[Rockhounds] Serendipity!

[Axel Emmermann]

Larry,

I see you put iolite and dichroite between ( ) on your temp-page.
Actually, the iolite variety of cordierite is TRIchoic and transparent.
Depending on the viewing axis clear crystals of this variety appear yellow,
blue or colourless in polarized light. 
Since a clouded sky has much polarized light, some people think that the
Vikings may have used iolite crystals to find the sun in a mostly clouded
climate of the arctic seas and navigate by it. It's much debated and quite
unproven but possible.  Looking along the right axis an iolite crystal would
appear to be at it's darkest blue when directed at the sun.

Cheers
Axel

Axel Emmermann
European Regional Vice President of the
Fluorescent Mineral Society
<http://www.uvminerals.org/>
=========================
Mineralogische Kring Antwerpen/Antwerp Mineralogical Society
<http://www.minerant.org/index.html>
Werkgroepleider/Workgroup leader: Fluorescerende mineralen/Fluorescent
minerals
Technische Realisaties/Engineering
My website: http://users.telenet.be/axel.emmerman/FiatLux/Index.php
 
 
> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
[mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com]
> Namens Lawrence Rush
> Verzonden: vrijdag 10 juli 2009 19:32
> Aan: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors
> Onderwerp: [Rockhounds] Serendipity!
> 
> The list is slow.....is everyone on vacation? Here is a pleasant little
> tale to pass the time...
> 
> A couple of weeks ago, I attended an outdoor mineral show in a big field
in
> the mountains of New Hampshire. This is an annual event, having been held
> for over 40 years now. It started as a swapping event, and has evolved
> (devolved??) into dealers only, with a few of them being also swappers.
> 
> This year, at the far end, there was a new dealer, who had a lot of
> self-collected and rough material from local sources. This man turned out
to
> be kind of a rough-cut, loud, brash kind of person, who shouted out to me
as
> I passed by. He pulled me in and verbally accosted me with a barrage of
> incomprehensible gibberish about the fine quality of his material. Before
I
> had a chance to escape, he pulled me over to a stack of 5 gallon plastic
> pails full of rocks, and picked one up, turned it upside down, and dumped
> everything out at my feet. Imagine my shock to see all of these "fine
> minerals" being tumbled out and ground together. I knew this was a
complete
> waste of time!
> 
> But, wait! In amongst all of the "leaverite" being trashed at my feet, I
> spied someting that caught my attention immediately! I casually leaned
down,
> picked it up, and asked, "How much for this?". The owner thought and
looked
> at me to judge my affluence, and answered coarsely, "fifteen dollars". I
> hesitated just long enough to give him the impression that I wasn't really
> interested, and debated whether I should bargain, but just as quickly
> changed my mind, paid him, and walked away with it, unwrapped.
> 
> I had recognized  this chunk of "rock" to be a matrix piece with 3 large
> crystals of well-formed Cordierite from a famous, worked out site in
> Richmond, NH. The crystals found here are the largest of this species
found
> in the world. I also knew these pieces, when available, were selling for
> anywhere from $50-100 for any quality at all! I had been looking for a
piece
> of this for a very long time, and Lady Fortune smiled on me this day!
> 
> If you are not familiar with Cordierite in large crystals, you can see
this
> piece at
> 
> www.Connroxminerals.com/temp.html
> 
> (But don't tell the seller where you saw it!)
> 
> Larry Rush
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
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