The Mineralogical Society of Southern California

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Program Notes: Friday, March 14, 2025  at 7:30, join us for Daniel J. Evanich presenting Macro and Micro Minerals from the Mines of Butte, Montana; The hidden beauty of minerals within the polymetallic ore deposits of Butte, Montana.

For more than 125 years the historic mines of Butte, Montana, produced tens of thousands of tons of silver, copper, zinc, and manganese ores as well other economic metals.  These are generally considered somewhat bland in appearance to the casual reader, however, where geologic conditions were just right, many exceptional examples of well-crystallized mineral specimens occurred in these ores.  This presentation will provide a brief historical summary as well as a limited geologic description of this historic American mining district.”

Dan Evanich is an amateur mineralogist having spent more than 25 years field collecting and studying the mineralogy and geology of the Western United States, Butte Mining District, and historic Tiger, Arizona.  Other favorite mineral localities he has studied include Bisbee, Arizona, San Benito County, California, and Majuba Hill Mine, Nevada.  In 2022, Dan was fortunate to have discovered a new mineral named in his honor “evanichite.”  It was discovered in a specimen that came from a recycled Tiger, Arizona collection.  Dr. Hexiong Yang and others at the University of Arizona described it and shortly after that same year it was confirmed by IMA as a new mineral species with a unique, new natural combination of elements.  With the help of many mentors along the way, the study of both macro and micro minerals from these regions has become the focus of his collecting interests.

Dan is an active member of Bay Area Mineralogists (BAM), Northern California Mineralogical Association (NCMA), Mineralogical Society of Arizona (MSA), Mineralogical Society of Southern California (MSSC), and Crystal Gazers of San Francisco.  He enjoys giving mineral presentations to various groups, particularly about the minerals of Butte Montana and Tiger, Arizona.

 

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SPECIAL ZOOM MEETING NOTICE

MSSC members will automatically be on the invite list each month.

Non Members, you must request to attend the MSSC zoom meeting every month.  Email our Speakers chair, Carolyn Seitz at speakers@mineralsocal.org  no later than the Thursday before the scheduled meeting   Please include “ZOOM Meeting” in the subject line of your response. We will send you the meeting link.

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Upcoming Events

all events, except field trips are via  ZOOM