` Island Rock Hounds, Inc.
ROCK BOTTOM FACTS April 2012
Website: www.islandrockhounds.org email: [email protected]
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Cheryl Neary (516) 449-5341
VICE-PRESIDENT
Nancy Colburn (516) 334-4398
RECORDING SECRETARY
Peg Stein (516) 796-2876
TREASURER
Nancy Walordy (516) 334-8365
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
Pat O’Rourke (516) 414-2891
MEMBER AT LARGE
Karen Ottendorfer (718) 229 -2189
FIELD TRIPS
Janice Kowalski (516) 319-8883
BULLETIN EDITOR
Cheryl Neary (516) 449-5341
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
SHOW CHAIRPERSON(S)
Cheryl Neary (516) 449-5341
Janice Kowalski (516) 319-8883
DEALER CHAIRPERSON
Nancy Colburn (516) 334-4398
MEMBERSHIP
Janet Zenk (631) 669-1728
EDUCATION
Jonathan Schaffer (516) 721-7448
HISTORIAN
Nancy Colburn (516) 334-4398
LIBRARIANS
Isabel & Howie Katz (516) 378-4809
PROPERTY
Dave Cascio (516) 221-5335
HOSPITALITY (Monthly)
Mary Haugh
Bellmore Memorial Library
2288 Bedford Avenue
Bellmore, NY 11710
(516) 785—2990
President’s Message
Hello Rockhounds,
Aah! The show is over! Now we need to start thinking about
our show next year….. before we know it June 2013 will be
here! (Nothing like rushing things!).
I’m sure you are interested in finding out the results of the
show, which is…. we made a profit- not a large profit but
comparable to other years. I received several phone calls
from people interested in joining our club, and complimenting
our scavenger hunt! So, our mission has been accomplished-
encouraging interest in the earth sciences.
So it is that time of year, actually a little late, when we need to
publish the nominations for the year 2013 Board of Directors.
Please see page 4 for the nomination listing. If you are
interested in any position on the Board, please let the
nominating committee know this month because the elections
are next month. (They say time flies when you’re having
fun!)
Just as a reminder, I will not be at the meeting this month
because I will be in North Carolina at Wildacres. I will
definitely be thinking of you though! So, Janice & I would
like to invite you to a post-show meeting prior to our May
meeting at 7:00pm. Again thanks to all who worked the
show- it could not have happened without you!
Cheryl Neary, President
Would
Inside This Issue
Upcoming Events……………………………….. Page 2
Birthday Wishes/Picnic………. ………………….Page 2
Between a Rock & a Hard Place……………….. Page 3
Tidbits………………………………………………Page 4
On the Road Again……………………………….. Page 5
2012 UPCOMING EVENTS
June 9-10- 10:00-5:00 Celinka Show @Our Lady of Mt. Carmel,
Patchogue¸NY
July 21 Picnic – Hecksher State Park
July 28-29 10:00-5:00 31st Annual Gem, Mineral Jewelry & Fossil Show
Mattituck –Cutchogue High School
August 11 Springfield Bus Trip $39.00/person- Need 50% non-
refundable deposit- See Janice (Host: LIMAGS)
September 8 9-4:00 Toveco-Tripp Quarry
Pegmatite Minerals
(Plan on staying over at least Friday night)
New Hampshire Mineral Collecting
Limit to 1st 22 people – (Host- LIMAGS
September 15-16 EFMLS Convention @ Harrisburg, Pa
S
e
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2
Happy
Birthday
To Our April
Babes! Johanna Kramer Karen Ottendorfer
Picnic Time @
Hecksher State Park!
Saturday, July 21st (Rain date:
Sunday, July 22nd
)
Field 1@ 11:00am
Please note the change in
month!
Plan on bringing chairs and a
dish to share.
Notify Roberta Besso with your
choice of dish @ 631.666.8023!
BETWEEN A ROCK & A HARD PLACE:
A SYNOPSIS OF MARCH’S MEETING:
Tom Gangi lectured us on the process of annealing, the heating of metals to a specific
temperature (till it glows) and then allowing the metal to slowly cool. (See page 4-
Tidbits for more information). NEW BUSINESS:
AS A REMINDER: Please wear your IRH badge at the meetings! We have new members and it would help everyone with matching the names with the faces! Also, as an incentive, if you wear our badge you will be eligible for an additional chance to win the monthly raffle. If you misplaced your badge, the cost of the replacement badge is $1.00. Please speak to Janet Zenk (Membership).
AUCTION:
Please start donating specimens, jewelry, etc. for this years’ auction to be held in the month of June.
Cheryl Neary
Editor, Island Rockhounds Newsletter [email protected]
3
APRIL MEETING: 04/11/12
Member, Marty Besso will demonstrate!
This month’s meeting will be a Hands-on Meeting!
