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Spring NYC Mineral & GemShow is March 7-8, 2015

Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical ClubFounded 1886 Ë New York City, New York Ë Incorporated 1937

Volume 129, No. 3 Celebrating the International Year of Light March 2015

March 11 Meeting:th

Alfredo Petrov: “MarvelousPseudomorphs”

In mineralogy, a pseudomorph is amineral or mineral compound that appearsin an atypical form (crystal system),resulting from a substitution process inwhich the appearance and dimensionsremain constant, but the original mineral isreplaced by another. The name literallymeans “false form”.

Collecting pseudomorphs is considereda very sophisticated level of mineralcollecting. Well-known pseudomorphswould include limonite after pyrite fromUtah and malachite after azurite fromArizona.

Alfredo Petrov is a well-knownmineralogist, author and rare mineraldealer, as well as a highly esteemedmember of the New York MineralogicalClub. He is also a director of mindat.org,where he is involved in maintaining theaccuracy and integrity of that website’sdata.

If you would like to know more aboutAlfredo, just Google his name sometimeand you will see that he is all over themineralogical world!

(Continues on page 14)

Last Reminder! (Really)Send in Your 2015 Club Dues

It is time to send in your 2015 club membership dues! Allmemberships run from January 1 to December 31 ofeach year (with a few exceptions).If your mailing labelsays “2014”, you owe your 2015 dues. Please takethe time now to mail in your dues in order to preventuninterrupted delivery of your bulletin. A handy formappears on page 12. Dues are $25 for individual, $35 forfamily. Mail to: Membership Coordinator, N.Y.Mineralogical Club, P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station,NYC, NY 10024-0077.

By Mitch Portnoy

The annual Spring New York CityGem & Mineral Show will take place onMarch 7-8, 2015(Saturday & Sunday)at the Holiday InnMidtown Manhattan(on 57 St. betweenth

Ninth and TenthAvenues).

The New YorkMineralogical Clubwill continue its bi-annual successfulpartnership with theshow promoter ,Excalibur MineralCorp. (Tony Nikischer, President), and hostthis event. Tony, will ONLY be there as apromoter and not have a retail booth as inthe past.

There is a discount ticket on the lastpage of this bulletin. Email bulletinrecipients also received a PDF sheet ofthese coupons that you can use yourself or,even better, distribute to others!

A list of the diverse dealers that willbe selling their fine wares at the show canbe found on page 12. On that same pageyou can also see the lecture schedule for theshow, one on each day of the show.

Since we have no direct commercialinterest in the show, we do ask each dealer,however, for a donation to the Club’sJune Benefit Auction as a token of thanksfor all the work we do to help promote theShow. These items tend to be the best lotsin the entire auction so please come andpatronize these top-quality dealers.

The Club’s booth will be in its regularlocation (to the left as you enter the show).There you can obtain a free souvenir card(pictured on this page), a 2015 club meetingcalendar, or just say hi to your fellowNYMC friends. We will decorate it with theclub’s many vinyl banners plus some of thecolorful posters created (and available forsale) for this event.

The most important function of thebooth, except for directing the public to arequested dealer, is to re-sign unrenewedmembers and to try to attract new members.

In addition, we hope to raise somemoney, mostly tocover our showexpenses, by sellingv a r i o u s c l u bp r o d u c t s a n dpublications such as:(1) Note Card Sets(2) CD-ROMs(3)UN Light YearEnvelopes(4) NYMC Posters(5) The LimitedEd i t io n NYMC“Stamp Album”.

(6) Gemstone Pens.We do ask that you remember a fewimportant things:1. You can ask for discounts but be

reasonable – most of the dealers haveprices that are already more than fair;

2. You are a representative of the NewYork Mineralogical Club. Pleaseconduct yourself accordingly.

Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2World of Minerals: Serpentinite. . . . 3Earth’s Deep History. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Earth’s Face Lift.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Earth’s Water/Interior. . . . . . . . . . . . 6Earth’s Volcanos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Earth’s Hidden Mountains. . . . . . . . . 710 Commandments of Science. . . . . . 8The 100: Manganite & Mica. . . . . . . 9Topics in Gemology: Ametrine. . . . 10Diamond Overgrading. . . . . . . . . . . 10Membership Renewal Form. . . . . 11March 2015 Show Information. . . . 12Advertisements.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13More on the “Needle”. . . . . . . . . . . 14Naomi Sarna: Gems into Jewels. . . . 14Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . . 15

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club March 2015

President’s MessageBy Mitch Portnoy

The newest president of the EFMLS,Merrill Dickinson, called me in earlyFebruary. I was a little concerned at first,wondering what had I done wrong. But itturns out he was proactively calling all thepresidents of the clubs in his federationand asking a simple question – “How isyour club doing?”

I was pleased to tell him we were ingood shape. Why I had I said that?Because our membership is stable andactive, our treasury at the highest level ina decade and our meeting locationaffordable and accessible. I went on to tellhim the details about our auctions,bulletin, mineral shows, banquet, lectures,donations, etc.

After apologizing to him if I seemedto be bragging (I wasn’t – just stating thefacts!), we discussed the need for club andfederation officers to think outside the boxin order to function successfully in thefuture and to deflect or even silence anyand all obstructionists.

I very much liked his spirit and willlikely support any and all of his initiativesto modernize the Eastern Federation.

Upcoming Club PublicationsA brief meeting of members and

officers after the February meetingresulted in the decision to create a clubcalendar for 2016, two new postcards, apublication with short, illustrated memberbiographies called Mineralography. Anew almanac will be planned for 2017. Acompilation of all the pop art style clubposters will be produced only as a CD-ROM.

Details on all the above will bediscussed and decided upon as a groupand ideas are, as always, welcome!

Receive Your Bulletin Electronically!Advantages� Early Arrival� Pristine Condition� Full-Color Version� Electronic Storage� Club Saves Money� Receive Special Mailings� Go Green!Requires� Email Request to Mitch

([email protected])� Adobe Reader (Free)Optional� Printer (B/W or Color)

Club Meeting Minutes for February 11, 2015By Vivien Gornitz, SecretaryAttendance: 33President Mitch Portnoy presided.Announcements:� Valentine graphics were featured

throughout the evening.� The “regular” raffle was held.� Mitchell Bogen’s death was

announced.� Expired members were encouraged to

pay their 2015 dues.� Mitch presented a visual tribute to

Albert Einstein in honor of the 100th

Anniversary of General Relativity.� The usual historical days, items for

sale, and upcoming club events andmeeting lectures were previewed.

� The first of six “Minerals & Light”games (IY Light 2015) was played.

� A plate tectonics video was shown.� January’s “Special Sale” results were

reviewed as was Rutger’s GeologyDepartment’s Open House.

Special Event: “Members’ Showcase”(Show and Tell)� The evening began with Eric

Rampello showing some of his prizedmineral slices, mostly tourmaline.

� Sharon Fitzpatrick showed a huge“desert rose” from Saudi Arabia.

� Rich Rossi presented some ofinteresting acquisitions from last year,at times highlighting fluorescence andother times rarity or beauty.

� Susan Rudich caused a good deal ofjealously when she showed an amazingfind – a vintage Hermès mineral scarf!

� After an interesting photo presentationabout gold panning in Honduras,Jesus Sanchez passed around somesmall gold nuggets as well as twospectacular epidote specimens.

