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RockhounderB.C. Vol. 13 Fall 2009

Dust, Dust and More Dust Summer Camp 09

10 Myths About Dinosaur Extinction

The Cayoosh Gold Rush and the Golden Cache Mine

Avoid Repetitive Strain Injuries

Brazil Tour 2009

Chalcedony A Gem for the Ages

Tierney Crystals & Crafts٥Petrified Wood ٥Quartz Crystals ٥Tumbled Stones٥Mineral Specimens ٥Amethyst ٥Brazilian Agate

604-435-6777Suite 101-3357 KingswayVancouver, BCV5R 5K6

Shows and By Appointment

Rockhound’s Code of Ethics1. I will respect private property and do no Rockhounding without the owner’s permission.2. I will use no firearms are blasting material in rockhounding areas.3. I will take garbage home or deposit in proper receptacles.4. I will leave gates as found.5. I will do no willfull damage to materials or take more than I can reasonably use.6. I will fill excavations which may be dangerous to livestock.7. I will build fires in designated places or safe places only, and make sure they are completely extinguished before leaving.8. I will not contaminate wells, creeks, or other water supplies.9. I will not tamper with signs, structural facilities or equipment.10. I will obey all laws and regulations of forestry and game departments in the area in which I am hunting.11. I will appreciate and protect our heritage of natural resouces and wildlife.12. I will always use good outdoor manners.

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RockhounderB.C.

Editor:Win [email protected](250) 376-4878#6 - 2401 Ord Rd.Kamloops, BC V2B 7V8

Cover Photo:Golden Topaz, Ouro Preto, Brazil Photo By Harley Waterson

Vol. 13 Fall 2009

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Published Quarterly By the British Columbia Lapidary Society

20739 39th Avenue, Langley, BC V3A 2V7 Tel: (604) 532-0582E-mail: [email protected]

ContentsPresident's Message 2BCLS Meeting 3Rock Tumbling Championship 2009 310 Myths About Dinosaur Extinction 4The AGony and the Ecstasy 6Giant Red Spinel Crystal in Tanzania 6Brazil Tour 2009 7Columnar Joints 13About Fire Opal 14Pickling Notes 15Flash From Helen's Bench 16The Galatea's DavinChi Cut 17Chalcedony: A Gem for the Ages 18About Salt 21The Cayoosh Gold Rush 22Repetitive Strain Injuries 25Around the Clubs 24Rendezvous 2010 30Summer Camp 2010 32Club Shows 40

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2 | B.C. Rockhounder

President’s Message

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

Ken DewersonAuthorized Dealer

TesoroMetal Detectors

#338-2330 Butt Rd.Westbank, BC V4T 2I3

[email protected]

The weather is chilling, and the bar trips are cold and wet. The darkest days are coming, and yet we positively approach them with a time of cheerful celebration for Christmas, with family, friends, food, fellowship and fun.

It strikes me that we have a lot of optimistic people in our rockhound clubs. There are those who can shine a bright light on the dullest of rocks, and turn a bad situation into a great one. I recently attended the Delta Rockhound Club show, their first in fifteen years, and I was amazed that those eighteen people could turn a plain rectangular room into a well organized and exciting event, bustling with friendly shoppers, dynamic displays, and active club members.

The club had a firm foundation of past practices, and some new fresh ideas of their own. When I went for something to eat, I noticed that the food had been made by the club members. I asked what was good, and they burst forth with a volley of enthusiastic suggestions: try Celia’s cookies, or Laurene’s mince pies are really the best. (Sorry, for the mix-up in the names!) So, evidently, these people are regular donors of food at rockhound events, or how else would they all know what was good? Well done, baking donors!

Another thing I noticed, was the kids’ silent auction. I tried to buy a rock, but no luck. The children were lined up knee deep, signing up to buy rocks. It was marvelous to see so much enthusiasm for the rocks, and hearing the rock names bandied about! “Oh, I hope I get that ocean jasper! ewu-ooo!” That was a good idea.

I noticed that there were a lot of attendees with children. Some of that may be due to the ice rink next door, but the show advertising offered a free dinosaur bone to each child. What a great idea, and a good draw for the children.

At the Surrey Rockhound workshop, a work bee was going on. About fifteen members had gathered there this morning to clean out and reorganize to make space. They were going over old material, and asking whether this can be used, or whether it needs to be tossed. Off with the crusty looking items that can go to make space for new, bright ideas...like the carver’s group that Brett Long is starting up, and now, they’ll have a new space in which to work. Renewed enthusiasm and renewed space.

In the dull, dark days of our winter, depress the doldrums by starting a new, fresh idea. Do something different with your club, and make something new and exciting happen that will spark enthusiasm and generate new ideas. You’ll be glad you did.

With all those energetic thoughts incubating, keep the Christmas Season in mind, treat your family and fellow rockhounds kindly, and have a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year, 2010.

De Morgan,President, B.C. Lapidary SocietyNovember 29, 2009

Fall 2009 | 3

BCLS MeetingSeptember 27, 2009by De Morgan

The first general meeting with the new executive of the BCLS was held on September 27th, 2009 at Sullivan Hall. We had a substantial turnout, with 43 rockhound club members present, and happily chatting with each other. We heard reports from Georgina Selinger, for the B.C. Rockhounder and Calendar, news of the summer camp held at Tachick Lake this August, and the upcoming Rendezvous in Lillooet, 2010 and the Summer Camp 2010 in Little Fort, B.C. was presented by the executive. Bob Morgan gave a report on the wagonmasters’ meeting that had been held prior to the BCLS meeting, with new field trips planned for the next seven months. Two zone reports were given by Doug Murray, from the Island Zone, and Royanna, from the Interior Zone. No reports were received from the Kootenay Zone or the Northern Zone.Alice Clarke presented a certificate to Frank Tierney, to give him the choice of educational institution to which a scholarship for a student pursuing geological studies would be presented by the Gem and Mineral Federation of Canada.Following the meeting, there were refreshments prepared by Jennifer Moore, and time to share rockhound stories and visit with each other. Thanks to Win Robertson for arranging our speaker, Bruce Madu, a regional geologist with B.C. Ministry of Mines. He gave us a great talk about gold in B.C., it’s history, economic value, occurrence with other minerals, mining areas, and ways of getting the gold out. The meeting was well enjoyed, and it was good to get together in such a convivial atmosphere. Thank you all for coming.

