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GULF COAST MINERAL, FOSSIL & GEM CLUB

P.O. Box 1404      Venice, FL 34284

www.mineralfossilgemclubvenicefl.org

NEWSLETTER

VOLUME 7 NUMBER 3: December 2007

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PURPOSE

     The purpose of our club, organized in 1967, is to foster an interest in minerals, gems, fossils and lapidary arts, to give people with these interests the fellowship with each other and a chance to interact with informative meetings, programs and activities and to present our hobby to the community at our annual show.  We also try to foster an interest with the children of our community and to share our knowledge through programs and displays in the local schools and libraries.

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MEETINGS

     Meetings are held the first Monday of the month, October through May, except as noted below, in the Meeting Room at the Venice Public Library, 300 S. Nokomis Avenue, Venice, FL.

ANNUAL DUES ARE $10 FOR SINGLES OR $15 FOR FAMILIES

REGULAR MEETING DATES: 2007-2008 CLUB SEASON

Monday          7-9 pm             Oct 1, 2007     Show & Tell: Club Members                                   

Monday          7-9 pm             Nov 5, 2007    Speaker: Herbert Knodel—Amber

Monday          5:30-8pm         Dec 3, 2007    Dinner Meeting, Gift Exchange                               

Monday          6-8 pm             Jan 7, 2008     Discuss Show: Speaker: Tom Ladd—Making Cabochons

Tuesday       6-8 pm             Feb 5, 2008     Silent Auction: Display/Speaker

Monday          6-8 pm             Mar 3, 2008    Speaker:

Monday          6-8 pm             Apr 7, 2008     Speaker:

Monday          6-8 pm             May 5, 2008   Dinner Meeting; Speaker:

       

CLUB SHOW January 26 & 27, 2008; Sat. 10am to 5pm; Sun. 10am to 4pm

CLUB OFFICERS

President and Liaison with AFMS: Allen Brown (941) 926-4171; allen_brown19467@msn.com

Past President: & Newsletter Editor: Geraldine Vest (941) 408-1711; Gvest201@yahoo.com

Vice President: Ursula Jablonski, (941) 484-9956; ujjablonski@comcast.net

Secretary: Barbara Walker (941) 488-1302              

Treasurer: Tom Granata (941) 484-1533 sunshine744@verizon.net

Assistant Treasurer: open

Webmaster: Duane Daniell (941) 375-8858 duanedaniell@yahoo.com

Educational Committee: G. Vest, T. J. Granata, R. G. Campbell (813) 754-6987 rareearthmaster2021@yahoo.com

Senior Trustee: Tom Ladd (941) 755-6428

Senior Trustee and Show Chairman: Ralph Marble, (941) 922-2135 marblesgems@verizon.net

Trustee: Gifford Smith (941) 698-0183 gif@gls3c.com

Trustee: John Mort (941) 794-2185 mayjohn008@aol.com

Trustee: Meyer, Katrina: (941) 484-1435 wiredwonders@yahoo.com

GULF COAST MINERAL, FOSSIL AND GEM CLUB

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MESSAGE FROM YOUR TREASURER: Tom Granata

     Dues are $10.00 per person or $15.00 for a family and were due at the October meeting.  “Snow birds” if you are just arriving—now is a good time to pay your dues.  Club patches are available at the club meetings at a cost of $4.00 each.

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MESSAGE FROM YOUR SHOW CHAIR PERSONS: Ralph & Eileen Marble

All the tables have been sold for the January 26 & 27, 2008 Club Show.  Floor plans will be ready for the January 7 meeting on Wednesday.

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MESSAGE FROM YOUR PRESIDENT: Allen Brown

1.  Time change after Jan. 1 - club will meet at 6:00 pm to 8 pm

2.  Date change for Feb - club will meet on Tuesday Feb. 5. 2008

3.  Ursula Jablonski may have to step down as VP. If anyone is interested in become VP please contact Allen Brown.

4.  Speaker for Jan will be Tom Ladd who will speak on cabochons and will have a DVD.

5.  Need a few more ticket takers for the club show - please consider helping a few hours.

Allen

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CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES TO OUR MEMBERS CELEBRATING:

December Birthdays:

Dec. 6^th Jack Simmons, Dec. 13^th John L. Mort, Dec. 18^th Charles Clark, Dec. 22^nd Karen Dry

December Anniversaries:

Dec. 6^th Barbara & Gordon Walker; Dec. 10^th, Robert & Helene Durham,

Condolences

Katrina Meyer’s Mother, age 88, passes away on 10/03/07

Professor Sam Upchurch’s wife, age 66, of 43 years, Mary Ann, past away 11/10/07

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Note: Club members get free admission to the Frank Cox Shows—show your membership card to the ticket collector.

