tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56014845286678986292024-03-19T11:43:12.152+00:00Mineral BlissSharing a wide range of experiences and perspectives relating to mineralogy as a hobbyJake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-64194958690210705832021-12-04T23:40:00.666+00:002021-12-12T16:18:00.877+00:00Stuart Herring: Maryland's Most Prolific Field Collector<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCDK2eGjKK4pAWt8D3djBAhEcBxkxP2vm8j8MrQN6E-cvpxjLsH0l_7U77mA8s9CecsIOUaacZDUuVEGVM_bNRB0yrt4vFBQ4UEXQF7_hPm55htToFEQb_aDSt4pG8M5Rml8Ct4sv6pA9xm0cFZ0HV3-bVTu1zpsTuSDz8vY0XICqbLbt1RHMEWBlMLA=s2000" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCDK2eGjKK4pAWt8D3djBAhEcBxkxP2vm8j8MrQN6E-cvpxjLsH0l_7U77mA8s9CecsIOUaacZDUuVEGVM_bNRB0yrt4vFBQ4UEXQF7_hPm55htToFEQb_aDSt4pG8M5Rml8Ct4sv6pA9xm0cFZ0HV3-bVTu1zpsTuSDz8vY0XICqbLbt1RHMEWBlMLA=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Stuart
Herring of Baltimore is very likely the most active and prolific field
collector of mineral specimens in the State of Maryland. Few other collectors come close to competing with him for such a distinction. </span><span> </span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 115%;">In the image
above, the specimen he holds is ore quality black chromite coated with violet colored chromian clinochlore (aka kammererite, rhodochrome, penninite) and white talc. He collected it at Bare Hills in Baltimore County. Until he uncovered this and other similar specimens, such material had not been collected in the area for nearly a century. The find is one of Maryland's most significant in the past 50 years. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 115%;">Field collecting in Maryland has become immensely challenging. Localities that once
yielded specimens have given way to sprawl. Strictly enforced laws prohibit
collecting in state parks and national parks. Other sites are on private
property that effectively forbid trespassing. Most of the few quarries that formerly allowed once a year visits from properly insured mineral societies now<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>proclaim that liability issues prevent them from
doing so.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 115%;">How is it that Stuart is able to devote a major portion of his time to successfully </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">collect</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">ing mineral specimens in and near his home state? He focuses much of his approach on rediscovering </span><span>long forgotten localities, many of them no longer believed to exist. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Plenty has been published during the past two centuries regarding Maryland localities that at different periods were known to have yielded a variety of mineral species. Over time, most of these localities have been built over or otherwise become inaccessible or forgotten. Most of what was written about them appeared in a variety of publications that became obscure, some nearly impossible to obtain, until several years ago. Finally, the Internet came to the rescue. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Minerals of Maryland</i> by Charles Ostrander and Walter Price was one such publication that in its day, many considered a "Bible" for such information. It named and briedly described by county most of Maryland's known localities and listed all the mineral species reported from each one. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">The Natural History Society of Maryland, which published it in 1940, made</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> <i>Minerals of Maryland</i> available on line just three years ago. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nearly as recently, Maryland Geological Survey similarly brought on line more extensive and specific information about the localities noted in <i>Minerals of Maryland</i> and added additional ones. Some of the varied publications provide maps that make finding these localities easier.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span>Lidar data in LAS files, especially when accessed with Arc Gis, has provided collectors with an additional tool for seeking out localities. The technology provides collectors with a description of the earth contours throughout the vicinities where the </span><span>localities---if any traces of them still exist--- appear on the maps</span></span><span>.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Such wonderful tools will only prove helpful to collectors with the knowledge to identify specific species as well as how to search for any that remain. Such knowledge combined with Stuart's extensive collecting experience and the time he has available to collect give him his edge. It helps that he earns a substantial portion of his livelihood as a <a href="http://www.crystalprospect.rocks/home.html">mineral dealer. </a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, "sans-serif"" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>In past posts, <u>Mineral Bliss</u> has feautred several finds</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Stuart has brought to light. They are as follows: </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, "sans-serif";"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://mineralbliss.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-carroll-mine-in-carroll-county.html"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Carroll Mine in Carroll County, Maryland </span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://mineralbliss.blogspot.com/2016/08/" style="font-size: large;">New Finds: Falls Road Corridor Near Baltimore City Line</a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <a href="http://mineralbliss.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-garnets-of-stony-run-in-baltimore.html">The Garnets of Stony Run in Baltimore City</a> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpbwGYheA_9CWG2x1kaWXCkd_rUa7G0Jm1KnopTBycZ5IC1n6-dcQPJa4jINptEewa2mGUGyhWN5teBcOPRMTWhEAQhXmTJdRM6MdIY7G9mFl4InjgqKlOIHyz37zfSp3I8oXRqq27EFhfyzogu-wx7BWbZwXlI2vaWJgwrRjn-zwD2EjTZE-dw-Axsw=s1600" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1106" data-original-width="1600" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpbwGYheA_9CWG2x1kaWXCkd_rUa7G0Jm1KnopTBycZ5IC1n6-dcQPJa4jINptEewa2mGUGyhWN5teBcOPRMTWhEAQhXmTJdRM6MdIY7G9mFl4InjgqKlOIHyz37zfSp3I8oXRqq27EFhfyzogu-wx7BWbZwXlI2vaWJgwrRjn-zwD2EjTZE-dw-Axsw=w200-h138" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Stuart very likely has had more experience collecting at the Mineral Hill Mine in Carroll County than anyone else alive today. One of his proudest finds from the immediate vicinity of this iron and later copper mining operation dating from the 17th Century is pictured at left. The specimen bears silvery carrollite-siegenite with golden chalcopyrite in magnetite. The carrollite-siegenite portion measures to nearly an inch, which is considerably larger than the vast majority of the eponymous Carroll County carrollite examples curently known to exist. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4OSrOlFBLU779Oeh4QPFQ5r7021RJWf-my_9uWRJluv82hB139cMeMnbDZQYEOz--_dvMzfQ18CfTI78sZKtbLB-u8EK--mqMXacegQeK15AHHknSmT3dXeQe7IjLWFItWJ0G3tL_F8bACzAckcBeu40vZildfB8_okZkuN3fHHJXZ8DDQvVv1ChUKg=s1609" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Stuart's most spectacular find in our opinion was the deposit of ore quality chromite with chromian clinochlore from Bare Hills in Baltimore County that he holds in our title picture. <br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1609" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4OSrOlFBLU779Oeh4QPFQ5r7021RJWf-my_9uWRJluv82hB139cMeMnbDZQYEOz--_dvMzfQ18CfTI78sZKtbLB-u8EK--mqMXacegQeK15AHHknSmT3dXeQe7IjLWFItWJ0G3tL_F8bACzAckcBeu40vZildfB8_okZkuN3fHHJXZ8DDQvVv1ChUKg=w199-h200" width="199" /></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>A more recent find is the almandine garnet specimen at right. Stuart collected in the Sparks-Glencoe area of Baltimore County along a stream where blasting had recently taken place. The spot was adjacent to a locality that</span><span> </span><span><span>an old Maryland Geological Survey publication</span><span> had cited for kyanite. Needless to say, areas where blasting or construction has recently occurred are prime sources for potential mineral finds.</span></span><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-88649284937319171872021-11-03T18:10:00.004+00:002021-11-03T18:33:27.059+00:00Peter Via Collection for Grand Reopening of JMU Mineral Museum<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDqhg2a70ObsGqZlMGRhrNSVsobou7nC0ctnLkeMjGaUvs4c8kpIZdlkvaveG_9hRnprZfPqJSnK7mDZB3N6RVm_1LH1u_grkhE4kjzI__S1ZjWBYS6GRc1cLiVXmVrBp__n8SS-vbFs8/s1600/_MG_0262.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDqhg2a70ObsGqZlMGRhrNSVsobou7nC0ctnLkeMjGaUvs4c8kpIZdlkvaveG_9hRnprZfPqJSnK7mDZB3N6RVm_1LH1u_grkhE4kjzI__S1ZjWBYS6GRc1cLiVXmVrBp__n8SS-vbFs8/w640-h426/_MG_0262.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It is a
special event when a sizable group of mineral collectors gathers to be the
first to view a large selection of world class minerals. Recently attracting such a crowd was the former
Peter Via collection, which had recently been appraised $16,800,000. Upon his
death, he had bequeathed it to the James Madison University Mineral Museum in
Harrisonburg, Virginia,.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The
collection had never left Mr. Via's private home in Roanoke until he died in
2018. It was the largest gift the University ever received. Because of Covid, a
grand reopening event by invitation only at the museum’s new home had to be
rescheduled from April, 2020 to October 29, 2021. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The crowd
poured in to the Lower Drum of JMU's modern Festival Conference and Student
Center on its East Campus. With leaves approaching peak color, it was a prime time
of year to be in the area. Torrential rain and westbound traffic backed up for
numerous miles on I-81 West were less cooperative. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Notwithstanding,
the number of mineral aficionados that managed to attend the event was
substantial. After a short walk from easy parking, guests wound their way
downstairs to a large visitor-filled room where volunteers at a check- in table
handed out pre-printed tags. Penned onto each was a number referring to the
group with which the holder could enter the museum. Wine and a few snacks were
available to everyone. Down a short hallway, a designated group stood waiting
to enter the exhibit room entrance after a previous group had exited.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Unlike
others who were present, this writer had by special arrangement been able to
visit Mr. Via at his home in Roanoke
years before to see this amazing collection. I had photographed as many
specimens as time allowed and also enjoyed an opportunity to chat with Mr. Via in his den about his mineral collecting
philosophy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Mineral Bliss's</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> October 27, 2014 <a href="http://mineralbliss.blogspot.com/2014/10/unbelievable-but-true-world-class.html">post</a>, “Unbelievable but True
The World Class Personal Collection of Peter Via" resulted from that visit.
Subsequently, Dr. Lance Kearns, JMU's Emeritus Professor of Geology and Curator
of the Museum, with his wife Cindy, a current geology professor at JMU, spent time
with Mr. Via during the period when he decided to bequeath his collection to the
university. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">When it
arrived, the world famous mineral photographer Jeff Scovil went to work with his camera. Also involved
was Wendell Wilson, the Publisher and Editor in Chief of <i>MIneralogical Record</i>. He personally
authored a 23 page article about the collection that appeared in that
publication’s September-October 2020 edition. At present, numerous images of the
specimens are available on line in association with a brief <a href="https://www.jmu.edu/news/2020/11/06-via-gift-to-mineral-museum.shtml">video</a> narrated by
Dr. Kearns. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Lance and
Cindy Kearns were immediately inside the museum door as guests entered. When I
greeted Lance, he mentioned that <i>Mineral
Bliss’s </i>2014 post had prompted the discussions leading to the bequest of
this amazing collection to James Madison University.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The
specimens intermingle with the larger collection that Dr.. Kearns describes as
"a composite of five collections." Prior to owning the Via specimens,
JMU had always displayed specimens in systematic suites based on chemical
composition and atomic structure. While the systematic arrangement remains
largely in place, many of the Via specimens are arranged in different kinds of
small groups, especially when based on visual qualities of a given species or
genre. In addition to specimens on display, JMU owns 1770 catalogued specimens
in storage. Some will undoubtedly be candidates for rotation into the display.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">At its past locations,
the James Madison University Mineral Museum was well known </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">and worth a stop. With the addition of the
Peter Via collection it has been transformed into what Dr. Kearns describes as
a "Destination Collection.” </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It means
that people will now be traveling to James Madison University from far and wide
for the sole purpose of viewing its mineral museum. Museum hours will be on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 am to 3 pm.</span>IJake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-6517086511275836502020-10-22T02:37:00.006+01:002020-10-27T15:19:11.863+00:00A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL 2020 DESAUTELS MICROMOUNT SYMPOSIUM<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxWg6GMpOO-qlN-xzYnEQHlXp-R-3tvFKYnEtKN341VHaQh5dyGJWsyK9V9CwhlIaxB8fC_VQVexJz6N646zVIJQ-Nd5tJiw0bTDDNXUgPauyLtKv6Y1DWzm9JPjqH7QH5bx25xxT9z2P/s1570/IMG_5349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="994" data-original-width="1570" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxWg6GMpOO-qlN-xzYnEQHlXp-R-3tvFKYnEtKN341VHaQh5dyGJWsyK9V9CwhlIaxB8fC_VQVexJz6N646zVIJQ-Nd5tJiw0bTDDNXUgPauyLtKv6Y1DWzm9JPjqH7QH5bx25xxT9z2P/w400-h254/IMG_5349.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">T</span><span style="font-family: times;">hough assembled via Zoom because of Covid-19, the 64<sup>th</sup>
annual Desautels International Micromount Symposium from Baltimore, Maryland, was
a huge success. Chaired for the eighth time by Dr. Michael Seeds of Lancaster,
Pennsylvania on behalf of the Baltimore Mineral Society, it happened October 10,
2020, at 1 PM Eastern Time. </span></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Despite the absence of both dealers and live minerals, this
virtual Symposium drew a significantly larger crowd than live symposia of
recent years. Perhaps this could be
expected sans the time and expenses involved in travel to Baltimore from
destinations around the world. More significant was the glorious manner in
which the event executed its intended purposes<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">After Dr.
Seeds opened with a few pertinent introductions, he turned the proceedings over
to Col. Quintin Wight of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the symposium’s perennial
master of ceremonies and also the best known micromounter on the planet. The
most definitive part of each year’s Desautels Symposium relates to the
international Micromounters Hall of Fame. Quintin, of course, was one of the 40
per cent of living Hall of Fame members in attendance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"> He noted the
criteria for selection to the Micromounters Hall of Fame by emphasizing the
pre-eminent qualification of being “loudest for longest” within the community
of micromounters. Since so many micromounters appear to be quiet people,
“loudest” in this context bespeaks volume of involvement in terms of
contribution and service to the micromounting niche of the mineralogical
community.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p>The day’s
event, Quintin explained, would feature the induction of 2020’s two new Hall of
Fame members: Dr. Michael A. Seeds of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Dr. Renato
Pagano of Milano, Italy. After their
inductions, each was to give a presentation. Quintin also said that he was to
announce two selectees for induction at 2021’s Symposium.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p>He later named Dr. Anthony Kampf, Curator Emeritus of minerals of the Natural History
Museum of Los Angeles County and Jean-Luc Designolle, the President of
Association Francaise de Micromineralogie in France for 14 years, as next
year’s (2021) inductees. He then made the point that the Micromounters Hall of
Fame sought new inductees every year. He encouraged everyone to send in letters
of nomination for potential candidates they considered to be worthy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p>Because Mike
Seeds has chaired the Desautels Symposium since 2013, most who were Zoomed in
were well acquainted with him. Regarding
his qualifications, Quintin noted that Mike has authored nearly 100 articles that
relate specifically to micromounting and emphasized Mike’s <i>Shoebox Adventures </i>feature, which is published by mineral society newsletters
around the world. He also mentioned Mike’s speaking engagements about micromounting, especially a recent one he had attended at
the Canadian Micro Mineral Association Symposium at Brock University in St.
Catharines, Ontario. Not mentioned were
Mike’s collection, his distinct style of mounting, and unique method of
labeling.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p>Perhaps the
reason was that, even though making and collecting micromounts are normal
criteria for Hall of Fame selection, Dr.Renato Pagano does neither. But when considering that
most of the approximately 5,500 IMA approved species are microminerals, the 4,300
different species in Dr. Pagano’s personal mineral collection would in this
case speak for these requirements by default---even if not trimmed and mounted by Renato
in little boxes. Widely published, he is
regarded as a mineralogical superstar in Italy, and is well known throughout
Europe as well as by mineralogists and curators in the United States and
Canada. Very significantly, he was a founder of the Micromounters Meeting, a
major annual event held in Cremona, Italy for bringing together Italian and
foreign micromineral aficionados and collectors.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p>Before delving
into the specifics of his presentation about the sulfur mines of Sicily, Dr.
