FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Lumaes]

As most of you probably know I have a keen interest in the history of technology. Featured below is a book I was given by the Bradbury Science Museum at the Los Alamos National laboratory only recently. It is a fascinating historical account of the making of the first atomic bombs, and published by the US Department of Energy.

I discovered the other day that a very large shipment of pitchblende from the Congo was stored on Staten Island and later used in the production of U235 for the first atom bomb. The site still exists but few public officials talk about it.

What I find very fascinating in the book are the pictures of the men, women and children. People were so much slimmer back then, and it was not due to war rationing. I have seen similar photos from the 30’s. I am afraid our hectic lives, lack of exercise and love of fatty food is going to kill us – literally!

[Lumaes]

Featured below is my Shilu Mine Azurite. I posted a picture a few weeks ago but I felt it did not do the piece justice, so I have taken a few “Kodak moments” with my new camera. I have included a few close-up shots which show just how impressive the piece is in my opinion. It has the most amazing luster and morphology and the colour is just great. It hails from the Shilu Mine, Yangchun County, Yangjiang, Prefecture, Guangdong Province, China. 6 x 3.5 x 3.5 cm.

If anyone is interested in making their own professional stands please let me know. I have got the acrylic sheets, wood, Dremel router bits and the special acrylic glue called “Acrifix 192” so when I have got the technique right I will post the procedure in another thread.

[Lumaes]

Sometimes when I open my packages from China I find a little surprise. Featured below are some of the surprises I have been given. The octahedral fluorites are your typical cleavage pieces but still nice. The sphere is just cute in my opinion and the Scheelite is natural, not a cleavage piece. I keep them on my desk – they have good karma! The sphere is about 5cm diameter, which gives an idea of the sizes of the other pieces.

[Lumaes]

Featured below is one of my Peruvian Bournonites – ex Jack Crowley. The matrix is massive Bournonite on which a nice cluster of Bournonites have grown. There are also some quartz crystals. I suspect it comes from the Riqueza Mine, but this is not definite, but will remain on the label until I know its actual locality. Many of the Bournonites have the classic “cog wheel” morphology. It hails from the Riqueza Mine, Pachapaqui District, Bolognesi Province, Ancash Department, Peru. 9 x 6 x 6 cm.

[Lumaes]

I felt it appropriate to post some more photos of the Calcite specimen I showed a few weeks ago. It has the most amazing form and the luster is just great – silky. The piece looks like a white cloud or coral and so has much “eye-candy” appeal. It hails from the Wenshan Mine, Dulong Ore Field, Wenshan County, Wenshan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. 18 x 15 x 10 cm.

[Lumaes]

This is a piece one of my Chinese asked if I could identify. He had a much larger specimen, and a few about the same size as the one shown below. I told him I only need a little for analysis, but he sent me a whole specimen instead. We were hoping that it was Wurtzite but no such luck. The analysis indicated it was sphalerite, but it is a pretty piece with lots of sparkle. I asked him if he wanted me to return it but he said no. It is now part of my reference collection. It hails from the Piaotang Mine, Dayu County, Ganzhou Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, China. 6 x 6 x 4cm.

[Lumaes]

For some time now I have been seriously considering setting up a web page about minerals and everything related to minerals. There is so much to discuss that if I were to talk non-stop for an hour I would still only cover a minor portion of what I would like to do. Who would pay for such a site, well me, and only me.

Mindat and the Vug do an excellent job, but I feel there is the need for a Mineral based WEB page devoid of any commercial links; a completely unbiased, unfettered and non-commercial view on the collecting of minerals. This would certainly provide me with an opportunity to attend shows, speak with dealers and especially wholesalers and certainly with collectors. My main focus would be to help the “little guy.” I have a fine collection of minerals and I would like to help others achieve what I have achieved. Mineral collecting is a great hobby but I feel it is slowly moving away from the average collector and I think the average collector would know what I mean.

What else could be done, well a lot more, so much in fact that I am still putting ideas down on paper, but I do not want to be obligated to anyone. This way I can serve the interests of all collectors at all levels of commitment.

Your input is welcome!

[Joaquin Montoro]

It seems a good idea Sam...please continue working in it and let us know.
Regards

[Lumaes]

Featured below are a couple of additional photographs of one of my Bulgarian Pyrites. It consists of large well-formed crystals on green quartz crystals. There are a few other minor unidentified minerals present. The crystals have the most amazing shapes and surface textures, and the largest is about 4.5cm wide. This specimen is from the personal collection of the late Gary Grenier. Many of you from the east coast USA remember Gary from his website "The Mineral Show". He retained some of the finest Bulgarian pieces available back 10-15 years ago when he and his partner handled many fine specimens from the then active mines. It hails from Gyudyurska Mine, Zlatograd, Sth Rhodope Mts, Smolyan Oblast, Bulgaria. 10 x 8 x 6 cm.

