The BULLETIN OF THE NEW YORK MINERALOGICAL CLUB, INC

Volume 131 No. 5 May 2017

JOHN SANFACON

WORLD OF MINERALS

Gemstone Art on the Floor FLOOR GEMS See page 4! PINK vs. RED CORUNDUM

2017 NYMC MEMBERS

BURROUGHS JEWELRY

America’s Oldest Gem & Mineral Club Founded 1886  Incorporated 1937 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club Founded 1886 Ë New York City, New York Ë Incorporated 1937 Volume 131, No. 5 America’s Oldest Mineral & Gem Club May 2017

May 10th Meeting: John Sanfaçon: “Russian Summer NYC Gem & Mineral Mineralogy & More” Show to Debut in June 2018 By Mitch Portnoy than twenty years, it is unlikely very much will be changing in this new show. Tony Nikischer, NYC Gem & Although you may see some new dealers Mineral Show promoter and NYMC (since obviously no one can be member, informed me in late March that grandfathered in a new show), the overall he has signed a two-year contract with the ratio of mineral/gem/lapidary/jewelry Watson Hotel to sponsor a NEW mineral dealers will remain about the same. show in NYC – The Summer NYC Gem We will have a club booth at this & Mineral Show! show as always. We will Beginning on the provide a lecture on each weekend of June 23-24, day of the show. And we 2018, the show will will sell items and books become part of a triad and try to enroll new of NYC Mineral Shows members. – Spring, Summer and However, as this show Fall – each occurring takes place in the middle every four months of the year, we will likely during the calendar have to have a special years of 2018 and 2019. summer “half-year” or Starting with the first new mineral Tony had been (my preference) a 1½ year discovered in Russia (crocoite), mineralogy c o n s i d e r i n g membership rate since six in Russia developed rapidly, thanks to the establishing this show months will have already geologic survey of the Urals by Humboldt, for several years now gone by. at the request of Catherine the Great in the but many factors had to Over the next few 1790's. The great deposits of copper, be in place before months I will be working platinum, emeralds, alexandrite, topaz and taking the plunge: with Tony to put together a good semi-precious and decorative stones T The current NYC Spring and Fall marketing and advertising program (rhodonite, jasper, serpentine, etc.), in shows both needed to be healthy, Russia’s Urals led the world for the next regarding this new summer show. vigorous and growing in attendance; sixty years. If you have some ideas that might be T The Watson Hotel needed to have the With Dimitri Mendeleev’s periodic interesting to implement for this new ballroom available during a weekend table, Russia began to apply chemical summer NYC show, please let me know. towards the end of June BUT before principles, and by the end of the19th Remember, however, we are the hosts and NYC schools closed for the summer; not the owners of this show. century and first forty years of the 20th T century, Russia became the world leader in No other important mineral/gem event was taking place in the New York geochemical exploration (thanks to the Issue Highlights pioneering work of Vernadsky and Metropolitan area; T Fersman). In the 1920's, they began to Marketing research (conducted over President’s Message ...... 2 explore the Kola Peninsula in northwestern time) showed that there indeed was Meeting Minutes ...... 2 Russia for strategic metals. consumer demand for the show AND World of Minerals: Panguite...... 4 Exploratory work in the remote reaches it would not lead to over saturation; “Fire of Australia” Opal ...... 4 T of Siberia led to the discovery in 1963 of Several of the “flagship” dealers, who Meteorite Update...... 5 the Mir diamond pipe, with its jumbo come to both the Spring and Fall BMC Auction Experience ...... 5 water-clear gem crystals. In September Shows, have agreed to come to this 2 Auctions with Variations ...... 6 2012 Russia announced that the Popigai new Summer Show AND they are Rare Book Heist ...... 7 Astroblem (the world’s seventh largest eager to do so; and 2017 NYMC Members ...... 8 meteor impact crater) can supply the world T Tony’s support staff and the NYMC Topics in Gemology: Corundum. . . . 9 with industrial diamonds for the next 3000 were available and willing to help Augusten Burroughs’s Jewelry . . . . 10 years! with this new show. Earth’s New Supercontinent ...... 11 (Continued on page 11) Given the successful commercial March ‘17 Show Dealer Donations . 12 formula that has been applied for more Club & Show Calendars ...... 13 2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. May 2017

President’s Message quickly gone over; members were Welcome New Members! By Mitch Portnoy reminded that the first version of the Katie Bosch...... Brooklyn, NY I am in the process of updating and June benefit auction catalog was Erik Boulware...... Brooklyn, NY enhancing a portfolio about all the available online (illustrated below); the The Gray Family...... Brooklyn, NY presidents of the NYMC I found in the September meeting lecture will be Diane Cramer ...... New York, NY Club’s archives. It is almost done and about New York State mineralogy by The Poe Family...... Brooklyn, NY ultimately will be uploaded for all to see on Mike Hawkins. Kimberly Vagner ...... Brooklyn, NY the History Page of the website. But there is May Meeting Game! missing information and I am looking for help. I need face pictures for: 1. Harry Reilly Lee 2. John Newlin Trainer, Jr. 3. James A Taylor 4. Ralph J. Holmes 5. Victor Pribil 6. Frank Chambers (a good one) 7. Charles Sheer 8. Gary J. Burke And I need birth/death years for: ‚ The new Summer NYC Gem & And Coming in June . . . 9. Harry Reilly Lee Mineral Show will debut in June 2018. 10. James A. Taylor Special Lecture: Charles Snider: 11. Joe Rothstein “The American Geode Story” 12. Frank Chambers Charles Snider, club member, 13. Charles Sheer (birth year only) rockhound and true renaissance man gave I also need middle initials/or middle an extremely engaging and visually names for several past presidents but this is interesting talk about how his company, less important for now. American Geode, came to be. Club Meeting Minutes for About 10 years ago, a business colleague surprised him by commenting on April 19, 2017 the large quartz specimen displayed on his By Mitch Portnoy, Acting Secretary desk. This colleague, Joe Krabak, quickly Attendance: 43 became one of Charles’ best friends and President Mitch Portnoy presided collecting buddies. (Joe is also now the Announcements: Club’s expert webmaster but that’s another ‚ The monthly raffle was held. ‚ story!) Mitch told the members that he ha Charles showed several videos about receive a call from Larry Cohen’s (our their collecting together up in Herkimer, long lost treasurer) son and that he had NY and passed around the audience two of passed away in 2012. ‚ the best “diamonds” they ever discovered. Members were told that 5-6 flats of The core of his talk focused, however, nice minerals remained from the on how he, while visiting with friends in Special Sale and could be bought. ‚ Indiana for personal reasons, discovered A website update was given; the new that his friend’s acreage was covered with illustrated file about minerals named geodes of all sizes. After discussion and after NYMC members was featured. rd ‚ planning with his friend (and now 3 The day’s historical events and special partner) American Geode was born. holidays were presented. ‚ He quickly talked about how they were The evening’s game, about minerals created, the geologic time from which they with a blue streak, was played. ‚ come and the variety of minerals that they Mitch presented two songs this have found. The audience was especially evening, the first about fakes (sung to interested in the “antique” pipe cracking the tune of Kids! from Bye Bye Birdie tool they use to open up the geodes. and the second about mineral cabinets sung to the tune of Caberet! Members in the News ‚ ‚ George Harlow was a speaker at the A video about creating bismuth th crystals (often sold as natural!) was 14 Annual Sinkankas Conference shown. where he spoke about syenite-hosted ‚ The usual items for sale at meetings sapphires. ‚ were listed; a special set of geode note Alfredo Petrov lectured to the cards was available. Mineralogical Society of Hong Kong in ‚ The upcoming NYMC events were April about collecting minerals on Japan’s volcanoes. May 2017 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 3

