
asures/Newmont_Azurite/newmont.html?50.
Happily, the Newmont azurite is on everyday display at the
museum but in my opinion the lighting of it could be greatly
improved. The specimen appears almost black in color and it is
not; it is a fine, deep blue.
If you agree with my choice for the world’s finest mineral
specimen or perhaps, more importantly, if you disagree, I should
certainly welcome your comments.
Newmont Mining Company deserves much thanks for their
generous gifts to the museum. I thank Jamie Newman of the Earth
& Planetary Sciences Department at the museum for all her help
and encouragement and special thanks to Dr. George E. Harlow.
Photographs courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History.
Massive Blue Star Sapphire Mined in Sri Lanka
Gemologists in Sri Lanka claim that the largest blue star
sapphire yet has been discovered in a mine in the country.
The gemology institute in the capital Colombo has certified
that the gem weighs 1404.49 carats and say they have not certified
anything larger.
The gem is valued at at least $100m and the current owner
estimates that it could sell for up to $175m at auction.
Sri Lanka’s gem industry, for which sapphire is the main
export, is worth at least £70m ($103m) annually.
Blue star sapphires are so named because of the distinctive
mark found at their center.
“The moment I saw it, I decided to buy,” the current owner,
who wishes to remain anonymous, told the BBC World Service’s
Newsday program.
“When the stone was brought to me I suspected that it might
be the world’s largest blue star sapphire. So I took a risk and
bought it.”
The owner said it was “absolutely confidential” how much he
paid for it. The previous record holder weighed 1,395 carats.
The new gem was mined in the city of Ratnapura, in southern
Sri Lanka, which is known as the City of Gems.
It has been named The Star of Adam by its current owner,
after a Muslim belief that Adam arrived in Sri Lanka after being
sent away from the Garden of Eden. It is claimed he then lived on
the slopes of a mountain now known as Adam’s Peak.
The owner of the Star of Adam said he bought it thinking “this
was not a piece of jewelry but an exhibition piece”.
Speaking to the BBC, Armil Samoon, a leading gem and
jewelry dealer in Sri Lanka, confirmed this was the largest blue
star sapphire in the world.
May 2016
A 17kg (37.5 pounds) rock containing sapphires was revealed
in 2013, but the final weight of the gems inside is not yet known.
Sri Lanka’s Gem and Jewellery Association said in 2011 that
the engagement ring for Catherine Middleton, the Duchess of
Cambridge, included a sapphire mined in the country in the 1970s.
It was previously owned by Diana, Princess of Wales.
Super-Low Density Ice Proposed
By Stephen Luntz
Researchers have raised the possibility of a new form of ice,
one that would break the record set two years ago for low-density
solid water.
Anyone with access to
refrigeration is familiar with one form
of frozen water, and walking outside
in winter at high latitudes or altitudes
introduces us to another. We might
expect the possible ways to turn
The structure of the water
dihydrogen monoxide into a solid ends molecules in the proposed new
there, but the flexibility of the phase of ice.
hydrogen bonds in water have allowed
the creation of 17 crystalline phases of water. Now researchers
think they have designed another.
Two years ago a French-German collaboration produced ice
XVI, the least dense form of ice known. However, scientists are
always keen to break a record, and now Professor Xiao Cheng
Zeng of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln has theorized a form
that would have a density of just 0.6 grams per centimeter cubed,
25 percent lighter than ice XVI.
“We performed a lot of calculations (focused on) whether this
is not just a low-density ice, but perhaps the lowest-density ice to
date,” said Zeng in a statement. “A lot of people are interested in
predicting a new ice structure beyond the state of the art.”
Zeng is the inventor of “Nebraska Ice”, a form that contracts
when frozen, rather than expanding. Icebergs made of Nebraska
Ice would sink to the bottom of the ocean, rather than float, which
would have been good news for the Titanic, but might have
unfortunate effects on ocean ecosystems.
As with a number of other theoretical ice structures, no one
has created the structure Zeng has proposed, but in Science
Advances he outlines the conditions under which it might occur.
The key to Zeng’s brainchild is for water to freeze under what is
referred to as negative pressure. Instead of normal atmospheric
pressure pushing in on the freezing material, the pressure goes
outward. Improbable as this sounds, it is not impossible to achieve,
but the paper noted, “In the laboratory, applying and maintaining
very large tension or negative pressure up to -6000 bar would be
very difficult.” Atmospheric pressure is 1.01 bar.
