Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
May
2 0 14
May 22, 2014
Stan McCall Demonstrates
Some of His Lapidary Techniques
The view from the top of Sidewinder Mountain, Stoddard Wells Field Trip
The Rockhounder May 2014
Page 3
ROCKHOUNDER The Prez Sez:
I t’s hard to believe that it is already May. Spring has sprung and
hay fever season is in full swing. It is also the time for the
Federation show and convention being hosted by the Pasadena
Lapidary Society.
They will need our help for set up, during and after for teardown.
The show will help to educate the public about our great family
friendly hobby. And a successful show will reflect greatly on all
of us and maybe we’ll get some new members as well.
If someone in the club is competing, I wish you “GOOD LUCK”.
And of course we should all have fun at the show.
Joe Goetz
P.S. If you want to volunteer to help out at the CFMS Show
contact Mark Nelson at (909) 996-1784.
A little yellow something seen at Stoddard Wells
Page 4
The Rockhounder May 2014
WGMS General Meeting
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Guest speaker: Stan “The Opal Man” McCall
“Lapidary Techniques”
S tan McCall will be showing us some of his trademark lapi-
dary techniques at the May General Meeting.
Marcia
Rockgabbers
S andie and I were at the Conejo Club show this past weekend,
and we found a couple of new books for our library. One of
the books is on material techniques and it includes a lot of
techniques for non traditional materials as well as techniques for
the more traditional materials. The chapter on techniques for
putting patinas on metals and the chapter on etching paterns into
materials was particularly interesting to me. The next
Rockgabbers will explore some of these techniques and skills. For
most of these projects I recommend using copper as it will take a
heat generated patina very easily, and if you don’t like the way it
looks, you can put it into sparex and start over. I suggest that you
get a piece of copper that is big enough to make a
bracelet, or try to make a base for a pendant. The workshop will
be on Sunday, May 18th at Tony and Sandie’s home.
If anybody has a particular project they would like, or a skill they
want to learn, please let me know, I’m sure that somewhere
around the club we can find somebody competent to teach it.
As usual we always conclude our workshop with a potluck
dinner.
Looking forward to seeing all of you at Rockgabbers.
Tony and Sandie Fender
The Rockhounder May 2014
Page 5
Really Big Shew at the Fairplex!!!
I n case you hadn’t heard, The Pasadena Lapidary Society is
hosting the CFMS Show at the end of the month. Here’s the
flyer with all the info.
Page 6
The Rockhounder May 2014
Field Trip Report: Stoddard Wells
April 26, 2014
F riday morning was a busy morning as it was the preparations for the
Stoddard Wells fieldtrip last weekend. We finally left about 2 p.m.,
traffic for the most part while heavier than any other day, was moving.
That is until we got to the 15 frwy then it began to slow and finally crawl.
We got off at Glen Helen and had a mini tour of Devour. We found where
to get back on the frwy after the interchange and traffic was flying. Soon
we were in Victorville and checking in at our motel. No moss grew
between our toes that Friday afternoon. We were on our way to Stoddard
Well camp area, setting up the signs along the way.
Friday was windy and there were a few clouds racing across the sky. And it
was a cold wind at that! We met with Ed & Corrine Imlay, who were
camping there at the location
of the Victor Valley Tailgate
just a month before. We
discussed expectations of
the members that will show
up on Saturday morning.
Soon we departed and
headed back to the motel
and then dinner.
Saturday morning had
arrived all too soon and it
was still windy and really
cold. I thought for sure the
Imlays would be the only
ones out there. I surprised to
see Jennifer Jang, Jim and Lulu Smith and Phil Lahr, Damon & Valerie
Stathatos were already there. We found out that at approximately 2 a.m. the
rain came down heavy and the wind buffeted the Imlay’s SUV. It became a
waiting game seeing who would be next to arrive at the site.
Before long there were 16 people in camp. Jay, followed by the Ragazzi’s
and the Stathatos, led the way up the mountain to the parking area near the
top of the mountain just below the Verde antique deposit. Ed & Corrine,
Jim & Lulu looked for rock at the base of the mountain. Sue Carter, Hailey
Carter and Tanner Soohoo and Marcia and I went to scout for the tailings
The Rockhounder May 2014
Page 7
of Verde Antique at the old quarry.
We found the road to the quarry however it was impassable and erosion
had exposed huge jutting rocks of 2 and 3 foot high in the middle of the
road. So we headed back and followed another road to an area where
someone with a large machine was prospecting for gold. Nothing of any
interest could be found. There was what was left of an old pickup truck in
the sand. Perhaps, it was sucked in by that strange phenomenon that Jay
had reported on before - dry quicksand!
