ÿþ<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 97"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Mozilla/4.7 [en] (WinNT; I) [Netscape]"> <title>THE SPHERICAL WORLD</title> </head> <body text="#FFFF00" link="#000FFF" vlink="#FF0000" background="blckmrbl.jpg" <B> <center><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+4>THE SPHERICAL WORLD</font></font> <br><font color="#FFFF00">A Publication of ATMOSPHERE</font> <br><font color="#FFFF00">THE SOCIETY FOR THE APPRECIATION OF MINERAL SPHERES</font> <br><font color="#FFFF00">Volume 13</font> <br>&nbsp; <p><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+3>&nbsp;Magnificent Marble Mania</font></font></center> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>You don t have to be a marble collector to appreciate the beauty of these miniature spheres. Marbles (under 1.25 inches) are precious versions of larger mineral spheres or often slightly larger versions of gemstones, cut round instead of facetted.</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>It is sometimes amazing to contemplate the dazzling variety of natural mineral marbles hand cut by dealers and cutters around the world. One of our quests has been to seek out many of the most rare and unusual.</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Let s first consider the gemstones& We recently tracked down a blue topaz from Minas Gerais, Brazil that is stunning. Another favorite is a gorgeous deep rose pink tourmaline marble from Brazil and a light pink morganite. Also from Brazil, there are lovely blue-green aquamarines. Another precious stone cut into marbles from that part of the world is namesake Brazilianite, a brilliant yellow with a slight green cast.&nbsp; From across the sea in Africa comes a deep cherry red rubellite.</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Chatoyant materials are also well represented in marbles& including deep rich red star garnets from Idaho and North Carolina;&nbsp; rubies, blue sapphires and black sapphires, white moonstone and peach moonstone from India; Imperial Cat s Eye opal from Brazil; green tiger eye from Arizona; midnight blue tiger eye and golden tiger eye from Africa. These all feature unique optical qualities that make the tiny standouts a feast for the eyes.</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Opal is a great material for creating marbles. Some truly special ones include Mexican fire opal (incredible play of light!), orange Oregon opal and Louisiana opal with purple/green flash. Our newest favorites are marbles of Australian boulder opal, brown matrix, with ribbons of brilliant color--black opal.</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Want something out of this world? Try moldavite, a beautiful hunter green transparent marble from extraterrestrial material or perhaps nickel-dominated Gibeon meteorites.</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Here are some really colorful choices: apple green prehenite, fuchsia or gemmy red eudialite, aqua Larimar, purple sugilite, California blue jade, and green Australian variscite, as well as Peruvian gem silica and bright pink opal.</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>For the organic fans, marbles are cut from amber (with millions-year-old bugs and without), walrus ivory tusk, ammonite, dinosaur coprolite and red coral, among others.</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>While these rare specimens top the price charts because of their uniqueness, beauty and limited availability, there are a multitude of other more common materials that are more obtainable and less pricey.</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Those are a great acquisition for someone just starting out a natural mineral marble collection. We ve encountered everything from (A) Amazonite to (Z) Zebra Stone! Just on our travels we ve located nearly 300 different varieties of natural mineral marbles. (For a complete look, go to: http://www.spherestoyou.com/Sshoppe/marb.htm.)</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>What do people do with their mineral marbles? Most collectors display them individually, some group them in a bowl. We especially like displaying marbles in small enclosed glass curio cabinets that have a pretty brass trim.&nbsp; Another unique way to display marbles is on a solitaire or other game board.</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>We know folks who hold them in their hands while sleeping for the healing properties. A number incorporate them in jewelry. Then, there are those including clubs who insist on playing marbles with the  aggies. &nbsp; So for all those who love marbles we enjoin: THINK SMALL!</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>MINERAL MATCHES</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>A number of states have designated  official gems or minerals because of exclusive deposits within their borders. The most recent was Colorado. For fun, see if you can match the state to its official mineral or gem.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>1. Benitoite</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>2. Turquoise</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>3. Jade</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>4. Star Blue Quartz</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>5. Star Garnet</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>6. Tourmaline</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>7. Rhodochrosite</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>8. Fortification Agate</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>9. Diamond</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>10. Moonstone</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>11. Black Coral</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>12. Rhodonite</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>13. Petrified Palm Wood</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>14. Flint</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>15. Emerald</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>16. Sunstone</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>a. Arizona</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>b. Colorado</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>c. Kentucky</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>d. Ohio</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>e. California</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>f. Louisiana</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>g. Alabama</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>h. Hawaii</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>i. Arkansas</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>j. Idaho</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>k. Alaska</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>l. North