The Agate Explorer - Cuyuna Rock, Gem and Mineral Society

Cuyuna Rock, Gem and Mineral Society
The Agate Explorer
November 2015
November
Elections
The positions that are being voted
on this year at the November 21st
meeting are:
President
Ed Opatz—incumbent
Secretary
Joanie Hanson
Christi Higgins
3 Board Members at Large
Joan Guerra—incumbent
Dick Salzwedel—incumbent
Sharon Smith
Ed Walton—incumbent
Dues are due! $20 per family
per year by January 1.
If your dues are not paid by
February 20 you will no
longer receive a newsletter.
Club Information
Silent Auction at
November Meeting
Bring rock related items that
you would like to sell; here’s a
chance to pick up some cool
items. You could even start
your holiday shopping!
These were the people who were
running as of this publication.
Kids’ Program
Come at 1:00 to learn about
Aztec artifacts from Mexico.
Club Calendar
Meeting Place
Cuyuna Range Community Center
Directions
2 blocks north of stop sign at
Hwys. 6 & 210 intersection in
Crosby. Meeting in basement on
the 2nd Saturday of each month
at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Club Dues
$20/ family
Free /unaccompanied juniors
Membership runs
from Jan. 1-Dec. 31st.
Club Shop Days
will be the same day as
meeting days, starting at
10:00 a.m. If you wish to
attend, call Ed Opatz
at 320-250-1363.
Note Date Change: November 21—12:30
Board Meeting; 1:00 Kids’ Program; 2:00 General Meeting
with annual elections and presentation by Club member, Butch Goldenstein, on Petoskey Stone. We will also have a silent auction.
December 12—Christmas party
January 9—12:30 Board Mtg., 1:00 Kids’ Program, General Meeting at
2:00, Speaker to be determined.
Information subject to change.
Club Purpose
To foster an interest (& encourage
young & old) to study earth science,
enjoy the art of lapidary, hunting for
rocks, and semi-precious stones. We
also strive to use what we know and
acquire to further educate everyone
who has an interest in our hobby.
We are a not-for-profit organization.
Mineral Cleaning for Amateurs—
Mechanical Methods
By John H. Betts
This month we are reviewing mechanical
methods of cleaning and preparing mineral
specimens. By mechanical we mean using
force of some sort to remove unwanted minerals or encrustations. Obviously this method
has the potential or damaging the specimen by
scratching or fracturing the crystals. As usual,
care should be taken to test the methods on
lesser specimens to see if there is any damage
resulting from the process.
The mechanical cleaning of minerals ranges
from a toothbrush to dental picks to ultrasonic
cleaners to water guns to sand blasting. I am
not going to discuss the more ordinary use of
chisels and saws to trim a specimen.
Brass Brush & Dental Picks
The first thing we do after a field trip is to
wash the specimens and pray that they will
cleanup like the minerals sold by dealers. And
they never do. Dirt and pocket mud are often
very tenacious and require more than running
water. The first mechanical tool to try is a
brass brush. They are available in hardware
stores for use as a cleaning tool and for wood
refinishers. Make sure you get brass bristles
because brass is softer. Brass is between 3.5
and 5 on Moh’s scale of hardness. In theory,
you can scrub a specimen of any mineral harder than 5 and not damage the specimen. In
reality though, you should always perform a
test to make sure. I have used brass brushes on
quartz successfully for many years without
any damage. Occasionally on etched crystals a
burnished appearance results but this usually
disappears in later chemical treatments.
With this first wash there will always be sand
and dirt deep in the crevices between crystals.
these can be loosened with a set of dental
picks. They come in a variety of shapes and
sizes. Often a friendly dentist will give away
his old ones. If you are not friendly with your
dentist (who wants to be friends with their
dentist?) and you cannot find them at your
hardware store you can purchase them mail
order from Woodworkers Supply (1-800-6459292) item no. 862-028, set of four utility
picks for $8.95. These picks are steel and
therefore harder. So be careful not to use a
scratching stroke. Just loosen the dried, caked
dirt in the crevices.
Ultrasonic Cleaner
Obviously with delicate crystals scratching is
not the problem, they will simply break off
from the force. With delicate specimens we
need to use an ultrasonic cleaner. These are
simple stainless steel basins with piezoelectric
drivers attached to the bottom. They often
have built in timers and heaters. When turned
on they vibrate the solution at ultrahigh frequency causing cavitation, the formation and
collapse of bubbles. This cavitation scrubs off
dirt and soluble minerals very fast without
damaging delicate crystals. I can hear the
skeptics out there saying that some minerals
can be damaged, like herkimer diamonds
(after all, aren’t we supposed to pack them in
temperature shielding sand or sawdust). Well
this may be true, but in my experience (and
this article is nothing more than one persons
methods learned through trial and error) I have
only had one herkimer diamond damaged.
(There was a large stress fracture in a 2" crystal that "popped" during cleaning.) But in
terms of odds, I have cleaned thousands of
herkimers and only that one broke.
The ultrasonic cleaner is the best way to clean
zeolites from New Jersey. Especially delicate
natrolite sprays or terminated pectolite. Unfortunately they are expensive. If you shop
around for the best price you will pay around
$150.00 for every quart of capacity. I have a
three quart unit that is more than adequate.
