GINKGO MEETING PLACE AND TIME: Clearwater Steakhouse 838 Valley Mall Pkwy. East Wenatchee, Wa. 98802 Saturday, March 16th 1:00 pm Valerie Hampton, Editor PO Box 303 Wenatchee WA 98807 Send your article ideas, trip notes or photos to ginkgonews@yahoo.com
Published monthly by the Ginkgo Mineral Society, Inc. PO Box 303, Wenatchee, Washington 98807 MEETINGS 3rd Saturday of the Month, 1 pm Clearwater Steakhouse, 838 Valley Mall Parkway, East Wenatchee, WA OFFICERS President Vice President Secretary Howard Floyd Darrell Smith Carol Smith 662-1016 884-3349 884-3349 Treasurer Bonni Martin 421-5242 COORDINATORS Field Trips Shop & Equipment Open Bob Witt Program/Education Publicity Social Chelan County Fair Booth Museum Newsletter Howard Floyd 662-1016 Valerie Hampton 884-3578 Maxine Anderson 662-7446 Open Lori Ludeman 745-8608 Valerie Hampton 884-3578 Newsletter email address: ginkgonews@yahoo.com Jill Timm 663-2961 jtimm@aol.com Web Site 669-0819 The Ginkgo Mineral Society was formed to promote the education of mineralogy and geology; to encourage the collecting of rocks and minerals; to provide field excursions to mineral collecting areas; and to promote interest in lapidary work. DUES: Individual - $20.00 Club Calendar Senior - $15.00 Family - $30.00 Lifetime (20+ yrs) - Free Exchange bulletins are welcome and appreciated. Reminder: 2013 Dues are due March - Pay your Dues! 16 Regular Meeting Sat 1 pm DUES Reminder Clearwater Steakhouse April 20 Regular Meeting Sat. 1 pm 20-21 NCW Prospectors Gold & Treasure Show, Cashmere May 18 Regular Meeting Sat. 1 pm ROCK SHOP CLOSED A new location is being sought. Contact an officer if you know of a space such as an empty garage or outbuilding. Desired features include a lavatory (sink/toilet) and room enough for several saws, bench equipment & supplies, and work tables/chairs. The large rock saw is unavailable until spring when the temperature warms up or we find a suitable place to use it. If you know of a location we can use that is heated 24/7 please let us know. Also, it's kind of large and can be a bit messy. Genie, Trim Saw and Flat Lap Polisher: Call Howard & Candi Floyd 662-1016 for an appointment to cut, grind or polish rocks and flat slabs at 2005 Dawn Terrace, Wenatchee. On the cover: We're trying out a new look! With increasing postage costs, space is at a premium. Our newsletter is sometimes only a few pages, but when we have a lot to share it will help having a bit of extra space in the layout. Be sure to let us know what you think of it.
VOL 35, ISSUE 3 THE PETRIFIED DIGEST MARCH 2013 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Well, it looks like spring is almost here. For those of you that have a touch of cabin fever, the cure is waiting for all of us. It s time to go play in the dirt. It ll be a while before some of the Ginkgo dig sites in the higher elevations like Red Top or Crystal Mountain will be accessible, but Saddle Mountain and some other lower elevation locations are ready whenever we are. Of course this time of year it all depends on the weather and that can change really fast. In the past, several Ginkgo members have offered suggestions on locations that would be great outings for the club. Some were close and others would take a little travel time to get to. Some would require extensive hiking and others you can drive right up to. We can search for all kinds of treasures like gold, petrified wood, agate, geodes, soap stone, jasper, black jade, fossils and a host of other minerals. We can also include purely educational outings to museums, rock shows, rock shops and events that interest the club. No matter how hard we try, not everybody can or wants to go on every field trip. So, we should have more field trips with a wider variety of locations and activities. I do believe this is a vital function of Ginkgo and that it is responsible for much of the education and growth of our club. One person can t do it by themselves. What the Ginkgo Mineral Society needs is a small group of dedicated individuals with some experience and knowledge to plan and execute field trips. Yes I m talking about a committee, because I feel that s what it will take to do the job right. As your president, I don t feel qualified to be the lead person for the Field Trip Committee. I do want to be on the committee and plan on being very involved and helping any way I can. There are several Ginkgo members with more experience and knowledge than me that should be the lead person. I m looking for volunteers, and may be asking for some to step up and take the lead position. If you want to be involved with the committee in any way, your efforts would be greatly appreciated. Please consider getting involved. Thanks, Howard Floyd, President Membership Dues are due, please get it taken care of. We also need to update member email addresses. I plan on using email to update everyone on what s going on with the club. A FEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FEBRUARY MEETING: The Ginkgo garage sale is tentatively scheduled for June 1st and 2nd. This is a perfect opportunity to clean & glean around your house. All proceeds go to the Ginkgo Mineral Society. This is one of our best income events for the club. Donated items can be anything you would expect at a yard sale. Please, no junk, we ve developed a reputation for having the stuff people want to buy. Everything needs to be clean and pre-priced. Ross Gill has offered his place in Monitor for the sale; some members would like a higher traffic location. If you have any suggestions, call any Ginkgo board member. Stay tuned for more details. Save the Date: The Ginkgo Picnic has been scheduled for August 17th, at the Rocky Reach Dam Upper Shelter. The membership voted to sponsor the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center by donating $100. We also discussed co-sponsoring the Assay Office at the Cashmere Museum with the NCW Prospectors Club. It would involve cleaning, maintaining and repairing the Assay Office building and display. This would be a great community involvement project. We just need a little more information on the financial responsibility of the sponsorship.
