The BULLETIN

OF THE NEW YORK MINERALOGICAL CLUB, INC

America’s Oldest Gem & Mineral Club F o u n d e d 1 8 8 6 I n c o r p o r a t e d 1 9 3 7

Volume 129 No. 12

December 2015

JOHN SANFACON

SHOW REVIEW

DEALER

DONATIONS

GORNITZ WINS

BRIGHT COLORS

TUCSON

DUES ARE DUE

December 9, 2015

Man-Made

Minerals & More

Show Review

See page 1

Review: Fall 2015 NYC Gem,Mineral, Jewelry & Fossil Show

Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical ClubFounded 1886 Ë New York City, New York Ë Incorporated 1937

Volume 129, No. 12 Celebrating the International Year of Light December 2015

December 9 Meeting:th

John Sanfaçon: “Man-MadeMinerals & More”

John Sanfaçon is one of the most popularmeeting lecturers in captivity! In therecent past he has lectured to us aboutAgate (2007), Jasper (2010), REEs (2011),Russian Lapidary Treasures (2012) andCrown Jewels (2014).

At this highly anticipated lecture, hewill bring specimens and the testing toolsused to tell diamonds from non-diamondsand diamonds from moissanite. He willalso bring synthetic carborundum (whenit’s facetable, it’s moissanite) as well asbasalt fiber, a synthetic which is superiorin every way to the six carcinogenicasbestos minerals. The father of one of hisstudents owns the company which makesthis wonder material out of humble basaltfrom the Watchung mountains rightnearby in New Jersey.

Send in Your 2016 Club DuesIt is time to send in your 2016 club membership dues! Allmemberships run from January 1 to December 31 ofeach year (with a few exceptions).If your mailing labelsays “Status: 2015”, you owe your 2016 dues.Please take the time now to mail in your dues in order toprevent uninterrupted delivery of your bulletin. A handyform appears on page 12. Dues are $25 for individual,$35 for family. Mail to: Membership Coordinator, N.Y.Mineralogical Club, P.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station,NYC, NY 10024-0077.

By Mitch Portnoy

Let me begin this review by goingstraight to the bottom line – this was thebest show we have hosted in virtually everyimportant category of analysis!

High Attendance: This show had thehighest attendance since we began keepingrecords about twenty years ago. Thishappily led to . . .

Excellent Dealer Sales: Every dealer(with one exception) said that they had hadamong the highest show sales EVER at thisNYC Gem & Mineral Show! Most couldnot believe how large and varied their saleshad been and were dead tired by the end ofthe show on Sunday evening. Severaldealers even said that if a dealer had notmade money at this show, they only havethemselves to blame. This joyous optimismsurely caused all the. . .

Awesome Dealer Donations: everydealer seemed to “reward” the club for theirprofitable returns by going beyond theirusual levels of generosity to us. We have nodirect commercial involvement in thisshow. Tony Nikischer (ExcaliburMinerals) gives us an expensive boothlocation in exchange for helping in thepromotion of the show, providing lectures,kids events, etc. We do ask each of thedealers for a donation in kind for items thatwe can put into our June Benefit Auction,Banquet Silent Auction, Special Sale inJanuary, meeting raffles, etc.

Look at the dealer donation details laterin the bulletin – I hope you are as impressedas I was by these items! But the Club alsobenefitted by signing up. . .

Numerous New Members: Weenrolled the greatest number of newmembers and their families (10) since Tonybegan sponsoring two shows a year in NewYork City. And we almost ran out of roomon my recording sheet entering all themembers who were renewing theirmembership in the Club for 2016! Perhapsit was this overall activity as well as thevisual appeal of this show’s club booth thatled to . . .

Amazing Club Product Sales: Thefloaty gemstone pens continue to be the

most popular items we have ever sold. Infact, from this one show we have soldenough to cover the cost of the entire orderof pens we have in stock. And we likelyhave enough for the next year. In additionwe sold many of the note card sets (lots ofcompliments on them!), educational CD-ROMs, 2016 antique prints calendars,drawstring backpacks and otherpublications. Indeed, my load coming homeafter the show was remarkably light! Whatwas not light, however, was the . . .

Lecture Attendance: Both lectures(Howard Heitner, Intro to Minerals andTed Zirnite, Manhattan MineralCollecting) were virtually SRO! We thankthem both most profusely! And I also wishto thank all the. . .

Enthusiastic Show Volunteers: Thisincludes Rich Rossi, Roland Scal, AnnaSchumate, Diane Beckman, MarkKucera, and Vivien Gornitz. I also wantto commend all the members of the NYMCwho attended the Fall 2015 NYC Gem &Mineral Show and made this such asuccessful and memorable event.

Issue Highlights

President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2AFMS 2015 Contest Results. . . . . . . 3EFMLS - 2016 BEAC Submissions. . 45000+ Minerals!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Cold Molecules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5New Ice Age Coming?. . . . . . . . . . . . 5Fall Show Dealer Donations.. . . . . . . 6Early Rising Continents. . . . . . . . . . . 7Lightening Alters Rocks.. . . . . . . . . . 7The 100: Bright Colors. . . . . . . . . . . 8Topics in Gemology: Tucson 2015. . 9End of the Universe?. . . . . . . . . . . . 10New Magnetic Metals!. . . . . . . . . . . 11Five Catastrophes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Free G&G Set!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Earth’s Core Birth Date. . . . . . . . . . 13Jade (Book Review). . . . . . . . . . . . . 14The Pink Event. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14New! NYMC Doodles!. . . . . . . . . . 15Membership Renewal Form. . . . . 16Club & Show Calendars. . . . . . . . . . 17

2 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. December 2015

President’s MessageBy Mitch Portnoy

I am still recovering from the Fall 2015NYC Mineral Show frenzy but I thought Iwould end the successful NYMC year withthese important notices:

Some 2016 Calendars Remain

Although most were distributed at theShow, if you still want one (while the reallylimited supplies last, let me know ASAPperhaps when you send in your 2016 dues?)Also: any ideas for the theme for the 2017NYMC calendar?

AFMS Contest Results – see next page!I hope everyone is as thrilled as I am bythese national contest results.

NYMC “Doodles”I hope most of you have been noticing andenjoying the changing graphics (i.e., NYMC doodles) on the Home page of ournew website. Suggestions are welcomealthough I admit I have already creatednearly 175 of them! (See page 15.)

End-of-Year AwardsFor the first time in many decades, we willbe distributing End-of-Year Awards at theDecember 2015 meeting. Some are seriousand some comic, but all are certainlysincere. See you at the next meeting!

Receive Your Bulletin Electronically!Advantages� Early Arrival� Pristine Condition� Full-Color Version with Hyperlinks� Electronic Storage� Club Saves Money� Receive Special Mailings� Go Green!Requires� Email Request to Mitch

(mitchpnyc@aol.com)� Adobe Reader (Free)Optional� Printer (B/W or Color)

Club Meeting Minutes forNovember 11, 2015By Vivien Gornitz, SecretaryAttendance: 50+President Mitch Portnoy presided

Announcements:� The new full-color NYMC logo was

presented.� The regular monthly raffle was held.� There was a brief discussion about the

October 2015 banquet.� The new NYMC website “doodles”

were announced and a few examplesshown.

� The availability of the NYMC’s videoson YouTube were shown.

� The incipient Twitter page“@NYMineralogical” was shown.

� The day’s and month’s historicalevents were presented.

� The final IYL game, aboutpleochroism, was played.

� Members were reminded that 2016dues are now due.

� In December we will have “End ofYear Awards” given out for the firsttime.

� Details about the upcoming Fall NYCGem & Mineral Show were provided.

� Upcoming NYMC events throughFebruary 2016 were presented.

Special ProgramRichard Bostwick

“Fluorescence Demonstration”Howard Heitner “Fluorescence:

History, Mechanisms, Applications”

In tribute to the International Year ofLight, November’s meeting featured a two-part demonstration and lecture onfluorescence, a topic of great appeal tomineral collectors, as well as one ofimportance in many branches of science.

Richard Bostwick, vice-president ofthe Franklin Mineral Museum, long-timefluorescent mineral collector, and formerminer, began by showing the strikinglydifferent color effects produced by differentwavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) light on thesame mineral. Some of the minerals evenshowed phosphorescence, continuing toglow for several seconds after the UV lightwas shut off. UV light can even change thecolor of a mineral (temporarily at least).Sodalite from Greenland, a dull beige color(in contrast to the usual blue) turns a vividreddish pink upon exposure to UV! Not allsuch optical effects involve UV light. For

example, sphalerite and quartz exhibittriboluminescence—the ability to emit lightafter being struck with a hard object, orunder pressure.

