WELCOME TO
TULIP CITY GEM & MINERAL CLUB
OUR CLUB MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR BOTH MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS.
OUR NEXT GENERAL MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR
OUR NEXT GENERAL MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR
7:00 PM JUNE 27th, 2018
AT THE HOWARD MILLER COMMUNITY CENTER (ZEELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY) 14 SOUTH CHURCH STREET, ZEELAND MI 49464
Field Trip to Mt. Ida, Arkansas for Quartz Crystals
March 31- April 5
By Jodi Miller click for slideshow on field trip page
Steve and I awoke early on Saturday morning, March 31. Unfortunately, I had come down with a mild case of the flu, and I don’t remember much of the preparation or the drive to meet up with the Sherwoods at the Dutch Farm Market. The two cars caravanned down to Blytheville, Arkansas and met up with many of our group at the Super 8. After a dinner at the local steakhouse, we all retired early to bed to prepare for the drive the next day.
The next morning was Easter Sunday and we began the final short drive to Mt. Ida, Arkansas, located in the Ouachita Mountains. When we were a distance down the road, we heard that John Mull and his daughter, Angie, had had car difficulties. They were going to stay near Blytheville and wait until the next day to get it checked out and hopefully repaired. The rest of us made it to the Crystal Inn Motel. Steve and I took a ride to one of the crystal stores we had passed along the way. It was exciting to see samples of the type of crystals there were in the area, and what we would be collecting throughout the week. When we returned to the motel, four other couples were making plans to go to the Shangri-La Restaurant, famous for its homemade pies, and we decided to join them. Bob and Julia Sherwood, Ray and Linda Plumert, Rick and Deb Smith, and Rudy and Christine Silich and Steve and I drove over to the restaurant, which sits on a beautiful lake and we ate a wonderful dinner. After dinner, we all went back to the motel for final arrangements before the first dig in the morning.
The next day, April 2, we all initially met in the parking lot of the Crystal Inn Motel. The weather was a little chilly with a fine misting rain. We had a brief meeting with Bob Sherwood letting us know the details of the dig. Gary Green of Norman, Arkansas was letting us dig in the Cliff Mine which is one of the Quartz City Mines. The Cliff Mine produces large, clear quartz specimens. One standout feature is that many specimens do not have a host rock matrix. The bottom of the quartz clusters is quartz. This is because there is a layer of sandstone between the quartz and the host rock. This creates beautiful displays when the crystals and the quartz they sit on are cleaned. We all went in our cars and caravan to meet Gary’s father, Leo. We then all follow him in an impressive car caravan out to his mine, which includes climbing a two-track up the mountain. When we arrived, we unloaded our gear and climbed up a small mountain to the area that has been opened to develop the mine. Steve and I meet Justin, who works for the mine. He was very kind and instructed us on the best way to find quartz crystals. The veins of the crystals run from top to bottom of the mine. Occasionally, these veins run into each other and may open into a pocket, which is where most of the large impressive specimens come from. But it is a lot of work to harvest the crystals, and luckily for everyone, there was an abundance of crystal points laying all over the ground of the mine. I even found some beautiful examples right on the two-track coming in to the mine. Steve and I were able to collect about four buckets of crystals, mostly points, but a couple of clusters as well, even though I was still not feeling very well. All too soon, we needed to pack up and leave. As we were going down the mountain with our last buckets, we took a moment to look around at the beauty on the mountain. Being up that high, you actually look down at the tree tops.
Thankfully, it was not the end of our collecting for the day. Bob Sherwood had arranged for us to drive over to the home of Stuart and Sandra Schmitt, owners of Clear Creek Crystals. In the little shop on their property we were allowed to go through the boxes of materials that they had and purchase some very unique and quality specimens. Steve managed to find and buy a gorgeous cluster of quartz crystals that were black, and we discovered that they had been irradiated. I bought a wavellite cabochon and a crystal specimen as well.
For dinner on Monday night, Steve and I drove to the grocery store to buy some things to eat in the room, while several others went out to the El Diamante Mexican Restaurant. When we all had finished eating, we congregated outside of the motel with some adult beverages and discussed the success of the day’s digging.