Pagano expressed his views as to how mineral collecting is currently “going in
two ways.” One of them, he said, favors “typically
sizeable, expensive and showy aesthetic minerals.” The other is species
collecting, which is of greater interest to science and to micromounters.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p>Dr. Pagano then
described and offered slides relating to Sicily’s sulfur mines and the sulfur
they produced. Through most of history, Sicily produced most of the world’s
sulfur. He noted that the island’s well known volcanos were not pertinent to
Sicily’s sulfur mining heritage and the great specimens they produced. Instead, the sulfur for which Sicily is famous
came mostly from underground sedimentary deposits. The conditions under which the miners, many who were young children, worked until well into mid-20<sup>th</sup>
Century, were brutal. Dr. Pagano wrapped
up his presentation with slides of other notable Sicilian minerals that included spectacular crystals of celestine, calcite, and hauerite.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p>Before the next
presentation by inductee Mike Seeds, Baltimore Mineral Society Treasurer and
Micromounters Hall of Fame member Steve Weinberger added perspective to
Quintin’s earlier introduction. Steve was present years ago when Mike first
became discovered micromounting. He described how Mike, Professor of Astronomy
at Franklin and Marshall University, after spending many years looking upwards at
the stars through a telescope, became enthralled by looking down at minerals
through a microscope.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p>Mike’s
presentation was entitled <i>The Universe in
a Micro Box</i>. Noting that astronomy accounted for the source of all
elements, atoms, and minerals, he clearly communicated verbally and with slides
the most basic truths as to how this all happened. It spanned from hydrogen,
the big bang, helium, stars, explosions in space that created atomic elements, then
planets and ultimately some very exquisite micromounts. Mike amazingly conveyed
this information within but a few minutes so that anyone could follow and
understand. Particularly impressive was the exuberant response from participants,
some well trained in science, others with less education. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h1 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">Nearly three hours had now passed. It was time
for Al Pribula, President of the Baltimore Mineral Society to stage the Society’s
annual voice auction. It hardly mattered
that the offerings were so much fewer than if the event had been in person. The
high level of enthusiasm that had been apparent at the outset had persisted and
grown as if to a crescendo. Every minute
had grasped the interest of those present, and it made the auction all the more
fun.</span></h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p>The 64<sup>th</sup> Annual Desautels Micromount
Symposium, although virtual, proved to be tremendously successful. That could
well prognosticate a bigger live conference than ever next year.</span></p>Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-61654915966571632992020-09-27T18:10:00.988+01:002020-10-02T01:45:02.169+01:00George Loud and His Mineral Collection<div class="separator"><br /></div><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKqoQtfHNvDR0pdtixs9bWDydEwtfQ-ohEvF7gB4JL_t6NTdI3Rpyqro981ldQxk_q3vopg3T1AtAfiH2aoLhubUYl73i72SIOwXeOjlhpCXcl2cKQQdV-EtDY85uMrW5w1HWEtd54lz7/s1600/loudcenterville-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKqoQtfHNvDR0pdtixs9bWDydEwtfQ-ohEvF7gB4JL_t6NTdI3Rpyqro981ldQxk_q3vopg3T1AtAfiH2aoLhubUYl73i72SIOwXeOjlhpCXcl2cKQQdV-EtDY85uMrW5w1HWEtd54lz7/w400-h248/loudcenterville-Edit-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: times;">George Loud has all the friends, contacts, and connections around the country that accompany 65 years as a serious mineral collector. For 15 years, he and his wife Karen have lived in their comfortable home on a Hilton Head Island, South Carolina cul-de-sac. Still, he remains as highly recognized as ever in the Washington, DC and Northern Virginia area. He spent over four decades there as a distinguished patent lawyer and a leading figure among collectors and aficionados of minerals. </span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">Everyone knows that George has a collection, but not as many have had the opportunity to see it as he would like. He has sold most of his worldwide collection to focus on specimens collected in the United States. Included are specimens that could be the best known to exist from their localities. Particularly prominent are suites from the Middle Atlantic states where he has spent most of his life</span><span style="font-family: times;">. </span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrSBLAcnUTB1GcHNHSUyWIEK-XJIAP0A3d4sg3oEDHPaaif_tbbMZ5lDiDAENTFzQxuafbDIEa_wB48SxRvEiBHs-enP4eAz-l8LT3A5jMZHG6VFBTcPTwRdhtU4gngwWYMuOG7f8mqra/s2000/George+loud.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrSBLAcnUTB1GcHNHSUyWIEK-XJIAP0A3d4sg3oEDHPaaif_tbbMZ5lDiDAENTFzQxuafbDIEa_wB48SxRvEiBHs-enP4eAz-l8LT3A5jMZHG6VFBTcPTwRdhtU4gngwWYMuOG7f8mqra/s320/George+loud.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">George houses his collection in an addition to his and Karen's home. It consists of three rooms devoted to mineralogy. One enters into what he refers to as his "man cave," where he is shown sitting with his yellow Labrador Molly. Micromounting materials are evident on many surfaces. The walls bear an assortment of personal as well as mining memorabilia. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: times; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span>T</span><span>he "man cave" leads into a hallway with a mineralogy and mining history library with bookshelves on both sides. They extend from floor to ceiling with a ladder system. Multiple shelves have so many books on Colorado minerals and mineral localities that protruding sheets of card stock divide them according to counties within Colorado. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;">Beyond the library is the collection room. What first meets the eye is a relatively small single cabinet with minerals from the famous but now off-limits Hunting Hill Quarry in Montgomery County, Maryland. Otherwise, the cabinets are much larger. Keith Williams, who constructed numerous mineral cabinets at the Smithsonian, built most of them. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">S</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: times;">pecimens d</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: times;">isplayed in a
long row of cabinets lining the left wall begin with a suite from the locality
that's closest to where George lived most of his life, the fabled Centreville
Quarry in Fairfax County, Virginia. Our title picture shows a few of the
specimens. As everyone thereabouts who is interested in minerals knows,
this locality has yielded too many world class apophyllite and prehnite
specimens for</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: times;"> passing judgment as to the best ever. What George's suite
accomplishes is to show just how perfect they
can get. </span></span></p><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnIob2LsjUmt8uy9ONuBw3hyphenhyphenk6bczMm6BnZQot2ZTblDUoph4NYUPzq_n3t_xh06miy2uoKu8YF-7uBwolChwdaIFh4DxYCH4yejIed6YCH_9ELlExyizBvZvX5tBNbL3dnse_oKehK-Y/s1519/goldnopotosop-Edit-2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="1519" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnIob2LsjUmt8uy9ONuBw3hyphenhyphenk6bczMm6BnZQot2ZTblDUoph4NYUPzq_n3t_xh06miy2uoKu8YF-7uBwolChwdaIFh4DxYCH4yejIed6YCH_9ELlExyizBvZvX5tBNbL3dnse_oKehK-Y/s320/goldnopotosop-Edit-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: times;">Other Virginia specimens are close at hand. The Whitehall Mine in Spotsylvania County, Virginia yielded the native gold specimen at right. This is where gold was first discovered and produced in Virginia in 1806. More than two centuries later, few if any other comparable specimens from this mining district remain to be seen anywhere. </span><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGk89ZpKTXPO8h64C_9eO3bDrK83Ovh17UgoMCu7gyoq8SWww0l7O7lpLO5TpuIJDWDLbeuXgvpMh0ZXBdfnIBjgqSl8QkkxLZfbbIj_vwzi1gaQDetP0dZKgY5Tliq2pMZJcUdijMQP_7/s1600/amelia2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGk89ZpKTXPO8h64C_9eO3bDrK83Ovh17UgoMCu7gyoq8SWww0l7O7lpLO5TpuIJDWDLbeuXgvpMh0ZXBdfnIBjgqSl8QkkxLZfbbIj_vwzi1gaQDetP0dZKgY5Tliq2pMZJcUdijMQP_7/s320/amelia2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span><br /><span style="font-family: times;">Specimens from Amelia County, Virginia are plentiful in an adjacent cabinet. It would be reasonable to conclude that some of the specimens in the image at left could vie for best of species from their specific Amelia County localities. Prominently displayed nearby are several relatively huge specimens with varied matrixes featuring turquoise crystals from the Bishop Copper Prospect in Lynch Station, Campbell County, Virginia.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEkPgAqj47Sc_YTLH5T8xtB-PuQS0ZCvsqBAiIT1IcL3IDs3LSgv7MFmWZy3frHp5sSbXCnoDP79x353rhLaIKhX9aIMXIn4ETmN5RTEXmZ5oqKhmP-2W5deFrzXYrfca5_N_FrqU_sgd/s1646/brucitegoeloud1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1646" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEkPgAqj47Sc_YTLH5T8xtB-PuQS0ZCvsqBAiIT1IcL3IDs3LSgv7MFmWZy3frHp5sSbXCnoDP79x353rhLaIKhX9aIMXIn4ETmN5RTEXmZ5oqKhmP-2W5deFrzXYrfca5_N_FrqU_sgd/s320/brucitegoeloud1.jpg" /></a></div>A</span><span style="font-family: times;"><span>n impressive Pennsylvania suite fills the entirety of one of the display cases in the center of the </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"> room. As I ogled over eye candy, George was focusing on a specimen that had barely caught my attention. It featured a clearly zoned brucite crystal from the Woods Chrome Pit in Little Britain, Lancaster County. Unique classic brucite specimens from this locality are famous. Zoned brucite crystals, however, as pictured in the image at right, are extremely uncommon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: times;">A</span><span style="font-family: times;">s we were observing the Pennsylvania suite, George explained how he marks, labels, and catalogs his specimens. He applies a brilliant white acrylic paint upon which he identifies the specimen numerically with black ink, then coats with a sealer. The labels that accompany them are extraordinary.</span></span></div><div><span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 150%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 150%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZjyJQgdongrGlyz3R4i6PldcGGjE7vxu5NQQbP-KbrOzcEYBCZYSGQdRiPcSqo-_n8oQsA-sRuPFZn1h-8-bbgxH9oCICPjmGOYFIK66mmoipjvcaHClIeLTgG4e28UfdUYKV0aGO7cD/s1491/anglesitegeoloud.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="1491" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZjyJQgdongrGlyz3R4i6PldcGGjE7vxu5NQQbP-KbrOzcEYBCZYSGQdRiPcSqo-_n8oQsA-sRuPFZn1h-8-bbgxH9oCICPjmGOYFIK66mmoipjvcaHClIeLTgG4e28UfdUYKV0aGO7cD/s320/anglesitegeoloud.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 150%;">Provenance is
paramount. His labels name as many previous owners as he can ascertain. The ultimate Phoenixville Lead Mining District
anglesite specimen from the Wheatley Mine is a good example. Collected between 1855 and
1860, it had eight previous owners going all the way back to the famous mining magnate and mineralogist Charles Wheatley. George also
records this same information and other pertinent data about every specimen on index cards accompanied by all previous labels</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">.</span><span style="text-align: center;">The collection boasts many scores of suites and individual specimens beyond the very small fraction of them mentioned herein. Standing out is a sizeable suite of gemmy minerals from Maine, a superb suite from Bisbee, Arizona, and a suite from Franklin and Sterling Hill, New Jersey with a specimen </span></span><span style="font-family: times; text-align: center;">that amazed me </span><span style="font-family: times; text-align: center;">of native gold in willemite </span><span style="font-family: times; text-align: center;"> .</span></p></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1tWeE0E-Ajec8UflUf9yMmvD3J4s5huUl9ve_quVM4yU3xyW6R6m6thmrao97LlMtf2avfuCpkYeLwIug4C6n9XNYDSd6Z4OIYzb6Qo8OY7XYucu7X3qniqgkCbVIA9vp9e2POLHgjWe/s1824/witheritebest.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1tWeE0E-Ajec8UflUf9yMmvD3J4s5huUl9ve_quVM4yU3xyW6R6m6thmrao97LlMtf2avfuCpkYeLwIug4C6n9XNYDSd6Z4OIYzb6Qo8OY7XYucu7X3qniqgkCbVIA9vp9e2POLHgjWe/s320/witheritebest.jpg" /><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;">George made a point of showing me a witherite specimen from the Pigeon Roost Mine</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3c4043; font-family: times;"> </span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span><span style="font-family: times;"><span>near Glenwood in Montgomery County, Arkansas </span><span>It is pictured at left.</span><span> Clearly one of his favorites, he believes it could be a contender for the best of the species known to exist. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;">Nearby, a suite from Magnet Cove Arkansas, a favorite collecting spot for George, bears special mention. It includes a crystal of andradite (var.) melanite, which George thinks could be the best of its genre ever collected there. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;">Another garnet that impressed me nearly as much was prismatic and from North Carolina's Spruce Pine Mining District. Among numerous North Carolina minerals, he also pointed out a crystal of anatase pseudomorph after titanite from Tuxedo Junction at Zirconia in North Carolina's Henderson County.</span></p></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span>While George had not expressed any particular fondness for pseudomorphs, I noticed that among one of the few suites he has held onto from another country was an entire shelf exclusively of pseudomorphs from Mount Saint Hilaire in Quebec. I also noticed ---and now </span><span>wish I'd taken more time to peruse--- a suite of minerals from Japan.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">All that was on display in the mineral room's three lengthy rows of shelves was plenty to take in. They represent but a small portion of 9,000 specimens in the collection. George keeps them at home with no visible evidence of clutter anywhere. Specimens fill neatly stacked flats in his garage. If not ready for display in the mineral room, most that I saw were genuinely interesting. George realized that he had not looked at some of them for a long time. It seemed obvious he could be happy going through those flats for hours. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>The hour was approaching when I had to leave to return to Baltimore. I am most grateful for<span style="font-family: times;"> </span><span style="font-family: times;">George's time and hospitality and for showing me his great collection </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">On his current agenda is to enter into a computer at least everything currently recorded on his labels and index cards. Whether that includes specimens from his extensive collection of micromounts, I neglected to ask, He did tell me that the micromounts could have to wait. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span>George can be contacted at</span><span> </span><i>georgeloud1</i><i>@gmail.com</i><span> </span></span></div></div>Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-75851335790261113482020-08-16T11:27:00.051+01:002021-12-02T16:38:13.817+00:00PIEMONTITE NEAR CULP RIDGE PENNSYLVANIA AND NOW IN MARYLAND!<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLpJQsCu-Vfo_coxXTwdZea5bOj1XYbuNM24xju5BBuYK5-B4DfOVLGMNpGft8jXtf-Q_hAFABo3zbZgkMMRygnaXHUV2xTiB7Zl4Al_T1rCGmAmJfFzx-lcEbioDLATDJC_znSSOHRZZ/s1600/piemontite.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLpJQsCu-Vfo_coxXTwdZea5bOj1XYbuNM24xju5BBuYK5-B4DfOVLGMNpGft8jXtf-Q_hAFABo3zbZgkMMRygnaXHUV2xTiB7Zl4Al_T1rCGmAmJfFzx-lcEbioDLATDJC_znSSOHRZZ/w410-h274/piemontite.jpg" width="410" /></a> </div></blockquote><p><span> Three of us headed from Baltimore in search of piemontite on
a hillside near Hamiltonban Township in the South Mountain area of Adams
County, Pennsylvania. We parked along Mount Hope Road near Gum Springs Road. If
we were going to find piemontite we knew
it would occur in outcrops where reddish pink metarhyolite dominated. Soon we
were following a trail along the base of the ridge.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn1Ij-VhrDjo2CFhyphenhyphen-adKyIZU04RSgq_GSkNJiTbtZ8Nbj2aECHEn1Qt21WHI7kGRGIhK5YyPx-ZyZYg6SwDnSARsOVfkGCpmV6V0pduQx_LZh3QaezghN5bkzX6Kd27NQ88t2XnkPE0H/s2048/better+meta.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1583" data-original-width="2048" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn1Ij-VhrDjo2CFhyphenhyphen-adKyIZU04RSgq_GSkNJiTbtZ8Nbj2aECHEn1Qt21WHI7kGRGIhK5YyPx-ZyZYg6SwDnSARsOVfkGCpmV6V0pduQx_LZh3QaezghN5bkzX6Kd27NQ88t2XnkPE0H/w262-h203/better+meta.JPG" width="262" /></span></a></div><span><span>Within a few minutes, we spotted some large boulders through
the trees. Although no hint of a trail led to them, we bushwhacked about 20
yards uphill, found the reddish pink metarhyolite we were looking for and
soon spotted some piemontite. It occurs mostly in adamantine radiated microscopic prisms
exclusively at or near where </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span>quartz has
intruded the metarhyolite. We believe we were in one of six known South
Mountain area piemontite localities, at least four of which date from the 1890’s</span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span>We were also within about a quarter mile of seriously
overgrown dumps from copper prospects dating back yet further into the 19<sup>th</sup>
Century. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was one of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>about 20 known localities for native copper in
the South Mountain area. Always found in volcanic metabasalts, the copper
was from deposits that were much smaller than but otherwise closely resembled the enormous and lucrative
Keeweenaw deposit in upper Michigan. Although extensively prospected well into
the 20<sup>th</sup> Century, the copper never proved plentiful enough to be
viable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The South Mountain area has long fascinated geologists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their focus has always been less on the copper than the geologic history exposed by rocks over hundreds of millions of years
of erosion. Research regarding the piemontite occurrences, while thorough and specific, was limited to separate studies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>This region prominently straddles the Maryland line into
Frederick County, where the geology is similar. The Pennsylvania side calls it
South Mountain, Maryland calls it the Catoctins. Geologists have extensively
studied the rocks on the Maryland side as well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly all the studies, however, have been specifically <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>limited either to Pennsylvania or to
Maryland. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span>Some of the Pennsylvania studies at least acknowledged the presence of piemontite<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">, </b>even though sometimes
referred to as “rusty epidote,” or "piedmontite." <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> In one of a</span> series of articles entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chronicles of
Central Pennsylvania Mineralogy,</i> </span>the late Jay Lininger<span> described the phenomenon: "Like the comedian Rodney Dangerfield who didn't get no respect."</span><span> In </span><span>Maryland, piemontite got less than no respect.It has received no mention. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Yet, piemontite has aesthetic qualities that make it a
highly appealing mineral species as a member of the epidote group, like zoisite
and allanite. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John Sinkankas in <i>Gemstones
of North America</i> even listed “piemontite in rhyolite” as “semi-precious gem
cutting material.” Its presence shows less weathering and better luster within freshly broken rock. Though usually in radiating microscopic crystals as described, a few specimens that are less common bear larger crystals up to
about 15 mm. x 3 mm. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly all such
crystals have been fractured upon recovery. Seeing perfection is unrealistic. Piemontite is
neither common nor highly valued relative to many other species, but regard for it is rising. . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>A few years ago, this writer was working a booth at a show
in the Towson, Maryland Armory. A man walked by with the most spectacular
South Mountain piemontite specimen I’ve ever seen. I’m sure he intended to sell
it, but he did not mention a price. After I complimented the specimen, he moved
on. Had this happened today, I would happily have emptied my wallet.<span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8j6mf6OKnsLR74osU4gAumu7dZsMeqIWOBnRmZtvGtTpneXUKHlBkbinzMBsRYG6hdOLz1auNCIBLXcdaCSSXJzmS1StXT7GVUS1QXYRLJ5Rc6Yp-uCmXiAqAxj6r8EVfBluwEOUav84i/s1600/_MG_1877.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8j6mf6OKnsLR74osU4gAumu7dZsMeqIWOBnRmZtvGtTpneXUKHlBkbinzMBsRYG6hdOLz1auNCIBLXcdaCSSXJzmS1StXT7GVUS1QXYRLJ5Rc6Yp-uCmXiAqAxj6r8EVfBluwEOUav84i/w262-h175/_MG_1877.jpg" width="262" /></a></span></div><span>Nothing short of synchronicity could make sense of how this
writer personally collected piemontite in Maryland’s Frederick County only three weeks before our recent collecting trip. I was clueless that piemontite was in a
specimen picked up in a field less than a mile down a road leading west from
the tiny hamlet of New London.</span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span> In typical fashion, I had stopped to check out
some minor excavation and a small pile of rocks and dirt along the south side
of the road. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Standing out among the rocks
lying on the ground was the piece of pink metarhyolite pictured above at right. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as I knew that metarhyolite of such
color existed in Frederick County, I also realized how conspicuously misplaced it
seemed compared to other surrounding rocks. So I picked it up and took it home.
