New York Mineralogical Club Gala Dinner Review

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Our New York Mineralogical Club held its annual gala dinner in early October, and once again it was in our opinion the “must-attend” event of the year. Joe and I invited some friends to the gala, the theme was Ruby, and we assembled beforehand at the hotel lobby bar of the Holiday Inn Midtown, which has hosted the event the past three years.

Then, as in years prior, the silent auction begins at 6pm, and for 45 minutes you have 40-75 members and their guests hovering over an assembly of museum quality gem and mineral specimens, gem and mineral artwork, and geology and paleontology books and out-of-print journals until…
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Rockhound Sites in North Carolina


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My lady friend’s sister’s husband, got that, is a big supporter of American Geode. Their 2 kids were the first youngsters with American Geode t-shirts. When he mentioned in passing however over Christmas that his grandfather was a geologist, and he kept a journal of all the rockhound sites he rockhounded and mined, I interrupted Christmas supper with an “Excuse me, we are going to run an errand,” proceeded to go back to their home, rifled through an upstairs closet, found the journal, and while the rest of the family was watching “It’s a Wonderful Life,” I was studying and reviewing this geologist’s journal.
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Fossil Collection at Indiana State Museum


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The fossil collection at the Indiana State Museum is a must-see for every paleontologist, student, teacher, scientist, geologist, or anyone interested in the Paleozoic Fossil during the Mississippian Age in the state of Indiana. Indiana was covered with crinoids during the Mississippian Age, and remnants of these sea animals remain in the sedimentary slabs of Southern Indiana. So often when the crinoid would die, it would fall apart. You find these crinoid remains on slabs of limestone. The head of the crinoid, the base of the crinoid, and the discs that make up the length of the crinoid are found scattered. We actually have recovered many crinoid fossils, and they can be seen here:
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Gem and Mineral Hall at Indiana State Museum

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The Gem and Mineral section of the Indiana State Museum is a must see for any rockhound, geologist, teacher, student, and anyone interested in the earth sciences or interested in the wonders of the state of Indiana.
What impressed me most was the variety of gem and minerals that had been discovered in Indiana. And I am even a Hoosier! I learned how calcite was found to the degree it was dubbed “Indiana calcite.” One of the most spectacular specimens is a giant calcite crystal beside which I am standing. Some of the other calcite crystals were found near Indianapolis as well.
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EFMLS Convention 2015


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Keep your eye on this entry as we make our plan to attend the EFMLS Convention, March 27-29, 2015 in
Hickory, North Carolina. The Catawba Valley Gem & Mineral Club is hosting, and we will be rolling down in the “RockHound Express” once again. This promises to be a great weekend for the lapidary artists, amateur geologists, happy-go-lucky rockhounds, students of geology, and folks who like clever conversation with fellow rockhounds.
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