
Global Rockhound Community News Letter
Issue 09: January 2006: Editor Sally Taylor:www.rockhoundstation1.com
In this issue...Feature Fact --Rockhounding on Mars --RHS1 Club News -- --- Rockhound Recipes and Tips, column --Travel: -- Tuscon 2006 Arizona-- Feature Article, Serial, Metaphysics and History of Minerals, this issue, Peridot.
FEATURE FUN FACT

Aluminium
Aluminum is the most abundant metal on earth. The Chinese knew about and used aluminum in crafting since around 300 B.C.
Ancient Greeks and Romans used Aluminum salts for dying and as astringents for caring for wounds. Western civilizations, however, did not "discover" aluminum until 1827.
***Coming Soon***
to the RHS1 website.
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Rockhounding on Mars
Above Image: This view from the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows an outcrop called "Olympia" along the northwestern margin of "Erebus" crater. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell
NASA's Mars Rovers Continue to Explore and Amaze
12.05.05
NASA's durable twin Mars rovers have successfully explored the surface of the mysterious red planet for a full Martian year (687 Earth days). Opportunity starts its second Martian year Dec. 11; Spirit started its new year three weeks ago. The rovers' original mission was scheduled for only three months.
"The rovers went through all of the Martian seasons and are back to late summer," said Dr. John Callas of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. He is deputy rover project manager. "We're preparing for the challenge of surviving another Martian winter." Both rovers keep finding new variations of bedrock in areas they are exploring on opposite sides of Mars. The geological information they collect increases evidence about ancient Martian environments including periods of wet, possibly habitable conditions.
Spirit is descending from the top of "Husband Hill" to examine a platform-like structure seen from the summit. It will then hurry south to another hill in time to position itself for maximum solar-cell output during the winter.
"Our speed of travel is driven as much by survival as by discovery, though the geology of Husband Hill continues to fascinate, surprise, puzzle and delight us," said Dr. Steve Squyres of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., principal investigator for the rover's science instruments. "We've got this dramatic topography covered with sand and loose boulders, then, every so often, a little window into the bedrock underneath."
From the composition and texture of more than six different types of rock inspected, scientists deduced what this part of Mars was like long ago. "It was a hot, violent place with volcanic explosions and impacts," Squyres said. "Water was around, perhaps localized hot springs in some cases and trace amounts of water in other cases.
Above Image: The panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took the hundreds of images combined into this 360-degree view, the "Husband Hill Summit" panorama. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell
Aided by a good power supply from Spirit's solar cells, researchers have been using the rover at night for astronomical observations. One experiment watched the sky during a meteor shower as Mars passed through the debris trail left by a passage of Halley's comet. "We're taking advantage of a unique opportunity to do some bonus science we never anticipated we would be able to do," said Cornell's Dr. Jim Bell, lead scientist for the rovers' panoramic cameras
Opportunity is examining bedrock exposures along a route between Endurance and Victoria craters. It recently reached what appears to be a younger layer of bedrock than examined inside Endurance. In Endurance, the lowest layers of bedrock were deposited as windblown dunes. Some of the upper layers were deposited as underwater sediments, indicating a change from drier to wetter conditions over time.
The bedrock Opportunity began seeing about two-thirds of the way to Victoria appears to lie higher than the upper layers at Endurance, but its texture is more like the lowest layer, petrified sand dunes. This suggests the change from drier to wetter environmental conditions may have been cyclical.
Iron-rich granules are abundant in all the layers at Endurance but are much smaller in the younger bedrock. These granules were formed by effects of water soaking the rocks. One possibility for why they are smaller is these layers might have spent less time wet. Another is the material in these layers might have had a different chemistry to begin with. Rover researchers are presenting their latest data today during the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.
Images and information about the rovers and their discoveries are available on the Web For more information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:Nasa.
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PROTECT THE RAINFOREST � FREE BY CLICKING
by NatureLady
Jan 06:
You probably already know that the rain forests are a major source of oxygen and ecological balance for our planet. Did you know that these forests are also the natural habitat for many endangered animals? Doesn't it make sense to save these forests while there is still time? You can help to preserve these vital areas, free, just by visiting: CLICK HERE:
Your daily click will ensure the earth a healthier planet for all of us.
