July 2009

The CHATBOX is a monthly publication of the

MINERAL AREA GEM & MINERAL SOCIETY (MAGMS)

The purpose of our club is to develop interest in and increase knowledge of the earth sciences, minerals, rocks, fossils, and the lapidary arts, and to bring about a closer association of persons sharing these interests.

We shall achieve our purpose through regular planned open meetings, programs, publications, committees, monthly field trips, and special projects of assistance to the community.

We meet the second THURSDAY of each month at 7:00 PM at the Park Hills Senior Center, 224 W. Main St., Park Hills, Missouri. Visitors are always welcome

Annual dues are $18.00 per family or $12.00 per individual.

***** 2009 Elected Officers*****

PRESIDENT VICE-PRESIDENT SECRETARY: TREASURER:

Betty Marler Allys Bell, (Acting) Jack Sale

5084 Flat River Rd no.10 Club Street 1148 Rue Angeline

Farmington,MO63640 Park Hills,MO.63601 Bonne Terre,MO 63628

(573)431-2951 (573)518-1306 (573)562-7004

***2009 Committee Chairpersons***

BOARD MEMBERS: Field Trip Coordinator: Mark & Boneta Hensley

Jack Sale Hospitality: Betty Marler

Mark Hensley Refreshments: Allys Bell & as shown in CHATBOX each month

Allys Bell Annual Rock Swap: Lloyd Marler (chair) & Mark and Boneta Hensley

Club Display Case:

Publicity: Joey Henry

Representative: Allys Bell, Art Hebrank

Annual Picnic: Ruth Mosier

CHATBOX Editor: Robert W. Carroll

Midwest Federation Representative:

St. Louis Federation Representative: Ruth Mosier

Christmas Party: Betty White

Science Committee: Art Hebrank

Submit articles for publication to the Editor, Robert W. Carroll 573-431-2148 E-Mail = bcarroll@charter.net, by the 20^th of the month. Material may be reprinted provided credit is given to the CHATBOX. Publication of articles in the CHATBOX does not constitute endorsement by MAGMS or certify the accuracy of the material. Opinions expressed in articles and editorials are not necessarily representative of the opinions of the membership or the MAGMS.

Next meeting will be at Park Hills Senior Center, 224 W. Main St., Park Hills, Missouri

Thursday JULY 9 7:00 PM

REFRESHMENTS: D.Jennings & Bill Crites

PROGRAM: Frank Thebeau on barite & D.Jennings hobbies

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Presidents Message:

Summer is here (92 deg). The Rock Swap was a huge success. I wish to thank the club members who did all the work. Thanks to Jerry Henry for selling 456 grab bags all three days. We need to start making plans for next year. Everybody that I talked to was happy with the way things went, no complaints. Thanks to Leadwood High School for the food preparation.

Your president Betty Marler

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Minutes of MAGMS Meeting of June 11, 2009

President Betty Marler called the meeting to order; she said that this is a sad time due to the passing of Barb Adams.

Betty also stated that Barb gave her the book which lists the details of who will be doing programs, refreshments for the remainder of the year. D. Jennings will do a short program for the July meeting.

Lloyd reported that this has the makings of a fine swap this year, and hopes that the public will be in high attendance; He also announced that he and Betty will head up the Swap for one more year, and that they will both retire from their positions after that, and they will try to find someone to train to take their places.

The chicken for the pot-luck supper will be prepared by the Park Hills Senior Center, and Betty purchased a ham, so everyone bring a covered dish to share Saturday night.

Betty also suggested that the club would donate $50.00 toward the purchase of Dillon Reese's college books instead of flowers due to the circumstances. Frieda also brought up a suggestion for other members donate individually, Frieda will bring the suggestion up again in the July meeting.

Betty thanked D. Jennings for all his help with the tent, and that there will be a great need for volunteers this year because we are short on workers. Betty also stated that Barb's position needs to be filled, and Cornelia will give up her position as secretary due to declining health.

Betty thanked everyone for coming, and hoped to see everyone at the next meeting on July 9th.

Meeting adjourned at 7:40 (total 1 hr. 25 min.)

Connie Velpel

Acting Secretary

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Treasurer’s report

Our club bank account, including the swap monies, as of 17 June is $5703.51.

Jack Sale Treasurer

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Thoughts-Prayers

Helen Warren

Mabel Reed

Carnelia Lueddecke

Marvin Lueddecke

Jim Hill

Cathy Hill

Jean Carroll

Marvin Twiner

Helen Warren

Bill & Glenda Crites

Jerry Henry

If you would like to send a card or letter to any of these, you may get the address from Betty Marler at 573-431-2951 or Robert Carroll at 573-431-2148.

