Richmond Gem and Mineral Society s PEBBLE PRESS For October 2016 NOTICE BOARD NEXT GENERAL MEETING Tuesday, October 25th, 2016 6:45 pm start PROGRAM Bring your wits and be ready to compete. Three prizes to be won by those who answer the most lapidary related questions correctly in the evening quiz. Fantastic learning opportunity for new members. SHOW & TELL Bring a stone(s) that was gifted to you and tell us why it s significant REFRESHMENT TABLE If your last name starts with the following letter, then it is your turn to bring a finger food or other type of snack for the refreshment table: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K If possible, please bring your own cup to drink from. We Are Open! And in the middle of our first Lapidary Course! It has taken several weeks to correct issues with equipment and find where shop equipment and tools were placed. We have new stationary stools for the lapidary arbors and silversmithing rooms, hopefully this will put a stop to runaway chairs. Joan, the librarian, has almost completed the book inventory. We are also asking those members who signed out books prior to the workshop closure to please bring them back ASAP. This will help us complete the Library. Nature Park Presentation Sunday, November 13, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm This is an excellent opportunity to highlight our club s activities to the residents of Richmond. We need members to demonstrate the crafts they do, talk with visitors, help with displays, and play trivia spin & win. (Continued on page 3) October 25, 2016 Official Reopening of the Lapidary Studio Starting at 11:00 am Richmond Gem and Mineral Society members and members of the Creative Jeweller s Guild have been invited to attend the official reopening of the Lapidary Studio. The Cultural Centre is also putting on a social with tea and coffee served afterwards. Please let me know if you will be attending by emailing me at geohowe@shaw.ca. Since Tuesdays are also an open workshop, you can work on your projects prior to and after the ceremony. Workshop Calendar September 2016 to December 2016 DAY TIME ALLOWED ACTIVITIES Monday 6:00 PM 9:00 PM Tuesday 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Thursday 6:00 PM 9:00 PM Saturday 1st & 2nd Sundays 10:00 AM 3:00 PM 10:00 AM 3:00 PM Except when classes are scheduled Remember, the workshop is staffed by volunteers. Please sign in, pay the shop fees and use the equipment as per the workshop rules. Thank-you. The Lapidary Studio will also be Closed on the Following Days: Sunday, November 13, Creative Jeweller s Saturday, November 19, Creative Jeweller s Saturday, December 24, Christmas Eve Pebble Press October 2016 Page 1
Executive Positions 2016-2017 President Anthony Young Vice-President Adam Kelliher Secretary To be filled Treasurer George Howe Program Chairperson Sunny Yuen Show Chairperson Lisa Kew Workshop Chairperson To be confirmed Ways & Means Chairperson Linda Boyce Field Trip Chairperson Harley Waterson Publicity Chairperson Natalie Helmstetter Librarian Joan Turrell Pebble Press Editor Eugenia Kurganska Social Convenor To be filled Membership Chairperson Senior Delegate Past President David Bell Non-Executive Positions Contact at Large Intermediate Delegate Arn Hamelin Junior Delegate Linda Grueber Workshop Assistants George Howe Tom Braund Membership Assistant Dorreh Jahanshahi Ways & Means Assistant Joan Turrell General Meeting FUTURE MEETING PLANNER 2016-2017 Month Executive Meeting Tuesday the 25th October Tuesday the 18th. 7:00 pm Tuesday the 22nd November Tuesday the 15th. 7:00 pm Tuesday the 20th December Tuesday the 13th. 7:00 pm Tuesday the 24th January Tuesday the 17th. 7:00 pm Tuesday the 28th February Tuesday the 21st. 7:00 pm Tuesday the 28th March Tuesday the 21st. 7:00 pm Tuesday the 25th April Tuesday the 18th. 7:00 pm Tuesday the 23rd May Tuesday the 16th. 7:00 pm Tuesday the 27th June Tuesday the 20th. 7:00 pm No Meeting July No Meeting Tuesday the 22nd August Tuesday the 15th. 7:00 pm Membership News Nothing like having flooding problems on the first day of operations. The first two weeks in the studio had our members trying to remember how to use the equipment and trying to locate where it was placed. The flooding problem got resolved when the plumbers actually saw where the water was coming from and then tightened down the lids on the sanitary traps under the sinks. To make sure we were set to go on the lapidary equipment, I volunteered to teach basic lapidary to Karen. Karen has demonstrated that she has a great talent for lapidary work and that I had fun working with her. Welcome to October! This is the time of year that we need to renew our memberships. The cost remains the same at $50.00 for a single membership and $80.00 for a family membership. Do you know of friends or family members that are looking for something different to do? Would you like to share your hobby with a friend? If you know of a person who shares your passion, invite him or her to the workshop, a general meeting, or to a club show. For membership renewal or for new membership please contact me at: darhowe1@gmail.com or 604-274-4893 For membership information contact me at: darhowe1@gmail.com or 604-274-4893 Pebble Press October 2016 Page 2