March 2013 Page 2 MARCH PROGRAM Keith Kelly, US Forest Service Geologist & Area Mining Expert will talk on using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and maps to mark or locate Ginkgo mineral locations. He will also talk about Ellensburg Blue. Howard feels that using GPS along with accurate maps to mark the locations where we ve found different minerals is very important to the Ginkgo Mineral Society. An X on a map can be more elusive than Ellensburg Blue. Over time, landscape changes from natural growth to forest fires and even erosion can change the appearance of the land. Add in new roads, new buildings, new No Trespassing signs, road closures, logging, farming and a host of other things and that X gets harder and harder to find. Now lets suppose your X was put in the wrong place and your memory isn t quite as good as it used to be. Now your map and scribbled directions are useless, especially if someone else is trying to find the location. Keith Kelly will teach us how to do it the right way. This will ensure that future Ginkgo members can find the locations for club outings and education. Second Ginkgo Field Trip of the Year On February 23rd we had our 2nd official Ginkgo Mineral Society field trip for the year at the Rock-N-Tomahawk Ranch near Ellensburg. At the top of the list of rocks to find was the elusive "Ellensburg Blue." The weather wasn't cooperating, dumping heavy snow in the mountains. The decision to go wasn't actually made until 8:00 AM that morning. A brave group of Ginkgo members met at the Park-NRide in Olds Station eager to get going. It was a little cold but the sun was shining as we headed out over Blewett Pass. We stopped at Mineral Springs for snacks & a break, and the weather was still pretty good. After another 20 minutes of driving we arrived at the Rock-N-Tomahawk Ranch. We quickly found out why they put those wind machines where they did. To put it lightly, it was extremely cold and the wind was crazy. But the sun was still shining. We all got bundled up in our warmest clothes and shivered through the orientation. After paying the $5.00 fee and getting our permits, we spread out over the 165 acre ranch looking for Ellensburg Blue. Things kind of went down hill from there. We looked under rocks and in the little streams. We looked on the roads and in the ditches and out in the field. I'm not aware of anybody finding anything even remotely blue. Except maybe our faces and fingers and toes. The wind was still blowing like crazy, but the snow wasn't melting cause it was still really cold. After about an hour and a half small parts of our group started leaving, I think just wanting someplace a little warmer. After a couple hours those of us remaining gave up and headed out. I'm not sure where everyone went. A couple of the group are planning on going back when it's a little warmer. For me, I think I'll try for another location. I'm glad we went, mainly because it's great to get out of the house and explore. And I always like getting together with Ginkgo members. There's just something special about people who like to play in the dirt. Stay tuned for more Ginkgo outings, we're going on more in the near future. And I know we'll find some of that elusive "Ellensburg Blue". -Howard Floyd-
March 2013 Page 3 MARCH BIRTHSTONE AQUAMARINE AND BLOODSTONE Aquamarines vary in color from deep blue to blue-green of different intensities, caused by traces of iron in the beryl crystal. Naturally occurring deep blue stones are the most prized because they are rare and expensive. However, yellow beryl stones can be heated to change them to blue aquamarines. The aquamarine also called the poor man s diamond is a form of the mineral beryl that also includes other gemstones such as the emerald, morganite, and heliodor. Beryl consists of four elements: beryllium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen. Beryl occurs as free six-sided crystals in rock veins unaffected by shock and weathering that otherwise destroy gem deposits. It is a relatively hard gem, ranking after the diamond, sapphire, ruby, alexandrite, and topaz. The best commercial source of aquamarines is Brazil. High quality stones are also found in Colombia, the Ural Mountains of Russia, the island of Malagasy, and India. In the United States, Colorado, Maine, and North Carolina are the best sources. The name aquamarine was derived by the Romans, aqua, meaning water, and mare, meaning sea, because it looked like sea water. Aquamarines were believed to have originated from the jewel caskets of sirens, washed ashore from the depths of the sea. They were considered sacred to Neptune, Roman god of the sea. This association with the sea made it the sailors gem, promising prosperous and safe voyages, as well as