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Many more pseudomorphs are nucleated from the azurite matrix interface than nucleated from the azurite crystal surface. In conclusion, the analysis of these pseudomorph illustrations suggests the following: Azurite can continue to grow on azurite while malachite pseudomorphs are growing within. The four azurite crack surfaces have conchoidal fractures on one surface, complete coverage of new secondary azurite on a second surface, and two vertical surfaces with mixed conchoidal areas and new azurite. The governing reaction for malachite growth is: Two azurites plus one water yields three malachites plus carbon dioxide. [Extracted from the article]

Most of the micromineral inclusions generated by the RMR process in Schickler apatite appear to be REE minerals; an example EDS spectrum of a typical REE inclusion is shown in figure 2. The I T i I O i I T i modules within these minerals can be used to derive many mineral properties by first principles, e.g., habit, cleavage angles, and symmetry/polytypism (fig. 1). Among other minerals, striking red-brown apatite crystals, to 10+ cm, can be found hosted within the dissociated calcite-fluorite carbonatite matrix. However, the diversity of these modular rock-forming minerals results in complexity in terms of the crystal structures and crystal chemistries of this mineral family. [Extracted from the article]

PHOTO (COLOR): RMS Program Cover by Susan Robinson THE THIRTY-SEVENTH TECHNICAL SESSION of the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium was cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 virus. By experimenting with the addition of mica of varying thickness to the optical path when viewing a flattened gahnite and garnet in crossed polars, we found that the observed interference figure was the result of the mica even when exceedingly thin. Multiple flattened almandine crystals have also been extracted from muscovite books from Avondale, Pennsylvania. White included the results of optical analyses performed by our research group on a flattened gahnite, which showed that the crystal exhibited a distinctly biaxial interference figure despite being an isometric mineral. [Extracted from the article]

When the ginseng collector is also a mineral collector, new exposures of interesting minerals occasionally turn up. This has led to a long and fruitful collaboration between amateur collectors and professional mineralogists who have described more than four hundred different mineral species and sixty-six new or type-locality minerals from this small quarry in Quebec. The minerals found at this exposure are distinct from those found a mere 90 meters south at the Wollastonite Skarn (WSK), the classic mineral occurrence at Rose Road. The mineral specimens recovered in the years that followed the discovery of the PDM have conveyed a fascinating and complex paragenesis involving numerous different types of pseudomorphs and mineral textures. [Extracted from the article]

One spodumene crystal exceeded 11 meters in length, and crystals in excess of 2 meters in length are common. It is spodumene-rich with more than 50 percent spodumene in some of the upper portions of the pegmatite. These spodumene and montebrasite crystals are comparable in size to the famous crystals from the Etta and Hugo pegmatites in South Dakota, where 14-meter spodumene crystals and 7-meter amblygonite (likely montebrasite) occur (Rickwood [1]). [Extracted from the article]

Brittany MacRostie is a Denver-area artist who not only creates paintings of mineral art, but also experiments and uses many different media. Although MacRostie generally uses watercolor for her mineral paintings, she enjoys bringing minerals into some of the other artforms she has experimented with, including ink, digital illustration, woodburning, and needle felting. [Extracted from the article]

The transition between the Final Bronze and Early Iron Age remains one of the least understood periods in the archaeology of southern Central Asia. In this paper, we introduce the newly discovered site of Kimirek-kum-1 (floruit ca. 1250–1050 cal b.c.) in the old delta of the Zerafshan River in present-day Uzbekistan. Combined pedestrian survey, geomagnetic prospection, hand augering, and stratigraphic excavation, conducted between 2021 and 2023, demonstrate the site's unique potential to improve our understanding of the Final Bronze/Early Iron Age transition and the interface between the Central Eurasian steppes to the north and the Indo-Iranian world to the south. Notably, our investigations yielded nearly 400 objects in copper alloys, lead, gold, and semi-precious stone. These findings strongly suggest that Kimirek-kum-1 represents a substantial new Final Bronze/Early Iron Age center with extensive external links. It raises critical questions about the continuity of long-distance exchanges and elite networks after the end of the Oxus civilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A B FLUORITE FOCUS: b It was a pleasure to plan and put together this issue with its several articles featuring I fluorite, i Denver's show theme (Denver dates are 18-20 September). PHOTO (COLOR) PHOTO (COLOR): Two watercolor paintings on hot press paper of fluorite specimens from the United Kingdom, by Ksenia Levterova. See the In Memoriam column in the May/June 2019 issue for a tribute to Via, and the Museum Notes column in this issue for further details on the museum. [Extracted from the article]