On Tuesday morning April 3, the sun had come out, but so had the winds. This was the day we were going to the famous Twin Creek Mine owned by Bobby Fecho and Dixie Williams. At the Twin Creek Mine, we paid $20 per person and the digging for the day started out slow, for everyone except Ray Plumert, who found a honey hole to dig in. We were also excited to have John Mull and his daughter rejoin us, having left his car in Blytheville to be repaired and he was able to rent a car. The view from the top of the mine was amazing. The colors of the trees across the ridge were three distinct shades of green that deepened when the sun came out from behind any clouds. Steve and I were able to collect a couple of buckets here as well and found about four specimens over 8 inches wide. We began to understand the need for all the packing material. When the crystals are sticking out of the quartz, you handle them very carefully so as not to break off the points. At around 4:00 pm, word began circulating that a severe weather warning had been issued for the area. We quickly packed up and headed back to our motel. The storm was evident by the dark clouds that were circling around the motel. I loved the pictures I was able to take of both the storm clouds and the gorgeous sunset that followed. We later learned that golf ball sized hail had fallen in the town near us during the storm.
That night, the whole group descended on the Shangri-La Restaurant. It was a little overwhelming for the little place, but the food was still just as wonderful, and many more of us took advantage of the homemade pie. We gathered in front of the motel again after dinner and talked about and compared the two mines we had been to and the anticipation of the mine for the next day.
The third day of digging on Wednesday, April 4 was scheduled for the Wegner Phantom Mine. We met again in the motel parking lot for our pre-dig briefing. This dig was coordinated by Dan Nevins, and he gave us details about what we could expect. We only had a short drive to get to the Wegner complex. When we arrived, we were able to wander around the grounds and there were some very large and impressive crystal clusters displayed. There was also a beautiful memorial totem that was carved from the tree that had stood on the spot. Surrounding the base, on the ground, were thousands of crystal points. This day we left our vehicles behind and were transported in safari type vehicles to the digging site. Having just recovered from my illness, I asked if I could sit in the cab as opposed to sitting out on the benches on the bed of the vehicle. The driver informed us that although it was only five miles to the mine, it would take us an hour to get there because of how slow we had to drive with the people sitting in the back. There were four of us in the truck cab, and we were treated to history and stories about the mining industry of the area. Unfortunately, the road to the mine was uneven and slightly treacherous, which caused my vertigo to kick in and I became motion sick. Luckily, I had some Ginger Ale with me, as that is the ultimate cure all for nauseas.
Digging at the Wegner was fun, and many people found some very nice specimens. This is where some of the larger crystals were found, as well as the “phantom” crystals containing manganese inclusions. Phantom crystals are caused by temporary interruption(s) of the crystal's growth process. Small bubbles, or small settling particles of shale or fine-grained minerals, adhere to the crystal faces of the growing quartz, resulting in 'phantoms' that look like a crystal grown inside of another crystal. The time went quickly, and soon it was time to get back into the safari vehicle to go home. We loaded up the buckets and clusters, including a couple of very nice “yard displays”. We began the hour drive at 5 mph speed trip home and once again, I began to get motion sick. Sadly, I had no Ginger Ale to cure the pain, and I had to have the truck stop so that I could get sick….twice. It was extremely painful and embarrassing. We finally made it back to the store, and I was able to walk to our car and lay down. It took its toll, and I ended up sleeping for the next two hours, getting up in time to eat and socialize for the evening.
It was the intent of the group to go to Keokuk to collect geodes, but with the temperatures being unseasonable cold, and storms in the forecast, it made everyone think twice. Steve and I decided to skip Iowa and attend to some matters for our Rabbitry, so on Thursday morning, we said goodbye to the rest of the club members and headed for Minnesota. We understood that several of the others were going to Kentucky to look for Fluorite.
When we arrived home, we were able to sort our finds and we were very pleased with what we collected, along with the specimens we purchased. Our next step is to clean everything and then really grade what we’ve collected. Oddly, although I was sick for the first three days and then suffered a brief episode of motion sickness, it was a very successful and fun field trip.
