Spring 2009 | 1

RockhounderB.C.

Editor:Win Robertsonwinrob@shaw.ca(250) 376-4878#62401 Ord Rd.Kamloops, BC V2B 7V8

Cover Photo:Warren Bobiak's Disidaro Agate. Photo By Quinn Gregory

Vol. 12 Spring 2009

Design & Layout:Hayley Royhayley_689@hotmail.com(250) 828-0965Kamloops, BCV2E 2J1

Printing:Sure Kamloops Print & Copy Centre(250) 554-1322552 Tranquille Rd.Kamloops, BC

Published Quarterly By the British Columbia Lapidary Society

20739 39th Avenue, Langley, BC V3A 2V7Tel: (604) 532-0582E-mail: bcls@cia.comwww.lapidary.bc.ca

ContentsMineral Notes: Silver 4Daddy Day Care: Dinosaur Eggs 6Fifty Years & Still Going Strong: Fraser Valley Club 8Canada’s Stonehenge 10The History Of Lapidary: Part I 12A Field Guide to Mineral Collectors 16Petrifi ed Wood 18What the Hell Happened? 19Drusy Quartz: Always One of a Kind 20Colourful Rhyolite & Jasper 22Field Trip 25McGowan's War 26Around the Clubs 27Club Shows 34Colonel Moody & The Port Next Door 36Lost & Found Treasures 39

2 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 3

Finally spring is here and the Gem Show is around the corner. Cam Bacon and his committee have prepared a great show for 2009. Demand for club display space is up and requests for dealer space have created a signifi cant waiting list. The Gem Show committee is looking seriously at alternate venues and we will hear more from them in the future. By now most of you will have heard of Access BC. This new group has begun serious lobbying efforts to increase access to public forest lands. Please give them your support for this worthwhile endeavor. Congratulations to Mary Warko and the group from the Northern Zone who have been working extremely hard to protect good rockhounding areas for the future. Conditional mineral reserves can be set aside for rockhounding without the cost of actually staking a claim. Less work, less upkeep, no cost and permanent status, it’s all good. There will be a workshop at rendezvous with more information about the conditional reserves. Rendezvous will be here soon. The 1120 club is hosting in Winfi eld and I know we will have a great time. I hope to see all of you there. This is my last Presidents message and I want to write that it has been a privilege and pleasure to serve as your president. Thank you very much.

Happy Rockhounding!Walt Pinder

President’s Message

Tierney Crystals & Crafts˾Petrifi ed Wood ˾Quartz Crystals ˾Tumbled Stones˾Mineral Specimens ˾Amethyst ˾Brazilian Agate

Suite 101-3351 KingswayVancouver, BCV5R 5K6

Lapis Gems LapidaryPrecious, Semi-Precious Stones & Minerals

Mohammad YarzadehM. Homayon

27 Roy’s Square(Yonge & Bloor)Toronto, ON M4Y 2W4

Tel: (416) 944-3123Fax: (416) 944-3309

hayley roygraphic designer

250.828.0965hayley_689@hotmail.com

logo designpublication layoutart & illustration

Shows and By Appointment

Frank & Bett y TierneyTel: (604) 435-6777

You have heard the wail of the siren As an ambulance sped down the streetAnd mayhap you've heard the lion's deep roar Down in Africa's grim desert heat.

Or the piercing cry of the tiger At night as he stalks his preyOr the locomotive's high shrill whistle As it sped through the night on its way.

But these sounds sink to a whisper You've heard naught, I assure you, till I've toldOf the blood-curdling cry of the Kee Bird In the Arctic's cruel frigid cold.

This bird looks just like a buzzard It's large, it's hideous, it's boldIn the night as it circles the North Pole Crying, Kee, Kee, Keerist but it's cold.

The, Eskimos tucked away in their igloos Toss fretfully in their sleepWhile their Huskies asleep in a snow bank Start burrowing way down deep.

For this cry is so awe inspiring It freezes the blood I'm toldAs the Kee Bird fl ies in the Arctic Crying Kee Kee Keerist but it's cold.

The Mounties, abroad in their dog sleds, Visiting these wards of the CrownOften hear this cry and stare skywards With a fi erce and sullen frown.

For odd things happen in the Arctic And many weird tales they have toldBut their voices drop to a whisper At the cry, Kee, Kee, Keerist but it's cold.

Share your trips and knowledge by sending an article to the Rockhounder!

Submit articles for the next issue by July 10, 2009 to:Win Robertson,6 – 2401 Ord RoadKamloops, BC V2B 7V8

My thanks to all that have submitted articles and club news for publication.They are greatly appreciated and enjoyed by our readers.

4 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 5

Crystals Books Cut Stones Minerals

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New & Used Equipment

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4611 Hastings StreetBurnaby, BCV5K 2K6

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Tues—Fri: 10am—6pmSat & Sun: 11am—5pm Closed Mondays and Holidays

www.mountaingems.cominfo@mountaingems.com

While 56 or 57 times cheaper than gold on the commodities market, silver is likely 57 or 56 times less common in mineral collectors’ showcases. The reasons may be several, but two are outstanding. First and most important is the susceptibility of silver and several silver-containing species to darken by surface exposure to sulfur or light. Silver’s behavior, in a crystal or a spoon, limits its popularity among collectors and dinner-party throwers alike. Second, in the last century, there haven’t been many good crystals of silver species found. Although mineral books, such as Dana’s 6th (or 7th?) and Bideaux’s Handbook of Mineralogy, list many localities for silver, and while in a 300-year perspective this may be true, these books make silver seem too common. There once were many mines producing silver specimens, but lists, like those in Dana and Bideaux, are pretty meaningless in terms of current specimen production, for practically none of the mines of past centuries are sources of specimens today: as mines deepen, the veins soon become less rich, open pockets diminish, and everything con-spires to minimize specimen recovery. Silver in most or normal veins is of little or no collector worth: the specimens from Cobalt, Ontario, for example, are just ugly black masses. In some cases, silver may assume the form of elongated, often skeletal or dendritic crystals, often

penetrating calcite; collectors may enjoy these specimens sliced and polished. With the likelihood of tarnish soon taking over the silver surfaces, however, when sliced, these specimens had best be promptly lacquered. Collectors do have some sources of interest. There are two major but completely unlike silver specimen sources with specimens of very different growth habits: the wires from Könsberg, Norway, and the crystals of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Könsberg was the world’s greatest silver specimen mine, with its magnifi cent, twisting wires rising practically alone in the exhibit circuit. So abundant at one time was silver at this mine that Norway’s king established a mint in Köngsberg, where, still maintained, is a museum with fabulous examples. It is an unusual silver vein, containing little ore other than silver and silver sulfi de. Associated gangue minerals are few: barite, zeolites, and somewhat important, spectacular octahedral fl uorite and abundant, large acanthite, née argentite. (For readers not familiar with silver sulfi des, orthorhombic acanthite is a silver sulfi de crystallizing from solutions cooler than 173°C solutions. Usually, the separating sulfi de, growing at a higher temperature, is cubic and has been long known as argentite. Restacking its atoms, argentite’s paramorphism to acanthite occurs spontaneously when vein temperature falls

below 173°C.) Though hardly a non-Mexican collector would venture to put anything but a Köngsberg wire in a competitive case, there are, and were (Mexico, Peru, and, once, Germany) lesser sources of wire silvers. Pachuca and especially Batopilas (Mexico) were good sources. All the wire silvers fi nd errant airborne sulfur most welcome, however, and Quick-Dip’s shine is regrettably shortlived. The silver wires of Norway and other localities seem to rise from a fl oor. We have other examples of minerals growing up or out from various porous bases: gypsum “horns” on cavern walls; chalcanthite and H2O needles rise as slender rods in copper mines and over frosty mud fl ats. Hunting a solution of this observation, we note that the wires usually seem to spring from a gray metallic mineral surface, generally the octahedral face of a one-time argentite crystal. There seems to be a catalytic extraction of silver from ore-forming solutions taking place at that interface as the wires twist and climb, each doubtless a single crystal, one or dozens fused in a parallel bundle. Perhaps this happens when the sulfur emissions diminish. In any case, what is suggested is that an argentite-acanthite presence is essential to the development of wires. The Michigan occurrence is quite different: there seems to be little or no silver sulfi de, so there are no wires. Instead,

there are well-formed crystals, which terminate grouped copper crystals. Growing as crystals normally do, the Michigan silvers swell as they rest on a matrix, forming shiny white peaks, crowning the crystallized copper masses. Remarkably, unlike the wires from elsewhere, these silver crowns atop copper seem eminently displayable, for they tend to remain untarnished and silvery, at least as far as your author has noted. Perhaps all were lacquered as they came from the mine, treated at the source like tanzanite! Perhaps one of the fi ve or six individual mineralogical ignoramusses now claiming authorship of some trivial academic paper could take it on as a one-person job, not too diffi cult for a single author to grasp. In Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Peru, Chile, and Mexico, other less pure silver veins contain mixtures of minerals; some have the

beautiful (but darkening with light and time) “ruby silver” antimonides and arsenides, pyrargyrite and proustite, that you won’t see on display. Gangues in these veins include many non-Ag ores, cobalt minerals, and uraninite, with calcite, barite, and often, zeolites, as well as recrystallized secondary silver species like polybasite, pearceite, and stephanite. All of these suites are largely epithermal, that is, low-temperature, near-surface deposits. Born under less pressure, epithermal deposits often have open pockets, which permit the unhampered growth of free crystals: hence the existence of the beautiful crystals of ruby silver for which Chanarcillo, Chile, is so famous. The other side of the coin for us, however, is that being near-surface deposits, most were discovered, and worked out, centuries ago. Being near the surface, the veins

are also susceptible to alteration by weathering. Silver is often, even to 50 percent, also a contaminant in gold (which it pales), and both silver and silver minerals commonly host mercury, copper, iron, and antimony. Often, mining and refi ning of common metals like lead, zinc, copper, even uranium, provide a small gold and/or silver bonus; crinkly, cleaving galena is commonly regarded as having a relatively high silver content, though this may be only an old kobold’s tale, a kobold being a sort of gnome or mining spirit. Another story, believable if not true, has it that EK Co. bought some silver from Great Bear Lake, a Canadian uranium deposit, but the fi lm they made eventually had a tendency to self-expose, a consequence of years of keeping such bad company.

Mineral Notes: SilverBy Frederick H. Pough, Ph.D.

6 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 7

WASHINGTON – You can call it dino daddy day care. Scientists who examined the fossilized remains of three types of medium-sized dinosaurs found with large clutches of eggs have concluded that the males rather than the females seem to have guarded the nests and brooded the eggs. Writing on Thursday in the journal Science, they said this behavior is seen in certain existing species of birds. Scientists believe birds evolved from small, feathered predatory dinosaurs more than 150 million years ago. This artist's illustration shows a male of the medium-sized predatory dinosaur Troodon, which lived in North America in the late Cretaceous Period, brooding over a clutch of eggs. The three types of dinosaurs, Troodon, Oviraptor and Citipati, lived roughly 75 million years ago and were theropods—the primarily meat-eating group that also includes monstrous beasts like Tyrannosaurus rex and Giganotosaurus. “There are a lot of characteristics that we once thought were unique to birds that are turning out not to be —that they fi rst arose in their theropod ancestors,” Montana State University paleontologist Frankie

Jackson, one of the researchers, said in a telephone interview. The scientists said the fi ndings suggest that at least in these types of dinosaurs, the males may have mated with several females that laid eggs in one large clutch. When the females left, the males incubated and protected the eggs on their own. In these cases, the dinosaurs were found with an unusually

large number of eggs—each nest containing from 22 to 30 eggs. They were found in Montana in the case of Troodon, and Mongolia in the case of Oviraptor and Citipati. After a close examination of the fossils, the scientists concluded that the dinosaurs were males.

Florida State University paleobiologist Greg Erickson said there was no evidence of medullary bone—the extra bone that breeding female birds and dinosaurs use to make eggs—or evidence of another process by which female reptiles such as crocodiles acquire mineral salts to make eggs. Males contribute to parental care in less than 5 per cent of mammal and reptile species. Males and females contribute to parental care together in more than 90 per cent of birds. Among a group called Paleognathes—an ancient lineage that branched off soon after birds evolved from dinosaurs and includes ostriches, emus and tinamous —paternal care and polygamy are the rule, the scientists said.The scientists are uncertain why these dinosaurs died suddenly while perching over the eggs. In the Mongolian ones, they may have perished in sandstorms or collapsing sand dunes. Male-only care for eggs occurs among certain large fl ightless birds like emus and rheas and the South American tinamous, according to fellow Montana State University paleontologist David Varricchio.