Howard Heitner, retired chemist andmineral historian, delved further into thescientific principles and uses of fluorescence.The term “fluorescence”, he pointed out, isderived from the mineral fluorite, eventhough not all specimens of fluoritedemonstrate this phenomenon. In most cases,fluorescence is caused by the presence ofimpurities. The phenomenon is by no meansconfined to minerals. Many artificialmaterials will fluoresce, such as somedetergents, paints, dyed fabrics, etc.However, most radioactive minerals, such asthose containing uranium, will alwaysfluoresce. He explained that UV, like visiblelight, x-rays, infrared, and radio waves are allparts of the electromagnetic spectrum,differing only in wavelength and frequency.When electrons at rest in the “ground state”absorb certain wavelengths of light, they arekicked up into a higher energy “exited state”.As they drop back to lower energy levels,they emit light with wavelengthscorresponding to the energy difference. Thisis the basis of most spectroscopic methods,and is used to identify specific elementspresent.

Stokes Law (1852, named after itsdiscoverer, George Stokes) states that thewavelength of emitted light (visible light, inthe case of fluorescence) is always longerthan that of the incident light (UV). Einsteinwent a step further by proving that the energyof light is directly proportional to itsfrequency and inversely proportional to itswavelength, a discovery which earned himthe Nobel Prize. This is the basis of the“photo-electric effect” that has numerousapplications today. Thus, short wavelengthradiation (like x-rays, UV) possesses moreenergy than longer wavelength “light”, likevisible, infra-red or microwave.

Shorter wavelength radiation is alsomore penetrating, a fact discovered byWilhelm Roentgen in 1895, when heexperimented with the fluorescent effects onbarium platinoncyanide-painted screens incathode tubes. Exposing his wife’s hand tothese mysterious emanations, he took thefirst x-ray photograph of her bones. Themedical profession was quick to adopt thisnew technology! Fluorescence in moderntechnology is found in such devices as CTscanners, digital x-ray cameras, scintillationcounters (for detecting radioactivity),fluorescent bulbs, and in x-ray fluorescenceused for chemical analysis.

(Continues next page)

December 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 3

Howard went on to describe some of the early x-ray tubesmade by Thomas Edison and Michael Pupin, and other early UVlamps used for mineral fluorescence. UV light comes in handy,not only as an aid in identifying minerals, but also in detectingcounterfeit bills, paintings, and artefacts. Fluorescence proveduseful in prospecting for scheelite during World War II.Prompted by a shortage of the strategic element tungsten,geologists used UV lamps at night to seek scheelite, whichfluoresces a pale blue. While only a small percent of diamondsfluoresce under UV, all diamonds fluoresce under x-rays. Inmodern diamond mines, sorting of the gems has been automatedby beaming x-rays on diamond ore and picking out thegemstones as the ore moves along a conveyor belt. No mineralcollection is complete without some of the colorful fluorescentminerals from Franklin, New Jersey. While the mines have beenclosed for decades, the dumps are still accessible to collectors,and a large variety of fluorescent specimens can still be found.So, happy hunting!

Members in the News� Naomi Sarna has won a variety of gem awards. See page 6

for details.� Vivien Gornitz presented a paper about NYC and higher

sea levels at the 2015 Geological Society of AmericaAnnual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland in late October.

� George Harlow also presented several papers at this event;Vivien attended one about gem materials.

� Branko Deljanin will be presenting a program about largeRussian synthetic diamonds at the NAJA conference inTucson in 2016.

Welcome New Members!Toni Akhibi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abuja, NigeriaMrs. Dale L. Brown.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bronx, NYCatherine Corwin & Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brooklyn, NYTina Di. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flushing, NYJoshua Dudley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Montclair, NJGary Golden & Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brooklyn, NYAlexandra Krummenacker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Glen Cove, NYMohammad Qammer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Islip, NYRafael Ramirez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Newark, NJRoman Rudinskiy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brooklyn, NYAnd welcome back to . . .Sivia Phoenix.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brooklyn, NY

Congratulations to Vivien Gornitz whose booklet, Introductionto Mineral Crystallography (from 2014), won the First PlaceTrophy in the 2015 American Federation of MineralogicalSocieties’ Bulletin Editor’s Contest in the Special Publicationscategory. (CD-ROM still available!)

Congratulations to Mitch Portnoy whose booklet, StampAlbum of the NYMC (from 2014), won the Second PlaceTrophy in the 2015 American Federation of MineralogicalSocieties’ Bulletin Editor’s Contest in the Special Publicationscategory. (Book and CD-ROM still available!)

Congratulations to Diana Jarrett whose 3-part article,Uncovering Fabergé (from 2014), won the Third PlaceTrophy in the 2015 American Federation of MineralogicalSocieties’ Bulletin Editor’s Contest in the Advanced Articlescategory.

And Coming Next Month . . .

4 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. December 2015

2016 EFMLS/AFMS Bulletin Article ContestSubmissionsThe following 2015 works were submitted to the EFMLS forjudging in the 2016 Contest. Regional results will be announced atthe EFMLS convention at the end of October 2016 although wewill actually know national results, if any, from the AFMS evenearlier in late July 2016.Category: Advanced Articles� Ice: The Mineral that Shapes the Earth by Vivien Gornitz

(June 2015)� Garnet (3 parts) by Vivien Gornitz (Sept/Oct/Nov 2015)Category: Regular Articles� A Charmed Life by Diana Jarrett (July/August 2015)� Something to Wine About by Diana Jarrett (June 2015)� NYMC Members on Postage Stamps by Mitch Portnoy

(September 2015)Category: Written Features� Not Seeing the Forest for the Trees by Mitch Portnoy

(April 2015)� Pink Possibilities by Diana Jarrett (February 2015)� The Blues by Bill Shelton (February 2015)Category: Special Publications� Oliver Sacks Memorial – Special Bulletin of the New York

Mineralogical Club by Mitch Portnoy, Editor� Minerals on Worldwide Postage Stamps by Mitch Portnoy

(CD-ROM Only)

You Don't Want to Be this Type of PerfectionistBy Carolyn Gregoire

It’s one thing to expect the best from yourself. But it’s acompletely different thing to expect the best from everyone aroundyou.

Perfectionists, though often high-achieving and highlymotivated individuals, can set almost impossibly lofty goals forthemselves. Psychologists have linked perfectionism toprocrastination, depression and anxiety, compulsive behaviors andeven poor physical health.

New research suggests perfectionists aren’t all created equal– and some types may be susceptible to other negative traits.

A study published this month in the Journal ofPsychopathology and Behavioral Assessment identified a type ofperfectionism that’s characterized by setting unreasonablestandards not for oneself but for others.

“Other-oriented perfectionism is a ‘dark’ form ofperfectionism positively associated with narcissistic, antisocial anduncaring personality characteristics,” Joachim Stoeber, apsychologist at the University of Kent and the study’s lead author,wrote in a statement.

Other-oriented perfectionists are distinct from the two othertypes of perfectionists, which we tend to hear about more often.

Self-oriented perfectionists have unreasonably high personalstandards and expect themselves to be perfect, while sociallyprescribed perfectionists believe that they need to be perfect inorder to be accepted by others.

In previous studies, Stoeber and colleagues have shown that“dark” perfectionists are often judgmental and manipulative ofothers, and struggle to maintain healthy relationships.

For the new study, the same researchers asked 229 universitystudents about their sense of humor, perfectionistic traits and socialbehaviors.

They found that while self-oriented perfectionists tend to havea sense of humor that enhances their social interactions,other-oriented perfectionists display an aggressive sense of humorand a tendency to tell jokes at the expense of others.Unsurprisingly, they also show little concern for social norms.

While you may not relate to the description of the darkperfectionist, many of us are overly critical of others to a certaindegree.

“Most people have medium levels of other-orientedperfectionism, a few have high levels and a few low levels,”Stoeber told The Huffington Post. “The same goes for other formsof perfectionism.”

The takeaway? If you’re going to be a perfectionist, try tofocus those sky-high standards on yourself – and spare the rest ofus.

“The focus of perfectionists plays an important role indetermining how prosocial or antisocial they are,” the study’sauthors write. “If perfectionists focus on themselves, they can beprosocial. If they focus on others – whether they haveperfectionistic expectations of others or they believe others haveperfectionistic expectations of them – they tend to be antisocial.”Source: Huffingtonpost.com May 22, 2015

Earth’s Mineral Total Count Passes 5,000!After more than two centuries of investigation by

mineralogists worldwide, the total number of discrete, currentlyaccepted mineral species has passed the 5,000 mark. When theGerman mineralogist Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749-1817)published his “Last Mineral System” in 1817, he listed just 317different mineral species that were known to exist at that time.Over the following years, some of those were discarded or refinedand new ones were added to the list in an ongoing process.

