THE AMMONITE
Newsletter of the Western Dakota Gem & Mineral Society – May 2011
FROM THE PRESIDENT, by Ellen Tilley
Just a reminder for our May meeting. It will be at Canyon Lake Senior Center, 2900 Canyon Lake Drive. We will be in the large building Card Room, to the right past the Admin. Office. The room has an arrangement of card tables, which we will need to put back in order before we leave.
Our program will be on Rock hounding sites, which I was not allowed time enough to present in November. If you have maps please bring them tothe meeting.
With warmer weather, hopefully we will be able to go to Mud Springs Road for fossil coral on Saturday after our meeting. It would be a good idea to carpool because of gas prices. This is Public Land, and these are non-vertebrate
fossils.
See you at CLSC May 13, at 7:30. Try to keep out of muddy places.
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Treasurer’ Report for April 2011
The club deposited $411.00 and paid bills totaling $376.35, for a balance of $12,319.01. We have 45 families and 40 singles as paid members.
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Secretaries Notes, April 2011
Meeting Called to order @7:30pm.
Visitors included Rose Merchen, Nathan Schmidt and new members MaryAnn and Melanie McDonald
· Rachel Benton PhD gave a presentation on Fossil Collecting. The following websites contain information about collecting fossils on National Park Services lands. http://science.nature.nps.gov/research http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/CRM/paleontology.com http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/more/cultural/paleontology.com
http://www.sdpubliclands.com http://gfp.sd.gov/
Other avenues for collecting Fossils are signing up for a field paleontology class or volunteer at a museum or university. Here are some of the Universities and museums in the area.
1. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology/ Museum of Geology 605-394-2467
2. Tate Geological Museum 307-268-2077
3. Denver Museum of nature and Science 303-370-6000
4. Pioneer Trails Museum 701-523-3600
5. Trailside Museum 308-665-2929
· Minutes of last meeting approved by Mickey S. 2nd by Dave R.
Treasures Report given Approved by Tom F. and 2nd by Earl R.
· Show Report- Everything is coming along. There is one favor we ask of all club members if you have any 5 or 6 foot tables we need to borrow them for our show. The more tables we come up with the less we will have to pay for. We also need more demonstrators for Sunday. Please remember to sign up for the many different jobs needing to be done during show weekend. Some positions needed are setting up and tearing down show cases, tickets at the front door, silent auction, and information desk. Don’t forget the potluck dinner we are having Friday night we need all you good cooks to bring a dish and stay for the auction we are having Friday night.
· Black Hills Multiuse Coalition- People are still trying to get the wilderness bill passed but at this point Sen. Johnson is not interested in pursuing it further at this time.
· Old business-- We do have insurance for field trips so we are going to ask that all field trippers sign up to be a temporary member for one week for $1.00. They will then be covered under our Federation Policy.
· At The last meeting Robert Hlavin suggested that we sponsor a bench at the airport we asked that he check on that and find out how much this will be he has contacted the mayor and it has been handed over to the board at the airport and three of our members will talk with them about this endeavor. More e to come.
· Our case fronts have been found and returned to the trailer.
· New Business-- We held our last meeting at the Minneluzahan Senior Center for the rest of this year we will be meeting at the Canyon Lake Senior Center 2900 Canyon Lake Drive.
· There is nowhere to put our TV and cart there so the members at the meeting voted to donate to give the TV to the Minneluzahan Senior Center. The cart will be put in the club trailer. If a TV is needed there will be someone to loan their flat screen.
· Jamie B. addressed the meeting to let us know that a few of our vendors did not like the change of location for our upcoming show. He thought we should have stuck with the Civic Center one more year and asked the vendors what they thought. If we would have stayed there we would have had the same parking problem as last year because the car sale was again on the same weekend. We all voted to move and it has been decided. We All need to make this year’s show the best we can. I know that a lot of you are excited about this move let’s keep up that spirit and do our best.
· Mickey motioned to adjourn the meeting Linda S. seconded...
