A p r I l General Meeting Program Ken Roger and Gemstone Beads Thursday, April 28 at 7:30 PM 2 0 1 6 Well, I m a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona Tony & Sandie Fender somewhere(?) in Arizona
Whittier Gem & Mineral Society Elected Officers and Committee Chairmen 2016-17 Elected Officers President:... Jerry Turner... (jerryt_2@charter.net)... (562) 696-3222 1 st Vice President:... Frank Winn... (phatwomen@hotmail.com)... (626) 912-0404 2 nd Vice President:.. Art Ragazzi... (art@automotivetreasures.com) Treasurer:... Jay Valle... (res19pnb@verizon.net)... (626) 934-9764 Secretary:... Yvonne Morton. (will.yvonne.morton@verizon.net) (562) 895-8667 Federation Director: Tony Fender... (afender@caltech.edu)... (626) 798-3913 Directors:... Joe Goetz... (joenmar1@verizon.net)... (626) 914-5030... Marcia Goetz... (joenmar1@verizon.net)... (626) 914-5030... Kathy Valle... (bunnie1962@yahoo.com)... (626) 934-9764 Appointed Chairmen Budget/Finance:... Bulletin Editor:... Jay Valle... (res19pnb@verizon.net)... (626) 934-9764 Bylaws & Rules... Jerry Turner... (jerryt_2@charter.net)... (562) 696-3222 Claim Secretary:... Art Ragazzi... (art@automotivetreasures.com) Community... Kathleen Turner... (jerryt_2@charter.net)... (562) 696-3222 Relations:... Jenny Lizarraras... (jenern@msn.com)... (562) 908-8707 Displays:... Door Prizes:... Loretta Ogden...... (909) 598-2456 Field Trips:... Joe Goetz... (joenmar1@verizon.net)... (626) 914-5030 Librarian:... Rockgabbers:... Tony Fender... (afender@caltech.edu)... (626) 798-3913 Show Chairman:... Frank Winn... (phatwomen@hotmail.com).. (626) 912-0404 Social Secretary:... Kathy Valle... (bunnie1962@yahoo.com)... (626) 934-9764 Regular Monthly Meetings: 7:30 PM 4th Thursday each month, 3rd Thursday in November & December. No regular meetings in July & August. See Map on cover for meeting place. Board of Directors: To be announced. Rockgabbers: To be announced. See pages 4 & 5. Field Trips: Monthly except July & August. See inside bulletin for details. Annual Dues: Adults $15.00; Married couple $25.00, Junior $5.00 1-time initiation fee - $5.00 Page 2
ROCKHOUNDER The Prez Sez: T hose of you who attended the March general meeting know that Ernie Lizarraras resigned as president of the Whittier Gem and Mineral Society. In accordance with the WGMS by Laws, the Board, at a special meeting, appointed me to serve the remainder of the term as president. As my first official act I wish to thank Ernie for his service and pledge to pursue those activities that he set in motion. We will have a show in October, and I trust that all of you who have signed up for show positions will continue to actively pursue those tasks. Ernie s absence has upset the joint show chairmanship set up at an earlier meeting. The general consensus of the Board is that we need an independent Show Chairman to monitor and coordinate activities. Frank Winn has generously agreed accept the position. I know that all of you will support Frank to produce an excellent show. Enough said for now. I look forward to a successful term as your president and for the success of the Whittier Gem & Mineral Society as a whole. Jerry Turner Page 3
WGMS General Meeting Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 7:30 PM Gemstone Beads The Changing of Gemstone and Bead Industries: New Finds, Fakes, Created, Dyed & Enhanced. By Ken Rogers (Synopsis via LARocks ) oin us for an evening with Ken Rogers who will speak on the J changes in the gemstone and gemstone bead industry, plus how they affect jewelers, beaders, lapidary enthusiasts and jewelry buyers. On February 17, 1972 Nixon went to China, opened trade, and in doing so, woke up the "Sleeping Dragon". While China expanded its industrial growth it looked to its own natural resources, including historic and craft industries. China opened and expanded their mines, including Turquoise and many other gem stones. They retrained their craftsmen and developed new, modern, bead and gem cutting and carving facilities. As time went on, the Chinese started designing and manufacturing new gemstones in their factories. The Chinese went as far as buying up gem mines in its neighboring countries and territories. Soon, the Chinese were able to control much of the world s gem and bead market. In his illustrated talk, Ken will discuss what has happened in Asia, where it is going, and how it will affect us, here in the U.S. Then, Ken will go on to expose and discuss some of the new, dyed, enhanced and misnamed and factory manufactured gemstones. Ken Rogers has been recognized as one of the "go to" people when someone, or firm, had questions about gemstone beads. Ken has been a rockhound since he was 10, cut his first gemstone cabochon at age 15, and learned silversmithing and jewelry making in his high school art class. Ken had a 30 year career as a photojournalist, working for the world's top magazines and corporations. When the photographic world converted from film to digital media, Ken re- Page 4