Unless you collect a lot of large specimens,
then a 1-1/4 quart unit will suffice.
I highly recommend getting a built-in heater. it
is well worth the extra expense. It will heat the
solution to just below boiling and keep it at
that temperature. That is perfect for cleaning
with oxalic acid. The heat accelerates the action of the acid, but prevents the acid from
boiling.
Sand Blasting
Sand blasting sounds exotic but is more common than you would think. All of the pink
tourmaline in purple lepidolite sold has been
sandblasted to expose the harder tourmaline.
The sand blasting removes the softer lepidolite
very quickly and leaves a more natural appearance than chisels or scrapers. The new pink
chalcedony from New Mexico being sold by
Ray DeMark is all sandblasted. In its natural
state it is rough and encrusted. A quick sandblast and only the harder quartz chalcedony
remains. Amazonite from Colorado is also
cleaned with sand blasting. These crystal often
have a late growth without the blue-green
amazonite color. The outer coating is blasted
off with glass beads and then the surface is
"polished" by sandblasting with a soft limestone powder.
A sand blasting unit is not expensive. The
basic setup can be purchased for around
$50.00. However the air compressor to drive
the sand blaster is expensive. Unless you already have access to a 3.5 HP air compressor,
then sandblasting is not for you. There are
many different media that you can use in a
sandblaster. Anything the consistency of table
salt can be blown through the gun, wet or dry.
Glass beads are readily available and are the
hardness of quartz. But you can purchase
many different hardnesses down to 3.5 on
Moh’s scale. The goal is to choose a media
softer than the mineral you want to keep but
harder than the mineral you want to remove.
I have found it works great for removing
schist matrix from almandine garnet and staurolite crystals. There has been much discussion
regarding the effects of sandblasting minerals
including an article in Rocks and Minerals.
The article points out that chalk dust with a
hardness (H) of 3 has been found to abrade
periclase (H: 5.5). The article points out that
the force that you drive the media can result in
damage to the specimen and recommends testing on a sample until you get the right balance
of air pressure and correct media hardness.
Air Scribe
This is a miniature reciprocating impact chisel
commonly used by fossil preparers to expose
fossils. ARO air scribe Model 8315 costs
$289.00 and comes with a medium carbide tip.
Additional tips are available in fine to coarse
for $31.00 each. from Main Tool Supply, 55
Lafayette Ave., North White Plains, NY 914949-0037 These tools reciprocate at 36,000
cpm and are very efficient at locally removing
matrix. Fluorescent collectors find these are
the best tools for removing calcite from willemite specimens because acid will etch willemite.
Water Gun
Similar to a sand blaster, the water gun is used
in the dry cleaning industry as a stain remover
(they blast cleaning agent right through the
fabric). The Krebs 5000 cost $350.00 and is
available from Aurora Mineral Corp. at 516623-3800.
The action is a combination of sandblasting
and ultrasonic. The gun creates a fine, high
powered jet of water that will loosen most
clays or dirt. It is very forceful though and not
suitable for delicate minerals. The advantage is
that you can put solutions other than water in
the gun. In theory you could shoot oxalic acid
through it. But since oxalic acid requires time
to work the value is questionable. And remember the toxicity of oxalic acid, the last thing
you should do is create a fine mist of oxalic
acid that you could accidentally breathe.
A simpler and cheaper alternative to the water
gun is to take your minerals to a do-it-yourself
car wash. Lay out all of your minerals and for
$1.75 in quarters you can blast away almost
anything with the water gun can, plus you can
get a hot wax at the same time.
In conclusion, you do not have spend lots of
money to clean your minerals. In many cases
the brass brush is all that you need. Remember
also that these mechanical methods are often
the first in a many step process. You may start
with brass brush then use hydrochloric acid
and finish with oxalic acid.
This article and others can be found at Mr.
Betts web site: http://www.johnbettsfineminerals.com
State by State
Jewelry Making Tip
Nebraska
Secret Ingredient
State Rock
Prairie Agate
State Gem
Blue Agate
Thanks, Painters!
Sharon Smith (top below) and John Krebs
(bottom below) were part of the painting
crew that gave the Club house a fresh,
new look. The additional painters were
Judy Frampton, Joanie Hanson, Bev
Williams, and Marcia Opatz.
By Brad Smith www.BradSmithJewelry.com
Those of us who use paste solders
sometimes find an old tube has dried
out. There should be some way to recondition it, but what to use? Calling
tech support at the suppliers didn't
work for me. Either they don't know
what the ingredient is or won't tell you
the secret.
None of us likes to waste an expensive
material, especially at $16 - $20 a
tube, so I've often experimented with ways to rejuvenate it. Mixing in a liquid flux
doesn't work. When the liquid starts to boil off, it spatters the solder in all directions.
Rockhound Terminology
“H” & “I”
Habit – The general shape or appearance
of a mineral.
Hackly Fracture – Jagged breakage surface of a metal.
Hardness – Degree of resistance of a rock
or mineral surface to being scratched. The
relative hardness Mohs scale uses a 1-10
scale.
Horn – A steep-sided mountain peak,
formed by erosion by several glaciers.
Hydrothermal – Related to water heated
by magma.
Hydrothermal Deposit – Mineral deposit
formed from mineral-rich hydrothermal
fluids.
