40th Annual New Mexico Mineral Symposium held at New Mexico Tech

The 40^th Annual New Mexico Mineral Symposium convened at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro the weekend of November 9^th-10^th. The symposium is a venue for professional and amateur mineral enthusiasts to meet and celebrate the colorful, complex world of minerals. The informal atmosphere encourages the free exchange of information and ideas amongst all with an interest in mineralogy. The symposium is organized by the Mineral Museum at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources.

This year, the symposium was the largest it has ever been, with 299 registrants and 15 presentations. Topics covered include mineral types and occurrences, mineral collecting adventures, and histories of mines in the western United States. The featured speaker, Brad L. Cross, presented on the many types of agates found in northern Mexico and southern New Mexico, and how the form and colors of an agate can indicate its source location. The auctions held during the banquet on Saturday evening raised over $8,000 dollars to support the Mineral Museum, and a silent auction held on Sunday morning by the Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club raised an additional $2,000 dollars for the Museum.

The Mineral Symposium was an all-around success! Many thanks go out to the sponsors: Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club, Chaparral Rock Hounds, Los Alamos Geological Society, New Mexico Geological Society Foundation, Friends of Mineralogy, Grant County Rolling Stones, Friends of Mineralogy-Colorado Chapter, and the City of Socorro. An additional thank you goes out to the Friends of the Museum for hosting a reception the evening of November 8^th to show off the new lighting installed in the Museum cases this year. We hope to see everyone back for the 41^st Annual New Mexico Mineral Symposium next year!