Cuyuna Rock, Gem and Mineral Society The Agate Explorer

February 2019

Dues are overdue!!!!! This will be your newsletter last issue if you haven’t paid. You may pay your yearly dues of $20 (per household) at the meeting or mail it to Cuyuna Rock, Gem, and Mineral Society, 1001 Kingwood St., Ste. B -40, Brainerd, MN 56401. Checks can be made out to the Cuyuna Rock, Gem, and Mineral Society.

February meeting Open Shop from 9 a.m. —noon Franklin Art Center If you would like to learn how to use any of the lapidary machines available (6, 10, or 16” saw, 6” genie (grinding/polishing) members will Club Information be available to help. If you already know how to run the machinery you Website -www.cuyunarockclub.org can come and use it to work on your projects, or help others. You can Email [email protected]

purchase rocks in the rock room if you don’t have any. Meeting Place Lower level Franklin Arts Center Kids’ Program 1001 Kingwood St, Brainerd, MN 56401 Directions .4 mile east of Business Hwy. 371 Join Lori to make some rock art & Hwy. 210 intersection. (Castle turret water tower.) at the February meeting. Date/Time the 2nd Saturday of each month Rock Wrappers at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Meets starting at 10 a.m. on meeting Saturdays. Club Dues $20/ family ,An open gathering for wire wrappers. Hang out with other wrappers, Free /unaccompanied juniors and work on your projects. (Bring all supplies needed.) Membership runs Learn tricks to make wrapping easier, a new design, from Jan. 1-Dec. 31st. or perhaps a new place to find supplies. All skill levels welcome! Club Purpose: To foster an interest (& encourage young & old) to study earth Club Calendar science, enjoy the art of lapidary, February 9 —Shop day starting at 9 a.m.; Rock Wrappers - starting at 10 a.m.; Board Mtg. at noon; General Mtg. at 2:00; hunting for rocks, and semi learn about saws, blades, oil, clamping, etc. precious stones. We also strive to March 9 —Meeting use what we know and acquire to April 13 —Meeting further educate everyone who has May 4 —(note change of date) - Meeting an interest in our hobby. May 11 & 12 —Show July 5-7 (tentative) - field trip to Thunder Bay for amethyst We are a not -for -profit

Information subject to change. organization. Jewelry Making Tip the scrap into little pieces, put them on a When you need larger quantities of balls, solder pad and melt them with a torch. Then pour the casting grain out onto a baking By Brad Smith www.BradSmithJewelry.com throw the balls into a small cup of pickle. pan, tilt the pan a bit, and let all the round pieces roll to the bottom. Bag the good If you need to make all the balls the same ones, and pour the rest back into your bag Little Balls size, you need the same amount of metal to for casting. melt each time. The best way to do that is to I often use little clip equal lengths of wire. Balls can be balls of silver sorted into and gold as But there's an easier way to get a good different accent pieces on supply of balls. Some casting grain comes sizes using my designs. in near perfect ball form. Just grab your multiple They can be tweezers and pick out the ones you need. screens. made as needed from pieces of scrap. Cut

Cuyuna Rock, Gem & Mineral Society Sharon reviewed some of the show prep and Program: Cabochon making/ shop training - General Meeting Minutes Saturday changes for this year. Bucky Lindgren couldn’t make it to the January 12, 2019 meeting so Jim Reed kindly volunteered to Sandi Hilsgen and Sherry Busse have vol- take over and gave a brief talk on the basics The Club opened for shop day at 9 am; wire unteered to take over the club library. When of cabochon making. wrappers met at 10 am. they get it updated and organized then members may again start checking out Vern, Kevin, Lilly and Sharon helped in the The Meeting was brought to order at 2:05 books. Please see one of them if you want to shop with the grinders and saws. pm by Vice -President Sharon Smith. use the library. Books can be checked out only from meeting to meeting. Sharon reviewed general shop safety with There were 30 people present. 1 new members. member and 4 visitors. 2 kids. The website is mostly updated. Still work- ing on some parts of it. Respectfully submitted, The show volunteer sign -ups will be availa- Joanie Hanson, Secretary ble at the next meeting. Please sign up to Door prizes today: Gary Stevenson, Jim help at the show. Bankey, Phoebe.

