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P.O. Box 234

Needles, CA 92363

Editor:Barbara Wiggins

[email protected]

Volume 4, Issue 3 March 2009

NEXT CLUB MEETINGMar16 at 6:00 p.m. PST

First Baptist Church1421 Commercial St.Mohave Valley, AZ

Usually 3rd Monday of each

month, Oct-May

BOARD MEETING

30 minutes before Clubmeeting each month

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is here, you see.

We'll pick some shamrocks, one, two, three.

We'll count the leaves and look them over,

And maybe find a four-leafed clover.

I'll sew green buttons on my vest

Green for St. Patrick is the best.I'll wear a green hat, very high,

And dance a jig -- at least I'll try!

From: http://www.alphabet-soup.net/hol/stpsong.html

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

2 Club Information3 Refreshments Schedule/Upcoming Shows4 Words of Caution/Vista Tailgate Info5 A Little About Andamooka Matrix Opal6 Boiling Water Makes Rocks/Paleo Word Dig Puzzle

7 Distinguishing Cubic Zirconia from Diamond8 Yellowstones Super Caldera is Awake9 2009 AFMS Show Big Sky Country Montana On My Mind/

2009 CFMS Show10 Hints n Such11 Upcoming Field Trips & Events/Field Trip Report

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Steve Raskett Robin Lightfeldt

Dave Bowers Mike Spicer

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Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club March 2009

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NGMC INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE OBJECTIVES OF NGMC

To promote public interest in collecting andstudying rocks and minerals.

To preserve and perpetuate the lapidary arts.To provide field trips to obtain lapidarymaterial and minerals for preservation anddisplay.To provide an opportunity for the purchase,exchange and exhibition of specimens andmaterials.

The NGMC meets the third Monday of eachmonth from October through May at 6:00p.m.Pacific Time unless otherwise notified.

NGMC - 2009

President: Ann Ferguson 928-768-7150Vice President: Allan Reed 928-763-3511Treasurer: Lori Clary 928-234-3391Secretary: Sally Hayward 928-768-7437Past President: Corinne More 760-326-5005Past President: Barb Ballard 928-768-6335Auditor: Ramona Peterson 928-854-1853Facilities Chair: Faith Reed 928-763-3511Field Trip Chair: Bob Ferguson 928-768-7150Membership Chair: Gisela New 928-768-5640Refreshments Chair: Faith Reed 928-763-3511Sgt at Arms: Pat New 928-768-5640Sunshine Chair: Barb Ballard 928-768-6335Newsletter Editor: Barbara Wiggins

HONORARY LIFETIME MEMBERS

George TruittNorma Truitt

Myrna GivensCorinne More

Tom MoreMembership dues are payable at theNovember meeting and delinquent afterJanuary 1. Please send dues to the officialClub address on the first page of thisNewsletter, attention: Treasurer.

This Club is a member of the CaliforniaFederation of Mineralogical Societies (CFMS)http://www.cfmsinc.org/.

Membership per person: $15.00 yearName Badge: $ 3.75Field Trip Fee: $ 1.00No Badge fine: 25

FIELD TRIP GUIDELINES - NGMC

Leader will state approximately how far,road conditions, and if 4WD is required wheneach field tripper signs in. Each car is to keep the car behind in sightand STOP if the car is not in sight (unlessotherwise stated by the leader). Field trippers will notify the leader if theyare hiking or driving to another site and their

approximate return time. Field trippers will notify the leader if theyare leaving the group and sign out (with time). Members wear name badges. Handheld radios: stay on Channel 6

The Blue Agate News is published monthlyexcept June, July, August and September.Articles are requested to be to the editor bythe 15th of each month, preferably by emailat [email protected] or call (928) 453-0948. The Blue Agate News is also publishedvia email - if you have internet, please shareyour address with the Editor. This saves theclub money and you will have the newsletterimmediately. The Newsletter is in PDF formatso it will be necessary to download AdobeReader (free program) in order to view thenewsletter. You can also view the newsletteron line at http://needlesgemmineralclub.blogspot.com/. Please e-mail Barbara withinformation at [email protected].

