Highlights of the January Meeting:

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1 Volume 54 Number 2 February 4, 2013 Highlights of the January Meeting: President Kathie Montgomery called the meeting to order at 7:06 PM. There were 32 members and visitors present. Mary Barto volunteered to handle hospitality this evening and brought cookies, hot pimento spread, Ritz fresh snacks, potato and cheese salad, and soft drinks. The snacks were very good thank you Mary. A friendly reminder, review the roster below. Tonight's Drawings: McCreery Scholarship Debbie Livingston. Debra gets $18.50 and the fund gets $ Door prizes: Dawn Healy: stilbite on a propylite, from Riagad, India Jennifer Harris: apophyllite, from Crystal Cave, Poona, India Debra Livingstone announced the beginning and intermediate silver smithing classes will start Wednesday, January 9, 2013 and will run for eight weeks; hours are 6:30P to 9:00P. There is a charge for supplies. Please contact Debra via at bbbdalivingston@aol.com or We are sad to announce that long time member Bob Channel passed away in January. The Club sent a card to his wife Karen. Those wishing to send a card, can send to: See Page 3 Next Club Meeting February 4, :00 PM New Garden Friends 801 New Garden Road. Greensboro, NC Feature this month: Shaun Shelton A Tour of the Adelaide Mine in Australia Next Meeting March 4, 2013 Treasurers Report 2013: Debbie Livingston, Treasurer December 1: Balance: $2, Deposits: $ 0.00 Expenditures: $ December 31: Balance: $ 1, Notable expense: P.O. Box $ Holiday Dinner $ Newsletter & supplies $ McCreery Scholarship: $ Hospitality Report 2013: Kathie Montgomery, President Jan. 7: Mary Barto Feb. 4: Shelton family March 4: Debra Livingston April 8: Joe Maguire May 6: Marti Honeycutt June 3: Adams family July 1: John Hiller Aug. 5: Gary Parker Sept. 9: Smith family Oct. 7: Joyce Patton Nov. 4: Montgomery family Dec.2, 2010 Holiday Dinner Expenses are reimbursed. Please try to keep cost below $50.00

2 Piedmont Prospector Volume 54 Number 2 Page 2 January Visitors: Mark Miller Joe Gloos & son Jordan Colleen Rappe February Birthdays: Riley Williamson Kevin Bonebreak Joe Whitehurst Janet Dinsmore Nola Couts Bob Kaiser 2013 Field Trips by Shawn Shelton Gary Parker Jan none Feb. none March April May June July: Aug Sept. Oct Nov Dec. 2 Christmas/Holiday Dinner Ronald Thomas Paul Farley 2013 Programs: Jan. 7 Stone of Kings: Jadeite of the Motagua Valley, Guatemala By Dr. Joseph Mountjoy Feb. 4 Shaun Shelton: A Tour of the Adelaide Mine in Australia March 4 Steve Smith April 8 Spring auction May 6 June 3 June 23, July 1 Show and Tell, Aug. 5 Sept. 9 Oct. 7 Fall Auction Jewelry Bench Tips by Brad Smith BENCH SHEARS: When cutting sheet metal, it's quicker and easier to use a set of shop shears as compared with using a hand saw. The cut is not as precise, but many times you don't need that. Shears will easily cut up to 24 gauge sheet, and some will cut 22 or even 20 gauge. Current prices for shears run from $13 - $22 in jewelry catalogs, and the Joyce Chen scissors recommended on some jewelry blogs run more than $20. But we found a cheaper alternative at the 99 Cent Store - some gardening utility scissors that were only $1.07 I buy a half dozen of them at a time for use in my jewelry classes. They're great for cutting bezels, trimming around a bezel cup, and cutting a piece off a larger sheet. BEZEL CLOSER: A bezel closer is a steel punch that makes quick work out of pushing the metal down over a round stone and burnishing it. The working end is a concave cavity that fits over your bezel or prong setting and is pushed and twisted to capture the stone. Sets can be purchased but are expensive and contain many sizes you will probably never use. If all you need is one or two sizes, here's how you can make them yourself. Find a good quality, round steel rod a little larger in diameter than your bezel cup or prong setting. Cut a 5 inch length. File both ends flat. Locate the center of one end, centerpunch a divot, and drill a small pilot hole about 5 mm deep. Remember to use a little oil as lubricant when cutting steel. Select a ball bur a bit smaller than the steel rod but slightly larger than the bezel. Enlarge the pilot hole to a full hemispherical cavity. Test for proper fit with your bezel. Bezel should first contact the cavity about a third of the way in. When the size is correct, polish the cavity using Zam on a length of chopstick in your flexshaft. If the tool is not polished, it will leave scratches on your bezel or prongs. When using the tool, the first step is to capture the stone correctly. I usually work by hand and push the punch straight down over the bezel or prongs. This causes the metal to start bending over the stone. Now inspect with a lens to be sure the stone is staying level. This is repeated until the stone is seated on its bearing and can't move anymore. Next, you want to force the metal down onto the stone uniformly all the way around. While this can be done by hand, I often gently tap the punch with a hammer. Finally, I burnish the bezel by twisting the punch around. More Bench Tips by Brad Smith are at facebook.com/benchtips/