Nov.30-Dec 2, 2007 Sarasota, FL, Frank Cox Productions. 32^nd annual Christmas Gem, Jewelry, and Bead Show. Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail (Hwy. 41). 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. 941-954-0202, frankcox@comcast.net, www.frankcoxproductions.com.

Jan 11-13, 2008, Sarasota, FL, Frank Cox Productions. 177th Gem, Jewelry, and Bead Show. Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail (Hwy. 41). 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. 941-954-0202, frankcox@comcast.net, www.frankcoxproductions.com.

Feb 8-10,2008, Sarasota, FL, Frank Cox Productions. 178th Gem, Jewelry, and Bead Show. Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail (Hwy. 41). 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. 941-954-0202, frankcox@comcast.net, www.frankcoxproductions.com.

Mar 7-9, 2008, Sarasota, FL, Frank Cox Productions. 179th Gem, Jewelry, and Bead Show. Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail (Hwy. 41). 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. 941-954-0202, frankcox@comcast.net, www.frankcoxproductions.com.

Apr 11-13, 2008, Sarasota, FL, Frank Cox Productions. 180th Gem, Jewelry, and Bead Show. Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail (Hwy. 41). 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. 941-954-0202, frankcox@comcast.net, www.frankcoxproductions.com.

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UPCOMING SHOWS 2007-2008

Nov 30 –Dec 2, 2007-SPRING HILL, FLORIDA: Show; Withlacoochee Rockhounds; Slovene American Club, 13383 County Line Rd.; Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; adults $3, teens $1, children 12 and under free; minerals, fossils, gemstones, demonstrations, handcrafted jewelry, lapidary equipment, gem and mineral auction, Aaron's Breastplate replica, famous diamonds of the world, dealers wanted; contact Jerry Johnson, 387 Martina Dr., Spring Hill, FL 34609, (352) 688-7819; e-mail: hisnibs@earthlink.net.

Dec 9-10, 2007 Deland, FL—Tomoko Gem & Mineral Society 40^th Annual Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show, Volusia County Fairgrounds. Hours: 9^th 10 am to 6 pm and 10^th 10 am to 5 pm Contacts: Cliff Fisher, show chairman (386) 944-2293; vendor chairman (386) 445-9030

Jan 12, 2008 Marbles Gems’ 4^th annual “ROCK YARD SALE” see ad in this newsletter

Jan 11-13, 2008--LARGO, FLORIDA: 32nd annual show and sale; Pinellas Geological Society; Largo Cultural Center, Parkside Room, 105 Central Park Dr., one block east of Seminole Blvd.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 12-5; cut gems, silver and gold jewelry, inlay work, intarsia, wire wrap, beading, cabochons, mineral eggs, rocks, minerals; contact Hugh Sheffield, 2440 Southshore Dr. SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33705, (727) 894-2440.

Jan 26-27, 2008 Venice, FL—Gulf Coast Mineral, Fossil & Gem Club—37^th annual show, Venice Community Center, 300 S. Nokomis Ave.  Hours: Sat. 10am-5pm, Sun. 10am-4pm, admission $3 each day Show chairpersons: Ralph & Eileen Marble, (941) 922-2135

Feb 2-3, 2008 Panama City, FL—Panama City Gem & Mineral Society 17^th annual show, Bay county fairgrounds, American legion Hall, U.S. Hwy 98 and Sherman Ave. Hours: Sat 9 am to 5 pm, Sun 9 am to 4 pm Contact: Al Zar (850) 763-0109

Feb 8-10, 2008—MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA: 31st annual show, "Symphony of Gemstones"; Central Brevard Rock & Gem Club; Kiwanis Island Park, 950 Kiwanis Park Rd.; Fri. 1-6, Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; admission $3; rough and cut gems, minerals, fine jewelry, equipment, supplies, books, beads, demonstrations; contact Forrest MacNab, (321) 453-63

