Transparent gemstones are commonly faceted, carved, or cut as faceted beads, while opaque gemstones are mostly cut en cabochon, carved, and cut as beads in many shapes and styles. Almost every mineral group contains at least one blue member: corundum (blue sapphire), quartz (chrysocolla in quartz), tourmaline (indicolite), beryl (aquamarine), topaz, spinel, apatite, and zircon, just to name a few.

Blue Gems in the Spotlight

Blue gemstones grabbed the spotlight in 2020, when the Pantone® Color Institute’s Color of the Year was Classic Blue. Their description for Classic Blue states, instilling calm, confidence and connection.

In recent years, we’ve seen the colors of jewelry fashion are influenced by fashion color trends in clothing, textiles, furniture and home décor. The ideas flow from the runways to the stores. And a driving engine for this movement has been Pantone.

Classic Blue – Transparent Gemstones

Besides the ideal option for Classic Blue being blue sapphire, other transparent blue gemstones fit that color shade, such as blue spinel and blue tourmaline. Buyers have to really know or trust that what they are purchasing is what they thought because once faceted, blue gemstones with similar colors are very difficult to visually identify.

The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) recently set up a “Blue Stone Detective” challenge featuring eight blue gemstones along with flashcards. The hints focused on luster, refractive index, or dichroism properties. The eight blue gemstones were blue sapphire, glass, blue spinel, synthetic blue spinel, iolite, blue topaz and zircon. The challenge was a great reminder of how difficult it is to visually identify faceted blue stones, without clues or instruments.

Opaque Gems – Azurite

The description for Classic Blue matches precisely the rich colors of azurite and lapis lazuli. They are both ancient, timeless gemstones, that have been used as lapidary materials and as ground pigments for personal adornment and murals over the centuries.

Azurite is a deep blue-colored copper mineral, with the chemical formula, Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2. Azurite crystals form as dark blue prismatic crystals, but more commonly azurite is found in a massive nodule or stalactitic form. It is very soft, only 3.5-4 on the Mohs scale. Stunning azurite crystals come from copper mines worldwide, including deposits in Morocco, Namibia, Hungary, Greece, Mexico, and of course, Arizona.

Lapidaries use azurite in various forms. When the material is solid, it can be cut and highly polished. Azurite from the legendary Bisbee and Morenci copper mines in Arizona is known to be the most solid, and therefore, the most sought after.

Azurite often shows a unique rosette structure of tiny prismatic crystals moving around in different directions within the surface. It can be cut just like other drusy material, leaving the drusy surface in the center untouched and polishing the surrounding surfaces. Some of the azurite crystals within the drusy surfaces are complete small crystals with very high luster and some translucency, such as the specimens from the Morenci Mine and the mined-out Milpillas Mine, in Sonora, Mexico.

Also popular are the azurite “balls,” usually cut or split in half to reveal their crystallized interiors. Beautiful azurite balls come from the famous Morenci Mine, in Greenlee County, Arizona.

Azurite “suns” from Australia (Malbunka Copper Mine, Western Aranda County, Areyonga, Northern Territory), exhibit a radiating structure and a beautiful texture with high ridges.

Azurite frequently forms together with malachite, which is often a pseudomorph replacement of azurite, and may display spectacular sunbursts or drusy. The two natural minerals make a stunning visual arrangement when cut together as a gemstone, often with a combination of drusy and polished surfaces.

Classic Blue – Pietersite

Classic Blue also matches the beautiful blue pietersite from Namibia. Pietersite is a form of chalcedony with embedded fibers of amphibole minerals and varying degrees of alteration. The fibers cause chatoyancy, similar to what’s seen in tiger’s eye, but tiger’s eye is not made of chalcedony, but macrocrystalline quartz.

Pietersite was discovered in 1962 by Sid Pieters in Namibia, hence its name. It is usually found with blue coloration and swirls of gold, brown, and rusty red hues.

This blue gems and minerals list appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Helen Serras-Herman.

The post A Blue Gems & Minerals List first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Having caught the gemstone-hunting bug early in my life chasing sapphires at the Anakie gem fields (Central Queensland, Australia in the early 1970s), I have always loved the thrill of the hunt for shiny things. They don’t have to be valuable shiny things, just a tiny piece of God’s creation that nobody had ever seen before I laid my hand on it.

Learning Specking

As kids, we weren’t much into the hard yakka (labor) of digging and sieving, but soon learned the fine art of ‘specking’, which is walking around with eyes glued to the ground in front of us, picking up the bits left behind by more ambitious, or perhaps more discerning, fossickers (searcher for rocks and minerals).

