Seraphinite Properties

The mica inclusions give the stone wonderful chatoyancy. The inclusions grow at different lengths, the longer ones give that feather appearance. Other times you get shorter growth patterns in rows that give the mystic forest appearance. The radial growth patterns in this stone are more highly sought after and make for beautiful designs in cabochons.

Finding Seraphinite

Although seraphinite is getting rather scarce to find, it is still available for sale at shows and online. Most of the time you can easily see what you’re getting, as the patterns will be quite visible on the outside. If you are looking for certain patterns and a higher grade, buying pre-cut slabs is the way to go. If you have never cut seraphinite before, know there are some pitfalls with this material. It’s soft and can easily break in the trimming or cabbing process. It also has varying hardnesses, so it can tend to undercut, as well as easily chip on the edges.

Cutting to Enhance the Patterns

When getting started on cutting slabs, there is a general direction to cut. Most of the time you will see radial or partial radial sprays at the bottom portion of the stone. That will give you a grasp of what is top and bottom, so you can cut north to south for your slabs. This will yield the best chatoyant patterns in the stone. I would also suggest cutting your slabs a slight bit thicker than the average stone because of its softness.

This gives you greater odds against it breaking in the cabbing process. Once your slabs are cut, many times you will get two predominant patterns for design. The top portion usually has smaller feather patterns that are tight together. The bottom portion will give you more radial sprays and longer feathery designs. Both sections are great to design cabs with but remember that the solid green areas are harder than the mica inclusions, and will tend to undercut. The lighter the color, the softer that portion.

Cabbing Seraphinite

Once your preforms are trimmed out and you are ready to cab, I would suggest a different routine than cabbing agates or jaspers. I like to start on a worn 80-grit steel wheel, or a 140-grit soft resin, as this material tends to grind away super easily and quickly. Use a soft touch to shape your outside design, then move to a 140-grit or even the 280-grit soft resin wheel to dome the top and clean up your edges and girdle on the cab.

Remember, the lighter the color, the softer it is, so beware when trying to cab thin cabs or long pointy cabs, it can break easily!

Once you have completed shaping and doming the cab on the 280-grit wheel, stop and dry it off thoroughly and be sure you have removed all the scratches by this point. With the mica inclusions running in a certain direction, you will easily see if there are any scratches, as they will stand out going against the feathery sprays.

From this point, start polishing gently on the 600-grit wheel, trying not to put too much pressure on the surface to alleviate any unwanted undercutting. Continue to the 1200 grit wheel and end on either the 3k grit or 8k grit wheel. At this point, it will give you a nice glossy finish where no added polishing compounds are needed.

This story about seraphinite previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Russ Kaniuth.

The post Seraphinite – What to Cut first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Opal is a well-known example of a mineral whose color is caused by a physical phenomenon called “diffraction.” Other phenomena include iridescence, a rainbow effect seen in iris quartz and pearls; chatoyancy, which we see in cat’s-eye stones and some malachite; asterism, which is displayed in star stones; aventurescence, as seen in aventurine quartz and sunstones; adularescence, seen in moonstone; and play of color, or the alexandrite effect, seen in the alexandrite variety of chrysoberyl and some garnets. In every one of these groups, the cause of the color is related to some internal physical structure and not a metallic impurity or element in the mineral’s structure.

Opal Color

For centuries, people tried to explain the play of color seen in many opals. Finally, in the 1960s, we developed equipment that could actually see the internal structure of opal. It revealed a very orderly arrangement of submicroscopic spherules of silica. These spherules and the spaces between them acted as a diffraction grating, spreading light into its various colors. The sizes of these spherules and the angle the light struck them, coupled with the viewer’s angle, determined which color wavelengths were canceled and which ones were reflected. Diffraction of light results in opal’s play of color.

Labradorite Color

A more common mineral that gets its play of color from diffraction is the feldspar mineral labradorite. This mineral can develop in huge formations, resulting in outcrops that give off flashes of color.

Labradorite crystallizes in thin wafers in parallel layers that repeat to form a diffraction grating. This has the effect of separating light into its colors, giving labradorite a play of color that depends, in part, on the angle of the source of light. The thickness of each crystal and each cluster of crystals in their parallel layers also affect which color is seen. Labradorite can flash bronze, blue, green, and in some cases, red or violet in an overall groundmass of gray to blue. It is thought the gray color of the groundmass is due to the scattering of light by the internal structure.

Play of Color

Another attractive feldspar mineral is adularia. Like labradorite, it develops as thin crystals that line up in parallel arrangement and act as a diffraction grating. But adularia does not show a play of color. The twinned arrangement of the crystals simply scatters light. While it can also be shades of gray, pink, peach, green and brown, it is best known for a bluish-white color that is reminiscent of the moon.

Properly cut adularia gives off a cloudy sheen that seems to float throughout the polished stone. We give this lovely form of adularia the name “moonstone.”

Why does adularia have little color, while labradorite is a riot of color? Minerals color variations are because of minor variations in the refractive index of the labradorite crystals involved. In adularia, the refractive indices of the crystals are virtually the same.

Iridescence

Iridescence is described as a play of changing colors on a surface of a mineral. A prime example is the look of oil spread over the surface of water. The oil particles have a different refractive index than the water, and this physical difference results in a play of color.

The most common example of this phenomenon is called “peacock ore”, which is actually the mineral bornite (copper sulfide). A freshly broken surface of bornite quickly oxidizes, forming a thin oxide mineral layer whose refractive index differs from bornite’s and creates a play of color. More subdued examples of this iridescence are seen on some crystal surfaces of pyrite, cuprite, chalcopyrite and hematite.

Pearl Iridescence

Iridescence is what gives pearls their soft, moonlike luster, called “orient.” Pearls are made up of layer upon layer of microscopic crystals of hexagonal aragonite. The refractive indexes of these layers are the same. Colored and black pearls result from inclusions that get into the pearl’s structure.

Mother of Pearl’s lovely shimmer, or glow, comes from the interior lining of shells, which is made up of two different substances: the calcium carbonate mineral aragonite, which forms microscopic hexagonal crystals, and conchiolin, a fibrous protein that forms in layers in parallel arrangement. The parallel fibers of the conchiolin are the key to creating the iridescence we see in mother of pearl, also called “nacre.”

Chatoyancy

When the fibers of a mineral develop in a parallel arrangement, they impart a silky shimmer or glow of light, called chatoyancy, that can be very appealing. You can expect to see this shimmer in a range of minerals. Asbestos is a very common example. When the asbestos is invaded by silica, it can form what we normally call tiger’s-eye, which is a very useful chatoyant gemstone with a silky luster. The invading silica negates the hazard we normally associate with asbestos.