The Blog (Web Log) Blue Agate NewsOnline is free and can be updated frequentlyOctober through May. If you have informationyou want posted, please email it to Sally [email protected] or sign up tocontribute directly to the Blog. You mayaccess the Blog at: http://needlesgemmineralclub.blogspot.com/

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UPCOMING SHOWS

Apr 3-5--BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA: SanJoaquin Valley Lapidary Society; 6th annualshow, "Rock and Gem Rendezvous 2009"; San

Joaquin Valley Lapidary Society; Kern CountyFair Grounds, 1142 S. P St.; Fri. 9-8; Sat. 9-5,Sun. 9-5; free admission; indoor/outdoor show,rocks, gems, fossils, beads, lapidary supplies,hourly drawings, silent auction, spinning wheel,raffle; contact Lew Helfrich, (661) 323-2663; e-mail: [email protected]

Apr 4-5--KINGMAN, ARIZONA: Show; MohaveCounty Gemstoners; Kingman Academy ofLearning, 3419 Harrison; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4; freeadmission; dealers, crafts, jewelry, fossils, rough

material, minerals, gems, club displays, silentauction, raffle; contact Pete, (928) 565-4321, orDave, (928) 692-3797

Apr 4-5--MARIPOSA, CALIFORNIA: Show;California State Mining and Mineral Museum,Mariposa Gem & Mineral Club; Mariposa CountyFairgrounds, 5005 Fairgrounds Rd.; Sat. 10-6,Sun. 10-4; free admission; gems, minerals,

jewelry, crafts, mineral exhibits, children'sactivities, guest speakers, silent auctions, miningand mineral museum; contact Dianne

Bereschagin, P.O. Box 1192, Mariposa, CA95338, (209) 742-7625; e-mail:[email protected]

Apr 10-12--LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA: Show,"The New Jewelry, Gem, Bead & Mineral Show";High Sierra Investment Group Inc.; Long BeachConvention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd.; Fri. 12-6,Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5; adults $6, seniors andstudents $3, children free; door prizes, goldpanning specialist and certified gemologist and

appraiser on hand; contact High SierraInvestment Group Inc., 20385 Pahute Rd., AppleValley, CA 92308, (702) 869-0269; e-mail:[email protected]; Web site:www.HighSierraInvestments.net

Apr 11-12--PARADISE, CALIFORNIA: 55thannual show; Paradise Gem & Mineral Club;Paradise Elks Lodge, 6309 Clark Rd.; Sat. 10-5,Sun. 10-4; adults $1, children free; raffles,demonstrations, auctions, exhibits, youthactivities; contact Carol Eggleston, 3745 CosbyAve., Chico, CA 95928, (530) 343-0894; e-mail:[email protected]

Apr 17-19--SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: Show;Gem Faire Inc.; Scottish Rite Center, 1895Camino del Rio S.; Fri. 12-7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5;

$5 weekend pass; contact Yooy Nelson, (503)252-8300; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site:www.gemfaire.com

Apr 17-19--SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA: CFMSShow and Convention, "Nature's Showcase";Santa Clara Valley Gem & Mineral Society; SantaClara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Rd.; Fri. 9-5,Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; admission $6; 60 dealers,kids' area, demonstrations, Ice Age fossil display,6,000 lb. jade boulder, exhibits, jewelry, gems,beads, minerals, fossils, gold panning

demonstration; contact Frank Mullaney, P.O. Box54, San Jose, CA 95103, (408) 265-1422; e-mail:[email protected]; Web site: www.scvgms.org

Apr 18-19--LANCASTER, CALIFORNIA: Show;Antelope Valley Gem & Mineral Club; LancasterHigh School, 44701 32nd St. W; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission; dealers, tailgaters, raffledrawing, silent auction; contact Jules Ficke, (661)943-5157; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site:www.geocities.com/av_gem