March 31- April 5
By Jodi Miller click for slideshow on field trip page
Steve and I awoke early on Saturday morning, March 31. Unfortunately, I had come down with a mild case of the flu, and I don’t remember much of the preparation or the drive to meet up with the Sherwoods at the Dutch Farm Market. The two cars caravanned down to Blytheville, Arkansas and met up with many of our group at the Super 8. After a dinner at the local steakhouse, we all retired early to bed to prepare for the drive the next day.
The next morning was Easter Sunday and we began the final short drive to Mt. Ida, Arkansas, located in the Ouachita Mountains. When we were a distance down the road, we heard that John Mull and his daughter, Angie, had had car difficulties. They were going to stay near Blytheville and wait until the next day to get it checked out and hopefully repaired. The rest of us made it to the Crystal Inn Motel. Steve and I took a ride to one of the crystal stores we had passed along the way. It was exciting to see samples of the type of crystals there were in the area, and what we would be collecting throughout the week. When we returned to the motel, four other couples were making plans to go to the Shangri-La Restaurant, famous for its homemade pies, and we decided to join them. Bob and Julia Sherwood, Ray and Linda Plumert, Rick and Deb Smith, and Rudy and Christine Silich and Steve and I drove over to the restaurant, which sits on a beautiful lake and we ate a wonderful dinner. After dinner, we all went back to the motel for final arrangements before the first dig in the morning.
The next day, April 2, we all initially met in the parking lot of the Crystal Inn Motel. The weather was a little chilly with a fine misting rain. We had a brief meeting with Bob Sherwood letting us know the details of the dig. Gary Green of Norman, Arkansas was letting us dig in the Cliff Mine which is one of the Quartz City Mines. The Cliff Mine produces large, clear quartz specimens. One standout feature is that many specimens do not have a host rock matrix. The bottom of the quartz clusters is quartz. This is because there is a layer of sandstone between the quartz and the host rock. This creates beautiful displays when the crystals and the quartz they sit on are cleaned. We all went in our cars and caravan to meet Gary’s father, Leo. We then all follow him in an impressive car caravan out to his mine, which includes climbing a two-track up the mountain. When we arrived, we unloaded our gear and climbed up a small mountain to the area that has been opened to develop the mine. Steve and I meet Justin, who works for the mine. He was very kind and instructed us on the best way to find quartz crystals. The veins of the crystals run from top to bottom of the mine. Occasionally, these veins run into each other and may open into a pocket, which is where most of the large impressive specimens come from. But it is a lot of work to harvest the crystals, and luckily for everyone, there was an abundance of crystal points laying all over the ground of the mine. I even found some beautiful examples right on the two-track coming in to the mine. Steve and I were able to collect about four buckets of crystals, mostly points, but a couple of clusters as well, even though I was still not feeling very well. All too soon, we needed to pack up and leave. As we were going down the mountain with our last buckets, we took a moment to look around at the beauty on the mountain. Being up that high, you actually look down at the tree tops.
Thankfully, it was not the end of our collecting for the day. Bob Sherwood had arranged for us to drive over to the home of Stuart and Sandra Schmitt, owners of Clear Creek Crystals. In the little shop on their property we were allowed to go through the boxes of materials that they had and purchase some very unique and quality specimens. Steve managed to find and buy a gorgeous cluster of quartz crystals that were black, and we discovered that they had been irradiated. I bought a wavellite cabochon and a crystal specimen as well.
For dinner on Monday night, Steve and I drove to the grocery store to buy some things to eat in the room, while several others went out to the El Diamante Mexican Restaurant. When we all had finished eating, we congregated outside of the motel with some adult beverages and discussed the success of the day’s digging.
On Tuesday morning April 3, the sun had come out, but so had the winds. This was the day we were going to the famous Twin Creek Mine owned by Bobby Fecho and Dixie Williams. At the Twin Creek Mine, we paid $20 per person and the digging for the day started out slow, for everyone except Ray Plumert, who found a honey hole to dig in. We were also excited to have John Mull and his daughter rejoin us, having left his car in Blytheville to be repaired and he was able to rent a car. The view from the top of the mine was amazing. The colors of the trees across the ridge were three distinct shades of green that deepened when the sun came out from behind any clouds. Steve and I were able to collect a couple of buckets here as well and found about four specimens over 8 inches wide. We began to understand the need for all the packing material. When the crystals are sticking out of the quartz, you handle them very carefully so as not to break off the points. At around 4:00 pm, word began circulating that a severe weather warning had been issued for the area. We quickly packed up and headed back to our motel. The storm was evident by the dark clouds that were circling around the motel. I loved the pictures I was able to take of both the storm clouds and the gorgeous sunset that followed. We later learned that golf ball sized hail had fallen in the town near us during the storm.