Daddy Day Care: Dinosaur Fathers Guarded the EggsWill Dunham, Reuters

8 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 9

It's hard to believe the club's been around that long. We've had our ups and downs but mostly “ups.” Like a lot of clubs our membership drops and before you know it we are back up to full speed again averaging approximately forty or more members. We also struggle to get new executives but in the end we come out on top of the issue. Some of the more recent members have graciously volunteered to become the executive for our 50th anniversary year. Robert Brown for President; Chuck Trebilcock, our generous carver, as Vice-President; Robert McMath taking over for Secretary; and Alan Dodds consenting to be Treasurer for his second term. Thanks a lot fellow members—we know you'll do a good job. The club hopes to put in a special display at the British Columbia Gem Show and is looking forward to creating our commemorative feature as inspired by Alan Dodds. Looking back over the years, Norm and Elsie Young are the only charter members still around. (above, right) They have brought a lot of expertise to our club. Norm was responsible for starting the Rock Talk by presenting a rock for the selected member to identify, research, and give a short talk on, but unfortunately this feature seems to have fallen by the wayside. Elsie will always

be remembered for her artistic scrimsidian—scrimshaw on obsidian slabs—an artist in this fi eld. Way to go Elsie! We have to thank Elsie also for keeping up the feature of framed pictures of all our presidents, past and present. Elsie also designed our club crest depicting our club's emblem of quartz crystal. Then Mary Nedimovitsh is also a long time member in good standing. She is the cheerful person who always manages to get a laugh with her many spontaneous quips. She has participated in most of the facets of our hobby and has travelled around the valley for various lessons in the past. (right)

Cheerful Florence Van Horn has been a long time member also. Her specialty is in the creating of her famous gem trees. In fact you can even see them in the gift shop at Minter Gardens. We always look to Ken McLeod for help. He has been a long time workshop chairman and if we have a geological question he is the person to go to in this fi eld. Ron Vauthrin is our expert in silver-smithing and has taught his skills to many members. Now that Ron has retired, the Vauthrin's spend their winters in Quartzite. Along with Ron's good wife, Sue, they have been

made life-time members for all their help in the club. Of course Elsie and Norm, Len Ferguson, formerly of O'Ferguson's Rock Shop, who unfortunately isn't able to attend meetings anymore, are life-members along with Alice Utas who has contributed a lot for the club spending many years on the membership committee. We can't help but mention all the efforts Jerry Davenport puts in for the good of the club who also spends winters down south with Ken McLeod and their respective wives. Then there is another long time member, Shirley Henry, an artist who portrays sketches of the various rock hunts and campouts. She also seems to come up with specialty items for our monthly Show and Tell Table. Our club has come a long way from the fi rst meeting in the fall of 1959 with fi fty people attending at the Orange Hall at Otter and Fraser Highway with Wes Veale of Veale's Rock Shop in Mission as president Prior to the forming of the club there were night school classes in lapidary at Aldergrove High School as well as the Langley High School. This

lead to the forming of the F.V.R.G. Club. The club then moved to the Vasa Hall in Aldergrove but due to lack of parking space, the meetings were then moved to the present location at the Old Age Pensioners' building. We were the fi rst renters the pensioners had. Yes, we've come a long way with many good times and lots of memories to reminisce over. We will also be celebrating at our annual club show in the fall. Be sure and mark September 26th and 27th in CAPITAL LETTERS on your calendar, for your attendance. More on that later. Submitted by Marion Wood, Publicity Chairperson for the F.V.R.G. Club's 50th Anniversary

Fifty Years & Still Going Strong: Happy 50th Anniversary to the

Fraser Valley Rock and Gem Club!

THE GEODE MAN

Ivan & Wendy Leversage

604-535-9005

17315 29th AvenueSurrey, BC V3S 0E8

Please phone for an appointment

-Faceted Montana Saphires-Cut Geodes-Brazilian Agate-Thundereggs-Rough & Polished Slabs

specializing in

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10 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 11

EDMONTON — An academic maverick is challenging conventional wisdom on Canada's prehistory by claiming an archeological site in southern Alberta is really a vast, open-air sun temple with a precise 5,000-year-old calendar predating England's Stonehenge and Egypt's pyramids. Mainstream archeologists consider the rock-encircled cairn to be just another medicine wheel left behind by early aboriginals. But a new book by retired University of Alberta professor Gordon Freeman says it is in fact the centre of a 26-square-kilometre stone “lacework” that marks the changing seasons and the phases of the moon with greater accuracy than our current calendar. “Genius existed on the prairies 5,000 years ago,” says Mr. Freeman, the widely published former head of the university's physical and theoretical chemistry department. Mr. Freeman's fascination with prairie prehistory dates back to his Saskatchewan boyhood. He and his father would comb the short grasses of the plains in search of artifacts exposed by the scouring wind. That curiosity never left him and he returned to it as he prepared to retire from active teaching.

Looking for a hobby, he asked a friend with an interest in history to suggest a few intriguing sites to visit. On a warm late-August day in 1980, that list drew him to what he has come to call Canada's Stonehenge, which is also the title of his book. A central cairn atop one of a series of low hills overlooking the Bow River, about 70 kilometres east of Calgary, had been partially excavated in 1971 and dated at about 5,000 years old. But as he approached it, Freeman strongly felt there was much more there than previously thought. “As we walked toward the hilltop, I saw all kinds of patterns in the rocks on the way up. As I walked around the hilltop, I could see patterns that I doubted very much were accidental.” Mr. Freeman photographed what he saw and showed the images to archeologists. They told him the rocks, some of which weigh up to a tonne, had been randomly distributed by melting glaciers. But those rocks and rock piles, Mr. Freeman said, had been “highly engineered,” shimmied and balanced and wedged in ways he couldn't believe were natural. And so began a magnifi cent obsession—28 years of photographing the site in summer and winter, observing

the alignment of rocks and how they coincided with the recurring patterns of sun, moon and stars. Mr. Freeman estimates he and his wife Phyllis have spent a total of seven months living at the site. Twelve thousand photographs with precise times and dates are neatly catalogued in his fi les.

WHAT HE FOUND:The central cairn is surrounded by 28 radiating stone lines, four of which align with the cardinal points of the compass. Those lines are encircled by another ring of stones. A few metres away lies a stone semicircle, with a large stone between it and the central cairn. The left edge of the semicircle lines up with both the central stone and the right edge of the cairn, and vice versa. To Mr. Freeman, those features represent the sun, the crescent moon and the morning star. As well, there are secondary cairns on nearby hills and rock assemblages that seem to correspond to constellations. And after years of rising before dawn, in all seasons and weather, to carefully photograph the positions of the sun, Mr. Freeman found the rocks once thought to be simply strewn across the prairie instead mark the progression of the year with uncanny accuracy.

The rising and setting sun on both the longest and shortest days of the year lines up precisely with V-shaped sights in the temple's rocks. The spring and autumn equinoxes, when day and night are equal, are similarly marked. They are not the equinoxes of the Gregorian calendar currently used, however, but the true astronomical equinoxes. Mr. Freeman is convinced the temple contains a lunar calendar as well, because the 28 rays radiating from the central cairn correspond to the length of the lunar cycle. “I thought I would complete that study in a couple years,” says Mr. Freeman, a laughing, vigorous 78. “Twenty-eight years later we're still making discoveries.” Mainstream archeology hasn't been exactly welcoming. Despite being highly regarded in his own fi eld, Mr. Freeman says journals have rejected his papers and conferences have denied him a platform. Professionals in any fi eld resist interlopers from other disciplines and archeology is no exception, he says. But he suggests conventional wisdom can restrict insight. “If you have preconceptions, you're never going to discover anything.” Although he hasn't read Canada's Stonehenge, University of Alberta arch-eologist Jack Ives is familiar with Mr. Freeman's theories. He says recent research suggests some astronomical knowledge developed in Central

and South America fl owed North to the plains, where it was adapted by people for

their own purposes. “There is some basis for thinking there was sophisticated astronomical knowledge,” says Mr. Ives. But what exactly is mani-fested in the medicine wheels? “They may certainly refl ect solstices and equinoxes.

How much more sophisticated beyond that has been a subject of debate.” But Mr. Ives points out the terrain in question is an ancient glacial moraine, full of naturally occurring rocks.“You have to be very careful about what you line up.” Mr.Freeman, however, is convinced. He looks forward to the academic debate to come.“I know my song well before I sing

it,” he says, quoting Bob Dylan. Meanwhile, Mr. Freeman hopes to use any publicity generated by his book to push for preservation of the site. Part of it is privately owned, but most is Crown land and open to both the energy industry and casual, possibly destructive, visitors. “The place is so far away from anything that it's not adequately protected.” Mr. Freeman is a man of science, trained to trust hard data and believe evidence over sensation. But after 28 years unravelling a message in mute stones, the wind in his hair and the sun on his face, absorbed in ancient mysteries, the site has come to evoke in him something akin to reverence. “I can go down there with a headache and within a day everything is gone. It's just like a cure. There is something down there. I just don't know how to describe it. “I just feel very comfortable there. I just feel comfortable.”

Canada's StonehengeBob Weber

“I can go down there with a headache and within a day everything is gone. It's just like a cure. There is something down there. I just don't know how to describe it.”

12 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 13

Where Did Gemcutting get its Start? What are the origins of the ancient and honorable craft known as lapidary? Gemcutting, or lapidary, occurred as the most likely answer suggests that an offshoot of more mundane strivings. A stone may have fallen into a fi re where the heat caused it to break or fl ake. Perhaps a sharp edge resulted? Certainly, fl int and other hard stone possess sharp edges, but a blade-like cutting edge on a newly fl aked piece meant something else. Then perhaps, someone viewed stone fragments from a more abstract perspective. To regard the unusual confi guration, texture, or coloring of a piece of stone or mineral crystal, to contemplate the possible alterations of a stone so as to wring from it the promise of greater beauty is to begin to understand the mysteries of lapidary. In prehistoric times, man hammered out his tools of stone, presumably smacking one stone against another, scratched and chiseled out symbols and primitive writings on hard rock and cave walls - and gradually learned the great secret: some stones are harder, i.e., they are more capable of infl icting scratches on other less hard stones.

From such an understanding, drilling and bruting became possible. Drilling, one of the fi rst of the lapidary arts, shows itself in history as far back as 1,000,000 years ago. In these same times, the primitive peoples learned that rocks could be broken or fractured. First, the breakage provided random fragments, but ultimately experimentation no doubt demonstrated that breakage could also be achieved with some semblance of control. This same knowledge of relative hardness led to bruting, the shaping of a gem specimen through rubbing against another harder mineral type. The slow, tedious practice of bruting was used for centuries until more refi ned techniques were introduced. At this early date, historians are reluctant to attribute anything quite so intellectual as an understanding of cleavages. It was satisfactory that the breaking, chipping, or fl aking of a stone could be disciplined...made to occur in desired directions and depth.

River Rolling Produces a Smooth FinishNo doubt, too, man compared the smooth, river and stream rolled stones with those found elsewhere. Even here, it required no great stretch of thinking to

conclude that something was exerting a smoothing or polishing effect on certain stones. Could it be other mineral particles in the river working to complement the action of the constantly running water? From such questions, the advance to a rubbing paste of water and sand was virtually inevitable. Whether many of these later discoveries broke in the Paleo or Neolithic, (early or late Stone Age,) is of little consequence. What is known is that man used the new found phenomena in anticipation of the many tools and pieces of equipment of succeeding years. By 3,000 B. C., man had developed his lapidary skills to such a level that cylinders made of serpentine, were commonplace. The Scanning Electron Microscope has analyzed many seals of the early Bronze Age that were uncovered in ancient Mesopotamia. Showing remarkable skill and tool control by the gemcutters, these seals were often shaped to form a fl at or convex seal face with a raised perforated handle on the back. Highly valued, the seals were worn as amulets that could be removed quickly and pressed into a clay tablet. Indeed, they were the mark of early man as each seal was made exclusively for its owner.

Old Tools Show Age of LapidaryWhat is so inspiring about these ancient artifacts is that they prove how old lapidary is. They show that, well before Christ, lapidaries had pretty much conquered the challenges of sawing, chipping, drilling, polishing and, yes, faceting. By today's standards, the work was rudimentary but the principals upon which this work was performed are still with us. From the beginning of recorded history, use of jade and jade look-alikes were prevalent. Materials like serpentine only look like jade, but the real value lies in the lapidary skill lavished on the original rough. Centuries before Christ, the Chinese knew how to work the tough green material they called yu and which we call jade. It was also a sacred stone to the Aztecs of North America as well as the Maoris of New Zealand. The tribes of the Swiss Lake District also worked jade. To be sure, pre-Columbian beads of Mexico and South America were crudely worked samples of jade, but some of the more advanced cultures of ancient Mexico worked the material into incredibly intricate and complex carvings. Where available, other forms of jade were also used extensively. These other similar appearing by non-jade types included serpentine, prehnite, and aventurine. Naturally, the various kinds of quartz found quick favor among stone workers. They represented an explosion of varied, rich colors and, although their hardness made them a more diffi cult to work than the softer stones, many different cultures sought them not for their lush cosmetic values but for mystic purposes as well. The faceted gems of today are incredible optical performers. It has always been

that way. For example, the marvelous translucency and transparency of the crystalline quartzes ranged from carnelian, sardonyx, agate, amethyst to rock crystal. The early Chinese, Japanese, Grecian, and Mycenaean peoples found quartz a marvelous mineral for gemcutting, as did the craftsmen of India and Scotland.

Amber Still Considered Earliest Gem MaterialsAmber is undoubtedly one of the earliest stones to be used in jewelry. It is lightweight, easily drilled, and features a pleasing warm color. It was also found fl oating in numerous parts of the world in fairly large pieces. Such folk work comes from the Orient, Morocco, Afghanistan, and, of course, the Baltic countries. Used mostly in necklaces, many of the beads are large, hand-shaped spheres or ovals. Turquoise has a long history in jewelry. The Egyptians of the earliest dynasties focused great attention on this sky-blue stone, often grinding lit into a powder form to provide a unique blue eye shadowing. It was a highly prized gem of the Mexican cultures, and the Persians and Tibetans used turquoise extensively. Some Germanic people used it as a betrothal stone. Among the American Indians, it was the principal stone. In almost all instances, the workings were those of cabochon cutters, carvers and sculptors who specialized in representational art. A relatively soft stone, turquoise was easily worked and could quickly be buffed to a nice polished fi nish with a mixture of sand and water. Sometimes it was worked in a nugget form and other times it was shaped. Used alone or in combination with shell, coral and

other soft materials, turquoise has continued in great popularity even up to contemporary times. Coral, incidentally, is usually vivid in color and easy to shape so it naturally became famous in Tibet, China, India, northern Africa, and the American Indians. Other stones that found early use among gemcutters were meerschaum, jet and lignite, soapstone, lapis lazuli, and malachite. Where volcanic action was evident, obsidian was also used. It is a medium soft stone, but gemcutters quickly found that quartz pieces and fl int could be used to shape it. Obsidian was valued among the Stone Age artisans and then later by Aztecs, Mayans, and Indian tribes of the Western U. S.

