Table of Contents President s Message 1 Members Only Website Password 1

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1 Published monthly by The American Opal Society September 2012 Volume 45 Issue 9 Table of Contents President s Message 1 Members Only Website Password 1 Sept. 13 Speaker: Connie Grundke on Intarsia 1 Mexican Opal Mines 2 Mexican Fire Opal 4 From Rags to Riches Ch. 26 The First Opal Sale 5 Life Lessons from Rock Hunting 6 Is There Gold in Your Backyard? 7 September 2012 Gem & Mineral Shows President s Message By Pete Goetz Well folk's its time "to kick this pig" (I stole that from a movie). In this case I' am referring to the upcoming OPAL and Gem Show. We know when and where it is going to take place (Saturday and Sunday, Nov 3rd and 4th, (just in case you forgot). We even know some of you who have kindly volunteered to help with the logistics of the show. HOWEVER, we still need you guys to step up to plate (No, not to eat). We still need some of you to help with food service, set-up, in particular electrical set up Friday evening, tear down on Sunday night, reception desk, and some folks to plug the holes in the dike, should any occur. Please understand, this show is the life blood of our society. The revenue generated from this event provides the capital necessary to operate the American Opal Society for the upcoming year. You can help accomplish this goal by volunteering to making this a pleasant experience for the vendors, visitors, and the A.O.S. If we make a GREAT, not good, but GREAT impression on all the parties here to for mentioned, we will have met our goal, which means the Show will go on! Food this year will be provided by Doug's Downtown Grill. He will prepare and deliver food to the White House. Our job will be to sell lunch to the vendors, and distribute food to the craft folks. At this month s General Meeting we will have a speaker. We will also have a short BOD meeting to discuss show issues. I invite you all to attend this meeting Members Only Website Password To log onto the website s members only area at: type: Name: member and Password: matrixopal Sept. 13 Speaker: Connie Grundke on Intarsia Connie Grundke will give a lecture on Intarsia at the Sept. 13 th General Meeting this coming Thursday. Connie is a master Intarsia artist. Here is a bio from the American Master of Stone Website: Conrad (Connie) Grundke was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 27, He spent four years in the US Navy aboard various destroyers during the Korean conflict. Most of his working life was spent with IBM as an engineer working for 10 years in Evanston, Illinois and the last 20 years in San Jose, Calif. He retired in 1986 after 30 years with IBM. He started working in lapidary about 1976 after visiting his father, William Grundke, who lived in Laguna Hills, Calif., and who was deeply involved in the commesso (intarsia) art form at this time. Connie continued his lapidary work as an avocation by creating jewelry and silversmithing until he retired and moved to Laguna Hills where he joined his father. Connie completed his first commesso in July 1990 under the supervision of his father. Example of Connie s work Connie Grunkle Since then he has created several commessi, which have been exhibited throughout the state and have won awards in both local and American Federation Shows. In 1994, Connie was asked to take over the Saddleback College Emeritus Classes in Lapidary and Intarsia due to the ill health of the current instructor, Russ Hind. Since then, Connie has expanded the realm of knowledge of both local students and rockhounds in the area through lectures, teaching, and exhibiting this art form and once again has made the "Grundke" name synonymous with unique and beautiful fine art. Another Example of Connie s work The Opal Express The American Opal Society September 2012 Page 1

2 American Opal Society Calendar Date General Meeting Topic / Speaker 12-Jan-12 Fred & Charlotte Ward on Opals Gretchen Krutz on Jewelry Design and 09-Feb-12 Wax Carving. Jim Pisani on the World of Jade, with an 08-Mar-12 emphasis on California Jade Mike Woodard Photography Gem 12-Apr-12 micro-photography Pete Goetz on Cooking Andamooka 10-May-12 Matrix 14-Jun-12 Live Opal Auction 12-Jul-12 Opal Cutting Seminar 09-Aug-12 Member Show & Tell 13-Sep-12 Connie Grundke on Intarsia 11-Oct-12 Opal & Gem Show Work Session 03-Nov-12 45th Annual Opal & Gem Show 04-Nov-12 45th Annual Opal & Gem Show 08-Nov-12 Opal & Gem Show Recap 13-Dec-12 AOS Christmas Party Potluck It s Here! Make Your Plans! The American Opal Society s 45 th Annual OPAL & GEM SHOW The Largest Opal Show in USA! Sat. Nov. 3, AM - 6PM Sun. Nov. 4, AM - 5PM Opal and Gem Dealers from the USA and Australia. Rough and Cut Opals; gemstones; jewelry & supplies. Huge Raffle many prizes of gemstones, jewelry, tools, etc. Free Opal Seminars on Saturday with Paid Admission. Free Demonstrations on gem cutting, jewelry making, etc. Dave Gibson at the Miguels Mine Mexican Opal Mines By Dave Gibson Opal was known to the Aztecs by the name Vitzitziltecpa which means hummingbird stone, due to its similarity to the bright iridescent colours of the birds plumage. The original mining locations were lost during the Spanish conquest. They were rediscovered sometime in the early 1800's,by Sir Maria Siurab, in the state of Queretaro, some 130 miles North West of the Mexico City. The first mine was Santa Maria del iris. Soon other mines were opened La Carbonera, La Hacienda, La