We headed back to the rest of the group after taking some pictures of the
pickup. We met up with everybody and let them know what we found and
decided to head over to the tri colored marble via the blue dolomite area. I
think everyone found some blue dolomite and after about an hour we were
off like a herd of turtles to the tri color marble area. Along the way, two
vehicles turned left and headed home as we turned right to the marble.
Before you knew it the shadows were getting longer and everyone
collected their fill of the tri-color material. When we left the area most
headed for home upon getting to the main road. Jay with Phil and Jennifer
and Marcia & I headed back to the camp area to drop Phil and Jennifer
back at their vehicles. Jay, Marcia and I headed into town and had dinner
which made for a nice ending to the fieldtrip.
Lost somewhere in Calif.
Joe Goetz
Page 8
The Rockhounder May 2014
FIELD TRIP TO WRIGHTWOOD SATURDAY, MAY 17TH
7am — 4:30pm
Collect Actinolite Specimens and View Tectonic Plate Activity
Lead by Don Ogden and Mark Nelson
Transportation: We will have two vans and licensed drivers, which are
available to the first 24 people to sign up, at a cost of $10
each. Sign up for the van at the Mt. SAC classroom (up to
May 12th) or by email to Mark Nelson at mnelson-
[email protected] or 909-996-1784. All others
attending can drive or car-pool to share gas expenses. This
trip is suitable for all types of cars.
Activity: Moderate physical ability is required to collect the mineral
specimens of Actinolite, Blue Schist and Dolomite. There
will be toilet facilities at Lost Lake (pit toilet) and at our
stop at the Grizzly Café in Wrightwood.
Bring: Water, lunch, camera, layered warm clothing, hat, sun-
block and a collecting bag or bucket. Sandwiches may also
be purchased at the Grizzly Café.
RSVP: Let your field trip leader know that you are coming and
give us a cell or home phone number to call - in case there
is a schedule change!!
Schedule:
7:30am Meet in the parking lot of Lowes Hardware next to the
McDonald’s in San Dimas. Opportunity to get food or beverages
from McDonald’s.
8:00 am Depart for San Andreas Fault sites along Old Route 66 in the
Cajon Pass.
9:00 am Visit Lost Lake, a seismic fault sag pond.
10:00 am Collecting Blue Schist and Dolomite in areas east of Wrightwood.
11:30 am Stop at Grizzly Café 1455 State Highway 2 in Wrightwood.
Restroom and to-go sandwiches available.
12:00 pm Arrive at Highway 2 Actinolite collecting area for lunch and
collecting.
1:30 pm Drive to additional collecting areas in Wrightwood and along Lone
Pine Canyon Road.
4:00pm Back at meeting place in San Dimas.
Actinolite is commonly found in metamorphic rocks, such as contact aureoles
surrounding cooled intrusive igneous rocks. It also occurs as a product of
The Rockhounder May 2014
Page 9
metamorphism of magnesium-rich limestones. Fibrous actinolite is one of the
six recognized types of asbestos, the fibers being so small that they can enter
the lungs and damage the alveoli. It can be shaped, cut and polished with a
diamond wheel using a water coolant and a mask. If nothing else, it makes for
a showy yard rock! Dolomite is a metamorphic marble that is ideal for
lapidary and carving.
Page 10
The Rockhounder May 2014
Catlinite by Richard “Pete” Peterson
INTRODUCTION:
C atlinite [Pipestone] is a rock that was a favorite material of Native
Americans for making pipe bowls, especially those tribes who lived on
the Plains, Other decorated items for ceremonial and religious purposes, and
articles for personal adornment, were also made from the stone. By ca 1700,
the Dakota Sioux controlled the Minnesota pipestone and distributed the stone
only through trade; it found its way as far east as Georgia and west to the
Pacific coast. Catlinite from the Minnesota quarries is sometimes referred to as
sacred pipestone.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The name Catlinite was derived from the artist George Catlin (b 1796 -.d
1872). Catlin traveled and painted extensively in the American West and
visited the Minnesota quarries in 1835. Catlin is generally credited with first
bringing the stone to the attention of mineralogists ca 1839.
