GINKGO MEETING PLACE AND TIME: Clearwater Steakhouse 838 Valley Mall Pkwy. East Wenatchee, Wa. 98802 Saturday, June 15th 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 Family - $30.00 Lifetime (20+ yrs) - Free Exchange bulletins are welcome and appreciated. Reminder: 2013 Dues are due June 15 Regular Meeting Sat. 1 pm Senior - $15.00 22 Red Top field trip July 13 Emerald Cr field trip 20 Regular Meeting August 17 Club Picnic Sat. 1 pm 27 Crystal Mtn field trip 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. EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE: The large rock saw will be available by appointment now that the weather is warmer. Call Bob Spurrier at 881-8096 to make arrangements to use the saw. To use the 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.
VOL 35, ISSUE 6 THE PETRIFIED DIGEST JUNE 2013 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE In my message last month I warned that it s going to get very busy soon. In the past month we had 2 field trips and a yard sale. Some of the events planned for the next couple months are what I would consider big events. On June 22 nd we re going to Red Top on Blewett Pass. I m looking forward to finding some more Broken Geodes (I ll explain that at the meeting). Then on July 13th & 14th we re going to Emerald Creek Garnets in Idaho for Garnets & Smokey Quartz. We ll be camping for a night so it should be fun. Also in July we re going to Crystal Mountain above Liberty on the 27 th. Then in August we have the annual Ginkgo Picnic on the 17th and an outing with the NWC Prospectors (date to be scheduled soon). Please take the time to schedule and plan for the events you want to go on. September 5th through the 8th we have the Chelan County Fair. I ll be asking for volunteers to be hosts at our exhibit. Hosts will be representing the Ginkgo Mineral Society in 4 hour shifts with 2 people per shift. Ginkgo will pay your admission fee for the day. It s very easy, you would just greet people and answer general questions that they have. We also need volunteers to put together displays of rock collections or finished display items. You will also have an opportunity to enter pieces to be judged. This is our biggest community relations event and our biggest chance to show who and what we are. I hope you can find the time to get involved. We ve got lots to do and more things to plan. As long as we keep it fun there s no limit to what we can do. So lets just do it. And remember There s just something special about people that like to play in the dirt! Howard Floyd, President MAY HIGHLIGHTS / SPECIAL NOTES The program for May was presented by Carol Smith showing different ways to preserve and finish Concretions. Everybody's interest was sparked when the value of the concretions was shown by examples of recent internet sales. The Club went on a local field trip to collect concretions on June 8th. They can also be found at Banks Lake. Above left and top right, concretions and artwork displayed by Carol Smith with her presentation at the May meeting, along with a collection of various-shaped concretions.
June 2013 HORSE LAKE ROAD FIELD TRIP Page 2 Howard reported the following: On June 8th Carol and Darrell Smith treated us to a Ginkgo field trip up Horse Lake Road to dig for concretions. This was a follow up to Carol's May program on concretions. I ll have to admit my interest was heightened when we saw the prices being paid on the internet for them. Finding the concretions was easy for the ones laying on the ground all over the place. It was a little more difficult to find and dig the ones out of the bank. And, to my delight, it was also a dusty and dirty chore to get to them. But you know what they say, There s just something special about people that like to play in the dirt. Top right: A concretion protruding from the bank. Above left and right, field trip participants work the wall to reveal their finds. NCW PROSPECTORS GOLD SHOW Rockhounds attending the Gold Show hear a demonstration at one of the many booths. After the May Ginkgo meeting many of us headed for the NCW Prospectors Gold Show. I was impressed by the size and organization of the show. There were many exhibitors and the diversity of exhibits and products was impressive. The gold and prospecting industry was well represented and mixed in were craft booths and art exhibits. The event was advertised and promoted very well, which brought in record crowds for the show. We had the pleasant opportunity of purchasing our lunch from the on site kitchen. The burgers we got were large and delicious, much better than you would expect and at a reasonable price. Hats Off to all the people involved in putting on the show. -Howard Floyd-
June 2013 Page 3 OKANOGAN FIELD TRIP Our thanks go out to Ed Poechmann for organizing the Ginkgo field trip up the Okanogan Valley. This was a joint venture between The Ginkgo Mineral Society and The Chief Joseph Gem and Rock Club. A big thanks also goes to Jim Lawson (Ginkgo member and President of the Chief Joseph Gem & Rock Club) for all his help. We started at the base of a cliff on the side of a very steep hill near Riverside. There were abundant quantities of Thulite for everyone, but we did have to work for it. The best find was a 185 pound rock that was mostly the sought after Bubble Gum Pink. Then we went to the Haeberle Ranch for Serpentine and Zebra Granite. No digging was necessary, there were huge piles of rock with all shapes and sizes to choose from. If you missed this trip you may be out of luck for future trips. It s rumored that after June 22nd there will be no more access provided. June 22nd is also our scheduled trip to Red Top. This page: Members of two rock clubs join forces to find Thulite, Serpentine and Zebra Granite in the Okanogan area.
