[Rockhounds] Sunstone natural and treated

[DonH]

> Don, have you compared Mexican and Oregon straw stones? I would think that
> would be an itnteresting analysis. 
> 
> Tim Fisher 


No, unfortunately.  The analysis of the red feldspar gems was a sideline 
to the thesis, and I wish in retrospect that I had been allowed, 
somehow, to switch the nature of the project completely.  Doing a 
thorough investigation of this issue would have been more satisfying and 
more significant, and it would have been a great example of how a few 
hours in the lab will save months of arm-waving and shrill pontificating 
by a number of people.  However, it was only late in the game that I 
obtained any sense of what was really going on and what I needed to do 
to solve the problem.  By that time, it was too late--defense dates wait 
for no one.  Also, I eventually discovered that a proper and experienced 
team has been investigating the material and the detailed answers will 
be (or have been) forthcoming.

I'm not sure if any real lessons have been learned though.  From what 
I've been reading, it seems as though this same sort of thing can happen 
again.


Best,
Don