This month we will be making beautiful agate clocks. The cost of the clocks including the stand is
$7.00/ kit. The cost for each member participating is $4.00. Any additional kits will be sold at $7.00
per kit. You do not need any tools to complete this project.
We need volunteers for the Hospitality for the months of May and June. You would be required to
bring to the meeting a cold drink, milk, either vegetable or fruit platters. You have a $25.00 budget.
If we do not get any volunteers we can pick from the hat!
Thanks again to Izzy & Howard Katz for donating the bagels/ rolls /donuts/ and other goodies!!!
At our last meeting we spoke about finding a new home for the library, which the Katz’s have housed
for several years. Due to technology changes over the years, it is now possible to retrieve
information over the internet. Dueto the lack of members utilizing the library, it has been decided that
we will auction the books to members. Beth has volunteered to research the value of the books
(thanks to the internet!) At our June auction, we will be auctioning the books separately- for those
still interested in reading a “real” book. I’m sure many of the books will not be available for the “on-
line” books.
A
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4
Tidbits! FffFFF
Schedule 2011-2012: May 9- Lecture- Tom Caggiano “Trip to Tuscon”
June 13- Annual Auction – Bring your money!!!!!
“April Fools”
The exact origin of April Fools is unknown, however,
many believe it dates back to 1582 in France, with the
reform of the calendar and the introduction of the
Gregorian calendar. If you remember last month I
stated that under the old Roman and Julian calendars
the New Year was celebrated with the onset of spring,
from March 25 - April 1st. The Gregorian calendar set
the New Year to January 1st. In the 1500’s,
communication traveled slowly, with travel by foot.
Many people did not know that the change occurred,
while others refused to acknowledge the change and
continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1st.
The general population labeled those celebrating the
New Year in April as “fools” and began playing
practical jokes upon them, such as sending invitations
to non-existent parties. Over time the playing of
harmless pranks continued on the first of April and the
tradition eventually spread to Great Britain and later to
America.
Today, practical jokes are a common practice on April
Fool's Day, where we amuse ourselves, at the expense
of family and friends, and terminate the prank with
“April Fools!”. Such pranks can be as simple as telling
someone their shoe is untied or their zipper open, a
spot on your face or setting clocks behind or ahead.
April 1st is a "for-fun-only" observance, throughout the
world. Just remember to keep your guard up- you
never know when your are the April Fool!
Annealing- Hot-Hot-Hot Metals comprise approximately ¾ of all
the elements known to man. At room
temperature, a metal is in a solid state.
According to Webster’s dictionary, a metal
is defined as an opaque, crystalline solid
that shows luster. Metals usually are good
conductors of heat and electricity and
generally are fusible, malleable and
ductile. There are many metals used by
jewelers including, copper, tin, lead, zinc,
nickel, iron, silver, gold platinum and
alloys, such as bronze, brass, pewter and
pot metal. To make the metal workable, the
metals are heated to a glowing condition
and then allowed to cool to a working
temperature. This process can be repeated
as often as necessary to complete the
project.
Tom performed a demonstration where he
took a piece of copper wire and set it into a
demo rig. He had Marty add weights to the
bag tied to the end of the wire. The wire
held 4 lbs. Then he had Charlie and Marty
use vice grips to twist and pull on the wire
to harden the metal. The metal snapped at
one end. He reset the wire in the demo rig
and again added weights to the bag. This
time the weight added was 8 lbs. The
demonstration proved that stressing metal
hardens the metal. To work the metal for
jewelry making, the metal needs to be
annealed to return the wire to a more
workable condition.
Nominations:
Board of Directors is the same Slate as this year with the exception of: Corresponding Secretary:
Nomination: Joan Murray
Please speak to one of the Nominating Committee Members if interested in a position on the Board:
Janet Zenk (631.669.1728) ; Janice Kowalski (516-319-8883) or Susan Ciervo-Boyle: (631-724-7476) ein
On The Road Again…… Lewis & Clark Trail
Did you get a chance to do the scavenger hunt? Well if not, I offer the hunt for you on this page!
The rocks are typical of those found along the territories explored by Lewis & Clark. Have Fun!
Crysotile Serpentine – A greenish mineral made of curly and flexible fibers. It is the most
commonly used form of asbestos and has been employed since Roman times. It has been used in
the USA for industrial applications as it is resistant to fire, electric current and caustic
chemicals. It has now been proven that exposure to asbestos has been linked to mesothelioma
cancer, especially inMontana.
Pyrite – Pyrite is often mistaken for gold and, as a result, has been referred to as ―Fool’s Gold‖.
It is a favorite among rock collectors and is abundant in the earth’s crust. Pyrite can easily be
found in many states especially in the northwest states and in California. Its chemistry consists
of iron and sulphur (FeS2) and is primarily used in jewelry under the trade name of
―marcasite‖ and as a mineral specimen.