Glass, Too, Has a Long Lapidary HistoryAs a matter of fact, in 5,000 B. C. the Zadim, (stone workers,) of Sumeria were even making and working with an early form of glass. Not so surprising is the fact that the initial use of glass was to serve as an imitation gemstone. Later, the Egyptians were to be given false credit for the development of glass or faience, (fah-yahnse'). It is pretty much established now that the real discovery of this glazed terra cotta ceramic ware, with its colored decorations, took place farther East and was brought to Egypt by Sumerian merchants. Even farther east in Cambay, (in Western India's Gujarat State,) bead making has progressed to a fi ne art. Factories there were producing a variety of beads made from siliceous stones that are even today marketed all over the world. Artisans of the Bronze and Classical Age, especially those who carved Greek seal stones, used techniques that were enormously time consuming. It was their habit to cut small

The History of Lapidary By Gerald Wykoff, CSM GG part 1

14 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 15

chunks from large local blocks. Obsidian served as the sawing agent, the chunks were shaped with Naxian emery, and then apparently given a fi nal polish with other corundum powders made into a watery paste.

Bead and Sphere Cutting in Early India Indian literature dated about 2300 B.C. refers to manikyam. Because mani is a term to describe a sphere or bead it appears that some form of gem cutting was practiced that early. Bapu Majajan, a contemporary Indian gemologist and Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, feels that these and later references, (about 400 B.C.,) to gemstones in India show that gem cutting, including a rude form of faceting, had its origins in that country. It goes without saying that the more famous transparent gems, ruby, sapphire, spinel, emerald and garnet, appeared in many different forms; all the work of advanced gemcutters. These gems all appear in early jewelry of India, Burma, Sri Lanka, (Ceylon), Persia, (Iran.) They were mostly cut, (or rather polished,) as the natural "Point" shown here. Rubies, because they were treasured above all other gems, have been found mounted in their natural shape while others have been faceted and cut cabochon.

Faceting Advances From Islamic Period It is not well known, but many of the advances in faceting can be attributed to the Islamic Period. In what is now eastern Iran, gemcutters had developed great

skills in polyhedral faceting, (11th c. Nishapur,) as well as exporting cutting skills which produced such great traditions as the rock formed crystals of Fatima, Egypt (9-12 c.,) jades and other hard stones of Mughal, India. Keep in mind that a number of technological developments were necessary before a breakthrough in diamond cutting became possible. The diamond's own incredible hardness and grain directions made it diffi cult to work with. There existed, too, a decided shortage of cutting equipment save a few hand tools. Lapidaries much preferred the stones softer then diamond, including ruby, sapphire, quartz, and emerald.

Europeans Brought Discipline to GemcuttingThe practice of cutting gem-stones to a specifi c confi guration along with the refi nements of development of diamond-cutting techniques, were established in Europe. The techniques of diamond splitting, done to obtain natural octahedral forms of the crystal, was known in Gaul and Germany. By about 1380, a method of true diamond cutting was practiced in France. The diamond point is simply the eight natural facets of the crystal. Diamonds occur naturally in this habit, or a bit of judicious splitting, or cleaving, will easily achieve the same thing. One of the problems with these early diamonds was that the unmodifi ed bottom, (called the pavilion,) was deep. The result was that rings rose too high on the wearer's fi ngers. In the latter half of the 16th Century, the only regular forms of

cut diamonds were the so-called diamond point and diamond table, both shapes being based on the octahedron. For the most part, these were small stones used as accents to complement large, colored, cabochon-cut stones. The diamond table cut would not have been all that diffi cult for the ancients to fi gure out. On an octahedron, the apex represents a four-point cutting orientation so no matter which way the octahedron was pointed, diamond grit would have successfully ground away the tip to a rude table facet.

Bruting Perhaps Was Original Method In the early stages, the method of grinding was simply to rub one crystal face against the other, as you know, a process called bruting. Indeed, many diamond cutters of the time had a small box beneath their manipulations. This was called a bruter's box and its primary purpose was to catch the rubbings, or diamond dust, given off by the constant rubbing. This dust was then used in the polishing process, its grit being so tiny as to effectively remove the larger scratches. The diamond table was produced by grinding across one of the pyramidal apexes of the octahedron. The facet thus formed was usually about half the width of the central square section. Inspection of old diamond table cuts shows that the cutters brought the table in as square as possible with just a table cut. Occasionally, the sides of the crown were slightly modifi ed to

improve the right angles to one another.

Culet Facet Intended to Prevent Damage Often as not, the cutter would also cut a small fl at on the bottom, called the culet. Generally, this was intended to avoid accidental chipping or breakage, which might catch a cleavage plane and extend it deeper into the stone. The cleavage plane on a diamond runs parallel to the octahedral faces so a long split up the entire length of the pavilion was not a minor possibility. For that reason, the practice of cutting a tiny fl at culet on the pavilion tip is still practiced today. The practice is also followed with colored stones. In the latter case, it is not the cleavage that is potentially troublesome. It is the fragility of a sharp tip on a gemstone that is considerably softer and less accommodating to shock than is diamond. Despite small advancements in cutting styles, the point cut style apparently persisted well into the 17th Century. A number of the world's museums contain jewelry where the accent diamonds are in the point-cut style.

Search Continues for PerformanceThe search for visual performance continued. It appears that most of the new innovations were intended to improve surface performance, the scintillation or twinkle caused by refl ections, rather than any knowledge application or pursuit of optical advancement. Doubtlessly, this search led to

the development of the single cut. Single cuts are still cut in abundance today and are better known to the public and jewelry trade as chips or Swiss Cuts. The technique consists of dropping in facets at the corner ribs. This nicely rounded off the plan view into something more nearly representing a circle. It was an 8-sided circle to be sure, but a more circular confi guration nonetheless. Again, it is not diffi cult to guess why the single cut represented the next step. The explanation lies in the physical properties of the diamond itself. An easy cutting grain lies diagonal to each rib. If a bruter rubs two diamond ribs diagonal to each other, he is following the soft grain on each crystal. It would not have taken all that much experimentation to determine that four additional corner facets could be dropped in on both the pavilion and the crown portions of the crystal. In contemporary cutting, these corner facets are the same width as the bezel facets and the angles of all eight pavilion facets are 41 degrees. In ancient times, the corner facets were generally narrower than the original sides and no knowledge of appreciation of angles was evident.

Breakthroughs Start in 1400'sIn the 1400's, the breakthroughs started in earnest. First in importance was the work of Louis de Berquen, of Bruges, Flanders. Generally acknowledged as the Father of Modern Diamond Cutting, he is best known for his introduction, about 1476, of absolute

symmetry, improvements in the polishing process, and the development of the pendeloque shape. He is also credited with the development of the horizontally mounted metal grinding wheel, (known in diamond parlance as a skeif.) It is doubtful if he actually developed the wheel. What he unquestionably did do for the fi rst time, was to cover the metal wheel with diamond dust suspended in oil. The oil, of course, kept the diamond particles on the rotating wheel rather than allow centrifugal force to sling them away. This led to extraordinary advances in polishing technology and control of the cut stones. Because of the great leap in polishing excellence, historians also gave him credit for the wheel itself. This is highly questionable. It is much more likely that this invention occurred in India where diamond working originated. De Berquen certainly made improvements on the wheel. He also used it to far better advantage than heretofore. Indians, though, had been using such fl at turning surfaces for centuries. What really made de Berquen's reputation and his place in history, was his development of the Sancy design. This was a classical pendeloque shape. Entrusted by Charles Le Temeraire, Duke of Burgundy, with three large rough diamonds in 1475, de Berquen responded with a revolutionary level of shape, design, and cutting excellence known as the Sancy design.

Part 2 – next issue

16 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 17

Many of you reading this are new members and new to collecting on club fi eld trips. As you go collecting how do you know who to ask for advice? Here is a fi eld guide to mineral collectors and how to spot the people that know what they are doing and those that do not. I apologize in advance that, for the purposes of this guide, all gender references will be male. Perhaps in the future we will have a female equivalent. All characters are fi ctitious. Any resemblance to real persons is coincidental.

Mr. "What did you get?" This collector goes around all day asking "what did you get" in the hopes that you will ask him the same question. This gives him the opportunity to pull out either a piece that he discovered with beginners luck, or a piece you threw away two hours ago or a piece that he picked up at the mineral store down the road and now he claims to have found it. This collector is often new to fi eld collecting and has not been humbled by collecting next to real collectors. Indiana Jones This is a real collector. Did you ever wonder how these locations we visit were discovered? It is this guy. He searches out old locations or breaks ground at a new location, a true prospector. They can be spotted because they have the right tools for the job and know what they are looking for in advance. We do not have many of this type in the NYMC anymore. You can spot them on a dig because they are not talking, and have their head in a hole. They have been in pockets that they could stand in and know what pocket mud is (and pocket mud can be found under their fi nger nails). You never know until the end of the day what they have found because they don't advertise their fi nds out of fear that a claim jumper (see Leech) will try to move in.

Sight Seer This person is using the trip to get out of the city and doesn't really care about collecting minerals. He thinks the NYMC is a travel agency to arrange his vacation. Often the loudest complainer, the fi rst to suggest quitting for the day, and most likely to get lost because he was wandering away from the collecting location.

Paul Bunyan This is the biggest and baddest (in the good sense) of all collectors. He swings the biggest hammer you ever saw. You are not worthy of carrying his tools. He cannot walk by a construction sight without dreaming of pneumatic jack hammer, back-hoes and 100 ton hydraulic jacks. No rock is too large to tackle, even if it is barren. This collector plays the odds, knowing that one trip in ten he will break into a good pocket and the pocket will have twenty times the quantity and quality of the junk the rest of us are picking up off the ground. At night this collector can be found at the nearest pizza parlor with a large supreme pizza and a six-pack of beer planning out the next days work.

Borrower This collector thinks that the list of tools prepared for each trip is a multiple choice. He brings only half of them. Can usually be spotted adjacent the fi eld trip director so that he can borrow his tools. Has a habit of quickly disappearing after breaking a sledge hammer handle or bending a crow bar. Chronic amnesia causes this collector to never offer to pay for damages, never remembers what tools he needs to get for the future, and always forgets to say thank you. Pebble Pup Always the youngest person on the trip and always the one to get the best specimen, usually lying on the surface where it was kicked by all or the other members on the trip. 20/20 Hindsight This collector has many years of collecting experience and they were all better than the trip he is on now. At least that what he thinks. He is fond of talking about collecting locations that are now built over by condominiums or super-highways. Does not recognize the passage of time. Never looks at his old specimens that he has boxed up in his garage to see if they really are as good as he remembers. Golden Pick He has a backpack fi lled with credit cards used to purchase minerals at the local rock shop. Breaks into a sweat easily at the thought of swinging a

hammer. His criteria for a good fi eld trip is a pool and remote control TV at the motel. Braggart Again, this collector has not been humbled by collecting next to a real pro. He walks around and, without you asking, will pull out to show you hundreds of fragments of crystals that you threw away two hour ago. The braggart does not collect quality, he collects quantity. Can often be heard saying "well it's not much, but it counts". The braggart thinks he is in a competition, but in a real competition, he would not last until lunch. Got it, Done it, Been there This is truly the hardest type of collector to spot because he seldom actually goes collecting. He was there twenty years ago and collected 5 pounds of stuff then. It was crap then and he does not need more crap, even if there was a major recent discovery. When the Plumbago mine discovery was made at Newry, Maine you could hear a collective "Ha, there ain't nothing up there!" from these guys all over New England. When confronted with specimens from new discoveries exclaims loudly that they were better in the old days.

Pseudo Expert No, this is not a collector of pseudomorphs. This is the guy that that looks over your shoulder (often while poking the ground with a stick - see poker) and tells you that you are using the wrong tool or working the wrong zone. Often has odd theories about pocket zones involving the Coriolis Effect, left hand quarks, or cold fusion. No amount of factual articles can sway this guy from his theories. And he never actually does any collecting, he prefers to direct others.

Vampire This is the rarest collector of all to be seen in the fi eld. He is a nocturnal collector that only collects in active quarries at night. Can be spotted with essential camoufl age outfi t, fl ashlights, lawyers phone number and bail bond card. Never collects at any location open to the public. Only knows the back entrance into a quarry and has memorized the work hours of each quarry. This collector always has the best specimens. Leech This collector attaches himself to the side of any successful collector in the hopes of benefi ting from their hard work. Can easily spotted saying "Let me squeeze in here". When dump digging is fond of rubbing shoulders with the collector he is attached to. This collector never actually fi nds anything

except Leaverites (as in "leave it right there"). His bad habits comes from being used to parallel parking in the city.

Poker Plants himself on the ground and pokes around usually with a stick he found at the site. Always comes away empty handed and is usually the most vocal about the failure of the club to plan good trips.

The Workhorse Motto is run silent, run deep. Slow and steady. He starts in at one spot and sticks to it throughout the day. If there is a specimen to be found he will get it. First Timer Expects the location will be littered with 1" gemstones. After the inevitable beginners luck discovery of a 1" gemstone, he fi nds it is all downhill. Becomes a poker. Field Trip Director This guy is the collector most likely to loose his patience and temper, especially after being asked the same question that he just answered ten times. Often mistaken for a travel agent by other members too lazy make their own arrangements. Can be identifi ed by the bags under his eyes resulting from members calling his home late at night and early in the morning. NYMC Member This is the ideal collector ("low maintenance" in fi eld trip director lingo). He understands that this is a group effort and does not think of himself fi rst. He can be spotted giving away crystals to others, sharing food and water, lending a hand to others to move large rocks. He never complains to the fi eld trip director when it is too late to change the situation. He brings everything on the tool list, nothing missing, nothing extra. He knows his physical limits and only participates at locations that are appropriate. He arrives early at the meeting location, collects steadily all day, he maintains his interest past 2:00 P.M. and is the last person to stop collecting. He has a car and always bring another member who doesn't with him knowing it is an opportunity to make a new friend. Always thanks the van driver and fi eld trip director at the end of the trip. What's This? Total lack of preparation and research causes this collector to have no idea what he is looking for or what he has found. Forgets to bring a fi eld guide or the fi eld trip announcement so he can fi gure it out for himself. Instead he can be seen lurking near the fi eld trip director asking "what's this?"