Cuyuna Rock, Gem & Mineral Society on to pay all the bills this month which it. Pricing for the activity will be $5 per Board Meeting Minutes Saturday includes the club’s annual dues and insur- bag. January 12, 2019 ance ($903.75) to the Midwest Federation, our umbrella organization. The board motioned, seconded and passed The meeting was brought to order at 12:10 $100.00 to be spent on the show card prize. - The rest of the treasurer’s report is posted at Ed is looking for an appropriate prize while pm by Vice president Sharon Smith. Present were Secretary Joanie Hanson, the clubhouse. Kevin will not be at the he is out west. A tumbler will again be the - February meeting next month - call him if grand -prize drawing prize. Treasurer Kevin Martini, Board Members - there are any bills, he needs to take care of. at Large Lilly Peterson, Vern Iverson, and Sharon is in talks with a coffee vendor for Lori DuBois. President Ed Opatz was Lanyards - Vern will continue to do lanyards the show. present via phone. for the club. The club took part in Alex Sample’s Agate Keys for board members: Chuck turned in Roster - Lori will take over, along with show at the Northland Arboretum. Joanie, his keys to Kevin. Officers have both a Kevin and Joanie, updating the club roster. Lilly, Lori and Ed Walton ran the club building entrance key and a club room key. - table. Alex asked us to do an educational Board members -at large have a club room Rock Room Lilly is in charge of the rock table so it was on minerals of Minnesota, key. Club room keys also open the rock - room. Ed Walton has volunteered to help we also had the spinning wheel and geode room door. her with this. Ed Opatz will be providing cracker. We made $308.00. her an updated price list for the rocks. Treasurer’s Report -Kevin: A motion was The May meeting is changed to May 4, 2:00 We were asked to take part in the voted on and passed to pay Harry Wagon- pm due to conflict with the annual show Mid -Minnesota Builder’s Show at the er’s rock sales ($355.00). Also, to make which had to be changed to the second Brainerd Ice Arena in March. The board him an Honorary Lifetime Member of the weekend of May. voted No due to cost and time constraint. rock club as a thank you to his many years of service and dedication to our club. Sharon has been working on the show Joanie has been working on the website vendor forms and will get them out asap. updates. Thank you, Jim Reed, for all of The club checking and savings account has We are looking at changing the admission your help. been reset at Wells Fargo. Thank you, Ed charges for the show. and Kevin, for all the work it took to do Respectfully Submitted, this. There will be a sluice box as part of The Joanie Hanson, Secretary

A motion was put forth, seconded and voted Kid’s Korner. Ed and Vern are working on Show Volunteer List Rock Saws/Geode Cracker: Security —back gate: Sat. ______Sat. 6 -9 ______Sign up sheets are now available for the ______Sat. 9 -noon ______show on May 11 & 12. ______Sat. noon -3 ______Please consider helping at our biggest Sun. ______Sat. 3 -6 ______fundraiser of the year. ______Sun. 9 -12 -:30 ______Sun. 12:30 -4 ______

Show Set up (Friday): Wizard of Rocks: Kids’ Corner/Sluice Box: ______- - ______Sat. 9 noon ______Sat. 9 1 ______Sat. noon -3 ______Sat. 3 -5 ______Set up Display Cases (Friday): Sun. 10 -1 ______- - Sun. 1 4 ______Sat. 1 5 ______

______Door Admission: Silent Auction: ______Sat. 9 -noon ______Sat. 9 -noon Don Trieglaff - Sun. 10 1 ______Diane Trieglaff ______Sat. noon -3 ______Sat. noon -3 ______Sat. 3 -5 ______- Sun. 1 4 ______Sat. 1 -5 ______Sun. 10 -1 ______Sun. 1 -4 ______Sun. 10 -1 ______Spinning Wheel: ______Sat. 9 -noon ______

______Security: ______Sun. 1 -4 ______- Sat. noon 3 ______Sat. 9 noon ______Sat. 3 -5 ______Club Table: - Sat. 9 -1 ______Sat. noon -3 ______Sun. 10 1 ______- ______Sun. 1 4 ______- ______Sat. 1 5 ______Sat. 3 -5 ______

______Show Tear Down: Sun. 10 -1 ______Sun. 10 -1 ______Sun. 1 -4 ______Monday AM Clean Up: ______Dolores & Tony Sibet ______Sun. 1 -4 ______To sign up, please Door Prizes/Vendor Survey: ______contact Joanie Hanson at 218 -831 -2665 ______(leave message); or email [email protected] or Ed Opatz at 320 -250 -1363.