Rose Quartz – Rose quartz is a pink translucent form of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and is found in
abundance in South Dakota. It is used for making jewelry in the form of cabochons and beads.
It is also widely used in ornamental carvings such as pyramids, spheres, and obelisks. Some
people believe that rose quartz is a symbol of universal love.
Obsidian – Obsidian is the result of volcanic lava coming into contact with water. This process
produces a glassy texture. The iron and magnesium give obsidian a dark green to black color.
This common form of obsidian is found in western states such as Oregon and Nevada. Other
forms of obsidian include Rainbow obsidian, Snowflake obsidian, and small, smooth black
nuggets of obsidian called ―Apache Tears‖. Ancient people used obsidian as a tool and for
weapon making. Today it is primarily used as a semi-precious stone for jewelry.
Jasper – Jasper is an opaque impure variety of quartz usually red, yellow or brown in color. It
is found in abundance in the Northwestern US, as well as other parts of the world. There are
many varieties of jasper such as landscape jasper, picture jasper, poppy jasper and leopard
jasper. This stone was considered to have mystical properties by Native American Shamans who
used it for protection. Today, it is widely used as an ornamental stone and is often cut as a
gemstone to be used as jewelry.
Moss Agate – Moss agate, also known as Mocha Stone, is a semi-precious form of silicon dioxide
(SO2). It is a form of agate which includes minerals of a greenish color embedded in chalcedony.
Despite its name, moss agate does not contain organic matter and is usually formed from
weathered volcanic rocks. It is prevalent in Wyoming and Montana. It is used in jewelry
making often as a pendant. It is also widely used in carving. It is considered by some to be the
most powerful agate and helps to balance emotional energy.
Thunderegg - A thunderegg is not actually a rock. It is a structure, sometimes a nodule,
sometimes a geode. It is prevalent in Oregon and very popular for jewelry making, book ends
and decorator pieces. Unique internal patterns are often banded and filled with opal or
chalcedony and come in a variety of colors. According to Native American Legend, they are
stolen by thunder spirits from thunderbirds’ nests and used to hurl at enemy gods when angry.
This is evident during thunder and lightning storms.
Dendrite – A crystal dendrite develops with a typical multi-branching tree-like formation.
Dendritic crystal growth is illustrated by snowflake formation and frost patterns on a window.
It forms a natural fractal pattern. Dendritic crystals are often mistaken for fossils. They occur
in fissures in rocks and are filled by mineral solutions. They are prevalent in Montana.
Fluorite – Fluorite (also called fluorspar) is a halide mineral composed of calcium fluoride
(CaF2). It is an isometric mineral with a cubic habit. It is found in abundance in the Midwest
(Ill., Ky., Ok.) and is the state mineral of Illinois. The word fluorite is derived from the Latin
word ―fluere‖ which means ―to flow‖ because it is used in iron smelting. It is a colorful mineral
visible in daylight and in ultraviolet light. It is used for smelting, optics (eyeglasses, microscopes,
telescopes) and in toothpaste. Spiritual teachers believe it can be used as a meditative stone to
energize powers of concentration.
Covellite – (CuS) is not a well-known mineral. It is found in Montana. Its iridescent charms can
be captivating when looking at its lovely indigo blue crystals. Its luster is metallic. Its crystals
are opaque to translucent in very thin sheets. It is used as a minor ore of copper and as mineral
specimens.
1. A green metamorphic mineral from the United States (Ca., Co., Az., Pa., &N.J.) and Canada. It has a waxy feel and is a type of asbestos. _________________________
2. A shiny metallic stone often confused with gold. The mineral is nicknamed “Fool’s Gold” and is found in California and Europe________________________
3. A black-gray mineral formed from volcanic eruptions. It is a natural glass and is found in Nevada. Stone age cultures used it to make arrowheads. _________
4. This stone is native to Arizona as well as other parts of the world such as Australia. It is a variety of quartz and is reddish in color. It is often used as a decorative stone. Native American shamans used this stone for protection. ____________
5. This mineral, found in Illinois and Kentucky as well as in the Far East, is generally green but can appear in a variety of colors. It is used in steel-making and in toothpaste.___________
6. A pink mineral from South Dakota which is a popular semi-precious gemstone used in jewelry-making and carving._______________________________
7. A greenish mineral found in Montana and Wyoming that is primarily used in jewelry making and carving._______________________________________________
8. A “tree-like” crystal often mistaken for a fossil.___________________ 9. A “structure” found in Oregon which occurs in the form of a nodule or a geode and
is used in the making of jewelry and book ends. Native Americans believe that it was used by the gods._________________________________________________
10. A little known mineral from Montana prized for its beautiful indigo blue color.__________
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