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    Photo Contest

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Currently Running club competitionS

We formally announce our next annual club photography contest. We are actively taking club member photography submissions for our 3rd club-wide Millie Hurt Mineral Photography Contest. The prize for the best photo image will be awarded by the judges and announced in the club newsletter. You can click on the images to magnify them for better viewing. This will run from May 1st, 2022 to January 30th, 2023.

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The 2022 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. If you're looking for some quick tips on mineral photography, just click here.

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 May 2022. Ending January 30, 2023.

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: 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!! 

Previous Year's WInners
Canary Selenite

red River Gypsum

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Sylvania Calcite

Mimetite

Chihuahua Mimetite

Moroccan Geode

Moroccan Geode

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Bi-Color Smithsonite

2022 May entries
Purple Pakistan Fluorite

Mineral Variety: fluorite

Locality: Khwaye Mine, Loralai Baluchistan, Pakistan

Weight: 208 grams

Dimensions: 6.6 x 7.8 x 3.8 cm

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Very aesthetic pale purple cubic crystals. The largest crystal, which is 3.7 cm in size has internal zoning with a blue core.

Zoned Chinese Fluorite

Mineral Variety: fluorite

Locality: Xianghualing Mine, Chenzhou, Hunan, China

Weight: Not Measured

Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 5.5 cm

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Dark green centered and blue covered cubic Fluorite crystals with numerous small white Calcite crystals. A beautiful specimen!

Scheelite on Muscovite

Mineral Variety: Scheelite & Muscovite Mica

Locality: Pingwu Co., Mianyang, Sichuan, China

Weight: 129 grams

Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.8 x 2.3 cm

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: A one centemeter tangerine orange, triangular scheelite crystal is nestled into creamy white blades of Muscovite mica. It is aesthetic and beautiful!

Plumbogummite on Pyromorphite

Mineral Variety: Plumbogummite

Locality: Yangshuo Mine, Guangxi Zhuang, China

Weight: Not Measured

Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.5 x 4.1 cm

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Blue-green botryoidal formations coating bright yellow pyromorphite on matrix. The size, rarity and composition all make it quite exceptional.

2022 November entries
Druzy Quzrtz on Purple Fluorite

Mineral Variety: DRUZY QUARTZ ON fluorite

Locality: Elmwood Mine, Carthage, Tennessee

Weight: Not Assigned

Dimensions: 1.25 x 1.5 x 15 inches

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: The mineral is Drusy Quartz on Fluorite from the Elmwood Mine in Carthage, Tennessee, USA. Well-formed cubic purple fluorite with sprinkles of druzy Quartz.

Azurite Malachite

Mineral Variety: Azurite & Malachite

Locality: Bisbee, Arizona USA

Weight: 3.3 lbs.

Dimensions: 4 x 4 x 9 inches

Collection Method: Purchased it from George Robinson at the A.E. Seamon Mineral Museum.

DESCRIPTION: This large specimen weighs 3.3 pounds and has a height of 4 inches, a length of 9 inches, and a width of 4 inches. I have included an image of the front (as well as the back and top so you can see the various colors). The beautiful colors of the specimen make it so very cool. As with this specimen, the types of Azurite and Malachite from Bisbee encompass a full range of forms and colors like cerulean. Sparkling druses line the cavities while botryoidal masses of dark blue azurite crystals are sprinkled with dark green Malachite incrusted in the matrix.

2022 December entries
Hematite & Calcite

Mineral Variety: Bladed hematite with calcite

Locality: Ironwood, Gogebic iron range, Gogebic Co., MI

Weight: 537 grams

Dimensions: 12 x 9 x 6 cm

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Bladed hematite with metallic luster juxtaposed with geometric calcite crystals. Collected in the period 1860-1919 by J. Pollard.

Fluorite on Calcite

Mineral Variety: Fluorite on Calcite

Locality: Mahodari Quarry, Sinnar, Nashik District, Maharashtra, India

Weight: Not Supplied

Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 5 cm

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Translucent yellowish botryoidal fluorite spheres 2-3 cm in diameter on calcite.

Calcite & Chalcopyrite

Mineral Variety: Calcite and chalcopyrite

Locality: Fletcher Mine, Reynolds County, West Fork, MO

Weight: Not Supplied

Dimensions: 19 x 13 x 8 cm. Calcite crystals 2-6 cm. Chalcopyrite 1-3 mm crystals.

