General Meeting. 7:30 PM Monday, September 20th, 2010 Marcella Wood's House 3764 Briarcliff Rd Atlanta, GA 30345

Transcription

1 The Georgia Mineral Society *Atlanta, Georgia* Volume XXXIX/Nine September 2010 General Meeting 7:30 PM Monday, September 20th, 2010 Marcella Wood's House 3764 Briarcliff Rd Atlanta, GA For the September meeting, We will gather at Marcella's house. She will be selling rock, mineral and fossil items she has collected over the years. We will have a (hopefully brief??) business meeting, then begin buying up lots of those wonderful (and perhaps a few not-so-wonderful!) specimens. Marcella has most generously agreed to donate some of the remaining specimens to GMS. Thanks Marcella. Please join us for our September meeting! Carl Ziglin, VP of Programs Things to remember: There is very little furniture in the house, you will want to bring a folding chair with you. Overflow parking is available across the street at Lakeside High School If you have any questions call Marcella at The general meeting is being held on the third Monday this month because Labor Day falls on the first Monday Map Source: Google Maps Take I-85 to Shallowford Rd / exit 93 From I-85 Southbound turn left on Shallowford Rd From I-85 Northbound turn right on Shallowford Rd Travel 0.8 miles - Turn right at Briarcliff Rd NE Destination will be on the right

2 Page 2 Tips and Trips The Georgia Mineral Society September 2010 The Georgia Mineral Society, Inc. A Non-Profit Educational Organization Seventy Years of Tradition Objective and Purpose To Educate the Youth of the State and the Members of this Society In the Field of Earth Science AFMS Education - All American Club 2003 President Bill Waggener 1909 Moores Mill Road Atlanta, Georgia president@gamineral.org Executive Vice President Lizabeth McClain 4000 Lindley Circle Powder Springs, GA membership@gamineral.org Vice President Carl Ziglin 995 Laurel Mill Dr. Roswell, GA programs@gamineral.org Secretary Mary Porter 196 High Creek Drive Roswell, GA Treasurer Richard Graveline 2223 Chaparral Drive Snellville, GA treasurer@gamineral.org Gem Section Chair Carl Ziglin 995 Laurel Mill Dr. Roswell, GA gems@gamineral.org Mineral Section Chair Anita Westlake 1253 Spencer Drive East Point, GA Fossil Section Chair Martha Brown 4837 Greenway Road Norcross, GA fossils@gamineral.org Junior Section Chair Roxanne Lopez 2550 Cumberland Blvd #504 Smyrna, GA juniors@gamineral.org Micromount Section Chair Dave Babulski 2677 Colony Circle Snellville, GA micromount@gamineral.org Immediate Past President Bill Waggener 1909 Moores Mill Road Atlanta, Georgia Trustee to 2010 Marcella Wood 3764 Briarcliff Road, NE Atlanta, GA Committee Chairs Adopt-A-Highway Ginger Peterson Assets/Equipment Jay Gorday Awards Carl Ziglin Building John Trimble Curator/Gem Box Kim Cochran Facilities Open to Volunteers Historian Roxanne Lopez Hospitality Margaret Ronan Librarian Richard Graveline Parliamentarian Frank Decaminada Refreshments Trustee to 2011 Anita Westlake 1253 Spencer Drive East Point, GA Kim Prakash & Nancy Marden Special Events Kim Cochran Sunshine Linda Batcha Telephone George Libby SFMS Rep. Frank Decaminada Trustee to 2012 Eva Ostrofsky 1402 Arbor Lake Court Hoschton, GA May Show Chair Kim Cochran 2695 Van Court Snellville, GA GENERAL MEETINGS Tips & Trips Editor Tom Batcha 2300 Oakland Chase ct Lawrenceville,GA newsletter@gamineral.org Webmaster Jim Flora P.O. Box 605 Hiawassee, GA webmaster@gamineral.org The article submittal due date for the October 2010 newsletter is September 15, General meetings are held on the first Monday of each month. In the event that the first Monday is a holiday and/or the facilities are not available, the meeting will be held on the third Monday of the month. General meetings are currently held at the Chamblee Branch of the DeKalb County Library System. Any deviations from the above schedule will be announced in Tips and Trips. The Georgia Mineral Society on the Internet: Early Notification Program: A field trip and club news update service. To join, members are requested to send in their current address to: gms@gamineral.org. Field Trip Chair George Libby 1730 Rhett Butler Dr. Lilburn, GA fieldtrips@gamineral.org Education Chair Bill Waggener 1909 Moores Mill Road Atlanta, Georgia education@gamineral.org May Show Committee Chairs Show Chair Kim Cochran Dealer Chair Anita Westlake Exhibits Tom Batcha Demonstrations John Trimble Hospitality Richard Graveline Treasurer John Trimble Advertising Jay Gorday Dealer Dinner Ginger Peterson Database Mary Porter Auction Kim Cochran Set Up/Take Down Jay Gorday Announcements for educational publications, continuing education classes, and shows or exhibits are provided in Tips and Trips as a service to GMS members. Appearance of the above in Tips and Trips does not constitute an endorsement by GMS.