That night, the whole group descended on the Shangri-La Restaurant. It was a little overwhelming for the little place, but the food was still just as wonderful, and many more of us took advantage of the homemade pie. We gathered in front of the motel again after dinner and talked about and compared the two mines we had been to and the anticipation of the mine for the next day.
The third day of digging on Wednesday, April 4 was scheduled for the Wegner Phantom Mine. We met again in the motel parking lot for our pre-dig briefing. This dig was coordinated by Dan Nevins, and he gave us details about what we could expect. We only had a short drive to get to the Wegner complex. When we arrived, we were able to wander around the grounds and there were some very large and impressive crystal clusters displayed. There was also a beautiful memorial totem that was carved from the tree that had stood on the spot. Surrounding the base, on the ground, were thousands of crystal points. This day we left our vehicles behind and were transported in safari type vehicles to the digging site. Having just recovered from my illness, I asked if I could sit in the cab as opposed to sitting out on the benches on the bed of the vehicle. The driver informed us that although it was only five miles to the mine, it would take us an hour to get there because of how slow we had to drive with the people sitting in the back. There were four of us in the truck cab, and we were treated to history and stories about the mining industry of the area. Unfortunately, the road to the mine was uneven and slightly treacherous, which caused my vertigo to kick in and I became motion sick. Luckily, I had some Ginger Ale with me, as that is the ultimate cure all for nauseas.
Digging at the Wegner was fun, and many people found some very nice specimens. This is where some of the larger crystals were found, as well as the “phantom” crystals containing manganese inclusions. Phantom crystals are caused by temporary interruption(s) of the crystal's growth process. Small bubbles, or small settling particles of shale or fine-grained minerals, adhere to the crystal faces of the growing quartz, resulting in 'phantoms' that look like a crystal grown inside of another crystal. The time went quickly, and soon it was time to get back into the safari vehicle to go home. We loaded up the buckets and clusters, including a couple of very nice “yard displays”. We began the hour drive at 5 mph speed trip home and once again, I began to get motion sick. Sadly, I had no Ginger Ale to cure the pain, and I had to have the truck stop so that I could get sick….twice. It was extremely painful and embarrassing. We finally made it back to the store, and I was able to walk to our car and lay down. It took its toll, and I ended up sleeping for the next two hours, getting up in time to eat and socialize for the evening.
It was the intent of the group to go to Keokuk to collect geodes, but with the temperatures being unseasonable cold, and storms in the forecast, it made everyone think twice. Steve and I decided to skip Iowa and attend to some matters for our Rabbitry, so on Thursday morning, we said goodbye to the rest of the club members and headed for Minnesota. We understood that several of the others were going to Kentucky to look for Fluorite.
When we arrived home, we were able to sort our finds and we were very pleased with what we collected, along with the specimens we purchased. Our next step is to clean everything and then really grade what we’ve collected. Oddly, although I was sick for the first three days and then suffered a brief episode of motion sickness, it was a very successful and fun field trip.
ROCK / MINERAL CONTEST -
MARCH MINERAL IS MALACHITE
This stunning green mineral has many forms that collectors can frequently find available for purchase.
Every attending member is invited to bring their favorite specimen. We all look forward to seeing how many varieties will show up at this meeting. The specimen should be placed anonymously on the designated table with a card (provided) telling its origin if known. During the Refreshment Break,
everyone will have a chance to vote with a penny (provided). The winner will receive a modest prize.
MARCH MINERAL IS MALACHITE
This stunning green mineral has many forms that collectors can frequently find available for purchase.
Every attending member is invited to bring their favorite specimen. We all look forward to seeing how many varieties will show up at this meeting. The specimen should be placed anonymously on the designated table with a card (provided) telling its origin if known. During the Refreshment Break,
everyone will have a chance to vote with a penny (provided). The winner will receive a modest prize.