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The Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. (VGMS)
Rockhound Rambling
April 2006.

Table of Contents.

• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE;
• WORDS TO LIVE BY;
• PROGRAM: VISITING AFRICA;
• From Church Bulletins;
• REVIEW: ARCHEOLOGY IN SOUTHERN GERMANY;
• From Signs;
• MARK YOUR CALENDARS;
• CHIPS & BOULDERS;
• WEB SITES;
• PROGRAM SCHEDULE FOR MONTHLY MEETINGS;
• MAY BIRTHDAYS;
• HOSPITALITY;
• COMMUNITY OUTREACH;
• VGMS MINUTES;
• MEMBERSHIP;
• THE CFMS PRESIDENT'S CORNER;
• Rx FOR ATTRACTING NEW MEMBERS;
• ENDOWMENT FUND NEWS;
• "FIELD TRIPS ARE FUN";
• JASPER OR AGATE;
• SILICON, SILICA, SILICATES AND SILICONE;
• HEMATITE;
• DENDRITES;
• HINTS & TIPS FOR ROCKHOUNDS - (Use at your own risk!);
• GLASS SPECIMEN COVER;
• HOW TO SAW MONTANA AGATE;
• SHOW DATES;
• EDITOR'S NOTE;
• 67th ANNUAL CALIFORNIA FEDERATION SHOW;
• EDUCATIONAL CORNER;
• VGMS PHOTO ALBUM.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.

Spring is here and the rains of March are continuing into April. While it may be soggy now, the rains have undoubtedly uncovered new material at the many collecting sites in our state. Looks like a good time to get out there and participate in some of our organized field trips or to plan one of your own. Field trips are an important part of our club. We are always looking for newer and better places to explore. Please consider leading a field trip or providing information about a collecting locality for our club members. I'm sure that all of you have some great ideas on a field trip for our members.

Ed Clark,
President.

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WORDS TO LIVE BY.

Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

If at first you don't succeed find out if the loser gets anything.

Diplomacy is the art of knowing what not to say.

One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.

Collected by Wayne Ehlers.

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PROGRAM:
Visiting Africa,
By Wayne Ehlers and Sharon Cunningham.

Several years ago Marie and I (Wayne) traveled with the American Museum of Natural History to the Northwestern part of Africa from Senegal and Gambia to Morocco and the Canary Islands. The trip continued on to Spain and Portugal. We even went for a ride on camels. Beautiful tile, especially on doorways to buildings, will be shown. Mud constructed buildings will also be featured. The Sahara Desert is, of course, the main feature of Northern Africa. Much more emphasis on this trip was on history, Islamic cultural influence and only limited viewing of wildlife.

Sharon's recent visit was to a completely different part of Africa. Southern Africa is completely different. Included in her visit is a safari to view wildlife of all kinds.

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*************

From Church Bulletins: This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Johnson to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.
     The Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. Please use the back door. AFMS Newsletter 4/06.

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REVIEW:
Archeology in Southern Germany by Susan Harris,
March 22, 2006.

Susan Harris shared her wonderful experiences from time spent in Southern Germany in a small town near Stuttgart. She has been studying archeology and is currently finishing her dissertation at UCSB. She had some samples of some of the material they have found mostly from walking through fields after the farmers have plowed. They do not do excavating per se. Her area of research is the examination and analysis of stone tools. She talked about the process of heating the stone before using it to make tools. By heating the Chert they can get longer and thinner "flakes" but it also becomes more brittle. It must be heated very slowly as it will explode if done too fast. They relied on the stone tools to date a site as they changed styles every 1,000 years. This was from the Mesolithic age. Susan had some slides, but we didn't have the equipment available for her to show them. Her talk was most interesting and you could feel her enthusiasm about her projects.

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*************

From Signs: In an office building: "Toilet out of order. Please use floor below." AFMS Newsletter 4/06.

*************

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

4-26-06 - VGMS Regular Meeting - 7:30 pm - At the Lexington. "Visiting Africa" by Wayne Ehlers and Sharon Cunningham.
5-4-06 - VGMS Board Meeting - 7:30 pm - At the I.B.E.W. Hall, 3994 E. Main St., Ventura, CA. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.
5-10-06 - DEADLINE FOR MAY Bulletin Articles to the Editor!
5-20-06 - VGMS Work Shop - Museum - Open - 9 to noon. Check with a shop supervisor to confirm (see "Chips & Boulders"). (Close the new window to return here.)
5-20 & 21-06 - Conejo Gem & Mineral Show.
5-24-06 - VGMS Regular Meeting - 7:30 pm - At the Lexington.
5-27 & 28-06 - Aguana, CA field trip.
6-1-06 - VGMS Board Meeting - 7:30 pm - At the I.B.E.W. Hall, 3994 E. Main St., Ventura, CA. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.
6-9 to 11-06 - CFMS Show - Angels Camp, CA - "Jump For The Gold".
6-17-06 - VGMS Work Shop - Museum - Open - 9 to noon. Check with a shop supervisor to confirm (see "Chips & Boulders"). (Close the new window to return here.)

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CHIPS & BOULDERS.

Welcome to our Newest Pebble Pup - "Rebecca Ann Foster". Congratulations are also sent to the proud Mom and Dad - Lowell and Karen Foster. She was born on March 20th. We all look forward to meeting her.

Tri-Club Educational Committee Needs - This is a list of the rocks that the Tri-Club Educational Committee will need for the completion of the project of a box of specimens for each school in the county. If you have any of these and are willing to donate them contact Donna Knapton (805)647-8762. Many thanks!
     Sedimentary: Sandstone - Gray, Sandstone - Red Sespe, Shale, Breccias, Conglomerate, Limestone, Coquina, Diatomatite, Coal - bituminous, Chalk, Gypsum, Travertine or Chert.
     Metamorphic: Gneiss, Marble - Limestone, Marble - Dolomite, Quartz, Schist, Serpentine, Greenstone, Slate, Garnet schist, Soapstone, Mariposite, Hornfels.
     Volcanic Rocks: Gabbro, Granite, Pegmatite, Basalt, Andesite, Rhyolite, Obsidian, Pumice, Tuff, Scoria, Aa, Pahoehoe, Diabase.

