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Angela D. BrownEditor, Rockhound RamblingVentura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc.P.O. Box 1573, Ventura, CA 93002
First Class Mail
Rockhound Rambling photo of the month (See inside for details)
Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014
The Ventura Gem and Mineral Society presents:
Rockhound RamblingThe Official Bulletin of the VGMS
Our 70th Year
Visit us on the web! www.vgms.org
In this months issue:
Ventura County Fair (plus photos), pages 5 & 14...
Trona vs. Jade Festival; The Debate, page 8...
Another Great Nipomo Show, page 11...
www.amfed.org www.cfmsinc.org scribe.rbnet.net/
Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. (VGMS)P.O. Box 1573, Ventura, CA 93002
Purpose of the VGMS:Promote popular interest in, sponsor and provide means and activities, which will result in the dissemination of information and knowledge in geology, mineralogy, paleontology, lapidary and similar sciences. Conduct lectures, classes or study groups to further education and interest in the aforesaid sciences. Make and exhibit mineral collections.
This Month’s Cover Photo:Taken by
Valli Davis
Chrysocolla w/SageniteNipomo Show
(owned by Ralph Bishop)
All images are member photographed and submitted to Rockhound
Rambling. Images submitted to the editor should be accompanied b y
subject name and location. Selection is at the discretion of the editor.
Submit images to: [email protected]
Club Central
Club E-mail: [email protected]
Membership Dues$20 - Single$30 - Family/Couple (1 bulletin) includesChildren < 19 Years$17 - Students >17 Years + 12 UnitsPebble Pups <13 years No Charge
Regular Meeting7:30 - 9:30 PM atThe Poinsettia PavilionSanta Paula Room3451 Foothill Rd, Ventura, CA 93003
January through October:4th Wednesday of the Month
November and December:2nd Wednesday of the Month
Anyone may attend and are welcome.The December meeting is normally aHoliday party. Location is announcedelsewhere in the bulletin & may vary.
Field TripsAnnounced monthly in the bulletin & at the regular meeting.See also: www.cgamc.org
Annual ShowThe Club’s Annual Gem Show is held the first full weekend in March at theVentura County Fairgrounds.
VGMS Club ColorsBlue and Gold
Workshop/Museum11969 N. Creek RoadOjai, CA 93023
2014 Elected Officers
PresidentDiane Cook 805.647.8517
1st Vice PresidentJim Brace-Thompson805.659.3577
2nd Vice Presidents(Co-Chairs)David Mautz 805.794.1809Raul Barraza 805.525.1919Terry Wilson 609.744.6364
3rd Vice PresidentKrishna Juarez 805.320-1094
Treasurer Nancy Brace-Thompson 805.659.3577
Recording SecretaryGreg Davis 805.647.9214
Membership SecretaryRichard Slyker 805.644-2749
Federation DirectorKathryn Davis 805.647.3096
Bulletin EditorAngela Brown 805.649.9657
ParliamentarianRob Sankovich 805.494.7734
Board Meeting1st Thursday of the Month, 7:30PM. Union Bank Community Center, 801 S. Victoria Ste 200B, Ventura
Clip Art CreditsB&W animal/fossil clip art ©2009, Florida Center for Instructional Technology (marked @FCIT)Crystal & Mineral clip art ©Diamond Dan; Original clip art by the editor marked ©AB.
Refreshment ScheduleAugust - Jim & Nancy B-T
Sept. - Shana & Krishna Juarez
Oct. - Angela & Luther Brown
Please contact Shirley Layton to sign up.
Committee Chairs
Ways and MeansMaria Flores
HospitalityDeb Sankovich
Museum / LibraryJim Brace-Thompson /Terry Wilson
HistoriansLowell Foster/Steve Mulqueen
WebsiteJim Layton
HostessShirley Layton805.717.9226
1Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Table of ContentsPresident’s Message
Diane Cook, VGMS President Diane Cook’s 1st Place, Cupcake ‘Shoes’.
I believe our new meeting place at the Poinsettia Pavilion was a hit! We had one of the largest attendances for a summer meeting and the comments were
all good. A big thank you to Maria, Sarah and Raul for the great refreshments – the cake was so perfect and delicious. See picture on page 3.
Congratulations to all the winners at the Ventura County Fair. VGMS entered a Society and Publicity Case and won 1st Place on both. Congratulations and a big thank you to the team who participated in the case design and contributed to the cases. What a great way to share our hobby with the public through displaying our clubs activities and club member’s interest. VGMS members had many winners, too many to list here please see article on page 5 in this bulletin, plus the photos on page 14! A personal thank you to all the club members who took time to volunteer and exhibit at the Fair with all your help the “Gem & Mineral” Building will be staying the “Gem & Mineral” Building at the fair.
Summer is almost over, which means fall weather is right around the corner, best time of the year for field trips to the hot rocks in the desert. Hope to see you there.
Rock On Team Pink!
Birthdays....3Chips & Boulders....15Club Merchandise....15Club News: Fair Results....5Editor’s Note....2Educational Corner....12, 13Education & Community Outreach....7Fair Photos....14Federation News....7Field Trips Are Fun....9Gems From The Past....6Hospitality....2Meeting Minutes....4Membership....2President’s Message....1Program Review & Schedule....8Rockhound Ramblings....10, 11Thank You!....3
2 Rockhound RamblingVolume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Membership
Editor’s Note
Welcome New
Member!