Apr 25-26--SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA: Annualshow; Santa Cruz Mineral & Gem Society; SantaCruz Civic Auditorium, corner of Center St. andChurch St.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $3;Treasure Wheel, demonstrations, more than 20dealers, gems, minerals, beads, jewelry, fossils;contact Dean Welder, P.O. Box 343, Santa Cruz,CA 95061, (408) 353-2675; e-mail:[email protected]; Web site:www.scmgs.org

Refreshments Schedule

March 2009 Carolyn L. & Linda C.April 2009 Season End Pot LuckOctober 2009

November 2009 -- Paula A. & Gisela N.December Christmas Party Pot Luck

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Words of Cautionby John M. WrightRPG, Conservation & Legislation Chair

By the time you read this Congress will have beenback in session for almost a month and we willhave a new President. I believe we can expectquite a dramatic change in the prevailing attitudein Washington regarding public and even privatelyowned lands. Green is definitely the political inand the environmentalists will probably beafforded an unprecedented opportunity to havemany of their dreamworld theories implemented.We could be looking at a lot of changes that willaffect our hobby and while most of them will nothappen right away, in the long run they couldpresent us with some real problems.

I know that I am still beating on an old drum, butthe issue that should probably concern us most isthe Omnibus Land Act which also includes theold HR554 or S320 The PaleontologicalResources Preservation Act among more than150 other separate, but equally important issues.While legislative action on this bill was allowed todie in the last Congress, it is still very much aliveand will be reintroduced again in the new session.Action on this package is scheduled for later inthe legislative session because of other morepressing concerns, but it could be brought to the

floor during a lull in proceedings at any time for avote. I fully expect an all out effort to get thisastronomical piece of legislation passed at somepoint during this legislative session.

If enacted into law, The Omnibus Land Act willclose or severely restrict access to millions ofacres of public land and exercise control overprivate property rights in many areas. Thousandsof miles of roads, trails, and waterways used forrecreation will be closed. It will reduce mining,lumbering, grazing and farm lands, and hamper or

eliminate energy exploration in many areas, whichwill ultimately result in higher prices forconsumers. Many businesses, those in particularassociated with recreational activities, do notrealize that severe restrictions are going to beimposed on them and ultimately may even forcethem to shut down. The economies of manysmaller communities and rural districts will behurt. It will also establish precedence andprocedures for acquiring and controlling manyadditional vast land areas in the future.

Most of our members and the general populationare unaware of the Omnibus Land Act and itsramifications. The majority of the bills in thispackage would not be passed if consideredindividually on their own merit and this sleazyunderhanded method of lumping them togetherand trying to sneak them into law is apparently arare but true reflection on the character of many ofthe individuals that we elected to serve andprotect our interest. This bill is absolutely soridiculous that it wouldn't surprise me for them tosomeday require us to register our rock-hammers and tumblers.

We can accept these infringements on our lawfulrights and learn to live with them, or we can putup a fight and try to stop, change, or repeal theseschemes by letting our representatives know how

we feel. It's our choice! Rest assured that ouradversaries are letting representatives know theirdesires.

Source: AFMS Newsletter, 2/2009

TAILGATEApril 3 5

9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum

2040 N. Santa Fe Ave. (at Museum Way)Vista, CA 92083

Free Admission

Lapidary, Mineral and Fossil Related ItemsFindings, books, jewelry, slabs, cabs, equipment

and lots of rough material.

Hosted by the 13 clubs of the San Diego CountyCouncil of Gem and Mineralogical Societies

GPS Coordinates:

33 degrees, 13 minutes, 51 seconds NORTH117 degrees, 14 minutes, 56 seconds WEST

Museum telephone number for driving directions:(800) 587-2286 or (760) 941-1791

"DRY" CAMPING AVAILABLEContact Ray Pearce at (760) 726-7570 or

[email protected] for reservations

Pets must be kept in RV or on a leash.