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Large, terminated calcite crystals. Chalcopyrite is brass yellow, often with an iridescent tarnish that may give it a green, blue, or purple cast. It tarnishes to a dull, gray-green color, but in the presence of acids the tarnish can develop a red to blue to purple iridescence. Chalcopyrite has been the primary ore of copper since smelting began over five thousand years ago. The surfaces oxidization forms microscopically thin films of metal oxides like hematite, goethite, and limonite, various iron oxides.

Houghton County Copper

Mineral Variety: Copper

Locality: Houghton County, MI

Weight: 603 grams

Dimensions: 6 x 5 cm

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Beautiful Copper Native Element

Glassy Andradite

Mineral Variety: 
Andradite Garnet

Locality: Diakon, Sandare District, Mali

Weight: 26 grams

Dimensions: 3.1 x 2.3 x 2.2 cm

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: A rich brown-orange and glassy luster Andradite garnet from Mali. The very geometric crystal displays the classic shape of a garnet crystal with very clean lines and interesting pitted etching on all sides.

Moroccan Natrolite

Mineral Variety: natrolite

Locality: Imilchil, Morocco

Weight: not supplied

Dimensions: 4.5 x 3.1 x 2.9 cm

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: A beautiful example of Natrolite with 4-sided, rectangular, columnar crystals with dusty inclusions. Very interesting morphism leading to tall, sharply defined crystal habit!

2023 January entries
Sylvania Celestite

Mineral Variety: Celestite

Locality: Sylvania Quarry, South Rockwood, MI USA

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: Unknown

Collection Method: Self-Collected

DESCRIPTION: Celestite from the famous Sylvania Quarry. One of my favorite self-collected pieces.

Jackson Ammonite

Fossil Variety: Ammonite

Locality: Jackson, MI USA

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: Unknown

Collection Method: Self-Collected

DESCRIPTION: I randomly cracked open a rock, and this was inside! After driving home and studying my find, I realized that there was something missing that must have fallen off when I hit it with my hammer. I drove back to the location the next day after work and was fortunate enough to find all the missing pieces to complete the ammonite.

Brazillian Agate Slab

Mineral Variety: 1960S 
Brazillian Agate Slab

Locality: Brazil

Weight: 524 grams

Dimensions: 11.25 x 6 x .25 inches

Collection Method: Purchased in Vintage Shop

DESCRIPTION: Translucent Brazillian banded agate slab with mixed zones of carnelian and frosted blue-grey banding. The image was taken with point illumination, and the background was toned down to highlight the light play within the slab.

Congo Malachite

mineral Variety: malachite

Locality: Mindingi Mine, Kambove District, DR Congo

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: 16 x 9 x 7 cm. The "needles" in the rosette structures are ~1-2 cm.

Collection Method: Purchased from the 2022 MMS Mineralogical show.

DESCRIPTION: This is a very common copper mineral. This specimen is composed of botryoidal clusters of radiating crystals (the needle-like crystals form radiating clusters like fans).

Mexican Legrandite

Mineral Variety: legrandite

Locality: Mapimi Durango Mexico

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1.5 inches

Collection Method: Gift

DESCRIPTION: Yellow mineral that displays nice sprays and limonite matrix

Brookite

mineral Variety: Brookite

Locality: Pakistan

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: 1 x 0.5 inches

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Red colored mineral that has a nice termination 

Czech Moldavite

mineral Variety: moldavite

Locality: Czech Republic

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: 1 x 0.4 inches

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: This tektite was shot up into the sky by an ancient meteorite and rained back down to earth in the Czech Republic

Copper Agate Wolverine #2

Mineral Variety: copper agate

Locality: Wolverine #2 Mine in Houghton County, Kearsarge, MI

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: Unknown

Collection Method: Self-Collected

DESCRIPTION: Copper Agate collected in 2009

Greenstone Mesolite and Copper

Mineral Variety: Greenstone Mesolite

Locality: Dana Mine, Central Location, Keweenaw County, MI

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: Unknown

Collection Method: Self-Collected

DESCRIPTION: Greenstone Mesolite and Copper from the Dana Mine (some say it is the Northwestern Mine). Self collected sometime between 2008 and 2018, give or take.

Copper Agate

Mineral Variety: Copper agate

Locality: Calumet Hecla 21, Houghton County, Laurium, MI

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: Unknown

Collection Method: Self-Collected

DESCRIPTION: Copper Agate was collected roughly in 2012.