Rock Hound Station 1
Global Rockhound Community
RHS1 Club News
We hope all of our members and viewers have had a wonderful holiday.
As you have probably noticed, we now have a page up announcing the Merchant Center. It is almost ready. As Indy has stated on the page, it's been torn down and rebuilt three times now in order to get it to do some of the tricks we have been counting on. This means more services for members.
If you have been keeping track, the search engines are picking us up now, and your content is helping to get us recognized. Search engines love new content, and every time you submit an article or advertisement for the Gazette, post a picture, or just stop by the forums to gab, you are helping your club grow. For those members with websites, please note that your submissions to the Gazette help give exposure to your own site. The Gazette is syndicated and thousands are seeing the articles there. Your live link in front of thousands free of charge is a pretty good deal. At the time we are allowing submissions from non members, but as members use of this service grows, it will be closed to a members only feature for all but animal and environmental charity ads.
As membership grows we are starting to get "pockets" of members in various areas. This is very exciting as it gives us all a chance to plan field trips together for the upcoming rockhound season. There are a few in the works now for the Oregon/Idaho areas and I hope when announced, that all members in these areas will participate in our outings. If you haven't posted your location in your profile yet, you might want to do so soon. This will let everyone know who is in the areas they live in or plan to visit. While it is relaxing to hunt by yourself sometimes, it's also fun to have someone to go with sometimes, too.
Another thing members need to remember is to put our email address into your address books so you can receive club announcements. We have three upcoming announcements that you won't want to miss. The Merchant Center launch, the start of submissions for the first club project, and the first club contest, are all just around the corner now, so make sure you are able to get those emails from [email protected].
The members download center has been installed in the forums, for those of you who have missed it. We have a couple of downloads in there now and more to come very shortly. These are free to you so help yourself. These are also miscellaneous items that are just for general enjoyment and not necessarily related to rockhounding. As much as we love our rocks, I've never met anyone who lives only as a rockhound. We hope you enjoy everything we find to offer you. Many of these items will be on sale for nonmembers in the Merchant center.
Keep an eye on the forums for any further developments folks.
Sally...
Rock Hound Station 1
Global Rockhound Community
PREHISTORIC CAMPSITE FOUND IN CENTAL TEXAS
Archaeologists have uncovered a prehistoric native American campsite at an undisclosed location in Texas. The site, dating from 7,000 to 8,000 years of age is causing some excitement. While many sites of this age have been found, they claim this site is different as the artifacts have been extremely well preserved and will lend a much better understanding of how the ancient cultures survived. The reason for the excellent preservation of the artifacts has not been discovered yet at this time. The size of the site studied thus far is 70 by 30 meters, but it is yet unknown how much bigger the site actually is. The profusion of high quality artifacts has qualified the site for the National Register for Historic Places
.
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Global Rockhound Community
Aquamarine.
TRAVEL ROCKING THE WORLD IN TUSCON, ARIZONA
The early pioneer cry of "Go West" is being raised again as rockhounds from around the world pack up their treasures and head for Tuscon, Arizona the last days of January and first week of February, 2006 to participate in the world's largest rock and gem event.
. We are not talking about a rock and gem show. We are talking about a whole town filled with rock and gem shows. The star attraction is the GDLA 28th annual show which will be held at the new Star Pass Marriott resort, January 31st though February 5th. The show has been growing exponentially over the last few years, and over 700 booths are expected for this year's show. With the large facilities available at the new Marriott, many new high quality exhibitors are able to attend this year who have not been able to do so due to limited space in previous years.
While being the main attraction, this is far from being the only show going on in Tuscon between January 27th and February 12th , however. There are 40 other shows scheduled. These shows will be featured in hotels, warehouses, museums, expo centers, convention centers, and just about anywhere large enough to house a gem show.
If you love rock and gem shows, it's time to schedule yourself a well deserved post holiday vacation and join the rest of the rock and gem hunting world in Tuscon.
