From hammerron at yahoo.com Tue May 1 03:51:28 2007 From: hammerron at yahoo.com (The Hammer) Date: Tue May 1 03:51:37 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Copper/Chemistry question Message-ID: <61040.66780.qm@web83515.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Hope this is not too off topic.This was a question out of a chemistry quiz: When 5.37 g of black copper(II) oxide are mixed with excess sulfuric acid, the solution turns a clear blue, indicating the formation of copper(II) sulfate. How many grams of copper(II) sulphate will be formed in this double displacement reaction? Further questions: What exactly is copper (II)? I don't understand the designation. Also, what is black copper oxide? Thank all. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From codeburner at gmail.com Tue May 1 04:57:59 2007 From: codeburner at gmail.com (J Bryan Kramer) Date: Tue May 1 04:58:01 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Copper/Chemistry question In-Reply-To: <61040.66780.qm@web83515.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> References: <61040.66780.qm@web83515.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Not to be rude but if you are taking a chemistry course and don't know the answers to those questions then you are in deep trouble. Cu(II) refers to the +2 valence or oxidation state of copper, the other common one is +1 which would be Cu(I) Copper(II) oxide = CuO Copper(I) oxide = Cu2O BK On 5/1/07, The Hammer wrote: > > Hope this is not too off topic.This was a question out of a chemistry > quiz: > > When 5.37 g of black copper(II) oxide are mixed with excess sulfuric acid, > the solution turns a clear blue, indicating the formation of copper(II) > sulfate. How many grams of copper(II) sulphate will be formed in this > double displacement reaction? > > Further questions: > > What exactly is copper (II)? > I don't understand the designation. > > Also, what is black copper oxide? > > Thank all. > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From richard_j.margolis at roche.com Tue May 1 05:03:58 2007 From: richard_j.margolis at roche.com (Margolis, Richard J.) Date: Tue May 1 05:04:36 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Copper/Chemistry question In-Reply-To: References: <61040.66780.qm@web83515.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <581F9B45F974384EAF2E1D54817D191B041F58FF@rnumsem03.nala.roche.com> The easiest method to calculate the answer to the problem is understanding mass balance. Grams/molecular weight= grams/molecular weight. The weight in grams of cupric oxide/MW of cupric oxide= weight in grams of cupric sulfate/MW of cupric sulfate. It is an easy problem to solve with only one unknown. Richard Margolis -----Original Message----- From: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of J Bryan Kramer Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 7:58 AM To: The Hammer; Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Copper/Chemistry question Not to be rude but if you are taking a chemistry course and don't know the answers to those questions then you are in deep trouble. Cu(II) refers to the +2 valence or oxidation state of copper, the other common one is +1 which would be Cu(I) Copper(II) oxide = CuO Copper(I) oxide = Cu2O BK On 5/1/07, The Hammer wrote: > > Hope this is not too off topic.This was a question out of a chemistry > quiz: > > When 5.37 g of black copper(II) oxide are mixed with excess sulfuric > acid, the solution turns a clear blue, indicating the formation of > copper(II) sulfate. How many grams of copper(II) sulphate will be > formed in this double displacement reaction? > > Further questions: > > What exactly is copper (II)? > I don't understand the designation. > > Also, what is black copper oxide? > > Thank all. > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From volgems at icx.net Tue May 1 05:05:25 2007 From: volgems at icx.net (John Teague) Date: Tue May 1 05:05:31 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Copper/Chemistry question Message-ID: <23485234.1178021125255.JavaMail.root@mswamui-chipeau.atl.sa.earthlink.net> Hammer, You can expect around 10.8 g of copper(II) sulfate depending on the yield. Copper(II) means that the copper cations have a +2 oxidation state. Copper can have either a +1 or a +2 oxidation state, that is, copper can either share/transfer one or two electrons in compound formation. John Teague Knoxville, Tennessee -----Original Message----- >From: The Hammer >Sent: May 1, 2007 6:51 AM >To: post Rockhounds >Subject: [Rockhounds] Copper/Chemistry question > >Hope this is not too off topic.This was a question out of a chemistry quiz: > >When 5.37 g of black copper(II) oxide are mixed with excess sulfuric acid, the solution turns a clear blue, indicating the formation of copper(II) sulfate. How many grams of copper(II) sulphate will be formed in this double displacement reaction? > >Further questions: > >What exactly is copper (II)? >I don't understand the designation. > >Also, what is black copper oxide? > >Thank all. > > > > >--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html >--- >-- >_______________________________________________ >Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >Subscription Services: >http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From Pmodreski at aol.com Tue May 1 05:41:32 2007 From: Pmodreski at aol.com (Pmodreski@aol.com) Date: Tue May 1 05:41:45 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Copper/Chemistry question Message-ID: Giving benefit of a doubt that maybe this was from some other person's chemistry quiz that you happened to look at, or... whatever, I'll just add a little further answer without expecting any more previous chemistry knowledge... In the older terminology (still seen in books & articles & still used by us old-timers), copper (I) oxide is also known as cuprous oxide, and copper (II) oxide would be cupric oxide. I'm sure they still teach the meaning of these terms (i.e., also ferrous and ferric, = Fe+2 and Fe+3) but only for historic interest & to understand older publications, as they are considered unecessary terms now. Copper (I) oxide, Cu2O, occurs as the mineral cuprite, and it's red, hence "red copper oxide".* Copper (II) oxide, CuO, is indeed black, and it occurs as the mineral tenorite. Tenorite is not terribly well known to mineral collectors, because it occurs in near-surface, very oxidized zones of copper deposits, and it is usually black, massive, with no evidence of crystal structure. It tends to be associated with chrysocolla, malachite, and azurite; so, if one sees velvety- or coaly-black material as veins or coatings with those minerals, it is likely to be tenorite. * and a side note on that, in the very old days, when the Franklin, New Jersey zinc deposits were first discovered by Dutch prospectors, the red zinc oxide mineral, zincite, was assumed to be this "red oxyde of copper" and quantities were actually mined in the 1600s and shipped to Europe for smelting, only frustrating the metallurgists because they could never succeed in extracting any copper from it. (I think I've got this story basically right, right, Earl?) Cheers, Pete Modreski ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From DrkHorse42 at aol.com Tue May 1 07:07:08 2007 From: DrkHorse42 at aol.com (DrkHorse42@aol.com) Date: Tue May 1 07:07:25 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Bezoar Stone Message-ID: Is anyone on the list working with Bezoar stone ? Does it have any actual power based on its mineral content ? Just curious .......... ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From everbeek at sterlinghillminingmuseum.org Tue May 1 07:20:34 2007 From: everbeek at sterlinghillminingmuseum.org (Earl R. Verbeek) Date: Tue May 1 07:20:24 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Copper/Chemistry question In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <000001c78bfb$e1dfa110$2101a8c0@D3JM7W21> Pete Modreski wrote: * and a side note on that, in the very old days, when the Franklin, New Jersey zinc deposits were first discovered by Dutch prospectors, the red zinc oxide mineral, zincite, was assumed to be this "red oxyde of copper" and quantities were actually mined in the 1600s and shipped to Europe for smelting, only frustrating the metallurgists because they could never succeed in extracting any copper from it. (I think I've got this story basically right, right, Earl?) -------------------- Yep, Pete, zincite was indeed shipped to Europe as a supposed copper ore, the red zincite being mistaken for cuprite. The problem was compounded by the occurrence, here and there, of secondary copper minerals such as malachite, azurite, chrysocolla, and aurichalcite, all derived from small quantities of chalcocite in and near the zinc orebody. All of these minerals are brightly colored and are weathering products -- thus they were among the first things a visitor to this locality would see. They ARE copper minerals, of course, so early prospectors, upon breaking open the rock and seeing all that red zincite, naturally assumed it was cuprite instead. In reality there's not much copper around here, but it's highly visible due to those secondary weathering products. On another side note, the history of franklinite is interesting in a similar way. Originally it was mistaken for magnetite, a closely related mineral of identical color and crystal form. However, franklinite doesn't smelt as easily as magnetite, and early attempts to smelt franklinite for its iron content met with failure. Instead of having molten iron issue from the furnace upon firing, what they got instead was a dense metallic mass [referred to as a "salamander"] that congealed in the bottom of the furnace. The furnace then had to be dismantled, the salamander pulled out by a team of oxen, and the furnace rebuilt. One can imagine that the ironmaster assumed that some mistake had been made during firing, and tried it again! The first 200 years of dealing with the Franklin and Sterling Hill deposits were mostly an unfolding story of one frustration after another, and successful mining really began only in the 1850's. Cheers- Earl Verbeek From anthony.schlinsog at chca.com Tue May 1 07:34:10 2007 From: anthony.schlinsog at chca.com (Anthony Schlinsog) Date: Tue May 1 07:34:23 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Bezoar Stone In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <88141DBF4B963244AC4DAC5E82C06F7194F5DA@chcasrvmail1.chca.com> I probably shouldn't ask this, but can you define what you mean by "power"....??! This is May 1st and not April 1st, isn't it? :) Anthony -----Original Message----- From: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of DrkHorse42@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 9:07 AM To: rockhounds@lists.drizzle.com Subject: [Rockhounds] Bezoar Stone Is anyone on the list working with Bezoar stone ? Does it have any actual power based on its mineral content ? Just curious .......... ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From axel.emmermann at pandora.be Tue May 1 09:27:41 2007 From: axel.emmermann at pandora.be (Axel Emmermann) Date: Tue May 1 09:27:42 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Bezoar Stone In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <000301c78c0d$a40ce340$6601a8c0@AxelHP> Actually, Bezoar stones have the power to fascinate people. Professor Van Tassel (Vantasselite) has done some studying on them and he's still an avid collector of entheroliths. Have you tried Google or Wikipedia? The other power of the Bezoar: send this mail to at least 20 people... If you break the chain you will experience the power of the Bezoar and one will grow inside you. ;-))) Cheers Axel > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens > DrkHorse42@aol.com > Verzonden: dinsdag 1 mei 2007 15:07 > Aan: rockhounds@lists.drizzle.com > Onderwerp: [Rockhounds] Bezoar Stone > > Is anyone on the list working with Bezoar stone ? > Does it have any actual power based on its mineral content ? > Just curious .......... > > > > ************************************** See what's free at > http://www.aol.com. > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From dr00bert at gmail.com Tue May 1 09:34:25 2007 From: dr00bert at gmail.com (Drew) Date: Tue May 1 09:34:32 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Bezoar Stone In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <7aac8040705010934q2c703ea9ob03b8043c0148854@mail.gmail.com> On 5/1/07, DrkHorse42@aol.com wrote: > > Is anyone on the list working with Bezoar stone ? > Does it have any actual power based on its mineral content ? Just curious > .......... I thought at first that you were speaking of "healing" properties (like the claims made all over), but I did a little search and did find the following text, "Modern examinations of the properties of bezoars by Gustaf Arrhenius and Andrew A. Benson of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have shown that they could, when immersed in an arsenic-laced solution, remove the poison. The toxic compounds in arsenic are arsenate and arsenite. Each is acted upon differently, but effectively, by bezoar stones. Arsenate is removed by being exchanged for phosphate in the mineral brushite, a crystalline structure found in the stones. Arsenite is found to bond to sulfur compounds in the protein of degraded hair, which is a key component in bezoars." This is from I don't know how much truth there is to this, but it is interesting nonetheless... Drew --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From larryrush at worldnet.att.net Wed May 2 08:53:34 2007 From: larryrush at worldnet.att.net (Lawrence Rush) Date: Wed May 2 08:53:00 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Swiss Gwindle Quartz (Advertisement) References: <200704250101.l3P10xtd025495@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <001501c7870e$f0bd05c0$6801a8c0@rock6> Message-ID: <000601c78cd2$0ae32e70$0b45294b@LarryRush> This is a blatant advertisement...hit delete now if you are not interested.................... The March/April issue of Mineralogical Record contains an excellent article by Tom Moore on the formation and occurrences of the "twisted" curved face forms of quartz from the Alpine clefts. It turned on a dim light in my memory, and prompted me to go search through the jumbled mess of boxes in my garage, and sure enough...I found several of the colorless variety of these stored away from a trade of some years ago.These are not as well demonstrated as those in Tom's article, but do represent what he writes about. Anyone interested can see these on my site at: http://www.ConnRoxMinerals.com/Gwindles.html Larry Rush From tangojuli at yahoo.com Wed May 2 12:33:23 2007 From: tangojuli at yahoo.com (tango juli) Date: Wed May 2 12:33:25 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] New Madrid news/equake proofing collections Message-ID: <298122.28514.qm@web60817.mail.yahoo.com> I've been paying some attention to e-quakes lately as I contemplate where to put and anchor my mineral display cases in my house here at Fault Junction (between Landers and Salton Sea, CA). The link below to the New Madrid Fault in MO discusses an interesting new theory as to the cause of the New Madrid and some dire predictions. I'm wondering if I'm less likely out here near Landers for a major tremblor after reading that (smile). http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070502/sc_livescience/sourceofmajorearthquakesdiscoveredbeneathusheartland QUESTION: California & earthquake zone collectors: Do you hard or soft anchor your mineral cases? Does anyone have experience with success with any strategies they used during any of the major quakes to secure your minerals from damage and would you share them? I'd also be interested in your strategies even if you have been lucky to Not have them tested yet:) I have heard conflicting things about whether to hard anchor (steel brackets from case to the studs) or soft anchor (more flexibility) with cable or webbed straps. Since I just declined earthquake insurance with its $30K deductible, I need to Save the Minerals, Save the World [bad Heros reference). I was pleased to find Museum gel at Home Depot recently and saw it used at one collector's house. It really seems to work and is very inconspicuous and easy to remove even from the more porous and fragile borates. Welcome your advice before I start putting stuff out. Thanks, tina-teetering-on-the-fault-line --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From deepskyspy at insightbb.com Wed May 2 19:18:09 2007 From: deepskyspy at insightbb.com (Alan Goldstein) Date: Wed May 2 19:17:39 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] New Madrid news/equake proofing collections References: <298122.28514.qm@web60817.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <007101c78d29$4b5d4dd0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> An interesting topic... Have you contacted any museums in the region and talk to the curators? This is a major issue with the Clement Mineral Museum - in the shadow of New Madrid - whose roof is cast concrete! Thinking about the diversity of specimens, I suspect different minerals will have different needs. Hard jolts will certainly affect delicate specimens (either crystals or odd-shaped specimens that could be top-heavy). In those cases, softening the motion would be the best bet. How to do it is another matter. I see several stages of analysis, each having a direct impact on the specimen(s) in question. Starting on the big end... No matter how secure your shelving is, if the roof or wall collapses onto your specimens, they're in trouble. Your best bet is to keep the specimens as close to ground-level as as possible. A basement would be even better! If your structure is designed to be flexible, your storage units probably should be as well! If it is fixed, you still have the option of going either way. If the cabinet is flexible, you have the risk of having shelving twist in multiple directions. How will the specimens move? Specimens in boxes sitting on the shelf could pile on top of on another as the vibrations hit so dampening the vibration on each shelf is critical. One possible method is to use 2" thick planks of Ethafoam on your shelves. Ethafoam is a closed cell, acid free material which can absorb vibration around individual specimens. Cut and outline of the specimen in its most stable resting position and put it in snuggly (not super-tight) in the foam. I use 48" x 108" planks that are cut to fit in drawers of our Lane Scientific cabinets. They can be made to fit on open or closed cabinet shelves. You want to be able to remove the Ethafoam containing your specimens from the shelf/drawer without dropping it on the floor, so don't make them too big! Ethafoam is used to pack electronics in boxes. You can find a distributor in most major cities. There is a cheaper laminated Ethafoam, but the layers are glued to the desired thickness and they are harder to carve as a result. I suggest the non-laminated material. You can carve scrap pieces to help secure unwieldy specimens by gluing or inserting a stiff rod (metal or wood) to attach it to the main plank. While not the most attractive base, I use Ethafoam pieces to secure some specimens for display. It doesn't have the permanency of hot glue but keeps the specimen upright for my purposes. I used Ethafoam to secure several thousand Troost collection specimens at the Louisville Science Center in the late '80s - early 90s. I've recently used it to secure over 1000 projectile points and bone tools in our park's collections. I hope this helps give you some ideas for your situation! Alan ----- Original Message ----- From: "tango juli" To: "rockhounds list" Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 3:33 PM Subject: [Rockhounds] New Madrid news/equake proofing collections > I've been paying some attention to e-quakes lately as I contemplate where > to put and anchor my mineral display cases in my house here at Fault > Junction (between Landers and Salton Sea, CA). > The link below to the New Madrid Fault in MO discusses an interesting new > theory as to the cause of the New Madrid and some dire predictions. I'm > wondering if I'm less likely out here near Landers for a major tremblor > after reading that (smile). > > http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070502/sc_livescience/sourceofmajorearthquakesdiscoveredbeneathusheartland > > QUESTION: California & earthquake zone collectors: Do you hard or soft > anchor your mineral cases? Does anyone have experience with success with > any strategies they used during any of the major quakes to secure your > minerals from damage and would you share them? > I'd also be interested in your strategies even if you have been lucky to > Not have them tested yet:) > I have heard conflicting things about whether to hard anchor (steel > brackets from case to the studs) or soft anchor (more flexibility) with > cable or webbed straps. Since I just declined earthquake insurance with > its $30K deductible, I need to Save the Minerals, Save the World [bad > Heros reference). > > I was pleased to find Museum gel at Home Depot recently and saw it used > at one collector's house. It really seems to work and is very > inconspicuous and easy to remove even from the more porous and fragile > borates. > > Welcome your advice before I start putting stuff out. > Thanks, > tina-teetering-on-the-fault-line > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From bmainc at qeeg.com Wed May 2 20:57:23 2007 From: bmainc at qeeg.com (John & Liz) Date: Wed May 2 20:57:43 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Re: New Madrid news/equake proofing collections In-Reply-To: <200705030101.l4311bk4002716@bubbleator.drizzle.com> References: <200705030101.l4311bk4002716@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <46395DA3.8040505@qeeg.com> Tina, I don't know how one could truly earthquake-proof a private collection. I've wondered what the museums do. You'd have to be able to take up huge vertical and horizontal movement for some of them. I happened to be sitting in a hot tub in Santa Barbara, CA in the 1980's, when a 5.1- 5.8 (there was some argument) occurred. A little quake. I was calmly gazing off into the coastal foothills, when I saw a wave go through the hills, coming toward me. Truly. The hills moved. Not supposed to do that! When it arrived, it felt like being in a teacup that someone (large) picked up and sloshed around. It lasted maybe 30 second, rolling, shaking. When I went into my home, I found the contents of bookcases had been projected - thrown - clean across the livingroom, 9 - 12 feet. Absolutely stunning display of force. Fortunately the few minerals I had at the time were packed in boxes on a concrete floor and were uninjured. And that was a small quake. Accelerometers at UC Santa Barbara measured lateral acceleration from 0.45 to 0.96 g (1 g being equal to the downward force of gravity. That's a lot. So objects on a shelf would be suddenly subject to a downward vector of force (45 degrees, aimed at the floor) of 1.4 g, if I remember any physics... Could be enough to cause heavy rocks to break glass shelves. So, you'd have to fasten the cases very well to the studs, hope the house stands, collect miniatures (lower mass) and use a great gob of goo under each one. And remember to glue down the shelves tightly, too. The San Fernando Valley (Sylmar) quake of 1971 was a 6.6 and very destructive locally, 65 deaths, two collapsed hospitals, a dam, freeway interchange.... It lifted the San Bernadino mountain range as much as 8 feet. There was and average 3 foot vertical and 3 foot horizontal displacement of the land. To put that in perspective, the great (magnitude 8+) 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake is believed to have involved a fault (San Andreas) slipping more than 20 ft.and a surface rupture extended more than 200 mi. from Cholame Valley to Cajon Pass during that earthquake. Well, everything is impermanent... Good luck. John Nash Edina, MN (far from New Madrid, San Andreas, but you never know about that Lake Superior rift) ------------------------------ >Message: 2 >Date: Wed, 2 May 2007 12:33:23 -0700 (PDT) >From: tango juli >Subject: [Rockhounds] New Madrid news/equake proofing collections >To: rockhounds list >Message-ID: <298122.28514.qm@web60817.mail.yahoo.com> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > >I've been paying some attention to e-quakes lately as I contemplate where to put and anchor my mineral display cases in my house here at Fault Junction (between Landers and Salton Sea, CA). > The link below to the New Madrid Fault in MO discusses an interesting new theory as to the cause of the New Madrid and some dire predictions. I'm wondering if I'm less likely out here near Landers for a major tremblor after reading that (smile). > http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070502/sc_livescience/sourceofmajorearthquakesdiscoveredbeneathusheartland > > QUESTION: California & earthquake zone collectors: Do you hard or soft anchor your mineral cases? Does anyone have experience with success with any strategies they used during any of the major quakes to secure your minerals from damage and would you share them? > I'd also be interested in your strategies even if you have been lucky to Not have them tested yet:) > I have heard conflicting things about whether to hard anchor (steel brackets from case to the studs) or soft anchor (more flexibility) with cable or webbed straps. Since I just declined earthquake insurance with its $30K deductible, I need to Save the Minerals, Save the World [bad Heros reference). > > I was pleased to find Museum gel at Home Depot recently and saw it used at one collector's house. It really seems to work and is very inconspicuous and easy to remove even from the more porous and fragile borates. > > Welcome your advice before I start putting stuff out. > Thanks, > tina-teetering-on-the-fault-line > > > >--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html >--- > > >------------------------------ > > > From kahako at hawaiiantel.net Wed May 2 22:09:00 2007 From: kahako at hawaiiantel.net (Kitty & Bill Heacox) Date: Wed May 2 22:09:07 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] New Madrid news/equake proofing collections In-Reply-To: <298122.28514.qm@web60817.mail.yahoo.com> References: <298122.28514.qm@web60817.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <4630C94A001468B3@n120.sc0.he.tucows.com> (added by postmaster@bouncemessage.net) After our 6.7 earthquake last October, all our eight free-standing cabinets survived with very little damage to contents; two of those cabinets contained china and crystal glassware, the remaining six held rocks and minerals. We did not have any items secured with museum (or any other variety of) tack. The few incidents of damage were minor. Items that were sitting on TOP of the cabinets did fall to the floor (and when those items were rocks, they produced dents in the floor!). On the other hand, in our study, we found hundreds of books had been tossed onto the floor from the 15 bookcases that are bolted to the wall. That would seem to indicate that allowing free movement is better than firm attachment to walls. We also lived on Japan for three years and sometimes cursed the cold winter breezes that went through the loosely constructed walls of our rental house, but when we had earthquakes, the house and shoji screens simply shook but didn't break. And in Tokyo we were pleased to stay a night in 1968 at the Imperial Hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1923 it was deliberately built on pilings sunk in a swamp so that it would be able to move during an earthquake, and sure enough, a few months after it was completed a devastating earthquake destroyed most major buildings in Tokyo, but the Imperial Hotel survived intact. (see http://oldtokyo.com/imperial1923.html for story and great photos of the hotel). Unfortunately the hotel did not survive modern development and other problems, and it was torn down in 1969. So my vote is for letting things move fairly freely. Aloha, Kitty (recovering from a total knee replacement) At 09:33 AM 5/2/2007, you wrote: > QUESTION: California & earthquake zone collectors: Do you hard or > soft anchor your mineral cases? Does anyone have experience with > success with any strategies they used during any of the major > quakes to secure your minerals from damage and would you share them? > I'd also be interested in your strategies even if you have been > lucky to Not have them tested yet:) > I have heard conflicting things about whether to hard anchor > (steel brackets from case to the studs) or soft anchor (more > flexibility) with cable or webbed straps. Since I just declined > earthquake insurance with its $30K deductible, I need to Save the > Minerals, Save the World [bad Heros reference). From jr50wv at yahoo.com Thu May 3 04:18:42 2007 From: jr50wv at yahoo.com (J. R. Hodel) Date: Thu May 3 04:18:46 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Earthquakes and your collection Message-ID: <810841.40864.qm@web56312.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Hi Tina: Good question. I just got through telling a co-worker who is building bookcases to be sure to anchor them to the wall to keep them from becoming a hazard here in WV. There was an article in Mineralogical Record not too long ago about a collector who lost many specimens in one of the more recent earthquakes out west. He spent most of his discussion on how to keep the same thing from happening to others, after a short obituary about his own rocky tragedy. So I recommend looking up that pretty exhaustive article. Good luck, and welcome to the wobbly west coast. JR --------------------------------- Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From jaybates at rcn.com Thu May 3 07:54:26 2007 From: jaybates at rcn.com (jaybates) Date: Thu May 3 07:51:26 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Earthquakes and your collection References: <810841.40864.qm@web56312.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <003f01c78d92$f21bd380$6501a8c0@cable.rcn.com> I live in the San Francisco Bay area and all our bookcases etc. are bolted to the wall. We use "earthquake putty" (same as museum putty) under all moveable objects on shelves. We came through the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1971 just fine, not losing anything off the shelves. We did get quite a few cracks in the plaster and stucco. ----- Original Message ----- From: J. R. Hodel To: Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 4:18 AM Subject: [Rockhounds] Earthquakes and your collection > Hi Tina: > > Good question. I just got through telling a co-worker who is building bookcases to be sure to anchor them to the wall to keep them from becoming a hazard here in WV. There was an article in Mineralogical Record not too long ago about a collector who lost many specimens in one of the more recent earthquakes out west. > > He spent most of his discussion on how to keep the same thing from happening to others, after a short obituary about his own rocky tragedy. So I recommend looking up that pretty exhaustive article. > > Good luck, and welcome to the wobbly west coast. > > JR > > --------------------------------- > Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? > Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.2/784 - Release Date: 5/1/07 2:57 PM > > From kahako at hawaiiantel.net Thu May 3 10:18:48 2007 From: kahako at hawaiiantel.net (Kitty & Bill Heacox) Date: Thu May 3 10:18:51 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Earthquakes and your collection In-Reply-To: <810841.40864.qm@web56312.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <810841.40864.qm@web56312.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <46332AA700104BED@n016.sc0.he.tucows.com> (added by postmaster@bouncemessage.net) Earlier when I said I favored allowing things to move fairly freely, I should have mentioned that although there were hundreds of books that were thrown off our bookshelves, we were glad that they were bolted to the wall. Each book cabinet is solid wood, about seven feet tall, and if one had fallen over it could have killed a child or pet. The free-standing rock cabinets where no damage occurred are smaller and less likely to cause injury. Aloha, Kitty, on the Big Island where we had another 4.0 earthquake yesterday. At 01:18 AM 5/3/2007, you wrote: >Hi Tina: > > Good question. I just got through telling a co-worker who is > building bookcases to be sure to anchor them to the wall to keep > them from becoming a hazard here in WV. There was an article in > Mineralogical Record not too long ago about a collector who lost > many specimens in one of the more recent earthquakes out west. > > He spent most of his discussion on how to keep the same thing from > happening to others, after a short obituary about his own rocky > tragedy. So I recommend looking up that pretty exhaustive article. > > Good luck, and welcome to the wobbly west coast. > > JR > >-- From mstreman53 at yahoo.com Thu May 3 10:27:57 2007 From: mstreman53 at yahoo.com (Mr EMan) Date: Thu May 3 10:28:00 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Earthquakes and your collection-The Malibu Solution In-Reply-To: <810841.40864.qm@web56312.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <71602.90941.qm@web51001.mail.re2.yahoo.com> In the what it is worth category: A friend living in Malibu had the same concern, so we brainstormed it and came up with using a noose made from saltwater wire rope fishing leaders, made to length. The free end was formed into a small loop with a crimped collar/bead and threaded back through the loop to form the noose. The swivel end was affixed with a screw to the shelf. We knocked them out in an afternoon. The loops could be loosened at will for inspection and tightened back without tools. He used a friction clip to keep the noose from slipping loose. Taller items used an upper and lower noose. The noose also reduced artifacts from easily "walking off" during non-quakes as well. Off course the display cabinets were secured to the wall. Some objects toppled but did not fall from the shelf He didn't loose anything restrained with the nooses at his shop in North Hollywood during the Northridge quake. Some countertop and floor standing items did not fare as well. So I guess the technique does work and isn't as unsightly as it may sound. The leader wire is quiet small. One might be able to substitute Spider-Wire? or similar high strength fishing line. Elton --- "J. R. Hodel" wrote: > Hi Tina: > > Good question. I just got through telling a > co-worker who is building bookcases to be sure to > anchor them to the wall ... From sauktown1 at yahoo.com Thu May 3 11:36:54 2007 From: sauktown1 at yahoo.com (Jim Daly) Date: Thu May 3 11:36:57 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] AD: Microminerals from Sauktown Sales Message-ID: <35171.33340.qm@web34301.mail.mud.yahoo.com> A new update to the price list of microminerals from Sauktown Sales will be posted later today on www.sauktown.com This month's new additions include some uncommon species from Italian type localities: cerchiaraite, cetineite, montesommaite and pillaite. Other type locality specimens are cornetite and kochsandorite. Most of these are only one or two of each, so they will be gone quickly. I've also added material from another copper mine in Michigan, the Laurium Mine. I still have a few more mines to work through from last year's collecting. More photos have been added to the Dryer list, and some of the earlier ones have been redone, since my technique has improved. Apparently you can teach an old dog new tricks. It just takes longer! I've had to increase the price on some of the plastic micromount boxes. Black bottom/clear top is now 24 cents each. The others remain at 20 cents each. I seem to have made a miscalculation, and find I've been taking a beating on them! Jim Daly Sauktown Sales www.sauktown.com orders@sauktown.com --------------------------------- Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From axel.emmermann at pandora.be Fri May 4 09:31:34 2007 From: axel.emmermann at pandora.be (Axel Emmermann) Date: Fri May 4 09:31:32 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Was Questions about Oxalic Acid now Acetic acid In-Reply-To: <46353CA4.4FC3@Tomaszewski.net> References: <462D6088.252B@Tomaszewski.net> <46317059.4540@Tomaszewski.net><97175ae90704270819g717f13e5jf6dc3deb981c34b2@mail.gmail.com> <46329AEB.5090@Tomaszewski.net><000601c78983$5f64a160$6601a8c0@AxelHP> <46353CA4.4FC3@Tomaszewski.net> Message-ID: <001601c78e69$ae5d2a40$6601a8c0@AxelHP> Kreigh, Have you any idea what beer weighs? I mean the sizeable quantities that a Belgian would find worth while taking with him into the quarry. Then, should we find ample specimens, we cannot qarry both the beer AND the rocks from the cuarry. There will be no prisoners taken... Survivors will have to be drunk at the site. Then again...sloshing up all the way to the car we realize that drinking up all the beer does NOT rid us of its weight. Luckily, without any waist of time the beer goes straight to the waste so we can hoist each other out of the quarry by our love-handles. This to demonstrate that Belgian beer DOES affect the human brain. Now, somewhat more to the point: as usual, my wife found the most remarkable specimen of an otherwise dull day. It's a small 2 mm crystal of very dark blue (like azurite) fluorite. It's remarkable because the fluorite has a habit that lies somewhere between cubic and octahedral, closer to cubic. I never saw one like that before. It sticks out of the massive calcite matrix for about 1/3 but I would like to see more of it exposed. So, I plan to soak it in plain kitchen-strength acetic acid, vinegar. How long should I fizzle it? Any idea? Someone? The fluorites that catch my attention are usually much larger and fluorescent as I don't collect micromounts. This one's special though...maybe even worth a photo. Cheers Axel > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens Kreigh > Tomaszewski > Verzonden: maandag 30 april 2007 1:54 > Aan: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > collectors > Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] Re: Questions about Oxalic Acid > and Cleaning Quartz > > Azel, > > Make micromounts. (With a side of beer after that hot collecting). > > Kreigh > > > Axel Emmermann wrote: > > > > Kreigh wrote > > > > > On some days, like today, my sunshine is a bit diffused > from all the > > > clouds, but at least we're seeing sunshine. Better than a > few months > > > ago when we were going to and from work in the snow and the dark. > > > Spring is finally here. > > > > No, summer is here... We have been sweating in temperatures > from 24? > > up to 30?C for two weeks now. Last Theusday we ate in our > garden and > > stayed there until 1 AM. It has not rained here yet this month. > > April 2007 will go in the history books as the dryest... > Wheather man > > says at least 5 records will be pulverized. > > Tropical Belgium? Next we'll be brewing palmbeer ;-))) Did three > > quarries last Sunday... Brought home 1 fluorite crystal of > about 2 mm > > , some minute aragonite (Resteigne) and some fluorescing calcite > > (Beez) that is also too small to make a display... Small > country, small minerals? > > ;-))) > > > > Cheers > > > > Axel > > > > -- > > _______________________________________________ > > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > > Subscription Services: > > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From kevwcamp at hotmail.com Fri May 4 11:39:40 2007 From: kevwcamp at hotmail.com (Kevin Campbell) Date: Fri May 4 11:39:43 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Petrified wood makes front page of Seattle Times Message-ID: Although petrified wood is indeed the state gem of Washington, I was surprised (and happy) to see it make the front page of this morning's paper. Here's the online link: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003693024_stoneforest04m.html Regards, Kevin _________________________________________________________________ News, entertainment and everything you care about at Live.com. Get it now! http://www.live.com/getstarted.aspx --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From rocknate at gmail.com Fri May 4 12:12:06 2007 From: rocknate at gmail.com (Nathan Martin) Date: Fri May 4 12:12:10 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Re: 2mm Fluorite Specimen, Was Questions about Oxalic Acid now Acetic acid Message-ID: Axel, I wonder if your wife may have found a* tetrahexahedron-shaped fluorite (see http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/xtal/part3.html). I have a similar sized color-zoned fluorite crystal from Trumbull, Connecticut that I found a few years ago that exhibits the classic **tetrahexahedron form and it is a delight to look at with either a hand lens or under a scope. You really should reconsider and start collecting micromounts as well. I now collect micros as well as fluorescent minerals and miniature to cabinet sized specimens. The advantage of this is that I can rationalize bringing home almost any specimen I encounter based on one of these categories. best regards, Nate Martin Lexington, MA * On 5/4/07, Axel Emmermann wrote: > > Kreigh, > > ....... > > Now, somewhat more to the point: as usual, my wife found the most > remarkable > specimen of an otherwise dull day. It's a small 2 mm crystal of very dark > blue (like azurite) fluorite. It's remarkable because the fluorite has a > habit that lies somewhere between cubic and octahedral, closer to cubic. I > never saw one like that before. > It sticks out of the massive calcite matrix for about 1/3 but I would like > to see more of it exposed. So, I plan to soak it in plain kitchen-strength > acetic acid, vinegar. > How long should I fizzle it? Any idea? Someone? > The fluorites that catch my attention are usually much larger and > fluorescent as I don't collect micromounts. This one's special > though...maybe even worth a photo. > > Cheers > > Axel > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From Paintricks at aol.com Fri May 4 13:10:56 2007 From: Paintricks at aol.com (Paintricks@aol.com) Date: Fri May 4 13:11:10 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Fluorite and gold mine on my property. Got a question Message-ID: Hey guys, I now live in Cripple Creek Colorado and have about 25 gold mines within my immediate area. A few shaft mines have been punched and I know from the amount of prospecting here that there are gold deposits here. Thing is, it's about 600 + feet down. The main shaft I enjoy being in has very tiny Fluorite crystals in the quartz crystal areas. What I want to know is, are there any of you familiar with UV hand helds and would it be a good idea to use one for locating the veins better. Short wave or long? Fluorite is found with gold and that is a good sign that there may be better pickins' in this shaft. Looking to open back up the claim. Even for the fluorite. Gold would be nice tho. Thanks, Kevin ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From codeburner at gmail.com Fri May 4 13:27:53 2007 From: codeburner at gmail.com (J Bryan Kramer) Date: Fri May 4 13:27:57 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Fluorite and gold mine on my property. Got a question In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Not all fluorite is fluorescent is it? You might want to verify yours is before buying a lamp. BK On 5/4/07, Paintricks@aol.com wrote: > > Hey guys, > I now live in Cripple Creek Colorado and have about 25 gold > mines within > my immediate area. A few shaft mines have been punched and I know from > the > amount of prospecting here that there are gold deposits here. Thing is, > it's > about 600 + feet down. The main shaft I enjoy being in has very tiny > Fluorite > crystals in the quartz crystal areas. > What I want to know is, are there any of you familiar with UV > hand helds > and would it be a good idea to use one for locating the veins better. > Short > wave or long? > Fluorite is found with gold and that is a good sign that there may be > better pickins' in this shaft. Looking to open back up the claim. Even > for the > fluorite. Gold would be nice tho. > Thanks, > Kevin > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From rocknate at gmail.com Fri May 4 14:23:12 2007 From: rocknate at gmail.com (Nathan Martin) Date: Fri May 4 14:23:14 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Fluorite and gold mine on my property. Got a question In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Kevin, Brian is quite correct that not all fluorite is fluorescent and you should definitely take a sample to someone with a UV light before spending any money. If your fluorite does turn out to be fluorescent then it almost surely will have more fluorescent under longwave UV light. If so your cheapest solution would be to get one of the longwave UV LED flashlights that are sold as forensic flashlights (see http://stores.ebay.com/1Som-BidSome_UV-Ultraviolet_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ7QQftidZ2QQtZkm). Make sure you get one of the multiple LED units (21 or 32 LEDs) that are in the 380-385nm wavelength range. They will cost a little more but they emit less visible light and are closer to the right UV wavelength for minerals. They still put out a fair amount of visible light so you may want to put a visible light filter over the end of the unit. I had an old scrap of UV filter glass that I was able to cut up (after several failed attempts) and tape to the end of my 21 LED flashlight and it works very well. Its also small and light enough to carry easily on a collecting trip. Good luck with your collecting! Nate Martin Lexington, MA On 5/4/07, J Bryan Kramer wrote: > > Not all fluorite is fluorescent is it? You might want to verify yours is > before buying a lamp. > > BK > > On 5/4/07, Paintricks@aol.com wrote: > > > > Hey guys, > > I now live in Cripple Creek Colorado and have about 25 gold > > mines within > > my immediate area. A few shaft mines have been punched and I know from > > the > > amount of prospecting here that there are gold deposits here. Thing > is, > > it's > > about 600 + feet down. The main shaft I enjoy being in has very tiny > > Fluorite > > crystals in the quartz crystal areas. > > What I want to know is, are there any of you familiar with UV > > hand helds > > and would it be a good idea to use one for locating the veins better. > > Short > > wave or long? > > Fluorite is found with gold and that is a good sign that there may be > > better pickins' in this shaft. Looking to open back up the claim. Even > > for the > > fluorite. Gold would be nice tho. > > Thanks, > > Kevin > > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From agate at cox.net Fri May 4 17:58:08 2007 From: agate at cox.net (Hugh Hammerslag) Date: Fri May 4 17:58:12 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Petrified wood makes front page of Seattle Times Message-ID: <17876448.1178326688762.JavaMail.root@fed1wml11.mgt.cox.net> ---- Kevin Campbell wrote: ============= Although petrified wood is indeed the state gem of Washington, I was surprised (and happy) to see it make the front page of this morning's paper. Here's the online link: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003693024_stoneforest04m.html Regards, Kevin _________________________________________________________________ News, entertainment and everything you care about at Live.com. Get it now! http://www.live.com/getstarted.aspx --- Kevin Thanks for pointing out a great article. It widened my horizon on pet wood. The picture were great. Hugh Hammerslag From roughrock at gmail.com Fri May 4 18:03:44 2007 From: roughrock at gmail.com (Grant Johnston) Date: Fri May 4 18:03:48 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Fluorite and gold mine on my property. Got a question In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On 5/4/07, Paintricks@aol.com wrote: > Gold would be nice tho. ---------------------------------------- Yes Kevin, at $690 an ounce it's very nice indeed. Good luck. And when you see that first fleck of gold be prepared for an illness that is incurable.. When I was a younger man someone took me panning for gold in the Trinity River, Trinity Co., CA. Using a screw driver I dug some sand out of a crevice and panned it out. There was a little fleck of gold in the comma shaped trail of black sand left in my pan. A few minutes later I found my first nugget. It was about the size of the BB's I had used in my Red Ryder special Daisy BB gun when I was a child. Since then I've shoveled hundreds of yards of gravel. I've walked into creeks using waders when there was snow on the ground. I packed a small Keene dredge and a gas can 7 miles into a wilderness area. Now, as I sit at this computer with my back aching from the infirmities of age I ask myself if it was worth it. I never made a big strike and rarely found enough gold to buy the gas my dredge burned. But was it worth it? YES -- ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!! Grant From roughrock at gmail.com Fri May 4 19:24:24 2007 From: roughrock at gmail.com (Grant Johnston) Date: Fri May 4 19:24:26 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Oregon sites, highway 31 or 20? Message-ID: Hello, My wife is going to a High School reunion in Oregon in May. We can go from Lakeview to La Pine on highway 31 -- or go north on 395 then from Riley turn west on 20, The 395-20 route will be a lot longer and gas is expensive but .......... if there were any good rockhounding sites it might be worthwhile. I've heard of Glass Mountain but I can't get excited about digging for obsidian. And if I was going to do that Davis Creek is right on my route. If a shovel is involved I think going on to Plush for sunstones would be more productive. Are there any other rockshops or rockhounding sites between Lakeview and Eugene? I'll probably cross the Cascades on highway 58. Any information is appreciated. Thanks, Grant From Paintricks at aol.com Fri May 4 20:40:12 2007 From: Paintricks at aol.com (Paintricks@aol.com) Date: Fri May 4 20:40:27 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Fluorite and gold mine on my property. Got a question Message-ID: HI Grant, I can relate to many of those conditions. I know I really may never find gold like we all want. I just love being able to make an excuse to go and get into the water. Ice and all. I paint custom bikes and hot rods and I have found that the gold that I pan makes good ingredients for a final touch in a paint job. All I ask is"u want gold with that?". Anyone can use gold leaf but chucks of flake makes a bigger impact. It's gold season and I can't wait to get out. I recently built a sluice so I'm curious of how well it'll work. The river is raging after so much snow and runoff. Speaking of snow and ice, here's a picture on the Arkansas River. Bergs in all. I could only keep my hands in the water in increments but the sun was out so it wasn't miserable. My buddy was with me for the first time out and has wanted to go ever since. Says I look like a big condom, with a reservoir tip. He has our findings in a jar. Good first day for him. Thanks for the help everyone. Kevin ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/mixed multipart/related multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html image/jpeg image/jpeg --- From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Fri May 4 21:34:06 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Fri May 4 21:30:37 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Was Questions about Oxalic Acid now Acetic acid References: <462D6088.252B@Tomaszewski.net> <46317059.4540@Tomaszewski.net><97175ae90704270819g717f13e5jf6dc3deb981c34b2@mail.gmail.com> <46329AEB.5090@Tomaszewski.net><000601c78983$5f64a160$6601a8c0@AxelHP> <46353CA4.4FC3@Tomaszewski.net> <001601c78e69$ae5d2a40$6601a8c0@AxelHP> Message-ID: <463C0862.611@Tomaszewski.net> Axel, I've used vinegar on calcite to expose copper in specimens collected in Michigan's copper country. It works pretty slowly and leaves the calcite