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

Rare Meteorite Mineral Helps Solve a Crime Panguite, Ti,Sc,Al,Mg,Zr,Ca1.8O3, is a new ultra-refractory In the thriller “Chaos”, by best-selling author, Patricia titanium mineral originally discovered in the Allende meteorite. Cornwell, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, Chief Forensic Pathologist at the Chi Ma, its discoverer, was particularly impressed by the fact Cambridge Forensic Center, is presented with a baffling case that not only is panguite a rare, new mineral, but of “a material that defies easy explanation. A young woman cycling through a previously unknown to science”. It is also one of the first solid Cambridge, Massachusetts park on late summer evening is found materials to have crystallized in the Solar System, some 4.57 dead under mysterious circumstances. No obvious signs of billion years ago. The few tiny grains of panguite in Allende, violence—gunshot, knife wounds, strangling, rape—are found; and another chondritic meteorite, Murchison, are intimately only bruises or injuries related to the fall from the bike. associated with davisite (CaScAlSiO6), another rare ultra- Further investigation, however, hints at death by refractory mineral. Panguite crystallizes in the orthorhombic electrocution—a freak lightning strike perhaps? But there were crystal system and has a fairly high density, 3.746 g/ cm3. no reports of thunderstorms or lightning in the area at the time Although extremely tiny and scarce, minerals such as of death. Then, transmission electron microscope analysis of a panguite and davisite help scientists unravel details of the events sample taken from a burn mark on the victim’s neck reveals leading to nebular evolution and how primordial elements traces of Ni, Al, Si, Fe, and Ti, also Zr and Sc. This combination accreted into rocky bodies. Like a “cosmochemical set of nested of elements leads the detectives to a rare mineral call panguite. Russian dolls”, panguite and its companion, davisite, sit nestled Not a fictitious substance dreamed up by the writer, but an inside an ultra-refractory inclusion, itself embedded within an actual mineral, panguite was discovered in a meteorite that fell “amoeboid olivine inclusion”. over northern Chihuahua, Mexico in 1969. The name derives from Chinese mythology, according to which Pan Gu, a giant whose ax split Earth and Sky apart.

Electron image of the ultra-refractory inclusion where the panguite was found (Image: Chi Ma/Caltech) Not to spoil the mystery ending, suffice it to say here that the forensic clues point to a novel, hi-tech kind of weaponized electricity for which panguite provides an important ingredient. Bizarre how minerals turn up in the oddest, most unexpected places! Allende meteorite fragment (image from wikipedia.org) / Wikipedia Further Reading 4+ Ma, C. et al., Panguite, (Ti ,Sc,Al,Mg,Zr,Ca)1.8O3, a new ultra- The mineral was discovered several years ago by Dr. Chi refractory titania mineral from the Allende meteorite: Ma, from the Department of Geological and Planetary Sciences, Synchrotron micro-diffraction and EBSD. 2012, American at the California Institute of Technology. A combination of high Mineralogist, DOI: 10.2138/am.2012.4027 resolution, advanced microscopic and spectroscopic techniques Neith, K., 2012. Caltech Scientists find new primitive mineral in uncovered tiny, fine-grained crystals, 500-1800 nanometers meteorite. http://www.caltech.edu/news/caltech-scientists- across (1 nanometer = 1 billionth of a meter), embedded in an find-primitive-mineral-in-meteorite (posted 6/26/2012; olivine inclusion within the Allende meteorite. accessed 3/1/2017). Allende belongs to a rare class of stony meteorite called a carbonaceous chondrite. These meteorites are characterized by Donations Being Accepted for the the presence of chondrules—small, rounded masses of olivine and pyroxene—surrounded by iron-nickel metal and sulfide Annual NYMC Benefit Auction grains, embedded in a dark, fine-grained matrix, which contains Wednesday Evening, June 14, 2017 carbon-rich matter. The carbonaceous material contains a mix of Minerals, Gems, Jewelry, Cabochons, hydrocarbons, benzene-ring derivatives, and amino acids. Meteorites, Lapidary Arts, Crystals, Allende (as well as other carbonaceous chondrites) also Magazines, Books, Ephemera, Fossils, incorporate refractory inclusions, called “calcium aluminum inclusions”, or CAIs that crystallized at very high temperatures, Posters, Prints, Equipment & etc. very early in the history of the Solar System. 4 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. May 2017

Artist Puts 1000s of Glittering Gems on Floors thanks to the help of a private donor and the Federal Government’s and Walls to Create Kaleidoscopic Art National Cultural Heritage Account. Suzan Drummen, an artist based in the Netherlands, creates expansive art installations that use thousands of tiny dazzling crystals and other shiny objects to create elaborate mandalas and textile designs. Amazingly, Drummen doesn’t use a pre-made plan to create her works. “I never have a plan. The specific site guides me,” she told Irenbrination. “I check the light, the route of the visitors, the colors, the height etc, on spot. The whole atmosphere actually guides me. Every space requires something else and the installation grows slowly.” Drummen’s goal is to overwhelm the viewer; “From a distance they appear clear and orderly, yet upon closer inspection, the eyes become disoriented by the many details and visual stimuli. That moment, of being able to take it all in or not, is explored, time The “Fire of Australia” Opal and time again. The visual perception is challenged, requisitioned and intensified.” She uses pins to affix the crystal, chrome-plated It’s described as the “finest uncut opal in existence” and is metal, precious stones, mirrors and optical glass that she uses to valued at a hefty $900,000 Australian dollars ($681,480). You’ll walls, but lays these objects down freely on the ground. be able to see it for yourself in the front foyer of the South Australian Museum until February 28, 2017. “90 percent of the world’s most precious opals are found in South Australia,” Brian Oldman, director of the South Australian Museum, said in a statement. “Opal of this quality can only be created under certain climate conditions . . . When our state’s inland sea evaporated millions of years ago, it provided a unique silica-rich environment for the creation of precious opal. It is these exceptional conditions that created the Fire of Australia.” The Fire of Australia was dug up using a pick and shovel by a miner called Walter Bartram at Eight Mile field in Coober Pedy, South Australia, in 1946. Since then, it has remained an heirloom in the family. His son, Alan Bartram, said: “After loaning the Fire of Australia to the South Australian Museum for its Opals exhibition, we made the decision to place this family heirloom in safe hands. We’ve been long-term supporters of the South Australian Museum and it seems fitting that it should be passed onto the people of South Australia to enjoy.” This is actually not the largest or the most valuable opal ever discovered. That honor goes to the “Olympic Australis”, which weighs around 3,450 grams (121.7 ounces) and is valued at a dazzling AUS $2,500,000 (US $1,892,775).

