This is Throwback Thursday #244. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc ...), please sent them to [email protected]. Thanks!
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Beginners may hear a more experienced collector refer to a rock specimen as a "Leaverite". Here's the definition from Wikipedia.
Leaverite is a slang term used by geologists, mineralogists, archaeologists, and amateur rock collectors to identify a specimen in the field that may look interesting or valuable but not worth removing.[1] Rocks identified as such are generally left where they were found, as there is not sufficient reason to attempt to remove them. The term leaverite derives from the phrase "leave 'er right there".[2][3]
From December 1963, we have a newsletter article about "Leaveitite"... His message seems to be don't judge a rock from its appearance. This article came to ESCONI from the Minnesota Mineral Club, which seems to be still be around. They were organized in 1945. It's good to see that the Three Rivers Mineralogy Society is also still in operation in Fort Wayne, IN.
"Leaveitite"
In the last several months, some of the mineral magazinus nave given publicity to a new name of a stone called leaveitite. What is it? Who knows? It is supposed to be of any material that has no other name and is not of a superior for quality for cutting (leave it where you found it). Who knows what rock is leaveitite and what is not? It may be leaveitite to one person but not to the other. To some people, any rock is leaveitite. To others, only part of the rocks are leaveitite. A good example of this is the iron mining company. Thay haul out millions of tons of leaveitite to a certain area and make huge dumps of it, never intending to make use of it.again. Rockhounds dig. through these dumps and sort out certain rock that they feel is worth saving and can be cut, polished, and made into jewelry. It is not leaveitite to them, but it is to the mining company. Inthese dumpe there are many different kinds of material that are not considered junk or leaveitite, (even by the rockhounds) that some day will be recognized as a gem stone material.
In the last several months, some of the mineral magazinus nave given publicity to a new name of a stone called leaveitite. What is it? Who knows? It is supposed to be of any material that has no other name and is not of a superior for quality for cutting (leave it where you found it). Who knows what rock is leaveitite and what is not? It may be leaveitite to one person but not to the other. To some people, any rock is leaveitite. To others, only part of the rocks are leave- itite. A good example of this is the iron mining company. Thay haul out millions of tons of leaveitite to a certain area and make huge dumps of it, never intending to make use of it.again. Rockhounds dig. through these dumps and sort out certain rock that they feel is worth saving and can be cut, polished, and made into jewelry. It is not leaveitite to them, but it is to the mining company. Inthese dumpe there are many different kinds of material that are not considered junk or leaveitite, (even by the rockhounds) that some day will be recognized as a gem stone material.
Many rockhounds will pick up stones only if they know that certain stone has a name they recognize. What I am referring to is an exper- ience I had on a club field trip some years ago. There was a small group of members walking alongside of one of our stone experts. Many times one of the group would pick up a stone and ask the expert what it was. When he told them it was only chert, or jasper, or it was a mixture of minerals, they would toss it aside (leaveitite to them). I made it my business to pick up each stone that was tossed aside until I had about a dozen of them, and brought them home without saying anything to the rest of the group. Everyone of these stones polished real nice and showed a lot of color. Anyone would be proud to wear them as jewelry if the stone had a popular name attached to it. I kept these stones in my show case for a long time with the best of my stones and many people admired them.
I think we should pick up any stone that looks like it will cut and polish, wheather it has a name or not. Many times while on a trip, I hava picked up material that I had never seen before and didn't know what it was. Most of it turned out to be a vary interesting material and was mounted in jewelry when I was finished with it.
All of our gem stones were without a name at one time, and they became popular because someone picked up some and polished them.
There are still many nameless stones just waiting for someone to attach a name to them. When this happens, the stone is no longer leaveitite, but rather a gem stone with a place in society.
- Minnesota Mineral Club
- via Three Rivers Mineralogy Soc.
