The HUACHUCA DIGGERS
PO BOX 1596
SIERRA VISTA, AZ 85635
March's meeting is on Wednesday, the 16th at 7PM at Cochise County College. Come and join us. Bring a friend.
According to my Shipwreck Bead catalogue, the birthstones for March are bloodstone and aquamarine. According to Smithsonian Handbook Gemstones, bloodstone is a chalcedony. It is also called heliotrope. It is opaque green with red spots caused by the presence of iron oxides. The red spots were at one time supposed to represent the blood of Jesus Christ. Aquamarine is a beryl. In the 1800's the favorite color was sea green, like its name. Today the favored color is blue, pale or dark. Stone are usually heat treated to enhance the color. The best gem quality aquamarine comes from Brazil.
The Club trip for February was to the Baker Lodge Geode mine. Ron and Julie Burgess sent in a great report. Barbara Fenner sent an article about Baker Eggs. I wish to thank them both. I also wish to thank Patt Kerr and Ingrid Baillie for covering February's meeting for me. Also, please note that we now have a Sunshine Person. Linda Czyzyk has volunteered to be our Sunshine person. She will explain at the March meeting. Thank you all!!!!
MINUTES FOR FERUARY 2005
The meeting was called to order at 7:05PM by Second Vice President Ingrid Baillie. After new members and guests were introduced, the minutes for January were read and accepted. The treasurer's report was also read by Ann Nelson, also accepted. Robin Silverman reported that 100 Club Newsletters were sent out.
Sandy Bates thanked those who brought refreshments for February's meeting and asked for a volunteer to fill her job as Social Chairman. No one stepped up. Next month's refreshments will be brought by Vickie Brown and Linda Czyzyk.
Larry Nelson, Club Show Chairman, reported that the Elks Lodge needs to be measured for layouts for the show. He also stated that it is Elks Lodge, not Elks Club. He wants to stress education, re gems and minerals and scholarships at the show to increase public interest in the Club.
Ingrid Baillie reported that the executive board discussed Huachuca Mineral & Gem Club joining the Joint Service Clubs of Sierra Vista. The dues would be $15.00 per year. Ingrid will represent HMGC at the Joint service Clubs meetings on the first Friday of each month. A sign with our club's name could go up on the board at Buffalo Soldier Trail.
Ingrid Baillie asked for volunteers to comprise a committee to take talks about rocks and minerals to elementary classes. She will distribute flyers to local schools announcing our services to classes. No one volunteered.
The Club is looking for a "Sunshine Person" to contact members who are ill or need support. No one volunteered.
Ron Burgess announced the club's up coming field trip to Baker Ranch in New Mexico. A sign-up sheet is available. Waivers for those going will be available.
First Vice President Bob Fenner spoke about getting sponsors for the newsletter. He said that his dentist was willing to contribute $100.00 for a years worth of advertising - a copy of his business card in our letter each month. Mr. Fenner urged members to ask for sponsorship.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:45PM and was followed by a program on fluorescent minerals given by Joe Pais.
THE BAKER EGG MINE THUNDEREGGS (LITHOPHYSAE)
By: Robert Paul Colburn (The Geode Kid)
Contributed by: Barbara Fenner
The Baker Egg Mine Thundereggs (formerly known as the Baker Ranch agate nodules) are the most colorful agate thundereggs in the world. Some of the hollow crystal lined specimens have very rare quartz crystal encrusted stalactites. The Baker thundereggs are the rarest of world-class agate nodules and geodes.
The geologic name of this species of nodules is Lithophysae. This is the Latin word for rock-bubbles. In Germany and France the term is spelled Lithophyses.
This species of nodule only occurs in rhyolite-perlite lava flows and domes. They are spherulites that happened to develop gas cavities wherever the external pressure was low enough to allow dissolved gas to expand a cavity. Spherulites are considered duds by miners and collectors and are thrown away.
The glassy perlite they were in, easily decomposes to kaolinite and/or other clays when it loses alkali and silica. Spherulites and lithophysae are hardened by silica weathered from perlite. Aqueous solutions of silica are carried to the cavities and deposited as agate, quartz and sometimes common opal or jasper.
There is a very common error of terms among collectors and rock hounds. Somehow, thundereggs became a word that meant solid, whereas geode means hollow. Thunderegg is an American Indian name. The Indians believed that these nodules were missiles cast by the Thunder gods living in the volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. All species of nodules are nodules, whether they are hollow or not. Only when a nodule is hollow, can it correctly be called a geode.
Thundereggs are only found in rhyolitic lavas. For a comparison of different species of nodules, there are the famous Brazilian agates. These are amygdaloids. Amygdaloid means almond-shaped. Many are round or tear shaped and have no shell. There are also sedimentary species known as concretions or septarian nodules and geodes.
HUACHUCA MINERAL & GEM CLUB ANNUAL SHOW NEWS
WHEN: New Dates - OCTOBER 15 and 16th
WHERE: New Location - ELK'S LODGE on Wilcox Ave in Sierra Vista
WHY: The Club can sell food at The Elk's Club and can Therefore make more money. At the college we could Only have the show when the campus was closed so We were very limited for show dates. The Elk's Club has tables. Set up and break down will be much less work.
If you want to see yourself in print, contact me, Ruth Silverman - 457-9249, or at the Club meeting or at any interesting rock pile.
The Huachuca Mineral and Gem Club needs your help. Yes, we need you, the club members, to help the club. Volunteer for refreshments, for trip chairman, for a part in the annual gem and mineral and jewelry show. Get involved, make new friends.