No thought of piemontite ever entered my mind. Upon arriving home, I threw it onto
the rock pile in my back yard and never mentioned the find to anyone. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Three weeks later by sheer coincidence, a collector called
and asked me to join him to look for piemontite in Adams County and write a post
about it if we found any. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went, we
found piemontite, and it was obvious that the material in which we found it was
the same as the piece I’d collected near new London. Doing my research, I read something in the aforementioned article by Jay Lininger that aroused my curiosity. The article stated that that the renowned late
geologist Dr. Florence Bascom, in a her PhD thesis about piemontite, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "open sans", serif;">proved that some of the pink colored rhyolites drew their color
from included piemontite.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "open sans", serif; line-height: 115%;">” </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "open sans", serif;">I should mention that Dr. Bascom was the
first woman in the United States to earn a PhD in geology and later went on to establish
the Geology Department at Bryn<span> </span>Mawr University. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "open sans", serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkiJ2h5QZIwanAvPB-hQ6rsIOeSfjDpFa5UHLbSwJo0jO0jscJdTIHHHWHg7tLYXZVmqFSVtKr32od1QdJeWllHmSl21hnxe3q7pb9Vo0yYEHMwMx4Lt1R6JZnEbNbvAWSHiuGHJerZrF/s2048/closerpied.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkiJ2h5QZIwanAvPB-hQ6rsIOeSfjDpFa5UHLbSwJo0jO0jscJdTIHHHWHg7tLYXZVmqFSVtKr32od1QdJeWllHmSl21hnxe3q7pb9Vo0yYEHMwMx4Lt1R6JZnEbNbvAWSHiuGHJerZrF/w210-h210/closerpied.JPG" width="210" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><span>o I went out to the rock pile in the back yard and grabbed the
metarhyolite I’d found near New London. A presence of piemontite was readily apparent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not report this as a new find for Maryland
because it seemed quite obvious that the specimen was not indigenous to the
field where I collected it. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>However, metarhyolite has an established presence just
a few miles further west of New London <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in Maryland’s Catoctins. As long a some of it is the same color as the ubiquitous reddish metarhyolite on the Pennsylvania side of the state line, piemontite will very likely be present., Once uncovered and
verified, it could be a legitimate new find for Maryland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p></div>Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0Adams County, PA, USA39.8522417 -77.286487926.397716232255839 -94.8646129 53.306767167744162 -59.7083629tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-44124544417420299252020-05-06T18:43:00.001+01:002020-08-21T23:25:36.334+01:00 Remnants of Maryland's Historic Patapsco Mine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span>Those in regional mineralogical circles know that the internationally cherished bright silvery cobalt bearing sulfide carrollite is eponymous with Carroll County Maryland. Carrollite, best known for magnificent cubo-octahedral crystals from Democractic Republic of Congo, is the only mineral species of the more than 5,000 that are known for which Maryland is the type locality. A </span><span> 2009 Mineral Bliss <a href="http://mineralbliss.blogspot.com/2009/09/carrollite-and-cobalt-sulphides-of.html">post</a></span> <span> explains the interesting mineralogy relating to the "carrollite" as it occurs in Carroll County.</span></div>
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<span>The specific type locality for carrollite in Carroll County was known as the Patapsco Mine(s), an operation that actually consisted of two mines: the Orchard Mine and the Wildeson Mine. Mining commenced in 1850 at the Wildeson Mine and in 1851 at the Orchard Mine. Both sites were mined for copper and by the 1870's iron.</span></div>
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<span>A costly attempt to exploit a 1852 discovery of a vein rich in cobalt ore led the identification and subsequent publication of carrollite. It also led to the financial failure of the mines in 1854. Thereafter mining resumed for copper through leases and different ownership.</span></div>
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<span>Soon after the discovery of carrollite, specimens bearing similar cobalt sulfides turned up elsewhere in southeastern Carroll County's Sykesville Mining District at the Mineral Hill</span><span> Mine and the Springfield Mine. These occurrences were small enough that mining was never considered. </span></div>
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<span>At least a few of the dumps, shafts, and pits of the Patapsco Mines, though overgrown and difficult to locate, were still accessible to a few cognoscenti in the late 1990's. By the turn of the millennium, remnants of the mining had been reclaimed or were considered to be lost. Collectors demonstrated minimal concern. The same kind of material the Patapsco Mines had yielded was easier to collect on the dumps of the Mineral Hill Mine. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tPNAXDr62HM-qTmmmocNdeMNUih7WzwDR2vx3bzTiCeEWWQDLLJTOGdWpkI5AIT410wqJD0pe8_Is2WKvWMQ5Q-0BobVRJdGuJKH4MNWYncnep1betpatkZ1dGfT-Iy8IxCKIfG1BuZx/s1600/magnetitepataps.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="1434" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tPNAXDr62HM-qTmmmocNdeMNUih7WzwDR2vx3bzTiCeEWWQDLLJTOGdWpkI5AIT410wqJD0pe8_Is2WKvWMQ5Q-0BobVRJdGuJKH4MNWYncnep1betpatkZ1dGfT-Iy8IxCKIfG1BuZx/s320/magnetitepataps.jpg" width="320" /></a><span><span><span>A</span><span> collector friend succeeded in locating what appeared to have once been a pit from one of the Patapsco Mines. On the ground nearby, we found lying on the ground several decent magnetite specimens with notable cleavage as well as rocks bearing significant malachite. Also present in a few rocks were very small amounts of epidote, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and bornite. </span></span><span>We found no evidence of "carrollite."</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCStACMAsfdajqnvDK0nSQWMiNc9mtez0z7ZkxScAbD6_7ZVpuuKVWobCEVL1RE8UDRTHO7ZAdZAZYVM2FJ9ZDF4RqfHVrwwpF4g47tKzcsNUZAKbWSK8TZc-k9ENP2vLkRyXTV3j4hGb3/s1600/patapscoazorchrys.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1085" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCStACMAsfdajqnvDK0nSQWMiNc9mtez0z7ZkxScAbD6_7ZVpuuKVWobCEVL1RE8UDRTHO7ZAdZAZYVM2FJ9ZDF4RqfHVrwwpF4g47tKzcsNUZAKbWSK8TZc-k9ENP2vLkRyXTV3j4hGb3/s320/patapscoazorchrys.jpg" width="216" /></a><span>After penetrating the surrounding dirt with a garden trowel, we found more that was too dirty to examine on site. The highlight of the day presented itself inside a rock that we broke open. Pictured at right, it appears to be chrysocolla, albeit of a deeper blue color than expected, some of which visually almost visually suggested azurite. The Natural History Society of Maryland's 1940 <i>Minerals of Maryland</i> publication by Ostrander and Price reported both species.</span></div>
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<span>Having found significant magnetite but no hint of cobalt sulfides (carrollite), we believe that our filled in with soil apparent former pit may have been associated with the Orchard Mine. We base this conclusion on a Summer, 1998 article by Johnnie Johnsson in </span><i>Matrix: A Journal of the History of Minerals</i><span> (also our source for specific earlier given dates) that limits discussion of carrollite to the Wildesen Mine.</span></div>
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<span>The same literature from 22 years ago describes other workings of the Patapsco Mines in a manner that begs for exploration. It mentions a "600 foot adit for extraction or drainage purposes." as well as "depressions in the area of the site near the river that could be from prospecting work, an adit, or remnants of the wheelhouse, crusher or furnace structures." </span><span> </span></div>
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Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-36637830664819893782019-08-21T03:07:00.000+01:002019-08-21T03:10:10.577+01:00Scoring East Coast Mineral Specimens at the East Coast Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECci7l882M9LMle1fX7CUgiEe4Y8t9W4tta-6TkMuore5NibnphyphenhyphenzxBb40qyDYRW9u7KHL1YmJ8iAgAhbsDDov8SaPyNEl5jHeTrPa71QbXLG2djjdXNjQSjrj8KMC6q646WMhaWMwG9G/s1600/adironda2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiECci7l882M9LMle1fX7CUgiEe4Y8t9W4tta-6TkMuore5NibnphyphenhyphenzxBb40qyDYRW9u7KHL1YmJ8iAgAhbsDDov8SaPyNEl5jHeTrPa71QbXLG2djjdXNjQSjrj8KMC6q646WMhaWMwG9G/s400/adironda2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For serious aficionados in the eastern and
northeastern United States,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the annual East Coast Gem, Mineral, and Fossil show in West Springfield, Massachusetts, each year on the second weekend of
August, is a summer highlight. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
happens Friday through Sunday and fills the Better Living Center at West Springfield's Eastern States Exposition. The focus of this post limits itself to finding dealers at this show with significant quantities of East Coast-collected specimens available for purchase. These specimens, most collected in the northeastern United States, show up almost exclusively amongst the retail dealers in the Better Living Center as opposed to those in the adjacent building, where the merchandise is devoted to wholesale trade.<br />
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This largest gem, mineral, and fossil show to happen in the Eastern United States is much the same every year. A special and impressive mineral exhibit from a well-known collection always adorns an entrance area leading to the wider space where lines of merchandise fill a dozen aisles of tables and shelves manned by about 150 dealers. A few of these dealers sell significant quantities of East Coast-collected mineral specimens. In nearly all cases, the prices are fair, sometimes bargain level. With few exceptions, dealers return each year to the same spot they occupied the previous year. In that regard, this post could be helpful to collectors of East Coast minerals here in future years.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXl7wVim4RGQMUr4F6h0PSs8PxUSue8NxOfW0wAsr1TEvy4hczSSuhAL_Y6R2yj_oOo5ja_mLhnPoUI8fKNXC_H_d6NckTFwWN3HeE53fu_oCUxekHRfU-ITvnouzN1Cq_yBAbDqYGvgW/s1600/vesuvianitesanford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXl7wVim4RGQMUr4F6h0PSs8PxUSue8NxOfW0wAsr1TEvy4hczSSuhAL_Y6R2yj_oOo5ja_mLhnPoUI8fKNXC_H_d6NckTFwWN3HeE53fu_oCUxekHRfU-ITvnouzN1Cq_yBAbDqYGvgW/s320/vesuvianitesanford.jpg" width="212" /></a><br />
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In 2019, however, some of the best East Coast bargains were offered by a first time vendor at an easy to miss table in the farthest corner from the show's entrance point. There, Bob Batic of Mountville, New Jersey traded as Bob's 2nd Act Collectibles. His personal collection was among those featured in the 2016 <u>Mineralogical Record</u> Supplement <i>Mineral Collections in the American Northeast</i>. For years, Bob's collection has evolved from worldwide with an East Coast emphasis to specializing in vintage East Coast specimens collected between 1875 and World War II. The transition produced plenty of notable specimens to sell, especially from older East Coast finds. Collectors found many of the prices to be irresistible.<br />
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Two rows past Mr. Batic, our visit to the busy Adironcack Fine Minerals table was too short. At least there was time to photograph part of the wide selection of East Coast Minerals to use as the title image for this post. The merchandise was attractive and reasonably priced Adirondack Fine Minerals also had a massive selection of large Herkimer Diamonds.<br />
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Three tables away on the same side of the aisle, Robert Rosenblatt traded as Rocko Minerals. A fixture at numerous East Coast events, his true-to-form selection of minerals was abundant in rare, and/or unusual, and ultimately collectable East Coast specimens at reasonable prices. Three such pieces proved irresistible to the personal mineralogical sensibilities of this writer: brazilianite crystals measuring to 2 cm. from Newport, New Hampshire; a gahnite floater to 3 cm. from Mount Apatite, Maine; and a beautiful thumbnail with a 1.1 cm. zircon crystal on matrix from Blackberry, New Hampshire atop a cluster of smaller zircon crystals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4SJn-wQArYlobtTMKaU4DlMrUUEuIvu_wNWHHyeSw430HjgKlYD7FhMiIPkK95KrtVgC4Ab4fJGmvJ6Riur-PcNp617wkXI680co4mRohqQHhajLpnZ4WT_gx1_sZRYwERexFQdKy3u4/s1600/_MG_7577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4SJn-wQArYlobtTMKaU4DlMrUUEuIvu_wNWHHyeSw430HjgKlYD7FhMiIPkK95KrtVgC4Ab4fJGmvJ6Riur-PcNp617wkXI680co4mRohqQHhajLpnZ4WT_gx1_sZRYwERexFQdKy3u4/s200/_MG_7577.jpg" width="200" /></a>Across the aisle between Adirondack Fine Minerals and Rocko, Geologic Desires has long been a major attraction not only at this East Coast Show, but at other venues extending to larger ones in Denver and ultimately Tucson. Owner Michael Walter has always made a point of featuring specimens that he and his associates have mined in St. Lawrence County, New York, which is the convenient location of his home and business. Often working in partnership with property owners, Walter uncovered and mined prospects that already have a reputation for being classic East Coast localities. Every year, Michael comes to the East Coast Show with new finds. An important find this year was a combination of calcite, quartz, and hematite from "the Dafoe Property" in St. Lawrence County. He uncovered these specimens there after several years of marketing and mining tourmaline crystals with visual similarities to the already classic dravite genre he previously brought to market from the nearby Powers Farm.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfxiOGV-gXNc136Fv-YFOf4izO5AGHjVo52ft0vv0itNAT3-FOi0Vx3EZ48f-XyQ8wc9w2zE58d8AO-fq17_cAZT9TUATXOoH_d1qvOBip-JngYLziX4NjqqL2mbKryXYODSRUZHnjFCg/s1600/_MG_7571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfxiOGV-gXNc136Fv-YFOf4izO5AGHjVo52ft0vv0itNAT3-FOi0Vx3EZ48f-XyQ8wc9w2zE58d8AO-fq17_cAZT9TUATXOoH_d1qvOBip-JngYLziX4NjqqL2mbKryXYODSRUZHnjFCg/s320/_MG_7571.jpg" width="213" /></a>Two aisles beyond, Jason Baskin's Jay's Minerals of Flemington, New Jersey, continues to be a must stop for East Coast material . As always, large quantities of just a few East Coast genres define the pickings. This year, one such genre was an extensive array of orange stilbite crystals from Moore's Station in Mercer County, New Jersey. Jay's Minerals is best known for its seemingly endless supply of now classic almandine garnets in graphite from the Red Embers Mine in Ervine,Massachussetts, where Baskin has an exclusive lease. The mine's name refers to the exquisite red hue these garnets display when light is placed beneath them. They may well have been the most popular single item in the show every year since first appearing here in 2014. Thereafter, especially since launching here in 2015 his serious find of amethyst crystals from Moosup, Connecticut, Jay's Minerals, like Geologic Desires, has attracted buyers eager to be in on what is new. This year he offered recently uncovered chrysocolla specimens from Bound Brook, New Jersey in an assortment that included some polished slabs<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlf0X1LJ1QAhh-GC4e2zz8iru_fYyDVscugVA_2C72ZkyypZ9iS-3Dljlq-F2Qq-c_LAxdzyGxjjOtGkzA_ilB_MvwL3xC5OhSdAAV3zpOWXm9W4snyxYsm7L6A7aYH-91_H5uSy9J1gs/s1600/_MG_7569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlf0X1LJ1QAhh-GC4e2zz8iru_fYyDVscugVA_2C72ZkyypZ9iS-3Dljlq-F2Qq-c_LAxdzyGxjjOtGkzA_ilB_MvwL3xC5OhSdAAV3zpOWXm9W4snyxYsm7L6A7aYH-91_H5uSy9J1gs/s200/_MG_7569.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
Two aisles past Jay's Minerals, Mark Gottlieb, of North Granby, Connecticut had some interesting East Coast specimens, many that he personally collected, at very reasonable prices. Included were some very intriguing cabinet sized clusters of milky quartz crystals from Moosup Connecticut. For this writer, a Marylander with ties to collectors and clubs that enjoy collecting at the National Limesone Quarry in Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pennsylvania, the huge selection of strontianite from that locality was notable<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Across the isle, the Yankee Mineral and Gem company of East Hampton, Connecticut offered an interesting selection of East Coast minerals. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Particularly intriguing this year was a stock of wolframite pseudomorph after scheelite specimens </span>from Old Mine Park in Trumball, Connecticut. Most were in the $50 range. However, one particularly nice example of the genre was priced at $650. And having previously been skunked after hiking up a mountain to collect at the Lord Hill Mine in Oxford County, Maine, seeing a sizable box of Lord Hill blue beryl crystals, most selling for about $5, once again struck a personal chord.<br />
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Collection Arkane, a prominent Canadian dealership from Mt. St. Hilaire, Quebec, had many fine minerals from localities in eastern Canada that were no further away from West Springield than many localities in the northeastern United States.The wares included attractive, diverse, and fairly priced suites from Mt. St. Hilaire, Francon Quarry, and the Jeffrey Quarry in Quebec. From more distant spots, but worth mentioning, was a large group of specimens from the ever popular Rapid Creek locality in the Yukon Territory.<br />
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In the next aisle, Nature's Choice from Newington, Connectictut, despite a worldwide focus, had plenty of East Coast specimens, enough to be worthy of a stop for collectors seeking them. Most were priced in the $10 to $25 range and from Massachusetts or Connecticut.<br />
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As our one day at the show, which was intended only for buying, neared an end , the decision was made to put together a post about its availability of East Coast minerals. This entailed once again seeking out all the dealers we had observed with conspicuous quantities of them available. Very likely, a few of the finest specimens in the show could have been offered by some of the show's prominent high end dealers who are widely known far beyond the Eastern United States. Our assumption is that the relatively few collectors in attendance who were looking to buy such specimens would know where to find them. We extend our apologies to any dealers with significant quantities of East Coast specimens whom we failed to cover.<br />
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Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-65642233970138752042019-08-03T03:15:00.000+01:002019-08-05T02:01:48.050+01:00The Garnets of Stony Run in Baltimore City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESczwCNCRMCh5sujuz3qGCgEDZM79jsyrN-kWkzFiDAqoDG_UXb-vAx6UtHgC1XNiYnVQn7yt6qA3BGw4o1GcYP4gGuPdVlmjfIAuISnK5QD-WpXnqDRRZ3QFM-Thu-bIgieZMXJk0CEA/s1600/WRIGHTGARNET1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="1600" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESczwCNCRMCh5sujuz3qGCgEDZM79jsyrN-kWkzFiDAqoDG_UXb-vAx6UtHgC1XNiYnVQn7yt6qA3BGw4o1GcYP4gGuPdVlmjfIAuISnK5QD-WpXnqDRRZ3QFM-Thu-bIgieZMXJk0CEA/s320/WRIGHTGARNET1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">A new garnet locality has emerged in Wyman Park along Stony Run. It has produced crystals that visually resemble those pictured above. They were collected </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">about a third of a mile upstream at </span><span style="font-size: large;">the historic long closed and built over Wright Quarry. The new spot is along a short stretch of Stony Run between the Wyman Park Drive Bridge and where it enters a tunnel before flowing into Jones Falls en route to Baltimore Harbor. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Mineral Bliss</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i> was here before in conjunction with a <a href="http://mineralbliss.blogspot.com/2014/08/stumped-on-rock-from-baltimores-stony.html">2014 post</a></span><span style="font-size: large;">. Its subject was a piece of quartz we found in the stream that hosted several white concentric circles, which rendered us "stumped." We now suspect these circles were once a contact point for small stalactites or stalagmites that had long ago originated within a cavity in rock somewhere upstream.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2PxA5OZA831IlGGYy4QnjsYKekqCt4FcQo9_d63279f3lHJ7ZJR9oKwN8ysc5PlCZzem2KazmsAT1vv6pTCHPekb2eDK_ISHMtz0BxhgCHUFW1jn0tLgmHNbRviiva0_At48oQm1Og_X/s1600/stuartgood-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2PxA5OZA831IlGGYy4QnjsYKekqCt4FcQo9_d63279f3lHJ7ZJR9oKwN8ysc5PlCZzem2KazmsAT1vv6pTCHPekb2eDK_ISHMtz0BxhgCHUFW1jn0tLgmHNbRviiva0_At48oQm1Og_X/s320/stuartgood-2.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">On a recent steamy July Sunday, </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">local aficionado and collector of regional minerals Stuart Herring</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">directed our second visit. We came to look for garnets, and we succeeded in finding them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jones Falls Schist and hornblende rich Baltimore Gneiss share the country rock everywhere that</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Stony Run flows through </span><span style="font-size: large;">Wyman Park.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Intruding the schist and gneiss are at least three separate pegmatite dikes. They differ according to varying proportions, hues, and varieties of quartz, mica, and feldspar minerals. Interestingly and importantly, all</span><span style="font-size: large;"> three pegmatites have yielded similar gemmy red </span><span style="font-size: large;">almandine garnet crystals. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Heading downhill through overgrown brush to reach the stream </span><span style="font-size: large;"> from the west side of Remington</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Avenue below Wyman Park Drive was easier than it was</span><span style="font-size: large;"> 5 years ago. Since then, a diagonal swath extending about halfway to the stream was created to allow heavy</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">equipment to descend, then dig and blast as </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">necessary to replace a decaying sewer line. The blasting dislodged a significant amount of pegmatite rock from beneath the soil. Some of the pieces made their way further downhill toward and into the stream. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWyF3ABFNE3q4F9iLWloNW4cRndpQKWRmFUxcvLUKKblsJ_mOp7rfOzdKiRrVRFArte4l54SIC7ShVj6Kb-umRoX_8paNIWTB8mQZ-8uQV7GEoZp7awuNneQLZdsCFVqv-AWGQ0pc8pBt/s1600/contact+zxone.