� Leon Zakinov suggested we not gettoo worried about radioactive mineralsor gems and even had an ekanite! Healso talked a bit about the Curies andadded information about luminescence.

� Lenore Weber gave an overviewabout the history, mineralogy,aesthetics, uses and warnings aboutcharoite.

� Vivien Gornitz treated us to a visualcomparison of Mars geology with thatof similar formations in the SouthwestUSA.

� Mitch Portnoy ended the evening witha rapid overview of worldwide coinswith embedded gems accompanied bythe Money Song from Cabaret.

Members in the News� Naomi Sarna was featured in an

online article (with 12 images) byAnthony DeMarco entitled NaomiSarna Carves Gems Into Jewels onJanuary 1, 2015 (Forbes.com).[Reproduced with permission on page14. – Editor]

� Robert Oppenheimer was the correct“question” in a category about famousquotations on the February 4, 2015episode of Jeopardy.

� Former member Ed Johnson appearedon TV on February 8 talking about therecent nesting of bald eagles on StatenIsland.

� Oliver Sacks’ new memoir, On theMove, will be published in early May.

Welcome New Members!Andrew Chait, Hedy Hartman andJeremy Hartman-Chait. . . . . . . NYC, NYJennifer Kim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NYC, NYKerry Yuen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NYC, NY

March Meeting : Light Game #2

Coming in April . . .

. . . And Coming in May

March 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club 3

The World of MineralsThe World of Minerals is a monthly column written by Dr. Vivien Gornitz on timely and interesting topics relatedto geology, gemology, mineralogy, mineral history, etc.

Serpentinite: The Rock That Moves the Earth’s PlatesSerpentinites–rocks made up mostly of serpentine

minerals–have been used worldwide since antiquity, inceremonial and ornamental carvings, as building stones, andeven for railroad ballast. The asbestos form of serpentine (i.e.,chrysotile) was formerly used extensively for thermal andelectrical insulation, but growing health concerns have curtailedits use in recent years. However, serpentinites also play anessential role in moving the Earth’s plates, thanks to their morebuoyant and mechanically-weak nature. They may even haveplayed an essential role in the early steps leading to the origin oflife.The nature of serpentine

Serpentinites derive their name from serpentinus, the Latinfor “serpent”, because of their olive-green, slippery, smooth,scaly appearance that derives from their basic structure. Thethree most common serpentine mineral group minerals arelizardite, chrysotile, and antigorite, with the approximate

3 2 5 4formula: Mg Si O (OH) . Serpentines consist of sheets of linkedsilica tetrahedra joined to sheets of magnesium hydroxideoctahedra by means of shared oxygen atoms. These doublelayers are loosely held together by relatively weak, easily broken

hydrogen bonds, which explains their greasy feel and ability toslide past each other like a deck of cards. But the tetrahedral andoctahedral parts of the layers do not fit completely welltogether—a mismatch which sets up stresses in the crystalstructure. Lizardite relieves some of this atomic stress bysubstituting some Al and Fe for Mg and Si , allowing its+3 +2 +4

layers to lie flat. On the other hand, in chrysotile, the layers curlup into nanotubes or nanoscrolls, ultimately assuming thefamiliar fibrous asbestos habit. The tubes possess five-foldsymmetry along an axis, making chrysotile a rare example of amineral quasi-crystal. Antigorite lies somewhere in betweenthese two extremes, creating curved, wavy layers resemblingtiles on Mediterranean roofs. These wavy reversals in antigoritelayers strengthens the bonds between layers, reducing theotherwise well-developed cleavage and increasing the mineral’shardness compared with its two other relatives. These basicelements of serpentine crystal structure account for theirmechanical properties –their ductile nature which enables otherstronger, stiffer rocks to slide past each other on major faultzones along plate boundaries.

Serpentinites play an essential role in moving the Earth’s plates, thanks to their more buoyant and mechanically-weak nature. USGS image.


Serpentinites and plate tectonicsUltramafic rocks, such as

peridotites, rich in olivine, orpyroxenites, consisting mainly ofpyroxenes and olivine, constitute thebulk of the Earth’s upper mantle.Serpentinites generally form by theaddition of water to olivine- andpyroxene-rich ultramafic mantlerocks in which the magnesium-richminerals—olivine and pyroxene—arereplaced by hydrated, layered Mgsilicates.

Penetration of cool seawateralong fractures and grain boundariesof olivine and pyroxene of exposedultramafic rocks chemically altersthese minerals to serpentines,magnetite, brucite, and hydrogen gas. The ferrous (Fe ) iron in2+

olivine is also oxidized to the ferric (Fe3 ) state, which winds up+

3 4mainly in magnetite, (Fe O ), but also in lizardite. Serpentinitesoccur on almost all continents and island arcs where tectonicprocesses have brought these rocks close to the surface. Theserpentinization process occurs at very slowly-spreading mid-ocean ridges, such as the mid-Atlantic, where outflows ofbasaltic lavas are low, leaving mantle rocks uncovered.Serpentinites also develop along oceanfractures and deep-sea trenchesassociated with subduction. Adescending slab of oceanic crust thrustsdeeper mantle rocks upward on theoverlying side of the subduction zone,permitting ocean water to infiltrate intothe u l t r a m a f i c r o c k s , wh e reserpentinization proceeds. Water is alsoreleased by descending ocean sedimentswhich dehydrate at the highertemperatures and pressures below. Insharp contrast, serpentinite belts at loftyaltitudes in mountain chains, such as theAlps or Apennines, denote the scars ofrelict mantle material, volcanic rocks,and oceanic cherts heaved upward duringthe collision of two continental plates.

Movement of defects anddislocations within the crystal lattice caused by tectonic stressesis most readily accommodated along the basal planes ofserpentine minerals (i.e., on planes parallel to the double-layeredsheets of serpentine). Thus, when platy serpentine crystals arelargely lined up with their basal planes parallel to a fault surface,other rocks above and below the fault zone will slide withgreater ease on the serpentinite bands. This greater ease ofmotion along relatively weak mineral surfaces, such asserpentinites, accounts for movement along many strike-slipfaults, including the San Andreas Fault in California. During anearthquake, major strike-slip faults can move with unforeseenabruptness. In many cases, however, they also moveaseismically, without producing significant earthquakes whererocks are under high fluid pressures, in areas of above averageheat flow from within the Earth’s interior, or over weaker rocks

such as serpentinites. The SanAndreas Fault traverses manyoutcrops of these dark-greenrocks–members of the FranciscanComplex, an assemblage of rockswith abundant serpentinites.Serpentinites and early life

The creation of serpentinites, asnoted above, results in hydrogen gas,magnetite, and also small amounts ofFe- and Ni-bearing sulfides andnative metal alloys at fairly lowtemperatures, below around 350ºC

2 (662ºF). The liberated H gas reactsfurther with carbon dioxide in water

4to form methane, CH —a reactionfavored by the catalytic behavior oftrace nickel-iron alloys. The

hydrogen and methane gases generated during serpentinizationcan be utilized by certain microbial communities as a source ofenergy for their metabolism. In the ocean, such chemosyntheticorganisms that rely on chemical energy, rather than sunlight forphotosynthesis as in plants, form the base of food chains thatsustain other creatures, thereby establishing entire ecosystems atmid-ocean ridges, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and othersubmarine settings near serpentinite outcrops.

