ABOUT US
The Blue Grass Gem and Mineral Club was founded in 1964 by a group of kindred souls, each with an interest in some aspect of the hobby. Initially the Club was named “The Blue Grass Rock Club,” but the word “rock” took on a different meaning over the years, and we had difficulty in explaining that our interest was other than “music.” In 1980 the Club name was officially changed to “The Bluegrass Gem & Mineral Club of Central Kentucky.
Club members and prospective members usually are highly interested in one or many of the several aspects of this growing hobby of being a “rockhound.” The term “rockhound” is usually used to define a person's interest in rocks. They may be interested in collecting rocks because they are pretty, colorful, have a strange shape or unusual texture, contain minerals, or fossils; may be sawed and polished or they may be tools or ornaments used by the original inhabitants of this continent.
An avid interest in collecting rocks as a hobby leads to a search for knowledge about the subject in such areas a geography, geology, mineralogy, crystallography, paleontology and many times leads a rockhound into learning the arts of lapidary, metal working with copper, silver of gold, faceting gem stones or collection merely for display purposes.
Field trips are held every month except December and may involve collecting mineral specimens, artifacts, fossils, and gem stones in the rough. If winter weather is a factor, we visit museums, public displays or members' collections.
Micro-Mineral Group
Begun in 2015 as a sub-group of the BGGMC by enthusiasts of the micro-mineral world, for the sole purpose of sharing and learning from each other.
The world of micro-minerals is just as, and in most cases, more rewarding than simply collecting hand specimens and setting them on a shelf. Micro-minerals are very unique in that mineral crystallization is oftentimes complete and about as near to perfect as nature can make them. This is because at these scales they require much less room to grow and they usually do not interfere with each other. You have never seen anything quite as breath-taking as looking deep into a gas pocket no larger than the head of a pin, and seeing a world that can’t be seen with the naked eye. This experience is even more overwhelming when you’re viewing this pocket through a stereo microscope. Sometimes it seems as though you’re standing right in the middle of them. At one time or another everyone has experienced sitting in a 3-D
movie theater and feeling like you are actually a part of the action. This is what the experience feels like to many micromineral collectors.
Meetings are held on the last Saturday of the month, and begin at approximately 9:30 AM. We generally conclude by 4:00 PM with a short break for lunch. For those of you familiar with this format, the time flies by and there never seems to be enough of it in a day. I suppose this is due to the enchanting effects of viewing such a beautiful world. It’s over before you’ve barely realized it had begun.
Anyone who has dabbled in micro-minerals should be well aware of what you need to bring with you. It is recommended you bring an extension cord or power strip just to have if it is needed. Of course a microscope would be handy to have, and those of you have experience with the hobby will already own or have access to one. We can have an extra scope available for those wanting to take a test drive of micro-mineral collecting before going to the expense of purchasing a scope, just call in advance of the meeting to request one. You will also need to bring a light source of some kind to illuminate your specimens for better viewing. These
don’t need to be expensive units, oftentimes a strong LED desk reading lamp is sufficient.
Once you have acclimated yourself to becoming a micro-mineral
collector, then you can move on to the higher grade equipment.
Of course you will need something to look at. Many of us will have
material to share among the others; however, any rockhound worth
their weight in yard rock will have something to view in their
collection.
That is the beauty of micromineral collecting; they are usually
everywhere, all you have to do is look closely . . . .
If you are interested in attending a meeting and become a member
of our little group of scope nerds, drop me an email so that I will
know to expect you.
For those needing directions, I will gladly provide them upon request.
Ed O’Dell 859-433-5089 edodell@twc.com