By January of 1969, Michael Fleischer of the U. S. GeologicalSurvey (original author of the Glossary of Mineral Species, now inits 11th edition) estimated the total at 1,950. As of January 2014,the official count by the International Mineralogical Associationwas 4,684, as published in the 11th edition of the Glossary. Sincethat time, 136 new species have been published. If another 226accepted but “questionable” species are included in the list, thetotal reaches 5,046 (rruff.info/ima). Because the IMA chooses tocount them, Glossary author Malcolm Back will be including the“questionable” species in the 12th edition, scheduled for 2018.

Are there likely to be very many more discovered? Definitely.Robert Hazen, in a forthcoming article in the MineralogicalRecord, uses complex statistical analyses to estimate that roughly1,500 more unknown species exist in nature and are waiting to bediscovered. And that number may increase if new and moresophisticated analytical instruments are developed in the future. Soat this point in history we are in no danger of running out of newminerals!

Source: Mineralogical Record, July/August 2015

December 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 5

Scientists Create World's Coldest MoleculesBy Macrina Cooper-White

It doesn’t get much cooler than this.Physicists at MIT have created what may be world’s coldest

chemically stable molecules, chilling sodium potassium gas to halfof one millionth of a degree above absolute zero (defined as minus273 degrees Celsius or minus 460 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0 on theKelvin scale used by many scientists).

“Now we’re at 500 nanokelvins, which is already fantastic, welove it,” Dr. Martin Zwierlein, one of the physicists, said in awritten statement. “A factor of 10 colder or so, and the music startsplaying.”

Only chemically unstable molecules – which decay quickly –had been cooled to such a low temperature before, according toZwierlein. His team’s feat breaks the previous record for coldestchemically stable molecules, which was set last year by a team ofBritish, French and Austrian scientists, by a factor of at least 10.

Scientists create such “supercold” molecules in order toobserve exotic forms of matter and quantum processes, accordingto Live Science.

Among the exotic forms of matter the researchers hope to seeare so-called “superfluid crystals.” As Zwierlein explained in thestatement, these crystalline forms “feel no friction, which is totallybizarre. This has not been observed so far, but predicted. We mightnot be far from seeing these effects, so we’re all excited.”

And ultracold molecules may also be used in quantumcomputing.

“The molecules could be used as quantum bits, where ‘0’ and‘1’ is robustly encoded in the rotation of the molecules,” Zwierlientold The Huffington Post in an email. “Quantum computation itselfwould be extremely important for cryptography and to solvecertain types of problems that simply take impossibly long on a‘classical’ computer.”

For the research, Zwierlien and his colleagues used one set oflasers to cool sodium and potassium atoms separately, and trapthem. Then they applied a magnetic field to get the atoms to forma weak bond.

“It’s like tuning your radio to be in resonance with somestation,” Zwierlein said in the statement. “These atoms start tovibrate happily together, and form a bound molecule.”

To strengthen that bond, the researchers used a techniqueinvolving another set of lasers – a high-energy and a low-energybeam – to “suck away” heat from the molecules and bring them totheir lowest vibrational and rotational states.

They observed that the molecules were stable for around 2.5seconds, which is considered a relatively long lifetime. And theywere far less reactive than molecules at room temperature, tendingnot to collide with other molecules around them.

Next, the team hopes to cool molecules to an even lowertemperature, study the interactions between them, and learn moreabout the limits on their lifetime.

A paper describing the research was published on May 18,2015 in the journal Physical Review Letters.Source: huffingtonpost.com June 15, 2015

Earth Heading for ‘Mini Ice Age’ Within 15YearsRiver Thames could freeze over in 2030s when NorthernHemisphere faces bitterly cold winters, scientists sayBy Dan Hyde

The earth is 15 years from a “mini ice-age” that will causebitterly cold winters during which rivers such as the Thames freezeover, scientists have predicted.

Solar researchers at the University of Northumbria havecreated a new model of the Sun’s activity which they claimproduces “unprecedentedly accurate predictions”.

They said fluid movements within the Sun, which are thoughtto create 11-year cycles in the weather, will converge in such away that temperatures will fall dramatically in the 2030s.

Solar activity will fall by 60 per cent as two waves of fluid“effectively cancel each other out”, according to Prof ValentinaZharkova.

In a presentation to the National Astronomy Meeting inLlandudno, she said the result would be similar to freezingconditions of the late 17th century.

“[In the cycle between 2030 and around 2040] the two wavesexactly mirror each other – peaking at the same time but inopposite hemispheres of the Sun,” she said.

Researchers have successfully cooled a gas of sodium potassium (NaK)molecules to a temperature of 500 nanokelvin. In this artist's illustration, thesmaller sphere on the left represents a sodium atom and the larger sphere on theright a potassium atom. | Jose-Luis Olivares/MIT

The molecules had the strongest “dipole moments” (arrows) -- imbalances in thedistribution of charge across the molecules, which lead to magnet-like interactions-- ever observed in ultracold molecules.

London policemen on ice skates on the frozen River Thames circa 1900 Photo:Getty Images

6 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. December 2015

“Their interaction will be disruptive, or they will nearly canceleach other.

“We predict that this will lead to the properties of a ‘Maunderminimum’”.

Maunder minimum, indicating low Sunspot activity, was thename given to the period between 1645 and 1715, when Europeand North America experienced very cold winters.

In England during this “Little Ice Age”, River Thames frostfairs were held. In the winter of 1683-84 the Thames froze over forseven weeks, during which it was “passable by foot”, according tohistorical records.

Prof Zharkova said scientists had known about one dynamocaused by convecting fluids deep within the Sun, but her researchappeared to have uncovered another.

“We found magnetic wave components appearing in pairs,originating in two different layers in the Sun’s interior,” she said.

“They both have a frequency of approximately 11 years,although this frequency is slightly different, and they are offset intime.

“Over the cycle, the waves fluctuate between the northern andsouthern hemispheres of the Sun. Combining both waves togetherand comparing to real data for the current solar cycle, we foundthat our predictions showed an accuracy of 97 per cent.”

This had helped create a picture of what would happen in the2030s.

“Effectively, when the waves are approximately in phase, theycan show strong interaction, or resonance, and we have strongsolar activity,” Prof Zharkova said.

“When they are out of phase, we have solar minimums. Whenthere is full phase separation, we have the conditions last seenduring the Maunder minimum, 370 years ago.”

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk from July 11, 2015

Dealer Donations from the Fall 2015 Mineral ShowEvery dealer at the New York City Gem & Mineral Show expressed theirthanks to us with a donation of a mineral, gem, publication, piece ofjewelry, lapidary art object, etc. These items will (for the most part) beoffered at the June 2016 Benefit Auction. Some will be offered next monthat the Special Sale in January 2016. – Mitch� Amazon Imports

Opal (Large!!!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ethiopia� Aurora Mineral Corp, Freeport, New York

Malachite.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Congo

� AYS International, Floral Park, New YorkJade & Silver Pendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA

� Bary Gems, Inc., Hollis, New YorkSilver & Black Onyx Earrings.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NA

� John Betts Fine Minerals, New York City, NYMottramite (!!!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mexico

� China South Seas, Inc., New York City, NYWide Variety of Jewelry (!!!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Misc

� The Crystal Circle, Cincinnati, Ohio (!!!)Selection of Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MiscSelection of Polished Gems.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MiscSelection of Lapidary Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Misc

� The Essence, Northport, New YorkSmithsonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New MexicoGreen Petrified Wood (!!!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SW USA

� Excalibur Mineral Corp, Charlottesville, Virginia(14) Worldwide Minerals (!!!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Misc

� Gems Art Studio, Brooklyn, NY & Moscow, RussiaSelection of Russian Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia

� Great Opals LLC, Raleigh, North CarolinaOpal Pendant (!!!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ethiopia/USA

� Highland Rock & Fossil, Highland Park, New Jersey (!!!)Mounted Picture Jasper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ChinaSelection of Fossils. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MiscSelection of Carvings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Misc

� Khyber Gemstones, Lyndhurst, New YorkLapis Rough Specimen (!!!). . . . . . . . Afghanistan/Pakistan

� Mahalo Minerals, Takoma Park, MarylandHuge Apophyllite/Quartz (!!!).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . India

� Malachite & Gems of Africa, Rochester, New YorkPolished Malachite Egg.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Congo

� Margola Corp, Englewood, New JerseyGorgeous Rough/Polished Labradorite (!!!). . . Madagascar

� Raj Minerals, Carteret, New JerseyPolished Moss Agate Bowl (!!!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . India

� Rocko Minerals & Jewelry, Margaretville, New YorkBarite?Marcasite (!!!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Locality

� Somethings, New Milford, New JerseyHuge Selection (50) of Pendants (!!!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . MiscSelection of Necklaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Misc

� Howard Schlansker, Marshfield, MassachusettsHuge Green Fluorite (!!!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . China

Please note that I have indicated with a “!!!” when a donationis especially impressive (and appreciated). Note above how manyof the entries have this next to them! – Mitch

Expert Gem Carver UpdateNaomi Sarna’s complex rutilated quartz was a finalist in the

world's most important gem carving competition, the GermanIdar-Oberstein Awards. Plus,Lapidary Journal just issued their2015 GEMMEYS book with elevenphotos of her pieces.

