Mineral Section

of the Rochester Academy of Science

Feature Article

If you missed Bob Morgan's talk at the 2003 Tucson Mineral Show or at the section meeting in the spring of 2003 (or just wish to see it again), here is your chance! Bob has graciously made his slides and narration notes available for viewing on the Web. Thanks, Bob.

Amazing Pyrite Shapes of Huanzala, Peru

Other Club Events

Annual Rochester Mineralogical Symposium
This world-renowned event takes place each April at the Radison Hotel on Jefferson Road.

Science Exploration Days  This annual event at St. John Fisher College each May provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate, talk about, and give away minerals to area Junior and Senior ) high school students.  
This year's dates are Wednesday May 12 and Thursday the 13th, 2010.

June Picnic as guests of the Rochester Lapidary Society.

Annual ADK Outdoor Expo put on by the Genesee Valley Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club at Mendon Ponds Park Beach Area. We will have a booth advertising our club to the public. This year's event is on Saturday June 12, 2010.

Annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show  Co-sponsored with the Rochester Lapidary Society at Minett Hall at the Monroe Co. Fair and Expo Center.
  2010 Dates:
    Saturday October 23 – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    Sunday October 24 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Annual Club Holiday Party  In December each year.  A special year-end get together and pot-luck dinner.

 Articles

The October 2007 meeting featured Dr. David Bailey, Associate Professor of Geology at Hamilton College, who gave an interesting talk about the Kimberlitic Rocks of New York.   For a summary of this talk, click here!

Barton & Hooper Garnet Mine Field Trip

Contacts
Mineral Web site
and General Information – mineral(at)rasny.org
Field Trip Coordinators – mineraltrips(at)rasny.org

Officers for 2010
President — William Pinch – mineralpres(at)rasny.org
Vice President — Nancy McCann                                      – mineralvp(at)rasny.org
Secretary — Andrea Hart McMahon
                       – mineralsec(at)rasny.org
Treasurer — Paul Dudley
Curator — William Pinch

Directors
    Chuck Hiler
    Stephen Busschaert
    Jesse Sackett

Our Newsletter: RocKester News

Soliciting contributions for the next issue...
Link to e-mail the editor

List of Items in our Club Library

Events Schedule

Monthly Club meetings are generally on the third Tuesday of each month at the Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Ave., Rochester NY.  Our December meeting will be elsewhere, and occasionally we may need to change the date or meeting locations.  This site will list any such changes or updates.

There is no meeting in April due to all the mineralogical excitement created by the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - MONTHLY MEETING: 7:30 to 9:30 pm. Downstairs at Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Ave. We'll be having a Show & Tell/Swap/Sale, so start thinking about what you'd like to bring, or just come and enjoy the specimens that will be on hand. Items from the Coffee collection will be for sale. Door prizes & refreshments. Visitors welcome. Stay tuned for more info. http://www.rasny.org/mineral

Friday, October 8, 2010 - EXTRA MEETING: 7:30 to 9:30 pm. Meeting place to be determined.  James Tovey of TOVECO, Alstead, NH will be speaking about his beryl mine there. He will have aquamarine, smoky quartz and other specimens, as well as cabochons, beads, faceted stones and finished jewelry originating from the mineral material in his mine. Refreshments. Visitors welcome.

Saturday October 23 & Sunday October 24 – Rochester Gem, Mineral, Fossil & Jewelry Show Click for details.

Field Trips

A benefit of Mineral Section membership are the club-sponsored field trips.
An advance headcount is required for field trips, and you must be a member to receive field trip details.  

To sign up for field trips, or if you have an idea for a field trip, contact mineraltrips(at)rasny.org.

If you are not currently a member here is a link to the RAS membership form

2010 Field Trips

Field trip information will be made available to members through our newsletter and via e-mail.

However, the first two trips for this season are as follows:

Saturday April 17 – Crystal Grove Diamond (Herkimer quartz crystals) Mine & Campground, 161 County Highway 114, St. Johnsville, NY 13452. For more info: www.crystalgrove.com. Contact Valerie Polachak for more info & carpooling: valp(at)rochester.rr.com

Sunday April 25 – Marmora Quarry (Aecon Corp.), Stirling-Marmora Rd., Marmora Township, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada with Buffalo Geological Society. 9am - 4pm. For minerals found at this site: www.mindat.org/loc-15212.html  For more info: mineraltrips(at)rasny.org (Note, a passport or enhanced driver's license is required.)

Some Previous Field Trips

Penfield Quarry (Dolomite Products Co., Inc.), Minerals that may be found here are Fluorite, Selenite, Dolomite, Calcite, Sphalerite, Celestine, Gypsum & Fossils.

Herkimer "Diamond" Mine, Herkimer, NY for quartz crystals..

"Diamond" Acres, Fonda, NY for quartz crystals.

Bancroft, Ontario, Canada area.  

Barton Garnet Mine, North River, NY and the abandoned Hooper Garnet mine. Garnet, gneiss, feldspar, hornblende.  

Lafarge, NA at Lockport (Quarry) -  Minerals usually found there include: Pink-tinged dolomite crystals, calcite crystals, celestine, gypsum (selenite & massive), anhydrite, and marcasite.

Spring Creek, Alden, NY depending on people's preference, for fossils, pyritized fossils & nodules and septarian nodules.

Lewis & St. Lawrence Counties.  Tourmalines, titanite, diopside, graphite, blue calcite, and more.

Bower Powers farm for uvite, quartz & apatite, Pierrepont, St. Lawrence Co., NY.

Meckley's Limestone Products, Inc. Quarry in Mandata, PA

National Limestone Quarry, in Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pennsylvania for wavellite, calcite & strontianite.

Dolomite Products Co., Inc., Walworth Quarry, Walworth, NY. Power Tools allowed. Personal Protective Equipment: Hard hat, safety glasses, sturdy footware, long pants. Gloves recommended.

For more information on field trips, contact mineraltrips(at)rasny.org