March 2018 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc
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The BULLETIN OF THE NEW YORK MINERALOGICAL CLUB, INC Volume 132 No. 3 March 2018 ERIC RAMPELLO SPRING NYC GEM & MINERAL SHOW Mineral Show Information See pages 7-8! PEROVSKITE & THE INTERNET HUGE BOULDERS NAMIBIA MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM 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 132, No. 3 America’s Oldest Mineral & Gem Club March 2018 March 14th Meeting: Eric Rampello: Legends, Myths & Spring NYC Mineral & Gem Folklore of Gems Show is March 3-4, 2018 By Mitch Portnoy requested dealer, is to re-sign unrenewed The eagerly-anticipated Spring New members and, additionally, to try to attract York City Gem & Mineral Show will take new members. place on March 3-4, 2018 (Saturday & Also, we hope to raise some money, Sunday) at the Watson Hotel on 57th mostly to cover our show expenses, by Street between 9th selling various club and 10th Avenues. p r o d u c t s a n d The New York publications such Mineralogical Club as: will continue its (1) Gem & Mineral mutually beneficial Note Card Sets; partnership with (2) NYMC CD- t h e S h o w ’ s ROMs & Videos; promoter, Excalibur (3) NYMC Draw- Mineral Corporation string Backpacks; (Tony Nikischer, (4) Gemstone Pens President), and host & Pencils. this event. (5) Recommended There is a Mineral & Gem In 1913, one of the Club’s founders, discount ticket on the last page of this Guidebooks and other publications. gemologist George F. Kunz, authored the bulletin. The NYMC website also We have two lectures scheduled, one book (still in print!) The Curious Lore of contains a downloadable PDF with more on each day. On Saturday, Howard Precious Stones. At the March meeting, tickets, show posters and other Heitner will present an Introduction to member Eric Rampello will stand on information. Minerals; On Sunday, Roland Scal will Kunz’s earlier shoulders with additional A list of the diverse dealers that will present Inside Gems. information about this same topic. be selling their fine wares at the show can We do ask that you remember a few Since the beginning of time, mankind be found on page 7. On that same page important things: has been fascinated by the allure and you can also see the lecture program, one (1) You can ask for discounts but be beauty that lies in gemstones and on each day of the show. reasonable – most of the dealers have minerals. However, equally as interesting Since we have no direct commercial prices that are already more than fair; are the legends, myths and stories that interest in the show, we do ask each (2) You are a representative of the New display in many ways the curiosity and dealer, however, for a donation to the York Mineralogical Club. Please fascination with these beautiful stones. In Club’s June Benefit Auction as a token conduct yourself accordingly. this lecture, we will further discuss these of thanks for all the work we do to help promote the Show. These items tend to be stories in greater length and detail. Issue Highlights Eric, a resident of Long Island, is a the best lots in the entire auction so please very engaging speaker. His most recent come and patronize these top-quality President’s Message . 2 talk to us was in September of 2016 when dealers. Meeting Minutes. 2 he gave us a presentation about his The Club’s booth will be in its World of Minerals: Mystery Rock . 3 suggestions about how to form a good regular location (to the left as you enter Perovskite & the Internet . 4 mineral collection. the show). There you can obtain a free Is the Moon for Sale? . 5 Join us to hear some of your favorite souvenir card (pictured on this page), a Atomic Mass Puzzle. 5 classic tales re-visited or get to know and 2018 club meeting calendar, or just say hi Bruce Museum Trip . 6 love them for the very first time. to your fellow NYMC friends. We will Another Huge Diamond . 6 decorate it with the club’s many vinyl Spring ‘18 Show Information . 7-8 banners plus some of the colorful posters Topics in Gemology: Namibia . 9 Have an idea for a story? created for this event. The Hypatia Stone . 10 Write for the Bulletin of the NYMC. ‘18 Membership Renewal Form. 12 You’ll be glad you did! The most important function of the booth, except for directing the public to a Club & Show Calendars. 