Michigan Mineralogical Society
Michigan Mineralogical Society
Club Contests
Currently Running club competitionS
The winning club members for 2020 have been notified. Please see the April Conglomerate newsletter for the details.
We formally announce our next annual club photography contest. We are actively taking club member photography submissions for our 2nd club-wide Millie Hurt Mineral Photography Contest. The prize for the best photo image will be awarded at the 2022 Banquet held in January. This will run from March 16th, 2021 to the next club banquet date on January of 2022.
The 2021 Millie Hurt Mineral
Photography Contest
by FreePNG.com
The Rules
Club members in good standing can submit up to five photographs of minerals in their personal collection. The photos must be submitted in electronic format and emailed to either Brad Zylman (brad.zylman@mrm-mccann.com) or Dave Lurie (dlurie2001@comcast.net). Photos must be at least 1024 by 768 pixels in order to be posted for consideration.
The photos must be accompanied by a document (.doc) or text file (.txt) that lists what the specimen is, where it was found and whether it was purchased or self-collected. It can also contain any descriptive information that you wish others to know. This document must have the following wording in it: “I give my permission to post this photo and information on the MMS website, Instagram, and on Facebook in perpetuity.” In return, we will not use your name or publish personal information.
When: Starting in March 2021.
Where: Material, if sent in a usable format, will be posted within a month on the MMS website (www.michmin.org), under the About Us tab. It will be public-facing with the intention to generate interest and highlight our club.
Why: To promote the interests of mineral collecting, geology and to create excitement for the Michigan Mineralogical Society. We have renamed the contest in honor of Millie Hurt's memory, and her passion to share mineral collecting with the world.
The Prize: At the Banquet each year, the Best two photographs of the Year will receive the President’s Award, a substantial cash prize given to the winners.
We hope all MMS Members take out their Smartphones or Cameras and Submit your Photos Today!!
202o Winning entries
Mineral Variety:
Selenite Gypsum
Locality: Red River Floodway, Manitoba, Canada
Weight: 136 grams
Dimensions: 7.5 x 7 x 6 cm
Collection Method: MMS Show Purchase
DESCRIPTION: Golden yellow Selenite ball with swallow tail twinned tabular crystals - longest crystal is 4 cm.
Mineral Variety: Calcite
Locality: Sylvania Quarry, S. Rockwood, MI
Weight: -
Dimensions: 4.5 x 4 x 3 cm, rhomb is 2.5 cm.
Collection Method: Self-collected
DESCRIPTION: Translucent butterscotch Calcite crystal in a rare rhombic habit growing from the matrix. It has some opaque, cubic, white crystals of unknown material on the lower left side.
2021 March Submissions
Mineral Variety: Sylvania Calcite
Locality: Sylvania Quarry, Rockwood, MI
Weight: 1 lb. 7.8 oz.
Dimensions: 11.6 x 7.75 x 6 cm.
Collection Method: Self-collected
DESCRIPTION: Golden rhombic calcite crystals on matrix. The left side is under normal light, right is UV-C from a Convoy 2 light source. This was found at the bottom of the quarry.
2021 MAY Submissions
Mineral Variety: Smithsonite
Locality: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Dimensions: 4 by 2 inches
Collection Method: Purchased
DESCRIPTION: This specimen is a great and colorful example of Smithsonite. I purchased this piece at the 2018 MMS show from a dealer. It is a Zinc Carbonate named in honor of James Smithson (benefactor of the Smithsonian Institute). Smithsonite can come in many colors – but usually not on the same piece/specimen as shown here.
Mineral Variety: Elbaite
Tourmaline
Locality: Capelinha, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Weight: Unknown
Dimensions: 6.8 x 1.2 x 12 cm
Collection Method: Purchased
DESCRIPTION:
Elbaite tourmaline can be red, green, bluish, and colorless. Elbaite is named after the Italian island Elba where the first chemical analyses were done. Elbaite is a sodium, lithium, aluminum boro-silicate. The tourmaline group is the most complicated group of silicate minerals.
2021 September Submissions
Mineral Variety:
Carnelian Agate Slab
Locality: Brazil
Weight: 13 ounces
Dimensions: 6 x 6 x .25 inches
Collection Method: Purchased
DESCRIPTION: Deeply striated translucent white, orange, golden yellows, and pink, cut, and polished slab.
Mineral Variety:
Redcap amethyst
Locality: Brazil
Weight: 3 ounces
Dimensions: 2 x 2.5 .75 inches
Collection Method: Purchased
DESCRIPTION: A encrustation of deep purple Amethyst with red Hematite inclusions.
Mineral Variety: Wavellite
Locality: Arkansas
Weight: 7 lbs
Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 5 inches
Collection Method: Purchased
DESCRIPTION: This is a larger example of Arkansas Wavellite with the globular crystals that have broken away revealing the internal radial crystals with some iridescent light play.
Mineral Variety: Calcite on Galena and pyrite
Locality: Sweetwater Mine, MS
Weight: 2 lbs, 3 ounces
Dimensions: 4.5 x 4 x 2 inches
Collection Method: Self-Collected
DESCRIPTION:
A classic example of the Sweetwater mine translucent, dogtooth calcites that have formed on top of Galena deposits and intermittent metallic Pyrite crystals.
Mineral Variety: tourmaline
Locality: Unknown
Weight: 7 lbs
Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 5 inches
Collection Method: Purchased
DESCRIPTION: Beautiful, vibrant pink Tourmaline partial crystal that has intergrown with a quartz crystal point. Tourmaline is of gemstone quality.