For more information about shows, dates and times: Click here Sally
Rock Hound Station 1
Global Rockhound Community
ROCKHOUND RECIPES & TIPS
Winter fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and antioxidants. After the holidays, we need to detoxify our systems, to purge all the harmful food and drink we ingested (with glee) during the holidays.
Shredded Carrot and Raisin Salad
1 lb Carrots, peeled and shredded 1-1/2 C Apples, peeled, cored and chopped 1/4 C Dark raisins 1/2 C Plain low-fat yogurt or sour cream 1/3 C Milk 1 T Lemon juice 1-1/2 t Sugar (or Splenda) 1/4 t Nutmeg, ground 1/4 t Cinnamon, ground Combine carrots, apples and raisins in bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl or cup, spoon over carrot mixture, and toss to coat. Refrigerate until chilled.
Spinach Orange-Almond Salad
3 C Spinach 2 Oranges, peeled and separated into sections 1/2 C Celery, thinly sliced 2 T Green Onion, chopped 1/4 C Cider Vinegar 1/4 C Sugar (or SPLENDA) 2 t Olive Oil 1/4 C Toasted Slivered Almonds (any nuts will do)
Combine spinach, orange sections, celery, and green onion in a large bowl. Combine vinegar, sugar and oil in a small bowl. Stir until well blended.
Drizzle dressing mixture evenly over greens mixture. Toss gently to coat. Place 1 cup salad mixture on a serving plate and sprinkle with 1 T almonds Serve immediately.
Tangy Apple Slaw
4 C Cabbage, shredded 1 C Carrots, shredded 1 C Apple, chopped (1 medium) 1/2 C Red or green bell pepper, thinly sliced 2/3 C Light mayonnaise or salad dressing 1/3 C Reduced fat sour cream 3 T Sugar (or Splenda) 1-1/2 T Dijon mustard 1 T Lemon juice 1/8 t Pepper
Blend mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, lemon juice and pepper in a large bowl. Add cabbage/carrot/apple/pepper mixture and toss. Refrigerate, covered, 1-2 hours to allow flavors to blend.
Note: Use Splenda or Equal and low-fat or no-fat sour cream, mayonnaise, yogurt or milk. This transforms traditionally fatty recipes into recipes perfect for individuals with diabetes and people watching their weight. Of course, you may use the fully-loaded version for maximum caloric intake.
Camping in the winter is a great way to enjoy cooking in the outdoors using a Dutch oven. If you do not have a Dutch oven, then you might want to try your luck at coffee can cookery.
Dutch Brunch
1 12-inch Dutch oven 1 Onion, chopped 1/2 lb Bacon, cut into small pieces 1 32-oz bag of hash brown potatoes 12 Eggs 1 lb Cheddar cheese, grated 1 8-oz jar of Salsa
Preheat Dutch oven and lid over coals. Brown the bacon and the onion in Dutch oven. Drain the bacon and the onion on paper towels or newspaper. Wipe excess grease out of Dutch oven and then fry hash brown potatoes until golden brown. Add bacon and onions, stir.
Break 12 eggs into mixing bowl and beat thoroughly. Pour eggs over potatoes, bacon and onions. Cover with hot lid and cook until eggs are almost solid. Remove lid and sprinkle with cheese. Continue cooking until eggs set and cheese melts. Spoon the egg mixture into a tortilla. Tortillas may be heated in foil over coals while breakfast is cooking. Serve salsa on the side. If there are leftovers, just wrap the eggs in tortilla and wrap in foil. Toss foiled tacos into the coals for a snack later
Peach Cobbler
1/4 lb Margarine 1 C Flour, self-rising 1 C Sugar 1 C Milk 1 29-oz can of Peaches, sliced Cinnamon (optional) Line Dutch oven with aluminum foil and preheat oven and lid over coals. Melt the margarine in the lined oven. Mix the flour, sugar and milk and pour over the melted margarine. Pour in can of sliced peaches, including juice; then sprinkle with cinnamon (if desired). Place lid on the oven and cover with hot coals. Cook for about 1 hour.