Trinidad, and El Perido being but a few of the first mines. The colonial City of Queretaro became center of the Mexican opal trade. In the late 1950's Alfonso Ramirez of Queretaro discovered opal near the small town of Magdalena about 50 miles North West of Guatalajara in the state of Jalisco. He opened the first mine La Unica,close to the valcano Tequila Soon after prospectors and miners moved from Queretaro to Magdalena and Other deposits were discovered in the municipality of Magdalena (Las Latillas, La Mora, San Simon, Las Cruces, San Martin, El Huaxical and El Cabon being but a few of the early mines. By 1960 there were hundreds of mines around the small town of Magdalena. From the early 1960's to the late 1970's much opal was produced by the mines in the state of Queretaro and the Magdalena area. Nowhere as much mining takes place now. It seems the best deposits were discovered back then and mined out. Same great location! White House / West Wing Event Center 1238 S. Beach Blvd. Anaheim, CA Located at Hobby City Dealer spots are still available! If you are interested, contact us ASAP! Jim Pisani Phone: (714) , editor@opalsociety.org Pete Goetz Phone: (714) , mpg1022@aol.com Welcome to Pata de Gallo mine The Opal Express The American Opal Society September 2012 Page 2

3 Going deep I remember back in the 1970's many vendors of opal in the plazas in Queretaro and the plaza of Magdalena especially at the weekend when the miners would come into town. Back then the orange to red opal with no play of colour was generally known as Cherry opal. It was cut en cabochon and given to the women and children to get what they could for it. It was possible to sit in the plaza and buy quite a few of these stones for just one dollar. Of course they are now almost always faceted and known as fire opal - good marketing! Mexican opal has always been much appreciated by the Germans and Japanese. In 1969 Shdao Machizuki of Japan bought the San Simon mine, which is a few miles north of Magdalena. He did much to help to people in the tiny pueblo of San Simon and improved mining methods. Shdao is now retired, but the mine is now run by his son Satoshi. The pictures below are of the Pata de Gallo mine, a few miles North West of Magdalena. It is owned and operated by Miguel Tomayo. It is an open cast mine which uses a bulldozer and a backhoe. A small charge of dynamite is often used to break up the rhyolite rock. The opal is in pockets and seams in the rock. Opal mining is a risky business. With the cost of buying and operating the heavy equipment, and paying the miners one can very soon go bust if opal is not found. I do know that Miguel has good knowledge on opal and mining. Even so, in my day at the mine the only opal I saw was from a freelance fossicker going over the dumps of rejected rhyolite rock. Miguel examining opal from a freelance fossicker Always buy opal from a reliable source. Ask if the stone has been kept dry, most opal contains 3-10% water - though it can be as high as 20% or more. It is the drying out of the stones water content that causes it to craze and crack. If the stone has been dry for 12 months or more it should be stable. TYPES OF MEXICAN OPAL Precious opal: opal with a play of colour. Crystal opal: clean transparent opal with a play of colour Water Opal: Transparent opal the colour of clear water with a play of colour. Fire opal: Now reserved for orange to red opal with or without play of colour. Which is usually faceted Matrix opal: Opal in its rhyolite matrix rock. Known as cantera in Mexico (Watch out for the man-made matrix. Bits of opal set in a colored cement or epoxy. This is then ground and polished into a cabochon). Jelly opal: A cloudy or translucent opal. Hydrophane: An opaque opal which when soaked in water becomes transparent. Common or Potch opal: Opal with no play of color. Matrix opal containing Goethite needles Matrix Opal with full spectrum of rolling flash The Opal Express The American Opal Society September 2012 Page 3

4 Decent quality Mexican opal TERMS FOR PLAY OF COLOR: Pinfire: Small close set patches of color. Harlequin: Broad angular, close set patches of color. Flame: Sweeping red or reddish flashes of color that shoot across the stone. Rolling flash: Color flashes that appear as the stone is turned. GEMOLOGICAL INFORMATION Opal is a hydrous silicon dioxide. Crystal system: None - it's amorphous. Hardness 5 to 6.5 Density around 2.1 The play of color in opal is caused by diffraction and interference of light from microscopic silica spheres which opal is composed of. INCLUSIONS IN MEXICAN OPAL Mexican opal often has inclusions of Goethite like needles, sometimes wrapped in limonite. Hematite crystals and botryoidal inclusions of white chalcedony. The inclusions often create amazing scenes when under magnification. Dr Edward Gubelin has taken some amazing photos of inclusions in Mexican opal. For anyone wishing to visit the opal mines Queretaro is a nice place to stay. It is a Spanish Colonial city with lots of pleasant plazas. The center of the city is a Unesco World Heritage Site. In Magdalena the Hotel el Opalo, just off the plaza behind the church is a good place to stay. The owner Gonzalo Bonuelos has a good knowledge of Mexican opal. He is also a vendor of Mexican opal. From Mexican Fire Opal Jewel of the Month By Gary Roskin, G.G., FGA, Senior Editor Although nine Mexican states have produced these magnificent gems, Querétaro and Jalisco two centrally located states are the primary origins for