June 2013 THE PETRIFIED DIGEST Page 4 JUNE BIRTHSTONE Following are excerpts from an article at www.earthsky.org June has three traditional birthstones pearl, moonstone, and alexandrite. Pearl - Unlike most gemstones that are found within the Earth, pearls have an organic origin. They are created inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some pearls are found naturally in mollusks that inhabit the sea or freshwater settings such as rivers. However, many pearls today are culturedraised in oyster farms that sustain a thriving pearl industry. Pearls are made mostly of aragonite, a relatively soft carbonate mineral (CaCO3) that also makes up the shells of mollusks. A pearl is created when a very small fragment of rock, a sand grain, or a parasite enters the mollusk s shell. It irritates the oyster or clam, who responds by coating the foreign material with layer upon layer of shell material. Pearls formed on the inside of the shell are usually irregular in shape and have little commercial value. However, those formed within the tissue of the mollusk are either spherical or pearshaped, and are highly sought out for jewelry. Pearls possess a uniquely delicate translucence and luster that place them among the most highly valued of gemstones. The color of the pearl depends very much on the species of mollusk that produced it, and its environment. White is perhaps the best-known and most common color. However, pearls also come in delicate shades of black, cream, gray, blue, yellow, lavender, green, and mauve. Black pearls can be found in the Gulf of Mexico and waters off some islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Persian Gulf and Sri Lanka are well-known for exquisite cream-colored pearls called Orientals. Other localities for natural seawater pearls include the waters off the Celebes in Indonesia, the Gulf of California, and the Pacific coast of Mexico. The Mississippi River and forest streams of Bavaria, Germany, contain pearlproducing freshwater mussels. The largest pearl in the world is believed to be about three inches long and two inches across, weighing one-third of a pound. Called the Pearl of Asia, it was a gift from Shah Jahan of India to his favorite wife, Mumtaz, for whom he also built the Taj Mahal. Pearls, according to South Asian mythology, were dewdrops from heaven that fell into the sea. They were caught by shellfish under the first rays of the rising sun, during a period of full moon. In India, warriors encrusted their swords with pearls to symbolize the tears and sorrow that a sword brings. Pearls were also widely used as medicine in Europe until the 17th century. Arabs and Persians believed it was a cure for various kinds of diseases, including insanity. Pearls have also been used as medicine as early as 2000 BC in China, where they were believed to represent wealth, power and longevity. Even to this day, lowest-grade pearls are ground for use as medicine in Asia. Moonstone - June s second birthstone is the moonstone. Moonstones are believed to be named for the bluish white spots within them, that when held up to light project a silvery play of color very much like moonlight. When the stone is moved back and forth, the brilliant silvery rays appear to move about, like moonbeams playing over water. This gemstone belongs to the family of minerals called feldspars, an important group of silicate minerals commonly formed in rocks. About half the Earth s crust is composed of feldspar. This mineral occurs in many igneous and metamorphic rocks, and also constitutes a large percentage of soils and marine clays. Rare geologic conditions produce gem varieties of feldspar such as moonstone, labradorite, amazonite, and sunstone. They appear as large clean mineral grains, found in pegmatites (coarse-grained igneous rock) and ancient deep crustal rocks. Feldspars of gem quality are aluminosilicates (minerals containing
June 2013 Page 5 aluminum, silicon and oxygen), that are mixed with sodium and potassium. The best moonstones are from Sri Lanka. They are also found in the Alps, Madagascar, Myanmar (Burma), and India. The ancient Roman natural historian, Pliny, said that the moonstone changed in appearance with the phases of the moon, a belief that persisted until the sixteenth century. The ancient Romans also believed that the image of Diana, goddess of the moon, was enclosed within the stone. Moonstones were believed to have the power to bring victory, health, and wisdom to those who wore it. In India, the moonstone is considered a sacred stone and often displayed on a yellow cloth yellow being considered a sacred color. The stone is believed to bring good fortune, brought on by a spirit that lives within the stone. Alexandrite - June s third birthstone is the alexandrite. Alexandrite possesses an enchanting chameleon-like personality. In daylight, it appears as