Cuyuna Rock, Gem, & Sunshine We’re on Mineral Society on the Web Requests Facebook! www.cuyunarockclub.org If you know Cuyuna Rock, someone who could Gem & Mineral Society

use a little sun- is a closed group, so you must — shine birth, illness, surgery, family ask to join. After being approved you — death please contact Christi Higgins at can follow the members’ posts and add - - 320 224 6650. your own information. Australian Dog -Size Dino "Weewarrasaurus was a gentle herbivore "Occasionally, a bone from a land animal, about the size of a kelpie dog [a type of like a dinosaur, would wash out to sea" and Australian herding dog]," said study lead fossilize, Bell said. There, they may en- researcher Phil Bell, a senior lecturer of counter silica minerals in the water, the paleontology at the University of New Eng- solution that makes opal. Sometimes when land in Australia. "They got around on two these bones fossilized into rock, these min- legs and had a long tail used for balance. erals would accumulate in in the fossils' Because they were small and didn't have cavities, laying down opal. Other times, if horns or particularly sharp claws for de- the organic bone was still present, these fense, they were probably quite timid and silica minerals could take its shape, preserv- would have traveled in small herds or fami- ing its internal structure as opal, according ly units for protection." to Geology In, a news site focused on Earth sciences. When Mike Poben, an opal buyer and fossil In that sense, these dinosaurs were likely fanatic, bought a bucket of opal from an the kangaroos of Cretaceous Australia, Bell Unfortunately, the rest of W. pobeni, at Australian mine, he was surprised to find to told Live Science. "I think I would have least this particular specimen, is likely lost find what looked like an ancient tooth in the liked one as a pet." and gone forever. pile.

The finding is remarkable, and not just be- "Because these things are exhumed by opal Later, he also found a fossilized jaw piece — cause Poben happened across the fossils in miners, lots of other information is often one that was shiny and glistening with an opal -filled bucket. It's extremely rare to lost, like their exact position in the mine and opal. find opalized fossils in general, though any other fossils that were found around it," "Lightning Ridge is the only place in the Bell said. "We know of plenty of cases After showing the two opalized specimens world where you find opalized dinosaurs," where a miner has brought up a handful of to paleontologists in 2014, Poben learned Bell said. bones from a single animal. The rest of the that they were part of a previously unknown - thing might have been destroyed in the dog size dinosaur species, a new study During the Cretaceous, Lightning Ridge mining process or sitting in a waste pile at finds. This dino lived about 100 million was a flood plain where dinosaurs lived, the bottom of the mine." years ago in Australia, back when the land- Bell said. Most of the opalized fossils found scape was lush and dotted with lakes. there came from marine creatures that lived Poben has since donated the fossils to the in a nearby ancient sea. These iridescent Australian Opal Centre, a museum that The fossils originally came from a mine in fossils include shells, cephalopods known holds the world's largest collection of Wee Warra, near the town of Lightning as belemnites and marine reptiles opalized fossils, according to National Ridge in New South Wales. The mine's called plesiosaurs. Geographic. amazing name gave the paleontologists an opportunity that was too good to pass up, so - - - But sometimes, an opalized dinosaur is also https://www.livescience.com/64522 opal they named the newfound Cretaceous uncovered. dinosaur -fossils -in -australia.html age dinosaur Weewarrasaurus pobeni.

concentric circles that look like the rings on Rock collectors classify Lake Superior ag-