Copper and Datolite

Mineral Variety: Copper & Datolite

Locality: Deleware Mine, Deleware Location, Keweenaw County, MI

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: Unknown

Collection Method: Self-Collected

DESCRIPTION: Copper and Datolite collected from the Deleware Mine.

Copper Agate

Mineral Variety: Copper Agate

Locality: Wolverine #2 Mine in Houghton County, Kearsarge, MI

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: Unknown

Collection Method: Self-Collected

DESCRIPTION: Copper Agate collected in 2009

Indiana Geode

Mineral Variety: Indiana Geode

Locality: North of Bloomington, Indiana

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: 9.5 x 5 inches

Collection Method: Self-Collected

DESCRIPTION: Collected from a stream bed North of Bloomington, Indiana. It was covered in mud, and not much was visible. The collector, who was 6 at the time, carried it about a half-mile to its new home.

Indiana Geode 2.jpeg

Mineral Variety: Indiana Geode

Locality: North of Bloomington, Indiana

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: 2.75 x 1.75 inches

Collection Method: Self-Collected in 2019

DESCRIPTION: Indiana Geode that was cracked open to reveal Botryoidal Chalcedony and (likely) Calcite.

Peresterite.png

mineral Variety: Peristerite Cabochon

Locality: Canadian Beryllium Mine East Quarry, Quadeville, Ontario

Weight: 238 grams

Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.8 cm

Camera: iPhone11 Pro

Collection Method: Self-collected

DESCRIPTION: Huge Peristerite Cabochon in Rare January Sunlight. Concentric ellipses result from the intersection of twinning planes with the cabochon surface. The top view shows mirror-schiller from one twin orientation, while the bottom view, rotated 180⁰, shows schiller from the other twin.

Dravite Tourmaline

mineral Variety: dravite tourmaline

Locality: Merelani Hills, Tanzania

Weight: 3 grams

Dimensions: 2.3 x 0.7 x 0.5 cm

Camera: iPhone 11 Pro Max

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Green Dravite with clean termination.

Amethyst Geode

mineral Variety: Amethyst Geode

Locality: Unknown

Weight: 35.1 pounds

Dimensions: 12 x 10 x 5 inches

Camera: iPhone 11 Pro Max

Collection Method: Gift

DESCRIPTION: This beautiful Amethyst Geode weighs 35.1 pounds. It has a height of 12 inches, a width of 10 inches, and A depth 5 inches. The largest crystal in the middle measures 1 3/4 " x 2" The beautiful purple color of this specimen is especially gorgeous when the sun shines upon it.

Brookite

Mineral Variety: Brookite

Locality: Kharan District, Balochistan, Pakistan

Weight: Less than 0.1 grams

Dimensions: 1.4 x 1.0 x <.1 cm

Camera: iPhone 11 Pro Max

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Brookite backlit in natural sunlight.

Calcite Fluorescence

Mineral Variety: butterscotch calcite

Locality: Sylvania Quarry, S. Rockwood, MI

Weight: 3 grams

Dimensions: 1 cm rhombohedron

Camera: iPhone 11 Pro Max

Collection Method: Self-collected

DESCRIPTION: A Sylvania Quarry Calcite Floater fluorescing blue under LW UV light source. This piece also phosphoresces green.

Indocline Tourmaline

Mineral Variety: indicolite tourmaline

Locality: Minas Gerais, Brazil

Weight: 10.5 grams

Dimensions: 2.8 x 1.8 x 0.8 cm

Camera: iPhone 11 Pro Max

Collection Method: Inherited

A Haiku:

   Rare winter sun shines

   twixt bare oaks through tourmaline.

   Vie for Millie's prize!

Moroccan Geode Closeup

Mineral Variety: macroscope Geode

Locality: Morocco

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: Unknown

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Geode, Morocco, Purchased at mms show, microscope natural light

Calcite Fluorescence

Mineral Variety: calcite

Locality: Morocco

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: Unknown

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Geode, Morocco, Purchased at the Michigan Mineralogical Society show, UV light

Moroccan Calcite

Mineral Variety: calcite

Locality: Morocco

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: Unknown

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Geode, Morocco, Purchased at the Michigan Mineralogical Society Show, microscope natural light

Chinese Calcite

Mineral Variety: calcite

Locality: China

Weight: Unknown

Dimensions: Unknown

Collection Method: Purchased

DESCRIPTION: Chinese Calcite

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