We have one new member voted in by your VGMS board in August. This brings our total membership to 1 junior, 82 adults and 8 pebble pups.
Mike Havstad, a member of the Conjeo club and previous coordinator of the Wheeler Gorge exhibits, joined our society. Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in gem and minerals and will be an asset to our club. Mike is currently displaying an extensive mineral case at the Ventura County Fair. We welcome Mike!
And lastly, please update Greg Davis’ email to [email protected] Slyker, VGMS Membership Chair
334 Wesleyan Ave., Ventura CA [email protected]
Angela BrownVGMS Editor
We had a great turnout with 40 adult club members and one Pebble Pup at our July 23rd meeting. Additionally, we had three guests.
Deb Sankovich, Hospitality
Hospitality
The Ventura County Fair is in full swing, and the club is well represented by volunteers, displays and individual submissions. Many members won ribbons, too. The hard work was done before the show even started; walking the floor and cleaning glass is the easy part! It’s fun to see people get excited about our displays, and, by extension, our hobby. Our club president, Diane Cook, won in Baked Goods for her “shoe” cupcakes and “bed” cake, as well. While we, the volunteers, are exhausted, it’s all been for a good cause, and lots of fun! Oh, and don’t forget to pick up your items from the fairgrounds on Monday, August 11th, from 9am to 7pm. I’ll see you there!Rock ‘n’ roll.
The evening view of the city from our new meeting room (‘Santa Paula Room’) at the Poinsettia Pavilion.
Please welcome our new member:
Mike Havstad2276 Larch StreetSimi Valley, [email protected]
3Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014
THANK YOU!
Wishing you all a very Happy Birthday, and Many More!
DeAnn Hiroshima Robert Sankovich Shana Juarez
........September 1........September 18.......September 22
Tracy ColahanSusan Marquez Stuart Bloom
........September 25
........September 27 .......September 28
September VGMS Birthdays
Biggest thanks of the month goes to our very own VGMS President Diane Cook for all her work as Superintendent of the Rocks & Minerals and Hobbies & Collectibles divisions of the Ventura County Fair. Job well done, Diane, as well as to you many VGMS members who have been volunteering and helping in so many ways: as clerks and registrars, as exhibitors and judges of exhibits, as set-up crew and floorwalkers, as cooks and refreshment providers, as demonstrators and tear-down crew, and as all-round good guys. The Ventura County Fair sees attendance of as much as 300,000 each year, and it’s a great opportunity to showcase our hobby to the general public. Per usual, VGMS members have stepped up to the plate and truly rock. Thank you, one and all! Thank you to all who participated with
specimens and the design and layout of our
VGMS Society and Publicity cases at the Ventura County Fair. See our full article for names and results! Also a big Thank You goes to the Barraza’s, who made a gorgeous cake to welcome us all to the new meeting place last month. It was as pretty as it was delicious! Special Thank You to Andy Anderson, Sharon Cunningham, Jeff Geist, Maria Flores and my sister, Sara, for helping out at the last
minute in many ways for making the Camarillo YMCA summer camp visit to our museum a fun and educational experience. Thank you for your support in making it a great success. ~Raul Barraza
Know of someone who has gone out of their way to help the club? Email a thank-you note to our newsletter so that a pat on the back can be passed along!
Don Asher (CGMC) & Lee Leighton (OGMS) with Diane Cook (VGMS).
The beautiful cake brought by Raul, his sister, Sara, and Maria Flores.
L-R: Ron Wise, Diane Cook, Laura Driskoll & Luther Brownat the registration table.