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A Little About Andamooka Matrix Opalor

Turning Chalk into Precious StonesAndamooka matrix opal:

Strictly from the sense of its

physical formation, all opal isformed in cavities ofopportunity. Sometimes thecavities are large as in 'slides'or 'levels' which produce thicksolid slabs; sometimes isolatedas in a clam shell; andsometimes intruding into finefissures in hard native stonesuch as ironstone. But whenopal filters into ancient layers of limestone,something truly miraculous occurs. Limestone is

formed over millions of years by the death ofcountless microscopic plants and animals inwaters and bays. The Cliffs of Dover are a wellknown example. The skeletons or fossils of theseearly life forms persist, and create myriads ofopportunities for the intrusion of opal, if theconditions are right.

The microscopic cavities in limestone prevent theopal from forming what we recognize as solid opalwith thick layers of fire. However, the opal doesform the microscopic equivalent, within these tiny

cavities. With the aid of a microscope, one cansee a reticulated effect, varying somewhatbetween the eye of a dragonfly and the skin of asnake.

Limestone appears to us usually as a very whitechalklike stone. This is detrimental to the fire ofany opal which has intruded the matrix. There istoo much diffraction of the light for any specificcolor to assert itself to our eyes. Therefore, in thenatural state, limestone containing opal appearsto have color, but it is washed out and faint. For

this reason, it was not viewed as marketablewhen first discovered.

But when the matrixis wetted, thatunmistakable opal fireis there, and no doubtmuch time went intothinking about justhow this materialmight be treated.

One place in the world where limestone matrixopal occurs is in a small area of South Australiacalled Andamooka. For this reason, this materialis called Andamooka matrix opal. When it istreated, it is known as Andamooka treated matrix

opal. And many of the world's

experts will attest that although theLightning Ridge black may be themost satisfyingly perfect, thetreated matrix is the most brilliant.

Who did it? It is not known whenman first discovered that stonescould be treated by fire orchemicals to enhance theirqualities, but there are manyprecious gems today which would

never see a market were it not for some sort oftreatment. We also don't know exactly when itwas that someone discovered that limestonematrix opal could be treated so as to improve therichness and brilliance of the opal in thelimestone. But it wasn't considered valuable atfirst, and little was seen on the market until about30 years ago.

There's a story about some of the first blokes wholearned how to treat the matrix, and finding thetemptation too great, they took some stones toanother country, and sold them as genuineLightning Ridge black opal. After the fraud wasdiscovered, there ensued a time when nobodywould buy treated matrix. But the fabulous colorsand rich black matrix of the finest stones reallydoes offer the qualities that make the LightningRidge black opal so popular.

Source: Thanks to Australian Opal Mines for theirpermission to reprint this article. From theirwebsite via Cabber Gabber, 1/09, via TheRockcollector, 2/2009

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BOILING WATER MAKES ROCKSBy Peter C. Keller

Water is a solvent if it is hot enough or acidicenough. In the acid scenario, rainwater meetscarbon dioxide, seeps down, encounters sulfides

and bingo, sulfuric acid.This liquid roams and dissolves minerals andputs in motion mineral substances to travel andinteract with other substances. Malachite isformed this way. The bumps on turquoiseindicate dissolved minerals flowing in cool water.

In the hot water scenario, rainwater seeps intothe ground and goes deep enough to be heatedby magma or already boiling water. Now heated,this water moves back up by a process of steamand condensation - dissolving minerals and re-depositing their constituents along the way.

Cooled, the water sinks, encounters again theheat source, moves upward, (and) repeats thedissolving and depositing. This repetition givesagate its layered look. Amethyst crystals canform once the silica content of the water thins outsufficiently. Perhaps the oldest, certainly for

jewelers the most fortuitous, case of raindrop torock is the formation of opal, in yet anotherscenario.

In a dry desert area, the rainwater goes downthrough permeable rocks rich in silica. The downgoing water carries silica to the underground

water table, raising it. Being raised, it spreads outto fill fissures and such. The rain stops, the drydesert eventually drops the water table down byevaporation, but the ledges and fissures are richerby evaporation. When the silica-to-water ratio is

just right, spheres form (bubbles). These spheresare what make opal ()opal. With furtherevaporation, the spheres become gelatinous,eventually harden, and like adding ball bearings toa cup, they layer the cavity in an orderly fashion.Water is trapped between the spheres.