May 21&22, 2011 Rapid City’s 7th Annual Fairburn Agate and Rock Swap
Hwy 44 E. ~ ½ mile West of the Black Hills Speedway Auction Saturday @ 5:30pm futher info call Tom Wodden 605-393-1963 or Jim Hardesty 605-393-2163
May 27,28,29,30 2011 8th Annual Panhandle Rock and Gem Clubs Rock Swap at the Riverside Zoo and Campground in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Daily 8am to 5pm
June 18th, 19th 2011
31st Annual Western Dakota Gem and Mineral Society’s
Gem and Mineral Show
Central States Fairgrounds Event Center.
Saturday 9am to 6pm Sunday 10am to 4 pm
June 24th, 25th, 26th, 2011 RMFMS Federation Show
Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies
Hosted by: Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society
Colorado Springs Colorado
I thought this was a very good article about buying a loupe. I wanted to share it with you. Paula
Before You Buy a Magnifier
By Andrew Alden, About.com Guide
After you get a rock hammer, you'll need a magnifier. The big Sherlock Holmes type lens is a cliché; instead you want a lightweight, powerful magnifier (also called a loupe) that has impeccable optics and is easy to use. Get the best magnifier for demanding jobs like inspecting gems; in the field, for quick looks at minerals, buy a decent magnifier you can afford to lose.
Using a Magnifier
Hold the lens up next to your eye, and then bring your specimen close to it, only a few centimeters from your face. The point is to focus your attention through the lens, the same way you look through eyeglasses. If you normally wear glasses, you may want to keep them on. A magnifier won't correct for astigmatism.
How Many X?
The X factor of a magnifier refers to how much it magnifies. Sherlock's magnifying glass makes things look 2 or 3 times bigger; that is, it's 2x or 3x. Geologists like to have 5x to 10x, but more than that is hard to use in the field because the lenses are very small. 5x or 7x lenses offer a wider field of vision, while a 10x magnifier gives you the closest look at tiny crystals, trace minerals, grain surfaces, and microfossils.
Magnifier Flaws to Watch For
Check the lens for scratches. Set the magnifier on a piece of white paper and see if the lens adds color of its own. Now pick it up and examine several objects, including one with a fine pattern like a halftone picture. The view through the lens should be clear as air with no internal reflections. Highlights should be crisp and brilliant, with no colored fringes (that is, the lens should be achromatic). A flat object should not look warped or buckled—move it to and fro to be sure. A magnifier should not be loosely put together.
Magnifier Bonuses
Given the same X factor, a larger lens is better. A ring or loop to attach a lanyard is a good thing; so is a leather or plastic case. A lens held with a removable retaining ring can be taken out for cleaning. And a brand name on the magnifier, while not always a guarantee of quality, means you can contact the manufacturer.
Doublet, Triplet, Coddington
Good lensmakers combine two or three pieces of glass to correct for chromatic aberration—what gives an image blurred, colored fringes. Doublets can be quite satisfactory, but the triplet is the gold standard. Coddington lenses employ a deep cut inside the solid glass, using an air gap to create the same effect as a triplet. Being solid glass, they cannot ever come apart—a consideration if you get wet a lot.
If any of you get the chance to go to Washington DC the National Gem Collection is worth seeing.
There are links from this you put your curser on the labels under the pictures and follow the cues.
More than 7,500 individual gemstones, ranging from less than a half-carat to almost 23,000 carats, fill the cases in this gallery. Like all precious gems, each was cut from a mineral crystal that grew naturally within the Earth. The National Gem Collection totals more than 10,000 specimens and is considered one of the world's finest. Virtually all of the pieces are gifts from individuals. The gems now belong to the people of the United States.Gems
Born of fluid, heat, and pressure, gems dazzle us with their breathtaking colors, shapes, and diversity. The gems in the National Gem Collection were discovered in all corners of the world and are among the Earth's great splendors. /
The Hope
Diamond /
All About
Gems /
The National
Gem Collection
Minerals
Minerals are more than beautiful display pieces. They are the very building blocks of the universe. Minerals make up the Earth, the Moon, and the meteorites that voyage to Earth from other parts of the Solar System. They hold the tangible evidence scientists need to learn about our world. Modern civilization relies heavily on mineral resources. You use minerals more than you may imagine.
Crystal Shapes /
Crystal Growth /
Color /
Building Blocks
of Rocks /
Pegmatites
The National Gem and Mineral Collection has grown through gifts from individuals. Three of the most important donors are Washington A. Roebling, Frederick A. Canfield and Dr. Isaac Lea.