with a bright frosted surface. You will probably have to refresh the vinegar once or twice a day. Removing a full mm will probably take a day to two. I would recommend testing on a piece of calcite that is less valuable. Your vinegar may be more potent, or your calcite may be more soluable, than mine. With a 2 mm crystal you don't want to remove too much matrix. But I think the real problem is how to bring your dead soldiers home after collecting rocks. You don't want to leave a comrade in arms out in the field. Maybe the solution is to make a cart to carry your rocks and use kegs for the wheels. Kreigh Axel Emmermann wrote: > > Kreigh, > > Have you any idea what beer weighs? I mean the sizeable quantities that a > Belgian would find worth while taking with him into the quarry. Then, should > we find ample specimens, we cannot qarry both the beer AND the rocks from > the cuarry. > There will be no prisoners taken... Survivors will have to be drunk at the > site. > Then again...sloshing up all the way to the car we realize that drinking up > all the beer does NOT rid us of its weight. > Luckily, without any waist of time the beer goes straight to the waste so we > can hoist each other out of the quarry by our love-handles. > This to demonstrate that Belgian beer DOES affect the human brain. > > Now, somewhat more to the point: as usual, my wife found the most remarkable > specimen of an otherwise dull day. It's a small 2 mm crystal of very dark > blue (like azurite) fluorite. It's remarkable because the fluorite has a > habit that lies somewhere between cubic and octahedral, closer to cubic. I > never saw one like that before. > It sticks out of the massive calcite matrix for about 1/3 but I would like > to see more of it exposed. So, I plan to soak it in plain kitchen-strength > acetic acid, vinegar. > How long should I fizzle it? Any idea? Someone? > The fluorites that catch my attention are usually much larger and > fluorescent as I don't collect micromounts. This one's special > though...maybe even worth a photo. > > Cheers > > Axel > > > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > > Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens Kreigh > > Tomaszewski > > Verzonden: maandag 30 april 2007 1:54 > > Aan: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > > collectors > > Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] Re: Questions about Oxalic Acid > > and Cleaning Quartz > > > > Azel, > > > > Make micromounts. (With a side of beer after that hot collecting). > > > > Kreigh > > > > > > Axel Emmermann wrote: > > > > > > Kreigh wrote > > > > > > > On some days, like today, my sunshine is a bit diffused > > from all the > > > > clouds, but at least we're seeing sunshine. Better than a > > few months > > > > ago when we were going to and from work in the snow and the dark. > > > > Spring is finally here. > > > > > > No, summer is here... We have been sweating in temperatures > > from 24? > > > up to 30?C for two weeks now. Last Theusday we ate in our > > garden and > > > stayed there until 1 AM. It has not rained here yet this month. > > > April 2007 will go in the history books as the dryest... > > Wheather man > > > says at least 5 records will be pulverized. > > > Tropical Belgium? Next we'll be brewing palmbeer ;-))) Did three > > > quarries last Sunday... Brought home 1 fluorite crystal of > > about 2 mm > > > , some minute aragonite (Resteigne) and some fluorescing calcite > > > (Beez) that is also too small to make a display... Small > > country, small minerals? > > > ;-))) > > > > > > Cheers > > > > > > Axel > > > From kahako at hawaiiantel.net Fri May 4 23:55:58 2007 From: kahako at hawaiiantel.net (Kitty & Bill Heacox) Date: Fri May 4 23:56:09 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Petrified wood makes front page of Seattle Times In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4630C94A001BE8B3@n120.sc0.he.tucows.com> (added by postmaster@bouncemessage.net) Thanks for the link, Kevin. For those who are not used to scouring a site for details, look a bit below the photo and see "Related." Click on "Gallery" below that and see 8 really good photos. Aloha, Kitty At 08:39 AM 5/4/2007, you wrote: >Although petrified wood is indeed the state gem of Washington, I was >surprised (and happy) to see it make the front page of this >morning's paper. Here's the online link: >http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003693024_stoneforest04m.html > >Regards, >Kevin From ROCKCURRIER at cs.com Sat May 5 13:01:14 2007 From: ROCKCURRIER at cs.com (ROCKCURRIER@cs.com) Date: Sat May 5 13:01:27 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Fluorite and gold mine on your property Message-ID: <2533E9CF.75C5F10D.3AEB17FB@cs.com> Dear Kevin, I find the description of your gold mine a bit unusual. You say "the main shaft in enjoy being in" A shaft is vertical. Do you have ropes you hang on in your 600 foot deep shaft or a hoist that lets you move up and down in the shaft as you look for and collect your fluorite specimens? If the "shaft" is horizontal and you walk into if from the surface, those tunnels are usually called adits or if they do not have a direct connection to the surface but are horizontal they are usually called drifts. Both shafts (vertical) and adits and drifts (horizontal) are usually not good places to find or collect specimens because the miners usually place them in barren (uneconomical) rock. Usually the shafts, adits, inclines, raises, winces, ore chutes, adits, drifts etc are passage ways in the mine, usually in barren rock that give access to the valuable or ore bearing parts of the mines (stopes) from which the miners remove the valuable ore (in the case of Cripple Creek, gold bearing rock). If your "shaft" allows you access to the stopes where the gold ore has been removed, it is in those areas of the mine that you will probably have a better possibility of finding good mineral specimens or gold ore. Often gaing access to old stopes in an abandoned mine can be difficult and a lot more dangerous than just walking down a tunnel. It often involved a lot of climbing and making your own ladders. Does anything above relate to what your are doing? Rock From Paintricks at aol.com Sat May 5 16:04:32 2007 From: Paintricks at aol.com (Paintricks@aol.com) Date: Sat May 5 16:04:41 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Fluorite and gold mine on your property Message-ID: Hey Rock, This mine is about 20 feet deep and drops down at about a 10 degree angle. It looks like they were following the outcropping of quartz and it played out to solid rock. Much of it is fall in but this rock really looks different than most I encounter. These areas are just prospect holes punched to see if there was anything under the surface. Maybe many inexperienced miners just dug where they thought possibly. It's hard to date any of these places. I still have a lot to learn here. Thanks for the info. Kevin ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From jlkelly1066 at iglide.net Sat May 5 18:42:35 2007 From: jlkelly1066 at iglide.net (jlkelly1066@iglide.net) Date: Sat May 5 18:42:17 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Oregon sites In-Reply-To: <200705060100.l4610kFE001009@bubbleator.drizzle.com> References: <200705060100.l4610kFE001009@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <463D328B.3080709@iglide.net> Grant, There are several sites between Lakeview and Eugene. Tim Fisher has a great disc that has just about everything listed if you are serious. As far as Davis Creek is concerned you can dig if you wish but my sweetheart and I did enough ground collecting to fill more than a couple of buckets of some of the prettiest sheen possible and if you haven't picked up a few gallons of obsidian needles you have missed one of the most interesting anamolies in the country. As far as Glass Buttes is concerned I'll quote Judy Elkins on that. "If you can't find obsidian at Glass Buttes you haven't got your eyes open. Again, beautiful stuff, NOT what you normally expect from obsidian. If I am going to dig I make it a point to go to Hampton Buttes for that amazing green wood and beautiful jasper. And finally, if I am that close I'd drive the extra miles and stop at Richardsons for an hour or so. In a word, there is a heck of a lot close to your route but it ain't gonna jump out in front of you. You are gonna have to do some driving but believe me, it is more than worth it. Kelly From Pmodreski at aol.com Sat May 5 19:01:29 2007 From: Pmodreski at aol.com (Pmodreski@aol.com) Date: Sat May 5 19:01:40 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] about Greensburg, Kansas Message-ID: Dear Rockhounds, As a postscript to the tragic news about the tornado devastation in Greensburg, Kansas, are any of you familiar with that town's geologic/mineralogic connection? For a start, Greensburg is the site of the "Big Well", the "largest hand-dug well" which is also acclaimed as "the only place where you can go down inside the Ogalalla aquifer". And in the same building (or any rate, the building that once existed) which houses the Big Well, is or was on display, "The World's Largest Pallasite". Pallasites are these particularly interesting and beautiful meteorites, composed half of olivine and half of Ni-Fe metal. It's not really the world's largest known pallasite any more, but who's counting. And two years ago, meteorite collector Steve Arnold searched farmer's fields near Greensburg/Haviland with a metal detector pulled by an ATV and located many new meteorites, including the largest, the aerodynamically shaped, till then deeply buried "main mass" of the Brenham/Greensburg pallasite, about 1500 pounds, and which was on display at the 2006 Tucson Show. check the town's website at _http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Greensburg/_ (http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Greensburg/) and click on the links to the Big Well and the "1000 poound pallasite". I've never been to Greensburg, but have wanted to visited there, & see the well and the meteorite. Now, perhaps I can visit once the town has been reconstructed. My condolences of course, go out to all the people injured or displaced by the tornado damage. Pete Modreski ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From axel.emmermann at pandora.be Sun May 6 02:53:15 2007 From: axel.emmermann at pandora.be (Axel Emmermann) Date: Sun May 6 02:53:17 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Was Questions about Oxalic Acid now Acetic acid In-Reply-To: <463C0862.611@Tomaszewski.net> References: <462D6088.252B@Tomaszewski.net> <46317059.4540@Tomaszewski.net><97175ae90704270819g717f13e5jf6dc3deb981c34b2@mail.gmail.com> <46329AEB.5090@Tomaszewski.net><000601c78983$5f64a160$6601a8c0@AxelHP> <46353CA4.4FC3@Tomaszewski.net><001601c78e69$ae5d2a40$6601a8c0@AxelHP> <463C0862.611@Tomaszewski.net> Message-ID: <001201c78fc4$5e7fe330$6601a8c0@AxelHP> Kreigh, > ....day. Removing a full mm will probably take a day to two. I guessed something along hose lines. Thanks! I'll let you know what happens with it... > soluable, than mine. With a 2 mm crystal you don't want to > remove too much matrix. Especially if it's a tetrahexahedral (or hedric?) crystal as Nathan Martin suggests. > But I think the real problem is how to bring your dead > soldiers home after collecting rocks. You don't want to leave > a comrade in arms out in the field. Maybe the solution is to > make a cart to carry your rocks and use kegs for the wheels. Kegs??? What a wonderfully ecologic solution... Drink the barrel empty and then use it o reinvent the wheel... ;-)))) This may come as a shock and it may shatter all stereotypical images that people have about Belgians but... All we took was water! Plastic bottles that are light to carry in and easily flattened when empty to make room for rocks ;-)))) The beer is usually consumed with lunch and with pleasure. Axel > > Kreigh > > > > Axel Emmermann wrote: > > > > Kreigh, > > > > Have you any idea what beer weighs? I mean the sizeable quantities > > that a Belgian would find worth while taking with him into > the quarry. > > Then, should we find ample specimens, we cannot qarry both the beer > > AND the rocks from the cuarry. > > There will be no prisoners taken... Survivors will have to > be drunk at > > the site. > > Then again...sloshing up all the way to the car we realize that > > drinking up all the beer does NOT rid us of its weight. > > Luckily, without any waist of time the beer goes straight > to the waste > > so we can hoist each other out of the quarry by our love-handles. > > This to demonstrate that Belgian beer DOES affect the human brain. > > > > Now, somewhat more to the point: as usual, my wife found the most > > remarkable specimen of an otherwise dull day. It's a small 2 mm > > crystal of very dark blue (like azurite) fluorite. It's remarkable > > because the fluorite has a habit that lies somewhere > between cubic and > > octahedral, closer to cubic. I never saw one like that before. > > It sticks out of the massive calcite matrix for about 1/3 > but I would > > like to see more of it exposed. So, I plan to soak it in plain > > kitchen-strength acetic acid, vinegar. > > How long should I fizzle it? Any idea? Someone? > > The fluorites that catch my attention are usually much larger and > > fluorescent as I don't collect micromounts. This one's special > > though...maybe even worth a photo. > > > > Cheers > > > > Axel > > > > > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > > > Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > > > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens Kreigh > > > Tomaszewski > > > Verzonden: maandag 30 april 2007 1:54 > > > Aan: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > > > collectors > > > Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] Re: Questions about Oxalic Acid and > > > Cleaning Quartz > > > > > > Azel, > > > > > > Make micromounts. (With a side of beer after that hot collecting). > > > > > > Kreigh > > > > > > > > > Axel Emmermann wrote: > > > > > > > > Kreigh wrote > > > > > > > > > On some days, like today, my sunshine is a bit diffused > > > from all the > > > > > clouds, but at least we're seeing sunshine. Better than a > > > few months > > > > > ago when we were going to and from work in the snow > and the dark. > > > > > Spring is finally here. > > > > > > > > No, summer is here... We have been sweating in temperatures > > > from 24? > > > > up to 30?C for two weeks now. Last Theusday we ate in our > > > garden and > > > > stayed there until 1 AM. It has not rained here yet this month. > > > > April 2007 will go in the history books as the dryest... > > > Wheather man > > > > says at least 5 records will be pulverized. > > > > Tropical Belgium? Next we'll be brewing palmbeer ;-))) > Did three > > > > quarries last Sunday... Brought home 1 fluorite crystal of > > > about 2 mm > > > > , some minute aragonite (Resteigne) and some fluorescing calcite > > > > (Beez) that is also too small to make a display... Small > > > country, small minerals? > > > > ;-))) > > > > > > > > Cheers > > > > > > > > Axel > > > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From axel.emmermann at pandora.be Sun May 6 10:04:49 2007 From: axel.emmermann at pandora.be (Axel Emmermann) Date: Sun May 6 10:04:45 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Fluorite and gold mine on my property. Got a question In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <001f01c79000$a8251230$6601a8c0@AxelHP> Beware of UV-LED sellers. My first "UV-torch" has 1 (one) led that peaked at 410 nm which is not UV but blue light. The second one had twelve 400nm LEDs... Still not UV The third one had 10 390 nm LEDs, close but no cigar. (although it gives great fluorescence in some minerals). Then I bought a dozen 385 nm LED's. They're technically still borderline blue light but much better. If you have to buy leds, buy only those of which the wavelength is clearly stated. "UV-flashlight" is a term that is VERY broadly interpreted on e-bay. Axel > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens Nathan Martin > Verzonden: vrijdag 4 mei 2007 22:23 > Aan: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > collectors > Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] Fluorite and gold mine on my > property. Got a question > > Kevin, > > Brian is quite correct that not all fluorite is fluorescent > and you should definitely take a sample to someone with a UV > light before spending any money. If your fluorite does turn > out to be fluorescent then it almost surely will have more > fluorescent under longwave UV light. > If so your cheapest solution would be to get one of the > longwave UV LED flashlights that are sold as forensic > flashlights (see > http://stores.ebay.com/1Som-BidSome_UV-Ultraviolet_W0QQcolZ4QQ > dirZ1QQfsubZ7QQftidZ2QQtZkm). > Make sure you get one of the multiple LED units (21 or 32 > LEDs) that are in the 380-385nm wavelength range. They will > cost a little more but they emit less visible light and are > closer to the right UV wavelength for minerals. > They still put out a fair amount of visible light so you may > want to put a visible light filter over the end of the unit. > I had an old scrap of UV filter glass that I was able to cut > up (after several failed attempts) and tape to the end of my > 21 LED flashlight and it works very well. Its also small and > light enough to carry easily on a collecting trip. > > Good luck with your collecting! > > Nate Martin > Lexington, MA > > On 5/4/07, J Bryan Kramer wrote: > > > > Not all fluorite is fluorescent is it? You might want to > verify yours > > is before buying a lamp. > > > > BK > > > > On 5/4/07, Paintricks@aol.com wrote: > > > > > > Hey guys, > > > I now live in Cripple Creek Colorado and have about 25 > gold mines > > > within my immediate area. A few shaft mines have been > punched and I > > > know from the > > > amount of prospecting here that there are gold deposits > here. Thing > > is, > > > it's > > > about 600 + feet down. The main shaft I enjoy being in has very > > > tiny Fluorite crystals in the quartz crystal areas. > > > What I want to know is, are there any of you familiar > with UV hand > > > helds and would it be a good idea to use one for locating > the veins > > > better. > > > Short > > > wave or long? > > > Fluorite is found with gold and that is a good sign that > there may > > > be better pickins' in this shaft. Looking to open back up the > > > claim. Even for the fluorite. Gold would be nice tho. > > > Thanks, > > > Kevin > > > > > > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > > text/plain (text body -- kept) > > text/html > > --- > > -- > > _______________________________________________ > > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > > Subscription Services: > > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From axel.emmermann at pandora.be Sun May 6 10:11:45 2007 From: axel.emmermann at pandora.be (Axel Emmermann) Date: Sun May 6 10:11:39 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Re: 2mm Fluorite Specimen, Was Questions about Oxalic Acid now Acetic acid In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <002001c79001$9fddf8c0$6601a8c0@AxelHP> Very well possible Nate! This is what I see but the crystal has only two sides exposed. Let's see what some vinegar may expose... Axel > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens Nathan Martin > Verzonden: vrijdag 4 mei 2007 20:12 > Aan: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > collectors > Onderwerp: [Rockhounds] Re: 2mm Fluorite Specimen,Was > Questions about Oxalic Acid now Acetic acid > > Axel, > > I wonder if your wife may have found a* > tetrahexahedron-shaped fluorite (see > http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/xtal/part3.html). I have > a similar sized color-zoned fluorite crystal from Trumbull, > Connecticut that I found a few years ago that exhibits the > classic **tetrahexahedron form and it is a delight to look at > with either a hand lens or under a scope. > > You really should reconsider and start collecting micromounts > as well. I now collect micros as well as fluorescent > minerals and miniature to cabinet sized specimens. The > advantage of this is that I can rationalize bringing home > almost any specimen I encounter based on one of these categories. > > best regards, > Nate Martin > Lexington, MA > * > On 5/4/07, Axel Emmermann wrote: > > > > Kreigh, > > > > ....... > > > > Now, somewhat more to the point: as usual, my wife found the most > > remarkable specimen of an otherwise dull day. It's a small 2 mm > > crystal of very dark blue (like azurite) fluorite. It's remarkable > > because the fluorite has a habit that lies somewhere > between cubic and > > octahedral, closer to cubic. I never saw one like that before. > > It sticks out of the massive calcite matrix for about 1/3 > but I would > > like to see more of it exposed. So, I plan to soak it in plain > > kitchen-strength acetic acid, vinegar. > > How long should I fizzle it? Any idea? Someone? > > The fluorites that catch my attention are usually much larger and > > fluorescent as I don't collect micromounts. This one's special > > though...maybe even worth a photo. > > > > Cheers > > > > Axel > > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From kahako at hawaiiantel.net Sun May 6 10:59:15 2007 From: kahako at hawaiiantel.net (Kitty & Bill Heacox) Date: Sun May 6 10:59:14 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] fluorite smart remark In-Reply-To: <001601c78e69$ae5d2a40$6601a8c0@AxelHP> References: <462D6088.252B@Tomaszewski.net> <46317059.4540@Tomaszewski.net> <97175ae90704270819g717f13e5jf6dc3deb981c34b2@mail.gmail.com> <46329AEB.5090@Tomaszewski.net> <000601c78983$5f64a160$6601a8c0@AxelHP> <46353CA4.4FC3@Tomaszewski.net> <001601c78e69$ae5d2a40$6601a8c0@AxelHP> Message-ID: <46332AA7001852D7@n016.sc0.he.tucows.com> (added by postmaster@bouncemessage.net) Hi Axel, I just have to make a smart remark about CHRISTEL finding an interesting CRYSTAL. ;) [List: Axel's wife's name is Christel.] Aloha, Kitty At 06:31 AM 5/4/2007, Axel wrote: > my wife found the most remarkable >specimen of an otherwise dull day. It's a small 2 mm crystal of very dark >blue (like azurite) fluorite. From axel.emmermann at pandora.be Sun May 6 11:26:28 2007 From: axel.emmermann at pandora.be (Axel Emmermann) Date: Sun May 6 11:26:24 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] fluorite smart remark In-Reply-To: <46332AA7001852D7@n016.sc0.he.tucows.com> (added bypostmaster@bouncemessage.net) References: <462D6088.252B@Tomaszewski.net> <46317059.4540@Tomaszewski.net><97175ae90704270819g717f13e5jf6dc3deb981c34b2@mail.gmail.com><46329AEB.5090@Tomaszewski.net><000601c78983$5f64a160$6601a8c0@AxelHP><46353CA4.4FC3@Tomaszewski.net><001601c78e69$ae5d2a40$6601a8c0@AxelHP> <46332AA7001852D7@n016.sc0.he.tucows.com> (added bypostmaster@bouncemessage.net) Message-ID: <002101c7900c$101530e0$6601a8c0@AxelHP> At last... Kitty, what took you so long ;-))))))) Crystal, pardon, Christel has one remarkable property. She can read a street name sign from a distance at which I can hardly SEE it at all. She spotted the partly exposed crystal of barely 2mm from a distance of at least 9 feet in a pile of rubble. With an optical resolution that high I have no choice than to call her "my little Hubble Space Telescope" ;-))) Cheers Axel > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens Kitty & > Bill Heacox > Verzonden: zondag 6 mei 2007 18:59 > Aan: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > collectors > Onderwerp: RE: [Rockhounds] fluorite smart remark > > Hi Axel, > > I just have to make a smart remark about CHRISTEL finding an > interesting CRYSTAL. ;) > > [List: Axel's wife's name is Christel.] > > Aloha, Kitty > > At 06:31 AM 5/4/2007, Axel wrote: > > my wife found the most remarkable > >specimen of an otherwise dull day. It's a small 2 mm crystal of very > >dark blue (like azurite) fluorite. > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From roughrock at gmail.com Sun May 6 14:45:30 2007 From: roughrock at gmail.com (Grant Johnston) Date: Sun May 6 14:45:33 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Tim Fisher's site guide Message-ID: Thanks Kelly, I tried to subscribe to Tim's online site using Paypal but there seems to be a problem. Every time I click Pay I gt a message that states I've been "timed out." I've used Paypal since the good old days when they gave me $25 for signing up. I've used it for several hundred transctions, buying and selling, and I've never been timed out before. I don't think the second or two it takes to move the cursor to 'PAY' is a Paypal problem. I think Tim has a problem on his end. If he gets it fixed before I leave for Oregon I'll subscribe. Grant Johnston, On 5/5/07, jlkelly1066@iglide.net wrote: > Grant, > There are several sites between Lakeview and Eugene. Tim Fisher has a > great disc that has just about everything listed if you are serious. As > far as Davis Creek is concerned you can dig if you wish but my > sweetheart and I did enough ground collecting to fill more than a couple > of buckets of some of the prettiest sheen possible and if you haven't > picked up a few gallons of obsidian needles you have missed one of the > most interesting anamolies in the country. > > As far as Glass Buttes is concerned I'll quote Judy Elkins on that. "If > you can't find obsidian at Glass Buttes you haven't got your eyes open. > Again, beautiful stuff, NOT what you normally expect from obsidian. > > If I am going to dig I make it a point to go to Hampton Buttes for that > amazing green wood and beautiful jasper. And finally, if I am that close > I'd drive the extra miles and stop at Richardsons for an hour or so. In > a word, there is a heck of a lot close to your route but it ain't gonna > jump out in front of you. You are gonna have to do some driving but > believe me, it is more than worth it. > > Kelly > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From roughrock at gmail.com Sun May 6 14:57:16 2007 From: roughrock at gmail.com (Grant Johnston) Date: Sun May 6 14:57:19 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] giant fungus fossil Message-ID: Old fossil with a new ID. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070423/sc_nm/fossil_fungus_dc;_ylt=Agw_GguEtFMhazHUxQzmr.t7hMgF Grant From Cycadwood at aol.com Sun May 6 21:12:28 2007 From: Cycadwood at aol.com (Cycadwood@aol.com) Date: Sun May 6 21:12:42 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] virtual museum Message-ID: Hello Friends: Please visit my Virtual Museum of Minerals and Fossils. Since I have a website hosting plan with abundant space, I decided to include a virtual museum loaded with pictures. Many of the pictures are in my newest book, but due to the nature of print technology versus electronic media, the detail is easier to appreciate online. This is especially true for the micro images of cell and mineral structures in fossil woods. I also included several pages of travelogues with photographs of well-known petrified wood areas and some fantastic museum specimens. For the present, the virtual museum is heavily titled toward fossil woods. I included some mineral specimens and agates and will be adding more of these as time goes on. Let me know what you think. Very truly, Frank PS For the virtual museum go to the Minerals & Fossils page on my website and scroll down. Frank Daniels Minerals & Fossils 2024 Freedom Court Grand Junction, Colorado 81503-9522 museum quality specimens _minerals@frankdanielsminerals.com_ (mailto:minerals@frankdanielsminerals.com) 970.242.5255 cell 970.216.9641 _www.frankdanielsminerals.com_ (http://www.frankdanielsminerals.com/) ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From jlkelly1066 at iglide.net Mon May 7 05:43:47 2007 From: jlkelly1066 at iglide.net (jlkelly1066@iglide.net) Date: Mon May 7 05:43:30 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Fisher's site guide In-Reply-To: <200705070100.l4710BPw014565@bubbleator.drizzle.com> References: <200705070100.l4710BPw014565@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <463F1F03.4090200@iglide.net> Grant, I know that Tim watches the list judiciously, the same way I do and responds, as I do, when something jumps off the page that needs some kind of response. If you have not already been contacted "off-line" by now I will be surprised. And I assure you, you will never regret purchasing that DVD. He has put some major hours into that collection and it is worth every penny you might spend for it. Particularly if you plan on spending "any" time in Oregon doing any kind of collecting. Have a great day. Kelly > > From folmstead at rcn.com Mon May 7 14:07:12 2007 From: folmstead at rcn.com (Frederick Olmstead) Date: Mon May 7 14:07:28 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] sugar xls In-Reply-To: <463F1F03.4090200@iglide.net> References: <200705070100.l4710BPw014565@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <463F1F03.4090200@iglide.net> Message-ID: <463F9500.6070200@rcn.com> Hi I am looking for good "recipies" for making crystals from sugar. for a friends daughter - she tried a recipe but the xls collapsed after a while... Thank you GeorgiaO >> > > From codeburner at gmail.com Mon May 7 14:50:55 2007 From: codeburner at gmail.com (J Bryan Kramer) Date: Mon May 7 14:50:58 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] sugar xls In-Reply-To: <463F9500.6070200@rcn.com> References: <200705070100.l4710BPw014565@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <463F1F03.4090200@iglide.net> <463F9500.6070200@rcn.com> Message-ID: Google making rock candy for more BK On 5/7/07, Frederick Olmstead wrote: > > Hi > > I am looking for good "recipies" for making crystals from sugar. > > for a friends daughter - she tried a recipe but the xls collapsed after > a while... > > Thank you > > GeorgiaO > > > >> > > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > -- J Bryan Kramer photos at: http://pbase.com/photoburner --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From folmstead at rcn.com Mon May 7 15:04:54 2007 From: folmstead at rcn.com (Frederick Olmstead) Date: Mon May 7 15:05:07 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] sugar xls In-Reply-To: References: <200705070100.l4710BPw014565@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <463F1F03.4090200@iglide.net> <463F9500.6070200@rcn.com> Message-ID: <463FA286.2000507@rcn.com> Hi ...am looking for good recipies for making xls from sugar ( or other... ) "recipies" that you have tried... or you know are best... and any suggestions for better results with a recipe. Thank you GeorgiaO From onehawkz at gmail.com Mon May 7 21:12:21 2007 From: onehawkz at gmail.com (Robert Denton) Date: Mon May 7 21:12:30 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Help is always greatly appreciated!!! Message-ID: Hi, We have moved from Oregon to Arizona. We have collected at many of the Oregon sites in the past but as we now live in Phoenix, AZ we are hoping the some of you can send us to some GREAT active collecting sites in our new home state. We did get Gem Trail of Arizona but it seems kind of out of date. I can't say for sure at this point but the on place we went to was "used" up as far as we could tell. That does'nt mean it it is not of value and I don't place much weight on one trip. However, anyone having current information on this area I really want you to share it with us! Thanks for your help. Robert and Gail Denton. Probably easiest if you reply to onehawkz@gmail.com Thanks in advance for your much needed help! --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From rocknate at gmail.com Tue May 8 04:26:58 2007 From: rocknate at gmail.com (Nathan Martin) Date: Tue May 8 04:27:08 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Help is always greatly appreciated!!! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Robert and Gail, The best way to accomplish your goal is to join a local mineral club. Bob's rock shop lists two clubs in Phoenix - see http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/clubs/arizona.shtml If you are interested in fluorescent minerals, there is a local chapter of the fluorescent Mineral Society. Contact Mardell Zimmerman via email at desert@uvminerals.org to find out when they meet. Mardy lives in Tempe, AZ and she and her husband own (and mine) the Midnight Owl Mine. Good luck in your new collecting area! Nate Martin Lexington, MA On 5/8/07, Robert Denton wrote: > > Hi, We have moved from Oregon to Arizona. We have collected at many of > the > Oregon sites in the past but as we now live in Phoenix, AZ we are hoping > the some of you can send us to some GREAT active collecting sites in our > new > home state. > > We did get Gem Trail of Arizona but it seems kind of out of date. I can't > say for sure at this point but the on place we went to was "used" up as > far > as we could tell. That does'nt mean it it is not of value and I don't > place > much weight on one trip. However, anyone having current information on > this > area I really want you to share it with us! > > Thanks for your help. > Robert and Gail Denton. > > Probably easiest if you reply to onehawkz@gmail.com > > Thanks in advance for your much needed help! > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From cscrystals2 at verizon.net Tue May 8 04:53:39 2007 From: cscrystals2 at verizon.net (Carolyn & Steve Weinberger) Date: Tue May 8 04:49:47 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Help is always greatly appreciated!!! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Robert and Gail, Rather than visit Bob's Rock Shop which has an outdated list of clubs and contacts, visit the American Federation website , then click on the link for the Rocky Mountain Federation. There you will find an up to date listing of clubs, by state within RMFMS. There are a couple in the Phoenix area, and of course you're only 2 hours away from Tucson where there are also 2 very active clubs (TGMS and Old Pueblo Lapidary). Carolyn Weinberger AFMS Editor On May 8, 2007, at 7:26 AM, Nathan Martin wrote: > Robert and Gail, > > The best way to accomplish your goal is to join a local mineral > club. Bob's > rock shop lists two clubs in Phoenix - see > http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/clubs/arizona.shtml > If you are interested in fluorescent minerals, there is a local > chapter of > the fluorescent Mineral Society. Contact Mardell Zimmerman via > email at > desert@uvminerals.org to find out when they meet. Mardy lives in > Tempe, AZ > and she and her husband own (and mine) the Midnight Owl Mine. > > Good luck in your new collecting area! > > Nate Martin > Lexington, MA > > On 5/8/07, Robert Denton wrote: >> >> Hi, We have moved from Oregon to Arizona. We have collected at >> many of >> the >> Oregon sites in the past but as we now live in Phoenix, AZ we are >> hoping >> the some of you can send us to some GREAT active collecting sites >> in our >> new >> home state. >> >> We did get Gem Trail of Arizona but it seems kind of out of date. >> I can't >> say for sure at this point but the on place we went to was "used" >> up as >> far >> as we could tell. That does'nt mean it it is not of value and I >> don't >> place >> much weight on one trip. However, anyone having current >> information on >> this >> area I really want you to share it with us! >> >> Thanks for your help. >> Robert and Gail Denton. >> >> Probably easiest if you reply to onehawkz@gmail.com >> >> Thanks in advance for your much needed help! >> >> >> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >> multipart/alternative >> text/plain (text body -- kept) >> text/html >> --- >> -- >> _______________________________________________ >> Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >> Subscription Services: >> http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >> List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >> http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html >> > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From sauktown1 at yahoo.com Tue May 8 06:36:27 2007 From: sauktown1 at yahoo.com (Jim Daly) Date: Tue May 8 06:36:29 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Help is always greatly appreciated!!! In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <126173.78337.qm@web34304.mail.mud.yahoo.com> A much better and more up-to-date book is Minerals of Arizona, by Neil R. Bearce. It's a "trade paperback" available from Amazon for about $ 17. I've used it to find a number of sites when I was in Arizona visiting my daughter in Mesa. Directions are very accurate, and the sites are rated for degree of difficulty. There's also a companion volume now: Minerals, Fossils and Fluorescents of Arizona. I have it, but haven't used it yet. As for clubs, I agree with Nathan. One caveat on Carolyn's comment, though. Not all clubs are associated with the AFMS or RMFMS, so you might miss one if you rely solely on that source. Jim Daly Robert Denton wrote: Hi, We have moved from Oregon to Arizona. We have collected at many of the Oregon sites in the past but as we now live in Phoenix, AZ we are hoping the some of you can send us to some GREAT active collecting sites in our new home state. We did get Gem Trail of Arizona but it seems kind of out of date. I can't say for sure at this point but the on place we went to was "used" up as far as we could tell. That does'nt mean it it is not of value and I don't place much weight on one trip. However, anyone having current information on this area I really want you to share it with us! Thanks for your help. Robert and Gail Denton. Probably easiest if you reply to onehawkz@gmail.com Thanks in advance for your much needed help! --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html --------------------------------- Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From sauktown1 at yahoo.com Tue May 8 06:40:07 2007 From: sauktown1 at yahoo.com (Jim Daly) Date: Tue May 8 06:40:11 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] sugar xls In-Reply-To: <463FA286.2000507@rcn.com> Message-ID: <267646.18394.qm@web34310.mail.mud.yahoo.com> All you need is to make a supersaturated solution. Dissolve as much sugar as you can in hot water. When it cools, the solution is supersaturated. Now all you need is a nucleating agent- something for the crystals to start growing on. When making "rock candy", a piece of string is hung in the solution. Jim Daly Frederick Olmstead wrote: Hi ...am looking for good recipies for making xls from sugar ( or other... ) "recipies" that you have tried... or you know are best... and any suggestions for better results with a recipe. Thank you GeorgiaO -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html --------------------------------- Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From rfadney at hotmail.com Tue May 8 06:59:25 2007 From: rfadney at hotmail.com (R. Adney Jr.) Date: Tue May 8 06:59:30 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Help is always greatly appreciated!!! In-Reply-To: <126173.78337.qm@web34304.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: ou said a mouthful there Jim, we bought a "Gem Trails of Oregon" book, and so far out of five locations we've checked, one actually ccame within one mile of the current site. It's kind of a joke amongst some of the local hounds around here. Tim's database is the cats meow when combined with the experience of local rock crazies. I wont waste another penny on the "Gem Trails" books. >From: Jim Daly >Reply-To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >collectors" >To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >collectors" >Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Help is always greatly appreciated!!! >Date: Tue, 8 May 2007 06:36:27 -0700 (PDT) > >A much better and more up-to-date book is Minerals of Arizona, by Neil R. >Bearce. It's a "trade paperback" available from Amazon for about $ 17. I've >used it to find a number of sites when I was in Arizona visiting my >daughter in Mesa. Directions are very accurate, and the sites are rated for >degree of difficulty. There's also a companion volume now: Minerals, >Fossils and Fluorescents of Arizona. I have it, but haven't used it yet. > As for clubs, I agree with Nathan. One caveat on Carolyn's comment, >though. Not all clubs are associated with the AFMS or RMFMS, so you might >miss one if you rely solely on that source. > Jim Daly > >Robert Denton wrote: > Hi, We have moved from Oregon to Arizona. We have collected at many of >the >Oregon sites in the past but as we now live in Phoenix, AZ we are hoping >the some of you can send us to some GREAT active collecting sites in our >new >home state. > >We did get Gem Trail of Arizona but it seems kind of out of date. I can't >say for sure at this point but the on place we went to was "used" up as far >as we could tell. That does'nt mean it it is not of value and I don't place >much weight on one trip. However, anyone having current information on this >area I really want you to share it with us! > >Thanks for your help. >Robert and Gail Denton. > >Probably easiest if you reply to onehawkz@gmail.com > >Thanks in advance for your much needed help! > > >--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >multipart/alternative >text/plain (text body -- kept) >text/html >--- >-- >_______________________________________________ >Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >Subscription Services: >http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > >--------------------------------- >Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? > Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. > >--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html >--- >-- >_______________________________________________ >Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >Subscription Services: >http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html _________________________________________________________________ PC Magazine’s 2007 editors’ choice for best Web mail—award-winning Windows Live Hotmail. http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM_mini_pcmag_0507 From axel.emmermann at pandora.be Tue May 8 08:24:31 2007 From: axel.emmermann at pandora.be (Axel Emmermann) Date: Tue May 8 08:24:24 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] sugar xls In-Reply-To: <267646.18394.qm@web34310.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <463FA286.2000507@rcn.com> <267646.18394.qm@web34310.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <000901c79184$fa728bf0$6401a8c0@AxelHP> Yes indeed, Georgia but: When the supersaturated solution has cooled to room temperature you have to filter it in order to remove all particles (micro crystals of sugar and dust). If you don't you will grow a multitude of small crystals on the bottom of the recipient. There must only be ONE 'seed' crystal. If you have a good magnifying glass or better a microscope you can do it like this: Pull out a hair from your scalp. If you have curly hair find someone with straight hair and surprise her (not him, you need fine hair! Not something you pull of a razorbacks hump ;-))) Take a microscope slide and put a small droplet of superglue on it. Sort out a nice and coarse grain of sugar from the sugar bowl and put it close to the droplet of glue. Under the microscope; just TOUCH the glue droplet with the hair (best cut of the root first) and then directly after that touch the sugar grain with the 'wet' hair. With a little luck the sugar will be firmly attached to the hair. Glue the other side of the hair to a thread. You best put the solution of sugar in a jar with a lid. Make some holes in the lid so that the solution can slowly evaporate. Attach the thread to the inside of the lid so that the hair hangs in the solution (about 1/3 of the height. Put the jar in a dark, warm place and leave it be for at least a week. Don't manipulate the jar before the crystal has the desired size. If the jar is small, the level of the solution may drop below the growing crystal. Do not ad water. If you have to ad solution, use filtered and cooled solution and let it run down against a plastic straw so that you don't introduce air bubbles. If you want a head start, use large candy sugar crystals (glued to a thread or string). I know, that's cheating a little ;-))) Success Axel > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens Jim Daly > Verzonden: dinsdag 8 mei 2007 14:40 > Aan: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > collectors > Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] sugar xls > > All you need is to make a supersaturated solution. Dissolve > as much sugar as you can in hot water. When it cools, the > solution is supersaturated. Now all you need is a nucleating > agent- something for the crystals to start growing on. When > making "rock candy", a piece of string is hung in the solution. > Jim Daly > > Frederick Olmstead wrote: > Hi > ...am looking for good recipies for making xls from sugar > > ( or other... ) > > "recipies" that you have tried... > or you know are best... > and > any suggestions for better results with a recipe. > > Thank you > > GeorgiaO > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > > --------------------------------- > Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? > Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From totis99 at yahoo.com Tue May 8 14:17:56 2007 From: totis99 at yahoo.com (teresa otis) Date: Tue May 8 14:17:59 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Help is always greatly appreciated!!! In-Reply-To: <126173.78337.qm@web34304.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <170395.37862.qm@web36706.mail.mud.yahoo.com> For a nice drive and glauberite crystals at the Old Salt Mine, go north on 17 to Camp Verde and get off at General Crook Trail near the bottom of the hill going down in to the Verde Valley. They have done a lot of road construction up there and I believe if you go right on Crook Trail and then right again at Oasis you will shortly see the salt mine on your right. If Oasis doesn't go through yet, go on down Crook Trail to Hwy 260, go right, and less than a block is Salt Mine Road. Turn right on it and follow it to the end where it starts to curve to the left and you'll see the salt mine..can't miss the white walls! have fun and welcome to Arizona! Just a note: Neil's books are terrific and he generally sets up at the shows. I know we have run into him at several shows. He definitely knows his Arizona! and Gem Trails was pretty much out of date (except for a few)when I moved here 8 years ago lol! Teresa Otis Tempe, AZ --- Jim Daly wrote: > A much better and more up-to-date book is Minerals > of Arizona, by Neil R. Bearce. It's a "trade > paperback" available from Amazon for about $ 17. > I've used it to find a number of sites when I was in > Arizona visiting my daughter in Mesa. Directions are > very accurate, and the sites are rated for degree of > difficulty. There's also a companion volume now: > Minerals, Fossils and Fluorescents of Arizona. I > have it, but haven't used it yet. > As for clubs, I agree with Nathan. One caveat on > Carolyn's comment, though. Not all clubs are > associated with the AFMS or RMFMS, so you might miss > one if you rely solely on that source. > Jim Daly > > Robert Denton wrote: > Hi, We have moved from Oregon to Arizona. We have > collected at many of the > Oregon sites in the past but as we now live in > Phoenix, AZ we are hoping > the some of you can send us to some GREAT active > collecting sites in our new > home state. > > We did get Gem Trail of Arizona but it seems kind of > out of date. I can't > say for sure at this point but the on place we went > to was "used" up as far > as we could tell. That does'nt mean it it is not of > value and I don't place > much weight on one trip. However, anyone having > current information on this > area I really want you to share it with us! > > Thanks for your help. > Robert and Gail Denton. > > Probably easiest if you reply to onehawkz@gmail.com > > Thanks in advance for your much needed help! > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage > Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > > --------------------------------- > Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? > Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage > Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From albalmer at att.net Tue May 8 14:28:19 2007 From: albalmer at att.net (Al Balmer) Date: Tue May 8 14:28:22 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Help is always greatly appreciated!!! In-Reply-To: <170395.37862.qm@web36706.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <126173.78337.qm@web34304.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <170395.37862.qm@web36706.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: On Tue, 8 May 2007 14:17:56 -0700 (PDT), teresa otis wrote: >Just a note: Neil's books are terrific and he >generally sets up at the shows. Yes, he was at the Kingman show last weekend. His books are the best there is for Arizona, but don't be too surprised if a few locations are now behind locked gates or otherwise inaccessible. Even Neil can't check them all monthly :-) The newest book features GPS coordinates. I found a few errors in the coordinates, which I could dig up for anyone interested. I emailed them to Neil, but never got a reply. Hopefully they'll be corrected in the next printing. -- Al Balmer Sun City, AZ From gene at fossilnut.com Tue May 8 15:47:38 2007 From: gene at fossilnut.com (gene@fossilnut.com) Date: Tue May 8 15:47:44 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] sugar xls References: <463FA286.2000507@rcn.com><267646.18394.qm@web34310.