[Rockhounds] Serendipity!

[Lawrence Rush]

Axel:

I have collected the Iolite variety in Connecticut, some of which is 
transparent. I do not have any laboratory way of testing the pleochroic 
features, and I don't question that, but I have tried a number of times to 
orient the Iolite in daylight to test the Viking theory, and I have never 
been able to see any color change at all, in any axial direction. Maybe it's 
me, maybe it's the pieces I have, but it just hasn't worked for me. Maybe 
the atmosphere in Connecticut is less polarizing than in Scandinavia???

But it's a great story, and I repeat it myself to anyone interested!!

Larry


---- Original Message ----- 
From: "Axel Emmermann" <axel.emmermann at pandora.be>
To: "'Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors'" 
<rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 3:13 PM
Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] Serendipity!


> 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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