The early Earth, over 3 billion yearsago, was much hotter and eruptions ofultramafic rocks on the surface weremore commonplace than today. Thus,serpentinization must have also been

2 4more widespread. The H and CHproduced during serpentinization wouldhave provided basic “nutrients” for thelife processes of many primitiveorganisms, even if these were notnecessarily the original forms of life.Serpentine has been identified incarbonaceous chondrites, a carbon-bearing type of stony meteorite, and alsoon the surface of Mars. Could thepresence of serpentine have created anearly Martian environment morehospitable for life’s beginnings there?

In summary, serpentinites are farmore than just attractive ornamental rocks or useful buildingstones. Their unique set of physical and chemical properties andtheir presence in a broad range of terrestrial environments signaltheir important geologic role and creation of hospitable habitatsfor primitive microbial communities.Further readingEvans B.W., Hattori, K., and Baronnet, A., 2013. Serpentinite:

What, why, where? Elements, 9:99-106.Guillot, S. and Hattori, K., 2013. Serpentinites: Essential roles

in geodynamics, arc volcanism, sustainable development,and the origin of life. Elements, 9:95-98.

Hirth, G. and Guillot, S., 2013. Rheology and tectonicsignificance of serpentinite. Elements, 9:107-113.

McCollom, T.M. and Seewald, J.S., 2013. Serpentinites,hydrogen, and life. Elements, 9:129-143.

Vintage Chinese green serpentine (NOT jade) bowl.

Serpentinites form when seawater reacts with peridotite -rocks that form the Earth's mantle and have been brought upto the seafloor by tectonic processes. This picture shows ahand sample of a serpentinite recovered from the AtlantisMassif. Thin fractures in the serpentinite are filled withcalcium carbonate. Sample is 16cm wide. Image courtesy ofG. Fruh-Green.


Earth’s “Deep History” Gets Major RewriteBy David Freeman

It may be time to rewrite geology textbooks.Geologists say they’ve found evidence that oxygen-producing

life existed on Earth some 3.02 billion years ago–60 million yearsearlier than previously thought.

“This is a very exciting finding, which helps to fill a gap inour knowledge about the evolution of the early Earth,” Dr. QuentinCrowley, an assistant professor in the School of Natural Sciencesat Trinity College Dublin and the senior author of a paperdescribing the new finding, said in a written statement released bythe university.

By adding oxygen to our atmosphere, early life forms set thestage for the evolution and proliferation of the more complexmulticellular life forms now seen on Earth.

The geologists–working with colleagues from PresidencyUniversity in Kolkata, India–reached their conclusion afteranalyzing ancient soil, or paleosol, collected in eastern India. Theanalysis showed that the “chemical weathering” in the paleosolindicated that the elevated oxygen levels were present earlier thanpreviously thought.

The weathering could only have come about viaphotosynthesis, the researchers said. That’s the process by whichplants and certain organisms use light energy to convert carbondioxide into oxygen and water.

What kind of life forms produced the elevated oxygen levelsseen in the paleosol? Probably bacteria.

“Plants, even simple plants, did not evolve until much later inthe geological record,” Crowley told The Huffington Post in anemail, adding that the finding shows that “we are still learningabout ‘deep time’ and evolution of the early Earth system.”

A paper describing the research was published online in thejournal Geology on August 28, 2014.

Ancient Earth’s ‘Face-Lift’ In New ModelBy Becky Oskin

Earth got a “face-lift” early in its history, wiping out most ofits original crust, according to a new model of the ancient barrageof asteroids called the Late Heavy Bombardment.

Earth itself is about 4.5 billion years ago, but it’s rare to findrocks older than those formed about 3.8 billion years ago. Onereason older rocks may be missing is that they were destroyed

when asteroids and comets pummeled the Earth, moon and innerplanets of the solar system, scientists report today (July 30) in thejournal Nature.

“The surface of the Earth was heavily affected by all thesecollisions,” said lead study author Simone Marchi, a planetaryscientist with the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder,Colorado. “There’s no doubt the crust was excavated, mixed andburied as a result of this bombardment.”

According to the model by Marchi and his co-authors, themeteor storm resurfaced Earth’s outer crust and destroyed much ofthe planet’s original rocks, similar to how a dermatologist’smicrodermabrasion wand buffs away skin, giving patients aninstant face-lift. They estimate that from one to four giant impactsby bodies 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) across before 4.2 billionyears ago likely sterilized the planet, Marchi told Live Science.And there were three to seven smaller impacts by bodies 310 miles(500 km) across, which would have vaporized Earth’s ocean intosteam.

“If you look at this model, Earth only became habitable after4.2 billion years ago,” Marchi said.

Because there is little evidence on Earth to constrain thetiming of such impacts, the researchers turned to the moon and tometeorites. They looked at the distribution of craters on the moon,and the age of collisions recorded in meteorites from asteroidssuch as Vesta. The team also analyzed the presence of iron-lovingelements (the so-called highly siderophile elements), which hint atthe timing of collisions after the solar system formed.

“We now have a full model for the bombardment of the innersolar system,” Marchi said.

The study not only pinned down the timing of the Late HeavyBombardment, it peered back into Earth’s past, looking at howimpacts reshaped the planet in the first 500 million years of itshistory. The researchers suggest Earth’s cosmic crash-up waspunctuated in time and space, with asteroids and meteors hittingthe Earth in bursts, and the Late Heavy Bombardment thatpummeled the planet starting about 4.2 billion to 4.1 billion yearsago.

Sample of 3.02-billion-year-old paleosol.

This artist’s impression depicts the surface of the early Earth covered by largeimpact craters and liquid water.


“This study makes a substantial contribution towardsunderstanding the conditions on the early Earth,” said OlegAbramov, a research space scientist with the U.S. GeologicalSurvey’s Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, whowas not involved in the study. “Its findings are generally in goodagreement with previous estimates of crustal melting, oceanvaporization and sterilization by impact bombardment. This createsconfidence that the scientific community is converging on anunderstanding of how impacts have fundamentally reshaped theearly Earth.”Windows in Time

Little of Earth’s original crust escaped unscathed, the newmodel suggests. And that might explain another ancient Earthpuzzle. Some of the only survivors from this hellish early period,known as the Hadean, are tiny minerals called zircons. The zirconsare like time capsules. The crystals are layered, with each layeroffering a window into a different geologic time period, all the wayback to when the zircons formed 4.4 billion years ago.

The chemistry preserved in the zircons suggests they formedfrom rocks that were buried relatively deep in Earth’s crust, andhad contact with water. Marchi and his colleagues take thesechemical signals as evidence that the rocks forming the zirconswere buried by impacts. Other studies have suggested early platetectonics or volcanism buried the zircons’ parent rocks.

“These results pose an interesting idea,” said Aaron Cavosie,a professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez, who wasnot involved in the study. But there’s a crucial piece of evidencefor impacts missing from the geologic record, Cavosie said. Noone has yet found shocked zircons, which are crystals fractured bythe force of meteorite impacts on Earth.

“By the end of the Late Heavy Bombardment, the crust wouldhave contained a global distribution of shocked zircons; the newmodel does not explain the absence of these grains,” Cavosie said.“The absence of shocked Hadean grains remains a mystery.”Source: AOL Science July 31, 2014

Water On Earth Is Way Older Than We ThoughtBy Jacqueline Howard

2Just how old is H O? A fascinating new study suggests thatsome of the water molecules we drink and bathe in are way old –as in more than 4.6 billion years old.