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <000901c79184$fa728bf0$6401a8c0@AxelHP> Message-ID: <012001c791c2$e1db3130$0201a8c0@your4dacd0ea75> There is another trick to growing big crystals. Often, despite your best efforts, crystals will form on the sides etc. If they do, you warm the solution a few degrees, the smaller crystals have more surface to mass an dissolve faster, perhaps completely. Then you can proceed to cool the solution slowly back to room temperature. Comercial crystallizers do this by design. Gene Hartstein ----- Original Message ----- From: "Axel Emmermann" To: "'Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors'" Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 11:24 AM Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] sugar xls > Yes indeed, Georgia but: > > When the supersaturated solution has cooled to room temperature you have > to > filter it in order to remove all particles (micro crystals of sugar and > dust). If you don't you will grow a multitude of small crystals on the > bottom of the recipient. > There must only be ONE 'seed' crystal. > If you have a good magnifying glass or better a microscope you can do it > like this: > > Pull out a hair from your scalp. If you have curly hair find someone with > straight hair and surprise her (not him, you need fine hair! Not something > you pull of a razorbacks hump ;-))) > Take a microscope slide and put a small droplet of superglue on it. > Sort out a nice and coarse grain of sugar from the sugar bowl and put it > close to the droplet of glue. > Under the microscope; just TOUCH the glue droplet with the hair (best cut > of > the root first) and then directly after that touch the sugar grain with > the > 'wet' hair. With a little luck the sugar will be firmly attached to the > hair. > Glue the other side of the hair to a thread. > > You best put the solution of sugar in a jar with a lid. Make some holes in > the lid so that the solution can slowly evaporate. Attach the thread to > the > inside of the lid so that the hair hangs in the solution (about 1/3 of the > height. > > Put the jar in a dark, warm place and leave it be for at least a week. > Don't > manipulate the jar before the crystal has the desired size. If the jar is > small, the level of the solution may drop below the growing crystal. Do > not > ad water. If you have to ad solution, use filtered and cooled solution and > let it run down against a plastic straw so that you don't introduce air > bubbles. > > If you want a head start, use large candy sugar crystals (glued to a > thread > or string). I know, that's cheating a little ;-))) > > Success > > Axel > > >> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- >> Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com >> [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens Jim Daly >> Verzonden: dinsdag 8 mei 2007 14:40 >> Aan: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >> collectors >> Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] sugar xls >> >> All you need is to make a supersaturated solution. Dissolve >> as much sugar as you can in hot water. When it cools, the >> solution is supersaturated. Now all you need is a nucleating >> agent- something for the crystals to start growing on. When >> making "rock candy", a piece of string is hung in the solution. >> Jim Daly >> >> Frederick Olmstead wrote: >> Hi >> ...am looking for good recipies for making xls from sugar >> >> ( or other... ) >> >> "recipies" that you have tried... >> or you know are best... >> and >> any suggestions for better results with a recipe. >> >> Thank you >> >> GeorgiaO >> >> -- >> _______________________________________________ >> Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >> Subscription Services: >> http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >> List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >> http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html >> >> >> >> --------------------------------- >> Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? >> Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. >> >> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >> multipart/alternative >> text/plain (text body -- kept) >> text/html >> --- >> -- >> _______________________________________________ >> Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >> Subscription Services: >> http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >> List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >> http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html >> > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From ajs at frii.com Tue May 8 17:07:09 2007 From: ajs at frii.com (Alan Silverstein) Date: Tue May 8 17:07:12 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Help is always greatly appreciated!!! In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20070509000709.3A44D4D272@io.frii.com> Carolyn et al, > Rather than visit Bob's Rock Shop which has an outdated list of clubs > and contacts, visit the American Federation website , > then click on the link for the Rocky Mountain Federation. There you > will find an up to date listing of clubs, by state within RMFMS... Nice pathway, but leads to old, non-hyperlink info for MY club, the Fort Collins (CO) Rockhounds. I guess it's our fault for not updating them... We tried to get a homepage going on coloradorocks.org (I think it was), and it was a very difficult experience, then it vanished a couple of months later. So we are now working on our own domain name and server/host and be done with it. Alan Silverstein From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Tue May 8 17:45:46 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Tue May 8 17:29:30 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Help is always greatly appreciated!!! References: <20070509000709.3A44D4D272@io.frii.com> Message-ID: <464115DA.3EB4@Tomaszewski.net> Our friends to the North have a good resource listing most of the clubs, and many rockhound resources, that are online. http://www.ccfms.ca/online_resources.htm Kreigh Alan Silverstein wrote: > > Carolyn et al, > > > Rather than visit Bob's Rock Shop which has an outdated list of clubs > > and contacts, visit the American Federation website , > > then click on the link for the Rocky Mountain Federation. There you > > will find an up to date listing of clubs, by state within RMFMS... > > Nice pathway, but leads to old, non-hyperlink info for MY club, the Fort > Collins (CO) Rockhounds. I guess it's our fault for not updating them... > > We tried to get a homepage going on coloradorocks.org (I think it was), > and it was a very difficult experience, then it vanished a couple of > months later. So we are now working on our own domain name and > server/host and be done with it. > > Alan Silverstein > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From folmstead at rcn.com Tue May 8 21:00:24 2007 From: folmstead at rcn.com (Frederick Olmstead) Date: Tue May 8 21:00:43 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] sugar xls In-Reply-To: <000901c79184$fa728bf0$6401a8c0@AxelHP> References: <463FA286.2000507@rcn.com> <267646.18394.qm@web34310.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <000901c79184$fa728bf0$6401a8c0@AxelHP> Message-ID: <46414758.8090500@rcn.com> THANK YOU My frinend has a 12 year old daughter and is trying experiment growing different kinds of crystals. I think alum xls worked OK. She had trouble with the sugar xls. She is also trying to experiment to see what works best - - - using string, or other substitutions.... Thank you GeorgiaO __..--..__..--..__..--..__ Axel Emmermann wrote: >Yes indeed, Georgia but: > >When the supersaturated solution has cooled to room temperature you have to >filter it in order to remove all particles (micro crystals of sugar and >dust). If you don't you will grow a multitude of small crystals on the >bottom of the recipient. > There must only be ONE 'seed' crystal. >If you have a good magnifying glass or better a microscope you can do it >like this: > >Pull out a hair from your scalp. If you have curly hair find someone with >straight hair and surprise her (not him, you need fine hair! Not something >you pull of a razorbacks hump ;-))) >Take a microscope slide and put a small droplet of superglue on it. >Sort out a nice and coarse grain of sugar from the sugar bowl and put it >close to the droplet of glue. >Under the microscope; just TOUCH the glue droplet with the hair (best cut of >the root first) and then directly after that touch the sugar grain with the >'wet' hair. With a little luck the sugar will be firmly attached to the >hair. >Glue the other side of the hair to a thread. > >You best put the solution of sugar in a jar with a lid. Make some holes in >the lid so that the solution can slowly evaporate. Attach the thread to the >inside of the lid so that the hair hangs in the solution (about 1/3 of the >height. > >Put the jar in a dark, warm place and leave it be for at least a week. Don't >manipulate the jar before the crystal has the desired size. If the jar is >small, the level of the solution may drop below the growing crystal. Do not >ad water. If you have to ad solution, use filtered and cooled solution and >let it run down against a plastic straw so that you don't introduce air >bubbles. > >If you want a head start, use large candy sugar crystals (glued to a thread >or string). I know, that's cheating a little ;-))) > >Success > >Axel > > > > >>-----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- >>Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com >>[mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens Jim Daly >>Verzonden: dinsdag 8 mei 2007 14:40 >>Aan: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >>collectors >>Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] sugar xls >> >>All you need is to make a supersaturated solution. Dissolve >>as much sugar as you can in hot water. When it cools, the >>solution is supersaturated. Now all you need is a nucleating >>agent- something for the crystals to start growing on. When >>making "rock candy", a piece of string is hung in the solution. >> Jim Daly >> >>Frederick Olmstead wrote: >> Hi >>...am looking for good recipies for making xls from sugar >> >>( or other... ) >> >>"recipies" that you have tried... >>or you know are best... >>and >>any suggestions for better results with a recipe. >> >>Thank you >> >>GeorgiaO >> >>-- >>_______________________________________________ >>Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >>Subscription Services: >>http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >>List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >>http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html >> >> >> >>--------------------------------- >>Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? >> Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. >> >>--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >>multipart/alternative >> text/plain (text body -- kept) >> text/html >>--- >>-- >>_______________________________________________ >>Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >>Subscription Services: >>http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >>List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >>http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html >> >> >> > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From gbrown at catspaw-minerals.com Wed May 9 06:55:43 2007 From: gbrown at catspaw-minerals.com (Gary Brown) Date: Wed May 9 06:55:44 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] sugar xls In-Reply-To: <46414758.8090500@rcn.com> References: <463FA286.2000507@rcn.com> <267646.18394.qm@web34310.mail.mud.yahoo.com><000901c79184$fa728bf0$6401a8c0@AxelHP> <46414758.8090500@rcn.com> Message-ID: <003801c79241$bd2e5bd0$6b01a8c0@okapi> If you can find it, Crystals and Crystal Growing by Holden and Singer is the one to use. It looks like there's a new version out of this classic... I used it back in '62 or something to grow stuff. (And this DORK who had "crystals" that were really cut glass one the science fair!!! Soured me on science fairs for quite some time. But I digress...) Gary > -----Original Message----- > From: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of > Frederick Olmstead > Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 11:00 PM > To: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors > Subject: [Rockhounds] sugar xls > > THANK YOU > > My frinend has a 12 year old daughter and is trying > experiment growing different kinds of crystals. > I think alum xls worked OK. > > She had trouble with the sugar xls. > She is also trying to experiment to see what works best - - - > using string, or other substitutions.... > > Thank you > > GeorgiaO From zebulon at isr.umich.edu Thu May 10 07:00:40 2007 From: zebulon at isr.umich.edu (Peter Sparks) Date: Thu May 10 07:00:50 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Rockhounding in Anchorage, Alaska Message-ID: <6F651C1505A4A048923BCF2D756A7E49022B9FD5@isr-mail2.ad.isr.umich.edu> A friend of mine will be driving to Anchorage, Alaska at the end of June, spending a week there with possible access to a small plane, and then flying a commercial airline back. His traveling companions are not into rocks that much though they are healthy. At least one has looked for Michigan petoskeys. So ... what rockhounding can he find around Anchorage that won't let him become bear food and is reasonably easy to do? Peter Sparks --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From Elcapitan2010 at aol.com Wed May 9 23:55:48 2007 From: Elcapitan2010 at aol.com (Elcapitan2010@aol.com) Date: Thu May 10 09:33:13 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Ad.- Magnet Cove Minerals Message-ID: Hi, Came across you posting regarding the Magnet Cove and other Arkansas minerals you were / are trying to dispose. Can you please inorm me of the status of the specimens. Thanks, Cecil ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From john at pandemoniumgraphics.com Thu May 10 09:38:38 2007 From: john at pandemoniumgraphics.com (John Siebel) Date: Thu May 10 09:39:56 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Ad.- Magnet Cove Minerals References: Message-ID: <002701c79321$ae2395c0$0200a8c0@Notebook> Note that Cecil is not a list member so respond to him directly off-list. John Admin Team ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 11:55 PM Subject: [Rockhounds] Ad.- Magnet Cove Minerals > Hi, > > Came across you posting regarding the Magnet Cove and other Arkansas > minerals > you were / are trying to dispose. Can you please inorm me of the status > of > the specimens. > > Thanks, > > Cecil From rockcurrier at cs.com Thu May 10 13:00:13 2007 From: rockcurrier at cs.com (Rock Currier) Date: Thu May 10 13:00:31 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Crystal growing on a large scale References: <200511160202.jAG22QEE027502@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <004b01c7933d$d3e2e920$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Collecting Borax Crystals In a the group someone asked about how to grow sugar crystals and various people chimed in with suggestions, some of them quite detailed and thoughtful as well as suggestions of other types of crystals to grow. The end result would be of course some beautiful crystals that appeared, seemingly out of nowhere and would be somehow instructive about the laws that govern our universe. It got me to thinking about crystals that I had seen grown from water and I remembered some experiences that I had had collecting borax crystals that some people might find interesting. Many years ago in my youth I worked for US Borax at their mine in Boron, California and there became interested in minerals and more particularly the Borate minerals from the mine. The borate deposit at Boron is a dry lake rich in Borates that was laid down some millions of years ago and in time covered over with sediments. A man drilling a well discovered colemanite in the Mojave Desert near what would become the little desert town of Boron. Boron lies midway between Barstow and Mojave north of Los Angeles and quite near Edwards Air force base. This lead to the discovery of one of the worlds largest deposits of borate minerals. It was the first one where massive amounts of crystalline borax was found in place along with a cap clay and other borates like colemanite and ulexite and lower down large amounts of another sodium borate kernite. This was great news for the company that owned the deposit because previously all the borates they were mining and selling were the harder to process calcium borates of colemanite and ulexite. With the borax, all they had to do was dig it out, dissolve it in water and recrystalize it. Most of the borax they were mining at Boron in the early days before the deposit was made an open pit mine was in thick layers up to 40 feet? high. All this was perhaps 200 to 300 feet underground. Mechanical miners of the same kind used in the coal industry were used to sweep up and down the working faces and rip out the ore. The stopes were mostly of the room and pillar kind and some of the rooms were three tiers deep and perhaps 30 feet high. Really impressive and spacious rooms. In places where the mechanical miners had carved out rooms were low lying areas and sumps where ground water accumulated. There was not much of it because this was in the Mojave Desert but what was there would collect in the various sumps and some stope bottoms as a brine that was saturated with sodium borate. The walls, floors and often the ceilings of these stopes all of were massive borax. The walls had been left in place in order to hold up the roof of the mine. The temperature was constant with in a degree or two all year round and the ventilation was good, ideal for the crystallization of borax from the brine. In time crystals formed, carpeting the floors, walls and anything else that happened to be lying in the bottom of these flooded stopes. Some of the crystals were up to almost a foot across and were often glassy and clear. At times collecting in these sumps were permitted, especially for specimens for the local gem and mineral show to provide specimens for door prizes and their little auction. Good community relations. At other times geologists and miners would go into the mine and collect specimens. In the early days when the open pit was new and mine security was lax, long before the advent of MSHAW regulations, there were even some unauthorized collecting trips made into these sumps. Periodically in the early days when the open pit was new, large batches of borax specimens would appear on the market. Whether the collecting was authorized, or in the gray area of legality, the routine was that you would drive down into the pit in a 4x4 and drive into the large portal to the underground mine where the Civil Defense people had their supplies and drive out to where the sump was that you wanted to collect. Most sumps you could just drive right up to. You would unload your wrapping materials and get your hammer and chisel and wade out into the sump, usually not more than three feet deep and start hammering away on the walls and anything else that had good crystals on it. Most of the good crystals were fairly close to the surface and on the walls of the stope. Until your collecting activity stirred up the sediment in the bottom of the stope, the water was crystal clear and you could shine your light down in the brine and see endless carpets of borax crystals, some growing on knobs of matrix just waiting for you to collect them. You would have to wear shoes because the crystals were sharp and would quickly cut your feet to shreds if you went bare foot. Even so the crystals were so sharp that you would always end up cutting yourself to some degree in hammering out and handling the specimens. The brine was mildly antiseptic and the cuts would not sting and burn as they would in a sodium chloride brine. At any rate we never seemed to worry about cuts. Fabulous clusters of borax crystals to more than a foot across could be collected and when you lifted them clear of the water for the first time they would sparkle and shine in the mine light on your hard hat. Every one was a joy, and you could collect as many of them as you had the energy to collect. It always took longer to wade your specimens dry ground and wrap them than it did to collect them and we always resented the time we had to take away from collecting to transport and wrap the specimens. Borax is unfortunately not very air stable and if you put them out in the sun for a few days (don't do it when it is raining) they loose half their water and turn white. If the specimens are kept in a cool dry place they can last for several years, but eventually turn white and crumble to a white powder. The whole experience is like growing crystals in jars and collecting them, but scaled up several orders of magnitude and then climbing into the jar to collect them. Rock From zebulon at isr.umich.edu Thu May 10 13:41:27 2007 From: zebulon at isr.umich.edu (Peter Sparks) Date: Thu May 10 13:41:36 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Rockhounding in Fairbanks, Alaska (was Anchorage) In-Reply-To: <6F651C1505A4A048923BCF2D756A7E49022B9FD5@isr-mail2.ad.isr.umich.edu> References: <6F651C1505A4A048923BCF2D756A7E49022B9FD5@isr-mail2.ad.isr.umich.edu> Message-ID: <6F651C1505A4A048923BCF2D756A7E49022B9FE1@isr-mail2.ad.isr.umich.edu> Correction: Fairbanks, not Anchorage. -----Original Message----- From: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Peter Sparks Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 10:01 AM To: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors Subject: [Rockhounds] Rockhounding in Anchorage, Alaska A friend of mine will be driving to Anchorage, Alaska at the end of June, spending a week there with possible access to a small plane, and then flying a commercial airline back. His traveling companions are not into rocks that much though they are healthy. At least one has looked for Michigan petoskeys. So ... what rockhounding can he find around Anchorage that won't let him become bear food and is reasonably easy to do? Peter Sparks From kahako at hawaiiantel.net Thu May 10 15:05:48 2007 From: kahako at hawaiiantel.net (Kitty & Bill Heacox) Date: Thu May 10 15:05:55 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Crystal growing on a large scale In-Reply-To: <004b01c7933d$d3e2e920$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> References: <200511160202.jAG22QEE027502@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <004b01c7933d$d3e2e920$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Message-ID: <46431E7F0001F3C2@n054.sc0.he.tucows.com> (added by postmaster@bouncemessage.net) What a wonderful reminiscence, Rock! Thank you. Aloha, Kitty At 10:00 AM 5/10/2007, you wrote: >Collecting Borax Crystals > >In a the group someone asked about how to grow sugar crystals and >various people chimed in with suggestions, some of them quite >detailed and thoughtful as well as suggestions of other types of >crystals to grow. The end result would be of course some beautiful >crystals that appeared, seemingly out of nowhere and would be >somehow instructive about the laws that govern our universe. It got >me to thinking about crystals that I had seen grown from water and I >remembered some experiences that I had had collecting borax crystals >that some people might find interesting. Many years ago in my youth >I worked for US Borax at their mine in Boron, California and there >became interested in minerals and more particularly the Borate >minerals from the mine. > >The borate deposit at Boron is a dry lake rich in Borates that was >laid down some millions of years ago and in time covered over with >sediments. A man drilling a well discovered colemanite in the Mojave >Desert near what would become the little desert town of Boron. Boron >lies midway between Barstow and Mojave north of Los Angeles and >quite near Edwards Air force base. This lead to the discovery of one >of the worlds largest deposits of borate minerals. It was the first >one where massive amounts of crystalline borax was found in place >along with a cap clay and other borates like colemanite and ulexite >and lower down large amounts of another sodium borate kernite. This >was great news for the company that owned the deposit because >previously all the borates they were mining and selling were the >harder to process calcium borates of colemanite and ulexite. With >the borax, all they had to do was dig it out, dissolve it in water >and recrystalize it. Most of the borax they were mining at Boron in >the early days before the deposit was made an open pit mine was in >thick layers up to 40 feet? high. All this was perhaps 200 to 300 >feet underground. Mechanical miners of the same kind used in the >coal industry were used to sweep up and down the working faces and >rip out the ore. The stopes were mostly of the room and pillar kind >and some of the rooms were three tiers deep and perhaps 30 feet >high. Really impressive and spacious rooms. > >In places where the mechanical miners had carved out rooms were low >lying areas and sumps where ground water accumulated. There was not >much of it because this was in the Mojave Desert but what was there >would collect in the various sumps and some stope bottoms as a brine >that was saturated with sodium borate. The walls, floors and often >the ceilings of these stopes all of were massive borax. The walls >had been left in place in order to hold up the roof of the mine. The >temperature was constant with in a degree or two all year round and >the ventilation was good, ideal for the crystallization of borax >from the brine. In time crystals formed, carpeting the floors, walls >and anything else that happened to be lying in the bottom of these >flooded stopes. Some of the crystals were up to almost a foot across >and were often glassy and clear. > >At times collecting in these sumps were permitted, especially for >specimens for the local gem and mineral show to provide specimens >for door prizes and their little auction. Good community relations. >At other times geologists and miners would go into the mine and >collect specimens. In the early days when the open pit was new and >mine security was lax, long before the advent of MSHAW regulations, >there were even some unauthorized collecting trips made into these >sumps. Periodically in the early days when the open pit was new, >large batches of borax specimens would appear on the market. > >Whether the collecting was authorized, or in the gray area of >legality, the routine was that you would drive down into the pit in >a 4x4 and drive into the large portal to the underground mine where >the Civil Defense people had their supplies and drive out to where >the sump was that you wanted to collect. Most sumps you could just >drive right up to. You would unload your wrapping materials and get >your hammer and chisel and wade out into the sump, usually not more >than three feet deep and start hammering away on the walls and >anything else that had good crystals on it. Most of the good >crystals were fairly close to the surface and on the walls of the >stope. Until your collecting activity stirred up the sediment in the >bottom of the stope, the water was crystal clear and you could shine >your light down in the brine and see endless carpets of borax >crystals, some growing on knobs of matrix just waiting for you to >collect them. You would have to wear shoes because the crystals were >sharp and would quickly cut your feet to shreds if you went bare >foot. Even so the crystals were so sharp that you would always end >up cutting yourself to some degree in hammering out and handling the >specimens. The brine was mildly antiseptic and the cuts would not >sting and burn as they would in a sodium chloride brine. At any >rate we never seemed to worry about cuts. Fabulous clusters of borax >crystals to more than a foot across could be collected and when you >lifted them clear of the water for the first time they would sparkle >and shine in the mine light on your hard hat. Every one was a joy, >and you could collect as many of them as you had the energy to >collect. It always took longer to wade your specimens dry ground and >wrap them than it did to collect them and we always resented the >time we had to take away from collecting to transport and wrap the specimens. > >Borax is unfortunately not very air stable and if you put them out >in the sun for a few days (don't do it when it is raining) they >loose half their water and turn white. If the specimens are kept in >a cool dry place they can last for several years, but eventually >turn white and crumble to a white powder. The whole experience is >like growing crystals in jars and collecting them, but scaled up >several orders of magnitude and then climbing into the jar to collect them. > >Rock From tjokela at execulink.com Thu May 10 15:58:20 2007 From: tjokela at execulink.com (Tim Jokela Jr.) Date: Thu May 10 15:57:47 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Crystal growing on a large scale References: <200511160202.jAG22QEE027502@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <004b01c7933d$d3e2e920$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Message-ID: <001101c79356$b476bee0$6400a8c0@Junior> Rock, I hope you plan to write up and publish your experiences in the mineral world some day soon. You've done so many things that most of us can only dream of, and your style of writing is so pleasing, that it would be great reading. Eg. "Reminiscences of a Mineralogist" by Montgomery, or "Chasing Rainbows" by Samuelson. Sincerely, Tim Jokela Jr tjokela@execulink.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rock Currier" To: Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 4:00 PM Subject: [Rockhounds] Crystal growing on a large scale > Collecting Borax Crystals > > > > In a the group someone asked about how to grow sugar crystals and various > people chimed in with suggestions, some of them quite detailed and > thoughtful as well as suggestions of other types of crystals to grow. The > end result would be of course some beautiful crystals that appeared, > seemingly out of nowhere and would be somehow instructive about the laws > that govern our universe. It got me to thinking about crystals that I had > seen grown from water and I remembered some experiences that I had had > collecting borax crystals that some people might find interesting. Many > years ago in my youth I worked for US Borax at their mine in Boron, > California and there became interested in minerals and more particularly > the Borate minerals from the mine. > > > > The borate deposit at Boron is a dry lake rich in Borates that was laid > down some millions of years ago and in time covered over with sediments. A > man drilling a well discovered colemanite in the Mojave Desert near what > would become the little desert town of Boron. Boron lies midway between > Barstow and Mojave north of Los Angeles and quite near Edwards Air force > base. This lead to the discovery of one of the worlds largest deposits of > borate minerals. It was the first one where massive amounts of crystalline > borax was found in place along with a cap clay and other borates like > colemanite and ulexite and lower down large amounts of another sodium > borate kernite. This was great news for the company that owned the deposit > because previously all the borates they were mining and selling were the > harder to process calcium borates of colemanite and ulexite. With the > borax, all they had to do was dig it out, dissolve it in water and > recrystalize it. Most of the borax they were mining at Boron in the early > days before the deposit was made an open pit mine was in thick layers up > to 40 feet? high. All this was perhaps 200 to 300 feet underground. > Mechanical miners of the same kind used in the coal industry were used to > sweep up and down the working faces and rip out the ore. The stopes were > mostly of the room and pillar kind and some of the rooms were three tiers > deep and perhaps 30 feet high. Really impressive and spacious rooms. > > > > In places where the mechanical miners had carved out rooms were low lying > areas and sumps where ground water accumulated. There was not much of it > because this was in the Mojave Desert but what was there would collect in > the various sumps and some stope bottoms as a brine that was saturated > with sodium borate. The walls, floors and often the ceilings of these > stopes all of were massive borax. The walls had been left in place in > order to hold up the roof of the mine. The temperature was constant with > in a degree or two all year round and the ventilation was good, ideal for > the crystallization of borax from the brine. In time crystals formed, > carpeting the floors, walls and anything else that happened to be lying in > the bottom of these flooded stopes. Some of the crystals were up to almost > a foot across and were often glassy and clear. > > > > At times collecting in these sumps were permitted, especially for > specimens for the local gem and mineral show to provide specimens for door > prizes and their little auction. Good community relations. At other times > geologists and miners would go into the mine and collect specimens. In the > early days when the open pit was new and mine security was lax, long > before the advent of MSHAW regulations, there were even some unauthorized > collecting trips made into these sumps. Periodically in the early days > when the open pit was new, large batches of borax specimens would appear > on the market. > > > > Whether the collecting was authorized, or in the gray area of legality, > the routine was that you would drive down into the pit in a 4x4 and drive > into the large portal to the underground mine where the Civil Defense > people had their supplies and drive out to where the sump was that you > wanted to collect. Most sumps you could just drive right up to. You would > unload your wrapping materials and get your hammer and chisel and wade out > into the sump, usually not more than three feet deep and start hammering > away on the walls and anything else that had good crystals on it. Most of > the good crystals were fairly close to the surface and on the walls of the > stope. Until your collecting activity stirred up the sediment in the > bottom of the stope, the water was crystal clear and you could shine your > light down in the brine and see endless carpets of borax crystals, some > growing on knobs of matrix just waiting for you to collect them. You would > have to wear shoes because the crystals were sharp and would quickly cut > your feet to shreds if you went bare foot. Even so the crystals were so > sharp that you would always end up cutting yourself to some degree in > hammering out and handling the specimens. The brine was mildly antiseptic > and the cuts would not sting and burn as they would in a sodium chloride > brine. At any rate we never seemed to worry about cuts. Fabulous clusters > of borax crystals to more than a foot across could be collected and when > you lifted them clear of the water for the first time they would sparkle > and shine in the mine light on your hard hat. Every one was a joy, and you > could collect as many of them as you had the energy to collect. It always > took longer to wade your specimens dry ground and wrap them than it did to > collect them and we always resented the time we had to take away from > collecting to transport and wrap the specimens. > > > > Borax is unfortunately not very air stable and if you put them out in the > sun for a few days (don't do it when it is raining) they loose half their > water and turn white. If the specimens are kept in a cool dry place they > can last for several years, but eventually turn white and crumble to a > white powder. The whole experience is like growing crystals in jars and > collecting them, but scaled up several orders of magnitude and then > climbing into the jar to collect them. > > > > Rock > > > > > > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From gbrown at catspaw-minerals.com Thu May 10 16:05:12 2007 From: gbrown at catspaw-minerals.com (Gary Brown) Date: Thu May 10 16:05:17 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Meteorite Raffle for A Good Cause In-Reply-To: <001101c79356$b476bee0$6400a8c0@Junior> References: <200511160202.jAG22QEE027502@bubbleator.drizzle.com><004b01c7933d$d3e2e920$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> <001101c79356$b476bee0$6400a8c0@Junior> Message-ID: <01dc01c79357$aa1b9280$6b01a8c0@okapi> Time to help out a time in need... Greensburg needs money for reconstruction. You'd LOVE to have a meteorite. Check out: http://www.aerolite.org/events/greensburg-fundraiser.htm GcB From deepskyspy at insightbb.com Thu May 10 18:20:54 2007 From: deepskyspy at insightbb.com (Alan Goldstein) Date: Thu May 10 18:30:44 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Crystal growing on a large scale References: <200511160202.jAG22QEE027502@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <004b01c7933d$d3e2e920$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Message-ID: <002b01c7936a$9f8c3190$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> Rock, Fun story! It's similar to those I have seen from the good old days of collecting in underground fluorite mines. Or my current "run" of several quarries where I can collect as many fossils as I care to pick up (as I did on Monday). Would it be possible to use this piece for our club newsletter? (Crediting you via the rockhounds list serve of course.) Alan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rock Currier" To: Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 4:00 PM Subject: [Rockhounds] Crystal growing on a large scale > Collecting Borax Crystals > > > > In a the group someone asked about how to grow sugar crystals and various > people chimed in with suggestions, some of them quite detailed and > thoughtful as well as suggestions of other types of crystals to grow. The > end result would be of course some beautiful crystals that appeared, > seemingly out of nowhere and would be somehow instructive about the laws > that govern our universe. It got me to thinking about crystals that I had > seen grown from water and I remembered some experiences that I had had > collecting borax crystals that some people might find interesting. Many > years ago in my youth I worked for US Borax at their mine in Boron, > California and there became interested in minerals and more particularly > the Borate minerals from the mine. > > > > The borate deposit at Boron is a dry lake rich in Borates that was laid > down some millions of years ago and in time covered over with sediments. A > man drilling a well discovered colemanite in the Mojave Desert near what > would become the little desert town of Boron. Boron lies midway between > Barstow and Mojave north of Los Angeles and quite near Edwards Air force > base. This lead to the discovery of one of the worlds largest deposits of > borate minerals. It was the first one where massive amounts of crystalline > borax was found in place along with a cap clay and other borates like > colemanite and ulexite and lower down large amounts of another sodium > borate kernite. This was great news for the company that owned the deposit > because previously all the borates they were mining and selling were the > harder to process calcium borates of colemanite and ulexite. With the > borax, all they had to do was dig it out, dissolve it in water and > recrystalize it. Most of the borax they were mining at Boron in the early > days before the deposit was made an open pit mine was in thick layers up > to 40 feet? high. All this was perhaps 200 to 300 feet underground. > Mechanical miners of the same kind used in the coal industry were used to > sweep up and down the working faces and rip out the ore. The stopes were > mostly of the room and pillar kind and some of the rooms were three tiers > deep and perhaps 30 feet high. Really impressive and spacious rooms. > > > > In places where the mechanical miners had carved out rooms were low lying > areas and sumps where ground water accumulated. There was not much of it > because this was in the Mojave Desert but what was there would collect in > the various sumps and some stope bottoms as a brine that was saturated > with sodium borate. The walls, floors and often the ceilings of these > stopes all of were massive borax. The walls had been left in place in > order to hold up the roof of the mine. The temperature was constant with > in a degree or two all year round and the ventilation was good, ideal for > the crystallization of borax from the brine. In time crystals formed, > carpeting the floors, walls and anything else that happened to be lying in > the bottom of these flooded stopes. Some of the crystals were up to almost > a foot across and were often glassy and clear. > > > > At times collecting in these sumps were permitted, especially for > specimens for the local gem and mineral show to provide specimens for door > prizes and their little auction. Good community relations. At other times > geologists and miners would go into the mine and collect specimens. In the > early days when the open pit was new and mine security was lax, long > before the advent of MSHAW regulations, there were even some unauthorized > collecting trips made into these sumps. Periodically in the early days > when the open pit was new, large batches of borax specimens would appear > on the market. > > > > Whether the collecting was authorized, or in the gray area of legality, > the routine was that you would drive down into the pit in a 4x4 and drive > into the large portal to the underground mine where the Civil Defense > people had their supplies and drive out to where the sump was that you > wanted to collect. Most sumps you could just drive right up to. You would > unload your wrapping materials and get your hammer and chisel and wade out > into the sump, usually not more than three feet deep and start hammering > away on the walls and anything else that had good crystals on it. Most of > the good crystals were fairly close to the surface and on the walls of the > stope. Until your collecting activity stirred up the sediment in the > bottom of the stope, the water was crystal clear and you could shine your > light down in the brine and see endless carpets of borax crystals, some > growing on knobs of matrix just waiting for you to collect them. You would > have to wear shoes because the crystals were sharp and would quickly cut > your feet to shreds if you went bare foot. Even so the crystals were so > sharp that you would always end up cutting yourself to some degree in > hammering out and handling the specimens. The brine was mildly antiseptic > and the cuts would not sting and burn as they would in a sodium chloride > brine. At any rate we never seemed to worry about cuts. Fabulous clusters > of borax crystals to more than a foot across could be collected and when > you lifted them clear of the water for the first time they would sparkle > and shine in the mine light on your hard hat. Every one was a joy, and you > could collect as many of them as you had the energy to collect. It always > took longer to wade your specimens dry ground and wrap them than it did to > collect them and we always resented the time we had to take away from > collecting to transport and wrap the specimens. > > > > Borax is unfortunately not very air stable and if you put them out in the > sun for a few days (don't do it when it is raining) they loose half their > water and turn white. If the specimens are kept in a cool dry place they > can last for several years, but eventually turn white and crumble to a > white powder. The whole experience is like growing crystals in jars and > collecting them, but scaled up several orders of magnitude and then > climbing into the jar to collect them. > > > > Rock > > > > > > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Thu May 10 18:55:33 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Thu May 10 18:52:27 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Collecting Magnet Cove (and Arkansas) Minerals References: Message-ID: <4643CC50.97A@Tomaszewski.net> Cecil, I can't help you with the AD that was posted about Magnet Cove minerals other than to suggest you contact the poster directly. I was the one that started the Magnet Cove thread on this List while planning a collecting trip to Arkansas this past winter. I only ended up driving thru Magnet Cove, but I came home with a quarter of the known minerals from the location (including some of the type locality minerals) -- I love visiting rock shops! My Club's Newsletter, The Arrowhead News, published the Trip Report I submitted on April 8th. I thought you, and the List, might be interested... Kreigh -- A Spring Break Collecting Trip To Arkansas And Back We hit the road early Saturday morning for the first leg of our Spring Break collecting trip. Hours and miles later we were at our friends house in Springfield, IL, Mary and Terry live near a 'cloud factory', which I thought was a great name for a power plant coined by one of their grandkids. We went to Palm Sunday services with them. And after too short of a visit, we hit the road again Sunday morning heading for Arkansas. Our destination was the SWAHA Lodge and Marina in Lake Greeson, AR, just a few miles from Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro. We wanted to get there before dark so we could find it. Our trip plan took us thru Magnet Cove, but it was too late by the time we got there to do any collecting, so we drove on. Lake Greeson is formed by the Narrows Dam, which is worth driving past. Monday morning we checked out, had breakfast in Murfreesboro, and went to Crater of Diamonds State Park for a day of collecting. We spent the day trying a variety of search methods as we moved around the collecting field. It had rained the night before, so the mud was sticky, and the air was thick in the 90 degree sunlight. BTW, we found out that the Monday previous they had so many visitors at the park, because of the recent TV show that featured it, they had to turn away visitors for the first time in the park's history. We left mid to late afternoon with more than a shopping bag full of volcanic rock, agates, jasper, and some stuff yet to be identified. The park sign indicated 8 diamonds had been confirmed that day as we exited. We had a small bag of possible finds, but the line to have them checked was so long we decided not to wait. We'll get around to checking them one of these days since there is one that looks really probable. And it was off to Hot Springs. But first we stopped at Miners Camping and Rock Shop next to the Park. I picked up a half dozen Magnet Cove minerals and made sure I would go home with at least one certified diamond from the Crater. We also stopped at a roadcut and collected some geology specimens of rock that had nice banding. We checked in at Lake Hamilton Resort, just down the road from Wright's Rock Shop. Supper was at a family owned establishment and we had good local food. Tuesday was tourist day. We visited historical Hot Springs, the shopping district, hiked in the National Park, and visited Colemans Rocks-R-Gems and Wright's Rock Shop. Another flat of specimens went into the van; I had a good day collecting. Back at the Resort we confirmed with Becky we would be at the Sweet Surrender Mine for quartz collecting in the morning. Wednesday found us on the road to Mt. Ida early. A front had gone thru overnight, and it was 20 degrees cooler than the record highs on Monday. We stopped in Crystal Springs for breakfast and ran into some members of the Holland, MI, rock club. We swapped experiences since they were doing the same collecting we were, but in the opposit order. We met Becky at the mine at 9:30 as agreed, paid our fee, got oriented, and started collecting. Randy came in late morning, fired up the track hoe, and started expanding the current pit. When he had opened a good pocket (and dumped a fair portion of it for us to pick thru) he shut down the hoe and started hand digging. Randy was still at it when we left -- it was a good pocket. We collected enough mudballs with points to fill the bottom half of a kids swimming pool in our back yard when we got home. We've got some cleaning ahead of us. Randy and Becky both made sure we had good luck collecting with their advice. Early afternoon another collector joined us. He was from the local club and told me they had a field trip to Magnet Cove on Monday and spend six hours in the water under the bridge screening the gravel for specimens. He said it was the last legal collecting spot in Magnet Cove, and they did reasonably well. On our way out we stopped at Fiddler's Ridge Rock Shop and did some more collecting. Thursday morning we were up and on the road before the sun came up for the long treck back to Michigan. We had breakfast on the road. Then we got caught in stopped traffic miles between exits and sat for two and a half hours. A big truck had gone off the road and dropped live power wires across the freeway. The rest of the trip back was uneventful, but we arrived to snow on our driveway at 1:30 Friday morning. Friday morning we unpacked the van, planted the peas in the garden, went to Good Friday services, and then it was off to our Club's annual show that was already in progress. My son and his wife had set up my display case Wednesday evening. I continued my Spring Break collecting at the dealers tables, and helped out at the Club booth. Saturday morning found us cleaning and decorating Church for Easter; I ran the sound checks since I would be on the board for the evening services. Saturday afternoon I took a couple buckets full of mud balls to the Club Show and demonstrated mineral cleaning, and talked to the public about rockhounding. I collected some new club members. When suppertime came, I tood down my display cabinet, packed up my cleaned quartz clusters and points, and went home to get ready to celebrate Easter. Sunday we had the family over for dinner and everyone admired what I had cleaned. I can't wait to get the iron off it to see the full beauty of the specimens. It was a good collecting trip, and I'm looking forward to the months of follow up work of cleaning, labeling, and cataloging everything that came back. It was a great Spring Break collecting trip, but I'm going to have to go back to work tomorrow to rest up from this whirlwind collecting trip. Kreigh Tomaszewski Elcapitan2010@aol.com wrote: > > Hi, > > Came across you posting regarding the Magnet Cove and other Arkansas minerals > you were / are trying to dispose. Can you please inorm me of the status of > the specimens. > > Thanks, > > Cecil > > ************************************** > See what's free at > http://www.aol.com. > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From efkern at earthlink.net Thu May 10 23:03:21 2007 From: efkern at earthlink.net (Erich Kern) Date: Thu May 10 23:03:05 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Source for museum wax to secure breakables Message-ID: <000501c79392$14f13990$9ffff604@TheBlackAdder> Just found this. http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1537&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C4%2C15%2C174&iProductID=1537 --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Fri May 11 14:50:39 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Fri May 11 14:44:46 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Source for museum wax to secure breakables References: <000501c79392$14f13990$9ffff604@TheBlackAdder> Message-ID: <4644E3C2.FBD@Tomaszewski.net> Buy it direct from Trevco who manufactures it http://www.museum3pack.com Kreigh Erich Kern wrote: > > Just found this. > > http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1537&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C4%2C15%2C174&iProductID=1537 > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From codeburner at gmail.com Fri May 11 15:34:27 2007 From: codeburner at gmail.com (J Bryan Kramer) Date: Fri May 11 15:34:31 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Dino tracks lasered Message-ID: BK -- J Bryan Kramer North Florida, USA photos at: http://pbase.com/photoburner --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From Pmodreski at aol.com Sat May 12 00:10:52 2007 From: Pmodreski at aol.com (Pmodreski@aol.com) Date: Sat May 12 00:11:40 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] non-meteorite Message-ID: I just saw this news story as a followup to what was reported back in January, a metallic meteorite (?) that crashed through a roof in New Jersey: _http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pub&dt=070512&cat=science&st=scienced 8p2ih102&src=ap_ (http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pub&dt=070512&cat=science&st=scienced8p2ih102&src=ap) # I think that most of us who commented on the pictures published of this, thought it looked suspicious to be a real meteorite; the article concludes "stainless steel space junk". (still salable on ebay I'm sure if they want to, but not quite as valuable as a meteorite would be that came through a house) Pete ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From Pmodreski at aol.com Sat May 12 00:19:45 2007 From: Pmodreski at aol.com (Pmodreski@aol.com) Date: Sat May 12 00:20:04 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] non-meteorite - repeat url Message-ID: In a message dated 5/12/2007 1:12:02 AM Mountain Daylight Time, Pmodreski@aol.com writes: P.S., that long url got a little scrambled in pasting it in, it is supposed to end with the characters =ap# here I'll try to write it again, _http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pub&dt=070512&cat=science&st=scienced 8p2ih102&src=ap_ (http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pub&dt=070512&cat=science&st=scienced8p2ih102&src=ap) # (it seems to keep dropping off the # sign) ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From bobl at peaktopeak.com Sat May 12 07:45:59 2007 From: bobl at peaktopeak.com (Bob Loeffler) Date: Sat May 12 07:45:56 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] non-meteorite - repeat url In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <200705121445.l4CEjrMS004821@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Hi Pete, The link works for me without the # sign. Thanks, Bob -----Original Message----- From: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Pmodreski@aol.com Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2007 1:20 AM To: rockhounds@lists.drizzle.com Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] non-meteorite - repeat url In a message dated 