Iridescence Within Stain Spar

One variety of gypsum, called stain spar, also shows iridescence, or glimmer of light. The mineral looks like silk cloth, whose fibers are also arranged in a tightly woven, parallel structure. Another example of iridescence is seen in some malachite. This copper carbonate usually crystallizes in tightly packed needles, which grow in slightly diverging radiating masses. When freshly broken, these near-parallel fibers give off a shimmering green color.

Asterism is seen in minerals like diopside, gem corundum, some moonstones, and several others. In these species, included fibrous crystals of the mineral rutile, in an intersecting arrangement, reflect light in a six-rayed star pattern. This physical phenomenon is what creates rare star sapphires and rubies, which are very valuable varieties.

Cat’s-eye gems exhibit chatoyancy, as well as a single, bright, linear reflection from tightly packed parallel fibers of a second mineral. Lapidaries give these gemstones a slight to strong dome and orient them so that the included mineral, often rutile or tourmaline, runs straight across the curved surface to form a single bright line, much like the vertical iris in a cat’s eye. It is important to know that these included needle crystals are all oriented along just one of the several growth axes of the hexagonal corundum stone.

Hexagonal Minerals

Hexagonal minerals like ruby and sapphire develop along four axes: one vertical “C” axis, from which three axes develop at right angles to the “C” axis, 60º from each other. For a star gem to form, the included mineral orients along the two arms of each horizontal axis to create a six-rayed star.

Chatoyancy is also seen in the cubic mineral gem garnet. The difference is that garnets form in the cubic system so the “star” forms from needle crystals that have oriented along the two horizontal axes that make up the cube form. Only two axes extend away from the single vertical axis, so the four arms of these axes with their parallel, included needles can orient to form a four-rayed star.

Understanding Aventurescence

Aventurescence is another physical phenomenon that involves inclusions. In this case, the inclusions are usually large enough to be visible and are scattered throughout the crystal mass, rather than oriented in a particular alignment. These scattered inclusions act as reflectors that scatter the light entering the host mineral.

An intriguing example of this is the manmade material called “goldstone”, which is glass with copper inclusions that give the glass a bright reddish-gold color.

Aventurescence is named for a quartz variety called aventurine, which is a lovely green color thanks to included chrome mica. These tiny, green flakes, or spangles, are scattered throughout the quartz, giving it a diffused green color of varying intensity that is very attractive.

The most attractive gem that falls into this category is the feldspar variety sunstone. This very lovely gem is found in several places in Oregon and shows a fine orange to red color due to included copper diffused throughout the gem. In some examples, the copper orients within the feldspar so that wisps and feathers of color are prominent in the gem. Sunstone claims in Oregon are occasionally opened to collectors for a fee.

Alexandrite Effect

Finally, the alexandrite effect is seen in very few minerals whose color is based on the type of light source. The chrysoberyl variety alexandrite is the obvious example.

Alexandrite has a light absorption band that, in sunlight, can split light into two different transmission areas. Under sunlight and fluorescent light, some of the blue wavelengths are absorbed, so green becomes dominant. When seen under in incandescent light, alexandrite is red.

As you collect colorful minerals, be aware that not all of them owe their color to a trace element inclusion. This is another area of interest you can pursue as you enjoy our wonderful hobby.

This story about what gives minerals color appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Bob Jones.

The post What Gives Minerals Color? first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Although most people know this material for its beautiful blue color, it also can be found in pink and violet. Dumortierite can be found in various places across the globe, and at times, has been mistaken for sodalite, or lapis lazuli. Some variations that have gorgeous fibrous dumortierite sprays inside quartz crystals are rare. These tend to be very small pieces, usually ranging from one to five carats. Dumortierite is a good material for lapidary beginners to get hands-on experience. It’s available almost anywhere rocks are sold in a good variety of colors and patterns. It’s fairly hard, usually about seven to eight on the Mohs scale. It also cuts fairly easily.

Tips for Buying Dumortierite

When buying Dumortierite rough, the colors usually show on the outside, but it can have a thin brown rind that can be chipped away to expose the inner color. Many times the blues can be mottled with a lot of white. If a certain hue of blue or continual color throughout is needed, it’s best to buy slabs to be certain.

Cutting Rough Dumortierite

When starting out cutting rough, there is no certain direction to load the saw. This is helpful so that it can be loaded in a way that best fits the vice and yield the most material by cutting straight across the entire stone in one direction. Once the slabs are cut, there generally aren’t many fractures in this material. However, it’s always best to bench test before marking up the slabs for preform designs. Either flex the slab in hand to see if it’s stable or lightly tap it against the workbench or ground to see if there are any hidden fractures. This helps to avoid breaking while in the middle of trimming out cab shapes.

Cabbing Dumortierite

Once the preforms are cut and ready for cabbing, be sure to have a dry towel or canned air available to check for scratches along the way. Since towels get damp in a hurry and canned air can start getting expensive, one suggestion is to get a five-gallon air tank with a spray nozzle. It can be continually filled up by a personal air compressor or by a nearby gas station and it will last for quite a while.

Dumortierite tends to quickly show heavy white marks if scratches are still present. I suggest starting on an 80-grit steel wheel to shape and dome cabs and moving to either a 60-grit soft resin wheel or 140 soft resin. This material is fairly hard, so it will take a bit of time to smooth it out and remove all the scratches from the 80-grit wheel. Be sure to dry off occasionally and see if any white scratches are showing.

From this point, move on to the 280-grit soft resin wheel. A white or pale blue haze across the cab is to be expected, but not scratches. Make sure no scratches exist before moving forward. From this point, it’s fair routine to continue cabbing to the 600 grit, all the way up to the 14k grit soft resin wheels.

Finishing Gloss

A 50k grit polishing wheel works great to get an added high-luster gloss. Unless going slow in short increments, it’s not suggested to use polishing compounds on this material. Also, be sure not to allow the material to heat up too much. It can tend to fracture with heat.

This story about dumortierite previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Russ Kaniuth.

The post Dumortierite: What to Cut first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

What is the difference between a mineral and a rock? A rock is an aggregate or mix, of one or more minerals. Here are some fun facts about minerals to enjoy…

René Just Haüy

2022 was the bicentennial of the death of René Just Haüy (2/28/1743 – 6/3/1822). Not a name many of us know, but Haüy was a French mineralogist and is important because he is known as the Father of Modern Crystallography. He studied crystal structure, applied his theories to mineral classification and wrote several books including the Traité de Minéralogie.

To honor him and the importance of minerals in our world, the International Mineralogical Association named 2022 the Year of Mineralogy.

What are Mineralogy & Crystallography?

Mineralogy is the study of everything about minerals including their crystal structure, physical and chemical properties. Crystallography is the study of the structure and properties of crystals.