Ice Age – For rockhounds, the Ice Age
usually refers to the most recent ice age a portion of the Pleistocene epoch that
began about 1.8 million years ago and
ended about 11,000 years ago. During
this time, the Earth went through a series
of cold climates in which much of North
America was covered by glaciers.
Ichnofossils – Ichnofossils (or trace fossils) are typically sedimentary structures
consisting of a fossilized track, trail, burrow, or tube resulting from the life activities and behavior of an animal, such as a
mark made by an invertebrate creeping,
feeding, hiding, or resting on or in soft
sediment. Some non-sedimentary examples include tooth marks (resulting from
November Birthdays
Phyllis Wagoner
Mitch Smith
Harry Wagoner
Joan Guerra
Butch Goldenstein
11/5
11/7
11/19
11/25
11/25
predation), skin impressions, and coprolites (fossil dung).
Ichnologist – Scientist who studies fossilized footprints, tracks, and other trace
fossils.
Igneous Rock – A type of rock that forms
as lava or magma cools and hardens. Extrusive igneous rock forms on the earth's
surface from lava. Intrusive igneous rock
forms underground, in the earth's
crust, from magma.
Impact Crater – Crater formed by the
impact of a meteorite.
Inclusion – The presence of a foreign
body within the a crystal (example – rutile in quartz crystal).
Index Fossil – A key fossil used to correlate strata.
Intrusion – Emplacement of magma into
existing rock.
Intrusive Igneous Rock – Igneous rock
that forms beneath the surface of the
earth.
Invertebrates – Animals lacking a backbone or spinal column (invertebrate fossils are regulated differently than vertebrate fossils).
Iridescence – The play of colors on the
surface of a mineral like a film of oil on
water.
Island Arc – Curved chain of volcanic
islands in a subduction zone (Alaska’s
Aleutian Islands).
http://www.gatorgirlrocks.com/resources/
glossary.html
November Anniversaries
Tom & Shari Jacobson
Ray & Lucy Johnson
11/23
11/27
Metaphysical & Healing Properties of
Gems, Minerals, & Crystals
*Someone who can
maintain the Club website.
Who are our techies?
*Someone to babysit the two
Club tumblers. We have rocks
to tumble for the spinning
wheel to get ready for next
summer’s season.
November Rock Shows
6-7—HURRICANE , UT: Southern Utah
Rock & Gem Show, Washington County
Regional Park; Fri. 10 am-7 pm, Sat. 10
am-7 pm; FREE ; e-mail: eric_funk@
yahoo.com
6-8—EUGENE, OR: Gem Faire Inc,
Lane County Events Center; Fri. Noon-6
pm, Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 10am-5pm; $7,
Ages 0-11 Free!; Web site: http://
www.gemfaire.com
7-8—EXTON, PA: Tuscarora Lapidary
Society, Church Farm School; Sat. 10am6pm, Sun. 10am-5pm ; $10, Children $1;
Web site: www.lapidary.org
7-8—RIDGECREST, CA: Indian Wells
Gem & Mineral Society, Desert Empire
Fairgrounds; Sat. 9 am-5 pm, Sun. 9 am-5
pm; Free!; e-mail: jfrocks@ dslextreme.com
7-8—BREWER, MA: Penobscot Mineral
& Lapidary Club, Brewer Auditorium;
Sat. 10am-5pm, Sun. 10am-4pm; $2, ChiUnder 12 Free; stand. e-mail: jamesh
white@myfairpoint.net
7-8—AMARILLO, TX: Golden Spread
Gem & Mineral Society, Amarillo Civic
Center; Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 10am-5pm;
$3, Under 12 free; e-mail: finfran
@midplains.coop
7-8—OXNARD, CA: Annual Oxnard
Gem & Mineral Society, Oxnard Performing Arts Center; Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun.
10am-4pm; Free!; Web site: Oxnard
gem.com
7-8—OAKS , PA: Tuscarora Lapidary
Society, HALL C at the Greater Philadelphia EXPO Center; Sat. 10 am-6 pm, Sun.
*Someone to set up a new
equipment space in the
Clubhouse.
PLEASE! We really
need your help!
Turquoise: it
is said that it
tones and
strengthens
the entire
body; aids
with tissue
regeneration;
aids circulation, the lungs, and the rest of
the respiratory system; vitalizes the blood
and nervous system; enhances meditation; boosts creative expression; brings
peace of mind, emotional balance, communication, friendship, and loyalty.
http://www.rocksinmyheadtoo.com/
MetasLis.htm
10 am-5 pm; $6, Children $1; Web site:
www.lapidary.org
7-8—ANAHEIM , CA: American Opal
Society, The Phoenix Club/Anaheim
Event Center; Sat. 10am-6pm , Sun. 10am
-5pm ; Adults, Srs. & Students $3, Under
15 FREE!; Web site: info@opal society.org/ http://opalsociety.org
7-8—SAN DIEGO, CA: San Diego Mineral & Gem Society, Al Bar Shrine Center; Sat. 9:30am-5pm, Sun. 10am-4pm;
Free; contact Bob Hancock, (619) 8896886
7-8—OLD GREENWICH, NY: Stamford
Mineralogical Society, Eastern Greenwich Civic Center; Sat. 9:30am-5pm,
Sun. 10 am-4:30pm; $6, Children $1;
Web site: stamfordmineralsociety.org
7-8—ORLANDO, FL: Florida Fossil
Hunters, Central Florida Fairgrounds;
Daily 9 am -5 pm; Adults $4, Children
$1; Web site: Floridafossilhunters.com
7-8—MIDLAND, TX: Midland Gem &
Mineral Society, Midland Center; Sat.