B GOING GREEN: b I Rocks & Minerals i has inadvertently jumped on the "green" bandwagon with this issue. During his nearly fifty years of collecting and studying minerals, Dunning has written or coauthored fifty papers pertaining to mineralogical subjects, eight of which involved descriptions of new minerals. PHOTO (COLOR): Gail E. Dunning, recipient of the 2019 Pinch Medal, shown with photos of his namesake mineral, gaildunningite. [Extracted from the article]

The English-language nomenclature that is used to designate belly dance movement is a vital site for the expression of ideas, fantasies, and fears about the Middle East and North Africa, the homelands of this dance genre. Belly dance has no classical tradition or named set of standardised movements in its cultures of origin, so, as the dance form has become globalised, English speakers have invented their own movement names to conform to a Western dance pedagogical tradition that relies on nomenclature. Based on a survey of 154 Canadian dancers, this paper analyses the forms these coinages have taken and assesses how movement terminology has changed since the rise of studio belly dance instruction in North America in the 1970s. The 'camels', 'temples', and 'jewels' of early nomenclature are giving way to terminology that instead incorporates personal names, particularly the names of Middle Eastern and North African dancers, and auditory imagery. These terminological shifts challenge dominant Orientalist discourses that portray Middle Eastern and North African cultures as static, monolithic, and fantastical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims at presenting the results of pull-off strength tests of fiber-reinforced polymer composite coatings laminated on steel substrates. It contains the measured data on the thickness of manufactured coatings and the substrate surface’s roughness, according to the various methods of surface’s preparation with the means of abrasive blasting. The microstructure analysis of material’s cross-sections and damage analysis of samples after failure were also performed. The highest pull-off strength’s values for composite coatings were obtained for joints with the substrate modified by abrasive blasting with corundum F60 or simply degreased. To establish the compatibility of substrates with coatings the wettability of the chosen materials was tested and work of adhesion was calculated on its base. Concerning the wettability, it was found that the most preferable joints were characterized by the similar thermodynamic work of adhesion and consisted of the coating’s matrix (SBS) and the steel substrate degreased with acetone or modified with corrundum abrasive blasting and then degreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a detailed history and exegesis of the 1798 paper of Charles Greville and Jacques-Louis Count de Bournon, “On the Corundum Stone from Asia.” This was the first published argument to establish that the mineral corundum was related to, or identical with, the ruby and the sapphire. It was also the first time that the science of crystallography, recently developed in France, was publically introduced to a British scientific audience. René Just Haüy’s theory of the three-dimensional structure of minerals proposed a new kind of extension of chemistry into the solid state. The story of corundum illustrates the new and sophisticated mineralogy that had emerged in the late eighteenth century and how an increasingly global natural history relied upon extended networks of trade and empire. It shows also how mineralogical debates had begun to move beyond the private and restricted milieux of mining schools and wealthy collectors and into more public scientific fora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ethnically diverse high-altitude region of Gilgit-Baltistan, with its complex political history, remains relatively free from the controlling gaze of the central state apparatus of Pakistan. In these extraordinary terrain, where local communities rule the region as the “State by proxy”, informal gemstone mining provides an important supplement to livelihoods. This paper shows that gemstone mining in Gilgit-Baltistan is characterised by customary rules and regulations that are based on collective responsibility, and members follow customary authorities because they are not external to the community. It argues that the very idea of centralised “governance” of mineral resources, used widely in contexts of resource extraction as the panacea, needs to be reconsidered when dealing with the particularities of the context. It draws on the concept of ungovernability to underline the fact that sometimes it may simply be impossible to administer informal mining in the conventional sense of the term. It suggests in conclusion that informal mining, which has a long history in Pakistan and has played an increasing role as a source of rural employment and revenue, needs to be accommodated within the legal framework of mining. More importantly, to govern informal mining of gemstones, the first task would be to consider how things are currently done, understanding and respecting customary laws, and build upon them to incorporate their elements into systems that acknowledge community rights and a more equitable sharing of benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ksenia Levterova (b. 1986), Ukraine; her art was published in the July/August 2020 issue of Rocks & Minerals, pages 372-374. Fred Wilda (b. 1941), United States; his art was published in the March/April 2002 issue of Rocks & Minerals, pages 124-125. Tama Higuchi (b. 1999), United States; her art was published in the May/June 2021 issue of Rocks & Minerals, pages 248-250. [Extracted from the article]