Editor's Note: Ray Meisenheimer advised that they are going to need about 30 of each one of these and they should be about fist size.

BIG SALE - The Meisenheimers are selling their "good stuff" - Polished geodes, Brazil agate, wood, minerals. Give us a call before coming over at (805) 642-3155. - Ray & Florence Meisenheimer.

Hosts and Hostesses Schedule for 2006 Meetings - Help! We are in need of some volunteers for the open months below to fill the 2006 meetings. Give Sharon Cunningham a call at (805) 649-3579 to schedule your month. We thank everyone who participates. You can see how much they are enjoyed at the meetings!

     April: Donna, Dallas & Callie Stephens.
     May: Donna, Dallas & Callie Stephens.
     June: - Open.
     July: - Open.
     August: - Open.
     September: - Open.
     October: - Open.
     November: Pumpkin Goodies by All!
     December: VGMS Christmas Party.

VGMS Workshops - They are held on the third Saturday of each month from 9:00 am until noon unless otherwise notified. The Shop Supervisors are Ron Wise (805) 647-4393 & Greg Davis (805) 647-9214. Stop and say thanks to these volunteers for the opportunity they give the rest of us. It is there for your use; take advantage of it. With vacations and business trips it is a good idea to call to make sure the museum will be open.

CFMS & AFMS Newsletters - Anyone interested in their own subscriptions to these, please contact Shirley Layton (805 717-9226). The cost for one year is $5.50 for the CFMS and $4.50 for the AFMS. I do share some information from these with you, but there is much more in each issue that you may be interested in.

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WEB SITES.

AFMS web site - http://www.amfed.org/,
CFMS web site - http://www.cfmsinc.org/,
CA BLM web site - http://www.ca.blm.gov/.

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Program Schedule for Monthly Meetings,
Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, 2006.

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SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

MAY BIRTHDAYS.

Happy Birthday to all those born in MAY. We all wish you good health and hope you have a Great Day! Have I missed your birthday? Call Shirley Layton at 805-717-9226 and leave a message if I'm not there or an email will also do the trick, jns@west.net. Thanks and have a Great Day!

May - Happy Birthday!!
     Lowell Foster - 5th,
     Leilani Polacek - 19th,
     Dave Mautz - 20th.

The May birthstone is the Emerald and the flower is the Lily of the Valley.

EMERALD, the green variety of beryl.

VARIETY INFORMATION:

Variety of: Beryl, Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈;
Uses: Gemstone;
Birthstone for: May;
Color: Various shades of green;
Index of refraction: 1.57 - 1.60;
Birefringence: 0.004 - 0.008;
Hardness: 7.5 - 8;
Cleavage: One direction, poor;
Crystal system: Hexagonal;
Pleochroic: Weak.

     Emerald is the green variety of the mineral beryl. Other gemstone color varieties that belong to beryl include aquamarine, morganite, and heliodor. Other colors of beryl are simply refered to by their color, such as red beryl.
     The wonderful green color of emerald is unparalleled in the gem kingdom. Emerald's precious green color is caused by small amounts of chromium and enhanced by traces of iron. Unlike other beryls, emeralds often contain inclusions and other flaws. These flaws are not looked on as negative aspects for emerald like they would be for other gemstones. Indeed, these flaws are considered part of the character of the stone and are used to assure the purchaser of a natural stone.

Unless otherwise noted, all mineral descriptions and images, plus the related descriptions on this server are the property of Amethyst Galleries, Inc., and may not be copied for commercial purposes. Permission to copy descriptions and images is granted for personal and educational use only.

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HOSPITALITY.

     March was sort of a small meeting with 14 members, 4 guests and 1 pebble pup. The guests were Keith and Colin Allen, Carl Stephens and our speaker, Susan Harris. Our pebble pup was Callie Stephens. She and her sister, Dallas, are a great pleasure to have with us. We had some happy door prize winners who had a dilemma on their hands trying to decide which prize to pick. Ray and Florence Meisenheimer always have a wonderful variety to pick from. Unfortunately our hostess, Sharlyne Holloway, was not able to attend due to illness. We missed her and hope she is doing well. Valli and Greg Davis furnished the refreshments that are always enjoyed by all.

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

I did not receive any community service reports this month, but I am sure that several of our members have been busy. Please share your stories. Thank you.

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VGMS MINUTES.