9am-6pm, Sun. 10am-5pm; Adults $5,
Students $2; Under 6 free; Web site: midlandgemandmineral.org
13-15—PUYALLUP, WA: Gem Faire
Inc, Washington State Fair Events Center;
Fri. Noon-6 pm, Sat. 10 am-6 pm, Sun. 10
am-5 pm; Students, Adults + Seniors $7,
Ages 0-11 free!; Web site: http://
www.gemfaire.com
13-15—SANTA ANA, CA: LLD Productions, with Martin Zinn Expositions, Holiday Inn-Orange County Airport; Fri.
10am-6pm, Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 10am5pm; Free!; Web site: http://www.mz
expos.com/west_coast_fall.html
13-15—GRAY, TN: Kingsport Gems &
Minerals Show; Gray Fossil Site, Natural
History Museum Annex; Fri. 10am-6pm,
Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 12-5pm; Adults $3,
Under 13 Free!; e-mail: morganjewwllry@msn.com
13-15—CLOVERDALE , CA: Karmic
Beads & Gems, Cloverdale History Museum; Fri. 9am-5pm, Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun.
9am-4pm; Free!; e-mail: karmicbeadsandgems@yahoo.com
14-15—NEW YORK, NY: New York
Mineralogical Club, Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan; Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun.
11am-5pm; $6, Under 12; Web site:
www.excaliburmineral.com
20-21—ENID, OK: Enid Gem & Mineral
Society, Hoover Building; Fri. 9 am-6
pm, Sat. 9 am-6 pm; $1, Under 18
FREE!; Web site: www.enidgem
andmineral.org
20-22—PORTLAND, OR: Gem Faire
Inc, Oregon Convention Center; Fri.
Noon-6pm, Sat. 10 am-6 pm, Sun. 10 am5 pm; Students, Adults + Srs $7, 0-11
free!; Web site: http://www.gemfaire.com
20-22—CRESTWOOD , KY: KYANA
Geological Society, Camp Crestwood;
Fri. 10 am-7 pm, Sat. 10 am-7 pm, Sun.
Noon-5 pm; Free!; Web site: www.kyana
geo.org
20-22—COLUMBIA SC: SC Gem &
Mineral Society , Jamil Temple; Fri.
10am-6pm, Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 12-5pm;
$5, Under 17 Free; Web site: www.
cgams.org
20-22—GOLDEN, CO: Denver Area
Mineral Dealers, Jefferson County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall; Fri. 10 am-5 pm,
Sat. 10 am-6 pm, Sun. 11 am-4 pm; Free!;
Web site: www.geodyssey-rocks.com
Rox Box
A place to advertise
rock items to sell and
to inquire about items
to purchase.
The Cuyuna Rock, Gem & Society
accepts no responsibility for any dissatisfaction that may occur by either party,
seller or buyer. The Society does not
profit in any way by sales transactions.
For Sale: ROC
brand 24" saw.
Needs new blade
(will allow cost
of blade off asking price) $2200
or best offer, can
deliver, located in
Milaca. Call John
320-310-7895.
For Sale: Rough rock;
various size pieces
Amethyst Sage Agate. $4/lb.
Blue Ice Polka Dot Agate
$6/lb.
Picasso Stone $4/lb.
Nebraska Blue Agate $3/lb.
Nebraska Chalcedony $3/lb.
Call Ed Opatz 320-250-1363.
For sale: One
large cabinet and
three cabinets
that are four feet
long. The sizes
are on the photos. No reasonable offer will be
refused. Please
call Randy at
320-412-6230
after 6pm if
interested.
21-21—LANCASTER, PA: Lancaster
County Fossil & Mineral Club, Trinity
Church; Sat. 9am-4:30pm; $3, Children
free; e-mail: haefnercatherine@yahoo.
com
21-22—PAYSON, AZ: Payson Rimstones Rock Club, Payson High School,
Sat. 9am-pm, Sun. 10am-4pm; $2, ChiUnder 12 free!; e-mail: margieaberry@gmail.com
21-22—APPLE VALLEY, CA: Victor
Valley Gem & Mineral Club, Sat. 9am5pm, Sun. 9am-3pm; Free; Web site:
vvgmc.org
21-22—WEST PALM BEACH, FL:
Gem & Mineral Society of the Palm
Beaches, South Florida Fairgrounds Expo
Center East; Sat. 9 am-6 pm, Sun. 10 am5 pm; Adults, Srs., Students $9, Under
12 free; Web site: www.gemandmin
eral.cc
21-22—LEBANON, PA: Mid-Atlantic
Gem & Mineral Association, Lebanon PA
County Fairgrounds & Expo; Sat. 10am5pm, Sun. 11am-4pm; $5, Children Free;
Web site: www.gem-show.com
21-22—MESQUITE, TX: Dallas Gem &
Mineral Society, Mesquite Rodeo Center
Exhibit Hall; Sat. 10 am-6 pm, Sun. 10
am-5 pm; $8, 4-12, $3, Under 4 Free;
Family of 4 or more: $20; Web site:
http://www.dallasgemandmineral.org/
21-22—APACHE JUNCTION, AZ:
Apache Junction Rock & Gem Club,
Apache Junction High School Cafeteria;
Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun. 10am-4pm; Adults &
Srs. $3, Students $1, Children FREE;
Web site: www.ajrockclub.com
21-22—FAIRFAX, VA: Northern Virginia Mineral Club, GMU Fairfax / the HUB;
Sat. 10 am-6 pm, Sun. 10 am-4 pm;
Adults $6, Seniors $4, Students $3, Children, Under 13 free!; Web site:
www.novamineralclub.org
21-22—APPLE VALLEY , CA: Victor
Valley Gem & Mineral Club, Victor Valley Museum; Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun. 9am4pm; Free!; Web site: http://www.