A few of these finds were jewelry-quality though most were not, but that didn’t devalue them in our eyes or make the process of looking for them any less enjoyable. Dirt, sunshine, and freedom to explore the pristine bushland that we camped in with no amenities whatsoever, but when you are a ten-year-old, who needs showers?

Family Move Leads to More Gem Locations

The family moved to Cairns when I started secondary school, and it took us a few years to discover that there were gemstones to be found in North Queensland also, and where they could be lawfully found.

We started making family trips to the Mt. Gibson topaz fields in the early 1980s, by which time I had found a good man to marry, and he caught the gem-hunting bug on his very first trip despite none of us having much idea of what we were looking for.

We had a couple of elderly long-wheelbase Land Rovers that carried us and all the camping gear. The vehicles steadfastly chugged their way up the mountain, albeit with no air-conditioning and springs (shocks) that were built for durability, not for comfort. That was all we needed for a promising long weekend!

Fast forward some 30 years, and in the company of our adult children and their significant others, we were still eager to find more lovely topaz and headed to another fossicking area called O’Brien’s Creek, 37km (22 miles) north of Mt. Surprise and just over 400km (248 miles) from Cairns.

The Atherton Tablelands

After leaving tropical Cairns on the coast, two routes lead to the Atherton Tablelands. This area is known for beef/dairy farms and fields of sugarcane, maize, potatoes, peanuts, fruit, and vegetables of all kinds.

Travelers are advised to follow the signs that point toward Herberton/Ravenshoe and enjoy the sight of the majestic wind turbine farm and the dairying district of Ravenshoe. A must-remember destination on the path to the dig site on the return trip is the hot thermal springs at Innot Hot Springs – heavenly for a good long soak after a day’s digging.

The route takes travelers through the tin mining area of Mt. Garnet. This distance of 192km (119 miles) takes about 2.5 hours to travel from Cairns. The next leg of the journey involves another 62km (38 miles) southwards through the quaint town of Mt. Garnet, along the Kennedy Development Road through the 40-Mile Scrub with its unusual Queensland Bottle Trees. Then it’s westward to Mt. Surprise township. This road is all-weather bitumen (asphalt) and the journey takes travelers another 73km (45 miles). The final turn off the main highway brings rockhounds toward the O’Brien’s Creek fossicking area, which is well-identified at the western end of the town, just opposite the local police station.

Accommodations

The town of Mt. Surprise has several motels and good caravan parks. However, the O’Brien’s Creek camping area (which is situated squarely on the banks of Elisabeth Creek) with its hot showers and toilets, and large campsites on the banks of the beautiful creek abounding with birdlife, is undoubtedly a choice location. Camping is not permitted within the boundaries of the designated fossicking area.

The camp area is amazingly pleasant, with Elizabeth Creek flowing most of the year, an unusual occurrence in the harsh environment of this country. During school holidays, families set up camp, relax and paddle canoes along the creek.

Twitchers (birdwatchers) and wildlife enthusiasts make the journey to camp here specifically to watch the apostle birds, bower birds, and blue-aced honey-eaters. They make themselves at home around your campsite, with kookaburras and butcherbirds waiting for, or stealing, a snack from unguarded plates. Mother galahs feed their babies while crimson-wing and rosella parrots feed on grass seeds almost at your feet. Big flocks of black cockatoos land for a late afternoon drink on the sandy river banks.

Digging for Topaz

Gem-quality stones were plentiful and were measured by the dinner plate full in the early days of the fossicking field, but constant picking over has reduced the finds considerably. This area was extensively mined for tin in the late 1800s, using only hand tools, with little mechanical assistance and often little or no water.

These dedicated miners found tin, but they saw no value in the shiny chunks of topaz they turned over in the process, so they left them behind in the tailings and mullock heaps. These are what fossickers chase today. There are still active mining leases in the area, of which few are worked consistently, but they remain out of bounds to fossickers.

If you are traveling in a conventional vehicle, fields of the Designated Fossicking Area (DFA) signposted ‘Tourmaline Gully’ and ‘Crystal Gully’ are generally easily accessed and the first places to visit. The access road runs along the western side of O’Brien’s Creek, and numerous tracks are leading into the sandy creek beds where fossickers have been at work.

Dry sieving in the creek can produce lovely topaz, quartz crystals, tin crystals (cassiterite), and the rarer aquamarine, especially after the wet-season rain scours the creek banks. Rockhounds do have to expend considerable effort removing large rocks, tree roots, and other obstacles to process new ground.