protection against perils and monsters of the sea. Its first documented use was by the Greeks between 480-300 BC. They wore aquamarine amulets engraved with Poseidon (the Greek god of the sea) on a chariot. Beginning in the Roman period, the aquamarine was believed to possess medicinal and healing powers, curing ailments of the stomach, liver, jaws, and throat. During the Middle Ages, it was believed to be an effective antidote against poison. Much later, aquamarines were used as glasses in Germany to correct shortsightedness. In fact, the German name for eyeglasses today is brille, derived from the mineral beryl. The second birthstone for March is the bloodstone. Bloodstone also known as heliotrope is a form of the abundant mineral quartz. This particular form of quartz, known as cryptocrystalline quartz, exists as a mass of tiny quartz crystals formed together in large lumps that show no external crystal form, yet each of the component crystals that make up the mass is a genuine crystal. This quartz variety is also called chalcedony. Green chalcedony spotted with flecks of red is known as bloodstone. Bloodstone is found embedded in rocks, or as pebbles in riverbeds. The best sources of this stone are India, Brazil, and Australia. The bloodstone is a favored material for carving religious subjects, particularly the Crucifixion. One particularly famous carving was done by the Italian Matteo del Nassaro around 1525. In The Descent from the Cross, the carving was carefully crafted so that spots of red on the bloodstone represented the wounds of Christ and His drops of blood. According to legend, bloodstone was believed to have formed during the crucifixion of Christ. A Roman soldier-guard thrust his spear into Christ s side and drops of blood fell on some pieces of dark green jasper lying at the foot of the cross, and the bloodstone was created. Babylonians used this stone to make seals and amulets, and it was also a favorite with Roman gladiators. In the Middle Ages, bloodstone was believed to hold healing powers, particularly for stopping nosebleeds. Powdered and mixed with honey and white of egg, it was believed to cure tumors and stop all types of hemorrhage. Ancient alchemists used it to treat blood disorders, including blood poisoning and the flow of blood from a wound. Bloodstone was also believed to draw out the venom of snakes. Images and excerpts from an article on www.earthsky.org
February 2013 Page 4 ROGER, THE ROCKHOUND SEZ: May the road rise to meet you May the wind be always at your back May the sun shine warm upon your face And the rain fall soft upon your fields And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand -Irish Blessing Bench Tips by Brad Smith More Bench Tips by Brad Smith are at facebook.com/benchtips/ or see the book "Bench Tips for Jewelry Making" on Amazon BEZEL SETTING PROBLEMS When bezel setting a cab that has rather sharp corners, have you ever had problems pushing the metal down at the corners? It's a common problem often causing a wrinkle in your bezel and a grimace on your face. In order for a bezel to capture the stone, the top edge of the bezel must be compressed and become shorter to lay down onto the stone. With a round or oval stone this naturally happens as you push and burnish the bezel. But when setting a stone with corners, the tendency is to push the long sides of the bezel down first. No compression occurs along the sides, and all excess metal is left at the corners. Compressing everything there is difficult. Often the only way to remove the extra metal at the corner is to make a saw cut and fold the two sides in to touch. If you want a smooth bezel all around the corners, the simple solution is set the corners of the bezel first. Then push in and burnish the sides. In this way the necessary compression is distributed along the length of all sides and not forced to occur at the corners. With the corners set first, the top edge of the bezel can easily be compressed along the sides. CHEAPER & BETTER PICKLE Most jewelers use a granular pickle mixed with water. The active ingredient is sodium bisulfate. This can be purchased from local stores as a common pool chemical used for adjusting the acidity of the water. It's sold under various names, so be sure to check the list of active ingredients for a brand that is 95% or more sodium bisulfate. An added benefit is that the pool chemical is more pure in form than what is sold for jewelry use and does not cause the often found brown grime floating on the top of a pickle pot. JIM CHIMES IN Ginkgo member Jim Mayer shared this photo of his five wind chimes. The materials include mostly petrified wood, with thulite, agate, and jasper. Some was tumbled, while other pieces were cut, then ground and polished on a pixie.