3 Tips and Trips Page 3 September 2010 The Georgia Mineral Society Gem Section April meeting: Monday September 27th, 7:00 Dinner; 7:30 meeting Gem Quiz This month we will have a fun quiz, where you just might learn something from taking a test. There will be prizes for best and worst scores. We will be meeting at: The home of Anita Westlake 1253 Spencer Drive East Point, GA Please phone to RSVP. We are looking for speakers for future meetings. Please step up to speak up! Hope to see you at this month's meeting! Carl Ziglin, gems@gamineral.org Fossil Section News Annual Dinner Meeting October 4, 2010 at 6:00PM Colonnade Restaurant 1879 Cheshire Bridge Road Atlanta, Georgia Cost $26.25 per person Thank you to the members who take the time to join us. We will not have a meeting in September. The next meeting will be in October. October is the end and the beginning of our year. Dinner will be served at 7:00PM. Afterward there will be a short business meeting. Awards will be given out and new officers sworn in. I will be taking reservations up to Thursday September 39 th. The chef will prepare meals only for the number of people which I give the next evening. If you make reservations and don t show up you will owe the money to GMS as we will be billed for the no shows. If you show up without reservations there may not be space for you and you will not fed. Please RSVP. Kim Cochran Thank you. Martha S. Brown - 770/ Dates for Your Calendar Saturday October 16th - Workday and Auction

4 Page 4 Tips and Trips The Georgia Mineral Society September 2010 Junior Outings Board Meeting Plans for the rest of this year September There is no meeting in September, but if you would like to visit us for Geology Day at Stone Mountain on Labor Day Monday, September 6th, we will have a good microscope to view rocks close up. It will be at Confederate Hall from 12 noon to 4 pm. Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010 Gold Rush Days in Dahlonega We will meet at the Consolidated Mine Company in Dahlonega, and then visit the Gold Museum and activities for the Gold Rush Day. Celebrate the 1828 discovery of gold that started the first gold rush in the United States. Over 300 arts and crafts exhibitors gather around the town, and events include a parade, fashion show, children s activities, gold panning contest, wheelbarrow race, hog calling, wrist wrestling, dancing contest, singing and the coronation of the King and Queen. $ $ November 20, 2010 We will meet at the Ranger s station at 10:30 in Providence Part. Please call to make reservation and give me a call that you will be coming. Roxanne Lopez Earth Day Geology Hike 11 am to 1 pm Providence Canyon State Outdoor Recreation Area Lumpkin, GA Join Professor Rich McWilliams of Thomas University from Thomasville, Georgia as he conducts a hike into the canyons so visitors will see one of the geologic wonders of the southeastern United States. Pre-registration is required due to limitations on group size. $5 parking No meeting in December Roxanne Lopez Junior Chair Sunday, September 12th, Arbor Lake Court Hoschton, GA The next board meeting will be held on September 12th at the home of Eva and Irving Ostrofsky. The meeting is open to all members. The gathering will begin at 11:30AM. Lunch is at noon, the business meeting at 1:00PM. Please contact Eva if you plan to attend. Mineral Section SEPT 15: Topic: IGNEOUS, METAMORPHIC AND SEDIMENTARY ROCKS: The Rock Cycle Speaker: Kim Cochran Location: Mary Gurney's house Directions and RSVP: Upcoming Meetings: NOV 17: Topic: CARBONATES Speaker: John Trimble Location: John Trimble's house Directions and RSVP Feel free to call or Anita Westlake, Mineral Section Chair, for more information: or anitawestlake@att.net Fernbank Museum of Natural History 76 Clifton Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA (404) On Exhibit: Geckos: Tails to Toepads thru September 06 Water: H20=Life opens October 02 Now Showing in IMAX: Roar: Lions of the Kalahari thru September 30 Bugs thru September 30 Martinis & IMAX Fridays from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey thru September 24 Cirque du Soleil Journey of Man thru September 24

