Adult Door Prizes
#1 Pendant created by artist Marv Dahmen. Valued at $55 (I think it might be more valuable than that -ed.)
#2 Polychrome jasper from Madagascar. 6 1/2″ tall and weighing 5 1/2 lb. Valued at $100
#3 Large trilobite from Morocco. 16″ long. Valued at $250
Kids’ Door Prizes
#1 Bismuth specimen. 2 1/2″ X 2 1/2″.
Valued at $65
#2 Sphalerite and marcasite specimen from Potosi, MO. 6″ X 7″. Valued at $75
#3 Rock Tumbler. Valued at $60
A while ago, we went over to Mr. and Mrs. Snow’s house and learned how to make cabs. Dan provided the equipment and Connie provided a delicious lunch and took photos so I would have something to write about. Everyone had a lot of fun.
Dan demonstrating how to use a flat lap. Photo by Connie Snow
Everyone working hard. Photo by Connie Snow
Jim and Jeanna working. Photo by Connie Snow
Two people working on the same machine! We even had three people at one point. Photo by Connie Snow
Stephanie polishing her cab. This was her first time ever! Photo by David Reed
Stephanie’s jasper and David’s green goldstone completed cabs. Photo by David Reed
Martin working. Photo by Connie Snow
Dan, Burt, and Charley discussing something, David shaping. Photo by Connie Snow
Jeanna and Jim proud of their work. Photo by Connie Snow
In this economy, we all could use some career advice. Here is an interview with a former curator of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, explaining how he got the job and what it entails. (more…)
When you come to the show, don’t forget to enter the drawings for door prizes.
Kids’ Drawing:
Dinosaur Model with Real Tooth
Cactus Quartz
The Gem and Mineral Show was once again at the KCI Expo Center
The view from behind the Association booth.
This yellow geode is from Keokuk in St. Francisville. They call it “Lemoness”.
This huge crinoid (Scyphocrinites elegans) fossil is from Morocco.
There were also fossils from Kansas available.
Plenty of beads for sale at the show.
Fossil Brittle Star from Morocco, sold by Schooler’s Minerals. Fun fact: a brittle star is from the class Ophiurida and starfish are from the class Asteroidea, so they are not really related to starfish at all.
Bob models an official Association apron and holds a pufferfish.
The preserved pufferfish close up. It is hollow and light as a feather. I don’t think anyone bought it so it will be for sale again in March.
Some of the mineral, fossil, and jewelry-related books we had for sale this year.
Carved skulls made of semi-precious minerals.
Is this a giant dinosaur showing off a giant agate, or a very small dinosaur with a tiny agate?
Martin selling pottery that he made
Everything is packed up into our big blue cube until the next show.
The 2016 National Fossil Day logo
October 12 was National Fossil Day. This has been going on since 2010 as part of Earth Science Week, but I forgot to post anything about it. According to their website, “National Fossil Day is a celebration organized by the National Park Service to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, as well as to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational values. Fossils discovered on the nation’s public lands preserve ancient life from all major eras of Earth’s history, and from every major group of animal or plant. In the national parks, for example, fossils range from primitive algae found high in the mountains of Glacier National Park, Montana, to the remains of ice-age animals found in caves at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Public lands provide visitors with opportunities to interpret a fossil’s ecological context by observing fossils in the same place those animals and plants lived millions of years ago.”
This year, the theme of National Fossil Day is the Pleistocene era, so the logo has a saber-toothed cat, a long-horned bison, and a condor. In the background is Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument. To read more about these extinct animals, their website has an explanation here: http://nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/nfd_2016_artwork_fossils.cfm
There was also a kids’ art contest, and here are the winners: http://nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/art_contest_2016_results.cfm
Special guest article from Show-Me Rockhounds club members Dan and Connie Snow
Group picture of Fairburn agates – Dan Snow
Fairburn agates are a form of microcrystalline chalcedony, 100% silicon dioxide with a hardness of 6 ½ to 7 on the Mohs scale. They are also called fortification agates because of their banding. They were formed approximately 300 million years ago in an ancient limestone bed of an inland sea. To hunt Fairburn agates requires looking at every rock and turning many with a rock pick. It is strictly surface hunting no digging, mining, cracking or breaking rocks. The photos shown are exactly the way the agates were found, with no cutting, polishing or tumbling having been done.