Geology Contributes to Rock Shape

These finds are generally more waterworn and rounded than stones found in the higher areas, which are sharper-edged and more crystalline in appearance. Evidence of digging in the river bank is visible everywhere, so visitors are advised to choose an appealing place and heft the shovel. As the DFA is part of a working cattle station, fossickers need to be aware of wandering stock, and the fertilizer they leave in their wake.

Since 1968, the Australian Government has set aside ‘Designated Fossicking Areas’ throughout Australia that permit people to fossick for gemstones and gold. Most of these areas are on private land, and landholders allow people to hunt gems in these areas providing they do not interfere with farming activities. A fossickers license is required in Queensland whether the fossicker is using private land or digging in a designated fossicking area. These licenses can be bought online at the ‘Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy’ for around $75 AU (around $50 U.S.) for a year.

Visitors to the area will see the proof of many eager people having worked the top of the hill. This area produces lovely smoky quartz crystals, and the locals swear they have found
tourmaline here also.

If you have a 4WD and are not afraid to get it slightly battered, then the Blue Hills and McDonald Creek fields are the place to go. Being less accessible, not so much fossicking activity has taken place here as in other sites. The road was initially built for use by tin miners and kept in good condition. However, once
the tin mining declined, the constant use, no maintenance, and numerous wet seasons have made the road pretty rough – especially on the two jump-ups (short, steep rises).

These fields are where quality blue topaz can be found in the dry creek beds and by digging at the top of hills. Topaz crystals are also collected along the track toward the Six-Mile Creek area. Just walking over the ground that looks undisturbed is worthwhile for specking glints of topaz sitting on the soil surface, exposed by the elements.

The locals advise that moving a boulder and digging a little on the uphill side may bag you a gem, as topaz is weightier than the average creek gravel and tends to get lodged in back-wash crevices during flood events. A member of our family found a perfect aquamarine crystal here. It was sitting on the surface of the soil, catching her eye This crystal was since valued at between $1,200 and $1,800 as a rough specimen, all in a good day’s work!

The Difference Between Topaz & Diamonds

I mentioned to a Cairns geologist with whom I had previously worked that I was going fossicking at O’Brien’s Creek. He said, “Keep your eyes open for diamonds while you are there.” I asked, “How would you tell the difference between a diamond and a topaz?” His reply was, “You will certainly know the difference when you see it.”

That conversation reminded me of an incident that occurred when I worked as a GIS Officer (mapping) for an exploration company in Ravenshoe, North Queensland. A ‘tin scratcher’ came to the office to ask the geologists if a stone he had found might be a diamond?

Of course, everyone’s eyes lit up as we all gathered around the weather-beaten hand that held the find. Yes, though small, it was confirmed to be a diamond. The was suitably vague about where he had found it and replied, “out near Mt. Surprise.” That was in the late 1980s, and his words remained in the back of my mind since.

In 2016, while researching the history of tin miners who worked along Elizabeth and O’Brien’s Creeks, and Angor, a tin mining shantytown of the 1880s in the Mt. Surprise area, I came across a public company report that summarized all previous reports written for this region. It immediately caught my interest, and I admit to doing a little chicken dance around my office when the summary included reports of companies specifically looking for diamonds. The summary report was written in December 1993 by a consulting geologist for Northern Diamonds Pty Ltd. His report stated that up until 1993, 53 diamonds had been reportedly found in colors ranging from white to yellow. The sizes ranged from 0.3 carats to 5 carats, the latter being the largest noted.

During the 1980s, another geologist had contacted the people who had found the first 26 diamonds. He sent some of these to South Africa to be tested to determine their quality. The results were that they were certainly diamonds but not of top gem quality.

This was enough encouragement for exploration companies to continue to search the area of Elizabeth and O’Brien’s creeks until the late 1990s. Currently, diamond exploration is still relatively active in northern Queensland, especially in the Cape York goldfields region.

Discussing Origins of Diamonds

I questioned each geologist or miner I have spoken to about the area about where they thought the diamonds originate.

Confusingly, each geologist has a slightly different theory. The Cairns geologist said the Elizabeth Creek diamonds were formed as far away as the Palmer River in the Cape York area and migrated along the waterways. The consulting geologist who wrote the 1993 report speculated that they were local and traveled the Red River lineament. He stated that in his opinion, all the diamonds found up to that date ‘were associated with a 50km long relict Cretaceous placer, which parallels Elizabeth Creek’. He goes on to say, ‘The placer is characterized by well-rounded quartz pebbles known locally as ‘pigeon egg wash.’ We did find some of these ‘pigeon eggs’ on the top of a hill in the fossicking area, which may have journeyed along ancient paleochannels (riverbeds), and this speaks of significant geological upheaval activity.

