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May 2013Elbaite from Nepal not cuprian varietyPosted by Scott L. Ritchie in Improving Mindat.org.Photo number 329995 belonging to user Joseph Polityka; from the Hyakule, Chainpur, Bajhang District, Seti Zone, Nepal - is likely erroneous. Should probably be Elbaite, not Elbaite var. Cuprian. http://www.mindat.org/photo-329995.html
Scott
Jun 2013Re: BLM Confusion Regarding Placer ClaimsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Corie,
Selective reading and comprehension is your folly! You said that you have staked a placer mining claim on land acquired by the federal government. That means your mining claim will likely be declared invalid:
"Public domain minerals are those minerals that have never left Federal ...
Jun 2013Re: BLM Confusion Regarding Placer ClaimsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Corie,
County taxation of mining claims located on federal lands was predicated on the premise that an unpatented mining claim would eventually become a patented mining claim, and thus the improvements to the claim as recorded by the yearly requirement to file proof of labor (annual assessment) ...
Jun 2013Re: BLM Confusion Regarding Placer ClaimsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Corie,
I am a little concerned, as I'm pretty sure you don't fully understand the land laws as they apply in this case, based on what you are saying. You say that you acquired or bought, or requested a mining claim, but you also say you are the original claimant, and that the BLM sold you a ...
Jun 2013Re: BLM Confusion Regarding Placer ClaimsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Corie,
First of all, you don't acquire a mining claim from the BLM, you acquire it from the claimant for valuable consideration, which requires a quitclaim deed to be filed at the appropriate county seat and BLM office for the transfer of ownership to be made and recorded. Just because somebody ...
Aug 2012Re: Melting of Sedimentary Rock: A Key to Pegmatite Diversity in MaineReply from Scott L. Ritchie to an article.Great article Douglas!
Oct 2012Re: TriphaneReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Minerals.Jolyon,
I think allot of problems like this could be solved, perhaps, by allowing synonyms with references to be listed along with species and varieties on the locality pages, yet remain clearly noted as a synonym. This way the references don't automatically get rewritten as they are entered, ...
Aug 2012Re: Need Information: Donna Digs MineReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Hi Steve,
If you really want me to add 'Donna Digs' to the list of alternate names, I will... just let me know exactly how your label is spelled so we can get at least get the 'wrong' right. :)-D I always liked the term 'diggings', but 'digs' just sounds more like beatnik slang to me!
Scott
Oct 2012Re: TriphaneReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Minerals.Jolyon,
Okay, so hundreds of data entry fields have to be manually entered now because it's 'dangerous', but all the Triphane references from Jahns in Pala alone mean "colorless to yellow"... seems like a waste of time when the distinction was already made and explained (right or wrong).
So ...
Oct 2012Re: TriphaneReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Minerals.Rock,
I'm concerned about preserving the historic references in the database that list both 'triphane' and 'spodumene' at the same site. If you're telling me that keeping 'triphane' in the database as a variety on mindat is a problem, but 'cactus quartz' is a legitimate variety of quartz, I'm ...
Aug 2012Re: Need Information: Donna Digs MineReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Hi Steve,
I added the locality to the database, needs more work but it's a start. I was wondering, who's label actually says Donna 'Digs'? I'm hesitant to use the word 'digs', since it appears nowhere in any of my references... I'll admit that I find it ponderous when people (dealers) feel the ...
Oct 2012TriphanePosted by Scott L. Ritchie in Minerals.Triphane was often used historically for any colored spodumene, that being any color that isn't purple or blue or green. We had this discussion years ago: http://www.mindat.org/forum.php?read,55,55716,page=2.
So, who changed it to only a synonym of spodumene? This really screws up allot of ...
Aug 2012Re: Need Information: Donna Digs MineReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Steve,
I have information on the deposit, and will add the locality to mindat over the next couple of days.
Scott
Aug 2012Re: Articles neededReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Improving Mindat.org.Tomasz,
Most of those are mindat locality page references for the Tourmaline Queen mine that I have added over the years, which are in my personal library. Why do you need the field notes of the mineral survey?
Scott
May 2012Re: Lithium QuartzReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Minerals.Thanks Jolyon, Rock, and Rolf... love you guys! (tu) The definition should also include inclusions of Clay and Smectite Group minerals such as Montmorillonite and Swinefordite, etc. A typical example of the so-called 'Lithia Quartz' would be the Montmorillonite phantom quartz from the White Queen ...
May 2012Re: Lithium QuartzReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Minerals.Nine months is a long time without reply - what exactly is the problem with senior management here? Time to shake things up on mindat.org.
Scott
May 2012Re: Mary Bridget LemanskiReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.I'm truly sorry to hear about your loss Chet. Next time you're out west, do take some time to visit us at the mine.