Minutes of the VGMS Regular Monthly Meeting,
Wednesday, March 22, 2006:
     The regular monthly meeting of the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society was called to order by Ed Clark at 7:35 pm on Wednesday, March 22, 2006, at the Lexington, Ventura, CA.
     The February meeting and board meeting minutes were corrected and then m/s/c as shown in the bulletin.
Ed Clark welcomed everyone and directed members in the pledge to the flag. Ed mentioned that the upcoming field trip to Holbrook, Arizona, in April may prove to be memorable if this property is sold to the state and lost to collecting as proposed. Concerning the recent Oxnard board meeting with VGMS members being invited, as suggested, Kay Hara from the Oxnard club will contact the Oxnard Parks & Rec. department for options and further study concerning larger facilities which may in time house work shops for both clubs. Also, Ed reiterated the need for mineral specimens for the educational cases being put together by the tri-clubs.
Richard Bromser gave the treasurer's report and mentioned that 37 people assisted with our annual show this year. Dealers, too, were appreciative of our effort put into the show.
Shirley Bromser - We have 52 paid members as of this date.
Shirley Layton - The deadline for bulletin articles will be April 10th and if you can provide us with an e-mail address, we'll ship it that way and it saves the club the postage. Also, it's time to verify information for the new directory. 22 Bulletins were mailed out to people asking for information at our show.
Ray Meisenheimer - Angels Camp is accepting applications for displays. Contact Ray or Florence if interested. Ray then presented raffle prizes to those who had the drawn ticket numbers.
Wayne Ehlers - Our club cab class is under way with 3 members braving the inclement weather.
     Next, Susan Harris presented a very educational and interesting lecture on the archeology of southern Germany. Stone tools, many heat treated for strength, and other techniques used with various minerals were displayed from the UCSB collection. Our thanks to Susan for her time spent educating us as to the many useful and artistic achievements of early man using the same rocks we also enjoy using.
     Refreshments were provided by Greg & Valli Davis.
     The next Board meeting will be Thursday, April 6th, 2006, at the IBEW Hall, 3994 E. Main in Ventura and all are welcomed to attend and the next regular meeting will be held April 22, 2006.
     There being no further business, Ed adjourned the meeting at 8:55 pm.
          Respectfully submitted,
          Greg Davis,
          Recording Secretary.


Minutes of the VGMS Board Meeting,
Thursday, April 6, 2006:
     The regular board meeting of the VGMS was called to order by Ron Wise at 6:30 pm on Thursday, April 6, 2006, at the IBEW Hall, 3994 E. Main St., Ventura, CA.
Present: Ron Wise, Ray Meisenheimer, Richard and Shirley Bromser, Shirley Layton and Greg Davis.
Old business:
Ray Meisenheimer - A rock sale, of his collection, is still on-going at Ray's house. Contact him for more info. Angels Camp is scheduled for June 9-11.
New business:
Richard Bromser - The treasurer's report for February was presented and m/s/c as written. The treasurer's report for March was also m/s/c after reviewing. Richard received admission cards from the Calif. State Mining & Mineral Museum Assoc. and will distribute them to members. Richard next suggested a committee run the VGMS 2007 annual show if a chairperson doesn't step forward. The notion will be considered and reviewed. It was m/s/c to purchase case lights and power cord replacements. It was m/s/c to purchase tumbling grit in bulk through Cal Clason which would be used (and purchased at our cost) by members. Richard has confirmed our Christmas dinner reservations at Carrow's for December 13th.
Shirley Bromser - It was m/s/c to accept new memberships for Clint Berkheiser and Loring Sollender.
Ron Wise - Some field trip dates have been changed recently so if you did not receive the email from Ron contact any board member or the latest bulletin for details. The Holbrook trip has been changed from April 22 to April 15.
Shirley Layton - April 10th is the deadline for bulletin articles. The new directories are being issued.
     The next general meeting will be on April 26, 2006, at the Lexington in Ventura.
     There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm.
          Respectfully submitted,
          Greg Davis,
          Recording Secretary.

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MEMBERSHIP.

2006 Membership Directories are ready and will be at the April meeting for pick up. Those that aren't picked up will be mailed. We have a new member, Loring Sollender, whose information is below and will need to be added to your directories - terrible problem. We need more of that! Please introduce yourself to Loring and make him feel welcome. Loring sent in his application from our show program.

New Member:
     Loring T. Sollender,
     9542 E. Telephone Rd., #258,
     Ventura, CA 93004.
     562 704-0016 (Cell & Home).

(Webmaster's Note: If you want a printed copy of the following so you can place an order move the mouse cursor to the left of the word 'Attention', push and hold down the left mouse button, and sweep down over the ad with the mouse cursor. This will highlight the contents of the ad. Release the mouse button and, without clicking anywhere else on the page, select EDIT on the browser menu and select COPY. You may then PASTE into any word processor and print in your normal manner. If you highlight too much you may delete the unneeded part with the word processor before printing. This works with any browser I know.)

Attention New Members (or anyone needing a badge).
Need a Club Badge?
Blue Engravers is giving us a $.50 reduction per badge
for advertising space in the club bulletin!
Ventura County Shape badge $11.28 (includes. tax & ship).
ACCOUNT: Ventura Gem and Mineral Society, Inc.
Name (print clearly. It will be on your name badge):

_____________________________________________

Address:

_____________________________________________

_______________________________Zip: __________

Make check payable to and mail to (takes 5-7 business days):
Blue Engravers,
1375 Caspian Ave.,
Long Beach, CA 90813.
If ordering more than 2 badges call them for exact shipping
costs at (562) 983-5140, FAX (562) 983-5146,
E-mail BLUEGRAVR@aol.com.

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THE CFMS PRESIDENT'S CORNER.

ARE YOU INVOLVED in your club? Have you held an office or committee position? Are you holding one now? Do you bring your family, your children or your neighbors? Are the programs interesting enough or do you offer suggestions for programs? What about your club's other activities, the mineral group, the lapidary shop or beadwork classes? Do you attend field trips or lead a field trip?

These are some of the variety of activities clubs offer their members. You can choose the ones that meet your interests. Start little. If you go to a new area on a weekend, pick up an unusual rock and bring it to share with your club. If you are searching online and find a fascinating topic about new minerals or geology in Australia, bring the article to share. The things that interest one person are certain to interest your rock friends. The key is to participate in your club. Like many of you, I still work full time and I choose to be an active member of my local club. I am Secretary this year. I get to attend both club board meetings and general meetings. I volunteer to bring refreshments one meeting, I share my interests when our program is member share night. I add rock items to our silent auction table or bring rocks to share after a weekend field trip. I will give the Federation news at the general meeting, if our Federation Director cannot attend. In other words, I participate and I communicate information. This sounds like a lot, but this is spread over the entire year. Being involved is very important and each one of us makes our club what it is. Review your interests, what it is YOU DO for your club and what it is YOU CAN DO more of to make your club grow in your community.