Source: museperk.commuseperk.com Oct. 5th, 2015

You Can Finally See the World’s Finest Uncut Opal By Tom Hale

For the first time in decades, one of the world’s most beautiful uncut opal stones has been taken out of its dusty safe and put on display for the public to gaze at. The “Olympic Australis” Opal The so-called “Fire of Australia”, a 998-gram (35.2-ounce) uncut opal, has joined the South Australian Museum’s collection, Source: IFLScience.com from January 23, 2017 May 2017 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 5

Ancient Asteroid Collision Is Still Raining The result upends some assumptions about the Solar System. Space Rocks Down on Earth “We knew almost nothing about the meteorite flux to Earth in By Jason Daley geological deep time before this study,” Birger Schmitz, researcher at Lund University and co-author of the paper, says in the press A new study shows that today’s meteorites considerably differ release. “The conventional view is that the solar system has been from those of the ancient past very stable over the past 500 million years. So it is quite surprising The Earth is constantly bombarded by meteorites. But the that the meteorite flux at 467 million years ago was so different composition of these space rocks is a little unusual, writes Sarah from the present.” Kaplan at the Washington Post, differing from those lingering in Knowing how collisions in the asteroid belt have impacted the the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Earth in the past, Heck tells Kaplan, is not only interesting, but it So where did earth-bound space rocks come from? can help researchers understand the behavior of objects in the Researchers believe most meteorites that rain down on earth today asteroid belt, which have the potential of showering us with debris. originate from a collision that took place some 466 million years Source: Smithsonian.com from January 26, 2017 ago when something hit a massive asteroid, triggering a cascade of rocks smashing into one another. Fragments of these rocks began bombarding earth—and still do today.

This is an electron microscope image of a polished cross section of chrome spinel from a fossil micrometeorite that scientists believe comes from the asteroid 4 Vesta. But until now, scientists weren’t sure what meteorites looked Credit: © Philipp Heck, The Field Museum like before this initial Ka-Pow. A new paper, published in the Experiencing the Boston Mineral Club’s journal Nature Astronomy, delves into the difference, and suggests that meteorite composition has dramatically changed overtime. Auction (January 2017) “Looking at the kinds of meteorites that have fallen to Earth By Diane Beckman in the last hundred million years doesn’t give you a full picture,” It’s Saturday, January 21, 2017, and a lovely day in Newton, Philipp Heck, lead author of the new study and cosmochemist at Massachusetts, the site of the Boston Mineral Club's annual the University of Chicago, says in a press release. “It would be like auction. I made a special trip up to this town in order to experience looking outside on a snowy winter day and concluding that every this event and I was not disappointed. day is snowy, even though it’s not snowy in the summer.” The venue was simple, yet accommodating. Everything was To investigate the rocky space rain, Heck and his colleagues in one room. That made it optimally convenient. There were both collected samples of micrometeorites more than 466 million years silent auction lots and live auction lots; both old from rock formations in the St. Petersburg region of Russia. donated items and consignment items (some They collected almost 600 pounds of material that contained these with reserves, most without). micrometeorites and dissolved the rocks in acid, which allowed The auctioneer, Michael Haritos, their VP, them to pick out crystals of the precious mineral chromite, which was phenomenal. He had a depth of knowledge contains hints to the chemical makeup of ancient meteorites that and sense of humor that made the five- hour fell to Earth. event remain interesting throughout for the 100 “Chrome-spinels, crystals that contain the mineral chromite, or so of us who attended and hundreds of items up for bid. A remain unchanged even after hundreds of millions of years,” Heck strong team of volunteers kept the event running smoothly. says in the release. “Since they were unaltered by time, we could The silent auction consisted of mostly self-collected flats of use these spinels to see what the original parent body that produced minerals. The live auction had donated and consignment the micrometeorites was made of.” specimens from around the world, of good to very fine quality, The researchers found that up to 34 percent of the with great variety. Viewing began at 11:30am, and the silent pre-collision meteorites were a type called achondrites, which auction ended at around 3:00 pm. The live auction ran concurrently make up only 0.45 percent of meteorites today. They also found up until the last half hour of the silent auction bidding, when we other meteorites appear to come from a collision involving Vesta, had a chance to indicate our final bids before it ended. the second largest known asteroid in the solar system, which After, we continued with the live auction. At this point, only happened roughly 1 billion years ago. consignment items remained for the remaining two hours. Bidding “Our main finding was that these primitive achondrites and the was lively! Fortunately, food and beverages were provided ungrouped meteorites ... were almost 100 times more abundant throughout the event. than they are today,” Heck tells Kaplan. “That was a big surprise It is my hope that the event was as much a financial success that no one expected.” as it was a delight to attend. Well worth the trip! 6 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. May 2017

A Single Theme with Two Variations: A Mineral Club’s Benefit Auction By Mitch Portnoy

The New York Mineralogical Club and the Boston Mineral Club (BMC) are similar clubs and are on very good terms with each other. Besides exchanging bulletins, from time to time their president, Nate Martin, and I confer about common issues or ask each other for advice on more challenging situations. Each January the BMC has a benefit auction. I received their January 2017 bulletin which included an extensive description about their event. Finding how they conducted their annual auction quite interesting, I thought I would summarize in the table below the similarities and differences between the two events. Auction Characteristic Boston Mineral Club New York Mineralogical Club

Important Fund-Raising Event? Yes (Primary) Yes (Secondary)

Longtime, Recurring, Fun Event? Yes Yes

Requires Lots of Planning? Yes Yes

Auction Date Special January Saturday Meeting Regular June Wednesday Meeting

Auction Location Special Meeting Location Regular Meeting Location

Overall Event Time All-Day Event (8:00 am - 6:00 pm) Regular Meeting Duration

Auction Software Used? Yes Yes

Volunteers Needed? Yes – Approximately 35 in Shifts Yes – Approximately 6

Lot Preview / Duration Yes / 30 minutes Yes / 90 minutes

Open to Non-Members? Yes Yes

Children Attend? Yes Rarely

Number of Voice Auction Lots Approximately 100 Approximately 100

Voice Auction Lot Quality “The Best & Biggest” “The Best & Biggest”

Only “Club Relevant” Items Yes Yes

Includes Silent Auction Yes (Concurrent with Voice Auction) No (Banquet Event for NYMC)