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWyF3ABFNE3q4F9iLWloNW4cRndpQKWRmFUxcvLUKKblsJ_mOp7rfOzdKiRrVRFArte4l54SIC7ShVj6Kb-umRoX_8paNIWTB8mQZ-8uQV7GEoZp7awuNneQLZdsCFVqv-AWGQ0pc8pBt/s200/contact+zxone.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Directly across the stream from where we approached is a much steeper embankment that exposes a contact point between the Jones Falls schist and a pegmatite dike. The recent blasting suggests that very likely this same pegmatite once extended to our side of the stream. Comprising it are differing amounts of microcline, albite, and plagioclase feldspar along with quartz and mica. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozaQ-6kcJ4u7dyspPfh8yAIokzB1zC34h6TcobUdEFOtFtCkaOpq4oMgIBnNw6xL_LGXZ-4MIP7M6J-2K76oanHMYiCl2VvXVXJ-r3jv5X7UlsKvf9UwhHII_Z7h_Bss4tSysXu0l5lqq/s1600/garnetlowerstonybest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="1276" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozaQ-6kcJ4u7dyspPfh8yAIokzB1zC34h6TcobUdEFOtFtCkaOpq4oMgIBnNw6xL_LGXZ-4MIP7M6J-2K76oanHMYiCl2VvXVXJ-r3jv5X7UlsKvf9UwhHII_Z7h_Bss4tSysXu0l5lqq/s200/garnetlowerstonybest.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: center;">The garnet crystals within rarely measure more than 1/2 inch. Mostly they reveal themselves inside the pegmatite rock when it is broken, which unfortunately is likely to damage many of the crystals. We obtained our garnets, such as pictured at right, by hammering away at a few rocks and cobbles plucked from along the stream bank and in the stream. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After a little more than an hour, we headed upstream to the area where Stony Run flows past the former Wright Quarry site. Our approach was longer </span><span style="font-size: large;">than the previously mentioned 1/3 mile</span><span style="font-size: large;"> and roundabout to avoid impenetrable vegetation. Along the way, Stuart pointed through a wooded area where several years ago, the City had blasted into a </span><span style="font-size: large;">different pegmatite where a tannish microcline was dominant. Once again, the City's purpose had been to replace a portion of aging sewer line, The blasting produced and revealed numerous garnet bearing pegmatite boulders. They remained at the site long enough for Stuart to accumulate an attractive selection of specimens bearing attractive almandine crystals resembling those we'd just collected. Ultimately the material was hauled away with no trace remaining. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The former Wright Quarry site was more approachable. A pegmatite consisting primarily of white albite once intruded through its walls. In earlier times, reports show this pegmatite yielded not only garnets, but beryl, zoisite (var.) thulite, fluorapatite, and autunite. Long after the Wright Quarry closed and even as the Johns Hopkins University campus extended into and over its site, a few garnet yielding pegmatitic rocks from the old Wright Quarry dumps remained above and along the stream banks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They disappeared in recent years during a Baltimore City Department of Public Works project that reinforced the stream bank to slow erosion. When the work was complete, the few rocks and boulders once part of the Wright Quarry dump were nowhere to be seen. Sometime thereafter Stuart noticed a few pieces of material that looked like </span><span style="font-size: large;">Wright Quarry albite in the stream near its now reinforced bank. He suspected that some of the Wright Quarry rocks and boulders could have ended up beneath the recently reinforced stream bank from which storm currents could have dislodged them. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvK6MS-IhELCGOGjvOLFMwLF6PxeYiEd28fhsgGVuOiFyuFBOEp83JF1ht_Q11NAOLAO3JFsnZUOnVN7GUXH0tnllJsfItW_EOUfedSKWMtVEUE4LCJXYdaCtYOLMinUFJHjiircieYSR/s1600/stonywrightminute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1485" data-original-width="1600" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvK6MS-IhELCGOGjvOLFMwLF6PxeYiEd28fhsgGVuOiFyuFBOEp83JF1ht_Q11NAOLAO3JFsnZUOnVN7GUXH0tnllJsfItW_EOUfedSKWMtVEUE4LCJXYdaCtYOLMinUFJHjiircieYSR/s200/stonywrightminute.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">We pulled two such rocks out of the stream, each weighing several </span><span style="font-size: large;">pounds When cracked open, portions of both rocks revealed hundreds of tiny, mostly broken gemmy </span><span style="font-size: large;">red garnet crystals measuring from one to two millimeters. Such ubiquitous small garnet crystals have long been considered definitive of Wright Quarry pegmatite and never known to be present in other nearby pegmatites. Pictured at right is is a large fragment from one of the rocks we collected. It is reasonable to believe that it could be one of the last examples of Wright Quarry garnet to be found. </span>Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-56887987844707723902019-07-16T22:03:00.000+01:002019-07-19T17:30:55.821+01:00Pink Quartz, not Rose Quartz in Harford County, Maryland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImUHxE9tI2Q2_HaoAjJBmVtGTImJrKf1PI5pqWRaOQL0HoiSU2dq42ASfdCoRsyq5Rmoaxg0Hj5JFU92dSkBWK8Eoz6xRZEluvdOX1ZbovWaTp_ZbSqvZ1ec5sbg_YoN3wtuHGMUGXF2A/s1600/pinkquartz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImUHxE9tI2Q2_HaoAjJBmVtGTImJrKf1PI5pqWRaOQL0HoiSU2dq42ASfdCoRsyq5Rmoaxg0Hj5JFU92dSkBWK8Eoz6xRZEluvdOX1ZbovWaTp_ZbSqvZ1ec5sbg_YoN3wtuHGMUGXF2A/s320/pinkquartz.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The question is whether the above pictured image is actually rose
quartz. This writer collected it in Southeastern Harford County, Maryland. Rose
quartz has never been officially identified and verified as occurring in
Maryland. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Numerous well-versed regional
authorities who viewed this specimen have given different reasons why they believe it is not rose
quartz. While most of them were credible, none were scientific. “You could call
it rose quartz" was as close as any response came to a confirmation of
rose quartz. However, it went on to note: "It's just not quite the right color.” </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVz9xFLuH0mTp3-Gq_dzwcHyhxGLxOtU3n3ClP55gwxSOs8XfgINFIgGuu4gomQXB8IxNr5UUZNIoU-QfyZUkmGef7l38UrHz-2pVQUVUYZu_UsaQTOfBBlchKcY3gMj2SjvP8a72o1q_/s1600/IMG-2374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVz9xFLuH0mTp3-Gq_dzwcHyhxGLxOtU3n3ClP55gwxSOs8XfgINFIgGuu4gomQXB8IxNr5UUZNIoU-QfyZUkmGef7l38UrHz-2pVQUVUYZu_UsaQTOfBBlchKcY3gMj2SjvP8a72o1q_/s200/IMG-2374.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPL3sJTAUkVshYXgaMSWNHrvWoj5kV5-uZGa7D0-cSRj9iOAYLl0zuSHqOyOWpG5RKaePwVQxH_AsG7kSEFlg9Vq3wjVKCK-whcIq0fKWW8tP5-XMmwM3cDO49sI8ddfWnitj0XEsOzPm6/s1600/IMG-2375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPL3sJTAUkVshYXgaMSWNHrvWoj5kV5-uZGa7D0-cSRj9iOAYLl0zuSHqOyOWpG5RKaePwVQxH_AsG7kSEFlg9Vq3wjVKCK-whcIq0fKWW8tP5-XMmwM3cDO49sI8ddfWnitj0XEsOzPm6/s320/IMG-2375.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The genuine rose quartz specimen at left was placed amidst a varied assortment of quartz cobbles and pebbles that members of a family collected in the woods behind their house. On a recent visit, the specimen in our title picture turned up
after we had spent about 15 minutes turning over rocks in their woods. It visually resembled the uncontested rose quartz specimen as much as any of the previously collected pieces shown at right. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The locality is a wooded area to the southwest of Rt. 152
about 2 1/2 miles northwest of I-95. It is at a point where Maryland's Coastal
Plain intersects with its Piedmont. Small cobbles of quartz and quartzite along with a few less
distinctive metamorphic rocks are ubiquitous underfoot. Nearly all of the quartz and quartzite show color:
red, yellow orange, brown, and ---yes pink. These colors result from a presence of iron oxide, typically hematite, that has stained the quartz and has often become included within as the quartz formed millions of years ago from a complex sequence of geological events. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">By the standard definition, rose quartz owes its color to inclusions of crystals of one, possibly other minerals within the quartz. Staining is never a factor. The inclusions are separate, miniscule and all but impossible to separate so that analysis of them by x-ray diffraction is rarely possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Mindat cites two studies stating that massive rose quartz
always has a "hazy to translucent character due to microscopic fibrous
inclusions of a pink borosilicate mineral related to dumortierite." The
likelihood is all but nil that inclusions of such a species, which is not
known to occur in Maryland, would show up within quartz pebbles exclusively in an area where most of the quartz shows iron oxide staining and/or inclusions. Without analysis or a nearby presence of
verified rose quartz, a better option is to call the material “pink quartz.” </span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It takes a good
polish, has more variants, and can be just as pretty.</span><br />
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Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-53537506641585683562018-07-19T22:39:00.000+01:002018-07-21T19:32:36.087+01:00Baltimorite <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpEJsi9PFOx3IvpQybq_PwTxu8E29TAGuR7RQhNqq7RpnOj-sdhYu5MqCS85sABkVsTFhqOAy8B3JwCfAFVLu_UZBwY56fypaxGb-dyL3eWgI0tbonBLmgFfOZOvDL8XUVp1SP9BEFCMO/s1600/baltimoreitebarhills3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpEJsi9PFOx3IvpQybq_PwTxu8E29TAGuR7RQhNqq7RpnOj-sdhYu5MqCS85sABkVsTFhqOAy8B3JwCfAFVLu_UZBwY56fypaxGb-dyL3eWgI0tbonBLmgFfOZOvDL8XUVp1SP9BEFCMO/s400/baltimoreitebarhills3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pictured above is a specimen of serpentine collected circa 1940 at the chromite bearing serpentine barrens of Bare Hills in Baltimore County, Maryland. It is one of several such specimens The Natural History Society of Maryland owns. Very likely Charles Ostrander and/or Walter Price, the Society's prominent curators at the time, collected them. The NHSM labels identified the specimens as "baltimorite". <u>Minerals of Maryland</u>, the NSHM publication that these two curators co-authored in 1940, may have been the last regional publication to suggest that "baltimorite" was a species or variety of a species.<br />
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Mindat describes baltimorite as a "synonym for antigorite." along with 11 other names including "gymnite" and "porcellophite." Interestingly, <u>Minerals of Maryland</u><i> </i>refers to "gymnite" and "porcellophite" as separate minerals that also occur, along with "baltimorite," at Bare Hills. The three names have since all but disappeared from mineralogical parlance, although Bernard and Hyrsl's <u>Minerals and Their Localities</u> refers to gymnite as a synonym for <a href="http://mineralbliss.blogspot.com/2010/05/deweylite-confusion.html">deweylite</a>, which is typically identified as a mixture of several varying different species that can occur together at some of central Maryland's serpentine outcrops.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition to naming twelve antigorite synonyms, Mindat also names eight varieties of antigorite. Two of them, williamsite and chrome antigorite, are known to those who collect in the serpentinized areas of Central Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania. Highly valued in lapidary circles, williamsite is best described as a solid and translucent apple-green antigorite included with specks of black chromite. Chrome antigorite displays varying amounts of reddish purple coloring attributed to the presence of chromium. It is usually columnar or fibrous and known to occur primarily at the now off-limits Woods Chrome Pits in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania just a few miles north of the Mayland state line. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwGxhOAsTgMBE-1s9cHV03QbgxbdzB5WIHeAXCtV-6sZJdNKLNZfzHeipzhMQs7Db_XJ3wuA4BgNpArsUWrFvgFj_ywKYFzdofr7q76ldhIHZPwTL1Z7XwZDhJUpPCsmisxani3dW-5ev/s1600/baltimoreitemysteryansweredpicrolite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwGxhOAsTgMBE-1s9cHV03QbgxbdzB5WIHeAXCtV-6sZJdNKLNZfzHeipzhMQs7Db_XJ3wuA4BgNpArsUWrFvgFj_ywKYFzdofr7q76ldhIHZPwTL1Z7XwZDhJUpPCsmisxani3dW-5ev/s320/baltimoreitemysteryansweredpicrolite.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LlOmJeNhV2OkO0YFXm65ZI3gI5WrKUAafmzlBsTY7z_cnNa2GQgxthm7jxX-fX1ISLcGjN5fVE2KD4AidFSd6VeDiEI_ONhk3bzcKrL57fbaWdfO69dcCEO-adFQ-Y5nV0owXlIhGakC/s1600/picrolitesolddel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LlOmJeNhV2OkO0YFXm65ZI3gI5WrKUAafmzlBsTY7z_cnNa2GQgxthm7jxX-fX1ISLcGjN5fVE2KD4AidFSd6VeDiEI_ONhk3bzcKrL57fbaWdfO69dcCEO-adFQ-Y5nV0owXlIhGakC/s200/picrolitesolddel.jpg" width="200" /></a>Antigorite, lizardite, and chrystotile are the best known of 13 species in the serpentine subgroup. In addition to these 13 species, the serpentine subgroup as an entity boasts eight varieties, none of them approved as species in their own right.<br />
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One such serpentine subgroup varietiy is picrolite. Mindat defines picrolite primarily by habit as "a columnar or coarsely fibrous (non - asbestiform) <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">variety of serpentine commonly referred to as a variety of antigorite, but may be other species." The most common of these "other" species are the serpentine subgroup mineral species lizardite and chrystotile. Picrolite is ubiquitous at nearly all the serpentine exposures in central Maryland and southern Pennsylvania. Note the label on the NHSM specimen at right : "Serpentine, var. baltimorite (Picrolite). It makes sense. Here it can be assumed that the term picrolite was used to to refer to the columnar habit of the sample. The original material that was given the name baltimorite in 1843 and wherever else the name was used thereafter matched the Mindat description of picrolite. Typically the color of picrolite is green as shown in the image at left. Interestingly the color of the several "baltimorite" specimens at NHSM---which are the only specimens anywhere so labeled that we are aware of--- is brown. Would it be unreasonable to colloquially refer to picrolite of brown color as "baltimorite?" An interesting aside is that the approved species known as "chrome antigorite," like picrolite, is almost always columnar.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">It was Thomas Thomson, a British mineralogist, who came up with the name baltimorite in 1843 (</span><span style="background-color: white;">Phil.Mag.22, 1911)</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">. He had recently received a specimen from the well-known American scholar and collector Francis Alger. Collected at Bare Hills in Baltimore County, the specimen was opaque with a silky luster and consisted of longitudinal fibers that adhered to each other. Alger had referred to the material as "asbestos and chrome."Thomson studied the specimen. After ruling out the presence of asbestos as well as chromium, he named it baltimorite for the locality.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Two years later,</span><span style="background-color: white;"> citing </span><i>Peggendorff's Annals</i><span style="background-color: white;">, Vol. lxii, p. 137,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i> The Edinburgh New</i><i> Philospophical Journal</i>, Volume 39 published in an article that the German mineralogist </span><span style="background-color: white;">Karl Friedrich August Rammelsberg had found that Thomson's "baltimorite" was identical </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> to other material that had become known as chrysotile by Kobel. Franz Kobel was another German mineralogist, who had originally called the material Schiller asbestos. The conclusion: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">"As the latter (baltimorite) was described subsequently to the former, the name of baltimorite must be given up."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">However, the baltimorite handle endured, only to receive an additional blow in 1855 by a supplement to Dana's <u>The System of Mineralogy</u>. Therein it was noted that two years earlier, the German mineralogist C. von Hauer had published a new analysis of purported baltimorite in which the chemical composition varied from the original composition given by Thomson. The Dana supplement concluded: </span><br />
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<i>We have a new analysis of a stone which somebody has labeled baltimorite. It is very wide from the original baltimorite of Thomson (from Bare Hills, Maryland) and is no better entitled to the name than many other fibrous stones that could be gathered from our serpentine regions.</i></blockquote>
Eighty one years later in 1936, the <i>American Mineralogical Association</i> placed the final nail in "baltimorite's" coffin. <i>The</i> <i>American Mineralogist</i> in an abstract of a paper by George C. Selfridge, Jr. of Columbia University entitled "An X-ray and Optical Investigation of the Serpentine Minerals" proclaimed on page 463:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Based on the results of the x-ray and optical studies and the chemical discussion---to drop the names picrosmine, picrolite, williamsite, bowenite, porcellophite, and baltimorite for the term antigorite. The term serpentinite is suggested for rocks composed of serpentine or antigorite or a mixture of both. </i></blockquote>
The recommendation came at about the same time as the mineral aficionados at NHSM were collecting and labeling "baltimorite" specimens from either Bare Hills or the geologically similar Soldiers Delight serpentine outcrops, also in Baltimore County. Interestingly, the NHSM labeled as "picrolite" numerous specimens from serpentine outcrops in Maryland's Harford County that appeared to differ from those labeled "baltimorite" only by their green color.<br />
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Then in 1956, in Vol. 41 of <i>The American Mineralogist</i>, a 21 page paper by George T. Faust and Bartholomew Nagy outlined studies showing "that minerals classified as serpentines are either chrysotile, antigorite, or natural mixtures of these two minerals--- It is suggested that serpentines should be redefined in terms of the relative proportions of antigorite and chrysotile"<br />
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Notwithstanding, the endless questions, answers, and names involving various species and varieties in the Serpentine Subgroup have continued---and undoubtedly will continue--- to evolve without reference to baltimorite For now, here is the best definition for baltimorite we've been able to come up with: an obsolete and antiquated synonym for picrolite, a serpentine group variety, which depending upon composition may actually be antigorite, lizardite, chrystotile, or a combination of them.<br />
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<i>We are grateful to John S. White, Past Curator in Charge of the Mineral and Gem collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History for suggesting this story, turning us on to some of the referenced sources, and proofreading it. </i><br />
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Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-45525425323498025602018-03-07T00:21:00.002+00:002018-03-07T03:03:09.827+00:00Leesite: Another New Species Discovered by Patrick Haynes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEppExSmEA9LohY2YXU4mYfcpVlHRIfUeLFQ30wrRMDc6l2RFVnZ85J9Cqnvn3H3jygDO3MkHAPrAwHYyViAGsFtEZiBi69ZdZja2QcaKmN7tG_LsQupxZP0-XfHQuApPFAtpDHXmMBKwO/s1600/LeesPh11C+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="853" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEppExSmEA9LohY2YXU4mYfcpVlHRIfUeLFQ30wrRMDc6l2RFVnZ85J9Cqnvn3H3jygDO3MkHAPrAwHYyViAGsFtEZiBi69ZdZja2QcaKmN7tG_LsQupxZP0-XfHQuApPFAtpDHXmMBKwO/s400/LeesPh11C+resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leesite</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVG9Optg5MZNR2qpWAoiRppZcLJe4wPXy8GlPe0U3GsMoxCdXhiIZZAQrsQmdsSwz_loWR3GdEkUAJ61pUftSgs0nbgQSGFqGF8AmaLz3ldefMFuC64-9N18MQCC89GXkgmk6ITNWj6yU/s1600/patrickhaynesrecenresizedt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVG9Optg5MZNR2qpWAoiRppZcLJe4wPXy8GlPe0U3GsMoxCdXhiIZZAQrsQmdsSwz_loWR3GdEkUAJ61pUftSgs0nbgQSGFqGF8AmaLz3ldefMFuC64-9N18MQCC89GXkgmk6ITNWj6yU/s320/patrickhaynesrecenresizedt.jpg" title="Leesite" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patrick Haynes</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">In </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1989, Patrick Haynes collected what 27 years
later would become the new uranyl oxide micromineral leesite. Its locality is the
Jomac Mine in White Canyon, San Juan County, Utah. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It is the locality, where at about the same
time, Haynes </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">discovered two similarly
rare and microscopic uranium bearing species, blatonite and oswaldpeetersite. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The name leesite is eponymous with Brian
Lees, the legendary owner of Collector’s Edge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Soon after collecting
it, Haynes examined material under the microscope and assumed that it should be
an identifiable species. The orange color led him to suspect it to be
fourmarierite or curite. He submitted it to Dr. Michel Deliens at the Royal
Belgian Department of Natural History in Brussels, Belgium along with other
material, which the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) would later
approve as blatonite and oswaldpeetersite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The verdict on the future leesite suggested that it was a combination of
species.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ten to
fifteen years later, Haynes learned about success at identifying difficult new
species by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Frank Hawthorne,
Professor of Mineralogy and Crystallography at the University of Manitoba. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sent a sample of the orange unknown
material to Dr. Hawthorne to examine. Like the scientists in Brussels, Dr. Hawthorne
believed it could be a mixture, but this time of a different combination of minerals.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Haynes <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>explained: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Leesite is very fine-grained, and it
is commonly associated with another orange potassium uranium oxide called
compreignacite, which can make sample preparation very difficult. With the few
"coarser" crystals one can generally make a visual determination, but
that is unusual.<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A few years
later Pat became aware that Travis Olds and Tony Kampf had been “working up
these ridiculously tiny minerals from Utah.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around
that time, Haynes encountered Dr. Peter Burns from University of Notre Dame,
under whom Olds had studied when earning his PhD. He sent samples of the questionable
material to Dr. Burns and PhD students to study. Dr. Olds, now a post-doctorate
researcher at the University of Washington and his associates produced a