THE ROCK:
Catlinite is a metamorphic claystone, a
type of argillite. It is a fine-grained rock,
commonly colored by hematite. The often
mottled or speckled stone is grayish to
brownish-red to dark red in color. It occurs
embedded as a 12 - 18 inch layer in a hard
matrix of Sioux quartzite. The quartzite
was formed by the metamorphism of
sandstone. In some areas, 12 feet of
quartzite must be removed to reach the
layer of Catlinite.
The quarries are located in southwestern Minnesota in Pipestone County, near
the city of Pipestone. The location was reported as early as 1702. The rock is
also found in Minnehaha County, South Dakota (southwest of Pipestone). The
South Dakota stone is cut from the same geologic strata as that quarried at
Pipestone, Minnesota. The word pipestone is frequently misused to describe a
wide range of materials used in crafting pipes. True Catlinite can be
distinguished from other pipemaking materials by using a streak plate (a small
tile, of unglazed porcelain) and the Munsell Soil Color Chart. Catlinite has a
streak which falls, only within hue 5R on the color chart.
Catlinite blocks, ready for carving
The Rockhounder May 2014
Page 11
THE PIPE IN ITS SPIRITUAL CONTEXT:
Ceremonial smoking marked important
activities of the Plains people; rallying
forces for warfare against rival groups,
prior to the trading of goods and hostages,
ritual dancing, and in medicine
ceremonies. The pipe bowl, stem and
tobacco were stored in animal skin
pouches or in wrapped bundles along with
other sacred paraphernalia. After smoking
the tobacco ashes were disposed of in
special places. Pipes had an identity, were
a valued possession, and were frequently
buried with their owner.
Pipe designs varied over time and by the time of Catlin’s visit in 1835, the
simple tube of earlier times had developed into elbow and disk forms, as well
as elaborate animal and human effigies. In the 19th century, the pipes found
their way through trade into white society. Bowls were sometimes carved
effigies honoring white politicians and explorers; sometimes the images were
far from flattering. The Pawnee and Sioux were master effigy carvers. The
T-shaped bowl we recognize today became widely associated with peace pipes
because the white negotiators usually encountered them at treat ceremonies.
Ceremonial pipes were used by the Lakota Sioux as a means of conveying
prayers or wishes to the creation forces or beings. The tobacco mixture that
was burned in a pipe and the resultant smoke was thought to carry those
prayers. The pipe was smoked in personal prayer, as well as at collective
rituals. It served as a means of conveying the thoughts of the smoker.
Assembling the pipe (i.e. connecting the bowl with the stem) and the smoking
mixture symbolically formed a bridge believed necessary for successful
communication with non-humans that influenced fates and outcomes.
CRAFTING AND SHAPING:
Catlinite is soft enough to be carved with stone or metal knives and drills.
Native Americans traditionally used bow drills; the tip of the drill was
fashioned with a quartz point which (when combined with water) could bore
out even the hardest pipestone. They then employed moistened, thin rawhide
strips rolled in pulverized quartz, that were stretched with a bow handle. The
bow saw was used to rough-shape the blanks for the pipe bowl. Bowls could
(Continued on page 12)
Sioux Catlinite Effigy Pipe
Bowl circa 1880
Page 12
The Rockhounder May 2014
then be shaped with gradations of sandstone. After shaping, the bowls were
polished using water and progressively finer abrasive grits, then worked with
animal hide, and finally hand rubbed with buffalo tallow or facial oils to
complete the polishing.
Today, the rough rock can be cut and
shaped using common, carpenter hand
tools. A regular hacksaw blade can
rough-shape the blank. The blank can then
be scraped with a file, rasp, or knife blade,
then smoothed with various gradations of
sandpaper. If desired, the piece can be
incised using any thin, sharpened tool. The
piece can then be gently heated and rubbed
with beeswax (fat and facial oils still
work). The item can then be immersed in
cold water to harden the wax that was
worked into pores of the rock. Finally, the item can be polished with a soft
cotton cloth.
REFERENCES
DeMallie, Raymond J.(ed.) 2001. Handbook of North American Indians.
Plains, Vol. 13 Parts 1 & 2. Smithsonian Institution: Washington, DC,
Holmes, William H. 1907. Catlinite. Handbook of American Indians North of
Mexico.
Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 30. p. 217- 219 in Pt./vol. 1.
Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Government Printing Office: Washington, DC.
King, J. C. H. 1977. Smoking Pipes of the North American Indian. British
Museum: London, England. 63p.
Sigstad, John S. 1970. A Field Test for Catlinite. American Antiquity 35:3,
377-382.
Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Catlinite, Also see nicotiana, peace
pipe, various others.