Kids’ Corner the cross section of a tree. ates according to their appearance. For example, agates that have a cross section Lake Superior agates range from about the showing circles or other shapes repeated in size of a pea to up to more than 20 pounds. many layers are called fortification agates. Color: Red, orange, and yellow, all caused The name comes from the fact that the Lake Superior Agates by iron, are the main colors in Lake Superi- shapes look like the walls of a fortress. Some say Lake Superior agates are the old- or agates. The eye agate has circles that look a little bit est in the world. However that may be, hob- like eyes on its surface. Moss agates have byists like to search for them, and anyone The history of Lake Superior agates traces tree -branch -shaped bits of minerals trapped can appreciate the remarkable colors and back to about a billion years ago. The North in them. intricate patterns of the polished stones. In American continent began to split, creating 1969 the Minnesota Legislature declared the a large rift valley, and lava welled up in the Despite their name, Lake Superior agates Lake Superior agate to be the state's official area of what is now Lake Superior. Bubbles can be found throughout much of Minneso- gemstone. Moose Lake, Minnesota has of air were trapped in the lava (similar to the ta. That's because 10,000 years ago, glaciers dubbed itself the "agate capital of the way bubbles of air appear in a pan of water carried them far from their origin in the world" and Agate Days is celebrated there before it begins to boil.) After the lava Lake Superior region. People often look for each year in July. cooled, water seeped into the holes created them on the banks or at the mouths of by the bubbles and deposited iron, quartz, rivers, in gravel pits, or in other places General description: Lake Superior agates and other minerals in layers, creating agates. where pebbles and gravel abound. are generally shaped as irregular spheres. As the surrounding volcanic rock was worn They are made up of quartz, often reddened away by erosion or the scouring action of https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snapshots/ by iron and deposited in layers to create glaciers, agates were released from the lava rocks_minerals/lakesuperioragate.html and moved to other places. formed, gem -quality, prismatic crystals with Scapolite has a Mohs hardness of between 5 Mineral Encyclopedia a square cross -section are sometimes found and 6, which is too soft to serve as a ring Scapolite in marbles. stone. Its use is therefore limited to being a is a name used for a collector's stone and being mounted in jew- group of aluminosilicate In metamorphosed igneous rocks, especial- ly gabbroand basalt, scapolite often occurs elry such as earrings and pendants that have minerals that includes a low risk of impact or abrasion. imeionite, marialite, and as complete or partial replacements of the feldspar grains. Crystals of scapolite are https://geology.com/minerals/ silvialite. Meionite and marialite are end mem- sometimes found in pegmatites and rocks altered by contact metamorphism. bers of a solid solution series. Silvialite is a Scapolite minerals are easily attacked by Physical Properties of Scapolite mineral that is very similar to meionite. weathering. They are some of the first min- Chemical Classification Silicate erals attacked in their host rocks and easily Color Colorless, white, gray, yellow, These minerals have very similar composi- tions, crystal structures, and physical prop- alter to micas and clay minerals. As weath- orange, pink, purple ering begins, the mineral grains lose their Streak White erties. They cannot be easily distinguished from one another in the field or during hand transparency, become opaque, and have a Luster Vitreous reduced hardness. Diaphaneity Transparent to translucent specimen examination in a laboratory. The Cleavage Good name "scapolite" is a term used for conven- Uses of Scapolite Mohs Hardness 5 to 6 ient communication. These minerals are Scapolite does not have a role as an indus- found in small quantities in some metamor- trial mineral. It is rarely found in minable Specific Gravity 2.5 to 2.7 Diagnostic Properties Luster, specific phic and igneous rocks. Their compositions quantities and does not have a composition are compared in the table below. or physical properties that make it of indus- gravity, massive specimens often have a wood -grain or fibrous appearance, trial use. Physical Properties of Scapolite prismatic crystals have a square cross - Scapolite has an appearance that is very The only use of scapolite is as a minor gem- section similar to many feldspars. As a result, it can stone; however, in that use it can be beauti- Chemical Composition A solid solution easily be overlooked in the field and during ful and interesting. Yellow and pink trans- between marialite (Na4(AlSi3O8)3Cl) hand specimen examination in a laboratory. parent scapolite can be cut into very attrac- and meionite (Ca4(Al2Si2O8)3 Massive scapolite is found in regionally tive gems like the yellow scapolite shown (CO3,SO4)) metamorphosed rocks such as marble, on this page. Some specimens contain tiny Crystal System Tetragonal gneiss, and schist. These massive specimens fibrous inclusions that produce a "silk" Uses Faceted gemstones and cat's -eye often exhibit a wood -grain or fibrous texture within the stone that reflects light to form a cabochons. which facilitates their identification. Well - cat's -eye.