4 Rockhound RamblingVolume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Meeting MinutesVGMS Regular Meeting - July 23 , 2014
The regular monthly meeting of the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society was called to order by President Diane Cook at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at the Poinsettia Pavilion Center in Ventura. Diane introduced visitors and then asked for corrections, if any, to the previously printed board and regular meeting minutes. It was then m/s/c to accept the minutes. Members were led in the pledge to the flag. Jim and Nancy Brace-Thompson next gave a terrific program on their trip to India, their search for of gems and minerals and the sights collected in pictures. A business trip turned adventure for both of them with us being the . Well done ! We may have to invite them back. Old Business: Diane Cook : It’s all about the County Fair right now! It’s not too late to volunteer.New Business :Diane Cook : The Union Bank building will again be the location for the next Board meeting.Diane provided special prizes given out for this evenings first meeting at this new location. And what a terrific site it turned out to be for our meetings. We are so pleased with the choice, ample space and parking with a fantastic view of Ventura! And then Raul and Maria provided a house warming cake to the surprise of all. Thank you to all who helped make this happen.Deb Sankovich : 38 members attended this evenings first meeting at our new location, along with 2 pebble pups and 3 visitors, Cason Lynch, Sarah Barraza and Mike Havstadt. Welcome ! Richard Slyker : Membership now stands at 82 adults and 7 youths.Dave Mautz : Upcoming field trips include : August 3 is Isla Vista, September 6 will be Kanan Rd., and October 17-19 is the Jade Cove trip. Be sure to check with Dave or Terry for changes prior to a trip or the whoscoming.com/VGMSweb site. Krishna Juarez : The first meeting for our 2015 show is scheduled for August 7, 6:30, prior to the scheduled Board meeting held at the Union Bank building. All are welcomed to attend. We’re in need of someone to volunteer as Exhibitor Chair for our upcoming show. Angela Brown : Submissions to the bulletin are due by the 1st .Maria Flores awarded prizes to the lucky ticket holders of our Ways & Means raffle. Refreshments were provided by Raul Barraza and Maria Flores.The next board meeting will be held on August 7, 2014, 7:30 at the Union Bank Bldg., 801 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura and the next monthly membership meeting will be August 27 at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd., Ventura. There being no further business, Diane adjourned the meeting at 9:10 pm.Respectfully submitted, Greg Davis
The meeting for our annual show in March 2015 was opened by Krishna Juarez at 6:30. Krishna mentioned that there will be no changes made to the contract with the fairgrounds after final approval. We are in need of an Exhibitor Chair person.Krishna offered to look into testing the PA system at the fairgrounds and reporting back as to the possibility of the club upgrading the speakers.Diane Cook : Additional t-shirts will be ordered as they have always been profitable in the past. Grab bags will need to be fabricated and filled. The exact number needed will be reported on by Jim Brace-Thompson upon his return. Diane also suggested we start selling raffle tickets as early as January.Raul Barraza : The kids booth material will be gathered from the various storage areas in preparation for inventory.Nancy Brace-Thompson : Friday dinner was discussed. The lanyards with name tags handed out at the last show was in part to identify those to receive dinners. We’ll try that method again. Last years enchiladas went well but another possibility brought up was chicken from Albertsons. Food will be discussed further at the next meeting.Krishna adjourned the meeting @ 7:40.The Board meeting of the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society for August 7, 2014, was called to order by President Diane Cook at 801 S. Victoria in Ventura @ 7:40 pm.Present: Diane Cook, Dave Mautz, Angela Brown, Nancy Brace-Thompson, Krishna Juarez, Raul Barraza, Shirley Layton, Richard Slyker and Greg Davis.
VGMS Board Meeting - August 7 , 2014
It was m/s/c to accept last months minutes as written in the bulletin.
Old Business :
Diane Cook : Tonight’s meeting is being held at the Union Bank Community Center in Ventura. The next board meeting will also be held here.Per our previous discussion, VGMS will sponsor a CFMS show trophy for novice display entries (currently there is just a ribbon given). Jim Brace-Thompson, Kathryn Davis and Angela Brown offered to write up guidelines and report back.The discussion of charges for using the large saws continued. Some method is necessary with the increased cost of oil, blades and repairs. After investigating other clubs, Ron Wise has come up with a plan with costs determined by rock size. Your rock will be cut on a first come first served basis, during non- work shop days by volunteers. A pre-paid card system will need to be utilized to eliminate money being handled at C.C. An announcement will be made prior to the start of this new procedure. New Business :
Diane Cook : Our next regular club meeting will be held at the new location at 3451 Foothill Rd. and the new contract with this facility has been prepared. With the discussion of a need for additional shop stewards, Diane suggested the club invest in new locks at Camp Comfort with keys that cannot be duplicated. Further discussion is needed. It was suggested all members be certified on using all equipment and maintenance. Also, Ron Wise suggested we set a price per pound for members to purchase rock from the club. Motion tabled pending further discussion (again we do not want to manage money at Camp Comfort as there are so many stewards).New club brochures have been printed with updated graphics and the new address of our meeting place.Nomination forms for ‘Rockhound of the Year’ are being passed out at all meetings( needed by Oct.1).Diane suggested our club consider a “Member Handbook” being produced for all club members, but mainly new members to guide them in procedures including training, classes, work shop and the like. There will be further discussion at the next meeting. Our club won two, 1st Place case awards and a plaque at the Fair.! Nancy Brace-Thompson : The club is solvent. Property taxes are due and will be paid.This months program will involve club members and experiences with both the Jade Festival and the Trona show both of which will coincide in October. Raul Barraza : 71 members of the YMCA were treated to presentations at Camp Comfort and a tour of our museum on August 7 by Raul & his sister, Sara, Maria Flores, Andy Anderson, Jeff Miller and Sharon Cunningham. Krishna Juarez : The next show meeting will be scheduled for October, prior to the Board meeting. Contacts for our annual show are [email protected] and phone 805-323-6725. Greg Davis : Greg reported that the buildings at Camp Comfort have sustained damage along the roof line. It appears possibly something as large as a raccoon has damaged the roof shingles in an attempt to get at acorns stored by the wood peckers. Ideas were few for preventing it from continuing. We’ll hope the critter has moved on. Dave Mautz : Future trips include Kanan Rd. on September 6, October 17-19 is Jade Cove, and Trona on October 11 & 12. Richard Slyker: After discussion, it was m/s/c to accept the membership application for Mike Havstadt. Please introduce yourself to new members and make them welcomed. 3 variations of new membership cards were reviewed and voted on by those present. The selected version will now go into print. Angela Brown : All submissions to the bulletin will need to be received by the first of the month, though there is some leeway with the Fair in progress. Looking forward to photos from the Fair, too.Last but not least, Diane brought up the topic of the AFMS/CFMS show for 2017; it needs a host. Would our club want to host it alone, with other clubs, or pass? There’ll be further discussions with everyone’s input taken into consideration but an answer will be needed by November.