vvgmc.org
21-22—MESQUITE, TX: Dallas Gem &
Mineral Society, Mesquite Exhibit Hall;
Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 10am-5pm; Adults
$8, Children $3; Family $20 Web site:
www.dallasgemandmineral.org
27-29—SALEM, VA: Roanoke Valley
Mineral & Gem Society, Salem Civic
Center; Fri. 2pm-7pm, Sat. 10am-6pm,
Sun. 12pm-5pm; $4, Children Free!; email: ckwlt@aol.com
27-29—MOBILE, AL: Mobile Rock &
Gem Society, Abba Shrine Center; Fri. 2
pm-7 pm, Sat. 9 am-6 pm, Sun. 10 am-5
pm; Adults $3, Under 12 free.
28-29—SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Pacific
Crystal Guild, Hall of Flowers; Sat. 10
am-4pm, Sun. 10am-4pm; $8, Children
Free; Web site: www.crystalfair.com
28-29—SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Pacific
Crystal Guild, County Fair Bldg; Sat. 10
am-6 pm, Sun. 10 am-4 pm; $8, Under
13 free; Web site: www.crystalfair.com
28-29—WICKENBURG, AZ: Wickenburg Gem & Mineral Society, 251 S Tegner St; Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun. 10am-4pm;
FREE!; Web site: wickenburggms.org
28-30—MONTEREY, CA: Gem Faire
Inc, Monterey County Fairgrounds; Sat.
10am-5pm, Sun. 10am-5pm, Mon. 10am4pm; Free!; Web site: http://www.gem
faire.com
Are you interested in taking a
wire wrapping class? If so,
please contact Ed Opatz at 320250-1363 or opatz1@att.net.
The fee will be based upon how
many people attend, but will be
kept as low as possible.
Cuyuna Rock Gem & Mineral Society
Board Meeting Minutes
October 10, 2015
MSP - Motion to approve all minutes
from May, June and Sept. previous meetings as presented.
Sunshine Requests
If you know someone who could use
a little sunshine— birth,
illness, surgery, family death—
please contact Christi Higgins at 320-224-6650.
MSP - Motion to accept the Treasurer's
report as presented.
Show Update: Discussed display cases
and the options available. Kevin Martini
will check with his Dad about building
some for us. Kevin will report back. Also
discussed getting another spinning wheel
to use at the area shows.
Cuyuna Rock Gem & Mineral Society
Regular Meeting Minutes
October 10, 2015
Fieldtrips Update: We will try running
ads looking for fields to search again for
spring 2016. Wed id get a couple of calls
last year.
President Opatz opened the meeting and
welcomed new members and guests. He
reminded us that our club elections will be
held at the Nov. 21 meeting. We will elect
a secretary, president (2 year terms) and 3
at-large board positions (1 year terms.)
Discussed the Cedarburg WI. Show for
July of 2016. Ed will gather information
on bus transportation. If we have enough
interested members, the club will subsidize the transportation. We would probably need to spend 2 nights in a hotel.
Christmas potluck party will take place on
Dec. 12. We also have a white elephant gift
exchange game. Bring as many wrapped
gifts as you want, anything goes! Some will
contain nice rocks and some might be
zonks!
Programs Update: November, Butch
Goldenstein and Silent Auction.
Elections will be held at the Nov. 21st
meeting.
MSP - Motion to adjourn.
wish to donate to the clubhouse.
Marcia Opatz has agreed to head up the
Promotions for the 2016 show. If you
would like to help with promotions, contact
Marsha. We still need committee heads for
Facilities and Club Projects. Details of
what those committees handle is available
from Sharon. You don't have to do all of
the tasks yourself, just coordinate the volunteers helping you with the assorted tasks.
Marge Jensen updated us on the MW Federation meeting. Our insurance will be going up for 2016, it will be $4 per person
plus $2 per person for Federation membership. Our club will be hosting the MWF
meeting in 2017. Marge and Dolores Sibet
MSP- Motion to approve June and Septem- will be making the arrangements for hotel
space and banquet room. The Federation
ber minutes as presented.
would love a short presentation regarding
our club and area for the MWF meeting
Kevin Martini presented the Treasurer's
April 23 in Ohio.
report.
Fieldtrips being considered for June 2016
include Grotto, Keokuk, Iowa, Missouri,
Crater of Diamonds, Arkansas, Mt. Ida
crystals. For July 7-10 the International
agate show in Cedarburg, Wi by bus. In late
July, the NW Federation show and meeting
will be held in Albany, Or the 29-31.