		Australian trip 10/1/07—10/15/07 Los Angeles, CA ’ Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ’ Cairns, Queensland, Australia ’ Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ’ Los Angeles, CA TWO OF FIFTEEN DAYS 10/07/07 left Cairns, traveled by bus to Port Douglas, Quicksilver boat 1.5 hrs out to Great Barrier Reef—while the rest of the family were snorkeling and getting wet, I went down in the glass sided submarine for an hour cruising the bottom area of the reef. WOW! 10/07/07 left Cairns, traveled to Kuranda by train through 15 tunnels and 40 bridges, picture of GMV taken in Kuranda Koala Gardens, holding a koala, before the sky rail cable trip over the rainforest and before visiting Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.      I traveled with my son, daughter-in-law, grandson, 13, granddaughter 11; I did not buy any opals in Australia—no time.  GMV
Geraldine Vest at Kuranda Koala Gardens holding a cute, fully grown, female koala	Geraldine’s son Dan Deputy at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park throwing a boomerang

OPALS

By Geraldine M. Vest, Ph.D., FGA, G.G. (GIA) & Robert Campbell G.G. (GIA)

Continued from the October-November Newsletter…

     Opal forms under hydrothermal or sedimentary conditions at low-temperatures at or near the earth’s surface. Opal never occurs as crystals since it is a non-crystalline, amorphous  substance, it occurs as reniform, globular, stalactitic or massive aggregates, porous or earthy, as coatings, as the vein and fissure filling and similar forms. ⁽⁵⁾ Miners, cutters, and salespeople use the misnomer term “crystal” opal for transparent material, just like the term “crystal” is used for the high lead content glasses in our china cabinents.  Note: Many precious opals display the phenomena called play-of-color (POC). 

LOCATIONS  ^{(5) (2) (1)}

1.       Africa: Yita Ridge; Nioro du Sahel;

2.       Australia: (a) Andamooka, South Australia—mining areas yield “crystal” opals and treated matrix opals; (b) Barracoo R., Queensland—area yields blue opal in concretions cracks in brown sandstone; (c) Coober Pedy, South Australia—mining area, 750 km NW of Adelaide, yield white base opals, boulder opal and others; (d) Koroit, New South Wales—their opals have a similar pattern to the Yowah opals; (e) Lambina, South Australia—a new opal field near Mintabie; (f) Lightning Ridge, New South Wales—mining area yield the famous black opals and boulder opal; (g) Mintabie, South Australia—mining area is noted for its black seam opal, now mostly “crystal” opals are found; (h) Mainside, central Queensland—mining area are a common source for bolder opal; (i) Opalton and Quilpie, Queensland—precious opal with dark body-tones and all colors of fire are mined; (j) White Cliffs, New South Wales—the first crystal opal was found in the 1800s, the mine also has boulder opal and pseudomorphs after glauberite crystals, bones, and shells, [the famous “opal pineapple” is a pseudomorph of opal that was once likely ikaite—these are exclusively found in the White Cliff]; (k) Yowah, southern Queensland—mining area which yields unusual bolder matrix opal known as Yowah Nut;

3.       Austria: Knittelfeld, Styria;

4.       Brazil: Piaua state—Boi Morto mine [translates ox dead—in early days of mining an ox fell off a nearby cliff] around Pedro Segundo (Pedro II) area—the opals are similar to Andamooka’s and include: harlequin, pin-fire, and broad flash and are usually found in sandstone fractures [largest piece recovered was 22 kg—110,000ct; Rio Grande do Sul state—Espumoso and Campos Borges opal mines; Minas Gerais state—Mordo da Mina [dead dog] produces white opal with POC;

5.       Canada: (a) Okanogan Opal mine, W. of Vernon, British Columbia—precious opal; (b) Eagle Creek mine in the Whitesail field, British Columbia—precious opal was found in 1980s (c) Northern Lights mine, in the Whitesail field in British Columbia, named for the local aurora borealis, precious opals include: crystal, black, boulder, contra-luz, hydrophane, and matrix opal—all are naturally stable and are fine opals. {Note: the 10 world-famous contra-luz carvings showing aspects of the aurora borealis were from this mine.};

6.       Canary Islands—produce fair to high end opal in small quantities;

7.       Czech Republic: (a) Cinovec, Bohemia—tin-tungsten ore deposits; (b) Nihov, near Velka Bites, Moravia—black opal as a common end-product of alteration of serpentines; (c) Predborice, Bohemia—in uraninite veins; (d) Valec, Bohemia—colorless hyalite as botryoidal coatings 4 cm thick;

8.       Ethiopia [the only country in Africa that is currently supplying opal to the market]—Mezezo, Shewa Prov.—dark precious opal in volcanites;