The next club membership meeting will be held on August 27, 7:30 pm @ the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd., Ventura and the next Board meeting will be on September 4, 2014, 7:30 pm @ the Union Bank location, 801 S. Victoria Ave, Ventura.
There being no further business, Diane adjourned the meeting at 9:15 pm.Respectfully submitted, Greg DavisRecording Secretary
5Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014
CLUB NEWSVentura County Fair Results: VGMS Rocks!
The Gems & Minerals Division of the Ventura County Fair includes two categories for clubs: a Society Exhibit Case and a Publicity Case. VGMS has entered one or both for many years, and usually our cases easily won blue ribbons over cases entered by clubs like Oxnard, Woodland Hills, or Del Air. With 275,000 to 320,000 visitors coming to the fair each year, these cases provide a great promotional opportunity to tell our fellow Ventura County citizens about our club and all that we love to do.
In recent years, it became clear other clubs had been observing our award-winning techniques and had stolen our best ideas. Thus, last year, they also stole those blue ribbons out from under us. This year, we decided to step up our game and held two organizing meetings to plot our strategy and plan out award-winning cases. I said last month to stay tuned for results and to read of first-place ribbons. Well, that prophecy has come true! VGMS was up against Woodland Hills for best Publicity Case and against the Oxnard society for best Society Exhibit Case, and I’m proud to report we earned blue ribbons in both categories! Many thanks to all who participated with materials and with design and layout, including Ron and Jean Wise, Krishna, Shana, and Caleb Juarez, Greg Davis, Jim and Nancy Brace-Thompson, John and Diane Cook, Angela and Luther Brown, Richard Slyker, Raul Barraza and Maria Flores, and new member Mike Havstad. Your efforts paid off big-time in award-winning displays we can all be proud of! Thank you, one and all! (More photos on page 14...)
-Jim Brace-Thompson, 1st VP
Our Publicity case.... ...and our Society case.
Planning in progress..along with a side of beer.
6 Rockhound RamblingVolume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Photo from the Kirk CollectionLast Chance Canyon, California Desert, CFMS Field Trip, April 1961
This photo, made from the original color slide, was taken at the “Petrified Forest”, an informal name for an area at Last Chance Canyon within the El Paso Mountains of California. This region of the California Desert is northeast of Red Rock Canyon within Kern County and was known for the occurrence of petrified wood. Tons of the fossil wood, consisting of palm and black locust trees, have yielded petrified trunk sections, roots, limbs and twigs during those early years of rockhounding. These specimens were recovered from a tuffaceous siltstone bed exposed in Last Chance Canyon. The field trip, held in April 1961, was a gathering of friends organized by Bill and Myrle Kirk. During this period, camping opportunities were available just about anywhere on public land in the open desert. The California Desert continues to be a great place for rock collecting, exploring and camping. The photo shows an isolated desert campsite with numerous rigs including trailers, campers and a few canvas tents. Bruno and Opal Benson’s camper is the turquoise colored truck behind the red & white trailer. Bill and Myrle Kirk’s rig is the black truck next to the Benson’s camper. Note the community outhouse in the foreground that was set up by the group just for this Easter week collecting trip. The El Paso Mountains are known for exciting adventures related to rockhounding, gold dry-washing, hiking, 4-wheel driving, sightseeing, desert photographing, mine exploring, wildlife viewing, studying geology and learning about historical sites. Some of the favorite areas worth visiting within or near these mountains include not only Last Chance Canyon but also Red Rock Canyon, Opal Canyon, Mesquite Canyon, Jawbone Canyon and the Burro Schmitt Tunnel. A short distance away are the living ghost towns at Randsburg, Johannesburg, Red Mountain and the abandoned town of Garlock that are all well worth visiting. Some of the collecting sites once frequented by rockhounds on public lands within the El Paso Mountains yielded petrified wood, agate, jasp-agate, jasper, chalcedony, drusy quartz, opal, placer gold, lode gold and vertebrate fossils. In the early years of rockhounding during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, it was legal to collect vertebrate fossils. In the El Paso Mountains, fossils occur in the Dove Spring Formation (DSF), a sedimentary unit that is part of the Miocene Age Ricardo Group. Fossil bones were first found and identified in 1912 from the DSF. In the last 100 years, paleontological discoveries have included partial remains of extinct species of camels, horses, antelope, saber-tooth cats, bone-crushing dogs, rodents, birds, rabbits, turtles, tortoises, as well as numerous species of trees and grasses that lived during the Middle to Late Miocene (12 to 8 million years ago). Collecting any vertebrate fossils is limited to scientific research groups with a definite research objective and formal approval. The El Paso Mountains continue to be a great destination that can offer rock collecting opportunities filled with adventure. However, Last Chance Canyon is now part of Red Rock Canyon State Park. Rock, mineral and fossil collecting are not allowed within the park. Vehicle access to portions of Last Chance Canyon are now restricted. When visiting the area, talk with the volunteers at Jawbone Station Visitors Center to gather information on the area and to review maps showing dirt roads that are open for travel. Jawbone Station is also maintained as a rest area and is located along Highway 14 at Jawbone Canyon Road between the City of Mojave and Red Rock Canyon. See their website or call them at (760) 373-1146.