turned to the gem and jewelry world to manage a Beverly Hills jewelry store and several gem bead companies. Since then Ken has returned to creating his own gem bead jewelry, consulting, lecturing, and helping friends with their businesses. Ken has been a member of the Bead Society L.A. for the past 15 years and the Culver City Rock & Mineral Club for 10 years. Frank Winn Rockgabbers R ockgabbers for April was well attended. We made Tony s double infinity pendant. Everyone came away with the pendant complete or nearly complete. This was followed by a wonderful potluck. Rockgabbers for May has been cancelled, due to the fact that we will be at Whittier s Founder s Day Celebration. For June, the 4 th, we will be making Fold Forming leaves and other shapes. For this project you will need light weight copper or aluminum, shears, small anvil or something to hammer on, and a planishing hammer, torches are optional. FYI we will be working outdoors for this project as it can be noisy. As usual this will be followed by a potluck dinner. Tony and Sandie WGMS Board Meeting Scheduled Thursday, April 21 at 7:00 PM at Jay & Kathy Valle s House All Members Welcome For directions, etc. Call (626) 934-9764 Page 5
Mineral of the Month, by Jim Hooper. (Images provided by Mindat and Wikipedia and are offered copyright free for educational purposes) Presents Hop in, Lets go for a Spinel, or, Is that you, Ruby? o, it s not Ruby. Spinel can refer to at least three areas in N mineralogy and gemology. It is a gemstone in its own right and has the chemical formula MgAl 2 O 4. It s also used to name of a group of Oxide family minerals known as the Spinel Group. The gemmy Spinels where elements can be substituted within the same atomic structure produce a variety of colors and characteristics. The chemical formula points to a Magnesium-Aluminum oxide mineral. And thirdly its given its name to a crystal forming process called twinning under the rigid guidance of the Spinel Law. Spinel has a hardness factor of 7.5 8 making it a highly facetable gemstone possessing global prestige in the jewelry world. When found in crystal form it can be of various colors depending on the elements mixed in. It may be colorless, but is more often shades of red, blue, green, yellow, brown or black. The highly sought after red Spinel has often been confused with Ruby and sometimes shares a Ruby producing locality such as India and Myanmar (Burma). Spinel crystallizes in the isometric system. Common crystal forms are cubic and octahedral, usually twinned (it s the law!). It has an imperfect octahedral cleavage and fractures are conchoidal. Diaphaneity ranges from translucent to transparent. Spinel is found as a metamorphic mineral, and also as a primary mineral in igneous rocks. In these igneous rocks, if the magma was relatively deficient in alkalis compared to Aluminum, Aluminum oxide may form as the mineral Corundum (Sapphire and Rubies) or may combine with Magnesia to form Spinel. As such Spinel and Ruby are often found together. Spinel has been used in jewelry for ages. Red natural spinel has actually become more rare than rubies. And Spinel can also be produced in labs. The synthetic Spinel is often used in inexpensive birthstone rings and for fortifying or strengthening glass. Strong enough to be used as anti-ballistic glass in armored vehicles. That s pretty strong. While I didn t locate specific references to Spinel finds in Maryland, a number of minerals included in the Spinel group have been found including Gahnite, Magnetite, and Chromite all at the Mineral Hill Mine in Carroll County and the Chromite mine areas of Page 6