Club dues are due by January 1st, 2016.
Jim Reed has agreed to speak during Jan. or
Feb. on his experiences collecting minerals
in Colorado (as seen on Prospectors.)
Butch Goldenstein will talk to us about
Petosky Stone from Michigan at our Nov.
Meeting.
Anyone wishing to present a kids program,
or with an idea for one, it would be appreciated!
MSP - meeting adjourned.
Always need more tumbled stones for the
spinning wheel. Just bring anything you
Door Prizes were won by Tony S., Matt M.,
Kevin M., and Ashley.
Bob Weikert, famous for his large polished slabs of Silkstone, Binghamite, Mary Ellen Jasper,
spheres and more (you may have seen him at our shows or Moose Lake) now in his mid 90's, is
retiring from the business. His daughter Patty Cronin (C-320-237-0214) or husband Joe (H-320
-983-2359) are selling his finished work, rough material, and equipment. (Foreston, near
Milaca) Call either of them for information or to arrange a time to see what they have.
It's beautiful stuff; pick up some great Christmas gifts!
The Smithsonian
Gem & Mineral Collection
“Born of fluid, heat, and pressure, minerals
and gems dazzle us with their breathtaking
colors, shapes, and diversity.” These words
welcome visitors to the gem and mineral displays at the Smithsonian’s National Museum
of Natural History. As they explore—and come
face to face with nature’s artistry—they end
up with an understanding that gemstones actually came out of the earth in beautiful—but
rough—form.
The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s
largest museum and research complex. Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.,
the complex includes 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine
research facilities.
The Institution’s original funding came in the
form of a bequest to the US federal government, established by British scientist James
Smithson (1765-1829) and awarded upon his
death. In 1836, his legacy—with a value at the
time of about $500,000—was officially accepted by Congress. After additional years of
debate, the Smithsonian Institution was finally
established in 1846 as a trust to be administered by a Board of Regents and a Secretary of
the Smithsonian.
Today, the National Museum of Natural History is part of that vast complex. It opened in
1910 and houses exhibits that encompass the
animal kingdom, human origins, world cultures, and the earth sciences.
Tucked into the eastern wing of the museum’s
second floor is the Janet Annenberg Hooker
Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals. Dedicated to the earth sciences, it houses one of the
world’s largest gem and mineral collections,
including such world-famous gems as the
Hope diamond, Logan sapphire, and Rosser
Reeves star ruby, along with countless thousands of less-famous but equally spectacular
gem and mineral specimens.
Directly behind the public display area is the
mineral research wing, where the GIA team
was allowed unprecedented access to this
national treasure.
The Mineral Reference Collection
The museum’s mineral reference collection is
one of three in the Department of Mineral
Sciences: minerals (including gems), meteorites, and rock and ore. Dr. Post explains that
this part of the museum deals with the “hard,
non-living part of the earth…A small oasis of
mineral sciences in a large sea of biology”
within the museum. But, he adds, “since the
earth is mostly made up of rock, we understand the importance of our role here.”
The research collection houses about 375,000
mineral specimens from around the world. It’s
one of the largest collections of its kind, with
great value to the scientific community. The
purpose of the collection is to support scientific research. All specimens are available for
use by researchers around the world, who
either come to the museum or have specimens
information about the specimen and also keep
track of its location. If a researcher is interested in studying a particular mineral, museum
staffers take a chip off the larger specimen and
give or send it to the researcher, with the
agreement that the researcher will then share
the results of his or her study with the museum. This information is added back into that
specimen’s database. Any scientist in the
world has access to the reference collection as
long as they’re connected to a legitimate research organization.
As an aside, he mentions that it was purchased
for the Smithsonian by a member of the
Smithsonian Gemstone Collectors, an elite
support group that helps with financial support
as well as acquisition of spectacular specimens
like the one he’s holding.
Organizing the Collection
He shows off a fairly new addition to the collection: a magnificent platinum and diamond
necklace with a fascinating emerald carving as
its centerpiece. It was willed to the museum by
Madeleine Murdock, a New Jersey resident.
The emerald itself weighs about 100 carats.
What’s unique and unusual about it is that it’s
a slice, a cross-section through an emerald
crystal that still possesses the six-sided outline
of the crystal’s original hexagonal shape. Its
magnificent color is zoned from light-toned in
the center to a darker green along the outer
surface.
Arrangement according to the Dana System
means all similar kinds of minerals are found
together, making it very accessible for scientists. “Not very good for the public,” Dr. Post
observes, “but good for scientists.”
As he explains the collection’s layout, he’s
standing in front of the beryls: “One of the
more dramatic silicates in terms of crystals
and colors.”
He has his assistant pull out a few beryl drawers. They hold a wonderful variety of crystal
sizes and shapes and all the colors that make
beryl so popular: blue-green aquamarines,
pink morganites, green emeralds, gold-colored
heliodors. Each specimen has a box and its
own number, which is keyed to the collection’s computerized database.
The beryls are arranged alphabetically by
where they came from. In the first drawer are
the A’s and B’s—places like Afghanistan and
Brazil; the next drawer includes Burma, California, Colombia; then a drawer with beryls
from Colorado, Ireland, Italy, Mozambique,
and Namibia. He points out that the alphabetical arrangement accommodates a mixture of
states and countries.