Moreover, the colder the conditions under which the ice
forms, the higher the negative pressure required. At 250K (-10°F)
the outward pressure would need to be -3411 bar, four times as
much as at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. At colder
temperatures the pressure required gets even higher, -5834 bar at
near absolute zero.
Zeng’s new ice is so light because the water molecules form
a near hollow, cage-like structure of 48 molecules.
“Water and ice are forever interesting because they have such
relevance to human beings and life,” Zeng said. “If you think about
it, the low density of natural ice protects the water below it; if it
were denser, water would freeze from the bottom up, and no living
species could survive. So Mother Nature’s combination is just so
perfect.”
Source: iflscience.com from February 16, 2016
May 2016
Dealer Donations for the June ‘16 Benefit Auction
The following list includes all the donations that the
March 2016 NYC Mineral & Gem Show
dealers made to the Club this year:
Amazon Imports
(2) Faceted Paraiba Tourmalines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil
Aurora Minerals
1. Geode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil
2. Polished Emerald in Matrix.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bahia, Brazil
AYS International
3. Prehnite Beads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA
Bary Gems
4. Carnelian & Silver Earrings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . India
John Betts Fine Minerals
5. Pyromorphite (ex. J. Marshall). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scotland
6. Quartz on Calcite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony’s Nose, NY
China South Seas
7. Carved Red Coral / Gold Filled Chain Necklace. . . . China
Crystal Circle
8. Several Wonderful Carved Fetishes. . . . . . . . . . . . SW USA
9. Several Wonderful Gemstone Carvings. . . . . . . . . . . . . NA
Excalibur Minerals
10. (12) WW Minerals, Fossils, Meteorites, etc... . . . . . . . Misc
Exotic Russian Minerals
11. Synthetic Red Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia
Gems Art Studio
12. Selection of Russian Minerals.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia
(Corundum, Staurolite, Orpiment, Eudialyte, etc.)
Great Opals
13. Boulder Opal Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ethiopia
Highland Rock & Fossil
14. Fossil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morocco
15. Serpentine Sphere. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China
16. Quartz Drusy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arizona
17. Mounted Picture Jasper.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China
18. Rose Quartz Heart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA
19. Ocean Jasper Drusy.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Madagascar
Khyber Minerals
20. Nondescript, Useless “Mineral”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pakistan?
Mahalo Minerals
21. Gemmy Apophyllite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . India
22. Platy Quartz.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil
Malachite & Gems of Africa
23. Velvet Malachite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Congo
24. Company Pen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . USA
Margola Minerals
25. Polished Multicolor Fluorite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China
Alfredo Petrov Rare Minerals
26. Alfredopetrovite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bolivia
27. R&M Magazine with Article by A. Petrov. . . . . . Periodical
Raj Minerals
28. Stilbite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pakistan
Rocko Minerals
29. Polished Larimar Specimen.. . . . . . . . . Dominican Republic
Howard & Betsy Schlansker
30. Large Calcite with Inclusions & etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . China
Somethings
31. Wide selection of jewelry, especially pendants!. . . . . . . NA
[Although not represented at this show (Arlene does the
November show only) she contributes nevertheless!]
October Banquet Invitation & Preview
15
16
Curium’s Part in Solar System Formation
By Stephen Luntz
May 2016
“The possible presence of curium in the early Solar System
has long been exciting to cosmochemists, because they can often
use radioactive elements as chronometers to date the relative ages
of meteorites and planets,” said coauthor Professor Nicolas
Dauphas of the University of Chicago.
This slice of the Allende meteorite, the largest carbonaceous chondrite ever found,
shows the 1.5-centimeter-long (0.59 inch) pink ceramic inclusion that once contained
curium. Origins Lab, University of Chicago
Curium, an element heavier than any that exist naturally on
Earth today, played a part in the formation of the Solar System,
traces left behind in a meteorite suggest. The discovery provides
us with a better understanding of how the Sun and planets formed,
and how giant stars die.
Elements heavier than uranium, known as transuranics, exist
only in the laboratory on Earth. Curium, jointly named after Marie
and Pierre Curie, has an atomic number of 96, four places beyond
uranium. “Curium is an elusive element. It is one of the heaviest
known elements, yet it does not occur naturally because all of its
isotopes are radioactive and decay rapidly on a geological time
scale,” said Dr. François Tissot of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in a statement.
Like all transuranics, curium’s isotopes have half-lives short
enough that any formed in supernovae, and incorporated into
planets at the birth of the Solar System, decayed long ago. Most
curium isotopes have half-lives of a few thousand years or less.