Washington A. Roebling (1837-1926)
Roebling was an engineer who built New York City's Brooklyn Bridge. He assembled one of the finest private mineral collections in the U.S. In 1926, his son, John A., donated 16,000 specimens to the Smithsonian.
Frederick A. Canfield (1849-1926)
Canfield, a mining engineer, donated a collection in 1926 that numbered 9,000 specimens and was particularly rich in minerals from New Jersey's renowned zinc mines.
Dr. Isaac Lea (1792-1880)
Lea, a Philadelphia publisher, assembled a superb collection of gemstones. In 1894, his daughter, Mrs. Francis Lea Chamberlain, donated 1,316 gems to the Smithsonian the core of this Museum's gem collection.
CLUB CALENDAR – Below is our calendar for the year. Although 2011 is not filled, you can always sign up for Door Prizes and Programs for 2011. Sign up at club meetings, or contact Ellen T. With your chosen month(s) and item(s). Contact Mike J, our Vice President, if you have an idea for a program or would like to present one.
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MONTH / REFRESHMENTS / DOOR PRIZES / PROGRAMJANUARY / Mike & Karen J. / Dale J. / Shawn Wilson Wire Wrapping
FEBRUARY / Paula & Stan H. / Annette R. / John Goes In Center Silver Smith
MARCH / Cliff / Steve Shivers / Don B./ Dale J. Side Grinder
APRIL / Wes Broer / Annette R. / Dr. Ben (Fossils)
MAY / Hazel Williams / Martin / Ellen T. –Rock Hunting
JUNE / Regan Garin / Last Minute Show Details
JULY
AUGUST / ********** / *************** / Summer Picnic
SEPTEMBER / Deb R.
OCTOBER / Rita Hanson / Lyle Hanson
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER / ************ / *************** / Holiday Dinner
Western Dakota Gem & Mineral Society 2009-2010 Officers and Chairpersons (area code 605)
President: Ellen T. 21653 Piedmont Meadow Road, Piedmont, SD 57769…….. 787-4659
Vice President: Mike J. 5884 Legacy Lane, Rapid City, SD 57703………..……….. 685-4847
Secretary: Paula H. 533 Enchantment Road, Rapid City, SD 57701………..… 484-3754
Treasurer: Rita H. 2569 Ambush Ranch Rd., Rapid City, SD 57703……………. 348-3916
BRC SD Rep: Martin O., 245 E. St. Charles St, Rapid City, SD 57701……………… 721-7770
BHRMUC Rep: Ellen T., 21653 Piedmont Meadows Rd., Piedmont, SD 57769………. 787-4659
RMFS SD Dir.: Dale J., 14974 Back Country Trail, Rapid City, SD 57703…………… 393-2011
Field Trip Chairs: Gene W. 2415 Judy Avenue. Rapid City, SD 57701………………….. 399-2670
1 yr. Board Member: Dale J. 14974 Back Country Trail, Rapid City, SD 57703……………. 393-2011
2 yr. Board Member: Mickey S. 201 Patton St., Rapid City, SD 57701…………………….. 791-1953
3 yr. Board Member: Stan H. 533 Enchantment Road, Rapid City, SD 57701………………. 484-1591
Newsletter Editors: Hazel W & Paula H. P.O. Box 3620 Rapid City, SD 57709 …………. 399-2670
Historian Annette R., 2701 Mystic Mt. Rd., Rapid City, SD 57702………………. 348-8948
Librarian: Steven E., P.O. Box 1123, Rapid City, SD 57709…………..…………. 791-2473
Webmaster: Steven E., P.O. Box 1123, Rapid City, SD 57709……………..………. 791-2473
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Remember we have a new club address. This is to be used for all correspondence.
Western Dakota Gem & Mineral Society
PO Box 3620, Rapid City, SD 57709-3620
Meetings: Second Friday of each month, 7:30 p.m., Minneluzahan Senior Center, 315 N. 4th St., Rapid City
Dues: Family - $15, Single - $10, Payable by cash, check, or money order. Senior Citizens - free (does not include bulletin)