5 Tips and Trips Page 5 September 2010 SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS 9/01 Persephone Woodson 9/02 Karen Bartenfeld 9/02 Beatrice Borders 9/03 Jessica Dombek 9/03 Jacob Hottenstein 9/03 Robert Phillips 9/04 Carson Davis 9/04 Kathy Jackson-Fraser 9/04 Sue Sutherland 9/04 Wayne Syverson 9/05 Doug Daniels 9/05 Olga Flores 9/05 Hakon Jones 9/05 Marion Williams 9/06 Bill Shearin 9/07 Kayla Gifford 9/08 Jane Barwood 9/08 Shirley Borders 9/08 Brittany Daniels 9/08 Mary Lou Landry 9/09 Ellen Prophater 9/10 Marie Aldridge 9/10 Lynn Nelson 9/11 Kwaku Smith 9/11 Rebecca Myers 9/15 R.J. Phillips 9/16 Kate Haley 9/17 Adam Barwood 9/17 Laura Lauterbach 9/18 Linda Batcha 9/19 Dennis Buchanan 9/20 William Bedingfield 9/21 Frances Fleck 9/21 Michelle Hottenstein 9/23 Dave Babulski 9/23 Wayne Dodd 9/25 Brendan Barrett 9/25 David Cass 9/26 Shelby Barwood 9/26 Leighton Haley 9/26 Margi Johnson 9/27 Tiara Ferrell 9/27 Jessica Hyaduck 9/27 Barbara McGuire 9/27 Wayne Padgett 9/27 Scott Wilhoite 9/29 Alyssa Baranski 9/30 Shawn Lockhart 9/30 Pamela McMurray 9/30 Connor Poole 9/30 Jody Vernon SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 9/02 Pam and Victor Kennedy 9/25 Dawn and Bill Shearin The Georgia Mineral Society In The News The Georgia Mineral Society had two of its members appear in print this month. Lori Carter had her article Evolution of a Museum in the August 2010 edition of Rock & Gem magazine. In the article she describes the transformation of the Weinman Mineral Museum into Tellus Science Museum. Dave Babulski was featured in an article Snellville man combines loves to become mineral artist. The article was written by Fenit Nirappil of the Gwinnett Daily Post and appeared on the first page of the Community Section for the Sunday Edition on August 22 nd. Several pieces of Dave s work were shown along with a photo of Dave at work painting a micromount. Congratulations to both of you. Tom Batcha, Editor Sunshine News Everyone remember to keep Pam Martin in your thoughts and prayers. Pam had surgery on July 29th. She is now back at work but does have some procedures still to come. Pam says thanks for all the cards that she has received. Also please continue to keep Karen Babulski in your thoughts and prayers list. Karen is at New London Health Center. The address is 2020 Mc Gee Road, Snellville, Georgia Her room number is Room C9. As always let me know when you have any news for the Sunshine. Linda Batcha Sunshine Chair Georgia State Parks Geology Hike Sunday, Sep 26, PM to 3 PM Sweetwater Creek State Park - Lithia Springs, GA Geologist and "Friends of Sweetwater Creek State Park" member John Johnston will lead a moderate 2-mile hike identifying rock types and explaining how they formed. There will also be a visit inside the ruins of the Civil War era New Manchester Mill alongside the beautiful rapids of Sweetwater Creek. $5 plus $5 parking

6 Page 6 Tips and Trips The Georgia Mineral Society September 2010 (All photographs by author) Quincy Mine Thomas the Train s Michigan Trip By George Libby For those, that know me, the title needs no explanation. New friends deserve an explanation. Just over five years ago I was struck with Guillian-Barre Syndrome. I spent five months in a rehab center not being able to move my legs or even a toe and complete upper body weakness. I know some victims have had it much worse than I had. I also know that most people have a 90% recovery rate. Many have lasting problems and some never recover. With the problems I still have, with my balance, and not being able to get down and up, and other problems, I would say that I recovered about 60%. I do not consider myself a writer but I have seen others that feel they can no longer participate in field trips. That is when I started to write about my experiences to encourage others to get out and join in the fun. I thought about the little train that kept trying. I now find it was called The Little Train That Could. I was mistaken when I called it Thomas but the name will stick. My first report was about a field trip in which I fell down and had to use a small pine tree to pull myself up. Another was a trip west for opals, sunstones, fossils and petrified wood. Now I drove north to the Copper Country Retreat in Michigan s Northern Peninsular. Bridge to the Upper Peninsula Friday I drove to Mackinac City. Here I stopped at the visitors center and took pictures of the bridge. Saturday I continued on to Ishpeming where I wanted to visit Jasper Knob. I found the path but it was too steep for me. I collected a couple of samples of Jasperlite and thought I might return on Sunday morning in some dirty clothes, gloves, rake and boots ready to make the climb. I then went to the rock show where I signed up for the Kona Dolomite field trip on Sunday afternoon. Now I drove back to my motel for a good night s sleep. I packed my bags, in the morning, and loaded my car. I then found I still had the room keys with me so I drove the 100 feet to the entrance and checked out. Now my car wouldn t start. I called triple A and when they arrived their tech just turned the key and the car started. He thought my battery was bad and sent me to Advance Auto Parts to have it checked. Their equipment wasn t working and they sent me to Wal- Mart s. Their equipment was working and when their tech hit a button I received a print out that said the battery had to be replaced. I somehow think that if he hit a different button I would have received the battery was OK and just clean the terminals. Then this was Wal-Mart s and I just had them replace the battery. Now it was too late to go to the Knob but I was able to visit Da-Yooper s Tourist Trap and Rock Shop and then off to the Kona Dolomite field trip. After collecting I headed down to Petoskey to collect Petoskey Stones. I started driving north on Thursday afternoon, August 5 th My first stop was Cincinnati Ohio. Jasperlite

