FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

I have the opportunity to travel to Bejing and Shanghai in October with my husband on a business trip. We will only be in each city a few days. During the day while he is working, I will have free tim ...

This is a great topic.

My experience is very limited - mostly with pegmatite specimens from San Diego County, California, US.

Beryls can develop color when exposed to sun. I left a bucket of chu ...

I agree - definitely lepidolite. Possibly the Stewart Lithia Mine - if there are small pink tourmaline inclusions, it would definitely be the Stewart.

Two other mines which have produced large amou ...

I find Oxalic Acid works pretty well on clay deposits on tourmaline and is a little safer to use than HF or HCL acids. In the US, oxalic acid is pretty easy to buy. I mix a solution of the oxalic acid ...

Also welcome.

California has the most mineral, rock & gem clubs of any state. Depending on where you live, there should be one near you. You can look them up at the California Federation of Min ...

This is slightly off topic, but the Oceanview Mine has done some interesting tests on their spodumene to see if they change color in sunlight and if putting sun tan lotion on the stone will reduce the ...

Thank you for sharing the pictures - both the crystals and the landscape are beautiful.

I'm leaving this message as "NEW" so I can return to it and dream while I'm in my stuffy windowless ...

Excellent advice to use distilled water. The first time I used oxalic acid, I used southern California tap water and forgot to check on the quartz points I was soaking for over a month. By that time, ...

From the picture it is hard to tell if there are white scratches on the surface of the tourmaline or if the white lines are internal fractures (or some of both). The tourmalines form the southern Cali ...

Hi Robyn,

The guys at the Oceanview Mine have told me to soak the specimens in Super Iron Out and then use a water gun to clean the tourmaline specimens. I have variable success with the Super Iron ...

This is a pretty specimen. Muscovite mica is sometimes called "book mica" due to the way the thin layers pull off like pages from a book.

The green coloration or tinge is very common from ...

Thanks for the pictures, Jason. I esp like that you showed the mine face, the path and the gems - a really great overview.

I love the southern California pegs and looking at your gemmy aquamarine m ...

I would be interested to learn how this specimen had been prepared to show the tourmaline crystals so beautifully. I have several large pieces of Stewart Lithia Mine lepidolite with pink tourmaline - ...

Thank you for all the posts but especially for the picture of Dana Gochenour and his specimen from the Cryo-Genie Mine. I keep looking for pictures of specimens from the California pegmatites.

It i ...

I am so jealous reading posts about Tuscon since I can't go due to work.

But I am sneaking away this Saturday to go to the Oceanview Mine and hope to see in person some of the new pegmatite finds t ...

