Friends of Mineralogy Colorado Chapter 2024 Symposium - Mineral Oddities: Twinning, Pseudomorphs, Inclusions, and More!

The Friends of Mineralogy Colorado Chapter is pleased to announce that we will be hosting a symposium June 13th – 16th, 2024, at the Mines Museum of Earth Science and Berthoud Hall at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. The symposium theme will be “Mineral Oddities: Twinning, Inclusions, Pseudomorphs, and More.” We are lucky to have an excellent lineup of speakers and events. All who are interested in minerals and mineralogy are welcome to attend.

Speaker List:

Carl Francis – Quartz Twinning, Inclusions, and More
Terry Huizing – Peculiar Calcite
Erin Delventhal – What Is a Pseudomorph?
Nathan Renfro – Inclusions in Gem Minerals
Caleb Chappell – A Common Thread: On the Nature of the Faden Habit
Michael J. Gobla – Color variation in minerals and gems: zoning, phantoms, and other oscillations
Ed Raines – There is No Such Thing as a Mineral Oddity
Isabella Pignatelli – Colombian trapiche emeralds: Recent advances in understanding their formation
Terry Wallace – Lena River Gold
John Rakovan – Mosaic, Macromosaic, and Split Crystals

Preliminary Schedule: 

Thursday, June 13

Field Trip Option 1 : Mark Jacobson, Field Trip to Select Pegmatites in the St. Peters Dome Area, El Paso County, Colorado (20 people max)

Field Trip Option 2:  Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Behind the Scenes Tour (11am, 15 people max, 1 hr duration) (focusing on the mineral collection, also viewing the paleo collection)

Friday, June 14

Photography Workshop, 9AM - 5PM (Separate registration, TBA)

Field Trip Option: Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Behind the Scenes Tour (11am, 15 people max, 1 hr duration) (focusing on the mineral collection, also viewing the paleo collection)

5PM - 7PM - Reception & Silent Auction at the Mines Museum of Earth Science - 1310 Maple St, Golden, CO 80401
(Drinks, Hors d'oeuvres, & On-Site Registration)

Saturday, June 15 (Berthoud Hall, Room 241 - 1516 Illinois Street, Golden, Colorado)

8:00 AM - 8:45 AM – On-site Registration / Coffee
8:45 AM - 4:30 PM - Opening Remarks & Symposium Talks 

Sunday, June 16 (Berthoud Hall, Room 241 - 1516 Illinois Street, Golden, Colorado)

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM – Coffee
9:00 AM - 12:15 PM - Symposium Talks

1:30 PM - 4:00 PM –Micromineral Summit, (GRL201, across from the Mines Museum) Sponsored by Rocky Mountain Micromineral Association (Registration not required to attend):  

Minerals of the Sherman Mine, Leadville District Colorado - Presented by RMMA club members
Photography Techniques for Microcrystals, Illustrated with Twins, Phantoms, and Other Oddities - Presented by Michael Gobla, President of the RMMA
Following the presentations there will be an informal session for swapping specimens and there will be tables full of free micromount specimen material.