7 Tips and Trips Page 7 September 2010 Lindberg s Quarry - Field Trip for Kona Dolomite The Georgia Mineral Society this local area. The most important piece of equipment here was a metal detector. I have a cheap Bounty Hunter, but it works and I was able to find a sample. While there I noticed another rockhound that was hanging around the lower edges of the pile, as I was. We both have some leg problems and both of us agreed that if someone was finding something great we would both make it to the top of the pile, somehow. His metal detector was singing all the time. He explained there were rail road tracks, which the mine used to haul the ore, buried under the ground making his metal detector ring. Since he knew the area I asked about Lake Superior agate. He told me you could consider it a good day if you found one. It seems the winters have been too mild the past couple of years. Normally there is a lot of ice on the lake which picks up the agates, and then the ice expands, and deposits the agates on the beach. With the mild winters the ice hasn t been bringing them ashore and the only people doing well are the scuba divers. Kona Dolomite On Monday I visited some beaches and did find coral, in the limestone. Later in the day I went to the Fisherman s Island State Park. I only found a couple of broken pieces of the fabled Petoskey Stones but found many Favosite couple of broken pieces of the fabled Petoskey Stones but found many Favosite Coral or Charlevoix stones which are cousins with a smaller polyp. Here the state wants the tourist to visit so collecting is allowed. If I had tried this on the National Seashore Parks I would have been arrested. Tuesday I drove to Houghton and an introduction to copper collecting by the Seaman Museum. The museum was open late for us so we could see and drool over the large pieces of Datolite and Greenstone as well as many other great specimens. Fisherman s Island State Park Wednesday morning and off to the Mohawk Mine. The big find here was Mohawkite. It is a combination of silver, copper, arsenic, cobalt, nickel and iron only found in Petosky Stones and Favosite Corals

8 Page 8 Tips and Trips The Georgia Mineral Society September 2010 Wednesday morning and off to the Mohawk Mine. The big find here was Mohawkite. It is a combination of silver, copper, arsenic, cobalt, nickel and iron only found in this local area. The most important piece of equipment here was a metal detector. I have a cheap Bounty Hunter, but it works and I was able to find a sample. While there I noticed another rockhound that was hanging around the lower edges of the pile, as I was. We both have some leg problems and both of us agreed that if someone was finding something great we would both make it to the top of the pile, somehow. His metal detector was singing all the time. He explained there were rail road tracks, which the mine used to haul the ore, buried under the ground making his metal detector ring. Since he knew the area I asked about Lake Superior agate. He told me you could consider it a good day if you found one. It seems the winters have been too mild the past couple of years. Normally there is a lot of ice on the lake which picks up the agates, and then the ice expands, and deposits the agates on the beach. With the mild winters the ice hasn t been bringing them ashore and the only people doing well are the scuba divers. Attending the retreat the dumps were turned over to expose new material and there were samples that you could see what you were looking for. At the Central I found a piece of ore full of amygolides. These are gas filled pockets in the matrix which sometimes are filled with copper. Of course when I had mine identified the pockets were filled with feldspar crystals and just green coated with chlorite. I asked if copper would also be covered with chlorite. It could be but generally they would be a lighter green in color. As a note I may have some on examining what I brought home but no guarantees. Field Trip at the Central Mine Rock Swap at the Quincy Mine Wednesday afternoon was a trip to the Cliff Mine for copper ore. The evening was a swap meet at the Quincy mine. I had brought some Georgia material, with me, but was unable to make a deal. Sure there was someone willing but he didn t have anything I was interested in. Then others only wanted to make a couple of bucks selling what they had. Bags of greenstones were going for $100 to $250. I ended up buying a couple of samples. Thursday morning was the Central Exploration Mine for Greenstone, Datolite and native copper. Actually there were other minerals found here with the most common being calcite. I did get some of that. Before the afternoon trip I went to take some pictures of the Central Mine. I had just seen their shafts when I was driving north and decided to stop on my own. Actually most of the mine dumps were open and any one could stop at any time. Thursday afternoon was a trip to the Wolverine Mine. No one had said anything but the big thing here was looking for copper agates. Well copper is not an agate but there were pockets of agate that on rare occasions had a trace of copper running through them. Most people, that knew this, just kept breaking rock all afternoon but with the odds 100 to 1 against it, I did not even try. There were a couple of other rockhounds there that also had difficulty getting around. One had a cane with an arm brace, that he attached a claw to the bottom, to be able to shift and lift things around. It worked great and I may try to copy it. Another rockhound was sitting down, searching and explained how you find native copper. You do not use gloves and just pick up the ore and when you get cut on a sharp piece you have found the native copper crystal. You have to use your metal detector to see which rocks contain copper so you know what to pick up but it does work. When I left the site I went to a beach to search for the elusive Lake Superior agate. A rockhound from the area put me onto the beach and I did find one although not a great piece. By evening all I could do was to get into the hot tub, back at the motel, and vedge out. There were other trips on Friday and Saturday but I had enough and decided to leave the next morning. Lake Superior Agate