The next BCLS general meeting has been scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 28, 20101PM, Sullivan Hall6302 152 Street, Surrey, BC

Door PrizeRefreshmentsSpeaker TBA

Everyone Welcome

World Rock Tumbling Championship

2009By Oroville, C

On the night of September 29, 2009, a distinguished group of four gentlemen gathered to score the stones submitted by the contestants of the World Rock Tumbling Championship sponsored by the Feather River Lapidary and Mineral Society. Each contestant had received four pounds of rough jasper from Stoney Creek in early May and had until September 15th to do their best to grind and polish. The contestants then returned at least 1/2 pound of the best mate-rial to be judged.The judging panel consisted of club member, Manual Garcia; the owner of Marsha’s Minerals, John Wills; Paradise club member, Glen Rollins; with David Cossey, club Vice Presi-dent, serving as a tie breaker.The entries were judged on the quality of polish, freedom from pitting, shape and overall appearance of the stones on the entire batch as well as the best

three stones for a total possible score of 100 points.Some of the stones submitted by the winners of the 2009 contest.

First prize of $250 was awarded to Wayne Snyder of Newark, Ohio. Second prize was awarded to Elaine M. Hammer of Fruit Heights, Utah. Third prize of a Lortone Twin Barrel Rock Tum-bler was awarded to Tom Kuzia of Beacon Falls, Connecticut.Next year’s contest will be announced on the FRLMS website, Orovillerocks.com in December. The tumbling material will be a high quality Wonderstone from the Fallen, Nevada area. The stone comes from a private mine and has been named Royal Nevada Jasper.


Dinosaur SpeciesWe all know that the dinosaurs mysteriously (or not so mysteriously) vanished off the face of the earth about 65 million years ago, a mass extinction that still lingers in the popular imagination. How could creatures so huge, so fierce and so successful go down the drain virtually overnight, along with their close cousins, the pterosaurs and aquatic reptiles? The details are still being worked out by geologists and paleontologists, but in the meantime, here are ten beliefs about dinosaur extinction that aren’t quite true.

1. All the dinosaurs died quickly, at the exact same timeAccording to our best knowledge, the K/T (Cretaceous/Tertiary) Extinction was caused by a meteor that plunged into the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico 65 million years ago. However, this doesn’t mean that all the world’s dinosaurs suffered an instant, fiery death. The meteor impact raised a huge cloud of dust that blotted out the sun, and caused the gradual demise of a) the earth’s vegetation, b) the herbivorous dinosaurs that

fed on that vegetation and c) the carnivorous dinosaurs that fed on the herbivorous dinosaurs. This process may have taken as long as 200,000 years, still a blink of the eye in geologic time scales.

2. Dinosaurs were the only creatures that went extinct 65 million years agoThink about it for a second. Scientists believe the K/T meteor impact unleashed a blast of energy equivalent to millions of thermonuclear bombs; clearly, dinosaurs wouldn’t have been the only animals to feel the heat. The key difference is, while numerous species of mammals, birds, plants and invertebrates were wiped off the face of the earth, enough other species survived to repopulate the land and sea afterward. The dinosaurs, pterosaurs and aquatic reptiles weren’t so lucky; they were exterminated down to the last species (and not only because of the meteor impact, as we’ll see below).

3. Dinosaurs were victims of the first-ever mass extinctionNot only isn’t this true, but you can make the case that dinosaurs

were the beneficiaries of a worldwide disaster that occurred almost 200 million years before the K/T Extinction, known as the Permian-Triassic Extinction Event. This “Great Dying” (which may also have been caused by a meteor impact) saw the extinction of 70 percent of terrestrial animal species and more than 95 percent of ocean-dwelling species. The archosaurs (“ruling reptiles”) were among the lucky survivors; within 30 million years or so, by the end of the Triassic period, they had evolved into the very first dinosaurs.

4. Until they went extinct, dinosaurs were thriving.You can’t make the case that dinosaurs were on top of their game when they bit the Big Cretaceous Weenie. According to a recent analysis, dinosaur radiation (the process by which species adapt to new ecological niches) had slowed down markedly by the middle of the Cretaceous period, with the result that dinosaurs were far less diversified at the time of the K/T Extinction than birds, mammals, or even amphibians. This may help to explain why the dinosaurs went completely extinct, while various species of birds, mammals, etc. managed to survive into the Tertiary period.

5. Some dinosaurs have survived down to the present day.It’s impossible to prove a negative,

Myths About Dinosaur Extinction10

C&D GemcraftCustom Made Gemstone Jewelery & Repairs

David BarclayAccredited Gemologist (C.I.G.)

Phone/Fax: (250) 766-4353Email: [email protected]

Box 42015, R.P.O. NorthWinfield, BC V4V 1Z8

Fall 2009 | 5

so we’ll never know, with 100 percent certainty, that absolutely no dinosaurs escaped the K/T extinction. However, the fact that no dinosaur fossils have been found dating from later than 65 million years ago-combined with the fact that no one has yet encountered a living T. Rex or Velociraptor is solid evidence that the dinosaurs did, indeed, go completely kaput. If you want to get technical about it, though, we do know that birds are directly descended from dinosaurs, so the continued survival of pigeons, penguins and puffins may be some small consolation.