Soldiers Delight in Baltimore County. Spinel crystals can be large. The Samarian Spinel is a 500-carat (100 g) Spinel gemstone that is the largest of its kind in the world. It is part of the Iranian Crown Jewels. It and a smaller 270-carat (54 g) Spinel were captured by the Persian King Nader Shah during his 18th-century conquest of India. The smaller of the two Spinel bears a 350-year-old inscription attributing its ownership to Jehangir, a Mughal Emperor of India. In this Portrait for the Coronation of Queen Victoria by George Hayter (detail), wearing the new Imperial State Crown show s the Black Prince s Ruby at the front. The Black Prince s Ruby is actually a faceted Spinel weighing roughly 170 carats or 34 grams, and approximately the size of a chicken egg. It is currently set above the 317 Carats or 63.480 gram Cullinan II Diamond in the front of the Imperial State Crown. The Black Prince s Ruby is one of the oldest of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. The history of the gem dates back to the middle of the 14th century and has been in the possession of the rulers of England since 1367 when first given to its namesake, Edward of Woodstock (the Black Prince ). Occurrence Spinel is found in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and recently Vietnam. Other locations include Tanzania, Kenya and Madagascar, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, Russia, Sweden, Italy, and the U.S. Do you have any examples of this bold deceiver? If so please bring them to the January meeting that we might see them and ooh and ahh over this very beautiful gemstone celebrated the world over. See you there! References: <www.mindat.org> <www.wikipedia.org> Rock and Gem Bonewitz, Ronald Lewis, DK Books Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals National Audubon Society, Chesterman, Charles W. Chanticleer Press The Gem Kingdom Desautels, Paul E., Ridge Press Gems, Crystals, & Minerals Sofianides, A.S., Harlow, George E., Simon and Schuster Chippers Chatter 1/16 Page 7
Multi-Club Field Trip to the Santa Monica Mountains for agates and fossils. April 23, 2016 Meeting Place: 9 AM at the SW corner of Kanan and Agoura Roads, Agoura (Hwy 101, Kanan exit). Car-pooling is strongly encouraged due to limited parking at some sites. Trip leaders: Jason Badgley, jbadgeman@aol.com, 818-388-3220 & Andrew Hoekstra, ajhoekstra@yahoo.com, 562-584-3190. If there is sufficient interest, Andrew Hoekstra may lead a fossil collecting trip to Woodland Hills Sunday April 17th so that participants can continue that day to the Conejo show to attend a 2 PM fossil program for juniors: Juniors can earn a AFMS fossil patch by attending the talk Fun with fossils presented by Mike Havstad - the hands-on session is open to the public with no advance registration required. If a participating kid is a member of a CFMS-affiliated club, they will earn the AFMS/FRA Fossils Badge upon completing the session. For further details, contact Mike at MRMIKERH@gmail.com. If interested in collecting fossils on April 17th instead of on April 23rd, please contact Andrew Hoekstra Page 8
Tony & Sandie Fender somewhere in Arizona... I m a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona...flat bed Ford... If you zoom in on the buildings you will realize you are looking at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Though Doc Holiday was nowhere to be seen, his place is just down the street (not shown). Page 9
Its a Fossil - Its a Mineral - Its Ammolite! By Shannon Phillips mmolite is my current obsession. I first A learned about it less than a year ago and since then, I have been fascinated with the gorgeous iridescence and the textured surface of this fossil turned gemstone. Although ammolite is classified as a mineral by the province of Alberta to prevent export complications, it is not a mineral. It belongs to a family of materials called mineraloids, naturally formed or transformed substances that resemble minerals, but lack crystal structure. Some of the world s most beautiful and prized gems, including opal, amber, jet, pearl, obsidian and, of course, ammolite, fall into this category. Each has an interesting story, but let s focus on the lively colors and unusual origins of ammolite. Ammolite was welcomed into the gemstone family in 1981 by the World Jewelery Confederation and is one of only three stones given this designation in the past 50 years. Commercial mining of ammolite began in Canada that same year and continues to this day. Ammolite was formed in marine shale on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. As ammonites inhabiting the shallow sea that covered the region died, their shells settled at the bottom of the seaway where they were covered with sediment, mostly layers of ash from the volcanic activity in the area. The primary distinction between these ammonite shells and others found worldwide is that the iridescent surface of the preserved Canadian varieties is thick enough to be cut and polished. While iridescent ammonite shells can be found at multiple locales, the fossilized shell commercially mined and marketed as ammolite is restricted to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In this location and only a handful of others on a smaller scale, the ammonite shells were sealed in mineralrich sediment, which prevented the outer layer (nacre) of the ammonite shell, composed primarily of aragonite, from converting to calcite. Gem quality ammolite is found in two stratigraphic zones, one thirty meters deep and the other 65 meters deep, which makes pit mining the most viable largescale mining method. One company, Korite, produces most of the ammolite on the market (around 90%). A handful of other claims exist in the area and are worked on a small scale. There are no commercial occurrences outside of Alberta. Page 10