successful and convincing analysis. Then Tony Kampf and several other
mineralogists provided further input. The result was the submission of an
abstract to the IMA for approval <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of a
new species, to be named leesite. The approval came in 2016.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">IMA rules stipulate
that approval of a new species becomes official only after the authors of the
abstract seeking that approval have published a synopsis. That happened in January,
2018, when the American Mineralogist published a synopsis of leesite by Olds,
Kampf, et al. Patrick Haynes believes that only 130 samples of leesite are
known to exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of them, were
collected at the Jomac Mine, which was reclaimed in 1992, and leesite has been
reported from no other locality on earth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-8635616874026263062018-02-08T17:14:00.000+00:002018-02-12T18:04:58.883+00:00Alfredo Petrov and an Opal Sulfur Dilemma<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHJ1DoTn4Y2iLM7MAZ0DTFwyd4qNabdcMzPcbmGEiH4n-PU49BoZScqG2bWfrPrmR148M904Ukcf2s266Z23bfD-_cZcucXyd3NLcC2ylbrPE-06OXSoeXSAAvS62H2j8yYCH2TjRa-q3/s1600/IMG_3744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHJ1DoTn4Y2iLM7MAZ0DTFwyd4qNabdcMzPcbmGEiH4n-PU49BoZScqG2bWfrPrmR148M904Ukcf2s266Z23bfD-_cZcucXyd3NLcC2ylbrPE-06OXSoeXSAAvS62H2j8yYCH2TjRa-q3/s320/IMG_3744.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">S</span>omething is different in Tucson this year. Alfredo Petrov and his inventory of mostly unusual specimens with precise handwritten labels are nowhere to be found at the Inn Suites. Nor will he be doing the big show. Instead, he is among a small group of wholesale and retail dealers with interesting minerals in the JTI tent at La Fuente de Piedras, 1535 North Oracle.<br />
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Here as at the Inn Suites, Alfredo holds forth about minerals with a diverse stream of connoisseurs, cognoscenti, and the simply curious. More often than not, the topic relates to specimens he is selling. It seemed odd when he picked up from amongst those specimens a small cabinet specimen of native sulfur crystals. Their locality was the El Desierto Mine in southwestern Bolivia. These crystals seemed at first an unlikely pick for Alfredo, a dealer of minerals that are less common. Nearby, a Jewel Tunnel Imports table was completely covered with similar pieces.<br />
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Alfredo acknowledged that that it was the bright yellow color of these and all native sulfur crystals that attracted most collectors. Except for certain uranium bearing minerals, not many easily acquired species can compete with them in terms of brilliance. He recalls when his mentor, the late mineralogical icon Rock Currier instructed him: "Alfredo, I'm going to teach you the three secrets to success at selling minerals. They are #1 color; #2 color; #3 color." Interestingly, Currier was the first to bring El Desierto Mine sulfur crystals to the US. He imported about 15 tons of them. Over the last decade, other dealers have imported another five or so tons. The market for these beautiful crystals is endless.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQo3FgUl2oS8qO4drH4N9Ch6Q1XB4tyjeq7BVCdcwKWZCwvhXEPDbE12hil2zI0T5xo89LpnjcawY5TNovVjlmSswzqUh4Mfsgf_CnyRZ2H62Xuhn5EKheF0-nwViHDAqhN-Qj8N172rB/s1600/IMG_3743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQo3FgUl2oS8qO4drH4N9Ch6Q1XB4tyjeq7BVCdcwKWZCwvhXEPDbE12hil2zI0T5xo89LpnjcawY5TNovVjlmSswzqUh4Mfsgf_CnyRZ2H62Xuhn5EKheF0-nwViHDAqhN-Qj8N172rB/s1600/IMG_3743.JPG" /></a><br />
Alfredo's interest, however, goes beyond the color. He points to the white transparent material atop some of the crystals. It is hyalite opal. Viewed from a distance, its presence makes the crystals seem less distinct, even less brilliant. Alfredo explains:<br />
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"What's important is that the sulfur forms from volcanic fumarole fumes. The sulfur is in the gas, and the crystals grow out of the gas. There is no liquid involved as there is when most minerals form. If the hyalite opal formed volcanic gases, where could the silica be in that gas? Opal is derived from quartz, which doesn't evaporate, so you don't get siliceous gas. </blockquote>
He continues:<br />
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"The melting point of sulfur is 108<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">°</span>C. The presence of the hyalite proves that the temperature of opal deposition. was 108<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">°</span>C or less. If the opal had ever reached that temperature, the sulfur crystals would have been melted. "</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9Nj1mkU5MC4Zhyn5-tuwr6sc2W56LWgwe8WwgN6yDpqiMxGgybE4cSm2sRtIcIE9WPb4nNQJgLQvJEaDT8na-c91Aud5KsXTLzallDAbXysrKugXD8-uRsoYLMfUDoKCi7w7jykVIDIl/s1600/IMG_3742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9Nj1mkU5MC4Zhyn5-tuwr6sc2W56LWgwe8WwgN6yDpqiMxGgybE4cSm2sRtIcIE9WPb4nNQJgLQvJEaDT8na-c91Aud5KsXTLzallDAbXysrKugXD8-uRsoYLMfUDoKCi7w7jykVIDIl/s320/IMG_3742.jpg" width="240" /></a> Alfredo then points to a larger specimen where a small amount of the sulfur is black in color. He notes that analysis has shown the black material to be covellite, a copper sulfide. This occurrence raises a similar question. The type locality for covellite is Mount Vesuvius, which demonstrates its potential for volcanic origin.<br />
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Metallic sulfides formed as volcanic sublimates are rare albeit explainable. But how does one explain the presence of silica in any any kind of volcanic sublimate? Despite his legendary knowledge of minerals, Alfredo does not have a sure answer.<br />
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"There is a well-known theory among volcanologist," he notes, "that silica is trasported by HF (hydrofluoric acid), a very, very, very nasty gas, which transports silicon as SiF4 (silicon tetrafluoride)."</blockquote>
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Alfredo spends considerable time field collecting in volcanic regions, especially in Japan. And then:<br />
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"If this is true, then spending much time breathing around volcanic fumaroles would be a very unhealthy experience, and I'm going to die a nasty death."</blockquote>
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Let's hope it isn't true, and there's a different chemical mechanism we don't know about yet.<br />
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I<br />
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Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-86016668853138677552017-11-26T17:09:00.000+00:002017-12-10T17:16:53.430+00:00A Wonderful Display of Japanese Mineral Specimens <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">The mineral room at Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science at Ueno Park in Tokyo offers a different kind of experience than most other museums where minerals are on display.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Its focus is less about "eye candy" and more about hundreds of different mineral species showcased by a thoughtfully designed lighting system. Most are medium sized cabinet specimens supported by brackets.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1shXJl8ltNw5xmF3AzX1TeHkxw5v-M_ztXfQaMFwonZEaw71E8CFnewrq0yIHOp8ouNHMN_RgcE3B2NlRYmbY_3i2r6jNzisBr-RAxfvwUnyIB4ZAOXQSj3HR5pOwwYxGOARSoYgA_Ej/s1600/zbicchulitedng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1325" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1shXJl8ltNw5xmF3AzX1TeHkxw5v-M_ztXfQaMFwonZEaw71E8CFnewrq0yIHOp8ouNHMN_RgcE3B2NlRYmbY_3i2r6jNzisBr-RAxfvwUnyIB4ZAOXQSj3HR5pOwwYxGOARSoYgA_Ej/s200/zbicchulitedng.jpg" width="165" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">To foreign visitors unaware of what to expect, the exhibit should appear to be a very diverse collection of species. Thankfully, the labels name them in English as well as Japanese. Other pertinent information, including localities, are in Japanese. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The collection leans heavily toward uncommon minerals and rarities. Mineral names like ohotskite, yoshimuraite, and tsugaruite bespeak the emphasis on species first identified in Japan. </span><a href="https://www.mindat.org/" style="font-family: inherit;">Mindat</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> reveals many are found exclusively in Japan. A museum website in English shows a </span><a href="http://db.kahaku.go.jp/webmuseum_en/collect/search_rule.do;jsessionid=9893BE268C82C9743FE90E91C238638D?class_name=col_c1_02" style="font-family: inherit;">catalog</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> for an enormous inventory naming species, catalog number, country, and prefecture. It makes clear that the collection is all about the minerals of Japan. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyhRfKaugBqxVyzCoUHRM6kfsbBuwtYjDHbHXED5-18O_eJtZJ-1GMOXBQhRHt8HfouucW7EohzAwfUSxBaqqwSSvH68wQLm_wYSvZJUWUm5zPq7PGIEOap0mBFBPgxyDbf3eTkizygvL/s1600/zhenmilitge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1578" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyhRfKaugBqxVyzCoUHRM6kfsbBuwtYjDHbHXED5-18O_eJtZJ-1GMOXBQhRHt8HfouucW7EohzAwfUSxBaqqwSSvH68wQLm_wYSvZJUWUm5zPq7PGIEOap0mBFBPgxyDbf3eTkizygvL/s200/zhenmilitge.jpg" width="195" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JQzzyL4d5IEKVT_hjUAd4-LHDiqLC80AW_Uqns8VZM2T1BYwuhG-10qsp63SJ2HGSE0X7395atREwfJdYqiSMPVX1EC5Ww5AsEM0miaOlE61Uj9h1meiksa6WpRGEmJEmyzzucaiDp0x/s1600/littlehenmilitewhole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="321" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JQzzyL4d5IEKVT_hjUAd4-LHDiqLC80AW_Uqns8VZM2T1BYwuhG-10qsp63SJ2HGSE0X7395atREwfJdYqiSMPVX1EC5Ww5AsEM0miaOlE61Uj9h1meiksa6WpRGEmJEmyzzucaiDp0x/s200/littlehenmilitewhole.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JQzzyL4d5IEKVT_hjUAd4-LHDiqLC80AW_Uqns8VZM2T1BYwuhG-10qsp63SJ2HGSE0X7395atREwfJdYqiSMPVX1EC5Ww5AsEM0miaOlE61Uj9h1meiksa6WpRGEmJEmyzzucaiDp0x/s1600/littlehenmilitewhole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> One exclusively Japanese species that has gained stature among collectors is henmilite. This gorgeous deep blue colored borate typically occurs in association with calcite and olshanskyite. It is found nowhere else in the world except the Fuka Mine on Honshu Island. The specimen pictured at left is on display immediately outside the mineral room. It is world-class if not best of species. The close-up shot at right of a tiny piece illustrates henmilite's aesthetic appeal at closer range. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Overall, the minerals here are not likely to generate as many "ooh's and ahh's" as do selections at most other serious mineral exhibits around the world; however, viewers with a special interest in Japanese minerals or rare species are likely to be enthralled. Because many such specimens fall into the category of microminerals or are known to exist in very small quantities, a microscope is often necessary to properly view them. Even with deliberate lighting and occasional use of of arrow stickers pointing to their presence in larger rocks, to truly appreciate them visually can be a stretch if not impossible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Because such specimens are likely to interest but a small segment of the population, some may question the purpose of including them for the masses to see in such a major public exhibit. Others, especially those interested in viewing the minerals of a country at its national museum, are likely to have special appreciation for the decision to acknowledge and make such an effort to display so many.</span> </div>
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Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-19298761752745948382017-10-12T20:24:00.000+01:002017-10-13T03:38:05.791+01:00Amazing Hematite Find in Baltimore County, Maryland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyQ34cQuSt9oBkWRqljWCyOYDSg1lyIalYzdO6ZRFcRUdBx8MCLdkKsoXGKeKc1kUMY9dPSF_xw-sRlY0Zll0mfJW8eTZdKtLqLulkULtS0heDb9wlQ4OMM5mW4j6FZJMDHr3gTq6RBSl/s1600/IMG_0425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1519" data-original-width="1600" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyQ34cQuSt9oBkWRqljWCyOYDSg1lyIalYzdO6ZRFcRUdBx8MCLdkKsoXGKeKc1kUMY9dPSF_xw-sRlY0Zll0mfJW8eTZdKtLqLulkULtS0heDb9wlQ4OMM5mW4j6FZJMDHr3gTq6RBSl/s400/IMG_0425.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
This 8 x 7 x 3.5 inch specimen 9 poun specimenfeaturing bladed hematite crystals on chlorite schist from Baltimore County could well be the most intriguing Maryland-collected mineral to show up in the last decade. During the recent Gemcutters Guild of Baltimore's Atlantic Coast Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry show at the Howard County Fairgrounds, it was on display for all to see in a cabinet of about a dozen other specimens that Gemcutters long time member and show-organizer Bernie Emery had self-collected. Notwithstanding, it seemed that but a few of the numerous local mineral aficionados who were there manged to combine the levels of detailed attention and specialized knowledge to realize the significance of what they were seeing.<br />
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It's a find that's almost impossible to believe as well as to refute. Though hematite is the world's primary ore for producing iron and is common in Maryland, it accounted for very little of the production that thrived here into the early part of the last century. Instead, goethite, magnetite, and siderite were the principal ores, except on the Coastal Plain where "bog ore" was prevalent. Maryland's hematite occurs in either rough grainy dark red/black masses or as specular hematite, known also as"specularite." The latter appears as silvery flakes and/or microscopic tabular crystals. Hematite with the appearance of Bernie's recent find is all but unknown in Maryland. After 10 years writing and photographing Maryland-collected minerals and assuming sole responsibility for the <a href="http://marylandminerals.com/">Maryland Minerals website</a>, this writer has never seen or heard of another such specimen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__w0Xy8aO-UEDcpzetK_D501BHHyna-zG-4yOK1QgQu1_SfOQZ0wh1z2EFJtpa6EEOTm7cBUhjvPDlZ1gjIC2tHv9fUIH3A6eV8OaPJSgg7PiFt2osX22JCU0R1hcwKU8e6WEZPUo72_a/s1600/IMG_0426-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1257" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__w0Xy8aO-UEDcpzetK_D501BHHyna-zG-4yOK1QgQu1_SfOQZ0wh1z2EFJtpa6EEOTm7cBUhjvPDlZ1gjIC2tHv9fUIH3A6eV8OaPJSgg7PiFt2osX22JCU0R1hcwKU8e6WEZPUo72_a/s320/IMG_0426-Edit.jpg" width="251" /></a>The specific Baltimore County location where Bernie Emery found the specimen is especially curious. He surface-collected it at one of several pits worked for iron over a century ago. They all are a short distance from the NCR Trail near the former Blue Mount Station in Baltimore County. Records show the ore source to have been exclusively magnetite. Various publications that describe the mineralogy of the immediate area as well as its specific iron pits and prospects name a variety of minerals. They include tourmaline, apatite, garnet, actinolite, and hornblende. There is no mention of hematite or any other species worthy of mining. The country rock varies from serpentinite to chlorite schist.<br />
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Few if any collectors in the region could be more deserving of such a find than Bernie. Over more than three decades, he has been one of its most prolific and best known field collectors. Along with his wife Lynne, he has continuously held major leadership roles at all three of the area's pertinent organizations: Baltimore Mineral Society; Chesapeake Gem and Mineral Society; and Gemcutters Guild of Baltimore. His renown is enhanced by a penchant for collecting large sized specimens. That practice has prompted many friends and colleagues to refer to such specimens as "Bernie sized." Retirement from his day job several years ago has brought additional time to enjoy his hobbies. More than ever now, he has taken to perusing old maps and literature in a quest to find new spots to look for rocks. He likes geological maps that hint where mineralization could be likely, and very old ones that mark the locations of former and usually long forgotten (and all too often reclaimed or built over) mines and quarries.<br />
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After explaining the nature of his research, Bernie explains how the find happened:<br />
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<i>I was walking up what appeared to be a dump pile leading to a small pit that was full of water. On the pile, all the rocks were a rough chlorite schist with a few small garnets. I noticed this one boulder that was covered with dirt and was curious what was inside it. I tapped off a piece with my hammer. The chlorite schist was highly metamorphosed with microscopic magnetitie crystals. I dismissed it and kept walking. </i></blockquote>
Except for curiosity, Bernie offered no explanation as to why he returned a few seconds later.<br />
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I <i>went back, turned it over. and saw pods filled with the dirt this boulder had been in for 150 years. The pods appeared to be some other kind of material. There were no blade shapes </i>(as would suggest hematite)<i>. I used a stick to remove some of the dirt and got the impression it was some kind of honeycomb quartz or chalcedony. Further cleaning, I realized they were actually hematite blades that were completely rusted. I showed it to Bob Eberle who offered to clean it further. </i></blockquote>
<a href="http://mineralbliss.blogspot.com/2009/03/bob-eberles-baltimore-county-digs.html">Eberle</a> whose prowess at field collecting is legendary, had access to a glass head sand blaster. He took the specimen home and cleaned it up to reveal what he refrred to as "this amazing surprise."<br />
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And the question remains. How could such a specimen be here? According to Bernie:<br />
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<i>There's no way of knowing, but my guess is that it came from deep down in the pit and that it was put on a cart or a wagon and fell off. There's no way anyone would have left it there. </i></blockquote>
He has since returned to the site and searched extensively. No trace of hematite or any other specimen of interest turned up. Bernie's theory makes sense, but it is unlikely that anyone will ever know for sure.<br />
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<br />Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-10320251592173651632017-08-29T02:51:00.000+01:002017-08-29T02:51:07.827+01:00Viewing Minerals at Yale University: 2015 and 2017<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikxRRd1tEvwbrEKuPAgkkVDpSMJbjCsA3KsEUxYeViFLAvpWqZ98TRWMQtM3XPMJPK2FiprtW4SJHMHMl5mG0tcGtWMd10B5hWvX2Qi1-qTbcdlsodQo-Ban4Q6zTHeC8bEukuOhfUyN4/s1600/2015+cabinets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="1600" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikxRRd1tEvwbrEKuPAgkkVDpSMJbjCsA3KsEUxYeViFLAvpWqZ98TRWMQtM3XPMJPK2FiprtW4SJHMHMl5mG0tcGtWMd10B5hWvX2Qi1-qTbcdlsodQo-Ban4Q6zTHeC8bEukuOhfUyN4/s200/2015+cabinets.jpg" width="200" /></a>A lot has changed. At left are pictured cabinets with most of the minerals on public display at Yale University prior to the October, 2016, Grand Opening of the new David Friend Mineral Hall at Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History at 170 Whitney Avenue in New Haven.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1ZFtd6XUeyywFfi8e1X348RAr6K4uJYCXhYQJeuUzHMu3i4mimyvxKvs44wr_ZxLga9eItG3YqFf66bp_O_AumR91XBlq2Uk-EuMZgC15q4vWazP6nen-SvDns8MkL0p37_eFqq0vrZR/s1600/orgyyaledng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1ZFtd6XUeyywFfi8e1X348RAr6K4uJYCXhYQJeuUzHMu3i4mimyvxKvs44wr_ZxLga9eItG3YqFf66bp_O_AumR91XBlq2Uk-EuMZgC15q4vWazP6nen-SvDns8MkL0p37_eFqq0vrZR/s320/orgyyaledng.jpg" width="213" /></a>Despite being a rock rather than a mineral specimen or gem, the orgasmic sandstone concretion at right from Fontainbleu France is but one example of what is in the Museum's new home for visually and aesthetically over the top specimens. Quite appropriately, it is from the collection of David Friend, mineral aficionado and 1965 Yale graduate (BS in Engineering). Mr. Friend's leadership, guidance, and philanthropy paved the way to establish the museum's grand new addition.<br />
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Many of the largest and most eye-catching specimens here are on loan from prominent collectors such as Dr. Rob Lavinsky, Jim and Gail Spann, or Gene and Rosalind Meiran. Among them are pieces that could be the best of their genre known to exist. It is only natural that those who visit will be interested in viewing such "eye candy,"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffc6joDRuHr_ZH5Ks_4lhgxQ7pD2PV2MvRaY-wZoDZHLI__y88QjkxMhF_RyGGKaIktBB9Exhapr1ypWrE_3XjQbZcJ1EaoQ1qsuMn6EoRpj9p86b_Sm8BdsKHK6-0xJJfB4tufHMV_Cu/s1600/ca%253Bcoteweebbcitymo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1579" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffc6joDRuHr_ZH5Ks_4lhgxQ7pD2PV2MvRaY-wZoDZHLI__y88QjkxMhF_RyGGKaIktBB9Exhapr1ypWrE_3XjQbZcJ1EaoQ1qsuMn6EoRpj9p86b_Sm8BdsKHK6-0xJJfB4tufHMV_Cu/s200/ca%253Bcoteweebbcitymo.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoDs5uEArzGkzh1Kf0LkOHOok59HEs3UxtrkteGxs1GNW3z_J1BXWrj48JVSu-l1b_-v9oASShnu32Ejkgsx-KUjcMKflZI57bMG9rJRij6j5UcK4Dt0veDuQhz5BKDPvuxm5q_6qc7GJ/s1600/barytectyale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoDs5uEArzGkzh1Kf0LkOHOok59HEs3UxtrkteGxs1GNW3z_J1BXWrj48JVSu-l1b_-v9oASShnu32Ejkgsx-KUjcMKflZI57bMG9rJRij6j5UcK4Dt0veDuQhz5BKDPvuxm5q_6qc7GJ/s200/barytectyale.jpg" width="200" /></a>The David Friend Hall is on the 3rd floor of the Peabody Museum in a renovated space that an auditorium once filled. To the right of the hallway leading to it are the foot by 18 inches pink calcite twin from Scott City Missouri at left amd the.300 pound baryte specimen pictured directly beneath it from nearby Branchville, Connecticut. Yale owns both of these specimens.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnSe6S5yYejF07h-Bf7ZgQRo4JVfSlzIAr0-HS2-FaFlC3meZtCmjJNqtSqexMB96m3s0u3a7gy7BM115E48HV-KymNmXJ-opu4u06naCkBUltG9QWeDDvKKEwGI231OHtoRHyV7eM6gd/s1600/sillimaniteyale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1097" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnSe6S5yYejF07h-Bf7ZgQRo4JVfSlzIAr0-HS2-FaFlC3meZtCmjJNqtSqexMB96m3s0u3a7gy7BM115E48HV-KymNmXJ-opu4u06naCkBUltG9QWeDDvKKEwGI231OHtoRHyV7eM6gd/s200/sillimaniteyale.jpg" width="136" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnSe6S5yYejF07h-Bf7ZgQRo4JVfSlzIAr0-HS2-FaFlC3meZtCmjJNqtSqexMB96m3s0u3a7gy7BM115E48HV-KymNmXJ-opu4u06naCkBUltG9QWeDDvKKEwGI231OHtoRHyV7eM6gd/s1600/sillimaniteyale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