Source: See numerous references under the formal names included in this article. Contact Jawbone Station for additional information.
Photo by Myrle Kirk. From the Bill and Myrle Kirk Collection.Slide scanned & digitized by Lowell Foster. Text written by Steve Mulqueen.
Photo copyright ©2014 Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
Gems From The Past
7Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Education & Community Outreach
Federation News CA
LIF.
FED.
OF
MINERALOGICAL
SOCIETIES
California Federation of MineralogicalSocieties Show & Convention, Lodi, CA, 2015
Hi Everyone,We are already busy preparing for the CFMS Annual Show & Convention 2015 in Lodi. As with every showwe are asking for your help to make it a special one.Grab bags. We are expecting large herds of kids, wideeyed and full of curiosity at the show. Part of the fun isshowing them what we are good at, and grab bags are always at the top of the list. We would love to have oursocieties donate grab bags filled with rocks & minerals for the kid’s booth. Please contact Jim Brace-Thompson to let him know what you can do.mailto: [email protected] Auction. It was very apparent that all of you loved
the live auction at the Cracker Barrel in Pomona, so we are bringing it back for the CFMS Annual Show & Convention in Lodi 2015. We are calling on all Federation Director’s, CFMS Officers and CFMS Chairmen to bring 5-10 slabs from your club. All proceeds will go to the CFMS Endowment Fund. “For all of us who enjoy the Earth Sciences, and the Practice of Lapidary Arts and Crafts, let’s go out and play, put your hearts and your souls into the hobby and make some wonderful memories in Lodi. It’s what we do best and it is our gift to give.”From all of us at CFMS, thank you so much for yourhelp,Jennifer Haley Margaret Kolaczyk2014 CFMS President CFMS Show Chairman
On Thursday, August 10th, a group of 71 YMCA summer-campers visited our club workshop and museum. Sharon Cunningham spoke to the young group of campers and talked about rocks. Rocks were passed around to the group for the children to feel and observe, and we also had a table set up with various fossils and different rocks, a display case with fossils describing how they were formed, and various samples of sand and magnifying glasses for the young campers to observe and feel the various sand textures and colors closer. The children enjoyed seeing and touching the fossils and sand. The young
c a m p e r s were then separated into groups and were lead across from the park by Jeff Geist and Andy Anderson, w h o p r o v i d e d a tour of
the workshop and museum. Maria Flores and my sister, Sara Barraza, set up tables with plaster fossils, paints and brushes for the kids to paint. Their smiling faces told us they were truly enjoying themselves. At the end of their visit, each camper was provided with a goodie bag which contained information about our club, a flier about dinosaurs, a sample of fossil shark tooth, a rock hound sticker, a free sample of petrified wood and their painted fossil. Thank you to all for making this visit a memorable one.
Photos & article submitted by Raul Barraza
Via the August 2014 CFMS Newsletter
8 Rockhound RamblingVolume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Program Review & Schedule
Future ProgramsAugust Program
The weekend of October 11 features two big rockhound events: The 73rd Annual Gem-O-Rama sponsored by the Searles Lake Gem & Mineral Society and the 23rd Annual Big Sur Jade Festival. The first takes place in the sun-drenched desert town of Trona while the second is on the fog-shrouded Big Sur coast of Monterey County. It’s impossible to get to both in the same weekend, so—to help you plan the October adventure of your choice—we’ll present The Battle of Trona versus Big Sur. Gem-O-Rama is billed as “36 hours of frantic, non-stop activity,” with a show, pancake breakfasts, and collecting of evaporate minerals such as halite and hanksite. The
Jade Fest is a nostalgic return to the ’60s with 3 days of live music, tie-dyed shirts, jade, and lapidary artists from California, British Columbia, New Zealand, and wherever else jade is found. We’ll have a brief slide show with highlights and then will invite club members to share experiences of each event to convince us where we should head for our October 11 weekend. Since Trona halite is pink and Big Sur jade is green, I think I know where our President might be headed. Then again, you can also get pink Big Sur rhodonite at the Jade Fest, so who knows?!? Come to our August meeting to find out.
JULY Program
Jim and Nancy Brace-Thompson presented Part II of their “Gem Travels Adventure” from South Asia last fall. They started with a musical introduction to Indian culture, then told of their travels to the northwest region, mostly within the state of Rajasthan on the border with Pakistan. Traditional lapidary arts like those we pursue as VGMS members have infused Indian culture for thousands of years, and Jim and Nancy showed examples including
silver-work and gemstone cutting in Jaipur, where the “emerald cut” supposedly originated. There’s also been a long tradition of rock carving with both common sandstones and semi-precious marbles, as well as pietra dura or inlay with polished gemstones, an art that found high expression in the iconic Taj Mahal. As we all know, Nancy has a collection of gemstone elephants, and everywhere they went, they seemed to encounter elephants and the elephant god Ganesha sculpted in silver and bronze, carved from sandstone and marble, engraved with inlay. Finally, Nancy got to experience a ride atop a living elephant at the Amber Fort of Jaipur, where we saw her and Jim wave goodbye to their Indian Gem Travels Adventure.