How Minerals Are Formed

Minerals are formed in four main ways:

• From Magma – Hot, molten lava cools and crystallizes to form minerals such as topaz.
• From Water – Chemicals in saturated water precipitate, or separate, into solids. An easy example is salt, halite, that’s left behind after ocean water evaporates.
• Alteration – As minerals react, slowly or quickly, with their environment they form different minerals. Cuprite forms when it’s exposed to oxygen.
• Metamorphism – Exposure to heat and pressure alters the chemistry of a mineral to become a different mineral such as rubies.

Glorious Gemstones

Gemstones used for jewelry can be considered at the top of the mineral world. They are rare, valuable, popular and prized for their mineral colors which can be quite vivid once they are cut and polished.

FYI – Not all gemstones come from minerals, for example, pearls and amber. Gems can be precious meaning they are the rarest and most valuable. There are only four precious gems; diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Gems that are also popular for jewelry but not as rare are called semiprecious…think amethyst, agate and turquoise.

The rating of precious or semiprecious was made long ago. Today, some semiprecious stones can be worth more than precious stones. Also, it doesn’t take into account scientific classifications of minerals. For example, emeralds are a type of beryl. Aquamarines are also a type of beryl.

Fabulous Diamonds

The word diamond comes from the Greek word adamas which means “invincible.” That’s certainly an accurate description given that diamonds have a Mohs hardness of ten!

According to National Geographic Kids Weird but True Rocks & Minerals, “On Earth’s surface, diamonds are rare. But go down around 100 miles below the surface and it’s a different story. Some scientists have estimated there may be more than a quadrillion tons of diamonds locked in rocks in Earth’s interior.”

This story about celebrating minerals appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Pam Freeman.

The post Celebrating Minerals first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

The rocks that animals consume are called gastroliths which literally translates to “stomach stones.” Gastroliths can be found in a range of animals including birds, reptiles, fish, insects, and even some mammals. Any type of stone can become a gastrolith; it just has to have been swallowed to join that club.

Why Do Animals Eat Rocks – Herbivores

What is an herbivore? It’s an animal that primarily eats plants. (Did you know that rocks and minerals play a role in plant growth?) So why do animals that eat rocks include herbivores? Though animals that eat stones are not all herbivores, those that are, have a special reason to consume rocks. Plant material is made up of cellulose. Cellulose is one of the most abundant, yet hard-to-digest materials found in plant material.

Cellulose is difficult to break down inside the body with only stomach acid. Why do animals eat rocks? Because stones inside an animal’s gizzard help to break this material down further before transferring it to a second stomach for additional digestion. This process smooths the stones over time. Many animals then regurgitate these smooth stones in favor of more jagged ones to help with the breaking down of food.

Why Birds Eat Rocks

Birds are the most common group of animals that eat rocks. These rocks aid in their digestion. Folks who raise birds are familiar with this as many supplement their feathered friends’ diets with grit, which are very small stones with uneven, blunt edges.

Birds don’t have teeth, or stomachs like mammals, instead, have a gizzard which is a muscular mass attached to their version of a stomach. The gizzard is where their food is ground up and mashed with the aid of the stones that they have swallowed.

Most avian consumers of stones are ground-dwelling or flightless birds. Chickens, turkeys, ostriches, and even penguins routinely swallow jagged little rocks while they are out and about foraging for food to help their digestion. Research has found that in ostriches, between one-fifth and one-half of their stomach contents are gastroliths.

These account for about one percent of the bird’s total body mass. It is speculated that the ratios and percentages are similar for other birds too (at least the ones that eat rocks).

There are some flying birds though that have been documented to be stone-eaters.

Crows and parrots are known to eat small rocks to aid their digestion. Some swimming and flying birds like ducks are also known to eat small grit-stones to help them break up their swallowed food. It is very likely that all birds swallow stones in some capacity to help break down their food.

Why Reptiles & Amphibians Eat Rocks

The need for birds to swallow rocks is pretty well understood. The same cannot be said though for reptiles. The prevailing theory for decades was that for swimming reptiles like crocodiles, swallowing rocks helped with their buoyancy. Given that they like to hover just below the water’s surface, this might be a plausible reason. A bellyful of rocks could help weigh themselves down enough so they don’t float all the way up to where they can be easily seen by their prey.

Much recent research about why do animals eat rocks, however, has suggested other hypotheses for this behavior in reptiles. Scientists have found that gastroliths make up less than two percent of the body mass of reptiles. They calculate that for the gastroliths to have the previously believed effect of achieving buoyancy, that number should be more than six percent of the animal’s body mass. The act of breathing, filling, and emptying their lungs with air, has more of an effect on buoyancy than the two percent of their body weight comprised of stones.

Current speculation about why do animals eat rocks is that the swallowed rocks help to stabilize the reptiles’ bodies in the water, reducing the tendency to roll from side to side. Though not reptiles, frogs eat rocks too.

Like birds though, the hypothesis is it helps them break up the insects they eat to get more nutrients from them. Earthworms are another animal that consumes rocks. Their internal digestive muscles, along with teethlike structures known as “grinders” break up plant material so that nutrients can be extracted from them.

Why Do Animals Eat Rocks – Sea Life

A variety of sea life eats rocks. Fish, clams, seals, and even whales are known to eat rocks, though in some cases it is believed to be inadvertent. Like crocodiles, it was once thought that sea lions, seals, walruses, and whales swallowed rocks to make diving easier.

Like other hypotheses that have arisen in recent years, the thinking for these sea creatures is that since many find their food on the ocean floor, they inadvertently scoop up rocks while scooping in on their food. This is seemingly more probable than swallowing rocks to help them dive.

The problem with the rocks as a diving aid hypothesis is that they would have to swallow huge rocks to make a difference. There is no evidence that they seek out and swallow big, heavy rocks.

Several species of bottom-feeding fish are also known to eat rocks, though again, it is not entirely known if this is intentional to aid in digestion, or accidental consumption while grabbing food off the seafloor. Other possibilities have arisen to explain this phenomenon in swimming mammals.

Alleviate Hunger

It is possible that some of these, and possibly other animals that eat rocks, do so to help alleviate hunger. Taking up space in their stomachs could potentially make them feel more full. Another conjecture is that they, like birds with their gizzards, swallow rocks to help their digestion (sans gizzard) and to break down the wide range of items that they may accidentally swallow.

One of the more unusual sea-dwelling rock eaters is a type of clam found in the Philippines, Lithoredo abatanica. The name roughly translates to “rock shipworm from the Abatan River.” Many would not recognize this animal as a clam.

It is fattened, worm-like, translucent, at least four inches (10 cm) long, with a shell complete with shovel-like projections. It is not akin in either appearance or bloodline to the familiar Quahog or Atlantic type of clam, but instead is a member of the shipworm family. These clams eat wood, but the newly discovered Lithoredo abatanica eats limestone, not wood. It burrows into rock and excretes sand. It is not yet known if these creatures actually derive any nutrition from these rocks.

