Gatton Lapidary Club INC in Gatton, Queensland | Community organisation

Gatton Lapidary Club INC

Locality: Gatton, Queensland

Phone: +61 417 074 933

Address: 52 North Street 4343 Gatton, QLD, Australia

Website: gatlapgemshow.wix.com/gattonlapidaryclub

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• Non-profit organisation
• Community organisation

21.01.2022 Sandstone, as the name suggests, is a rock composed of sand grains cemented together to form a rock. This piece of sandstone, from south of Gatton, is just that but it contains more than just the usual quartz grains which are clear or coloured white. At magnification of 150 times other coloured grains are visible. It is interesting to note that quite a few grains have sharp edges which were not worn off before deposition.

19.01.2022 A couple of club members are actively investigating the geology of the local area. One recently discovered specimen is a horizontal layer of features within sandstone. The explanation offered by a geologist is that it is the muddy bed of a shallow waterhole and the shapes were formed by creatures burrowing through the mud. A later deposit of sand covered this mud layer and helped preserves the shapes. These are usually referred to as trace fossils.

18.01.2022 The club will have a stall again at the Gatton Village Markets this coming Sunday (Nov 1). Check us out down near the big shed below the Historical Village.

15.01.2022 The club has been adding more details to its 3D model of the geological structure of the Lockyer Valley Region. Each colour represents a different geological layer and an edge view shows how they rest upon each other. The characteristics of each are summarised on accompanying coloured cards. Rivers are shown by blue string highlighting the influence of erosion on shaping the present surface.

12.01.2022 Petrified wood and quartz shaped like animal teeth. They were shaped by a club member and polished in a tumbler. The largest one is 5cm long.

07.01.2022 The club has this chart to accompany its 3D model. It shows a simplified geological cross-section across the Lockyer Valley from south to north with brief notes and images of the main features. The club is keen to display the chart and the 3D model to the public. The club room is too small to display them there so alternatives are now being investigated.

05.01.2022 Crystal clusters of Selenite, a variety of gypsum. It is a transparent mineral but commonly has colour due to the presence of impurities such as iron. The crystal clusters have to be handled with care as individual crystals break off easily.

01.01.2022 If you would like to see blocks of the trace fossils in the previous post visit the Gatton Cultural Centre and have a look in the glass display cases there. While there also check out the other small display of local rocks and pick up a free brochure on the basic geology of the Lockyer Valley.