most opals labeled "Mexican." And while the "Hecho en Mexico " label may not be exotic enough for some, these gems are both unique and beautiful. History. Mexican opal has a long history, dating back as early as the 14th century, when Aztec Indians gathered the gems. Mexican residents still search for opals, digging in open-pit quarries. In this respect, not much has changed since the late 1800s. But what has changed over the years is the definition of the term "fire opal." According to some experts, the Mexicans themselves label any opal with play-of-color as "fire opal." It wasn't until the 1970s that German gem cutters, looking for faceting material, began attaching the name "fire opal" to transparent non-play-of-color material with yellow-orange to red body color. Today, to make the moniker more definitive, the term "precious Mexican fire opal" is now used to describe play-of-color cabochon opals with yellow-orange to red body color. Those faceted opals that do not have play-of-color and which apparently are not precious enough for some are called simply "Mexican fire opal." In the past, the orangey-red to red fire opal with or without play-ofcolor has been called "cherry opal." Mexican opal also can appear in a variety of body colors, including transparent white, translucent milky white, yellow, green, "gold," blue, or bluish white ("azul"), and transparent colorless "jelly" or "crystal." Color and quality. As with all opal, look for evenness of color as well as evenness of play-of-color. Orange and red body colors are preferred, as are the colors in the play-of-color. There is an extremely 3-D play-of-color that is highly prized. The more saturated the color, the better. Matrix opals are usually of lesser value and therefore kept in matrix, since they can't be cut into a fine-quality gem. Prices. The extra-fine-quality material, called Suprema, of which only 3 or 4 stones are found per year, is sold directly to the Asian market. Prices can range from $400 to $4,000/ct. depending on size. Fine-quality Mexican fire opal, called Fina, can range from $200/ct. to $2,000/ct., and even this quality might be difficult to find outside Asia. The Guide lists Mexican fire opal reddish-orange faceted stones greater than 5 cts., in fine quality and available domestically at $90/ct. to $175/ct. Enhancements. There are a few enhancements to watch out for when looking at Mexican fire opal in matrix. Some of the matrix opal with fractures may be Opticon-treated. Others may have been assembled to look like true opal in matrix. There is still some sugarand smoke-treated opal, made to look like Australian black opal, but this material's appearance practically screams "treated." Bench care and cleaning. The water content of opal affects the durability of the material. Sudden temperature or humidity changes can wreak havoc on the gem. So it's a good rule of thumb to protect opal from any type of repair and no ultrasonic or steam cleaning! Opal also can be easily scratched or broken. Use common sense. Stepping out of a warm house into the cold can crack an opal. Placing opals into hot showcases or window boxes can do the same. Humidity becomes a major factor in safe deposit boxes where it's warm and dry. For the most part, you can assume that any opal you're looking at has been out of the ground for some time, long enough for the material to be adapted to your local humidity and temperature. Often, major crazing and fracturing occur in opals in the first few minutes after they've been unearthed. Experts know, however, that opals from certain localities can survive nicely for months and then start crazing. Some can become unstable even after a year. Recommended reading. For more information, see Opals, by Fred Ward, Fred Ward Gem Series, 2000, Gem Book Publishers, Bethesda, Md., as well as Gem Care, also by Fred Ward, Fred Ward Gem Series, 2002, or fward@erols.com. Special thanks to Steve Jaquith at X.G.X. Corp., New York, specialists in fine Mexican fire opal. From This story appears in the April 2003 issue of JCK magazine The Opal Express The American Opal Society September 2012 Page 4

5 From Rags to Riches Chapter 26 The First Opal Sale By Peter Greisl Monday morning was here and everyone was up early, we had breakfast and Johnny was off to the claim, I was sitting there and said to Chris, Darling through all the amorous excitement last night, you never told me how you finished off financially, She said, I wondered why you did not ask me. I replied, Well I had more exciting things on my mind then money, She smiled and told me that she got $50 from Lottie, and Bill put in her hand $ 100 and she made $ 43 on other tips. I said again about $200 that s incredible, what you got in three days I have to work for a month. She laughed and said, why you don t try to wear some provocative clothes, Very funny I retorted. Anyhow I better put in an appearance down at the shop. Listen do me a favor, get all the opal bottles and give them another good rinse and fill them up I want them to look real good when we take them to Peter Vlack this afternoon. Chris nodded and kissed them both good bye and drove down to the coop. When I arrived a few people were there getting fuel, and greeted me much friendlier then they used to before, How is the drummer boy a few called out, Great Weekend others said well done. I was pleased with the response from my musical interlude at Gus place. I went in and opened the shop, greeted Doug and he also congratulated me on my performance. I