Jim Brace-Thompson.VGMS Programs Chair
9Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014
TRI-CLUB FIELD TRIPS (VGMS/OGMS/CGMC) ~ 2014This is a tentative schedule. Please call your club field trip leaders to confirm that there is a field trip scheduled in the event of changes like unpredictable weather, etc. More trips may be added in the future. Please look for Field Trip fliers at the monthly meetings for directions, maps, etc., as well as the WhosComing site.
Field Trips Are Fun
Kanan Road for AgatesSat., Sept. 6, 2014
9:30 am
Find: Two sites in the Santa Monica Mountains for sagenite & plume agate, marcasite, chalcedony.
There are several ravines, rock outcroppings. Light to moderate hike, getting harder the more you go uphill. Light to moderate brush covers the mountain.
You will need digging tools, rock pick, pry bar, and as usual, collecting bag/bucket, sturdy shoes, hat, water, etc. Packing a lunch or snacks is recommended, as well.
See http://whoscoming.com/vgms for map and more information.
2014 Field Trip Leaders:David Mautz - Phone: 805-794-1809;
Raul Barraza - Phone: 805-525-1919; Email: [email protected] Wilson - Phone: 609-744-6364; Email: [email protected]
Use the new sign-up page so we know you plan to come! http://whoscoming.com/vgmsPick a trip, get location information, maps, and sign up!
Future Trips:
Trona Gem-o-rama forSalt Minerals Sat.-Sun.,Oct. 11-12, 2014See the website for more info:
http://www1.iwvisp.com/tronagemclub/FLYER.htm
Jade Cove Weekend Trip (CFMS)(Trip date swapped with Kanan Rd.)Fri.-Sun., Oct 17-19, 2014 First come, first served camping spaces at Plaskett Creek.
Wiley’s Well Thanksgiving Weekend Trip (CFMS)Thur.,-Sun., Nov. 27-30, 2014
10 Rockhound RamblingVolume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Rockhound RamblingsTri-club members visit Cerro Gordo Silver Mining Camp
Numerous members of the Tri-club attended a field trip lead by the Lone Pine Gem & Mineral Society to the Bishop area and to the silver mining camp of Cerro Gordo. The mining camp is located in the Inyo Mountains east of the community of Keeler. The photo above shows Tri-club members in front of the historic Gordon House at Cerro Gordo. Field trip participants collected unusual rocks, lead-silver ore samples and specimens of the zinc mineral, Smithsonite. In 1865, rich lead-silver ore was discovered at an elevation of 8200’ at Cerro Gordo Peak in the Inyo Mountains. By 1866, the San Lucas Mine began producing 1 1/2 tons of ore every day. Ore was hauled by mule to the Silver Sprout Mill located near Keeler. In 1868, Victor Beaudry and Mortimer Belshaw acquired claims and formed a partnership
to increase ore production. A modern ore furnace was built near the mine which produced lead and silver. Silver bars weighing approximately 85 pounds and measuring 18 inches in length were shipped by wagon to Los Angeles. The city of Cerro Gordo grew around the successful mines and smelter. Production of metal peaked during the 1880s. For a short period of time, lead and silver bars and ore were transported by steamship across Owens Lake to Cartago. During 1910, zinc ores were developed from associated ore deposits. Production of lead-silver-zinc continued until 1957. Today, Cerro Gordo is a living ghost town located on patented mining claims under private ownership. A group of caretakers live at Cerro Gordo throughout the year. Permission to visit the town can be granted by appointment only.
Photos & article submitted by Steve Mulqueen
11Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Rockhound RamblingsAnother Great Nipomo Show! Since 2008, I’ve been receiving invitations to install exhibits at the annual show of the Orcutt Mineral Society, more popularly known as “The Nipomo Show.” Over the years, I’ve installed displays on Green River fossils, crinoids, fossil plants and animals, and more. For their 47th Annual Show, I wasn’t sure if I could enter given a changed job situation that doesn’t allow for a lot of time off work (the Nipomo Show is 3-days long, with set-up on Thursday) and given that their show always occurs smack-dab in the middle of our Ventura County Fair. However, because I can rarely say, “no,” when an invitation came this year, I found myself preparing a display entitled “California Fish Fossils: Locally produced but not so fresh!”