She is also very pleased to reportthat she just won Best Use of Pearlsfor the second time in a row, and thather colorful large white gold PinkPetal Brooch (pictured here) won aGem Diva Award! The awards willbe given in February of 2016 in Tucson. This now bring her totalof AGTA awards to 18!

Ice floes fill the Hudson River as the Lower Manhattan skyline is seen during the‘Polar vortex’ January 2015 in New York

December 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 7

The Continents Rose Above Earth’s OceansWay Earlier Than We ThoughtBy Jacqueline Howard

The Earth’s thick continental crust – the rocky stuff thatmakes up the land masses on which we live – may have risen fromthe oceans much earlier in our planet’s history than scientiststhought.

Previous studies suggested that the crust surfaced within thepast 2.5 billion years. But a new study indicates that they emergedsome 500 million years earlier. Talk about old!

“There is increasing evidence from a number of studies thatbig changes were taking place at circa 3 billion years ago, and anumber of people have argued that plate tectonics may have startedat around that time,” Dr. Bruno Dhuime, a geochemist at theUniversity of Bristol in England and co-author of the study, toldThe Huffington Post in an email. “It is consistent that thecontinents emerged at that time.”

For the study, the researchers scoured databases of previousanalyses on more than 13,000 rock samples taken from thecontinental crust. In these analyses, the researchers took a closelook at the chemistry and the ages of the rocks.

Based on that data, the researchers concluded that the chunksof crust must have emerged around 3 billion years ago -- and thebuoyant nature of the rocks would have allowed them to rise highabove what is now known as the oceanic crust (or seafloor), LiveScience reported.

Dhuime noted in the email that what happened in the timebefore the continental crust’s debut remains a mystery.

“Before continents emerged we assume that much of the Earthwas covered in basaltic crust, much like the crust we find at the

bottom of the oceans today. It is still highly debated on howcontinents that were submerged in the oceans before 3 billion yearsago formed,” he said in the email. “We now intend to conductfurther research on this highly debated topic.”

The study was published online in the journal NatureGeoscience on June 22, 2015.Source: The Huffington Post 07/02/2015

Lightning Strikes Can Alter Rock at the AtomicLevelBy Josh L Davis

When lightning with a temperature of at least 1,800°C(3,272°F) strikes a silica-rich patch of ground, the intense heat canmelt the silica to form glassy tube-like structures known asfulgurites. Now, researchers have found that when lightning strikessolid rock, it not only melts the surface, but can actually cause therock to change on an atomic level, creating parallel structureswithin the rock.

It was originally thought that the only natural event to be ableto create such structures, called shock lamellae, were meteoriteimpacts. As such, when scientists previously observed these rockalterations, they were often assumed to be indicators of meteoritestrikes.

“Most geologists are careful; they don’t just use oneobservation,” says Reto Gieré, who co-authored the paperpublished in American Mineralogist. “But this is a good reminderto always use multipleobservations to draw bigconclusions, that there aremultiple mechanisms that canresult in a similar effect.”

When rock is struck bylightning, it often melts thesurface and results in a blackshiny “glaze,” similar to theglassy fulgurites created whenthe ground is hit. But Gieré andhis team decided to takesamples and then cut thin slicesso they could look at themunder a transmission electronmicroscope, enabling them toexamine the samples at theatomic level.

They found that due to thelightning’s heat vaporizing the rock's surface, the shiny black layerwas actually incredibly porous. Furthermore, this outer layer of therock lacked any crystalline structure, consistent with it having beenmelted. But when they then looked under the surface layer, theyfound something else: a set of straight parallel lines, morenormally associated with the shock lamellae created by meteoritestrikes.

The formation of the shock lamellae is thought to occur whenthe crystal structure of quartz is “pushed over,” or deformed, by alarge wave of pressure. They reckon that it takes a pressure ofmore than 10 gigapascals, or as the authors explain, a forceroughly 20 million times greater than that of a boxer’s punch, inorder to form the lamellae.

“I think the most exciting thing about this study is just to seewhat lightning can do,” explained Gieré. “To see that lightningliterally melts the surface of a rock and changes crystal structures,to me, is fascinating.”Source: http://www.iflscience.com from August 6, 2015

A visualization of Earth’s continents using satellite data collected in October, 2004.| Reto Stöckli, NASA Earth Observatory

A cross-section infographic of some of Earth’s layers, depicting the continentalcrust (1), the oceanic crust (2), and the upper mantle (3).

Lightning strikes create a “glassy” layeron the rock it hits.

8 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. December 2015

Collector’s Series – “The 100"The 100 is a monthly feature of interest to mineral collectors written by Bill Shelton, based upon his many years ofexperience as a mineral collector, educator, author, appraiser, philanthropist and dealer. Comments as well as suggestionsfor new topics are most welcome. Contact him at LAELIASON@msn.com.

Bright ColorsI can write pages on all five species presented in this month’s

column. For a collector they all matter since availability is fair orbetter and all will brighten most any display. According tomindat.org, here are the locality numbers for this group: Proustite– 698; Pyrargyrite – 1,300; Pyromorphite – 1,510; Mimetite –993; and Vanadinite – 605.

The first two are the least common and, unfortunately, ratherexpensive members of this group. For classic localities, one shouldconsider the examples given here. Proustite and pyrargyrite areespecially noted from Andreasbrg, Freiburg and Pribram as wellas Bolivia, Chile and Mexico. U.S. localities include Colorado,Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico. Cobalt, Ontario is also important.Pyromorphite, with the most given localities in the group, is notedfrom Ems, Pribram, Beresovsk, Cumberland and Leadhills. U.S.localities include Phoenixville, PA and Idaho. Mimetite can befound coming from Tsumeb; Australia is another possible choice.Mexico is famous as well. Vanadinite can be found from Moroccoand Africa amongst other worldwide localities. U.S. mimetitelocalities are very common in New Mexico and Arizona. I havefound Morocco to be a very prolific source and one could buy asmany as one wants with ease. It may have the fewest overalllocalities, but it seems to be the most available.

Proustite from Germany Pyrargyrite from Mexico

Color is a major concern of mineral collectors and I suggestbuying the brightest, pure shade you can find. For example,vanadinite from Morocco is often an unpleasant hue with orangeand/or brown mixed with red. Get yourself an excellent pure redspecimen. They occur on black matrix and, as such, can be verydramatic. The case lighting will affect the appearance so payattention when selecting case lights for your samples. As some ofyou may know, red is a scantily represented color in the mineralkingdom. The very best proustites can be a vivid red but exposureto light may darken them so keep that in mind. Small crystals withexcellent color have been recently available from Morocco butlarge, excellent crystals are very rare. Chile produced some of thebest pieces; these will likely cost a lot!

I do not cover micromounts much in my articles but here wecan find affordable representatives of most all the 100 species inthis series. You can find modest pyromorphite examples from MAand PA with a little luck even today. In the past, CT producedexamples at Canton and Thomaston (pyromorphite) but mostlymicro sized crystals. A cursory glance suggests some, and perhapsall of these 5 species can be found in any size range. The last threeare likely to be more moderately priced.

A couple years back, I helped prepare and sell about 30 largeboxes of mimetite. They were white to clear, mostly small crystals;all were on dark matrix from Mexico. Hundreds of samples weresold; the market seems to have absorbed them all; this is actuallya typical circumstance. Samples were highly lustrous and glistenedwhen placed under any type of light. You may already have one inyour collection.