The consumption of gastroliths by animals is a more common practice than most people would realize. Whether it be for digestion (with or without a gizzard), buoyancy, diving, deriving minerals, or feeling full, it is a widely practiced behavior in the wild animal kingdom. The next time you see a small, unassuming, round stone on the ground, it may well have been on quite a journey inside of any number of animals before finding itself at your feet.

This story about why do animals eat rocks previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Chris Bond.

The post Why Do Animals Eat Rocks? first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Sapphire

One of the official state gemstones of Montana, sapphires hold a special place in the Treasure State where they are readily found. Sapphires and rubies are both corundum, an aluminum oxide mineral typically found in crystalline form. The only difference between the two is the presence of chromium. If the corundum is red, it’s ruby. Otherwise, it’s always a sapphire.

One of the most desired types of gemstones, the most well-known sapphire hue is deep blue, but these gemstones are found in pink, green, violet, orange, purple and even brown. When they’re not blue, they’re referred to as fancy sapphires. These colors are because of the varying degrees of chromium, titanium oxide and iron within the stones. Sapphires also possess a trait called asterism where needle-like inclusions create the appearance of a six or twelve-patterned star. Beyond this unique characteristic appreciated by faceters, sapphires have a Mohs Amy Grisak; Getty Images/Science Photo Library value of nine, just below a diamond, making them extremely durable and an excellent choice for jewelry.

Tiger’s Eye

This distinct gem has a long history of fending off the “evil eye,” with its resemblance to a cat’s eye. In gemology, this trait is called chatoyancy, a French term meaning “shining like a cat’s eye.” When there are crocidolite (blue asbestos) fibers within cabochon-cut gemstones running parallel to each other, the rounded surface allows the light to reflect in a way that gives the tiger’s eye its signature look. Originally, scientists thought this phenomenon occurred when the crocidolite within the stone was changed by iron oxide and replaced with silica. But even though the coloration comes from this process, some researchers believe it’s actually crocidolite inclusions within columns of quartz within the stone that form the distinct paralleling nature.

Regardless of how it formed, tiger’s eye is a favorite gem for tumbling and with a Mohs value of seven, it’s a versatile stone for a multitude of uses. While it’s a ubiquitous stone these days, in the 1870s a single carat of tiger’s eye was worth an ounce of gold.

Unakite

Unakite is a terrific example of when a gemstone is a true rock as this beautiful pink and green specimen is a composite of metamorphic rocks including orthoclase, epidote and milky quartz. It’s formed during hydrothermal metamorphosis when the epidote replaces the silicate minerals, primarily plagioclase, within the granite. The epidote is green within unakite, while the pink orthoclase feldspar and quartz create the colorful speckling.

First found in the Unakas Mountains of Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee, it’s sometimes found in the rivers of the region, along with the beaches of Lake Superior where glaciers deposited the metamorphic rocks. With a Mohs rating of six to seven, unakite is among the types of gemstones that tumble well. It has been used to make small sculptures or is cut for jewelry. As eye-catching as it is, unakite is also valuable in construction on many levels, including being used as trim along the front steps of the south entrance of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. It is also sometimes used less visibly as crushed stone in highway construction.

Vesuvianite

Sometimes called idocrase, vesuvianite was originally found along Mount Vesuvius in Italy, which buried the nearby inhabitants of the city of Vesuvius on August 24 in 79 AD, ironically during the festival of Vulcanalia, the god of fire. In the world of gem cutting, vesuvianite often refers to the rough stone, while the faceted gems are called idocrase.

Regardless of the name, this is a calcium-aluminum-silicate mineral that forms in a tetragonal structure. Its most popular colorations range from yellowish green to brownish or olive green, although there is a blue version called cyprine that derives its color from trace amounts of copper. With a Mohs value of six, vesuvianite isn’t a very hard stone and is often used for larger jewelry and sculptures. In its green coloration, it’s sometimes mistaken for other types of gemstones like peridot, although vesuvianite is far rarer.

White Topaz

While topaz is found in practically the entire color range, the white topaz is the clear version and boasts a similar appearance to a diamond. Outside of cost, there are distinct differences between the two types of gemstones. Topazes and diamonds are closely alike in clarity and color, but brilliance is where diamonds shine. Hardness is another determining factor. Diamonds reign supreme rating at Mohs 10, while topazes register as a Mohs eight, considerably less durable with a greater risk of scratching.

Topaz is created when water and magma react during the metamorphic process creating pegmatite featuring natural topaz that is typically initially clear. While the wide variety of colors is because of impurities, such as chromium replacing the aluminum within the stone, white topaz is the gem in its purest form. Specific hues are also created with heat, irradiation or the application of metal oxides to enhance colors. Topaz also exhibits pleochroism where the gem exhibits different colors depending on its angle, although the white topaz tends to remain consistent in its coloration.

Xenotime

On occasion, there are types of gemstones cut from this rare earth mineral, often found in yellowish-orange to reddish-brown hues, although high enough quality stones to facet are rare.

Like topaz, xenotime is found in pegmatite formations, as well as igneous rock and gneiss. Uranium and thorium are often found within this stone, creating natural radioactivity, although it is more commonly seen as a source for the transition metal yttrium, which is used as an alloy in the production of camera lenses and lasers. Its name is derived from the Greek terms for “vain” and “honor” in an early scientist’s snarky rebuke of another. Initially, Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius believed he discovered a new element within the xenotime. This turned out to be the already known yttrium, which prompted mineralogist François Sulpice Beudant to throw down a bit of shade on the claim.

Yellow Kunzite

True gemologists might shudder at the inclusion of yellow kunzite in this types of gemstones list, but it’s an example of when marketing can be misguided. As a rule, kunzite is a pink to light purple variety of spodumene, a lithium-rich mineral found, once again, in pegmatite formations. Manganese gives kunzite those attractive colors. When the gem is yellow, it’s typically just called yellow spodumene. The name change might be a matter of one word sounding more appealing than the other, but it is still misleading as kunzite implies a specific hue. With a Mohs value of six and a half to seven, it is not a very durable gemstone, but it’s possible to find specimens of 20 carats or more. Spodumene, in general, is an important source of lithium, which is critical for car batteries, phones and medicine. It is mined in Afghanistan, Pakistan, California, North Carolina and South Dakota.