British Columbia Lapidary Society s Wagonmasters Fieldtrips Fall 2016 Annual Rock & Gem Shows 2016 For details go to www.bclapidary.com Wagonmasters' Field Trips 2016 & 2017 Most of the trips are rain or shine. Trips are typically 2-3 hours of collecting; you are welcome to continue hunting. Food, it would be good to bring some snacks such as granola bars, sandwich, water, hot beverages on cold days. Layered clothing, bring rain wear in case it starts to rain & hat to avoid sun stroke. Hiking boots with ankle support are recommended, do not wear street shoes, runners, and other soft shoes without ankle support or tread for walking on slippery rocks. Don't forget insect repellent, and sunscreen. Always arrive well in advance of time with vehicles fueled full. ALWAYS CALL THE TRIP LEADER THE DAY BE- FORE TO ENSURE THE TRIP IS GOING, AND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER CHANGE Remember to wear layered clothing to be able to adjust to weather conditions at the location, bring a lunch and water on all field trips. Ensure your vehicle has a full tank of gas. As always, US rockhounds in good standing with their clubs are invited to join our field trips! For something different, check out the field trips offered on the Washington State Mineral Council web site at: Washington State Mineral Council October 15 & 16, 2016 October 29 & 30, 2016 November 5 & 6, 2016 November 12, 2016 SURREY ROCKHOUND CLUB Saturday 10:00am 5:00pm Sunday 10:00am 5:00pm Sullivan Hall 6306 152 Street, Surrey, BC PORT MOODY ROCK & GEM CLUB Kyle Centre 125 Kyle Street, Port Moody, BC DELTA ROCKHOUND GEM & MINERAL CLUB Saturday 10:00am 5:00pm Sunday 10:00am 5:00pm South Delta Recreation Centre 1720-56 Street, Delta (Tsawwassen), BC PENTICTON GEOLOGY & LAPI- DARY CLUB Saturday 9:30am 5:00pm Cherry Lane Mall, Penticton BC Upcoming Trips Agate, Jasper, River Rock October 23, 2016, Sunday - 9:00 a.m. Scale Bar Vehicle: car Approximately 1km walk to gravel bar. Tools: rock hammer, chisels, carrying container for specimens. Meeting Place: Haig Scale, 63620 Lougheed Hwy, Hope, BC Wagonmaster: Trevor Christie, email: bcrockhunter@yahoo.ca Agate, Jasper, River Rock November 13, 2016, Sunday - 9:00 a.m. Gill Road Vehicle: car Tools: rock hammer, chisels, carrying container for specimens. Meeting Place: Rosedale Traditional School, 50850 Yale Road, Rosedale, BC Wagonmaster: Trevor Christie, email: bcrockhunter@yahoo.ca (Continued from page 1) There is no work shop fees for the month of October, so no excuses not to visit. To use the equipment, you must have successfully completed the required course, and have paid your membership fee for 2016-2017. It appears that our scheduled classes must be held on weekdays or Sundays. The actual dates for a course will be decided by the availability of the instructor. Sign-up sheets for beginner s lapidary, silversmithing, and lost wax casting courses can be found at the workshop or at the general meetings or contact Darlene at darhowe1@gmail.com. Culture Days My thanks to the members who participated with our presentation, especially Linda Boyce, who took the time to explain the techniques involved with wire wrapping. We welcomed about 100 people to the Studio between 11:00 am and 2:30 pm.. Next Executive Meeting Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 7:00 PM Pebble Press October 2016 Page 3
Myth and Lore of Opal: October s Birthstone Long, long ago, when the earth was young and elements were divine, the Storm God lolled about, playing amidst the wind and clouds in his luminous sphere. The rain came down in sheets, whipped through the sky, pelting the earth. Amid the lightning strikes, with black clouds riding the mountains and plains like emboldened dragons, the sunlight broke through the darkness. A rainbow appeared. The storm god grew angry and jealous of the rainbow s power. In a moment, he petrified it. Pieces of rainbow fell to the earth, becoming opals. Flash forward several tens of million of years into the fifteenth century. Imagine in another life time that you were a blond maiden. You were traveling through Cernowitz, Hungary where a community of about three hundred miners was mining for opals. You purchased one for a necklace. It would not only make you quite the fashionable rage, but give you talismanic power to protect the lovely color