Pyromorphite from Idaho Mimetite from Mexico

Some minerals seem to be stellar examples of misdirection,etc. and, as such, present a collector with perplexing problems;noteworthy might be turquoise. Rarely have I encountered obviousfraudulent specimens within this group under consideration here.I have seen pink fluorite and spessartine samples where additionalsmall crystals were glued onto the matrix to provide a “better”specimen. None of this has, so far, been seen with these species. Inthe event a specimen looks too amazing to believe, examine it withcare for obvious glued connections. A black light may be useful inthis respect. Much has been said regarding fakes and frauds before– you can check on the Internet for a detailed report on this topic.Incidentally, all of the 5 species are good indicators of potentialvaluable ore deposits. Proustite and pyrargyrite are oftenassociated with silver deposits worldwide. Pyromorphite is foundwith lead and even zinc deposits but it only contains lead.Mimetite, which is noted for lead, also contains arsenic. Finally, asthe very name suggests, vanadinite will contain vanadium; it alsohas lead in its formula. Generally, we would consider vanadiniteas a source of vanadium and a minor lead ore.

Vanadinite from Morocco

December 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 9

Topics in GemologyTopics in Gemology is a monthly column written by Diana Jarrett, GG, RMV, based on gemological questions posed toher over the years by beginners and experts alike. Contact her at diana@dianajarrett.com.

What Tucson Tells UsEvery year the faithful and the curious stampede to the dusty

southwest town of Tucson, Arizona in search of what’s new, what’sreally old and what’s just plain odd. Tucson has played host to theworld’s wildest gem and mineral bazaar for decades. When tryingto explain it to those who’ve never gone, one falls woefully shortof doing justice to this unique jamboree.

The legendary souk began back in the 1954 with a small groupof rock hounds who set up a freebie mineral display at a localelementary school. Though making it available to anyone whowould come, they had little hopes of outsiders taking interest intheir shoe boxes full of rocks. But take off it did.

What Are You Looking For?Today, the city of Tucson’s personality is defined by these showsthat have exploded from such humble beginnings. This is the placewhere haute-couture designers find their once in a lifetime Kashmirsapphire the size of a quail egg. High volume manufacturersnegotiate with Brazilian, African and East Asian dealers hawkingdeep quantities of colorful stones cut overseas. Need a fossilizeddinosaur egg? Check. How about an amethyst-bearing geode tallerthan you? No problem. And this time some ambitious dealers evenlugged in huge petrified wood with polished top surfaces so big,they were styled as cocktail tables and sculpture stands.

For the colored stone trade in particular, a couple of thingscontribute to the overall vibe at Tucson each year. First, theeconomic climate dominates the pervasive mood of the focusshows. The hubs are the AGTA Gem Fair held at the TucsonConvention Center, and the GJX (Gem and Jewelry Exchange)bustling across the road in billowy white tents that seem to go onforever. Secondly, gemstone trends that are revealed set the pacefor what merchants will be promoting everywhere for the followingseason.Tucson 2015

This year, veteran dealers expressed a mixed response to theirinventory’s sales. Holiday business was less than stellar for manyretailers. While the effects of the economic free fall of a few yearsback are in the rear view mirror for retailers, there lingerstrepidation about where we are headed given the precarious globalvagaries. Smaller exhibitors selling classic sapphire, zircon, andtopaz in the outlying shows were happy to undercut their

competition who had laid out big bucks for space in theconvention center and nearby tents.

Those at the epicenter of the major events report that theirbuyers knew exactly what budget they had this year and spent nota penny more. So their top goods zipped out of their stock in thefirst two days of the show. Pearl vendors weren’t about to let salesslip away. Next to top -tier goods were tables overflowing withMardi Gras-colored dyed pearls inexpensively priced for theimpulse buyer.Odd, Isn’t It?

An interesting trending pattern that’s been gaining traction forthe last couple of seasons dominated at fashion-forward designersbooths. Both acclaimed haute jewelers and emerging designersalike thrilled buyers with their exotic stones featured prominentlyin their wares. There are a few reasons for such a daring move.These oddities, known collectively as exotic gems—are under-exploited stones that often provide greater margins for designers.That frees up the manufacturer or artisan to concentrate on otherenticing aspects of the design process. More precious metal mightbe used in a piece for greater heft and appeal. Traditionallycoveted accent stones are a great accompaniment to exoticgemstones. If diamonds or emeralds are placed on a piecefeaturing an unusual central stone, the customer immediatelyunderstands that this item merits the value placed on it. Andimportantly, there’s the story. Customers love a great story.Retailers need a great story to begin the conversation withcustomers and hold them spellbound until they have to have thatpiece. Jewelry is all about the emotional connection. How betterto establish that bond than to enthrall a customer with thebackstory of a stones’ origin, recent discovery, or rarity.

Gemstone and jewelry author Renée Newman says that theincreasing interest in rare and unusual gems prompted her tocreate an “Exotic Gems Series” of books. The guides providedetailed information about the gems and illustrate how designersare using exotics to make distinctive jewelry that sets them apartfrom the competition. For example, Exotic Gems, Volume 2, hasa chapter illustrating the wide variety of non-play-of-color opallike blue opal, landscape opal, banded opal, and cat’s-eye opal.Newman spoke about matrix opal and common opal at theSinkankas Opal Symposium co-sponsored by the GemologicalSociety of San Diego and the GIA at the GIA in Carlsbad,California on April 18, 2015.Interpreting the Trends

Newman shares her opinion on this trend. “Each year I’ve

Selection of HUGE Quartz Geodes and Cathedrals, Mostly from Brazil

Pearls (and other Gemstones) were Everywhere!

10 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. December 2015

noticed more designers embracing non-traditional stones in theirhigh-end collections. I think it’s because their customers want toexpand their jewelry wardrobe with new exotic gems.”

Retailers don’t need to abandon their current inventory to hopon the odd-train of gemstone trending. But you may want to expandyour inventory base to provide a wider array of goods for your styleconscious customers. Also, offering your classic goods as a naturalcomplement to exotic gems is another way to finesse thismovement and expand your total sales.

The End of the Universe: Dependent ofGooeyness?By Mario De Leo Winkler,Postdoctoral researcher in astrophysics at UC Riverside

The Big Rip, the Big Crunch, the Big Freeze, it pretty muchsounds like a list of 'big' Hollywood B-movies. Funny as they maysound, these are some of the most fundamental theories for thebeginning and the ending of the Universe.

Viscosity, that sticky, gooey consistency of things, couldactually hold the key for astrophysics to determine how it will allend billions of years into the future.

The Big Freeze, for example, considers that all availablematerial in the Universe used to form new stars will have been usedup; existing stars would eventually burn out. Being the mainproducers of thermal energy, the cosmic eternity would then sufferfrom the cold vastness of space. Black holes, those enigmaticconsumers of everything that crosses their path, will eventuallyevaporate – through a process called Hawking (yes, StephenHawking) radiation – as space becomes a cold living ground.

The Big Crunch, mostly discarded by modern physics,suggests that the gravitational pull of the mass present in theUniverse will bring back everything together again; probablyimploding and creating a new Big Bang, and therefore a newUniverse into life (Figure 1). We currently know that the amountof gravitational pull required for this to happen is not present in ourUniverse.

Since the decade of the 1990s, astronomers discovered that theUniverse is infinitely expanding in an accelerated manner (Figure2), so everything (including atoms) will eventually "rip apart",giving the emerging Big Rip theory its curious name. Thisundeniable accelerated expansion requires that a little over 68% ofall the ingredients that make the Universe is an exotic thing called"dark energy". We know it permeates space, and that we need it toexist in that percentage to create the observed acceleration. Whatit is made of, is a matter of ongoing debate and one of the pillars ofmodern cosmology. It could be underlying constant energy fillingspace or energy varying with space and time.

It is possible, but not very likely, that viscosity could accountfor all the acceleration that has been attributed to dark energy,"said Desconzi in a news bulleting by Vanderbilt University . "It ismore likely that a significant fraction of the acceleration could bedue to this more prosaic cause. As a result, viscosity may act as animportant constraint on the properties of dark energy."

Previous equations and theories suggested that viscositywould prevent the Universe from "ripping" apart. The newformulation by Desconzi-Kephart-Scherrer provides a plausibleway for viscosity to allow structures to just pull apart after acertain threshold is reached.

"In previous models with viscosity the Big Rip was notpossible," said Scherrer in the bulletin. "In this new model,viscosity actually drives the Universe toward this extreme endstate."