This paper explores the determinants and valuations of children’s work and schooling choices drawing on primary mixed-methods research in the gemstone polishing industry of Jaipur, India. In addition to economic and demographic factors, the gendered expectations of children’s futures shapes their work and schooling outcomes. For boys, work is additionally driven by the need to acquire training for future employment and wages, and simultaneously complements, and competes with formal schooling. They can work at workshops, acquire higher skills, and can aspire to become skilled craftsmen whereas girls work at home on low-skill activities mainly to supplement household income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Bologna Stone, a mineral that became luminescent after chymical treatment, represents one of several “chymical exotica” eagerly sought by natural philosophers of the seventeenth century. Curiously, by mid-century the way to make it luminescent was considered a “lost secret” even though several methods had been repeatedly published. This disconnect between published recipes and experimental failures was explained in part by the investigations of Wilhelm Homberg (1653–1715), later the leading chymist of the Académie Royale des Sciences, and in part by the present author's modern reproduction of Homberg's process. This paper describes both endeavours, and explores the often-overlooked difficulties presented by even “trivial” materials involved in experimentation, and how practical reproduction of historical processes (including visits to important locales) can provide a deeper and more vivid understanding of texts as part of our project to better understand the past. It concludes by reflecting on the importance of maintaining a balance between the material and the intellectual when writing the history of chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the Delanta-Dawunt district of Ethiopia's northern eastern Amhara region, twenty-one different environmental samples (gemstones) were gathered. This is one of the opal-mining (gemstone) locations in Ethiopia. We divided the 21 obtained samples into seven groups. The study's major goals were to quantify the activity concentration of gemstones (opals) and examine the health implications. For 226Ra, the activity concentration ranged from 11.97 ± 2.46 to 62.44 ± 14.99 Bq kg−1, 25.69 ± 3.69 to 137.84 ± 13.23 Bq kg−1 for 232Th, and 184.84 ± 3.59 to 968.56 ± 18.16 Bq kg−1 for 40K. 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were found to have mean radioactivity concentrations of 29.84 ± 6.53, 68.44 ± 18.94, and 390.87 ± 6.09 Bq kg−1, respectively. Radium equivalent activity (Raeq), absorbed dose, annual effective dose equivalent, external and internal radiation hazard (Hex and Hin) index, and activity utilisation index have mean values of 151.68 19.46 Bq kg−1, 72.19 8.48 nGy h−1, 0.07 0.01mSv y−1, 0.43, 0.51, 0.57 0.08, and 0.29 0.03. 232Th has higher specific activity than the global average, while 40K has the same. Meanwhile, the absorbed dose is higher than the world's means value. The average value of excess life cancer risk found in this study is the same as the world's average value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dorris became a full-time miner and mineral dealer in 2006 as proprietor of the family business, Pinnacle 5 Minerals. B AND THE AWARD GOES TO b : Traditionally, the end-of-the-year awards in the mineral community have been presented in conjunction with the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. His articles and photographs of his specimens have appeared in every major mineral magazine, including I Rocks & Minerals i (for example, see his article on Ohio's Delphos quarry in the November/December 2020 issue of I Rocks & Minerals i , pages 498-514), and he coauthored two chapters in I American Mineral Treasures i . [Extracted from the article]