In a room to the left of this hallway is the <i>Treasures of the Mineral World</i> room. Most if not all of the rocks and minerals therein along with some jewelry have been selected from Yale's collection of more than 40,000 specimens. The displays are didvided into categories such as mineral specimens placed according to their nature of origin and locality, minerals that fluoresce, radioactive minerals, some jewelry, and a cabinet with large examples of of well known rocks. Of particular interest is an exhibit of minerals collected in Connecticut. Almost for sure, it is the "best" Connecticut suite in existence. Quite remarkable is the magnificent sillimanite shown at left. Sillimanite is eponymous with Benjamin Silliman, the Yale Professor who in 1802 began assembling and for more than 50 years curated Yale's mineral collection.<br />
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Regardless of knowledge about or interest in minerals, however, upon reaching the David Friend Hall of Minerals, visitors are in for an experience that should blow their minds. The theme is world class specimens enhanced by world class lighting. In number, there are more than enough to appreciate, but not so many as to overwhelm. Pictured below are just a few images of what is there.<br />
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Malachite, Azurite </div>
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Liufengshan, Guichi District </div>
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Anhui Province, China</div>
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Stibnite</div>
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Wuning Mne</div>
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Jiangxi Province, China</div>
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Yaoganxian Mine</div>
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Hunan Province, China</div>
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Fluorite, Baryte</div>
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La Cabana</div>
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Asturias, Spain</div>
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Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-54411917015922167802017-07-16T16:36:00.001+01:002017-07-17T18:58:44.110+01:00Rusty James on Purple Chalcedony, and Indonesian Relationships<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGe3FVPEeu8kyAckqTbCvS6PjhX-f4gHkCN9F_oxulTp-nGXQ2QIdZWP6dnTVtRuLmj82rHmYox7HX1zMAJ8pdCcfouA3xuxK3nfAmTsgX9g-xsZkLKWgJez4zQe4ygWrWLbBTmDE2nsn/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1097" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGe3FVPEeu8kyAckqTbCvS6PjhX-f4gHkCN9F_oxulTp-nGXQ2QIdZWP6dnTVtRuLmj82rHmYox7HX1zMAJ8pdCcfouA3xuxK3nfAmTsgX9g-xsZkLKWgJez4zQe4ygWrWLbBTmDE2nsn/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>
<i>Having been following his worldwide travels on Facebook, we asked Rusty James to be guest author for this post. <span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">Rusty is a gem and
mineral hunter who travels to the far reaches of the world to source quality
mineral specimens and lapidary rough to cater to worldwide market
demands. He has been at it for 16 years, and operates under the
business name Throwin’ Stones.</span></i><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"><i> He sells in Tucson and Denver at various
locations, does 4 shows a year in Japan, and exhibits at various other popular
gem and mineral shows in the USA and abroad. With a focus on ethics, fair
trade and, sustainability for his suppliers and customers, he has developed
strong relationships, partnerships, and supply lines on every continent.
Assisted by his wife Nicole and son Jasper,along with a passionate team
of staff, he has built a robust online presence, and is currently in the process of
launching a wholesale company to offer his findings to re-sellers around the
globe. In his very limited spare time, Rusty likes to share stories of his unique adventures and passion for sourcing gems and
minerals.</i> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif; font-size: large;">by Rusty James</span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif"; font-size: large;">Today I got to play celebrity (again). I always forget how
rare white people are in remote areas of Indonesia, and it takes a few moments
of adjustment to put on my white guy fame hat. A recent stop was particularly special.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif";">We landed in a small village in central Sumatra where wild
coffee, rubber trees, and chalcedony mining are essentially the only sustenance. From there we hiked for about thirty minutes through the jungle to </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">the back side of a nearby mountain</span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"> where the villagers were mining. chalcedony. There were many test holes in the area. We approached one that was being worked. A small fire was
burning to keep the bees away and to boil "jungle coffee" as needed. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeepq4lFFoRuSnEOcAxYEOLjbWW6lLwXCTHzizK2BD9Ej24h6OxYYGqRj3-mS2UbWf-Gto-N_JCJe5X6NBloIJvVSmvlH2vWjZl4GWmu-1G3WAF1gk0Y5SiIhe9dVsOu4_6EOVClkWHhU9/s1600/chalcedhole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeepq4lFFoRuSnEOcAxYEOLjbWW6lLwXCTHzizK2BD9Ej24h6OxYYGqRj3-mS2UbWf-Gto-N_JCJe5X6NBloIJvVSmvlH2vWjZl4GWmu-1G3WAF1gk0Y5SiIhe9dVsOu4_6EOVClkWHhU9/s320/chalcedhole.JPG" width="240" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif";">Two miners were hard at work on a hole that was at least 5
meters deep (15 feet), which they had dug over a three day time span. The dirt was a red mud, soft and easy to work, but prone to collapse. I once saw this happen where a worker barely had time to jump out. There's a make shift pulley system crafted from rubber and a few buckets. A small
man works down in the hole while another
guy pulls the dirt up from the hole and dumps it on down the side of the
mountain. Check out the <a href="https://youtu.be/U-Zo6p4UNs4">video</a> of how this works. </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">We watch the men work for a while and ask lots of questions. They
haven't hit a good hole of AAA colored chalcedony in quite some time. They tell us that this current hole produced about 15 kilograms of medium and low quality rock, and I wonder whether it's really even worth their effort. When
they are hired to dig, they work for about $8/day. Lately, they have been
digging for themselves, gambling with
their lives in hopes of hitting the clear purple honey.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-K2ELrml8teezhov2GM9S2k_7HBnM7_NZB0xzYYVefPJWPNwlt-9k9nmrPdOshzZUBsDwPfk0Li67IoOGUCZSRzoRJi6FJmyHRyrZWfXnTKGFsN85JEO6X56CZ5hYqb4iW5mpp7pHf38/s1600/chalced.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-K2ELrml8teezhov2GM9S2k_7HBnM7_NZB0xzYYVefPJWPNwlt-9k9nmrPdOshzZUBsDwPfk0Li67IoOGUCZSRzoRJi6FJmyHRyrZWfXnTKGFsN85JEO6X56CZ5hYqb4iW5mpp7pHf38/s320/chalced.JPG" width="240" /></span></a><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif"; font-size: large;">It's nearly impossible to determine the quality of the stone as its mined. It is always caked in dirt and mud. The miners. break a small chip off the side with a machete looking for color. If it appears to have potential, they schlep it down the mountain for further
cleaning. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif"; font-size: large;">After going through today’s pile back at the village, it became yet more evident how difficult the rough is to clean and evaluate. Chalcedony is a
tricky lapidary rough. Even if a piece looks great on the surface or when
backlit, a final determination can be evasive until the stone is cut. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif";">When I questioned the efforts they had just gone through, they showed me some photos of top grade stuff the site had produced in the past.
Holy crap! Though one</span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"> of </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"> </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">numerous purple chalcedony deposits in Indonesia, this mountain had</span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"> produced some of the finest purple rock I've ever seen, very possibly the best on earth. I now understood why they carry on despite the low percentage of high grade material. Several years have passed since they uncovered the good stuff. Back then, as many as 200
people would go out every day working holes. It blew my mind that single
cabs of top grade purple had sold for thousands of dollars in Indonesian
markets where prices rarely achieve four figures for a single gem. </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"> </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">My understanding of the hunt, the risk, and the
amount of effort involved, </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"> </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">became clearer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif";">There was more than just purple chalcedony that enriched this
adventure. First we endured six hours </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"> pothole-mania and bobblehead bouncing on the grueling roads.</span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"> </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">Then I had thought we would simply go on a hike, check
out some holes, meet a group of nice people, and maybe have another chance to buy some rock. But upon returning from the digs to the village, we began to have glimpses as to how special this trip really was. The miners told us that afternoon that we were the first "tourists" to
ever come to this 100 year old village and the first white faces 99% of the villagers had ever seen. Knowing this led to a deep feeling of gratitude and inspiration.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif";">When the family we were staying with learned we would be leaving soon, all three generations dressed in their good clothes</span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"> </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">for a photo </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">without telling us</span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">. They showed us the place </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">on the wall of their home where </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">it would go next to images of the mine owner
at an earlier Indonesian gem exhibition where he had sold some of best purple chalcedony cabs
known to exist. There was also a proud photo of the miners standing with famous
military generals they had met.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif"; font-size: large;">Neighbors started coming over. One of the older men took
the ring off his finger and gave it to me. I humbly attempted to decline. Ultimately I put it on to keep, responding with many bows and thank yous. Having recently been in Japan, I had started started bowing to just about everyone of late. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif"; font-size: large;">The photos were plentiful: first with the kids, then with the
main family of the house where we stayed, and then with three generations. They were all dressed in their best clothes..This visit was clearly a great honor to them as it was to me. I'm still in awe of how special the moment was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">Tears were shed when it was time to depart. Love was expressed in English, even though it was not the language of anyone in the family. It tore me up, All we had really done was make the trip. We didn't spend much money, as there wasn't much good rock to buy. But to these people, making the effort to
come and visit them meant everything in the world. They waved until we were out of sight.
The children screamed goodbye until we couldn't hear anymore. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif; font-size: large;">For me, moments like this are a reminder. I consider the rocks, the exhibitions, the physical labor, the struggle
to sustain self-employment in times when markets are down, the haggling, the
hellish drives, long flights, jet lag, challenges of eating strange food, sleeping in noisy environments where families stay up late for a second meal during a month of Ramadan fasting, the bugs, the
sweat, and unexpected risks inherent in bringing colorful stones to market: None one of it means as much as some of the relationships formed and time shared. The
money, the flashy gems, the notoriety for
introducing cool stones to places in the world that haven't seen them, and numerous passport stamps: It’s all secondary to the kind of the relationships that that often go with it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">Even if only for one day, I have found that showing
up with a smile on my face, eager to share time and experience across language
barriers with those who cross my path can mean so much to to so many people. The choice to be
happy can change lives and bring joy to places where hope is meager and
survival paramount. Experiencing this means more to me even than
the success I’ve been so fortunate to enjoy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">It's easy to forget that it could all be gone in an instant. I drove away
from the village knowing that I will probably never go back and that another 100 years could pass before another white face shows up in that village. Despite the 6 hours of hell on wheels to get there, only to turn around 20
hours later and return through that same hell before starting that
next part of this journey, I can safely say that the experience was entirely worth it. </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;">It changed me. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"><i>The various enterprises operated by Rusty are at the following sites: </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #e4af0a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif"; font-size: large;">www.throwinstones.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #e4af0a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif"; font-size: large;"><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/throwinstones">stores.ebay.com/throwinstones</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/throwinstones">www.etsy.com/shop/throwinstones </a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , serif; font-size: large;">@throwin.stones
(instagram for product announcements) </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif"; font-size: large;">@throwin.stones.sales
(instagram direct sales)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "serif"; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/shops/throwinstonessales%20(coming%20soon)">www.amazon.com/shops/throwinstonessales (coming soon)</a></span></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/shops/throwinstonessales%20(coming%20soon)"><br /></a></div>
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<br />Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-13677032495990183332017-05-30T23:48:00.001+01:002017-06-04T15:40:08.111+01:00Lawrence Davis: Self-Collector<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6F9ON6qrSbWaqAAVamvfOTCWrsNKDh1m5s-j5UMs19oYhqHfKVgFfuf0gO9ZnvZKBgNOuS1w6ue7AuOqpfpEUCaAtHdgP1l7v007v6EsNNbQazKUJgHpQkl-exLMG82w0JMZSit8zg4d/s1600/lawrencedavis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="844" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6F9ON6qrSbWaqAAVamvfOTCWrsNKDh1m5s-j5UMs19oYhqHfKVgFfuf0gO9ZnvZKBgNOuS1w6ue7AuOqpfpEUCaAtHdgP1l7v007v6EsNNbQazKUJgHpQkl-exLMG82w0JMZSit8zg4d/s320/lawrencedavis.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
Lawrence Davis, 36, moved to Baltimore in 2006 from the mineralogy hub of Asheville, North Carolina. An accomplished collector since his early 20's, he soon found himself prospecting in the company of such prominent Maryland collectors as Fred Parker and Jeff Nagy.<br />
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Lawrence's collecting style is unique to the point that he eschews the label of "field collector"in favor of "self collector." Much of the mineral bounty he has accumulated is still packed away in boxes within the recently purchased historic yellow farmhouse on Falls Road near Shawan where he lives with his wife and young daughter. For our recent visit he had laid out a few recently collected large specimens on the back porch. Inside, he had put aside a few smaller specimens. Quoting Fred Parker, he said: "It doesn't matter how large or small. It's how perfect they are."<br />
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In truth, significance or distinction could be just as important to Lawrence Davis. Proudly, he picks up a rather large chunk of trap rock with a nondescript looking vug. Difficult to distinguish therein is a dull cream colored apatite crystal that to classify as perfect would be an extreme stretch. He shows it because he believes it to be the largest known apatite crystal to have been collected at the popular Vulcan Quarry at Havre de Grace in Harford County.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNA4Jn44x04oOmx7R-wN9UlGN2AE-POqljueg6RkAxpe4GvUdynXLlVI6yc16Y3efs006Z9gLk7Wpzr6ADJN8nXQp1QSH77IkFjvQArNHqCC2p2uIqyjhTbpxWE5yVT1v7wf1jl_I_J_xz/s1600/schorlilmenitedng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="965" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNA4Jn44x04oOmx7R-wN9UlGN2AE-POqljueg6RkAxpe4GvUdynXLlVI6yc16Y3efs006Z9gLk7Wpzr6ADJN8nXQp1QSH77IkFjvQArNHqCC2p2uIqyjhTbpxWE5yVT1v7wf1jl_I_J_xz/s200/schorlilmenitedng.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">He is
particularly keen on unusual combinations. The tiny specimen at right features crystals of tourmaline (var.) schorl on a matrix of iridescent ilmenite. It is the kind of oddity that few would notice when prospecting. Lawrence picked it from a beach in Howard County.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVgE36jpVEuEsxFwZPkx-TRZq_iCtIKFgMMTjBSTQT9O0G5iWjEdjMAf7WywOiU7oOPvphZ2fGYGT1f7rocPxrdQwqThldiyhYcKQjGkdxB6ds1kDRZn1v7L7onh-RiQYwQVnJl6Nk8pR/s1600/goethite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVgE36jpVEuEsxFwZPkx-TRZq_iCtIKFgMMTjBSTQT9O0G5iWjEdjMAf7WywOiU7oOPvphZ2fGYGT1f7rocPxrdQwqThldiyhYcKQjGkdxB6ds1kDRZn1v7L7onh-RiQYwQVnJl6Nk8pR/s200/goethite.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">One of the
larger rocks on the porch is the goethite specimen pictured at
right. He collected it in 2009 at Maryland's Point of Rocks Goethite Locality, once known as the Washington Junction Ore Banks. Over the past three decades the site has eroded and become overgrown to the point that collectors have written it off as extinct. Since Lawrence was there, a nature path has been constructed through the area, and collecting forbidden. Lawrence is comfortable speculating that it could be the
largest Point of Rocks goethite specimen known to exist. Should there be any any that are larger, it is most likely they were collected many decades ago and just as likely have become lost.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAH6fjdEsF7Dgfo-yekyJf9D0VOxVnFkO0QnJ3bTR6aL0SaiVDfatwD9zj50dxNlzBTLid9NvPKH-STKXZa63Dr0IDuj0hIrqvG0NIoV9eLGU3iV7XdxenKF7NKCYfne-Rkq8a2tWHN-S/s1600/aquagemxl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1200" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAH6fjdEsF7Dgfo-yekyJf9D0VOxVnFkO0QnJ3bTR6aL0SaiVDfatwD9zj50dxNlzBTLid9NvPKH-STKXZa63Dr0IDuj0hIrqvG0NIoV9eLGU3iV7XdxenKF7NKCYfne-Rkq8a2tWHN-S/s200/aquagemxl.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D8mR4Vm3CQLNAP4LfUYZdTVvjnu5VEX2RIiBfhFXvHcEFBI4PxYwVnWT1Z6QJEtcAeFY8dCkPWBS1VIljDNWcoYCNV_WJ3an9jYUYdOQ7eLgWVJROSxW8B8jysY6fWF74hYqNwKKPTB-/s1600/aquacut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1200" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D8mR4Vm3CQLNAP4LfUYZdTVvjnu5VEX2RIiBfhFXvHcEFBI4PxYwVnWT1Z6QJEtcAeFY8dCkPWBS1VIljDNWcoYCNV_WJ3an9jYUYdOQ7eLgWVJROSxW8B8jysY6fWF74hYqNwKKPTB-/s200/aquacut.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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At left is a crystal of beryl (var.) aquamarine that revealed itself with the strike of a crack hammer to the face of a cliff near Henryton in Carroll County. It shows amazing clarity as well as color for a Maryland-collected piece and provided the faceted gem pictured below it. Unfazed by minor biotite mica inclusions, Lawrence takes great pride in having collected the crystal and now owning the first and only (known) aquamarine gemstone cut from Maryland material.<br />
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When questioned regarding collecting technique, Lawrence simply advises: "Always keep your eyes on the ground." An environmental consultant by profession, he spends a significant amount of time outdoors, having plenty of opportunity to do so.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZRQX3UayiJLpE4Hnzjbanu_3iBwsfRN98lSPeZZd41mWORTcHEwtBPbniNR7txWOPYEkP0Pe-HUKVFV5TVur8Upo8-I9-_6wUBVeMaPIVdxWHHI5blHZElyVapSD4nHPD_Izn8e4Ngvp/s1600/quartz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZRQX3UayiJLpE4Hnzjbanu_3iBwsfRN98lSPeZZd41mWORTcHEwtBPbniNR7txWOPYEkP0Pe-HUKVFV5TVur8Upo8-I9-_6wUBVeMaPIVdxWHHI5blHZElyVapSD4nHPD_Izn8e4Ngvp/s200/quartz1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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A recent find was the discovery of a remarkable pegmatitic quartz crystal deposit. Most of the crystals from this find are considerably larger than the specimen pictured at right, which.uniquely features an unusual combination of clear quartz crystals growing on feldspar.<br />
