As mentioned in our April newsletter, here is a list of minerals and jewelry stolen near Coeur d’Alene:  Contact CDA Police 208-769-2300 case #15C08004 if you have any information.

Page two stolen stuff

Page 1 stolen stuff

Rob Repin, a friend of all miners who operates a mine just south of Liberty and a Central Washington University professor with a ton of knowledge and personality has this video online.  It is about an hour long about the history and geology of the Liberty Mine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsBZfRJihdw&feature=em-subs_digest

Most of us think of crystals as a kind of rock. Actually, almost every kind of solid matter has a crystal structure. Here is a link to the fascinating world of crystallography: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29952311

Crystals forming in a cancer drug

This BBC video has fascinating electron microscope images of the crystals in igneous rocks: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27678862

Electron Microscope art

Kirk Johnson, author of Crusin’ the Fossil Freeway – reviewed in the April newsletter talked recently at the Burke Museum in Seattle.  The very informative talk is now available on YouTube: Kirk Johnson Video.  

I just got an email with pictures of these mountains.  Then I looked for them on the Internet and found several sites.  This site has the best pictures.  They even show up on Google Earth and are huge and amazing.  Check it out.

Annual Rock Auction 2013

The club had a huge rock auction at our last meeting.  Bruce Hurley and Bob Bristow identified rocks that Bill Allen (center) auctioned off to increase our scholarship fund.  We made $564 for our scholarship fund.

Our next meeting will be a Christmas potluck with gift exchange.  It will start early at 6 PM at our usual meeting place, the Arden Community Center.  A map is on our meeting page.  Please bring a dish of your choosing and a gift marked for Male, Female or Both.   We hope to see you there!

Hi All, (From the Selkirk Rock and Mineral Club)

This trip is scheduled for Saturday Sept. 21 st to collect beautiful pink thulite and violet blue iolite at a private site on Tunk Creek, Riverside Washington. Thulite is a pink manganese rich variety of zoisite , which cuts and polishes well and has a hardness of 6.5. Iolite is a pretty violet blue variety of cordierite with a hardness of 7 to 7.5 and is sometimes called water sapphire. This is a fee for dig site and so you will need US money and the cost last year was $1 per pound, which is very reasonable. We will meet at the park by the Okanogan River in Riverside, which means that you will make a left turn into Riverside if coming south down Highway 20.

Meeting time is 10.30 am at Riverside. From there we will drive in convoy to the site, where we park at the bottom of the hill. There will be an ATV or pick up that will carry our gear up the hill and give rides to those that need one.

The best way to get to Riverside is to take Highway 20 from Republic. If coming from Castlegar or Nelson it is best to cross the border at Danville, just south of Grand Forks, and if coming from Trail or Fruitvale cross the border at Patterson or Waneta. Allow at least 3 hrs to get to Riverside if coming from Castlegar and 3.5 hrs if coming from Nelson.

You will need a passport to cross the border and you may well be asked for your driver’s licence as well. Be careful what you bring for your lunch. If in doubt you can probably pick something up in Tonasket. Make sure you bring lots to drink, sunscreen and a hat. For collecting you will need a geology hammer plus sledge hammers, chisels and pry bars will be useful. Bring a good sized bucket or very strong bag for collecting. Once everyone has collected all that they need the buckets/bags will be transported down the hill and the samples will be weighed. I imagine we will be able to leave the area by about 3 pm or 3.30 pm.

If anyone would like a more leisurely trip they can get a motel at Tonasket or at Omak, which is 5 miles south of Riverside. There is also an RV park in Riverside.

If you are coming please can you let me know by Wednesday evening so that I can get in touch with the owner on Thursday.

Thanks,

Lesley

Phone 250 365 4772 or e-mail hlkillo@telus.net

The August Newsletter is now available online, http://panoramagem.com/News/2013/News0813.pdf or through the 2013 Newsletter page.

Tuesday August 20th is the annual potluck picnic and rock swap at the Arden Community Center – same place as our regular meeting but outside.  Bring a law chair and any dish but hamburgers or buns.  The club will provide those and Bill Allen will cook them.  See you there!