started to get the displays ready when Anne arrived and she was also giving nice comments. The day went past and at 4pm I closed up, and went home. Johnny was already there and he told me he cleared everything out and gouged a lot but could not find the level, so he set a couple charges and hope fully he will pick it up tomorrow, he did not go down after they detonated, he went home as it was going on 4pm. Chris had the bottles ready and I said to Johnny lets go, we grabbed all the bottles and got into the VW and drove down to Peter Vlack. He was standing at the door talking to someone, when he saw us arrive he shook the other persons hand which left. He greeted us and said you got something to show me? We said yes, come in then he replied. We followed him in and as the sun was shining right into his window he pulled the roller blind down, We passed the bottles to him and he looked everyone of it spun them around, then tipped the water out of the chips bottles drained them through small sieve and brushed through them with his fingers and said very nice material, do you know the weight? I said yes 15 ounces, he put them on his scales and added the weights and it was exactly 15 ounces, he wrote something down on a pad and we could not decipher it as it was written in letters without any meaning. He did the same with the doublet jar and our weight was correct, again he wrote figures down. Then finally he asked us if we had a figure in mind of what we want for the lot. The amount we estimated was $1200 for the 15 ounce chips and $540 for the 27 grams of doublet material. So I thought I take a stab and said without hesitation, We would like to get $2500 for the lot. Hmmm he made this sound and started to look again through the chips, and then he wrote something else down, then the same scenario with the doublets. After a brief silence he said, I tell you the best I can do for you is $2000, This was about $260 more than Johnny estimated. I looked at Johnny and said, What do you think, shall we accept it or go down to Schultz? Before Johnny could reply Peter Vlack came back with, The best I can do is $ 2200, but this is not a standing offer, if you walk out you will not get the price again. I replied, Peter if you treat us fair I promise you any future opal we find we will come to you with, I accept the $ I did not wish to push my luck any further I thought to myself. He went over to the safe in the corner and got out 12 one hundred dollar notes and 20 fifty dollar notes. He handed me the money which I put into the linen bag where I had the bottles in, he shook our hand and said it is a pleasure doing business with you guys, I will make sure to give you the best price on the field as long as it is as good material as this on. We just exchanged a few niceties and we left. In the car Johnny said, I could not have done this, you better do any negotiating on all our deals and let s hope there will be many. I replied it is my pleasure Johnny I don t have any reservation, all they can say is no. We got home and Chris and Beatrix were waiting and Chris said, how did it go, Johnny said your husband is a champion, he handled the matter in a very successful manner, he got Peter Vlack paying $ more then we estimated. Chris said I know he is very strong and persuasive in his dealings, I experienced it many times when he bought cars or when we bought furniture etc. Boys this is good news. I got the money out of the bag and split it into two piles, and shoved one pile across to Johnny and said, My friend here is your share. Johnny took it and said thank you and continued by saying, let s hope there is more where that came from. He then said, Now let s talk about my board, how much do you want from me, I said this is Chris department, He looked at Chris and she said how does $30 per week sound to you Johnny? He replied I am very happy to pay this amount, well her is $300 for the next ten weeks board, do I owe anything? he asked, I came back and said, no you gave me $300 when you came back and that covered more the you have been here with us. Johnny was very pleased so were we. I gave Chris the money and said to her put it into the safe, Johnny gave Chris $800 and said Can you put this money in there also I don t need any I still got some left and don t want to walk around with it. Chris took it and put it with the rest, the bloody tin was overflowing with Money. I said hey guys why don t we all 4 go down to Gus and have a drink to celebrate, now this time as guests and not waitresses. Johnny replied that s fine with me and Chris said ok, but what about dinner, Johnny said it s my treat, I replied you are on. Chris got Beatrix ready and herself, but no sexy clothing, just plain and simple. And we went down to the pal Restaurant. We walked in and there were a few People there and Lottie greeted us and said to Chris, Can t keep away from the place can you? Chris replied, This was an invite from Johnny, to have dinner here. Let me get you the menu and what would you like to drink, she asked, I am having a Beer, Johnny said, Chris having a glass of wine, and I have also a beer and a coke for Beatrix. We got the menu and Chris said, I am having the Roast Pork with Gravy and Dumplings, Johnny chose a T-bone steak and I chose a piece of Fish with Chips and sausages and mash for Beatrix. While we were waiting for the meals to arrive in walked Laszlo with his wife, He waived to us and I returned the same, they ordered their drinks and Laszlo came across