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Even when pressed repeatedly, Lawrence will not reveal where he found the crystals except "somewhere in the Marriottsville area." Though an avowed "self-collector,"he is not selfish. His reasoning relates to principal and preservation. Such previously unknown localities are fun to discover, but typically offer limited bounty that may soon disappear when word gets out.Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-76269135752810280512017-04-02T13:16:00.000+01:002017-04-02T13:28:10.789+01:00Jim Wilkinson: Columbia Maryland's Premier Stream Bed Collector<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRqq8C1A9NJrp4hD0Yfca4ouJG8YUzrEDvyWpWmq97uw6r7qnzRGATJN6qZ_J6dA1VF29SE0m5YG-GO_8RqYRcTh8D_kJ4Jb3Ju_Ip9_dysiJH9S1uHmk2GsvOoMCnO-hJuiFRmtePmSX/s1600/jimwilkinson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRqq8C1A9NJrp4hD0Yfca4ouJG8YUzrEDvyWpWmq97uw6r7qnzRGATJN6qZ_J6dA1VF29SE0m5YG-GO_8RqYRcTh8D_kJ4Jb3Ju_Ip9_dysiJH9S1uHmk2GsvOoMCnO-hJuiFRmtePmSX/s200/jimwilkinson.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">J</span><span style="font-size: medium;">im Wilkinson of Columbia, Maryland, is a special breed of mineral collector. Most of his collecting is within an hour's drive of his house. He lives in a vast and heavily suburbanized area between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Sprawl, no trespassing signs, and strictly enforced laws against collecting in state parks rule out the vast majority of known localities in the region. As a retired natural resources planner for the Maryland Department of the Environment, Jim is keenly aware of these obstacles. Notwithstanding, he finds productive places to collect at will. His niche is stream beds. Access to them is easier and more available.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Several years ago, <i>Mineral Bliss</i> featured some of the amazing finds by <a href="http://mineralbliss.blogspot.com/2012/05/baltimore-city-diggings-at-herring-run.html">Alana Benkowski in Baltimore City's Herring Run</a>. Identifying them was often difficult. It was obvious that many of the specimens did not flow directly from any logical point of origin in the Piedmont to her collecting mecca. She favored the alluvial deposits where Maryland's Coastal Plain begins at the eastern fringe of Baltimore City. The streams that Jim Wilkinson works are farther west in Baltimore, Howard, Carroll, Montgomery, and Frederick Counties. These streams have accumulated far less extraneous material. They flow directly through Piedmont areas where the mineralogy is specific.What he finds is easier to predict and identify. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">He photographs the specimens he collects and posts their images to his home page on <a href="https://www.mindat.org/user-42368.html">Mindat</a>. The page currently boasts 121 photos. While few of them portray "eye-candy," they document species and locality pursuant to the town, village, or hamlet closest to the stream where he found them. Mining sites, quarries,and other more specifically placed localities within these jurisdictions appear separately as "sub-localities," naming the species attributed to them. Exclusive of the sub-localities and species, Jim is the sole source for Atholton, Simpsoniville, Scaggsville, Henryton, and Daniels. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The 11.5 cm. x 5.5 cm. stream worn quartz (var.) rock crystal pictured at right is one of his more remarkable finds. He collected it along the Patuxent River in the heart of Columbia. With over 100,000 inhabitants, including himself, Columbia is larger than a village, town, or hamlet. Mindat names the closest town of Simpsonville as the locality for this crystal. Even though "Columbia Area" is named as a locality, it only receives credit for species collected "from construction and excavations in the area." This makes sense. The geology of this region</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> suggests that wherever it originated, such a crystal could just have likely found its way in the Patuxent to Columbia as to Scaggsville. Naming the heart of the neatly planned city of Columbia as an active collecting locality would be a stretch. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Though he focuses on streams, Jim is keenly aware of and interested in looking for species reported from nearby quarries, mining sites, or other localities. Though so many such spots are posted, built over, cleaned out, or otherwise inaccessible, it is logical that some of the species they produced could show up in rocks in nearby streams. Beryl was once somewhat common in many of the numerous mostly off-limits pegmatites gracing the Patapsco and Patuxent River valleys. Jim collected the 7 centimeter beryl crystal at left in a stream near Marriottsville. It could be worthy of consideration as one of the more extraordinary finds of beryl in recent years anywhere in Maryland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Jim drove to Frederick County after reading our <a href="http://mineralbliss.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-truly-great-overlooked-maryland.html">post</a> about the magnificent suite of minerals that Dr. Jim Cordua collected in the 1960's at the Farmers Cooperative Limestone Quarry. Although we had emphasized the no trespassing signs, the prohibitive overgrowth and no evidence of dumps, Jim found a small stream not far away that was accessible. The sphalerite he retrieved hardly matched the glorious crystals that Dr. Cordua collected half a century ago shortly after workers informed him of recent blasts. But one can feel assured that to find sphalerite or any other notable species from this locality today by any other means would be futile.</span>Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-20050282761314099592017-02-27T16:48:00.000+00:002017-04-02T13:18:10.030+01:00A 20 Pound Vivianite Concretion from Anne Arundel County, MD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is certainly reasonable to assume that nature offers few greater pleasures to mineral collectors living in temperate climates than those few unseasonably warm days that occasionally come once or twice in late February and early March. Aside from pleasant temperatures, the amount of live vegetation obscuring surface rocks is minimal, while the mosquitoes, ticks, and copperheads remain dormant. Such a day was February 24, 2017, at least in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So for this writer, it was off to search for vivianite in Maryland's Anne Arundel County along the banks of Harman's Branch. By virtue of a find 77 years ago, Mindat names the spot as <a href="https://www.mindat.org/loc-252542.html">Vivianite Concretion Locality, Riva, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, USA</a> . The information provided, however, proved confusing for pinpointing the specific location. Credit Robert Beard for persistence in finding it to include on page 156 in his Falcon Guide <u>Rockhounding Delaware, Maryland, and the Washington, DC Area</u> © 2015, Rowman & Littlefield.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HaElmHExE6ElaTsWQT4fzTb6MWi-Qikk8WFQ_7_CsKsttZQTlakP0dj1HeBNOAcI590ABBCaiYvPTlV3OCUiZ9NClDBMyd1aL0TBtYR6KKbtcy2BLiLvHd3cENqpAJ55lstvnRIoS15T/s1600/tarnans+run.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HaElmHExE6ElaTsWQT4fzTb6MWi-Qikk8WFQ_7_CsKsttZQTlakP0dj1HeBNOAcI590ABBCaiYvPTlV3OCUiZ9NClDBMyd1aL0TBtYR6KKbtcy2BLiLvHd3cENqpAJ55lstvnRIoS15T/s200/tarnans+run.JPG" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Notwithstanding, Tarnan's Branch and its banks are all but devoid of rocks as this muddy rill heads upstream from Rutland Road along the route taken by Beard. Otherwise, the surrounding wooded landscape lies under several inches of fallen leaves. Only after about a quarter of a mile where Tarnan's Branch flows into a tunnel beneath a road does one encounter many rocks. Most of them are quartzite with no hints of likely concretions in their midst. My hour spent here could not have been more in vain. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With head down, more in discouragement than with the expectation of uncovering the likes of a vivianite concretion, I trudged back toward my car parked along Rutland Road. Amidst the leaves, loam, and moss, nothing at my feet hinted at the likeness of a concretion beyond an occasional dirty hickory shell. So it was until what first looked like the nub from a tree root protruded from the soil. It was bigger than to be expected from the trees nearby, brown, muddy, and partially covered with dead moss. Upon tapping it with the chisel on my hammer, a half inch piece of shell broke off that appeared black but with a bluish cast. It had to be a concretion. Once unearthed, a hefty whack with my mini sledge halved it to reveal an interior of colors ranging from black and, gray, to a paler and more aesthetically pleasing blue. Clearly, this was the same kind of material as pictured on 156 and 157 in Beard's book, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Never was my knapsack heavier than during that hundred or so yard walk back to the car. On the scale at home, the two halves along with a few loose chips weighed just over 20 pounds. This writer considers himself the beneficiary of sheer luck and has no plans to return to what was a difficult to navigate locality. One twenty pound vivianite concretion is plenty for my Maryland suite where it will rest in a spot where light, which causes vivianite to eventually turn black, is minimal. </span></div>
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<br />Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-87080360801926329672017-01-31T06:12:00.000+00:002017-01-31T06:12:59.071+00:00First Weekend at Tucson, 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtwH9oc-TDdXmbosYfcHQgDO_fmAF59dAiNvc9LeiXR6qXkUAFNuz0sBckPqJFGuUw6MZ8LJPWg3UkTHijUbOH6Icb8xEKrgD5cOpvpUtJATHoldMPjqBbt8034PK68vaFS0qVn-xr7QA/s1600/more.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtwH9oc-TDdXmbosYfcHQgDO_fmAF59dAiNvc9LeiXR6qXkUAFNuz0sBckPqJFGuUw6MZ8LJPWg3UkTHijUbOH6Icb8xEKrgD5cOpvpUtJATHoldMPjqBbt8034PK68vaFS0qVn-xr7QA/s320/more.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The title picture shows Tucson City Center Hotel, often still referred to as the Inn Suites. The date is Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, one day before its scheduled opening. This is the prime destination of mineral aficionados for 12 days leading up to the big show at Tucson's Convention Center, Feb. 12-15. Although the event did not officially open until Saturday, Jan. 28, more than a third of several hundred dealers were selling a day early, as more than another third were busy setting up, Only a few dealer suites had yet to be occupied. Postcard weather prevailed with 60ish temperatures and a steady breeze. As happens every year prices seemed a bit higher and were all over the map. Specimens ranged in price from a couple dollars up to amounts approaching six figures. With the exception of the one day Westward Look Show taking place the following Saturday, Feb. 4, more world class specimens are at the Inn Suites than anywhere else in town until the Big Show. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6E6R8x121RW2P5z42JoPHa2EbKXJIouq5DlNMudIgrTlayAU5toS-sVar0vuJ2Q1BDakqe4cMzx8RUSpRucL16-Bn6B_EgvZrIvxyB0Ut2IiAoFaOsDEJ74a0rhV9mFG8EA3jlQcLJz6d/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6E6R8x121RW2P5z42JoPHa2EbKXJIouq5DlNMudIgrTlayAU5toS-sVar0vuJ2Q1BDakqe4cMzx8RUSpRucL16-Bn6B_EgvZrIvxyB0Ut2IiAoFaOsDEJ74a0rhV9mFG8EA3jlQcLJz6d/s200/FullSizeRender+%25283%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>A few blocks north on Oracle, the much smaller Mineral and Fossil Marketplace was also up and running by Friday. Particularly worthy of mention here is a tent with three dealers: Rock Deco, JaM Rocks, and Malcolm Alter. All three specialize in specimens from such classic Arizona localities as the Mammoth St Anthony Mine in Tiger, the Rowley Mine, and the 79 Mine. There were even a lot of red wulfenite specimens from the Red Cloud Mine. Nowhere else in Tucson did we see anywhere near as many affordable specimens available for sale from these great localities.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ2MUTpplSImigSAp0zNkSRHMFfTuFRTWz5PI5xTGPt7XpM0tCL2uj3kLebgdjZJ6-Hn7gVBFzRRFKpfdrtiwhoyc7ymUWulSC2Fy7LMJy9NUwbeOXTg-2Uy67aEC61cY-1g0SI5bPE7e/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ2MUTpplSImigSAp0zNkSRHMFfTuFRTWz5PI5xTGPt7XpM0tCL2uj3kLebgdjZJ6-Hn7gVBFzRRFKpfdrtiwhoyc7ymUWulSC2Fy7LMJy9NUwbeOXTg-2Uy67aEC61cY-1g0SI5bPE7e/s200/FullSizeRender+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Immediately south of Mineral and Fossil Marketplace, in the direction of Inn Suites, the Moroccan tents were in full swing. Prices on ubiquitous vanadinites, red quartz crystals, azurites, and so forth were unmarked and left to the buyers' ability to negotiate. With no deceit intended--- dealers readily admitted when asked about crystals that were treated---the Moroccans were selling some very colorful geodes as pictured at left. Both halves of one geode could be had for as little as $10. Therein were originally whitish quartz crystals,varied in color, some mimicking the deepest magenta high end cobaltoan calcites of the region. A few years ago, Moroccan quartz geodes were circulating with galena crystals glued inside them. Best avoided here or elsewhere are Moroccan geodes filled with anything other than plain quartz crystals.<br />
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Other venues offering some minerals were also in full operation by Friday. Along the I-10 East Freeway, the Pueblo Gem and Mineral Show at the Riverpark Inn was going strong. The usual Uruguayan Amethyst, pyrite from Peru, as well as typical Moroccan, Chinese, and quartz selections filled a big tent. Operating out of adjacent motel rooms in "The International Fine Mineral Building" were a couple dozen dealers, a few with unreasonably pricey collector mineral specimens. Heading down the Freeway from the Riverpark, the outdoor area at most hotels consisted of shows that were filled with tents and tables full of crystals, cabs, and rough material.<br />
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On the other side of the I-10 Freeway, the 22nd Street Show opened on Thursday, Jan. 26. Enclosed within a tent and easier to navigate than the Pueblo Show, it offered a mix of wares including some minerals. Most remarkable was a table offering native copper specimens, many with crystals, from Pine Mountain in Adams County, Pennsylvania. Hardly anywhere else in Tucson is one likely to encounter very many East Coast specimens. A better place to acquire them is the East Coast Gem Mineral, and Fossil Show at West Springfield, Massachusetts in August.<br />
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Several miles beyond the activity clustered along the Freeway, the Kino Gem and Mineral Show at Kino Sports Complex was much like a combination of the aforementioned shows on steroids. Mostly jewelry and beads filled a huge tent. Outside were smaller tents, a few featuring minerals. In addition to thousands---yes thousands---of tons of amethyst from Uruguay, Peruvian pyrite, the Moroccan tent, and an Indian tent was this show's annual Geminex tent. Inside were thousands of mineral flats, all bearing low quality specimens at ridiculously high prices from the famous Ojuela Mine in Mapimi, Durango, Mexico. Interestingly, and perhaps because the Big show in two weeks will feature minerals from the American Midwest, there was a dealer whose entire stock was calcite crystals from the Elmwood Mine in Lincoln County, Tennessee. Such crystals seemed to be everywhere in Tucson this year, all priced about the same. <br />
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Not scheduled to start until Tuesday, Jan. 31, was a relatively small new show to feature mineral specimens mostly from Arizona dealers, at 1055 Grant Road.. We were sorry this was after we had to head back to Baltimore. Regretfully, we also missed a couple other smaller shows and managed to briefly check out a couple that were marginally worthy of mention. <br />
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The scene in Tucson is pretty much the same each year, always overwhelming. For sale around town are millions of rocks, enough that it's difficult to imagine how more than a very meager fraction of a per cent could possibly sell. We question the economics of it, but what fun.Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-13287827460040616752016-12-20T03:10:00.000+00:002016-12-20T03:10:35.034+00:00Disappointment at the California Academy of Sciences<div class="MsoNormal">
The <i>Gems and Minerals Unearthed </i> exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences opened to the public on September 30, 2016. Just over six years earlier, we had quoted San Francisco's world class collector Jack Halpern when he lamented that this renowned museum's wonderful mineral collection was not on display. <span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">Upon questioning the museum by telephone, a spokesperson had informed me coldly that environmentally controlled cases would have to be constructed before any minerals were shown. Having just viewed Jack's amazing collection, we predicted in our <a href="http://mineralbliss.blogspot.com/2010/09/unique-collector-amazing-breathtaking.html">post</a> of Sept. 19, 2010, </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">the likelihood that any future mineral display at this institution would prove to be anticlimactic. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">A recent visit on September 14, 2016, showed our prognostication from six years ago to have been prophetic. We admit to having learned upon paying the $35.00 price of admission that for an extra $15, the museum sometimes offered a special behind the scenes tour providing an opportunity to see "some of the museum's most valuable minerals." Despite a limited window of time during an all too quick trip west to visit family, we nevertheless expected this major public exhibit to feature a multitude of great mineral specimens. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KBJ-J61PEmg5mPAjKq2XQJs5uMMljjHPP-5tWfr7etR8Fp_TmWrv67QiPRyrCH8qFEO1LSBwPdQPDwHegI50-Y48F3te9Tm20ys9mbL53w3jQgBYY6nYzV5FlD6P21-HV_ORkYRI5Zcm/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8KBJ-J61PEmg5mPAjKq2XQJs5uMMljjHPP-5tWfr7etR8Fp_TmWrv67QiPRyrCH8qFEO1LSBwPdQPDwHegI50-Y48F3te9Tm20ys9mbL53w3jQgBYY6nYzV5FlD6P21-HV_ORkYRI5Zcm/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Gems and Minerals Unearthed </i>consists of about a dozen cases of various minerals and some gems. They are at the end of a wide hallway on the museum's third floor. Each case has a given theme. One theme is to establish that certain mineral species are rare, and that others are common. The blue and white specimen shown at left features several balls of blue cavansite on white stilbite collected in India. Is this the best the museum could do to showcase as a rarity this wildly popular and showy combination of species? And couldn't the curators have come up with a more attention-grabbing orthoclase specimen than the small crystal just below the cavansite to exemplify one of the more common species</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">? The magnificent and enormous South African sugilite crystal to the left of the cavansite is more in line with what we had expected to see. But why distract from its amazing purple color with that deep blue background?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZ8lQj2x9eWhSswQhAW0vCmVXp13kZAcYmRfhH3Io1mtl6TjcbLfpq45e9Vh0nXlaZ4lDYeAwxnlfrhntDzDipT2jrEvVq9Blh3xuQbGUAvsxue72Cgk0DEKBcr3Ju5YlNpWbJ3oOqhZT/s1600/orpcropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZ8lQj2x9eWhSswQhAW0vCmVXp13kZAcYmRfhH3Io1mtl6TjcbLfpq45e9Vh0nXlaZ4lDYeAwxnlfrhntDzDipT2jrEvVq9Blh3xuQbGUAvsxue72Cgk0DEKBcr3Ju5YlNpWbJ3oOqhZT/s200/orpcropped.jpg" width="192" /></a>The theme in one of the other cases related to colorful minerals displayed with numbers corresponding to written identifications explaining their color. Once again, few of the specimens boasted the level of aesthetic qualities to be expected at a well-known museum like the California Academy of Sciences. In this case, we even noticed two similar specimens of dull massive orpiment with identical explanations of "color due to energy gaps in <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uSEez2tnGH5-3VZIkrZyaIeg27LFQjox0eUFgmTsJgppiOssLVTcHyEe7fNUZEc0t97tuvfi-CSBprqmc4kPhpr2J9nUy25P6D6DA-HJzxsgTkFJY4iRNzQ0-iD8Q7zU8DibFXS4ISkN/s1600/IMG_2213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uSEez2tnGH5-3VZIkrZyaIeg27LFQjox0eUFgmTsJgppiOssLVTcHyEe7fNUZEc0t97tuvfi-CSBprqmc4kPhpr2J9nUy25P6D6DA-HJzxsgTkFJY4iRNzQ0-iD8Q7zU8DibFXS4ISkN/s200/IMG_2213.JPG" width="200" /></a>molecules." How much thought went into this display?<br />
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While the mineral collections in other top tier museums aspire to dazzle the sensibilities of mineral aficionados, it is clear that most of the specimens in this exhibit bespeak no such intention. Clearly, the purpose is to educate the unknowing about a few very basic tenets of mineralogy.<br />
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Aside from teaching, the displays could surely do more to generate the interest of the viewers they seek to educate. To the contrary, some themes seemingly sought to discourage viewers from the most obvious means of putting their newly acquired knowledge to use. That means, of course, would be to take up collecting minerals as a hobby. The theme in one case deliberately points out the environmental hazards of mining. In another of the cases, it is noted how certain species that collectors prize, linarite for example, are actually poisonous.<br />
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Had timing allowed for a behind the scenes visit, the tone of this post almost certainly would be more positive. Those who visit the California Academy of Sciences for the primary purpose of seeing minerals will obviously wish to view the best the museum has. In our opinion, they should be able to do so without having to pay an extra $15.<br />
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<br />Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-90506505817954982072016-11-02T23:43:00.000+00:002016-11-02T23:43:48.581+00:00The 2016 Desautels Micromount Symposium <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On the weekend of October 14-16, 2016, the Baltimore Mineral Society celebrated the 60th Anniversary of its annual Desautels International Micromount Symposium. For the past several years, the event has occurred at Friends School on North Charles Street. The symposium derived its name to honor the late Paul Desautels (1920-1991), who founded the Baltimore Mineral Society in 1951, and later in 1956, its micromount symposium, the first of its kind in the world, Soon thereafter, he left Baltimore to become Curator-in -Charge of of gems and minerals at the Smithsonian. The Desautels Symposium has always attracted many of America's ---and some the world's---most knowledgeable, prolific, and best known micromounters. Enhancing the event's continuity has been the induction each year of new members into the Micromounter's Hall of Fame, launched in 1981.<br />
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Mike Seeds, a past president of the Baltimore Mineral Society, who lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has chaired the event for a number of years. Actively assisting him are Micromounter's Hall of Fame members Steve and Carolyn Weinberger, who last year were inducted as a couple.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJA2BFp-yj6y-0EAZxh4TAtoblkJeH_BSHqT_FkxL2EI_5PL1gBhBs-gwWZSNN94-v5tRJke31XU4Xh1Phvuqjk6XYZXDuSVouIWxHu4-67bQLHPyOs7VDf6uF39Lxg-YJLQuWSTw0hgA1/s1600/rothenbergmonet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJA2BFp-yj6y-0EAZxh4TAtoblkJeH_BSHqT_FkxL2EI_5PL1gBhBs-gwWZSNN94-v5tRJke31XU4Xh1Phvuqjk6XYZXDuSVouIWxHu4-67bQLHPyOs7VDf6uF39Lxg-YJLQuWSTw0hgA1/s200/rothenbergmonet.jpg" width="133" /></a>This year's symposium featured two inductees. Pictured at left is new Hall of Famer Bob Rothenberg, seen at left with wife Monet holding his plaque. Over several decades, by virtue of knowledge, skill, and service to the micromounting community, Bob has established himself as one of the world's great micromounters. The current focus of his work relates to the eastern part of North America. On Saturday afternoon, he gave a presentation about the discovery of an extensive array of rare microminerals recently identified in syenite along a small stream in Augusta County, Virginia.<br />
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Also elected, albeit post-mortem, was the late Baltimore lawyer and philanthropist Randall Rothschild, who died at 93 in 2003. In addition to launching the International Directory of Micromounters, Mr. Rothschild is remembered for having provided much of the funding that enabled John S. White, a Baltimore Mineral Society founding member (who succeeded Mr. Desautels as the Smithsonian's Curator-in-Charge of Minerals) to found <i>Mineralogical Record </i>in 1970. Before ultimately donating his world class micromount collection to the Smithsonian, Mr. Rothschild circulated numerous mounts at the Desautels Symposium, where at least a couple turn up each year at auction. His mounts are much celebrated not only for their often surreal beauty, but for the unique and intricate skill with which Mr. Rothschild mounted them, as well as the intricate handwritten style he used to label them.