What should have been a 2-hour drive to install the display on July 31st stretched into nearly 3 hours thanks to an overturned camper in Camarillo and a truck that slammed into a guard rail and blocked a lane in Santa Barbara during rush hour. I arrived just in time to enjoy the last piece of pizza at their exhibitor and dealer dinner and to set up a case before having to turn around for home in order to report to work for an international conference call early the next morning. After doing a stint of floor-walking at the County Fair on Saturday, on Sunday morning Nancy and I picked up John Cook to return to Nipomo to take in the show before tearing down my display case at day’s end. For those who haven’t yet experienced it, Nipomo is the classic
“tailgate show.” In addition to some indoor dealers, demonstrators, and displays in an all-purpose room at the Nipomo High School, they have 50 mostly mom-and-pop dealers outside with their RVs, portable tables, and pop-up shades. Thus, it’s a great opportunity to get some true bargains. Nearly everything is negotiable, and nearly every rock, mineral, or fossil specimen comes with a personal story. If you haven’t yet been, mark your calendar and make a point to head for Nipomo around the first weekend of August next year.This year, Nancy came back with a nice slab of Pietersite, rough Mexican crazy lace agate, and more. John was able to find some Pietersite, as well, and some rare Wingate agate (at both reasonable and unreasonable prices). The Wingate locality has been closed for 50 years, and apparently, one dealer realized it, because he was selling slabs by the gram. Fortunately, another dealer proved more approachable and affordable. I came away with an antique mining lamp as well as bunches of fossils. One dealer was selling whole file boxes crammed with assorted fossils at just $20 a box, so I piled up 3 boxes and now have a great supply of material that should help feed out Kids Booth! We also made a purchase or two at a booth run by a dealer going by the name of Kathryn Davis. The Nipomo Show is great! It’s a lot like a miniature Quartzsite with friendly folks with stories to share. John, Nancy, and I all encourage you to go next year—but wear a hat! My bald spot is starting to peel from the sunburn…
-Jim Brace-Thompson
John Cook and Nancy Brace-Thompson at a dealer’s booth.
12 Rockhound RamblingVolume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Educational CornerDefinition of the Month
Plaster of Paris – A term synonymous with gypsum plaster, a white powdery substance used in the construction industry, arts & crafts and hundreds of other applications. The raw material used in making plaster of Paris is gypsum, an industrial mineral extracted from the Earth. Plaster of Paris may be the oldest form of a manufactured building material, having been used by the Egyptians during the construction of the pyramids at least 4000 years ago.Deposits of gypsum may occur with minor amounts of undesirable components such as limestone, dolostone (rock containing dolomite), halite, sylvite and detrital material such as clay or shale. Most of these impurities are removed by selectively mining the gypsum resource or during the crushing, screening and milling processes.Plaster of Paris is produced by heating gypsum in a rotary kiln to a temperature of 300o F (150o C). During the baking process, most of the water molecules that are locked in the mineral’s chemical structure are driven off by the intense heat. A fine powder is formed by the decrepitation of gypsum granules as a result of the violent reaction caused by the high temperature. The chemical transformation that converts gypsum into plaster of Paris is a reversible reaction and is detailed below:
Gypsum, chemical formula CaSO4.2H20, hydrated calcium sulfate.
2CaSO4.2H2O + heat g 2CaSO4.½H2O + 3H2O endothermic reaction gypsum plaster of Paris water vapor
2CaSO4.½H2O + 3H2O g 2CaSO4.2H2O + heat exothermic reaction plaster of Paris water re-formed “gypsum”
When the dry powdered plaster is mixed with water, an exothermic reaction occurs, transforming the substance back to a solid form similar in composition to the natural gypsum mineral. The most common use of plaster is for the manufacturing of drywall used in the construction industry. At fossil dig sites, a liquid slurry of plaster of Paris is applied to gauze, cheesecloth or burlap to form a composite material known as modroc. This substance is used by paleontologists in preparing plaster casts for preserving, excavating and transporting large fossil specimens. Plaster is also a great medium for making casts of trace fossils such as animal footprints. Fossil replicas can also be made from plaster. Any gypsum residue remaining on the original fossil can be easily removed with water, as a direct result of its high degree of solubility. Plaster of Paris gets its name from the extensive gypsum deposits and abandoned mines that occur within and beneath Paris, France. The Mines of Paris (in the French language carrieres de Paris or “quarries of Paris”) consist of large abandoned underground workings beneath the city and some of the large idle surface mines located in the hills that overlook the city. The early mining operations for gypsum at Paris date back several hundred years. There are three main networks of underground drifts and galleries beneath Paris, the largest known as grand reseau sud (“large south network”). A portion of the extensive subterranean excavations can be legally explored by accessing an entrance at Place Denfert-Rochereau. The underground workings have been informally named “The Catacombs” and are frequently toured, mostly by local Parisians.Paris is located within the Paris Basin, a thick sequence of sedimentary rock units consisting of beds formed in shallow marine, inland sea and non-marine environments. The oldest rock units deep within the basin were deposited during the Cretaceous Period. Thick layers of gypsum are of Bartonian Age, formed during the Late Eocene epoch.
References: See numerous listings on the internet by searching under key phrases such as plaster of Paris, gypsum, industrial minerals, grand reseau sud, “The Catacombs” of Paris, the Mines of Paris and the Paris Basin.
Written by Steve Mulqueen for the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, August 2014. The ‘Definition of the Month’ features words related to geology, paleontology, mining and desert history. Refer to other definitions featured in past VGMS bulletins dating back to June 2001 available on the VGMS
website at www.vgms.org .
13Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Educational CornerIllustration of the Month
Placer mining, Klondike Gold Fields, Yukon Territory, Canada, late 1890s. Source: A pen & ink illustration by A. C. Harris. Originally published during the early 1900s for the International Correspondence School Reference Library, Scranton, Pennsylvania, reprinted in the book The Mining Camps Speak, written by Elizabeth M. & William E. Sagstetter, published by BenchMark Publishing of Colorado, LLC, Denver, 1998, page 24.