The areas of Elizabeth and O’Brien’s Creeks are identified as being one of several relict Cretaceous mineralized river systems. The systems contain cassiterite, ilmenite, zircon, monazite, garnet, and gold. The Elizabeth Creek system is the only one to date known to potentially contain diamonds. Early mining reports reveal that before the1930’s, this area produced 376 tons of cassiterite from alluvium in creeks and gullies, and mining remained spasmodic until 1985 when the price of tin crashed.

The Elizabeth Creek system occurs as a semi-discontinuous group of sand ridges north of and parallels to the present Elizabeth Creek. The major alluvial workings in the area have been for cassiterite in the streams draining the sand ridges over its entire exposed length. The extensive basalt flows from the Undarra Cone to the east have touched this area on its southern boundary.

A word of warning here before venturing on a diamond-only search. Since 1976, only 53 diamonds have been reported as being found, though it is likely that some were not reported, or not immediately identified as being diamonds. The majority were sourced west of the fossicking area, but some came from O’Brien’s Creek within the DFA.

The diamonds in the fossicking area were found in the river bed of O’Brien’s Creek by tin miners and local people living in the area, who honestly believe there is the potential for more to be found. One local who has a Mineral Lease (ML) just outside the DFA, said that he found a diamond while working for a tin mining company in the 1980s.

Each trip to O’Brien’s Creek sees us bring home loads of unknown stones in the event they may be diamonds, as finding one, according to the locals, is entirely possible.

Most of our ‘treasures’ turn out to be chuckers (chuck them away) or leaverites (leave them right there), but it always surprises us when we wash these stones, and a considerable amount proves to be lovely topaz, sometimes blue. On the last trip, along with our aquamarine crystal, we found a small aquamarine chip by specking.

As our research suggests, diamonds have been found in ‘them thar hills’ and your chance of finding one is as good as the next person’s. As an added incentive for the relic-hunting readers, I found some R. Bell & Co match tins in the ruins of a tin mining camp in this area.

The harsh, hot climate makes short work of the temporary, low-cost living quarters the mining camps provided back in the mining heyday. Finding such a site, searching, and waving a metal detector proves there are interesting treasures to be found in the most unexpected places, and it is sad to see little bits of our history is being lost to the elements.

This story about hunting for Topaz and Diamonds appeared in a previous issue of Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe! Story and Photos by Jenni Clark & Leigh Twine.

The post Topaz & Diamond Hunting in Australia first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Helping With Choices

GIA-certified gemologists Lindsey Carr and Julie Walton Garland have not only studied the properties of gemstones, it’s their business to help customers make informed decisions when it comes to purchasing jewelry.

Carr, who is based in Redditch, UK, serves as an on-air host for the British television and online jewelry retailer, Gemporia. She is also an Applied Jewelry Professional (AJP). Carr notes that fewer diamonds are on the market because of sourcing difficulties and this is driving up prices. She also advises that people know some of the science behind the stone they are purchasing.

“You want to pay attention to a stone’s hardness, measured on a scale from one to 10. Gemstones that score below a seven require a little extra care and caution,” said Car.

Garland is the third-generation owner of Walton’s Antique and Estate Jewelry in Franklin, Tennessee. She points out that diamonds made in a lab and moissanite have become popular selections in recent years because you can own a larger carat weight for less, avoid potentially buying a conflict diamond and steer clear of the environmental issues associated with mining.

White Sapphire

While sapphires, like Montana sapphires, are best recognized in blue and pink shades, the white or clear variety also has a lot to offer the consumer. Sapphires are one of the four most sought-after precious gems (the others being diamonds, rubies, and emeralds). The stone is a variety of corundum, which is aluminum oxide, and is a nine on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

You can usually tell a white sapphire from a diamond because these stones process light by returning a silvery white-gray sparkle in the light, whereas diamonds have a rainbow-hued glint. Carr noted they can also have a cloudy, milky appearance compared to diamonds, particularly in big sizes.

Garland says wearing white sapphires daily can lead to them looking dull across the top and becoming susceptible to chips or scratches.

“The price gap between a diamond and a white sapphire is significant,” Carr said. “Some sources say that while a white sapphire of high quality (6mm in size) fetches around $730, a colorless diamond of the same size can cost $2,900 or more.”

White Zircon

Zircon (not to be confused with zirconium and cubic zirconium) is the oldest gemstone on earth: 4.4 billion years old. It is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates and is a source of the metal zirconium. The colorless variety is known as “Matara” after a city in Sri Lanka near where it is found. Some of its most desirable shades include blue, red, yellow, green, pink, grey, purple, brown and orange.