6. Mammals survived the K/T Extinction because they were “more fit” than dinosaurs.This is an example of the circular reasoning that continues to plague students of Darwinian evolution. There’s no objective measure by which one creature can be considered “more fit” than another; it all depends on the environment they live in. Until the K/T Extinction Event, dinosaurs fit extremely well into their ecosystem, with herbivorous dinosaurs dining on lush vegetation and carnivorous dinosaurs dining on the herbivores. In the blasted landscape after the meteor impact, small, furry mammals suddenly became “more fit” because of the drastically changed circumstances (and drastically reduced amounts of food).

7. The dinosaurs died out because they became “too big.”This one has some truth to it, with an important qualification. The 20-ton titanosaurs living at the end of the Cretaceous period would have had to eat hundreds of pounds of vegetation every day, putting them at a distinct disadvantage when this vegetation withered and died from lack of

sunlight (and also crimping the style of the multi-ton tyrannosaurs that preyed on the titanosaurs). But the dinosaurs weren’t “punished” by some supernatural force for growing too big, too complacent and too self-satisfied, as some biblically minded moralists continue to claim.

8. The K/T meteor impact is just a theory, not a proven fact.What makes the K/T Extinction such a powerful theory is that the idea of a meteor impact was broached (by the physicist Luis Alvarez) based on other strands of physical evidence. In 1980, Alvarez and his team discovered traces of the rare element iridium--which can be produced by impact events--scattered around the world in geological strata dating to 65 million years ago. Shortly afterward, the outline of a huge meteor crater in the Chicxulub region of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula was discovered, which geologists also dated to the end of the Cretaceous period. This isn’t to say that a meteor impact was the sole cause of the dinosaurs’ demise (see below), but there’s no question that there was a meteor impact in the first place!

9. The dinosaurs were killed by insects/bacteria/aliens.Conspiracy theorists love to speculate about events that happened millions of years ago--it’s not like there are any living witnesses who can contradict them. While it’s true that disease-spreading insects may have hastened the demise of the dinosaurs, after they were already weakened by cold and hunger, no reputable

scientist believes that the K/T meteor impact had a lesser effect on dinosaurs than million of pesky mosquitoes or new strains of bacteria. As for theories involving aliens, time travel or warps in the space-time continuum, that’s grist for Hollywood producers, not serious, working scientists.

10. Humans can never go extinct the way the dinosaurs did.Us homo sapiens do have one advantage that the dinosaurs lacked: our brains are big enough that we can plan ahead and prepare for worst-case contingencies. Today, scientists are hatching all sorts of schemes to intercept large meteors before they can plunge to earth and wreak another mass extinction. However, this has nothing to do with all the other ways humans can potentially render themselves extinct: nuclear war, genetically engineered viruses or nanotechnology run amok, to name just three. Ironically, if human beings do vanish off the face of the earth, it may be because of, rather than despite,our huge brains! What really happened?


The AGony and the Ecstasy

from Rocky Tales, Lake Havasu Gem & Mineral Society

What is the mineral connection between some hair dyes in use in ancient times and the Native Americans of Arizona? No, not jewelry. Silver! Its scientific name, argentum, is abbreviated to AG on the periodic table. Hence, the unconscionable pun In the title.

This writer’s favorite metal has unexpected uses stretching back in time to ancient days. There doesn’t seem to be a nation on Earth, from industrialized countries to the most primitive, that doesn’t use it in diverse ways in their daily lives.

The ancient Phoenicians knew that wine, water, and vinegar stayed better preserved, fresher, and bacteria free in silver containers. For centuries, silver coins dropped into milk preserved it. For thousands of years, silver has been in use as a bactericide.

MRSA bacteria are killed by silverimpregnated bandages. It is also well known in medical circles that silver applied to wounds speeds healing, and that burns heal faster when silver is applied. Hospitals today use the germicidal qualities of silver by combining it with other metals for surgical tools, catheters, and stethoscopes. Silver is even used in hospitals for furniture, door handles, and on some paper files. In many parts of the world, silver is taken in pill form for various health issues. Silver nitrate and silver halide are important ingredients in photographic films.

Silver is the best conductor of electricity. It is preferred for contacts, semiconductors, cell phones, button batteries, cameras, clocks, and hearing aids. It is also the most reflective metal, thus fine mirrors are backed with it. Don’t giggle about silver bullets. Apache warriors preferred silver bullets in the 1870s believing they were more accurate than other metals.

GIANT RED SPINEL CRYSTAL

DISCOVERED IN TANZANIA

Summarized from article by David Weinberg, at www.multicolour.com/spinel/

A 52 lb. roughly pyramid shaped crystal of orangey, pink, reddish spinel about 10 inches on a side was mined from a farmer's field in Mahenge, Tanzania, in eastern Africa. Small groups of miners work the alluvial deposit in the general area, and this discovery nearly started a riot as everyone wanted a piece of the action. The crystal has been sold, and although most of it is heavily included, there are still zones of clear facet grade material. Stones ranging in size from 5 to 30 carats have already been cut, and have been for sale in Europe, the euro being stronger than the dollar.

Production could reach several thousand carats of finished gems.

Fall 2009 | 7

At the 2008 Abbotsford Gem Show, a travel company called Adventures Abroad had a couple of talks about a 2-week excursion to Brazil to see gem stone locations and offer collectors a chance to get close to the mines, and buy some Brazilian materials.

The tour was scheduled for August 2008, and they didn’t find enough rock hounds that could organize vacations to take in the 2008 tour, however, a number of us chatted and ended up taking the 2009 tour last August!

Nineteen people went on the organized tour. Two from Texas, two from the Victoria club, and the rest were from the lower mainland.