Ammolite s value is based on several factors. One is its iridescence, which is caused by the diffraction of light from tightly packed plates of aragonite crystals. This diffraction means that every color of the spectrum is possible in ammolite, although the most common colors are red, green, and, to a lesser extent, gold. The most desirable pieces have vibrant colors that display changing colors as the angle of light changes. Chromatic shift and rotational range are the other two factors when considering the quality of a piece. Chromatic shift is the change from one color to another depending on the angle of light and the viewer s position. Dramatic changes of color are the most desirable. Rotational range indicates that strong colors can be seen throughout a 360 degree range of motion, which is not the case with many pieces of ammolite. The nacreous layer is so thin, usually between.5 and.8 mm, ammolite is often sold as a doublet, attached to a backing of shale, or as a triplet with a backing and a dome of quartz or synthetic spinel. The material is so fragile that in all but the most remarkable pieces, it must be stabilized with epoxy resin or another treatment in order to be worked. The gem is especially popular in Japan and with tourists to the Alberta province. Ammolite is fossil, mineral, and gemstone all in one which makes it special, a rare natural occurrence. With its range of rainbow colors and spectacular patterning, ammolite makes an interesting collector specimen and an alluring set stone. While it is widely available now, the supply won t last forever, which, for me, is as good a reason as any to stock up on as much ammolite as I can. Sources: Dryden, T., & Brown, L. A. (n.d.). Ammolite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information. Retrieved February 29, 2016, from https://www.gemsociety.org/ article/ammolitesjewelry- and-gemstone-information/ King, H. (n.d.). Ammolite: The Gemstone with Spectacular Color Properties. Retrieved February 28, 2016, from http://geology.com/stories/13/ammolite/ Mychaluk, K. A., Levinson, A. A., & Hall, R. L. (spring 2001). Ammolite: Iridescent Fossilized Ammonite from Southern Alberta, Canada. Gems & Gemology, 4-25. Via Crack N Cab 3/16 Page 11
What is Turquoise? By Bea Dietz he most simple s way to explain would be volcanos erupted, T mountains collapsed and wind, rain and air pulverized rocks to make dust. That dust settled in protected areas and created layers. Rain washed iron or cop-per particles over the dust and infused the dust with metals. These layers became Turquoise. Is Turquoise really a rock? To me it is. The reality is that Turquoise is very soft when in the ground and breaks very easy during a mining process To mine very large pieces is a dream and does not happen very often. The largest piece ever mined weight 180 pounds, the largest piece I ever saw weight 5.5 pound. The color of Turquoise depends on the metal content of the host rock and the surrounding rock. Generally speaking, the higher the amount of cooper in the host rock the bluer the Turquoise. As more iron is in the host rock, the greener the Turquoise. The colors can be deep sea blue known as Persian Blue found in Iran or the lighter blue like Baby Blue from Turkey. The USA produces a light blue Turquoise in Arizona out of the Sleeping Beauty Mine and we also have the Fox Mine in Nevada with a black Matrix and Bad Boys of Cripple Creek with a green Turquoise and it is the hardest Turquoise in the USA. It measures 6.7 to 7.7 on the Moh s scale. How can you tell where the Turquoise is mined from? The matrix will tell you. The fine lines or deposits in the Turquoise will tell you. Coarse black lines... China, Africa. Finer black lines... Colorado, Nevada, South America. Brown Lines or brown mass... Nevada, Colorado. White or silver lines... Iran, Turkey ( Silver Lace). White Lace is very rare in Colorado, but it has been found. China has a bad reputation in the Turquoise world. When shopping for Turquoise you will have different price brackets to shop from. Untreated, natural Tur-quoise is the most expensive Turquoise. Only 10% of all jewelry is made with untreated Turquoise. Enhanced Turquoise is infused with liquid quartz. Stabilized Turquoise is covered with epoxy, heated with high tempera-tures and covered with wax. Reconstructed Turquoise is pulverized and mixed with other stones, than made into a paste. Heated and dyed into the color of Turquoise and sold as the real thing. Via Canaveral Moonstone 1/16 Page 12