This article and others can be found at Mr. Betts web site: http://www.johnbetts-fi neminerals.com"

By John H. Betts. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission of the author.Originally Published by the New York Mineralogical Club

A Field Guide To Mineral Collectors

18 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 19

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Way back in 1990 or so we found an article in a 1967 Canadian Rockhound magazine showing various locations for rock and crystal occurrences. One location was by the Waleach Power Station by the freeway. The instructions included a map showing a creek and the waterfalls. The site for clear quartz crystals was at the base of the third waterfall. One day we made the excursion and managed to fi nd the site and collect some very shiny clear quartz, some brassy pyrite and some striated epidote as well as a few unknowns. We went back several times and were usually rewarded each time.Then we had a ten or twelve year (maybe more), hiatus there was a large rockfall that closed the freeway and changed appearance.

At some point we were going by and had a little time, so decided to go there. It got us very confused when we couldn’t fi nd the road or the area and ended up high on the mountain with no idea where we were. Then we came back from another trip we decided to give it one more try. This time we reasoned that since there was a well established road that came to approximately where we wanted to be we would have no trouble fi nding the spot. We knew it was approximately 45 minutes up, so away we went. After bashing through the underbrush we came across a barely visible old road. We told ourselves this just couldn’t be it, so we carried on up and up. This is very steep terrain, after 2 hours we decided that maybe we hadn’t remembered how long

it took, so we decided to go for a half hour more. After half an hour we scratched our heads and turned around. Passing by the alder and moss covered road covered with rocks and debris we decided that even if the road had been quit 12 or 15 years ago this couldn’t have been it. What the hell happened!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We got back to the truck, tired and sore from our exertions. Not a crystal found and as we drove away we thought this would make a good story. We know we were on the right creek. The rain forest must have really grown in that road, and erosion in this steep country really changed its profi le. Maybe we already have enough examples of this location. I think what it showed me was how amazing Mother Nature is, and her will to cover her tracks to protect her treasures, we know it’s still there. Someday this mystery will be resolved or not. But, it’s got us baffl ed!

What the Hell Happened?By Bruce Holden, Denman Island, BC

Petrifi ed wood is one of thelapidary 'wonders of the world'. It is found on all of the continents. Its natural beauty is not always hidden and the range of colours, shapes and hardness offer endless possibilities for the gem-cutter. We come across an awareness of petrifi ed wood in medievalEngland when it was referred to as 'stonie wood' while Navajos Indians believed the petrifi ed logs strewn across their lands to be the bones of Yeitso, a legendary monster who roamed the land before being killed by the sun. Early explorers in America's West reported on their fi nds of petrifi ed remains of forests in different ways. Jim Bridger, sometime trapper and wanderer, wrote "They was peetrifi ed birds a settin' on peetrifi ed trees, a singin' peetrifi ed songs. The fl owers and leaves and grass was peetrifi ed, and they shon in a peculiar moonlight. This waspeetrifi ed too." More believable was Washington Irving's report on what he saw whilst travelling north of the Black Hills of Dakota in 1811. "These plains, however, had not always been equally destitute of wood, aswas evident from the trunks oftrees which the traveller repeatedly met with, some still

standing, others lying about in broken fragments, but all in a preserved fossil state, having thrived in times long past." Not all the secrets of how once-living wood is transformed into stone are known, but we do know that geological processes and several elements, often silica are involved. The solid, sometimes very hefty pieces of petrifi ed wood found by the rockhound usually represent a piece of trunk or large branch. But other parts of the tree may also be replaced (fossilised, silicifi ed, opalised, permineralised, agatised etc.), so that twigs, roots, bark, cones, seeds and even sap may be found. Depending on the degree ofpreservation, colour and hardness of the specimens, the skilled lapidary can reveal the most complex structures and the most amazing colours from petrifi ed wood. Up until the middle of the lastcentury, it was the apprentice—tradesman—mastercraftsmanjeweller who cut and polishedstones, keeping the knowledgeof how to do it tightly guarded.Following that time with theabundance of agate, jasper,chalcedony and especially petrifi ed wood, it was inevitable that in the land of the "do it yourself philosphy, the arts and

skills of lapidary would surely spread among the population at large. This coincided with, or was caused by the discovery of the legendry petrifi ed forests near Holbrook and Adamana in Arizona. Much outstanding material was souvenired before the the Petrifi ed Forest National Monument was established in 1906. Even then the amount of petrifi ed wood was considered so great that visitors were allowed to carry away 40 pounds weight of petrifi ed wood each visit* The collecting side of lapidary grew as rapidly as the spread of the car. Concern for remaining unprotected deposits of petrifi ed wood on public land was translated into an increasind number of reserves and monuments, the Fossil Cycad National Monument in South Dakota being one ofthe more fascinating. Although the petrifi ed wood which was removed could never be returned, many outstanding specimens are now deposited in museums across the United States for everyone to admire.Today increasing interest is given to the study of all forms of petrifi ed wood.

PETRIFIED WOODBy Ross Jones, The Lapidary Club of Tasmania

20 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 21

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Talk to cutters and designers who use drusy quartz and they will tell you it has a way of taking over your creative life. Cutter Greg Genovese, based in West Cape May, New Jersey, and designer Howard Lazar in West Bloomfi eld, Michigan, are going through prolonged drusy phases. Indeed, Genovese's devotion to drusy is now headed for a third decade. What is so addictive about this gem? Genovese answers by showing me an assemblage of 50 drusy leaf-carvings fi nished in the last year. They are so true to the fl ora that inspired them that I tell Genovese he should create an exhibition called “The Drusy

Arboretum.” “At least 90 percent of what I do is drusy,” Genovese says. “Once in awhile I take a break and work with other gems, but drusy always calls me back.” Lazar fi rst heard that same call when looking at some of Genovese's works in this medium about three years ago. Both the individual artistry and diversity of his pieces impressed him. “Each drusy carving demanded a jewelry design response that was as unique as the gem,” Lazar says. “This gem was an open-ended invitation to creativity.” Hundreds of other designers have also taken the drusy challenge in the last fi ve years.

Drusy is perfect for a generation of shoppers who want jewelry to be a statement of taste and an expression of individuality. Genovese and Lazar are proving that drusy can make fi ve-fi gure elegance available to people on three- and low four-fi gure budgets. Drusy is a godsend for the consumer who wants affordable magnifi cence and originality.

QUARTZ ON QUARTZDrusy (spelled with an s and pronounced with a z) is a mineralogical term used as a noun and an adjective. The noun refers to mineral cavities lined—usually in quartz—with thin layers

of tiny, tightly-packed crystals that resemble sugar granules, each of these toppings of a different fi neness from coarse to powdery. The adjective refers to any such granulated crystal layers. In most cases, drusies are double-decker quartzes—quartz crystals deposited over a mineral base, or matrix, of agate like snow-capped mountains. The word drusy comes from the ancient Greek word druos for gland or bump. Drusy, like opal, can form on practically any mineral base (even, occasionally, on fossilized eggs, shells, and other objects). But the drusy used for jewelry comes from geodes in whose hollows it sometimes forms. Two or three times a year, Genovese travels to Brazil, still the number one source for this gem (although recently Indonesia has come on strong) to conduct drusy hunts. He is looking for that one-in-a-thousand geode with a drusy lining. Thankfully, geodes are plentiful. So the long odds against fi nding drusy geodes don't seem so daunting—especially since non-drusy geodes have established commercial use as ornaments. Mining consists of digging pilot holes roughly 3 meters deep and 1/2 meter wide into known geode-laden grounds. If miners hit a seam, they next try to determine the size of the pocket by digging exploration holes at 400-yard intervals to the right and left. Once they've got a sense of the geode pocket's size, they excavate the entire vein. To discover which geodes are hollow, and therefore drusy

candidates, workers tap each one with a metal bar to hear if it's solid or not. Those that are hollow are sawed in half to see if they are among the one in a hundred with drusy linings. Cutters reject most of the drusy-bearing geodes as unsatisfactory for jewelry. Many of these rejects make the fi nal cuts for less demanding buyers from high-volume jewelry manufacturing centers such as China and India. Variable standards of acceptability helps to explain the vast price ranges for similar-looking drusy quartzes—anywhere from $15 to $20 to $150 to $200 per piece (and, in special cases, more than twice this upper end). When selecting drusy, it is

advisable to let beauty, rather than cost, be your guide, since drusy quartzes are not bank-breakingly expensive to begin with. Lazar says he looks for at least fi ve things when buying drusy: color, pattern, crystal quality, extent of the drusy overlay, and craftsmanship. Drusy color refers to the color of the base material, or matrix, over which the drusy topping has formed. Usually, the base color is gray or brown, but once in awhile you fi nd luscious value-jumping shades of orange, yellow, and white. Expect to be charged

more if the base is banded or spotted with colors. The cost spikes even higher if the base contains tree-like dendritic patterns. Next, evaluate the drusy lining. There is some latitude given for crystal size. Some like drusy layers to be coarse and distinctly granulated while others like them smaller, less defi ned, and more velvety. No matter what your preference, make sure the layer has brightness and sparkle and is evenly spread to the edges of the piece. Dull, non-refl ective drusy layers are penalized. Areas of exposed matrix give buyers extra leverage with sellers. For the past decade, thanks largely to Bill Heher of Rare Earth Minerals, Trumbull, Connecticut,

thin-fi lm coated drusy with metallic colors have been more popular than untreated drusy. That is why durability of treatment is of paramount importance. Every U.S. dealer I talked to urged jewelers to buy drusy treated by high-tech specialists like Azotic Coating Technology,

Rochester, Minnesota. Last, examine the drusy for artistry and craftsmanship. Many are cut for weight rather than wonder. To add insult to injury, they are cut too hastily and sloppily. At fi rst, you may not see where cutters have skimped on precision. But keep looking and you'll begin to see the lack of detail in cheap, volume-cut drusy and you'll be willing to pay top dollar for stones that show the attention to detail that sets apart drusy masters like Greg Genovese.

DRUSY QUARTZ: Always One-of-a-KindBy David Federman

22 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 23

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A string of twenty rockhound vehicles, led by Cliff Fausett, wound down the highway toward Brenda, and then veered off to the left, headed for the weathering, brownish-coloured mountains. After leaving the highway, we drove another ten to fi fteen miles on a rough, dusty, single-lane track that dipped through several washes (dried up river beds), and arrived at a site with a whitish low ridge, where Cliff told us to look for the banded rhyolite. Arizona mountains and the surrounding earth is the colour of the minerals they contain,as there are few trees. In British Columbia we always dig through several feet of overburden before we can access the bedrock, but in Arizona, the rock is there for the picking. Surface collecting is an easy and entertaining way to spend an afternoon in the desert under the bright Arizona sunshine.

We found several nice pieces of banded rhyolite very easily, and continued lookingalong the wash, up on the volcanic mountain of about 200 feet, and throughout thesurrounding area. It was easy walking, but the cacti are unforgiving if you stumble intoone of them. Bob played with the dense rubber handle of his rock hammer, poking it into a Cholia cactus. It actually sunk its thorns into the handle, and Bob had to pick them out one by one. This

is best done with pliers, they are that strong! I found some interesting, very smalt quartz crystals, a lot of agate nodules, and lots ofreddish-brown jasper, but my fi nd of the day was a small piece of red jasper with greensurrounding and marbling through it. I think I can make a 30mm by 40mm cabochonout of it, and I know it will take a brilliant polish because it is very fi ne grained and breaks with a conchoidal fracture. I was very pleased with this colourful piece so I continued to search the area for the larger rock from which it came. Finally, hunger for lunch ended our rockhunt, so Bob and I gave our thanks to Cliff for leading the trip, said our good-byes and began the trip out. On the way into the site, we noticed an area of red rock, and we wanted to investigate it. After several arguments about the right roads,

Colourful Rhyolite & Jasper

in Brenda, Arizona

we came to the spot. It had a jasper with white quartz veins running through it, but the pieces were very small, and often had vugs of quartz crystals in them. The material was rife with holes, and we looked carefully to fi nd smooth, solid specimens for cabbing. Shortly after, the remainder of the rockhound caravan drove past us and pulled off tothe side of the road up ahead. We drove up to their spot, and found some material thatwas more like a jasper, but the brownish colour of the rhyolite. The last piece I pickedup looked a bit like bruno jasper, with concentric circles, On another trip, we may goback and look for the mother to that piece. We had a great day out rockhounding. Many thanks to Cliff and the organizers of theQuartzStte Roadrunners fi eldtrips.

By De Morgan, Feature WriterSecond in a Series of Five Quartzsite Rockhounding Adventures

Helpful HintsAfter lapping fl at stones, such as thunder eggs, with 600 grit, wash them and place them under a heat lamp or close to a 100 watt bulb for about 5 minutes. When stones are warm, polish on a fl at wheel with tin oxide. By pre-heating, the polishing is almost instant. Otherwise the felt wheel has to heat stone before the polishing begins.

Polish Soapstone —Cut desired shape with hand saw. Carve to shape with knife. Sand with 200 to 400 grit sand paper, Smooth with 000 steel wool, Heat in the sunlight or warm oven until warm to the touch. Rup with clear paste wax while talc is warm to the touch.

Polishing Hint: If you have a stone that won't polish using regular polishes and methods, try adding 8 to 10 drops of vinegar to your polishing slurry. Won't work every time but, sometimes a dud will become a gem.

According to a geologist, the earth is made up of 6 layers—like a cake.And all the nuts are sprinkled on top!

To avoid the danger of skinning your knuckles or bruising your hand while attempting to split a rock, ask someone else to hold it!

A group of Canadians were travelling by tour bus through Holland. As they stopped at a cheese farm, a young guide led them through the process of making cheese, explaining thatgoats' milk was used. She showed the group a lively hillside where many goats were grazing. These, she explained, were the older goats put out to pasture when they no longer produced.She then asked, “What do you do in Canada with your old goats?”A spry old gentleman answered, “They send us on bus tours.”