As advertised, the tour was to visit some gemstone locations in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, take in a gem trade show and visit some dealers. The trip also included a couple of extensions to the southern state of Brazil called Rio Grande du Sul (this is the area where the Brazilian Agate and Amethyst come from ) plus a 2nd extension to visit Iguacu Falls.

We had lots of questions about getting prepared for the trip….what is the weather? What clothes do we take? Do they speak English? What shots do we need, and so on.We chatted with several other world travelers, and then we stocked up on some new clothes,

and a few other things to bring along such as Deet and toilet paper. We had some immunization shots for a long list of various tropical diseases. We even bought a Brazilian Portuguese language CD!

Getting to Brazil consisted of two Air Canada flights, the first being Vancouver to

Toronto, followed by a 10+ hour red-eye to Sao Paulo Brazil. No, we didn’t see the Amazon—it was late at night. We were met at the airport, and directed over to another gate to take another flight to Belo Horizonte which is closer to the gemstones!

August arrival in Brazil is their late spring. Cool for them, but pretty much short sleeve weather for us. Not hot enough for me to put shorts on, but very nice and comfortable. A couple of days had rain, so a light jacket was necessary. No more bugs or mosquitoes than in my back yard in Surrey. We weren’t near to the Amazon jungle, so it was not overly humid, nor were we in danger of being bitten by piranhas nor crocodiles. In fact, we saw almost no wildlife other than some birds, marmosets, and a couple of small lizards.

For our tour, we did spend lots of time on a large Greyhound sized coach ( bus ). The coach was very comfortable, and pleasant as we barely half-filled the full sized coach.

Our tour leader was a professional tour guide, with many years of herding tourists all over the world. He spoke many languages in addition to his native English. When we got on the bus for the first time, the very first thing we

did was pick up a local Brazilian geologist, who was also involved in the gemstone trade with her husband. Her name was Regina. ( pronounced Regeena ). She spoke Portuguese, and enough English such that we could understand her colorful descriptions of the history of Brazil, the people, the things we were passing by, and the hopes and dreams of the locals. To cap off our long travel day, we spent some time on the bus travelling to our first hotel in a town called Belo Horizonte.

So, the first day of our Brazilian extravaganza! Up at 7:00AM for breakfast, and onto the bus at 8:00AM ( what? I thought I was on vacation! )

Our schedule for the day was to travel to a smaller town called Teofilo Otoni, ETA 5:00PM. Before we left the larger town of Belo Horizonte, we stopped for some local cash at a particular bank, as almost all of the local banks do not take international ABM cards. After travelling for a bit, and some stories about the history and basic geology, Regina asks if we would like to visit an Emerald mine. Well, in about 5 milli-seconds it was unanimous. She pulls out her cell phone and calls ahead. Soon enough we’re off on a side road, and end up at a tiny village. Off the bus, and a gang of locals show up to show us their rough, and cut stones, all for sale of course! After negotiations, we walk over to a hole in the ground, and everyone who is game is dropped in a sling down a 20 meter vertical shaft into a hand dug emerald mine!

Brazil Tour 2009

By Harley Waterson


The “mine” is more like a single shaft dug by pick and shovel by a couple of wiry locals. The schist is easy to dig, and they look for quartz veins where emeralds may show up. The miners chase the quartz through the host rock hopeful to find some facet grade stones. Back up at the top, more locals have brought over their rough and cut stones to sell to us! Good thing that Regina said that the first price is always waayyyy high, so don’t feel bad about making a much lower offer, and negotiate until you’re happy.I bought a small cabbing grade piece for $20. Others bought a few other pieces

Regina with an Emerald

More money changes hands with negotiations in Portuguese and English. Well, we spoke English, they spoke Portuguese... often I resorted to writing down a number on my hand or paper… that seemed to work the best!

We found out that mining laws are quite different down in Brazil. If you own the land, you own what’s in the ground. So, lots of ranchers/farmers have a little hole in the ground that they dig when the cattle have been fed, or the crop planted and there is some spare time. Larger mines also exist, and hired workers may have low pay, or no pay unless they actually find some stones. There are few regulations regarding safety, or pay and benefits for the workers.Needless to say, day one was big time fun, and we were really late getting to our hotel with the diversion!

Day 2 was the day to explore the FIPP gemshow/sale. The show was a block from the hotel, and scheduled to open at 10:00AM. So, breakfast was again at 7:00AM, and Regina had arranged for a couple of dealers to be in the hotel lobby for us. A few hundred $$$ changed hands…..then, onto the bus! We have a local dealer/showroom to see while we wait for the FIPP show to open.Over at this first dealer, we find that he “owns” a rutilated quartz mine. Scattered around the office and display area were foot-long smoky quartz crystals, some with tourmalines, and also a 12-inch long black tourmaline paperweight. Lots of cut gemstones, quartz specimens, rutilated specimens etc. After that, we walked through the town admiring the architecture, stopped at the town square for a fresh coconut and back to the FIPP show at 10:15.

The FIPP show is similar to any show with oodles of dealer tables with rocks, specimens, finished cut stones, and some jewelry for sale. What set this apart was the materials, quantity, and selection. There was absolutely no jade, no jaspers, nor barely any agate for sale. Available were tons of quartz crystals, topaz, amethyst, citrine, tourmaline, rutilated quartz, and other local materials in both cut, and rough form.

Since I was hoping to find some interesting Rutile or Tourmilated quartz, I was in heaven. Prices were not “cheap” but the $100 per kilo Rutilated quartz wouldn’t make it to BC, as the clarity of the material would be snapped up before it got here, or would be maybe $300/kilo or more! In Brazil, there were tubs full to sort through! Oh, I didn’t bring enough money!I found a couple of other things to buy of course, some quartz crystal phantoms, a couple of tiny chunks of red rhodonite, and some pyrite in quartz. All of us were a little hesitant to go wild and buy lots at the show, as this was only day #2.At the end of the day we left the show, and had some food, and off to a presentation by local geologists who were trying to lobby the government to improve safety, wages and working conditions for the miners.