February Rock Shows Faire Inc; Earl Warren Showgrounds; Fri. & Mineral Club; Clark Memorial Club- 12 -6, Sat. 10 -6, Sun. 10 -5; $7 weekend house Auditorium; Fri. & Sat. 9 -5, Sun. 10 -

- — pass; Website: http://www.gemfaire.com 4; free; Website: mingusclub.org/ 1 3 ROSEVILLE, CA: Gem Faire Inc; - — Placer County Fairgrounds; Fri. 12 -6, Sat. 15 17 SARASOTA, FL: Frank Cox Pro- upcomingshow.html - - ductions; Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 23 -23 —PLAINVIEW, TX: Hi -Plains Gem 10 6, Sun. 10 5; $7 weekend pass; Website: - http://www.gemfaire.com daily 10 5; $5; Website: http:www.frankcox & Mineral Society; Ollie Liner Center, Sat. - — productions.com 10 -6, Sun. 10 -5; $3, students $1; contact 2 3 MERRITT ISLAND, FL: Central Bre- — vard Rock & Gem Club; Kiwanis Recrea- 16 LLANO, TX: Friends of the Llano Red Kitty Shipman, Email: bobcat22@ - - Top Jail; Llano County Community Center; suddenlink.net tion Center; Sat. 10 5, Sun. 10 4; $5, con- - — tact Rosalind Mestre, (321) 431 -0159; Sat. 8:30 5; free; Website: 23 LAKELAND, FL: Bone Valley Gem, www.prospectingtexas.com. event page Mineral & Fossil Soc.; First Presbyterian Email: [email protected] - — - 8-10 —QUARTZSITE, AZ: Quartzsite 16 17 ANTIOCH, CA: Antioch Lapidary Church; Sat. 9 4:30; $3, children free; Web- Club; Contra Costa County Fairgrounds; site: Bonevalley. Net Gold, Treasure & Craft Show; QIA Build- - - — ing; Fri. & Sat. 9 -4, Sun. 9 -3; $5; Website: Daily 10 5; $6, Under 12 free; Website: 23 24 VALLEJO, CA: Vallejo Gem & www.antiochlapidaryclub.com Mineral Society; McCormack Hall, Solano QuartzsiteAZGoldshow.com - — - 8-10 —MELBOURNE, FL: Frank Cox Pro- 16 17 GEORGETOWN, TX: Williamson County Fairgrounds, Daily Sat. 10 5; $6, - County Gem & Mineral Society; George - under 12 free; Website: Vjgems.org ductions; Melbourne Auditorium; daily 10 - - — 5; $5; Website: http:www.frankcox town Community Center; Sat. 10 6, Sun. 10 23 24 JACKSON , MS: Mississippi Gem -5; $3; age 6 -12 $2, under 6 free; contact & Mineral Society ; Mississippi Trade Mart productions.com - - 9-10 —OAK HARBOR, WA: Whidbey Sarah Parks; Email: sparksaustin@ on State Fairgrounds, Sat. 9 6, Sun. 10 outlook.com 5:30; $6, students $3, under 6 free; Island Gem Club; Oak Harbor Senior Cen- - — ter, Sat. 9 -5, Sun. 9 -4; Free; contact Keith 22 24 COSTA MESA, CA: Gem Faire Website: http://missgems.org - Inc; Fri. 12 -6, Sat. 10 -6, Sun. 10 -5; $7 23 -24 —ALBANY, NY: New York State Ludemann, (360) 675 1837; Email: - [email protected] weekend pass; Website: http:// Museum; Daily 10 5; $5, under 12 free; - — www.gemfaire.com Website: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/ 15 17 INDIANAPOLIS, IN: Indiana State - — - — Museum & Historic Sites; Indiana State 22 24 PORTLAND, OR: Oregon Agate & 23 24 BOISE, ID: Idaho Gem Club; Expo Museum; Daily 10 -5; Website: Mineral Society; OMSI Auditorium; Daily Idaho Building (County Fairgrounds); Sat. 9:30 -5:30; free; contact Ken Thistle, (360) 10 -6, Sun. 10 -5; $4, under 12 free; contact www.indianamuseum.org - - 15 -17 —SANTA BARBARA, CA: Gem 891 8088; Email: [email protected] Brent Stewart, (208) 863 9336; Email: 22 -24 —CLARKDALE, AZ: Mingus Gem [email protected] The Beginner Wire Wrapper 7. Repeat steps 1 to 6 until you have used The Bead Bracelet up all 11 pieces of the wire you prepared. All of your bead links are now done. To - This is a neat, simple, project that will teach join them together, take your flat nose pliers and open up one of the loops sideways you how to string beads with wire. You can 14. Place your round -nose pliers about 5/8 - take these skills and create bracelets, neck- (below), link another loop onto it (below) and close again sideways with your flat - inch from the end (where the marks are in laces, earrings, etc. With different types the picture), as shown below. and sizes of beads you can create many dif- nose pliers (below). Continue Step No. 7 to link all of the beads together. ferent looks. Don’t be afraid to experiment a bit, it’s how we all learn a lot of things, by trial and error. You may, however, want to make that “error” with a cheaper wire. 15. Bend it around as What you’ll need for this project: shown in the two 1-1/2 ft (45 cm) of 21 round hard illustrations here. 6 inches (15 cm) of 22 square hard 11 beads (4 mm or 6 mm – your choice) 22 little gold -filled beads (2mm, optional) Cutters - Flat Nose Pliers 8. Make two S hooks to go on either end of Round -Nose Pliers the bracelet.