The value of many natural resources is not fixed; it depends on factors both intrinsic and external to the commodity; such is the case of precious stones. These commodities are termed "speculative commodities." Here, I take the example of gemstones and conceptually trace and analyse the process of their commodification, with the help of Marxist theory and its various derivatives. The process of commodification and value addition that these resources go through are unique: partly, value is added and created through labour and their specialised artisanal crafts, but the major part of the profit is generated through discursive mechanisms of stories and narratives, the manipulation of supplies, and the manufacturing of demands through advertisements around each stone to make it valuable and pricey. The diamond and gemstone industry reaps extravagant profits from the otherwise useless pieces of stones – barring some industrial uses and the aesthetic value that they have. But their aesthetic dimension hides the greed, lust, violence, and aggression inherent in their commodification – many of these stones emerge from conflicts in the Global South – and that this source and history only add to their allure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is the second issue of the journal AMBIX, which focuses on the history of alchemy and chemistry. It provides information about the publication, including the editorial board, the publisher, and the terms of use. The document also includes acknowledgments from the author, who expresses gratitude to various individuals and institutions for their support in the creation of the book. Additionally, there is a section on transliteration systems for Arabic. The text discusses the importance and influence of the treatise "On Alums and Salts" (OAS) in the field of alchemy. The OAS was originally written in Arabic and later translated into Latin and Hebrew. It gained popularity in Christian Europe due to its practical content and clear organization. The text highlights the need for new editions of the Arabic and Hebrew versions of the OAS to accurately represent the available material evidence. The OAS has been the subject of scholarly study, with previous editions and translations in Latin and German. The attribution of the OAS to al-Rāzī is problematic, as he is not mentioned as the author in the Arabic or Hebrew manuscripts. The attribution of the alchemical treatise "On Alums and Salts" (OAS) to the Persian physician al-Rāzī became widely accepted in medieval Europe, likely due to its translation by Gerard of Cremona in the 12th century. The association with al-Rāzī, a respected author of medical and alchemical works, enhanced the authority [Extracted from the article]

This article presents a detailed history and exegesis of the 1798 paper of Charles Greville and Jacques-Louis Count de Bournon, “On the Corundum Stone from Asia.” This was the first published argument to establish that the mineral corundum was related to, or identical with, the ruby and the sapphire. It was also the first time that the science of crystallography, recently developed in France, was publically introduced to a British scientific audience. René Just Haüy’s theory of the three-dimensional structure of minerals proposed a new kind of extension of chemistry into the solid state. The story of corundum illustrates the new and sophisticated mineralogy that had emerged in the late eighteenth century and how an increasingly global natural history relied upon extended networks of trade and empire. It shows also how mineralogical debates had begun to move beyond the private and restricted milieux of mining schools and wealthy collectors and into more public scientific fora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial institutions are undergoing the so-called "de-perimeterization." The security model up to today is heavily dependent on "border patrols" focusing mostly on providing a secure perimeter while the internal network is inherently trusted. In the upcoming borderless networks, the focus is shifting to protection of the data itself, considering the full lifecycle or switching toward context-aware defensive strategies also known as zero trust networks. The focus of this work is to critically discuss existing threat modeling methodologies, available and used in the financial services sector (FSS). The objective is to investigate the extent at which existing methodologies cover the different threat actors & events and if they reflect the current threat landscape in the FSS. The investigations are supported by a real-world case study to uncover if any process can reflect the current threat landscape without any customizations or special know-how, and whether the final outcome helps in reaching a secure or compliance state. Through the case study, it is evidenced that by utilizing the IRAM2 methodology resulted in a high ratio of compliance, however, considering the Crown Jewels of a Financial Institution (FI), a secure, as much as possible, state should be the desired outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iconic Specimens Doubtless, these large almandine garnets will become known as classics, similar to the almandine crystals from Russell, Massachusetts. Large, sharply formed almandine crystals from Mt. Marie were first recovered in May 2017. The pegmatite units, exposed between overburden-concealed areas, are sufficiently discontinuous to prevent determining whether the mountain crest is one pegmatite or a swarm of several pegmatites. These garnets are late crystallization products, which formed near the end stage of the primary pegmatite crystallization, as indicated by the crystals' location in contact with quartz core segments, which usually (but not always) is the last crystallized part of the pegmatite (London [13]; Roering [16]). [Extracted from the article]