Coffee Can Cookery
2 Strips bacon 1 Medium potato, sliced 1 Medium onion, sliced 1 Medium tomato, sliced 2 Stalks celery 1/3 lb Ground beef 1 Carrot Salt and pepper to taste Coffee can and lid.
Cut carrot in half lengthwise. Cut celery and carrot into 2" lengths. Cut bacon in half. Mold 2 meat patties. Place 2 pieces of bacon on bottom of can. Place layers of all ingredients. Repeat. Place closed coffee can on top of glowing coals for 25 min. Open lid and check after 10 minutes, if browning too rapidly, pour 2 T of water in can.
Peace and prosperity to y'all in 2006!
Eileen
Eileen Trainor is a writer, webmaster and marketer. Visit her advertising website and her marketing blog CoolAdzine.blogspot.
"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." H. Jackson Brown, Jr".
Rock Hound Station 1
Global Rockhound Community
FEATURE ARTICLE - SERIAL
METAPHYSICS AND THE HISTORY OF MINERALS
THIS MONTH'S GEM; PERIDOT
Birthstone: August
Zodiac: Libra .
Peridot, also known as chrysolite, is actually the gem variety of olivine. Olivines all share the same crystal structure with chemical compositions that vary. Iron gives peridot it's color. The stones range in shades of green, yellowish green, olive, brownish green, grass green. Brown peridots also can be found but are extremely rare. The most valuable peridots are the more purely green stones with no yellow tints.
Peridot is the only gemstone to have been found in meteors, and presence of the gem on comet Hale-Bopp was identified, making it the only known extraterrestrial gemstone.
Care must be taken with peridot as it is a softer stone, with a hardness of 6.5. The polish can be destroyed relatively easily and the stones should be kept away from acids and cleaned only by hand. Never put a peridot in an ultrasonic cleaner.
The name peridot (pronounced "peridoe") comes from the Arabic word "faridat" which means "gem". In the Bible it is called by it's Hebrew name, "pitdah". The Greeks and Romans first called peridot "topazion" or "topazius" but the name was later given to the Topaz.
Peridot has been cherished by humans for about 4,000 years. It has been confused with many other gemstones. There is debate that the "emeralds"worn by Cleopatra were actually peridot, and the emerald at the shrine of the Three Holy Kings was identified in the 1800's as being peridot. Many other emeralds held in royal and holy treasures have been at later dates discovered to be peridot in actuality.
The first mines were on Zebargad, also known as St. John's Island, and date back to 1,500 B.C. The island originally was home to a large number of poisonous snakes which made mining difficult, but an Egyptian ruler finally had the snakes killed and set up guards on the island to kill those traveling to the island without authorization being that the stone was so highly prized. Peridot is one of the stones in the Biblical Breastplate of the Holy Priest and the stone was also owned by King Ezekiel. Referred to in Egypt as "the stone of the sun" it was hunted by night as it's brightness in the desert sun was thought to render the stone invisible by day, but they were said to give off their own light in the darkness. Fine challises of Peridot were fashioned by the Egyptians who drank soma from them to help them achieve communications with the Gods. Brought to Europe by the Crusaders, it was used for ecclesiastical uses. In Hawaii the stones were thought to be the tears of their Goddess Pele.
Pirates valued the stone as an amulet against evil spirits. As an amulet against evil it was pierced and strung on donkey hair then worn on the left arm. It was also thought to have the ability to break enchantment when set in gold. Dreaming of peridot is said to be a dream of warning.
Medicinally peridot has been used for ailments of the heart and lungs, to relieve speech impediments, and to help in the birthing process.. It was powdered and ingested to alleviate asthma. Aging processes, both mental and physical, are thought to be slowed by the stone.
Metaphysically the stone is used to cleanse and heal. It is thought to open the heart chakara and realign all. It strengthens the life force, gives hope and clears depression. It increases the ability to articulate ideas, patience, and confidence. The yellower stones are thought to help in understanding relationships and clear and strengthen the solar plexus.
A gift of peridot is a gift of health, protection, and youth.
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