3 The Piedmont Prospector Volume 54 Number 2 Page 3 Continued from page 1: Karen Channel / P.O. Box / Greensboro, NC/ ***************************************************************************************** DUES ARE DUE The application is located at our web page. How to read the code: Code 1,13 or 1,14 means you are a voting member and you have already paid the dues. If you are not current the code is 1,12. This means you are a voting member and you have not paid your dues. ***************************************************************************************** February Birthstone: Amethyst. If gazing into the sparkling purple depths of an Amethyst suffuses you with a sense of powerful well being, this is only to be expected. The ancient Greeks believed that this gemstone held many powers, among them protection against intoxication. In fact, the word Amethyst comes from the Greek word "amethystos," meaning sober. In ancient Greece, the gemstone was associated with the god of wine, and it was common practice to serve this beverage from Amethyst goblets in the belief that this would prevent overindulgence. Even today, Amethyst is considered a stabilizing force for those struggling to overcome addictive behaviors. February's purple birthstone has been found among the possessions of royalty throughout the ages. The intense violet hue of Amethyst appealed to early monarchs, perhaps because they often wore this color. Purple dye was scarce and expensive at one time, and so it was reserved for the garments of kings and queens. Amethyst has been found in ruins dating as far back as the ninth century, adorning crowns, scepters, jewelry, and breastplates worn into battle. A large Amethyst is among the closely guarded gemstones in the British Crown Jewels. Amethyst is also symbolic of spirituality and piety. It has been used to ornament churches and crosses used in religious ceremony, and worn in rings and on rosaries by bishops and priests. Once considered more valuable than diamonds, Amethyst is a member of the quartz family, occurring naturally as crystals within rocks. Deposits of this gemstone are found in Brazil, Canada, Australia, India, Madagascar, Namibia, Russia, Sri Lanka; and in the United States. The gift of Amethyst is symbolic of protection and the power to overcome difficulty. It is said to strengthen the bond in a love relationship, so it is an ideal anniversary or engagement gem. Whether or

4 The Piedmont Prospector Volume 54 Number 2 Page 4 not Amethyst holds such power, it's stunning beauty will certainly make anyone who wears it feel like royalty! *************************************************************************************** The presentation for January was provided by Dr. Joe Mountjoy. Dr. Mountjoy is an archeologist, a professor for many years at UNC-G here in Greensboro. The unique thing about Joe is that he is also interested in mineralogy and gem stones. Joe also facets gem stones. The following information covers Dr. Mountjoy s presentation albeit not word for word. The pictures, diagrams, and abstracts are from hand notes, various sites on the web including Science, Geology, and Science Now. Stone of Kings: Jadeite of the Motagua Valley, Guatemala The prehistoric Maya were known in no small part for their artistic and symbolic use of jade, a tough, usually green rock revered around the world since the Neolithic. The home of jade in Guatemala is the Motagua Valley, carved by a great river that flows eastward in a shallow curve into the Caribbean Sea near Puerto Barrios. The valley is lesser known to tourists but is beautiful, quite dry in the middle areas and framed by great mountain belts. (1) Motagua Valley and adjacent areas continue to be researched on the origin jadeite and its significance to Earth s great recycling system of plate tectonics. To do this we need to improve our understanding of the evolution of the Caribbean region, that area overlain by the Caribbean Sea and framed by Central America to the west, the Greater Antilles to the north, the Lesser Antilles to the east and South America to the South. The Caribbean originated via the grand plate tectonic machine starting 120 million years ago, with areas of volcanic islands and ocean floor squeezing past Mexico and South America like a great protruding tongue pointing to the east. The northern edge of that tongue is a fault system traced by the Motagua Valley, which is marked geologically by the Motagua Fault, analogous to the San Andreas Fault in the United States, with horizontal motion slipping one side leftward compared to the other. But this fault also contains the remnants of both a subduction zone where an oceanic plate plunged into Earth s mantle and a plate collision that terminated the subduction zone and exhumed portions of the deeply buried rocks where the plates rubbed past one another Jade particularly the kind known as jadeite jade (jadeitite to geologists) is one of those rocks, and the Motagua Valley is one of the great, though rare, sources on Earth. The theme of green rocks also includes one known as serpentinite, the rock made of the green mineral serpentine, which is a