Their model uses relativity, allowing for viscosity to work atlight speeds and very large amounts of compression andexpansion. For further analysis and proof, computer simulationsneed to be run, bettered, studied and published to see if theexperiment (numerical simulations) and observations agree witheach other.

Outside Booth Selling Petrified Wood

Figure 1. How the Big Crunch works. [Credit: howstuffworks.com]

Figure 2. Expansion of the Universe since the Big Bang [Credit: NASA/WISE]

December 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 11

Source: Huffington Post Science 07/02/2015

Non-Magnetic Metals Turned MagneticBy Jonathan O'Callaghan

Of the 91 metals that we know to exist, only three are trulymagnetic at room temperature: iron, cobalt and nickel. This posessomething of a problem as we have to rely heavily on theseelements for anything for which we need magnetism, like MRIscanners, computer memory storage and wind turbines.

But what if we could make more of these 91 metals magnetic?That’s exactly what a team of scientists led by the University ofLeeds has been able to do, turning the non-magnetic materialsmanganese and copper magnetic. Although the effect was fairlyweak, the research published in Nature Materials Science is hugelypromising. And they think that the method they used could beapplied to almost any metal.

“Being able to generate magnetism in materials that are notnaturally magnetic opens new paths to devices that use abundantand hazardless elements, such as carbon and copper,” said co-leadauthor Fatma Al Ma’Mari of the University of Leeds in astatement.

“Future technologies, such as quantum computers, willrequire a new breed of magnets with additional properties toincrease storage and processing capabilities. Our research is a steptoward creating such ‘magnetic metamaterials’ that can fulfil thisneed.”

Almost all metals can be made to temporarily respond tomagnetism, albeit some extremely weakly, known asparamagnetism and diamagnetism. But only iron, cobalt andnickel can become permanent magnets, known as ferromagnetism.A common example of a ferromagnet is a fridge magnet.

In the research, very thin layers of copper and manganesewere coated in a layer of organic molecules known as buckyballs,spheres of 60 carbon atoms about one nanometer thick. Doing soremoved some electrons from the metals and allowed them toovercome the Stoner Criterion – which essentially dictates whysome metals are ferromagnetic and some are not.

Coauthor Oscar Cespedes, also from the University of Leeds,told IFLScience that the effect they were able to produce was verysmall. The strength of the magnetic copper was about 10 timesweaker than nickel, and 30 times weaker than iron. Magneticmanganese was about half that.

In addition, the ferromagnetic effect was lost over time asoxidation took electrons from the metals, causing the magnetismeffect to disappear. In this regard, manganese fared better thancopper.

The effect was caused by the buckyballs mixing with theatoms of the metals, so the researchers also found that making themetal film more than a few millimeters thick preventedmagnetism from occurring, meaning that it can’t be scaled up topractical applications just yet. But Cespedes said that it might bepossible to dissolve buckyballs or other molecules that can takeelectrons, such as carbon nanotubes, in the metal by firstliquefying it. This could allow a much larger amount ofnon-magnetic metal to be turned ferromagnetic.

And the applications are numerous. Cespedes in particularnotes that computer memory storage, while it “doesn’t capture theimagination of curing cancer or medical imaging,” could benefithugely and help reduce humanity’s carbon footprint.

“The amount of information we need to store is humongous,”he said. “In the last two years, we have stored as muchinformation as in the rest of our history. So we need to find a wayto store it in a very efficient way, by using materials that do notharm the environment.”

The researchers will now try to enhance the effect, in thehope that some of the numerous practical applications can befulfilled.Source: iflscience.com Aug. 6, 2015

Figure 3. Viscosity, when worked in a cosmological level at speeds close to light havevery interesting properties that can account for the ripping of the Universe.

Figure 4. The Big Rip scenario illustration.

An illustration of copper atoms being magnetized by buckyballs

12 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. December 2015

Five Global Catastrophes That Could Happen By Matthew Blackett

It is an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight, a volcano spewinglava and millions of tons of ash and rock into a blackened sky.Mexico’s “fire volcano”, Mount Colima, recently began erupting… again, a reminder of the spectacularly destructive forces that canbe unleashed by nature.

But dramatic as online footage of this Mexican volcano is, theeruption is a mere trifle compared to some of the little-knownnatural disasters that have been predicted. From supervolcanoes totowering megatsunamis, these catastrophic events could affectmillions – and occur sooner than you think.1. Indonesia’s forgotten supervolcanoThe threat posed to the world by the Yellowstone supervolcano inthe United States is well documented. Less well-known (oracknowledged), however, is that it is just one of many posing acatastrophic threat to the planet.

The Lake Toba supervolcano, on the Indonesian island ofSumatra, is currently home to the largest volcanic lake on Earth,formed 74,000 years ago when it last blew in the biggest eruptionfor 25m years. It is estimated that around 2,800 cubic kilometres ofvolcanic ash and lava were thrown into the atmosphere, 12% morethan was ejected by the last Yellowstone eruption of 2.2m yearsago.

And it may be about to erupt again. As with anysuper-eruption, the vast quantities of ash and sulphur dioxideproduced can have a devastating effect on the global climate. Buta number of factors make the prospect of a Toba super-eruptionmuch more intimidating than one at Yellowstone.

Toba is located on the densely populated island of Sumatra,home to over 50m vulnerable people, and is only 40km from theIndian Ocean in which catastrophic tsunamis (of which we haverecent experience) would certainly be generated. Additionally, in

recent months, reports of volcanic gases and heating of the groundsurface have led to suggestions that the sleeping giant may againbe waking up.2. The Hilina SlumpForget the widely-publicised megatsunami threat that has beenattributed to the potential collapse of the Cumbre Vieja volcanoon La Palma in the Canary Islands. A far greater danger is posedby the possible collapse of the southern portion of KilaueaVolcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. Termed the Hilina Slump,this could drop 12,000 cubic kilometres of rock into the PacificOcean, generating a megatsunami that would propagate aroundthe Pacific Ocean and reach the western seaboard of NorthAmerica in a matter of hours, inundating coastal communities.

There is evidence that a similar collapse at nearby Mauna Loaaround 120,000 years ago generated a tsunami with a run-upheight of over 400m. Even as recently as 1975, movement of theHilina Slump generated a smaller, yet destructive tsunami thatreached California. Given that the slump is continually active andmoving, it might only take a jolt from an earthquake in thetectonically active state to set in motion this catastrophic chain ofevents.3. The North Sea TsunamiThe North Sea may seem an unlikely place for a devastatingtsunami but climate change has led to concern that a submarinelandslide in the region might lead to just this.

There is a precedent. Scientists have suggested that over6,000 years ago, a sharp sea-level rise, attributed to a changingclimate and a rapid melting of ice, added weight to the submarineglacial deposits at the edge of the Norwegian continental shelf,destabilizing them and causing a 300km long landslide. Thisgenerated a tsunami that reached heights of up to 20 metres in theShetland Islands, ten on the Norwegian coast and six metres offthe northern and western coast of Scotland.

Should Earth experience such a rapidly warming climateagain, and experience the associated melting of the Greenlandand/or West Antarctic ice sheets, a similar event might well bepossible which, today, would affect the coastal populations ofScotland and Norway (around 3m) – and perhaps even London.4. The Cascadian ‘Big One’At the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, just off the west coast ofNorth America and running from northern California toVancouver Island, is a subduction zone – a place where thePacific Ocean floor is being forced beneath the North Americanlandmass.

The rate of movement of the ocean floor here is currently just40mm a year but the upper part of the system is currently stuck,meaning that the North American plate is being compressed. Atsome point, the pressure being built up has to be released and thiswill be in the form of a massive earthquake, perhaps up to amagnitude 9. This could cause subsidence of the coastal region ofup to 2m and a possible horizontal displacement of 30m.

Shortly after the intense shaking subsides, the riling coastalcommunity will be struck by a tsunami that could dwarf that ofthe 2011 Japanese wave. Around 7m people live in this region,from Vancouver, though Seattle, to Tacoma and Portland.

How feasible is it? Well scientists have calculated that in thelast 10,000 years, the region has suffered 41 large earthquakes,occurring with an average interval of 244 years – the last was amagnitude 9 and that was 315 years ago.5. An extra-terrestrial threatPerhaps the biggest threat to the modern world is posed by ourown star. Periodically, the sun emits a solar flare, an intense cloud

Mount Colima volcano eruption, 2015.

A waiting game: Lake Tabo Supervolcano. Flickr/SK Ding, CC BY

December 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 13

of energetic photons and particles with the energy of millions ofhydrogen bombs exploding at once. Once released, these cloudsarrive at Earth’s upper atmosphere within a day or two and, inmany cases, most ordinary people on Earth would be none thewiser.