That’s older than the solar system itself.

“Our findings show that a significant fraction of our solarsystem’s water, the most-fundamental ingredient to fostering life,is older than the sun,” study co-author Dr. Conel Alexander, a

scientist at the Carnegie Institute for Science in Washington, D.C.,said in a written statement, “which indicates that abundant,organic-rich interstellar ices should probably be found in all youngplanetary systems.”

Got that? The study suggests that since some of Earth’s watercame from interstellar space, it’s a good bet that water frominterstellar space may also exist in other planetary systems -- andthat says something about our search for extraterrestrial life.

“This is an important step forward in our quest to find out iflife exists on other planets,” study co-author Dr. Tim Harries, anassociate professor of astronomy at the University of Exeter inEngland, said in a separate statement. “Consequently, it raises thepossibility that some exoplanets could house the right conditions,and water resources, for life to evolve.”

The scientists reached their conclusion with the help ofcomputer models designed to simulate the evolution of a planetarysystem that originally lacked deuterium, a heavy form of hydrogenthat is found in some water molecules.

“With our simulations, we found that there wasn’t enoughenergy to power the reactions to form the heavy water,” studyco-author Ilse Cleeves, a doctoral student in astronomy at theUniversity of Michigan, told The Huffington Post in an email.

In other words, the models indicated that levels of deuteriumnow seen in Earth’s water are too high to have arisen after theformation of the sun. So, some of the Earth’s water predates theformation of the sun and the Earth and must have come frominterstellar space.

Dr. Karen Willacy, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory astrophysicistwho was not involved in this research, told Science magazine thefinding was an “interesting result. We’ve been debating this foryears, whether or not the ices have an interstellar heritage.”

The study was published online in the journal Science onSeptember 26, 2014.

Study Yields Surprise About Earth's InteriorBy David Freeman

Maybe we were mistaken about Earth’s mantle, the layer ofour rocky planet that lies between its core and the thin crust onwhich we live.

For years, earth scientists were convinced that the mantle’sentire lower region–which stretches from 400 to 1,800 miles belowthe surface–was composed of a particular structure of a mineralknown as ferromagnesian silicate perovskite.

But now a new study conducted at Argonne NationalLaboratory in Illinois suggests that the extreme pressure andtemperature (more than 3,500º Fahrenheit) that exist about 1,200miles below the surface cause the mineral to break into two distinctphases.

One layer is nearly devoid of iron, according to a writtenstatement released by the lab. The other, called the H-phase, is fullof the stuff.

“We still don’t fully understand the chemistry of the

An illustration of water in our solar system through time from before the sun’sbirth through the creation of the planets.

Illustration showing the interior of the Earth. | D’ARCO EDITORI


H-phase,” the study’s lead author Dr. Li Zhang, a geophysicist atthe Carnegie Institution of Washington, said in the statement. “Butthis finding indicates that all geodynamic models need to bereconsidered to take the H-phase into account. And there could beeven more unidentified phases down there in the lower mantle aswell, waiting to be identified.”

For the study, scientists shone powerful beams of X-rays at asample of ferromagnesian silicate held under extreme conditionssimilar to those found deep underground, causing it to break upand scatter in all directions. By analyzing data from the scatter, thescientists were able to reconstruct how the atoms in the samplewere arranged.

There’s no direct link between the new finding and theevolving science of earthquake prediction, Zhang told TheHuffington Post in an email. But according to Dr. Yue Meng,another Carnegie geophysicist involved in the study, the finding“may significantly alter the prevailing theory of the lower mantle.”

The study was published recently in the journal Science.Source: Huffington Post August 29, 2014

Scientists Poke Huge Hole in Theory AboutVolcanoesBy David Freeman

Have scientists had volcanoes all wrong?A popular theory has it that, at least in certain types of

volcanos, eruptions occur when molten rock known as magmagushes up from deep inside the earth via narrow jets known asmantle plumes. But a new study of seismic data has identified onevery big hole in the theory:

Mantle plumes don’t exist.“Mantle plumes have never had a sound physical or logical

basis,” study co-author Dr. Don L. Anderson, professor emeritusof geophysics at Caltech in Pasadena, California, said in a writtenstatement released by the university. “They are akin to RudyardKipling’s ‘Just So Stories,’ a reference to the British author’s talesoffering silly explanations for how giraffes and other animals gottheir peculiar anatomies.”

Mantle plumes were first hypothesized in 1971 and widelyadopted among geologists around 1990, Anderson told TheHuffington Post in an email. But despite significant researchactivity over the past couple of decades, the seismic data availableto researchers were too spotty either to prove or disprove theexistence of the plumes.

According to the new study–co-authored by Dr. JamesNatland, a professor emeritus of marine geology and geophysicsat the University of Miami--robust new data and improved theoryshow once and for all that those plumes are nowhere to be seen.

So if magma plumes aren’t sending molten rock to the surface,how does it get there?

Via gigantic “chunks” of mantle that rise toward the Earth’ssurface, according to the new theory. These upwellings aren’tnarrow but can be thousands of kilometers across, Anderson saidin the email; as heat from inside the earth pushes them up, narrowchannels of cooler material called slabs sink.

“This is a simple demonstration that volcanoes are the resultof normal broad-scale convection and plate tectonics,” Andersonsaid in the statement.

But if you’re thinking the new study might improve our abilityto predict when eruptions will occur, you’re in for adisappointment.

The new research “does not have any connection to the timingof volcanic eruptions,” Anderson said in the email. “It is animportant step to understanding how the Earth has cooled andchanged since its formation.”

The study was published online September 8, 2014, in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Thousands of Hidden Mountains DiscoveredBy Becky Oskin

A new topographic map of Earth’s mysterious ocean floorreveals thousands of towering volcanoes, hidden gashes wheresupercontinents ripped apart and other never-before-seen featuresonce veiled by miles of water and thick sediment.

The topography of Earth’s seafloor is as corrugated andbumpy as a book set in Braille. By reading these peaks and ridges,scientists can chronicle the birth of new ocean crust and the pastwanderings of Earth’s continents.

However, even though the seafloor carries the pivotal clues toplate tectonics, the dry surface of Mars has been detailed moreclearly than the ocean’s watery depths.

The new map, released today (Oct. 2, 2014) in the journalScience, promises to fill in some of the blanks. Compared with theprevious map, from 1997, the resolution is twice as accurateoverall and four times as better in coastal areas and the Arctic, saidlead study author David Sandwell, a marine geophysicist at theScripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California.Eyes in the Sky

As with the earlier 1997 map, scientists expect to improvetheir knowledge of Earth’s geologic history based on new featuresrevealed by the map’s finer scale.

“I think these data are pretty important in terms of the detailsthat are going to come out,” Sandwell told Live Science.

The seafloor topography comes from a gravity model of theocean, which is in turn based on altimetry from the Jason-1 andCryosat-2 satellites.

Altimetry measures sea surface height from space by timinghow long it takes a radar signal to reflect off the ocean and return.The ocean surface has subtle highs and lows that mimic bothseafloor topography and Earth’s gravity field.

