Welcome to the Colorado Chapter of the Friends of Mineralogy

We are back to meeting in person at the Colorado School of Mines campus!

Next meeting: Thursday, March 14th at 7:30pm

Minerals of Maramures County, Romania (Abstract below)
Dan Mira
Location: Colorado School of Mines, Berthoud Hall,  Room 108 (lower level),
1516 Illinois St. Golden, CO

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Minerals of Romania, Maramures County ‐ Dan Mira
Abstract:

Maramures (pronounced Maramuresh) is a Romanian county in northern Transilvania near the border with the modern Ukraine with a rich mining history. The first records and archeological finds prove mining activities existed in this region before Dacia (the country name before the Roman conquest) was conquered by the Romans. A lot of gold and silver artifacts showing the same characteristics as the ones discovered locally were discovered in other parts of Dacia, proving the quality of the artifacts crafted locally was known and appreciated in a wide area. Gold, silver, lead and zinc were commonly extracted from the area. Manganese and barium were also mentioned since the 1300s. High quality specimens from the area filled collections and European museums since late 19th century, however, the two world wars and the following 50 years of communist regime kept the specimens outside of the reach of collectors (especially in US). The mines that are most familiar to collectors are located in relatively small area around Baia Mare (the Maramures county seat): Cavnic, Baia Sprie, Baiut, Herja and Rosia Poieni. Most sought after specimens include rhodochrosite, barite, black-and-white calcite spheres and stibnite. Dan’s talk will describe the geology, history, minerals and the culture of this mining area.

Who we are:
Friends of Mineralogy – Colorado Chapter

Dedicated to the advancement of serious interest in minerals and related activities. We are collectors, professionals, and curators who share a love of mineral specimens and the desire to promote understanding and appreciation of mineralogy. The National society was founded in 1970 in Tucson, AZ. The Colorado Chapter was founded in Denver in 1978.

We participate in and are members of the greater community of Colorado mineral clubs, museum support groups, mining historical societies and the Greater Denver area, Gem and Mineral Council which is responsible for staging the annual Denver Gem and Mineral Show.™

Members include collectors, museum curators, mineralogists, and earth science educators. The organization is affiliated with Mindat.org, the Mineralogical Society of America (MSA), the American Geoscience Institute (AGI), and the Mineralogical Association of Canada (MAC).

Our Vision:

FMCC’s vision is to promote, support, protect, and expand the collecting of mineral specimens, while furthering the recognition of the scientific, historical, economic, and aesthetic value of minerals, mineral collecting and mineral collectors.

The local chapter works to fulfill this mission by participating in and sponsoring Colorado-themed and based symposiums, the joint organization of numerous clubs that organizes and executes the annual Denver Gem and Mineral Show™, legal collecting trips or tours to quarries, mines and rock dumps in Colorado where access is difficult to obtain, publications on Colorado localities and minerals, supporting Colorado museums and their objectives, maintaining access to collecting sites and sites of special mineralogical significance and providing a forum for individuals both experienced and developing to share their enthusiasm on mineralogical matters via presentations and displays.

The national FM has made its voice heard whenever proposals are made to close mineral museums or collecting sites. The National FM co-sponsors symposiums held annually at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, and contributes support and speakers to other mineral symposiums. FM presents annual awards for best article published in each of the following publications: The Mineralogical Record, Rocks & Minerals, Mineral News, and Mineral Monographs. It also gives awards to the best institutional and individual educational exhibit cases displayed at the Denver and Tucson gem and mineral shows.