Number of Silent Auction Lots Approximately 150 Approximately 80 (at Banquet)

Silent Auction Lot Quality Flats of Minerals, Often Self-Collected Smaller, High Quality Items

Includes “Buy Now” Items? No No (Winter Event for NYMC)

Great Values & Variety Yes Yes

Online Catalog on Website? Yes Yes

General Lot Sources Members, Dealers, Friends, Purchases Members, Dealers, Friends

Federal Tax Donation Allowed? Yes No

Donations from Show Dealers? No Yes

Club Purchases Included? Yes Rarely

Includes Consignment Items? Yes (20% Club / 80% Consigner) No

More Donations on Auction Day? Yes - Many Yes - Few

Overall Setup / Registration Time Approximately 4 hours Approximately 4 hours

Registration Required? Yes Yes May 2017 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 7

Auction Characteristic Boston Mineral Club New York Mineralogical Club

Online Registration Available? Yes No

Approximate Attendance 100 60

Voice Auction Duration 5 Hours with a Break 3 Hours

Leave Before Auction Ends? Yes No

Food / Lunch Provided at Event? Yes, at No Cost! No

Beverages Provided at Event? Yes; Some Free, Some for Pay Yes; Free Water / Coffee / Tea

Credit Allowed? No! No!

Payments Cash / Check / Credit Cards Cash / Check Only

Special Lot Pickup Area? Yes, after Payment Made No (Items Distributed as Won)

Prices Realized Available? Summary in February Bulletin Yes (in July Bulletin)

Holiday Inn to Rebrand as the Watson Hotel $2.5 Million Worth of Rare Scientific Books By Will Speros • January 24, 2017 Stolen in “Mission: Impossible-Style Heist” By Tom Hale BD Hotels has announced plans to rebrand the Holiday Inn Midtown in New York as the Watson Hotel beginning in February. A gang of extremely well-read thieves have stolen over $2.5 The high-rise, two-tower property houses 600 guestrooms, million worth of famous antique scientific books in a “Mission: boasting some of the largest rooms in the city. Impossible-style heist.” Crowning the hotel’s South Tower is the seasonal rooftop The smooth criminals escaped with over 160 books – garden complete with an outdoor pool, wraparound sundeck, and including early editions by Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, the poolside café. The setting offers unobstructed 270-degree Galileo Galilei, and Copernicus – from a warehouse in west views of Lower Manhattan as well as the Hudson River. London, where they were due to be flown over the pond to the Additional amenities include a 1,390-square-foot fitness 50th California International Antiquarian Book Fair, according to center, American dining concept Gotham Café, and the lobby’s the Mail on Sunday. Skylight Lounge. Meeting space is also available, with four large The jewel of the heist is a 1566 copy of Nicolaus Copernicus's meeting rooms spanning more than 8,700 square feet. De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On the Revolutions of the NAJA Enters the World of Background Checks Celestial Spheres), thought to be worth over $268,000. This is one By Gail Brett Levine of the earlier editions of the book, which proposed the truly Earth-shattering idea that the planets orbited the Sun in the Solar The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) System, challenging the millennia-old belief that Earth was the has taken a bold step and is setting the pace for others to follow. center of the universe. This “Copernican Revolution” is regularly NAJA is proud to announce the first of its kind, a voluntary cited as one of the most important steps in humanity's background check program to members of a jewelry association. understanding of the world and wider universe. NAJA has partnered with Global So while the books could certainly fetch a lot of cash, their Investigative Services Inc., an true worth is more than merely their monetary value. This is expert in the background leading experts to believe the heist was orchestrated by a screening industry to help “specialist collector”, perhaps a wealthy supervillain who loves administer our program. science a bit too much. “We are thrilled to offer this The three burglars are believed to have drilled holes in the service to our members and share building’s fiberglass skylights then used ropes to drop 12 meters with our industry and consumers (40 feet) to the warehouse’s ground. Over a period of several our commitment to transparency hours, they managed to break into the four sealed containers and excellence,” says Gail Brett containing the books while ignoring all of the other items in the Levine, GIA GG, Executive building. It isn't clear how they knew the gold-mine of books were Director. “We owe it to in the warehouse, however, it's most likely they got the consumers and value their loyalty and trust in us,” adds Robbie information through hacked emails. Bradbury, GIA GG. “Quite honestly I have never heard of a heist like this For more information about the background check program, involving books – it is extraordinary,” Brian Lake, of the contact Global Investigative Services, Inc., Linda B. Mack, Antiquarian Booksellers Association, told the Mail. “Nothing like President by email ([email protected]) or by telephone: (800) this has hit the rare books trade before.” 589-0088. 8 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. May 2017

