On November 14, 2013 I presented a program simply entitled “Minerals on Stamps” to the Rochester Philatelic Association. As a retired geologist, collecting minerals and other geology related topical stamps is a natural merger of my collecting interests.
Did you know that the checklist of gems and minerals on stamps maintained by the Gems and Minerals Study Unit of the American Topical Association has over 3000 entries? Or that all 8 of the US mineral stamps depict specimens that reside in the Smithsonian? The FDC with the four 10 cent stamps issued in 1974 is depicted shown below. The mineral specimen in the bottom stamp is affectionately referred to as “The Postage Stamp Tourmaline.” It is from the pegmatite mines outside San Diego, CA.
An article I wrote for the WCGMC News in December, 2013
One of the more popular mineral locations for upstate New York rockhounds this year was Rose Road off Route 3 in Pitcairn, a daily fee site owned by Mr. Richard LaPlatney who lives at the property. Although the silicate skarn mineralization flanking the Grenville age white marble hill has been visited by mineral collectors dating back to 1880’s the location seems to have been rejuvenated after Walter highlighted the mineralogy and collecting history in his 2007 book “Field Collecting Minerals in the Empire State”.
The major “digging” there this year was focused on the first site encountered after passing LaPlatney’s home just off of Rose Road. At first glance the exposed rock seems to be dominated by lavender diopside, calcite, albite and red brown phlogopite.. A Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive Analysis (SEM/EDA) of the lavender diopside indicated elevated Ti, likely substituting into the Mg spot in the lattice to generate the lavender color (S. Chamberlain, pers. comm.). There is also less Fe in the purple diopside than in the green version found just a few hundred feet farther up the road.
A friendly local mineral collector shared a new site with Dick and Jeanne Phillips and Fred Haynes during the St. Lawrence County show in Madrid, NY in August. Apparently, Wildwood Road east of Colton, NY was not draining well and the county decided to level the ground on both sides of the road to improve runoff. In doing so they exposed bright white marble outcrops that were cut by zones of orange calcite, light green serpentinite and green tremolite. And right on the road !
This pretty garden rock consisting of dark green shiny tremolite and orange calcite set into a finer grained lighter green serpentine was just sitting on the side of the road waiting for us. Dick just backed his “truck” right up to the 50 pound puppy.
Retired, collecting minerals and stamps, growing flowers and vegetables, and when the spirit moves, toying with technology
