Micromineral Symposium Focus on Micromounting Fall 2007 November 2, 3 & 4, 2007 Sponsored by the Micromineral Society at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.   The Micromineral Society is a group of amateurs who meet to share our appreciation of minerals, especially the small ones called micromounts.   We  welcome both potential new members and visitors. What is a micromount?  “A natural mineral specimen, preferably in distinct crystals, mounted, properly labeled and requiring magnification for meaningful observation.” Location Classrooms A & B of the lower level of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Micromineral Symposium Schedule

Friday Session, November 2, 2007

3-5:00  Registration and microscope set up
7-8:00  Registration and microscope set up
8 p.m.  Quintin Wight - "Smaller Localities across Eastern Canada"

The talk will feature a look at the minerals in a number of smaller localities across Eastern Canada, beginning in the dolomite strata of the Niagara Peninsula and extending through the Francon Quarry in Montreal, the Lac Nicolet Antimony Mine at South Ham, and  the saline brines of Sussex, New Brunswick, to the coastal basalts of  Nova Scotia.

Saturday Session, November 3, 2007

8:30   Registration and Micromounting Workshop
9:30   Morning short talks
            1. George Simmons — “Michigan Copper”
            2. Anne Cook — “Palermo Mine”
            3. Peter Richards —  “Cute little Octahedrons; What Are They?”
10:30 Micromounting Workshop
12:00 Lunch
1:30   Quintin and Willow Wight – "Gem and Mineral Trails in China."

"Willow Wight is the Canadian delegate to the International Gemmological Conference, held every two years. The 29th conference was held in Wuhan, China, and featured both pre- and post-conference field trips.The field trips involved two cultured pearl farms, the Ma´anshan  Turquoise Mine, the Wutu and Beiyan Sapphire Mines, the Mengyin  Diamond Mine, and the Damaping Peridot Mine, in a stretch of Eastern China ranging from Shanghai to Beijing and beyond. The talk describes  the tours and conference, and includes local colour as well as descriptions of the pearl lagoons, the mines, jade carving factories, and the difficulties of gemstone recovery."

3:00   Micromounting Workshop
3:15   Friends of Mineralogy,  Mid-West Chapter meeting 
6:30   Pot Luck Dinner at the home of Dick Green.  Out-of-town
          visitors will be our guests.  All participants and significant
          others are welcome – no additional fee.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

10:00  Micromounting Workshop
11:00  Morning Short Talks
            1. TBA 
            2. TBA
12:00  Lunch
1:00    Tour of the Galleries and final Workshop

Main speakers: Quintin and Willow Wight

Quintin Wight, author of  The Complete Book of Micromounting, is a widely known and respected micromounter, lecturer, and member of the Micromounters Hall of Fame.  He is a retired Colonel in the Canadian Forces and past president of the Micro Mineralogists of the (U.S.) National Capital Area, the Ottawa Valley Mineral Association, the Montreal Gem and Mineral Club and the Ottawa Micromounters.  His wife, Willow, is a gemologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature.  Quintinite (Mg4Al2(OH)12(CO)3·4H2O) is named after him.

Fees:

$45 per person, $85 per couple.  This includes admission to all activities on all 3 days, plus deli tray lunch on both Saturday and Sunday.  For those who wish to attend just one day the fee is $25 (just Friday night’s talk, $5)

To Register:

Online registration  
Mail in registration form  2007 Micromineral Registration Form
Call 800-317-9155, ext.3279 or (216) 231-1177

For more information please contact:

David Saja
Curator and Head of Mineralogy
e-mail: dsaja@cmnh.org, or (216) 231-4600, ext. 3229