5 The Piedmont Prospector Volume 54 Number 2 Page 5 water-altered form of Earth s deep interior peridotite, which constitutes the upper mantle. Serpentinite is much more common than jade and, actually, is its host, so we look for serpentinite when seeking jade and other rocks that record subduction and collisions. In the past, Burma has held the crown for the world's best jadeite, today Guatemala is quickly becoming the leading source for Grade A jadeite. Just as its mountainous terrain can support agriculture of just about any type, Guatemala's hotbed of tectonic activity has resulted in the formation of many varieties of jadeite. Nephrite does not exist in Guatemala, so in its place, the tourist market's jade is mainly serpentine or glass. Importation cost limits available material to domestic stones, so when real jade is found it is always Jadeite. Generally speaking, there are a few ways to get jadeite in Guatemala: the tourist markets, the jade factories in Antigua, and out in the field in the areas of Coban or the Motigua river valley. The factories in Antigua are the most reliable with the highest quality product, and highest prices. In the tourist markets, when you find the real thing, it often lacks in luster and/or quality of the cut - appropriately set in average quality jewelry pieces or carvings. Lapidary material availability is limited to the factories or finding it on public land in the localities mentioned. Some factories simply won't sell slabs or roughs, and when they do, it is expensive. Guatemala's national treasure is not well known currently. While Jadeite is highly prized in Asia, especially China, in western regions such as the USA, real jade is frequently not recognized for its value. Outside of the antiquities market, whether rare nephrite or jadeite, westerners often overlook the stones worth and authenticity, and are more in favor of the designer label or precious metals the "green stone" is set in. The value of jade to the ancient Maya was tremendous, even more valuable than gold. The presence of jadeite artifacts throughout the America's suggests extensive trade routes during ancient times. Jadeite was the hardest available substance for use in weapons and tools until steel was invented, therefore it was a mineral of high industrial value until recent times. The great Mayan emperors where entombed with their lot of jade, among other objects. Tombs have been found with up to 7,000 individual jade objects. It was also typical to place a ball of jade within the mouth, indicating the soul contained the degree of spirituality necessary for eternal life. Jade was also used as a tool for communicating with ancestors. Jade is still honored today among natural healers who utilize ancient Mayan techniques for curing health issues such as back problems, sciatica, migraines, stress and for massage therapy. Guatemalan jade occurs in a wide variety of colors. Among the most prized being lavender, referred to as lilac or "lila" in Spanish. An even less common variety is rainbow jade, in which a variety of colors show up in the same stone. Rainbow jadeite, "Arcoiris", can only be found in Guatemala. Black jade is also popular with jade connoisseurs, and is priced equal to the green varieties. Nearly every shade of green jadeite is found in Guatemala, from light mint green to well saturated medium to dark green. The rarest varieties include a red-orange, blue "Delfin (Dolphin)", "Olmec Blue", bluegreen "Celeste", champagne, purple, and white "Ice" jade - Guatemala's finest. It should be noted that most Guatemalan jadeite may carry a degree of translucency, but only very rarely is transparent. Lilac, or lavender jadeite is quite popular and is priced 2-3 times as much as the green or black varieties. Lilac jade's color is due to the presence of manganese. Its discovery was made in 2005 after a hurricane inundated the Motigua area with floods and landslides, revealing the purplish stone when the storm receded. The typical jade grading scale applies equally to Guatemalan jadeite. Grading Guatemalan finished jadeite would include pureness of color, translucency (depending on color), luster, & craftsmanship of cabochons or carvings. Antigua's factories do not price based on weight, but rather size & color.

6 The Piedmont Prospector Volume 54 Number 2 Page 6 Unlike nephrite, which does not fracture easily, jadeite fracturing is a consideration to take into account. Fractured jadeite is often used for carvings as the fractures will be less obtrusive. Unlike the markets where they will tell you anything to make a sale, you should consider the factory dealers and workers some of the most decent and honest people in the business. However, since they must pay an entire staff to run the operation their products are very expensive. The advantage of the markets is you can negotiate, but know your stuff. Basic rules to follow are: jadeite feels really heavy compared to its size, it can't be scratched by stainless steel blade and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Also, the presence of an armed guard is not only indicative of the value of the products, but insures your safety in a notoriously dangerous country. (2) Credits: (1) New York Times by George Harlow (2) Guatemalan Jadeite by Exotic Rocks and Minerals.com OUTCROP