Fall 2009 | 9

Day 3 was a day where we got into a two buses and split up into two groups to visit a couple more hand dug emerald mines. More countryside to see! Somewhat like Kamloops with funny looking trees. These were again host sand-stone type of host rock with some quartz veins. The miners follow the quartz hoping to find a pocket of emeralds, tourmalines, or aquamarines! Oh, back to town, and another dealer! This is “the-guy” to see for Paraiba tourmalines. Sure enough, his office and display area is chock full of those vibrant blue tourmalines. Out of my price range though… Maybe a cabbing piece?

Day 4: Up early again! We loaded ourselves into the bus and off to a small town where we jumped into 5 cars and headed up some gravel roads to some abandoned pegmatite mines. We had the opportunity to wander around a large cavernous commercial mine, and we were able to find some quartz, mica, and some other interesting specimens. Too bad we didn’t know ahead of time that we would be on a real field trip we could dig, hammer, and keep the specimens! We spend most of the day in three locations, and Bob Morgan picked up a 40+ pound smoky quartz crystal! It made it home in luggage!

At the end of our field trip, we went back to town for some food, and to relax in the back yard of a local gemstone cutter! He had his surplus specimens, rough, and cut stones for us to buy! Back to our hotel, a quick break to freshen up, and muster in the lobby and off to another gemstone dealer,

who opened up just for us! More buckets of rutile quartz, tables of smoky quartz, topaz, and sensory overload.Day 5: Travel to the town of Ouro Preto. Along the way we see more countryside, some open pit iron mines, and listen to entertaining stories about the local area from Regina.

Before we get to Ouro Preto we stop and unload off the bus. We’re at the home of the famous “Imperial Topaz”... It’s a big muddy looking pit full of smaller excavations where the locals have been digging for topaz.There’s a pick, have a go! What? Us? We can dig for topaz, like, right now? Yes!

So we rummaged around in the loose dried muddy ground… No topaz, but the locals were very willing to sell us their finds of those bright orange topaz crystals! Down the road through town to the creek, and a quick gold panning demo… Ouro Preto means “black gold” and the gold is coated with palladium, which turns it black. Millions of dollars of gold has been found in the area, most of which is placer. Back on the bus up to the main part of Ouro Preto and check into our hotel.More food.

Day 6 Ouro Preto: Up again early, and we get a short tour & talk about the history of the town. We walk through a couple of the local churches, and more discussion of the history of the area going back hundreds of years with the squabbles over the lands by Portugal, Spain, France, and the various factions of the catholic church. A town with a 300+ year history! This is a very picturesque village with many large old churches and historic buildings.We walked up the street to the skating rink sized “Soapstone market” where 50 or so vendors are squeezed into a small area, and almost everything in the market is made from soapstone by the locals. Up another block to the local mineralogy museum, and we spend a couple of hours looking at the marvelous collection. A great museum with great displays of minerals, and crystals…unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures. They did have one tiny little piece of jade from BC! Throughout the town were about a dozen gemstone and mineral dealers. Since we were in the heart of the area where the Imperial Topaz comes from, all the dealers had both rough and cut stones. We were in one shop looking at a dish with some vibrant orange rough, and the proprietor says, wait, I have some more for you to look at. Clunk! He places a shoe-box sized box full of stones in front of us. We can’t even get to see just six stones here to choose from! We had a shoe box full.One dealer had a fellow faceting some stones on a jamb-peg faceting machine.


He was fast, and was doing some great work on a well used old machine! Incredible results from a low tech device.More food, and beverages!

Soapstone market: The artist putting the texture on the bowl lid with a tiny pointed hammer

Imperial Topaz rough for sale.

The shoebox.

Day 7. In the lobby where we are congregating to get on the coach, we haggle with some more locals on rough and cut stones. After a couple of hours on the coach, we’re back at Belo Horizonte airport and we must say goodbye to Regina. We’ll miss her colorful stories and knowledge of the local gemstones!( Pic # HPIM 1695: Wolfgang haggling over some specimens )

We catch a plane to Rio de Janiero. We grab our luggage, and get on another coach and head towards the hotel. But wait! It’s a nice day, and there’s still daylight! Bus driver! Head to Sugarloaf mountain gondola! The trip up Sugarloaf wasn’t on the official agenda, but was a nice treat….the views were awesome, other than the haze of city pollution in the air. By the time we get checked in, it’s almost dark. No time for lollygagging around, we need to freshen up and get back to the lobby for our next item!Down the street a few blocks is the Headquarters of “Amsterdam Sauer” the Brazilian gem and jewelry store chain. At the HQ flagship store is a “museum” showcasing the Brazilian gemstones. What a collection of cut stones, medium, and giant size! Incredible large specimens, including a 75KG specimen covered in pink-green tourmalines, another 68KG single loose topaz crystal….We also had a short talk on the history of Brazilian emeralds, which for a number of years were not officially called emeralds, but were viewed internationally as green aqua’s or green beryl’s.The museum itself was perhaps only the size of a Tim-Horton’s, but there was a few $$millions in specimens!

Smoky quartz carving.

During our tour in several of the shops we saw carved gemstone birds. Likely everyone has seen them, such as the little fridge magnets, or perhaps ones as large as 10-12”. At the Amsterdam Sauer store, they have ones which are much more detailed, and exquisitely carved, up to 4-feet in length, beak to tail feathers. I managed to peek at one price tag, and one smoky quartz bird about 16” in length on a quartz crystal base was $4500 US.