9 Tips and Trips Page 9 September 2010 The Georgia Mineral Society Field Trip at the Mohawk Mine Crisp Point Lighthouse Friday I left and drove to the Crisp Point Lighthouse for more agates. It was 20 miles or so off the paved road. The first eleven was a wide gravel covered road. It was not bad but you still had to go slow. The rest of the way was a winding, single lane dirt road. I was surprised how many cars were on that little road and how slow you had to go because you could not see around the bends. I was also surprised about the number of cars parked at the lighthouse. I did try to look for agates here, but the beach was covered with flies. Any time I stopped I had a half dozen, on each leg, biting like no tomorrow. I swatted them and my legs looked like a war zone covered in blood. Something else bit me on my pinky and my hand swelled up. With the pain and swelling I quit. There was a little gift shop there but the door was closed with a sign telling all to come in but close the door to keep the flies out. I did take a peek inside but had enough and started my drive home. Getting up on Saturday my GPS said 12 hours to drive home. There are times when the GPS can not find an intersection because some local town decided to rename a section of a numbered highway. It does have difficulties with some numbering systems. For me it was a straight run on I-75. There was a short stretch where we were joined by I-71. My GPS insisted I should take I-71 and when the road separated, my GPS said to get off I-71 and take I-75. I never got off the interstate. It has these and some other issues but I still would not leave home without it. It is great to know how much longer it will take to get somewhere and can tell you where the Burger King is. I did make it home in just over 12 hours. Marquette Lighthouse Lift Bridge between Houghton and Hamilton

10 Page 10 Tips and Trips The Georgia Mineral Society September 2010 THE MICROMOUNT CORNER Mimetite By: Dave Babulski Greetings everyone; this month we will examine the mineral Mimetite. Mimetite is a secondary mineral found in the oxidation zones of primary lead deposits where the elements Lead and Arsenic occur together. Chemically Mimetite is a lead chloroarsenate with a chemical formula of: Pb 5 (AsO 4 ) 3 Cl and is the arsenate analogue of Pyromorphite and Vanadinite. In fact Mimetite is also isostructural with Promorphite and Vanadinite and forms a chemical solid solution series with Pyromorphite on one end Mimetite in the middle and Vanadinite on the other end. This chemical solid solution series go this one is a little different. Instead of substituting cations (typically positively charged metal elements) such as calcium for magnesium as is done in most mineral chemical solid solution series, the Pyromorphite, Mimetite, Vanadinite series substitutes the anion groups (Negatively charged groups of atoms) Phosphate (PO 4 ), Arsenate (AsO 4 ) and Vanadate (VO 4 ). The term Isostructural means that the three minerals all share the same crystal structure and crystal shape. This is why Mimetite is sometimes confused with Pyromorphite. In fact, the name Mimetite is from the Greek Mimethes (Which means imitator) because of its resemblance to the mineral Pyromorphite. It is interesting to note the mineral Endlichite is chemically intermediate between Mimetite and Vanadinite. Mimetite crystallizes in the Hexagonal system, Dipyramidal class with a symmetry of 6/m. Typically Mimetite occurs as small hexagonal prisms. Occasionally it occurs as diverging groups parallel acicular crystals giving the appearance of a sheaf of wheat. I have seen some Mimetite as rounded nodules associated with Wulfenite. I have seen some Mimetite at mineral shows labeled as yellow Vanadinite. Notable mineral occurrences for Mimetite are: Mapimi, Durango, Mexico; The lead mines of Arizona and Tsumeb, Africa. Be prepared to pay a princely sum for the Mapimi and tsumeb material. Shown below are some photomicrographs of Mimetite Figure 1 Color of the mineral Mimetite is quite variable ranging from pale yellow to yellow-orange to orange red, brownish, greenish, white and colorless. One of the reasons this mineral is a collector favorite is because of its color and crystal morphology variability. From a handling point of view, care must be taken when handling specimens of mimetite as it is quite soft with a Mohs hardness of 3.5 to 4 (Roughly the same as the mineral Calcite) and can be easily damaged. Figure 2

11 Tips and Trips Page 11 September 2010 The Georgia Mineral Society The Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies (SFMS) is offering our annual series of Jewelry workshops during the months of August, September, and October this year. This is our 34 th year of offering the best value in Jewelry and Lapidary training. Our classes feature nationally known as well as locally known expert instructors. Among our nationally known instructors are Kim St. Jean (Cold Connection), Barbara McGuire (Polymer Clay), Mary Ann & Ken Devos (PMC), Rich Dillon (Fused Glass), and Dan Haga (Southwest Silver). Figure 3 This year we are offering classes in the following topics: Addictive Seed Beading, Bronze Clay, Cabochon Making, Chain-Maille' Jewelry (Beg./Adv.), Cold Connections, Designers Rehab (Polymer Clay), Faceting (Beg./AD.), Fused Glass (Beg./Adv.), Jewelry Bench & Tool Making, Metal Connections & Finishing, Metalwork Help & Special Projects, Opal Cutting, Precious Metal Clay (Level 1 Certification/Advanced Techniques), Scrimshaw, Silversmithing (Beg./Adv.), Southwest Silver, and Wire Wrapping (Beg./Adv.) Our classes are taught at the Wildacres Retreat in Little Switzerland, NC and the William Holland School of Lapidary Sciences at Young Harris, GA. Each of these settings offer beautiful views of the mountains, double rooms with bath, great food, and an enjoyable week. Each session lasts 7 days commencing with afternoon check in on the first day, 5 days of instruction, and morning departure after breakfast on the final day. Figure 4 References: phosphat/mimetite/mimetite.htm Mason, B and Berry, L.G.; Elements of Mineralogy, 1968, Freeman and Co., San Francisco, Page Dana, E.S and Ford, W.E.; A Textbook of Mineralogy, 1951, John Wiley and Sons, New York; Page 708. The most exciting part of the workshops is the low cost. Each session includes instruction, double occupancy lodging and 3 meals per day. The only additional cost is any materials that the student may buy from the instructor. Where else can you take a weeklong vacation in the mountains, learn new jewelry making skills, eat great food, make new friends, and bring home new jewelry for less than the cost of a few days in a hotel? We are currently accepting registrations for each of the remaining 3 one week session. Anyone belonging to an SFMS club will be given priority. Students under 18 are welcome, but must be accompanied by a responsible adult and must have approval from the workshop director and the instructor to attend an adult class. Members of other American Federation of Mineralogical (AFMS) regional federations may also attend. Anyone not affiliated with AFMS may attend by paying an additional fee of $50 for the week. Registration information and forms as well as class details and instructor biographies can be found on our SFMS Workshop website SFMS Workshops.com.