Tourmaline mining in Maine began with the first find of gem-quality tourmaline at Mt. Mica in 1820 and continues today at numerous localities. In October 1972, on the eastern slopes of Plumbago Mountain in Newry, Maine, the largest single discovery of gem-quality tourmaline in North America was unearthed - more than a ton in all. Mt. Mica, the Havey quarry, and the quarries at Mt. Marie are all notable contemporary locations for gem tourmaline in Maine. [Extracted from the article]

In the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s he focused extensively (though by no means exclusively) on Tsumeb (fig. 2), during which time he and his business partner, Frederick "Rick" Ludlow Smith, were responsible for bringing vast quantities of Tsumeb specimens to collectors in the United States and beyond. At the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society (TGMS) Show in 2014, and again in 2015, I had the enormous privilege of sitting down with Charlie to discuss some of his memories of visits to Tsumeb and his role in bringing so many Tsumeb specimens from southern Africa to the United States. B M. S.: I read somewhere that you have estimated that the value of dioptase from Tsumeb exceeded the value of all other Tsumeb collector minerals combined? Charlie was much more than a successful mineral dealer; his knowledge of specimen mineralogy was quite extraordinary, and he had a willingness to share that knowledge in a friendly, modest, and relaxed manner. [Extracted from the article]

Deposits of semi-gemstones tourmaline, beryl, and garnet associated with Jurassic granites are found in the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (SaSZ) of western Iran, defining a belt that can be traced for about 400 km. Granitic magmas strongly interacted with or were derived from melts of continental crust and/or sediments. Based on morphologies, size, mineral assemblage, and contact relationships with host granite and associated metamorphic aureoles, these deposits are categorized into six types: (1) garnet in skarns, (2) tourmaline, beryl, and garnet in pegmatite and aplitic dikes, (3) disseminations and patches of tourmaline in leucogranites, (4) quartz-tourmaline veins in granite, (5) tourmaline and garnet in metamorphic aureoles, and (6) tourmaline orbicules in aplite. Tourmalines are mostly schorl and dravite, and garnets are mostly almandine, spessartine, and grossular. Tourmaline, beryl, and garnet from pegmatites in the contact aureole of Jurassic granites reflect segregations of Be, B, Mn, and Al bearing melts from the Jurassic peraluminous granites. Quartz-tourmaline veins and hydrothermal garnets in skarns reflect fluids exsolved from the surrounding metasediment and pegmatite melt. In contrast, tourmaline patches and orbicules developed from boron-rich aqueous fluids exsolved from cooling granitic magma. Distribution of semi-gemstones in the SaSZ shows that these are mostly related to pegmatites associated with Jurassic granitic intrusions. Mineral equilibrium considerations indicate that SaSZ semi-gemstones crystallized at P = 3.5–7.5 kbar (11.5–25 km deep) and temperatures of 550–650°C. SaSZ pegmatites fall in the muscovite (MS) and MS-rare element classes. They are Lithium Cesium Tantalum (LCT)-type pegmatites. Fluids responsible for gem mineralization were exsolved from cooling granite bodies and released by metamorphosed sediments. Further studies are needed to better understand the northern Sanandaj–Sirjan tourmaline–garnet–beryl semi-gemstone Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though beryl mining in New Hampshire has rarely been economically viable, the mineral clubs of New Hampshire proposed beryl as the state mineral because it is essential for a modern economy and because there are notable occurrences in the state. Bertrandite in LCT pegmatites is an alteration product of beryl, and in some cases, it completely replaces beryl or lines the cavities left by dissolved beryl crystals. Beryl is a beryllium aluminum silicate, Be SB 3 sb Al SB 2 sb Si SB 6 sb O SB 18 sb , containing approximately 5.3 weight percent beryllium in ideal beryl with slightly less in common beryl, a sufficient concentration for beryl to be considered an ore of the metal. Beryl: Be3Al2Si6O18 Beryl is the most widespread beryllium mineral and was the most important ore of beryllium until superseded by bertrandite in the early 1960s. Bob Janules, a New Hampshire mineral field collector, reviewed the first draft, and his experience in collecting New Hampshire beryllium minerals greatly contributed to this article. [Extracted from the article]