Same price for the white quartz bird with ruby eyes, tiger eye beak )

After the museum tour, we had to exit through the showroom of course! Top grade jewelry and loose stones for sale. It just seemed a little higher priced in Rio versus the gem show a couple days earlier.Giddy-up, back on the bus, we’re going for dinner! We travel to a higher end restaurant with a

fabulous buffet of cold items, and wandering waiters with skewers of the hot entrees such as beef, port, sausage, chicken lamb, etc. They give you a two-sided coaster, one side green ( Keep bringing the hot-bbq items ) and one side red ( Stop! I can’t fit anymore

in ) Everyone waddled overstuffed out of that place… again, great food.

Day 8: up early again, back on the bus, we’re off to the mountain we saw from Sugarloaf that has the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer at the summit.

Fall 2009 | 11

Two choices to get to the top are driving in a shuttle bus, or a cog-wheel train. Cogwheel train for us! Again a great day for viewing as the weather was again sunny and pleasant. On the trip back down the cogwheel train, we were entertained by some musicians. Back on the bus, and off to a nearby town called Petropolis. This town was used as a summer retreat for the emperor during earlier years, as Petropolis is at a higher elevation, and wasn’t quite as hot in the summer time. We toured the emperor’s palace, and a huge nearby church, and drove back to the hotel. ( No photography allowed of course )

On this day, we actually had a couple of hours to ourselves to walk around before the next scheduled activity. Back on the bus, and over to a night club for a song and dance review of Brazilian style music. Entertaining, but the show just seemed to be aimed at tourists, and felt as if the entertainers had done the same show 1000’s of times, and the costumes just seemed a little tattered...

Day 9) Up early again ( are you detecting a trend/) and off to the airport to fly to Porto Alegre. Porto Alegre is in the southernmost state of Brazil, as we are heading to the volcanic area! The home of the Brazilian agates and amethyst. It’s drizzling in Porto Alegre as we load up onto another coach. We head out towards our next hotel, in the town of Bento Goncalves. Along the way we notice that there is a more “American” feel to the businesses, and buildings we are travelling by, and the whole city feels more affluent. Homes just seem to look a little bigger, better kept. Our guides tell us that this area of Brazil is indeed more industrial than the farming/ranching/gemstone area we were visiting earlier. This area was also

settled by a higher percentage of German, Italian, and French settlers. We stop at a Brazilian winery for a tour of this large modern facility. Part of the tour is a wine tasting! More fun! Too bad I don’t like wine nearly as much as beer. Anyway, the general consensus after the wine tasting reveals that there is no surprise that Brazilian wines are not real popular and are also not available in BC. There’s ample other choices of great tasting wines. At least they are trying! The tour of the winery worked out well as it was an indoor activity for the drizzly day! At Bento Goncalves we stopped at a very nice Italian restaurant, and again are treated to a 72 course meal...

The bus seemed to be loaded heavily again for the ride back to the hotel.Day 10) Up again, and loading our bags on the coach as we’re travelling to our next stop, the town of Soledade. Not raining today, so the countryside is easier to see. Before we leave town though, we make a stop at a church shaped like a ½ of a wine barrel. All around the building are stained glass windows, and it looked fabulous from inside.Back on the bus! We finally arrive at Soldade in late afternoon. Straight to a dealer!Our first Soledade dealer has a building about the size of a mid-sized Safeway store. Multiple rooms….Amethyst here, Citrine vugs there, quartz crystals over there. Huge amounts of everything, and all great color, and quality. Not much for agate though……back on the bus and off to another dealer, and this one’s bigger, about the size of a Costo warehouse. About ½ the floor space is agate of some type, the rest is quartz, amethyst, citrine. In the agate are agate coasters, agate bookends, agate halves, and oodles of polished slabs, about 75% of which are dyed. The agate

slabs are all polished, both sides, and graded by size, and stacked by color, such as dyed red, dyed blue, dyed green, or if you look hard enough maybe not dyed. We found it interesting that they were the same price by the pound, dyed or natural.I kept looking for the “nice” ones that have interesting unusual patterns, but they were few and far between. I found a couple of tubs with “nicer” grades of slabs, and chose a few. Most of us just wandered around in a bit of a daze at the sheer volume. Can’t get too excited, as we have another day to see the other dealers!

Day 11) A couple of people on the tour are starting to look a little worn out, and even I’m feeling almost ready to sleep in, but no-doing that! More dealers to see after breakfast and that’s what we came for! This is our last day to buy stuff, so I’m keen to find a couple more interesting things that will fit in my carry-on!Off to “the big-one”……this one again has an indoor showroom packed with amethyst and agate and is again about the size of a Safeway. Outside I notice at the back behind a chain link fence ( Just to keep me out ) are countless dump truck loads of agate nodules!

agates galore

There’s 20 or so workers having a break, so they must be sawing, and polishing agates somewhere where we cannot see them! Anyway, they say we only have an hour here, so I get busy


rummaging around the tables loaded with agates. We get the call to get on the bus, and off to the next dealer.

Rose Quartz Crystals by the parking area

This next one is a smaller warehouse, and is chock full of amethyst from Uraguay. I find a nice sized two-piece amethyst lined agate nodule! Finally something a little different, and yet still carry-able in my luggage!Two more stops this last day. Another giant warehouse/showroom, this one like a home-depot, with a bigger variety of materials, including some huge smoky quartz with Rutile, Quartz crystals with “enhydro” ( trapped bubbles of water in the crystals ), and piles of cabbing grade tourmaline, aquamarines, Amethyst, and a big pile of chrysoprase.

Hilmar beside a large amethyst

With everyone’s senses pretty much overloaded, it’s good that at the last stop, they only have three things: Bags of Facet grade

Amethyst, Citrine, and green quartz. Every piece flawless, and beautiful color. They had hundreds of 10-20KG bags of beautiful facet grade materials. Pick your size, and color grade, and buy a handful. The facetors were in heaven!

