CULVER CITY ROCK AND MINERAL CLUB P.O. BOX 3324 Culver City, Ca 90231

JUN 2005Monday, June 6, 7:30 pm .................................................Executive Committee Meeting, Rm A

Monday June 13, 7:00 pm................................................General Meeting, Youth Center (Program for the Meeting: Work Show Meeting)

PAGE 1 JUN 2005 THE NUGGET

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEJUNE PROGRAM

Refreshments Members whose last names begin with A through D are requested to bring light desserts such as cookies to the next meeting

OK this is it, June, 2005. Our 44th Fiesta of Gems is known far and wide as the very best of the community-based, club shows in the country. Sell more ticket books. Volunteer more time. Let show-chair Rick Shaffer know how much time you have available on the show dates. Show-set-up-Friday is June 24th. See you there. Our meeting on Monday, June 13th (7:30 as usual) will largely be a work meeting to send out postcard an-nouncements to our Gem Showʼs many loyal Fans. You have to be there to enjoy it!

Edgar, the Prez

“WORK NIGHT FOR OUR ANNUAL SHOW”

At our June meeting several members will be giving hands-on demonstrations in “Stamp Applique”. Also,

a short lecture on proper procedures for complying with Postal Regulations will be given by Delores.

A reliable rumor is going around that Sue Acosta will unveil a specially fabricated , customized CCR&MC banner at the June meeting. I want to see that for sure.

Happy Father’s DayWhat Makes a Dad?

God took the strength of a mountain,The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,The power of the eagles in flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,And there was nothing more to add,

He knew his masterpiece was complete,And He called it – Dad.

MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE MTGMAY 9, 2005

MINUTES OF THE GENERAL MTGMAY 9, 2005

THE NUGGET JUN 2005 PAGE 2

• President Ed Montgomery called the meeting to order at 6:57pm. • Those present: Ed montgomery, Rebecca Crawford, Lynne Lukert, Ted Hanf, Bruce Mensinger, Lucia Pas-quinelli, Dolores Dace, Richard Schaeffer, Lorraine Murphy, Sue Acosta.

• The minutes for April were approved as published in the Nugget. Old Business:• Education Chair: Dolores Dace, showed an article in the Culver City Observer in Jozelle Smithʼs column of April 21 recognizing the Clubʼs donation of books to the Culver City Schools. She will also be making sev-eral school presentations. She suggested that the Club library also have a show case at the Fiesta of Gems as a possible recruiting tool.

• Show report: Chair Richard Schaeffer announced the raffle tickets are ready for distrubution and sign-ups for cases at the Show will be taken tonight. Prizes: 1st prize in the raffle will be a sculpture. The $100.00 prize should possibly be in dollar coins. He also announced a $100.00 gift certficate for Avenue restaurant in Manhat-tan Beach. Grab bags; Sue Acosta announced that 100 bags are ready to be made and will pass them out at the meeting. There are still several positions to fill, espe-cially Head Security to coordinate things. Several busi-ness donations were also mentioned to be collected. • Trading Post: Lorraiine Murphy, Chair, asked for clarification of the start up. The new Door Prize will be awarded tonight. The winner will be a number picked at random, using the member sign-up list. It was de-cided to hold a separate Executive meeting on June 6 at 7:00pm. • The meeting was adjourned at 7:25pm.

Respectfully submitted,Sue Acosta,

Recording Secretary

• President Ed Montgomery called the meeting to or-der at 7:35pm, who led the Pledge of Allegiance. • A quorum was established. • The minutes for April were approved as published in the Nugget. • Membership Chair: Lucia Pasquinelli introduced 4 new members, Monika Schiel, Clifford Godbold, Charles Pribus and Alex Bilenko

• An announcement was made about the mention in Jozelle Smithʼs column in the Culver City Observer of April 21 of the donation of books by the Club the the Culver City schools. • Our speakers donated 2 booklets about the Lewis and Clark expedition as additional door prizes. • Show Report: Chair Richard Schaeffer anounnced that the raffle ticket books are available tonight. Each club member is expected to take at least 1 book of tick-ets valued at $10.00. Ticket books will be mailed to absent members. Sign-ups for display cases will be taken tonight. Several positions are still available for the Show. Ellen Moe announced that she needs mineral chips for the free sample bags to be given to children at the Show. Sue Acosta passed out grab bags to be made and Rebecca Crawford, Jean Grosse and Lorraine Mur-phy volunteered to do them. • The Door Prize drawing was held. • The Trading Post will be held during the break. • The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 pm.

Respectfully submitted, Sue Acosta,

Recording Secretary

PAGE 3 JUN 2005 THE NUGGET

PROGRAM REPORT WORKSHOP

The program was titled: “Along the Lewis and Clark Trail” published by the American Federation of Min-eral Societies and was presented by Isabelle and Bill Burns, who have held office in both the national and the California Federation. They passed out a fascinating map of the trail taken. When President Jefferson devised the expedi-tion, he wanted it to study the flora and fauna, the minerals(especially salt), and map the rivers and land. Mrs. Burns discussed several of the books written about the expedition, in particular one based on the actual journals and their interpretation. She showed various minerals mentioned along the way, including flint from Ohio, coal, limestone from Missouri. The selection of the members of the expedition was explained. They had to have specific skills, the more the better. Last year there was a re-enactment trying to be as faithful as possible to the original. In Rockport, Lewis and Clark found a large red rock of flint stone which no longer exists, having been used up by travellers. In Kansas they found a yellow rock , red rocks, possibly pipe stone. They noticed also that there were large boulders on land, but flat rocks on the river bottoms. It was posited that during the ice-age the flat ones were caused by the glaciers, while the large boulders had resisted the force of the glaciers. In Iowa the only man to die on the expedition, Floyd, died of probably appendicitis. The expedition tried to estab-lish cordial relations with all the Indian tribes they met. Many of the tribes provided lots of help. They spent the first winter at Mandan. They sent their keelboat back to St. Louis and then on to Washington with various speci-mens gathered, including stuffed prairie dogs and birds. Various ways were used to test the minerals found: lick-ing, weighing, grinding up and jeating. Lewis got sick from some of the testing, possibly arsenic. Some of the minerals found by the rivers then are hard to find now due to the change in course of the rivers. Crossing the Continental Divied they saw obsidian. The booklet on the expedition can be found on the internet at: amfed.org. It can be read or copied. It was a very interesting presentation.

Respectfully submitted,Sue Acosta

Recording Secretary.

“WIREWRAPPING WORKSHOP”

Come and join us at the wire wrapping workshop with Emily Klein on Sunday, June 12, at Noon at

Rosalieʼs house in Culver City. We will be wire-wrapping a coin and thought it would be nice to wire wrap the new Susan B. Anthony dollar. If you really do not want to do a coin just bring another stone and Emily will work with you. The cost is $20 plus, of course, your wire. Usually, Emily has extra to sell but if you have your own please bring it. You will need square and half round wire, flat nose pliers, round nose pliers, cutters, a little mat to work on, and optivisors if you cant see. Please e-mail Rosalie at rsp@msk.com or call 310-312-3185 if you would like to attend.

Rosalie PeschelWorkshops

John Rado, husband of the late Sally Rado and long-time mem-ber of the CCR&MC, passed away on May 7 at the age of 93.John had been living in North Carolina for the last few years to be close to his daughter and her family. He had been in declining health for some time. Among other things, it was John who built the public address system that the club uses during its annual Fiesta of Gems shows. Condolences can be sent to Johnʼs daughter and son-in-law at the following address:

Elaine & Arthur Raynolds, P.O. Box 334,

Lake Toxaway, NC 28747.

Respectfully submitted,Beth Rosengard

IN MEMORIAM

SUNSHINE REPORT

SHOP REPORT

THE NUGGET JUN 2005 PAGE 4

CABOCHONS

Cabochons. When does it make sense to make your own instead of buying them commercially finished? Realistically, none of us can compete on price for standard quality cabs unless we are willing to work for starvation wages. Com-mercial cabs are made in low wage countries by workers who are very experienced at turning out standard quality quickly. Machine made cabs are becoming more com-mon too. In addition, there is no waste when you buy. No cracked pieces, no voids or pits show up unexpectedly. It is all so easy. Nevertheless, I believe there are some good, sane reasons to make your own.To whit: You have a very special piece of stone, yours or a customerʼs. Clearly there is no commercial product available. The choices are to proceed or not depending on what you believe you can make or on negotiated cost with your customer. You want an unusual size or shape. Commercial cabs are made in a wide variety of sizes and standard shapes. If you want something different it may be worth making your own. Consider starting with a commercial bought cab that can be modified to your special need. The ma-

terial is proven to be free of large flaws and much of the work has been done already. You need it TODAY! and you have the raw stone and equipment. Yes, but if tomorrow will do, there is overnight delivery. Also, a local rock shop or jewelery supply may be within easy driving distance. You can do a better job of shaping and polishing. In-expensive commercial stones are made fast and no bet-ter than they have to be in order to attract buyers. You,

on the other hand, may set a higher standard and can at-tract customers who appre-ciate the difference. Note: This applies especially to faceting; skilled amateurs make better polished, more accurately faceted gems. You want to give a gift you made yourself. This is as good a reason as any. When skill and love work together, good things re-sult. You never made a cab

yourself and want to try your hand at it. There is satis-faction in making what can be bought. You learn more about what you may have been taken for granted. You may learn to better appreciate the value in low priced commercial goods. This should be a part of everyoneʼs education. You like to make cabs, time and cost are not a con-sideration. Cabs are fun to make. Bringing beauty out of a rough stone is a satisfying enterprise. I can think of no better way to occupy oneʼs time than doing what you enjoy.

Bruce MensingerShop Chair

Our Warmest Wishes goes out to two of our Members, Harry Ohnoki and Leda Rogers who havenʼt been up to par lately. Hope to see you both back at the bench soon and will be able to display your amazing work at the Fiesta of Gems in June.

Lili Gelberg, Sunshine

MINERAL REPORT

PAGE 5 JUN 2005 THE NUGGET

TURQUOISE

European introduction to turquoise, the blue min-eral, came by way of Turkey, so they called it the Turky Stone. The Turks used it extensively for adornment, even decorating their war horses with good luck charms of turquoise for victory. Through various translations the name finally emerged as the French form of tur-cois,--turquois. Now it is considered proper to add an “e” to the ending. The Turks obtained turquoise from Persia, and it was mined from the Nishapur deposits near the Caspian Sea where it was called piruzeh. Persian turquoise has long been considered the finest and is used as the standard of comparison. The best is a beautiful sky blue and hard. In early Egypt, tur-quoise was called mafkat and was mined on the Si-nai Peninsula. The Egyp-tians used it for cosmetic purposes and for inlays in jewelry. Turquoise de-posits are located mostly in arid regions. Turquoise is also found in Tibet, China, Turkistan, Afghanistan, Arabia, Australia and in a few countries in South America. Although present in Mexico, the Aztecs are believed to have obtained their turquoise from Nevada and New Mexico. In the United States, there are deposits of turquoise in New Jersey, Virginia, Alabama, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California. Many older, fine mines have been depleted or closed because of various problems. A great number of turquoise de-posits in the western states have been discovered by in-dividuals coming across primitive but extensive mine workings by prehistoric peoples. In the late 1890s such workings were found in San Bernardino County, California. The mines were round pits up to 30 feet across and about 15 feet deep. These were found over a 60 square mile area. Many stone tools

were found in the diggings. These deposits have been worked since their discovery but are now dormant. Turquoise is an hydrated aluminum phosphate with the composition CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8.4H2O and is blue in color. It can carry small amounts of iron as a sub-stitute for aluminum, and when the mineral contains iron the color is green. Small amounts of both will give color variations in between. A form in which zinc replaces the aluminum is called faustite. The color is apple green. In some forms of turquoise, iron will sub-stitute for copper. Hardness is 5-6 for turquoise and faustite is 5 ?. Turquoise is cryptocrystalline and opaque and has a pale bluish streak. The mineral has a waxy luster if the structure is dense, otherwise it can be earthy or chalky. Its fracture is conchoidal, and it is soluble in HCl. Crys-talline structure for turquoise is triclinic and transparent

with a vitrious lus-ter. The only crys-tals that have been found were very small ones that oc-cur in Virginia. Turquoise forms through the action of ground water fil-tering through alu-minum- bearing al-tered igneous rock, sedimentary rock, altered granites, altered monzonite and also copper or zinc deposits.

Cracks and fissures become filled with the resulting material. The turquoise mineral will also deposit as sta-lactites or kaolin covered nodules some quite large and as seams, and veins. The matrix in turquoise can vary in its content. Some are ochre colored from limonite, dark silver gold col-ored from pyrite and blackish from iron or cherts. Some specimins have a black matrix from a black jaspilite that cements brecciated turquoise. Turquoise should not be exposed to perfumes or oils since it can be porous and will absorb material which can cause discoloration. Some claim these materials can cause the blue to turn green, which is open to de-bate since some turquoise is green to begin with. How-ever, they can darken and discolor the mineral. And,

THE NUGGET JUN 2005 PAGE 6

BIRTHDAYS

turquoise should not be exposed to hard handling since it is brittle and can crack or scratch. There are interesting Tibetan cabochons being sold that have been recut from antique turquoise. These tend to be on the green side but are very pretty. China has produced some very fine turquoise, but it also produces treated or stabilized material. Much Chinese turquoise that is sold in the North America has been stabilized. The same situation exists in the United States, because we also have some poor quality turquoise, however, according to rules that have been established it has to be declared as such. Treatment of turquoise can take several forms and it is questionable that any can be considered in a positive light. Much turquoise is light colored and/or chalky. It can be sealed with artificial resin which can make the stone more resistant, but the stone under the resin remains the same as before. The color can also be en-hanced, but only before the addition of resin. Turquoise can be waxed, stained, and plastic impregnated or treat-ed with a colloidal silica. Observation with a loupe will show some differences. Natural turquoise will show the texture of the stone, whereas when treated it will show deep color and a smooth surface with any existing blemishes filled in. Another form of alteration or deception if you will, is the production of synthetic and simulated turquoise. Gilson makes artificial stones both in uniform blue col-or and spider-web. There are two forms of faked tur-quoise, reconstituted and reconstructed. Reconstituted turquoise is earthy material that is pressure-impreg-nated with hot acrylic resins. Reconstructed turquoise is produced in the laboratory by means of pulverized turquoise. So buy from a reputable dealer when buying. There are fine cabochons still out there from some of the old mines that produced quality turquoise. Check the inter-net for the good companies selling turquoise and have plenty of money.

Lorraine Murphy, Mineral Chair

MEMBERSHIP

We Rock!

Please welcome our 4 new members:

Monika SchielClifford Godbold Charles Pribus

Alex Bilenko

Thanks for joining!

A message to all of us, members: the Fiesta of Gems Show is at the door; this is a great chance to put our pas-sion for earth sciences and lapidary arts to work – letʼs spread the word around and bring to the Show as many people as possible, your friends, your neighbors, pass-ers by… let them get involved in appreciating, loving, studying, and helping our beautiful Earth!

Lucia PasquinelliMembership co-Chair

1825 N. Kingsley Dr., # 507Los Angeles, CA 90027

David Champion 1-JunTed Hanf 1-Jun-Woody Shaffer 1-JunGary Hilaiel 2-JunM.A. Cohen 7-Jun Alex Jepson 11-Jun

Wilbert Williams 16-Jun Holly Redheffer 19-Jun Mary Ellen Shaffer 21-Jun Vern Lowe 27-Jun

Field Trip Tip: Donʼt lick ricks to bring out the color! At least one death has been attributed to a fungus con-tracted by licking a reck specimen. Arsenic, mercury, selenium, some of the boron minerals, and some of the phosphates can be deadly. CARRY A SQUEEZE BOTTLE OF WATER!via News Nuggets(Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club)4/04,via RollinʼRock 4/05

PAGE 7 JUN 2005 THE NUGGET

ANNOUNING

“The 2005 California Federation Show”

ROSEVILLE GEM & MINERAL BLAST 2005

Roseville (Placer County) Fairgrounds800 All America City Blvd., Roseville, CA JUNE 10 - 12, 20 Fri & Sat: 10 am - 6 pm

Sun: 10 am - 4 pm

MONTHLY SHOW DATESJUNE 2005

SHOW REPORT

4-5 GLENDORA, CA: Glendora Gems: Goddary Middle School, 859 E. Sierra Madre; Hours: Sat. 10-5 Sun.10-4

4-5 LA HABRA, CA: North Orange County Gem & Mineral Society; Jubilee of Gems Show; La Habra Community Center, 101 W. La Habra Blvd.; Hours: 10-5 both days

3-5 SAN JOSE, CA: International Gift & Fashion Expo. Gem & Jewelry Show; San Jose Convention Center.

4-5 SAN FRANCISCO,CA: San Francisco Crystal Fair. Laguna Ave. & Marina Blvd. 4th, 10-6; 5th, 10-4. 10-12 ROSEVILLE, CA: CFMS & Roseville Gem & Mineral Blast; Roseville (Placer County) Fairgrounds800 All American City Blvd; 10th & 11th, 10-6; 12th, 10-4.

19-20 CAYYCOS, CA: San Luis Obispo Gem & Min-eral Club; Cayucos Veteranʼs Hall --at the end of the pier in Cayucos; Hours: Sun. 9 - 6; Mon. 9 - 5

“COME AND HELP AT YOUR SHOW”

26-27 CULVER CITY, CA: Culver City Rock & Min-eral Club, “Theme is Turquoise” Culver City Veterans Memorial Complex; 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City; Corner of Overland Ave. & Culver Blvd; Hours: Sat. 10-6 Sun 10-5

Well here we all are again, on the verge of another

Fiesta of Gems Show. As we all know, our show is the best around these parts, and as such I want all of our members to take a moment and think about what this show means to the members and to the club.

Where else can you take your objects of your hard labor and put them on display so your other members and the community at large can see what youʼve spent all that labor and maybe a little cash on. What other time or place does the club members come together to see each other and be seen. It has been (and still will be) exciting to bring this show to itʼs conclusion, and I only hope each of the club members takes time to come and see what our dealers have for them, to come and see each others works of art, and to give back to the club a little of their time and en-ergy. By each of us doing a little something, whether itʼs by setting up tables, or moving display cases, or walking around on secu-rity patrol we all help the club to run a little better and put on a better show.

I just want to express my thanks to all of the volun-teers, helpers, and strong backs that have and will make this an incredible show this year.

I also wanted to give our vendors a little advertise-ment by reminding you and any of the people youʼve talked to about coming to the show, to stop by each of our vendors and discover all of their wonderful items they have to sell (we all stock up a little at the show).

Please remember to drop me an e-mail and let us know if you can help out during the show. We can always use an extra hand, and thanks again to all of you who have volunteered already.

Rick ShafferShow Chair

maryellenandrick@aol.com

OFFICERS & CHAIRPERSONS 2005

PRESIDENT .....................................................Ed MontgomeryVICE PRESIDENT................................................Gary MitchellTREASURER..................................................Rebecca Crawford RECORDʼG SECRETARY...........................................Sue AcostaCORRESP. SECRETARY..........................................Leda RogersFEDERATION DIRECTOR.......................................Brad SmithFIELD TRIPS......................................................Christian Burke co-chair OPEN HISTORIAN............................................. ...........Rosalie PeschelLIBRARIANS................................................................Ted HanfMEMBERSHIP.............................................................Ellen Burr (co-chair: Lucia Pasquinelli)MINERALS..................................................... Lorraine MurphyPARLIAMENTARIAN........................................................OPENPHOTOGRAPHER....................................................Leda Rogers (co-chair: Sylvia Binkley)

PROGRAMS........................................................................OPEN (co-chair - Ed Montgomery)PUBLICATIONS....................................................Lynne LukertPUBLICITY...............................................................Janice Metz SHOW..........................................................Leda Rogers

Richard ShafferSHOP ................................................................Bruce MensingerSOCIAL...............................................................................OPENSUNSHINE................................................................Lili GelbergTRADING POST.............................................Lorraine MurphyWEBMASTER...................................................Christian Burke

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ed Montgomery (2005)

Ted Hanf (2005) Bruce Mensinger (2006)

Lynne Lukert (2006)Sue Acosta (2007)

Lorraine Murphy (2007)

The NuggetThe deadline for all submissions is generally the 15th of every month. All articles or notes without a byline are written by the Editor. Permission to copy is freely given as long as proper credit is noted. The Nugget accepts paid advertisements by club members and non-members. The cost for an eight of a page (approx.. 2” high x 3.5” wide) is $7 per insertion, payable in advance. Ad location is at the discretion of the Editor. Ad layouts, copy, or business cards must be received by the 10th of the month. Send materials directly to Lynne Lukert, Editor, 513 1/2 N. Norton Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90004

PAGE 8JUN 2005THE NUGGET

SHOP INFORMATION

The shop is open to all members in good standing over the age of 13 (13-18 have certain restrictions) who sign an indemnification form. Instruction is available at all sessions. Practice slabs are available.Location: 10866 Culver Blvd. in Culver City (behind the Boy Scout clubhouse and next to the paddle tennis courts)Shop Phone: (310)836-4611Hours: Tuesday 7:30pm - 9:30pm Gary MitchellWednesday 10:00am - 2:00pm Bruce Mensinger(open by appointment)Thurdsay 10:00am - 2:00pm Woody ShafferSaturday 11:00am - 3:00pm Lynne LukertSunday 1:00pm - 4:00pm Bruce Mensinger

If no one shows, the shop may close early. If you plan to arrive at the shop more than a half hour after the opening time, phone the instructor

DUES & FEESOne time Initiation Fees:

Individuals $20.002 Persons/Same Address $25.00Juniors $15.00

Yearly Membership Dues:Individuals $25.002 Persons/Same Address $35.00Juniors $10.00

(After July 1, dues are $15.00, $25.00 and $5.00 respectively.)

MEETING SCHEDULES

General Meetings are held the second Monday of every month* at 7:30 p.m. in the Culver City Youth Center,413 Overland Ave. Enter from the rear door. Guests are always welcome.

Executive Committee Meetings are held the first Monday of every month* in a meeting room behind the Veterans Auditorium. All club members are welcome.

*Meeting days occasionally change due to Monday holidays or, in July, because of the Fiesta Of Gems show (June 26, 27, 2004).

The purpose of the CULVER CITY ROCK & MINERAL CLUB is to bring together persons interested in the earth sciences, to engage in research and study in this realm, and to assist members in the collection and preservation of rocks and minerals and in the study of lapidary and related arts.........................................................................................................................http://www.culvercityrocks.org

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the Nugget Lynne Lukert, editor 513 1/2 N. Norton Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90004