“Because of their similarity to diamonds, it’s the only natural gem to come close to imitating a diamond,” Carr said. “High sparkle, luster, dispersion and refraction — everything I love about a diamond. It plays excellently with light, making it a brilliant, fiery gemstone.”

Garland echoed that sentiment, adding that zircon is known for its doubling effect, or double refraction, which is when a ray of light passes through the gemstone, is slowed, bent and split in two.

Sometimes, zircon is confused with the manmade stone cubic zirconia. Zircon can be brittle (its hardness is only 6-7.5). It should be worn with care to avoid scratches or chipping.

White Topaz

Topaz is a silicate mineral. The white, or clear hue, offers exceptional gleam and is one of the most affordable diamond alternatives – acarat of topaz costs less than $200. “I would choose a topaz over a laboratory-created gem any day of the week,” said Carr. While topaz is an eight on the Mohs scale, she points out that’s relative unless you understand how the ranking works.

“Diamond is a 10. In actuality, diamonds are really over six times harder than topaz,” she explains. “The stronger the refraction, the more brilliant the gemstone. Diamond has a refractive number of 2.42. Topaz is 1.64 — only a fraction in comparison to diamonds.”

Garland said topaz gradually loses its sparkle over time from scratches. White topaz is commonly used as an accent stone to encircle a usually pricier gem and will look like diamonds, minus the price tag.

Goshenite

Goshenite is a type of beryl, a gem known as “the mother of all gemstones” because beryl can be transformed into stones including emerald, morganite and aquamarine. It is composed of beryllium aluminum silicate.

“Beryl is notoriously going to have some inclusions; emerald is practically always included,” said Garland. “Black inclusions are more noticeable to the naked eye, but there can be colorless inclusions as well.”

It gets its name from Goshen, Massachusetts, one of the first areas where the stone was uncovered, but it can also be found in Brazil and Canada. Its hardness ranges from 7.5-8.

Garland said if you don’t plan to wear it at all times, it can make an excellent choice for special occasions. Carr agrees.

“It’s a rare stone,” Carr said. “My manager at work has a goshenite as an engagement ring and it looks incredible. And of course, you can get the bigger stones for a more affordable price.”

Quartz

Quartz is the least expensive diamond lookalike. It is made of silicon and oxygen. The quartz crystal is known as a power stone. The clear variety is considered a “master healer” that can increase energy and focus. Its colored varieties include: citrine, amethyst, rose quartz and smoky quartz.

Herkimer diamonds are designated the official state mineral of New York. They are naturally faceted (18 facets) quartz found in upstate New York. Herkimer diamonds share many physical properties attributed to quartz. They are almost always transparent and range from colorless (“water clear”) to smoky/ black. Many couples now travel to New York to dig their own “Herks” to use in engagement/wedding rings and in other jewelry pieces.

“It (quartz) is a great alternative to diamonds when faceted and they emit the most amount of light, making them appear more sparkly than they actually are,” Carr said.

She loves seeing topaz and quartz stones cut in non-traditional designs such as a snowflake or alpine. “Anything that has a little bit of difference, with loads of facets, those gemstones bring it to life,” she added.

It’s important to note large quartz stones have a glassy appearance.

Moissanite

Moissanite is the most popular diamond alternative on the market for engagement rings, and with good reason. On the Mohs scale, it’s a 9.25 to 9.50, is resistant to scratches and abrasion and greatly resembles diamonds, particularly to the untrained eye.

Moissanite is a rare mineral discovered by French chemist Henri Moissan in 1893 in a crater made by a meteorite that fell to Earth in Arizona. Its crystals are composed of silicon carbide. However, because natural moissanite is scarce, moissanite sold today is lab-created.

“Diamonds are always going to hold true to being the most suitable stone for everyday wear, but the next best choice in terms of durability and wear, would be moissanite,” Garland said. “It’s the best simulated, so it’s going to look the most like a diamond. It will be much less expensive too.”

Garland said it also refracts the light a little bit more than diamonds. While this intense sparkle is alluring to some, others feel it has a “disco ball” look, particularly in sunlight.

“Like white sapphire, moissanite is most often colorless, although it can be tinged with hints of yellow or green,” Carr added.

Cubic Zirconia

Cubic zirconia is the most readily available diamond simulate. Mass-produced, it’s often used in costume jewelry. It has a hardness of eight.

Cubic zirconia is a form of zirconium dioxide. Carr noted cubic zirconia can occur naturally, but never in amounts that can be used commercially. It is usually colorless and contains few if any inclusions. Jewelry using this stone will often be stamped “CZ.”

“If you’ve ever seen sterling jewelry with CZs set in it, worn all the time, it’s going to look kind of like it went through the disposal, in terms of getting a chipped, abraded surface,” Garland explained.