Zircon

Not to be confused with the synthetic cubic zirconia, zircon earned its place as a popular gemstone 2000 years ago. Found in sand and as part of many of the rocks throughout the world, zircon is one of the oldest minerals on earth. Because of its uranium content, scientists in Australia dated it back 4.4 million years. Not all zircons are radioactive, but those that are can be heat-treated to stabilize the integrity of the stone by slowing the degradation of the crystalline structure. In their natural form, zircons are found in colors ranging from clear to yellow, green, purple, brown and grays, which are typically caused because of radiation or impurities. Blue zircons, which have been popular since Victorian times, are created through heat treatments.

This story about types of gemstones by letter appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Amy Grisak.

The post Types of Gemstones By Letter (S-Z) first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

This is the first in a three-part series also covering types of gemstones with the letters J to R and types of gemstones with the letters S to Z.

What is a Gemstone? The definition of a gemstone isn’t quite as precise as the faceted beauties it describes. In general, when minerals, and sometimes organic materials such as amber, are cut and polished to create jewelry, we call them gemstones. There are nuances and outliers because some types of gemstones are too delicate to be worn, but most people in the gem world accept this general concept. To further clarify, types of gemstones are divided into “precious and semi-precious” stones with only diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies encompassing the precious category. Everything else falls into the semi-precious zone, although this doesn’t necessarily imply inherent modern value or desirable characteristics. Regardless of the classification, there’s no question that when we can bring out the inherent beauty within these stones, it is something to be truly prized.

Agate

Agate is a silica-based mineral and is a popular semiprecious stone because of its attractive coloration and banding. Reportedly discovered by Greek philosopher Theophrastus roughly 2500 years ago, early people throughout the Middle East, Russia, and Greece used agates to create ornaments. According to research by the Bureau of American Ethnology, Indigenous People utilized them in much the same way.

Agate is a chalcedony, which is a type of cryptocrystalline quartz. Like many stones in this category, it’s created when groundwater seeps into the igneous rock where silica deposits form concentric layers within the rock cavities and crevices to create the telltale banded patterns.

The wide variety of colors, ranging from brown, black, white, red, gray, pink and yellow, are because of impurities in the groundwater. With a seven on the Mohs rating, agates are on the upper end of the hardness scale. This makes this translucent stone a favorite for rock tumbling. It’s often used for jewelry as well.

Bloodstone

An opaque, dark green type of gemstone, bloodstone features distinctive orange to scarlet red splatters that look like blood at first glance. This is the telltale signature of this traditional birthstone for March. The more modern birthstone choice is aquamarine.

Bloodstone is also called heliotrope, a name derived from the Greek helio meaning sun and tropos meaning toward the sun. If you garden, you’re familiar with heliotrope plants that turn toward the sun as they grow. This name indicates how the stone reflects the light. Along with legends of healing powers, bloodstone is also known as a protective stone. People will often wear or carry bloodstones to keep threats at bay.

The minerals chlorite and amphibole are responsible for the deep green coloration while iron oxide inclusions create the blood-red speckling.

Carnelian

Carnelian is one of the least expensive chalcedonies, the translucent yellow-orange to rich amber or even reddish-brown gems darken when heat treated. This includes the heat of the sun, so it’s best to keep your stone out of the sun to keep the color true. Iron is responsible for the red coloration and it’s what oxidizes and deepens when exposed to heat.

Carnelian is sometimes confused with jasper, although jasper is a type of gemstone that is typically a deep red and is opaque, rather than translucent. Plus, jasper often exhibits banding patterns on its surface appearance.

Carnelian is found throughout the world with some of the highest quality stones found in Scotland, Brazil and Washington State.

Even though it’s relatively inexpensive, many so-called carnelians are dyed and heat-treated agates. To determine if a carnelian is real, hold it up to the light. If it’s a natural carnelian, it looks cloudy. If it’s a heat-treated agate, it will most likely show striping.

Dumortierite

Although colors range from brown, green, and the rarer violet and pink, the eye-catching denim blue of this type of gemstone is probably the most popular with gemstone enthusiasts.

An aluminum boro-silicate mineral, dumortierite occurs in regions of high metamorphic activity that are also rich in aluminum and boron. Manganese, iron, and sometimes zinc inclusions, are responsible for the blue coloration.

Dumortierite was first described in 1881 after being found in the French Alps. It was named for the French paleontologist, Eugene Dumortier.

Dumortierite has a glassy (vitreous) luster. Its fibrous nature creates fine, almost hair-like radial crystals within the structure. The blue variation is sometimes mistaken for lapis lazuli, but dumortierite is typically a deeper blue or violet, plus lapis lazuli sports white or gold metallic flecks because of the pyrite within it.

Dumortierite quartz is quartz with inclusions of dumortierite.

Emerald

The birthstone for May, emeralds are a type of gemstone that earns their place as an adjective to describe a particularly intense green. The name is derived from the Greek word smaragdos, meaning green stone.

Created in metamorphic rocks when hot magma flowed over and through the crevices of limestone and shale, emeralds are a beryllium aluminum silicate. Although emeralds are a type of beryl, not all beryls are emeralds. While green beryl is still green, it’s distinctly lighter.

Chromium oxide is responsible for the emerald’s deep green. Other gems, such as peridot and tsavorite garnets, are also found in green hues but not with the same vibrancy. Registering 7-8.5 on the Mohs hardness scale and forming in hexagonal crystals, emeralds are long favorites for precious jewelry, but fakes abound. To determine authenticity, inspect the stone with a 10X loop. Flaws and inclusions, particularly a small crystal within the stone, indicate a natural emerald. Air bubbles or even a “too perfect” stone are tell-tale signs that it is not real.

Fluorite

Made of calcium fluoride, pure fluorite is colorless, yet samples are commonly found in shades of purple, golden-yellow, green, blue, pink and brown. These types of gemstones are translucent to nearly transparent with attractive banding. The term “fluorescence” became part of the terminology when physicist Sir George Gabriel Stokes was working with fluorite in 1852. Although fluorescence doesn’t consistently occur, fluorite is known to glow when there is the presence of uranium, yttrium and other rare earth elements. It often emits blue, although yellow, green, white and red shades are possible.

Also called fluorspar, it’s been produced in Illinois since the 1800s and is the state mineral. Often forming in cubic crystals, it is popular for jewelry but has a wide number of commercial applications ranging from an ingredient in ceramics to a flux used in refining metals.

Garnet

Many people picture garnets as red stones, but these types of gemstones are also found in shades of orange, pinkish-orange, green, reddish-purple, colorless and even blue and green, albeit these last two are rarer.

Garnets are formed when aluminum-laden sedimentary rock is metamorphosed. Garnets are one of the most widespread types of gemstones throughout the world. While the bulk of garnets is mined for industrial applications, it’s one of the oldest known gemstones and has been used for ornamental purposes for 5000 years. Historical evidence shows stones within the necklaces of pharaohs. Garnet signet rings were used by Roman leaders to seal documents.