“[These] results are a breakthrough in space-based marinegravity observation,” Cheinway Hwang, who was not involved inthe study, wrote in a commentary accompanying the report. Hwangis a professor at National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu,Taiwan.Thousands of Volcanoes

The world’s volcano count jumped tremendously thanks to the

This illustration shows the upper part of a volcano. Scientists have long hypothesizedthat ‘pipes’ of molten rock (magma) extend to the Earth’s core, but new data suggestthey don’t actually exist.


new map. The number of seamounts soared from around 5,000 toabout 20,000, Sandwell said. Seamounts are small, conicalvolcanoes that are usually inactive or extinct. In the deep ocean,tall seamounts attract a riot of marine life. The map captures allseamounts more than 0.9 miles (1.5 kilometers) tall.

Some of the new seamounts appear in linear chains, but manydo not. That suggests the volcanoes did not erupt above a mantleplume, a blob of hot rock that rises from the deep mantle (the layerunder the crust). Some scientists think mantle plumes don’t exist,but, as with climate change, the majority of researchers agree onthe concept but argue about the details.

Finding patterns in the newly identified seamounts may helpresolve the debate. “There’s a notion that many linear volcanicchains aren’t formed by mantle plumes, and I agree with that,”Sandwell said. “If we can map out their complete distribution, thenwe can understand how they grow and evolve and so on.”

The motion of Earth’s tectonic plates created some of the mostdistinct features visible on the seafloor. These include spreadingridges and fracture zones, where the massive plates pull apart andlava oozes to the surface. Plates are created at spreading ridges andrecycled at deep ocean trenches. The ocean trenches appear asdeep blue troughs in the gravity map.

“Even now, I’m just amazed by how simple seafloor spreadingpatterns are,” Sandwell told Live Science. “They’re just like in thetextbooks. It’s just perfect plate tectonics.”Behold, Earth’s Wrinkles

For the first time, the global seafloor topography captures theabyssal hills, the most common surface feature on Earth, the studyreports. While the secrets of the origin are still debated, scientiststhink a combination of faulting and volcanism at spreading ridgescreates the hills. The corrugated ridges and valleys cover up to 30percent of Earth’s surface, by some estimates. “They’re the mostcommon landform on the planet, and I’m always amazed thatpeople have never heard of them,” Sandwell said.

Along coastlines, the data uncovered faults and fracturesburied under thick piles of mud and sand pouring off thecontinents.

Sandwell and his colleagues highlighted the new details seenin fracture zones that extend from South America to Africa. “Wecan see these transform faults or fracture zones all the way up tothe continental margins that are currently buried by sediments, andyou couldn’t before,” Sandwell said. Though the two continentsseem to fit together like puzzle pieces, “squiggles” in the fracturestell of tectonic complexity during their breakup, he added. “These

are a new thing,” Sandwell said. Analyzing such details aroundeach continent will improve reconstructions of past plate motions.

In the Gulf of Mexico, the researchers identified a defunctspreading ridge now entombed under miles of sediment. Thespreading ridge opened the gulf about 150 million years, when theYucatan Peninsula pivoted counterclockwise from North America.

“Because of a major improvement in accuracy, this newgravity field will lead to more discoveries of tectonic features,especially in regions with thick sediments,” Hwang wrote.

Most of the new ridges, faults and volcanoes wereundiscovered because 80 percent of the ocean floor has never beencharted by ships. The new topography will improve depthestimates in much of the ocean, the researchers said.Source: Oct. 4, 2014 LiveScience

The Ten Commandments of ScienceBy David J. Eicher

A religious credo is a guideline for life, a suggestion ofpurpose, and an imperative goal for humanity. Ten is a popularnumber. Commandments are those principles that humans mustheed and follow. Commandments should be positive andcompelling rather than negative and prohibiting. They areprescriptions of natural law as applied to religious humanism.Why, though, should science not also have its ten commandments?

Here is the current set of commandments through the eyes ofscience, in the form of objective, natural theories that should bebelieved:

1. Conservation theory: Energy and mass may be neither creatednor destroyed but may be interconverted. Thus, creation and finaldestruction are not relevant.

Conversion: e = mc Annihilation: e- + e+ ÷ E2

2. Entropy theory: Entropy increases spontaneously. Nature isbeing dissipated. Improvements, syntheses, organization, andgrowth require energy at the expense of the environment.3. Quantum theory: Activity is the product of energy and time.

h = Et4. Radiation theory: Disintegration of mass is a first-orderreaction. Fission applies mostly to large atoms, while fusionapplies mostly to small atoms.5. Particle theory: Particles with mass (such as electrons, protons,and neutrons) give rise to atoms (such as hydrogen, oxygen, andcarbon), which give rise to molecules (such as water, quartz, andDNA), which give rise to chemical systems (such as minerals,plants, and animals), which give rise to the universe of objects(such as planets, stars, and galaxies).6. Evolution theory: Combinations of the kinetic moleculartheory, the chirality principle, and the laws of genetics lead to lifeand the development of species with both inheritance andvariation, due to heredity and mutation.7. Relativity theory: The notion of space-time (simultaneous,consecutive, and complementary events) is defined from theperspective of the observer.8. Psychological theory: Respect for nature, especially for life, ismandated.9. Behavior theory: There is satisfaction to be had in helpingothers toward happiness, which is usually reciprocal in bringinghappiness in return. Personal immortality is achieved by the viewsof others.10. Ethical theory: For a worthwhile existence, we must strive tomaximize freedom with responsibility and find fulfillment withpeace and love.Source: Huffington Post Science September 5, 2014

The seafloor map revealed 15,000 new seamounts.


Collector’s Series – “The 100"The 100 is a monthly feature of interest to mineral collectors written by Bill Shelton, based upon his many years ofexperience as a mineral collector, educator, author, appraiser, philanthropist and dealer. Comments as well as suggestionsfor new topics are most welcome. Contact him at [email protected].

Manganite & MicaWhat an unlikely combo! Manganite has 720 localities and

muscovite (a mica) has 12,342. We can consider also the fact thatmanganite is, in a fine specimen, one of the most valuable amongthe “100” while mica – well it’s so common and yet a finespecimen may bring only a modest price anyway.

Perhaps German specimens of manganite can be labeled as thebest known from any locality to date. Locality data may indicateIlfeld or simply the Harz mountains – both in Germany. While nicespecimens occur from Nova Scotia, Cornwall, England, andNegaunee, Michigan, none outclass the Harz clusters. This hydrousspecies [MnO(OH)] is indicative of low temperature deposits andordinary associates include calcite, siderite and sometimes barite.It is not uncommon for manganite to be found partially orcompletely altered to pyrolusite. From the perspective of somecollectors, it is not particularly desirable because of its color. Thecurse of some minerals is that they are black or white, this one isblack. A really good general collection would almost certainlycontain at least one example of German manganite. The name,being similar to manganese (an element) tells us where the namecomes from and hints at the chemical composition like at least 15other species beginning with mangan or incorporating the term inthe species name. The name, being similar to manganese (anelement) tells us where the name comes from and hints at thechemical composition like at least 20 other species beginning withmangan or incorporating the term in the species name. Blackburnand Dennon (1997) tell us the type locality is Ilfeld.

