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OCT. 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 20th 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.
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Next
meeting will be at Park Hills Senior Center, 224 W. Main St.,
Park Hills, Missouri
Thursday October 8 7:00 PM
REFRESHMENTS: Cindy
King & Betty Marler
PROGRAM: Boneta
Hensley
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Presidents Message:
We went to Lincoln Rock Swap and had a very good time. Six other club members were there. At our last meeting Art Hebrank did a very good program identifying rocks for club members. It is time to name nominating committee for new officers.
Your president Betty Marler
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Minutes of MAGMS Meeting of September 10, 2009
The monthly meeting was called to order on September 10, 2009 at 7:00 P.M. by President Betty Marler. There were 19 members and 5 visitors present. Visitors present were - Laura and Jerry Doster of Leadwood, James and Rose Pettus and Shelly Craig. We are always happy to have visitors. The door prize was won by Ann Hampton, a piece of Galena from Missouri.
The minutes and treasurers report were approved as printed in the CHATBOX.
Betty reported that several of our members are on the sick list and we wish everyone a speedy recovery.
Betty reported that she and Allys delivered the 5 Earth Science Kits to the schools and all were very happy and pleased to receive such a nice kit to work with. The schools that received the kits were: Viburnam School, Bellgrade K-2, Belleview Middle School, Fredericktown Intermediate and Ste. Genevieve School.
Betty reported that the museum bought some mineral cards from us.
Betty appointed Arlene DeGonia and Carnelia Lueddecke to audit the club books. This will be done at the November meeting.
Ruthie reported that the MAGMS Annual Picnic will be September 13, 2009 at Hawn State Park. Come early and visit. We will eat around 1:00. We will play games and there will be tail gateing.
MAGMS Christmas
Party will be held on December 10, 2009 at 6:00 P.M. at Ryans in Farmington,
Missouri. More on this later.
MAGMS Meeting on November 8, 2009 will be a chance to buy Christmas Gifts from our members. They will have on display with many nice items to be purchased. No program for November.
September Program - Identification by Art Hebrank. Many members brought many specimens for Art to identify. I really appreciated this opportunity to see what other members had that they had questions on. Also I had many questions answered. A very good learning experience I thought. Thanks Art!! Job well done.
Next MAGMS Meeting will be on October 8, 2009 at 7:00 P.M. at the Senior Center at Park Hill, Missouri.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:52 P.M. by President Betty Marler and everyone enjoyed refreshments and visiting.
Carnelia Lueddecke, Acting Secretary
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Treasurer’s report
8/1/09 bal-car-fwd $5521.03
8/14 Dylan Reese/Volunteer Gift $146.00 $146.00 $4967.36
deliver kits to five schools $29.99 $3769.58
Jack Sale Treasurer
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Thoughts-Prayers
Helen Warren
Mabel Reed
Carnelia
Lueddecke
Marvin Lueddecke
Jean Carroll
Marvin Twiner
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.
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Helen Warren 10-07 
Susan
Herring 10-15
Jean Carroll 10-19
D. Jennings 10-25
Olivia Simpson 10-26
Greg McGill 10-30
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Birth Month
October
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Modern
Birthstones Opal, Tourmaline |
Traditional
Birthstones Tourmaline |
Mystical
Birthstones Jasper |
Ayurvedic
Birthstones Opal |
Other Birthstones Pink Tourmaline, Zircon, Aquamarine |
Tourmaline
Tourmalines are mixed crystals of
aluminium boron silicate with a complex and changing composition. The mineral
group is a fairly complex one. Even slight changes in the composition cause
completely different colors. Crystals of only a single color are fairly rare;
indeed the same crystal will often display various colors and various nuances
of those colors. And the trademark of this gemstone is not only its great
wealth of color, but also its marked dichroism. Depending on the angle from
which you look at it, the color may be different or more or less intense. It is
always at its most intense when viewed looking toward the main axis, a fact to
which the cutter must pay great attention when lining up the cut. This gemstone
has excellent wearing qualities and is easy to look after, for all tourmalines
have a good hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. So the tourmaline is an
interesting gemstone in many ways.
In the fascinating world of gemstones, the tourmaline is very
special. Its high availability and its glorious, incomparable color spectrum
make it one of our most popular gemstones - and apart from that, almost every
tourmaline is unique.
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-From Hound's Howl, February, 2004
Fisherman's Friend: Beaders - crimp split shot sinkers on your line to
keep beads from slipping off tiger tail while you take a break from your work.
- Mother of Pearl for
inlay work can be softened by soaking in white vinegar. It can then be easily
cut
- Don't try to hard-solder any item that has traces of lead solder on the metal. The lead will
oxidize and eat holes in the metal.- Don't mix lead with silver or gold
scrap. - Don't leave acid bottles open. The fumes will rust your tools.
- Polishing psilomelane: Use 100,000 diamond on canvas to get good
results.
- Polishing fire agate:
Use tin oxide on leather, dry. Polishes in a heartbeat! Heat causes the top
surface of the stone to flow, making it glassy.
- Polishing Jade: Heat
it up! Use polish on leather. Hold the stone with your fingers, so you know
it's not getting too hot.