5/12/2007 1:12:02 AM Mountain Daylight Time, Pmodreski@aol.com writes: P.S., that long url got a little scrambled in pasting it in, it is supposed to end with the characters =ap# here I'll try to write it again, _http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pub&dt=070512&cat=science&st=scienc ed 8p2ih102&src=ap_ (http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pub&dt=070512&cat=science&st=scienc ed8p2ih102&src=ap) # (it seems to keep dropping off the # sign) ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From kaydavis at estrie.qc.ca Sat May 12 08:35:45 2007 From: kaydavis at estrie.qc.ca (Kay Davis) Date: Sat May 12 08:35:54 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] non-meteorite - repeat url In-Reply-To: <200705121445.l4CEjrMS004821@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <006001c794ab$361717b0$5d3aa8c0@D8YF2G81> Can't beat www.tinyurl.com Try going to http://tinyurl.com/2a8olr Kay From flint...smith at sbcglobal.net Sat May 12 08:56:30 2007 From: flint...smith at sbcglobal.net (Flint Smith) Date: Sat May 12 08:56:33 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Crystal growing on a large scale In-Reply-To: <004b01c7933d$d3e2e920$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Message-ID: <370765.49904.qm@web82507.mail.mud.yahoo.com> That's a wonderful history. May i send it over to LA-Rocks? I'm sure everyone there will enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks Flint (Wouldn't we make a pair? Rock Currier and Flint Smith) Rock Currier wrote: Collecting Borax Crystals In a the group someone asked about how to grow sugar crystals and various people chimed in with suggestions, some of them quite detailed and thoughtful as well as suggestions of other types of crystals to grow. The end result would be of course some beautiful crystals that appeared, seemingly out of nowhere and would be somehow instructive about the laws that govern our universe. It got me to thinking about crystals that I had seen grown from water and I remembered some experiences that I had had collecting borax crystals that some people might find interesting. Many years ago in my youth I worked for US Borax at their mine in Boron, California and there became interested in minerals and more particularly the Borate minerals from the mine. The borate deposit at Boron is a dry lake rich in Borates that was laid down some millions of years ago and in time covered over with sediments. A man drilling a well discovered colemanite in the Mojave Desert near what would become the little desert town of Boron. Boron lies midway between Barstow and Mojave north of Los Angeles and quite near Edwards Air force base. This lead to the discovery of one of the worlds largest deposits of borate minerals. It was the first one where massive amounts of crystalline borax was found in place along with a cap clay and other borates like colemanite and ulexite and lower down large amounts of another sodium borate kernite. This was great news for the company that owned the deposit because previously all the borates they were mining and selling were the harder to process calcium borates of colemanite and ulexite. With the borax, all they had to do was dig it out, dissolve it in water and recrystalize it. Most of the borax they were mining at Boron in the early days before the deposit was made an open pit mine was in thick layers up to 40 feet? high. All this was perhaps 200 to 300 feet underground. Mechanical miners of the same kind used in the coal industry were used to sweep up and down the working faces and rip out the ore. The stopes were mostly of the room and pillar kind and some of the rooms were three tiers deep and perhaps 30 feet high. Really impressive and spacious rooms. In places where the mechanical miners had carved out rooms were low lying areas and sumps where ground water accumulated. There was not much of it because this was in the Mojave Desert but what was there would collect in the various sumps and some stope bottoms as a brine that was saturated with sodium borate. The walls, floors and often the ceilings of these stopes all of were massive borax. The walls had been left in place in order to hold up the roof of the mine. The temperature was constant with in a degree or two all year round and the ventilation was good, ideal for the crystallization of borax from the brine. In time crystals formed, carpeting the floors, walls and anything else that happened to be lying in the bottom of these flooded stopes. Some of the crystals were up to almost a foot across and were often glassy and clear. At times collecting in these sumps were permitted, especially for specimens for the local gem and mineral show to provide specimens for door prizes and their little auction. Good community relations. At other times geologists and miners would go into the mine and collect specimens. In the early days when the open pit was new and mine security was lax, long before the advent of MSHAW regulations, there were even some unauthorized collecting trips made into these sumps. Periodically in the early days when the open pit was new, large batches of borax specimens would appear on the market. Whether the collecting was authorized, or in the gray area of legality, the routine was that you would drive down into the pit in a 4x4 and drive into the large portal to the underground mine where the Civil Defense people had their supplies and drive out to where the sump was that you wanted to collect. Most sumps you could just drive right up to. You would unload your wrapping materials and get your hammer and chisel and wade out into the sump, usually not more than three feet deep and start hammering away on the walls and anything else that had good crystals on it. Most of the good crystals were fairly close to the surface and on the walls of the stope. Until your collecting activity stirred up the sediment in the bottom of the stope, the water was crystal clear and you could shine your light down in the brine and see endless carpets of borax crystals, some growing on knobs of matrix just waiting for you to collect them. You would have to wear shoes because the crystals were sharp and would quickly cut your feet to shreds if you went bare foot. Even so the crystals were so sharp that you would always end up cutting yourself to some degree in hammering out and handling the specimens. The brine was mildly antiseptic and the cuts would not sting and burn as they would in a sodium chloride brine. At any rate we never seemed to worry about cuts. Fabulous clusters of borax crystals to more than a foot across could be collected and when you lifted them clear of the water for the first time they would sparkle and shine in the mine light on your hard hat. Every one was a joy, and you could collect as many of them as you had the energy to collect. It always took longer to wade your specimens dry ground and wrap them than it did to collect them and we always resented the time we had to take away from collecting to transport and wrap the specimens. Borax is unfortunately not very air stable and if you put them out in the sun for a few days (don't do it when it is raining) they loose half their water and turn white. If the specimens are kept in a cool dry place they can last for several years, but eventually turn white and crumble to a white powder. The whole experience is like growing crystals in jars and collecting them, but scaled up several orders of magnitude and then climbing into the jar to collect them. Rock -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From sunstone3 at hvc.rr.com Sat May 12 13:46:18 2007 From: sunstone3 at hvc.rr.com (Carolyn Reynard) Date: Sat May 12 13:46:39 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] non-meteorite References: Message-ID: <000901c794d6$97718560$6008a118@feldsparflash> Several members from the Mid-Hudson Valley Gem & Mineral Society attended the Geology Open House at Rutgers University this last January. On view in their museum was the Freehold, NJ "meteorite". We all agreed it looked nothing like a meteorite. It was a shiny brassy color with "machine made like" dents, no fusion crust, no meteorite color or texture. It was gratifying to know we haven't lost our "rockhound detective licenses"! But, you know some day there will be something someone has never seen before, it is good to keep options open! Carolyn Reynard Poughkeepsie, NY ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2007 3:10 AM Subject: [Rockhounds] non-meteorite > > I just saw this news story as a followup to what was reported back in > January, a metallic meteorite (?) that crashed through a roof in New Jersey: > > _http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pub&dt=070512&cat=science&st=scienc ed > 8p2ih102&src=ap_ > (http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pub&dt=070512&cat=science&st=scienc ed8p2ih102&src=ap) # > > I think that most of us who commented on the pictures published of this, > thought it looked suspicious to be a real meteorite; the article concludes > "stainless steel space junk". > > (still salable on ebay I'm sure if they want to, but not quite as valuable > as a meteorite would be that came through a house) > > Pete > > > > > > ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From flint...smith at sbcglobal.net Sat May 12 15:28:26 2007 From: flint...smith at sbcglobal.net (Flint Smith) Date: Sat May 12 15:28:30 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] non-meteorite In-Reply-To: <000901c794d6$97718560$6008a118@feldsparflash> Message-ID: <10111.48666.qm@web82511.mail.mud.yahoo.com> I don't know anything about space debris. What processes would lead to a rounded shape like that in a hunk of stainless steel? Reentry doesn't do that from orbital velocities, does it? I think it's a 5-million year-old fragment from an alien spaceship. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From jabac at hal-pc.org Sat May 12 22:17:37 2007 From: jabac at hal-pc.org (jabac) Date: Sat May 12 22:16:35 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] sugar and other xls In-Reply-To: <46414758.8090500@rcn.com> References: <463FA286.2000507@rcn.com> <267646.18394.qm@web34310.mail.mud.yahoo.com> <000901c79184$fa728bf0$6401a8c0@AxelHP> <46414758.8090500@rcn.com> Message-ID: <46469F71.6070700@hal-pc.org> Frederick Olmstead wrote: > THANK YOU > > My frinend has a 12 year old daughter and is trying experiment growing > different kinds of crystals. > I think alum xls worked OK. > > She had trouble with the sugar xls. > She is also trying to experiment to see what works best - - - using > string, or other substitutions.... > Try Sodium Carbonate (Washing Soda), Sodium Bicarbonate, and Borax. Also Tri-Sodium Phosphate. All are cheap and easy to crystallize. They will turn "chalky" and lose water in open air. Harder to work with as far as toxicity is concerned is Copper Sulfate, which is usually available as an anti-algal or anti-fungal agent. It makes beautiful blue tetrahedral crystals. If you can get it, Ferrous Sulfate will produce the same kind of crystal, but green. These crystals will also lose water and turn chalky in the open air, but at a much slower rate than the above. You might try experimenting with ordinary lawn fertilizers which contain nitrates and phosphates, but be careful and supervise closely as they can be dangerous. The key to good crystals, as noted by the others, is to provide a clean pure solution and let it s-l-o-w-l-y work undisturbed for a few weeks. The best temperature is just below the point where crystallization begins, but that may be hard to maintain, and the concentration of the solution must be maintained at a relatively constant level. The alternative is slow evaporation. That slowly increases the concentration of the solution, but does so over a long enough period of time to allow for large crystal growth. Copper Sulfate is especially good for this technique. Sodium Carbonate is harder to control and rarely develops as a single crystal because it precipitates out over a very narrow temperature range, but it makes beautiful water-clear masses of monoclinic(?) crystals which look like stair steps. Use a monofilament nylon line instead of string. You should try to eliminate as many extra points that can be used as nuclei as you can, and string usually has lots of loose fibers. (Hence Axel's suggestion of a hair). If a single small crystal is attached to the line somehow, and slowly lowered into the solution at the "right" temperature, it will not dissolve completely and will be the start of a large crystal. Keep it as far away from the walls of the container as possible; don't favor any one side over the others. the center of a cylindrical container is probably best; Mason jars work nicely. john From julie at pandemoniumgraphics.com Sat May 12 23:43:28 2007 From: julie at pandemoniumgraphics.com (Julie Siebel) Date: Sat May 12 23:44:52 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN - Kinda...] Website Links.. Message-ID: <0bd101c7952a$09af7fd0$0300a8c0@warren> Hey, all: Kreigh just very nicely pointed out to me that I've let the website just sorta vegetate, unfinished, for a very long time. Sooo, we're going to try to fill in the sections that we're missing and add some of the fun stuff to the "Fun Stuff" page. The first page I'm filling in will be the links page. The data that I have from the old site is...well, OLD. I'm hoping that you guys have all that link information at your fingertips, and can send it along to me. If you have a link that you think should be added, send it to rockhoundlinks@pandemoniumgraphics.com along with a guess at a category...commercial, sites, scientific - heck, I don't know. What do you think the categories should be? I'll merge the categories and links that I get from everyone and post 'em up on the site. FYI: The email address listed is just a temporary address. There will be an interface when the page is done to send me/us links to be added to the site. Thanks, Julie --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From DrkHorse42 at aol.com Sun May 13 04:05:17 2007 From: DrkHorse42 at aol.com (DrkHorse42@aol.com) Date: Sun May 13 04:05:34 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Crystal growing Message-ID: If you have a bottle of Mrs Stewart's Bluing in your laundry room supplies, you should be able to grow crystals with that. I don't know if they still put the directions on the bottle but they use to ................... ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From JWachsmuth at gmx.de Sat May 12 11:26:53 2007 From: JWachsmuth at gmx.de (Juergen Wachsmuth) Date: Sun May 13 08:39:59 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Rockhounding in Fairbanks, Alaska References: <6F651C1505A4A048923BCF2D756A7E49022B9FD5@isr-mail2.ad.isr.umich.edu> <6F651C1505A4A048923BCF2D756A7E49022B9FE1@isr-mail2.ad.isr.umich.edu> Message-ID: <464606ED.E9758C70@gmx.de> Hello, there is a locality at the Chena Hot Springs Road, E Fairbanks. I saw yugawaralite, crystals up to 8 mm, carrying tiny quartz crystals; stilbite; laumontite. R. Tschernich published a paper on this locality back in 1999; earlier by Eberlein, G.D. et al. in American Mineralogist (1971). As far as I heard two or three years ago there still is the possibility to collect specimens. Regards, J?rgen Wachsmuth Peter Sparks schrieb: > Correction: Fairbanks, not Anchorage. > > -----Original Message----- > From: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Peter Sparks > Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 10:01 AM > To: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors > Subject: [Rockhounds] Rockhounding in Anchorage, Alaska > > A friend of mine will be driving to Anchorage, Alaska at the end of > June, spending a week there with possible access to a small plane, and > then flying a commercial airline back. His traveling companions are not > into rocks that much though they are healthy. At least one has looked > for Michigan petoskeys. > > So ... what rockhounding can he find around Anchorage that won't let him > become bear food and is reasonably easy to do? > > Peter Sparks From silicawood at gmail.com Sun May 13 11:33:01 2007 From: silicawood at gmail.com (Rockhoundnut) Date: Sun May 13 11:33:08 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Source for museum wax to secure breakables In-Reply-To: <4644E3C2.FBD@Tomaszewski.net> References: <000501c79392$14f13990$9ffff604@TheBlackAdder> <4644E3C2.FBD@Tomaszewski.net> Message-ID: <54d4a88f0705131133n450d708bx73f895fc177c7af@mail.gmail.com> Hi - just happend to buy a bottle of Museum wax at lowes - $5 for a 50 gram container. Its located in the screw/nail section. Brian On 5/11/07, Kreigh Tomaszewski wrote: > > Buy it direct from Trevco who manufactures it > > http://www.museum3pack.com > > Kreigh > > > Erich Kern wrote: > > > > Just found this. > > > > > http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1537&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C4%2C15%2C174&iProductID=1537 > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > > multipart/alternative > > text/plain (text body -- kept) > > text/html > > --- > > -- > > _______________________________________________ > > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > > Subscription Services: > > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > -- http://home.comcast.net/~silicawood/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From jeanne at jeannius.com Mon May 14 19:57:26 2007 From: jeanne at jeannius.com (Jeanne Rhodes-Moen) Date: Mon May 14 19:57:31 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] for your amusement...pink turquoise on ebay! Message-ID: <46492196.3010501@jeannius.com> http://cgi.ebay.com/stunning-asain-long-Rare-turquoise-necklace-50_W0QQitemZ270120305605QQihZ017QQcategoryZ13766QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem if the link doesn't come through, it's item nr 270120305605 -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *My Jewelry:* *http://www.jeannius.com* *Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree Jewelry(Book):* *http://www.silverthreadsfiligree.com* *Jewelry Artists Guild: http://www.jewelryartistsguild.com* *Family: http://www.rhodes-moen.com* *Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeanniusdesigns* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From tim at orerockon.com Mon May 14 20:18:13 2007 From: tim at orerockon.com (Tim Fisher) Date: Mon May 14 20:15:59 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] for your amusement...pink turquoise on ebay! In-Reply-To: <46492196.3010501@jeannius.com> References: <46492196.3010501@jeannius.com> Message-ID: <200705150315.l4F3FvFX027968@bubbleator.drizzle.com> It is actually dyed Howelite. Pretty common stuff at rock shows. At 07:57 PM 5/14/2007, you wrote: >http://cgi.ebay.com/stunning-asain-long-Rare-turquoise-necklace-50_W0QQitemZ270120305605QQihZ017QQcategoryZ13766QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem > >if the link doesn't come through, it's item nr 270120305605 > Tim Fisher Ore-ROCK-On! nospam@OreRockOn.com Web Site: http://OreRockOn.com From jeanne at jeannius.com Mon May 14 20:20:41 2007 From: jeanne at jeannius.com (Jeanne Rhodes-Moen) Date: Mon May 14 20:20:45 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] for your amusement...pink turquoise on ebay! In-Reply-To: <200705150315.l4F3FvFX027968@bubbleator.drizzle.com> References: <46492196.3010501@jeannius.com> <200705150315.l4F3FvFX027968@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <46492709.9040708@jeannius.com> still, pretty fraudulent to list it as 'rare turquoise' Tim Fisher wrote: > It is actually dyed Howelite. Pretty common stuff at rock shows. > > At 07:57 PM 5/14/2007, you wrote: >> http://cgi.ebay.com/stunning-asain-long-Rare-turquoise-necklace-50_W0QQitemZ270120305605QQihZ017QQcategoryZ13766QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem >> >> >> if the link doesn't come through, it's item nr 270120305605 >> > > Tim Fisher Ore-ROCK-On! nospam@OreRockOn.com > Web Site: http://OreRockOn.com -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *My Jewelry:* *http://www.jeannius.com* *Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree Jewelry(Book):* *http://www.silverthreadsfiligree.com* *Jewelry Artists Guild: http://www.jewelryartistsguild.com* *Family: http://www.rhodes-moen.com* *Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeanniusdesigns* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From Lapidry at aol.com Mon May 14 20:24:38 2007 From: Lapidry at aol.com (Lapidry@aol.com) Date: Mon May 14 20:24:49 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] for your amusement...pink turquoise on ebay! Message-ID: In a message dated 5/14/2007 11:21:03 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, jeanne@jeannius.com writes: still, pretty fraudulent to list it as 'rare turquoise' Looks like the seller has a lot of trouble listing things correctly..... check out the green fiber optics..... ooopppps, I'm sorry, I mean green opal.... _http://cgi.ebay.com/Beautiful-tibet-silver-and-Green-Opal-Ring_W0QQitemZ27011 8864083QQihZ017QQcategoryZ13766QQcmdZViewItem_ (http://cgi.ebay.com/Beautiful-tibet-silver-and-Green-Opal-Ring_W0QQitemZ270118864083QQihZ017QQcategoryZ13766 QQcmdZViewItem) Dan ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From donhalterman at verizon.net Mon May 14 20:45:01 2007 From: donhalterman at verizon.net (DonH) Date: Mon May 14 20:43:07 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] for your amusement...pink turquoise on ebay! In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <46492CBD.3030406@verizon.net> Lapidry@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 5/14/2007 11:21:03 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > jeanne@jeannius.com writes: > > still, pretty fraudulent to list it as 'rare turquoise' > > Looks like the seller has a lot of trouble listing things correctly..... > check out the green fiber optics..... ooopppps, I'm sorry, I mean green opal.... There is a link at the bottom of each ad where you can report it for a number of violations, including fialure to accurately describe jewelry, precious metals, or beads. Don From rockcurrier at cs.com Tue May 15 00:41:32 2007 From: rockcurrier at cs.com (Rock Currier) Date: Tue May 15 00:41:46 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Dirty collecting trips References: <200511160202.jAG22QEE027502@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <00a001c796c4$75646a60$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> All field collectors have their favorite war stories about field trips. How they got hopelessly stuck in the mud, how they nearly got killed by a falling rock, about the fabulous pocket of minerals they collected or how hard they had to work to get their specimens and how dirty they got. I have written something about what I consider to be the dirtiest collecting locality I personally know of and if enough people weigh in here on the Rockhound chat group with suitably disgusting stories of their dirtiest field trips, Ill share it with the group. Rock From albalmer at att.net Tue May 15 07:53:22 2007 From: albalmer at att.net (Al Balmer) Date: Tue May 15 07:53:25 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] for your amusement...pink turquoise on ebay! In-Reply-To: <46492709.9040708@jeannius.com> References: <46492196.3010501@jeannius.com> <200705150315.l4F3FvFX027968@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <46492709.9040708@jeannius.com> Message-ID: On Mon, 14 May 2007 23:20:41 -0400, Jeanne Rhodes-Moen wrote: >still, pretty fraudulent to list it as 'rare turquoise' > It's ebay. If that weren't enough warning, it's from China. >Tim Fisher wrote: >> It is actually dyed Howelite. Pretty common stuff at rock shows. >> >> At 07:57 PM 5/14/2007, you wrote: >>> http://cgi.ebay.com/stunning-asain-long-Rare-turquoise-necklace-50_W0QQitemZ270120305605QQihZ017QQcategoryZ13766QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem >>> >>> >>> if the link doesn't come through, it's item nr 270120305605 -- Al Balmer Sun City, AZ From jr50wv at yahoo.com Tue May 15 18:47:07 2007 From: jr50wv at yahoo.com (J. R. Hodel) Date: Tue May 15 18:47:10 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] dirty trips Message-ID: <378250.60636.qm@web56313.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Hi Rock: I've gotten pretty dirty on various trips, but most of them weren't rockhounding. I've shot photography in an underground coal mine, that was a little dirty, and in an eastern WV cave...really fine clay, really really fine penetrating clay - but not collecting. Oh, and shovelilng out my granddad's compost pile onto his garden, there was a smelly job. And the pigpen cleanup! And loading square bales of hay in the field into a truck or farm wagon - ooooHH those stems are prickly, and the dried plant debris falls back into your face when you slam a bale overhead! And it's really HOT! and you're sweating. And there's yellowjacket bees, too! But rockhounding, so far, has mostly been walking in rural creeks, or worst case working on the overhead of the rock above the slot carved by rockhounds in Indiana, with limestone shards and grit landing in your face. Oh, no, I remember now - there's a quarry in Ohio that I visited on a FoM trip. It has wonderful crystals in little vugs in dolomitic limestone. But it's in an oil patch, and the vugs filled with asphalt tar after the crystals formed. They all told us to clean the rocks with a bucket of kerosene, and we wrapped them with newspaper to keep the tar off the truck bed. But it didn't help, really. We looked like we had been laying hot pavement all day, and I can still smell the tarry kerosene smell out around the driveway. But the crystals are fine. Man was that stuff sticky! KoR! JR in WV --------------------------------- Got a little couch potato? Check out fun summer activities for kids. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From gene at fossilnut.com Tue May 15 19:47:08 2007 From: gene at fossilnut.com (gene@fossilnut.com) Date: Tue May 15 19:47:15 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] dirty trips References: <378250.60636.qm@web56313.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <000601c79764$801e4660$0201a8c0@your4dacd0ea75> My personal dirties was digging for amber in Sayreville NJ about a decade ago. We would dig into friable lignite, while sweating from the heat and exertion. We'd breal up the lignite we had dug and laid out to dry, to find the amber. In the process we would get covered with mud and black lignite dust. I would cover the seats of my car with blankets for the trip home. When I got home I would take off my shoes and socks outside and roll up my pant cuffs. Then it was straight to the shower and either undress on a towel or in the shower, in either case leaving all the clothing on the towel. It would take 3 to 5 soapings to get the water running off me to stop running black. Black would be embedded in my hands for weeks. The clothes and the blankets had to be washed separately and the jeans never really got free of black stains. Gene Hartstein ----- Original Message ----- From: "J. R. Hodel" To: Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 9:47 PM Subject: [Rockhounds] dirty trips > Hi Rock: > > I've gotten pretty dirty on various trips, but most of them weren't > rockhounding. I've shot photography in an underground coal mine, that was > a little dirty, and in an eastern WV cave...really fine clay, really > really fine penetrating clay - but not collecting. Oh, and shovelilng out > my granddad's compost pile onto his garden, there was a smelly job. And > the pigpen cleanup! > > And loading square bales of hay in the field into a truck or farm wagon - > ooooHH those stems are prickly, and the dried plant debris falls back into > your face when you slam a bale overhead! And it's really HOT! and you're > sweating. And there's yellowjacket bees, too! > > But rockhounding, so far, has mostly been walking in rural creeks, or > worst case working on the overhead of the rock above the slot carved by > rockhounds in Indiana, with limestone shards and grit landing in your > face. > > Oh, no, I remember now - there's a quarry in Ohio that I visited on a FoM > trip. It has wonderful crystals in little vugs in dolomitic limestone. > But it's in an oil patch, and the vugs filled with asphalt tar after the > crystals formed. They all told us to clean the rocks with a bucket of > kerosene, and we wrapped them with newspaper to keep the tar off the truck > bed. > > But it didn't help, really. We looked like we had been laying hot > pavement all day, and I can still smell the tarry kerosene smell out > around the driveway. But the crystals are fine. Man was that stuff > sticky! > > KoR! > JR in WV > > > --------------------------------- > Got a little couch potato? > Check out fun summer activities for kids. > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From rocknate at gmail.com Tue May 15 20:32:32 2007 From: rocknate at gmail.com (Nathan Martin) Date: Tue May 15 20:32:35 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Dirty collecting trips In-Reply-To: <00a001c796c4$75646a60$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> References: <200511160202.jAG22QEE027502@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <00a001c796c4$75646a60$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Message-ID: Rock, The nice thing about owning a portable 14" diamond blade concrete saw is that you can get filthy dirty in any quarry. On my last trip to the Dolomite Products Quarry in Walworth, NY I had found a number of "saw-worthy" vugs containing the water-clear fluorite crystals that the quarry is known for and had spent most of the day creating clouds of dolomite dust while making saw cuts on each side of a crystal bearing vug before doing the chisel work required to pop the piece containing the vug off of the boulder. One large vug containing a cute series of small fluorite crystals all in a row was especially difficult because it was up near my eye level on the rock so that I had to hold the saw up high to make the cuts. That pretty much guaranteed that the entire front me got thoroughly dusted. I always wear a good quality dust mask with the canister filters so that my lungs mostly stay free of the dust and I really needed it that day. Around 2 PM they kicked us out of the quarry for the day (we had started around 7 AM that morning) so we packed up our specimens and I kind of dusted myself off. It wasn't until we started our 7.5 hour drive back to the Boston area that we stopped at a local fast food restaurant to get something cold to drink (because even with the mask my throat still felt like I had been eating dust all day long). I went into the men's room to wash my hands and was shocked by the vision in the mirror. From head to toe I was covered in gray dust. I usually wear light brown workmen's pants and shirt but they were covered in gray dust. My normally black hair was as gray as my salt and pepper beard, except where the straps for the dust mask had been. The outline of the mask also separated my newly-acquired gray skin from the more normal coloring around my eyes. After about 15 minutes of scrubbing and a clean shirt later I began to look (and feel) like a human being again. Now the dust is long gone ..... but I still have the fluorites and the memory of a good day of collecting. best regards, Nate Martin Lexington, MA On 5/15/07, Rock Currier wrote: > > All field collectors have their favorite war stories about field trips. > How > they got hopelessly stuck in the mud, how they nearly got killed by a > falling rock, about the fabulous pocket of minerals they collected or how > hard they had to work to get their specimens and how dirty they got. I > have > written something about what I consider to be the dirtiest collecting > locality I personally know of and if enough people weigh in here on the > Rockhound chat group with suitably disgusting stories of their dirtiest > field trips, Ill share it with the group. > Rock > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From jemstone at amug.org Tue May 15 22:37:09 2007 From: jemstone at amug.org (John McLaughlin) Date: Tue May 15 22:37:15 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Dirty collecting trips References: <200511160202.jAG22QEE027502@bubbleator.drizzle.com><00a001c796c4$75646a60$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Message-ID: <00e801c7977c$3fa42790$4100a8c0@MCWIDOM> I think for large group mud fun the annual Trona, California morning mud trip is hard to beat. A thousand or better folks stomping about in two feet of the blackest, gooiest mud to be found. Since the hanksite clusters are in the mud it is necessary to grope about in the stuff for the crystals. It is a natural environment for young children who greatly enjoy getting covered in mud and who are amazed to see their parents also getting gooey. It is a common site to see larger folks forget they are mired in sticky mud and attempt to walk normally. The frequent result is a rapid windmilling of the arms followed by a slow fall into the welcoming mud. The mix of age groups also adds to the entertainment. One year I watched two large fellows pull a huge cluster of hanksite crystals from the mud and carry it to one of the aisles that separate the mud dumps. They quickly returned to collecting, jubilant in their great find. As they disappeared a three or four year old boy found a geology pick near the crystal cluster and, just like he'd seen dad use the hammer, he began whacking the cluster. I was across the mud and no one else was watching the boy, so the crystals quickly acquired some new shapes and dings. I've gotten dirtier, but never in such a large, happy group. John McLaughlin Glendale, Arizona > On 5/15/07, Rock Currier wrote: >> >> All field collectors have their favorite war stories about field trips. >> How >> they got hopelessly stuck in the mud, how they nearly got killed by a >> falling rock, about the fabulous pocket of minerals they collected or how >> hard they had to work to get their specimens and how dirty they got. I >> have >> written something about what I consider to be the dirtiest collecting >> locality I personally know of and if enough people weigh in here on the >> Rockhound chat group with suitably disgusting stories of their dirtiest >> field trips, Ill share it with the group. >> Rock.html From larryrush at worldnet.att.net Wed May 16 06:45:05 2007 From: larryrush at worldnet.att.net (Lawrence Rush) Date: Wed May 16 06:44:36 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Dirty collecting trips References: <200511160202.jAG22QEE027502@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <00a001c796c4$75646a60$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Message-ID: <001b01c797c0$69a7ad20$5e4a314b@LarryRush> My dirtiest collecting trip...... (Actually, my wife's dirtiest trip!) One of our favorite collecting spots used to be a quarry and ledge in Connecticut where large quartz groups could be worked out of a large vein on the side of a hill. The quarry had been long abandoned and collectors had slowly worked the ledge near the top of a steep side well back into the hillside. It had long been known as a good site for large quartz groups, with most of the crystals being coated with tiny milky crystals, giving it the local name of "corn-cob" quartz. As it was a popular spot, it had, of course, been worked to the point where it had become dangerous, with a lot of heavy overhangs and deep holes. One fine Spring day, after trying the ledge for awhile, we decided it was becoming too dangerous, and we moved slightly downhill and to the left to see it we could intercept the vein in an unworked area. The overburden of dirt and mud was thick and it took an hour or so to open up a hole big enough and deep enough to hit the vein, but we were successful, and Catherine wriggled into the hole head first to inspect the ledge deep inside. She immediately started to work out nice large pieces of clear quartz, stained black with iron, and slid them back along the hole to me, who (in true gentlemanly fashion!), stood, clean and fresh, in the cool, pure air! As I was turned around, trying to stack the plates on the steep hillside, I heard a "crump" sound, and looked around to see nothing but a fresh pile of dirt where my wife used to be! The hole had suddenly collapsed, completely burying her from the knees up. I grabbed her feet and pulled with no movement at all. Desperately, I feverishly started to dig with my hands, pushing, throwing, shoving dirt as fast as I could! In a matter of moments, but what seemed like hours, I got enough dirt and mud off of her to pull her loose into the air, where she lay coughing, gasping and sputtering (and swearing), her hair and face covered with dirt and mud! She recovered quickly (except for her mood) and after some rest, and rinsing at the creek below, we packed up and left for home. But, the gravity of the situation didn't really leave us and we marveled at our luck ( and our stupidity) all of the way home, grateful for the second chance she had been given. This should have been the end of a scary story, after a shower, clean clothes, and some rest. But, showing me, and the rest of the rockhound world, what a true (and not too smart) mineral collector she was, after I had left for work the following day, she went back to that site, alone, and eager, and finished up digging out the rest of the quartz groups! Luckily, there were no more cave-ins, and she brought home some fine plates, one of which we keep in a prominent place in the house, to remind us of a collecting experience she was lucky enough to survive! Larry Rush From sauktown1 at yahoo.com Wed May 16 07:10:46 2007 From: sauktown1 at yahoo.com (Jim Daly) Date: Wed May 16 07:10:50 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] dirty trips In-Reply-To: <378250.60636.qm@web56313.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <854279.42500.qm@web34310.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Oh, no, I remember now - there's a quarry in Ohio that I visited on a FoM trip. It has wonderful crystals in little vugs in dolomitic limestone. But it's in an oil patch, and the vugs filled with asphalt tar after the crystals formed. They all told us to clean the rocks with a bucket of kerosene, and we wrapped them with newspaper to keep the tar off the truck bed. But it didn't help, really. We looked like we had been laying hot pavement all day, and I can still smell the tarry kerosene smell out around the driveway. But the crystals are fine. Man was that stuff sticky! KoR! JR in WV I'd have to nominate a quarry (now closed and flooded) in Indiana with a similar situation- The Rensselaer Quarry in Pleasant Ridge, Indiana. There was petroleum oozing out of the walls of the quarry, mainly in the most mineralized areas, of course. Fortunately, you could drive down to the floor of the quarry and right up to the face. I carried a pair of old coveralls in the car, and would change into them on arrival. By the time I was done for the day, the coveralls looked like I had been working in a grese pit. I would change into clean clothes before getting into the car. Everything, coveralls, tools and minerals, went into plastic garbage bags in the trunk. At home, the tools and specimens had to be soaked in a bucket of gasoline in the back yard (far from the house). The coveralls were washed and returned to the trunk of the car. All in all, it was well worth it, though. There were beautiful clear calcite crystals, and marcasite epitactic on pyrite crystals. Jim Daly --------------------------------- Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From libawc at emory.edu Wed May 16 07:43:02 2007 From: libawc at emory.edu (Anita D. Westlake) Date: Wed May 16 07:43:08 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] dirty trips In-Reply-To: <000601c79764$801e4660$0201a8c0@your4dacd0ea75> References: <378250.60636.qm@web56313.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <000601c79764$801e4660$0201a8c0@your4dacd0ea75> Message-ID: <001401c797c8$817e2610$20be8caa@genlibad.library.emory.edu> My dirty trip went like this: We went rock collecting off a dirt road in Georgia. Sounds like trouble already? You bet! Now, add a heaping dose of rainfall and you get the picture: MUD! Our clothes, shoes, bodies, car engines, were all muddy. We had already planned to eat at a local barbeque place for lunch. We figured they wouldn't mind our appearance because it was the kind of place that literally had sawdust on the floor. When about ten of us, covered in mud, entered the restaurant, an older couple was leaving. The man looked at us and then his wife. He said under his breath "And you made ME go home to change!" We're still laughing about that one, and it was over 15 years ago! Anita From john.alcorn at verizon.net Wed May 16 17:48:25 2007 From: john.alcorn at verizon.net (john.alcorn@verizon.net) Date: Wed May 16 17:48:50 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Dirty collecting trips Message-ID: <1767085.9438101179362905334.JavaMail.root@vms226.mailsrvcs.net> Tar. I used to collect some tar seeps near Maricopa and McKittrick, CA. The site looked like a small parking lot. We used a power tool to remove up to four feet of overburden, which at first it was like hammering through a road and it's hardened asphalt. Then the smell hits you. Hydrogen sulfide, the rotten egg smell familiar to visitors of the Yellowstone geothermal areas assaulted our senses. The stink was only half of it. These tar seeps were only semi-solid, not much different from the conditions that originally traped the now long dead, current constituents. As a result you became one with the tar (and it with you),automotive grease remover was your only hope for a semblance of cleanliness. No matter the preventative measure, tar found a way to sneek in. We had tar everywhere, even...well you get the general idea. We had clothes designated tar clothes kept in a special tub in our garage and they were tossed out after no more than two trips. A good day or two after the trip you still stunk to high heaven and the tar was with you even longer unless you had a rather high tolerance for chemical solvents. It was fun though in a primitive sort of way. We found primarily beetles, but the most facinating to me was the dragonfly layer, composed of thousands of the insects in one thin section of strata. John All field collectors have their favorite war stories about field trips. How they got hopelessly stuck in the mud, how they nearly >>snip<<< on the Rockhound chat group with suitably disgusting stories of their dirtiest field trips, Ill share it with the group. Rock -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From jr50wv at yahoo.com Wed May 16 18:30:04 2007 From: jr50wv at yahoo.com (J. R. Hodel) Date: Wed May 16 18:30:09 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] OK Rock, now it's your turn! Message-ID: <988534.32761.qm@web56312.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Hi everyone: Well, I'm not too surprised to have a lot of folks exceed my dirtyness, I knew we were pretty mild even with the vugs filled with tar. I was surprised to read about actually cutting into tar ala La Brea, but shouldn't have been, knowing the folks who post to this list! Now, tho, it is Rock's turn, to illuminate us with his, no doubt totally true but unbelievable story about dirty collecting trips. Dan and I do mostly at least wipe off a little before we hit the local food supplier, by the way! JR in WV --------------------------------- Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From rockcurrier at cs.com Thu May 17 04:15:36 2007 From: rockcurrier at cs.com (Rock Currier) Date: Thu May 17 04:15:46 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] How dirty can you get References: <200705170102.l4H11xwf026414@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <00ee01c79874$b25c4c10$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Collecting thenardite at Soda Lake, Carrizo Plane, San Louis Obispo County, California. All field collectors have their favorite stories about how hard they worked, how they almost got killed, what fabulous things they collected and how dirty they got. My contender for the world's dirtiest collecting locality would have to be Soda Lake. Soda lake sometimes has water in it, but in the late summer and early fall after the summers heat, the lake is a flat dry white expanse of carbonate and sulfate salts. It lies quite near and just west of the San and west of San Andreas fault in the Carrizo Plane about 20 miles northwest of the little old oil patch town of Taft, California in the south end of the great San Joaquin Valley. It is the terminus of the Mojave River and in the wet season it attracts many birds including many sand hill cranes. In 2001 President Clinton signed legislation that made the area around Soda Lake a National Monument and the government is in the process of determining what the future uses of this national monument will be. I don't think you are permitted to collect there at the present time. The salts that comprise the dry lake are mostly carbonates and sulfates. Because of its carbonate content of trona (soda) the lake derived its name. There are also abundant sulfate minerals in the lake and the chlorides comprise only about ten percent. At the end of summer and in early the lake is usually dry and the surface is flat but with clearly observable irregular polygons undoubtedly due to some sort of evaporative shrinkage phenomenon. The polygons are about 10 to 20 feet across and are outlined by little one to two inch ridges of carbonate and sulfate salts. With a little care you can walk out on the surface of the lake, but sometimes the crust is fragile and you sometimes break through it and find one or more of your legs knee or even thigh deep in mud. The best time to collect there was in the fall of the year after the summer heat had evaporated as much of the water in the salt lake as possible. Forty years ago (1960's) you could just drive out there and collect. The road was a little rough but we could make it to our favorite collecting spot right on the east side of the lake near its south end. Here and there on the lake were a few old weathered stumps and timbers poking out of the mud and salt, evidence of past commercial endeavors on the lake. Each year the holes we had made the previous years had vanished like they had never been there. The prize we all were looking for were the large bl?dite crystals that had been found in the lake about ten years before by Art Eadie. Failing that you could always count of getting a load of thenardite crystal clusters. The collectable minerals that we were looking for were thenardite and bl?dite. To collect the specimens you had to get out on the lake, perhaps thirty or forty yards. The edges of the lake were the hardest part to cross because the crust there was thin and would often not support your weight. When this happened you would find one or both legs plunging down knee or hip deep into thick gray/black and not very fragrant mud. You always wanted to wear old shoes or boots with high tops to protect your ankles from getting skinned by the sharp salt crystals in the crust which could give you nasty cuts if you broke through. Any cuts you got would sting because of the salt in the mud and the brine in the holes you dug. You always wore old and trashed out jeans to protect your legs from the salt crystals as well. Some guys would try and make it out on to the firm salt with just shoes, because of my greater weight I made myself up a pair of crude "snow shoes" made by nailing old shoes onto some rectangular pieces of plywood. I drilled numerous holes in the plywood that keep the suction of the mud from freezing them in place. This distributed my weight more broadly on the crust of the lake and I could shuffle with impunity almost anywhere I wanted to go. It also prevented the mud near shore sucking off your shoes. Once you got out twenty or thirty yards from shore you would pick the center of any nice big salt polygon and break down through the crust. This was the hardest part and you would often spend a lot of energy with picks, hammers and chisels breaking through the crust. It was easier to break through the crust at the boundaries between the polygons, but the collecting was not as good. Once you broke through the crust you encountered a mash of crystals and mud, you would kneel down on the edge of the hole and reach down and scoop up handfuls of mud and feel around for the crystal clusters that would grow in the mud and brine. Most commonly you would find clusters of thenardite crystals. The thenardite crystals were gray to black because of inclusions of mud. They were diamond shaped and most commonly intergrown with each other and to find a perfectly formed single crystals was rare. They individual thenardite crystals never seemed to get more than two to 3 inches in length. As the hole got deeper you would reach down further and further till you were laying on the salt crust with your arm extended down as far as it would go and still you were pulling out clusters of crystals and damn it, the specimens seemed to be getting better the further down you dug. Pretty soon you were leaning down into the hole you had made and reaching down as far as you could go and still the crystals kept going. So you started enlarging the hole by breaking away the edges of the crust that surrounded the hole. About this time things started to get a little sloppy. The crust of the polygon would start to break up a little and you found yourself wallowing around in mud and brine at the edge of the hole. We found that some pieces of plywood laid down on the edge of the hole would help keep you out of the worst of the mud but even soon it was, OH the hell with it, and you would get down in the hole so you could dig better. Pretty soon you were filthy dirty with your clothes, skin, hair everywhere was saturated with mud and brine. If by some chance you had some spot free of mud on your clothing, say in the middle of your back, one of your friends irritated that you were being a bit squeamish about getting dirty and not pulling your weight would soon sling a gob of mud at the offending clean spot and this would lead to a good natured fray that insured that no clean areas remained on anyone. But you were happy because good crystal clusters were pilling up at the edges of the hole as you rooted around in the mud. Of course it was pretty hot with the sun beating down on the blinding white salt and you were sweating a lot and you really didn't want to try and wipe the sweat out of your eyes because the salt was on everything you might used to wipe your eyes and it was worse than the sweat. The crystals were real sharp and you either had to wear gloves to protect your fingers from cuts or you had to be real careful not to cut yourself. As the day proceeded you would find that the brine and mud that liberally coated your arms was crystallizing and in time it would dry and form a crystallized crust of mud and salt that would lock together groups of adjacent hairs on your arm. So when you brushed up against something, you would get the sensation that a whole patch of hairs was being pulled on. A surprising and sometimes painful sensation. Fortunately we were not far from our car and we had learned to bring along liberal amounts of water to clean ourselves. We even set up little portable showers to take a bath and a change of clothes because there was no way you could drive home in your collecting clothes without trashing out the interior of your car. Also if you wanted to stop on the way home and get something to eat in a restaurant and had not cleaned yourself up, the owners of the establishment would certainly call the cops when a group of rowdy, filthy animals invaded their establishment. Usually you would strip naked and stand pants against the car and wash yourself. Sometimes a friend would pour the water for you and you would do the same for him. By the time you were finished cleaning yourself and wrapping your specimens you pants had dried out and somewhere I think I have some pictures of them standing by themselves stiff