Woolworth, Alan R.(ed.) 1983. The Red Pipestone Quarry of Minnesota:
Archaeological and Historical Reports. Minnesota Archaeologist 42(1-2).
Minneapolis, MN
From Pueblo Rockhounds, 5/11 via Gem Cutters News, 6/11
Catlinite (Continued from page 11)
Catlinite pipe bowl probably
used by Chief Black Hawk
Black Hawk State Historical
Site, Rock Island, IL
The Rockhounder May 2014
Page 13
New mineral discovered in Australia, named Putnisite
M elbourne: Scientists have discovered
a new mineral in Western Australia
that is unique in structure and composition
among the world's 4,000 known mineral
species.
The mineral 'Putnisite', described by a
visiting research fellow at the University of
Adelaide in Mineralogical Magazine, was
found in a surface outcrop at Lake Cowan,
north of Norseman in Western Australia.
The new mineral occurs as tiny crystals, no more than 0.5 mm in diameter and
is found on a volcanic rock. It appears as dark pink spots on dark green and
white rock which, under the microscope, appears as square, cube-like crystals.
It combines the elements strontium, calcium, chromium, sulphur, carbon,
oxygen and hydrogen - a very unusual combination. It has yet to be determined
if the new mineral will have any practical use, researchers said.
"What defines a mineral is its chemistry and crystallography," said Dr Peter
Elliott, who is also a Research Associate with the South Australian Museum.
"By x-raying a single crystal of mineral you are able to determine its crystal
structure and this, in conjunction with chemical analysis, tells you everything
you need to know about the mineral.
"Most minerals belong to a family or small group of related minerals, or if they
aren't related to other minerals they often are to a synthetic compound - but
putnisite is completely unique and unrelated to anything," he said.
The mineral was discovered during prospecting by a mining company in WA
and handed on to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation (CSIRO) for initial research and then to Elliott for more detailed
analysis.
Putnisite has been named for Australian mineralogists Andrew and Christine
Putnis.
http://www.firstpost.com/world/new-mineral-discovered-in-australia-named-
putnisite-1492609.html
Image from Mindat.org
Page 14
The Rockhounder May 2014
Upcoming CFMS Gem Shows
May 2-4 BISHOP, CA. Lone Pine Gem & Mineral Society
Bishop Fairgrounds, Sierra Street & Fair Drive
Hours: Fri 5 - 10; Sat 9 - 7; Sun 10 - 3
May 3-4 ANAHEIM, CA. Searchers Gem & Mineral Society
Brookhurst Community Center, 2271 W. Crescent Avenue
Hours: Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 4:30
Website: www.searchersrocks.org
May 3-4 YUCAIPA, CA. Yucaipa Valley Gem & Mineral Society
Scherer Senior Center, 12202 First Street
Hours: Sat 10 - 6, Sun 10 - 4
Website: www.yvgms.org/wiki
May 10-11 LANCASTER, CA. Antelope Gem & Mineral Society
Lancaster High School, 44701 - 32nd Street West
Hours: 9 - 5 daily
Website: www.avgem.weebly.com
***************************************************************
2014 CFMS Show and Conference
May 30 - June 1
Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave, POMONA, CA
to be hosted by the
Pasadena Lapidary Society
Show Website: www.cfms2014show.com
****************************************************
May 31 - ESCONDIDO, CA. Palomar Gem & Mineral Club
June 1 California Center for the Arts, 1340 N. Escondido Blvd.
Hours: Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 4
Website: www.palomargem.org
June 6-8 LA HABRA, CA. North Orange County Gem & Mineral Soc.
Sonora High School, 401 S. Palm Street
Hours: Fri 4 - 8:30; Sat 8 - 8; Sun 9 - 6
Website: www.nocgms.com
The Rockhounder May 2014
Page 15
Editor: Jay Valle, 1421 Latchford Avenue, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Home: (626) 934-9764; E-Mail: [email protected]
Bulletin exchanges: are welcome and requests should be sent to the editor.
WGMS MEETING LOCATION!
Whittier Community Center
7630 Washington Ave. Whittier
Wh
itti
er G
em
an
d M
iner
al
Soci
ety, In
c.
Po
st O
ffic
e B
ox 8
65
, W
hit
tier
, C
alif
orn
ia 9
06
08-0
865
Ed
ito
r: J
ay
Vall
e, 1
421 L
atc
hfo
rd
Ave.
Ha
cien
da
Hei
gh
ts,
CA
9174
5
Date: May 22, 2014
Location: See page 4 & 15 for info