Sometimes mistaken for a ruby, garnets are usually a darker red with brownish tones. When it’s held up to the light, yellow bands are often visible in a garnet while a ruby will be clear.

Hematite

Consisting of 70 percent iron, hematite is one of the primary ores of iron. Fortunately, it is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth. According to NASA, it’s also the most abundant mineral on Mars. The iron-rich environment is why Mars is dubbed the “red planet.”

Named as far back as 300-325 BCE, hematite is derived from the Greek haima, meaning blood. These types of gemstones are found in colors ranging from rust-red, brown, steel-gray to black, it always leaves a red streak when scratched on a scratchpad.

The distinct reddish hue has been used in artwork from the earliest cave paintings. It was a key pigment for Renaissance artists creating paintings with canvas and oil in the Middle Ages. Besides its importance as an ore for iron and in art, it effectively stops radiation making it useful in shielding applications. Plus, it creates a beautiful tumbled stone for those who love to collect them.

Iolite

This beautiful violet-blue stone was the secret to the Vikings’ success in crossing the ocean as they looked through a thin iolite specimen to determine the position of the sun on cloudy days. The key to this unique quality is called pleochroism where different colors are visible at different angles. For example, a piece of iolite may have the classic violet-blue hue on one side, but when it’s turned over, it appears yellow or clear.

A silicate of aluminum, iron and magnesium, iolite (also known as the mineral cordierite) is created in metamorphic and igneous rock formations. Derived from the Greek word ios meaning violet, some iolite is blue enough to look like a sapphire. Some speculate this quality is because of the presence of titanium, although iolites are easily distinguishable because of pleochroism.

This story about types of gemstones appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Amy Grisak.

The post Types of Gemstones By Letter (A-I) first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Jasper

Jasper is found throughout the world. This chalcedony is a cryptocrystalline form of silica. Jasper types of gemstones come in colors ranging from green, red, blue, orange, yellow and brown. The colors are because of impurities such as ash, clay or minerals within the stones. Iron typically creates the reddish hues, while manganese oxide is responsible for blues, and inclusions of iron oxide or the mineral goethite create the yellows.

Many times there are types of gemstones with examples of various inclusions, such as with the bloodstone jasper, where chlorite and pyroxene cause the deep green, while iron is responsible for the red speckling. Jasper’s name is based on the French word “jaspre” which came from the Latin “jaspidem” meaning “speckled stone.” This is fitting because when polished, jasper has a speckled pattern seemingly just below the surface.

Kunzite

The best-known variety of spodumene, kunzite is the pink to purple version of this important mineral that is still sometimes mined for lithium production. Kunzite boasts beautiful pink or purplish hues because of the presence of manganese, while chromium creates the greens of another variety, hiddenite.

A fascinating aspect of kunzite is its pleochroic attributes where it displays different colors, such as a combination of pink, purple and transparent, depending on which way you look through the crystal. This is a key consideration when cutting the gem. It also has phosphorescence, which allows the stone to absorb light and then release it in the dark, as with any of our favorite glow-in-the-dark items. The drawback is excessive exposure to sunlight fades its beautiful colors.

With a Mohs rating of 7, eye-catching colors, and the unique characteristics of pleochroism and phosphorescence, it’s even more intriguing to know that large crystals are possible with the best example being an 880-carat heart-shaped kunzite housed at the Smithsonian.

Lapis Lazuli

The beautiful deep blue lapis lazuli is an example of when a gemstone is not a mineral. Instead, lapis lazuli is a rock consisting of multiple minerals, including lazurite, calcite, pyrite, afghanite and several others.

To be considered true lapis lazuli, the rock has to contain at least 25 percent of the mineral lazurite that lends to the distinct blue coloration. Calcite is usually the next most prevalent mineral which often shows up as white layers or mottling. Pyrite provides the shiny gold flecks in some specimens.

Afghanistan is the hotbed of lapis lazuli. There are records of it being mined in the Badakhshan Province of the northeastern part of the country as early as 7000 B.C. The name is derived from the Arabic word “lazaward” meaning “heaven” along with the Persian term for blue, “lazhuward.” In ancient times, Egyptian women also used powdered lapis as an eye shadow. And even in the 1800s, powdered lapis was used to create ultramarine blue paint used in oil canvas paintings, such as Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night.”

Malachite

A vibrant green gemstone with distinct parallel banding, malachite is a striking specimen and its popularity for thousands of years is no surprise. Derived from the Greek word meaning “mallows,” this correlates to the deep green of malachite with the color of the mallow plant’s leaves.

The gem color is derived from the copper carbonate hydroxide minerals often found in regions near copper deposits. Because malachite is a fairly malleable oxidized copper ore, it’s possible to extract copper from it using sulfuric acid.

The Egyptians also figured out how to remove the copper by placing powdered malachite in a hot fire, which resulted in tiny spheres of copper as a by-product. They used this copper to make cookware, and razors and eventually created stronger bronze by adding arsenic or tin. They also used finely ground gemstones as a distinctive eye paint. Besides adorning the appearance of ancient Egyptians, malachite is one of the oldest known pigments and was identified in the artwork of Egyptian tombs.

Natrolite

Typically found with slender, needle-like crystals protruding from the crystal, natrolite is an eye-catching specimen. It’s difficult to imagine such a fragile-looking stone cut and polished into impressively faceted gems, although high-quality gems are truly rare. Not surprisingly, it’s sometimes called needle stone.

Natrolite leans toward a colorless appearance but can be found in white, light yellow, green, orange, pink, brown or gray. When it’s placed under either longwave or shortwave ultraviolet light, it glows in yellow, orange and sometimes pale green.

A member of the zeolite group, which are hydrated aluminosilicate minerals, the name comes from the Greek words for soda and stone, “natron” and “lithos.” It was officially named by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth in the early 1800s. Natrolite is found in regions where there are veins of basaltic rocks, along with granite and the igneous rock, gneiss.

Onyx

While onyx and agate are both types of chalcedonies and share many similarities, one way to tell them apart is to look at their banding. Agate sports curved bands and onyx has straight, parallel banding. When many people envision onyx, they think of a black gem but is often found in red, brown or yellow, which is called sardonyx. Red and white layers are usually what is referred to as carnelian onyx, while Nicolo onyx has light blue layers alternating with black.

Since ancient times, artists have created intricately carved cameos. Black onyx grew in popularity during the Victorian Era when mourning jewelry was an integral part of society. After Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert passed away in 1861, she and all of the British Empire descended into mourning. Besides onyx, jet, vulcanite and even black enamel were used in the adornments. Many included personal mementos, such as hair, woven into the locket or watch fob.

Peridot

Peridot is the gem variety of the common mineral olivine and one with a unique origination story. Unlike many other minerals that form on the Earth’s surface, peridots are birthed either deep within the Earth’s upper mantle where they are brought to the surface through volcanic activity, or deposited by meteorites.

