MicroHub News Number 2 June 2024

Micromineral Hub: Collecting & Connecting Globally

Welcome to the second issue of MicroHub News.

This issue includes information on the recent Canadian Micro Mineral Association (CMMA) Spring Symposium, a drill down on the calendar of events, a Member Spotlight (Bill Bennett), and more.

The next issue is planned to come out in September. If you have any items that you would like included, please comment below.

[Click on “View in browser” or “READ IN APP” to see all the details if the email is truncated.]

So many tools, so little time…

Calendar of Events

The Micromineral Hub includes a calendar of micromount and micromineral events that are scheduled around the world. You can see the full calendar here.

Here are the ones coming up over the next few months in each region. Click on the event in the calendar for additional details, including contact details or internet links where known. Details correct at the time of writing. Check the calendar and/or links for any changes.

I’m sure that there are more events than these. Please let me know and I will add them to the calendar!

Australia:

• 28th July Mineralogical Society of Victoria Micro Mineral Group meeting: Minerals from Western Australia and Northern Territory.

• 25th August Mineralogical Society of Victoria Micro Mineral Group meeting: Sulphides and sulphosalt minerals.

• 29th September Mineralogical Society of Victoria Micro Mineral Group meeting: Topic to be advised.

UK:

• 13th to 15th September England: British Micromount Society Symposium.

USA:

• 17th to 20th July Kentucky: 6th Annual Central US Micromineral Symposium.

Zoom (note these are Australian Eastern Time):

• 17th July Micromount Club Zoom Meeting 2024-006. Part 2 of From Aosta to Sicily, a mineralogical journey through Italy, presented by Henk Smeets.

• 21st August Micromount Club Zoom Meeting 2024-007. Topic to be advised.

• 18th September Micromount Club Zoom Meeting 2024-008. Topic to be advised.

Canadian Micro Mineral Association (CMMA) Spring Symposium

The CMMA Spring Symposium was held in early May. Steve Stuart reported on some of the finds from the giveaway tables in the June edition of the CMMA newsletter.

Dr. Paula Piilonen brought two flats of material she and her colleagues collected from the Moose Creek pegmatite in the Ice River Alkaline Complex, British Columbia. Her specimen list has 27 species including anatase, rutile, lucasite-(Ce), brookite, ilmenite, aegirine, lorenzenite and catapleiite.

Other specimens came from Robin Tibbit, Ed O’Dell, Danny Settles, and Paul Adams.

Consider joining the association. It is worthwhile even if you live a long way away like I do! Their website is here.

A selection of anatase specimens from the Moose Creek pegmatite. Steve Stuart photos and specimens.

Member spotlight: Bill Bennett, Victoria, Australia 

How long have you been interested in minerals, particularly microminerals?

I have been gathering rocks of all sorts for the last 40 years or so. I initially had no idea of minerals and collecting them.

I then, probably around 15 years ago, began getting a few pieces from the gem shows I used to frequent. I also would visit Broken Hill as I headed to the opal fields at Whitecliffs, New South Wales. There I met a very nice fella, Milton Lavers, and he would talk me through his wonderful collection of Broken Hill minerals and share a few of his throw outs. It must’ve worked as it’s still my favourite location.

I found that good minerals are quite expensive and I am a cheapskate. I have still managed to gather a nice collection with three lovely cabinets.

What got you interested? Why micros?

I remember looking through a microscope at a Bendigo gem show. They had a few micros and the seed was sown.

I had seen that you can own beautiful minerals for a budget price, also very entertaining as I revisit my micros regularly, though not to a set plan.

I bought my first micro from Bendigo, a nice wavellite from Toms quarry in Kapunda, South Australia. In time, I bought a microscope and at the shows, I would gather Australian micros.

I was mining gypsum at the time, and used that for swapping for specimens both micro and bigger, and they all went under the scope.

I was never trained in the technical side of collecting although Pat Sutton and John Carey, both from Bendigo, taught me a lot. I just love looking at them and trying to figure them out and, with Broken Hill as favourite, that’s a tall order.

Bill (with his back to us) helping out on the Bendigo Club stall at the Bendigo Show.

How do you collect (field, silver-pick, trades)?

A combination really.

I have enjoyed South Australia as a place to visit and collect, making friends with Vince Peisley and Leon Schmidt. Vince taught me to buy a whole flat rather than just individual pieces. Keep the best and sell the rest and pay for your collection. That’s good but I don’t like the selling bit! Spent some good times smashing rocks at Toms Quarry with Leon.

The annual Palmer Gem Show weekend in Palmer, South Australia, was great and I always got a carful. More recently, I have joined the Victorian Mineralogical Society, though I don’t get to many events.

Micromount or micromineral? Are you a micromounter? If not, what do your microminerals look like (mineral tack, loose in boxes, etc)?

In my micro collection I have around 2,000 pieces and they’re mainly in 28 mm clear cubes. I mainly use blutack though some I wrap up in tissue, and others are in folded cardboard boxes.

I also had a microscope upgrade. I was happy before and now I am seeing even more clearly!

What is your favourite mineral and your favourite locality?

As mentioned previously, Broken Hill is my favourite location, though I enjoy all Australian areas, although I have not got many from Queensland and Western Australia yet.

As a favourite mineral, I like rhodochrosite from Broken Hill, and for a while, wulfenite was also a favourite, but really, its what’s under my scope and interesting that does the trick. I also really like my native elements, especially the silver specimens from Broken Hill and Cobar, New South Wales.

I also enjoy putting the UV light over my minerals. I lit up a nice micro and it was my most expensive rock, a well presented marshite from Broken hill.

What do you think the future will look like?

As well as collecting, I’m looking to enter into photography, though at the moment faceting has been my favourite pastime, and, of course, scoping!

Mineralogical Society of Victoria Micro Mineral Group

A small group of members of the Mineralogical Society of Victoria meet on a monthly basis at members homes with varied micro mineral topics. More details can be found by contacting the Society here.

Here are some details from a recent meeting (courtesy John Haupt).

Meeting of the micro-mineral group, February 2024.

This month we look through more of the specimens from the late Judy Rowe’s collection of micro sized minerals which were donated to the Victorian Society by her family. As previously mentioned, Judy was a long-time member of our micro-mineral group and was keen on collecting specimens from lesser-known localities and photographing them. This time I have concentrated on some of the minerals that she collected from New Zealand.

Judy and Stan first came to New Zealand in 1987 for their Micro-Mineral Symposium. They were regular attendees each year and had many friends in the mineral fraternity there. After Stan’s death in 1991, Judy continued coming with Michael Hirst up to 2013. Their 2016 Micro-Mineral Symposium was dedicated in memory of Judy.

Thank you to Jocelyn Thornton and Alun Baines for the New Zealand information.

Stan & Judy Rowe at the 1987 Micro-Mineral Symposium in Auckland. Photo: Alun Baines

John Haupt photos.