9.       Germany: Freiberg and Schneeberg in Saxony—in polymetallic veins;

10.   Honduras: Erandique—precious opal occurs in trachyte;

11.   Iceland—near old volcanic activity & geysers;

12.   Indonesian—Java area produces some black opal, with red, green & orange fire in basalt;

13.   Iran: Azerbaijan—opal mixed with alunite [KAl₃(SO₄)₂(OH)₆];

14.   Java (Indonesia) near Kali Maya—black basalt matrix with spots of POC;

15.   Mers Island—produces some opal;

16.   Mexico: (a) Jalisco; (b) San Juan del Rio, Queretaro—famous orange to red fire opals in rhyolites; (c) Cerritos, Cerro de Tepozan, San Louis Potosi—hyalite opal; (d) Tepetate, 40 km SW of San Louis Potosi, San Louis Potosi—opal in rhyolites;

17.   New Zealand—some opals are found near old volcanic activity & geyser areas;

18.   Nigeria—mines yield precious opal resembling dark orange Mexican material with extreme POC, but is crazes easily like the Nevada Virgin Valley material (found in 2003, info from Mindat.com);

19.   Peru—Acari Copper ore mine, near Nazca, Arequipa Deptment—blue is colored by chrysocolla, Monta Rosa mine produces gem grade pink opal with no POC [SEE INSERT];

20.   Simav (Mid East);

21.   Slovakia: [almost no current production] (a) at Provraznik, near Ponicka Huta—orange-brown opal in petrified tree trunks; (b) Dubnik, Precious Opal mine—precious opal in andesite tuffs; (c) Her’lany geiser—red, brown & orange opal; Kremnica—opal in gold-antimony ore deposits;

22.   South America: Ica; Arequipa; Pedro; Segundo;

23.   United States:

a)      Connecticut, Simpson Quarry, S. Glastonbury, Hartford Co., blue-green hyalite opals in beryl-bearing pegmatites;

b)      Idaho Spencer Opal Mine, near Spencer where opal formed in what was gas bubbles in a molten basalt flow—mines yield water opal with POC—these opals make good triplets—some solid material has red POC, also, some opal is found in hard rhyolite, typically in thin straight lines of precious crystal opal—most of the material is made into triplets—Downing, said that these are the best triplets he ever saw {(1) pg 145}; Opal Mountain Mine material has 3-rayed and 6-rayed stars that are unique to this mine, also, pink precious opal with POC, white or pink common opal that fluoresces red-yellow banded patterns in ultraviolet light is found; Idaho Blue mine in Salmon, Lembi Co., produces blue opal with POC, near this site green precious opal is found; Sky Blue Opal mine in Salmon Co. on the Salmon River produces stable blue opal with green POC;

c)      Louisiana—Fleming formation in Vernon Parish—unique fossil opal with POC in sky blue bentonite;

d)      Maine—Newry, Rumford, Paris; Oxford Co., opal in hyalite fractures or vugs in granite pegmatites;

e)      Nevada—Virgin Valley, Humboldt County—precious opal is found as petrified tree trunks, the opal bodycolor is dark brown to black and contains flames of internal POC [many have superb red colors], the opal is high in water content and mostly kept in water as specimens because much of the material crazes if you try to cut it—however, there a some superb cut pieces;

f)       New Hampshire Conway, Carroll Co., hyalite opal is found in fractures or vugs in granite pegmatites;

g)      North Carolina—Chalk Mountain—produces hyalite in clear colorless with POC and fluoresce mint green;

h)      Oregon—(a) Klamath Falls, Klamath Co.; Opal Butte, Morrow Co., [18,000 acres in SW corner of Blue Mountains Range] hyalite opal in basalts and their tuffs, about 10% of the thunder-eggs contain opal, ~1% show POC—some have fire and some are contra-luz [pieces of contra-luz of ~300ct are cut or carved], there is some problem with crazing in the hyalite, hydrophane, crystal, blue, and dendritic opal; [it is no longer open to the public]; (b) Opal Butte, Morrow County—similar to Klamath falls; (c)Juniper Ridge opal mine in Lake County produces stable opal with colors: orange, yellow, brown, light brown, some is facet grade;

i)        Utah—World’s largest beryllium deposit at Spor Mts., Juab County—milky opal in altered rhyolite with violet fluoride;

j)        Washington state—Stevens Co.   mine is newly opened and is producing a lovely sky blue opal with some POC; Moscow opal mine, Whitman Co. produces a few opals;

k)      Wyoming—Yellowstone National Park; opal in areas of previous volcanic activity & geysers; Cedar Rim—traces of black and white precious opal.

To be concluded in the January issue…