The orderly arrangement of the spheres

diffracts light (segments and moves it around).This light movement, in combination with thevarying amount of water inclusions, gives the lightplay of precious opal. Water here acts as a sortof music to the spheres.

Yes, water is a solvent. Find enough opal andmany of your financial problems will be solved.

Source: The Opal Express, 2/2000, via Fire andIce, 4/2003

PALEO WORD DIG

Fossils are usually surrounded by rocks. Wordsrelating to fossils are surrounded by a lot of otherletters. Can you dig these words out?

Word Definitions:

Gastroliths: Rounded pebbles found within therib cage of some fossil reptiles - "StomachStones"

Dig: A scientific trip to look for fossils or toexcavate already discovered sites.

Reptile: The class of animals to which thedinosaurs belonged.

Calamites: A carboniferous "horse tail" plantabundant in coal forests of Europe and NorthAmerica

Paleontology: The study of past life of geologicalages as revealed by fossils.

Dinosaur: Coined by Sir Richard Owen in 1841,meaning "terrible lizard."

Cope: American naturalist who discovered anddescribed vertebrate fossils in the late 1800's

Ammonites: Cephalopod mollusks, whichoccurred in Mesozoic marine rocks.

Mosasaur: A fossil marine lizard found in UpperCretaceous deposits.

Mesozoic: Geologic era of the Age of Dinosaurs.Fossil: The remains of plants or animals

preserved in rocks.Trilobite: The dominant animal of the lower

Paleozoic seas.Pterosaurs: An order of reptiles that became the

flying vertebrates.

Source: The Gemrock, 03/2003, via RockhoundRambling, 10/2008

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DISTINGUISHING CUBIC ZIRCONIA FROM DIAMOND

By Thomas A. Nupp,member of Grant County Rolling Stones and a gemologist

Here are a few ways to differentiate unmountedfaceted cubic zirconia (CZ) from diamond:

Read through: A line can be seen through anupside CZ, whereas this is not possible with adiamond. The easiest thing is to place the stoneupside down over news print. It is easily "readthrough" a CZ, however this is not always proppositive. I have seen large emerald cut diamondsthat can be "read through." Read through is aproperty of the critical angle of the stone, type ofcut, and the method of faceting.

Cleavage: If it can be observed, CZ has nocleavage, whereas diamond is perfect in fourdirections.

Fracture: If you can find fracture, CZ will beconcoidal versus diamond's step-like fracture. Themost likely place to find a fracture is on the girdle.Hardness: CZ's hardness is 8.5 versus diamond's10. If the stone has numerous surface scratches,chances are it is a CZ. (Yes, and could havenumerous scratches and a new CZ can beunscratched, but scratching is far more commonin CZ)

Inclusions: Under 10X magnification (a good

quality hand held loupe is sufficient) CZ oftenshows included bubbles or solid high reliefparticles of unmelted zirconiom oxide. Diamondwill have all kinds of characteristic inclusions,often erroneously called "carbon spots", however Ihave yet to see a CZ with these black inclusions.But just as sure as I write this, someone willmanufacture one and sell to the unwary.

Luster: CZ has a sub adamantine luster versusdiamond's adamantine, however this takes awhole lot of experience to tell the difference.

Pavilion flash: If a microscope with dark fieldillumination is available, CZ has a very distinctorange brown pavilion flash. Diamond will exhibita rainbow flash.

Thermal: Thermal testers will show whether thestone is a diamond or CZ; however, they will notseparate Moissanite from diamond, so be careful.Also, I have heard of (but never seen) diamondCZ doublets and diamond garnet doubletswherein a very thin layer of diamond is bonded to

the table of stone. If the thermal tester is only triedon the table, this doublet will register diamond.

