The BULLETIN OF THE NEW YORK MINERALOGICAL CLUB, INC Volume 133 No. 1 January 2019 MODERN MARVELS: ROCKS ANCIENT ZIRCON The IYPT Begins See page 6! INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE PERIODIC TABLE BEGINS NOT SO ROUGH 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 133, No. 1 Celebrating the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements January 2019 January 9th Meeting: 2nd Annual Movie Night: Preview of 2019 Events Planned for “Modern Marvels: Rocks” the New York Mineralogical Club By Mitch Portnoy The summer months are no longer an The year 2019 will feature many unused time period for the Club. We have events and activities for members of the a regular meeting in July and an Open New York Mineralogical Club, including House (party) out on Long Island in educational lectures, benefit auctions, August. In addition, there will be a social activities and mineral & gem shows. Directors Meeting in early July whose The United Nations has declared 2019 agenda is overall Club planning, but with to be the International Year of the a strong focus on the October banquet. Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. The theme of the October 2019 The actual opening Banquet will be ceremony will take labradorite so be ready place at UNESCO in to see lots of sparkling Paris on the 29th of blue on all of the January 2019. The banquet party materials Club will acknowledge and decorations. this special year with A n d , s i n c e r e l e v a n t a c t i o n s everyone liked the throughout the year. “less meeting, more After the great party” motif from the success of last year’s 2018 banquet, there Movie Night in will again be lots of January, we decided to continue the fun and games this year with the more “tradition” with a second movie night this leisurely meal pace as there will be no Last year’s Movie Night (Pederneira: year. main lecture. A Rainbow of Color) was SUCH a success February’s meeting will feature our Paired with and occurring before the that we decided to have another such event highly popular “Members’ Showcase” banquet itself will be a Silent Auction. this year. This year we will feature (which is a formal name for show and tell) (Its revenue help keep the individual Modern Marvels: Rocks! where members make short presentations banquet costs WAY down.) And once From the Stone Age to the Space relating to the hobby; the meeting will also again, there will be a “Buy it Now” option Age, our world has been built contain our annual Chinese Auction! available for each of the lots as this was from rocks. Visit the Johnson Engaging lectures will be an proved to be both popular and efficient. Space Center in Houston to important part of most of the year’s I hope to see everyone at all of these examine America’s horde of meetings. I know I am especially looking activities. And remember, ideas and moon rocks to determine how the forward to hearing about Ethiopia by Prof. suggestions are ALWAYS welcome. planets were formed, and how Juan Manuel Garcia Ruiz in June! old the solar system is. See how The first of the three New York City marble and granite are extracted, Issue Highlights Gem & Mineral Shows will occur during cut and polished. Do some the first weekend in March. (The other two blasting at a gravel pit, watch ore President’s Message . 2 occur in June and November.) Coming turn into steel and finally, learn Meeting Minutes . 2 shortly after Tucson, we can certainly how the geysers in Northern World of Minerals: Zircon . 3 expect a wonderful selection of minerals, California harness heat from 7 Human Minerals. 4 gems, fossils, lapidary arts, etc. from rocks to create energy for 85,000 New NYMC Postcards Available . 5 which to choose! The IYPT 2019 Begins!. 6 homes. May’s meeting this year (rather than 20 Cool Facts: Periodic Table. 7 In keeping with the Movie Night June as in the past) will feature our Meteorite Doorstop . 8 theme, there will be some theater candy, Annual Benefit Auction. I can already Topics in Gemology: Rough . 9 popcorn and beverages available, a short promise you that the lots will be diverse New Jersey Garnet. 10 video or cartoon during intermission and and high quality. An early version of an Austrian Jewelry Exhibition . 11 meeting room decorations relevant to the illustrated auction catalog will be posted Membership Renewal Form. 12 theme. online in March or April. Club & Show Calendars . 13 See you there! 