If intense enough, however, a solar storm could devastateelectrical systems both in orbit, for example, satellites, and on theground, as the energetic electrons cause a charge build-up.

One of the largest known events was in 1921, which knockedout the US telegraph service; but scientists have calculated thatshould a similar event happen in today’s technology-reliant society,it could knock out many satellite systems, disabling globalcommunications, the internet and the global positioning system.Chaos could ensue.

The intensity of solar flares varies on a roughly 11-year cycleand fortunately, 2014 saw the most recent peak come and gowithout significant impact. We can only hope that the same can besaid for the future.Source: theconversation.com Oct. 1, 2015

Gems & Gemology Magazine Free!Gems & Gemology is a quarterly scientific journal published

by the Gemological Institute of America. Each issue is devoted toresearch on diamonds, gemstones, and pearls. Topics includegeographic sources, imitations and synthetics, treatments, andidentification techniques. Established in January 1934, Gems &Gemology is geared toward jewelry professionals and gemologists.

The entire 81-year run, 1934 - 2015, 17,183 pages, is nowavailable for free as a single, searchable, 1.3-Gb PDF courtesy ofJoseph O. Gill. It can be downloaded from here:http://www.gemologyonline.com. (Just follow the links.) Becauseof the size, it may download easier of you click on the “pdf” linkon that page, then “save target as,” and specify the documentsfolder where you would like to keep it. It has been found that if youdownload it and open it before saving it, then try to “save as,” itcan jam. Source: M. R. News, August 2015: Notes & News fromthe Editors of the Mineralogical Record.

Birth Date of Earth’s Inner CoreBy Robin Andrews

The inner core of our planet is notoriously difficult toinvestigate, being that it is over 6,300 kilometers (roughly 4,000miles) away from us. The deepest humanity has ever drilled intothe planet is a frankly minuscule 12 kilometers (7.5 miles).Seismologists long ago worked out that the physical properties ofthe core could be determined using the sound waves producedduring earthquakes, but its age is less certain, with estimatesranging from 2 billion to a mere 0.5 billion years old. Today, ateam of researchers led by the University of Liverpool has

narrowed this down, revealing that the age of the inner core issomewhere between 1 and 1.5 billion years old. The study ispublished in Nature.

The inner core is our planet's deepest layer. By assessing thetypes of sound waves that do or do not travel through the core,scientists have worked out that it must be composed of iron andnickel. Not only that, but seismologists are confident that thissphere is slightly larger than Pluto, with a diameter of 2,440kilometers (1,500 miles).

The interaction of the static inner core with the swirling outercore generates the Earth’s magnetic field, which protects life fromdangerous levels of solar radiation. Knowing when the inner coreformed – in an event known as the “iron catastrophe” – couldenlighten scientists as to when this stable, protective magneticfield began to be generated. If indeed the inner core formedaround 1 to 1.5 billion years ago as the authors suggest, then thiswould coincide with the rise of simple multicellular life on Earth,such as red algae, approximately 900 million years ago.

The magnetic field of the Earth changes frequently throughtime, and this record is preserved in specific igneous (volcanic)rocks as they cool down. This ancient magnetism – referred to byscientists as palaeomagnetism – was recorded in the immenseoceanic crust as soon as it emerged and cooled from its respectivetectonic plate boundaries. Scientists in the early 20th century usedthis magnetic record to prove that the planet’s continents used tobe joined together over 200 million years ago before breakingapart.

The authors of today’s study used the same science ofpalaeomagnetism to date the inner core. By painstakinglyanalyzing ancient igneous rocks, they discovered that the Earthexperienced a sharp increase in the strength of its magnetic fieldbetween 1 and 1.5 billion years ago. They suggest that thisoccurred when the inner core began to “freeze out” anddifferentiate from the molten, turbulent outer core.

The inner core’s formation meant that it took many of theheavier, denser elements with it, removing them from the outercore. Consequently, the outer core was left with the less-denseelements, and the molten material began to rise and fall moreefficiently than before. This boosted the Earth’s capacity togenerate a magnetic field, leading to the spike detected by theresearch team.

The team note that this is in sharp contrast to Mars, whichonce had a strong magnetic field. Today, Mars is unprotectedagainst powerful solar radiation, its own magnetic field dying outafter half a billion years. The debate as to why exactly thishappened is still ongoing.Source: iflscience.com October 8, 2015

Solar flare: The sun harbors a hidden danger NASA/SDO/AIA, CC BY

14 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. December 2015

Book ReviewBy Eric Hoffman

Jade (Third Edition)By Fred Ward & Charlotte Ward

Gem Book Publishers, 2015, 64 pp, color illustrationsperfect paperback, 9 x 6 inches, $19.95

By now there are many excellent books on the fascinatingsubject of jade. But it would be hard to find one as informative,entertaining, and beautifully produced as this one.

Fred and Charlotte Ward have been praised for their GemSeries of compact volumes exploring the history, lore, andsignificance of diamonds, rubies and sapphires, emeralds, opals,and pearls. Their jade volume first appeared in 1996, around the

time that Mr. Ward published inNational Geographic magazinewhat is probably the finest“popular” article on jade everwritten. This latest revised editioncontains much new informationand up-to-date photographs.

The story of jade is coveredfrom pre-history all the way up totoday’s top carvers. The confusingstory of how jade was named— itis in fact two different stones— iswell explained. Of course China—where jade has been revered formillennia as the Stone of Heaven— receives an early and thoroughdiscussion. The rebirth of jade

carving in China is also well covered.But other worldwide jade cultures are not ignored. The ancient

Meso-American jade culture is thoroughly treated. The Olmec,especially, were master jade carvers, and there is tantalizingspeculation about possible links with contemporaneous Chinesejade working thousands of miles away.

Australian, Russian, and Maori (New Zealand) jade alsoreceive a chapter each, along with jade from USA and Canadiansources. Canada is now the world’s largest jade supplier. Maorijade is particularly fascinating as those native carvers had no accessat all to metal tools. Some of the finest and most creative jadecarving taking place today is produced by New Zealand carvers,well illustrated in the book.

The Wards conclude with a few pages on buying and caringfor jade. Their warning that “confusion, deception, and fraud arecommon” in the world of jade should be taken seriously.

This is a book you will enjoy reading and will keep forreference, even if you already own an earlier edition. You will alsowant to give copies to friends who love jades and jewelry.Source: ASJRA Online Aug/Sept 2015

The Pink Event in New York CityNatural Color Diamond Association (NCDIA) Launches theGlobal Forum Initiative On Natural Color Diamonds

The Pink Event coincided with the New York viewings of theannual Argyle Pink Diamonds Signature Tender, and certainly ata time where retailers and auction houses have seen unprecedentedsuccess with natural pink diamonds. In response to the $10M pinkstones sold recently at auctions, retailers throughout the world havebeen exploring a full palette of pink diamonds.

NCDIA’s Pink Event featured a special two-part educationalseries on the Rarity and Value of Natural Pink Diamonds andRetailing NaturalPink Diamonds.A t t e n d e e s ,i n c l u d i n g t h ei n d u s t ry’s t o pr e t a i l e r s ,wholesalers anddesigners learnedfrom a distinguishedpanel of industryspecial ists andviewed a dramaticselection of loosen a t u r a l p i n kd i a m o n d s a n dj e w e l r y f r o mNCDIA’s globalmembership. Ther a r i t y p a n e lrepresented perhapsthe most thoroughknowledge of pinkdiamonds ever assembled Josephine Johnson (Argyle), AlanBronstein (Aurora Gems) and Wuyi Wang (GIA, Inc.). “Fromhistory, through mining, science and practical gemology the grouphad an unparalleled breadth of information,” stated Tom Gelb,NCDIA Educational Director.