Penetration Twins Penetration twins of the sort seen in neptunite are composed of two individuals that are identical (ideally) and cross at an angle that is determined by the twin law and described by the Miller indices of the twin law. Comparison with figure 11 shows that the correct twin plane is (10 Graph HT ht ), not (90 Graph HT ht ). One of these planes is the true twin plane - it has the same Miller indices as the twin law; the other one, at right angles, has different and in most cases irrational indices and is referred to as a contact plane but not a twin plane. The crystallographic "law" of simple rational indices states that major planes on crystals, including both faces and twin planes, typically have Miller indices involving small integer values (usually 5 or less). [Extracted from the article]

Cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements from a few single crystals and fragments of Pulsifer apatite in general showed areas of bright yellow-green CL emission corresponding to pale purple or white parts of the apatite. Purple apatite is a rare variety of fluorapatite that is widely distributed in many rock types. Description of the Roebling Apatite The Roebling apatite is considered by many mineral collectors to be one of the finest specimens of fluorapatite ever discovered. The best purple apatite specimens were mined from the Pulsifer quarry and include the world-famous Roebling apatite, which currently resides in the mineral collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (fig. 1). [Extracted from the article]

This article aims to substantiate how processes of valuation translate between different registers of value. We develop an analytical framework of how valuation is intertwined with geographic origination and the geographies of association and dissociation, which establish how commodities and consumer products are either associated with, or dissociated from, matters that are beneficial or damaging for sales and brand reputation. The article focuses on the rather unexplored gemstone and jewelry sector, and shows how the analysis of value is not reducible to Marxist notions of exchange and use value but needs to take into account symbolic and sign value, and embrace dis/association dialectics. It develops a novel conceptual framework that draws upon the early work of Baudrillard on symbolic value, together with Marxian value theory, and mobilizes it for the analysis of association–dissociation dialectics and practices in global value chains. We are particularly concerned with the role of origination and provenance to highlight the intrinsically geographic dimensions of gemstones that are enacted by traders and retailers in the valuation process. The article shows how valuation and consumption of gemstone and jewelry play out through complex and multiscalar, relational associative and dissociative practices, which intertwine with revealed sustainability problems in the diamond industry. It also shows how a current rise in the value and popularity of colored stones interrelate with a corporate refocusing away from mined diamonds, and entails even more in-transparent supply networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to the articles in the previous issues including "Belvidere Mountain Asbestos Quarries, Lowell/Eden, Vermont," about a water-clear Herkimer quartz with a suspended smoky Herkimer quartz, and "U.S. Gemstones That Are Blue."

It certainly has the longest history of exploitation of all other minerals in the region and perhaps is even the oldest mineral/gemstone exploited by man since the Neolithic Period (Wyatt, Bariand, and Filippi [26]). Identified in the gemstones were inclusions of calcite and pyrite, two minerals known to occur in lazurite but not common in afghanite. Afghanite, (Na,K) SB 22 sb Ca SB 10 sb (Si SB 24 sb Al SB 24 sb O SB 96 sb )(SO SB 4 sb ) SB 6 sb Cl SB 6 sb (fig. 1), is a member of the cancrinite group of feldspathoid minerals with a crystal structure defined as an eight-layer member of this group (Ballirano et al. [5], [2]; Ballirano, Maras, and Buseck [4]). Geology, Gems, and Minerals of Afghanistan The regional geology of Afghanistan has been succinctly summarized by the British Geological Survey (BGS) (https://www..bgs.ac.uk/AfghanMinerals/geology.htm; accessed May 2021). [Extracted from the article]