Later, when asked about the possibility of
different mineral types growing together, he
takes out a large, spectacular specimen from a
fairly new locality—Erongo, in Namibia. It’s
studded with beautiful aquamarine crystals
and two varieties of tourmaline, all embedded
in a matrix of white albite for striking contrast.
Dr. Post states that the advantage of the national research collection is that it will always
be there, so that hundreds of years in the future, a scientist can re-study a sample of the
same specimen studied by his centuries-earlier
counterpart. This makes it the standard mineral collection for the international scientific
community, available to present and future
generations of scientists.
In The Blue Room
The collection’s main secure storage area,
In The Gem Vault
Around the corner from the Blue Room is the
Gem Vault, where they store high-value specimens and new arrivals under highly secure
conditions.
Based on its characteristic inclusions, museum
researchers identified Colombia as its source.
From there, it was probably shipped to India in
the 1600s, where the Mogul rulers were particularly fond of emeralds from the New World.
Its lotus-blossom motif was carved soon after
its arrival in India. Two small drill-holes
through the sides mean it was originally meant
to be sewn onto cloth or ribbon as an amulet
or garment decoration.
Markings on the setting indicate that the emerald carving eventually made its way from
India to Paris in the 1920s, during the Art
Deco period. In Paris, it was reset into a magnificent platinum and diamond setting. Eventually, it made its way to Mrs. Murdock’s
collection. Dr. Post cites it as a wonderful
example of an emerald moving around the
world: from Colombia, to India, to Paris, to
New Jersey, and finally to Washington, DC.
Showing another specimen from the Gem
Vault collection, Dr. Post holds a nondescript
object that looks something like a small brown
rock. It’s from an opal-mining area near a
small town called Yowah in Queensland, Australia. He describes it as “a curious-looking
object” that locals call a Yowah Nut. Of
course, it’s not a nut—it’s actually an ironstone concretion. When miners break one
open, they sometimes find opal inside.
This one, first presented to Dr. Post by a particularly enthusiastic opal miner, was cracked
open to reveal an especially beautiful opal
interior. The “nut” was not cut exactly down
the center, so the thinner layer—with its dark
mineral background—shows a deep blue color, while the thicker layer has a more typical
white opal appearance. Both sides display
dazzling play-of-color. The miner called it his
“OMG opal” because every time he opened it
up to show someone, they’d exclaim “Oh my
gosh!!” Thanks to one of the museum’s generous donors, it later became part of the muse-
Secrets of Polishing Obsidian
by Harry A. Wagoner
A member of our rock club was recently honored by being awarded the third
place winner in a world-wide rock tumbling competition. Congratulations
Wayne Davis.
When asked, “What did you use for a
polish?,” Wayne replied, “My secret
polish.”
Ahh, yes. Another one of the great secrets
involved with the art of lapidary.
What is the best polish for jade? How do
you polish jade without undercutting?
Does an elk hide leather work better than
cowhide for polishing? Does carpet work
better than leather? Is a vibrating tumbler
better than a rotary? Etc., etc. etc.
The rock Wayne was polishing was obsidian, somewhat notorious for being hard to
polish, well--- at least for some people. I
used to tumble and polish obsidian using
cerium oxide as a polishing agent with good
results, but I knew there were many different polishes that have been used to good
result.
The definition of secret is: something
that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others. Being of a
scientific nature I questioned in my
mind what the secret could be to
achieving a prize-winning polish even
though I have no intention of ever tumbling any obsidian again. I “googled”
polishing obsidian in a rock tumbler
and came up with 14,500 results. After
spending several hours pouring over
this information I arrived at some basic
conclusions: There are many things
that result in obtaining a good polish.
There are many polishes and procedures that can be used. Just because
one method works for one person, it
doesn’t mean it will work for someone
else. Just as in cooking or baking, using the same recipe does not guarantee
the same results.
Some of the interesting things I discovered in my reading were:
Probably the majority of people used
cerium oxide when polishing obsidian.
Tin oxide, aluminum oxide, TXP, Reynolds* .2 micron polishing compound,
Raybrite, and chrome oxide were also
popular choices.
One person said “For a real treat, polish a
piece of obsidian with cerium oxide, then
polish again with Reynolds* .2 micron
polishing compound.”
used, fillers to be added to the obsidian when tumbling.
It must be added here that there is also a
difference in using a rotary tumbler as
opposed to a vibratory tumbler.
The best tip for polishing Apache tears
is to use cushioning media in all polishing stages, or use a vibratory tumbler. Plastic cushion beads, walnut
shells or ground corncob are all common options for cushioning stones and
preventing bruising.
For the final polish use TIN OXIDE
ONLY. Cerium may work OK, but not
as good as tin oxide. Aluminum and
titanium don't work at all on obsidian.
My best success has been with
Raybrite (R), which is Aluminum Oxide, Octagon Process (R) liquid detergent. Use cerium oxide as a polish
with oatmeal and let it go for several
weeks. Do NOT add water in this
method. Polish dry. Use a vibrating
polisher.
One site suggests oatmeal and cerium
oxide run dry (wet would lead to gas
build up and a leaky tumbler barrel).