12 Page 12 The Georgia Mineral Society September 2010 SFMS Workshops (continued from page 11) Hopefully this is just a reminder for you about our workshops. If you have not already registered for a workshop, now is the time. If you haven't been to one of our workshops before, these are a lot of fun, educational, and a great value. Why not give them a try? For the ones of you that are planning to go to one of the workshops, let me now give you a few highlights about the next two upcoming sessions and their current status. Barbara McGuire has restructured her class and changed its name. The new class is called Designers Rehab (formerly Popular Polymer Clay Projects). The class is now open, and appropriate for, all levels of students. It will concentrate on teaching specific design techniques with Polymer Clay. Beginners will have special instruction to get them up to speed quickly and can then work on advanced techniques. Experienced students will be given the opportunity to select specific skills that they want to learn. Techniques will be discussed and demonstrated in the mornings and students can implement them into their designs in the afternoon. The instructor fee for the class has been reduced to $75 and includes a special collection of tools, findings, accents and assortment of clay, powders etc. purposed to stimulate individual design. The Cold Smithing class has been renamed to Metal Connections & Finishing (September). This is a cold connection type class with special emphasis on texturing and finishing the metals. In addition to this, Charlotte will be teaching corrugation in the class. See the class description on the website for more details. Precious Metal Clay (PMC) classes are a really unique opportunity. The classes are taught by Mary Ann & Ken DeVos. Mary Ann has written several books on PMC and is the Education Director for PMCC. Not only do we have one of the best instructor teams available; but we have them for a full week at less than most PMC classes charge for a couple of days. The August class is a beginning certification class. Completion of this class will result in a Level 1 certification which provides a discount on the purchase of PMC supplies. The September class is an advanced class that will focus on enameling on fine PMC and setting unusual natural gemstones. This class requires previous PMC experience. The August classes for Beginning Silversmithing, Beginning Wirecraft, and Metalwork Help & Special Projects are currently full. Waiting list names are being accepted for these classes. Southwest Silver (September) filled up within a week of registration opening. However, a couple of recent cancellations have created 2 openings in that class. This is an excellent opportunity to register for a fun and very popular advanced silversmithing class. These openings probably won t last very long so register soon. Beginning Fused Glass (August) has openings. This excellent class is taught by a couple of retired educators. They are excellent teachers as well as experienced glass artisans. I have personally taken this class and can highly recommend it. Scrimshaw (August). It has been several years since Bill taught this class and we were fortunate to get him back to teach again. I remember seeing some of the most beautiful jewelry from his class the last time it was offered. Scrimshaw is the scribing of a design on a piece of ivory or bone in order to produce decorative objects or jewelry. It is one of the first American folk crafts, originated by New England whalers to pass their time at sea. Cabochon Making (August) and Jewelry Bench & Tool Making (August) each have a couple of openings. Both the August and September sessions have openings in the Addictive Seed Beading class. If you have not seen Vivian s bead work before you will be amazed by these beautiful pieces. See the examples on the website! Bronze Clay (September) this class has openings and will provide students with a good introduction to this popular new Metalsmithing technique. Advanced Fused Glass (September) has a couple of openings. We were very fortunate to get the services of Rich & Linda Dillon from Illinois who are well known glass instructors. I have heard from several people who have attended their classes before that they are excellent instructors. Chain-Maille Jewelry (September) has openings. While advertised as a beginning class, advanced students are welcome to this class. Beginning students will learn ring coiling & cutting and some of the classic chain patterns. A large collection of patterns will be available for advanced students. Beginning/Intermediate Silversmithing (September) has a few openings. We have a new instructor for this class who operates a studio and teaches classes in Atlanta. She will have lots of new ideas and designs to present in her class. Intermediate/Adv. Wirecraft (September) and Intermediate/Adv.Faceting (September) both have a few openings. October information for William Holland will be posted to the website soon. Hope to see you soon at a workshop. Roy Deere (Wildacres Director) Tips and Trips