1. Your first step is to see the Helpful Hint 9. Cut a 2 -1/2 inch length of 22 square below. Then cut 11, 1 -1/4″ (or whatever - hard wire. With your round nose pliers, size is right for you) pieces of 21 round make a loop at each end of the wire as 16. With the pliers still in the hook, move hard. Take one piece and, with your round - shown below. them to the back of the loop and bend back- nose pliers, make a loop at one end. wards, as shown here.

2. Now, with your round -nose pliers still in 10. With your round -nose pliers still in the the loop, bend the loop backwards slightly loop, pull back slightly to center the to that it is now centered. loop. Do both loops. 17. Then bend forward again.

3. Thread on the 11. With your round -nose pliers, hold the bead of your choice. wire in the center and slowly bring it around so you have a U bend, and the two loops

meet evenly.

4. Bend the wire at the top of the beads over at a right angle Helpful Hints and cut off about 3/8 To make loops of -inch from the bead. the same size, mark your pliers with 12. Hold the U bend with your flat -nose masking tape. 5. Now, with - - pliers about 1/8 inch from the end, and Before you cut the your round gently squeeze together. nose pliers, 11 pieces of wire into the 1 -1/4 -inch size, work one piece to begin to curl the wire in. completion: This will establish whether your loop is the same size as the one in the

6. Continue project. If you prefer a larger loop, cut your pieces longer. to curl it into a 13. Using your flat -nose pliers, bend the loop until it loop on the tip up on an angle. https://www.gemsociety.org/article/the -wire meets and - - forms a circle. artist jeweller/ Rox Box The World of Jaspers Rock Room

A place to advertise Mary Ellen This Club is unique because it has its own rock items to sell and rock store. Here is an inventory of what is to inquire about items This rock formed available for Club members to purchase. to purchase. more than two Stop in when you come to the Clubhouse. billion years ago

in the area that is Grit and Polish

now the Mesabi Montana Moss & Blue Agate The Cuyuna Rock, Gem & Society accepts Iron Range in Montana Petrified Wood no responsibility for any dissatisfaction Northern, Minne- Oregon Geodes that may occur by either party, seller sota. At that time one of the early life Chalcedony or buyer. The Society does not profit in forms evolved in the ancient seas. These Desert Rose any way by sales transactions. blue -green single -celled cyanobacteria Plume Agate

contained chlorophyll and were able to Yellow Jasper

For Sale: Grinder/polisher with 8” saw. harvest the energy of the sun to photosyn- Bruno Jasper

The Club is selling this piece of equip- thesize and produce their own food. Owyhee Picture Jasper

ment. $300 to a Club member. Contact Energy from sunlight was used to split Brazilian Agates

Treasurer, Kevin Martini, at 218 -770 -8917 carbon dioxide into carbon and oxygen. Amethyst