- Gluing doublets: Use
330 epoxy, it's the best. (220 epoxy dries yellowish). The longer you mix the
epoxy, the harder the bond will be. Use a bell jar vacuum to pull the bubbles
out of the epoxy bond line in your doublets.
- Graceful cab shapes:
When shaping a cabochon, cut one or more inside curves using the diameter of
the grinding wheel. (Titans have 8-in. diameter wheels, Genies have 8-in.
wheels, etc.) After shaping the cab, sand and polish the inside curves first.
- Cutting slabs: Cut thin chunks of rough on the bias (diagonally) to yield larger slabs.
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Precious stones are just what their name implies - stones or minerals
that are precious because they carry more value than an ordinary stone. The
value they have over the others may be due to their color, luster, and rarity.
The stones are often referred to as gemstones and are used in jewelry pieces
and other items of value such as crowns, swords, coat of arms, and so on.
The Gems
There are many kinds of precious stones - diamonds are
among the most popular and sought-after. Although naturally occurring, the
stones still hold a high value because of the process they have to undergo
before they can be used as jewelry pieces. For instance, although diamond is
among the most expensive stones, it natural form is not as beautiful as a cut
piece. In fact, an uncut stone often has a lesser value than the cut piece.
These precious stones include topaz, opal, peridot, garnets,
emerald, ruby, amethyst, sapphire, ametrine, tanzanite, aquamarine, tourmaline,
amber, onyx, jasper, agate, and diamonds. Pearls are also considered in the
same context as these stones but it is not a mineral. These could all be shaped
and incorporated in crystal jewelry.
Shapes of the Stones
What makes these precious stones even more precious is that these
can be found in various shapes perfect for a certain jewelry piece. Rings may
have stones cut as square, oval, round, rectangular, cushion, princess,
trilliant, and heart cut. Some stone cutters even go as far as offering lily
cuts and other complicated shapes. Likewise, bracelets, necklaces, and anklets
have their own cuts for pendants or beads.
Semiprecious
Don't be fooled about the word "semiprecious" in
semiprecious stones because these gems do not exactly mean that they are less
expensive and less beautiful than the "regular" precious ones. No,
the term just arose for lack of a better term to address the growing number of
stones being discovered in the past. To distinguish them from ruby, sapphire,
and emerald which were considered the precious "big three" stones at
the time. No, many of these "semiprecious" gems are actually more
expensive than any of these three.
Precious, semiprecious, gems, or whatever people might call these stones, they are still aptly called as precious stones - they are not common. Of course, had they been common, they'd be just ordinary stones. Still, buying the stones directly from the suppliers make them less expensive than from the jewelers.
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WHAT'S THE PURPOSE?
by Steve Weinberger, Central
Office
Someone recently asked me "What's the purpose of the
AFMS?" Good question, and one that caused me
to do a little research so I could give the individual the
"official" answer. My probe took me back to the
AFMS Articles of Incorporation, which state....
"Article II - Objects and Purposes
Section 1. GENERAL PURPOSES: To promote popular interest
and education in the various Earth Sciences, and in particular the subjects of
Geology, Mineralogy, Paleontology, Lapidary and other related subjects, and to
sponsor and provide means of coordinating the work and efforts of all persons
and groups interested therein; to sponsor and encourage the formation and
international development of Societies and Regional Federations and by and
through such means to strive toward greater international
good will and fellowship."
That statement was written almost sixty (60) years ago, and
we're still holding true to it. The number of regional federation members has
grown to seven and through their efforts as well as our own, we're educating
the public through local clubs, shows, field trips, newsletters, websites, etc.
We're also helping the field "grow" through our scholarship
foundation with two dozen students receiving financial assistance each year.
from the AFMS Newsletter -
October, 2006
Happy Halloween!
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Amber has long been appreciated and traded by the Syrians, Phoenicians, and even the Vikings.
The Greeks believed it was solidified sunshine, considered it a precious stone, a jewel, but called it 'Elektron' for it ability to attract bits of material if rubbed on cloth. Nero, Emperor of Rome, sent expeditions to buy Baltic amber, to cut as gemstones or to powder for medicines to treat inflammations and muscle spasms.
Amber is a polymerized compound of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon and contains varying ratios of succinic acid, several resins, and brown volatile oil (amber oil). Polymerization is the process wherein the molecules of sticky resin are linked into larger molecules. This unlike the fossilization or lithification processes of other organic materials. Amber has a hardness of 2, a specific gravity of 1, and can be melted at 100 degrees C. It can be cooked down to black colophony or amber pitch. Amber varies in color, being found in blue, red, black, green, and honey colored.
Pinus succinifera, the trees which produced amber resin, existed through the Miocene Age, but not all amber is the same age. Amber occurs in sedimentary rock, or is weathered out of it.
Bavarian 225 million years old
Lebanese 115 to 135 million years old Siberian 80 to 115 million years old
British Columbia 100 million years old New Jersey 90 million years old Alaskan 80 million years old
Canadian 70 to 80 million years old Arkansas 60 million years old
Dominican Republic 25 to 40 million years old Baltic40 million years old
.-From Hound's Howl Feb. 2003 via Rocky Echoes. Oct 2004 ;The Shin-Skinner News 6-‘05
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God Bless America