Scott
Apr 2012Re: Public Note to Rock CurrierReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Rock,
Thanks, will do. Nothing on the best minerals article yet other than my personal notes, but I was hoping that a few more pictures would get uploaded before I post the first draft. I'd like to imagine that I'll have that much up before the end of the year.
I still haven't figured out how ...
Apr 2012Re: Public Note to Rock CurrierReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Rock,
You still haven't edited the photo captions to correct the spelling errors. Do you want me to handle it for you?
Scott
Apr 2012Re: Public Note to Rock CurrierReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Hi Rock,
Like I said, I'm not making a judgement call here, so to me it's simply a matter of being factually correct.
I was pretty good friends with Al Ordway, so I can relate to the human element of the story, and appreciate the irreverence of these old-time pictures, including the unwritten ...
Apr 2012Re: Public Note to Rock CurrierReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Rock,
First of all, it's Ed Swoboda, not Swaboda.
Second, the pics are good, but the Tourmaline Queen mine has been private land since 1955, was owned by Swoboda since 1968, and has never been abandoned since it's discovery in 1903. The mine itself has only been subject to intermittent ...
Mar 2012Re: Location maps errorReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Improving Mindat.org.Thanks Jolyon, I should have figured you were already on it.
Hopefully the USGS will come through, as it would be very unfortunate to completely lose the ability to access topographic data and the public land survey system for the USA - but a google maps compatible overlay would be a genuine ...
Mar 2012Location maps errorPosted by Scott L. Ritchie in Improving Mindat.org.Hi Jolyon,
I noticed a few weeks back while using the map page for localities, that the USA Topo (USGS Terraserver data) is not working. I figured you might be busy during your honeymoon, so I've refrained... till now.
While you're rooting around in the code, how about increasing that map ...
Nov 2013Re: Image approval by managers and expertsReply from Scott L. Ritchie to an article.Rock, where does this 'list of experts' currently reside on mindat.org? The links to the member list, and the manager list are the only ones currently viewable when signed in.
Mar 2012Re: Private Property ConcernsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.David,
I understand your feelings regarding the mindat disclaimer and gps coordinates for certain hidden sites, and you'd be surprised that there are still many localities that I still haven't uploaded here, due to my concerns as well. Alfredo makes a good point about the public domain of ...
Mar 2012Re: Private Property ConcernsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Michael,
Every locality page on mindat says: "You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary."
Some of our ...
Jan 2012Re: Pegmatite classification?Reply from Scott L. Ritchie in Education.Harold,
There are many hypothesis out there, and that's good.
Metasomatism is the chemical alteration of a rock by hydrothermal and other fluids. Metasomatism can occur via the action of hydrothermal fluids from an igneous or metamorphic source. Because metamorphism usually requires water in ...
Jan 2012Re: Pegmatite classification?Reply from Scott L. Ritchie in Education.Reiner,
There are lot's of different pegmatite bodies out there... some deposits or formations appear more like veins, lenses, pipes, dykes or pods. Some pegmatites are very complex, and contain zones of mineralization that range from greisen to migmatite and granite within the same body. ...
Jan 2012Re: Tourmaline Growth PhantomsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Pyramidal...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Kheops-Pyramid.jpg
Scott
Dec 2011Re: Extracting tourmaline crystals from quartzReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Techniques for Collectors.Hi Jenna,
The only method I know of to assure the preservation of the tourmaline crystal is done by using a diamond saw to cut away the surrounding quartz. You should consider a jewelers trim saw if the specimen is relatively small or otherwise delicate, and remember that thin blades are ...
Dec 2011Re: Petersen Mountain, Hallelujah Junction area, Washoe Co., Nevada, USAReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Localities.Hi Chet,
What I am trying to point out is that there are additional mining claims and small prospects that also produce quartz crystals west of the Nevada/California boundary on Peterson Mountain. In the future, when the historical mining claim data is retrieved from both State Offices of the ...
Dec 2011Re: Petersen Mountain, Hallelujah Junction area, Washoe Co., Nevada, USAReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Localities.Hi Chet,
Including an alternate name for the Crystal Tips pits "(Hallelujah Junction )", when both localities are already organized under the Hallelujah Junction area, has created a paradox. If they are going to be organized under the Hallelujah Junction area, the search function will find these ...
Nov 2011U.S. Gem Industries: Labor Day 2000Posted by Scott L. Ritchie to an article.Article
Nov 2011Re: Spessartine - Little Three Mine or Hercules MineReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Andy,
The pegmatite vein which is called the Hercules dike in certain reports, strikes across both the Hercules mine and Little Three mine properties - so if it was labeled Little Three mine, then there is probably no reason to doubt the accuracy.
Scott
Oct 2011Re: Elbaite - Gillette Quarry, Haddam Neck, Haddam, Middlesex Co., Connecticut, USAReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Photos.Hi,
I know Harold Moritz did the description text for the Gellette Quarry, so this is slightly off topic. Perhaps when another manager is editing out the "Pakistan" mineral photos, they can edit the description as well.