Carr said it requires repeated polishing to maintain its luster but can be a great diamond substitute for cocktail rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

Lab-Grown Diamonds

Lab-grown diamonds, sometimes called cultivated diamonds, are genuine stones formed above ground in a matter of weeks instead of below ground for millions or billions of years, using one of the following techniques:

• High Pressure, High Temperature

(HPHT): These diamonds are created in a lab using a growth chamber. A source of carbon dissolves in molten metal and carbon atoms travel through the metal to a small created or natural diamond seed to produce a diamond crystal.

• Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD):

This technique uses carbon-rich gas, such as methane, in a vacuum chamber. Methane gas breaks down into carbon and hydrogen atoms, which are deposited on diamond seeds to produce a square-shaped, tabular diamond.

Lab-grown diamonds are a 10 for hardness — just like natural diamonds. According to the Gemological Institute of America, the way diamonds grow (natural and manufactured) depends on the environment where they are grown.

• Natural diamonds grow outward on the octahedral faces.

• HPHT diamonds grow outward on the octahedral and cube faces.

• CVD synthetic diamonds grow mainly upward in one direction (a cube face).

Garland said the harder the gem, the better its durability and heirloom potential. These also tend to have a higher asking price.

“To me, something created in a lab is never going to stand up next to diamonds, in terms of quality,” she noted. “Lab diamonds became really popular a couple of years ago, but prices have plummeted as of late. Diamond will hold its value better than anything else.”

Whether you select white sapphire for its durability, moissanite for its sparkle, zircon or topaz for its brilliance, quartz for its low price, or lab-made stones for sustainability or cost reasons, these gems are sure to bring joy for years to come with the proper care.

This story about best diamond alternatives previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Sara Jordan-Heintz.

The post What’s the Best Diamond Alternative? first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

The annual gem and mineral event in Tucson, Arizona attracts people from all over the world who share an interest in gems and minerals. Every possible aspect of our science and hobby is represented during February. A major purpose and benefit of this annual event are for people with common interests to come together to converse, connect, be inspired, and learn from one another.

Decades ago, museum curators created a formal curators’ organization so they could share common problems, ideas, techniques, and successes, among other things. In the late 1960s, a group of us met at George and Dick Bideaux’s home in Tucson during the show and formed Friends of Mineralogy, a group organized to promote mineral education and create regional mineral books. Ours is one of many collector groups to have formed as a result of the show. One of the new organizations, the Women’s Mineral Retreat, has also emerged in this way, and it is a very dynamic and growing group.

Forging New Paths

What’s interesting is these earlier organizations were often comprised of men. That’s why I am so pleased to describe the role and purpose of the Women’s Mineral Retreat. Although not the formal name, I simply refer to this group as “Lady Rockhounds.”

Currently, membership is around 50 mineral and gem collectors and diggers. They are wives, sisters, daughters of miners, collectors, and dealers, and many of whom have been active in the hobby for years. The ladies are involved in mineral magazines, clubs, museums, writing, mineral photography, selling, and other aspects of the hobby. It is a great opportunity for me to discuss and applaud this special group of women who have organized, go into the field to collect, and have a great time while getting to know each other, away from shows and business.

For years, women have played an important and equal role within the hobby. Yet, for too long, mineral collecting, and mineral dealing have appeared to be largely a male activity.

Historically, the belief was women were bad luck underground. In some states, they were actually prohibited by law to work the mines. It was not long ago that myth was laid to rest, and women finally could work alongside male miners underground. Fortunately, the hobby has been more progressive, and their achievements in the hobby are being recognized more widely.

Women at the Helm

During my decades of collecting, I’ve had the great fortune to work with and recognize many women within the hobby. Just in my limited sphere and lifetime, many women have been important to the hobby. Think of Helen Rice, who helped establish the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineral Societies and established the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals with her husband Richard. Or, how about Shirley Leeson and Izzie Burns, both of whom worked tirelessly to promote and protect the hobby, by working with federal agencies to preserve collecting areas and rights.

Furthermore, some of the top mineral shows in this country are run by Laura Delano and her team. Also, Gloria Staebler heads up Lithographie, which produces a fine range of published works. My favorite wholesale mineral dealer was Susie Davis in Tucson, who probably handled more Arizona and Mexico minerals than anyone else while encouraging field collectors like this writer. We have all learned from the writings of June Culp Zeitner, and there’s the fine work of Pansy Kraus and now, Merle White, editors of Lapidary Journal, as well as the superb work by Marie Huizing, editor of Rocks and Minerals. I also hold Lynn Varon in special regard for her work with me on Rock & Gem. Plus, Cristi Cramer and Gail Spann are talented staff photographers for Mineralogical Record magazine, and Gail also volunteers as a docent at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.