Turritella Agate - The Name Is False! urritella agate is found in Sweetwater County, Wyoming and around T Superior and Wamsutter, Wyoming, too. The little snail that inhabited the shell lived in the Eocene about 40 million years ago. These fossils were not laid down in a sea, but in a fresh-water lake. The shell is highly silicified, more so than the brown matrix from which they can be etched. Whoever named this agate only knew that the sea snail Turritella had a high spiral shell. He jumped right in with this name without bothering to check the species out. The name has stuck, causing many people to be misled. These fossils are not even in the Turritella family; the true name is Oxyterma genera. A few years ago, this species was known as Goniobasis genera, but further research caused the additional name change. You better check your collection right now and perhaps bring your identification up-to-date with the correct name on the beautiful little gastropod. From Gem Cutters News 2/2003, via Rock Buster News 11/2014, via Rock Collector 5/2015, via Stoney Statements 5/2015, via Gritty Greetings 6/2015, via The Backbender s Gazette 1/16 Is it Hard or Tough? he terms hardness and toughness are sometimes confused when T comparing qualities of gemstones, and there is a great deal of difference. Diamond is by far and away the hardest, for it will scratch, cut, or polish any other stone. But for toughness (resistance to chipping and breaking), jade has it beat by a country mile. A diamond will easily cut and scratch jade, but a jade hammer can crush diamond to powder. The cross-matted structure of jade makes it almost impossible to break. Never fear if you accidentally drop a solid jade cabochon on cement. If it breaks, better check it, it s probably not jade. The Chinese used jade as an anvil just as we use steel; sometimes the same anvil was used for several generations. Jade, used for axes and hammer-like tools centuries ago, was a practical, useful, and highly valued material. From Mineral Mite, 6/00; via The Conglomerate 10/15, via The Backbender s Gazette 1/16 Page 13
Upcoming CFMS Gem Shows Apr 8-10 Apr 16-17 Apr 23-24 Apr 23-24 May 7-8 VISTA, CA. Vista Gem & Mineral Society Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum 2040 North Santa Fe Avenue Hours: 9-5 daily THOUSAND OAKS, CA. Conejo Gem & Mineral Club Borchard Park Community Center 190 Reino Road at Borchard Road Hours: 10-5 daily Website: www.cgamc.org ESCONDIDO, CA. Palomar Gem & Mineral Club California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd. Hours: Sat 10-5; Sun 10-4 Website: www.palomargem.org PASO ROBLES, CA. Santa Lucia Rock Hounds Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Ave. Hours: Sat 10-5; Sun 10 4 Website: www.slrockhounds.org ANAHEIM, CA. Searchers Gem & Mineral Society Brookhurst Community Center, 2271 W. Crescent Avenue Hours: Sat 10-5; Sun 10-4:30 Website: www.searchersrocks.org May 13-15 YUCAIPA, CA. Yucaipa Valley Gem & Mineral Society Yucaipa Music & Arts Festival, Adams St. & Yucaipa Blvd Hours: Fri 6-9; Sat 11-10, Sun. 12-6 Website: www.yvgms.org Jun 3-5 Jun 4-5 LA HABRA, CA. North Orange County Gem & Mineral Soc La Habra Community Center, 101 W. La Habra Blvd. Hours: Fri 5-8; Sat 10-6; Sun 10-5 Website: www.nocgms.com GLENDORA, CA. Glendora Gems & Mineral Society Goddard Middle School, 859 E. Sierra Madre Avenue Hours: Sat. 10-5; Sun 10-4 Page 14
WGMS MEETING LOCATION! Whittier Community Center 7630 Washington Ave. Whittier Editor: Jay Valle, 1421 Latchford Avenue, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 Home: (626) 934-9764; E-Mail: wrongwaybart@yahoo.com Bulletin exchanges: are welcome and requests should be sent to the editor. Page 15
Whittier Gem and Mineral Society, Inc. Post Office Box 865, Whittier, California 90608-0865 Editor: Jay Valle, 1421 Latchford Ave. Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 Meeting Date: April 28, 2016 Location: Whittier Community Center (See page 4 for information)