JUNE 2025
Rob Smith: a Life in Minerals, Part 4 – Mineral Dealers and Collectors by Peter Rosewarne; Mineral Producing Regions Part 8 – America by Peter Rosewarne; and this Month’s Curiosity is a very rare combo specimen.
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APRIL 2025
Rob Smith: a Life in Minerals, Part 2 – Field Collecting; Famous Mineral Producing Regions Part 6: Madagascar by Peter Rosewarne; A Simple Guide to Quartz – Colours and Habits by Jo Wicht; Time, Time and Again by Duncan Miller; and this month’s Curiosity is Coconut Geodes.
MARCH 2025
In Defence of the Zeolites from the Deccan Traps of India by Jo Wicht, Rob Smith: a Life in Minerals. Part 1 – the Early Days by Peter Rosewarne, Separating the Twins by Lesley Andrews, Famous Mineral Producing Regions Part 5: Sri Lanka, Book Review; Ikons of the Mineral World: Natures Finest Art – PR and This Month’s Increasingly Interesting Curiosity is Fluorapatite.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
An Ode to a Geode by Peter Rosewarne, The Amethyst Geodes of Sarusas by Jo Wicht, Trading in Mineral Specimens – An Update by Peter Rosewarne, and the latest find in the Cabinet of Curiosities
DECEMBER 2024
The Colour Purple by Peter Rosewarne, Mineral Specimen Labels by Peter Rosewarne, and the latest find in the Cabinet of Curiosities.
NOVEMBER 2024
The mim Museum, the Andes on a Plate – literally, by Peter Rosewarne, a Green Streak by Peter Rosewarne, and another Curiosity
OCTOBER 2024
– Jo’s Quartz Specimens with Inclusions, The 5th Mineral Symposium recently held in Johannesburg by Lesley Andrews, a Visit to the WOMAG Factory in Epping, The Vredefort Dome (as you perhaps have never seen it) by Peter Rosewarne, The Blues by Peter Rosewarne, and another colourful Curiosity.
SEPTEMBER 2024
Quartz Inclusions seen down the Microscope by Eugene Oosthuizen, Orange by Peter Rosewarne, The Chapman’s Peak Contact (as you probably haven’t seen it before), some newly faceted gems, and another Curiosity.
AUGUST 2024
In Search of the Green Gold – A Gem Hunting Trip to Tanzania by Mandy Freeman, the Topaz Seller; “If it’s brown”… by Peter Rosewarne; and another curious Curiosity.
APRIL 2024
Blue Lace Agate News, “Back in Black” by Peter Rosewarne, The Sources of Colour in Minerals by Peter Rosewarne, and an Easter Curiosity.
MARCH 2024
Igneous Activity, Mineral Deposits and Groundwater: Is There a Connection? by Peter Rosewarne, In the Pink by Peter Rosewarne, and Curious Opal Pineapples.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
– The club’s field trip to the Hout Bay manganese mines by Prodromos Nikolaidis; Peter Rosewarne asks the question “Why?”, Faceting a large Spodumene by Duncan Miller, and another interesting Curiosity.
DECEMBER 2023
Famous Mineral Specimen Producing Regions of the World, Part 4, Morocco by Peter Rosewarne, and another Curiosity – Meteorites.
NOVEMBER 2023
Famous Mineral-Specimen Producing Regions of the World, Part 3, Pakistan, by Peter Rosewarne and a Curiosity in need of identification
SEPTEMBER 2023
Famous Mineral-Specimen Producing Regions of the World, Part 1: Afghanistan by Peter Rosewarne, and a yummy Curiosity.
AUGUST 2023
Desert Roses from Port Nolloth, Northern Cape, South Africa by Gisela Hinder; Rutile: a mineral of many habits by Peter Rosewarne, and another Curiosity.
APRIL 2023
“Minerals of War” by Peter Rosewarne, another Curiosity, and in the Lapidary section some inspired tigers-eye.
MARCH 2023
Time is an Abyss by Duncan Miller, The Feldspathoids by Peter Rosewarne, as well as a rather different Curiosity
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023
NEW: “FACETIPS – A Gem Cutter’s Notebook” by Duncan Miller, the Club’s 60th Anniversary, What’s in a Name? Celebrity and Other Mineral Specimen Names by Peter Rosewarne, Bumble Bee Stone from West Java, Indonesia by Malcolm Jackson, and another Curiosity
DECEMBER 2022
Cape Town Gem & Mineral Club’s 60th Anniversary and other Interesting Numbers by Peter Rosewarne, a couple of Curiosities, and Investigating Moldavite by Duncan Miller.
NOVEMBER 2022
Beryl: A Gem of a Colourful Mineral by Peter Rosewarne, Curious Smithsonite by Peter Rosewarne, Open Day Agate find, and the Mechanism of Diamond Grinding by Duncan Miller.
OCTOBER 2022
Great Balls of Fire – fluorescent spheres! by Peter Rosewarne, Lithium – just how ‘green’ is it? by Peter Rosewarne, and a sandy Curiosity
SEPTEMBER 2022
– Great Balls of Fire – fluorescent spheres! by Peter Rosewarne, Lithium – just how ‘green’ is it? by Peter Rosewarne, and a sandy Curiosity
AUGUST 2022
An Alluvial Diamond Mine on the Orange River by Peter Rosewarne; Minerals in Art II by Peter Rosewarne; The Afghan Girl by Jo Wicht; and Nambulite in the Cabinet of Curiosities.
APRIL 2022
Uranium: From Colourful Secondary Minerals to Yellow Cake and from Reactors to Weapons by Peter Rosewarne, LEGO and Minerals by Bruce Cairncross, Unseen blobs by PR, another Curiosity, Faceted Barite, and Facet Cutting Laps, both by Duncan Miller.
MARCH 2022
Are there any other Blue Agate Deposits in Southern Namibia? by Jo Wicht, Annette Taylor’s Treasures from the 2021 FOSAGAMS Tour, Faceting in the 21st Century – an equipment guide for beginners by Duncan Miller, and another Curiosity.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
From 0 to 5 762 and Counting: where did all these minerals come from? by Peter Rosewarne, Bitten by the Gem Cutting Bug? Need help? by Duncan Miller.
DECEMBER 2021
Season’s Greetings with a mineralogical theme by Peter Rosewarne, and The Cabinet of Curiosities features hackmanite.
NOVEMBER 2021
– Rockhounding the Trethewey way in North West Canada by Bruce Trethewey, “It’s a Kind of Magic”: from drab hand specimen to a rainbow thin section by Peter Rosewarne; Curious Geological Cakes from the Past, and Tracy the Intrepid Tripper by Tracy Hannath.
SEPTEMBER 2021
The re-emergence of some Jan Coetzees by Jo Wicht, Riemvasmaak – resurrected from ashes by Duncan Miller, Off the Beaten Track: South African national monuments with a geological theme by Peter Rosewarne.
SEPTEMBER 2020
A Short Geological History of the Southwestern Cape by Duncan Miller; Stories behind some recently acquired ‘exotic’ rocks and polished spheres by Peter Rosewarne; Playing with quartz spheres in polarised light by Duncan Miller; Photographs of spheres sent in by members; and Who was Father Tony Garman?
JULY/AUGUST 2018
Aquifers, Groundwater and Abstraction Methods: The status quo and beyond, in the greater Cape Town area. Parts 1 & 2 by Peter Rosewarne.
OCTOBER 2020
Lapis Lazuli: East vs West by Peter Rosewarne; Lazurite – a Tucson Story by Duncan Miller; Digging out Dumortierite by Jo Wicht; More photographs of “True Blue” minerals sent in by our members.