like they were full of starch up against the car. When you collected the thenardite crystals they all had mud on them. You would try and swish them around in the muddy brine to remove as much of the thick mud as you could, but there was no way you could clean them completely at the collecting site. You could wash them with cold water when you got home, and they would look better. If you really wanted to get technical, you could collect a bucket or two of the muddy brine from the hole you dug on the lake and take it home. When the mud had settled out you could pour the clear brine off the settled mud and use that brine to clean your specimens. Of course as soon as you cleaned a few specimens, the brine was muddy again, so it was a time consuming process to clean them really well with brine. Most of the time we just hosed them off with cold water even though we knew the crystals would be slightly rounded. Sometimes, depending on conditions in the lake, the crystals were collected in a slightly rounded condition. As rain fell and sometimes accumulated on the lake bed during the winter months, the rain water would dilute the brine, especially near the surface and redisolve the crystals. Every year it was a bit of a crap shoot on exactly what your would get when you collected there. One year in the fall before the first rains, we were able to collect well formed small gray black bl?dite crystals (maximum of 2 inches) at the very bottom of our holes. We never found any of the really big bl?dite (up to about 6 inches) like the ones that Art Eadie collected some years before (in the early 60s). Another time we found great wonderful clusters of mirabilite crystals in the mud. White ice clear crystals clusters up to about a foot across. If they had been a stable mineral, like calcite or gypsum, they would have been worth hundreds of dollars. As we collected them we would lay them on the edge of the hole and in a few minutes a white crust would form on their surface and by the end of the day there were little mounds of white powder where once had been fabulous crystal clusters. Art Eadie who was a Stanford trained geologist lived in the nearby little oil patch town of Taft, California. He was a life long mineral collector who specialized in species. He was a bit of a scrounge and would much rather trade for his rare minerals than buy them, although he would buy a lot of them if he could not get them in any other way. His worldwide correspondence promoting trades of rare minerals was extensive. He found out, God knows where, about the big bloodite crystals in the Soda Lake and where in the lake they came from. He dug up a lot of them, reportedly using high school kids and post hole diggers to help him collect them. He traded and sold a good quantity of these crystals around the world to promote his personal collection. He was even successful in trading the Smithsonian for some pretty nice specimens for the ones they got. To my knowledge he never told anyone exactly where in the lake he had found them. He even went to the trouble of placing some claims on parts of the lake. This one was pretty dirty, but some of the collecting in petrolium and tar localities sound pretty bad as well. Each reader will have their own opinion about which is the best dirty story. Rock From sunstone3 at hvc.rr.com Thu May 17 06:34:13 2007 From: sunstone3 at hvc.rr.com (Carolyn Reynard) Date: Thu May 17 06:34:59 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] How dirty can you get References: <200705170102.l4H11xwf026414@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <00ee01c79874$b25c4c10$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Message-ID: <001601c79888$121c5790$6008a118@feldsparflash> Dirty collecting stories: This one is mild compared to the ones with oil and tar. I was with a group collecting in Bancroft, Canada at the Bear Lake Diggings site. The site is in the woods and promises really great green-brown apatite crystals in peach calcite as will as lustrous sphene, chocolate brown microcline feldspar and really good hornblende crystals. Sounds great doesn't it, a shady spot to collect on a hot summer day. If one really wants good specimens you must dig into the moist (wet) soil, dig and dig. You do get as dirty as you are determined to find good stuff! The added ingredient are the black flies, hungry little guys that drive you a bit crazy. So as you dig you swat, the outcome is your are covered with a rusty mud that is difficult to wash off not to mention out of your clothes. If you stay long enough and manage to ignore the flies, mosquitoes, etc. you are rewarded with good specimens. Carolyn Reynard Poughkeepsie, NY ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rock Currier" To: Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 7:15 AM Subject: [Rockhounds] How dirty can you get > Collecting thenardite at Soda Lake, Carrizo Plane, San Louis Obispo County, > California. > > > > All field collectors have their favorite stories about how hard they worked, > how they almost got killed, what fabulous things they collected and how > dirty they got. My contender for the world's dirtiest collecting locality > would have to be Soda Lake. Soda lake sometimes has water in it, but in the > late summer and early fall after the summers heat, the lake is a flat dry > white expanse of carbonate and sulfate salts. It lies quite near and just > west of the San and west of San Andreas fault in the Carrizo Plane about 20 > miles northwest of the little old oil patch town of Taft, California in the > south end of the great San Joaquin Valley. It is the terminus of the Mojave > River and in the wet season it attracts many birds including many sand hill > cranes. In 2001 President Clinton signed legislation that made the area > around Soda Lake a National Monument and the government is in the process of > determining what the future uses of this national monument will be. I don't > think you are permitted to collect there at the present time. > > > > The salts that comprise the dry lake are mostly carbonates and sulfates. > Because of its carbonate content of trona (soda) the lake derived its name. > There are also abundant sulfate minerals in the lake and the chlorides > comprise only about ten percent. At the end of summer and in early the lake > is usually dry and the surface is flat but with clearly observable irregular > polygons undoubtedly due to some sort of evaporative shrinkage phenomenon. > The polygons are about 10 to 20 feet across and are outlined by little one > to two inch ridges of carbonate and sulfate salts. With a little care you > can walk out on the surface of the lake, but sometimes the crust is fragile > and you sometimes break through it and find one or more of your legs knee or > even thigh deep in mud. > > > > The best time to collect there was in the fall of the year after the summer > heat had evaporated as much of the water in the salt lake as possible. Forty > years ago (1960's) you could just drive out there and collect. The road was > a little rough but we could make it to our favorite collecting spot right on > the east side of the lake near its south end. Here and there on the lake > were a few old weathered stumps and timbers poking out of the mud and salt, > evidence of past commercial endeavors on the lake. Each year the holes we > had made the previous years had vanished like they had never been there. The > prize we all were looking for were the large bl?dite crystals that had been > found in the lake about ten years before by Art Eadie. Failing that you > could always count of getting a load of thenardite crystal clusters. The > collectable minerals that we were looking for were thenardite and bl?dite. > > > > To collect the specimens you had to get out on the lake, perhaps thirty or > forty yards. The edges of the lake were the hardest part to cross because > the crust there was thin and would often not support your weight. When this > happened you would find one or both legs plunging down knee or hip deep into > thick gray/black and not very fragrant mud. You always wanted to wear old > shoes or boots with high tops to protect your ankles from getting skinned by > the sharp salt crystals in the crust which could give you nasty cuts if you > broke through. Any cuts you got would sting because of the salt in the mud > and the brine in the holes you dug. You always wore old and trashed out > jeans to protect your legs from the salt crystals as well. Some guys would > try and make it out on to the firm salt with just shoes, because of my > greater weight I made myself up a pair of crude "snow shoes" made by nailing > old shoes onto some rectangular pieces of plywood. I drilled numerous holes > in the plywood that keep the suction of the mud from freezing them in place. > This distributed my weight more broadly on the crust of the lake and I could > shuffle with impunity almost anywhere I wanted to go. It also prevented the > mud near shore sucking off your shoes. > > > > Once you got out twenty or thirty yards from shore you would pick the center > of any nice big salt polygon and break down through the crust. This was the > hardest part and you would often spend a lot of energy with picks, hammers > and chisels breaking through the crust. It was easier to break through the > crust at the boundaries between the polygons, but the collecting was not as > good. Once you broke through the crust you encountered a mash of crystals > and mud, you would kneel down on the edge of the hole and reach down and > scoop up handfuls of mud and feel around for the crystal clusters that would > grow in the mud and brine. Most commonly you would find clusters of > thenardite crystals. The thenardite crystals were gray to black because of > inclusions of mud. They were diamond shaped and most commonly intergrown > with each other and to find a perfectly formed single crystals was rare. > They individual thenardite crystals never seemed to get more than two to 3 > inches in length. > > > > As the hole got deeper you would reach down further and further till you > were laying on the salt crust with your arm extended down as far as it would > go and still you were pulling out clusters of crystals and damn it, the > specimens seemed to be getting better the further down you dug. Pretty soon > you were leaning down into the hole you had made and reaching down as far as > you could go and still the crystals kept going. So you started enlarging the > hole by breaking away the edges of the crust that surrounded the hole. About > this time things started to get a little sloppy. The crust of the polygon > would start to break up a little and you found yourself wallowing around in > mud and brine at the edge of the hole. We found that some pieces of plywood > laid down on the edge of the hole would help keep you out of the worst of > the mud but even soon it was, OH the hell with it, and you would get down in > the hole so you could dig better. Pretty soon you were filthy dirty with > your clothes, skin, hair everywhere was saturated with mud and brine. If by > some chance you had some spot free of mud on your clothing, say in the > middle of your back, one of your friends irritated that you were being a bit > squeamish about getting dirty and not pulling your weight would soon sling a > gob of mud at the offending clean spot and this would lead to a good natured > fray that insured that no clean areas remained on anyone. But you were happy > because good crystal clusters were pilling up at the edges of the hole as > you rooted around in the mud. Of course it was pretty hot with the sun > beating down on the blinding white salt and you were sweating a lot and you > really didn't want to try and wipe the sweat out of your eyes because the > salt was on everything you might used to wipe your eyes and it was worse > than the sweat. > > > > The crystals were real sharp and you either had to wear gloves to protect > your fingers from cuts or you had to be real careful not to cut yourself. As > the day proceeded you would find that the brine and mud that liberally > coated your arms was crystallizing and in time it would dry and form a > crystallized crust of mud and salt that would lock together groups of > adjacent hairs on your arm. So when you brushed up against something, you > would get the sensation that a whole patch of hairs was being pulled on. A > surprising and sometimes painful sensation. Fortunately we were not far from > our car and we had learned to bring along liberal amounts of water to clean > ourselves. We even set up little portable showers to take a bath and a > change of clothes because there was no way you could drive home in your > collecting clothes without trashing out the interior of your car. Also if > you wanted to stop on the way home and get something to eat in a restaurant > and had not cleaned yourself up, the owners of the establishment would > certainly call the cops when a group of rowdy, filthy animals invaded their > establishment. Usually you would strip naked and stand pants against the car > and wash yourself. Sometimes a friend would pour the water for you and you > would do the same for him. By the time you were finished cleaning yourself > and wrapping your specimens you pants had dried out and somewhere I think I > have some pictures of them standing by themselves stiff like they were full > of starch up against the car. > > > > When you collected the thenardite crystals they all had mud on them. You > would try and swish them around in the muddy brine to remove as much of the > thick mud as you could, but there was no way you could clean them completely > at the collecting site. You could wash them with cold water when you got > home, and they would look better. If you really wanted to get technical, you > could collect a bucket or two of the muddy brine from the hole you dug on > the lake and take it home. When the mud had settled out you could pour the > clear brine off the settled mud and use that brine to clean your specimens. > Of course as soon as you cleaned a few specimens, the brine was muddy again, > so it was a time consuming process to clean them really well with brine. > Most of the time we just hosed them off with cold water even though we knew > the crystals would be slightly rounded. Sometimes, depending on conditions > in the lake, the crystals were collected in a slightly rounded condition. As > rain fell and sometimes accumulated on the lake bed during the winter > months, the rain water would dilute the brine, especially near the surface > and redisolve the crystals. Every year it was a bit of a crap shoot on > exactly what your would get when you collected there. One year in the fall > before the first rains, we were able to collect well formed small gray black > bl?dite crystals (maximum of 2 inches) at the very bottom of our holes. We > never found any of the really big bl?dite (up to about 6 inches) like the > ones that Art Eadie collected some years before (in the early 60s). Another > time we found great wonderful clusters of mirabilite crystals in the mud. > White ice clear crystals clusters up to about a foot across. If they had > been a stable mineral, like calcite or gypsum, they would have been worth > hundreds of dollars. As we collected them we would lay them on the edge of > the hole and in a few minutes a white crust would form on their surface and > by the end of the day there were little mounds of white powder where once > had been fabulous crystal clusters. > > > > Art Eadie who was a Stanford trained geologist lived in the nearby little > oil patch town of Taft, California. He was a life long mineral collector who > specialized in species. He was a bit of a scrounge and would much rather > trade for his rare minerals than buy them, although he would buy a lot of > them if he could not get them in any other way. His worldwide correspondence > promoting trades of rare minerals was extensive. He found out, God knows > where, about the big bloodite crystals in the Soda Lake and where in the > lake they came from. He dug up a lot of them, reportedly using high school > kids and post hole diggers to help him collect them. He traded and sold a > good quantity of these crystals around the world to promote his personal > collection. He was even successful in trading the Smithsonian for some > pretty nice specimens for the ones they got. To my knowledge he never told > anyone exactly where in the lake he had found them. He even went to the > trouble of placing some claims on parts of the lake. > > > > This one was pretty dirty, but some of the collecting in petrolium and tar > localities sound pretty bad as well. Each reader will have their own opinion > about which is the best dirty story. > > > > Rock > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From everbeek at sterlinghillminingmuseum.org Thu May 17 07:04:01 2007 From: everbeek at sterlinghillminingmuseum.org (Earl R. Verbeek) Date: Thu May 17 07:03:56 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] How dirty can you get In-Reply-To: <001601c79888$121c5790$6008a118@feldsparflash> Message-ID: <000b01c7988c$3ba9dde0$2101a8c0@D3JM7W21> This relates to a different kind of dirt. Back in the 1980s, when the USGS was investigating a diverse range of uranium deposits, three of us visited a new mine on the north rim of the Grand Canyon area. The mine was in a breccia pipe, so a spiral decline ramp had been mined as a haulage route, and just that day the first crosscut had been driven into the orebody. So in we went, in the company of the mine geologist. In the rear two feet of the crosscut we discovered a large mass of breccia, gray limestone fragments cemented by black material. I thought the black was uraninite, but the mine geologist thought it was sulfides. Out came the scintillometer. Upon turning it on the needle immediately pegged and then fell back to zero, then just sat there, unresponsive. We all assumed the unit had malfunctioned. We stayed there for a while, conversing about the local geology while sitting on that pile of black rock. We collected some specimens to take back with us, too, and with all the hammering and the scuffling over rock we were pretty well dusted by the time we exited the mine. So far that's just a typical mine experience -- but when I turned the scintillometer back on, while outside in the fresh air, I discovered that the unit was working again, and I was running about 400 cps! Turns out that dust was highly radioactive, and the rock that the mine geologist took to be sulfides was indeed uraninite. Pete Modreski may remember one of the specimens, a slab of ore about 16" long that I used to store in the garage of my house. With a scintillometer I could detect that rock, that single rock, from my kitchen, more than 40 ft away along the body diagonal of the house. That was one scary specimen (I still have it, by the way). I often wonder how much we got "dosed" that day, but what a treat it was to see that fabulously rich ore. The problem with the scintillometer, as we later learned, was that the detector had become "swamped" by the high levels of radiation. It's a bit like a person being rendered speechless by shock. Cheers- Earl ----------------------------------- Earl R. Verbeek, Resident Geologist Sterling Hill Mining Museum 30 Plant St., Ogdensburg, NJ 07439 973-209-7212 shmm@ptd.net From gbrown at catspaw-minerals.com Thu May 17 08:19:43 2007 From: gbrown at catspaw-minerals.com (Gary Brown) Date: Thu May 17 08:19:46 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] dirty trips In-Reply-To: <000601c79764$801e4660$0201a8c0@your4dacd0ea75> References: <378250.60636.qm@web56313.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <000601c79764$801e4660$0201a8c0@your4dacd0ea75> Message-ID: <00dc01c79896$cc0c8f40$6b01a8c0@okapi> Oh my yes! Digging amber at Sayerville!! I was out east on a business trip and met some guys that were going to dig at Sayerville up at Franklin on a Saturday. I got a cryptic map on a paper napkin giving directions. I guess that was a test to make sure I was dedicated... Anyway, I found the dig on Sunday and was soon up to my elbows in muck. I was staying with a friend for the weekend and I must have looked a sight when I pulled up with boxes of STUFF and me covered in mud. I still have a great piece of lignite studded with marcasite sitting in a jar of distilled water. I have to top up the water once a year, but that piece looks like it just came out of a campfire. GcB > -----Original Message----- > From: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of > gene@fossilnut.com > Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 9:47 PM > To: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors > Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] dirty trips > > My personal dirties was digging for amber in Sayreville NJ > about a decade ago... From horstwindisch at absamail.co.za Thu May 17 07:04:13 2007 From: horstwindisch at absamail.co.za (Horst Windisch) Date: Thu May 17 11:04:28 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] How dirty can you get References: <200705170102.l4H11xwf026414@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <00ee01c79874$b25c4c10$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Message-ID: <000101c798ad$caf2ea70$8651d0c4@privatexb627h8> Hi Rock, Such an interesting, exhilirating story that I would want to publish it in our "South African Lapidary Magazine" (under your name of course). Please reply off line to horstwindisch@absamail.co.za. Regards, Horst----- Original Message ----- From: "Rock Currier" To: Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 1:15 PM Subject: [Rockhounds] How dirty can you get > Collecting thenardite at Soda Lake, Carrizo Plane, San Louis Obispo > County, California. > > > > All field collectors have their favorite stories about how hard they > worked, how they almost got killed, what fabulous things they collected > and how dirty they got. My contender for the world's dirtiest collecting > locality would have to be Soda Lake. Soda lake sometimes has water in it, > but in the late summer and early fall after the summers heat, the lake is > a flat dry white expanse of carbonate and sulfate salts. It lies quite > near and just west of the San and west of San Andreas fault in the Carrizo > Plane about 20 miles northwest of the little old oil patch town of Taft, > California in the south end of the great San Joaquin Valley. It is the > terminus of the Mojave River and in the wet season it attracts many birds > including many sand hill cranes. In 2001 President Clinton signed > legislation that made the area around Soda Lake a National Monument and > the government is in the process of determining what the future uses of > this national monument will be. I don't think you are permitted to collect > there at the present time. > > > > The salts that comprise the dry lake are mostly carbonates and sulfates. > Because of its carbonate content of trona (soda) the lake derived its > name. There are also abundant sulfate minerals in the lake and the > chlorides comprise only about ten percent. At the end of summer and in > early the lake is usually dry and the surface is flat but with clearly > observable irregular polygons undoubtedly due to some sort of evaporative > shrinkage phenomenon. The polygons are about 10 to 20 feet across and are > outlined by little one to two inch ridges of carbonate and sulfate salts. > With a little care you can walk out on the surface of the lake, but > sometimes the crust is fragile and you sometimes break through it and find > one or more of your legs knee or even thigh deep in mud. > > > > The best time to collect there was in the fall of the year after the > summer heat had evaporated as much of the water in the salt lake as > possible. Forty years ago (1960's) you could just drive out there and > collect. The road was a little rough but we could make it to our favorite > collecting spot right on the east side of the lake near its south end. > Here and there on the lake were a few old weathered stumps and timbers > poking out of the mud and salt, evidence of past commercial endeavors on > the lake. Each year the holes we had made the previous years had vanished > like they had never been there. The prize we all were looking for were the > large bl?dite crystals that had been found in the lake about ten years > before by Art Eadie. Failing that you could always count of getting a load > of thenardite crystal clusters. The collectable minerals that we were > looking for were thenardite and bl?dite. > > > > To collect the specimens you had to get out on the lake, perhaps thirty or > forty yards. The edges of the lake were the hardest part to cross because > the crust there was thin and would often not support your weight. When > this happened you would find one or both legs plunging down knee or hip > deep into thick gray/black and not very fragrant mud. You always wanted to > wear old shoes or boots with high tops to protect your ankles from getting > skinned by the sharp salt crystals in the crust which could give you > nasty cuts if you broke through. Any cuts you got would sting because of > the salt in the mud and the brine in the holes you dug. You always wore > old and trashed out jeans to protect your legs from the salt crystals as > well. Some guys would try and make it out on to the firm salt with just > shoes, because of my greater weight I made myself up a pair of crude "snow > shoes" made by nailing old shoes onto some rectangular pieces of plywood. > I drilled numerous holes in the plywood that keep the suction of the mud > from freezing them in place. This distributed my weight more broadly on > the crust of the lake and I could shuffle with impunity almost anywhere I > wanted to go. It also prevented the mud near shore sucking off your shoes. > > > > Once you got out twenty or thirty yards from shore you would pick the > center of any nice big salt polygon and break down through the crust. This > was the hardest part and you would often spend a lot of energy with picks, > hammers and chisels breaking through the crust. It was easier to break > through the crust at the boundaries between the polygons, but the > collecting was not as good. Once you broke through the crust you > encountered a mash of crystals and mud, you would kneel down on the edge > of the hole and reach down and scoop up handfuls of mud and feel around > for the crystal clusters that would grow in the mud and brine. Most > commonly you would find clusters of thenardite crystals. The thenardite > crystals were gray to black because of inclusions of mud. They were > diamond shaped and most commonly intergrown with each other and to find a > perfectly formed single crystals was rare. They individual thenardite > crystals never seemed to get more than two to 3 inches in length. > > > > As the hole got deeper you would reach down further and further till you > were laying on the salt crust with your arm extended down as far as it > would go and still you were pulling out clusters of crystals and damn it, > the specimens seemed to be getting better the further down you dug. > Pretty soon you were leaning down into the hole you had made and reaching > down as far as you could go and still the crystals kept going. So you > started enlarging the hole by breaking away the edges of the crust that > surrounded the hole. About this time things started to get a little > sloppy. The crust of the polygon would start to break up a little and you > found yourself wallowing around in mud and brine at the edge of the hole. > We found that some pieces of plywood laid down on the edge of the hole > would help keep you out of the worst of the mud but even soon it was, OH > the hell with it, and you would get down in the hole so you could dig > better. Pretty soon you were filthy dirty with your clothes, skin, hair > everywhere was saturated with mud and brine. If by some chance you had > some spot free of mud on your clothing, say in the middle of your back, > one of your friends irritated that you were being a bit squeamish about > getting dirty and not pulling your weight would soon sling a gob of mud at > the offending clean spot and this would lead to a good natured fray that > insured that no clean areas remained on anyone. But you were happy because > good crystal clusters were pilling up at the edges of the hole as you > rooted around in the mud. Of course it was pretty hot with the sun beating > down on the blinding white salt and you were sweating a lot and you really > didn't want to try and wipe the sweat out of your eyes because the salt > was on everything you might used to wipe your eyes and it was worse than > the sweat. > > > > The crystals were real sharp and you either had to wear gloves to protect > your fingers from cuts or you had to be real careful not to cut yourself. > As the day proceeded you would find that the brine and mud that liberally > coated your arms was crystallizing and in time it would dry and form a > crystallized crust of mud and salt that would lock together groups of > adjacent hairs on your arm. So when you brushed up against something, you > would get the sensation that a whole patch of hairs was being pulled on. A > surprising and sometimes painful sensation. Fortunately we were not far > from our car and we had learned to bring along liberal amounts of water to > clean ourselves. We even set up little portable showers to take a bath and > a change of clothes because there was no way you could drive home in your > collecting clothes without trashing out the interior of your car. Also if > you wanted to stop on the way home and get something to eat in a > restaurant and had not cleaned yourself up, the owners of the > establishment would certainly call the cops when a group of rowdy, filthy > animals invaded their establishment. Usually you would strip naked and > stand pants against the car and wash yourself. Sometimes a friend would > pour the water for you and you would do the same for him. By the time you > were finished cleaning yourself and wrapping your specimens you pants had > dried out and somewhere I think I have some pictures of them standing by > themselves stiff like they were full of starch up against the car. > > > > When you collected the thenardite crystals they all had mud on them. You > would try and swish them around in the muddy brine to remove as much of > the thick mud as you could, but there was no way you could clean them > completely at the collecting site. You could wash them with cold water > when you got home, and they would look better. If you really wanted to get > technical, you could collect a bucket or two of the muddy brine from the > hole you dug on the lake and take it home. When the mud had settled out > you could pour the clear brine off the settled mud and use that brine to > clean your specimens. Of course as soon as you cleaned a few specimens, > the brine was muddy again, so it was a time consuming process to clean > them really well with brine. Most of the time we just hosed them off with > cold water even though we knew the crystals would be slightly rounded. > Sometimes, depending on conditions in the lake, the crystals were > collected in a slightly rounded condition. As rain fell and sometimes > accumulated on the lake bed during the winter months, the rain water would > dilute the brine, especially near the surface and redisolve the crystals. > Every year it was a bit of a crap shoot on exactly what your would get > when you collected there. One year in the fall before the first rains, we > were able to collect well formed small gray black bl?dite crystals > (maximum of 2 inches) at the very bottom of our holes. We never found any > of the really big bl?dite (up to about 6 inches) like the ones that Art > Eadie collected some years before (in the early 60s). Another time we > found great wonderful clusters of mirabilite crystals in the mud. White > ice clear crystals clusters up to about a foot across. If they had been a > stable mineral, like calcite or gypsum, they would have been worth > hundreds of dollars. As we collected them we would lay them on the edge of > the hole and in a few minutes a white crust would form on their surface > and by the end of the day there were little mounds of white powder where > once had been fabulous crystal clusters. > > > > Art Eadie who was a Stanford trained geologist lived in the nearby little > oil patch town of Taft, California. He was a life long mineral collector > who specialized in species. He was a bit of a scrounge and would much > rather trade for his rare minerals than buy them, although he would buy a > lot of them if he could not get them in any other way. His worldwide > correspondence promoting trades of rare minerals was extensive. He found > out, God knows where, about the big bloodite crystals in the Soda Lake and > where in the lake they came from. He dug up a lot of them, reportedly > using high school kids and post hole diggers to help him collect them. He > traded and sold a good quantity of these crystals around the world to > promote his personal collection. He was even successful in trading the > Smithsonian for some pretty nice specimens for the ones they got. To my > knowledge he never told anyone exactly where in the lake he had found > them. He even went to the trouble of placing some claims on parts of the > lake. > > > > This one was pretty dirty, but some of the collecting in petrolium and tar > localities sound pretty bad as well. Each reader will have their own > opinion about which is the best dirty story. > > > > Rock > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From everbeek at sterlinghillminingmuseum.org Thu May 17 12:24:04 2007 From: everbeek at sterlinghillminingmuseum.org (Earl R. Verbeek) Date: Thu May 17 12:24:14 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Jasper localities In-Reply-To: <000101c798ad$caf2ea70$8651d0c4@privatexb627h8> Message-ID: <000001c798b8$ef00cd00$2101a8c0@D3JM7W21> A question for you lapidarists out there... I'm working on labels for a show display on "picture jasper" and have numerous specimens labeled Owyhee jasper, and others labeled Windy Ridge jasper. This is confusing because Windy Ridge is in the Owyhee Mountains of southern Idaho, apparently the same region where the Owyhee jasper comes from. So what's the difference? And if one wanted to be precise in locality designations, how should each be labeled, if in fact they're separate localities? Thanks for any help you good folks can provide. Cheers- Earl Verbeek From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Thu May 17 21:15:54 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Thu May 17 21:15:55 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] The Indian Mounds Club's 2007 Summer Super Sale is coming June 16 Message-ID: <464D2868.21@Tomaszewski.net> I am pleased to let you know that the Indian Mounds Rock and Mineral Club has announced another of their annual summer rockfests. The sale and tailgater will be held on Saturday, June 16th, from 9 am to Noon, rain or shine. It will be held where the Club meets (third Thursday, 7 pm), at the Wesley Park United Methodist Church, 1150 32nd Street, SW, Wyoming, MI. Anyone selling is expected to donate 20% of their gross to the Club. BTW, If you are interested in selling, please contact me _off-list_ so I can get you in touch with the Event Chairperson. Bring your own tables. The Club has the parking lot and indoor Church facilities reserved for the event. Over two tons of specimens (including an old collection) have already been donated to the Club's Silent Auction, held inside the air conditioned Church facilities; several dealers have already confirmed. More info should be on my Club's website, at http://roseredbeauties.org/mysite (soon to be moved to the Club's own domain). I hope to meet you at the event. Kreigh From jlkelly1066 at iglide.net Thu May 17 22:51:45 2007 From: jlkelly1066 at iglide.net (jlkelly1066@iglide.net) Date: Thu May 17 22:51:51 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Collecting thenardite at Soda Lake, In-Reply-To: <200705180100.l4I10oCW016020@bubbleator.drizzle.com> References: <200705180100.l4I10oCW016020@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <464D3EF1.2040200@iglide.net> Rock, Got a kick out of your account of collecting crystals at Soda Lake but have to correct one thing. It is the terminus for the San Juaquin River, NOT the Mojave. The Mojave rises below Big Bear and then flows sometimes above ground but mostly below ground past Hesperia-Victorville-Barstow until it finally rises at Afton Canyon. To get to Taft it would have to somehow get over, under or through the Sierra Nevadas. Now that would be one hell of a BIG river. Again, loved the story. I've collected there myself in the past. Kelly From jpjunk at mc.net Thu May 17 23:15:41 2007 From: jpjunk at mc.net (John Junkroski) Date: Thu May 17 23:16:08 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] The Indian Mounds Club's 2007 Summer Super Sale is coming June 16 In-Reply-To: <464D2868.21@Tomaszewski.net> References: <464D2868.21@Tomaszewski.net> Message-ID: Kreigh, This sounds like a great event, but your link is not working. How can we get more info.? John On May 17, 2007, at 11:15 PM, Kreigh Tomaszewski wrote: > I am pleased to let you know that the Indian Mounds Rock and Mineral > Club has announced another of their annual summer rockfests. > > The sale and tailgater will be held on Saturday, June 16th, from 9 > am to > Noon, rain or shine. > > It will be held where the Club meets (third Thursday, 7 pm), at the > Wesley Park United Methodist Church, 1150 32nd Street, SW, Wyoming, > MI. > > Anyone selling is expected to donate 20% of their gross to the Club. > > BTW, If you are interested in selling, please contact me _off-list_ > so I > can get you in touch with the Event Chairperson. Bring your own > tables. > > The Club has the parking lot and indoor Church facilities reserved for > the event. Over two tons of specimens (including an old collection) > have > already been donated to the Club's Silent Auction, held inside the air > conditioned Church facilities; several dealers have already confirmed. > > More info should be on my Club's website, at > http://roseredbeauties.org/mysite (soon to be moved to the Club's own > domain). > > I hope to meet you at the event. > > Kreigh > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > From brenick at gmail.com Fri May 18 07:56:29 2007 From: brenick at gmail.com (Nick & Brenda Van Dyke) Date: Fri May 18 07:56:33 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] The Indian Mounds Club's 2007 Summer Super Sale is coming June 16 In-Reply-To: References: <464D2868.21@Tomaszewski.net> Message-ID: <97175ae90705180756o55467550h6be273a10d709171@mail.gmail.com> All, www.indianmoundsrockclub.com is now up and running (under construction, but running) Link to the flyer is on the left of each page. Brenda On 5/18/07, John Junkroski wrote: > > Kreigh, > > This sounds like a great event, but your link is not working. > How can we get more info.? > > John > > On May 17, 2007, at 11:15 PM, Kreigh Tomaszewski wrote: > > > I am pleased to let you know that the Indian Mounds Rock and Mineral > > Club has announced another of their annual summer rockfests. > > > > The sale and tailgater will be held on Saturday, June 16th, from 9 > > am to > > Noon, rain or shine. > > > > It will be held where the Club meets (third Thursday, 7 pm), at the > > Wesley Park United Methodist Church, 1150 32nd Street, SW, Wyoming, > > MI. > > > > Anyone selling is expected to donate 20% of their gross to the Club. > > > > BTW, If you are interested in selling, please contact me _off-list_ > > so I > > can get you in touch with the Event Chairperson. Bring your own > > tables. > > > > The Club has the parking lot and indoor Church facilities reserved for > > the event. Over two tons of specimens (including an old collection) > > have > > already been donated to the Club's Silent Auction, held inside the air > > conditioned Church facilities; several dealers have already confirmed. > > > > More info should be on my Club's website, at > > http://roseredbeauties.org/mysite (soon to be moved to the Club's own > > domain). > > > > I hope to meet you at the event. > > > > Kreigh > > > > -- > > _______________________________________________ > > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > > Subscription Services: > > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > > > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From docrodabaugh at yahoo.com Thu May 17 16:57:22 2007 From: docrodabaugh at yahoo.com (Gary Rodabaugh) Date: Fri May 18 09:08:38 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Turatella? Message-ID: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com> About 30 years ago on a trip to Utah, I stopped and gathered some wonderful Turatella. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue where I was at when I found them and I certainly don't know 30 years later. I remember we found them on top of a nice plateau. I am headed out that way again and was wondering if you had any suggestions on where to locate Turatella? Thanks! Dr. Gary Rodabaugh, CHMM, Professor University Phone: 231-591-2308, University FAX: 231-591-3788 Home Office Phone/FAX: 231-972-4779 University email: rodabaugh@ferris.edu --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From john at pandemoniumgraphics.com Fri May 18 09:13:28 2007 From: john at pandemoniumgraphics.com (John Siebel) Date: Fri May 18 09:14:50 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Turatella? References: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <002c01c79967$7ee9c800$0200a8c0@Notebook> Note that Gary is not a list member so contact him directly off-list. John Siebel Admin Team ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary Rodabaugh" To: Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 4:57 PM Subject: [Rockhounds] Turatella? > About 30 years ago on a trip to Utah, I stopped and gathered some > wonderful Turatella. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue where I was at > when I found them and I certainly don't know 30 years later. I remember we > found them on top of a nice plateau. I am headed out that way again and > was wondering if you had any suggestions on where to locate Turatella? > Thanks! > > Dr. Gary Rodabaugh, CHMM, Professor > University Phone: 231-591-2308, University FAX: 231-591-3788 > Home Office Phone/FAX: 231-972-4779 > University email: rodabaugh@ferris.edu From albalmer at att.net Fri May 18 11:52:09 2007 From: albalmer at att.net (Al Balmer) Date: Fri May 18 11:52:12 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Turatella? In-Reply-To: <002c01c79967$7ee9c800$0200a8c0@Notebook> References: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <002c01c79967$7ee9c800$0200a8c0@Notebook> Message-ID: On Fri, 18 May 2007 09:13:28 -0700, "John Siebel" wrote: >Note that Gary is not a list member so contact him directly off-list. > Hi, John. I see this notation a lot. I hope that you are at least encouraging people with this kind of request to join the list. After all, others on the list might be interested in the information, too. >John Siebel >Admin Team > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Gary Rodabaugh" >To: >Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 4:57 PM >Subject: [Rockhounds] Turatella? > > >> About 30 years ago on a trip to Utah, I stopped and gathered some >> wonderful Turatella. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue where I was at >> when I found them and I certainly don't know 30 years later. I remember we >> found them on top of a nice plateau. I am headed out that way again and >> was wondering if you had any suggestions on where to locate Turatella? >> Thanks! >> >> Dr. Gary Rodabaugh, CHMM, Professor >> University Phone: 231-591-2308, University FAX: 231-591-3788 >> Home Office Phone/FAX: 231-972-4779 >> University email: rodabaugh@ferris.edu -- Al Balmer Sun City, AZ From berry at relia.net Fri May 18 11:57:40 2007 From: berry at relia.net (Berry Enterprises) Date: Fri May 18 11:59:35 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Turatella? References: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <006501c7997e$6f4d1480$0200a8c0@secretary> Turatella agate and algae are at Wamsutter, Wyoming. I don't have exact directions but it is in the Field Trip Books on the market. The ledge you describes is there. We do have algae and stromatolites balls in Utah, some with a single turatella agate imbedded in the center. Not nearly as plentiful as Wyoming, but worth collecting. I will be with a group hunting in the Yellow Cat area out of Moab, Utah, from May 22-30. If you are coming this way, join us there if you can. (At water tanks at main junction before you go into the poison strip.) Katie 801-458-3120 or 3248 (cell phs) 801-825-8102 bus 801-825-6261 home ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary Rodabaugh" To: Sent: May 17, 2007 5:57 PM Subject: [Rockhounds] Turatella? About 30 years ago on a trip to Utah, I stopped and gathered some wonderful Turatella. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue where I was at when I found them and I certainly don't know 30 years later. I remember we found them on top of a nice plateau. I am headed out that way again and was wondering if you had any suggestions on where to locate Turatella? Thanks! Dr. Gary Rodabaugh, CHMM, Professor University Phone: 231-591-2308, University FAX: 231-591-3788 Home Office Phone/FAX: 231-972-4779 University email: rodabaugh@ferris.edu --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From dmichaelschmidt at shaw.ca Fri May 18 12:10:28 2007 From: dmichaelschmidt at shaw.ca (Michael Schmidt) Date: Fri May 18 12:11:39 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Turatella? References: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <006501c7997e$6f4d1480$0200a8c0@secretary> Message-ID: <053401c79980$32837c90$c51f9444@michael01> I don't think he is looking for Turritella agate, but isolated fossil turatella Michael ----- Original Message ----- From: "Berry Enterprises" To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" Cc: Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 12:57 PM Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Turatella? > Turatella agate and algae are at Wamsutter, Wyoming. > I don't have exact directions but it is in the Field Trip Books > on the market. The ledge you describes is there. > > We do have algae and stromatolites balls in Utah, some > with a single turatella agate imbedded in the center. > Not nearly as plentiful as Wyoming, but worth collecting. > > I will be with a group hunting in the Yellow Cat area out > of Moab, Utah, from May 22-30. If you are coming this way, > join us there if you can. (At water tanks at main junction > before you go into the poison strip.) > > Katie > 801-458-3120 or 3248 (cell phs) > 801-825-8102 bus > 801-825-6261 home > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Gary Rodabaugh" > To: > Sent: May 17, 2007 5:57 PM > Subject: [Rockhounds] Turatella? > > > About 30 years ago on a trip to Utah, I stopped and gathered some > wonderful > Turatella. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue where I was at when I found > them > and I certainly don't know 30 years later. I remember we found them on top > of a > nice plateau. I am headed out that way again and was wondering if you had > any > suggestions on where to locate Turatella? Thanks! > > Dr. Gary Rodabaugh, CHMM, Professor > University Phone: 231-591-2308, University FAX: 231-591-3788 > Home Office Phone/FAX: 231-972-4779 > University email: rodabaugh@ferris.edu > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From llbullbull at hotmail.com Fri May 18 12:30:56 2007 From: llbullbull at hotmail.com (Lawrence Bull) Date: Fri May 18 12:31:02 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Looking for collecting locations around Barrington, NH In-Reply-To: <45AD99D0.527E@Tomaszewski.net> Message-ID: Hello: It looks like I will be in MI from sometime the weekend of the 7th to the 14th of July. Are your plans still the same? I am looking to do some trading and/or selling to dealers or individuals when in Michigan. Do you know of any who might be interested? Take care, Larry Bull >From: Kreigh Tomaszewski >Reply-To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >collectors" >To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >collectors" >Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Looking for collecting locations around >Barrington,NH >Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:37:01 -0500 > >Larry, > >It now looks like it will happen between July 11 and the 21st, and this >is firming up quickly with my family. > >All, > >Are there any rockhounding events scheduled in or near NH between these >dates that I might get to? > >Kreigh > > > > > >Lawrence Bull wrote: > > > > Do know when this will happen? > > > > Larry Bull > > > > >From: Kreigh Tomaszewski > > >Reply-To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > > >collectors" > > >To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > > >collectors" > > >Subject: [Rockhounds] Looking for collecting locations around >Barrington, > > >NH > > >Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2007 23:35:15 -0500 > > > > > >My sister has finally twisted my arm hard enough, and I've agreed to go > > >camping with her in NH this summer (from MI). > > > > > >It is still early in the negotiations, and I would like some say in > > >where we end up camping. I want to be able to do some Rockhounding. > > > > > >I need some suggestions for available collecting locations in NH. Does > > >anyone have any favored collecting locations I should consider, on or > > >off List? > > > > > >Thanks! > > > > > >Kreigh > > > > > >-- > > >_______________________________________________ > > >Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > > >Subscription Services: > > >http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > > >List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > > >http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Dave vs. Carl: The Insignificant Championship Series.  Who will win? > > >http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0070000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://davevscarl.spaces.live.com/?icid=T001MSN38C07001 > > > > -- > > _______________________________________________ > > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > > Subscription Services: > > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > >-- >_______________________________________________ >Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >Subscription Services: >http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html _________________________________________________________________ More photos, more messages, more storage—get 2GB with Windows Live Hotmail. http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM_mini_2G_0507 From llbullbull at hotmail.com Fri May 18 12:34:31 2007 From: llbullbull at hotmail.com (Lawrence Bull) Date: Fri May 18 12:34:46 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Looking for collecting locations around Barrington, NH In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Sorry list... Larry Bull >From: "Lawrence Bull" >Reply-To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >collectors" >To: rockhounds@lists.drizzle.com >Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Looking for collecting locations around >Barrington,NH >Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 15:30:56 -0400 > >Hello: > >It looks like I will be in MI from sometime the weekend of the 7th to the >14th of July. > >Are your plans still the same? > >I am looking to do some trading and/or selling to dealers or individuals >when in Michigan. Do you know of any who might be interested? > >Take care, > >Larry Bull > > >>From: Kreigh Tomaszewski >>Reply-To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >>collectors" >>To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >>collectors" >>Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Looking for collecting locations around >>Barrington,NH >>Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:37:01 -0500 >> >>Larry, >> >>It now looks like it will happen between July 11 and the 21st, and this >>is firming up quickly with my family. >> >>All, >> >>Are there any rockhounding events scheduled in or near NH between these >>dates that I might get to? >> >>Kreigh >> >> >> >> >> >>Lawrence Bull wrote: >> > >> > Do know when this will happen? >> > >> > Larry Bull >> > >> > >From: Kreigh Tomaszewski >> > >Reply-To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >> > >collectors" >> > >To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >> > >collectors" >> > >Subject: [Rockhounds] Looking for collecting locations around >>Barrington, >> > >NH >> > >Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2007 23:35:15 -0500 >> > > >> > >My sister has finally twisted my arm hard enough, and I've agreed to >>go >> > >camping with her in NH this summer (from MI). >> > > >> > >It is still early in the negotiations, and I would like some say in >> > >where we end up camping. I want to be able to do some Rockhounding. >> > > >> > >I need some suggestions for available collecting locations in NH. Does >> > >anyone have any favored collecting locations I should consider, on or >> > >off List? >> > > >> > >Thanks! >> > > >> > >Kreigh >> > > >> > >-- >> > >_______________________________________________ >> > >Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >> > >Subscription Services: >> > >http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >> > >List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >> > >http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html >> > >> > _________________________________________________________________ >> > Dave vs. Carl: The Insignificant Championship Series.  