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GeneralGilsum NH Memorial Made from Minerals... what do YOU see?

26th Aug 2016 22:24 UTCJonelle DeFelice

The town of Gilsum NH (USA) has a memorial by the post office that is made of rocks/minerals. I snapped a couple of photos to share with you all. I was surprised to see none already here!

What do YOU see?? :-D

Mineral Laden Memorial at Gilsum NH

Gilsum, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, USA

Mineral Laden Memorial at Gilsum NH

Gilsum, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, USA

Mineral Laden Memorial at Gilsum NH

Gilsum, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, USA

Mineral Laden Memorial at Gilsum NH

Gilsum, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, USA

Mineral Laden Memorial at Gilsum NH

Gilsum, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, USA

26th Aug 2016 22:48 UTCWayne Corwin

What? No Back Shot :-S

26th Aug 2016 22:55 UTCSteven Kuitems Expert

Jonelle, good picture!

Looks like several large sections of beryl crystals and possibly a plate of very dark garnets sp. plus lots of milky massive quartz

Steve.

26th Aug 2016 23:01 UTCSteven Kuitems Expert

Possibly several light pink rose quartz pieces. Can't make out enough detail on the little purple pieces on lower right of plaque.

Steve.

26th Aug 2016 23:27 UTCWayne Corwin

Most of those minerals came from the Gilsum & Alstead mines, all the rest were still from New Hampshire (tu)

And the whole thing sits in a giant cast iron horse watering fountain from the 1800's ;-)

27th Aug 2016 00:04 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

How long has that been in place?

Don't recall it there when I came through in 2010.

27th Aug 2016 00:57 UTCWayne Corwin

It was there Paul !

It was built in 1957

Zoom in on black disc in 3rd photo.

27th Aug 2016 01:40 UTCsteven garza

Dear All;

I'm betting NOONE saw (including the photographer) & recognized the large yellow piece the 6th piece from the left in the top row; anyone have a guess what that is? That memorial is going to be 60 next year, &, that particular piece is starting to decay. I will say it's from a VERY famous mine, close by (by their standards - anything within a days drive was close); the stories behind the mineralization in that piece, are legend. I'll wait a day, for all your answers, before I post it.

The front of the memorial has LOTS of beryls, including aqua (with HUGE gem areas, that have held their color, all this time, in full sunlight - it faces south), heliodor, & just plain beryl; there are spessartite & almandite garnets all over, in matrix; quartz as smoky (including a NICE clear floater next to a beryl xl section, on the right/east side, dead center of that side), some truly amazing rose quartz (the best being on that east side, near the upper right corner; doesn't show very well), milky, & colorless quartz (I believe from Surry Ridge), schorl xls all over, & some "imports", as well. 99% of the material was all locally mined & donated, while many of the mines were still active. At that time, much of the mica went into clear covers for fuses & making capacitors; much of the quartz just sat in the dumps, same with the tourmalines, & the beryl was for making beryllium for tank springs. Much of the "mystery material" was mined, in the beginning, but, abruptly stopped, within 5 years of original finding.

Let's get those answers in, &, Jonelle - see if you can blow up that pic, & post that of that particular area; betting the answers will pour in, then! I'm glad you noticed that & took pics; maybe more people will go to the next show, JUST to see that!

Your friend & long time Gilsum attendee, Steve

27th Aug 2016 01:48 UTCGary Moldovany

Is it gummite from Ruggles Mine?

27th Aug 2016 01:51 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Wayne Corwin Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It was there Paul !

> It was built in 1957

> Zoom in on black disc in 3rd photo.

Ok. Guess I just don't remember it being there.

Either that, or I was too excited to see the great Mr. Corwin!!! :-D

27th Aug 2016 03:35 UTCMatt Courville

How about hornblende, fluorite, malachite???

27th Aug 2016 15:43 UTCJonelle DeFelice

Dangit, I did forget the back! And I will do The Zoom as per Steve's request... give me a few minutes....................

27th Aug 2016 15:53 UTCJonelle DeFelice

Like the others, left LARGE so people can ZOOM in. Alas, backlit:

Mineral Laden Memorial at Gilsum NH BACK

Gilsum, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, USA

ALSO, a zoom into Steve's yellow ????? The best I could do...

27th Aug 2016 17:29 UTCsteven garza

Dear Jonelle;

THAT DID IT! & Gary gets the "I paid attention" prize! 1st prize is an all-expenses trip to Somalia (notice the missing word "paid", in the appropriate place); 2nd prize was 2 weeks trip! If you notice, that piece needs some weather protection; it decaying away. Since it's radioactive, is the byproduct "radioactive decay"? I know it WILL be, for future visitors. I'll bring this to Bob's attention, soon. maybe the town will foot to have the piece covered with a polymer or something. Hope it doesn't darken from the radiation, though.

Notice the "dendrites" in that piece? Those are URANINITE dendrites! All the other "pretty stuff" are U & Th minerals; all were used, for a short time (until they realized how dangerous they were) for glass & ceramic enamels that NEVER faded or changed.

Your friend, Steve

28th Aug 2016 16:25 UTCWayne Corwin

Steve

I thought you meant the 6th piece from the left in the TOP row, the one that has almost compleatly rotted away.

What Was It ?

It's left a black stain under it and over the gummite.

28th Aug 2016 21:00 UTCJonelle DeFelice

STEVE - you mean we need lead eyes to look at that one???

WAYNE - I noticed that one... looks nasty, doesn't it?

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