Ultra Violet: UV fluorescence varies with the colorof the stone, with colorless CZ showing greenishyellow to yellowish orange under LW UV andyellow under SW UV. I have seen the exact same

colors from a diamond, however I have neverseen a CZ show the very strong blue thatsometimes is displayed by a diamond. I would notsuggest using UV as a definitive test, only asanother bit of evidence.

Cut and Polish: Probably the most commonseparation of diamond from CZ is by visualinspection of the girdle of the stone under 10Xmagnification. I have heard so many differentways of describing this that I won't try to bespecific; however, I have heard the diamond

girdles described as "waxy" or "melted wax" andthe CZ girdle described as "shiny, metallic-looking, or granular" Take your pick, butexperience is the best teacher. Here again, thereis no hard and fast single rule. l one time saw aCZ that had been cut with a variable thicknessgirdle that had been faceted and polished. Thefacet junctions of the upper girdle and crownfacets also did not align. The stone had been cutthat way intentionally for one purpose only: todeceive; one poor jeweler was so used to seeingperfectly cut CZ's that he bought it.

Weight: CZ has a specific gravity of 5.80 (+/.20)vs. diamond 3.52 (+/.01). CZ will feel unusuallyheavy when hefted in the hand. Even very smallstones will feel this way.

Other: there are other methods of sorting CZ fromdiamond, absorption spectrometer, dispersion,etc., but they require specialized equipment andare seldom diagnostic by themselves.

There is no one foolproof way to separatediamond from CZ. That's why it (cubic zirconia) is

such a good imitation, however, using a 10Xloupe and making careful observations, anexperienced individual can be fairly confident theyhave properly identified the stone. Unless you areone hundred percent sure of your experience andabilities, get some expert help before you buy. Asalways, if the deal sounds too good to be true, itusually is!

Source: Beacon, 3/2004, via The Rockcollector,Dec 2006/Jan 2007

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YELLOWSTONES SUPER CALDERA IS AWAKE

by Judith Washburn, MWF Geology Chair

At the heart of Yellowstone's past, present, andfuture lies volcanism. Catastrophic eruptionsoccurred here about 2 million years ago, then 1.2million years ago, and then 600,000 years ago.The latest eruption spewed out nearly 240 cubicmiles of debris. What is now the park's centralportion then collapsed, forming a 28 by 47 milecaldera (or basin). The magmatic heat poweringthose eruptions still powers the park's famousgeysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots.The spectacular Grand Canyon of theYellowstone River provides a glimpse of Earth'sinterior: its waterfalls highlight the boundaries oflava flows and thermal areas. Rugged mountainsflank the park's volcanic plateau.

The Earth's crust beneath Yellowstone NationalPark is still restless. Precise surveys havedetected an area in the center of the caldera thatrose by as much as 86 centimeters between 1923and 1984 and then subsided slightly between1985 and 1989. Scientists do not know the causeof these ups and downs, but they hypothesize thatthey are related to the addition or withdrawal ofmagma beneath the caldera, or to the changingpressure of the hot groundwater system aboveYellowstone's large magma reservoir. Also,Yellowstone National Park and the area

immediately west of the Park are historicallyamong the most seismically active areas in theRocky Mountains. Small-magnitude earthquakesare common beneath the entire caldera, but mostare located along the Hebgen Lake fault zone thatextends into the northwest part of the caldera. Amagnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred along thiszone in 1959.

Yellowstone National Park was jostled by a hostof small earthquakes for a third straight day onMonday, December 29th, and scientists watch

closely to see whether the more than 250 tremorsare a sign of something bigger to come. Swarmsof small earthquakes happen frequently inYellowstone, but it's very unusual for so manyearthquakes to happen over several days, saidRobert Smith, a professor of geophysics at theUniversity of Utah.

They're certainly not normal, Smith said. Wehaven't had earthquakes in this energy or extentin many years.

Smith directs the Yellowstone Seismic Network,which operates seismic stations around the park.

He said the quakes have ranged in strength frombarely detectable to one of a magnitude 3.8 thathappened Saturday. A magnitude 4 quake iscapable of producing moderate damage, heindicated.