Who will win? >> > >>http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0070000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://davevscarl.spaces.live.com/?icid=T001MSN38C07001 >> > >> > -- >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >> > Subscription Services: >> > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >> > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >> > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html >> >>-- >>_______________________________________________ >>Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >>Subscription Services: >>http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >>List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >>http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > >_________________________________________________________________ >More photos, more messages, more storage—get 2GB with Windows Live Hotmail. >http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM_mini_2G_0507 > >-- >_______________________________________________ >Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >Subscription Services: >http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html _________________________________________________________________ PC Magazine’s 2007 editors’ choice for best Web mail—award-winning Windows Live Hotmail. http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM_mini_pcmag_0507 From john at pandemoniumgraphics.com Fri May 18 12:46:21 2007 From: john at pandemoniumgraphics.com (John Siebel) Date: Fri May 18 12:47:45 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Turatella? References: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com><002c01c79967$7ee9c800$0200a8c0@Notebook> Message-ID: <005001c79985$3c68f500$0200a8c0@Notebook> Good point Al. I will usually do this, but sometimes I get in a hurry wading through the Spam and forget to get back to the sender with an invitation to join. I'll try to keep on top of that in the future. Thanks - John Admin Team ----- Original Message ----- From: "Al Balmer" To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 11:52 AM Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Turatella? > On Fri, 18 May 2007 09:13:28 -0700, "John Siebel" > wrote: > >>Note that Gary is not a list member so contact him directly off-list. >> > Hi, John. I see this notation a lot. I hope that you are at least > encouraging people with this kind of request to join the list. After > all, others on the list might be interested in the information, too. From john.alcorn at verizon.net Fri May 18 13:59:48 2007 From: john.alcorn at verizon.net (john.alcorn@verizon.net) Date: Fri May 18 13:59:51 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Collecting thenardite at Soda Lake, Message-ID: <14937220.4811041179521988805.JavaMail.root@vms061.mailsrvcs.net> Um, the terminus for the San Joaquin would be the Pacific Ocean after it joins the Sacramento and runs into the San Francisco Bay. ja. >From: "jlkelly1066@iglide.net" >Date: 2007/05/18 Fri AM 12:51:45 CDT >To: rockhounds@lists.drizzle.com >Subject: [Rockhounds] Collecting thenardite at Soda Lake, >Rock, > >Got a kick out of your account of collecting crystals at Soda Lake but >have to correct one thing. It is the >terminus for the San Juaquin River, NOT the Mojave. The Mojave rises >below Big Bear and then flows sometimes above ground but mostly below >ground past Hesperia-Victorville-Barstow until it finally rises at Afton >Canyon. To get to Taft it would have to somehow get over, under or >through the Sierra Nevadas. Now that would be one hell of a BIG river. > >Again, loved the story. I've collected there myself in the past. > >Kelly >-- >_______________________________________________ >Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >Subscription Services: >http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From kahako at hawaiiantel.net Fri May 18 14:50:40 2007 From: kahako at hawaiiantel.net (Kitty & Bill Heacox) Date: Fri May 18 14:50:46 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Collecting thenardite at Soda Lake, In-Reply-To: <464D3EF1.2040200@iglide.net> References: <200705180100.l4I10oCW016020@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <464D3EF1.2040200@iglide.net> Message-ID: <4630CA4800462C17@n126.sc0.he.tucows.com> (added by postmaster@bouncemessage.net) I've never been there, but I did check a couple of sources on the Web and an atlas, and it IS the Mojave. Aloha, Kitty At 07:51 PM 5/17/2007, you wrote: >Rock, > >Got a kick out of your account of collecting crystals at Soda Lake >but have to correct one thing. It is the >terminus for the San Juaquin River, NOT the Mojave. The Mojave rises >below Big Bear and then flows sometimes above ground but mostly >below ground past Hesperia-Victorville-Barstow until it finally >rises at Afton Canyon. To get to Taft it would have to somehow get >over, under or through the Sierra Nevadas. Now that would be one >hell of a BIG river. > >Again, loved the story. I've collected there myself in the past. > >Kelly From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Fri May 18 15:04:16 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Fri May 18 15:01:57 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] The Indian Mounds Club's 2007 Summer Super Sale is coming June 16 References: <464D2868.21@Tomaszewski.net> Message-ID: <464E223D.56B0@Tomaszewski.net> They moved the website and the redirector is not working. Try http://indianmoundsrockclub.com Kreigh John Junkroski wrote: > > Kreigh, > > This sounds like a great event, but your link is not working. > How can we get more info.? > > John > > On May 17, 2007, at 11:15 PM, Kreigh Tomaszewski wrote: > > > I am pleased to let you know that the Indian Mounds Rock and Mineral > > Club has announced another of their annual summer rockfests. > > > > The sale and tailgater will be held on Saturday, June 16th, from 9 > > am to > > Noon, rain or shine. > > > > It will be held where the Club meets (third Thursday, 7 pm), at the > > Wesley Park United Methodist Church, 1150 32nd Street, SW, Wyoming, > > MI. > > > > Anyone selling is expected to donate 20% of their gross to the Club. > > > > BTW, If you are interested in selling, please contact me _off-list_ > > so I > > can get you in touch with the Event Chairperson. Bring your own > > tables. > > > > The Club has the parking lot and indoor Church facilities reserved for > > the event. Over two tons of specimens (including an old collection) > > have > > already been donated to the Club's Silent Auction, held inside the air > > conditioned Church facilities; several dealers have already confirmed. > > > > More info should be on my Club's website, at > > http://roseredbeauties.org/mysite (soon to be moved to the Club's own > > domain). > > > > I hope to meet you at the event. > > > > Kreigh > > > > -- > > _______________________________________________ > > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > > Subscription Services: > > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > > > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From teyancey at suddenlink.net Fri May 18 15:32:05 2007 From: teyancey at suddenlink.net (Thomas Yancey) Date: Fri May 18 15:31:54 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Turatella? In-Reply-To: <006501c7997e$6f4d1480$0200a8c0@secretary> References: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <006501c7997e$6f4d1480$0200a8c0@secretary> Message-ID: Please note that Turritella agate is a trade name and the rock does not contain Turritella or any other marine fossil. The fossils in this rock are a freshwater gastropod of the genus Goniobasis. T. Yancey >Turatella agate and algae are at Wamsutter, Wyoming. >I don't have exact directions but it is in the Field Trip Books >on the market. The ledge you describes is there. > -- Thomas Yancey From albalmer at att.net Fri May 18 15:34:08 2007 From: albalmer at att.net (Al Balmer) Date: Fri May 18 15:34:11 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Turatella? In-Reply-To: <005001c79985$3c68f500$0200a8c0@Notebook> References: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com><002c01c79967$7ee9c800$0200a8c0@Notebook> <005001c79985$3c68f500$0200a8c0@Notebook> Message-ID: On Fri, 18 May 2007 12:46:21 -0700, "John Siebel" wrote: >Good point Al. I will usually do this, but sometimes I get in a hurry wading >through the Spam and forget to get back to the sender with an invitation to >join. I'll try to keep on top of that in the future. You can tell them that their request usually kicks off a discussion in the forum that they'll never see! > >Thanks - John >Admin Team > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Al Balmer" >To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" > >Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 11:52 AM >Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Turatella? > > >> On Fri, 18 May 2007 09:13:28 -0700, "John Siebel" >> wrote: >> >>>Note that Gary is not a list member so contact him directly off-list. >>> >> Hi, John. I see this notation a lot. I hope that you are at least >> encouraging people with this kind of request to join the list. After >> all, others on the list might be interested in the information, too. -- Al Balmer Sun City, AZ From jpjunk at mc.net Fri May 18 15:55:02 2007 From: jpjunk at mc.net (John Junkroski) Date: Fri May 18 15:55:07 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Turatella? In-Reply-To: References: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <006501c7997e$6f4d1480$0200a8c0@secretary> Message-ID: <60A65075-C041-4C9D-BFFC-CB4111456603@mc.net> Has anyone collected at Wamsutter? Could you share your experience? Thanks, John On May 18, 2007, at 5:32 PM, Thomas Yancey wrote: > Please note that Turritella agate is a trade name and the rock does > not contain Turritella or any other marine fossil. > The fossils in this rock are a freshwater gastropod of the genus > Goniobasis. > > T. Yancey > > > > > > >> Turatella agate and algae are at Wamsutter, Wyoming. >> I don't have exact directions but it is in the Field Trip Books >> on the market. The ledge you describes is there. >> >> > > -- > Thomas Yancey > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Fri May 18 17:30:05 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Fri May 18 17:27:30 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Turatella? References: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com><002c01c79967$7ee9c800$0200a8c0@Notebook> <005001c79985$3c68f500$0200a8c0@Notebook> Message-ID: <464E4456.2DB8@Tomaszewski.net> Al Balmer wrote: > > On Fri, 18 May 2007 12:46:21 -0700, "John Siebel" > wrote: > > >Good point Al. I will usually do this, but sometimes I get in a hurry wading > >through the Spam and forget to get back to the sender with an invitation to > >join. I'll try to keep on top of that in the future. > > You can tell them that their request usually kicks off a discussion in > the forum that they'll never see! To see the full discussion one only needs to visit the List Archive http://www.eclecticlapidary/Rockhounds/archives.cfm From rockcurrier at cs.com Fri May 18 19:32:38 2007 From: rockcurrier at cs.com (Rock Currier) Date: Fri May 18 19:32:45 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] The Mojave River References: <200705190102.l4J11rQM007332@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <01c201c799bd$f9918240$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Kelly, I wonder if there is more than one Mojave River. My reference was taken from a USGS web site: http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/parks/mojave/sodalake1.html. It seamed a little strange to me because I know the Mojave River over near Barstow and as you point out it would have to cross the Sierra Nevada mts. But the USGS is the USGS and who am I to say them wrong. Rock From rockcurrier at cs.com Fri May 18 19:38:02 2007 From: rockcurrier at cs.com (Rock Currier) Date: Fri May 18 19:38:17 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Soda Lake References: <200705190102.l4J11rQM007332@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <01c501c799be$b95638a0$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> My goof. There is probably only one Mojave river and it is not near the Carrizo Plane or the Soda lake there. The problem is that there is more than one Soda Lake. One is in San Luis Obispo Co. and the other in San Bernardino Co. Rock From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Fri May 18 20:14:50 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Fri May 18 20:11:47 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Looking for collecting locations around Barrington, NH References: Message-ID: <464E6ADD.71F4@Tomaszewski.net> Hi Larry, I'm still planning on being in NH from the 12th thru the 17th of July. I expect to join the Boston Club for a field trip in Maine on the 14th (and maybe their second location on the 15th). We currently plan to leave MI on the 11th, and return on the 18th. I would be interested in a trade. We're going to have to talk off-list about arrangements as my calendar is already pretty full before and after my planned vacation trip. West Michigan doesn't have many dealers, but I can think of a few collectors who might be interested. Let me ask around (I wish you had hit me up before our club meeting on Tuesday). I'll get back to you (off list). Kreigh Lawrence Bull wrote: > > Hello: > > It looks like I will be in MI from sometime the weekend of the 7th to the > 14th of July. > > Are your plans still the same? > > I am looking to do some trading and/or selling to dealers or individuals > when in Michigan. Do you know of any who might be interested? > > Take care, > > Larry Bull > > >From: Kreigh Tomaszewski > >Reply-To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > >collectors" > >To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > >collectors" > >Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Looking for collecting locations around > >Barrington,NH > >Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:37:01 -0500 > > > >Larry, > > > >It now looks like it will happen between July 11 and the 21st, and this > >is firming up quickly with my family. > > > >All, > > > >Are there any rockhounding events scheduled in or near NH between these > >dates that I might get to? > > > >Kreigh > > > > > > > > > > > >Lawrence Bull wrote: > > > > > > Do know when this will happen? > > > > > > Larry Bull > > > > > > >From: Kreigh Tomaszewski > > > >Reply-To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > > > >collectors" > > > >To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > > > >collectors" > > > >Subject: [Rockhounds] Looking for collecting locations around > >Barrington, > > > >NH > > > >Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2007 23:35:15 -0500 > > > > > > > >My sister has finally twisted my arm hard enough, and I've agreed to go > > > >camping with her in NH this summer (from MI). > > > > > > > >It is still early in the negotiations, and I would like some say in > > > >where we end up camping. I want to be able to do some Rockhounding. > > > > > > > >I need some suggestions for available collecting locations in NH. Does > > > >anyone have any favored collecting locations I should consider, on or > > > >off List? > > > > > > > >Thanks! > > > > > > > >Kreigh From miller3987 at sbcglobal.net Fri May 18 20:14:46 2007 From: miller3987 at sbcglobal.net (Glen Miller) Date: Fri May 18 20:14:38 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Wamsutter turitella agate Message-ID: <200705190314.l4J3EZEm017382@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Fellow fossil folks: I was glad to see the mention of the Wamsutter, Wyoming turritella agate. In about 2004 I traveled through the area and stopped to revisit a site shown on many of the classic rockhunting guides of the West. As many know, the Wyoming Red Desert is now the scene of intense oil and gas exploration and pumping. There is now a gas well pumping station at the place about 10 miles south of the town, where I had collected back in 1965. What pleased me was the windrows of chunks of the turritella agate, actually chert with fossil shells embedded, around the pad. Selecting the best pieces to take along was most stressing part of the hunt. To ease the potential emotional turmoil of those envisioning widespread environmental devastation caused by the well fields, I saw as much, if not more wildlife on the desert as I had seen 40 years before. Pronghorn antelope traveled unhindered, birds and other wildlife seemed as abundant as other regions of the area. The well pads certainly are visible across the landscape, but I wasn't horrified seeing their presence. Also, I didn't encounter any hindrances to traveling in the area. Wamsutter was an oil boomtown then. It may still be. Glen From kahako at hawaiiantel.net Fri May 18 20:26:45 2007 From: kahako at hawaiiantel.net (Kitty & Bill Heacox) Date: Fri May 18 20:26:55 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Soda Lake In-Reply-To: <01c501c799be$b95638a0$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> References: <200705190102.l4J11rQM007332@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <01c501c799be$b95638a0$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Message-ID: <46425926001B5E10@n120.sc0.he.tucows.com> (added by postmaster@bouncemessage.net) That explains it! There are many times when this list becomes a geography lesson! Aloha, Kitty At 04:38 PM 5/18/2007, Rock Currier wrote: > The problem is that there is more than one Soda Lake. One is >in San Luis Obispo Co. and the other in San Bernardino Co. From dhawkins31 at tampabay.rr.com Sat May 19 07:55:18 2007 From: dhawkins31 at tampabay.rr.com (Deborah) Date: Sat May 19 07:54:49 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Florida Sites Message-ID: <005201c79a25$b7982f20$d0a37f46@lee322421403f3> Hi, We are new to this list. Can anyone supply some places to still hunt for rocks, fossils and shark teeth in Central Florida. So many places do not allow you to come in because of liability insurance. We would love to have a list of places. Any help is appreciated! D. Hawkins --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From codeburner at gmail.com Sat May 19 09:34:59 2007 From: codeburner at gmail.com (J Bryan Kramer) Date: Sat May 19 09:35:04 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Florida Sites In-Reply-To: <005201c79a25$b7982f20$d0a37f46@lee322421403f3> References: <005201c79a25$b7982f20$d0a37f46@lee322421403f3> Message-ID: LOL, there aren't many. The best fossil hunting is done gunk holing with scuba gear in rivers like the Santa Fe. You can find fossils in the shallow holes in the river bed. Crystal River is supposed to have some nice Calcite but I've never found the location. You can find agatized coral around McDill AFB in St Pete if you look for construction sites. The Steenhatchee river has bird fossils. The shore at Apollo beach is supposed to have good fossils but we've been there a couple of times and never found much beyond a few shark teeth and some ray plates. If you canoe down the Peace river and stop and search the gravel bars and shallows you should find sharks teeth, we got a nice fossil gator tooth there. And Venice beach is well known for sharks teeth. As for minerals, there aren't any. BK On 5/19/07, Deborah wrote: > > Hi, > > We are new to this list. Can anyone supply some places to still hunt for > rocks, fossils and shark teeth in Central Florida. So many places do not > allow you to come in because of liability insurance. We would love to have > a > list of places. Any help is appreciated! > > D. Hawkins > > > > > > > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > -- J Bryan Kramer North Florida, USA photos at: http://pbase.com/photoburner --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From albalmer at att.net Sat May 19 11:34:24 2007 From: albalmer at att.net (Al Balmer) Date: Sat May 19 11:34:43 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Turatella? In-Reply-To: <464E4456.2DB8@Tomaszewski.net> References: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com><002c01c79967$7ee9c800$0200a8c0@Notebook> <005001c79985$3c68f500$0200a8c0@Notebook> <464E4456.2DB8@Tomaszewski.net> Message-ID: <7ngu43dr0r0fspf0c0ltqha6fma9gilhe5@4ax.com> On Fri, 18 May 2007 20:30:05 -0400, Kreigh Tomaszewski wrote: >Al Balmer wrote: >> >> On Fri, 18 May 2007 12:46:21 -0700, "John Siebel" >> wrote: >> >> >Good point Al. I will usually do this, but sometimes I get in a hurry wading >> >through the Spam and forget to get back to the sender with an invitation to >> >join. I'll try to keep on top of that in the future. >> >> You can tell them that their request usually kicks off a discussion in >> the forum that they'll never see! > >To see the full discussion one only needs to visit the List Archive > > http://www.eclecticlapidary/Rockhounds/archives.cfm Real-time? (Of course, I should know - never say never.) -- Al Balmer Sun City, AZ From corson at infodyn.com Sat May 19 14:13:06 2007 From: corson at infodyn.com (Tom Corson) Date: Sat May 19 14:21:27 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Announcement: Bisbee Mineral Show Message-ID: <002901c79a5a$7f144f00$640fa8c0@Grimble> Hi all, The Bisbee Gem and Mineral Show has been resurrected after a several year hiatus. It is this coming Memorial Day weekend, May 26 & 27 at the Queen Mine Tour facility in Bisbee, Arizona. Show hours are 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM both days. This show represents a significant personal milestone for me as well. After decades as a collector, I have decided to try my hand selling specimens as well. More on this later... I will have several hundred specimens for sale at the show. This will be my first show as a mineral dealer! Wish me luck, and if you can, stop by and say hello! Best regards, Tom Corson OBG International Green Valley, AZ From Ted at crystalgems.com Sat May 19 14:56:53 2007 From: Ted at crystalgems.com (Ted Kowalski) Date: Sat May 19 14:56:59 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Announcement: Bisbee Mineral Show In-Reply-To: <002901c79a5a$7f144f00$640fa8c0@Grimble> References: <002901c79a5a$7f144f00$640fa8c0@Grimble> Message-ID: <001f01c79a60$9ccce4c0$0200a8c0@LaptopLand1> Tom?! As in THE Tom Corson who gallantly put up with us flighty, argumentive rock people< all the while maintaining the Rockhounds email forum? Of course we wish you well and may you have all the luck you need! Ted Kowalski Fredericksburg, VA USA -----Original Message----- From: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Tom Corson Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2007 5:13 PM To: rockhounds@lists.drizzle.com Subject: [Rockhounds] Announcement: Bisbee Mineral Show Hi all, The Bisbee Gem and Mineral Show has been resurrected after a several year hiatus. It is this coming Memorial Day weekend, May 26 & 27 at the Queen Mine Tour facility in Bisbee, Arizona. Show hours are 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM both days. This show represents a significant personal milestone for me as well. After decades as a collector, I have decided to try my hand selling specimens as well. More on this later... I will have several hundred specimens for sale at the show. This will be my first show as a mineral dealer! Wish me luck, and if you can, stop by and say hello! Best regards, Tom Corson OBG International Green Valley, AZ -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From corson at infodyn.com Sat May 19 19:35:37 2007 From: corson at infodyn.com (Tom Corson) Date: Sat May 19 19:45:13 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Announcement: Bisbee Mineral Show In-Reply-To: <001f01c79a60$9ccce4c0$0200a8c0@LaptopLand1> References: <002901c79a5a$7f144f00$640fa8c0@Grimble> <001f01c79a60$9ccce4c0$0200a8c0@LaptopLand1> Message-ID: <003401c79a87$8e2e2600$640fa8c0@Grimble> Indeed. When I look at it in that light, makes me wonder, but it's a labor of love... And labor it is. Labeling, pricing, organizing this much material is a lot of work! Since you mentioned the early days of this list, perhaps when I get my head above water and have some time, I will put together a short email on the history of this list, including some of the high (or perhaps low) points. I do recall receiving at least one death threat during my "tenure"... And I want to be a mineral dealer? What am I thinking???? :-) Thanks for the kind words... Cheers, TC -----Original Message----- From: Ted Kowalski [mailto:Ted@crystalgems.com] Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2007 2:57 PM To: corson@infodyn.com; 'Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors' Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] Announcement: Bisbee Mineral Show Tom?! As in THE Tom Corson who gallantly put up with us flighty, argumentive rock people< all the while maintaining the Rockhounds email forum? Of course we wish you well and may you have all the luck you need! Ted Kowalski Fredericksburg, VA USA From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Sat May 19 20:25:47 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Sat May 19 20:25:47 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Turatella? References: <662058.46193.qm@web57011.mail.re3.yahoo.com><002c01c79967$7ee9c800$0200a8c0@Notebook> <005001c79985$3c68f500$0200a8c0@Notebook> <464E4456.2DB8@Tomaszewski.net> <7ngu43dr0r0fspf0c0ltqha6fma9gilhe5@4ax.com> Message-ID: <464FBFB2.8D4@Tomaszewski.net> Al Balmer wrote: > > On Fri, 18 May 2007 20:30:05 -0400, Kreigh Tomaszewski > wrote: > > >Al Balmer wrote: > >> > >> On Fri, 18 May 2007 12:46:21 -0700, "John Siebel" > >> wrote: > >> > >> >Good point Al. I will usually do this, but sometimes I get in a hurry wading > >> >through the Spam and forget to get back to the sender with an invitation to > >> >join. I'll try to keep on top of that in the future. > >> > >> You can tell them that their request usually kicks off a discussion in > >> the forum that they'll never see! > > > >To see the full discussion one only needs to visit the List Archive > > > > http://www.eclecticlapidary/Rockhounds/archives.cfm > > Real-time? > > (Of course, I should know - never say never.) Its not just real-time, it is Internet Time. The List Server updates the archives as part of processing each message post. As soon as a List message is processed it is available to download and view from the archives, also hosted on the List Server. This is the alternate date/thread/subject/author archive that you can link to from the keyword search page. To find the keyword search page follow the link at the bottom of every list posting to the list home page and click on the Message Archives. Kreigh From pawpawtiger at hotmail.com Sat May 19 21:27:59 2007 From: pawpawtiger at hotmail.com (Glenn Wimpee) Date: Sat May 19 21:28:03 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Florida Sites Message-ID: Not a collecting site, but I was really impressed with the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University in Gainesville. Go there if you haven't been already. I was amazed at the size and quantity of Megalodon shark teeth and the display of a recreated full set of jaws. And check in with the local club. Some of the members of the Mobile club have collected near Tampa, around Holiday Island I think. Glenn > From: dhawkins31@tampabay.rr.com> To: rockhounds@lists.drizzle.com> Date: Sat, 19 May 2007 10:55:18 -0400> Subject: [Rockhounds] Florida Sites> > Hi, > > We are new to this list. Can anyone supply some places to still hunt for> rocks, fossils and shark teeth in Central Florida. So many places do not> allow you to come in because of liability insurance. We would love to have a> list of places. Any help is appreciated!> > D. Hawkins> > > > > > > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---> multipart/alternative> text/plain (text body -- kept)> text/html> ---> -- > _______________________________________________> Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List> Subscription Services:> http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds> List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy:> http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html _________________________________________________________________ Add some color. Personalize your inbox with your favorite colors. www.windowslive-hotmail.com/learnmore/personalize.html?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGLM_HMWL_reten_addcolor_0507 --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From pawpawtiger at hotmail.com Sat May 19 22:00:04 2007 From: pawpawtiger at hotmail.com (Glenn Wimpee) Date: Sat May 19 22:00:07 2007 Subject: FW: [Rockhounds] The Mojave River Message-ID: Ya'll got my curiosity up and I did the easy thing: I Googled it. Found a map of the Mojave River with Barstow near the middle, and noted several "Soda Lake" locations including Texas, Wyoming, and even the Tibesti Mountains of Chad. (No, not the hanging chads of the Florida voting fiasco.) Glenn Subject: [Rockhounds] The Mojave River Kelly, I wonder if there is more than one Mojave River. My reference was taken from a USGS web site: http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/parks/mojave/sodalake1.html It seamed a little strange to me because I know the Mojave River over near Barstow and as you point out it would have to cross the Sierra Nevada mts. But the USGS is the USGS and who am I to say them wrong. Rock Change is good. See what?s different about Windows Live Hotmail. Check it out! _________________________________________________________________ Add some color. Personalize your inbox with your favorite colors. www.windowslive-hotmail.com/learnmore/personalize.html?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGLM_HMWL_reten_addcolor_0507 --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From jlkelly1066 at iglide.net Sun May 20 18:24:51 2007 From: jlkelly1066 at iglide.net (jlkelly1066@iglide.net) Date: Sun May 20 18:24:45 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Soda Lake CA In-Reply-To: <200705210102.l4L12jP9005767@bubbleator.drizzle.com> References: <200705210102.l4L12jP9005767@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <4650F4E3.8070408@iglide.net> Soda Lake. Just to clear a few things up. It may be completely possible that there is more than one Soda Lake in California. However, I am completely correct about the Soda Lake at the terminus of the Mojave. The Mojave rises for the last time at Afton Canyon. However, when I was living in the high desert of CA MANY years ago and we had sufficient rain I recall the Mojave running "above ground" for its entire link right past Afton Canyon into Soda Lake. If you are traveling from Vegas to Barstow or LA on I-15 you have to drive through Baker, CA (Sorry but it am true) The playa that Baker is situated in the middle of is Soda Lake Taah-Daahh!. Same place that zzyzx (Would I joke about a name like that???) Hot Springs is located on. I think the whole place is now part of some massive Mojave National Monument or something. There are a lot of dry lakes around Taft and it is very possible that one of them is called Soda Lake. As I said, I have collected some very pretty halite crystals from a lake around Taft and in Soda Lake by Baker. Believe me, I ain't NEVER gonna do the latter again. Talk about dry, desolate, windy and haunted. Ya'll have a great day. Kelly From Ted at crystalgems.com Sun May 20 19:16:03 2007 From: Ted at crystalgems.com (Ted Kowalski) Date: Sun May 20 19:16:09 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] RE: was Bisbee Mineral Show now Tom Corson originator/administrator of Rockhounds email forum back in the bad ol 90's In-Reply-To: <003401c79a87$8e2e2600$640fa8c0@Grimble> References: <002901c79a5a$7f144f00$640fa8c0@Grimble><001f01c79a60$9ccce4c0$0200a8c0@LaptopLand1> <003401c79a87$8e2e2600$640fa8c0@Grimble> Message-ID: <006d01c79b4d$fb7e6460$0600a8c0@LaptopLand1> Tom: I for one would like to hear/read your version of the beginnings of this list. Should be a great story; rocks, nuts (er, colorful people), death threats, drama, sex (er was there any sex?), and of course more rocks. I think Aaron (your successor who has since moved on also) and our current great crew of administrators has also had email threats. Fortunately, they keep us in the dark on any nastiness. And in case you didn't catch the drift; welcome back! I'm sure the other old timers will chime in as they pick up their emails over the next week. Best Wishes, Ted Kowalski Fredericksburg, VA USA -----Original Message----- From: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Tom Corson Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2007 10:36 PM To: 'Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors' Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] Announcement: Bisbee Mineral Show Indeed. When I look at it in that light, makes me wonder, but it's a labor of love... And labor it is. Labeling, pricing, organizing this much material is a lot of work! Since you mentioned the early days of this list, perhaps when I get my head above water and have some time, I will put together a short email on the history of this list, including some of the high (or perhaps low) points. I do recall receiving at least one death threat during my "tenure"... And I want to be a mineral dealer? What am I thinking???? :-) Thanks for the kind words... Cheers, TC From Pmodreski at aol.com Sun May 20 20:29:16 2007 From: Pmodreski at aol.com (Pmodreski@aol.com) Date: Sun May 20 20:29:26 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Turatella? Message-ID: Just adding a little note in passing, of no special importance... I'm just surprised that someone would attach "CHMM, Professor" to his name & address, and not give any clue at all what "CHMM means", or where it is. Colorado Holistic Mining Museum? cheers, Pete In a message dated 5/18/2007 10:15:07 AM Mountain Daylight Time, john@pandemoniumgraphics.com writes: > About 30 years ago on a trip to Utah, I stopped and gathered some > wonderful Turatella. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue where I was at > when I found them and I certainly don't know 30 years later. I remember we > found them on top of a nice plateau. I am headed out that way again and > was wondering if you had any suggestions on where to locate Turatella? > Thanks! > > Dr. Gary Rodabaugh, CHMM, Professor > University Phone: 231-591-2308, University FAX: 231-591-3788 > Home Office Phone/FAX: 231-972-4779 > University email: rodabaugh@ferris.edu ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From kahako at hawaiiantel.net Sun May 20 20:30:58 2007 From: kahako at hawaiiantel.net (Kitty & Bill Heacox) Date: Sun May 20 20:30:57 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Soda Lake CA In-Reply-To: <4650F4E3.8070408@iglide.net> References: <200705210102.l4L12jP9005767@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <4650F4E3.8070408@iglide.net> Message-ID: <464E62510002CF18@n054.sc0.he.tucows.com> (added by postmaster@bouncemessage.net) At 03:24 PM 5/20/2007, Kelly wrote: > I have collected some very pretty halite crystals from a lake >around Taft and in Soda Lake by Baker. Believe me, I ain't NEVER >gonna do the latter again. Talk about dry, desolate, windy and haunted. Haunted? I don't want to lead us off-topic, but was that just a figure of speech, or did you have some spooky experience? Aloha, K. From donhalterman at verizon.net Sun May 20 20:36:41 2007 From: donhalterman at verizon.net (DonH) Date: Sun May 20 20:34:52 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Turatella? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <465113C9.4010501@verizon.net> Pmodreski@aol.com wrote: > > Just adding a little note in passing, of no special importance... > > I'm just surprised that someone would attach "CHMM, Professor" to his name & > address, and not give any clue at all what "CHMM means", or where it is. Hi Pete, When I received my HAZMAT handling certification, I remember reading that there was another higher level certification, Certified Hazardous Materials Manager. Don From kahako at hawaiiantel.net Sun May 20 21:32:33 2007 From: kahako at hawaiiantel.net (Kitty & Bill Heacox) Date: Sun May 20 21:33:19 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Re: Tom Corson & the Admin of the List In-Reply-To: <006d01c79b4d$fb7e6460$0600a8c0@LaptopLand1> References: <002901c79a5a$7f144f00$640fa8c0@Grimble> <001f01c79a60$9ccce4c0$0200a8c0@LaptopLand1> <003401c79a87$8e2e2600$640fa8c0@Grimble> <006d01c79b4d$fb7e6460$0600a8c0@LaptopLand1> Message-ID: <464F66790001BAB1@n016.sc0.he.tucows.com> (added by postmaster@bouncemessage.net) Welcome back, Tom. Your name came up (as Founder of the List) in e-mail exchanges between some Admin members just in the last couple of days. I agree that any tales you would like to share about the early days would be interesting and appreciated. One small correction, Ted: Aaron did move on as Administrator of the List, but he is still a valuable member of the Admin Team. And thank you for calling us a "great crew." We do our best, considering we all are volunteers and busy with personal lives and jobs. From time to time we plan to post some portions of the List Rules (not just when problems arise) because we feel occasional reminders are useful to new members (and forgetful old folk like me). In that spirit, following is the list of the current Admin Team members: Julie Siebel ("List Owner" at Drizzle and Admin Team Leader) Kreigh Tomaszewski Aaron Fox John Siebel Kitty Heacox Carol Bova John "Doppler" Schiff Aloha, Kitty Ted Kowalski wrote: >Tom: >I for one would like to hear/read your version of the beginnings of this >list. >I think Aaron (your successor who has since moved on also) and our current >great crew of administrators From smtravis at plateautel.net Sun May 20 21:43:52 2007 From: smtravis at plateautel.net (Steve & Marilyn) Date: Sun May 20 21:43:43 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] opal dig Message-ID: <003901c79b62$a1f8b5c0$b3905a40@marilyn> Hello list! I have scheduled some NEPA (National Environmental Prevention Act) training in Las Vegus tn mid June thought I'd go on up to the opal mines in extreme NW Nefvada and dig a couple of days the 21 & 22 any Idea /suggestions as to where to dig Royal Peacock Bonanza ? Any one else going that way? times open, digging suggestions? Thanks Steve, Keeep on rockin --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From acraven at mindspring.com Sun May 20 23:35:43 2007 From: acraven at mindspring.com (acraven) Date: Sun May 20 23:35:55 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] opal dig References: <003901c79b62$a1f8b5c0$b3905a40@marilyn> Message-ID: <009b01c79b72$42096f00$0a0110ac@Desktop> I hope someone can provide recent info on the Peacock and Bonanza for you before you head out. If not, you'll pass a campground on your way to the mines (after you turn off the highway and drive a mile or two). If there are folks around when you go through, you might stop and ask if they've been digging. If they have, they should be happy to tell you where they've been and how things have been going. Be sure to find out whether they dug in the tailings or in fresh dirt. There's also a campground at the Peacock where some experienced miners are likely to be found. I prefer Rainbow Ridge myself (www.nevadaopal.com), but it's very expensive ($400 per load, which covers up to 2 people) if you want fresh dirt, and reservations are required for the loads, which are limited to 5 per day. Buying a load of clay that is dumped at your feet is much, much easier than digging directly in the bank at the Royal Peacock. The mine is open 8 AM to 4 PM, normally every day except Wednesday. No reservations are required for the tailings ($50 per person). You can definitely find some nice things in the tailings, but since Nevada opal tends to crack as it dries out, most stones from the tailings will be on the small side (as opposed to those round in fresh dirt, which sometimes weigh more than a pound). If there are clods of clay lying around from recent days' loads (which is likely), they can be worth breaking open in hopes of finding a large opal. The mine owners are very good about showing new customers what to look for. The web site lists suggested tools to take along, but they normally can loan you a rake and a bucket, and water is available. You should have one or more containers of your own in which you can take away any opal that needs to stay wet (not found on old tailings) to prevent cracking. I like plastic jars and tubs; others wrap the opal in some sort of paper and put it in plastic bags, but broken edges on the opal make that problematic for me since I have to fly home. At the Bonanza (www.bonanzaopals.com) non-shareholders can only dig in the tailings. A couple of years ago I was told that the Bonanza tailings appeared to have been completely screened and thus seemed very unlikely to produce anything other than very small stones, but I've never been to the Bonanza myself and have no personal knowledge of the situation. The Royal Peacock (www.royalpeacock.com) allows digging in tailings ($45) or directly in the bank ($145). Bank digging is too hard for me, but there are lots of people who dig at the Peacock every year; it obviously works for them. I've been told it's easier if you have your own sharp pick and/or pry bar. Since I fly to Nevada, I've had to rent a pick from the mine, and theirs are quite dull. They basically bounce off the damp clay when I swing them. As for the tailings, I've always figured the Peacock tailings would have less in them, on average, than the Rainbow Ridge tailings since a Peacock customer cannot move as much dirt when he has to break it out of the bank. However, last year one of my fellow Rainbow Ridge customers said he was very pleased at what he found in the tailings at the Peacock. The mines are at about 4000 feet (sunscreen and protective clothing are critical unless you are especially fond of your dermatologist) and the weather can be a lot cooler than it is in southern Nevada. Clouds and rain can blow in quickly, and wind can occasionally be an annoyance, especially in the afternoon. Check the weather forecast for Denio NV and/or Adel OR to be sure it's not going to be very wet or too cold before you make the drive. The road to your intended destination might not be passable if there has been much rain, and you really can't work the tailings (or a fresh load at Rainbow Ridge) when the ground is wet. Rainbow Ridge, at least, will be closed if the weather is too wet; their road gets scary slippery. If in doubt about conditions, call the mine directly. I think digging in the bank at the Peacock would be difficult if you hit really hot weather. It can get up near 100F in the middle of the summer, though that isn't typical. I don't know whether that sort of heat is at all likely on June 21-22. I know from personal experience that it *can* be too cold for me in early June. It appears from the mine web sites that the motel/cafe/gas station at Denio Junction is open (it has had a checkered history in recent years). To be safe, I'd urge you to gas up in Winnemucca. As of last summer there was also gas about 20 miles north of Winnemucca. Winnemucca offers the last real grocery store before you get to the mines; Denio Jct. has only some odds and ends (beverages, scattered boxes of crackers, candy, etc.) besides the cafe itself. The Bonanza sells ice and sodas (website also mentions snacks); Rainbow Ridge does not. Incidentally, unless things have changed, the Denio Jct. motel is not the sort of place where you can roll in at any time of the night and find an employee to hand over a room key. If you plan to stay there rather than camping (it's a simple place and--being the only game in town--not particularly cheap), check on what time you need to be there. There used to be a very small motel (with cafe and small store) in Fields, Oregon, too. It's about 28 miles north of Denio Junction, not on the way in from Las Vegas but useful if the motel at the Junction is full (definitely make a reservation). Most of the Virgin Valley opal replaces wood (partially or completely), so the main thing to watch for is anything that looks like wood--twigs, bits of branches, etc. There's also petrified wood in the area (usually white/tan/brown/black); sometimes it has opal running through it. The mistakes I see people make most often are going through dirt or tailings too fast and not picking up everything wood-like for closer examination. Small pieces of opal may be glassy all over and readily identifiable, but larger ones may be sitting there with the one glassy side/end not visible. Ann Craven ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve & Marilyn" Hello list! I have scheduled some NEPA (National Environmental Prevention Act) training in Las Vegus tn mid June thought I'd go on up to the opal mines in extreme NW Nefvada and dig a couple of days the 21 & 22 any Idea /suggestions as to where to dig Royal Peacock Bonanza ? Any one else going that way? times open, digging suggestions? Thanks Steve, Keeep on rockin From purplelsumom at yahoo.com Mon May 21 00:21:38 2007 From: purplelsumom at yahoo.com (KIMERLYE CAREY) Date: Mon May 21 00:21:47 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] opal dig In-Reply-To: <009b01c79b72$42096f00$0a0110ac@Desktop> Message-ID: <5865.66664.qm@web61211.mail.yahoo.com> Hi, I hope this is OK to ask you some questions? I joined this List because I am interested in getting into this as a hobby. I can't find a Rockhound groups in the Dallas area. Can you point me in the direction of some trips, if you know of any? All of you sound much more advanced and more knowledgeable about all the different gems and stones. I obviously have never done any mining before, but I would love to look for geodes. I've been researching and haven't quite come up with what I'm looking for. I thought there would be clubs or groups which had field trips to Arizona, Nevada, etc. As I am now an empty-nester, I've got time to take on a fun and interesting hobby. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, KIM CAREY acraven wrote: I hope someone can provide recent info on the Peacock and Bonanza for you before you head out. If not, you'll pass a campground on your way to the mines (after you turn off the highway and drive a mile or two). If there are folks around when you go through, you might stop and ask if they've been digging. If they have, they should be happy to tell you where they've been and how things have been going. Be sure to find out whether they dug in the tailings or in fresh dirt. There's also a campground at the Peacock where some experienced miners are likely to be found. I prefer Rainbow Ridge myself (www.nevadaopal.com), but it's very expensive ($400 per load, which covers up to 2 people) if you want fresh dirt, and reservations are required for the loads, which are limited to 5 per day. Buying a load of clay that is dumped at your feet is much, much easier than digging directly in the bank at the Royal Peacock. The mine is open 8 AM to 4 PM, normally every day except Wednesday. No reservations are required for the tailings ($50 per person). You can definitely find some nice things in the tailings, but since Nevada opal tends to crack as it dries out, most stones from the tailings will be on the small side (as opposed to those round in fresh dirt, which sometimes weigh more than a pound). If there are clods of clay lying around from recent days' loads (which is likely), they can be worth breaking open in hopes of finding a large opal. The mine owners are very good about showing new customers what to look for. The web site lists suggested tools to take along, but they normally can loan you a rake and a bucket, and water is available. You should have one or more containers of your own in which you can take away any opal that needs to stay wet (not found on old tailings) to prevent cracking. I like plastic jars and tubs; others wrap the opal in some sort of paper and put it in plastic bags, but broken edges on the opal make that problematic for me since I have to fly home. At the Bonanza (www.bonanzaopals.com) non-shareholders can only dig in the tailings. A couple of years ago I was told that the Bonanza tailings appeared to have been completely screened and thus seemed very unlikely to produce anything other than very small stones, but I've never been to the Bonanza myself and have no personal knowledge of the situation. The Royal Peacock (www.royalpeacock.com) allows digging in tailings ($45) or directly in the bank ($145). Bank digging is too hard for me, but there are lots of people who dig at the Peacock every year; it obviously works for them. I've been told it's easier if you have your own sharp pick and/or pry bar. Since I fly to Nevada, I've had to rent a pick from the mine, and theirs are quite dull. They basically bounce off the damp clay when I swing them. As for the tailings, I've always figured the Peacock tailings would have less in them, on average, than the Rainbow Ridge tailings since a Peacock customer cannot move as much dirt when he has to break it out of the bank. However, last year one of my fellow Rainbow Ridge customers said he was very pleased at what he found in the tailings at the Peacock. The mines are at about 4000 feet (sunscreen and protective clothing are critical unless you are especially fond of your dermatologist) and the weather can be a lot cooler than it is in southern Nevada. Clouds and rain can blow in quickly, and wind can occasionally be an annoyance, especially in the afternoon. Check the weather forecast for Denio NV and/or Adel OR to be sure it's not going to be very wet or too cold before you make the drive. The road to your intended destination might not be passable if there has been much rain, and you really can't work the tailings (or a fresh load at Rainbow Ridge) when the ground is wet. Rainbow Ridge, at least, will be closed if the weather is too wet; their road gets scary slippery. If in doubt about conditions, call the mine directly. I think digging in the bank at the Peacock would be difficult if you hit really hot weather. It can get up near 100F in the middle of the summer, though that isn't typical. I don't know whether that sort of heat is at all likely on June 21-22. I know from personal experience that it *can* be too cold for me in early June. It appears from the mine web sites that the motel/cafe/gas station at Denio Junction is open (it has had a checkered history in recent years). To be safe, I'd urge you to gas up in Winnemucca. As of last summer there was also gas about 20 miles north of Winnemucca. Winnemucca offers the last real grocery store before you get to the mines; Denio Jct. has only some odds and ends (beverages, scattered boxes of crackers, candy, etc.) besides the cafe itself. The Bonanza sells ice and sodas (website also mentions snacks); Rainbow Ridge does not. Incidentally, unless things have changed, the Denio Jct. motel is not the sort of place where you can roll in at any time of the night and find an employee to hand over a room key. If you plan to stay there rather than camping (it's a simple place and--being the only game in town--not particularly cheap), check on what time you need to be there. There used to be a very small motel (with cafe and small store) in Fields, Oregon, too. It's about 28 miles north of Denio Junction, not on the way in from Las Vegas but useful if the motel at the Junction is full (definitely make a reservation). Most of the Virgin Valley opal replaces wood (partially or completely), so the main thing to watch for is anything that looks like wood--twigs, bits of branches, etc. There's also petrified wood in the area (usually white/tan/brown/black); sometimes it has opal running through it. The mistakes I see people make most often are going through dirt or tailings too fast and not picking up everything wood-like for closer examination. Small pieces of opal may be glassy all over and readily identifiable, but larger ones may be sitting there with the one glassy side/end not visible. Ann Craven ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve & Marilyn" Hello list! I have scheduled some NEPA (National Environmental Prevention Act) training in Las Vegus tn mid June thought I'd go on up to the opal mines in extreme NW Nefvada and dig a couple of days the 21 & 22 any Idea /suggestions as to where to dig Royal Peacock Bonanza ? Any one else going that way? times open, digging suggestions? Thanks Steve, Keeep on rockin -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html --------------------------------- Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From cscrystals2 at verizon.net Mon May 21 04:33:53 2007 From: cscrystals2 at verizon.net (Carolyn & Steve Weinberger) Date: Mon May 21 04:29:57 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] opal dig In-Reply-To: <5865.66664.qm@web61211.mail.yahoo.com> References: <5865.66664.qm@web61211.