Moderators for the conference, Rob Bates of JCK and GaryRoskin of ICA, did a splendid job by leading the panels to focuson the latest relevant scientific updates and motivational tools forwholesalers and retailers, and thus help consumers have lessresistance and more confidence in communicating how pinkdiamonds of any size or shade could be an alternative choice to acolorless diamond.” Alan Bronstein – Aurora Gems

“According to Argyle Pink Diamonds, the prices of tenderstones have appreciated by double digits over the past 10 years,behaving more like fine art than regular diamonds. After the 2008financial crisis, when the price of just about everything (includingwhite diamonds) plummeted, the Argyle tender enjoyed some ofits best prices ever, presumably because buyers were seeking hardassets.” Josephine Johnson – Argyle Pink Diamonds

The Natural Color Diamond Association plans to hostinternational conferences in Australia, London, Antwerp, Israeland Hong Kong to build the awareness on the Natural ColorDiamond category. The conferences will discuss a wide variety oftopics from the Market, Rarity and Value, Natural vs. Syntheticand Retailing with color, we are confident this initiative will allowNCDIA to add valuable information to the trade and retailcommunity to build consumer awareness. About NCDIAThe Natural Color Diamond Association’s mission is to educateand promote global awareness and desire for natural colordiamonds. Founded in 2003, NCDIA is a non-profit, membership-based organization that includes some of the world's mostrenowned rough diamond producers, diamond and jewelrymanufacturers, designers and retailers. NCDIA is a prominentvoice as an authority for natural color diamonds whose goal is tostimulate the market with up-to-date, relevant information, andprovide members with opportunities to network, communicate andinteract in trading.

December 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 15

Website Update: NYMC Doodles!By Mitch Portnoy

Starting in 1998, Google started changing their homepage withGoogle Doodles. A Google Doodle is a special, temporaryalteration of the logo on Google’s homepage that is intended tocelebrate holidays, events, achievements and people. Since we nowhave a website with a Home Page and, like Google, our logoappears on it, I thought I would emulate Google with our very ownNYMC Doodles.

I quickly made the suggestion to our webmaster (Joe K) andto the other NYMC officers; all thought it was a great idea for avariety of reasons ranging from website marketing to just plain fun.

After modifying our 20-year old linear, monochromatic logowith some eye-popping color and a more 3-D Subway Garnet, Icreated about 50 NYMC Doodles. At the same time, Joe quicklyprogrammed an interface for me to be able to upload a doodle toour Home Page anytime I wanted.

This now means on any given day, you may see a differentNYMC Doodle with the logo on the Home Page when you visit oursite! These images may be:

Seasonal

Autumn Winter

or Advertise Meeting Lectures

Fluorescence Pink Tennessee Marble

or Commemorate Holidays

Halloween July 4th

or Relate to Current NYC Events

Let’s Go Mets! New Year’s Eve

or Advertise Club Activities

NYMC Banquet NYC Mineral & Gem Show

or Just be Whimsical

NYMC Popsicles NYMC Crop Circle

or Just be Artistic!

Copper Engraving Rainbow

In addition, many of the doodles will be animated or havesome kind of interesting movement to them.

The fourteen doodles pictured here are only a taste of the 50I already created and I am sure there will be at least another 50 bythe time you are reading this. I hope this encourages you to visitour website frequently and enjoy the NYMC Doodle of that day!

If you have any ideas for a doodle or would even like todesign one yourself (within the required guidelines), please let meknow.

16 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. December 2015

Name (s)

Street Address

City State Zip

Home Phone Work Phone E-mailPLEASE!G Send me my monthly Bulletin via e-mail.

G Individual Membership ($25.00) G Family Membership ($35) for:

Please send me a set of the following boxed Note Card Sets (Each set for $6.00 including envelopes):G Thin Sections G Mineral & Gem Bookplates G Jade G Native Elements G Crystallography G RubyG Famous Diamonds G Birthday Mineral Cards G Malachite G Quasicrystals G Quartz G LapisG Amethyst G Fluorite G Garnet G Amber G Sapphire G Pyrite G New York State G PseudomorphsG The NYMC G Einstein G International Year of Light G Mineral & Gem Textures G Emerald G Turquoise

Mail this form (or copy)with your check to:

Membership Coordinator, New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.PO Box 77, Planetarium Station, NYC, NY, 10024-0077

Please Send in Your2016 NYMC Membership Dues!

ForgetForget the hasty, unkind word:Forget the slander you have heard;Forget the quarrel and the cause;Forget the whole affair, because,Forgetting is the only way.Forget the storm of yesterday;Forget the knocker, and the squeak;Forget the bad day of the week.Forget you're not a millionaire;Forget the gray streaks in your hair;Forget to even get the blues -But don't forget

To Pay Your Dues!

Please take the time to send in your2016 NYMC membership dues

if you have not already done so.And get yourself a set or two of note cards —

they make great gifts!

December 2015 Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc. 17

2015-16 Club Calendar

Date Event Location Remarks & Information

December 9 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn Midtown ManhattanSpecial Lecture: John Sanfaçon – “Man-Made Minerals & More”

January 13, 2016 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn Midtown ManhattanSpecial Lecture: Mitch Portnoy – “Pretty inPink - The Joys of Tennessee Marble”;2 Annual Chinese Auction!nd

January 17 (?) Annual Benefit Sale (?) Upper West Side, Manhattan Details to Follow

February 10 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan Annual Members’ Show & Tell

March 9 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn Midtown ManhattanSpecial Lecture: Alfredo Petrov – “Flint from the Netherlands”

April 13 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn Midtown ManhattanSpecial Lecture: Dr. Roland Scal –“Microscopy of Gemstones”

May 11 Meeting at 6:45 Holiday Inn Midtown ManhattanSpecial Lecture: Zackry Wiegand (Artist) –“Subtle Bodies - The Art of Light & Minerals”

June 8 Annual Benefit Auction Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan Details to follow; Online catalog available!

2015-16 Show or Event Calendar

Date Event Location Remarks & Information

November 28-29Morris Museum’s AnnualRock and Mineral Weekend

Morris Museum, Morristown,New Jersey

Sales, Exhibits, Lectures, etc.

March 5-6, 2016Spring New York City Gem,Mineral & Fossil Show

Grand Ballroom, Holiday InnMidtown, New York City

20+ diverse dealers; lectures; wholesalesection (with credentials); Club Booth

April 8-10NY/NJ Mineral, Gem &Fossil Show

New Jersey Expo Center, Edison,New Jersey

Exhibits, dealers, lectures, specialty area

July 27- Aug 1 AFMS Convention/Show Albany, Oregon Article Contest Results; Details to Follow

October 21-23 EFMLS Convention/Show Rochester, New York Article Contest Results; Details to Follow

November 12-13Fall New York City Gem,Mineral & Fossil Show

Grand Ballroom, Holiday InnMidtown, New York City

20+ diverse dealers; lectures; wholesalesection (with credentials); Club Booth

Mineral Clubs & Other InstitutionsIf you would like your mineral show included here, please let us know at least 2-3 months in advance!

Also, 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

George F. KunzFounder

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.orgP.O. Box 77, Planetarium Station, New York City, New York, 10024-0077

2016 Executive CommitteePresident Mitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY, 10024-5203 email: mitchpnyc@aol.com. . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343

Vice President Anna Schumate 27 E. 13th Street, Apt. 5F, NYC, NY, 10003 email: annaschumate@mindspring.com. . . (646) 737-3776

Secretary Vivien Gornitz 101 W. 81st Street #621, NYC, NY, 10024 email: vgornitz@gmail.com . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 874-0525

Treasurer Diane Beckman 265 Cabrini Blvd. #2B, NYC, NY, 10040 email: djbeckman@aol.com. . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 927-3355

Editor & Archivist Mitchell Portnoy 46 W. 83rd Street #2E, NYC, NY, 10024-5203 email: mitchpnyc@aol.com. . . . . . . . . . . . (212) 580-1343

Membership Mark Kucera 25 Cricklewood Road S., Yonkers, NY, 10704 email: mark_j_kucera@yahoo.com. . . . . . (914) 423-8360

Webmaster Joseph Krabak email: joe@americangeode.com

Director Alla Priceman 84 Lookout Circle, Larchmont, NY, 10538 email: priceman.a@gmail.com. . . . . . . . . . (914) 834-6792

Director Richard Rossi 6732 Ridge Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY, 11220 email: rossirocks92@aol.com. . . . . . . . . . (718) 745-1876

Director Sam Waldman 2801 Emmons Ave, #1B, Brooklyn, NY, 11235 email: samgemw@optonline.net. . . . . . . . (718) 332-0764

Dues: $25 Individual, $35 Family per calendar year. Meetings: 2nd Wednesday of every month (except July and August) at the Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan, 57 Streetth

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 openat 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 MineralogicalClub, 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 usageonly 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 MineralogicalClub are not responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of information or information in articles accepted for publication, nor are the expressed opinions necessarily thoseof the officers of the New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Mezzanine , Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan (57 St. & Tenth Avenue), New York Cityth

Special Lecture: John Sanfaçon— “Man-Made Minerals & More”

New York Mineralogical Club, Inc.Mitchell Portnoy, Bulletin EditorP.O. Box 77, Planetarium StationNew York City, New York 10024-0077

FIRST CLASS