This is an active volcanic and tectonic area, andthese are the kinds of things we have to payattention to, Smith said. We might be seeingsomething precursory. Could it develop into abigger fault or something related to hydrothermalactivity? We don't know. That's what we're thereto do, to monitor it for public safety.

The strongest of dozens of tremors Monday was amagnitude 3.3 quake shortly after noon. All thequakes were centered beneath the northwest endof Yellowstone Lake. A park ranger based at thenorth end of the lake reported feeling nine quakesover a 24-hour period over the weekend,according to park spokeswoman, Stacy Vallie. Nodamage was reported.

There doesn't seem to be anything to be alarmedabout, Vallie said.

There is a great DVD available from the HistoryChannel on the Mega Disaster: YellowstoneEruption. It presents the idea that one ofAmerica's best-loved parks may be the mostgeologically dangerous place in the nation. MegaDisasters explores the worst of what couldhappen.

Stunning computer graphics and actual footagecombine to create convincing pictures of the risksfaced by U.S. cities. All of Yellowstone Park isthe caldera of an ancient volcano that is likely toerupt again! Go to www.history.com to order.

Sources: United States Geological Survey WebSite http://www.usgs.gov/ and various newspaperaccounts

Source: MFW News, 2/2009

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BIG SKY COUNTRY MONTANA ON MY MINDby Doug True, AFMS/NFMS Convention Chair

The Billings Gem and Mineral Club invites you toattend the AFMS/NFMS Show and Convention.Come spend some time with us and see the

wonders of the Big Sky country and experience atime of your life.

We hope you plan on spending some time in ourstate, visiting the many sights or hunting forMontana agate, Bear Canyon fortification agate,petrified wood, or fossils from the Hell Creek,Pierre and Bear Paw formations. Join us for themany field trips scheduled for after this show. Wewill spend some time on the next issue talkingabout each field trip and what you may expect tofind.

Many special exhibits are scheduled for this show.We're excited about....

A Moon rock from NASA, which has never beento Montana and should be a great draw for thearea. An Ice age exhibit including a cave bear. Outstanding ruby and corundum, Yogo andMontana sapphires, and Gold exhibits. The Rock Food Table from Texas. And...world class collections of Montana Agate,Dryhead, Fairburn and Tepee Canyon agates.

We also look forward to seeing your specialexhibits, so please take some time and thinkabout what showcases you would like to enter,and also a collection or your craftsmanship thatwould make a great competition exhibit. Let's pulltogether and show the world what you have tooffer. We expect a large number of our neighborsfrom Canada to attend the show also

We hope you plan your vacation around this showand visit Yellowstone National Park, GlacierNational Park, the Dinosaur Trail includingMakoshika State Park, Little Big Horn Battle Field,where General Custer fought.

Besides collecting rocks, you should try out somefishing, camping and hiking. (Montana has someof the best fishing in the U.S.) Watch for moreinformation in the next several newsletters. Forregistration information and exhibit forms go to.

Source: AFMS Newsletter, 3/2009

2009 CFMS SHOW

Come to the 2009 CFMS Show in San Jose, CAon April 17-19 You dont want to miss thisincredible show. Support the CFMS. Come for allthree days of fun. You wont want to miss a singleminute. Get to know your CFMS officers at theCracker Barrel event on Friday night at 7 PM inthe Town Hall. Reserve your meal and seat forthe Awards Banquet on Saturday night, anddont forget to reserve your spot to attend theEditors Breakfast on Sunday morning. Makesure that if you are planning to camp at the

fairgrounds, to reserve your three-day show passand camping pass early. All reservation forms areon the CFMS web site, www.cfmsinc.org, underthe Forms section and the Santa Clara ValleyGem & Mineral society web site,www.scvgms.org, under Annual Show section.Dont miss this great event, and dont miss thisopportunity to support the CFMS!

Source: excerpt from June Harris article in CFMSNewsletter, 3/2009

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Hints n Such

These hints were gathered primarily from thebulletins of other clubs. They have not beenevaluated for safety or reliability and could be

unsafe or could cause damage to your project.Please use caution and safety when trying outany new idea.