2017 Members of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. Toni Akhibi, Abuja, Nigeria Alicia Goodwin, Brooklyn, NY Seymour Perlowitz, Brooklyn, NY Peter Alberts, Brooklyn, NY Olga González, New York, NY Alfredo Petrov, Desert Hot Springs, CA Deborah Amat, Brooklyn, NY Vivien Gornitz, New York, NY Arentha Poe & Family, Brooklyn, NY Alicja Andrejczuk, Scarsdale, NY Joel & SusAnna Bernard- Grae, New York, NY Martin & Lillie Pope, Brooklyn, NY Sarah Arden, New York, NY Dorothy & Wesley Gray, Brooklyn, NY Mitchell Portnoy, New York, NY Scott Arsham, New York, NY Fran Greder, Belleville, NJ Alla Priceman, Larchmont, NY Taurius Ashford, Bronx, NY Steve Max Grenyo, New York, NY Elayne Prince, Westport, CT Kerstine Awa & Family, Bronx, NY Malcolm Guevara, New York, NY Olga Rakhova, NYC, NY David Bagnera, NYC, NY Raymond Hakimi, Great Neck, NY Ten & Cathryn Duffy- Ramos, Woodside, NY Carol Bailey, Flushing, NY Dr. Daniel Hall, Columbus, OH Eric Rampello, Levittown, NY Charlotte & Lawrence Bassett, Thornwood, NY Dr. George Harlow, New York, NY Joaquin Ramsey, New York, NY Diane Beckman, New York, NY Parvin Hartramph, New York, NY George Rappaport, Staten Island, NY C. R “Cap” Beesley, Mt. Vernon, NY Richard & Elna Hauck, Franklin, NJ Daniel J. Record, Newington, CT Lorraine Bege, New York, NY Fred Haynes, Rochester, NY James Regnante, Forest Hills, NY Russell Behnke, Meriden, CT Jeffrey Hayward, Staten Island, NY Vesta Sue Rhodes, New York, NY Raissa & Dr. Garrett Bennett, New York, NY Will Heierman, Stafford, TX Karen Rice, Rio Rancho, NM Connie Berger, New York, NY Howard Heitner, Tuckahoe, NY Susan Ritter, New York, NY Ted Berkowitz, New York, NY Erica Hirsch, Ocean Grove, NJ Kara Rosella, New York, NY Philip Betancourt, Moorestown, NJ Pablo Hoffman, New York, NY Andrea Ross, Manchester, VT John Betts, New York, NY Sidney Horenstein, New York, NY Deborah Steen Ross, Elmsford, NY Mark Lowenthal & Gail Billig, Englewood, NJ Irving Horowitz, Floral Park, NY Richard & Judith Biegner Rossi , Brooklyn, NY Michael Davis & Alberto Bird, Bronx, NY Diana Jarrett, University Park, FL Olga Rubio, Chester, NY Richard Blackman, Randolph, NJ Melissa Johnson, Bronx, NY Susan Jane Rudich, New York, NY Michael Bodnyk, New York, NY Rudolph B. Jones, Fayetteville, NC Roman Rudinskiy, Brooklyn, NY Katie Bosch, Brooklyn, NY Arlene Joseph, New Milford, NJ Jesus U. & Meyci Sanchez, Elizabeth, NJ Tema Hecht & Richard Bostwick, NYC, NY Tracy Jukes, Saundersfoot, UK John F. Sanfaçon, Mt. Arlington, NJ Erik Boulware, Brooklyn, NY Robert Karlovits, Staten Island, NY Alexsandra Santiago, Corona, NY Cristiano Brigida, NYC, NY Jacob & Ruth Kaufman, New York, NY Victor Sapienza, Staten Island, NY Alan Bronstein, Livingston, NJ Sarah Keating, Larchmont, NY Naomi Sarna, New York, NY Pauletta Brooks, New York, NY Michael & Robin Kessler, East Stroudsburg, PA Roland Scal, New York, NY Kevan & Claudia Brown, New York, NY Joe Krabak, Jessup, PA Neuza J. Schinmann, East Meadow, NY Mrs Dale L. Brown, Bronx, NY Margaret Krasan, Jamaica, NY Peter C. Schneirla, New York, NY Otis Kidwell Burger, New York, NY Saul Krotki, Seattle, WA Anna Schumate, New York, NY Tony Cadiz, New York, NY Alexandra Krummenacker, Glen Cove, NY Jack Segall, Cedarhurst, NY Michael Cahill, Middle Village, NY Patricia Dolan & Mark Kucera, Yonkers, NY Charles & Ruth Severson, Gwynedd, PA Karen Cangelosi, New York, NY Paul Vitaris & Lee Laurie, New York, NY Aung Shein, Jamaica, NY Eugene Carmichael, Kew Gardens, NY Delores Lawton, Brooklyn, NY William Shelton, Tucson, AZ Elaine Casani, Bohemia, NY Delphine Leblanc, Hoboken, NJ Michael Silver, Los Angeles, CA Frank Casella & Family, Sparta, NJ Barbara Brewka & James Lee, Bronxville, NY Wende Silver, New York, NY Andrew Chait & Family, New York, NY Gail Brett Levine, Rego Park, NY Candie Smith, Staten Island, NY Cristina Cooke, Setauket, NY Florence Levy, New York, NY Ian Smith, Brooklyn, NY Catherine Corwin & Family, Brooklyn, NY The Litvin Family, Englewood, NJ Charles Snider, New York, NY Bill Cotrofeld, East Arlington, VT Eduardo Lopez, New York, NY Alma Barkey Sohmer, New York, NY Lillian Cozzarelli, Brooklyn, NY John Lopez, Staten Island, NY Paul & Jeannine Speranza, North Bellmore, NY Bob Cullen, Mamaroneck, NY Richard & Marion Lopus, Hicksville, NY Atida Stein, New York, NY Richard Currier, New York, NY Immacula Louisime, Jamaica, NY Robin Sternberg, New York, NY Diane Cramer, New York, NY Donna M. Luisi, Middle Village, NY Steven B. & Max Stieglitz, New York, NY Ralph Dames, Kearny, NJ Robert J. Martinchek, Newington, CT Crystal Suh, Brooklyn, NY Joan Daniel, New York, NY Andrea Mason, New York, NY Philip Tan, Brooklyn, NY Ann P. Darby, Elmhurst, NY Andrew Mason, Briarcliff Manor, NY Elizabeth Apgar Triano, Patterson, NY Irma Davidson, New York, NY Dr. Charles Merguerian, Stone Ridge, NY Chuck A. Troup, Morris Plains, NJ Joan Deignan, Bronx, NY William Mirabello, Staten Island, NY Linda Ultee, New York, NY Nick Del Re, Brooklyn, NY Miriam Mopper, Forest Hills, NY Kimberly Vagner, Brooklyn, NY Donna Dempsey, New York, NY Robbin C. Moran, Bronx, NY Anne Vickman, Brooklyn, NY Claudia deSimone, New York, NY Ethel Murray, New York, NY Ann Vitiello, Brooklyn, NY Tina Di, Flushing, NY Diane L. Nadler, New York, NY Sam M. Waldman, Brooklyn, NY Alissa Duffy, Blairstown, NJ Vanessa Napolitano-Lydon, Rego Park, NY Richard & Paulette Wasserman, NYC, NY Kevin & DG Duffy, Sunnyside, NY Cheryl Neary, Patchogue, NY Lenore Weber, New York, NY The Durgin-Bruce Family, Brooklyn, NY Jamie Newman, Brooklyn, NY Mina Wei, Rutherford, NJ Ray Eginton, Springfield Gardens, NY Nik Nikiforou, New Paltz, NY Jeffrey P. Wiegand, New Rochelle, NY Philip Elenko, New York, NY Tony Nikischer, Keswick, VA Zackry Wiegand, New York, NY Duane Farabaugh, Forest Hills, NY Keith & Barbara Noyes, Blauvelt, NY Susana Wilches, New York, NY Erica Flannes, New York, NY Thomas W. Nugent, Woodside, NY Robin Wildes, New York, NY Robert & Estée Fraser, Fort Knox, KY Tim O'Meara, Reston, VA Leonid Zakinov, Forest Hills, NY Joseph Garriti & Family, New York, NY Corinne Orr, New York, NY Theodore Zirnite, New York, NY Sam Gelman, Woodside, NY Beth, Gabe & Joe Owen, NYC, NY Anne Marie Zumer, Wantagh, NY Gary Golden & Family, Brooklyn, NY Peter & Mady Palese, NYC, NY May 2017 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 9

Topics in Gemology Topics in Gemology is a monthly column written by Diana Jarrett, GG, RMV, based on gemological questions posed to her over the years by beginners and experts alike. Contact her at [email protected].