[Lumaes]

Featured below is a Calcite specimen I posted a few weeks ago but I noticed recently it contained a small Realgar crystal. The calcite is very gemmy with a hint of yellow. The close up shows the Realgar, and some adhering matrix. It hails from the Shimen Mine, Shimen County, Changde Prefecture, Hunan Province, China. 13 x 7 x 4 cm.

[Lumaes]

Featured below are a couple of additional photographs of one of my Bulgarian Galenas. Now that I have got a new camera I think I might update a few of my other posts. The specimen below consists of large well-formed crystals on matrix. There are a few other minor unidentified minerals present, and some Cleiophane crystals. In one photo you can see a small galena cube embedded in Cleiophane. The crystals have the most amazing shapes, modifications and surface textures, and the largest is about 4 cm wide. This specimen is from the personal collection of the late Gary Grenier. Many of you from the east coast USA remember Gary from his website "The Mineral Show." He retained some of the finest Bulgarian pieces available back 10-15 years ago when he and his partner handled many fine specimens from the then active mines. It hails from the Krushev dol Mine, Madan Ore Field, Sth Rhodope Mts., Smolyan Oblast, Bulgaria. 12 cm x 9 cm x 9 cm.

Every morning I wake up to such beauty I consider myself a lucky man. I am referring to the minerals and not a wife, who left years ago - thank god! :) I am happy to have a "nag" free life.

[Lumaes]

Featured below are a couple of additional photographs of another of my Bulgarian Galenas. The specimen consists of large well-formed crystals on matrix. There are a few other minor unidentified minerals present. I surmise the matrix is a mix of massive galena and calcite. The crystals are very lusterous with mirror like faces and have the most amazing shapes, modifications and surface textures. The largest galena crystal is just over 4 cm wide. This specimen is from the personal collection of the late Gary Grenier. Many of you from the east coast USA remember Gary from his website "The Mineral Show." He retained some of the finest Bulgarian pieces available back 10-15 years ago when he and his partner handled many fine specimens from the then active mines. It hails from the Krushev dol Mine, Madan Ore Field, Sth Rhodope Mts., Smolyan Oblast, Bulgaria. 10 x 9 x 9 cm.

[Lumaes]

Featured below is a book I can recommend to anyone interested in Meteorites. It is the “Field Guide to Meteors and Meteorites” by Norton and Chitwood. It is a great book in my opinion and will answer many questions about meteorites including how to identify them. I have a few meteorites myself from the America’s and I will be posting pictures when the opportunity arises.

[Lumaes]

Hi Joaquin:

Thank you for your kind words of support. The real beneficiaries of this effort would be the average mineral collector. I have looked through all the photos of the last three Tucson shows and although very interesting and amusing from a social perspective, the contributions do little in the way of helping your beginner or even avid mineral collector acquire minerals. It is becoming more like a pantomime with a few key performing artists than a serious discussion of minerals or how to acquire them, or make them available for the average collector. In fact the gap between the “haves and the have not” in the mineral collecting hobby is widening every year.

I have many connections, though dated but still useful in the mining business throughout the America’s, Mexico, Europe, China and Australia and I would like to make use of their expertise and connections in acquiring good minerals for the average collector. Perhaps in this regard I could function as a “Mineralogical Broker” but I still consider myself more of an average collector. If it were not for the help and support I have received from the mineral friends I have made I would be relegated to collecting pebbles or C-grade material, and what fun is there in that. I would be most interested in speaking directly with the Managers, Owners and Operators of the mines which currently produce the best display quality material. From my experience in the Mining Industry I know most mine operators are very open to supplying specimens to genuine collectors, but only to genuine collectors.

I would also like to involve the media – television, newspaper and WEB based as I think this would expose the plight of the average mineral collector.

Again thank you for your kind words of support.

[Lumaes]

Another recommended book on Meteorites is “Meteorites and their Parent Planets” by harry Y. Mc Sweeney Jr. It is a great read and provides much information and the sort of information a meteorite collector would enjoy. Though meteorites fall all over the world there is a view that some come from the same parent body, hence the chemical composition some meteorites share in common.