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Needless to say, each year's symposium attracts its share of Micromounter's Hall of Famers. Pictured in the image at right (l to r) are Steve Weinberger (inducted 2015); Carolyn Weinberger (inducted 2015); Lou D'Alonzo (inducted 2015; John Ebner (inducted 1997); new inductee Bob Rothenberg; and Col. Quintin Wight (inducted 1990). Col, White, of Ottawa, Ontario, is arguably the world's best known living micromounter and author of The <u>Complete Book of Micromounting</u>, He serves as master of ceremonies of each year's Micromounter's Hall of Fame induction.<br />
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In addition to the Hall of Fame inductions, the Desautels Symposium features speakers, dealers, plenty of trading, and a seemingly endless giveaway table. One of the highlights on this year's table was a small box of tiny white pebbles contributed by Col. Wight, Gracing some of them were extremely unsual combinations of very dark green to black spinel morphing into corundum in association with the quite rare and complex species högbomite. They were from a find near Bathurst in Ottawa that Quintin described in the first presentation delivered at this year's event.<br />
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Among particularly intriguing offerings from the ever present dealers was a selection of several <br />
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dozen mounts, each bearing numerous---in some instances scores---of submillimeter crystals mounted on 8 millimeter disks affixed to a cork pedestal. Indeed various micromounters over the years have used such disks to display one or several crystals usually of particularly rare species. However, to see such a large number of crystals to appear so neatly and well-arranged on a disk this tiny was a mind-boggling experience for many who were present. The example pictured at left features minute yet well formed crystals of tourmaline (var.) dravite from the Coatesville Adit in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania dealer Don Smoley was offering them. He noted that Joe Borowick was the name of the micromounter who created them.<br />
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A huge cake was served after lunch on Satruday to celebrate the event's 60th anniversary, Counting the number of symposia that have taken place, this was actually the 61st Desautels International Micromount Symposium. The 62nd will happen on a yet to be determined weekend toward the middle of October, 2017. Once again, one of the features will be the induction of two new Micromount Hall of Famers: Betsy Martin of Richmond, Virginia, and postmortem, the late Dr. Henry "Bumpi" Barwood, who passed away on September 9, 2016,Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-22617913750310787952016-10-13T15:31:00.000+01:002016-10-14T17:18:53.059+01:00Baltimore County's Historic Milford Trap Quarry<span style="font-family: inherit;">In northwestern Baltimore County, the Milford Trap Quarry's historic legacy has continued to evolve for the better part of a century since the last of its mineralogical bouny was taken. Those familiar with the site along Milford Mill Road near the Baltimore City line will recall the fire that destroyed a mosque built there two years after the site sold at auction in 2013. At times between 1950 and then,</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> the old quarry was the focal point of a swimming club along with a teen center and bandstand. The <i>Buddy Deane Show</i> happened there at least once, and scenes from from John Waters' </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Crybaby</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and Barry Levinson's </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Liberty Heights </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">were filmed there. </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> </i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Less remembered is the wide range of collectible minerals that the Milford Trap Quarry produced. The Natural History Society of Maryland's long out of print yet still penultimate guide to Maryland minerals, <i>Minerals of Maryland </i>mentions "minerals to be found" there in the present tense, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">suggesting that collecting was still taking place upon its publicaton in 1940. With the exception of Hunting Hill in Montgomery County, which had yet to be "discovered," few if any Maryland localities produced as many different species. Rarely do specimens from the Milford Trap Quarry grace collections or displays. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">The good news is that the Natural History Society of Maryland has saved and thus preserved </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">what surely must be the premier assortment of Milford specimens as described in </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">Minerals of Maryland. </i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">Many appear </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">to be original reference specimens upon which the publication depended. Early in 2016, the Natural History Society allowed access to many of these long stored away specimens. Among them were many that were particularly notable. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><b>CHLORITE IN ROSETTED CRYSTALS</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">As ubiquitous as chlorite is at numerous Maryland localities, this one stands out in itsw habit.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzolACQdxbduRbfeNsKq7iaWyyaC6YVgn68zHZkPvcqGUl2Tgd1wZefbs7nXnzYp6Fz1CzOBGvulw2AfzqdIPzyi1CB6ambl289SVQhibxRfgyT8s8HOruhMg6V0hKFxfGdfeT1zPu9cgQ/s1600/pyrrhotiteintraprockmilford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzolACQdxbduRbfeNsKq7iaWyyaC6YVgn68zHZkPvcqGUl2Tgd1wZefbs7nXnzYp6Fz1CzOBGvulw2AfzqdIPzyi1CB6ambl289SVQhibxRfgyT8s8HOruhMg6V0hKFxfGdfeT1zPu9cgQ/s320/pyrrhotiteintraprockmilford.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">This pyrrhotite specimen is notably rich compared to other specimens that have been uncovered in Maryland. Most Maryland pyrrhotite occurs in a matrix of limestone. Here, it is seen gracing gabbro.</span></span></div>
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<b>LAUMONTITE</b></div>
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After it had been stored away for many decades, we uncovered this specimen of the zeolite group mineral laumontite. It is paricularly important for having been the specimen photographed for the inside cover of <i>Minerals of Maryland. </i></div>
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<b>SCOLECITE</b></div>
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At the time <i>Minerals of Maryland</i> was published, the Milford Quarry was the only locality in Maryland to have reported scoleite, another zeolite mineral, The species was later uncovered at Hunting Hill in Montgomery County, which is now off limits. The crystals from Hunting Hill, however, were smaller and less showy. We have every reason to believe that this is the finest scolecite specimen ever uncovered in Maryland.<br />
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<b>PREHNITE</b></div>
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Prehnite is no a zeolite mineral, but typically associated with zeolites and erroneously thought by many to be one. The Milford Quarry was prehnite's only known Maryland locality for nearly a half century. </div>
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<b>KAOLINITE</b></div>
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Though a common species found at numerous localities, the occurrence of this particularly rich specimen at the Milford Quarry is notable.</div>
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<b>SPHENE</b></div>
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<i>Minerals of Maryland </i>notes sphene at the Milford Quarry in "green and brown crystals." Pictured above is a specimen of sphene in green and brown crystals in a matrix of feldspar and metagabbro. </div>
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<b>CLINOZOISITE</b></div>
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Clinozoisite as shown above was known to have been abundant at the Milford Quarry and thought to be zoisite. The visual distinction when in this habit is difficcult to make. </div>
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<i>Minerals of Maryland</i> mentions other species known to have been collected the Milford Trap Quarry as follows:</div>
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Platy ilmenite; pyrite in masses and in crystals; stilbite, natrolite; calcite crystals and cleavages; flattened garnets; black tourmaline crystals; albite; quartz crystals up to five inches long; marcasite crystals and stalactic forms in cavitites; magnetite massive and in brilliant octahedral crystals 1/4 inch across; rutile crystals; horneblende crystals in quartz three inches long; chalcopyrite; radiated actinolite; pyroxene; prochlorite (chromian clinochlore); analcime crystals; laumontite pseudomorph after analcime; epidote in long bladed single crystals and crystalline masses; mizzonite (scapolite); molybdenite; andesine crystals; radiated phillipsite; talc pseudomorph after actinolite; and muscovite.</div>
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Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-82397537843866106782016-09-30T18:36:00.003+01:002016-09-30T18:36:49.841+01:00A New Updated Maryland Minerals Website<h4 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.84615; margin: 1.71429rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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For the past month, much of our time has been devoted to working on the <a href="http://marylandminerals.com/">Maryland Minerals </a>website, from which the all-important slide show went missing sometime in early September. </div>
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The reason was that <i>Google</i> closed down its <i>Picasa</i> program, which the site had depended upon for our slide show of Maryland -collected minerals. We have since updated the site, replacing the previous <i>Picasa</i> slide show with a more user friendly slide show program that we know our viewers will prefer. </div>
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No longer is the Maryland Minerals slideshow a separate journey through nearly 200 mineral specimens with their labels. That vast series of images now consists of links to separate smaller slide shows, each featuring minerals from different Maryland counties shown in alphabetical order. The localities within each county also appear in alphabetical order, as well as the specimens that are pictured for each locality. The new <a href="http://marylandminerals.com/slideshows/">slide show</a> will enable viewers to access the images they seek more quickly and efficiently. </div>
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In addition to the list of articles pertinent to Maryland minerals, we have inserted a separate menu that provides a link to the site of this our Mineral Bliss blog. Other additions include a menu item listing <a href="http://marylandminerals.com/show-links/">shows</a> in the general region where minerals are displayed and sold as well as a new template for users of the site to contact us. The next change will be to the header image shown at the top of this post, soon to be replaced with one where the rock hammer is surrounded with Maryland minerals. </div>
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We hope you like the new site</div>
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Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601484528667898629.post-41322944579278797122016-08-08T17:15:00.000+01:002016-08-09T14:46:47.872+01:00New Finds: Falls Road Corridor near Baltimore City Line<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflOWLG6zGRvqo4bSMT-Wx_Xet3hZoYsGtkuzTYvirVol-rc9C30vlGsbO3VwCrdNtxC31e8Z_D3yxUwe6xrQYd2F68JKxapLzmHUo1OOwJTeaOl35gIyTsQthybhWGwM7F1c1b1UyHSgO/s1600/stuartherring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflOWLG6zGRvqo4bSMT-Wx_Xet3hZoYsGtkuzTYvirVol-rc9C30vlGsbO3VwCrdNtxC31e8Z_D3yxUwe6xrQYd2F68JKxapLzmHUo1OOwJTeaOl35gIyTsQthybhWGwM7F1c1b1UyHSgO/s400/stuartherring.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Stuart Herring</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is not a field collector anywhere who has introduced this writer to more localities in our native Maryland than Stuart Herring of Baltimore. For the past two years, his passion has been seeking out unexpected or long forgotten localities by studying old maps. He particularly enjoys exploring unheralded spots along the Falls Road corridor near the Baltimore City Line just a few minutes from his home. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfR_swcosfJgecL9LvtUWkh7qbwwCDS8GXqAJisPgwb-IJ2zc6LB9ShQDchORRjkPuuWFcPkT15ckfwHAIxfCCSGCInRLy-E1R4WOBaDACuJS3WD3PlTl61vaZMSW3xAp6xYOpgqcgRzes/s1600/chloritebarehills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfR_swcosfJgecL9LvtUWkh7qbwwCDS8GXqAJisPgwb-IJ2zc6LB9ShQDchORRjkPuuWFcPkT15ckfwHAIxfCCSGCInRLy-E1R4WOBaDACuJS3WD3PlTl61vaZMSW3xAp6xYOpgqcgRzes/s200/chloritebarehills.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">On a recent hot August Thursday morning, we visited a talc deposit at the southeastern fringe of the Bare Hills Serpentine Barrens near the contact point between serpentinite country rock and </span>quartz, schist, or pegmatite, depending upon immediate direction, <span style="font-family: inherit;"> The locality also offers </span>small<span style="font-family: inherit;"> quantities of attractive micaceous green chlorite as pictured at right and a few traces of magnetite (rather than the expected chromite). More abundant than the chlorite or magnetite is what appears to be anthophyllite.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfoSOQDhcyxpd_ZW9WWOp_vX3y5D4_LaPdE8tIta2MJAOrHsS7YK8F8tZYvAKeSQFJazycrwf_jWWzpEOo3XH9Br4z_kAq8ngctaxzbZpAis7su1vWvqz7VGCb3TIKUMSLk3-rjsOU5u9N/s1600/anthophylliteegg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfoSOQDhcyxpd_ZW9WWOp_vX3y5D4_LaPdE8tIta2MJAOrHsS7YK8F8tZYvAKeSQFJazycrwf_jWWzpEOo3XH9Br4z_kAq8ngctaxzbZpAis7su1vWvqz7VGCb3TIKUMSLk3-rjsOU5u9N/s200/anthophylliteegg.jpg" width="200" /></a>Demonstrating a particularly interesting manifestation of the apparent anthophyllite presence is the specimen pictured at left. It bears a stunning visual resemblance to a genre known as Hermanov spheres, eponymous with the locality at <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Heřmanov, Velké Meziříčí,
Vysočina Region, Moravia, Czech Republic.These spheres consist of a phlogopite core surrounded by anthophyllite crystals. In our specimen, the core is actually talc. The crystals surrounding it are talc pseudomorph after anthophyllite. This is the first and only anthophyllite occurrence of which we are aware at the Bare Hills Serpentine Barrens and the chrome pits dotting it. Interestingly, anthophyllite was once quite common in a different geological environment less than two miles away. The locality was the historic Bare Hills Copper Mine located just past </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.4px;">the opposite end of the serpentine barrens. At this point, the</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> serpentinite has given way</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> to gabbro with hornblende schist and amphibolite. For the last 55 years, the Bonnie Ridge Apartments has stood where its dumps were previously accessible. </span></div>
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From the talc locality, we drove to a spot in the Mount Washington neighborhood at a point on Western Run (not to be confused with Western Run in northern Baltimore County). The location is about 100 yards above where it flows into Jones Falls beneath the Kelly Avenue Bridge. Days before, the area had had endured a flash flood severe enough to extirpate and dislodge many hundreds of previously unrevealed rocks and cobbles. After parking on Forge Avenue, we walked to the stream. Its banks were strewn mostly with water-polished cobbles of the same gabbro and amphibolite </div>
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that once hosted the Bare Hills Copper Mine. Another hundred yards above us, a little creek leading from the site of the former copper mine dumps empties into Western Run. Thus, we kept our eyes peeled for sulfides and malachite patinas, but observed no traces. Of more interest was the occasional epidote group material gracing some of the cobbles. It showed a visual resemblance to zoisite or clinozoisite. Analysis would be necessary to make the determination. It could also be epidote, which was known to have occurred in similar material less than a mile away at the copper mine.<br />
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Another interesting
spot to explore newly uncovered rocks could be farther south along the Falls
Road Corridor, especially near Woodberry where Jones Falls flows through the
well mineralized Baltimore Gneiss. The same could be said for the Patapsco and
the Patuxent Rivers, especially near pegmatite areas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jake Slaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460126909756329202noreply@blogger.com0