24 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 25

By Dave AbelSpruce City Rock & Gem Club When my good friend the late Ian McEwan lived here in Prince George, he and I used to call each other and talk on the phone on a weekly basis. Now Ian was an avid believer in consulting the geographic maps of our area and where to look for the most likely outcrops that would be of interest to us as rockhounds. He seldom steered us wrong. One evening he called to say that he had been studying the geology west of Quesnel and he was pretty sure we could fi nd a contact zone along the Honolulu Road south of the Nazco Highway and he was wondering if I was interested in a fi eld trip. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it because of prior commitments Later in the week he called me to say he and Svend Anderson had go down to the Honolulu Road and found some agate nodules. I told him I was free for the coming weekend so could go, and we agreed to another trip to the area. Early Saturday morning we left Prince George in my old Ford and after a very long trip we arrived at his discovery on the Honolulu Road. After a little searching we agreed there really wasn’t much there, so we decided to do some exploring off other roads in the area. We climbed back in the truck and backtracked to the fi rst side road to the west which was called the Clisbako Mouth road. Then we came to “C” road which led further west. We were beginning to get a little discouraged by now as we had seen nothing but glacial till and barren basalt till now.

McGowan's War was a bloodless war that took place in Yale, British Columbia in the fall of 1858. The confl ict posed a threat to the newly-minted British authority on the British Columbia mainland, which had only just been declared a colony the previous summer, at the onset of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. It was called Ned McGowan's War after one of the confl icts main protagonists. McGowan was one of a group of associated miners at Hill's Bar, the richest and fi rst gold-bearing bar of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush at which a ramshackle "town" had sprung up 5 miles below Yale, the constabulary of Yale and the magistrates of the two places. Hill's Bar was under the control of McGowan's party of ex-San Franciscans, who had fl ourished from the claim they had named "The Boatmen of San Francisco". All had been fi remen in San Francisco, and had been associated with the Law and Order Party. Yale, on the other hand, had fallen into the sway of members of the notorious Vigilance Committee which had ruled San Francisco by terror, and were also the arch-enemies of the Law and Order Party—and of Ned McGowan especially. This comedy of errors took on great importance to colonial authorities as soon as it was known that Ned McGowan was a part of it, as his reputation in the San Francisco papers had preceded him to British Columbia—so much so that

I drove part way up the road very slowly; Ian had his head out the window checking the ground as we travelled when he suddenly hollered “whoa”! I parked, we got out and began to search the area and began to fi nd agate & jasper mixed in the soil and laying on top of the ground. The area had been clear-cut and readied for replanting with one of those trenching machines so all we had to do was walk around and pick up stones. We call this area the fl ats because that’s what it is, an area of fl at and we never got any further on this trip. On the way home we agreed to return the next weekend to explore some more. Saturday morning saw us on the road again. After going past our last effort we came to a knoll and decided to take the skid trail over to where we could see bare rock. The knoll had been clear cut and there was a fl at clearing about halfway up this knoll and that’s where we parked. I stepped out and began to pick up some of the most beautiful red agate, which was scattered all over the landing. Needless to say we were two very happy campers when we fi nally headed home. Over the years many trips have been made to this site and still it produces beautiful stone. It just goes to show that with a little research and exploration you can usually fi nd something for all your trouble, we burned a lot of gas at times and came up empty, but that’s the luck of the draw. If you want to fi nd good stone you have to go where the stone may be.

Field Trip

when he fi rst arrived in Victoria he was summoned by Governor Douglas and instructed to conduct himself accordingly in the Queen's domains. It seems that Mr. McGowan, a US miner, had fl ed California in somewhat of a hurry . After a respectable career as Philadelphia lawyer and erstwhile state politician in Pennsylvania, which ended in a scandal from which he was later absolved, he moved to California and became a judge of the Barbary Court, an Associate of the Court of Sessions, and other juridical positions, but California being the way it was in those days his associates there were gamblers, thugs and worse. McGowan and his friends became involved with the Law and Order Party and ran afoul of the powerful and even more dangerous Vigilance Committee. A violent personal quarrel with a member of the latter precipitated a meeting in the fi rehall which was the Law and Order group's headquarters, at which they chose to make their sudden departure to the newly-found Fraser River gold fi elds in what was then called New Caledonia. They were among the fi rst San Franciscan parties to reach the river, and their claim at Hill's Bar proved to be one of the richest. But also in the great mass movement of men to the Fraser from California were many members of the Vigilance Committee, including the individual McGowan had had the violent personal confl ict with in

San Francisco (a Danish doctor and dentist, Dr. Fifer). For their part, the Vigilance Committee did what they could to subvert civil authority in Yale and had come to own the corrupt British offi cials who ran the place, just as the Law and Order Party had brought under their sway the town's magistrate Perrier, Governor Douglas' appointee to the bench in Hill's Bar. The incident that provoked the war took place when one of the men from Hill’s Bar assaulted Isaac "Ikey" Dixon, Yale's American black barber; Dixon was a voluble wag and wit, and in time would become one of the favorite newspaper columnists in the British Columbia papers. The two magistrates, Whannell of Yale and Perrier of Hill’s Bar entered the fray when Whannell, induced by the men of the Vigilance Committee, issued a warrant for the arrest of the Hill's Bar man and ordered that it be served in Hill’s Bar. Perrier, the magistrate of Hill’s Bar took exception to this and issued a warrant for the arrest of the barber Dixon in Yale. The constable who served the warrant on the barber interrupted Whannell’s court and was promptly thrown in the Yale jail. The angry Hill’s Bar miners, headed by McGowan, set out with a warrant from Perrier to arrest Magistrate Whannell for contempt of court by arresting the constable who was serving the warrant. Due to McGowan’s unsavory

reputation, the importance of the incident, which had the two communities up in arms, was blown all out of proportion in the colonial capital of Victoria. The story as relayed to Victoria by Vigilance Committee messengers was that Ned McGowan had launched an attempt to overthrow the British authority in the new colony and declare the gold fi elds to be part of the United States. Governor Douglas mobilized what few troops he had, sending a party of Royal Engineers to Yale while another group of Marines remained stationed at Fort Langley in case of any action by the nearby troops of the US Border Commission, then stationed in nearby Whatcom County. Accompanying them was Justice Matthew Baillie Begbie. After an arduous slog up the river by canoe, and across wet, half-frozen snow the twenty miles from Fort Hope to Yale, where Begbie convened court to hear the tangled web of cases and charges that had sprung up, thanks to the misconduct of both justices Perrier and Whannell, and thereby ending the war without a shot being fi red. McGowan was fi ned for assault and the magistrates were dismissed from their posts. The bloodless war became a famous tale and was known as the Ned McGowan War.

ReferencesMcGowan's War, Donald J. Hauka, New Star Books, Vancouver (2000) ISBN British Columbia Chronicle,: Gold & colonists, Helen and G.P.V. Akrigg, Discovery Press, Vancouver (1977) ISBN Claiming the Land, Dan Marshall, UBC Ph.D Thesis, 2002 (unpubl.)

McGowan's War

26 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 27

Rockhounder Spring 2009B.C. Around the Clubs p g

BONN Frederick (Ray) Bonn passed away peacefully at the Abbotsford Hospital on Sunday, January 18th, 2009 in his 85th year. His wife Ruth of 57 years and family were by his side. He will be greatly missed by his daughter Janice (Hans) Sturm and sons Reg, Fred (Kim) and Trevor (Melissa). He also leaves to mourn his 8 grandchildren: Carla, Teresa, Madi-Rose, Kevan, Nicholas, Natasha, Halle and Spencer. He is also survived by his sister Ida (Ivan) Williamson. Ray was born in Hammond, B.C. on June 13th, 1923 and worked as a B.C. land surveyor for 31 years. He was a devoted Legion member for 64 years and enjoyed collecting coins and stamps and was a member of the MSA Rock and Lapidary Club. Ray’s hobbies also included hunting, fi shing, sailing and he was an avid golfer at Ledgeview. He enjoyed supporting his children and grandchildren in their sports and various activities. Ray joined the Abbotsford Rock & Gem club in April, 1997. Ray made beautiful cabochons, which he put mostly into belt buckles. He often displayed his work at the BC Gem Show. As Ray’s health was giving him some troubles, he could no longer attend our meetings, and our club made him an honorary lifetime member at our February 2006 meeting. So long Ray.

Our Christmas Potluck Dinner and Social was great fun as usual. The food was excellent with plenty of selections to choose from. Stan was our Bingo caller this year and Ed again puzzled us with riddles (I couldn’t get any of riddles but I did win at bingo). We were pleased to see Joyce and Julius Cotter and John and Linda Fu join us for the evening. The sum of $72.00 was collected that evening for the Food Bank. We would like to again thank everyone involved in making our dinner and social a great evening out. The January program was conducted by May Wang, in which May demonstrated and then assisted us all in making small Chinese paper lanterns for the upcoming Chinese New Year. In regards to the election of offi cers for 2009, the 2008 executive will roll over into the new year. Stan Maars, our President, has asked us all to come up with ideas on reformatting our executive, as we have such a limited membership. May Herberts won the attendance prize this year. February program was the fi rst half of a DVD Stan Maars brought in of The Rocket which was placed at the South end of the Cambie Bridge. The Rocket was built at Stan’s workplace for the 1986 Expo displays. The February meeting showed the ceremony of the placement of the Rocket at the foot of Cambie Bridge. The second half which was to be played at our March meeting was of the building of

Abbotsford Rock & Gem Club

Burnaby Laphounds Club

Courtenay Gem &Mineral Club

Creative Jewellers Guild of B.C.

Alberni Valley Rock & Gem Club

Abbotsford Rock & Gem Club

Richmond Gem & Mineral Club

Courtenay Gem & Mineral Club

Cowichan Valley Rockhounds

Hastings Center Rockhounds

Thompson Valley Rock Club

Maple Ridge Lapidary Club

Ripple Rock Gem & Mineral Club

Selkirk Rock & Mineral Club

Port Moody Rock & Gem Club

Victoria Lapidary & Mineral Society

Yellowhead Lapidary Club

For More Information

Club Contact: George Mitchell(604) 433-4043

Club Contact: Maria Tomsich(604) 224-1951

mtomsich@interchange.ubc.ca

Club Contacts: Joan Humphries(250) 723-6882

Dot West(250) 723-0281

Club Contact: David Williams(604) 870-1024

dhisarch@rapidnet.net

Club Contact: Eric Kemp(604) 278-5141

Club Contact: Jack Boyes(250) 337-8461

janboyes@telus.net

Club Contact: Gene Leavitt(250) 246-4571

gleavitt@shaw.ca

Club Contact: Linda Foy(604) 421-1068

Club Contact: Jacki Dowdell(250) 554-9519jackidowdell@telus.net

Club Contact: Walt Pinder(604) 826-2342

Club Contact: Emily Faak(250) 337-5724wiredbyemily@msn.com

Club Contact: Maureen Kromha(250) 367-9605

Club Contact: Andrew Danneffel(250) 942-0617

Club Contact: Magdalene Magon(250) 592-8963www.islandnet.com/~vims/

Club Contact: Lita Hansen(250) 672-5876lita_hansen@telus.net

about the BC Lapidary Society or a club near you, visit us onlinewww.lapidary.bc.ca

Burnaby Laphounds Club

the Rocket, at the shop where Stan worked. However, the DVD would not play this time and so Stan gave us a short talk explaining a little more on the workers and people involved in the construction of the Expo display. April’s program will be a treat, a SHOW and TELL. A few of our members will be bringing in a couple of their carvings, jewelry or crafts they have worked on at the Thursday workshops, which a number of the membership have never had the opportunity to admire.

Courtenay starts off 2009 with 24 paid and Life members on the list. We were not able to get a willing soul to take over from Tom Finnie as President, and he has served his 2 year term and should be replaced, so Tom accepted Vice President and continues in Harness until we get a President. Treasurer Lois Stevenson retires from Rockhounding altogether in 2009, but stays on the list, as she is a Life Member. Terry Egeli accepted the position of Treasurer. He will fi t in just fi ne. Janice Boyes has still got one more year as secretary, before she has to step down. Debi Brummel offered to handle entertainment and club phone out and e-mail notice. Bless her. She calls on Bob Collins when she needs help on the phone list. Our Photo albums are in the capable hands of Ted Arnold.

Bob Collins hauls selections from the Library Books to meetings, for the members to sign out. Jack Boyes is faithfully (usually) in the workshop on Wednesday evenings, unless someone asks him to open the shop some other time, which he is usually happy to do. The workshop hasn’t been getting the use that some other clubs report, but that could be because it is somewhat out of town. Perhaps now that the days are getting longer, people will feel better about driving out here. With all the snow on the ground (we still have a yard full) fi eld trips have not been happening, until Sunday 8th Feb, when Debi rented 3 videos from the Society and we had a Video afternoon and Pot Luck Supper at the Boyes Homestead. There were 9 folks altogether, Tom & Jackie Finnie, Jack & Jan Boyes, Terry & Paulette Egeli, Debi Brummel and Nick Dean, and Cathy Weselake. We had a good time and the food was excellent. From Popcorn to Moose Roast to lemon squares and pecan tarts, it was all good. The videos were entertaining and full of interesting sparkly gems and similar stuff. I’ll bet the others will be sorry they didn’t come. Plans for the Show are slowly coming along. This year the Show will be a joint production by Parksville & District Rock & Gem Club and Courtenay Gem & Mineral Club. It will be held in Courtenay at the Royal Canadian Legion on Cliffe Ave. The 2nd and 3rd of May is when

28 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 29

Around the Clubs Spring 2009

it is scheduled to take place. I suspect that after this training run, Parksville will be ready to venture into doing their own show in future. It will be fun working with them this year.