Mica is a term referring to a lot of similar species; muscoviteis one of the most common members and should be familiar tomost mineral collectors. The name means to shine and is based onthe Greek word; indeed, tiny pieces on a mine dump or composingpart of a rock do appear to shine. Fortunately, we find severalspecies in the mica group are well-represented in our general area.Lepidolite, now not accepted as a proper species, is found in somepegmatites in New England. The purple color makes for attractivespecimens; often found associated with quartz, tourmaline,spodumene and numerous other species. Phlogopite, a mica that isoften brownish, is well-known from upstate New York andelsewhere. Muscovite will be apparent in some metamorphicrocks, even in Central Park. Very large crystals are found inpegmatites in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine. Biotite,also currently not a proper species, can appear to be nearly blackand will be encountered often enough – sometimes we findcleavages with biotite surrounding muscovite – they are, in myopinion, both interesting and collectible items. We investigated amassive quartz outcrop in Arizona where large muscovite crystals,black tourmaline and feldspar were all found together. Certaintourmalines here are partially to totally replaced by muscovite andit has a faint green tinge in some examples.

Currently, based on Back (2014) there are nearly 50 micas. Hedivides them into true micas, either dioctahedral or trioctahedral,and brittle micas which are divided the same way. Muscovite is atrue mica, it is dioctahedral. All others, whether accepted currentlyor not mentioned here are trioctahedral true micas. See Back forthe details.

Classic specimens, such as “ball” mica are muscovite andBranchville, Connecticut is but one locality for this material. Brazilhas and still does yield fine specimens for collectors while India

once produced a 10 by 15 foot crystal – probably too big for mostof us! Yet, I do not see specimens from here offered for sale in themarketplace. Wonderful cabinet specimens are known to occurwith topaz, garnet and beryl - recently Pakistan has been a goodsource. Lepidolite, currently properly called trilithionite orpolylithionite, has the distinction of being used as a lapidarymaterial, especially when it is granular in texture. Brazilianlocalities have produced fantastic specimens; a few are thick, darkpurple cleavages which are essentially transparent and may remindyou of kunzite! Very thin muscovite plates can serve as windows(and once did) or portholes in a wood stove. A variety of otheruses can be rapidly found on the internet. Thinly peeled andpositioned between polarized film, mica can present a wonderfularray of colors. Bear in mind that we only dealt with a few truemicas and there are the brittle micas – you can investigate them onyour own via a textbook or the Internet.

Agates and Atemporality in MoMABy Anna Schumate

The Museum of Modern Art’s special exhibition “The ForeverNow: Contemporary Painting in an Atemporal World” presents 17contemporary artists who have created their interpretations of “a-temporality.” MoMA credits science fiction writer William Gibsonwith the term, which for the art world means a plane where allstyles and periods co-exist in the digital landscape.

My agate reference refers to a glass and steel installationentitled Sigi’s Erben (Sigi’s Heritage) 2012 by Kerstin Brätsch.The work comprises antique style glass, luster enamel, blackpigment, float glass*, agates and powder-coated steel. An homageto the German painter, Sigmar Polke (1941-2010) the piece wascreated in collaboration with Urs Rickenbach, the glass maker whoworked with Polke on his design for the windows of Zurich’sGrossmünster Cathedral features scraps of thinly sliced agates leftover from their project.

The agates are attached to panels of clear float glass,interspersed with panels of colored “Goethe” glass that ismanufactured to resemble stained glass from the Middle Ages.Collaboration is a significant part of Brätsch’s philosophy. Shealso worked with designer GianCarlo Montebello to create thesteel structure for Sigi’s Erben. One of the glass paintings in thework is signed “KAYA,” the name of her ongoing partnership withthe artist Debo Eilers.

Kerstin Brätsch’s work provoked my curiosity after my initialattraction to the agates, which are arranged in abstract groups,although one panel strongly resembles a dancing figure.

MoMA is open to the public free of charge on Fridays from4:00 PM. The exhibit runs through April 5. *Float glass is made by floating molten glass on a bed of molten metal, nowtypically tin, although lead and other alloys that melt at lower temperatures havebeen used in the past. This method produces uniform thickness and very flatsurfaces.


Topics in GemologyTopics in Gemology is a monthly column written by Diana Jarrett, GG, RMV, based on gemological questions posed toher over the years by beginners and experts alike. Contact her at dianajarrett.com.

More Than Just a Pretty FacetThe trait that makes colored gemstones so appealing is their

storytelling opportunity. Most of them are sourced in remoteparts of the world, often at great peril to the gem hunter. Politicalhot-spots and treacherous accessibility near mining regionscontribute to the overall risky climate involved with their harvest.

Such is the situation with the glamorous bicolor ametrinequartz. Gem fans love yellow. But they like purple too. Havingboth colors on the same stone doubles its appeal. Yellow quartzis citrine, while purple quartz is called amethyst. Each of thesecrystal varieties individually are often found in the same location.The secret to the bicolor miracle formation lays in differingoxidation states within the crystal. While the crystal is beingformed, temperature variations across the crystal will producethis two toned wonder.

Distinct geology plays a big role in mineral formation.Bolivia produces the world’s entire supply of ametrine, (alsocalled bolivianite) from a southeastern locale – the Anahi mine.The precise terrain with its dolomitic limestone creates theperfect storm for multi-color occurrences in the same crystal.

That’s all well and good for rock hounds and mineralogists,but collectors crave more romantic folk-lore from gemstonesfound eons before modern jewelry lovers laid hold of them.Ametrine delivers on that count.

Local legends claim the Anahi mine had been known sincethe 17 century when a lucky Spanish conquistador snagged theth

mine as a dowry by marrying a tribal princess. The conquistador– groom later introduced the bicolor treat to the Spanish Queenupon his return to Europe.

Commercially, this mine has only been in operation since thelate 20th century however. And that’s just fine with modern dayfans and imaginative gem artists.

Celebrated gemstone cutter John Dyer’s exciting Nebula™cut Bolivian ametrine took 2 Place in Innovative Faceting atnd

AGTA’s 2015 Cutting Edge Awards. Sharing his viewpoint Dyerremarked, ‘It is the probably the coolest of the gems of mine thatwon . . . this one has a very unusual look.”

Ametrine’s unique bicolor appearance already makes for a

showy piece. But Dyer thought outside the box, actually wayoutside the universe, when he made his ametrine design. “It ismy Nebula™ cut,” Dyer explains, “named for the clouds inspace which often appear in spiral form. They are exceptionallybeautiful in photographs coming from the Hubble telescope.”

Dyer drew his initial inspiration for the particular cut fromthe shape of the rough, he says, exploiting “the natural bicolorin the rough that divides it nicely down the middle.”

Working with the stone’s distinct color separations, Dyerexplains “This allowed me to locate the center and the divisionof the double swirl pattern right at the junction of the twocolors. The effect was achieved using carefully placed carvedbubbles and micro grooves combined with smooth polishedsurfaces that could be termed as a “convex facet” along with abuff top style crown.’

Your customers want a great story so they can becomedevoted to their gemstone of choice. Bolivian ametrine providesthat element of intrigue and dazzling visual appeal. Add anextra layer of attraction from creative cuts from artists like Dyerand the stone becomes a magnet for collectors.

Special Report: Honest Diamond GradingRapaport Calls for End to Over-GradingCites Threat to Industry. Calls for Full Disclosure toConsumers.

Martin Rapaport has released a comprehensive editorialentitled “Honest Grading” that discloses the systematicover-grading of over one hundred thousand diamonds, valuedat more than a billion dollars. Rapaport calls upon the legitimatejewelry trade to reject those selling over-graded diamonds thatfool consumers into believing they are getting better diamondsthan they are receiving.