Earlier this year, we lost one of the great leaders in the American and Eastern Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Carolyn Weinberger. I readily admit Carolyn served as one of my important mentors, along with Dr. John Sinkankas.

And it is an absolute truth to me that the business, hobby, and science of minerals is all the better for the countless women who have contributed, participated in and made major contributions. Who hasn’t read and enjoyed the work of all these women, benefited from their leadership, contributions, and participation in our hobby?

I truly believe our mineral hobby has always been devoid of any form of prejudice. Everyone is welcome, and anyone who loves minerals can participate, regardless of financial standing, education, gender, sexual orientation, or other differences that seem to affect other activities. Among all hobbies, mineral collecting has always been universally accepting of those with a common interest in collecting, learning, and promoting minerals and all activities related to the science of mineralogy.

New Group and New Movement

With this introduction, I want to share with you this newly

organized group, which is a movement I admire and encourage. Like any good movement, it starts with an idea and the actions of those who think it is worth doing. It started as conversations among several collectors with common interests, and as they got to know one another the idea of field collecting together was born, and the Women’s Mineral Retreat was started.

This group welcomes women in the gem and mineral industry, collectors, dealers, miners, editors, teachers, jewelers to join. During a retreat, members organize trips into the field to collect together at a productive location somewhere in the U.S. and also visit a nearby museum or institution. The trips are as much about learning as they are about socializing and field collecting. The trips are well planned out and usually last about three days. The time of year varies, as mining seasons are different depending on location. Attendance on collecting trips is optional but limited by how many collectors each mining operation can handle at any given time.

In its first three years, the group has already successfully collected at Topaz Mountain Gem Mine in Colorado, which is owned and operated by the Dorris Family, the Oceanview Pegmatite mine in Pala, California, owned and operated by Jeff Swanger, and Hallelujah Junction, quartz locality, Peterson Mountain, Nevada, owned by Paul Geffner and partners. Nothing of major significance was unearthed at the Topaz mine, but collectors had a blast digging side by side until the threat of thunderstorms forced them to call it a day. In Pala, Jeff gave the group a tour of the pegmatite mine grounds, noting the historic site where George Kunz discovered the first specimen of the mineral later named kunzite. They also had the opportunity to tour under the ground. No one found any significant specimens, although everyone found small examples of tourmaline or a chunk of sparkly purple lepidolite.

Hallelujah Junction turned out to be a very fruitful adventure for everyone. The days and weeks before the visit mining there had been eventful. Large smoky quartz scepters were being encountered almost daily. There had even been a few amethyst specimens mined out. The members of the group were very excited to dig here.

Exciting Excursions

Within the first 15 minutes of digging, there were shrieks of excitement. “Look what I found!” followed by cheers from the other women. Melissa Jones, one of the organizers, hit a pocket not long into the day, which had to be extracted with a saw. Jan Greenspan pulled out a sweet “Neapolitan,” a clear, smoky and amethyst layered scepter head. Dawn Boushelle collected a beautiful dark smoky “celestial” crystal about the size of a small watermelon. Gail Spann found several excellent looking quartz scepter specimens. No one left empty-handed. With the ladies and crew having such a great time, they were invited back the next day and dug with the same enthusiasm.

The group’s members have been given the royal treatment when visiting various institutions as well. They were given a “behind the scenes” tour of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science led by Larry Havens. At the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), in Carlsbad, California, Kate Donovan led the group. They were also able to tour the WM Keck Museum in Reno, and Neil and Cami Prenn were gracious enough to allow the group to view their mineral collection. What a treat!

The group also enjoyed a two-day dig in October of 2019, at the famous Blanchard Mine, located in Socorro, New Mexico and operated by Ray DeMark. The Blanchard area was first mined for lead but is recognized by collectors primarily for its pastel-colored blue and purple fluorite. It has also produced well-crystallized specimens of galena, linarite, barite, gypsum, brochantite, anglesite and quartz.

The participants of the Women’s Mineral Retreat also toured the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, led by tour guides Virgil Leuth and Kelsey McNamara. This University has an astounding collection and the staff there is very helpful. The tour included the opportunity to see how mineral analysis is done.

Having collected at the Blanchard mine in the past myself, I know how rewarding this trip would be. Fluorite is abundant and some of the uncommon lead minerals exist there as well.

Serves to Inspire

I believe we will see even more of these types of groups and activities develop across the world, with the Women’s Mineral Retreat serving as the source of inspiration. It could very well be what the hobby needs to revitalize itself a bit.