Carolina</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>m. Maine</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>n. Oregon</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>o. Massachusetts</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>p. Florida</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>1(e), 2(a), 3(k), 4(g), 5(j), 6(m), 7(b), 8(c), 9(i),10(p), 11(h), 12(o), 13(f), 14(d), 15(l), 16(n)</font></font></font> <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <p><font face="Tahoma"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+2>GLASS GALORE</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Man-made glass spheres are oftentimes a lovely decorator addition to one s home. They may not have the collector appeal of natural spheres, but many have eye appeal. These include the colorful clear glass spheres from China (crystal clear, green, amethyst, blue); a full range of bright colors in Austrian crystal including an Alexandrite that changes color, a topaz and a moonlight glaze. There s also a fun version from Mexico that sports internal bubbles in champagne color, sky blue, peach, green, red, royal blue and aquamarine blue. And they are often comparatively a bargain for their size!</font></font></font> <br>&nbsp; <p><br> <center> <p><u><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+2>DENVER REPORT</font></font></font></u></center> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Once again, we have trekked over the Rockies to see what s new at the Denver Show.</font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Here are some of our selections:</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Chatoyant Sodalite! The black background has a beautiful chatoyant sheen. (Brazil)</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Blue Pietersite Beautiful royal blue chatoyancy in a puzzle-like formation. (South Africa)</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Christmas Jasper From Brazil, red and green jasper against white matrix.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*The best colored &amp; nearly clear Citrine we ve seen in years! Including some a deep brandy color.(Brazil)</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Fabulous Rose Quartz, deep rose pink from Brazil some with stars. Incredible quality, clarity and color.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Seraphenite It s back after being off the market for five years!..The beautiful hunter green chatoyant Russian mineral.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Apatite and bright orange Calcite from Brazil.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Purple Anhydrite and yellow Calcite from Madagascar.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Gemmy apple green Apatite in while Calcite from Canada.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Brilliant Red Quartz from Dalnagorsk, Russia.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Russian Flint.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Quartz with green Epidote inclusions.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*South African Septarian Nodule with black druzy vug.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Lovely pink Morganite from Brazil a rare gemstone mineral.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Large green Tourmaline crystals in white Calcite.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Large Rubellite (red tourmaline) crystals in dusky grey Calcite.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Wallastonite A mineral from Australia that fluoresces purple and peach.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Baguio Stone Serpentine from the Phillipines a pretty bright green.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Defined Brown Cell-Patterned Algae from the American West.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Green Pattern Jasper Dark green rings on white or cream matrix& from Brazil.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Deep purple Ametrine with clear purple windows and touches of citrine.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Marcasite in White Quartz, some with white druzy, from Nipomo, CA.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Water-like aquamarine see-through Fluorite from China.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Beautiful Blue Onyx from Argentina.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Fossil Pine Cone in Matrix from Argentina.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*Rainbow Tiger Iron from Australia.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>*A new deposit of brilliant star red garnet from North Carolina.</font></font></font> <br><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>____________________</font></font></font> <p><font face="Lucida Handwriting"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Spheres and Such& </font></font></font> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Spheres at the movies? When Ang Lee s summer film, The Hulk, is released, many of the unique patterns The Hulk sees in his mind may well be from spheres purchased from Spheres To You this past spring& Did you see us? Rock &amp; Gem Magazine featured a cover story on spheres in the June issue, written by Jackie Lapin& The Madagascar civil war is winding down and many spheres that have been hard to get over the past year will hopefully be more readily available by the first of 2003.</font></font></font> <p><i><font face="Souvenir Lt BT"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+2>New Web Feature</font></font></font></i> <p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+1>Beginning in mid-October, www.SpheresToYou.com will showcase a featured mineral each month. Come back monthly to see what s new!&nbsp; Please give us your email address (or update your address with us) if you want to be notified each month when the new showcase is posted.</font></font></font> <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <p><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+3>SPHERES TO YOU</font></font> <br><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+3>PO Box 1270</font></font> <br><font color="#FFFF00"><font size=+3>Agoura Hills, CA 9l376-1270</font></font> <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; <p><font color="#FFFF00">.</font> <br>&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; </body> </html>