a beautiful green, sometimes with a bluish cast or a brownish tint. However, under artificial lighting, the stone turns reddish-violet or violet. Alexandrite belongs to the chrysoberyl family, a mineral called beryllium aluminum oxide in chemistry jargon, that contains the elements beryllium, aluminum and oxygen (BeAl2O4). It is a hard mineral, only surpassed in hardness by diamonds and corundum (sapphires and rubies). The unusual colors in alexandrite are attributed to the presence of chromium in the mineral. Chrysoberyl is found to crystallize in pegmatites (very coarse-grained igneous rock, crystallized from magma) rich in beryllium. They are also found in alluvial deposits weathered pegmatites, containing the gemstones, that are carried by rivers and streams. Alexandrite is an uncommon stone, and therefore very expensive. Sri Lanka is the main source of alexandrite today, and the stones have also been found in Brazil, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Myanmar (Burma). Synthetic alexandrite, resembling a reddish-hued amethyst with a tinge of green, has been manufactured but the color change seen from natural to artificial lighting cannot be reproduced. Such stones have met with only marginal market success in the United States. The stone is named after Prince Alexander of Russia, who was to become Czar Alexander II in 1855. Discovered in 1839 on the prince s birthday, alexandrite was found in an emerald mine in the Ural Mountains of Russia. Because it is a relatively recent discovery, there has been little time for myth and superstition to build around this unusual stone. In Russia, the stone was also popular because it reflected the Russian national colors, green and red, and was believed to bring good luck. Image Credits: Jarno from Rotterdam, Netherlands and Rob Lavinsky / irocks.com, from Wikimedia Commons. Article excerpted from www.earthsky.org. Visit the web site for more fascinating information. ROGER, THE ROCKHOUND SEZ: Object 1 2 Calling all members! Remember to take your camera along on your adventures this summer. We want to share in the fun! Send photo contest entries to jtimm@aol.com and to ginkgonews@yahoo.com. Thought for the day: A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, a breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawnmower is broken. -James Dent(too bad, he'll just have to go rock hunting instead!)
June 2013 Upcoming Shows AMFS Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies http://www.amfed.org/nfms/shows June 20-23 Th-Fri 9-5, Sat 10-6 Sun 10-4 Prineville Rockhound Club Annual Show Crook County Fairgrounds S. Main, Prineville, OR June 26-30 Wed -Sun 9-6 daily All Rockhounds Pow Wow Club of America Annual Show, Jefferson County Fairgrounds 430 SW Fairgrounds Rd, Madras, OR July 4-7 Thur-Sat 9-5, Sun 9-4 Annual Show - Sisters Elementary School 611 E. Cascade (off Hwy. 20), Sisters, OR July 19-21 Fri-Sat 10-5 Sun 10-4 Lower Umpqua Gem & Lapidary Society Annual Show - Reedsport Community Center 451 Winchester Ave, Reedsport, OR July 20-21 Sat 10-6 Sun 10-5 Darrington Rock and Gem Club Annual Show Grange Hall 1265 Railroad Ave, Darrington, WA August 2-4 Fri-Sat 10-5 Sun 10-4 Far West Lapidary & Gem Society Annual Show North Bend Community Center 2222 Broadway North Bend, OR August 9-11 Fri-Sun 10-5 Butte Mineral and Gem Club Mineral and Gem Show Butte Civic Ctr Annex 1340 Harrison Ave, exit 127 North, Butte, MT Page 6 August 10-11 Sat 9-5 Sun 10-5 Maplewood Rock & Gem Club 7th Annual Rock & Mineral Sale, Maplewood Clubhouse 8802 196th St SW, Edmonds, WA August 16-17 Fri 10-6 Sat 10-4 17th Annual Seaside Gem & Mineral Show Seaside Convention Ctr 415 1st Ave, Seaside, OR August 17 Sat 9-5 Shelton Rock and Mineral Club 4th Annual Tailgate Sale and Swap Shelton Soccer Park 2102 E. Johns Prairie RD, Shelton, WA September 7-8 Sat 10-6 Sun 10-4 Umpqua Gem Club 43rd Annual Show Douglas County Fairgrounds 2110 Frear St, Roseburg, OR September 14-15 Sat-Sun 10-5 Marcus Whitman Gem and Mineral Society Annual Show Walla Walla Cty Fairgrounds Comm. Ctr, 9th St. and Orchard, Walla Walla, WA September 21-22 Sat 1-6 Sun 10-4 Southern Washington Mineralogical Society 48th Annual Show, Castle Rock Fairgrounds A St. and Cowlitz River, Castle Rock, WA September 21-22 Sat 9-6 Sun 10-5 Hellgate Mineral Society 19th Annual Show Hilton Garden Inn 3720 North Reserve Street, Missoula, MT August 9-11 Fri-Sat 10-9 Sun 10-6 Port Townsend Rock Club Annual Show Jefferson County Fairgrounds 4907 Landes St, Port Townsend, WA UPCOMING GINKGO FIELD TRIP June 22nd - Red Top on Blewett Pass We ll be leaving at 8 AM from the Easy Street Park-N-Ride. Darrell and Carol Smith will be scouting Red Top prior to the trip. You can expect rough roads and moderate hiking involved. Shoppers & sunshine at the Annual Ginkgo Yard Sale held May 31-June1 at the Smiths' home.