Pink vs. Red—The Great Corundum Conundrum but maybe not in the case of Padparadscha fancy pink sapphire Corundum is a magnificent gem mineral, and one that's been whose prices can get pretty steep. avidly collected for eons. The most famous corundum varieties are ruby and sapphire. Both are aluminum oxide minerals. But it's the Seeing Red trace elements found in their makeup that contribute the color. A true red, even a crimson hue with a bit of an orangey secondary Corundum is very hard, ranking 9 on the Mohs scale. Only color will be sold as ruby. The straight lipstick reds and tomato-red diamond is a harder substance. The hardness is the main tints are obviously contributor to its ability to take a high polish and be extremely ruby. Pigeon blood is reflective. And that's exactly what jewelry lovers crave. While it used to describe top can be translucent ore even opaque, and often is, the finest quality Burma ruby. examples of corundum are transparent—giving off its luxurious But I suppose you'd color and brilliance. have to get near an expired pigeon to What’s the Dif? understand the nuances Ruby owes its coloration mainly to the presence of chromium. of that exact tone. On If you say sapphire, and you should say that only when the color the flip side, a lighter of the corundum is blue- your sapphire has trace elements of iron toned pink corundum and or titanium in its aluminum oxide makeup. But corundum also and those with a slight appears in a ravishing line-up of colors like yellow, orange, green, purplish-pink back even purple and black. Those are properly referred to as fancy color are definitely color sapphire. fancy pink sapphire. T o s p l i t ha i r s , Pink sapphire and white diamond ring; laboratories will tell Credit: Moregems.com you that the amount of chromium in red ruby can hover around .9% contrasted to below .5% found in pink sapphire. Most commercial pink sapphire comes from Sri Lanka and Burma—but production from Tanzania and Madagascar is penetrating the market in volume too. The world's finest ruby comes from Myanmar (Burma); but Thailand Sri Lanka and Cambodia offer some spectacular specimens too.

Know Your Stuff, OK? At the end of the day, most people can separate their hot pinks from their blood reds so that should help a consumer sort out for themselves if they are buying fancy pink sapphire or a ruby. So much of it is personal—and in the case of ruby and pink sapphire, Carved semi-opaque ruby handbag sold at Bonhams its beauty and sometimes its moniker lie with the beholder. Pinkies Rule Veteran jewelry appraiser Jo Ellen Cole has seen her share of Speaking of fancy, one of the most popular fancy colored both pink sapphires and ruby in her day. It's only when the sapphires is the pink variety. It's simply a pretty stone, and the coloration is extremely range of pinks can go from delicate pastel baby pink to exciting close that it becomes hot-as-fire pink, and even padparadscha—that super-pricey an issue. She weighs orangey-pink stone. Industry pundits point to the high demand for in, "The difference natural pink diamonds—of which there a very few—as driving the between pink sapphire interest towards delicate pink sapphires today. Because diamond and ruby is always and corundum are close in hardness and several shades of fancy subjective and the pink sapphire mirror the tints of pink diamonds—you've got a opinion really depends match made in jewelry heaven. The difference in price between upon the buyer." She fancy pink diamonds and fancy pink sapphire is enormous. reco mme nds the Quantity and carat sizes are also much more available with pink consumer to know sapphires—so there you go. w h a t t h e y a r e Since all of these corundum varieties are natural occurrences, buying—and enter the Blood Red Ruby bracelet; Credit: Artsy Home like people, no two are exactly alike. Some corundum is bright process with that bit of red—and that's ruby. But when it veers toward the pink tint—now knowledge. "A well informed buyer can usually separate between we've got fancy pink sapphire. When the coloration is close, how the sales pitch and the reality of the subject stone. When the do we make a separation? That's the great corundum in the gem distinction is close, sending it to a top notch lab is a good move. world. In general ruby is more expensive than fancy pink sapphire; 10 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. May 2017

Augusten Burroughs’s Love Affair With When it comes to the jewelry’s composition, Mr. Burroughs Jewelry favors jade, gems and pearls, and he says he can spend up to 15 By Alix Strauss hours a day searching for a specific item online. That is not surprising, considering the lengthy list of guidelines he reeled off: SOUTHBURY, Conn. — “I’ve loved jewelry my whole life,” said “If I’m buying a gemstone, it can’t be treated. If I’m buying a ruby, Augusten Burroughs, the best-selling author whose most recent it can’t be heated, it alters the color, and no substances can fill book, “Lust & Wonder: A Memoir,” discusses his most important fissures in the stones. I want as natural and as unadulterated as and romantic relationships, jewelry being one of them. possible. “Grade A jade can only be waxed with beeswax,” he continued. “Sapphires need to be earth-minded. And I’ll only purchase pre-Mikimoto pearls. I’m not interested in Bulgari, Cartier or vintage Van Cleef. Nothing mass-produced. I like handmade, one-off pieces.” He said he has gone through phases: rich, deep emeralds; diamonds from the 1800s; anything from the 1770s; pieces that exude mysticism; midcentury men’s rings with large stones; Victorian-era turquoise. But his particular obsession with jade never changes: “I’m always looking for different colors: orange or red, the perfect yellow or violet.” Some pieces he considers standouts include an 18-karat gold Tiffany ring from the 1870s, featuring a cabochon-cut sapphire from Ceylon with hand engravings on the shoulders. “This ring is from the day when Tiffany was at its absolute height at the Gilded Age. It’s one of the finest men’s rings you could buy at that time,” he said. “I bought it for $15,000 five or six years ago in San Augusten Burroughs with a necklace of jadeite beads. Credit Jennifer S. Altman for The New York Times Francisco.” He also prizes two rings mounted with chrysoberyl cat’s eyes. “As a child, I loved shiny things,” he said. “I would buy little silver rings with my allowance. I’d keep them in my pocket or put them on display in my room and stare at them. I loved looking at the intricacies of something so elaborate in something so tiny.” His paternal grandparents helped create his interest. “My grandfather was a cough syrup salesmen and went to China on business. He would bring home jade for my grandmother,” Mr. Burroughs recalled. “I loved looking at it and touching it. She was the one relative I was closest with, and so I associate jewelry and comfort with her.” When he was 8, his grandfather gave him a 23-karat gold signet ring. “I loved owning something someone had labored over,” he said. “There was artistry and intent. It was portable, beautiful and permanent.” Today, Mr. Burroughs’s collection comprises more than 200 Clockwise from top left, a cabochon-cut sapphire with hand engraving; chrysoberyl cat’s eye rings from Sri Lanka, set in gold; a jade carving from Myanmar; and a pieces, many of them men’s rings. “I didn’t buy anything Persian turquoise surrounded by natural uncultured pearls in a rose gold setting. expensive until I had money, which I got from my first advance for Credit Photographs by Jennifer S. Altman for The New York Times my novel ‘Sellevision’ in 2000,” he said. “I spent the entire amount on a ring I saw on display in the window of Cartier. It was Mr. Burroughs said that when he is under stress or on a book a limited edition that was a kinetic sculpture of the earth, which tour, he loves to prowl junk shops and estate sales from Maine to unfolded and turned into a sphere. When I saw it I knew I had to San Francisco for great finds. have it. It’s one of the few pieces of jewelry I’ve ever bought While at a vintage shop in New England several years ago, he new.” paid a few hundred dollars for an Art Deco ring with a jade stone Mr. Burroughs, 51, has boyish, Southern charm and green in a setting of base metal. eyes, which on this particular day were set off by his pink Oxford Once he was home, he popped out the stone and put it in a and jeans. Eight other works have followed that first novel — four 22-karat gold setting that he had designed. “The jade quality was memoirs, three essay collections and a self-help book — selling a spectacular. It was the perfect imperial emerald green, and the total of nearly 10 million copies worldwide. Probably the best person who sold it to me called it ‘that green stone,’ which known is “Running With Scissors,” which in 2006 was made into happens a lot,” he said. “I’m fascinated by how people can miss a major motion picture starring Annette Bening and Alec Baldwin. something which I feel almost programmed to recognize. Although he became serious about collecting in 2002, “2008 “When I do, I get a physical reaction. It’s a thrill paired with is when it really ramped up. I started finding and acquiring these a sense of need and immediacy. I get goose bumps and a flushed pre-Georgian rings in onyx and malachite, which I loved,” he said. feeling in my chest. My face gets hot. It’s the recognition of “The more I learned about gemstones and gemology, the more it something exquisite and extraordinary. Like the feeling of seeing exploded for me.” a unicorn in the woods.” May 2017 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 11

