Page 3 

Crystals and Cabs

Cover Page

Volume 4 Issue 4

CMC Website

Members Only

Current Newsletter

Newsletter Library

Image Gallery Hot Links EFMLS Information AFMS Information

Back

Forward

2003 FIELD COLLECTOR’S AWARD WINNER

Pat Barker of Campton, New Hampshire, won this year’s Field Collectors award. Pat took possession of the Collector’s trophy shovel that will include her personalized plaque and the $200.00 cash prize.

Jake Crosby of Merrimack, New Hampshire, won the Sponsor’s Prize.

This year’s competition had eight contestants sharing their super passionate stories and prized specimens from their collecting adventures. This years presentations, as well as all previous years, emphasize how interesting and entertaining rock-hounds can be. The eight rock-hounds were:

Dana M. Jewell of Melrose MA, Collecting and preserving Artiniten from New York

Wayne J. Corwin of Belchertown, MA, The classic Green Fluorite, Wise Mine, Westmoreland, NH

Larry Bull of Shrewsbury, MA, Rare Quartz crystals from Esopus, NY

Jake Crosby of Merrimack, NH, Gem Beryl from the Clark Mine, Alstead, NH, (sponsor winner)

Gordon Jackson of Canterbury, NH, Quartz Scepter crystals from Ossipee, NH

Pat Barker of Campton, NH, Amethyst Quartz crystal plate from S. Korea (Field Collectors Winner)

Don Swenson of Merrimack, NH, Uraninite crystals from Topsham, ME

Rob Rosenblatt (ROCKO) of Margaretville, NY, Prehnite from the Lane Query, Westfield, MA

THE WINNERS STORY

This was Pat’s third year competing in the competition and she put past experience to good use with her seat-riveting story. Pat started her talk by reminding and informing everyone that wasn’t at the 2002 competition that she "was still seething" that she didn’t win the 2002 award, especially with her story of the dinosaur throw-up, look-alike, specimen.

Pat explained where her Amethyst crystal plate was found and showed some photo’s that were 35+ year’s old. These pictures showed Pat collecting at the dig site in South Korea. Pat also asked the audience to check the pictures closely to see for themselves that she had not changed a bit since that time.

Pat was working for the Korean Times and writing a lot about geology in her column. This attracted a number of local gem and mineral dealers to her home to sell gemstones and mineral specimens. One of the dealers that had brought her some good material asked if she would like to visit the collecting site, so she headed out on a two day trip. On arriving at the site she noticed there was a group of rice patties that the farmers were mining for the amethyst crystal. They explained to her that the farmers farmed the patties during the growing season and collected mineral specimens during the winter. The area was heavy with clay so the amethyst collecting dig-holes were very sharp, looking like they were cut out with a cookie cutter. Pat noticed a very well dressed (full suit) Japanese dealer on the dig site getting the first look at all the amethyst crystal or "Siberian flash" and buying it on the spot. Pat figured the material must have come from somewhere and asked if they knew its source. The collectors explained that it came from the far hillside where the mines were. When Pat arrived up at the mines the miners were surprised to see a Western woman. The miners informed her if she wanted to collect she needed to dig her own hole. Well, she did and what a prized specimen she got out of it.

A couple weeks later a dealer visiting her home showed her a specimen about as good as the one she found. The price at that time was a 1000 Korean ($3.35) so she bought it without even thinking. Anxious to clean the specimen she put it into a bucket to soak. Upon checking the specimen later she discovered a mound of dirt and loose crystals. Pat had bought her first Korean manufactured specimen! She surprised us all with a bag of those loose crystals, a reminder, the buyer beware!

Continued on pg. 7