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Kim, To find rockhound groups in the Dallas area, log on to the South Central Federation website and follow the link to the listing of member clubs. There are several in the Dallas/ Ft. Worth/Arlington area. Most often the clubs are the entry portal for admission to various collecting localities. Carolyn Weinberger AFMS Editor On May 21, 2007, at 3:21 AM, KIMERLYE CAREY wrote: > Hi, > I hope this is OK to ask you some questions? I joined this List > because I am interested in getting into this as a hobby. I can't > find a Rockhound groups in the Dallas area. Can you point me in the > direction of some trips, if you know of any? All of you sound much > more advanced and more knowledgeable about all the different gems > and stones. > I obviously have never done any mining before, but I would love > to look for geodes. I've been researching and haven't quite come up > with what I'm looking for. I thought there would be clubs or groups > which had field trips to Arizona, Nevada, etc. > As I am now an empty-nester, I've got time to take on a fun and > interesting hobby. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. > Thank you, > KIM CAREY > > acraven wrote: > I hope someone can provide recent info on the Peacock and Bonanza > for you > before you head out. If not, you'll pass a campground on your way > to the > mines (after you turn off the highway and drive a mile or two). If > there > are folks around when you go through, you might stop and ask if > they've been > digging. If they have, they should be happy to tell you where > they've been > and how things have been going. Be sure to find out whether they > dug in the > tailings or in fresh dirt. There's also a campground at the Peacock > where > some experienced miners are likely to be found. > > I prefer Rainbow Ridge myself (www.nevadaopal.com), but it's very > expensive > ($400 per load, which covers up to 2 people) if you want fresh > dirt, and > reservations are required for the loads, which are limited to 5 per > day. > Buying a load of clay that is dumped at your feet is much, much > easier than > digging directly in the bank at the Royal Peacock. The mine is open > 8 AM to > 4 PM, normally every day except Wednesday. No reservations are > required for > the tailings ($50 per person). You can definitely find some nice > things in > the tailings, but since Nevada opal tends to crack as it dries out, > most > stones from the tailings will be on the small side (as opposed to > those > round in fresh dirt, which sometimes weigh more than a pound). If > there are > clods of clay lying around from recent days' loads (which is > likely), they > can be worth breaking open in hopes of finding a large opal. The mine > owners are very good about showing new customers what to look for. > The web > site lists suggested tools to take along, but they normally can > loan you a > rake and a bucket, and water is available. You should have one or more > containers of your own in which you can take away any opal that > needs to > stay wet (not found on old tailings) to prevent cracking. I like > plastic > jars and tubs; others wrap the opal in some sort of paper and put > it in > plastic bags, but broken edges on the opal make that problematic > for me > since I have to fly home. > > At the Bonanza (www.bonanzaopals.com) non-shareholders can only dig > in the > tailings. A couple of years ago I was told that the Bonanza tailings > appeared to have been completely screened and thus seemed very > unlikely to > produce anything other than very small stones, but I've never been > to the > Bonanza myself and have no personal knowledge of the situation. > > The Royal Peacock (www.royalpeacock.com) allows digging in tailings > ($45) or > directly in the bank ($145). Bank digging is too hard for me, but > there are > lots of people who dig at the Peacock every year; it obviously > works for > them. I've been told it's easier if you have your own sharp pick > and/or pry > bar. Since I fly to Nevada, I've had to rent a pick from the mine, and > theirs are quite dull. They basically bounce off the damp clay when > I swing > them. As for the tailings, I've always figured the Peacock tailings > would > have less in them, on average, than the Rainbow Ridge tailings since a > Peacock customer cannot move as much dirt when he has to break it > out of the > bank. However, last year one of my fellow Rainbow Ridge customers > said he > was very pleased at what he found in the tailings at the Peacock. > > The mines are at about 4000 feet (sunscreen and protective clothing > are > critical unless you are especially fond of your dermatologist) and the > weather can be a lot cooler than it is in southern Nevada. Clouds > and rain > can blow in quickly, and wind can occasionally be an annoyance, > especially > in the afternoon. Check the weather forecast for Denio NV and/or > Adel OR to > be sure it's not going to be very wet or too cold before you make > the drive. > The road to your intended destination might not be passable if > there has > been much rain, and you really can't work the tailings (or a fresh > load at > Rainbow Ridge) when the ground is wet. Rainbow Ridge, at least, > will be > closed if the weather is too wet; their road gets scary slippery. > If in > doubt about conditions, call the mine directly. I think digging in > the bank > at the Peacock would be difficult if you hit really hot weather. It > can > get up near 100F in the middle of the summer, though that isn't > typical. I > don't know whether that sort of heat is at all likely on June > 21-22. I know > from personal experience that it *can* be too cold for me in early > June. > > It appears from the mine web sites that the motel/cafe/gas station > at Denio > Junction is open (it has had a checkered history in recent years). > To be > safe, I'd urge you to gas up in Winnemucca. As of last summer there > was > also gas about 20 miles north of Winnemucca. Winnemucca offers the > last > real grocery store before you get to the mines; Denio Jct. has only > some > odds and ends (beverages, scattered boxes of crackers, candy, etc.) > besides > the cafe itself. The Bonanza sells ice and sodas (website also > mentions > snacks); Rainbow Ridge does not. Incidentally, unless things have > changed, > the Denio Jct. motel is not the sort of place where you can roll in > at any > time of the night and find an employee to hand over a room key. If > you plan > to stay there rather than camping (it's a simple place and--being > the only > game in town--not particularly cheap), check on what time you need > to be > there. There used to be a very small motel (with cafe and small > store) in > Fields, Oregon, too. It's about 28 miles north of Denio Junction, > not on > the way in from Las Vegas but useful if the motel at the Junction > is full > (definitely make a reservation). > > Most of the Virgin Valley opal replaces wood (partially or > completely), so > the main thing to watch for is anything that looks like wood-- > twigs, bits of > branches, etc. There's also petrified wood in the area (usually > white/tan/brown/black); sometimes it has opal running through it. The > mistakes I see people make most often are going through dirt or > tailings too > fast and not picking up everything wood-like for closer > examination. Small > pieces of opal may be glassy all over and readily identifiable, but > larger > ones may be sitting there with the one glassy side/end not visible. > > Ann Craven > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Steve & Marilyn" > > Hello list! I have scheduled some NEPA (National Environmental > Prevention > Act) training in Las Vegus tn mid June thought I'd go on up to the > opal > mines in extreme NW Nefvada and dig a couple of days the 21 & 22 > any Idea > /suggestions as to where to dig Royal Peacock Bonanza ? Any one > else going > that way? times open, digging suggestions? Thanks Steve, Keeep on > rockin > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > > --------------------------------- > Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! > Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at > Yahoo! Games. > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From purplelsumom at yahoo.com Mon May 21 05:45:33 2007 From: purplelsumom at yahoo.com (KIMERLYE CAREY) Date: Mon May 21 05:45:39 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] opal dig In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <215227.32032.qm@web61213.mail.yahoo.com> Thank you so much, KIM Carolyn & Steve Weinberger wrote: Kim, To find rockhound groups in the Dallas area, log on to the South Central Federation website and follow the link to the listing of member clubs. There are several in the Dallas/ Ft. Worth/Arlington area. Most often the clubs are the entry portal for admission to various collecting localities. Carolyn Weinberger AFMS Editor On May 21, 2007, at 3:21 AM, KIMERLYE CAREY wrote: > Hi, > I hope this is OK to ask you some questions? I joined this List > because I am interested in getting into this as a hobby. I can't > find a Rockhound groups in the Dallas area. Can you point me in the > direction of some trips, if you know of any? All of you sound much > more advanced and more knowledgeable about all the different gems > and stones. > I obviously have never done any mining before, but I would love > to look for geodes. I've been researching and haven't quite come up > with what I'm looking for. I thought there would be clubs or groups > which had field trips to Arizona, Nevada, etc. > As I am now an empty-nester, I've got time to take on a fun and > interesting hobby. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. > Thank you, > KIM CAREY > > acraven wrote: > I hope someone can provide recent info on the Peacock and Bonanza > for you > before you head out. If not, you'll pass a campground on your way > to the > mines (after you turn off the highway and drive a mile or two). If > there > are folks around when you go through, you might stop and ask if > they've been > digging. If they have, they should be happy to tell you where > they've been > and how things have been going. Be sure to find out whether they > dug in the > tailings or in fresh dirt. There's also a campground at the Peacock > where > some experienced miners are likely to be found. > > I prefer Rainbow Ridge myself (www.nevadaopal.com), but it's very > expensive > ($400 per load, which covers up to 2 people) if you want fresh > dirt, and > reservations are required for the loads, which are limited to 5 per > day. > Buying a load of clay that is dumped at your feet is much, much > easier than > digging directly in the bank at the Royal Peacock. The mine is open > 8 AM to > 4 PM, normally every day except Wednesday. No reservations are > required for > the tailings ($50 per person). You can definitely find some nice > things in > the tailings, but since Nevada opal tends to crack as it dries out, > most > stones from the tailings will be on the small side (as opposed to > those > round in fresh dirt, which sometimes weigh more than a pound). If > there are > clods of clay lying around from recent days' loads (which is > likely), they > can be worth breaking open in hopes of finding a large opal. The mine > owners are very good about showing new customers what to look for. > The web > site lists suggested tools to take along, but they normally can > loan you a > rake and a bucket, and water is available. You should have one or more > containers of your own in which you can take away any opal that > needs to > stay wet (not found on old tailings) to prevent cracking. I like > plastic > jars and tubs; others wrap the opal in some sort of paper and put > it in > plastic bags, but broken edges on the opal make that problematic > for me > since I have to fly home. > > At the Bonanza (www.bonanzaopals.com) non-shareholders can only dig > in the > tailings. A couple of years ago I was told that the Bonanza tailings > appeared to have been completely screened and thus seemed very > unlikely to > produce anything other than very small stones, but I've never been > to the > Bonanza myself and have no personal knowledge of the situation. > > The Royal Peacock (www.royalpeacock.com) allows digging in tailings > ($45) or > directly in the bank ($145). Bank digging is too hard for me, but > there are > lots of people who dig at the Peacock every year; it obviously > works for > them. I've been told it's easier if you have your own sharp pick > and/or pry > bar. Since I fly to Nevada, I've had to rent a pick from the mine, and > theirs are quite dull. They basically bounce off the damp clay when > I swing > them. As for the tailings, I've always figured the Peacock tailings > would > have less in them, on average, than the Rainbow Ridge tailings since a > Peacock customer cannot move as much dirt when he has to break it > out of the > bank. However, last year one of my fellow Rainbow Ridge customers > said he > was very pleased at what he found in the tailings at the Peacock. > > The mines are at about 4000 feet (sunscreen and protective clothing > are > critical unless you are especially fond of your dermatologist) and the > weather can be a lot cooler than it is in southern Nevada. Clouds > and rain > can blow in quickly, and wind can occasionally be an annoyance, > especially > in the afternoon. Check the weather forecast for Denio NV and/or > Adel OR to > be sure it's not going to be very wet or too cold before you make > the drive. > The road to your intended destination might not be passable if > there has > been much rain, and you really can't work the tailings (or a fresh > load at > Rainbow Ridge) when the ground is wet. Rainbow Ridge, at least, > will be > closed if the weather is too wet; their road gets scary slippery. > If in > doubt about conditions, call the mine directly. I think digging in > the bank > at the Peacock would be difficult if you hit really hot weather. It > can > get up near 100F in the middle of the summer, though that isn't > typical. I > don't know whether that sort of heat is at all likely on June > 21-22. I know > from personal experience that it *can* be too cold for me in early > June. > > It appears from the mine web sites that the motel/cafe/gas station > at Denio > Junction is open (it has had a checkered history in recent years). > To be > safe, I'd urge you to gas up in Winnemucca. As of last summer there > was > also gas about 20 miles north of Winnemucca. Winnemucca offers the > last > real grocery store before you get to the mines; Denio Jct. has only > some > odds and ends (beverages, scattered boxes of crackers, candy, etc.) > besides > the cafe itself. The Bonanza sells ice and sodas (website also > mentions > snacks); Rainbow Ridge does not. Incidentally, unless things have > changed, > the Denio Jct. motel is not the sort of place where you can roll in > at any > time of the night and find an employee to hand over a room key. If > you plan > to stay there rather than camping (it's a simple place and--being > the only > game in town--not particularly cheap), check on what time you need > to be > there. There used to be a very small motel (with cafe and small > store) in > Fields, Oregon, too. It's about 28 miles north of Denio Junction, > not on > the way in from Las Vegas but useful if the motel at the Junction > is full > (definitely make a reservation). > > Most of the Virgin Valley opal replaces wood (partially or > completely), so > the main thing to watch for is anything that looks like wood-- > twigs, bits of > branches, etc. There's also petrified wood in the area (usually > white/tan/brown/black); sometimes it has opal running through it. The > mistakes I see people make most often are going through dirt or > tailings too > fast and not picking up everything wood-like for closer > examination. Small > pieces of opal may be glassy all over and readily identifiable, but > larger > ones may be sitting there with the one glassy side/end not visible. > > Ann Craven > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Steve & Marilyn" > > Hello list! I have scheduled some NEPA (National Environmental > Prevention > Act) training in Las Vegus tn mid June thought I'd go on up to the > opal > mines in extreme NW Nefvada and dig a couple of days the 21 & 22 > any Idea > /suggestions as to where to dig Royal Peacock Bonanza ? Any one > else going > that way? times open, digging suggestions? Thanks Steve, Keeep on > rockin > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > > --------------------------------- > Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! > Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at > Yahoo! Games. > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html --------------------------------- Building a website is a piece of cake. Yahoo! Small Business gives you all the tools to get online. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From dlips at cstone.net Mon May 21 06:40:15 2007 From: dlips at cstone.net (David Lipscomb) Date: Mon May 21 06:40:40 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] JMU Mineral Museum - resend test Message-ID: <4.2.2.20070521093637.017ea5b0@mail.cstone.net> this is a resend to test the email setup. James Madison University Mineral Museum is getting a new home. Wanted to let those who are interested know about an auction to help out with the display cases. I've got some update info. at my web site. http://www.varockhound.com/index.shtml David From ajs at frii.com Mon May 21 17:11:45 2007 From: ajs at frii.com (Alan Silverstein) Date: Mon May 21 17:11:48 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Turatella? In-Reply-To: <006501c7997e$6f4d1480$0200a8c0@secretary> Message-ID: <20070522001145.EEC124D25B@io.frii.com> > Turatella agate and algae are at Wamsutter, Wyoming. I don't have > exact directions but it is in the Field Trip Books on the market. The > ledge you describes is there. Not at Wamsutter, but that's the exit off I80. You go south and then west on gravel/dirt roads up onto the Delaney Rim, which is the continental divide south of the Great Divide Basin (Red Desert) of Wyoming. I forget, 10-20 road miles? You can loop back to Delaney Point, 4-6 miles south of the interstate. Spectacular view. Not just a ledge, but a layer ~5" thick of black turitella agate covering many acres. Last trip up there a few years ago, recent bulldozing of some kind resulted in cracked slabs of that thickness with shells showing on both sides, white-coated with caliche(?), pieces up to 20 lb or more. Turitella is actually a marine shell, and these are freshwater look-alikes, I am told. The whole top of Delaney Rim is agate-rich. A few miles north and west is a lot of stromatolite algae agate (brown/black with swirls and some blue chalcedony) and other weird stuff. I suspect the Rim is there BECAUSE OF the hard layer of agatized rocks. Alan Silverstein From miller3987 at sbcglobal.net Mon May 21 21:04:47 2007 From: miller3987 at sbcglobal.net (Glen Miller) Date: Mon May 21 21:04:48 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Virgin Valley collecting, summer 2007 Message-ID: <200705220404.l4M44jwH009739@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Ann Craven has given a very good summary of collecting possibilities and the plusses and minuses of the 3 commercial opal digging areas in Virgin Valley. I'm a shareholder in the Bonanza Opal Mine as of last year, so I'll fill in a little about that mine. The Bonanza shareholders are aware of the rumors that the tailings provided for the fee digging have been screened or gone through before the paying diggers get to it. Bonanza instructions to shareholders are that no one is go through the tailings piles that are reserved for the fee diggers. Trust is a precious commodity for operating a fee dig and I have observed the entire group complying with the rules. As shareholders we are encouraged to visit with and assist the fee diggers so that they have a good opal hunting experience. Tailings for fee digging at the Bonanza is clay that has been bulldozed or excavated from the area around the opal bearing stratum which is being mined by shareholders. It is piled in one area to eventually be spread by a large front end loader onto a leveled area of the mine. The windrows of tailings are available to all the fee diggers. For those who have seen the TV shows about both the Royal Peacock mine and the Bonanza mine this last winter; if you think about going opal mining, please temper your expectations about what you may be able to find. The TV shows presented digging at the Royal Peacock as lots of digging with pick and screwdriver in the clay bank. That is certainly accurate, but don't expect to come away with $50,000 worth of opal, as one digger mentioned in the show. It's very unlikely to happen. A few years ago at the Royal Peacock I talked to one digger who had been there 6 full days at $70 per day then. He only had literally a handful of opals to show for some hard, hot digging. Last year I believe the daily fee was $110/day. I haven't checked the website for the 2007 fee at Royal Peacock. At Tucson this year I talked to Glen Hodson, owner of the Rainbow Ridge mine. He talked as if 2007 may be the last year that Rainbow Ridge will be open to the public. He said it is too much work for him, even at $300 or $400 per bucket load (by reservation) of virgin dirt to go through. Last summer I did see a very nice opal a lady had found in the tailings piles for her $50/day fee. Nadine Carey, Bonanza mine secretary, has been answering many, many emails motivated by the TV shows about fee digging at the Bonanza and we expect quite a flush of people driving up to Virgin Valley to try their hand. I'd emphasize that if you are interested in an opal hunting experience, treat it like a fishing expedition. The experience is what you are paying for. Finding opal is a bonus. One should expect to enjoy the landscape, the solitude and a chance to look for opals without having to trek to Australia. An added possibility once a person is in the Virgin Valley area is going to the Oregon sunstone digs about 80 or 90 miles to the northwest. If you are an opal hunter heading to northern Nevada this summer I wish you the best of luck. Glen Miller From rockcurrier at cs.com Tue May 22 01:27:59 2007 From: rockcurrier at cs.com (Rock Currier) Date: Tue May 22 01:27:59 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Soda Lake References: <200705220102.l4M124kW027345@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <003001c79c4b$1cfbc210$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> If anyone is interested in more information about Soda Lake, the Soda Lake where thenardite crystals are abundant and you used to be able to get filthy dirty collecting them. See: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bakersfield/Programs/carrizo.html and http://www.slobc.org/rides/SodaLake.html and http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Aerial-View-of-Soda-Lake-on-Carrizo-Plain-California-USA-Posters_i1135299_.htm and http://activetectonics.asu.edu/carrizo/sodalake/ and http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Carrizo+plane&btnG=Search Rock From jr50wv at yahoo.com Wed May 23 13:39:02 2007 From: jr50wv at yahoo.com (J. R. Hodel) Date: Wed May 23 13:39:05 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] CHMM, Professor Message-ID: <882180.42264.qm@web56305.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Maybe Chairman, Mining and Minerals? just a wilde shot in the dark... --------------------------------- It's here! Your new message! Get new email alerts with the free Yahoo! Toolbar. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From julie at pandemoniumgraphics.com Wed May 23 13:48:12 2007 From: julie at pandemoniumgraphics.com (Julie Siebel) Date: Wed May 23 13:49:38 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] CHMM, Professor References: <882180.42264.qm@web56305.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <016001c79d7b$b3c79c10$0300a8c0@warren> Actually, I think it probably is Certified Hazardous Materials Manager. That's an industry-standard abbreviation and he is a biology professor. Vaguely logical... Julie ----- Original Message ----- From: "J. R. Hodel" To: Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 1:39 PM Subject: [Rockhounds] CHMM, Professor > Maybe Chairman, Mining and Minerals? just a wilde shot in the dark... > > > --------------------------------- > It's here! Your new message! > Get new email alerts with the free Yahoo! Toolbar. > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From tim at orerockon.com Wed May 23 15:17:33 2007 From: tim at orerockon.com (Tim Fisher) Date: Wed May 23 15:15:12 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Jasper localities In-Reply-To: <000001c798b8$ef00cd00$2101a8c0@D3JM7W21> References: <000101c798ad$caf2ea70$8651d0c4@privatexb627h8> <000001c798b8$ef00cd00$2101a8c0@D3JM7W21> Message-ID: <200705232215.l4NMF8BY023735@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Earl, they are separate localities. There are at least two dozen picture jasper localities in the Owyhees, and each is different. "Windy Ridge" does not in fact exist; there is a Windy Point in the Idaho Owyhees but it is near a petrified wood, not a picture jasper, pit. Someone else may know more but I suspect that the "Windy Ridge" PJ that I see online is in fact Cripple Creek, which is just over the border into Oregon about where Hwy 95 aka the Goat Trail crosses the border. Owyhee PJ is from Dale Hewitt's claim located near Three Fingers Rock, also in Oregon. BTW there are no PJ pits that I know of in the ID portion of the Owyhees; all are in OR. At 12:24 PM 5/17/2007, you wrote: >A question for you lapidarists out there... > >I'm working on labels for a show display on "picture jasper" and have >numerous specimens labeled Owyhee jasper, and others labeled Windy Ridge >jasper. This is confusing because Windy Ridge is in the Owyhee Mountains of >southern Idaho, apparently the same region where the Owyhee jasper comes >from. So what's the difference? And if one wanted to be precise in >locality designations, how should each be labeled, if in fact they're >separate localities? > >Thanks for any help you good folks can provide. > > Cheers- Earl Verbeek > Tim Fisher Ore-ROCK-On! nospam@OreRockOn.com Web Site: http://OreRockOn.com From deepskyspy at insightbb.com Wed May 23 19:10:15 2007 From: deepskyspy at insightbb.com (Alan Goldstein) Date: Wed May 23 19:10:13 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Clement Museum Show & Dig June 2 & 3 Message-ID: <006801c79da8$ab66dc20$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> A reminder that June 2 & 3 is the 2nd annual Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum Show and Dig in Marion, Kentucky (fluorspar district). I will be set up with a dozen or so dealers in the Crittenden County High School (with minerals and fossils) and will be giving a presentation on "Minerals of the IL - KY Fluorspar District." Walt Gayload is presenting on the Elmwood mine in the afternoon and Ed Clement is doing a program based on interviews with early 20th century miners in the district. The Eureka, Columbia and Hutson mines will be open for collecting. The Columbia mine has calcite, fluorite, galena, quartz, & smithsonite. There are nice fluorescent minerals (up to 5 colors on one rock). You can find fossils on specimens with fluorite and smithsonite. The Eureka has the best crystallized cubes of fluorite - up to 2" square. Specimens can have five crystallized species on a small piece. Add micro greenockite xls to the above list. The Hutson has alnoite (a rare type of peridotite rock), barite (Ainsworth mine), calcite geodes, drill cores, fluorite (from a new pit), smithsonite (if you look near the mine head frame), and wide variety of Mississippian fossils. Also hemimorphite and greenockite with the sphalerite. See "mindat.org" for photos of the sites and specimens. www.clementmineralmuseum.org or beclement@kynet.biz for more details. Support this great geological museum! Alan Goldstein --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From smtravis at plateautel.net Wed May 23 22:11:42 2007 From: smtravis at plateautel.net (Steve & Marilyn) Date: Wed May 23 22:11:53 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] CHMM, Professor References: <882180.42264.qm@web56305.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <016001c79d7b$b3c79c10$0300a8c0@warren> Message-ID: <001801c79dc2$047c4de0$b3905a40@marilyn> CHMM Is indeed a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager. A way to "certify a persons professional status You take a course and pass a rather stringent test. Steve Keep on rockin P.Geo. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julie Siebel" To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 1:48 PM Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] CHMM, Professor > Actually, I think it probably is Certified Hazardous Materials Manager. > That's an industry-standard abbreviation and he is a biology professor. > Vaguely logical... > > Julie > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "J. R. Hodel" > To: > Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 1:39 PM > Subject: [Rockhounds] CHMM, Professor > > >> Maybe Chairman, Mining and Minerals? just a wilde shot in the dark... >> >> >> --------------------------------- >> It's here! Your new message! >> Get new email alerts with the free Yahoo! Toolbar. >> >> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >> multipart/alternative >> text/plain (text body -- kept) >> text/html >> --- >> -- >> _______________________________________________ >> Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >> Subscription Services: >> http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >> List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >> http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From everbeek at sterlinghillminingmuseum.org Thu May 24 06:26:40 2007 From: everbeek at sterlinghillminingmuseum.org (Earl R. Verbeek) Date: Thu May 24 06:27:10 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Jasper localities In-Reply-To: <200705232215.l4NMF8BY023735@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <000c01c79e07$32d99b30$2101a8c0@D3JM7W21> Thanks to everyone who responded to my questions about picture jasper localities. I am truly grateful that this list exists and that people who subcribe to it are so helpful. Thanks again - Earl ----------------------------------- Earl R. Verbeek, Resident Geologist Sterling Hill Mining Museum 30 Plant St., Ogdensburg, NJ 07439 973-209-7212 shmm@ptd.net -----Original Message----- From: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Tim Fisher Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 6:18 PM To: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Jasper localities Earl, they are separate localities. There are at least two dozen picture jasper localities in the Owyhees, and each is different. From vanderark at bendbroadband.com Wed May 23 22:51:00 2007 From: vanderark at bendbroadband.com (Vander Arks) Date: Thu May 24 09:51:21 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Prineville, Oregon Rockhound Powwow Message-ID: <4A19C175-21B6-4CDF-9B67-487363E10D73@bendbroadband.com> Hello, I am wondering if I can ask for a schedule of events at your upcoming Pow Wow? I am a new 4-H leader in the Bend area, and would like to figure out if our 4-H geology club can participate somehow. We are planning to help Mrs. Creach with her 4-H geology booth, but wondered about rock hunts happening that week? Thanks! Laurie Vander Ark 617-9501 From larryrush at worldnet.att.net Thu May 24 14:51:19 2007 From: larryrush at worldnet.att.net (Lawrence Rush) Date: Thu May 24 14:50:27 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Ad- New minerals References: <200511160202.jAG22QEE027502@bubbleator.drizzle.com><00a001c796c4$75646a60$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> <001b01c797c0$69a7ad20$5e4a314b@LarryRush> Message-ID: <000a01c79e4d$a9998730$a6971b4b@LarryRush> I have just finished sorting out a new shipment of Erongo, Namibia minerals, mostly blue terminated beryls (aquamarines). They can be seen at www.ConnRoxminerals.com or link directly to http://ConnRoxMinerals.com/erongo.html Thanks....Larry From mikeflan at earthlink.net Fri May 25 19:58:54 2007 From: mikeflan at earthlink.net (Mike Flannigan) Date: Fri May 25 18:53:11 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Soda Lake CA References: <200705220102.l4M124kQ027345@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <4657A26E.9558C2F9@earthlink.net> There are at least 3: Soda Lake : Chittenden : Santa Cruz : lake : 365430N1213626W : : : : : 234835 : : : : : : 36121-H5 : 06087 : CA, California : ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Soda Lake : Chimineas Ranch, Painted Rock, Simmler : San Luis Obispo : lake : 351405N1195332W 351313N1195148W 351520N1195410W : Los Padres : : : : 273796 : BGN 1909 : : : : : 35119-B8 35119-B7 35119-C8 : 06079 : CA, California : Salt Lake ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Soda Lake : Lassen Peak : Shasta : lake : 402824N1213213W : Lassen : : : : 267364 : BGN 1927 : : : : : 40121-D5 : 06089 : CA, California : ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 records _________________________________________________________ On Sun, 20 May 2007, jlkelly1066@iglide.net wrote: >Date: Sun, 20 May 2007 19:24:51 -0600 >From: "jlkelly1066@iglide.net" >Subject: [Rockhounds] Soda Lake CA >To: rockhounds@lists.drizzle.com > >Soda Lake. Just to clear a few things up. It may be completely possible >that there is more than one Soda Lake in California. From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Fri May 25 19:31:58 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Fri May 25 20:56:50 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Looking for details of an old lapidary equipment manufacturer Message-ID: <46579B11.12BF@Tomaszewski.net> I've been contacted requesting any information about a Preformer Trim Saw made by by HOPE , Riverside, California, as shown in Rock and Gem Magazine, August 1977. I keep a list of old and current Lapidary Equipent Manufacturers at the bottom of the http://Tomaszewski.net/Kreigh/Minerals/Homemade.shtml page on my website. HOPE is a new manufacturer to me. My web searches have failed to find details. Do any of you know anthing about this manufacturer so I can possibly help my correspondent find parts, and capture the maker's history on my website? I would also be interested in details about any lapidary equipment manufacturers I may have omitted from my webpage. Thanks for your help. Kreigh From codeburner at gmail.com Sat May 26 10:35:27 2007 From: codeburner at gmail.com (J Bryan Kramer) Date: Sat May 26 10:35:31 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Nationalmap Message-ID: For US members I just stumbled across a USGS resource on the web that I don't recall being mentioned before. I was looking for a way to convert Township and Range to Lat and Long. They have a lot of map imagery up at You can play around with different layers and show topo imagery, geological info and a LOT more. Worth a look. USGS DOQ 078 seems to be especially useful with all the names turned on. BK -- J Bryan Kramer North Florida, USA photos at: http://pbase.com/photoburner --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From jeanne at jeannius.com Sat May 26 18:02:45 2007 From: jeanne at jeannius.com (Jeanne Rhodes-Moen) Date: Sat May 26 18:02:54 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] gem silica Message-ID: <4658D8B5.3010900@jeannius.com> Hi all...I recently bought a parcel of misc. green/blue-green rough from ebay...an estate lot. Some of it is obvious...chrysoprase, variscite, what they call variquoise, malachite etc. But after examining it, there also appears to be a significant amount of bluish gem silica which I'm really excited about! However, I read that gem silica can run the spectrum from blue to green. How can you distinguish green gem silica from an 'off color' piece of chrysoprase since both are chalcedony? The lot I bought is item nr 270121278147 at ebay. The stuff I'm pretty sure is gem silica is in the upper right of the picture of all the material. The longer slabs are over 4 inches long. But I also wonder if any of the green chalcedony is gem silica or chrysoprase. Jeanne -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *My Jewelry:* *http://www.jeannius.com* *Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree Jewelry(Book):* *http://www.silverthreadsfiligree.com* *Jewelry Artists Guild: http://www.jewelryartistsguild.com* *Family: http://www.rhodes-moen.com* *Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeanniusdesigns* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From Pmodreski at aol.com Sun May 27 11:27:20 2007 From: Pmodreski at aol.com (Pmodreski@aol.com) Date: Sun May 27 11:27:37 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] gem silica Message-ID: Hi Jeanne, Well, at the risk of giving a mineralogist's answer to a lapidarist's question, "gem silica" (not considered a real "official" gem material name) is a hobbyists/lapidarist's name for blue chrysocolla that is intergrown with chalcedony (i.e., "silica"), making it harder. Chrysoprase as I'm sure you know is green chalcedony (also "silica"), colored by inclusions of nickel minerals. I'm sure there are other varieties of blue-green chalcedony that are kind of ambiquous as to what it would be called; also, there is blue-green massive non-precious opal of colors similar to your material. This probably isn't of very much help. A refractive index measurement on the blue-green material might tell you something. just trying to be helpful, Pete ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From jeanne at jeannius.com Mon May 28 16:10:03 2007 From: jeanne at jeannius.com (Jeanne Rhodes-Moen) Date: Mon May 28 16:10:10 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] gem silica In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <465B614B.7020902@jeannius.com> well, any info helps. It seems that the definitions are a bit gray in general, such as chrysocola in quartz vs "gem silica" or silicated Chrysocolla etc. The material that's coming, hopefully tomorrow, is fairly blue green and fairly even, resembling some material I saw online from the Inspiration Mine...but the whole parcel is an estate parcel with chrysoprase, chrysocolla, malachite, variscite, variquoise and other material all mixed up...7 lbs worth! It also seems like some people call a mottled white, green and blue chalcedony 'gem silica' while others refer to gem silica as the really clean, translucent stuff and others refer to material that looks like chrysocolla, but is harder. I guess I'll just have to wait until I get it! thanks, jeanne Pmodreski@aol.com wrote: > Hi Jeanne, > > Well, at the risk of giving a mineralogist's answer to a lapidarist's > question, "gem silica" (not considered a real "official" gem material name) is a > hobbyists/lapidarist's name for blue chrysocolla that is intergrown with > chalcedony (i.e., "silica"), making it harder. Chrysoprase as I'm sure you know is > green chalcedony (also "silica"), colored by inclusions of nickel minerals. > I'm sure there are other varieties of blue-green chalcedony that are kind of > ambiquous as to what it would be called; also, there is blue-green massive > non-precious opal of colors similar to your material. This probably isn't of > very much help. A refractive index measurement on the blue-green material > might tell you something. > > just trying to be helpful, > Pete > > > > ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *My Jewelry:* *http://www.jeannius.com* *Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree Jewelry(Book):* *http://www.silverthreadsfiligree.com* *Jewelry Artists Guild: http://www.jewelryartistsguild.com* *Family: http://www.rhodes-moen.com* *Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeanniusdesigns* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From dmichaelschmidt at shaw.ca Mon May 28 18:34:15 2007 From: dmichaelschmidt at shaw.ca (MICHAEL SCHMIDT) Date: Mon May 28 18:34:17 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] gem silica In-Reply-To: <465B614B.7020902@jeannius.com> References: <465B614B.7020902@jeannius.com> Message-ID: this is gemsilica...at least, good quality material: http://homepage.mac.com/bogan/gem-silica-xxrouth-8386.JPG Michael ----- Original Message ----- From: Jeanne Rhodes-Moen Date: Monday, May 28, 2007 5:10 pm Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] gem silica > well, any info helps. It seems that the definitions are a bit > gray in > general, such as chrysocola in quartz vs "gem silica" or silicated > Chrysocolla etc. The material that's coming, hopefully tomorrow, > is > fairly blue green and fairly even, resembling some material I saw > online > from the Inspiration Mine...but the whole parcel is an estate > parcel > with chrysoprase, chrysocolla, malachite, variscite, variquoise > and > other material all mixed up...7 lbs worth! It also seems like some > people call a mottled white, green and blue chalcedony 'gem > silica' > while others refer to gem silica as the really clean, translucent > stuff > and others refer to material that looks like chrysocolla, but is > harder. > I guess I'll just have to wait until I get it! > > thanks, > jeanne > Pmodreski@aol.com wrote: > > Hi Jeanne, > > > > Well, at the risk of giving a mineralogist's answer to a > lapidarist's > > question, "gem silica" (not considered a real "official" gem > material name) is a > > hobbyists/lapidarist's name for blue chrysocolla that is > intergrown with > > chalcedony (i.e., "silica"), making it harder. Chrysoprase as > I'm sure you know is > > green chalcedony (also "silica"), colored by inclusions of > nickel minerals. > > I'm sure there are other varieties of blue-green chalcedony that > are kind of > > ambiquous as to what it would be called; also, there is blue- > green massive > > non-precious opal of colors similar to your material. This > probably isn't of > > very much help. A refractive index measurement on the blue- > green material > > might tell you something. > > > > just trying to be helpful, > > Pete > > > > > > > > ************************************** See what's free at > http://www.aol.com.> > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > > multipart/alternative > > text/plain (text body -- kept) > > text/html > > --- > > > > -- > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > *My Jewelry:* *http://www.jeannius.com* > > *Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree Jewelry(Book):* > > *http://www.silverthreadsfiligree.com* > > *Jewelry Artists Guild: http://www.jewelryartistsguild.com* > > *Family: http://www.rhodes-moen.com* > > *Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeanniusdesigns* > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From jeanne at jeannius.com Mon May 28 18:55:20 2007 From: jeanne at jeannius.com (Jeanne Rhodes-Moen) Date: Mon May 28 18:55:28 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] gem silica In-Reply-To: References: <465B614B.7020902@jeannius.com> Message-ID: <465B8808.5030109@jeannius.com> thanks...that looks a lot like what I see in the parcel I'm awaiting. Will let everyone know. I'm expecting it here tomorrow...I hope! I was amazed at what some places were trying to sell it for...the worst were a metaphysical shop selling cabs of different minerals and a jeweler in Philadelphia! Some of their cabs were over $2000 each! http://www.fgsgems.com/fgsgems/item_detail.asp?Type=Chrysocolla%20Chalcedony%20(Gem%20Silica) http://www.neatstuff.net/avalon/a-to-f/Silica-Chrysocolla-Cabs.html Jeanne MICHAEL SCHMIDT wrote: > this is gemsilica...at least, good quality material: > > http://homepage.mac.com/bogan/gem-silica-xxrouth-8386.JPG > > Michael > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Jeanne Rhodes-Moen > Date: Monday, May 28, 2007 5:10 pm > Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] gem silica > > >> well, any info helps. It seems that the definitions are a bit >> gray in >> general, such as chrysocola in quartz vs "gem silica" or silicated >> Chrysocolla etc. The material that's coming, hopefully tomorrow, >> is >> fairly blue green and fairly even, resembling some material I saw >> online >> from the Inspiration Mine...but the whole parcel is an estate >> parcel >> with chrysoprase, chrysocolla, malachite, variscite, variquoise >> and >> other material all mixed up...7 lbs worth! It also seems like some >> people call a mottled white, green and blue chalcedony 'gem >> silica' >> while others refer to gem silica as the really clean, translucent >> stuff >> and others refer to material that looks like chrysocolla, but is >> harder. >> I guess I'll just have to wait until I get it! >> >> thanks, >> jeanne >> Pmodreski@aol.com wrote: >> >>> Hi Jeanne, >>> >>> Well, at the risk of giving a mineralogist's answer to a >>> >> lapidarist's >> >>> question, "gem silica" (not considered a real "official" gem >>> >> material name) is a >> >>> hobbyists/lapidarist's name for blue chrysocolla that is >>> >> intergrown with >> >>> chalcedony (i.e., "silica"), making it harder. Chrysoprase as >>> >> I'm sure you know is >> >>> green chalcedony (also "silica"), colored by inclusions of >>> >> nickel minerals. >> >>> I'm sure there are other varieties of blue-green chalcedony that >>> >> are kind of >> >>> ambiquous as to what it would be called; also, there is blue- >>> >> green massive >> >>> non-precious opal of colors similar to your material. This >>> >> probably isn't of >> >>> very much help. A refractive index measurement on the blue- >>> >> green material >> >>> might tell you something. >>> >>> just trying to be helpful, >>> Pete >>> >>> >>> >>> ************************************** See what's free at >>> >> http://www.aol.com.