The town of Soledade also has an annual sale where 80+ more

dealers show up to sell materials. That might be interesting, but I would need to bring more money, and make sure that I could arrange some shipping…

Back to the “Agata Hotel”, and get freshened up for our last dinner together. Since Soldeade is a small town, about the size of Hope, there isn’t a lot of choice of nice restaurants. Alastair, our tour guide, arranged the local truck stop restaurant to host our group for another BBQ dinner where they bring out the skewers of meats! Everyone looked totally bushed, but many were eager for the next day’s departure to the world famous Iguacu Falls. Six of us headed home the next day, and

the remainder took off for the additional couple of days at the falls, and bonus days in Rio prior to returning home.

From the hotel in Soledade to the Vancouver airport was 29 hours. One coach, three flights. Hmmm... Maybe those couple of extra days with no pre-determined things to do would have been nice!

Anyway, everyone made it back safe and sound, and aside from a couple of wrinkles in the travelling, it was a great time! Perhaps the only real disappointment was not being able to bring home all the nice stuff we wanted to buy due to

the weight! This is one area where the facetors win out over the rock and mineral collectors! What did we bring back? Some polished agate slices, topaz samples, rough Rutilated, and tourmilated quartz, pyrite in quartz, two tiny red-rhodonite chunks, amethyst filled agate geode, some small items from one of the field trips, including something identified as amblygonite, and trifilita ( both are in the Audubon book ). Livia picked up several items, including a finished pendant of facet grade red rhodonite! Fabulous!

Would I do this again? Sure, but I would probably want to go somewhere else….Australia? Madagascar? Iceland? Moose Lake Minnesota?I tried to make sure that I considered this a holiday to someplace new, and the gem and mineral activities were just a bonus. Don’t take this type of trip if you are not a rockhound or gem collector! Take a different Brazil trip!

For those who thought about taking this trip, there may be another one! If you might be interested, check with Bill Hughes of the Richmond club. His day job is travel agent, and he is in discussions with the tour operator to put this tour on again in August, 2010.

If you are interested give Bill a phone call at:

604-261-7123 E-mail [email protected]

Fall 2009 | 13

Columnar JointsBy Dr. Bill Cordua, University of Wisconsin- River Falls

The formation of regular shapes by natural processes make some of the world's most intriguing wonders. The presence of long, mostly six-sided columns (called columnar joints) in cooled lavas is one of those wonders. No one who has seen the awesome grooved structure in Devil's Tower in Wyoming or the Devil's Post Pile in California, can forgot this feature. What about a cooling mass of magma could cause such symmetrical columnar joints? A similar phenomenon can be seen when a mud puddle dries. As it loses water, the mud cracks in symmetric shapes, forming mud polygons. This is because the lose of water causes the mud to shrink. That contraction is relieved by breaking as the dry mud becomes brittle. When things contract like this, they naturally seek the most stable position, For mud, that is a system of natural polygons, separated by vertical cracks.

Basalt and other lavas behave similarly. As lava cools, it doesn't dry out like mud, but it does shrink. As it becomes cold and brittle, the lava contracts and relieves the stress by cracking. The cracking produces a polygonal pattern that extends through the lava flow. As weathering cuts into lava, the rock breaks along the joints, exposing this geometric regularity. Although many of the polygons are six- sided, four, five, seven or eight sides columns are also relatively common. The degree and perfection to which this is developed depends on the

thickness and composition of the lava and how fast it cools. The long sides of the column form parallel to the direction of heat loss as the lava cools. In lava flows, the joints generally run vertically through the flow. This is because the lava was losing its heat upward to the air and down ward to the ground. Sometimes columnar joints are found in veins or dikes of magma cutting the rock. These joints may lay horizontally in the dike, like stacked firewood. This is because the magma in the dike was losing its heat to the cold rocks to its sides. At Devil's Tower, the joints through much of its length run vertically, indicating that heat loss was to the surface. Toward the base of the Tower, however, the joints curve horizontally. Here heat loss was easiest to the sides,

probably because the tower base was far enough below the ground surface that most of the heat loss was to the sides.

Really thick lava flows have several layers of joints. Ideally, there is a well jointed lower zone, called the lower colonnade. The middle section in the flow can a more chaotic set of thinner

columns and is called the entablature. A thinner, less well developed upper colonnade is also possible. The upper and lower colonnades reflect normal heat loss to the surface and the ground. In the middle of the flow, the entablature's more chaotic pattern suggests that the heat loss direction was less well defined and varied locally.

Anywhere that lava has been active is a potential place to find columnar joints. The Devil's Post Pile in California, Fingal's Cave along the sea coast of Scotland, and Giants Causeway, along the coast of Northern Ireland are world famous for this feature. Yellowstone Park and the Columbia River plateau in Washington state are other good places to look. Locally, good columnar jointing can be seen in the lava flows on Isle Royale and on the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan.

The appearance of these features often has them related, in name and legend at least, with giants or the devil. Yet there is nothing infernal about them. They are just a good examples of the workings of the laws of physics and geology

Although many of the polygons are six- sided, four, five, seven or eight sides columns are also relatively common.

References: Holmes, Arthur, 1965, Principles of Geology, second edition, Ronald Press. MacDonald, Gordon, 1972, Volcanoes, Prentice Hall.


Professional training courses leading to “Accredited Gemmologist (C.I.G.)”

by home study and extension courses

For more details visit our website at www.cigem.ca or write to C.I.G. PO Box 57010, Vancouver BC, V5K 5G6604-530-8569 toll free: 1-800-294-2211

About Fire OpalFrom the Creative Jewellers Guild “Creations”(via Juniper Ridge Opal Mine’s Webpage)

Fire opal is unlike any other opal. While most opals are renowned for the play of color and reflections from within, Fire Opal is named for its fiery colors, including yellows, oranges and reds. It may or may not show an opalescent “play of color”, but is valued mostly for its intense color. The best qualities are very transparent. Most fire opal is cut in sparkling faceted stones, though you may find it cut en-cabochon, in spheres and in carvings. Fire Opal is becoming much more popular in jewelry due its impressive range of bright intense colors. It is also very light in weight compared to other gems, so it is ideal for producing stunning larger earrings and pendants without burdening the lucky wearer. Opal typically contains from 3 to 30 percent water, making it very sensitive to every kind of stress. Fire Opal is no exception to this rule, and should be protected against impact as well as drastic changes of humidity and temperature. You should never put any kind of opal into harsh cleaning fluids or in ultrasonic cleaners.