The first and second sentences of the first paragraph reads: "The quarry ...
May 2012Re: Cahuille Mountains: pegmatite pocket?Reply from Scott L. Ritchie in Field Collecting.Lawrence,
The Juan Diego mine http://www.mindat.org/loc-87062.html is on acquired private lands, and all of the hardrock mineral materials on this property are subject to prospecting and leasing via preference rights, which fall under a different set of public land laws than those that address ...
Oct 2011Re: LepidoliteReply from Scott L. Ritchie in Mineralogical Classification.Van,
Spot on regarding the unnecessary and illogical Polylithionite-Trilithionite series, and great Latin influenced humor as well! Many of us felt that the redefinition of Lepidolite was all about IMA hubris made at the expense of the species, resulting in the unwarranted destruction of a ...
May 2012Re: Cahuille Mountains: pegmatite pocket?Reply from Scott L. Ritchie in Field Collecting.Hi Brian,
The Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service have posted the Juan Diego mine area to prevent mineral trespass. Since 2006, visitors to the site have been warned via official signs that any unauthorized removal of mineral materials is ...
Aug 2013Re: BLM defintions re collectingReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Gerard,
As I understand it, the right of the citizenry to mineral entry on the open and unappropriated public domain lands is predicated on the ability to explore the land unfettered with the intention of making a discovery of an intrinsically valuable mineral deposit. Locatable minerals are ...
Aug 2013Re: BLM defintions re collectingReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Gerard,
Locatable minerals can be prospected for or collected without restrictions on the use and sale of those minerals, even if the discoverer has not located a mining claim to the deposit, the obvious exceptions being collecting on active mining claims without permission of the owner; certain ...
Oct 2011Re: Picking through Mine Tailings/DumpsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Bart,
I was working for DOI building trails for NPS in the backcountry of KCNP at the time you lost your claim to the Cryo-Genie deposit, so I think its safe to say that you are confusing me with somebody else. Allot of people have had mining claim problems like yours over the years (myself ...
May 2012Re: Cahuille Mountains: pegmatite pocket?Reply from Scott L. Ritchie in Field Collecting.Hi Patrick,
Check out the locality page on mindat for the Sly Rick prospect (Green Centipede claim) Sly Rick prospect (Green Centipede claim) http://www.mindat.org/loc-122355.html. Also, see my old posts in the forums, which cover directions, ...
Oct 2011Re: Picking through Mine Tailings/DumpsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Alfredo, I agree with you to an extent, and normally I wouldn't bother with the information overload, but she specifically asked for the law, so I provided it!
Tracie, you are most welcome, and apologies for the voluminous legalese. :)o
Bart, I'm sorry you feel slighted, but you need to ...
Oct 2011Re: Picking through Mine Tailings/DumpsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Tracie,
I'd like to think that the point Bart was trying to make here is that life is short, and ignorance is bliss. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_pill_and_blue_pill.
The federal statutes and laws that govern mining are very complex and require years of study to fully comprehend, and there ...
Nov 2011Re: do you have to log in to view locality photos now?Reply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Rock,
Obviously you need to be reminded that at the bottom of every page on mindat.org, it says:
"Mindat.org is an online information resource dedicated to providing free mineralogical information to all."
Jolyon said he needs time to rewrite the code to prevent malicious scripts from ...
Oct 2011Re: Picking through Mine Tailings/DumpsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Bart,
Offering feckless advice is not helpful to anyone, especially considering one of the prime tenets of mindat.org is ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary. Implying to Tracie that ...
May 2012Re: Cahuille Mountains: pegmatite pocket?Reply from Scott L. Ritchie in Field Collecting.Patrick,
Based on my experience in the area, if you're not finding euhedral quartz crystals, you're not going to find much otherwise, and those subhedral microclines are very common for the Cahuilla District, which can occur up to several feet across. If you tell me what general area you're ...
Oct 2011Re: Picking through Mine Tailings/DumpsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Tracie,
Bart is just being ornery. I can tell you that both the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service have maps available to the public that show the land boundaries and jurisdiction of public lands. The scale of these maps may require additional information be obtained from the local ...
Oct 2011Re: Picking through Mine Tailings/DumpsReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Tracie,
You need to contact the various state offices of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and their respective customer service agents will be able to provide you with the (static) public land resource management maps you are looking for by mail. The dropdown list of state offices and ...
Nov 2011Re: Ethics of rock collectingReply from Scott L. Ritchie in General.Uwe,
I assure you that the use of terminology like 'drill hole scars' is only based on the visual esthetics of the remaining portion of a series of drilled holes made in hardrock which was blasted away, and is not an official prognosis on the overall health of Gaia.
I suppose we could call ...