An examination of specimens suggests the sand-calcite crystals formed in a deposit of fine-grained loose quartz sand into which a mixture of rounded pebbles, from crystalline rocks unrelated to the original sand deposit, was added. Changed conditions cause crystallization to stop or it would cement the loose sand and sand crystals into a mass of sandstone; evidence of this is noted at several sand-calcite localities. Reproduced with permission Single sand-calcite crystals are found near the bottom of the sand layer, and with increasing height the number of crystals increases from doublets and triplets until they became crowded clusters (Barbour [1]). When minerals such as calcite (CaCO SB 3 sb ), gypsum (CaSO SB 4 sb -2H SB 2 sb O), and baryte (BaSO SB 4 sb ) form in sand beds, grains of sand are generally incorporated into the crystals. [Extracted from the article]

Although the quote is specific to the orebody of the now-abandoned marble quarry, it also suggests the potential for contact metamorphism and metasomatism that impacted and altered the actinolite and the specular hematite into nephrite and magnetite. Mineralogy/Petrology of the Nephrite Nephrite jade is essentially a monomineralic rock composed of amphiboles from the actinolite-tremolite series with occasional other impurities (Ling et al. [8]). B For well over half a century b , Southern California collectors have known about and tried to collect black nephrite jade with sparkling rosettes of magnetite from a unique deposit adjacent to the Verde Antique Marble quarry (Sec. 28, T. 7 N., R. 2 W., San Bernardino base and meridian). Magnetite in nephrite has been identified in many other nephrite jade deposits worldwide. [Extracted from the article]

This project explores in/visibility, publicity, and politics in the infrastructural imaginary of Spruce Pine, a mining town in the US state of North Carolina. Through participant observation and other direct experiences, and as an interdisciplinary exercise in studying from below, I examine how the town's supplying of high-quality quartz (HQQ) to high-tech industries is entangled with their promoted identity as a gem-mining location. From the perspective of ideological- and material-discursive practices, I examine processes of open secreting, disarticulation from a 'high tech' identity and its connotations, and a nostalgic emphasis on the town's gem-mining identity. The political ramifications of these entanglements are presented in the example of the town's pro-Trump Fourth of July parade. I conclude by reflecting on how the complex entanglements of seemingly contradictory ideological practices work in part due to their alignment with regional culture and history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Gemstone polishing is a highly repetitive and strenuous job which may lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among workers. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MSDs and their contributing factors among gemstone polishers in Jaipur, India. Materials and methods. A self-reported questionnaire study was conducted among 388 male gemstone polishers. Current working postures of the participants were evaluated using rapid upper limb assessment. Results were considered significant at p ≤ 0.05. Results. MSDs were highly prevalent among gemstone polishers, primarily in the lower back, neck, wrists/forearms and shoulders. Work-related factors including prolonged daily working hours, little recovery time, sustaining a non-neutral working posture, repetitive movements of upper limbs and individual factors including age and job tenure were significantly associated with MSDs in different body regions. Higher education led to a reduction in the occurrence of MSDs. Evaluation of working posture recommended further investigations and immediate changes in working habits of gemstone polishers to avoid serious harm and physical damage. Conclusion. Gemstone polishers in Jaipur are at high risk of developing MSDs in different body regions. Sustaining a non-neutral working posture for a long duration is a major risk factor in the current work setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Franklinite was named by Pierre Berthier (1782-1861), a chemist and mineralogist at École des Mines, Paris, France, in 1819. In about 1848, the mineral rights to the Mine Hill properties were split from the surface ownership into two deeds, one for franklinite ore and the second for zinc[ite] ore. In January 2017, New Jersey State Senators Steven V. Oroho and Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr. introduced a bill, NJ S2890, to designate "franklinite" as the official mineral of the state of New Jersey. The published summary of the bill stated that "In a poll conducted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection with several thousand national participants, 96 percent voted in support of Franklinite as the New Jersey State mineral. [Extracted from the article]

B I first learned of plans b for the University of Arizona (U of A) Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum while attending a meeting of the Arizona Minions (a local group of mineral enthusiasts) in May 2017. Selecting the Paint When testing paint samples for a fluorescent mineral display, it is vital to check them both under white light and then under all three wavelengths of UV light. [Extracted from the article]