to the table, started to talk, mainly small talk but he then said to me, do you have a compressor and Jack hammers? I replied, no I wish we had, He continued by saying he has a compressor there which someone just left behind when they left the field, he had it there for repair and is has been there now for over a year and he had not heard from the people, there was two small jack hammers and each had about 30 meters of hose and several jack bits and a drill head with a couple of 3 feet augers. If I am interested he can work out something for me. I told him I will call in after the shop tomorrow and he can tell me more and show me the beast. He agreed and wished us a good evening and went back to his table. Johnny said, Well that would make a hell of a difference and no more explosives. I replied I will look at it and see what he wants for it. Our meals arrived and it was absolutely delicious, I was really longing for some seafood after all the meat all the time. The Opal Express The American Opal Society September 2012 Page 5

6 We ate and had a couple more drinks, Johnny paid off course I said to Laszlo that I see him tomorrow, and we went home. When we got home I said to Johnny and Chris, I think we will make it. Johnny agreed and commented: If we don t find it someone most certainly did. I hope not Chris Said, all the hard work for nothing, Apparently this is the way it works, and really we working on a so called totally worked out field, be honest have you seen anybody else on Teatree Hill? Johnny said, a lot of Opal of top quality came from this hill, we are working the left over s in the hope someone forgot a parcel, Let s hope we are the chosen ones to find it, I am convinced there is something in this Pillar near the shaft, and we only will find out when we put the cut in, which we will do eventually I said. I f we can build our bank with stuff that we are getting at the moment, then it will not be to long before we can afford it, because when that is happening I am giving up the butchery and continue with the mining. I set myself a goal finance permitting I will spend maximum three years here on the field, I will make sure that I have enough money left rent a place and start all over again in Adelaide. Any how these are negative thoughts and I will not entertain to dwell on any negativity. Johnny agreed and said, my dear friends I am hitting the sack a big day tomorrow, lots of dirt to pull first up. Ok Buddy hit the sack we will not be far behind you, I replied. Johnny left and I asked Chris, How much money have we got actually right now. Chris said let me put Beatrix to bed first it is getting late, when she returned she said, After today we have $2300 in the tin not counting Johnny s money, and I have still $80 in my purse. I have $150 the cars and drums are full with fuel including the generator drum, the rent is paid for the month, water tank is full, so we are in good shape, I tell you your job was a god send I did not expect for you to make all this money, I replied. You remember Gus told us that Bill is a good tipper, actually most of the patrons tipped very well, Chris replied. Well I put it down to a good looking woman with a sexy body and provocative dressing and lovely smiles. I told Chris. She laughed and said, if you weren t my husband I would say you are trying to chat me up. Actually I still do, I smiled and grabbed her and gave her a Kiss. Ok Sweetheart now it s time to go to bed Chris said. I agree I replied. And we went to bed Life Lessons from Rock Hunting By Aliza Giammatteo For my late Uncle, Paul A. Giammatteo Jr., who first got me interested in rock hunting. Have you ever had your heart sink when the first question someone asks about a favorite find is How much is it worth? Have you gotten that you re crazy look when someone sees the amount of rocks you ve accumulated in your collection? Whether you re into rocks and minerals, fossils, artifacts, or all of the above, most of us have had experiences like this with others who don t share our passion. That s perfectly understandable. After all, not everybody wants to spend their free time driving out to the middle of nowhere to dig in the dirt, in rivers, in cliff sides, or whatever the case may be, only to have to lug home big, heavy bags of discoveries. When you look at it that way, maybe we are a bit crazy after all! Or maybe there is something more to these rocks that even we don t immediately realize that keeps us so enthralled in this hobby. That begs the question, why do we do what we do? What is it that we see in these rocks* that others don t? I have a whole host of reasons why I collect, as I m sure most of you do. But for me there is one reason that stands out from the rest: the valuable life lessons that some of my rocks have taught me. One unforgettable lesson came from my first trip to Gem Mountain in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. The area is full of abandoned gemstone mines. Visitors can buy a bucket of rubble to sift through to hunt for treasures: rubies, garnets, emeralds, sapphires, topaz, etc. I was in my glory, bagging all sorts of goodies when, less than an hour into my hunt, a couple came and sat next to me with their buckets. Within minutes, I heard things like What a rip-off! There aren t any gems in here. And Just my luck! I didn t get anything in my bucket. I glanced at their junk rock pile and saw a mound full of rubies, sapphires, and other precious stones. They were, literally, throwing out treasure! That