As the report included in the winter issue was from Halloween there’s a fair amount of catching up to do here. Our election in November had the executive staying on for another year. In addition we enjoyed a terrifi c programme with slides and commentary by Brent Heath on his recent trip to the Falkland Islands. Our December Christmas Party was well attended and a very enjoyable evening. In addition to a marvellous dinner and good company we honoured Doris and Gord Meyer and Frank Burton with life memberships. These members have contributed so much to our club and its’ membership and we are grateful. In addition we played a rock game, had our usual Secret Santa and had fun with a silent auction. January rolled around with another really interesting programme on glaciers and the Cowichan Valley presented by Neil Bonner. In February our Tuesday class artists brought their lovely pieces to display at our meeting and what a stunning array of lapidary and silver. This of course was only part of our club’s showcase contents for

Cowichan Valley Rockhounds

Creative Jewellers Guildthe soon upcoming Island Club shows. Norma Ziegler set up our treasures for both Port Alberni and Victoria in March, and the display was very impressive. Our past president June Gillespie passed away. June was also president of the V.I. Zone, enjoyed travelling and painting, and had the most interesting stories to share of her time in the military in England in WWII and her career in theatre stage design. She was a charming and delightful gal who loved the outdoors and animals and will be missed. Donna Buchholz spent quite a bit of time preparing the programme for March on wire wrapping and it was very interesting and well done, with some input from Peg. Peg Dunaway and Donna have taken off with the wire wrapping and are completing some amazing pieces, in addition to the lapidary/silver/beading. In April Mike and I will be taking quite a few Inuit carvings and supporting information for our programme —our son is a carpenter in Taloyoak Nunavut and brought home quite a few treasures recently. We’re pleased to have six new members with us since the New Year and a very active and involved membership. With the unexpected and sometimes unwelcome amount of snow and cold in the Cowichan Valley this winter we’ve not been too excited about fi eld trips but that’s about to change shortly. We have two well set up shops at members’ (instructors)

residences and everyone seems very happy to continue as we are. The artistic creations coming from all the members whether cutting, cabbing, setting, wrapping, beading and now faceting are amazing. Yes Doris is even teaching faceting and has a few members with machines and hand faceting. Ten of us are enjoying planning our trip to Prineville, Madras, Sisters, Plush and then to the Oregon Coast at Bandon to make our way back home again leaving at the end of June. On the Island the next three months have shows at Courtenay and Campbell River, with a display at the Jonanco Hobby Club plus our yearly V.I. Zone Gemboree. Daylight Savings arrived and we’re hoping the sun and warmer weather will follow soon, Easter is a couple of weeks away, the B.C. Gem Show in Abbotsford is coming up fast, Victoria has already had their annual “counting of the blooms” – that means we’re almost around that corner to fi eld trips and gardening. Also, Neil will have his geology group back into the hills. Many of our members are major travellers – Europe, Asia, Australia, Panama, silversmithing classes in Mexico, Hawaii, and summers in the Maritimes, the Falklands, and cruises galore. This means stories and show and tell “treasures” for our meetings. Rockhounding is about friendship and fellowship, everything that comes along with it is a bonus. Enjoy the journey!

Once again Megan provides the Creative Jewellers with an amazing workshop. This timeon Foldforming, creating 3D shape’s in metal. Megan brought Charles Lewton Brain’s book onthe subject for us to be inspired by. The front table also was fi lled with some of her interesting pieces, giving the class an opportunity to see and feel some of the directions she has taken this work. Megan led the class of twelve through several different folds, chasing, and heat treatingmethods while always giving time for the students to create their own pieces. The Show and Tell at the end of the two daysrevealed a wide variety of work. It was also said we had a fantastic instructor and a fantastic group of students. One of the things asked to be put in the newsletter that came up in the class was a source for 18kt or 22kt yellow gold laminate: Hauser & Miller, St. Louis, Mo. Nancy Megan Corwin’s email is:nmegan@mindspring.com.She would love to hear from us or answer any questions.

Hastings Centre Rockhounds

Gem & Mineral Foundationof Canada

We currently have 80 members comprising 15 families, 33 singles and 6 Life members. Unfortunately we lost three of our veteran members this year. they will be sadly missed. However, we have been very successful in attracting some new and exciting hobbyists.Our monthly meeting is held on the 4th Thursday of every month. (with the exception of July, & August & December). _e business portion is kept short in order to enable members to socialize and get to know one another. This is usually followed by a program organized by our Program Coordinator. Our Board meetings are held in the workshop on the fi rst Wednesday of each month. All members are invited to attend. The Christmas social was a huge success with lots of food and liquid refreshments. Everyone socialized and had fun. The auction was great fun bidding was fast and furious, people even bidding against themselves! All in all a great time, thank you Linda for a great job.IN MEMORIUMI am sad to say that we have lost yet another long time member of the club, Lillian Brooks, passed away on November 27th 2008. There was no memorial service. I found her to be the kindest soul that you could meet. She was always ready to volunteer when nobody else would step forward. Consequently she held the offi ce of Vice President and Member

at Large this year. Despite her advancing years she was always the fi rst one here for all of our meetings and at the Saturday workshop.

President’s MessageAs your new president of the GMFC, let me introduce myself. My email ismadpete@accesscomm.ca but “mad” is a reference to my wife Madeline Sheridan. I work as an engineer with the City of Regina. Before that I was a consulting engineer who travelled to several communities north of 60, which is where the rockhounding bugbit with more effect than the mosquitoes. I’ve found that among the many other interestsI’ve had or still have, this is one that I “know” I will be doing years from now. My regret, “Why didn’t I know about it earlier,” is my motivation to ensure other people get to know about it sooner than I did. (FYI, the name “Peter” means “rock”, and he is a Taurus, which is an Earth sign. He comes by his passion honestly. – ed.) Part of my role is to challenge myself and those in the GMFC. I’m concerned withcommunication, education, safety and growth of the hobby. Communication is a key to the other three. The internet and websites are a great means to communicate, and the GMFC is making progress. Witness the articles here – almost all have been e-mailed to us so that Madeline could cut and paste

30 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 31

Selkirk Rock & Mineral Club

Richmond Gem & Mineral Club

Ripple Rock Gem &Mineral Club

Selkirk Rock and Mineral Club has over 25 members from the West Kootenay. The group meets every second Tuesday of the month to plan trips to old mine and historical sites. In spring, summer and fall there are trips to collect rocks, minerals and fossils and to enjoy the outdoors. The Selkirk Rock and Mineral Club had a very successful season in 2008. In April, 10 people and one dog met on a cold and blustery day at Gyro Park in Trail and looked at the diabase dykes cutting through the granite of the Trail Pluton and admired the chilled margins. Rounded river rocks had some good examples of pink syenite, granite and well banded gneiss. Rock Island was amazing with the granite cutting into dark country rock and all sorts of cross cutting dykes including coarse pegmatites. There was even a perfect cross of St. Andrew. On Montrose Hill there was evidence of a volcanic breccia debris fl ow about 190 million years ago, and large light coloured felsite sills. A trip to the Velvet Mine on the old Cascade Highway was enjoyed by 5 club members and 1 dog in June. Serpentine, silvery specular hematite and goldish

and edit. However, meeting people in person at shows, meetings, exhibits etc., is still the best form of communicating. The shows in Winfi eld in 2007 and Edmonton in 2008 were terrifi c and the clubs who anxiously took on the challenge of hosting the show know that they’ve benefi ted both themselves and the GMFC. Their successes have given others the confi dence that they too can host a show. So, thank you Edmonton and Winfi eld volunteers and organizers. In Edmonton, we met Dee Holland and Shirley Leeson of the AFMS and discovered we can learn from each other, hopefully in Billings, Montana (see page 10). Dee and Shirley shared their worries that some upcoming regulations are going to affect where rockhounds can go, what they can collect … which will affect the growth of the hobby.Page 3 of 16This is where safety—or lack of it—has had the same impact on the hobby. One member of the Prairie Rock and Gem Society informed me that the Tanco mine in Manitoba no longer allows collecting, because someone collecting rocks got injuredwhile there. This represents the loss of an excellent rockhounding spot. With fantastic purple lepidolite, spodumene, red tourmaline, blue apatite (I’ve found these) and other rare earth element minerals, the lapidary, the mineral collector and the micro-mounter are all missing out on something special. Many members have not had any mishaps but the problem is when something does happen, it not only affects the individuals injured, it affects clubs and fellow collectors well into the future.I do have a good news story, though: the Manitoba Floodway Authority (MFA) worked with two rockhounding clubs in Winnipeg

to enable collecting of the Red River selenites in the fl oodway upgrade area, which is a construction site. Key to this was the MFA having the rockhounds go through a safety orientation program. We have to understand that owners do not want to expose themselves to liability, sounless we take it upon ourselves to drastically reduce their risk of liability, our collecting sites will continue to diminish. I challenge you and your organization to look at improving the safety of your endeavours in the fi eld and in the shop. I intend to fi nd out what the MFA did and write an article about that. Hopefully that will aid everyone’s efforts. I note growth of the hobby as a concern. I encourage every member of every club to try to sign up one new member every fi ve years. Can you do that? Even if half drop out, the size of the club would double in ten years. This seems achievable, but doesn’tappear to be happening. I’ll take that personal challenge on, and hope you do too. I hope to see clubs learn from one another and share successes. The members don’t have to be adults either—bring in youth and the future of the clubs is ensured. The GMFC colouring books are exposing children to rocks and minerals in a fun way, and the GMFC has ordered another printing for sale. Another way kids had fun at the Regina show was with the treasure hunt, where they root through a pie plate of “salted” sand and pick out the treasures. I was happy to see the children of one of mycolleagues from work having a blast, and even better, there were a couple of boys doing the same—and they were back from the previous year. The GMFC education display was in Edmonton and at the Prairie Rock and Gem Showin Regina this past September,

where it attracted some aca-demic interest, as in “wherecan we get something like that?” Does your club have a display of what you can fi nd in your area / province? Maybe it’s something to work on as a group. To end off, congratulations and thanks to a number of people:•To the GMFC Executive of 2007/2008 for their hard work, and we of the 2008/2009 Executive will work to meet your high standards.•To our three GMFC scholarship winners as well as our new Scholarship Honoree—congratulations to all.•Special congratulations to Grant Duff who has kept up his perfect attendance record at the AGMs. I think it goes back to the point before I could spell AGM.Follow Grant’s example and plan to go to Prince Albert for the GMFC AGM (Aug. 27, 2009) and 2009 GMFC Show (Aug. 29 to Sept. 3, 2009) hosted by Mid Pro Rock & Gem Society. See you there!

BC Lapidary SocietyHow Does It Affect Us?“The BCLS is a non-profi t organization foundedto encourage and promote the lapidary hobby in British Columbia. The organization consists of thirty charter member clubs, with a membershipof approximately 1,500 people who collect rocks, minerals, crystals and fossils. The Society presents an annual BC Gem & Mineral Show in April, which is well supported by clubs from across the province, plus numerous dealers from across North America. The Society organizes two major fi eld trips—the Annual Rockhound's Rendezvous in May each year to one of the affi liated clubs’ areas, and theSummer Camp to explore a more

remote region of the province.”“Join us and experience a new way of looking at the Earth, and our place on it. Explore stunningbackcountry areas, hunt rocks and minerals, learn to work and set gemstones. Expand your horizons, open your mind. It's an exciting place out there!” From the BCLS website atwww.lapidary.bc.ca.I had never heard of the British Columbia Lapidary Society (BCLS) before I joined the Richmond Gem and Mineral Club and the BCLS remained a mystery for several years. Encouraged by the more senior club members to partake inthe Rendezvous weekends and the BC Gem Shows, I started to notice the name BCLS. Visiting the dealer’s stalls and admiring the displays at the BC Gem Show can make for a veryenjoyable day out. Participating in fi eld trips, trying your luck at the bucket draw, and biddingfor that one in a lifetime item at the auction, attracts many rockhounders to Rendezvous. For the extreme adventurers amongst us, Summer Camp is the place to be. The BCLS seems to offer many benefi ts to club members. Through it’s website, we can obtain information about Summer Camp, BC Rockhounder,BC Gem Show, Gem Show Dealers, Club Shows, Club Directory, BC Field Trips,Rendezvous and Interesting Links. Information about Field Trips and Club Shows found in the Pebble Press comes from this website. There is a cost for our enjoyment. I still do notunderstand the workings of the BCLS and therefore, take it for granted. At every club meetingwe have an opportunity to hear a report from our representative to the BCLS about what has happened or what the future might bring. But, how many of

us pay attention? It was through developing friendships with people that Darlene and I met at Rendezvous and the BC Gem Show that I soon became aware that there are faces and names to the people behind the BCLS and what little understanding that most club members have about it. At this stage, I want to encourage our club members toparticipate in the BCLS’s planned events as they arequite enjoyable and present an opportunity to develop friendships with other club members, especially thosethat share the same interests. I hope to present in a futurearticle, how the BCLS works and its needs to remain a vibrant and active organization.

Ripple Rock Mineral and Gem Club at the Science FairScience World hosted its 3rd annual science fair on Saturday, February 21 at the TimberlineGymnasium. Our club was one of the many invited exhibitors. We showed off rocks and demonstrated some of the associated science and technology. Of course we had a wonderful display of island rocks in their before and after forms. Thanks to Kathy Young, Barb Akelaitis, and Beba Adams for these display rocks. There was a sampling of the many beach rocks found in the area on display along with the guide to pebbles so people where able to identify them. In the same vein there was an interactive rock identifi cation display. Children young and old were able to test the rock samples in a variety of ways to help in their identifi cation. I particularly enjoyed it when children discovered the "fl oating" rock; a piece of pumice. Throughout the day which started at 10:00 and ran until

4:00 several members of our club gave demonstrations. Wayne and Dorothy Rodgers set up a fascinating faceting show. Wayne even had the fi rst example of his work on hand. Beba Adams gave a wire wrapping demonstrationshowcasing her talents. Dave Minato provided a water display highlighting many of the morecolourful rock samples from our island. It was a very busy day and many people stopped to askquestions of the volunteers on and. Thanks to those already mentioned and to Jan and Jack Boyes for their help.