of your hair. The name of October s birthstone comes from the Sanskrit word, upala, which simply translates to precious gem. From the Sanskrit came the Greek word, opalios, and the Latin, opalus. October s birthstone suggests the turn of leaves, gold, yellow, red, in the autumn months. I believe there is no gem more exquisite than a fine opal, and yet many people are reluctant to own one because they are believed to bring bad luck. Opals are fragile and brittle. Many an opal has cracked on a jewelers bench during the setting. Jewelers have helped to perpetuate the myth and discourage opals because, when you crack a valuable gem on the bench, you naturally blame it on bad luck and not your own skill set. In Arab myth and lore opals were held to be created when lightening strikes the earth. When lightening strikes sand, glass is formed. Like glass, opals are extremely brittle and fragile. The second origin of opals being bad luck comes from the notion of the evil eye. Lapidaries in Europe in the Middle Ages call the gem, ophthalmios, eye stone. The eye of a dragon. or any malignant god was said to be bad luck. A Scandinavian story Volondr, the equivalent of the Roman god, Vulcan, described another source of opals. He was said to have created them from the eyes of children. The notion of the evil eye is widely held. The evil eye can seduce, which is why you should take care when you see the eyes in peacock feathers. I recently traveled through Turkey where glass charms are sold, concentric circles with a dark spot in the center, said to ward off the evil eye. In an ancient cavern with Roman columns under the streets of Istanbul was a column with a Medusa carving. The origin of this evil eye, I was told, was the ancient story of this snake headed demon goddess that turned heroes into stone something many men have experienced with their wives, metaphorically speaking, of course. In these cultures, to have oneself cast by an evil implies far more than sleeping in separate beds. Eyes, being the windows of the soul, give access to one s essence. Perhaps to be given the evil eye implies a kind of stain on one s immortal divinity, which translate, in Hamlet s words, to bad luck while in the day to day slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Certainly many of us have experienced a sinking feeling in our stomachs after being glanced by someone who had malignant intent. Yet opals were also held in high esteem. One gem, called the Orphanus, was set in a crown of the Holy Roman Empire. Said to glow with inner fire in the darkness, the opal represented the empire s regal honor. Opals were used as the eyes of deities. The Roman s knew opals as cupid stone, symbolic of purity and hope. These stories suggest the true power of opals deals with a kind of visioning. Going back to the original story, the rainbow is metaphor for purity and blessing. At the end of the rainbow is the pot of gold-gold being the final alchemical process, the manifestation of one s own divinity. Rainbows also are about understanding something from many different perspectives. Opals contain the full color range. The view of orange is different than the view of blue or green. A rainbow is white light broken into various hues. Some esoteric traditions hold that colors represent the various qualities of souls. Shamanic practitioners in the Americas and Australia have used opals as a type of medicine that enables clarity. Perhaps opals enable you to dream a different vision of your life, one based on the universal perspective of the rainbow. While this path may not make you popular, it certainly will give you the satisfaction and radiance of fulfilling your inner duty. References: Most of the historical content, myth and lore referenced in this article came from two books, both of which are in print and available on line: George Frederick Kunz, The Curious Lore of Precious Stones, New York; Dover Publications, Inc. 1913, 1971 edition. Bruce Knuth, Gems In Myth, Legends And Lore, Parachute, Colorado, Jewelers Press, 2007. Pebble Press October 2016 Page 4
RICHMOND GEM & MINERAL SOCIETY Minutes of the General Meeting held on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Minutes of the September 27, 2016 General Meeting Meeting called to order at 7:03 pm by Anthony Young. Welcome to members and guests. Minutes: Minutes from the August 23 General Meeting tabled as the Pebble Press was sent earlier in the day and members did not have the time to review them. Correspondence: None Vice-President s Report: Regrets from Adam. No Report. Treasurer s Report: As of September 26, 2016: Revenue: $753.54 Expenses: $131.59 Balance: $621.95 Program Report: Tonight: Diamonds. Show & Tell: translucent stones Show Chairperson s Report: Lisa will be establishing a show committee soon. Would