Another score happened three years ago in a junk store near Based on the shrinking of the Pacific Ocean, though, scientists Kettering, Ohio. It was Dec. 24, and Mr. Burroughs and his think North America and Asia will come together in the future to husband, Christopher Shelling, were shopping for last-minute form Amasia. Whether that will actually happen isn’t clear, and Christmas gifts. “I spotted these white ‘plastic’ beads in the some have suggested that instead the two might be joined via the counter,” he said. “The instant I held them in my hand there was shrinking of the Arctic Ocean. no hesitation.” “Speculation about the future supercontinent Amasia is The beads, marked at $17, were flawless, angelskin coral — exactly that, speculation,” geologist Ross Mitchell of Curtin white, with a soft blush of pink. “Hundreds of people walk into University in Perth, Australia, told ScienceNews. “But there’s hard that store every day, and there they were, lying next to rhinestone science behind the conjecture.” clip earrings and a gaudy, red plastic necklace,” Mr. Burroughs said. “Christopher thought they were plastic. I know he was thinking, ‘Why is he buying this?’ But now he’s been trained. I told him what they were the minute we walked out of the store.” There are two pieces of jewelry Mr. Burroughs doesn’t take off. One is a finely carved three-sided emerald jade necklace dating from the 1920s that he found while sleuthing in New Hampshire. The other is his wedding ring, a midcentury marquise-cut diamond in a setting that resembles the décor of the Chrysler Building. For a serious storyteller like Mr. Burroughs, it’s no surprise he views his rings as having a similar role. Each has history, energy and most important, narrative. An artist’s impression about what what Amasia might look like. “With each owner, with each time they wore it, a little piece This isn’t the only theorized supercontinent that might form in of their soul attached itself to this highly personal, exquisitely the future. One hypothesized future is Pangaea Ultima, which beautiful item,” he said. “I love the stories that seep into these would see the Atlantic and Indian Oceans close, bringing the vintage rings over time by the previous owners. I like to think Americas back together with Africa and Europe. Another known about who wore them.” as Novopangaea would see the Pacific close and put Australia and Marriage, a new book and move to a calm, country lifestyle eastern Asia together. has slowed things down for Mr. Burroughs, whose readers know The idea that Earth’s continents are moving isn’t too his early years were filled with anxiety, addiction and affliction. controversial – the Americas and Europe are moving apart a few Jewelry has been a constant. It still is. centimeters a year at the moment, for example. But it’s not entirely “Growing up, I had a very ugly and turbulent past. There were settled what the future holds, although perhaps Amasia is a good a lot of fractured and jagged edges with no stability, and being able bet. Source: IFLScience.com to carry around or wear something beautiful and perfect is Russian Mineralogy Lecture by John Sanfaçon somehow reassuring. It proves these things exist in the world,” he (Continued from page 1) said. We will see pictures of these mineral wonders; many of which “As chaotic as things might be or get, as soon as I see this gem are the world’s largest, taken from Russian-language books and on my hand, it’s all right,” he continued. “I never get tired of magazines not widely available in the West. John will bring in looking at them. They also make me feel that if more horrible specimens from his own collection, some of which he was able to things happen to me, at least I have this.” obtain “for a song” at the Moscow flea market in 1991. Source: New York Times from December 11, 2016 John Sanfaçon, a retired language teacher at the prestigious This Is What Earth's Next Supercontinent Delbarton School in New Jersey, is certainly one of the area’s most Might Look Like acclaimed lecturers. Over the years he has spoken to the Club By Jonathan O'Callaghan about Agates (which he loves), Rare Earth Elements, Russian Today, Earth’s landmasses are split up into several continents, Lapidary Treasures and many other topics. separated by vast oceans. But this has not always been the case – He collects everything (don’t we all?) so when he talks, it is hundreds of millions of years ago, they formed a single enthusiastic information and advice from one ardent collector to supercontinent. And, in the future, it’s predicted that they will another. He will bring in many specimens and treasures for us to again. see and has promised many other surprises during his talk. The past, present, and future of Earth’s supercontinents is explored in a recent article by Alexandra Witze for Science News. In it, she details the evidence for Earth once having supercontinents, and explains why scientists think Earth will form a new one – Amasia – in 50 to 200 million years. In the past there is thought to have been more than one supercontinent. Perhaps the most famous, Pangaea, existed from 400 to 200 million years ago, and helps explain how and why similar dinosaur fossils are found in different places around the world. Another, Rodinia, is thought to have existed between 1.3 billion and 750 million years ago. And there’s a third, Nuna (or Columbia), stretching back further than 1.4 billion years. 12 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. May 2017

March Show Dealer Donations For the June ‘17 Benefit Auction The following list includes all the donations that the March 2017 NYC Mineral & Gem Show dealers made to the Club this year:

Alan’s Quality Minerals ‚ (2) Meteorites...... Argentina Amazon Imports ‚ 4 Faceted Garnets, Many Colors!...... Brazil Amber Jewelry & Gems ‚ Amber & Silver Earrings ...... Baltic Aurora Minerals ‚ Mounted Rubellite in Matrix ...... Brazil AYS International ‚ Jasper in Silver Pendant ...... India Bary Gems ‚ Moonstone & Silver Earrings...... Sri Lanka ‚ SPECTACULAR Faceted Yellow Labradorite . Sri Lanka John Betts Fine Minerals ‚ Mineral Photograph ...... NA China & South Seas ‚ Blue Lace Agate Bead Necklace ...... NA Crystal Circle ‚ SPECTACULAR Dioptase & etc. on Matrix ...... Congo Excalibur Minerals ‚ SPECTACULAR Group of Minerals, Gems, etc.. . . . Misc Exotic Russian Minerals ‚ Large Orange Synthetic Quartz ...... Russia Bill Gangi Gems & Lapidary Arts ‚ Polished Jasper...... Oregon October 2017 Banquet Preview ‚ Petrified Wood with Bark ...... Southwest USA Gems Art Studio ‚ Selection of Minerals & Cabs & Gemstone Rough . . Russia Great Opals ‚ Selection of Opals (!!) ...... Ethiopia Highland Rock & Fossil ‚ Corundum Crystal ...... India ‚ Amethyst Specimen ...... Bolivia ‚ Turquoise Specimen...... Kingman Mine ‚ Fossilized Reptile Poop ...... Madagascar ‚ Glow-Rock Sphere ...... China Khyber Minerals ‚ (2) Polished Hazelite/Malachite...... Pakistan Mahalo Minerals ‚ Large Orange Calcite ...... Mexico Malachite & Gems of Africa ‚ Polished Malachite & Light ...... Congo Raj Minerals ‚ Sodalite Bowl...... India ‚ Beryl Crystal (Unusual!) ...... India Rocko Minerals ‚ Fluorescent Weardale Flourite ...... England ‚ Galena & etc. Pseudomorph...... Kansas Howard & Betsy Schlansker ‚ SPECTACULAR Hematite/Quartz Specimen . . . . . China Somethings ‚ Wide selection of jewelry, especially pendants!...... NA [Although not participating at this show (Arlene does the November show only) she contributed nevertheless!] May 2017 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 13

2017 Club Calendar Date Event Location Remarks & Information

Special Lecture: John Sanfaçon – May 10 Meeting at 6:30 pm Watson Hotel, Manhattan “Russian Mineralogy & More”

June 14 Annual Benefit Auction Watson Hotel, Manhattan Details to follow; Online catalog available!

Special Lecture: Anna Schumate & Naomi July 12 Meeting at 6:30 pm Watson Hotel, Manhattan Sarna – “Phenomenal Gemstones”

2017 Banquet Planning; Club 2018 Calendar; July ?? Officer’s Planning Meeting Upper West Side, NYC Overall Theme: Leveling Up!

Sunday Open House (Party!!) Long Island, NY - C. Neary Home Details to Follow August 27, 2017

Special Lecture: Mike Hawkins – “New York September 13 Meeting at 6:30 pm Watson Hotel, Manhattan Mineralogy; Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”

Third Wednesday! Mezzanine, Watson Hotel, Theme: Amethyst; Lecture; Silent Auction; Annual Gala Banquet October 18 Manhattan Awards; Amethyst Game; Gifts & Surprises!

Special Lecture: Alfredo Petrov – November 15 Meeting at 6:30 Watson Hotel, Manhattan “Iris Quartz” ; Special Game

Special Lecture: Alan Bronstein – December 13 Meeting at 6:30 pm Watson Hotel, Manhattan “ The Blue Moon Diamond” (tentative topic) 2017 Show or Event Calendar Date Event Location Remarks & Information

Annual Rochester Mineralogical Radisson Hotel Rochester Airport, Lectures, Dealers, Exhibits, Silent Auction, Banquet, April 20-23 Symposium Rochester, New York Voice Auction, etc.

April 29-30 NJESA Show & Swap Franklin School, Franklin, NJ For Info: [email protected]

Southern Vermont Mineral, Grace Christian School, Bennington, May 20-21 For info: Bill Cotrofeld 802-375-6782 Rock & Gem Show Vermont

Outdoor Mineral & Gem Swap - Sterling Hill Mining Museum, Free admission; 9 am - 5 pm; rain or shine; May 20-21 N - Sell Ogdensburg, NJ Sponsor: North Jersey Mineralogical Society

Macungie Memorial Park, Macungie, Sponsor: Pennsylvania Earth Sciences Association; June 3 Spring Mineralfest Pennsylvania Info: www.mineralfest.com

Annual Mineral, Jewelry, Gem, Museum Village, Monroe, Sponsor: Orange County Mineral Society June 3-4 & Fossil Show Orange County, New York Full Mastodon Skeleton on View!

Greater Canandaigua Civic Center, Sponsor: Wayne County Gem & Mineral Club; Info: June 3-4 Gemfest 2017 Canandaigua, New York Fred Haynes [email protected]

June 9-11 AFMS Convention/Show Ventura, California Article Contest Results; Details to Follow

East Coast Gem, Mineral & Over 200 dealers, huge show, relatively easy train or August 11-13 West Springfield, Massachusetts Fossil Show bus access

October 20-22 EFMLS Convention/Show Bristol, Connecticut Article Contest Results; Details to Follow

Fall NYC Gem, Mineral & Grand Ballroom, Watson Hotel 25+ diverse dealers; lectures; wholesale November 11-12 Fossil Show (Holiday Inn), New York City section (with credentials); NYMC Booth 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 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. Website: www.newyorkmineralogicalclub.org P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station, New York City, New York, 10024-0077 2017 Executive Committee President Mitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY, 10024-5203 email: [email protected]...... (212) 580-1343 Vice President Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY, 10003 email: [email protected] . . (646) 737-3776 Secretary Vivien Gornitz 101 W. 81st Street #621, NYC, NY, 10024 email: [email protected] ...... (212) 874-0525 Treasurer Diane Beckman 265 Cabrini Blvd. #2B, NYC, NY, 10040 email: [email protected] ...... (212) 927-3355 Editor & Archivist Mitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY, 10024-5203 email: [email protected]...... (212) 580-1343 Membership Mark Kucera 25 Cricklewood Road S., Yonkers, NY, 10704 email: [email protected]...... (914) 423-8360 Webmaster Joseph Krabak (Intentionally left blank) email: [email protected] Director Alla Priceman 84 Lookout Circle, Larchmont, NY, 10538 email: [email protected] ...... (914) 834-6792 Director Richard Rossi 6732 Ridge Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY, 11220 email: [email protected] ...... (718) 745-1876 Director Sam Waldman 2801 Emmons Ave, #1B, Brooklyn, NY, 11235 email: [email protected] ...... (718) 332-0764

Dues: $25 Individual, $35 Family per calendar year. Meetings: 2nd Wednesday of every month (except August) at the Watson Hotel (formerly Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan), 57th Street 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 open at 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 Mineralogical Club, 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 usage only 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 Mineralogical Club are not responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of information or information in articles accepted for publication, nor are the expressed opinions necessarily those of the officers of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.

Next Meeting: Wednesday Evening, May 10, 2017 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Mezzanine, Watson Hotel (formerly Holiday Inn), 57th St. & Tenth Avenue, New York City Special Lecture: John Sanfaçon– “Russian Mineralogy & More”

New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. Mitchell Portnoy, Bulletin Editor P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station New York City, New York 10024-0077

FIRST CLASS

George F. Kunz Founder