Author	Message
Topic: Rock and Mineral clubs or shops in China?
ellencmoe Replies: 4 Views: 16537	Forum: Rockhounding trips Posted: Jul 27, 2013 17:05 Subject: Rock and Mineral clubs or shops in China?
ellencmoe Replies: 4 Views: 16537	I have the opportunity to travel to Bejing and Shanghai in October with my husband on a business trip. We will only be in each city a few days. During the day while he is working, I will have free tim ...
Topic: Preparing a list of light sensitive minerals - (14)
ellencmoe Replies: 97 Views: 214713	Forum: Featured Columns of FMF Posted: Jun 03, 2012 13:35 Subject: Re: Preparing a list of light sensitive minerals - (14)
ellencmoe Replies: 97 Views: 214713	This is a great topic. My experience is very limited - mostly with pegmatite specimens from San Diego County, California, US. Beryls can develop color when exposed to sun. I left a bucket of chu ...
Topic: The last one for now - Any idea what this stone is?
ellencmoe Replies: 6 Views: 13520	Forum: Minerals and Mineralogy Posted: May 15, 2012 16:36 Subject: Re: The last one for now - Any idea what this stone is?
ellencmoe Replies: 6 Views: 13520	I agree - definitely lepidolite. Possibly the Stewart Lithia Mine - if there are small pink tourmaline inclusions, it would definitely be the Stewart. Two other mines which have produced large amou ...
Topic: Tourmaline White Pot
ellencmoe Replies: 8 Views: 17636	Forum: Conserving, Preparing and Cleaning Minerals Posted: Apr 29, 2012 19:03 Subject: Re: Tourmaline White Pot
ellencmoe Replies: 8 Views: 17636	I find Oxalic Acid works pretty well on clay deposits on tourmaline and is a little safer to use than HF or HCL acids. In the US, oxalic acid is pretty easy to buy. I mix a solution of the oxalic acid ...
Topic: New to the forum, hello!
ellencmoe Replies: 3 Views: 8506	Forum: Off-Topic and Introductions Posted: Oct 28, 2011 19:35 Subject: Re: New to the forum, hello!
ellencmoe Replies: 3 Views: 8506	Also welcome. California has the most mineral, rock & gem clubs of any state. Depending on where you live, there should be one near you. You can look them up at the California Federation of Min ...
Topic: Spodumene color question
ellencmoe Replies: 26 Views: 63394	Forum: Minerals and Mineralogy Posted: Aug 16, 2011 10:54 Subject: Re: Spodumene color question
ellencmoe Replies: 26 Views: 63394	This is slightly off topic, but the Oceanview Mine has done some interesting tests on their spodumene to see if they change color in sunlight and if putting sun tan lotion on the stone will reduce the ...
Topic: Clearview claim 2011
ellencmoe Replies: 3 Views: 12233	Forum: Mines and Mineral Localities Posted: Jul 24, 2011 16:32 Subject: Re: clearview claim 2011
ellencmoe Replies: 3 Views: 12233	Thank you for sharing the pictures - both the crystals and the landscape are beautiful. I'm leaving this message as "NEW" so I can return to it and dream while I'm in my stuffy windowless ...
Topic: Cleaning Tourmaline?
ellencmoe Replies: 20 Views: 40862	Forum: Conserving, Preparing and Cleaning Minerals Posted: Jun 19, 2011 12:56 Subject: Re: Cleaning Tourmaline?
ellencmoe Replies: 20 Views: 40862	Excellent advice to use distilled water. The first time I used oxalic acid, I used southern California tap water and forgot to check on the quartz points I was soaking for over a month. By that time, ...
Topic: Cleaning Tourmaline?
ellencmoe Replies: 20 Views: 40862	Forum: Conserving, Preparing and Cleaning Minerals Posted: Jun 15, 2011 19:55 Subject: Re: Cleaning Tourmaline?
ellencmoe Replies: 20 Views: 40862	From the picture it is hard to tell if there are white scratches on the surface of the tourmaline or if the white lines are internal fractures (or some of both). The tourmalines form the southern Cali ...
Topic: Cleaning Tourmaline?
ellencmoe Replies: 20 Views: 40862	Forum: Conserving, Preparing and Cleaning Minerals Posted: Jun 15, 2011 19:50 Subject: Re: Cleaning Tourmaline?
ellencmoe Replies: 20 Views: 40862	Hi Robyn, The guys at the Oceanview Mine have told me to soak the specimens in Super Iron Out and then use a water gun to clean the tourmaline specimens. I have variable success with the Super Iron ...
Topic: Muscovite
ellencmoe Replies: 4 Views: 13613	Forum: Conserving, Preparing and Cleaning Minerals Posted: Jun 14, 2011 14:17 Subject: Re: Muscovite
ellencmoe Replies: 4 Views: 13613	This is a pretty specimen. Muscovite mica is sometimes called "book mica" due to the way the thin layers pull off like pages from a book. The green coloration or tinge is very common from ...
Topic: pegmine
ellencmoe Replies: 6 Views: 38358	Forum: Mines and Mineral Localities Posted: Mar 01, 2011 16:00 Subject: Re: pegmine
ellencmoe Replies: 6 Views: 38358	Thanks for the pictures, Jason. I esp like that you showed the mine face, the path and the gems - a really great overview. I love the southern California pegs and looking at your gemmy aquamarine m ...
Topic: Lepidolite Pseudomorph?
ellencmoe Replies: 2 Views: 7884	Forum: Minerals and Mineralogy Posted: Feb 09, 2011 16:48 Subject: Re: Lepidolite Pseudomorph?
ellencmoe Replies: 2 Views: 7884	I would be interested to learn how this specimen had been prepared to show the tourmaline crystals so beautifully. I have several large pieces of Stewart Lithia Mine lepidolite with pink tourmaline - ...
Topic: Tucson Show 2011
ellencmoe Replies: 168 Views: 449235	Forum: News about Shows Posted: Feb 09, 2011 11:59 Subject: Re: Tucson Show 2011
ellencmoe Replies: 168 Views: 449235	Thank you for all the posts but especially for the picture of Dana Gochenour and his specimen from the Cryo-Genie Mine. I keep looking for pictures of specimens from the California pegmatites. It i ...
Topic: Tucson Show 2011
ellencmoe Replies: 168 Views: 449235	Forum: News about Shows Posted: Jan 25, 2011 14:09 Subject: Re: Tucson Help!!!!!
ellencmoe Replies: 168 Views: 449235	I am so jealous reading posts about Tuscon since I can't go due to work. But I am sneaking away this Saturday to go to the Oceanview Mine and hope to see in person some of the new pegmatite finds t ...