A controversial set of elite jewels assumed to be of early medieval period, recovered in 1937–1938 from a burial site in Matzhausen (northeastern Bavaria) was investigated to determine their technological coherency as well as their authenticity. The discovery of these jewels was exploited by German nationalists to argue that the material culture observed in Bohemia and Moravia in the ninth century had Germanic roots. The circumstances of their discovery, however, remain unclear. Research in archives demonstrated the involvement of the SS Ahnenerbe organisation in the recovery of the jewels. Are these jewels authentic or are they forgeries manufactured or modified by a modern craftsman to serve German expansionist nationalism? Three jewels recovered in the grave – a gombik (hollow spherical pendant), an earring with chainlet, and a zoomorphic figurine – were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-radiography, and stereomicroscopy. The investigation revealed a very heterogeneous set of objects with respect to technology and state of preservation. It also uncovered repairs and past invasive interventions involving modern metal and solder. Comparison with similar types of jewels from Bohemia and Moravia points to important differences in construction and technology, which confirms the uniqueness of this set of objects and casts suspicion on their authenticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adamite microcrystals and/or mixed iron-oxide pseudomorphs after adamite or legrandite are common on Ojuela matrix, but although adamite is known from Flor de Peña, it is not known in association with legrandite there, so this may be a diagnostic Ojuela indicator. Isolated freestanding crystals are common as are sheaves, sprays, and bundles of fibrous crystals to 8 cm long. Ojuela legrandites occur on a rich, red-brown vuggy gossan matrix, commonly with tiny adamite crystals in the vugs. The relationship between legrandite and adamite (and paradamite?) is apparently not a happy one as shown by groups of goethite pseudomorphs after robust legrandite crystals to 3 cm across and 12 cm long, and 5-cm-diameter (fig. 8) adamite balls with hollow internal molds where legrandite crystals 1.5 cm across and at least 3 cm long once resided. Orange-yellow crystals of legrandite associated with scalenohedral crystals of pink smithsonite, 4 cm, from the so-called zinc pocket, 44 level, in the third oxidation zone of the Tsumeb deposit. [Extracted from the article]

The Emmons pegmatite, noted for its many phosphates, is Maine's most species-rich pegmatite. The Emmons pegmatite (fig. 1) is an example of a highly evolved boron-lithium-cesium-tantalum-enriched pegmatite. The Emmons pegmatite, one of Maine's major micromineral locations, is not the only pegmatite on Uncle Tom Mountain: the highly evolved Dumper Dew pegmatite ([29]) and the larger but less evolved Tiger Bill pegmatite are two of the other pegmatites. In the Emmons pegmatite, "biotite" occurs only in the wall zone as platy to elongated crystals to 8 cm. This mode of occurrence is typical for more evolved pegmatites worldwide. The Emmons pegmatite is a highly evolved boron-lithium-cesium-tantalum-enriched pegmatite formed by anatexis of migmatites ([27]; [31]) as a result of postorogenic, prerifting extension and decompressional melting about 250 Ma. [Extracted from the article]

Mike was active around the world - I would see him in Munich or Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, but it is certainly Mexico that brought Mike to the attention of the collector world. Along with Sandra, Mike collected at Jerome, Arizona, where he made a find that plunged him deep into the mineral business - the azurite rosettes recovered were snapped up by collectors, and a mineral dealer was hatched. Mike's son, Jason, had been working for his father for many years as comanager, which would free up Mike to go collect the next new find. [Extracted from the article]

To see if this article was truly a unique introduction to Neplyuev's educational work to English-reading audiences, I conducted a thorough online search for all types of scholarly work available on or by Neplyuev. I can still remember the thrill, when, while conducting my first literature review, I found an article that truly informed my research questions and process. In the first article of this issue, Pavlo Bilichenko introduces us to the educative work of Nikolay Neplyuev, a scholar whose work spanned the late 1800s and first decade of the twenty century. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on the amethyst clustera found in the waters in Thunder Bay districts in Ontario, Canada. It tells about the hematite after coming in contact with the amethyst crystal turns the crytal's colour red. It tells about the mineroligy studied in Canada to understand the changes in the amethyst crystal.