Another suggested addition of corn
syrup or sugar to the pre-polish and
polish stages to thicken the slurry.
Some people do a final polish on obsidian using Karo syrup instead of
water. Some people finish obsidian
using walnut shells in place of water.
(Polish - Dry): An alternative polishing
method you can use with a vibratory
tumbler is to process your glass without water. Use Vibra-Dry in three
steps, using #600, then #2500, and
finally #25000 in 2 to 3 day runs. You
may also try simply using cerium oxide and a lot of cornmeal, running the
step for 3 to 4 days.
Add a 3-4 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid to the tumbler during the pre-polish
and polish stages. This lubricates the obsidian and also slows down the tumbling
action.
Starting to get the idea?
Obsidian is one of the most difficult
stones to polish. Using the same techniques as for agate will produce a flat
to semi-gloss finish on obsidian. During tumbling obsidian stones bump
together and chip each other. Anything you can do to minimize the
stones bumping against each other
will help.
Covering the stones with lots of water
will slow down the collision of the
stones with each other. The addition
of corn syrup or sugar to the prepolish and polish stages to thicken the
slurry helps.
Most people suggested, or said they
Walnut shells or rubber bands.
Scraps or pieces of leather.
Some people said only use ceramic
media, other said never use ceramic –
only plastic.
Pellets are a poor choice for carrier on
obsidian; walnut shells or rice hulls
work much better.
Glass chips easily, so you should add
something to your load to slow the
process down. You can use plastic
pellets or a variety of other materials
to do this, such as corn syrup, cornstarch, sugar, molasses, rice hulls,
gelatin, sawdust, and even antifreeze
Use 1 to 4 cubes of sugar per lb. of
load as a cushioning agent if it seems
necessary.
In any event, no matter what you end
up using, the finer the grind before
polishing will usually result in a finer
polish. The finer the finish and the
more time you spend preparing for a
polish, the better the results will be.
In conclusion the secret remains with
the method you find most successful.
As I already stated, no two people will
necessarily have the same results
using the same method or formula.
Experiment and see what works for
you.
Kids’ Corner
What is a Fluorescent Mineral?
All minerals have the ability to reflect
light. That is what makes them visible to
the human eye. Some minerals have an
interesting physical property known as
"fluorescence". Theseminerals have the
ability to temporarily absorb a small
amount of light and an instant later
release a small amount of light of a
different wavelength. This change in
wavelength causes a temporary color
change of the mineral in the eye of a human observer.
The color change of fluorescent minerals
is most spectacular when they are illuminated in darkness by ultraviolet light
(which is not visible to humans) and they
release visible light. The photograph
above is an example of this phenomenon.
Fluorescence in minerals occurs when a
specimen is illuminated with specific
wavelengths of light. Ultraviolet (UV)
light, x-rays and cathode rays are the typical types of light that trigger fluorescence.
These types of light have the ability to
excite susceptible electrons within the
atomic structure of the mineral. These
excited electrons temporarily jump up to a
higher orbital within the mineral's atomic
structure. When those electrons fall back
down to their original orbital a small
amount of energy is released in the form
of light. This release of light is known as
fluorescence.
The wavelength of light released from a
fluorescent mineral is often distinctly
different from the wavelength of the incident light. This produces a visible change
in the color of the mineral. This "glow"
continues as long as the mineral is illuminated with light of the proper wavelength.
www.geology.com
We’re on Facebook!
Cuyuna Rock, Gem & Mineral Society
This is a closed group, so you must ask to join.
After being approved you can follow the members’ posts
and add your own information.
Marcia Opatz, Editor
Cuyuna Rock, Gem &
Mineral Club
P.O. Box 151
Crosby, MN 56441
FIRST CLASS MAIL
The Agate Explorer
November 2015
Official Publication of the Cuyuna Rock, Gem & Mineral Society
Members of AFMS & MWF
Notes from the President
You will be amazed at how nice the Club house looks and smells! We had six
members paint, and then another six members clean and put the room(s) back
together. Thanks to everyone that helped. Also, thanks to Judi and Ron Dick for
donating the paint.
We’re always looking for ideas for kids’ programs, speakers for the general meeting,
and good places to go in central Minnesota to pick agates as a group. Please contact
me if you have something you would like to see at the meetings.
We have a trip that is tentatively planned for Iowa geodes, crystals in Arkansas, and
diamonds in Arkansas, and would like to plan it for as early in the summer as possible so families with kids can go. If you have kids are think you may be interested,
please let me know when your school year ends so we can plan accordingly.
We are still looking for people to head up two committees for the spring show. One
is the Facilities Committee (table/chair rental, food vendor, signage, volunteers) and
Club Projects (spinning wheel, Club table, admissions). Please consider volunteering
your time to help our club.
Ed Opatz
Club Officers
& Board of Directors
President: Ed Opatz
opatz1@att.net
320-250-1363
Vice-President: Lisa Hughes
lisamhug@yahoo.com
218-821-2729
Secretary—Sharon Smith
218-343-7037
Sharon@agatesrock.com
Treasurer: Kevin Martini
kjspumanti@yahoo.com
612-916-0485
Director: J oan Guer r a
Director: Dick Salzwedel
Director: Ed Walton
Newsletter Editor: Marcia Opatz
theisma@hotmail.com