Because of this relationship with volcanoes, Hawaiian legend claims that peridot symbolizes the tears of Pele, the goddess of volcanoes and fire. It is so intertwined that there are several beaches on the island of Oahu that are made up of green sand that glitters with these tiny green crystals. Its distinct coloration is because of the percentage of iron in the formation of the crystals, yet can vary to the point where the stone looks more yellow, olive or even greenish-brown.

The ancient Egyptians referred to peridots as the “gem of the sun,” and some experts surmise that Cleopatra’s famed emeralds may have actually been peridot gemstones.

Quartz

Quartz might not only be one of the most abundant minerals found on Earth, but it is also possibly one of the most useful as it is found in everything from glass to electronics, and has been critical in the mining industry. One fascinating aspect of quartz crystals is their vibrational ability.

As a piezoelectric material, quartz creates an electrical charge when it’s squeezed. As a result, it vibrates 32,768 times per second, and for nearly a century, quartz crystals have been used in watches, computers, GPS units and a remarkable number of everyday items. Found in several varieties, types of gemstones include rosy quartz, smoky quartz and amethyst, quartz is as diverse as it is beautiful. The coloration differences are often due to natural radiation reacting with specific minerals within the quartz. For instance, iron is responsible for the purple hue of amethyst while aluminum creates the gray of the smoky quartz.

Ruby

The terms “ruby” and “red” are practically synonymous, or at the very least, ruby is often used as an adjective to describe types of gemstones with a particular shade of color. Its name comes from the Latin word for red, “ruber.” Bringing the highest per-carat price of any of the colored stones in the modern market, rubies shine among the corundums, which also include sapphires. Like sapphires, they score high on the Mohs scale ranking just below a diamond.

Pure corundums are colorless, but chromium causes the striking red coloration of rubies. The deeper the color, the more chromium is present. This element also causes rubies to glow under ultraviolet light. Because of rubies’ chemical composition, the first working laser, called the ruby laser, was created in 1960 by Theodore Maiman. One of its first uses was in range-finding equipment, but the technology is used to this day as a light source for medical procedures or high-speed photography.

As this list demonstrates, types of gemstones go well beyond only beautiful objects. The myriad of important day-to-day applications for gemstones gives us a deeper appreciation of what might be considered common gems.

This story about types of gemstones by letter appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Amy Grisak.

The post Types of Gemstones by Letter (J-R) first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Starting a Rock Store

Isobel Medley was an only child and was raised in the early 1920s on a prairie farm in Carberry, Manitoba. She attended a one-room school with one teacher for first through 12th-grade students. Isobel developed a strong interest in rocks and geology in those formative years. She eventually moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1945 she married Al, for whom she waited eight years for his return from the War. She became the mother of three children while studying geology. Her love of rocks ultimately inspired her to open a rock store.

The Fraser Rock Shop opened in 1960 and it became the place her daughter Velma spent most of her childhood every day after school. Velma holds many fond memories of her experiences there. For instance, the original shop was located next to a Chinese market – one that Velma frequented when the fresh produce was being delivered. She remembers the shop had an apartment upstairs and she often played with children who lived there.

Quickly though, the shop grew and needed more space. Isobel had visions of a larger shop and space to teach classes. Velma recalls that this move, also on Fraser Street, brought the shop closer to her middle and high school. Growing up in a rock shop, Velma developed skills that helped her throughout her life – listening, providing for each customer, public speaking, asking questions and developing relationships that lead to lasting clients. In those years, Velma didn’t realize just what a skilled lapidary her mother was.

Isobel was a lifelong learner and pursued lapidary skills that reflected her expertise and experience, and Velma learned those same skills.

A Family Affair

The Fraser Rock Shop may have been Isobel’s brainchild, but it was really a family affair. Velma recalls her father Al being an active part of shop operations. He was a career business agent and traveled during the week, but on weekends he was involved in cutting larger rocks — Brazilian agates, jades and petrified woods to name a few. Eventually, their mutual interest led Al to purchase a jade mine with a partner. Helicopters were needed to fly to the Birkenhead Jade Mine in the interior of British Columbia where huge, on-site saws were used by her father to cut pieces of jade which were later sold in the rock store.

Velma recalls that family vacations included spending time rock hunting. “It didn’t matter what direction we were traveling; we were always looking for rocks,” Velma explained. She still has a jar of opals she collected in Mexico on a family adventure. Trips also provided insights into how stonework was done in other parts of the world. For example, Velma remembers antiquated tools in use in Mexico and a stunning European trip where they observed rocks being cut by lapidary artists lying on their stomachs.

Rock Store Adventures

Growing up in the rock shop seemed natural to Velma. She didn’t realize how uniquely special it was until high school. Velma had many wonderful experiences working alongside her mom. For instance, she recalls her mom announcing her participation in a local children’s television program called “Show and Tell.” Her mom thought it would be a great experience for her and suggested she speak about thunder eggs.

Thundereggs are found in Oregon and are formed in rhyolite lava. Customers to the shop found them to be interesting – and would choose one to cut with a diamond blade saw to reveal their internal patterns and colors. “I was feeling mortified, scared and nervous,” Velma said. “Mom stayed focused on the positives and I being obedient and not wanting to let her down, agreed to participate.” While Velma doesn’t remember the filming beyond the gentleman who took her through it, the experience was an opportunity to learn and grow.

Another time Velma recalled waiting on a young, handsome man with curly blond hair. He wanted to have a special pendant made for his fiancé at the time. Her mother cut and polished the stone, setting it to his preselected settings. Later they learned that this young man was the Canadian musician Terry Jacks, famous for the song Seasons in the Sun.

Developing Clients

Slowly, Velma developed clients of her own. She worked for a visually impaired gentleman who paid her to polish the stones he would give as gifts. Velma’s mother tasked her with teaching a legally blind girl to shape cabochons on the grinder. This was a good challenge because it’s easy for a sighted person to grind away a layer or two of skin!

“There was a lot of activity in the rock shop, so it was fun being there,” Velma said. Not only were there classes for adults and youth, but often people came in and rented equipment by the hour. People renting equipment for .35 cents an hour always had her mom as a resource while polishing and cutting stones. The shop was a hub for rock club events, students of all ages and anyone interested in learning about rocks.

Lifetime Achievements

“I do admire the sense of achievement my parents shared throughout their lives,” Velma declared. “The joy of work for us, I think, could be attributed to all the wonderful people we met, helped, taught and encouraged.”

Velma went on to say that over the years, they had belonged to a couple of different rock clubs building life-long friendships that spanned fun annual gatherings, food, games, music and memories which of course included attending rock shows!