The longest lived isotope, Cm-247, has a half-life of 15.6 million
years, tiny compared to the age of the Solar System (4.6 billion
years).
However, when Tissot examined the Allende meteorite, he
found a portion of it was a ceramic. He dubbed it “Curious Marie,”
suspecting it might once have contained curium. In Science
Advances, he reveals evidence for this theory.
Cm-247 decays via plutonium 243 to eventually become
uranium 235. Any material that formed with Cm-247 in it should
have more U-235, relative to other isotopes of uranium, than the
same material formed in the absence of Cm-247. On Earth,
geological mixing obscures such variations, but meteorites
preserve a record of the Solar System’s formation.
“The idea is simple enough, yet, for nearly 35 years, scientists
have argued about the presence of Cm-247 in the early Solar
System,” said Tissot. Some studies found excess U-235 in
meteorites, but other explanations have been made. Finding traces
of curium is hard because it is estimated that even in the early
Solar System there was almost 10,000 times less Cm-247 than
U-235.
Tissot’s approach was to study a portion, known as an
inclusion, rich in calcium and aluminum, rather than the whole
meteorite. The chemistry of these inclusions excludes most
uranium, in this case 99.9 percent, but should incorporate curium.
“We were able to resolve an unprecedented excess of U-235,”
Tissot said. “A finding that can only be explained by live Cm-247
in the early Solar System.”
False color close up of the “Curious Marie” inclusion. Calcium is in red, aluminum is
blue, green for magnesium; field of view is 0.5 millimeters (0.01 inches). François L.H.
Tissot
Dauphas concluded that the quantity of Cm-247 produced
indicated it was formed in the same process as iodine 129 and
plutonium 244, two other long-decayed isotopes whose legacy we
detect. The discovery will help us understand how supernovae
form heavy elements.
Source: iflscience.com from March 8, 2016
Website of the Month:
New York Mineralogical Club
The New York Mineralogical Club has existed for 130 years.
They have not had a website for that long, but now that they do
they are able and willing to share their knowledge with any and
all who care to hit their site. The site is very easy to remember
http://www.newyorkmineralogicalclub.org/, but this should link
you there also.
Naturally, they would hope you join and membership
information is readily available. But like us, they permit much
of their bulletin information to be accessed by all and there
appears to be over 50 years of them for you to open on their
website. The latest issue has stories on turquoise, rare earth
minerals in coal in West Virginia, gold, earthquakes, and a
whole lot more. Looking back into last year, I enjoyed a
multi-part series on garnets authored by Vivien Gornitz and an
interesting article on low temperature minerals in September.
But with 175 pages alone in the 2015 file, there is still a lot for
me to read. Certainly seems worth the $25 annual membership
to have your own Bulletin mailed to you monthly.
If you plan to be in the New York City area the first weekend
of March they are hosting their Spring NYC Gem and Mineral
Show in the Holiday Inn in Midtown Manhattan. Of course if
that is too soon for you to plan a trip to the big city they do it all
over again this fall, November 12-13 this year: perhaps a good
time to plan a trip to the big city. The club currently boasts
about 250 members and meets the second Wednesday of most
months.
Source: Wayne County Gem and Mineral Club News March 2016
May 2016
17
2016-17 Club Calendar
Date
Event
Location
Remarks & Information
May 11
Meeting at 6:45
Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan
Special Lecture: Zackry Wiegand (Artist) –
“Subtle Bodies - The Art of Light & Minerals”
June 8
Annual Benefit Auction
Details to follow; Online catalog available!
July/August
Officers Meeting / Open House (?) / Special Sale (?)
TBD – Stay tuned!
September 14
Meeting at 6:45
Special Lecture: Eric Rampello (1st Timer!) –
“Tips in Building a Mineral Collection”
October 19
Annual Banquet
Opal theme; Details to follow
November 16
Meeting at 6:45
Special Lecture: Anne Pizzorusso –
“The Renaissance, Dante and Geology”
December 14
Meeting at 6:45
Special Lecture: Howard Heitner–
“Pseudo-What?!”
January 11, 2017
Meeting at 6:45
Special Lecture: Mitchell Portnoy–
“NYC Parks’ Monument Stones”
2016 Show or Event Calendar
Date
Event
Location
Remarks & Information
April 23-24
NJESA Mineral Show
Franklin School, Franklin, NJ
For Info: Russ Brarens – (908) 421-1045
May 21-22
Southern Vermont Mineral,
Rock & Gem Show
Grace Christian School,
Bennington, Vermont
For Info: Bill Cotrofeld – (802) 375-6782
June 4-5
Orange County Mineral
Society Mineral Show
Museum Village, Monroe, NY
Complete Mastodon Skeleton!