7 The Piedmont Prospector Volume 54 Number 2 Page 7 Tomb Open Tomb

8 The Piedmont Prospector Volume 54 Number 2 Page 8 We deeply appreciate Dr. Joe and his presentation. Come February, Dr. Joe and his wonderful wife will be back in Guatemala until the rainy season sets in. *************************************************************************************** North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Announces New Director RALEIGH Dr. Emlyn Koster was named today as the new director of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, bringing a distinguished record of research, publications and museum leadership, both in the United States and around the world. I am thrilled to join such a remarkable research and educational resource, said Koster. Science museums of all types are aspiring to be more relevant to the needs and opportunities of society and the environment, and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in all of its onsite, offsite and online dimensions is a benchmark of major progress. I warmly thank both the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Friends of the Museum for this honor. Koster s appointment caps a six-month search for a new leader for the Museum, which has pioneered new ways to engage the public in science. The Museum opened its new wing, the Nature Research Center, in April 2012 with the SECU Daily Planet multimedia theater and laboratories where visitors can converse with scientists conducting research or complete their own experiments, such as extracting biofuel from algae. Former Director Betsy Bennett, whose vision helped drive the Museum for 22 years, retired at the end of December, after a year that saw more than 1 million visitors pass through the doors. Emlyn brings to this role the precise mix of leadership qualities we need, said Mike Murphy, President of the Friends of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and chair of the search committee. He has a passion for natural sciences, for STEM education and for the people of North Carolina. He is an engaging advocate for the Museum to the public and a collaborative manager who can unite the staff, stakeholders and supporters in order to guide this world-class museum in expanding its reach and taking its mission to new heights. Koster is a geologist educated in England and Canada who has already been at the helm of several premier museums in the United States and Canada, leading landmark expansions of their facilities, exhibitions, programming, and outeach. Koster officially starts on Jan. 28. Secretary John E. Skvarla III, of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, presided over Monday s announcement and said Koster s appointment marks a new step in the Museum s mission to engage society in the natural world, in scientific research and how it relates to our lives past, present and going forward. We have built a world class museum in North Carolina. This is where we inspire the innovators and creative thinkers of tomorrow, Skvarla said. Today we turn over the helm to new leadership, and we know our Museum is in good hands. Ford W. Bell, president of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), praised the appointment. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is one of the outstanding institutions of scientific learning in America, and Emlyn Koster is a leader destined to expand its impact even more, Bell said. I have known Emlyn for many years, and he will undoubtedly build on the Museum's past achievements, maximizing its public engagement through its exciting new Nature Research Center and educational programs. Emlyn Koster is an inspired choice to lead the Museum into the future, said Anthony (Bud) Rock, CEO of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). He has an exemplary record of achievement in the science museum community, and we are extremely grateful for his record of distinguished service to our field. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is a superb institution, and Emlyn s skilled leadership will help ensure that the Museum continues its proud tradition of commitment to the community, the state, and the field at large. Koster previously served for 15 years as CEO of Liberty Science Center, in New Jersey, where he turned financial struggles into a $109 million expansion and renewal, including a national-model contract with state government to assist at-risk communities across the state. Prior to that post, he was CEO of the Ontario Science Centre, Canada s largest science center. He stabilized the institution, attracted major science events with prestigious partners and integrated Ontario s first IMAX dome theater in a $15 million renovation. Earlier, he held the post of director of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, in Alberta, launching it and opening a satellite field station in UNESCO-designated Dinosaur Provincial Park as well as integrating this new institution into the heritage tourism and scientific research professions. Koster has also taught at universities and held a wide variety of board roles in the museum and related fields. He is a graduate of the University of Sheffield, England, and holds a PhD in geology from the University of Ottawa. He was born in Egypt where his father, a Royal Air Force squadron leader, was based in the Suez Canal Zone. # N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. John E. Skvarla, III, Secretary.