And just a bit of advice for my fellow collectors who are men, by inviting the women in our lives to share our passion, it cannot but help make the hobby more universally inclusive and an even stronger area of interest for families to share.

For more information about the Women’s Mineral Retreats, visit the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/shecandigit, or email Kathy Waisman, one of the group’s organizers, at kathwaisman@gmail.com, and be sure to include Women’s Mineral Retreat in the subject line.

Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Melissa Jones for her assistance and valuable input in writing this column.

The post On the Rocks: Women’s Mineral Retreat first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

• Famous Gold (Part I): Exploring the Harvard Collection. By Bob Jones

• Minerals of the Moon: The Ongoing Story of the Apollo Moon Rocks. By Steve Voynick

• Rock Shop of Distinction — Mr. Wood’s Fossils: Keeping a Tradition Alive. By Jim Brace-Thompson

• Faceting Focus with Jim Perkins: Joyous January Garnet.

• On the Hunt for Topaz and Diamonds: Queensland Australia’s O’Brien’s Creek is a Fossicking Hotspot. By Jenni Clark & Leigh Twine

• Malachite: Examining the ‘Halcyon Days’ of this Copper Mineral. By Bob Jones

• The Road Report: Arizona’s Humboldt Mining District. By Helen Serras-Herman

• VOTE! Parting Shot of 2019 Contest

In addition, you’ll find the following regular R&G columns: Bench Tips with Bob Rush, Rock Science with Steve Voynick, What to Cut with Russ Kaniuth, On the Rocks with Bob Jones, Rock & Gem Kids with Jim Brace-Thompson, Community Outlook-Just Off the Wheels with Erin Dana Balzrette, Picks & Pans, Club Corner, as well as an extensive Show Dates section.

The post Issue Highlights: January 2020 first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

By Steve Voynick

Moving on to the next stone in the breastplate, we come upon topaz.

Topazos (row one, second stone)

Topazos has been translated as “topaz,” “chrysolite,” “emerald,” and “peridot.” Its earliest reference, written in the second century B.C.E., describes “a delightful, transparent stone similar to glass and with a wonderful golden appearance.” Another calls it “topazion Ethiopias,” meaning “topazos from Ethiopia.” During the biblical period, “Ethiopia” referred to Egypt’s Eastern Desert and nearby Red Sea islands.

Pliny writes that this stone came from the Red Sea island of Topazum (now Zabargad Island). He calls it the largest of the precious gemstones and the only one that is affected by an iron file – a description that indicates topazos is peridot, the gem variety of the olivine-group mineral forsterite (magnesium silicate). At Mohs 6.5, peridot is just soft enough to be scratched with an iron file, unlike the harder emerald and quartz gemstones. And the basalt formations of Zabargad Island, a classic peridot locality, have yielded very large peridot crystals.

Topaz, or basic aluminum fluorosilicate, is much harder than peridot and does not occur in basalt. Topaz was given its modern name in the 18^th century when it was confused with the ancient topazos. Harrell is confident that the breastplate’s topazos is definitely peridot.

Smaragdos (row one, third stone)

Smaragdos has been translated as “beryl,” “carbuncle,” “emerald,” “malachite,” and “turquoise.” In his On Stones, the Greek scholar Theophrastus (ca. 371 – ca. 287 B.C.E.) writes that smaragdos refers to a group of bluish and greenish stones and that it is “good for the eyes,” implying a cool, soothing color. He also mentions that blocks of smaragdos large enough to fashion into obelisks were common.

Emerald was not readily available until mines in Egypt’s Eastern Desert opened in the late first century B.C.E. At that time, smaragdos also referred to emerald, probably because of its similar green color. But the size of the smaragdos that Theophrastus describes certainly does not indicate emerald.

Some early descriptions of smaragdos would fit malachite. During the first

millennium B.C.E., malachite was mined as the primary ore of copper on Cyprus and the Sinai Peninsula, and in Israel’s Timna Valley. Malachite was associated with such colorful, oxidized copper minerals as turquoise, azurite, and chrysocolla, which sometimes occurred in large, intermixed blocks. 

Common Hardness

All these minerals – except turquoise – have a Mohs hardness of 4.0 or less, limiting their use in jewelry. Turquoise, however, at Mohs 5.0-6.0, was a very popular gemstone since the fourth millennium B.C.E. throughout the biblical region. Malachite also served as a gemstone but never challenged turquoise’s popularity.

Given its widespread use and high value, turquoise would have been a likely choice for a breastplate gemstone. Harrell concludes that smaragdos is probably turquoise but possibly malachite.

The post Gemstones of the Breastplate: Topazos and Smaragdos first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.