32 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 33

The Port Moody Rock & Gem potluck dinner was a wonderful gathering of members during the dark time of the year. Lynnesupplied lovely table decorations that were taken home by lucky members. The food was plentiful and delicious. A big thank you to Ken and Joanne Ayres for cooking the ham and turkey the club provided. Andrew supplied a crossword puzzle that was harder than usual so that Rose wouldn’t win fi rst again. That honour went to Tom. Lots of groans when the answers were revealed. All who attended had the chance topick a gift from the large table of

rock slabs and holiday-themed items. Thanks to everyone who helped set up and clean up at the end. A large box of food wascollected for the Share foodbank. Thanks to Lisa in making the delivery. It was a fun and cozy time with lots of socializing. Music was provided by thedance club next door which helped liven the atmosphere. Everyone went home stuffedand smiling.Member Celebrates 85Long-time club member, Cecil Smith celebrated his 85th birthday in the workshopearlier this year. Cecil has done his fair share of supervising the workshop and reminds everyone to work the whole wheel and stay out of the center!Engaged!Andrew proposed to Tanya on Oct. 24th, 2008, at our annual show. He presented her with stones to be set on a yet-to-be designed ring. Nestled in a tin of tumbled pebbles were a 2.2 carat Tanzanian red spinel, cut by Geoff Cameron in a roundbrilliant design with a modifi ed Portuguese crown. The other are .50 carats of trapezoid diamonds for the side stones. We wish them well and are very happy for this special couple.Library DisplayOur club is very lucky to have the use of the display case in the Port Moody Library during the month of October. This display

Parksville & DistrictRock & Gem Club

Port Moody Rock &Gem Club

GEMBOREE 2009 - JUNE 5 to 7The 2009 Vancouver Island Zone Gemboree will be hosted by the Parksville and District Rock and Gem Club. It will be held at the Coombs Fairgrounds (1015 Ford Street) in Coombs. Registration will begin Friday, June 5. Registration is still $10 per person. Dry camping is available on-site at a cost of $10 per unit per night. Full service camping is available near by at Coombs Country Campgound at 2619 Alberni Highway. A

overlaps the time of our annual show and generates interest to patrons who might be interested and attend. Hitting the bars with LynneLynne Johnston has been very dynamic making it possible to club members to have a wonderful time rock hounding in several different Bars. The fi rst one was on the 8th of

February to the Wahleech Bar near Agassiz. In this fi eld trip she put together a group of people from the club and joined others from other clubs,including an American one, and it was Walter & Gordon

Pender that led them all.Hope & Yale Bar, Feb 15The second one was just for our own club members, and it was an open choice trip with multi possibilities, that end up being a two in one. We went to Hope Bar in the morning and Yale Bar, after

lunch. Every one brought good treasures and more rock than they can chew on but that is what rock hounding is all about. There is always that extra rock that you just can not let yourself

leave behind! multi possibilities, that end up being a two in one. We went to Hope Bar in the morning and Yale Bar, after lunch. Every one brought good treasures and more rock than they can chew on but that is what rock hounding is all about. There is always that extra rock that you just can not let yourself leave behind!

chalcopyrite were found. Seven members and 1 dog made a successful trip to the Grand Forks- Greenwood area. There was a lot of good magnetite at the Emma Mine. The Motherlode Mine was good for fi nding chalcopyrite and malachite. The rock club was able to fi nd some good ammonite fossils at Marsh Creek. Five people and 1 dog journeyed up West Beaverbrook Road to fi nd large calcite crystals. The road was good and the group was able to fi nd coral and clam fossils as molds in breccia on the road. On a pleasant day in August,eight members and 1 dog visited the Kaslo-New Denver area. The fi rst stop was at Crescent Beach where they saw nice porphyritic granodiorite and dykes. The soda springs and the mine tunnel with dripstone and calcite were interesting. Along the highway, the slatey phyllite was dotted with weathered pyrite cubes. Some serpentine and tufa were found at Whitewater Creek. In August a trip was made to the Rossland Mine and Geology building. The tour guide did a super job in the Mine Tour. The Geology building has a lot of local displays of rocks , minerals and fossils. Selkirk Rock and Mineral Club has contributed to the displays. A local mining geologist led the group of 12 people and one dog to the Rossland-Red Mountain area. It was a great trip with good samples of erythrite (cobalt bloom) and molybdenite (used to harden steel) was found. Nice samples of wollastonite (carbon silicate) were found. People were intrigued to learn that wollastonite is used when artifi cial knee and hip joints are put in.

list of other accommodations will be available later in the season. There is a full range of accommodation available within fi fteen minutes of Gemboree.On Saturday fi eld trips and other activities will fi ll the day. Among the activities we will have auctions, games, draws, shopping, and BCLS book sales. Supper will be a pot luck.Sunday we will have a Breakfast catered by the Arrowsmith Agricultural Association. Tickets will cost $5.00 for a full hot breakfast. We are also planning some additional activities for Sunday morning after breakfast. Please watch for additional information as we get nearer to June. We would like to see rockhounders from all over the Pacifi c Northwest at our annual social event. We hope this will be a great opportunity for rockhounders to share rocks, minerals, and stories.For additional information, please contact the Club President, Claude Levesque, at lindaandclaude@hotmail.com or our club contact, Marion Barclay at marybar@telus.net.

The Lapidary Club ofWest VancouverPresident: Don Rotherham 604-922-0072Vice president: Guenter Otto 604-687-6071Treasurer: Heinz Jehnichen 604-988-1526Secretary: Heather Rhodes 604-988-4998At the February meeting Guenter demonstrated, another of his many skills, this time repousse an ancient and honourable art form, dating back almost as far as men have worked metal The whole technique is sometimes referred to as ‘chasing’, or embossing. Members were very impressed and some even suggested they would try it themselves. We had a modest turnout at the March meeting and Hilmar gave away some crystals and rough and tumbled stones he had been given. There was no real news regarding our move into the new Community Centre but the club had organised a display for the offi cial opening. Members brought their items for the club display at the Abbotsford show.

On a beautiful day in October, 14 adults, 5 children and 4 dogs from the Selkirk Rock and Mineral Club and the Kokanee Club visited the Ocean picture Rock Quarry at Midway. It was a long dusty drive in but the 4x4 vehicles had no trouble. Once at the quarry, the group found very attractive material.- a lovely turquoise colour of chalcedony(a form of agate) with brown chunks of listwanite. Seven members and 1 dog journeyed to the Evening Star, Monte Cristo and Columbia Valley Mines on the outskirts of Rossland. It is very interesting to visit these historic mines right on the edge of town. All three mines have lots of pyrrhotite which is magnetic and had high gold content.

On the last day for collecting fossils, 3 members went to the Stonerose Quarry at Republic, Washington. It is better to to visit this site in the spring when the rocks have been split open during the winter. Some of the group met in November at Ainswoth Hot Springs for a dip in the pool. Supper was enjoyed at the Heritage in Nelson. The annual Christmas party was a success. Everyone brought fi nger food and a white elephant gift. Interesting games were enjoyed by all. At the AGM in January the executive remains the same- President- Maureen KrohmanVice President- Joan McKenzieTreasurer- Ron NielsenRecording Secretary- Lesley KilloughNewsletter- Dianne RobinsonPhoto Album Bette MichauxLibrary- Bill Michaux The group is preparing to trade materials with a group in the Eastern United States.

34 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 35

Club Shows 2009Vancouver Island GemboreeJune 5 - 7, 2009Hosted by the Parksville & District Rock & Gem Club.Coombs Fairgrounds,1015 Ford Street, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BCRegistration will begin Friday, June 5. Registration is still $10 per person. On Saturday fi eld trips and other activities will fi ll the day.Among the activities we will have auctions, games, draws, shopping, and BCLS book sales. Supper will be a pot luck.Sunday we will have a Breakfast catered by the Arrowsmith Agricultural Association. Tickets will cost $5.00 for a full hot breakfast. We are also planning some additional activities for Sunday morning after breakfast. Dry camping is available on-site at a cost of $10 per unit per night. Full service camping is available near by at Coombs Country Campgound at 2619 Alberni Highway. A list of other accommodations will be available later in the season. There is a full range of accommodation available within fi fteen minutes of Gemboree. Please watch for additional

information as we get nearer to June. We would like to see rockhounders from all over the Pacifi c Northwest at our annual social event. We hope this will be a great opportunity for rockhounders to share rocks, minerals, and stories.For more information, contact:President, Claude Levesque, at lindaandclaude@hotmail.com or our club contact, Marion Barclay at marybar@telus.net.

Fraser Valley Rock & Gem Club: “Golden Anniversary”Friday, June 12 OPEN HOUSE 5:00 - 8:00 P.M.at OAP Hall 3015-273rd St. Aldergrove In celebration of our 50th Birthday we extend an invitationto all former members, and to members of all Society clubsto join us. For more information, contact: Jerry Davenport: 604-852-2992

Third Annual Okanagan Rock & Gem ShowJuly 18 - 19, 2009Hosted by the 1120 Rock Club of Kelowna & the Vernon Lapidary & Mineral Club.Winfi eld Memorial Hall,

3270 Berry Road, Winfi eld, BCSat: 9am–5pm, Sun: 10am–4pmAdults - $4.00, Children 12 & under - $2.00Featuring“Crystals, Flowers of the Earth”Dealers with rocks, crystals, minerals, beads and supplies for the lapidary hobby. Displays & demonstrations. Lunch counter open during the show.For more information, contact:Dave Barclay: 250-766-4353Ken Dewerson: 250-707-0618

Gem And Mineral Federation of Canada: Annual Show & ConventionAugust 29 - August 30, 2009 Hosted by the Mid Pro Rock & Gem Society and The Prairie Rock & Gem Society.Prince Albert Exhibition CentrePrince Albert, SaskatchewanSat. 9am–6pm, Sun. 10am–5pm. Rocks, Gems, Minerals, Jewelry, Beads, Equipment and much, much more! There will be demonstrations, exhibitions, raffl es & door prizes. Dealers will include C&D Gemcraft and Linda from British Columbia, Discovery Gemstones from Edmonton, Komarevich Originals from Calgary, Ross from Winnipeg and Universal from Ontario

Saturday, August 30, 7:00 PM Banquet and annual meeting. Advance tickets only.Canteen will be provided by the Buckland Fire Department. Everyone welcome.Admission - $2.00 per person. For more information, contact:Don Fabrick (306) 764-0991RR5 Site 26 Comp 21Prince Albert SK S6V 5R3

Mall Show & SaleSeptember 4 & 5, 2009Hosted by the Vernon Lapidary & Mineral ClubMall hours, Village Green Mall27th Street & 48th AvenueVernon, BCFor more information, contact: Pat & Phylicia O'Brien 250-545-1274

49th Annual Gem ShowSeptember 12 & 13, 2009 Hosted by the Richmond Gem & Mineral Club.Sat.10-5, Sun.10-4:30 Richmond Cultural Centre7700 Minoru Gate, RichmondDemonstrations, Displays, Dealers, Spin and Win, Door Prizes, Book Sales.Admission by Donation.For more information, contact:Linda Boyce: 604-271-7676

50th Annual Gem ShowSeptember 26 & 27, 2009Hosted by the Fraser Valley Rock & Gem Club10am–5pmOld Age Pensioners Hall3015 273 Street, Aldergrove B.C.Admission by donation.Dealers with rocks, crystals,minerals,gem stones,beads, gifts & lapidary supplies. Artists demonstrating silversmithing,gem tree making,chain making,beading and wire knitting.Displays of rocks, minerals, jewelry and gemstones.Silent Auction, Lunch Counter, Door Prizes and More!

Annual Gem ShowOctober 17 & 18, 2009Hosted by Surrey Rockhound Club.Sullivan Hall6302 152 Street, Surrey, BCSat. & Sun. 10 am to 5 pmAdmission by donation.Dealers with rocks, crystals,minerals,gem stones,beads, gifts & lapidary supplies. Artists demonstrating silversmithing,gem tree making,chain making,beading & wire knitting. Displays of rocks, minerals, jewelry and gemstones.Hourly door prize, silent auction, lunch counter & more.

Victoria Lapidary & Mineral SocietyPresident Cameron Speedie 250-385-0597cspeedie@telus.net

Vice-President James Morrow 250-475-2557 morrxs@yahoo.ca

Past President Magdalene Magon 250 592-8963Treasurer Pierre Lambert 250-480-1735nplam@telus.net SecretaryCarrie Maier 250 665-7280powerwithin@shaw.caMembers at Large John and Sandy Burns 250-598-5080jandsburns@shaw.ca Geni Tse 250-516-0224 genit@shaw.ca Barbara Smith 250-479-7881 msmith@shmmarine.com

President's Message Cameron SpeedieWell we seemed to have pulled off another extremely successful Rock and Gem Show—the numbers are not in yet but judging from the crowd it was a winner—big Kudos to Show Chairs Patrick Lydon and Don Meyer for their efforts. As well a big Thank You! to all the Club members that helped out—and especially to the new faces that came out to help at the Show.Your efforts are truly appreciated not just by the Show Committee but by the VLMS Members, the Commercial Vendors and Demonstrators, the other clubs on the Island and the public who truly love the show.

36 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 37

Each November 11th, we gratefully remember soldiers who have defended our freedoms. How often have we given thanks for Colonel Richard Moody and the Royal Engineers who defended us in BC’s fi rst war? In 1858, Colonel Moody’s troops steamed north along the Fraser River to Yale on the Enterprise. Ned McGowan had led a vigilante gang to falsely imprison the Yale Justice of the Peace, PB Whannel. Ned McGowan had great infl uence with the vigilantes, as he was both a former Philadelphia Police superintendent implicated in a bank robbery and a former California judge acquitted on a murder charge. Without Moody’s intervention, the fear was that BC would be quickly annexed to the USA by Ned McGowan’s gang. Upon arriving in Yale, Colonel Moody and his Sappers from Sapperton were unexpectedly received with ‘vociferous cheering and every sign of respect and loyalty’. No shots were even fi red! Matthew Begbie the so-called ‘Hanging Judge’, in his fi rst-ever BC Court case, fi ned McGowan a small amount of £5 for assault, after which he sold his gold-rush stake and promptly returned to California. BC Premier Armor de Cosmos said of ‘Ned McGowan’s War’ that BC had ‘her fi rst war- so cheap- all for nothing…BC must feel pleased with herself.’ Born on Feb 13 1803 in Barbados, Colonel Moody became the second-most important leader in the formation of BC. Like our fi rst BC Governor

James Douglas who was born in British Guyana, Moody brought Caribbean ingenuity and vision to the frontiers of Western Canada. Moody had entered the army at an early age. Moody’s father Thomas was also a Colonel in the Royal Engineers. A graduate of the Royal Academy at Woolich, Moody joined the Royal Engineers in 1830 and served in Ireland and the West Indies, as well as a professor in Woolich. After Moody had been sick twice from yellow fever, he drew plans submitted to Queen Victoria for restoring Edinburgh Castle. In 1841 he went to the Falkland Islands as Lieutenant Governor, later Governor where he stayed until 1849. In 1858 Moody was appointed Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works and Lieutenant Governor of the new colony of BC. Moody was soon sworn in as Deputy to Douglas on the mainland and empowered to take his place, if anything should happen to the Governor. Moody’s role in the colony was two-fold: to provide military support and to carry out major building projects with the Government considered necessary to keep up with a sudden growth in population and commerce. Moody’s Sappers were specially trained in surveying, reconnaissance, and constructing roads, bridges, and fortifi cations. They represented many trades such as printers, draughtsmen, photographers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and masons.