[email protected]. The carbon was absorbed, becoming part Tee Pee Canyon Agate

of the growing organism, and the oxygen Hauser Bed Agate Thundereggs

was released into the atmosphere. Prior to Slabs of all sizes and types

the evolution of cyanobacteria, there was Condor Agate — almost no oxygen in the atmosphere. Septarian Nodules Utah — Once these organisms developed, they 79 Bed Geodes Oregon

proliferated and helped to trigger drastic Moroccan White Agate

changes in the earth's atmosphere, Obsidian

climate, and environment. Mineral specimens For Sale: Grinder/polisher with 10” Dinosaur bone — saw. Comes with stand. The Club is sell- Some of the cyanobacteria lived in colo- Whole Septarians Utah

ing this piece of equipment. $350 to a nies that produced macro -scale structures Mexican Luna Lace Agate

Club member. Contact Treasurer, Kevin called stromatolites. Evidence of fossil Starolites Martini, at 218 -770 -8917 or stromatolite formations have been found [email protected]. throughout the world so these mushroom - Precious or Semi -Precious shaped mounds dominated the shores of all the newly developing landmasses, Gemstones including the area where the Mary Ellen Jasper developed.

The earliest stromatolite of confirmed origin dates to 2,724 million years ago. A recent discovery, however, provides strong evidence that microbial stromato- lites extending as far back as 3,450 million years ago. These organisms were extremely resilient and adaptable, allow- ing them to be a major constituent of the

fossil record for the first 3,500 million Diamond

years of life on earth, with their Diamond is pure carbon in a cubic crystal abundance peaking about 1,250 million lattice. Because it's carbon, its chemical

years ago. formula is simply C (the element symbol

of carbon). Its crystal habit is octahedral February birthdays - Until the mid 1950s, scientists thought and it is extremely hard (10 on the Mohs John Krebs. 2/17 that stromatolites were long since extinct. scale). This makes diamond the hardest Sharon Smith. 2/26 That all changed in 1956 when living pure element. Pure diamond is colorless, stromatolites were found in the Hamlin but impurities produce diamonds that Pool located on the south end of Sharks may be blue, brown, or other colors. Bay in Western Australia. Since then, live Impurities may also make diamond stromatolites have also been found in fluorescent. several sites in the Bahamas.

https://www.thoughtco.com/alphabetical - http://www.agatelady.com/photo -gallery - list -of -precious -and -semiprecious - mineral -of -the -month -january -2012.html gemstones -4134639

Marcia Opatz, Editor Cuyuna Rock, Gem & Mineral Society 1001 Kingwood Street Suite B-40 Brainerd, MN 56401

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The Agate Explorer Club Officers February 2019 & Board of Directors Official Publication of the Cuyuna Rock, Gem & Mineral Society [email protected]

Members of AFMS & MWF President: Ed Opatz [email protected] 320 -250 -1363

Notes from the President - I grew up in a family of negotiators, or wheelers and dealers. Little did I Vice President: Sharon Smith know that this would be great practice for the Tucson (and other) rock [email protected] 218 -829 -4992 shows. Not every vendor is negotiable on prices, but some are, especially the guys from Morocco. A lot of their merchandise has no price listed, so — you need to ask. Most of the time the first response it, “How much do you Secretary Joanie Hanson [email protected] want to pay?” And then we start negotiating. I have found that even if my 218 -831 -2665 wife unintentionally walks away, it can help a lot. And if I walk away too sometimes they yell or run after me. I think most of the time I get a pretty good deal. Sometimes I’m buying for myself, but sometimes it’s for a friend or for our Club. Just Treasurer: Kevin Martini to let you know that I ALWAYS try to get the best price. [email protected] [email protected] 218 -770 -8917 The word is getting out about our show, and what I hear is good. Vendors are wanting to get a spot. They hear how many people we draw and that gets them excited. So, of course with all those people we need LOTS of help. You’ll notice that the sign up list Director: Lori DuBois is in this newsletter. We are starting now because we want people to plan. Some Director: Vern Iverson conflicts can’t be helped, but we really do hope that almost all our members help in Director: Lilly Peterson some way. If the show runs smoothly our reputation for a good show will continue. It is a really big fundraiser for our Club, so please help! Besides, you want to come to the show anyway, don’t you? Newsletter Editor: Marcia Opatz [email protected] Ed Opatz 320 -250 -8120