was the first lesson: Before any of us start complaining about the bucket we were handed, so to speak, maybe we should take a closer look at what we have. Yes, sometimes in life you do get a bad bucket. But other times the problem has nothing to do with the bucket at all. Sometimes our eyes just aren t open enough to spot the gems. I ve been back to Gem Mountain a few times since that first trip and, sure enough, each time I go I encounter different people with those same complaints. And each time I ve tried, mostly in vain, to show the naysayers what the stones look like in the rough and explained that they won t come out of the ground looking sparkly like they do in a piece of jewelry. They usually only half-way pay attention before they go back to their speed hunting. I ve found that most of them just want that instant gratification and don t want to invest even five minutes of time beforehand to figure out what they should be looking for. (Exactly how can you find something when you don t know what you re looking for?) I don t know. But, by God, they were going to try. That was lesson #2: You need to know what you re looking for if you hope to find it. Not just in rock hunting, but in life. The impression I got from these other hunters was that the stones would have to be so bright and sparkly that they screamed out I m a precious stone. Pick me up! before they d consider them a keeper. That s when lesson #3 hit me: Most opportunities in life don t scream our names. They don t announce themselves, and they certainly don t knock, contrary to the popular expression. Opportunities are there, but sometimes they are in a clever disguise, just like those garnets I found whose brilliance was cloaked in a thick coat of rust. To the untrained eye they just look like some seriously ugly rocks! A contemporary of the famous impressionist painter, Claude Monet, once remarked that it wasn t so much Monet s ability to paint what he paints that he admired as much as his ability to see what he sees. Monet was able to perceive subtle changes in light that others might overlook. And that, in large part, is what made him such a master of his craft. A skilled painter could probably copy a Monet, but would they have seen what he saw in the first place? That is the question. It takes wisdom and vision to recognize when we have something good on our hands. But seeing the opportunity is just the first part. These gemstones do have the ability to shine, but if we want them to shine, it s up to us to make them shine. That s lesson #4. The grinding, polishing, and cutting are what make the gems look like a gem (in the traditional sense, anyway.) Like most things in life, collecting treasures does take wisdom, but then it takes serious work. The advice columnist, Ann Landers, once brilliantly said Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don t recognize them. As for my gem collection, with few exceptions, I ve kept all of my stones in the rough. They have more value to me as regular, old rocks than they do as gemstones. They are wonderful reminders to always look for the positive, the potential, in every situation. I ve brought them into schools with me to pass on some of these lessons to school kids. They were amazed at the striking difference between the rough and a faceted stone. You can see the wonder on the kids The Opal Express The American Opal Society September 2012 Page 6

7 faces upon realizing that something so ordinary looking could become something so extraordinary. When I see that magic in their eyes, that s when I explain that it s amazing what can be accomplished with a little wisdom and some work. The rocks illustrate that in a tangible way and the message is received loud and clear. It s a message that we adults are all aware of but could always be reminded of from time to time. When I m having a bad day I pick up one of the rocks from those buckets. Of course the kids do ask about values and wonder why I don t get them cut (as do many of my friends who probably think I m nuts.) The answer is that in my mind, they re already as good as cut. I don t need to see the finished, shiny product. I can see that in my mind s eye, or in any jewelry store. But what you rarely see is the rough evidence of the beginning of that journey from dull to dazzling. That s what I find most fascinating, all that goes into making that treasure. (And I do believe that life s treasures are made just as much as they are found, if not more.) Each gemstone in a jewelry store began as a rock that someone with a keen eye saw the potential in. I want to be that someone. I want to see the wonder and beauty in things, in people, in life, that others may not see. The next time someone asks why I collect all of these rocks, that will be my answer. *For the sake of simplicity and keeping with the storyline, the term rocks is used generically here and can refer to all of those things that our non-collector friends often simply refer to as our rocks rocks, minerals, fossils, etc. From The Backbender's Gazette May Is There Gold in Your Backyard? By Michael Bowker On a crisp November afternoon in 1991 Bill Boye, who operates a small Atlanta exterminating company, climbed out of the mountain stream in Georgia where he had been engaged in his favorite weekend pursuit: panning for gold. He was ready to strip off his waders when he decided to run his metal detector over a hole he had bypassed many times before. Splashing back into the water, he took a few steps and