Colleen McGann.

CFMS NEWSLETTER April 2006.

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Rx FOR ATTRACTING NEW MEMBERS,
By Ed Pederson.

Two trends are prevalent in nearly every club: declining numbers and increasing age.

Part of this decline is due to a "passing fad" (those with marginal interest drop out). Another part of the decline is due to "burn out" and some is due to members and/or clubs "getting in a rut" and dropping or de-emphasizing activities that attract new members.

To understand how the interests affect the type of new members acquired, we need to look at some generalizations about our hobby. The following statements are gross over-simplifications based on real and perceived attitudes of rockhounds and the general public: 1-Mineral collecting is only for people with money. 2-Lapidary work is the only part of rockhounding that you don't need a college degree for (the I'm not smart enough to collect minerals or fossils syndrome). 3-Lapidary work, especially faceting, takes a lot of expensive equipment and space. 4-You have to be retired to have enough time to cut and polish rocks. (The most nearly true).

The net result of these attitudes is that many individuals who might be prospective club members are scared off. Combining this with a club structure and activities schedule determined by a club leadership composed mostly of older members (those willing to work and have the time) further reduces the chances of attracting new members. According to my unofficial survey, the valuable and desirable new members are young adults and middle-aged adults (ages 20 to 50). If this is true, a club effort to target these individuals is required.

What factors are important to these individuals? 1-A wide range of hobby activities (minerals, fossils, lapidary) and opportunity to learn (study groups, classes, field trips, etc.) and club meeting programs that are diverse and interesting. 2-Club meeting times that fit the schedules of working people, especially those with smaller children. 3-A minimum of work requirements. 4-A maximum of field trips and other "exciting events". 5-A minimum of club business conducted at meetings. Members come to visit and see the program, not hear something they can read in the newsletter. 6-A strong emphasis on "show and tell" at meetings (display tables for before and after meeting discussions).

What are the best sources of new members of all ages? 1-Club show. 2-Offering classes or study groups to the local community (senior centers, recreation agencies, parks and recreation districts). 3-Word of mouth. 4-Displays at schools, libraries, museums and visitor centers.

What about youth groups? Youth groups are a very worthwhile and satisfying activity, but will not contribute members. The youth members are a byproduct, adults bringing their kids, not the other way around.

From The Pick & Shovel via the CFMS NEWSLETTER 2/06.

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ENDOWMENT FUND NEWS,
By Ray Meisenheimer.

     Florence and I will be given two tables for selling material at the CFMS Show at Angels Camp. I have been fund raising at CFMS shows for a number of years using my own material. I am sold out. Of all the rocks I once had, I am down to two boxes, and my daughter wants them (small rounds of petrified wood).
     I need donations from all you members - lots of donations - good material. Since we have only two tables, we cannot handle large chunks or logs. We can use everything - slabs, jewelry, beads, polished rocks, minerals, fossils, etc. No equipment please! There won't be room for it. If every person coming to the show brings at least one item, it will be a great help. Of course if you wish to bring more, all the better. I will be selling Friday and Saturday. Sunday I have to return home as I have a job first thing Monday morning.
     I really appreciate donations made in the past and want to thank you all for your consideration at Angels Camp.
     Many of us are getting older and have less energy to work with the large collection of rocks and minerals we have accumulated. We now know that we can never cut and polish all the material still in our sheds and yard. Many good rock hounds have passed on and their material is slowly being covered with grass and weeds. I am chairman of the CFMS Endowment Fund. The Endowment Fund was formed to provide a stable source of income to financially assist the programs and services CFMS provides to the members. The Endowment Fund could certainly use this material - any and all collections. Donations are tax deductible. We can use rocks, minerals, fossils, equipment and any other material related to the hobby. For more information please call at (805) 642-3155.

Federation Directors and editors: please pass this information on to your club members.

CFMS NEWSLETTER April 2006.

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"FIELD TRIPS ARE FUN."

Field Trips.

Please note: The Holbrook trip was changed to April 15th so is past history when you read this. We hope everyone who was planning to go got the word.

Brett has arranged for a tailgate show and pegmatite dig on the 27th & 28th of May at the Stagecoach Inn, Aguanga, CA. The show is south of Temecula on CA Hwy 79. As the date gets closer, we will have more information and carpooling arrangements.

Other notes:
     May 6-7 - Lone Pine G&MS Show will be held in Bishop. Francis Pedneau and crew will put on a great show.
     May 20-21 - Conejo G&MS Show will be held at the Borchard Park Community Center in Newbury Park, CA. Sal Scarpato is running the program and will appreciate our support.

Ron Wise,
Field Trip Chair.

An Experiment for Juniors:
Make Your Own Stalactites and Stalagmites.

Materials Needed: Large box of Epsom's Salt, 2 glass jars, piece of cord, and a small colored plate or ashtray.

Dissolve Epsom salt in a pint or more of hot water. When cool, pour solution into glass jars, filling almost to the top. Place jars 4" apart & place one end of the cord in each jar, letting the cord sag slightly in the middle. Place the plate between the jars, under the sagging string.

The cord will begin to drip at the lowest point. In a few days you will begin to see a build-up of one or more stalactites. As the solution continues to drip, stalagmites will begin to build up on the plate. This experiment almost duplicates the process going on in live caves.

From The Glacial Drifter via The MOROKS Newsletter 4/06.

TRI-CLUB FIELD TRIPS 2006:
Tentative Schedule 4/5/2006.
Contact field trip leader to confirm
that there is a field trip scheduled.

Virtual Field Trips III:
Liberace and the Dinosaurs,
A Bucket of Geodes.

http://www.joemonica.com/lad/.
     Since the birth of my daughter, Rebecca Anne Foster, on March 20th at 3:16 pm, I have had a limited amount of time to roam the nether regions of the internet to look for suitable sites for this column. Most of my time is spent, as you can well imagine, changing diapers, holding Rebecca, and trying to catch a few winks between feeding times. Actual field trips are not even on my radar right now. Fact is, last night I dreamed that Oregon-type thunder eggs hid in the fields of San Luis Obispo, and that I, and dozens of other people, ruined quite a few crops looking for them.
     So with present web surfing curtailed for the time being, I reflected on places I had already been. It was at this point, I realized, that I had a bare-bones internet site of places I have already visited up on the web. Sure, there is no history on this site, or explanation of photos (or for that matter of how the oddball title came to be). There is just the title and five pages of images of varying quality.
     This site, "Liberace and the Dinosaurs", was set up by my friend, Joe Monica, after we took a four day field trip in May of 2005. It consists of the photos he took during this time. The images are shown in chronological order. Unfortunately, much of the time we forgot we possessed a camera in our haste to dig, browse, hunt, and gather. This led to a few gaps in the chronicling of our journey, but I think any visitor to the site will have enough to view.
     To explain the title - while on long collecting trips, conversation with others in the car can get a bit stale. On this trip with Joe, a person whose sense of humor quite nicely parallels mine, our slow conversational periods invariably degenerated into long rambles on topics of dubious value. New commercials with the scary Burger King mascot were created, as were songs about the dangers of rock collecting. Another time killer involved the naming of Joe's fictional band. This final activity found its creative peak in the name 'Liberace and the Dinosaurs' (credited to Joe), whose first album would be named A Bucket Full of Geodes, inspired by the looming exploration of the Hauser Geode Beds. So, you see, boredom knows no bounds.
     But enough banal history - and now - the site:
     The first page begins with a few photos taken at a couple dry lakes ('playas' as the collecting books say) off Clay Mine Road near CA Hwy. 58. Here we found chalcedony, bits of petrified wood, and what appeared to be a partial arrowhead - which I made Joe put back. (Don't any of you downplay this as my wife is an archeologist and would have been quite angered if we had kept it.) Next morning found us stopping for gas at Chiriaco Summit where General Patton's Museum guards the local station. An hour later we were hunting geodes and nodules at Rainey's Well off the Bradshaw Trail.
     Page two - the first few images are of the Black Agate Thunderegg Mine off the Bradshaw Trail and a couple of Thumb Butte. Beginning with the second row are pictures from our third day. Here we have images of the Turtle Mountains, a location filled with desert roses and blue agate nodules (if you hunt long enough). The images of the carriages come from Vidal Junction. The last row is of Pisgah Crater and the jasper field at Lavic Siding which we visited on day four.
     Page three - shows the train tracks at Lavic along with a used car that is for sale (I think I saw it outside our workshop a few weeks ago). After a brief trip down Route 66, we stopped at Kramer Junction where the wildlife intrigued us more than the chunky agate. Here horned toads and desert tortoises kept us on our toes.
     The last two pages are nothing but a smorgasbord of images from the drive home and a brief bit of beachcombing done the next day. One image shows the back of my truck after the trip. Another series on page five shows a blown water sprinkler flinging water over the north-bound traffic on US 101.
     So there you go, installment three of virtual field trips - and probably the least useful, but I hope some of the images are intriguing, maybe of places you have never been. Anyways, the baby is crying and needs changing. I gotta go. Until next time - keep hunting!

By Lowell Foster.

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Jasper or Agate: A Simple Distinction,
By Dave Olson.

     Jasper and agate are the rocks we hobbyists deal with most often in pursuit of our goals as lapidaries and collectors. Do we really understand the difference between the two? Often, confusion arises when attempting to describe a specimen as either jasper or agate.
     Both jasper and agate are composed of extremely fine interlocking quartz crystals called crypto crystalline quartz. As such they are both members of the fine-grained quartz family referred to as Chalcedony. Chalcedony occurs throughout the world in beds, bands, nodules, geodes, botryoidal masses, as a replacement of fossils, wood tissue or other minerals, and as a cementing material. It is deposited from silica-rich waters, often carrying other mineral impurities.
     It is the presence of these mineral impurities which stains the micro-quartz grains to produce the wide variety of colored patterns, banding effects and inclusions that differentiate the basic "gem" forms of crypto crystalline quartz - jasper and agate - from ordinary drab chalcedony.
     So what is the difference? In general, agate is a transparent to translucent form of chalcedony in which the coloration takes the form of regular bands, rings, clouds, wispy inclusions or distinct groups. Agate containing straight or concentric bands is referred to as fortification agate. Moss agate contains delicate wispy or lacy inclusions of coloring minerals, often green mineral chlorite that penetrated cracks in the silica gel matrix prior to hardening. Now they remain as fine picture-like images. Agates are usually named by employing the geographical area where it is found with a descriptive adjective, as "Friday Ranch Plume Agate".
     Jasper, on the other hand, can be somewhat translucent but it is most often opaque. The colorations of jasper are usually much darker then that of agate and are totally random with respect to pattern of distribution. Finely divided hematite gives the color to reddish jaspers and another iron mineral - goethite - is responsible for yellows and browns. Chlorite and nickel minerals contribute to green coloration. As with agate, jasper comes in many colors and displays an almost infinite variety of patterns. Because of these properties, it is an extremely versatile material for cabs, scenic "pictures" to be framed and other functional and decorative purposes. It is truly the bread and butter "gem" of our hobby.

Original source Petrified Digest 08/03 via GNEISS TIMES 4/06.

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SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

Silicon, Silica, Silicates and Silicone,
By Dr. Bill Cordua.

     People get confused about the differences between silicon, silicate, silica and even silicone. What is it exactly that we collect, cut and polish??
     Silicon is a chemical element, one of the 97 natural building blocks from which our minerals are formed. A chemical element is a substance that can't be subdivided into simple substances without splitting atoms. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the earth's crust, making up about 27% of the average rock. Silicon links up with oxygen (which makes up 55% of the earth's crust) to form the most common suite of minerals, called the silicates. Quartz, feldspars, olivine, micas, thomsonite, jadeite, and prehnite are all silicates. There is so much oxygen around that pure native silicon is almost never found naturally.
     Silica is a bit trickier concept. It refers to the combination of silicon plus oxygen. The mineral quartz is silica. But so are the minerals tridymite, coesite, cristobalite and stishovite, which are mineral forms of silica that are stable at high temperatures and pressures. All these minerals are also silicates. In other words, quartz is a silicate made of pure silica. But feldspars contain sodium, aluminum, potassium and calcium in addition to silicon and oxygen. Thus feldspars are silicates but they aren't pure silica.
     Geochemists also use the term "silica" to refer to the overall silicon and oxygen content of rocks. This is confusing, but stems from the fact that in rock analysis a sample is dissolved, the solution treated, and the amount of silicon present is determined by precipitating it as silica. So a geologist may say "This rock is 48% silica". A rockhound will look at the rock and say "How can that be? I don't see any quartz in it!" Both are right. The rock will not have the mineral quartz because the silicon and oxygen are tied up with other elements to make silicate minerals like feldspar. It's a bit like looking at a cake and saying "I don't see any eggs in there!" The eggs are cake ingredients but are present now in different forms.
     Now, what is silicone? It's a synthetic polymer of silicon with carbon and oxygen that could be in solid, liquid or gel form. It has all kinds of medical uses, such as in antacids, artificial joints, pacemakers and implants of various notoriety, but is not, as far as anyone knows, found in rocks.
     Can pure silicon be found in Nature? Yes, rarely. Recently Russian geologists were sampling gasses from Kudriavy volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Here they drove quartz tubes into vents jetting out gases of over 900 degrees C. Their tubes filled with minerals precipitating from this gas. Among them were pure silicon metal embedded in masses of salts such as halite. The silicon formed crystals up to 0.3 mm across. It was associated with pure aluminum metal, Si-Al alloys and other rare minerals. This find was unusual enough to warrant a note in the prestigious science journal, Nature.
     So unless you are in Russia sampling hot volcanic gases, you can be sure that what you are finding are silica and silicates, but not silicon or silicone.
     Reference: Korzhinsky, M.A., et. al, 1995, "Native Al and Si Formation", Nature, vol. 375, p-544.

From LEAVERITE '98 via ROCKONTEUR 10/05.

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Hematite.

     This stone was once used in mourning jewelry, like jet, but now it is seen again, in mounted forms. In color, hematite is black with an iron metallic luster. Thin pieces appear, by transmitted light, to be tinged with blood red color. This property gives us the name for the mineral, the corresponding Greek word (haema, blood), meaning bloodstone. American Indians and other people used this iron oxide as a war paint and for other skin decorations.
     Hematite is an iron oxide, containing 70% iron and 30% oxygen when pure, but clay and sandy impurities are sometimes present. Hematite crystallizes in the hexagonal system although when properly so called, it is granular, reinforced or amorphous, the crystallized variety being specular iron. Cleavage is parallel to the faces but is generally indistinctive. Hardness is 5 to 6.5. Specific gravity varies from 4.5 to 5.3. Refractive Index is 2.94 - 3.22. It may be slightly magnetic.
     Although opaque, except in very thin plates, a highly metallic luster is exhibited. Beneath the surface of the reniform variety, or kidney ore, a radiating columnar structure is often visible. A streak of dull red color when rubbed on a piece of porcelain or ground glass is a test for this stone.
     Hematite dates back to early times. Some engraved pieces have been found in old Egyptian graves and in the mines in Babylon. Earthly types of hematite have been used in the manufacture of crayons, for polishing glass and as a red paint. Its chief commercial importance is its richness in iron.
     The rough stone occurs in rocks of all kinds and often in pockets in the surface of carboniferous limestone. In some instances, lodes several yards in thickness have been found. Locations are the Swiss Alps, Norway, Sweden, France, Spain, England, Wales, India, Elba, Russia and the USA. Much of the material used in jewelry has been cut in Germany from rough found in Cumberland, England.

From the Petrified Digest via GNEISS TIMES 4/06.

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DENDRITES.

Did you know—Dendrites are perhaps the most common geological oddity? They usually resemble a tiny fern frond. The term "dendritic" refers to a branching figure. They are usually formed in thin hard-bedded shales and limestone. Concentrations of black manganese oxide percolate into the cracks leaving behind "dendrites".

From the Fossil Enquirer 11/89 via Gneiss Times 4/06.

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HINTS & TIPS FOR ROCKHOUNDS,
(Use at your own risk!).

Tip - Do not store jewelry in a silk or wool bag (the fabric may include sulfur) or in a plastic bag, both of which can harm silver or copper. - The Lapidarian 4/06.

Trick for Cutting Mexican Jelly Opal - When cutting Mexican opal with transparent or clear (that's most of it) base color, cut a high dome on the top side and a moderate dome on the back.
The reasons are two fold. 1) If you get the top and bottom domes just right, the light will refract within the stone as it does in the properly cut faceted stone. The effect will be as though light is trapped within the stone and the color will "glow" in a seemingly bottomless stone. It works great with or without play of color. Try it.
2) Polishing the back of the opal helps the stone to last longer. A polished surface tends to retard water loss from the opal over time. A rough surface has many times more surface area per given dimensions, than a polished surface, thus increasing the potential for physical and chemical interaction. - The Lithnic 10/05 via Rocky Review 4/06.

Marking Specimens - To mark specimens, apply a spot of typist white correction fluid in an inconspicuous spot and let dry thoroughly. Then write the identifying mark with a ball point pen. - El Monte Gem Scoop via Del Air Bulletin 4/06.

Polishing Silver: It's amazingly simple. I usually use a Pyrex dish and line it with aluminum foil, or use an aluminum pan (works well or even better than the glass). Do not reuse the aluminum pan for cooking. Fill the container with hot water and toss in about 1/4 cup of baking soda. Stir to dissolve and place your silver pieces in the bath, in contact with the aluminum. Leave it for a while, then pull the pieces out and rinse. - The Rockorder 10/02 via The Rock Bag 4/06.

(Editor's Note: I also read a similar one using 1/4 cup Spick & Span to 1 gal of hot water in a bucket with two ten inch sheets of heavy aluminum foil.)

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Glass Specimen Cover.

Wouldn't it be nice to get a cheap, clear glass cover for your valuable crystals, minerals, etc., without having a custom-made glass cover? Try this out. At a flea market or yard sale, pick up a few odd wine glasses, large or small, with no patterns etched on them. With your trim saw, cut the stem off as close to the base of the globe as possible. Polish the goblet end to a glass finish, place over your specimen and there you are. No more dust on your specimens. Also, looking down through the cut end magnifies whatever you have under it. The stem can be polished flat to mount anything else you fancy. A word of advice, though. Don't get caught in your wife's china cabinet. She might get a little upset.

Via the Rockpile 1998 via Napa Gems 4/06.

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HOW TO SAW MONTANA AGATE.

     People not familiar with working with Montana Agate have, perhaps, wondered how to "set-up" to saw the first nodules they acquire. Most Montana nodules are found in two shapes, flat and slightly curving, or round and elongated. As this material probably has rolled hundreds of miles down turbulent streams, nearly all of it is cracked, so take this into consideration when sawing to get the largest slab.
     First, look into the rocks with a strong light to determine which way the moss or banding layers lie. Light cuts taken off an end, or side, at right angles to the layers, will then reveal whether you should slab from end to end or side to side. Many people who are used to sawing thunder eggs get used to sawing each nodule through the center to expose the pattern. While this method works well with nodules, it cannot be used to the best advantage with Montana material. It will probably ruin the best sprays as the larger and best ones usually lie toward the center. Sawing across them will render them valueless. Only a very few specimens carry fine large sprays, so do not be disappointed if the first few do not have them. About the time you are ready to give up, one of the poorest looking pieces may have the fine spray you are looking for.

Grindings via ROCKY REVIEW 4/06.

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SHOW DATES.

COME SEE THE SHOW,
By Tom & Sue Reeves.

     As we continue to prepare for the 2006 Federation Show I thought you might like to hear about our awesome plans. First we have a list of speakers that is out of this world. We have Jeffrey Post from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Anthony Kampf from the Los Angeles Co. Museum, Bob Jones of Rock & Gem Magazine, Russ Shoemaker from Stories in Stones and Robert Watters from the University of Nevada.
     And what a list of special exhibits including a part of the following collections: Smithsonian's National Gem Collection, Los Angeles Co. Museum and The California Mining Museum. Also slated to be exhibited are two private fossil collections including a prehistoric cave bear and a 30-foot long sea fossil.
     There will be field trips scheduled every day so you can chose from times to attend one of these adventures. We will be going to Carson Hill quarry, a former open pit gold mine with over 70 named minerals found there, as well as the Hidden Treasure Gold mine in nearby Columbia State Park.
     Of course we will have a great selection of dealers so you can get the latest tools and greatest materials out there on the market. We have a great buffet style dinner banquet planned but reservations are going fast so if you plan to attend you can get your forms online at www.calaverasgemandmineral.org. And while you are checking out the show page you can get further info on lodging and camping. So get ready for a relaxing fun time at this year's Federation Show. See you in Calaveras County, home of the frog jump.

CFMS NEWSLETTER April 2006.