Solder in dim light if possible, for then you canwatch the color of your work as it is being heated.The first visible red shows the work is about 900F. When the work is dull red, the temperature isaround 1200 F. A cherry red indicates 1400 F.and silver is molten at 1641 F. So, avoidoverheating the work. Many a bezel has beenburned right through.

Source: Gulfport Gems, 4/1994, via TheBackbender's Gazette, 2/2009

`,,``,,

A hobbyist says when sawing rocks or othergreasy things, he must wash his hands a lot.Soap requires several washings -- even lavasoap. One day he accidentally squeezed hiswife's lotion instead of the soap dispenser, andfound that the oil washed off in one applicationand his hands smelled like lotion instead of

ALMAG! He used Jergens extra dry lotion andrinsed in plain water.

Source: Chats and Chips, 4/2007, via TheBackbender's Gazette, 2/2009

`,,``,,

Occasionally someone inadvertently gets somesteel or iron contamination in the pickle-pot.Usually it is a broken saw blade or drill bit, andwhen this happens and a piece of metal is placed

in the pickle-pot, the metal gets an instant copperflashing on the piece of jewelry. It does not havea desirable appearance. Find the piece of metalthat is causing the contamination and remove itfrom the pickle -- a magnet is very useful inlocating the iron or steel. Once the iron or steel isremoved, the pickle solution may be used withoutcausing any further plating. The copper flashingcan easily and quickly be stripped off the metalitem by getting a scoop of pickle from the pickle-pot and adding an equal amount of hydrogen

peroxide to the pickle. Put the plated object inthis solution, and the plating is stripped in abouttwo minutes or less. This solution is good for onlyabout 15 minutes unless it is stored in a darksealed container. The solution may be returnedto the pickle-pot after use as the hydrogen

peroxide breaks down to make water. Note: Thehydrogen peroxide is the same hydrogen peroxidesold in drug stores and is part of almost all first aidkits.

Source: by Tom Wright in The Backbender'sGazette, 2/2006

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Brighten Your Ivory - Don't put ivory in the dark.It is one substance that needs light. If it hasstarted to yellow, take a half lemon, rub it in somesalt, then rub it over the ivory object. The lemonwill work on the yellow discoloration. After it is dry,dampen a soft cloth with lukewarm water and rubthe ivory piece to give it a bright finish.

Source: Nodule Nocker News, 11/1995, viaRockhound Rambling, 8/2003

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Black rouge is for gold, silver, and German silver.Gives a high polish.

Green rouge is for platinum, chrome, stainlesssteel, and hard materials.Red rouge is for gold, silver, and soft metals andmaterials.White rouge is for the harder metals such asplatinum, chrome, stainless steel, and some of theharder material.

Yellow rouge is for roughing in, as it cuts faster.It usually has a base of beeswax to hold thepolish in. It is for hard materials such as chromeand stainless steel.

Source: Homer's Corner, date unknown, viaRockhound Rambling, 8/2003

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Remove algae and lichen from your specimenwith a soak in ammonia and water.

Source: Southwest Gems, date unknown, via TheRockcollector, Dec 2006/Jan 2007

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UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS & EVENTS

Mar 7 Planet Ranch LindaMar 21 Ludlow Weekend BobApr 11 Squiggly Jasper Linda/JimApr 25 Needles Mine BobMay 9 Golden Shores Linda

FIELD TRIP REPORT

February 7

The field trip for Rainbow Jasper, Agate and Chertwas canceled due to predicted thunder storms.

February 21

13 vehicles, five rock hound dogs, 23 NGMCmembers and five guests traveled to some greatsites chosen by the field trip leader, Jim Peterson.

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BLUE AGATE NEWSNEEDLES GEM & MINERAL CLUBPO BOX 234NEEDLES, CA 92363-0234

Exchange Bulletins Welcome!Please send Exchange Bulletins to the address above

Or email to [email protected]

WYOAQHA photo 07

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