Meeting Minutes, March 23, 2013

Micromineral Society of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Meeting Minutes, March 23, 2013

In attendance: Anne Cook, Paul and Janet Clifford, Pete Richards, Steve President Veverka Paul Clifford [email protected] 5-Minute Talk: Paul gave the five-minute talk on wittichenite, an orthorhombic metallic mineral with the formula Cu3BiS3. In the past it has occurred as small equant crystals or massive material. There was a major find in Australia in 1981, but the identity of the crystals was not recognized Vice President until recently. An article on these amazing world-class specimens was in the March-April 2013 issue of the Mineralogical Record. Look at your collection Dick Green critically – do you have such a sleeper? [email protected] Main Talk: The main talk was the annual Tucson Show review by Anne Cook and the Cliffords. The Cliffords thought the Inn Suites and the Pueblo Inn had the best opportunities to get good specimens at half-way reasonable Treasurer prices. Paul found the show theme of fluorite disappointing, because it did not provide enough variety. Janet Clifford [email protected] Anne found her usual suite of unusual species: ellingsenite from the Aris

Phonolite in Namibia; babánekite from the Erzgebirge, Czech Republic;

stepite from the same region; and xanthoconite, from Pribram, also in the

Czech Republic. She also snapped up some thumbnail specimens from the Secretary Melanson collection: ﬂuorite from Madoc, Ontario; pink ﬂuorite from the Pete Richards Grimsel Pass in Switzerland; millerite from Wissen, Siegen, Germany; and [email protected] calcite with included copper from the Phoenix Mine, Houghton County, Michigan.

Paul and Janet found a number of keepers as well, though many were not Museum Liaison microminerals (for which the new owners can be forgiven): David Saja Foitite (or schorl) from the Erongo Mountains in Nambia, [email protected]! Magnesite from Brumado, Bahia, Brazil (ex Melanson collection), Azurite from the azurite sun locality in Northern Territory, Australia, Loellingite from the infamous unpronounceable Huanggangliang locality in Inner Mongolia, Fluorite, {111} modiﬁed by {110} and {100}, same locality, Beraunite Mullica Hill, NJ Future meetings Date 5-min. talk Main speaker Comments Apr. 27 Pete Janet DVD: Dal ‘Negorsk May 25 Will Dick DVD: Pegmatites and Large Crystals

CMMS web site www.cmnh.org/site/GetInvolved/ClubsandSocieties/MicromineralSociety.aspx! Micromineral Society of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Meeting Minutes, March 23, 2013

Fluorite from the Ransom Mine near Silverton, Colorado, Blue elbaite from the Crocker Pegmatite in Oxford County, Maine, Rhodochrosite and pyrite with bertrandite from Mount Mica, Paris, Maine Colorless apatite from the same locality, Natrojarosite on phosphosiderite from Lavra do Tomé, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Anglesite in quartz from Tamboras Mine, Mundo Nuevo, La Libertad, Peru, Hematite from Huanggangliang, A huge brookite from Balthistan, Pakistan, A massive tantilite-(Mn) from Afganistan, Piemontite from Hayden, Gila County, Arizona, And manganoan calcite, again from Huanggangliang.

Business Meeting: was called to order at 1:19. The minutes were approved, noting that relative to this month’s program by the Cooks and Cliffords, there is now only one Cook. We suspect that Bill was there in spirit. The treasurer reported no change from our last account balance of $1204.05.

Old Business: Woodie Thompson has tentatively accepted our invitation to be our symposium speaker, but is not sure he can ﬁt it into his schedule. Ron Gibbs and Peter Megaw were suggested as alternate possibilities.

There is no progress with the 3D viewers.

Estwing chisels and related tools are available from David Saja at a discount.

A conference on shale gas drilling (“fracking”) will be held on June 18-19 at Severance Hall. This is produced by the National Academy of Engineering and hosted by Case-Western Reserve University. Registration (free) is required, see naeshalegas.com. Do not be fooled by the link to University Circle, which identiﬁes the Art Museum as the location. This event appears to really be at the home of the Cleveland Orchestra. For those concerned about this issue, this should be a relatively informative, unbiased presentation of the risks and beneﬁts.

The business meeting was adjourned at 1:28.

Respectfully submitted,

R. Peter Richards April 5, 2013