9 2013 SCHEDULE Jan. 7: MEMBERSHIP MEETING Dues Due Feb. 4: MEMBERSHIP MEETING March 4: MEMBERSHIP MEETING Board of Directors, membership roles updated. April 8: MEMBERSHIP MEETING Spring Auction May 6: MEMBERSHIP MEETING June 3: MEMBERSHIP MEETING Piedmont Rock Swap?? July 1: MEMBERSHIP MEETING Aug. 5: MEMBERSHIP MEETING Sept. 9: MEMBERSHIP MEETING Board of Directors and Nomination Committee Oct. 7 MEMBERSHIP MEETING Fall Auction Nov 4: MEMBERSHIP MEETING Ballot in Newsletter, mail or bring to meeting. Dec 2, Holiday dinner, Dirty-Rotten-Santa ; Awards; Election results; Meetings are held the first Monday of each month (except holidays ) at 7:00 PM at New Garden Friends Meeting Friendship Hall, 801 New Garden Road, Greensboro, NC, phone (336) or Joe_maguire@prodigy.net. How to get to the meeting: Get off Interstate 40 ( I-40 ) at Guilford College exit, Go north towards Greensboro. You will cross railroad tracks at Market Street; Continue north another 1.1 miles to the second traffic light, this is Friendly Avenue. The meeting is at the next light so get into the left lane. Continue north one tenth of a mile to the next traffic light and driveway entrance. Turn left into the meeting property and park in the back. Have your Family and Friends Like us on Facebook: Greensboro Gem & Mineral Club See us on the web: The Greensboro Gem and Mineral Club, Inc. Year 2013 Officers: President & Chairperson Vice President Treasurer Secretary Program Chair Debbie Livingston Joe Maguire Chief Executive John Hiller c/o Club address c/o Club address Kathie Montgomery c/o Club address bbbdalivingston@aol.com c/o Club address hiller1927@gmail.com kbmonty@triad.rr.com _ Board of Directors for 2013: Gary Parker '13 Steve Smith 14 Debbie Livingston '15 Mary Barto '13 Charlie Finch 14 Joe Maguire '15 Greg Lovejoy '13 Ed Deckert 14 John Hiller '15 Honorary Life Members: Dr. Cyril H. Harvey & Judith W. Harvey Joe Meadows Steve and Grace Smith Joe & Pat Maguire Steve Adams Laurie Adams Dr. Jean & Kevin Bonebreak Joyce & Kelly Patton Mac & Marie Anderson-Whitehurst Dr. Tim & Elaine Biggart Russ Holshouser Program Chair: Kathie Montgomery Hospitality: Kathie Montgomery Membership: Debbie Livingston Editor: Joe Maguire Historian: Club Secretary Show Chair: Ed Deckert, Steve Smith Librarian: OPEN Web Chair: Shaun Shelton Faceting education: John Hiller Trip Chair: Shawn Shelton/Gary Parker Auctioneers: Special events/geodes: Steve Smith / Gary Parker Steve Smith Publicity: OPEN McCreery Fund: Club Treasurer Holiday Dinner coordinator: Debbie Livingston Show Hospitality: Facebook: Joyce Patton & Grace Smith Kathie Montgomery

10 The Piedmont Prospector 2012 Honorable mention Large Bulletins 2002 winner AFMS Large Bulletin The Greensboro Gem and Mineral Club, Inc. The Piedmont Gemcutter's Guild c/o GGMC Editor P.O. Box February 4, 2013 Vol. 54, No. 2 February Dates: Items of interest: (Something going on? Let us know.) 1-28 QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA: Wholesale and retail show; Desert Gardens RV Park; Desert Gardens RV Park; 1055 Kuehn St.; Mon. 9-6, Sun. 9-6; free admission; crystals, minerals, rough, polished, jewelry, lapidary equipment; contact Sharon (manager), 1055 Kuehn St., Quartzsite, AZ , (928) ; info@desertgardensrvpark.net; Web site: TUCSON, ARIZONA: Wholesale and retail show; Martin Zinn Expositions LLC; Ramada Ltd.; 665 N. Freeway; Daily 10-6; free admission; 80 vendors from around the world, minerals, fossils; contact Regina Aumente, PO Box 665, Bernalillo, NM 87004, (505) ; mzexpos@gmail.com; Web site: 16 UPPER MARLBORO, MARYLAND: Annual show; Southern Maryland Rock and Mineral Club; The Show Place Arena; Pennsylvania Ave.; Sat. 10-5; adults $3, children (6 and under) free; exhibitors, dealers, original jewelry designs using rough, polished, and faceted stones, fossils, minerals, geodes, beads, findings, tools, demonstrations, bead stringing, wire wrapping, gold panning, kids' mini-mine and crafts; contact Michael Patterson, Thrift Rd., Clinton, MD 20735, (301) ; michael.patterson@pgparks.com; Web site: MESA, ARIZONA: 47th annual show; Apache Junction Rock & Gem Club; Skyline High School; 845 S. Crismon Rd.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $3, students with ID $1, children (12 and under) free; dealers, jewelry, gems, cabochons, beads, rocks, specimens, slabs, fossils, lapidary equipment and supplies, hourly door prizes, silent auction, grand raffle, gem tree-making activity, Wheel of Rocks; contact Kelly Iverson, (480) ; Web site: