Gem Crafters & Explorer's Club Bulletin, Las Cruces, NM

Affiliated with the AFMS and the RMFMS

EL GAMBRISINO
April 2010 - Volume 52, Issue 4

Previous Meeting:
As this was our annual fund raising Raffle only a very short business meeting was held. President Dave Smith announced that the RMFMS Show and meeting would be on April 24th in Wichita, KS and asked if anyone would be interested in attending as a Delegate. There was no response so he will send out the information via email to the club. If no response he will send in a proxy form. Don Saathoff announced that next year's raffle prices would be going up. The tickets will be Fifty Cents each or three for a Dollar which is still a bargain. Don Saathoff announced that the topic of the Mineral Meeting will be sulfides and for the attendees to please bring one with them. The meeting then adjourned to the "Raffle" with Don Saathoff calling numbers and Molly Wilkinson, Kristine Kitchens and Cookie Saathoff selling and verifying tickets. Dominic, a young guest, was also a big help to his Grandfather Don. Note: the Treasurer's Report was received after the meeting. There is $1,627.59 in the bank. One check was written to Faith Hutson in the amount of $12 for supplies for the refreshment box. Thanks to Nancy McDonald & Dorian Rudin for refreshments.

Here is a short list of some of the Sulfides that we looked at: Chalcocite, Bornite, Galena, Sphalerite, Chalcopyrite, Millerite, Orpiment, and Stibnite to name a few. As you can see it's a very interesting group of minerals.

Reminders & General Info:

The next meeting will be, as usual, the third Friday, April the 16th, Room 189, Breland Hall on the NMSU campus at 6:30 for social and 7 PM for the meeting, program to be announced later. Eric has discovered a tour that takes place out of Bayard, NM. It is a history and commentary on the underground mines of the Central Mining District (Bayard, Vanadium, Hanover and Santa Rita). It is led by Terry Humble who is a retired hard rock miner. The Corre Caminos bus will hold as many as 40 people. The only place you get off the bus is at the Santa Rita overlook. I can personally vouch for this trip as Don Saathoff and I took it a while back. Terry is very knowledgeable - the knowledge coming from actual experience - and is an excellent speaker besides being a wealth of information on the area mines. The bus is roomy and clean. The cost will be determined by when the trip occurs but is very inexpensive. If you are interested call or email Eric or I and we'll see if enough people are interested to warrant setting up the tour. There would be time after the tour to do some exploring on our own. The Doa Ana Archaeological Society will meet at 7 PM Tuesday, 13 April 2010, at the Good Samaritan Auditorium, 3011 Buena Vida Circle, Las Cruces. The program will be a presentation by two NMSU graduate students on the recent research of a stage stop on the Butterfield Trail west of Las Cruces. Chad Norrad will present The Rough and Ready Stage Stop Along the Butterfield Trail: An Archaeological and Historical Perspective which will discuss the results of the excavations at the stage stop. Beth Griffith will present Seeing Beneath the Soil, the remote sensing tools and studies used to locate the buried features and deposits at the stage station. The meeting is free and open to the public. Info 575-524-9497.

Mineral Meeting News:

The theme was Sulfides this month. We all brought samples and Don had many of his own specimens on display. There was much discussion on what a Sulfide is, how formed and so forth. While there are some eighty sulfides only those of iron, copper and zinc are abundant. They are characterized by dark colors, metallic lusters, high specific gravities (heavy) and low tenacities. Several samples were tested and Don gave us a demonstration of how to test a mineral using a blow pipe. He said that its use is no longer taught in schools and feels that this is a shame. Not everyone has the expensive equipment that replaces this test at their fingertips.

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"THE RAFFLE"
Don Saathoff along with his helpers - his grandson Dominic, Molly Wilkinson and Kristine Kitchens - ran a smooth and fast paced show. As usual there was a big turnout for this event and most arrived early to put out their raffle items and to buy their tickets before the very short meeting started. Enough goodies were brought to fill the long table and one desk to overflowing. The most prized items were Jon Stewart's hand made walking sticks, Mitch Mauer's knapped arrowheads and some good mineral specimens. Of course they went to the first people called. The surprise of the evening was a five gallon bucket with a roll of toilet paper on top that was avoided all evening. It was finally picked by Eric Fuller and much to his surprise when he opened it up it held one of Pat Mauer's beautiful handmade quilts. I didn't get a picture of it unfortunately but it was a treasure for sure.

Molly Wilkinson, Don Saathoff & Dominic

Just one of the Raffle item bearing tables

Wilma & Bob Hutson showing off their newly acquired headgear - Down right snappy.

It looks like Marie Mathewson about bought out the ticket supply. At the end of the Raffle Cookie announced that we had taken in $172. Thanks go out to all the participants and Don and his crew for making this another good fun filled fund raiser. Now it's time to start planning and saving up for next year. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel, and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office, and asked them to move along. "But why," they asked, as they moved off. "Because," he said. "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer

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Apache Cave Field Trip - Sat. 3/20/10

It was kind of cool the Saturday morning we all met at Love's Truck Stop. There were eight of us, seven of which were all primed for the strenuous hike to Apache Cave in the Florida Mountains just east of Deming. The last mile or so of road was rocky and rough but the view from our jumping off spot was breathtaking. We arrived early and took the mandatory group picture after which Eric led the group off and up the rapidly climbing trail which was composed of mostly loose rock. Wisdom which they say comes with age (and I've got age) made me decide to stay down low and check out the area. It was still breezy but warmed up somewhat. It wasn't to long before Cecy returned all out of breath and said she had enough of those loose rocks and was going home.
The Eye of the Needle from Apache Cave

They came trooping back one by one with stories of the trek, loose talus, rocks, cactus and rattlers. Bill Pickert almost stepped on one and still had the presence of mind to photograph it. Good job Bill.

Maxine, Cecy, Patti, Marie, Kathy & Eric. Dave & Bill missing. Bill Pickert photo.

The group made it up to the cave in good time. Following are two of Dave Shogren's pictures taken of the pictograph and of the Eye of the Needle from inside the cave. Our next stop up the road a piece was the Bradley Mine ruins. This one we drove right up to. The metal detectors came out as did the cameras. It's an interesting old mine, lots of wood and "stuff" lying around. We did some hiking there checking out things and photographing the few wildflowers that were out. Then Eric and Bill got together and decided that we should go hunt up an old WWII bombing range at the southern end of the Florida's. Now here was the trip to end all trips with many very nasty roads, arroyos and even a rock climb before the Mesquites got us and we turned back. Thankfully we didn't have to go back the way we came as there was a road that headed off to the Deming Ranchettes in the flats. It was an exhilarating day to be sure - hiking, 4 wheeling, lots of beautiful scenery and even some poppies in the mountains. As for those poppies, we were told that we should have been there last week (sounds like the fish stories I used to hear way back in my other life). It was another great day spent with good friends in beautiful New Mexico.

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Rockhounding Clues & Tips

By C. E. Johnson
There are many clues out there in the field to guide us, so we just need to know what they are and what they mean, and of course we need to be observant and curious, or we will be just wasting our time. Assuming that we are already out there in the field, anything that appears uncommon or odd such as rust or stains, sudden changes in color of rock or its grain-size, or differences in compositions, may be worth investigating closely, for instance, rust or stains could be oxidation products of mineral deposits containing one or more metalbearing minerals such as those of iron, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, manganese, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, Bismuth and silver (in the form of a chloride). Metal-bearing deposits, of course, indicate a mineralized area, so whether or not you are interested in the metals, such an area is very much worth investigating for other types of minerals. However, even many of those metallic minerals often occur in very attractive forms, whether beautifully crystallized or not. Sudden changes in color of a rock formation could mean segregations or differentiations of some of the rocks accessory minerals (which are more desirable or valuable than the usual common rock-making minerals), or hydrothermal alteration of parts of the rock formations (which is a good indicator of mineralizing solutions in the area). Any increase in texture or grain size of an intrusive igneous rock formation such as one of the granite family, would be especially encouraging for several reasons. because one or more of the rocks accessory minerals would be especially valuable in larger sizes; and such rock formations often breed pegmatites, which are always very much worth exploring because of their very special valuable minerals typically occurring in very large sizes, and often very well crystallized. Of course, probably most of us are familiar with quartz or calcite vein material, and the significance of it.; and the presence of certain indicator minerals, and other clues are always a plus, but I cant include them all in this article. Lava flows with many cavities (or bubble-holes), are fairly obvious, and they are often happy-hunting-ground for agate material and zeolite crystals, etc. Our best clues are rock formations, to begin with, if we are familiar with them, because areas can be chosen before leaving home, simply by using geologic maps, which describe the types of rock formations shown in any particular area. However, with or without a geologic map, the usual clues as shown above are standard procedure for rockhounds and prospectors. We always have rock formations wherever we go, and the types of formations determine whether or not any of the above clues will exist in any given area; and what those clues will be and what minerals to expect, so learning enough about rocks and minerals to be able to use geologic maps as a very valuable tool is of course the best approach to rockhounding and prospecting, and I highly recommend it.

This and your usual visits to the usual pay-to-dig collecting sites compliment each other perfectly. There are many potential areas out there, and geologic maps are a great help in choosing which areas are favorable for which type of minerals before leaving home, and of course, will guide you in the field. Its not necessary, of course, to be familiar with rock formations to explore for minerals, but if you are naturally curious and you enjoy exploring, at least do yourself a favor and take samples and make notes of those curious-looking areas while traveling to & from those pay-to-dig collecting sites, and find out what your rock samples are and what relationship they may have with what kinds of minerals. Surely theres someone in your community that you can ask about it, at schools or libraries, universities or colleges, local U. S. G. S. Offices, or Bureau of Land Management, or forestry service offices, etc. Happy hunting!

White Buffalo Turquoise:

When discovered in the Dry Creek Mine on the Shoshone Indian Reservation near Battle Mountain, Nevada, in 1993, they were not sure what it was. Because of its hardness, it was decided to send it to have it assayed and their suspicions proved correct; it was in fact white turquoise. It was not until 1996, however, that it was finally made into jewelry . Turquoise gets its color from the heavy metals in the ground where it forms. Blue turquoise forms where there is copper present, which is the case with most Arizona turquoises. Green turquoise forms where iron is present; the case with most Nevada turquoises. White turquoise forms where there are no heavy metals present which turns out to be a very rare occurrence. To date, no other vein of white turquoise has been discovered anywhere else and when this current vein runs out, that will be the last of it. Because white turquoise is as rare as a white buffalo, the Indians call it "White Buffalo" turquoise. NOTE: There is another source for White Buffalo Tonopah, NV. The Ottesons have a large turquoise mine there and have discovered several small veins of White Buffalo. But it is still a rare find. For more info see website: http://www.tonopahturquoise.com/6.html Via: The Voice, El Paso Gem & Mineral Society, Dec. 2008 Odontolite - Tooth Stone or Bone Turquoise is actually the bones and teeth of animals, fossilized and colored blue or green by iron phosphate. Its organic texture reveals its origin. Source: Golden Spike News Dec. 2006 via Rock Chips Dec 2007

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April Birthstone, Diamond Compiled by Roger K. Pabian, Research Geologist, Emeritus School of Nat. Resources, UNL Diamond images courtesy of Bob Fixter.
Although diamond is probably the most popular and discussed gemstone, it has probably been in use for a shorter time than any of the other gems that are commonly used in modern times. The reason for this is because lapidaries did not learn to fashion diamond until about the 15th Century when it was discovered that one diamond would abrade another. India is probably the oldest known source of diamonds but South Africa became the major supplier by the late 19th Century. Historic sources of diamond have also been in Brazil. Review of current literature such as Levinson (1998a, 1998b) show that there have been important diamond finds in California, Colorado, Russia, Australia and Canada. Diamond is composed of the element Carbon---it crystallized in the isometric system; that is, there are three crystallographic axes that are all of equal length and are perpendicular to one another. In addition to the axial relationships, the crystal can have a center of symmetry, 3 axes of fourfold symmetry, 4 axes of threefold symmetry, 6 axes of twofold symmetry, and 9 planes of symmetry. In a mineralogical text, these symmetry elements would appear as: C, 3A4, 4A3, 6A2, 9P. An isometric crystal can be defined by numerous forms including a cube (6 faces), an octahedron (8 faces), a dodecahedron (12 faces), a pyritohedron (12 faces), tetrahexahedron (24 faces), a trapezohedron (24 faces) etc. To complicate issues, one form may be superimposed over another such as an octahedron modifying a cube such that the cube appears to have its corners cut off. The superimposition of faces can be

quite extreme and an isometric crystal can show several forms superimposed over another. All of these different modifications of the basic isometric crystal can exist within a volume that fills a space occupying one unit by one unit by one unit. The hardness of diamond is 10 on the Mohs Scale---there is nothing harder. The figure 10 could be said represent the "average" hardness of a diamond. Diamond is not equally hard on all of the theoretical crystal faces that exist in the unit cube above. The dodecahedral faces are just slightly softer than the cube faces or the octahedral faces. If the cube or octahedral faces are 10 hard, then we may think of the dodecahedral faces as being 9.999 hard. It is this fact that makes it possible to shape and polish diamonds. In this figure, the crystal faces marked with d are just a bit softer than the others; those softer faces make diamond shaping and finishing possible. Diamond crystals have 4 perfect cleavages that are parallel to the octahedral crystal faces. These cleavages are useful to the lapidary as they make it possible to reduce a large, irregular shaped crystal to smaller, more manageable pieces. Apparent planes of cleavage where the stone might break easily are usually selected as separation planes when the crystal is cleaved. The cleavage operation is carried out with a specially shaped chisel and mallet. Many diamonds are now treated with a diamond saw rather than cleaving but the skilled diamond worker still must know the art of cleaving a stone as this is the only some pieces can be handled. Diamond has a fairly high refractive index: 2.417. That figure measures how much a beam of light is bent and slowed down when it enters the diamond. The high refractive index is what causes the diamond to have its adamantine luster. Diamond has a very high dispersion (0.044), the ability of a substance to break white light down into its component colors. The dispersion is what causes a faceted diamond to show many

colors when it is moved about in the light. Lapidary hobbyists have finished very few diamonds. There are several reasons for this. First is the availability of rough material. Most of the world's diamonds are sold by a monopoly that makes parcels of stones available to cutting houses at sightings that are held only several times a year. The parcels are priced at several millions of dollars each and there is no high grading. The buyer must buy either all or none. In many instances several cutting houses must act together as one to purchase a parcel of diamonds. This effectively eliminates Corner Lapidary Shoppe from the list of potential buyers. On rare occasions, a piece of suitable rough diamond might reach the hobbyist. The typical faceting unit that is used by the hobbyist or even a commercial colored stone lapidary won't begin to handle a diamond. A small hobby unit will have a 1/30 horsepower to 1/15 Horse Power motor for power. The units used for diamonds have at least a one horsepower motor. The typical hobby unit will have a 6 inch or 8 inch lap whereas the units for diamond will have an 18 inch lap. The shaping and polishing of a diamond generates enough friction that a mechanical dop must be used as dop waxes will melt when diamonds are being fashioned. Neutral oil such as olive oil is usually used to reduce friction in diamond finishing. Proportions of the finished stone are important to produce the best result. The diagram below shows the ideal proportions for a diamond; these have been determined both experimentally and in practice. If the pavilion is too deep, the center of the stone will appear dark and if is too shallow, the stone will appear washed out. A diamond appraiser will determine the weight of the properly proportioned stone that can be derived from a finished stone and use that as the weight of appraisal. The cost of refashioning the diamond to a properly proportioned

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stone is then deducted from the evaluation. This prevents the lapidary from inflating the price of the stone by inflating the weight. Diamonds are useful for several geological purposes. Petrologists have thought that the tiny inclusions in diamonds that are commonly

called "carbon spots" (but rarely are) and include such minerals as pyrope garnet, olivene, and pyrrhotite are tiny samples of the earth's mantle, that zone that is about 30 miles beneath the earth's crust. Thus, inclusions in diamonds may provide some examples of the mantles makeup. Some geologists

have suggested that the distribution of diamonds between continents shows examples of spreading ocean basins and provides strong evidence for plate tectonics.

For Further Reading

*Gubelin, E. J., 1974. Internal world of gemstones: documents from space and time. ABC Editions, Zurich, 234 p. *Hurlbut, C., 1963. Dana's Manual of Mineralogy, 17th Ed., John Wiley & Sons, New York, 609 p. *Levinson, A. A., 1998a. (Editor). Diamonds in Gemological Abstracts. Gems and Gemology, v. 34, Spring 1998, p. 70-73. *_____, 1998b. (Editor). Diamonds in Gemological Abstracts. Gems and Gemology, v. 34, p. 308-310. *Schumann,W., 1977. Gemstones of the World. Sterling Publishing Company, New York, 256 p. *Shipley, R. M., 1971. Dictionary of Gems and Gemology. Gemological Institute of America, Los Angeles, CA, 227 p. *Willis, B., and Willis, R., 1934. Geologic Structures. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York-London, 544 p.

*************************************************************************************************************** Request an American Food for thought!

Try to remember this EVERY TIME you have to talk to a customer service representative and you cannot understand them. I did not know that we could do this, but I sure am going to try it. Help bring jobs back to the U.S.A. Ask for an American! I want to share with you some great information that I found out purely by accident. I believe it can also save and create jobs in America while giving people better customer service. So, how many times have you called a companies service phone line and found that the rep. can barely speak English? Once with a major mortgage company it was so bad I demanded to speak with someone who spoke English. Right at that moment I broke the code, the secret password for customer service. Come to find out that every American company using overseas operators must transfer you to an American rep. by saying....... "I want to speak to a representative in America ". (Don't take no for an answer on this) This was confirmed by the American rep....that they must transfer you after that request. I've tried it on a half a dozen major companies including cable, bank, phone and mortgage companies. It works every time and I actually get my So, how many times have you called a companies service phone line and found that the rep. can barely speak issues taken care of. Another thing to help save even more jobs.... don't use the automated self check out lanes they are pushing at the big box stores. Once again, I found out that if we use those check outs rather than cashiers, people lose their jobs too. I've refused to use the automated check outs and have had two cashiers already thank me for help saving their job. Demand American customer service reps..... www.snopes.com From the internet.

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"A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy." -- Samuel Adams --

Another Global Warming Protest

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Volume 52, Issue 4 April 2010

Upcoming Show Dates:

APR. 9-11--ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO: 41st annual show, "Treasures of the Earth"; Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club; Creative Arts Center, New Mexico State Fairgrounds (Expo NM), San Pedro entrance, across the street from the Lujan Bldg.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $1 Fri., $3 Sat. and Sun., children under 13 free; more than 40 dealers, displays, door prizes, kids' booth, silent auctions, faceting demonstrations, gold panning, gem setting, free mineral/gem identification; contact Paul Hlava, (505) 255-5478; e-mail: hpf5@qwest.net APR.16-18--ALPINE, TEXAS: Show, "Wonders from our desert and beyond"; Chihuahuan Desert Gem & Mineral Club; Kokernot Lodge, Rte. 223 bypass; Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-6, Sun. 11-5; free admission; Kids' Corner, door prize, dealer demonstrations, video "What's Hot in Tucson"; contact Mary Brogan, P.O. Box 1111, Alpine, TX 79831, (432) 837-3824; email: marybrogan@rocketmail.com; Web site: www.agates123.com/cdgmc/ APR. 23-25--WICHITA, KANSAS: Show; 57th annual show; Wichita Gem & Mineral Society; Cessna Activity Center, 2744 George Washington Blvd.; Fri. 9-7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5; adults $5, children $1; annual Rocky Mountain Federation meeting; contact Gene Maggard, 8318 S.E. Hwy. 77, Leon, KS 67074-9026, (316)742-3746 MAY 1-2--LUBBOCK, TEXAS: Show; Lubbock Gem & Mineral Society; Lubbock Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Ln.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $4, students (6-12) $2, children under 6 free with adult; door prizes, children's "Spinning Wheel", demonstrations, sphere making, wire wrapping, silent auction, club displays, dealers, beads, jewelry, minerals, carvings, rough and polished rocks; contact Archie Scott, 2709 Belvedere Rd., Levelland, TX 79336, (806) 894-1584; e-mail: archie.scott73@yahoo.com; Web site: http://lgmstx.org MAY14-16--ENID, OKLAHOMA: Annual swap; Enid Gem & Mineral Society; Oakwood Mall, 4125 W. Owen K. Garriott Rd.; silent auction, kids' area, lapidary work, rocks, gems, minerals, fossils, jewelry; Fri. 10-8, Sat. 10-8, Sun. 12-5; contact Stan Nowak, (580) 484-2785; e-mail: snowak48@yahoo.com MAY 29-30--LAKESIDE, ARIZONA: Annual show; White Mountain Gem & Mineral Club; Blue Ridge Junior High School, 3050 N. Porter Mountain Rd.; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 9-4; adults $2, students (15 and under) free with paying adult; dealers, gems, minerals, beads, fossils, lapidary equipment, rough and finished rock specimens, silent auction, spinning wheel, kids' activity area, door prizes, raffle prizes, display cases, fluorescent mineral display; contact Larry Legge/Nanz Marshall, (928) 537-2524; e-mail: larrylegge@yahoo.com; Web site: www.whitemountain-azrockclub.org JUNE 4-6--TULSA, OKLAHOMA: Show, "Gem Faire"; Gem Faire Inc.; Expo Square/Central Park Hall, 4145 E. 21st St.; Fri. 12-7, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; $5 weekend pass; contact Yooy Nelson, (503) 252-8300; e-mail: info@gemfaire.com; Web site: www.gemfaire.com JUNE 5-6--COEUR d'ALENE, IDAHO: Show; North Idaho Mineral Club; Kootenai Co. Fairgrounds and Event Center, Kathleen and Government Way; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4; contact Warren Price, P.O. Box 1643, Hayden, ID 83835; e-mail: genuniegems@gmail.com JULY 2-4--FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO: Show; San Juan County Gem & Mineral Club; Farmington Civic Center, 200 W. Arlington St.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; door prizes, rocks, gems, minerals, Farmington Freedom Days; contact Mickie Calvert, P.O. Box 1482, Farmington, NM 87499, (505) 632-8288; e-mail: mickie2@earthlink.net