2006 CFMS SHOWS.

APRIL 22-23; LANCASTER, CA - Antelope Valley Gem & Mineral Club, Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, 2551 West Avenue H. Hours: 9-5 both days. Pamela Birge (661) 264-3502. Email: birgep@att.net. Website: www.geocities.com/av_gem.
APRIL 29-30; SANTA CRUZ, CA - Santa Cruz Mineral & Gem Society, Corner of Center & Church Streets. Hours: 10-5 both days. Sallee Brumbaugh (831) 336-5662.
MAY 6-7; BAKERSFIELD, CA - Kern County Mineral Society "Art In Stone". Kern County Fairgrounds, 1142 So. P Street. Hours: 10-5 both days. Buster Ordiway (661) 563-8310. Email: CaOrdPTA@aol.com.
MAY 6-7; LONE PINE, CA - Lone Pine Gem & Mineral Society Eastern Sierra Gem & Mineral Show, Tri County Fairgrounds. Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4. Francis Pedneau (760) 876-4319 or Jeff Lines (760) 872-6597. Email: franceem@qnet.com.
MAY 13-14; RENO, NV - Reno Gem & Mineral Society "Jackpot of Gems", Reno Livestock Events Center, Exhibit Hall, 1350 N. Wells Ave. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. John Peterson (No Phone # listed). Email: j+p@powernet.net. There will be open competition for any exhibitor who would like to enter a case.
MAY 19, 20 & 21; ANDERSON, CA - Superior California Gem & Min. Association, Shasta County Fairgrounds. Hours: Fri./Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4. Steve Puderbaugh (530) 365-4000.
MAY 20-21; NEWBURY PARK, CA - Conejo Gem & Mineral Club, Borchard Park Community Center, 190 Reino Rd. Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4:30. Sal Scarpato, Email: SALSCARPATO@SBCGLOBAL.NET.
MAY 20-21; YUCAIPA, CA - Yucaipa Valley Gem & Mineral Society, Yucaipa Community Center, 34900 Oak Glen Road. Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4. William Jochimsen (909) 790-1475. Email: bjm2285@aol.com.
MAY 27-29; WEAVERVILLE, CA - Trinity Gem & Mineral Society, Annual Bigfoot Gemboree. Hours: Sat./Sun. 10-5, Mon. 10-4. Jack Jennewein (530) 778-3786.
JUNE 3-4; GLENDORA, CA - Glendora Gems, 859 E. Sierra Madre. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Bonnie Bidwell (626) 963-4638. Email: Ybidwell2@aol.com.
JUNE 3-4; LA HABRA, CA - North Orange County Gem & Mineral, La Habra, Community Center, 101 W. La Habra Blvd. Hours: 10-5 both days. Don Warthen (626) 330-8974. Email: warthen@earthlink.net.
JUNE 9-11; ANGELS CAMP, CA - Calaveras Gem & Mineral Society "Jump for the Gold" - CFMS GEM & MINERAL SHOW. Hours: 10-5 daily.
SEPTEMBER 23-24; SAN DIEGO, CA - San Diego Lapidary Society, Bernardo Winery, 13330 Paseo Del Vernao Norte, Rancho Bernardo, CA. Hours: 10-4 both days. Kim Hutsell (619) 294-3914. Email: info@sandiegolapidarysociety.org.
OCTOBER 14-15; GRASS VALLEY, CA - Nevada County Gem & Mineral "Earth's Treasures". Nevada County Fairgrounds, 11228 McCourtney Road. Hours: 10-4 both days. Cliff Swenson (530) 272-3752.
OCTOBER 14-15; TRONA, CA - Searles Lake Gem & Mineral Society "Gem-O-Rama", Searles Lake Gem & Mineral, 13337 Main Street. Hours: Sat. 7:30-5, Sun. 7:30-4. Bonnie Fairchild (760) 372-5356. Email: jbfairchild@verizon.net.
OCTOBER 21-22; ANDERSON, CA - Shasta Gem & Mineral Society, Shasta District Fairgrounds. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Alex Stoltz (530) 474-4400.
OCTOBER 28-29; VISTA, CA - Vista Gem & Mineral Society, Brengle Terrace Recreation Center, 1200 Vale Terrace. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Mary Anne Mital (760) 758-4599.
NOVEMBER 11-12; YUBA CITY, CA - Sutter Buttes Gem & Mineral "Festival Of Gems & Minerals", Yuba Sutter Fairgrounds (Franklin Hall), 442 Franklin Avenue. Hours: 9-4 both days. Cliff Swenson (530) 272-3752.
NOVEMBER 18-19; LIVERMORE, CA - Livermore Valley Lithophites, The Barn, 3131 Pacific Avenue. Hours: Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5. Joyce & Dick Friesen (925) 447-8223. Email: friesenjoyce@lxinetcom.net.
NOVEMBER 18-19; OXNARD, CA - Oxnard Gem & Mineral Society, Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way. Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4. Norb Kinsler (805) 644-6450. Show Website: www.ogms.net.

AMERICAN FEDERATION / REGIONAL
SHOW SCHEDULE - 2006.

CALIFORNIA FEDERATION,
June 9-11, Angels Camp, CA.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN,
June 9-11, Stillwater, OK.

MIDWEST,
May 19-21, Southgate, OK.

NORTHWEST,
July 14-16, Kelso, WA.

EASTERN FEDERATION,
November 17-19, West Palm Beach, FL.

SOUTHEASTERN FEDERATION,
August 14-20, Nashville, TN.

SOUTH CENTRAL FEDERATION,
August, Bossier City, LA.

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EDITOR'S NOTE:

I want to thank all those that have contributed to the bulletin and get it to me on a timely basis. It definitely makes our job easier and your input makes it more interesting. We are still in need of photos from your experiences. I think the photo page is fun, but need your input. Sharing is fun for all! Just for the record any unsigned articles are by the Editor.

Trili - The Editor's Pet Trilobite.

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67th ANNUAL CALIFORNIA FEDERATION SHOW.

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EDUCATIONAL CORNER.

Definition of the Month.

Babbitt - A soft, white alloy metal originally formulated by Isaac Babbitt in 1839. Babbitt consists primarily of varying amounts of tin and lead, combined with minor amounts of copper and antimony with trace amounts of iron, zinc, aluminum and bismuth. Known as an anti-friction metal. Babbitt was used extensively in the early mining and petroleum industries for making bearings and as a medium for joining cables together.

Written by Steve Mulqueen for the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, April 2006. The "Definition of the Month" features words related to geology, paleontology, mining and desert history.

Illustration of the Month.

Sonoran Desert, Arizona.

An illustration by Norton Allen, from the book "Lost Desert Bonanzas", written by Eugene L. Conrotto, published by Desert-Southwest Publishers, Palm Desert, California, 1963, page 64.

The "Illustration of the Month" features a drawing, sketch, pen & ink rendering, engraving print or any form of art rediscovered in books, maps, manuscripts and many other sources related to geology, paleontology, mining and desert history. This illustration was chosen for its educational content by Steve Mulqueen, Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, April 2006.

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SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

VGMS PHOTO ALBUM:
2006 Show,
All Photos by Wayne Ehlers.

1. Jean Wise helping at the Kid's Booth.




2. Jim Brace-Thompson helping at the Kid's Booth.




3. Valli Davis welcoming guests at the Hospitality Table.




4. Shoppers at a Dealer's Table.

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SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

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