“Rockhounds come in all ages,” she added. “Even from prairie farms.”

Rocks for Sale

While Velma was living in Alberta, her parents sold the rock store in the mid-1980s, (or so she thought) only to fully realize after their deaths that they had retained their extensive collection of finished jewelry, cut and uncut stones. Recently, Velma has been working to sell the entire collection.

This story about growing up in a rock store appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Deb Brandt.

The post Growing Up in a Rock Store first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

The Start

In 1935, a Depression-era government works program allowed the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) to continue operations and provide much-needed jobs to local unemployed workers. These new employees spent their days preparing the Museum’s Earth Sciences displays. In the evenings, they held meetings in their homes to learn more about the rocks, minerals, and fossils.

With the MPM offering use of its Trustee Room for meetings and the Milwaukee Journal providing publicity, the non-profit Wisconsin Geological Society was formed in early 1936.

Branching Out

The newly-found box revealed how active the WGS was in building a solid foundation for its club and also for clubs across the country to connect. For instance, in 1940, the WGS was one of three clubs involved in the creation of the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical and Geological Societies (MWF). In 1950, WGS members were among the eight delegates to the first American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) meeting held in Salt Lake City.

In 1984, the Wisconsin Geological Society hosted a large joint rock and mineral show with the MWF at State Fair Park in West Allis that resulted in a 36-page document outlining all the activities including field trips. Joint shows were previously held in 1941, 1944, and 1954.

Blackjack Bonanza

Corn dogs, cotton candy, amusement rides, and a lead/zinc mine tour? Yes!

From 1963 to 1966, Blackjack Bonanza mine tours were a re-creation of a real lead/zinc mine at the Wisconsin State Fair. It was a 15,000-square-foot exhibit that sported a 65-foot headframe tower, an elevator shaft that shook to simulate the ride down into the mine tunnel, and a 30 by-45-foot processing room. A hidden 50-ton A/C unit cooled the mine tunnel making guests think they were far below ground. Mine tours cost fairgoers 75 cents per adult and 24 cents per child.

Like other fair attractions, the Blackjack Bonanza became a part of history as well as the role the WGS played in its existence.

The box revealed that in 1966, members of the WGS took over the 10-day, 12-hour per day, operation of the Blackjack Bonanza mine tours. Club members provided ticket sales, tour guides, and mine workers. They also provided mineral samples for a museum display as well as staff to operate the gift shop.

Naming the Wisconsin State Fossil

State fossils are nothing new. Lots of states have them. But through the box and personal interviews, WGS members found out that club members played a significant role in the process for their state. It took three attempts before the trilobite (Calymene celebra) was officially named Wisconsin’s State Fossil in 1986.

The first attempt was made in 1981 by a UWM geology student, Mark Shurilla, but he neglected to name a specific species of trilobite. The bill failed.

Wisconsin Geological Society members picked up the process in 1983, narrowing the field to the Calymene celebra, found primarily and prolifically in Wisconsin. Again, the bill was defeated.

In 1985, at the direction of the WGS Board of Directors, club president, and chief lobbyist for the bill, Margaret Pearson, made a final and successful attempt. This time, the bill was sponsored by State Assembly member, Jeannette Bell, daughter of WGS members Harold and Luella Jeske. Members of WGS were present at the bill signing on April 2, 1986, in Madison, Wisconsin, as Margaret presented Governor Anthony Earl with a trilobite specimen to mark the occasion.

More Fossils

The original Milwaukee Public Museum opened its doors to the public in 1898. It now houses the Milwaukee Public Library. The board room where the first official WGS meeting was held still exists and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1975, the Museum moved to a new facility across the street but did not have enough room for all of the geology exhibits, including fossils that WGS members originally displayed in 1936.

Fundraising is underway for a new facility with a groundbreaking scheduled for late 2023. It should be open to the public sometime in 2026. It will be a representation of ancient sea stack formations present in Wisconsin’s Mill Bluff State Park. The rounded edges of that building will showcase the glacial weathering that formed Wisconsin and deposited those fossils. Inside, will be displayed those original WGS fossils from 1936.

Plan, Collect, Verify & Store

While the plastic box brought history to life for WGS members, they soon found out its information was incomplete and that members had bits and pieces of history in lots of places; old newsletters here, photo books there. Records ended up in various places as officers and leadership transitioned over time. The club historian, and volunteers, made a plan to gather all of the documents. Here is a to-do list for other club historians that may have the same circumstances.

• Scan and identify all photos and documents and create a digital file

• Contact club officers, new and old, for any information in their possession

• Contact outside sources to verify and provide additional information

• Create documents and a presentation to share with members

• Develop a storage plan to preserve past, current, and future records

After collecting information from members, the first critical step for the WGS was to scan and identify photos and documents and place them in a digital file, backed up on a memory stick.

Finding More Photos

Next, was to contact club officers and members to see if any files or pictures had been handed down to them. Also, an article was published in the club’s monthly newsletter, The Trilobite, asking members who are no longer able to attend meetings to offer any information or photos.

Early on, Wisconsin Geological Society members took field trips, attended study groups, participated in mineral shows, and enjoyed parties and picnics just like they do today. One of the early members must have been an avid photographer as many of these functions were captured with lovely photos. The documentation and preservation of those photos were poor. Names of members and photo locations were often missing or destroyed the photograph by writing or gluing a note directly on the photo.

An Interesting Photo

One of the most interesting photos in the collection was of young boys, wearing knickers, admiring the rocks and minerals in a Wisconsin Geological Society display case. The photo had a typewritten note paper-clipped to it, “Hobby Show November 24-27, 1950?” A scanned copy of this photo was emailed to the Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) archives department for verification. They were able to confirm that a hobby show was held from November 24 to 27 in 1949, however, they could not verify that this photo was taken at that show. According to historical fashion records, knickers for young men had gone out of fashion in the late 1930s.

Photo identification is important. Always record the following information:

• Event

• Place/location

• Date taken

• People, use an easy format of left to right (L to R) and rows top to bottom

• Photographer, if possible

Community Help

Research to fill in the missing information became the next priority. Organizations whose history crossed the club’s path came first. Historical societies and newspaper articles provided another great resource.

Some sources responded immediately, while others required a longer response time. The most successful recoveries of information resulted from telephone calls which produced a real person contact. Additional details continue to be added to the club’s historical records as a result of these contacts.

Long-Term Storage

After a huge effort to gather all of this history, it became important for the WGS to change how it gathers and stores its data in the future. The Milwaukee Public Library has worked with club members to develop a plan for the WGS to donate its current historical records and future yearly updates. Current and future WGS members will retain access to all of their records during normal library business hours.

This story about the Wisconsin Geological Society’s history appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Sue Eyre.

The post Wisconsin Geological Society History first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.