> >> >>> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >>> multipart/alternative >>> text/plain (text body -- kept) >>> text/html >>> --- >>> >>> >> -- >> ------------------------------------------------------------------- >> ----- >> >> *My Jewelry:* *http://www.jeannius.com* >> >> *Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree Jewelry(Book):* >> >> *http://www.silverthreadsfiligree.com* >> >> *Jewelry Artists Guild: http://www.jewelryartistsguild.com* >> >> *Family: http://www.rhodes-moen.com* >> >> *Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeanniusdesigns* >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------- >> ----- >> >> >> >> >> >> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >> multipart/alternative >> text/plain (text body -- kept) >> text/html >> --- >> -- >> _______________________________________________ >> Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >> Subscription Services: >> http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >> List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >> http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html >> >> -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *My Jewelry:* *http://www.jeannius.com* *Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree Jewelry(Book):* *http://www.silverthreadsfiligree.com* *Jewelry Artists Guild: http://www.jewelryartistsguild.com* *Family: http://www.rhodes-moen.com* *Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeanniusdesigns* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From rockcurrier at cs.com Tue May 29 03:38:36 2007 From: rockcurrier at cs.com (Rock Currier) Date: Tue May 29 03:38:54 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Gem silica References: <200705290100.l4T10IEP000907@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <005001c7a1dd$83b8d000$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> The quality on gem chrysocolla runs from trash to treasure. If the stuff grinds and polishes like agate and is blue you can probably call it gem silica. The next thing to determine is the grade or quality of the stuff. The best quality gem silica cabs sell for $50 to $100 per carat and probably more. I think the Japanese buy up most of the really good stuff. If you think your stuff is really top quality you may wish to think twice before butchering it up with a standard lapidary saw. They are thick enough to cut away a lot of carats of material while cutting into slabs. Gem chrysocolla like most other gem materials run the gambit from trash to treasure. I can buy real rubies for dollars per kg all the way up to thousands of dollars per carat. Rock From jeanne at jeannius.com Tue May 29 03:49:22 2007 From: jeanne at jeannius.com (Jeanne Rhodes-Moen) Date: Tue May 29 03:49:26 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Gem silica In-Reply-To: <005001c7a1dd$83b8d000$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> References: <200705290100.l4T10IEP000907@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <005001c7a1dd$83b8d000$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> Message-ID: <465C0532.9000003@jeannius.com> thanks....I have a 4 inch trim saw and am waiting for a new blade for it, thin kerf. would have had it last week, but the dealer sent me the wrong size and I had to send them back! I'll be sure to take pictures when I get the material if it looks to be the good stuff! Jeanne (is it just me or does Asia buy up a lot of the good material these days? a few years ago, it was opal, now chrysoprase and gem silica?) Rock Currier wrote: > The quality on gem chrysocolla runs from trash to treasure. If the > stuff grinds and polishes like agate and is blue you can probably call > it gem silica. The next thing to determine is the grade or quality of > the stuff. The best quality gem silica cabs sell for $50 to $100 per > carat and probably more. I think the Japanese buy up most of the > really good stuff. If you think your stuff is really top quality you > may wish to think twice before butchering it up with a standard > lapidary saw. They are thick enough to cut away a lot of carats of > material while cutting into slabs. Gem chrysocolla like most other gem > materials run the gambit from trash to treasure. I can buy real rubies > for dollars per kg all the way up to thousands of dollars per carat. > > Rock > -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *My Jewelry:* *http://www.jeannius.com* *Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree Jewelry(Book):* *http://www.silverthreadsfiligree.com* *Jewelry Artists Guild: http://www.jewelryartistsguild.com* *Family: http://www.rhodes-moen.com* *Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeanniusdesigns* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From tim at orerockon.com Tue May 29 08:52:28 2007 From: tim at orerockon.com (Tim Fisher) Date: Tue May 29 08:49:56 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Gem silica In-Reply-To: <465C0532.9000003@jeannius.com> References: <200705290100.l4T10IEP000907@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <005001c7a1dd$83b8d000$6801a8c0@NICHOLAS6> <465C0532.9000003@jeannius.com> Message-ID: <200705291549.l4TFnrZ6005188@bubbleator.drizzle.com> I use an opal blade run at 3450 RPM for anything that sells by the carat (0.006"). I wouldn't use a thin kerf anything on gem silica. Just my $0.02... At 03:49 AM 5/29/2007, you wrote: >thanks....I have a 4 inch trim saw and am waiting for a new blade >for it, thin kerf. would have had it last week, but the dealer sent >me the wrong size and I had to send them back! I'll be sure to take >pictures when I get the material if it looks to be the good stuff! > >Jeanne > >(is it just me or does Asia buy up a lot of the good material these >days? a few years ago, it was opal, now chrysoprase and gem silica?) > >Rock Currier wrote: >>The quality on gem chrysocolla runs from trash to treasure. If the >>stuff grinds and polishes like agate and is blue you can probably >>call it gem silica. The next thing to determine is the grade or >>quality of the stuff. The best quality gem silica cabs sell for $50 >>to $100 per carat and probably more. I think the Japanese buy up >>most of the really good stuff. If you think your stuff is really >>top quality you may wish to think twice before butchering it up >>with a standard lapidary saw. They are thick enough to cut away a >>lot of carats of material while cutting into slabs. Gem chrysocolla >>like most other gem materials run the gambit from trash to >>treasure. I can buy real rubies for dollars per kg all the way up >>to thousands of dollars per carat. >> >>Rock Tim Fisher Ore-ROCK-On! nospam@OreRockOn.com Web Site: http://OreRockOn.com From rockhounds at roadrunner.com Mon May 28 19:08:15 2007 From: rockhounds at roadrunner.com (Kelly Hanson) Date: Tue May 29 10:52:55 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Virgin Valley collecting, summer 2007 In-Reply-To: <200705220404.l4M44jwH009739@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <000001c7a196$3b3d06d0$0200a8c0@KellyHanson> Glen Reply to me off the list. I want visit with you about our experience last year at your mine. Kelly rockhounds@roadrunner.com -----Original Message----- From: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Glen Miller Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 9:05 PM To: rockhounds@lists.drizzle.com Subject: [Rockhounds] Virgin Valley collecting, summer 2007 Ann Craven has given a very good summary of collecting possibilities and the plusses and minuses of the 3 commercial opal digging areas in Virgin Valley. I'm a shareholder in the Bonanza Opal Mine as of last year, so I'll fill in a little about that mine. The Bonanza shareholders are aware of the rumors that the tailings provided for the fee digging have been screened or gone through before the paying diggers get to it. Bonanza instructions to shareholders are that no one is go through the tailings piles that are reserved for the fee diggers. Trust is a precious commodity for operating a fee dig and I have observed the entire group complying with the rules. As shareholders we are encouraged to visit with and assist the fee diggers so that they have a good opal hunting experience. Tailings for fee digging at the Bonanza is clay that has been bulldozed or excavated from the area around the opal bearing stratum which is being mined by shareholders. It is piled in one area to eventually be spread by a large front end loader onto a leveled area of the mine. The windrows of tailings are available to all the fee diggers. For those who have seen the TV shows about both the Royal Peacock mine and the Bonanza mine this last winter; if you think about going opal mining, please temper your expectations about what you may be able to find. The TV shows presented digging at the Royal Peacock as lots of digging with pick and screwdriver in the clay bank. That is certainly accurate, but don't expect to come away with $50,000 worth of opal, as one digger mentioned in the show. It's very unlikely to happen. A few years ago at the Royal Peacock I talked to one digger who had been there 6 full days at $70 per day then. He only had literally a handful of opals to show for some hard, hot digging. Last year I believe the daily fee was $110/day. I haven't checked the website for the 2007 fee at Royal Peacock. At Tucson this year I talked to Glen Hodson, owner of the Rainbow Ridge mine. He talked as if 2007 may be the last year that Rainbow Ridge will be open to the public. He said it is too much work for him, even at $300 or $400 per bucket load (by reservation) of virgin dirt to go through. Last summer I did see a very nice opal a lady had found in the tailings piles for her $50/day fee. Nadine Carey, Bonanza mine secretary, has been answering many, many emails motivated by the TV shows about fee digging at the Bonanza and we expect quite a flush of people driving up to Virgin Valley to try their hand. I'd emphasize that if you are interested in an opal hunting experience, treat it like a fishing expedition. The experience is what you are paying for. Finding opal is a bonus. One should expect to enjoy the landscape, the solitude and a chance to look for opals without having to trek to Australia. An added possibility once a person is in the Virgin Valley area is going to the Oregon sunstone digs about 80 or 90 miles to the northwest. If you are an opal hunter heading to northern Nevada this summer I wish you the best of luck. Glen Miller -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From territoones1 at ameritech.net Tue May 29 12:30:27 2007 From: territoones1 at ameritech.net (teresa jetter) Date: Tue May 29 12:30:33 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] gem silica In-Reply-To: <465B614B.7020902@jeannius.com> Message-ID: <89485.79364.qm@web81704.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Don't sweat it honey, I am still trying to learn from what I read on the list. I find the fun is in the adventure of going out to different places, meeting new people, and hopefully getting that charge from digging something up. What ever it may be! Teri J :=) --- Jeanne Rhodes-Moen wrote: > well, any info helps. It seems that the definitions > are a bit gray in > general, such as chrysocola in quartz vs "gem > silica" or silicated > Chrysocolla etc. The material that's coming, > hopefully tomorrow, is > fairly blue green and fairly even, resembling some > material I saw online > from the Inspiration Mine...but the whole parcel is > an estate parcel > with chrysoprase, chrysocolla, malachite, variscite, > variquoise and > other material all mixed up...7 lbs worth! It also > seems like some > people call a mottled white, green and blue > chalcedony 'gem silica' > while others refer to gem silica as the really > clean, translucent stuff > and others refer to material that looks like > chrysocolla, but is harder. > I guess I'll just have to wait until I get it! > > thanks, > jeanne > Pmodreski@aol.com wrote: > > Hi Jeanne, > > > > Well, at the risk of giving a mineralogist's > answer to a lapidarist's > > question, "gem silica" (not considered a real > "official" gem material name) is a > > hobbyists/lapidarist's name for blue chrysocolla > that is intergrown with > > chalcedony (i.e., "silica"), making it harder. > Chrysoprase as I'm sure you know is > > green chalcedony (also "silica"), colored by > inclusions of nickel minerals. > > I'm sure there are other varieties of blue-green > chalcedony that are kind of > > ambiquous as to what it would be called; also, > there is blue-green massive > > non-precious opal of colors similar to your > material. This probably isn't of > > very much help. A refractive index measurement on > the blue-green material > > might tell you something. > > > > just trying to be helpful, > > Pete > > > > > > > > ************************************** See what's > free at http://www.aol.com. > > > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > > multipart/alternative > > text/plain (text body -- kept) > > text/html > > --- > > > > -- > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > *My Jewelry:* *http://www.jeannius.com* > > *Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree > Jewelry(Book):* > > *http://www.silverthreadsfiligree.com* > > *Jewelry Artists Guild: > http://www.jewelryartistsguild.com* > > *Family: http://www.rhodes-moen.com* > > *Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeanniusdesigns* > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage > Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > From jeanne at jeannius.com Tue May 29 14:07:02 2007 From: jeanne at jeannius.com (Jeanne Rhodes-Moen) Date: Tue May 29 14:07:14 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] gem silica In-Reply-To: <89485.79364.qm@web81704.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <89485.79364.qm@web81704.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <465C95F6.8080601@jeannius.com> Got the ebay parcel, and yes, there seems to be a bunch of gem silica! My scale is at the shop, however..but there seems to be maybe as much as a pound ranging from a small slab of chryocolla with silica to several pieces of pure stuff....most blue, some more green with malachite inclusions. Other than that, there is some beautiful material, some of which I cannot yet identify. Most of what I expected to be some softer, copper ore material turned out to be some brilliantly colored hard material..maybe jasper? blues, greens, reds and some strange metalic like purple inclusions. The variscite in the lot looks like the really good stuff...from...candelera? some of it deep deep green and some nicely patterned. There are a few pieces of chatoyant malachite, and lots of nice chrysoprase. Some of which I still can't be sure if it's chrysoprase or gem silica because it's right between blue and green in color. So, in answer to Rock Currier's comments, yes, the material is worth cutting and reselling. At $88 for 7 pounds, that's less than 3 cents/gram for great material! I'm a fast cutter, and I'm pretty sure I can get some great prices on these stones, set in jewelry or loose! I will post some pictures later this week..forgot my camera at the studio today. Maybe some of you can help me ID the other material! Jeanne teresa jetter wrote: > Don't sweat it honey, I am still trying to learn from > what I read on the list. I find the fun is in the > adventure of going out to different places, meeting > new people, and hopefully getting that charge from > digging something up. What ever it may be! > Teri J :=) > --- Jeanne Rhodes-Moen wrote: > > >> well, any info helps. It seems that the definitions >> are a bit gray in >> general, such as chrysocola in quartz vs "gem >> silica" or silicated >> Chrysocolla etc. The material that's coming, >> hopefully tomorrow, is >> fairly blue green and fairly even, resembling some >> material I saw online >> from the Inspiration Mine...but the whole parcel is >> an estate parcel >> with chrysoprase, chrysocolla, malachite, variscite, >> variquoise and >> other material all mixed up...7 lbs worth! It also >> seems like some >> people call a mottled white, green and blue >> chalcedony 'gem silica' >> while others refer to gem silica as the really >> clean, translucent stuff >> and others refer to material that looks like >> chrysocolla, but is harder. >> I guess I'll just have to wait until I get it! >> >> thanks, >> jeanne >> Pmodreski@aol.com wrote: >> >>> Hi Jeanne, >>> >>> Well, at the risk of giving a mineralogist's >>> >> answer to a lapidarist's >> >>> question, "gem silica" (not considered a real >>> >> "official" gem material name) is a >> >>> hobbyists/lapidarist's name for blue chrysocolla >>> >> that is intergrown with >> >>> chalcedony (i.e., "silica"), making it harder. >>> >> Chrysoprase as I'm sure you know is >> >>> green chalcedony (also "silica"), colored by >>> >> inclusions of nickel minerals. >> >>> I'm sure there are other varieties of blue-green >>> >> chalcedony that are kind of >> >>> ambiquous as to what it would be called; also, >>> >> there is blue-green massive >> >>> non-precious opal of colors similar to your >>> >> material. This probably isn't of >> >>> very much help. A refractive index measurement on >>> >> the blue-green material >> >>> might tell you something. >>> >>> just trying to be helpful, >>> Pete >>> >>> >>> >>> ************************************** See what's >>> >> free at http://www.aol.com. >> >>> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >>> multipart/alternative >>> text/plain (text body -- kept) >>> text/html >>> --- >>> >>> >> -- >> >> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >> *My Jewelry:* *http://www.jeannius.com* >> >> *Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree >> Jewelry(Book):* >> >> *http://www.silverthreadsfiligree.com* >> >> *Jewelry Artists Guild: >> http://www.jewelryartistsguild.com* >> >> *Family: http://www.rhodes-moen.com* >> >> *Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeanniusdesigns* >> >> >> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >> >> >> >> >> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >> multipart/alternative >> text/plain (text body -- kept) >> text/html >> --- >> -- >> _______________________________________________ >> Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >> Subscription Services: >> http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >> List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage >> Policy: >> >> > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *My Jewelry:* *http://www.jeannius.com* *Silver Threads, Making Wire Filigree Jewelry(Book):* *http://www.silverthreadsfiligree.com* *Jewelry Artists Guild: http://www.jewelryartistsguild.com* *Family: http://www.rhodes-moen.com* *Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jeanniusdesigns* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From deepskyspy at insightbb.com Tue May 29 17:35:31 2007 From: deepskyspy at insightbb.com (Alan Goldstein) Date: Tue May 29 17:35:24 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum Message-ID: <004801c7a252$6e06dcf0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> Well, it opened yesterday to great fanfair and consternation. A friend sent me the following note last week. The link is a real eye opener. Shows you what happens when people who think they know about science don't understand the basics. Alan Very silly stuff!!! This guy (I assume from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond) works with the son of an AIG leader (Carl Kirby) and got in earlier in the week and took many (but not enough) pictures. Check out his posting here: http://studentweb.eku.edu/zachary_lynn/museum/index.html Look at the site as soon as possible as AIG will probably have him take the photos down off the web site soon. I don't see how AIG will get much repeat business at $20 a ticket for this. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From julie at pandemoniumgraphics.com Tue May 29 17:54:53 2007 From: julie at pandemoniumgraphics.com (Julie Siebel) Date: Tue May 29 17:56:25 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum References: <004801c7a252$6e06dcf0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> Message-ID: <007a01c7a255$2a17a120$0300a8c0@warren> Saved to my desktop. :-) I really wanted to send that comment to the list along with "OK, I'm just gonna go ahead and ban myself..." but decided that might not be a good idea, as I am the list owner. Thanks, Alan, that was great. John and I hit the "Creation Orchard" at precisely the same moment. I decided the human in the creation "orchard" was sending up a water shoot that obviously needed to be pruned. (That last statement probably doesn't make any sense to you if you're not into gardening!) Thanks again. Julie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan Goldstein" To: "PaleoList" Cc: Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 5:35 PM Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum Well, it opened yesterday to great fanfair and consternation. A friend sent me the following note last week. The link is a real eye opener. Shows you what happens when people who think they know about science don't understand the basics. Alan Very silly stuff!!! This guy (I assume from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond) works with the son of an AIG leader (Carl Kirby) and got in earlier in the week and took many (but not enough) pictures. Check out his posting here: http://studentweb.eku.edu/zachary_lynn/museum/index.html Look at the site as soon as possible as AIG will probably have him take the photos down off the web site soon. I don't see how AIG will get much repeat business at $20 a ticket for this. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From julie at pandemoniumgraphics.com Tue May 29 18:01:34 2007 From: julie at pandemoniumgraphics.com (Julie Siebel) Date: Tue May 29 18:03:01 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum References: <004801c7a252$6e06dcf0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> <007a01c7a255$2a17a120$0300a8c0@warren> Message-ID: <008601c7a256$17a9f550$0300a8c0@warren> Boy is MY face red. Consider me banned. Julie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julie Siebel" To: Cc: Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 5:54 PM Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum > Saved to my desktop. :-) > > I really wanted to send that comment to the list along with "OK, I'm just > gonna go ahead and ban myself..." but decided that might not be a good > idea, as I am the list owner. > > Thanks, Alan, that was great. John and I hit the "Creation Orchard" at > precisely the same moment. I decided the human in the creation "orchard" > was sending up a water shoot that obviously needed to be pruned. (That > last statement probably doesn't make any sense to you if you're not into > gardening!) > > Thanks again. > > Julie > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Alan Goldstein" > To: "PaleoList" > Cc: > Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 5:35 PM > Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum > > > Well, it opened yesterday to great fanfair and consternation. A friend > sent me the following note last week. The link is a real eye opener. Shows > you what happens when people who think they know about science don't > understand the basics. > Alan > > Very silly stuff!!! This guy (I assume from Eastern Kentucky University in > Richmond) works with the son of an AIG leader (Carl Kirby) and got in > earlier in the week and took many (but not enough) pictures. Check out > his posting here: > http://studentweb.eku.edu/zachary_lynn/museum/index.html > > Look at the site as soon as possible as AIG will probably have him take > the photos down off the web site soon. > > I don't see how AIG will get much repeat business at $20 a ticket for > this. > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From john at pandemoniumgraphics.com Tue May 29 18:18:10 2007 From: john at pandemoniumgraphics.com (John Siebel) Date: Tue May 29 18:19:41 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] [ADMIN] Creation Museum References: <004801c7a252$6e06dcf0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose><007a01c7a255$2a17a120$0300a8c0@warren> <008601c7a256$17a9f550$0300a8c0@warren> Message-ID: <001401c7a258$6dbb1f30$0200a8c0@Notebook> I'll take her out back and whack her. John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julie Siebel" > Boy is MY face red. > > Consider me banned. > > Julie From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Tue May 29 19:02:22 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Tue May 29 18:56:18 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum References: <004801c7a252$6e06dcf0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> Message-ID: <465CD9A0.24D5@Tomaszewski.net> Alan, I had heard about the museum opening in the news and was waiting to see what details appeared. Faith and Science are (or should be) compatable in my understanding. They may actually be required to coexist; but coexist only as equals in explaining 'How' and 'Why'. Faith and Science both attempt to describe our universe as a coherent whole. There needs to be a balance. Thank you for a most interesting list posting and link. Kreigh Alan Goldstein wrote: > > Well, it opened yesterday to great fanfair and consternation. A friend sent me the following note last week. The link is a real eye opener. Shows you what happens when people who think they know about science don't understand the basics. > Alan > > Very silly stuff!!! This guy (I assume from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond) works with the son of an AIG leader (Carl Kirby) and got in earlier in the week and took many (but not enough) pictures. Check out his posting here: > http://studentweb.eku.edu/zachary_lynn/museum/index.html > > Look at the site as soon as possible as AIG will probably have him take the photos down off the web site soon. > > I don't see how AIG will get much repeat business at $20 a ticket for this. > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From pawpawtiger at hotmail.com Tue May 29 19:28:36 2007 From: pawpawtiger at hotmail.com (Glenn Wimpee) Date: Tue May 29 19:28:39 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Collecting in Central Florida? Message-ID: Jeanette and I will be near Orlando at the end of next week and have Saturday June 16 "unplanned". Can anyone suggest a place to collect fossils, especially shark teeth, or other rocks for this area? We would really like to do a day trip with a group of rockhounds and fossil nuts so please share any info that might help. I'm fixin' to look up clubs in the area and try contacting some of the local members there. Thanks! Glenn _________________________________________________________________ Download Messenger. Start an i?m conversation. Support a cause. Join now. http://im.live.com/messenger/im/home/?source=TAGWL_MAY07 --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From deepskyspy at insightbb.com Tue May 29 19:47:34 2007 From: deepskyspy at insightbb.com (Alan Goldstein) Date: Tue May 29 19:47:28 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum References: <004801c7a252$6e06dcf0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> <465CD9A0.24D5@Tomaszewski.net> Message-ID: <002e01c7a264$e01ee960$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> My analogy is that faith and science are opposite sides of the same coin. They both have specific purposes for humanity. Lose one or the other and you have problems. Mix them together and you have problems. Kept them in the proper context and society advances smoothly. Alan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kreigh Tomaszewski" To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 10:02 PM Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum > Alan, > > I had heard about the museum opening in the news and was waiting to see > what details appeared. > > Faith and Science are (or should be) compatable in my understanding. > They may actually be required to coexist; but coexist only as equals in > explaining 'How' and 'Why'. Faith and Science both attempt to describe > our universe as a coherent whole. There needs to be a balance. > > Thank you for a most interesting list posting and link. > > Kreigh > > > > > > Alan Goldstein wrote: >> >> Well, it opened yesterday to great fanfair and consternation. A friend >> sent me the following note last week. The link is a real eye opener. >> Shows you what happens when people who think they know about science >> don't understand the basics. >> Alan >> >> Very silly stuff!!! This guy (I assume from Eastern Kentucky University >> in Richmond) works with the son of an AIG leader (Carl Kirby) and got in >> earlier in the week and took many (but not enough) pictures. Check out >> his posting here: >> http://studentweb.eku.edu/zachary_lynn/museum/index.html >> >> Look at the site as soon as possible as AIG will probably have him take >> the photos down off the web site soon. >> >> I don't see how AIG will get much repeat business at $20 a ticket for >> this. >> >> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >> multipart/alternative >> text/plain (text body -- kept) >> text/html >> --- >> -- >> _______________________________________________ >> Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >> Subscription Services: >> http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >> List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >> http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From pawpawtiger at hotmail.com Tue May 29 20:32:31 2007 From: pawpawtiger at hotmail.com (Glenn Wimpee) Date: Tue May 29 20:32:34 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum Message-ID: Well said Kreigh. My sentiments exactly. Glenn From: Kreigh@tomaszewski.net Faith and Science are (or should be) compatable in my understanding. They may actually be required to coexist; but coexist only as equals in explaining 'How' and 'Why'. Faith and Science both attempt to describe our universe as a coherent whole. There needs to be a balance. Thank you for a most interesting list posting and link. Kreigh _________________________________________________________________ Change is good. See what?s different about Windows Live Hotmail. www.windowslive-hotmail.com/learnmore/default.html?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGLM_HMWL_reten_changegood_0507 --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From tjokela at execulink.com Tue May 29 21:42:10 2007 From: tjokela at execulink.com (Tim Jokela Jr.) Date: Tue May 29 21:42:05 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum References: <004801c7a252$6e06dcf0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> Message-ID: <009e01c7a274$e345b190$6400a8c0@Junior> Only in America! Tim Jokela Jr., tjokela@execulink.com Great minerals for sale: http://www.element51.com The minerals of Ontario: http://www.ontariominerals.com Minerals through the microscope: http://www.micromounts.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan Goldstein" To: "PaleoList" Cc: Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 8:35 PM Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum Well, it opened yesterday to great fanfair and consternation. A friend sent me the following note last week. The link is a real eye opener. Shows you what happens when people who think they know about science don't understand the basics. Alan Very silly stuff!!! This guy (I assume from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond) works with the son of an AIG leader (Carl Kirby) and got in earlier in the week and took many (but not enough) pictures. Check out his posting here: http://studentweb.eku.edu/zachary_lynn/museum/index.html Look at the site as soon as possible as AIG will probably have him take the photos down off the web site soon. I don't see how AIG will get much repeat business at $20 a ticket for this. --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From tim at orerockon.com Wed May 30 06:52:53 2007 From: tim at orerockon.com (Tim Fisher) Date: Wed May 30 06:50:41 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Field trip: Succor Creek & Owyhee Mtns. OR/ID Message-ID: <200705301350.l4UDocqG019254@bubbleator.drizzle.com> This is a reminder that the Pacific NWE rock club field trip schedule is posted to my website at http://orerockon.com/ore_rock.htm click on Pac NW Field Trips on the left. Also I have some details on the week long trip that I am leading to the Homedale ID/Vale OR area below. You don't have to be a club member to attend. Mt. Hood Rock Club week-long field trip to the Homedale, Idaho area, Sat. June 15 - Thurs. June 21 2007 Friday, June 15th - travel to Snake River RV, Homedale ID Reservations (208) 337-3744 $25/night At the corner of Jump Creek and Pioneer Rd. Take Hwy 95 south from town, go east on Market Street and go north on Jump Creek Rd. Snake River has plenty of lawn area for up to 70' long big rigs, pull-thrus, pop-outs & extra vehicles. Tents and SUVs are more than welcome. Leashed pets are welcome. Hook-ups include electric, water and sewer, laundry facility with showers, sanitary restrooms and small game room. There is catfishing in the river in camp (Idaho fishing license req'd.). I can show you where to fish for brown trout & warmwater fish nearby in Oregon. There are plenty of sites to try on your own if you want to stay later, I will have my laptop and can show you maps if you are interested in staying out the week. Friday - Travel day Saturday June 16th - dig 9 AM (close sites so I can come back and pick up stragglers) Sunday June 17th - dig 9 AM Monday June 18th - dig 9 AM Tuesday June 19th - dig 9 AM Wednesday June 20th - dig 9 AM Thursday June 21st - travel day or dig on your own We will be digging at: Haystack Rock & Negro Rock and/or Jameison - 1 day agate, jasper, petrified wood, bog wood Graveyard Point (possibly on the Owyhee Club claim) - 1 day plume agate Succor Creek thundereggs & leaf fossils - 1 day Queenstone jasper claim & Sommercamp area opal, agate, and jasper - 1 day Marsing petrified limbs - 1/2 day + 1 other site Claims available to us potentially include Boise and Owyhee Club claims in the area, which ones we dig depends on who is available to take us out. Most likely we will be digging on claims Saturday and/or Sunday. These include Hardtrigger thundereggs and Graveyard point plume agate. We can dig the queenstone claim on our own. If there is enough interest we can have a potluck sometime during the week if the weather cooperates. Email me for more info! Tim Fisher Ore-ROCK-On! nospam@OreRockOn.com Web Site: http://OreRockOn.com From pawpawtiger at hotmail.com Tue May 29 20:27:25 2007 From: pawpawtiger at hotmail.com (Glenn Wimpee) Date: Wed May 30 10:00:50 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Union Chapel Alabama Coal Mine Trip Report Message-ID: The Alabama Museum of Natural History and the Alabama Paleontological Society hosted a fossil collecting trip to the Union Chapel Coal Strip Mine near Jasper, Alabama on Saturday May 26,2007. The mine is now owned by the State of Alabama. Dr. Atkinson of the Alabama Paleontological Society led the trip. The primary scientific interest of the site is in the tracks of ancient reptiles and amphibians. A huge quantity of plant fossils are found in the shale layers. The earliest recorded evidence of schooling fish has also been found here. Deposits have been dated at about 325 -310 million years old. Several members of the Mobile Rock and Gem Society along with several other great folks searched amongst the bulldozed shale plus split layers of many pieces to reveal fossils inside. Several small tracks, a few brachiopods, and lots of ferns, Lepidodendron, Calamedes, and many others were found and collected. A few of the items were photographed, and a couple were retained for further study by the paleo scientists. Our personal trip also included a stop at a road cut in the Selma Chalk in Alabama's Black Belt where lots of Exogyra Oysters and other seashells from around 100 million years ago were exposed by erosion in the chalk. Respectfully submitted, Glenn Wimpee _________________________________________________________________ Change is good. See what?s different about Windows Live Hotmail. www.windowslive-hotmail.com/learnmore/default.html?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGLM_HMWL_reten_changegood_0507 --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html --- From facet at markandjanie.com Wed May 30 14:13:46 2007 From: facet at markandjanie.com (Mark Durham) Date: Wed May 30 14:13:52 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum References: <200705300102.l4U1246B020002@bubbleator.drizzle.com> Message-ID: <000501c7a2ff$6a0633a0$6401a8c0@markmobile> Thanks for the link. It looks like a very cool museum and the review makes me want to go. It sounds like a bargain for only $20. Anybody know the link to the actual museum website for more information? Thanks again, Mark > > Well, it opened yesterday to great fanfair and consternation. A friend > sent me the following note last week. The link is a real eye opener. Shows > you what happens when people who think they know about science don't > understand the basics. > Alan > > Very silly stuff!!! This guy (I assume from Eastern Kentucky University in > Richmond) works with the son of an AIG leader (Carl Kirby) and got in > earlier in the week and took many (but not enough) pictures. Check out > his posting here: > http://studentweb.eku.edu/zachary_lynn/museum/index.html > > Look at the site as soon as possible as AIG will probably have him take > the photos down off the web site soon. > > I don't see how AIG will get much repeat business at $20 a ticket for > this. From Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net Wed May 30 17:50:21 2007 From: Kreigh at Tomaszewski.net (Kreigh Tomaszewski) Date: Wed May 30 17:49:44 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum References: <200705300102.l4U1246B020002@bubbleator.drizzle.com> <000501c7a2ff$6a0633a0$6401a8c0@markmobile> Message-ID: <465E1B9F.1D8D@Tomaszewski.net> Mark, The museum website is at http://www.creationmuseum.org and additional information on the museum can be found at sponsoring organization, http://www.answersingenesis.org/museum/about.asp. BTW, there is also a Creation Evidence Museum in Texas, http://creationevidence.org that I found looking for the link. Kreigh Mark Durham wrote: > > Thanks for the link. It looks like a very cool museum and the review makes > me want to go. It sounds like a bargain for only $20. Anybody know the link > to the actual museum website for more information? > Thanks again, > Mark > > > > Well, it opened yesterday to great fanfair and consternation. A friend > > sent me the following note last week. The link is a real eye opener. Shows > > you what happens when people who think they know about science don't > > understand the basics. > > Alan > > > > Very silly stuff!!! This guy (I assume from Eastern Kentucky University in > > Richmond) works with the son of an AIG leader (Carl Kirby) and got in > > earlier in the week and took many (but not enough) pictures. Check out > > his posting here: > > http://studentweb.eku.edu/zachary_lynn/museum/index.html > > > > Look at the site as soon as possible as AIG will probably have him take > > the photos down off the web site soon. > > > > I don't see how AIG will get much repeat business at $20 a ticket for > > this. > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From tim at orerockon.com Thu May 31 15:02:28 2007 From: tim at orerockon.com (Tim Fisher) Date: Thu May 31 14:59:55 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] AD: Orerockon on DVD new version available In-Reply-To: <004801c7a252$6e06dcf0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> References: <004801c7a252$6e06dcf0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> Message-ID: <200705312159.l4VLxpSP025259@bubbleator.drizzle.com> I have a new version of my DVD of rockhounding maps, sites & info for OR, WA, and ID available as of today, please check the CD page below for complete info. This is an update that corrects some minor annoyances in 4.0, has a few new maps scattered around the 3 states, a couple new writeups (fossils) and adds a lot of info to some of the writeups. If you are interested in the Oregon coast in general (beach hunting & fossils), the Vernonia area (agate & fossils), Porter/Elma/K-M Mtn fossils, Mitchell area (fossils), or giant palm fronds, you might want this version even if you have 4.0. As usual, upgrades are half price. Tim Fisher Ore-ROCK-On! nospam@OreRockOn.com Web Site: http://OreRockOn.com CD of OR, WA, & ID rockhounding sites: http://OreRockOn.com/CD Lapidary Materials: http://OreRockOn.com/lapidary Knapping Materials: http://OreRockOn.com/knappers Fossils & Other Stuff: http://OreRockOn.com/for_sale Rockhound's Bookstore: http://OreRockOn.com/rock_bookstore From berry at relia.net Thu May 31 16:27:02 2007 From: berry at relia.net (Berry Enterprises) Date: Thu May 31 16:29:00 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Was Questions about Oxalic Acid now Acetic acid References: <462D6088.252B@Tomaszewski.net> <46317059.4540@Tomaszewski.net><97175ae90704270819g717f13e5jf6dc3deb981c34b2@mail.gmail.com> <46329AEB.5090@Tomaszewski.net><000601c78983$5f64a160$6601a8c0@AxelHP> <46353CA4.4FC3@Tomaszewski.net><001601c78e69$ae5d2a40$6601a8c0@AxelHP><463C0862.611@Tomaszewski.net> <001201c78fc4$5e7fe330$6601a8c0@AxelHP> Message-ID: <00ac01c7a3db$37bdcf20$0200a8c0@secretary> I just returned from a productive field trip to the Yellow Cat area near Moab, Utah. A couple from Kentucky joined us, who had quartz geodes and calcite geodes to share. They had cleaned them with Super Iron Out from Walmart. It did a beautiful job and did not seem to harm the crystals. They did not add anything to it. They had before and after samples to show. Very impressive. Katie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Axel Emmermann" To: "'Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors'" Sent: May 06, 2007 3:53 AM Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] Was Questions about Oxalic Acid now Acetic acid Kreigh, > ....day. Removing a full mm will probably take a day to two. I guessed something along hose lines. Thanks! I'll let you know what happens with it... > soluable, than mine. With a 2 mm crystal you don't want to > remove too much matrix. Especially if it's a tetrahexahedral (or hedric?) crystal as Nathan Martin suggests. > But I think the real problem is how to bring your dead > soldiers home after collecting rocks. You don't want to leave > a comrade in arms out in the field. Maybe the solution is to > make a cart to carry your rocks and use kegs for the wheels. Kegs??? What a wonderfully ecologic solution... Drink the barrel empty and then use it o reinvent the wheel... ;-)))) This may come as a shock and it may shatter all stereotypical images that people have about Belgians but... All we took was water! Plastic bottles that are light to carry in and easily flattened when empty to make room for rocks ;-)))) The beer is usually consumed with lunch and with pleasure. Axel > > Kreigh > > > > Axel Emmermann wrote: > > > > Kreigh, > > > > Have you any idea what beer weighs? I mean the sizeable quantities > > that a Belgian would find worth while taking with him into > the quarry. > > Then, should we find ample specimens, we cannot qarry both the beer > > AND the rocks from the cuarry. > > There will be no prisoners taken... Survivors will have to > be drunk at > > the site. > > Then again...sloshing up all the way to the car we realize that > > drinking up all the beer does NOT rid us of its weight. > > Luckily, without any waist of time the beer goes straight > to the waste > > so we can hoist each other out of the quarry by our love-handles. > > This to demonstrate that Belgian beer DOES affect the human brain. > > > > Now, somewhat more to the point: as usual, my wife found the most > > remarkable specimen of an otherwise dull day. It's a small 2 mm > > crystal of very dark blue (like azurite) fluorite. It's remarkable > > because the fluorite has a habit that lies somewhere > between cubic and > > octahedral, closer to cubic. I never saw one like that before. > > It sticks out of the massive calcite matrix for about 1/3 > but I would > > like to see more of it exposed. So, I plan to soak it in plain > > kitchen-strength acetic acid, vinegar. > > How long should I fizzle it? Any idea? Someone? > > The fluorites that catch my attention are usually much larger and > > fluorescent as I don't collect micromounts. This one's special > > though...maybe even worth a photo. > > > > Cheers > > > > Axel > > > > > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > > > Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com > > > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens Kreigh > > > Tomaszewski > > > Verzonden: maandag 30 april 2007 1:54 > > > Aan: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem > > > collectors > > > Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] Re: Questions about Oxalic Acid and > > > Cleaning Quartz > > > > > > Azel, > > > > > > Make micromounts. (With a side of beer after that hot collecting). > > > > > > Kreigh > > > > > > > > > Axel Emmermann wrote: > > > > > > > > Kreigh wrote > > > > > > > > > On some days, like today, my sunshine is a bit diffused > > > from all the > > > > > clouds, but at least we're seeing sunshine. Better than a > > > few months > > > > > ago when we were going to and from work in the snow > and the dark. > > > > > Spring is finally here. > > > > > > > > No, summer is here... We have been sweating in temperatures > > > from 24? > > > > up to 30?C for two weeks now. Last Theusday we ate in our > > > garden and > > > > stayed there until 1 AM. It has not rained here yet this month. > > > > April 2007 will go in the history books as the dryest... > > > Wheather man > > > > says at least 5 records will be pulverized. > > > > Tropical Belgium? Next we'll be brewing palmbeer ;-))) > Did three > > > > quarries last Sunday... Brought home 1 fluorite crystal of > > > about 2 mm > > > > , some minute aragonite (Resteigne) and some fluorescing calcite > > > > (Beez) that is also too small to make a display... Small > > > country, small minerals? > > > > ;-))) > > > > > > > > Cheers > > > > > > > > Axel > > > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > -- _______________________________________________ Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List Subscription Services: http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From deepskyspy at insightbb.com Thu May 31 17:23:59 2007 From: deepskyspy at insightbb.com (Alan Goldstein) Date: Thu May 31 17:23:49 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Was Questions about Oxalic Acid now Acetic acid References: <462D6088.252B@Tomaszewski.net> <46317059.4540@Tomaszewski.net> <97175ae90704270819g717f13e5jf6dc3deb981c34b2@mail.gmail.com> <46329AEB.5090@Tomaszewski.net> <000601c78983$5f64a160$6601a8c0@AxelHP> <46353CA4.4FC3@Tomaszewski.net> <001601c78e69$ae5d2a40$6601a8c0@AxelHP> <463C0862.611@Tomaszewski.net> <001201c78fc4$5e7fe330$6601a8c0@AxelHP> <00ac01c7a3db$37bdcf20$0200a8c0@secretary> Message-ID: <004501c7a3e3$261989a0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> Sounds like the couple from Frankfort in our club. They're giving a program on collecting out west in about 3 weeks. They retired from state government and now drive around the country (mostly western US) collecting. Alan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Berry Enterprises" To: "Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 7:27 PM Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Was Questions about Oxalic Acid now Acetic acid >I just returned from a productive field trip to the Yellow Cat area near >Moab, > Utah. A couple from Kentucky joined us, who had quartz geodes and calcite > geodes > to share. They had cleaned them with Super Iron Out from Walmart. It did > a > beautiful job and did not seem to harm the crystals. They did not add > anything > to it. They had before and after samples to show. Very impressive. > > Katie > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Axel Emmermann" > To: "'Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors'" > > Sent: May 06, 2007 3:53 AM > Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] Was Questions about Oxalic Acid now Acetic acid > > > Kreigh, > >> ....day. Removing a full mm will probably take a day to two. > > I guessed something along hose lines. Thanks! I'll let you know what > happens > with it... > >> soluable, than mine. With a 2 mm crystal you don't want to >> remove too much matrix. > > Especially if it's a tetrahexahedral (or hedric?) crystal as Nathan Martin > suggests. > >> But I think the real problem is how to bring your dead >> soldiers home after collecting rocks. You don't want to leave >> a comrade in arms out in the field. Maybe the solution is to >> make a cart to carry your rocks and use kegs for the wheels. > > Kegs??? What a wonderfully ecologic solution... Drink the barrel empty and > then use it o reinvent the wheel... ;-)))) > > This may come as a shock and it may shatter all stereotypical images that > people have about Belgians but... All we took was water! Plastic bottles > that are light to carry in and easily flattened when empty to make room > for > rocks ;-)))) > The beer is usually consumed with lunch and with pleasure. > > Axel > > > >> >> Kreigh >> >> >> >> Axel Emmermann wrote: >> > >> > Kreigh, >> > >> > Have you any idea what beer weighs? I mean the sizeable quantities >> > that a Belgian would find worth while taking with him into >> the quarry. >> > Then, should we find ample specimens, we cannot qarry both the beer >> > AND the rocks from the cuarry. >> > There will be no prisoners taken... Survivors will have to >> be drunk at >> > the site. >> > Then again...sloshing up all the way to the car we realize that >> > drinking up all the beer does NOT rid us of its weight. >> > Luckily, without any waist of time the beer goes straight >> to the waste >> > so we can hoist each other out of the quarry by our love-handles. >> > This to demonstrate that Belgian beer DOES affect the human brain. >> > >> > Now, somewhat more to the point: as usual, my wife found the most >> > remarkable specimen of an otherwise dull day. It's a small 2 mm >> > crystal of very dark blue (like azurite) fluorite. It's remarkable >> > because the fluorite has a habit that lies somewhere >> between cubic and >> > octahedral, closer to cubic. I never saw one like that before. >> > It sticks out of the massive calcite matrix for about 1/3 >> but I would >> > like to see more of it exposed. So, I plan to soak it in plain >> > kitchen-strength acetic acid, vinegar. >> > How long should I fizzle it? Any idea? Someone? >> > The fluorites that catch my attention are usually much larger and >> > fluorescent as I don't collect micromounts. This one's special >> > though...maybe even worth a photo. >> > >> > Cheers >> > >> > Axel >> > >> > > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- >> > > Van: rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com >> > > [mailto:rockhounds-bounces@lists.drizzle.com] Namens Kreigh >> > > Tomaszewski >> > > Verzonden: maandag 30 april 2007 1:54 >> > > Aan: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem >> > > collectors >> > > Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] Re: Questions about Oxalic Acid and >> > > Cleaning Quartz >> > > >> > > Azel, >> > > >> > > Make micromounts. (With a side of beer after that hot collecting). >> > > >> > > Kreigh >> > > >> > > >> > > Axel Emmermann wrote: >> > > > >> > > > Kreigh wrote >> > > > >> > > > > On some days, like today, my sunshine is a bit diffused >> > > from all the >> > > > > clouds, but at least we're seeing sunshine. Better than a >> > > few months >> > > > > ago when we were going to and from work in the snow >> and the dark. >> > > > > Spring is finally here. >> > > > >> > > > No, summer is here... We have been sweating in temperatures >> > > from 24? >> > > > up to 30?C for two weeks now. Last Theusday we ate in our >> > > garden and >> > > > stayed there until 1 AM. It has not rained here yet this month. >> > > > April 2007 will go in the history books as the dryest... >> > > Wheather man >> > > > says at least 5 records will be pulverized. >> > > > Tropical Belgium? Next we'll be brewing palmbeer ;-))) >> Did three >> > > > quarries last Sunday... Brought home 1 fluorite crystal of >> > > about 2 mm >> > > > , some minute aragonite (Resteigne) and some fluorescing calcite >> > > > (Beez) that is also too small to make a display... Small >> > > country, small minerals? >> > > > ;-))) >> > > > >> > > > Cheers >> > > > >> > > > Axel >> > > > >> >> -- >> _______________________________________________ >> Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List >> Subscription Services: >> http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds >> List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: >> http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html >> > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html From jaybates at rcn.com Tue May 29 22:44:20 2007 From: jaybates at rcn.com (jaybates) Date: Fri Jun 1 14:08:17 2007 Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum References: <004801c7a252$6e06dcf0$6501a8c0@yourb79wz4rose> <009e01c7a274$e345b190$6400a8c0@Junior> Message-ID: <000e01c7a27d$926a4c00$6501a8c0@cable.rcn.com> I would feel a lot better if some of the beliefs of scientists like Einstein and others were included. There is sure a lot more to religious beliefs than strict literal interpretations of the Bible. It is very incongruitous the way it is presented. Where is the Biblical scholars in this whole madness. How about some information on what we know about how the Bible came about. These people only understand their brand of religion. It is their lack of knowledge of religion that is the problem. ----- Original Message ----- From: Tim Jokela Jr. To: Rockhounds@drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 9:42 PM Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum > Only in America! > > Tim Jokela Jr., tjokela@execulink.com > Great minerals for sale: http://www.element51.com > The minerals of Ontario: http://www.ontariominerals.com > Minerals through the microscope: http://www.micromounts.com > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Alan Goldstein" > To: "PaleoList" > Cc: > Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 8:35 PM > Subject: [Rockhounds] Creation Museum > > > Well, it opened yesterday to great fanfair and consternation. A friend sent > me the following note last week. The link is a real eye opener. Shows you > what happens when people who think they know about science don't understand > the basics. > Alan > > Very silly stuff!!! This guy (I assume from Eastern Kentucky University in > Richmond) works with the son of an AIG leader (Carl Kirby) and got in > earlier in the week and took many (but not enough) pictures. Check out his > posting here: > http://studentweb.eku.edu/zachary_lynn/museum/index.html > > Look at the site as soon as possible as AIG will probably have him take the > photos down off the web site soon. > > I don't see how AIG will get much repeat business at $20 a ticket for this. > > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- > multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html > --- > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Rockhounds@drizzle Mailing List > Subscription Services: > http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds > List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy: > http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html > > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 0.0.467 / Virus Database: 269.7.5/812 - Release Date: 5/19/07 1:52 PM > >