Text written by Steve Mulqueen for the VGMS, August 2014. 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 the author. Refer to other featured illustrations from previous bulletins beginning in June of 2001 available on the VGMS website at www.vgms.org .
14 Rockhound RamblingVolume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Fair Photos
Richard and Susan Slyker working on a display case.
Wendy Holder making jewelry & David Mautz doing fossil cleaning.
Our friends at the Calif. Oil Museum won 1st Place, too!
Roy Boulch with 1st Place
Fair Theme case.
Sharon Cunningham (VGMS) & Adrian Ruiz
(OGMS) at the Fair’s Demo table.
John Cook & new Pebble Pup doing
lapidary demo.
15Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Chips & BouldersGot something to sell, trade or barter for? Submissions do not have to be hobby-oriented, but you do have to be a member! Send your brief advertisement (and photo?) to the editor: [email protected]. Submission will be posted as soon as possible; the due date is the 1st of the month.
Club MerchandiseVGMS continues to have Club T-Shirts for sale. Priced to all VGMS members at $12.00 and any club member associated to CFMS $15.00.
Sizes S-M-L-XL-2X-3X. All profits go directly to the VGMS.
Contact Diane Cook at [email protected] to order.
VGMS logo merchandise is available at Cafe Press! Everything from shirts, mugs and aprons, to mousepads, pajamas and jewelry. New items added regularly, too! Please visit www.cafepress.com/VtaGemSociety, or contact Angela at [email protected] for more information.
You might be a rockhound if...
The severe sunburn acquired on your last vacation was a one
inch wide strip of skin at the gap between the tail of your shirt
and the top of your pants.
Got lapidary equipment, display cases or other rock or mineral material for sale? Please email the Editor by the 1st of the month for inclusion into that month’s Chips & Boulders. Please include description of items for sale, price, contact name and how you want to be reached (phone number, email).
FOSSIL SALE:The Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology is selling their fossil collection. They are located at 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo, 93012. They are only open by appointment, so if you are interested in purchasing some items, please call ahead of time to make arrangements; 805.388.9933. Available Mon.-Fri. only.
NEW METEORITE EXHIBIT:The UCLA Earth and Planetary Space Sciences Dept. opened a new Meteorite Gallery at UCLA in January. The Gallery is open & free to visitors Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm, and on Sundays from 1pm-4pm with trained docents to help out. Once a month there is a special lecture by one of the faculty that is open to the public. For more information, please see their web page: www.meteorites.ucla.edu/gallery/
www.diamondpacific.com
16 Rockhound RamblingVolume 60, No. 8, August 2014
Attending one of these shows? Please send photos and experiences to the editor at [email protected].
Let’s Go To A Show!
August 16 - 17: TEHACHAPI, CATehachapi Valley Gem & Mineral SocietySt. Malachy”s Catholic Church407 West E StreetHours: Sat 10 - 6; Sun 10 - 5Contact: Robert Papac, (661) 821-7103Email: [email protected] or [email protected]: www.tvgms.org
August 23 - 24: SAN FRANCISCO, CASan Francisco Gem & Mineral SocietyS. F. County Fair Bldg., Golden Gate Park9th Avenue & Lincoln WayHours: Sat 10 - 6; Sun 10 - 5Contact: Ellen NottEmail: [email protected]: www.sfgemshow.org
September 20 - 21: CHICO, CAFeather River Lapidary & Mineral Society, OrovilleSilver Dollar Fairgrounds2357 Fair StreetHours: Sat 9 - 5; Sun 9 - 4John Scott, (530) 343-3491Email: [email protected]: www.featherriverrocks.org
September 27 - 28: MONTEREY, CACarmel Valley Gem & Mineral SocietyMonterey Fairgrounds2004 Fairgrounds RoadHours: Sat 10 - 6; Sun 10 - 5Contact: Janis Rovetti, (831) 372-1311Email: [email protected]: www.cvgms.org
September 27 - 28: SANTA ROSA, CASanta Rosa Mineral & Gem SocietyWells Fargo Center for the Art50 Mark West Springs RoadHours: Sat 10 - 6; Sun 10 - 5Jolene, (707) 528-761SEmail: [email protected]: www.srmgs.org
September 27 - 28: LODI, CAStockton Lapidary & Mineral ClubLodi Grape Festival Grounds413 East Lockford StreetHours: 10 - 5 dailyContact: Jerold Kyle, (209) 368-9411Email: [email protected]: www.stocktonlapidary.com
October 1 - 5: JOSHUA TREE, CAHi-Desert Rockhounds of Moronga ValleySportsman’s Club of Joshua Tree6225 Sunburst StreetHours: 9 - 6 dailyContact: Judy & Roger Thompson, (760) 902-5340Email: [email protected]: www.jtsportsmansclub.com/gemshow.htm
October 10 - 12: RENO, NVReno Gem & Mineral Society Craft ShowReno Town HallCorner of Peckham & So. Virginia StreetHours: Fri 10 - 6; Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 3Contact:Theresa Langhans, (775) 475-0842Email: [email protected]: www.www.renorockhounds.com