2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. January 2019 President’s Message Club Meeting Minutes for Members in the News By Mitch Portnoy December 12, 2018 A final collection of essays by Oliver Attendance: 53 Sacks – many never before published – President Mitch Portnoy presided will be available on April 23, 2019. This Announcements & Proceedings: volume of essays, entitled Everything in The meeting raffle was held. its Place: First Loves and Last Tales, The death of member Sidney showcases Oliver’s broad range of Horenstein (1936-2018) was interests – from his passion for ferns, announced. (Full New York Times swimming, and the Periodic Table, to Obituary will appear next month.) his final case histories exploring Remaining banquet souvenir folders schizophrenia, dementia, and were distributed (which include the Alzheimer’s. remaining 2019 NYMC calendars). An extensive obituary about Sidney A website update was given showing Horenstein appeared in the December The Club will acknowledge and the availability of the banquet videos. 12, 2018 New York Times. Members were encouraged to pay their celebrate the International Year of the It with sadness that we report of the dues for 2019. Periodic Table of Chemical Elements in passing of William O'Neill, lifelong The various historical events ocurring 2019 in many ways. mineral collector and father of Chris on the meeting date were announced. Every Bulletin will have an O'Neill, on December 3 at age 99. A game about sulfides was played with interesting graphic, article or diagram on cactus glasses given as prizes. Welcome New Members! this theme. I want to thank Diana Jarrett All the Club’s merchandise was Augusto Castilto . Ridgewood, NY and Vivien Gornitz in advance as they available for sale. Aldon James . NYC, NY have all agreed to use this topic for some The new set of Periodic Table note Carolyn Mutter . Piermont, NY of their regular column articles. And Bill cards debuted. And Welcome Back to: Shelton has decided to write an entirely A picture (see p. 6) of a new Club cap Olga Gonzalez. NYC, NY new series of articles under the summary (garnet colored with logo) was shown. Coming In February 2019 title It’s Elemental! Upcoming Club events were quickly I strongly encourage others to write thru mid-2019 were gone over. IYPT-related articles during 2019! The evening’s speaker was introduced I have designed a special set of note expertly by Naomi Sarna. cards and a postcard (similar to the banner Special Lecture: Jeffrey Bilgore pictured above). Also, all members in “The AGTA Today” good standing will receive a cancelled The NYMC ended its 2018 series of IYPT cacheted envelope at the January meeting lectures with an engaging and meeting. informative presentation about the I am trying to arrange a special lecture American Gem Traders Association or two on this topic for the 2019 meetings; (AGTA) by its president, Jeffrey Bilgore. local speakers (like me) might have to get The AGTA was founded in 1981 by a bumped to 2020. group of three gem dealers who decided to create an organization whose members agreed to proudly follow an honorable code Question: of conduct and business practices. Does anyone have a Blu-Ray ready It has thrived since then and grown to laptop that we can borrow later in include 1200 gem dealers, miners, jewelry the year? manufacturers, designers and retailers, including some of the most famous and th historic American companies. 5 Annual Chinese Auction Send in Your 2019 Club Dues Jeffrey named some of the many It is time to send in your 2019 club membership dues! All memberships run from January 1 to December 31 of esteemed AGTA participants, several of each year (with a few exceptions).If your mailing label whom are current members of the NYMC! says “2018”, you owe your 2019 dues. Please take He continued with examples of the time now to mail in your dues in order to prevent important international, socially-conscious uninterrupted delivery of your bulletin. A handy form appears on page 12. Dues are $25 for individual, $35 for projects sponsored by his organization or its family. Mail to: Membership Coordinator, N.Y. members. Mineralogical Club, P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station, His final two topics included an NYC, NY 10024-0077. overview of their annual GemFairs™ and the importance of their Spectrum Awards Or Renew Online with PayPal! for jewelry design and the gemstone arts. We thank Jeffrey for such a colorful and enriching presentation about the AGTA! January 2019 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. Zircon: Lifting the Veil of Time The oldest-known Earth materials are tiny 4.4 billion-year Zircon, ZrSiO4, sometimes takes the place of diamond in old zircon grains from a younger quartz pebble conglomerate of jewelry, thanks to its bright luster and brilliance.