13 Tips and Trips Page 13 September 2010 The Georgia Mineral Society An Official Field Trip of the Augusta Gem & Mineral Society (Augusta, GA) (HOST) An Official Field Trip of the GEORGIA MINERAL SOCIETY September 25 th, 2010 Amos Cunningham Farm Due West/Antreville Area, South Carolina 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM FEE SITE What: Mineral Collecting Trip - good sized beryl crystals, amethyst and smokey quartz. This site has the best South Carolina beryl specimens of any site that I know how to get access to. The crystals are well shaped hexagons with flat ends. The color is green though most have a blue cast. The beryl ranges from translucent to opaque. Most crystals are specimen quality though some gem quality is present. Where: The Amos Cunningham Farm is between Antreville and Due West, SC. From Anderson, SC drive 18 miles down route 28 East (really south) to Antreville. Turn left on route 184 East heading toward the town of Due West. Travel for 4 miles and turn left on the George Alewine Road. Drive for less than 1 mile. You will pass a trash/recycling site on the right, cross a bridge over a small creek and turn into the first land on the right. If you pass the Cunningham Backhoe Service on the left you have gone too far. When: Saturday, September 25 th, 2010 from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Digging Conditions: The site is flat to rolling land of South Carolina red clay. The digging areas have been machine trenched down to white kaolite veins that have the beryl and quartz crystals. Dirt and rock removed from the trenches and piled up, also contain beryl and are good places to search. What to Bring: Picks, shovels, rock hammers and scratching tools. Large hammers will not be very useful. Also bring plenty of drinks and a picnic lunch unless you want to drive a few miles for lunch. Cost: $25.00 per person. Children 13 years old and under are $ Children and pets must be supervised by an adult. Everybody attending the dig must be a member of a Southeast Federation Club and must sign a Release Form. Mr. Cunningham will also have good specimens for sale at his Cunningham Backhoe and Bushhogging Service building. Lodging: There are many motels in and around Anderson, SC. There is no lodging in Antreville or Due West. Contact Person: Any questions call Steve Huffman at or steve.huffman@dsm.com. On the day of the field trip call The Georgia Mineral Society y - Founded in 1935 Extended Field Trip September 24, 25, & 26 Keokuk/Hamilton IL. "Geode Fest" Collecting Geodes: This is a festival put on every year with a swap shop and 5 field trips. Actually there are 9 sites with some that are not normally open for collecting, but are open for the festival. There are 2 trips on Friday, 2 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday. There are different leaders so when you sign up at the Chaney Creek Boat Access you would have to decide which sites you would like to attend. You can try 5 different sites or try to go back and keep visiting one site. Sites vary from Easy, Moderate or Difficult. There are stream sites so be prepared to get wet, but would be an easy trip to just bend over and pick up the geodes. Of course the more difficult sites with heavy digging might give the largest geodes up but there are enough sites that everyone should be able to collect some. Cost: You can sign up for one day, two days or all three. On the days that have multiple trips you can sign up for one trip or both trips. The cost is the same, no mater how many of the 5 trips you attend, $20 fee for an individual or $30 fee for a family. There is an additional fee of $20 for every 5 gallon bucket collected. On the more difficult trips the cost is $25 a bucket or $1.50 a pound if it doesn t fit in the bucket. Sign up: You can get further information on the Geode Fest web site or Firstcrackgeodes or contact me. I have some release forms and registration forms and might be able to give you more information. Actually I am choosing a motel that we might be able to meet to discuss the different locations and best places to search. If nothing else, please give me a cell phone number (or where you are staying or camping) that we might be able to get together for dinner at some restaurant. Many of the motels are giving discounts but some discounts are only for those that sign up early. Directions: Map Quest or any atlas should be able to get you there. I punched in my address and Keokuk and it said 12 hours / 750 miles. You can decide if you want to push it driving for a day or take your time for two. On the trip back the field trips are over at noon on Sunday so you can leave then but most likely would need a stop on the way home. Contact me at: onsiteinatlanta@yahoo.com or or on the road at If this works we may be able to try a few more trips like this one. George Libby GMS Field Trip Chair