Colonel Moody and his sappers were sent to BC because of the 1858 BC Goldrush. On April 25th 1858, 495 gold-rush miners arrived in Victoria. Governor James Douglas commented that ‘they are represented as being with some exceptions a specimen of the worst of the population of San Francisco—the very dregs in fact of society.’ By the middle of July 1858, the number of American miners exceeded 30,000. Rev. Lundin Brown held that ‘never in the migration of men had there been seen such a rush, so sudden and so vast.’ Colonel Moody personally chose BC’s fi rst Capital New Westminster, established the Cariboo Wagon Road, and gave us the incalculable gift of Stanley Park. Moody also named Burnaby Lake (of Burnaby City) after his private secretary Robert Burnaby, and named Port Coquitlam’s 400-foot ‘Mary Hill’ after his dear wife ‘Mary’.

Thanks to Captain George H. Richards who thoroughly surveyed the BC Coast, Colonel Moody’s name has been immortalized in BC history with the city of Port Moody. The city was established from the end of a trail cut by the Royal Engineers, now known as North Road to connect New Westminster with Burrard Inlet. Port Moody was developed to defend New Westminster from potential attack from the USA. The town grew rapidly after 1859, following land grants to Moody’s Royal Engineers who then settled there. All of the offi cers returned to England, but most of the sappers and their families chose to remain, accepting 150-acre land grants as compensation. Port Moody was the Canadian Pacifi c Railway's original western terminus. In 1863 Colonel Moody planned to cut a trail from New Westminster to Jericho Beach due west, but Lieutenant Governor Douglas was very much in opposition. Of this venture, the matter was taken to the Colonial House, London, England, and permission was granted for Colonel Moody to proceed with the trail. Unfortunately he ran out of money before completion and the trail ended at Burrard Inlet. Moody’s Royal Engineer detachment was disbanded by Governor James Douglas in 1863. Only 15 men accompanied Colonel Moody back to England, with the remainder settling in the new colony. These men formed the nucleus of the volunteer

Colonel Moody & the Port Next Door

soldiers that led to the formation of the BC Regiment twenty years later. Colonel Moody left his mark not only in the physical but also in the spiritual. At the conclusion of BC’s ‘Ned McGowan War’, as it was Sunday morning, Colonel Moody invited forty miners to join him at the courthouse for worship. As no clergy was present, Colonel Moody himself led worship from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. “It was the fi rst time in British Columbia that the Liturgy of our

Two years ago, Arizona-based geophysicist Alien West advanced the theory that a one-mile diameter comet exploded over Canada about 12,900 years ago, leading to the extinction of Ice Age megafauna like mammoths and the fi rst human civilization of North America, the Clovis culture. Now, the best evidence to support his theory iscoming from Hamilton and Clermont counties in Ohio and Brown County in Indiana:samples of gold, silver and diamonds from a subsurface soil

Church was read,” wrote Moody. “To me God in his mercy granted this privilege. The room was crowded with Hill’s Bar men…old grey-bearded men, young eager-eyed men, stern middle-aged men of all nations knelt with me before the throne of Grace…” My prayer for those reading this article is that like Colonel Moody each of us may leave a lasting impact not only in the physical but also the spiritual.

By The Reverend Ed Hird, Rector, St. Simon’s Anglican Church

layer have been matched byx-ray diffractometry back to their source —Canada's diamond-bearing fi elds. Researchers are now looking for iridium, nano-diamonds and micro-meteorites.summarized from article by University of Cincinnati, “Exploding Asteroid Theory Strengthened by New Evidence Located in Ohio, Indiana”, ScienceDaily,

CANADIAN COMET, DIAMONDS, GOLD & EXTINCTION

38 | B.C. Rockhounder Spring 2009 | 39

Classifi ed AdsClub members of the Lapidary Society may place a free ad in the Rockhounder Non club members: 15 cents per word.Contact Win Robertson 250-376-4878or E mail winrob@shaw.ca

Your letters and opinions are very welcome. The editor reserves the right to select the letters to be be published in the Rockhounder. Opinions that are biased or prejudicial in content against any group of people will not be published.

The resort consists of 8 rustic cabins which are located on the lake shore and are all equipped with kitchenettes. Some of them have showers and fl ush toilets. There is also a campground right on the lake with full-hookup and non-hookup sites. Our central wash-house offers hot showers and fl ush toilets. A washer and dryer are also available for our guests. There is a covered picnic shelter which would offer enough room to set up a buffet dinner, childrens playground and a small sandy beach for the little ones.

Cabins #1-4 (up to 4 people)One room with 2 double beds, kitchenette, bathroom (shower/toilet) Cabins #5 & 6 (up to 4 people)One room with 2 double beds, kitchenette, running water behind the cabin Cabin #7 (sleeps up to 7 people)One separate bedroom with double bed, one double bed in main room, single bed in an alcove, pull out sofa bed, kitchenette, running water inside. Cabin #8 (up to 8 people) Three bedrooms, living room, kitchen with dining area, bathroom (shower/ toilet). One queen size bed, one double, one futon double, and two twin beds. Satellite TV. Damage deposit required on this cabin. Small pets only allowed in this cabin.

August 3 - 8, 2009Lionel and Cally Cathcart Telephone: 250-567-4929Fax: (250) 567-5566 Toll free: 877-567-4929 Email: tachicklake@xplornet.com P.O. Box 1112Vanderhoof, BC V0J 3A0 http://www.tachicklakeresort.com

Summer Camp ‘09: Tachick Lake Resort

Cabin Rates: (based on 2 guests)Cabins 1-4: $ 70.00/nightCabins 5-6: $ 60.00/nightCabin 7: $ 70.00/nightCabin 8: $105.00/night

Additional person $5.00 per night (children 6 and under free). Please add 5% GST and 8% Hotel Tax. Cooking utensils and dishes supplied, bedding and bath towels not supplied.

Hillview Motel & Blue Spruce RestaurantTel: 250.567.4468 Fax: 250.567.9515 Toll free: 1.888.387.9788,Email: hillviewmotel@yahoo.com1533 Highway 16 East, Vanderhoof, BC V0J 3A0 http://www.hillview.bcnetwork.com Kitchenettes, fridges, microwaves, coffee makers, queen beds, cable, movie channel, phones, high-speed wireless internet, guest laundry, Pets Allowed. Major CC, Cash, DC 30 Units: $63 —$88Add'l 15

North Country Inn & Log Cabin RestaurantTel: 250-567-3047Fax 250-567-2308E mail: ncinn@hwyl6.com2645 Burrard Avenue, Vanderhoof, BC V0J 3A0 wwwnorthcountryinnmotel.com

Clean, modern rooms; queen & double beds; kitchen units;fridges; courtesy coffee/tea; cable TV; some air-conditioned rooms; wirelesss internet; smoking and non-smoking rooms available; Pets allowed. Major CC, Cash, DC, Travellers Cheques27 Units: $65—$96; Add'l 10

14 full service hookup campsites and almost unlimited regular sites. Only some sites with electricity.

Rates (based on two people) Regular sites: $ 18.00/night, Electricity: $ 20.00/nightFull service: $ 25.00/night Additional person $2/night (children 6 and under free)Please add 5% GST.

One week cancellation policy or charged for one night per unit. Long weekend minimum 3 night charge. There is a central wash-house with showers, fl ush toilets, washer and dryer.

Other Accomodations:

For further information check the BC Accommodation Guide & BC Campgrounds Guide

By Georgina SelingerI was thinking it would be great to have some stories from our members who have found family, sweethearts, friends, re-found friends, etc., though our hobby of rockhounding & lapidary. So I will be the fi rst.

January, 1970: Still in my teens, I gave birth to a baby boy, who I gave up for adoption. I named him Richard James, but wasn’t allowed to see him or hold him.

1982: I was given a promise of peace, and a prophesy of being surrounded with stones of beautiful colors, sapphires, and agates. The details were basically forgotten until many years later.

April 2002: I went to the BC Gem Show for the fi rst time. At the show I ran into Sue Vauthrin, who I’d worked with in the early 1990s. I bought a tumbler and Sue & Ron gave me a bag of Apache Tears to tumble. I also picked up a fl yer for the Abbotsford Rock & Gem Club.

April 2002: I went to my fi rst meeting at the Abbotsford Club, and “signed up” for the best time of my life, meeting the best of friends and fi nding all kinds of rocks !

January 2005: I took over the President’s “hat” from Terry Bacon. Quite a daunting task at fi rst, but lots of fun none the less.

March 21, 2006: After our club meeting I got a phone call from a woman at 10:00 pm. She said one of my sons had said it was ok to call back at this time. I was thinking, “which one ???!!!??” , having to get up at 5 am for work the next day. Well, I was on the phone with this “woman” until 1am! Turns out, she’s my son’s (see January 1970) wife, Angela. And, they have 4 children—Nathan, Brayden, Landon and Lauren. Apparently, Brayden has loved rocks since “day 1”. Go fi gure!

Ang told me they were told in January, by the agency looking for me, that I had passed away in the early 1990s. Rick told her he didn’t believe it, because he didn’t “feel” it. Then someone else in the agency found my name in my sister’s obituary, June 1995. So I couldn’t have died, so gave them a call. Ang was talking to her and wanted my phone number so she could call me, but this woman was very insistent this was not allowed. So dear Ang, with her sweet persistence, managed to get this woman to say that I was on a hobby site. I think she said Abbotsford as well. They did not know my last name however, but it only took Ang about 45 min. to fi nd me through the BC Lapidary site, and the Abbotfsord Club info with my phone number. I went to work the next day with only 2 ½ hours sleep, and wasn’t the least bit tired!

So you see, if I had not gone to the Gem Show, or had not joined the Abbotsford Club, or had not taken over for Terry —how much longer might it have been until I met the most wonderful “lost” and new members of our family ? And my promise and prophesy —Well, all has been fulfi lled to overfl owing in all ways imaginable !

“Lost and Found Treasures”

40 | B.C. Rockhounder

The Ripple Rock Gem and Mineral Club took its annual pilgrimage to the Fraser River bars on February 21 and 22nd. Some of the experienced club members came earlier (Lewis Thompson, Gordon Billings,and our Wagonmaster Doug Murray.) to scout out the area. In addition, our group included Dennis and Aaron Cambrey, Ann and Harper Graham, and Terry and Paulette Egeli. We began on a bright Saturday morning at a blast quarry which has high grade serpentine and veins of amphibole asbestos. Then we lunched (with Doug as as BBQ chef) alongside the Coquahalla River. Some quick gold panning turned up a few fl akes and Terry and I returned there on Sunday after the club's last stop to do a bit more panning. Terry and I had been beguiled by a gold/everything else separator that was being demonstrated at the rock shop across from our Hotel, The Happy Prospector. Whether this contraption works for us is yet to be demonstrated but we brought one home along with several buckets of mixed dirt and rocks from various creeks and the Fraser. That story is to be continued... Terry and I have been on the trip before and so made a few side trips. The club spent several hours on two large dry bars on both days and we picked up the

usual striped, spotted, green, and unknown-composition rocks. Ann was collecting for a rock garden and she basically fi lled the back of her husband's pickup truck. Some folks had one or two rocks in their pockets. Terry and I fi lled our backpacks numerous times. I have shaped and polished some quartzite I brought home which is a subtle maroon and pink. It takes a very high polish and is beautiful (to me). We are still slabbing hunks of chert and red jasper. And also black or dark green material which seems too hard to be serpentine but is not translucent and therefore probably not jade. We were given a piece of river jade by Norm Maradyn at the rock shop so we know what it is supposed to look like. On Sunday we searched under increasingly gray windy skies. Doug put lunch out early (hamburgers and hot dogs —nothing is too good for the hungry rock hounds) and as we fi nished our last bite the rains came. I noted that had the trip been the next weekend, the snows would have come! Terry and I stayed the next day with plans to go to Herrling Island. We discovered that it is no longer accessible to any explorations. There is a large concrete barricade and deep water fi lled moat with signs saying it is under environmental protection.The signs that direct one off the

highway do not refl ect this. We also heard that an area near the Aggazi bridge had recently been closed off. As more land comes under private ownership and also as owners are dismayed by vandalism and trash dumping, this seems to be an ongoing reality. Fortunately there are still many places to search and explore in the Hope area and the river turns over its stock of rocks and reshuffl es things every spring run-off. The gold keeps making its way downstream and a few fl ecks fi nd their way into my pan. It doesn't take much to make me happy. Some of the tributaries also host platinum, another precious metal with a high specifi c gravity (gold is 15 -19, platinum is 14 -19) which means it also shows up at the bottom of the pan. I can't say I saw any—I may have done some catch and release back into the river as it is not a fl ashy mineral, looking at best like slightly shiny lead. All in all we ate together and got to know each other better, we found rocks, nobody got hurt and we have new stories to tell. All good. Incidentally at one site we met a group of people from a Chinese rock club in Vancouver. We were leaving as they were arriving so not a lot of information was shared. Hello to you all if you happen to read this.

2009 Fraser River Bar ScramblePaulette Egeli of Ripple Rock and Courtenay Clubs