like to see a Lapidary Challenge Contest and new poster designs. Workshop: Workshop was opened on Monday, September 12, 6:00 pm for our usage. The Lapidary Studio is actually a multi-purpose room with lapidary equipment in it. Ways & Means: 4 plants and lots of rock sample. Field Trip Report: Nothing to report, please see BCLS s website for scheduled field trips. (www.bclapidary.com) Publicity Report: Natalie has asked Richmond News to check out the Lapidary Studio on Culture Days, Oct. 1, 2016. Librarian Report: Joan informed members that the library books are still being organized and having stickers attached. Joan has asked all members to return books that have been borrowed since September 2015. Pebble Press: Eugenia asked for some suggestions and members responded by asking for articles on folklore and metaphysical properties. Membership: 35 members and 2 guests signed in. Thanks to all members who have paid their membership fees. Senior Delegate Report: Next BCLS meeting is Oct. 2, 2016. Rockhounder magazine subscription $24.95 plus postage. Directory $3.50 Calendar $10.00 The Rockhounder editor would like information on all clubs. There is a rock sale at the Tierney s House this Saturday starting at 9:00 am. Art Council Report No Report President s Report: No Report Old Business: None New Business: Rhonda said Thank-you to George Howe for holding the club together this past year. George preserved our right to use the Lapidary studio. The official reopening of the Lapidary Studio will be Tuesday, October 25, at 11:00 am. The Surrey Show is Oct. 15 & 16. The Port Moody Show is Oct. 29 & 30 The following executive positions are vacant for 2016-2017: Secretary; and Social Convener. We are hoping that members will reconsider and volunteer for these positions. Show & Tell: Great examples of polished gemstones and translucent material. Next Executive Meeting: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 Next General Meeting: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 Meeting Adjourned at 7:50 PM. Social Convenor: Lots of food on the table. Thanks to Lisa, Bellamy, and Linda Grueber for setting the festive table. Pebble Press October 2016 Page 5
The History and Legend of Opal - Gem of Yore by Fara Braid For centuries, opal was regarded as a stone of kings and the bringer of good luck. In modern times the opal has become the subject of much superstition and all but the black opal have earned a reputation of being unlucky. The fact that it is such a beautiful and unique stone has gone a long way to help opal owners to disregard the superstitions, yet they do remain. In ancient times, (the opal is actually a fairly modern stone), the opal was considered a stone of great benefit to the eye. It was worn to cure diseases of the eyes, as well as to render the carrier of the stone invisible to the eyes of others. To produce invisibility an opal would be wrapped in a fresh bay leaf and carried on the person. This supposed trait of invisibility earned the opal the designation of patronus furum or patron of thieves. A more magical take on the invisibility theme, is that the opal aids in astral projection, a state in which one is definitely invisible. The inner fire of the fire opal is supposedly attractive to the forces that bring money. The cost of fine opals alone does point to the necessary presence of money. The darkness and depth of the black opal is thought to hold and release power for magicians in their magical workings. Of course, if they use this power for good or bad is up to the discretion of the magician in question, it has no bearing on the stone itself. George Kunz attributes the change in perception of this lovely gemstone to a novel by Sir Walter Scott, Anne of Geierstein. In the story, an enchanted princess wears an equally enchanted opal adornment in her hair. Its color changes to reflect her moods and tempers. At the climax of the story, holy water is sprinkled on the opal, which causes its fire to go out. The lady perishes. Once the stone of kings, second only to the emerald, the fragile opal has a personality and belief sys- tem surrounding it as varied and convoluted as the inner fires of the stone itself. The opal is still regarded as a stone of good luck, though superstitions do have a tendency to reinforce themselves in the minds of those who hold them. This tale of bad luck befalling the wearer of an opal, combined with the fact that many gem workers refused to work on the fragile opal, (you break it, you ve bought it,) seems to be the basis for the bad rap that haunts this lovely stone even today. The human imagination has expanded upon this theme, to the point where a lady told me the other day that it was VERY bad luck to wear an opal if it was not your birthstone. Pebble Press October 2016 Page 6