13 2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. March 2018 President’s Message Club Meeting Minutes for Members in the News By Mitch Portnoy February 14, 2018 Lenore Weber appeared on the front By Vivien Gornitz, Secretary cover of the January 28, 2018 Metro Important NYMC Calendar Changes Attendance: 47 Section of the New York Times in an Starting in 2019, we will move our annual President Mitch Portnoy presided article about collecting postcards. Benefit Auction, traditionally held in the Announcements: Tony Nikischer is a featured speaker month of June, to May. This was decided Rather than the normal raffle, this at the 45th Rochester Mineralogical because of scheduling “density” of having meeting featured a Chinese Auction. Symposium (April 19-22, 2018). both the Auction and the new Summer There were 30 assorted lots. Forms Howard Heitner gave a presentation NYC Gem & Mineral Show in the same with 25 chances were $5 each. Tables at the Bruce Museum (Greenwich, CT) month. Having these activities in different were set up in Mezzanine B as last on February 4, 2018 on the importance, months will alleviate all the planning, year and Mark Kucera selected the properties, and structure of minerals. logistical and communication conflicts. winning tickets from the cups. The Alan Bronstein was quoted in a New impressive amount of $245 was York Times article in the Business A more controversial decision (at last in raised. Section entitled A Battle Over my opinion) was the agreement by the Mitch reminded everyone that it was Diamonds: Made by Nature or in a membership not to have a full-length 2018 dues time; The Pederneira! Lab? on February 9, 2018. lecture at the 2018 Carnelian Banquet in MinRec will be given as a gift to new Mitch Portnoy will be presenting his October. In the past few years I began to members and renewers while the Minerals in Popular Culture lecture to feel that having a lecture as the last part of Movie Night magazines last. the Stamford Mineral Society on the party forced us to rush through the He also reminded everyone about the March 13, 2018. dinner and complicate the overall setup. I February benefit sale of minerals from also felt the amount of work to have this the Priceman donation. Congratulations to Luca Katzen lecture exceeded the benefit. The last remaining Amethyst (granddaughter of Naomi Sarna) Calendars were distributed (hooray). on the occasion of her Bat Mitzvah. Therefore, the banquet this year will be A website update was given: Mitch January 27, 2018 more “party” and less “meeting”. I do noted several of the videos that have promise you, however, that we will come been uploaded, especially the Movie up with many ideas, activities and Night overview. Welcome New Members! presentations to fill the now available time The day’s historical events and Julie Cohen & Family. Oceanside, NY with lots of fun! special “holidays” were listed. Michael Freedman . Jericho, NY A game about minerals with a gray Sumate Jimjitpolchai . Flushing, NY Priceman Donation Sale Results streak was played. Anna Rasche . Brooklyn, NY Last year a portion of Alla Priceman’s After going over the items available Coming In April wonderful collection was generously for sale and for free, an update was donated to the Club by her family, given about the two NYMC Special according to her wishes. Most of the Publications in the works: “The minerals were offered for sale to members Songbook” and “The 100”. at a special benefit sale on Sunday, A quick update of the upcoming February 18, 2018. The impressive meeting lectures and NYMC events amount of $4,800 was raised which I am was given; details about the March sure would have pleased Alla immensely! NYC Mineral Show were provided. The Annual Benefit Auction will be r r r FINAL NOTICE r r r moved from June to May in 2019 so Send in Your 2018 Club Dues as not to be in the same month as the Summer (June) NYC Mineral Show. It is time to send in your 2018 club membership dues! All The evening continued with a song memberships run from January 1 to December 31 of “Our Members’ Showcase” with new each year (with a few exceptions).If your mailing label lyrics written by Mitch to the tune of says “2017” or we contacted you via email, you owe your 2018 dues. Please take the time now to mail in “That’s Entertainment!” your dues in order to prevent uninterrupted delivery of Special Event: “Members’ Showcase” your bulletin. A handy form appears on page 12. Dues Eric Rampello (our March 2018 are $25 for individual, $35 for family. Mail to: Membership Coordinator, N.Y. Mineralogical Club, P.O. lecturer) began the evening by first Box 77, Planetarium Station, NYC, NY 10024-0077. relating to us his recent first-time Renew Online with PayPal! Tucson experiences. He then showed five of his recent acquisitions. All The NYMC recently was pleased to were highly aesthetic and gemmy; the make a donation to benefit the Boston highlight was probably a huge pink Mineral Club in memory of their past Alpine fluorite crystal! president, Nathan C.