For further information or shows please check: www.rockngem.com Who knows, there just might be a good rock show in the area of your travels.

Thought for the Day:

Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?

Classifieds:
Sorry, nothing this month.

Some Interesting Web Sites for you to check out:

Members occasionally send me web sites to check out and pass on plus the ones that I run across. favorites that you think our members might be interested in. Please send me any of your

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/ Just put your mouse on most cities, anywhere in the world and the newspaper headlines pop up in the right pane. Click on the dot and the front page will enlarge in a new pop up window. On some papers you can read the entire paper if you click on the right place. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=environmentalist Great Dictionary but not for those easily offended. (This was sent in after finding carved in wood at the Bradley Mine - "USBP PENDAJO") Check it out. http://www.theprospector.com/html/howtostakeclaims.html claim. Some good information for you miners on how to stake a

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Gemcrafters & Explorers Club, P.O. Box 3091, Las Cruces, NM 88003
Member of: American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies Blue Ribbon Coalition www.amfed.org www.rmfms.org www.sharetrails.org

2009 OFFICERS & volunteers:

President Vice President Treasurer Secretary (temp) Refreshments Historian Program Director Newsletter EditorDave Smith Kathy Fuller Cookie Saathoff Maxine Wyman Pat Mauer Don Saathoff Eric Fuller Maxine Wyman 521-3103 524-0204 382-3464 649-4900 526-4939 382-3464 524-0204 649-4900 joandaves@msn.com truthfinderpoly@gmail.com imaginethattoo@comcast.net gambrisina@gmail.com mpmauer@comcast.net auagte2@comcast.net ghosthiker@gmail.com gambrisina@gmail.com

We meet on the third Friday of the month at Breland Hall, Room 189, NMSU campus at 6:30 pm for social and 7 pm for the meeting. There are no meetings in July and December. Dues are $10 per person per year and each additional family member is $2 per year. They are due Jan. 1st of each year. A membership form will be emailed or mailed to you in December to be filled out and returned with your check BY MAIL to the treasurer.

Our purpose shall be to gather knowledge and provide educational benefits to members on geological, archaeological, lapidary, and mineralogical topics of interest, to include assistance to members in all lapidary problems, the study and identification of minerals and gem stones in the rough, the field study of geological formations which produce minerals and gem stones, the collection of minerals and gemstones, and the exploration of any geological or archaeological topic or area which may be of interest to the membership.

NOTE: All articles and photographs are by the Editor Maxine Wyman unless otherwise noted. Any address or email changes must be sent to me at: gambrisina@gmail.com

Info for the Newsletter:

If you have information, articles, pictures or a website related to gem crafting, rock collecting or exploring and would like to share please give me a call at 649-4900 or email me at gambrisina@gmail.com . If you have a good idea or story to tell I will be more than happy to help you write it up. Also if you have minerals, outdoor or camping equipment, etc. that you would like to sell please let me know for our free "Classifieds." Maxine Wyman, Editor

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