Orange County Mineral Society, Sponsor
June 4-5
Gemfest 2016
Greater Canandaigua Civic
Center, Canandaigua, NY
Gems, Minerals, Fossils, Beads & Jewlery
Wayne County Gem & Mineral Club, Sponsor
June 11-12
Celinka Gem & Mineral
Show
Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
North Ocean Ave. Patchogue, NY
Diverse dealers, 10 am - 5 pm both days
July 27-Aug 1
AFMS Convention/Show
Albany, Oregon
Article Contest Results; Details to Follow
July 30-31
Gem & Mineral Show
Cutchogue East Elementary
School, Cutchogue, New York
Sponsor: Long Island Mineral & Geology
Society
September 24-25
Franklin & Sterling Hill
Gem and Mineral Show
Franklin Elementary School,50
Washington Ave, Franklin NJ
Franklin Mineral Museum sponsors as their
only large fundraising event
October 21-23
EFMLS Convention/Show
Rochester, New York
Article Contest Results; Details to Follow
November 12-13
Fall NYC Gem, Mineral &
Fossil Show
Grand Ballroom, Holiday Inn
Midtown, New York City
20+ diverse dealers; lectures; wholesale
section (with credentials); Club Booth
Also, for more extensive national and regional show information check online:
AFMS Website: http://www.amfed.org and/or the EFMLS Website: http://www.amfed.org/efmls
The New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.
Founded in 1886 for the purpose of increasing interest in the science of mineralogy through
the collecting, describing and displaying of minerals and associated gemstones.
Website: www.newyorkmineralogicalclub.org
P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station, New York City, New York, 10024-0077
2016 Executive Committee
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Editor & Archivist
Membership
Webmaster
Director
Director
Director
Mitchell Portnoy
Anna Schumate
Vivien Gornitz
Diane Beckman
Mitchell Portnoy
Mark Kucera
Joseph Krabak
Alla Priceman
Richard Rossi
Sam Waldman
46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY, 10024-5203
27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY, 10003
101 W. 81st Street #621, NYC, NY, 10024
265 Cabrini Blvd. #2B, NYC, NY, 10040
46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY, 10024-5203
25 Cricklewood Road S., Yonkers, NY, 10704
(Intentionally left blank)
84 Lookout Circle, Larchmont, NY, 10538
6732 Ridge Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY, 11220
2801 Emmons Ave, #1B, Brooklyn, NY, 11235
email: mitchpnyc@aol.com. . . . . . . . . . . .
email: annaschumate@mindspring.com. . .
email: vgornitz@gmail.com . . . . . . . . . . .
email: djbeckman@aol.com. . . . . . . . . . . .
email: mitchpnyc@aol.com. . . . . . . . . . . .
email: mark_j_kucera@yahoo.com. . . . . .
email: joe@americangeode.com
email: priceman.a@gmail.com. . . . . . . . . .
email: rossirocks92@aol.com. . . . . . . . . .
email: samgemw@optonline.net. . . . . . . .
(212) 580-1343
(646) 737-3776
(212) 874-0525
(212) 927-3355
(212) 580-1343
(914) 423-8360
(914) 834-6792
(718) 745-1876
(718) 332-0764
Dues: $25 Individual, $35 Family per calendar year. Meetings: 2nd Wednesday of every month (except July and August) at the Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan, 57th Street
between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, New York City, New York. Meetings will generally be held in one of the conference rooms on the Mezzanine Level. The doors open
at 5:30 P.M. and the meeting starts at 6:45 P.M. (Please watch for any announced time / date changes.) This bulletin is published monthly by the New York Mineralogical
Club, Inc. The submission deadline for each month’s bulletin is the 20th of the preceding month. You may reprint articles or quote from this bulletin for non-profit usage
only provided credit is given to the New York Mineralogical Club and permission is obtained from the author and/or Editor. The Editor and the New York Mineralogical
Club are not responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of information or information in articles accepted for publication, nor are the expressed opinions necessarily those
of the officers of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Mezzanine , Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan (57th St. & Tenth Avenue), New York City
Special Lecture: Zackry Wiegand — “Subtle Bodies: The Art of Light & Minerals”
New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.
Mitchell Portnoy, Bulletin Editor
P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station
New York City, New York 10024-0077
FIRST CLASS
George F. Kunz
Founder