Bill Crites 07-02

Tina McGill 07-02

Marvin Lueddecke 07-18

Taylor Lueddecke 07-25

Opal Black 07-30

Birth Month

July

Modern Birthstones

Ruby

Traditional Birthstones

Ruby

Mystical Birthstones

Ruby

Ayurvedic Birthstones

Ruby

Other Birthstones

Carnelian

RUBY

Star Ruby Ruby is red corundum, all other color varieties of corundum being referred to as sapphire. The ruby color range includes pinkish, purplish, orangey, and brownish red depending on the chromium and iron content of the stone. The trace mineral content tends to vary with the geologic formation which produced the ruby, so original place designations such as Burmese and Thai have come in later years to be sometimes used in describing color.
... Most authorities expect a medium to medium dark color tone in a ruby, naming stones lighter than this, pink sapphire -- but there is no general agreement exactly where the line is to be drawn. The old joke about questionable stones goes: "Whether it's a ruby or a pink sapphire depends on whether you're the buyer or the seller."
... All corundum gems including ruby have a long history of enhancement. Unless the seller specifically states the stone is unheated, you should assume that some kind of heat treatment has been used. Usually high temperature heating and controlled cooling is done to clarify the stones, especially by dissolving "silk" (rutile); but it can also improve tone and saturation of color. Such treatments can only be detected in stones whose residual inclusions show signs of heat stress; truly clean stones will give no clues and cannot be verified as natural color. The general view at present seems to be that simple heating, being indistinguishable from Nature's own heating processes, and stable, is acceptable -- as long as it is disclosed. For this reason such enhancement does not radically lower the value of ruby gems. Not so for other more recently invented treatments such as diffusion coloring, or polymer or glass filling.
... Corundum was first synthesized in the early 1900's by a simple flame fusion process. Many jewelers and gemologists have had the unpleasant task of telling the proud heir that Grandmother's treasured ruby ring or brooch contains a flame fusion stone and has a lot more sentimental than commercial value. More complex synthesis processes have been developed in recent years. These so closely simulate natural formation conditions that colors and even inclusions look extremely natural and such stones are difficult for all but the most highly skilled professionals to identify as man-made.
... Ruby is hard (9) and tough, making it a superb jewelry stone. (Of course, a heavily included or fractured stone will be less stable.) For reasonably clean stones, no special wear or care precautions are necessary. Ruby shows pleochroism which means that the color varies with the direction of viewing. Most stones show purplish red and orangey red, although the presence or absence of trace minerals can dampen either of these. The overall color can often, but not always, give a clue to a stone's geographic origin, with Burmese stones tending to purplish red colors and Thai stones appearing more brownish red. In addition, many rubies will fluoresce in long or short wave UV and this property can often be used to help identify a stone's geographic origin. Burmese rubies often fluoresce so strongly that the effect is noticeable even in sunlight, such stones seem literally to glow, and are greatly admired. Thai stones generally lack this property. Although Asia has historically been the major producer of ruby gems, there are many other sources including the USA, Australia, and most recently Africa.
...Ruby rough of lower quality is used in great quantities to make beads, carvings, and other ornamental objects. The silk, which is so common in corundum, can, if sufficiently abundant, and precisely arranged, lead to asterism. With proper cutting, this creates star rubies. Today there are heating and diffusion processes that can increase the rutile content and improve such gems. Synthetic star corundums were very popular in the 1950's under the trade name "Linde Stars" and are still under production.
... Few other gems have as much myth, lore and romance surrounding them, with one of the chief attractions being the protection from misfortune and bad health rubies were believed to afford their lucky owners. As the science of gemology developed it became known that many historically important "rubies" such as the famed Black Prince's Ruby of the British Crown Jewels, were actually other red gems, most often red spinels.

Value:

... Rubies are the most valuable members of the corundum family. Large gem quality rubies can be more valuable than comparably sized diamonds and are certainly rarer. There is a relative abundance of smaller, (1-3 carat,) blue sapphires compared to the scarcity of even small gem quality rubies, making even these smaller stones relatively high in value.
... Stones of Burmese origin generally command the highest prices. The vast majority of rubies are "native cut" in the country of origin. High value ruby rough is tightly controlled and rarely makes its way to custom cutters. Occasionally, such native stones are recut to custom proportions, albeit at a loss of weight and diameter. Custom cut and recut stones are usually more per carat, and my own bias is that they are worth it.
... Sinkankas and Miller in the Standard Catalog of Gem Values, 2nd. Ed. list a wide range of wholesale prices for faceted gem rubies. Prices are dependent on origin, color, size, and clarity: from a low of $100 to $15,000/ ct maximum.
... Burmese stones in 1/2 to 1 ct sizes with slightly purplish red color and light inclusions range from $300 to $3000/ ct, for example. The price survey done by the International Gem Society reports that clean, top color gems in the 1/2 to 1 ct size range are being sold, retail, on the Internet with a range of $1000 - $3000/ct.

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MAGMS Field Trips….

To hot!!!! There will be no field trips scheduled for July or August. We will try to plan field trips this Fall. More information later.

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Photos by Boneta Hensley