March 2013 Page 5 TRIP REPORT ROYAL PEACOCK MINE About 20 miles to go from here, 9-10 miles of it dirt On the right, another mine along the way...to be explored next time.. Member Ross Gill sent in these photos and trip information for a Black Opal collecting trip taken a few years back. The Royal Peacock Mines, Inc. location is in high desert country at Virgin Valley, Nevada. Digging in July meant it was not so cold at night. Bank digs were $180 per person, per day, while the tailings dig is $75 per person, per day. Digging hours are 8 am to 4 pm, there is no undercutting or tunneling. You can bring your own tools, or they have tools to rent Ross recommends a pick axe, shovel, rake, and ice pick or screwdriver, as well as buckets for finds, plenty of water, and food. The Royal Peacock also has full RV hookups. Royal Peacock Mine quarry site CURRENT MUSEUM EXHIBIT The Ginkgo case in the Wenatchee Valley Museum Happy times digging petrified wood, with opalized pieces, at the Royal Peacock Mine. & Cultural Center is now showing a few of the wonderful specimens of Oregon Thundereggs from the collection of Chuck & Betty Mosher. The geologic name for what is commonly known as thundereggs is lythophysae (Greek for rock bubbles ). They were formed during the Eocene glacial age an estimated 60 million years ago. This species of nodule only occurs in rhyolite-perlite lava flows and domes. Lithophysae developed gas cavities wherever the external pressure was low enough to allow dissolved gas to expand a cavity. The glassy perlite that they formed in decomposes to kaolinite and/or other clays when it loses alkali and silica. They are hardened by the silica. Aqueous solutions of silica are carried to the cavities and deposited as agate, quartz, and sometimes common opal or jasper. The term geode means having a cavity. A nodule is filled with solid material. Thundereggs can be either solid or hollow. One of the chief characteristics of agate filled nodules is a stellate or star-like outline seen when the mass is cut in the middle. Nodule specimen from the club collection. The Legend: Thundereggs were named by the Indians of Central Oregon. The natives believed that these strange agate filled stones were missiles thrown by angry fighting Thunder Spirits or Gods who dwelt on Mt. Jefferson and nearby Mt. Hood, two of several snow-capped peaks in the Cascade Range. When thunderstorms occurred, these rival jealous gods hurled large numbers of the round-shaped rocks at each other in furious anger. According to the legend, that was how the thundereggs were scattered over the high plateaus of Central Oregon. (from an article by Mae Williams published previously in ) - - Lori Ludeman -
February 2013 Page 6 If you'd like to enter the member photo Upcoming Shows AMFS contest, send your photos to Jill at Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies jtimm@aol.com and to http://www.amfed.org/nfms/shows ginkgonews@yahoo.com March 22-24 Fri-Sat 10-5, Sun 10-4 - Free Mt Hood Rock Club Free/donations accepted Kliever National Guard Armory 10000 NE 33rd Drive Portland OR March 29-30 Fri 8:30-6, Sat 9-5 Panorama Gem & Mineral Club Ag Trade Center NE WA Fairgrounds 317 West Astor Avenue Colville WA March 30-31 Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5 65th Annual Rock & Gem Show Sweet Home Rock & Mineral Society Admission 50-12/under free with adult High School Gym 1641 Long St. Sweet Home OR March 30-31 Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5 52nd Rock & Gem Show Mt. Baker Rock & Gem Bellingham WA Bloedel Donovan Community Center 2214 Electric Ave Bellingham WA PHOTO CONTEST WINNER IRISH ROCK LORE The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney, in, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of the gab (great eloquence or skill at flattery). The castle has been a popular tourist site since at least the 1800 s. An early story has Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, the builder of Blarney Castle, being involved in a lawsuit, and appealing to Clíodhna (in some stories a queen of the banshees, in others a goddess of love and beauty), for her assistance. She told MacCarthy to kiss the first stone he found in the morning on his way to court. He did so, with the result that he pleaded his case with great eloquence and won. Thus the Blarney Stone is said to impart "the ability to deceive without offending." MacCarthy then incorporated it into the parapet of the castle. The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446. (via Chips and Splinters) Hiding in the open Christy Price submitted her photo with the following comment: Probably my most favorite wildlife picture that I have taken while en route to go rock hunting. This little fawn laid down in the road in front of us while we were trying to find the spot where there is supposed to be rhodonite to be found, up by the Mad River above Entiat. Ginkgo Member Grit Sales: If you haven t already heard, we now have tumbling grit available for Ginkgo members. All are graded grits. 30 Grit 1lb $3.20 3lb 220 Grit 1lb $3.70 3lb 600 Grit 1lb $4.30 2lb Tripoli 1lb $2.60 2lb 1lb of each 4lb $13.80 $ 9.60 $11.10 $ 8.60 $ 5.20 Available at the monthly Ginkgo meetings, or call Howard Floyd at 662-1016 for more information.