the device began buzzing wildly. At first, Boye thought a tin can was setting off the detector, but when he dug around, his shovel hit something hard. Reaching into the water, Boye fished out a muddy hunk of quartz, the size of a football, weighing 18 pounds. He was about to toss it back, when his hand wiped away some of the mud. Boye was stunned the entire bottom of the rock was solid gold! I kept staring at it, because I was afraid if I blinked, it would disappear, he recalls. The nugget, one of the largest found in the eastern United States in over 100 years, may be worth tens of thousands of dollars. Most people figure gold panning went out with horse-drawn buggies, and that the only gold left is in California, Boye says. But I proved them wrong. Now, they just want to know where I found it. Jule Kendrick, who owns a custom-home-finishing company, made her lucky strike after ten years of searching. Walking a dry stream bed in the desert coast of Los Angeles, she came across a boulder the size of a Volkswagen Bug. For some reason, I felt I should move it, she says. It took most of the morning, but she finally toppled the rock with a six-foot pry bar. In the hole were four hefty nuggets worth a total of about $1,500. I was so excited I almost screamed. I ll never forget that day as long as I live. Mike Stafford, a Camino, California businessman involved in submarine construction, made his big strike on the north fork of the Yuba River. Using diving equipment, he was cleaning out a submerged crevice in the bedrock with a water hose, when suddenly the water turned gold. Nuggets and gold dust started shooting out he says. With a suction dredge, Stafford vacuumed the stream bottom to capture the swirling treasure. We pulled out eight ounces of gold in less than 15 minutes. It was wild. The hoard was worth $3,000. Excerpts from an article in Chert Chatter, Vol. 29, No 8, 2003, via Arrowhead News 2/05 and others. From the The Backbender's Gazette January 2011, September 2012 Gem & Mineral Shows More shows can be found at FORESTHILL, CA: Annual show; Mother Lode Goldhound Association; Memorial Park; Harrison St.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; free admission; state and national gold panning championships, metal detecting, raffles, museum tours, youth activities, Foresthill Heritage Celebration; contact Annie Robinson, (530) ; goldworld@wildblue.net; Web site: FERNDALE, CA: 8th annual Wildcat Gem Fest; Wildcat Gem Society; Humboldt County Fair Grounds; th St.; Fri. 12-7, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; gems, jewelry, minerals, fossils, gold, silver, jade, demonstrations, raffles, kids' games, free door prizes, silent auctions; contact Mike Martin, PO Box 189, Miranda, CA 95553, (707) ; micknorma@directv.net 8-9 DOWNEY, CA: Annual show; Delvers Gem & Mineral Society; Women's Club of Downey; 9813 Paramount Blvd.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; free admission; more than 20 dealers, displays, grab bags, raffle, demonstrations; contact Jon Fults, 3914 Mistral Dr., Huntington Beach, CA , (714) ; jhfults@verizon.net SAN RAFAEL, CA: Wholesale and retail show; Gem Faire Inc.; Marin Center; 10 Avenue of the Flags; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $7 (weekend pass), children (11 and under) free; jewelry, gems, beads, crystals, silver, rocks, minerals, exhibitors, on-site jewelry repair; contact Yooy Nelson, (503) ; info@gemfaire.com; Web site: PASO ROBLES, CA: Annual show; Santa Lucia Rockhounds; Pioneer Park & Museum; 2010 Riverside Ave.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; dealers, exhibits, demonstrations, prize drawings, silent auction, kids' activities; contact Dale Conrad, (805) ; conrad@att.net; Web site: REDWOOD CITY, CA: Annual show; Sequoia Gem & Mineral Society; Community Activities Bldg.; 1400 Roosevelt Ave.; Daily 10-5, Daily -; adults $3, children (12 and under) free with adult; contact Mary Lou Froese, 119 Duval Dr., South San Francisco, CA 94080, (650) ; mfroese@sbcglobal.net; Web site: CHICO, CA: Annual show; Feather River Lapidary & Mineral Society; Silver Dollar Fair Grounds; 2357 Fair St.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $2, students and children (15 and under) free; contact John Scott, 1288 Glenwood Ave., Chico, CA 95926, (530) ; jweazel@sbcglobal.net; Web site: FRANKLIN, NJ: 56th annual show; Franklin Mineral Museum; Franklin School; 50 WA Ave.; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $7, children (6 to 16) $4; contact Patirica Seger, 22 Palomino Trail, Vernon, NJ 07462, (973) ; pesolutions.minerals@gmail.com; Web site: franklinmineralshow.webs.com MONTEREY, CA: 53rd annual show; Carmel Valley Gem & Mineral Society; Monterey Fairgrounds; 2004 Fairgrounds Rd.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $3.50, children free with adult; more than 50 displays, gems, minerals, fossils, guest and member collections,; contact Janis Rovetti, 1047 Roosevelt St., Monterey, CA 93940, (831) ; janis12@sbcglobal.net; Web site: MURFREESBORO, AR: Annual show; Crater of Diamonds State Park; Diamond Discovery Center; 209 State Park Rd.; Sat. 9-4, Sun. 9-4; adults (13 and up) $7, children (6-11) $3, under 6 free; jewelry, rocks, fossils, minerals, gems, demonstrations, free rock, mineral and gem identification, search for diamonds; contact Margi Jenks, Crater of Diamonds State Park, 209 State Park Rd., Murfreesboro, AR 71958, (870) ; margaret.jenks@ar.gov; Web site: SANTA ROSA, CA: Annual show; Santa Rosa Mineral & Gem Society; Wells Fargo Center for the Arts; 50 Mark West Springs Rd.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $6, children (under 12); contact Jolene Coon, (707) ; coons@sonic.net; Web site: srmgs.org STOCKTON, CA: Annual show; Stockton Lapidary & Mineral Club; Scottish Rite Masonic Center; 33 W. Alpine Ave.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $5, children (12 and under) free; contact Dorothy Tonnacliff, (209) ; rockchipseditor@comcast.net; Web site: The Opal Express The American Opal Society September 2012 Page 7