Frog Rock – Dan Snow
Fairburn Agates found by Dan and Connie Snow. Collected from the Fairburn Agate beds of South Dakota and the Oglala National Grasslands in Nebraska.
Here are photos from the Show-Me Rockhounds’ field trip to Marquette, KS on April 16, 2016. This post was written by David Reed, current president of the club.
Coronado Heights. Photo by David Reed
Coronado Heights seen from afar. Photo by David Reed
People having a picnic at Coronado Heights. Photo by David Reed
Wall with battlements. Photo by David Reed
Telephone pole in downtown Marquette imitating decorated telephone poles in Lucas, KS and elsewhere. Photo by David Reed
Meeting at the diner. Photo by David Reed
Meeting for lunch. Photo by David Reed
Ready for lunch. Photo by David Reed
Terminator in somebody’s yard. Photo by David Reed
The bottom of a ring snake. The top is plain brown. The snake was found dead. Photo by David Reed
We found a live 2 inch long scorpion outside. Photo by David Reed
A highly unusual fossil in iron. Photo by David Reed
There were helicopters outside. Stephanie has helpfully combined two photos to add the zoomed-in part. It was very fast. Photos by David Reed
Connie being photogenic with her car. Photo by David Reed
Look at all the people who came on the trip. We had a great time. Photo by David Reed
The Association always has an auction at the Gem Show which raises money for scholarships for college students studying earth science-related fields. Find out more about the scholarship and apply here: http://kcgemshow.org/2015_Scholatship%20App.html
Everyone is welcome at the auction, but it is especially popular with club members because there are snacks. It took place at 7 pm on Saturday, March 12. Here are some of the things you missed.
A sculpture by the late David Wright, award-winning silversmith and jeweler. Made with Pitcher jasper. Photo by Stephanie Reed
A Pelagic crinoid from Morocco. Photo by David Reed
An Estwing rock hammer and a polished opal (sold separately, but they were close together on the table). Photo by David Reed
Vintage maps of Colorado from 1918. Photo by David Reed
Bonus: here are some more photos of club members at the show.
Club members Bob, Bruce, Martin, Molly, and Stephanie at the Association Booth. There were many more members present but this was as close as we could get to a group photo. Photo by David Reed
Bob, Bruce, and Martin at the booth looking at what there is for sale. Photo by David Reed
Molly and Bruce, members of IGAMS. Photo by David Reed
I took way too many photos at the show and most of them were interesting, making it difficult to write this post. Without further ado, here are the highlights from the Spring 2016 Gem and Mineral Show.
The Association Booth was staffed by club members from Show-Me Rockhounds, IGAMS, and more. Photo by Stephanie Reed
The popular prize wheel returned again. It’s only 50 cents to spin and receive one of 8 different prizes. Everyone’s a winner! Photo by David Reed
The Geode Gallery (Davenport, IA) cracked a lot of geodes. You can have a geode opened whether you buy it from them or bring your own. Photo by Stephanie Reed
Look behind you, it’s a dinosaur attack! No, it’s Mr. Bones! From Louisville, CO, Mr. Bones has returned for more dinosaur fun. Photo by Stephanie Reed
A representative from the Dino Lab in Science City at Union Station. She is cleaning a specimen to be mounted. Photo by Stephanie Reed
Mark Sherwood is helping these people identify something. It’s a free service from the Friends of Mineralogy, The Association, and IGAMS. Photo by Stephanie Reed
Science kits for kids (of all ages). Photo by Stephanie Reed
Ever wanted to try flume mining? Get a Nugget Bucket from McDe’s River Gems (Topeka, KS). Photo by Stephanie Reed
Each club in the Association can submit cases to show off things they have done, created, collected, etc. This case is from the Sterling Guild, a club for crafting with silver. Photo by Stephanie Reed
Bruce Stinemetz’s fluorite octahedron collection. Photo by Stephanie Reed
A stunning assortment of gem trees from Accessory Minerals (DeSoto, KS). Photo by Stephanie Reed
Jeanne’s Rock and Jewelry (Bellaire, TX) was selling stands and cases for your specimens. Displaying is an important part of collecting, which is often overlooked. Photo by Stephanie Reed
Show-Me Rockhounds Kansas City 