14 Page 14 Tips and Trips The Georgia Mineral Society September 2010 Commemorative Stamp Committee This Committee of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies is responsible for the efforts to obtain stamps featuring subjects of interest such as minerals, fossils, gems and general geology. The Committee has been active for years and submits an annual report at the AFMS annual meeting. Our current efforts are directed to trying to convince the United States Postal Service to produce stamps showing Birthstones. No stamps featuring gems have ever appeared on US commemorative stamps although there have been some beautiful ones produced by other countries. (There is a definitive $0.02 US stamp showing Turquoise Indian Jewelry in circulation now, not as a result of our efforts.) The mechanism is to encourage both AFMS members and the public at large to send requests to the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) of the United States Postal Service (USPS.) It is very difficult to succeed in getting any desired stamp. Only about one out of a thousand requests are approved. It took 10 years of lobbying efforts to get the first set of Mineral Stamps in 1974 and 18 years to get the second set in 1992! The USPS has rules by which CSAC, operates. They recommend adoption of stamp subjects, although the Postmaster General has final say. Rules say there will be no repeat subjects in 10 years. Our message continues to be the same. An available promotional flier has the USPS CSAC address. New is a petition form for groups to sign. AFMS Clubs are strongly encouraged to make copies of them. Use them at your club meetings, at your shows, and to groups your members might encounter such as when presenting talks at schools, to Boy or Girl Scouts, or at Nature Centers etc. Use the Teacher, Student Information Page in working with Children. It is also good for adults. A tent card for use with the fliers at your shows can also be used. Non AFMS members are also requested to support the campaign. Although many of you may have previously written, do it again so we flood the USPS with requests. There have been, in addition to the two sets of mineral stamps which were the direct result of the AFMS Committee's work, many prehistoric animals including dinosaurs, the Klondike and California Gold Rush stamps and other geology related subjects on stamps, not a result of the this Committee's efforts. Southeastern Rock, Gem, & Fossil Shows HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA: 20th annual show, "Gem & Mineral Spectacular"; Henderson County Gem & Mineral Society; Whitmire Bldg., 301 Lily Pond Rd.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-6, Mon. 10-5; adults $3 (free faceted gemstone), children under 12 free with adult (free grab bag); dealers, gems, minerals, jewelry, supplies, fossils, beads, bench jeweler, educational programs, displays, lapidary demonstrations, geode cracking, door prizes, free shuttle to Hendersonville Apple Festival; contact Ken Gillon, (828) ; Web site: BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA: Show; Golden Isles Gem & Mineral Society; Glynn Place Mall, 100 Mall Blvd.; Sat. 10-7, Sun. 12-6, Mon. 10-5; adults $2, children under 5 free; grab bags, kids' treasure dig, door prizes, exhibits, demonstrations, educational resources, gold, silver, gemstones, mineral specimens, fine jewelry, hand-crafted jewelry, beads, findings, tools; contact Beverly Johnson, 1007 Fountain Lake Dr., Brunswick, GA 31525, (912) ; bevjbj@comcast.net WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA: 39th annual show; Forsyth Gem & Mineral Club; Educational Bldg., Dixie Classic Fairgrounds, Gate #9; Fri. 10-7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 12-5; contact W.A. Marion, 1163 Bear Creek Church Rd., Mocksville, NC 27028; MarionA1@yadtel.net CLARKSVILLE, INDIANA: Show, "Falls Fossil Festival"; Indiana Society for Paleontology; Falls of the Ohio State Park, 201 W. Riverside Dr.; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; vendors, fossils, minerals, books, jewelry, polished stones, guided Devonian fossil bed hikes, Silurian and Devonian fossil collecting piles, Cave-in-Rock mineral collecting pile, children's craft activities, guest speakers, fossil and rock ID, fossil park and museum brochures; contact Alan Goldstein, 201 W. Riverside Dr., Clarksville, IN 47129, (812) ; agoldstein@dnr.in.gov; Web site: JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA: Show; Jacksonville Gem & Mineral Society; Jacksonville Gem & Mineral Society; Morocco Temple, 3800 St. Johns Bluff Rd. S; Fri. 1-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; displays; contact Tom Frame, 3133 Chapelwood Ln., Jacksonville, FL 32216, (940) ; Jgms_show@hotmail.com Wendell C. Mohr, Chair Commemorative Stamp Committee Updated August 1, 2010

15 Tips and Trips Page 15 September 2010 The Georgia Mineral Society September 2010 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Board Meeting Mineral Section General Meeting Gem Section Geode Fest Ext Trip 9/24-9/ DMC Field Trip Tellus Science Museum I-75 Exit 293 Cartersville, Georgia Lecture Series Australia s Rich Mineral History Tuesday, September 21, PM Penny Williamson All lectures are free for members and included in the cost of museum admission for non-members. Galleries will remain open until the start of the lecture. Advertisement Agates, Obsidian, Wonderstone & all types cabbing rough for sale Jackson, Georgia

16 THE GEORGIA MINERAL SOCIETY, INC. P.O. Box Atlanta, Georgia MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Name: Birthday: month/day Spouse: Birthday: month/day Spouse s Children s Names & Birthdays: mo/day/yr (residing at home): Address: City: State: Zip+4: Home Phone(s): Cell Phone(s): Office Phone(s): Occupations: Hobbies, Interests: SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS AT GMS: (Check all that apply) Mineral Section Micromount Section Fossil Section Junior Section Gem Section Electronic Newsletter Dues for New Members (Single, Couple, Family) are $25.00 per Society year. ($ $5.00 Initial Processing Fee) Renewal Dues are $20.00 per Society year. (due 12 months from the date of joining and every 12 months thereafter) Reinstatement Dues (For Expired Membership) are $25.00 ($ $5.00 Reinstatement Fee). FAMILY MEMBERSHIPS ARE FOR THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY INCLUDING CHILDREN RESIDING WITH PARENTS. CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE ARE CONSIDERED JUNIOR MEMBERS. PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO THE GEORGIA MINERAL SOCIETY, INC. THE GEORGIA MINERAL SOCIETY, INC. P.O. BOX ATLANTA, GEORGIA ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED PLEASE FORWARD FIRST CLASS