The article declares that it is an unfair trade practice tograde diamonds using Gemological Institute of America (GIA)grading terminology while applying alternative standards thatovergrade the diamonds. It insists that suppliers be heldresponsible for what they sell and provide full refunds in theevent that diamonds re-graded by the GIA are more than onecolor or one clarity below the grade indicated when sold.

“The Rapaport Group is opposed to the misrepresentationof diamond quality. The over-grading of diamonds is an unfairpractice that hurts consumers as it destroys the legitimacy of thediamond trade.

“Retailers who sell over-graded diamonds with GIAterminology and non-GIA grading standards are at great risk.When consumers try to re-sell their diamonds or send them tothe GIA for re-grading and discover significant qualitydifferences, there will be hell to pay.

“Consumers must be warned not to trust misleadingdiamond grading reports and those that sell them. Suppliersmust be held responsible for the quality of the diamonds theysell. The diamond trade must prioritize the protection ofconsumers above profits,” said Martin Rapaport, Chairman ofthe Rapaport Group.[Members who receive their Bulletins electronically received aPDF of the full article on this topic by Rapaport.– Editor]

Award-Winning 67.92 ct Nebula™ Cut Untreated Bolivian Ametrine by John Dyer


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Home Phone Work Phone E-mailPLEASE!G Send me my monthly Bulletin via e-mail.

G Individual Membership ($25.00) G Family Membership ($35) for:

Please send me a set of the following boxed Note Card Sets (Each set for $6.00 including envelopes):G Thin Sections G Mineral Bookplates G Jade G Native Elements G Crystallography G Ruby G TourmalineG Famous Diamonds G Birthday Mineral Cards G Malachite G Quasicrystals G Quartz G LapisG Amethyst G Fluorite G Garnet G Amber G Sapphire G Pyrite G New York State G PseudomorphsG The NYMC G Einstein G International Year of Light G Mineral & Gem Textures G Emerald G Turquoise

Mail this form (or copy)with your check to:

Membership Coordinator, New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.PO Box 77, Planetarium Station, NYC, NY, 10024-0077

Please Send in Your2015 NYMC Membership Dues!

ForgetForget the hasty, unkind word:Forget the slander you have heard;Forget the quarrel and the cause;Forget the whole affair, because,Forgetting is the only way.Forget the storm of yesterday;Forget the knocker, and the squeak;Forget the bad day of the week.Forget you're not a millionaire;Forget the gray streaks in your hair;Forget to even get the blues -But don't forget To Pay Your Dues!

Please take the time to send in your2015 NYMC membership dues

if you have not already done so.And get yourself a set or two of note cards — they make great gifts!


Spring 2015 Show Dealer Roster(Subject to change)

1 New York Mineralogical Club, Inc., New York City

2 Amazon Imports, Williston Park, New York

3 AYS International, Floral Park, New York

4 Bary Gems, Hollis, New York

5 John Betts Fine Minerals, New York City, New York

6 China South Seas, Inc., New York City, New York

7 Crystal Circle, Cincinnati, Ohio

8 Garriti Gems & Lapidary, New York City

9 Gems Art Studio, Brooklyn & Moscow

10 Highland Rock & Fossil, Highland Park, New Jersey

11 Khyber Gemstones, Lyndhurst, New York

12 Mahalo Minerals, Takoma Park, Maryland

13 Malachite & Gems of Africa, Rochester, New York

14 Margola Corp, Englewood, New Jersey

15 Alfredo Petrov Rare Minerals, Desert Hot Springs, California

16 Raj Minerals, Jersey City, New Jersey

17 Rocko Minerals, Margaretville, New York

And Also Probably . . .

Aurora Mineral Corp, Freeport, New York

Exotic Russian Minerals, Moscow, Russia

18 Howard Schlansker, Marshfield, MA (Wholesale Only)

Show Lecture Titles & Schedule

Commemorative Booth Banner

Many Note Cards Available for Sale!

(Above is one example of 30 sets from which to choose!)

Spring 2015 Show Saturday Evening DinnerDate: March 7, 2015 (Saturday Evening)Place: Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan (Show locale)Time: 6:30Cost: $25 each (wine donation happily accepted!)Attire: INFORMAL

All members, family, friends, & dealers are invited!� Dinner will include salad, entree, dessert, breads and beverage.

Entree will be a choice of either chicken, fish or beef (subject tochange).

� Although reservations and payments can be accepted on the dayof the dinner at the show, it would be incredibly helpful if youcould RSVP to either Diane or Mitch if you intend to come tothis event. (Phone numbers and/or email addresses can be foundon the last page of the Bulletin.)

� Payments can be sent in advance to the club mailbox or givendirectly to us at the Club booth during the Show.

Free Color Show Souvenir Card!


Children’s Free Minerals and Activity!

Floaty Gemstone Pens12 different gemstones available!


More on the “Needle”Great article (last month) by Kate (Briquelet) on Cleopatra’s

Needle. I was very fortunate to visit the needle at the same timethat Bob Brier and others were also visiting. When thescaffolding was originally erected the conservators noticesomething that was not apparent from ground level or not

illustrated in drawing of theneedle. As they examined thesurface they noticed a dark linenear the tip of the needle. Thetiming of my visit was fortunate inthat an attempt was made toexamine the dark line moreclosely. It turns out, that the tipwas broken during movement inAlexandria (as far as I can tell, itwas only mentioned once) and wasrefastened. All the participantstook turns twisting and jiggling thetip until it began to move and turn.When the tip was originally

broken it was repaired and screwed on to the rest of the obelisk.It will be interesting to read the final report on the conservatorsefforts to clean and repair the obelisk.Sidney HorensteinP.S. Of course, there are older artifacts in the AMNH, MMOA,Brooklyn Museum, etc.

Alfredo Petrov Talk: “Marvelous Pseudomorphs”(Continued from page 1)

In addition, he is one of the most popular speakers atmineral clubs throughout the United States, not just the NYMC.

In the past he has regaled us on topics ranging from theminerals of Bolivia, to mineral collecting on volcanic islands,to burning sulfates, to an overview of Japanese jade.

Alfredo is one the most popular, interesting, and verballygifted speakers in captivity.

Come hear his talk at the next meeting and learn somethingwhile at the same time being entertained and amused.

[A special set of note cards on the theme of pseudomorphs willbe available for sale at this meeting. – Editor]

Naomi Sarna Carves Gems Into JewelsBy Anthony DeMarco

Gem carving is a craft that takes most people decades toperfect. Somehow, Naomi Sarna has become a world-class gemcarver in about five years. Her carvings and jewelry made from hergems and pearls have won numerous Spectrum Awards,considered by many to be the most respected and prestigiouscreative awards for the jewelry design industry.

This year alone, she took honors in the competition sponsoredby the American Gem Trade Association for “Best Use of Pearls,”for an 18k rose gold necklace with white cultured pearls accentedwith pink diamonds; Platinum Honors for Men’s Wear for her “Hisand His” rings featuring brown natural diamonds; and First Placefor Gem Carving for her “Rose de France” 1,015-carat amethystcarving.

Sarna became successful enough in other businesses to havethe financial freedom to dive full-time into gem carving andjewelry design. This and her longtime love of art and design iswhat she credits for her fast rise. As an art student she said she wasfascinated by drapery in classical sculpture and Renaissancepainting.