8 "From Rags to Riches" The book, From Rags to Riches by Peter Greisl, that has been printed a chapter at a time in this newsletter is finally in print. From Rags to Riches is the autobiography of a real opal miner in the Australian Outback town of Andamooka. To purchase the book, please visit the website, and follow the online purchasing instructions. You can also contact Peter Greisl personally and place an order. You can contact Peter at or him at gem@opallover.com. Peter will accept MasterCard, Visa, or PayPal. Peter will return your call, you can send a text with your Card details including CVV and complete Shipping address, He will text you back with the shipping or postage cost prior to processing your card. Advertise in this Space! Business Card Size: $ 5 per month Quarter Page Size: $10 per month Half Page Size: $20 per month Full Page Size: $40 per month Contact: The Opal Express C/O Jim Pisani P.O. Box 4875 Garden Grove, CA editor@opalsociety.org Custom Creative Gem Cutting Stan M. McCall Lapidary and Jewelry Artist Custom Jewelry Designs & Repairs Gemstone Cutting & Repolishing Diamonds, Opals, Colored Stones (714) Orange Ave. Cypress, CA custom-creative@earthlink.net Tuesday-Saturday 10am-3pm. Appointments Also Available The Opal Express The American Opal Society September 2012 Page 8

9 DUES: SELECT ONE American Opal Society Membership Application FILL IN APPLICABLE INFORMATION DUES / FEES) RENEWING MEMBERS $30 NEW MEMBERS $40 INTERNATIONAL MEMBERSHIP FEE (All addresses outside of USA) $10 PRINTED NEWSLETTER FEE (Paper copy postal mailed instead of PDF file by ) $5 ADDITIONAL BADGES (Your First Badge is free when joining) $10 TOTAL PAID DUES plus International, Print or Badge Fees if Applicable: AMOUNT PAID Please make check or money order payable to American Opal Society. Mail payment and application to: American Opal Society; PO BOX 4875; Garden Grove, CA An optional, quicker method of payment is via the Internet. To pay, just visit the membership page on our website at and complete the form. You may pay with a Credit Card or via PayPal account. The transaction is completely secure and the AOS never sees your credit card number. The AOS PayPal account is membership@opalsociety.org. NAME BUSINESS NAME ADDRESS CITY ZIP or POSTAL CODE APT # or PO BOX STATE COUNTRY (IF OUTSIDE USA) NAME BADGE ORDER FORM: PLEASE PRINT NAME AS YOU WISH IT TO APPEAR ON YOUR BADGE using up to two (2) lines of text for your name, nickname, or name of your opal related business. PHONE - Home ( ) WEBSITE OCCUPATION PHONE - Business ( ) HOBBIES AND INTERESTS FAX ( ) MEMBERSHIP ROSTER: The AOS publishes a membership directory once per year in its Newsletter, the Opal Express. Your name will be included. Please check what additional personal information that you want listed for other members. If it is different from the information above, please note that on the application. Address Phone Website Please sign here: Date The Opal Express is published monthly by The American Opal Society. Copyright All rights reserved. Non-Commercial Reprint Permission Granted Unless Otherwise Reserved. Editor-Jim Pisani Please address all inquiries and exchange newsletters to: The Opal Express C/O Jim Pisani P.O. Box 4875 Garden Grove, CA editor@opalsociety.org Are Your Dues Due Now? PLEASE CHECK YOUR ADDRESS LABEL or NEWSLETTER E- MAIL. There should be a date that shows the current month/year of your membership. If the date is older than the current date, your dues are overdue. A warning will be stated if you are overdue. A Renewal Grace Period of two months will be provided. Please note, however, that as the system is now set up, if your renewal is not received you will be AUTOMATICALLY dropped from membership thereafter. It is your responsibility to assure your dues are current. Thank you, The Editor The Opal Express The American Opal Society September 2012 Page 9

10 Magnolia Ave. Gilbert St. Brookhurst St. Euclid Ave. The Opal Express American Opal Society P.O. Box 4875 Garden Grove, CA Volume #45 Issue #9 September 2012 TO: Some Topics In This Issue: Speaker: Connie Grundke on Intarsia Mexican Opal Mines Mexican Fire Opal From Rags to Riches Ch. 26 The First Opal Sale Life Lessons from Rock Hunting Is There Gold in Your Backyard? Important Dates: September 12 - Board Meeting September 13 - General Meeting: Master of Stone and Saddleback College Instructor Connie Grundke will give a lecture on the Art of Intarsia. GENERAL MEETINGS N 2nd Thurs. of the Month 7:00 pm - 9:00 PM Garden Grove Civic Women s Club 9501 Chapman Ave. Garden Grove, CA (NE corner of Gilbert & Chapman) MEETING ACTIVITIES Opal Cutting, Advice, Guest Speakers, Slide Shows, Videos, Other Activities Katella Ave. Chapman Ave. Garden Grove Blvd. 22 Freeway Pete Goetz Jim Pisani The American Opal Society President Editor & Webmaster (714) (714) mpg1022@aol.com editor@opalsociety.org The Opal Express The American Opal Society September 2012 Page 10