“I like to incorporate this love of the flow of fabric into mygem carvings and set pieces,” she said. “I think of my pieces asmore than sculpture; the carving of the gem is only one part of thevision. The gem in its setting must also be in balance because thereis a harmony between the jewel and the wearer. I enjoy thechallenge of finding that balance and harmony.”

Sarna treats her pearl jewelry differently. Whether usingnatural or cultured pearls, she will leave them in their originalshape, although she often uses unusual-shaped pearls.

Her work has taken her to many places including Tanzania,where she teaches the local Maasai people how to make jewelry.She does this in collaboration with TanzaniteOne, the largest andonly commercial company that mines Tanzanite from the world’sonly known source of the precious gem. Other mines in this regionare set aside for artisanal miners from the local area.

Her first time there she gave them 30 pliers so they createjewelry with wire. “I held them (the pliers) up and asked doesanybody know what these are? They have never seen pliers before.I taught them how to do this. I knew they would be able to do itbecause they do fantastic bead work so I knew they would be ablepick this up very quickly.”

She adds, “It was love at first sight.”On her return trips she bought basic items like pencils and

sunglasses.One of her Tanzanite carvings, the 275-carat “L’Heure Bleu”

mounted on a silver base serves as a special fund raiser for theMaasai. The cost of the piece includes a trip for four to Tanzania.

“The mine gave me this crystal to carve and the sale of thiscrystal, which is pretty expensive, will include a trip for fourpeople to Tanzania, go to a wonderful safari, and they’ll also getto meet the Maasai ladies and their families and go down to themine. Most importantly, it will benefit people who areimpoverished.”

Sarna works with a variety of gems but some of her otherfavorites includes opal and topaz.

Her brooches and rings are designed to fit properly so whenthey settle into place, it has the proper appearance.

“You know how rings flop over to the side,” she said. “Mineare designed to go over to the side right away. The way I designedthe shank it has to go over this way. It becomes a part of yourhand.”


2015 Club Calendar

Date Event Location Remarks & Information

March 11 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn MidtownSpecial Lecture: Alfredo Petrov –“Pseudomorphs – False Forms of Minerals”

April 8 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn MidtownSpecial Lecture: Jamie Kruse & ElizabethEllsworth – “NYC is a Geologic Force”

May 13 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn MidtownSpecial Lecture: Renée Newman – “ExoticGems and the Jewelry Business Today”

June 10 Benefit Auction Holiday Inn Midtown, Mezz C 100+ diverse lots, not to be missed!

July/August Tentative Club Events TBD Details to Follow; Officers’ Planning Meeting

September 9 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn Midtown Details to Follow

October 7 Annual Banquet Holiday Inn MidtownTheme: NYC Subway / GarnetLots More Details to Follow

November 11 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn MidtownSpecial Lecture: Fluorescence ( H. Heitner ) &IYL Special Demo ( R. Bostwick )

December 9 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn Midtown Details to Follow

2015 Show or Event Calendar

Date Event Location Remarks & Information

March 7-8Spring New York City Gem,Mineral & Fossil Show

Grand Ballroom, Holiday InnMidtown, New York City

20+ diverse dealers; lectures; wholesalesection (with credentials); Club Booth

March 14-1542 Annual Gem, Mineral,nd

Jewelry & Fossil ShowOld Bethpage Village Exhibition Hall,Old Bethpage, New York

Sponsored by the Island Rockhounds, Inc.Info: www.islandrockhounds.org

March 14-15North Jersey Gem, Mineral &Fossil Show

Pope John II Center,Clifton, New Jersey

Hosted by the North Jersey Mineralogical Society;www.nojms.com

March 27-29 EFMLS Convention/Show Hickory, North Carolina Article Contest Results; Details to Follow

April 10-12NY / NJ Gem Mineral, Jewelry& Fossil Show

NJ Convention & Expo Center,Edison, New Jersey

Minerals, Crystals, Gemstones, Beads, Fossils,Metaphysical Accouterments, Decor Items

April 23-2642nd Annual RochesterMineralogical Symposium

Radisson Hotel Rochester Airport,Rochester, NY

Lectures, Exhibits, Dealers, Presentations, Auctions,Banquet, etc.

April 25-2643 Annual NJESA Gem &rd

Mineral ShowFranklin School, Washington Ave,Franklin, New Jersey

For Information: Sterling Hill Mining Museum(913) 209-7212

May 16-17 Celinka Gem & Mineral Show Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Patchogue 17+ dealers; Info: Elaine Casani (631-567-3342)

October 23-24 AFMS Convention/Show Austin, Texas Details to Follow

November 14-15Fall New York City Gem,Mineral & Fossil Show

Grand Ballroom, Holiday InnMidtown, New York City

20+ diverse dealers; lectures; wholesalesection (with credentials); Club Booth

Mineral Clubs & Other InstitutionsIf you would like your mineral show included here, please let us know at least 2-3 months in advance!

Also, for more extensive national and regional show information check online:AFMS Website: http://www.amfed.org and/or the EFMLS Website: http://www.amfed.org/efmls

George F. KunzFounder

The New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.Founded in 1886 for the purpose of increasing interest in the science of mineralogy through

the collecting, describing and displaying of minerals and associated gemstones.P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station, New York City, New York, 10024-0077, http://www.nymineralclub.org

2015 Executive CommitteePresident Mitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY, 10024-5203 e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343

Vice President Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY, 10003 e-mail: [email protected]. . (646) 737-3776

Secretary Vivien Gornitz 101 W. 81st Street #621, NYC, NY, 10024 e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . (212) 874-0525

Treasurer Diane Beckman 265 Cabrini Blvd. #2B, NYC, NY, 10040 e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . (212) 927-3355

Bulletin Editor Mitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY, 10024-5203 e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343

Membership Mark Kucera 25 Cricklewood Road S., Yonkers, NY, 10704 e-mail: [email protected].. . . . . (914) 423-8360

Director Alla Priceman 84 Lookout Circle, Larchmont, NY, 10538 e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . (914) 834-6792

Director Richard Rossi 6732 Ridge Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY, 11220 e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . (718) 745-1876

Director Sam Waldman 2801 Emmons Ave, #1B, Brooklyn, NY, 11235 e-mail: [email protected]. . . . . . . . (718) 332-0764

Dues: $25 Individual, $35 Family per calendar year. Meetings: 2nd Wednesday of every month (except July and August) at the Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan, 57 Streetth

between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, New York City, New York. Meetings will generally be held in one of the conference rooms on the Mezzanine Level. The doors openat 5:30 P.M. and the meeting starts at 6:45 P.M. (Please watch for any announced time / date changes.) This bulletin is published monthly by the New York MineralogicalClub, Inc. The submission deadline for each month’s bulletin is the 20th of the preceding month. You may reprint articles or quote from this bulletin for non-profit usageonly provided credit is given to the New York Mineralogical Club and permission is obtained from the author and/or Editor. The Editor and the New York MineralogicalClub are not responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of information or information in articles accepted for publication, nor are the expressed opinions necessarily thoseof the officers of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.

Next Meeting – Wednesday, March 11, 2015 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Mezzanine, Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan (57 St. & Tenth Avenue), New York Cityth

Special Lecture: Alfredo Petrov — “Marvelous Pseudomorphs”

New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.Mitchell Portnoy, Bulletin EditorP.O. Box 77, Planetarium StationNew York City, New York 10024-0077

FIRST CLASS

Mitch Portnoy

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