About Juniper Ridge MineThe mine on Juniper Ridge has been worked off and on for over thirty years, but was never promoted very much. The claim lay dormant for a time until Ken Newnham and his son Chuck found it and placed it under claim again in 1998. Old maps of the location had been inaccurate, and it had taken them over two years, hiking many miles in the surrounding hills before they found the abandoned pit.The mine partners, who are all lapidaries, worked the mine for a few years by hand with family and friends, and produced a collection of cabochons and spheres from the material. During 2002, they opened the mine

to other collectors on a fee dig basis. Since then, the popularity of the material has skyrocketed due to the incredible color, stability, and sizes of their material. It is not unusual to collect nodules of opal the size of a baseball. The mine is located about half way between Klamath Falls and Lakeview, Oregon.

Physical Properties of OpalMohs’ Hardness: 5.5 – 6.5Density: 1.98 – 2.50Composition: Hydrous silicon dioxide

Artist: Dalan HargraveTitle: ReflectionsWeight: 110 cts

Artist: Guenter OttoWeight: 20 ctsReflections"Cutting: Mixed with IntaglioWeight: 110

Fall 2009 | 15

Pickling NotesBy Charles Lewton-Brain

Jewelers treat soldered objects with dilute acid solutions to remove oxides produced from heating and soldering as well as glassy flux residues. This process is called pickling. I believe the term comes from the chemical jewelers once used to do the job: Alum, such as is used traditionally for making pickles. Many jewelers today are not aware that they can use alum for this purpose. Here is what I think happened: jewelers used alum and salts to pickle with, then in the 19th century mineral acids became cheaper and more available, which along with the rise in industrialization and the increasing need for speed caused sulfuric acid to become the standard pickling solution. Sulfuric acid however is dangerous to store, handle and mix up. It also wants to concentrate to a 49% solution, which means it evaporates until it reaches this dangerously corrosive proportion.

With the introduction of safety and (maybe litigation) pressures jewelers began to turn to dry salts which dissociate to form constant dilutions of acid. The most common one used by jewelers has various brand names (sometimes called a 'safety pickle'). It is usually sodium bisulfate, which is used in industry for pickling metals of all kinds, in tanning leather, in toilet bowl cleaners and most importantly for jewelers: to reduce the pH of water in swimming pools or hot tubs. The most easily available source is 'Swimming pool acid" or "pH reducer" at your local hardware or grocery store. It is essentially the same material as dry 'Safety Pickle' and is mixed in the same manner, perhaps half a cup to 4 liters (1 gallon) of water. This is significantly cheaper than from the jeweler's supply store. An even larger user is the cleaning industry and great drums of the material are apparently used by industrial cleaners for cleaning toilets. After all these changes people forgot about using alum as a pickle.

Alum has an advantage over 'Safety Pickle', it does not appear to outgas as much. Tools placed near a 'Safety Pickle' will rust, but tools next to an alum pickle do not. As well, you can place steel tweezers or wire into an alum pickle without causing the copper plating reaction on your work familiar to those jewelers who have done this with a standard pickle.

Some people have taken to using citric acid as a pickle. This is an industrial baking supply material. It takes more, several cups more to make a pickle. It works more slowly than the Sodium bisulfate and rumor has it that if you leave it alone, cold, for a week or two, it can serve as a growth medium for interesting molds. Phil Poirier of Taos feels that the citric acid pickle has the advantage of not adding sulfur compounds (and hence making sulfur dioxide gas when melted) to cast sprue buttons being cleaned for remelting. He says that he has reduced porosity in re-used metals by using citric acid.

Continued on Page 16

Mountain Gems Ltd.Lapidary & Jewellery Supplies


In a pinch vinegar and salt make a very good safe home pickle, about one cup vinegar to one teaspoon salt or more. An emergency pickle is to sprinkle salt on a cut lemon and rub it over the metal to be pickled. I've even tried ketchup and Cola Drinks with salt for this with fair success.

So what do I use on an everyday basis? Swimming pool acid does me fine.

A covered crock pot works very well for containing a pickle. One must take care not to splash the acid around and to keep the outsides clean as they tend to corrode if not cared for. A pickle solution may last for months if used with care, replenished with water when necessary, kept clean and so on. In a shared shop I suggest caulking all seams of the crock pot with silicone, caulking the heat control fixed on the low

setting and regular wiping down. This makes the pickle solution last longer and prevents boiling the pickle dry accidentally on high. For pickling long and tall objects use a long and tall container such as a bottle to pickle in. Bench jewelers who solder at their bench and want a small pickle close to hand have been known to use a coffee cup size heating pad to keep a small amount warm in a Pyrex® beaker. I personally prefer to separate chemical activity from my bench workspace and to set up a pickle close to the sink and rinse water.

Note: An alum solution is also used for dissolving out broken drill bits from jewelry pieces. One simmers a concentrated solution of alum and a broken drill bit embedded in a piece turns to brown dust and dissolves out in about twenty minutes. Use a Pyrex® or Corning® type

container - not a steel pot for obvious reasons.

If you ever get copper flashing on your metal from steel contamination in a pickle or when working with brass it may be quickly stripped from the metal by taking a scoop full of pickle solution from the pickle pot and mixing it with an equal amount of hydrogen peroxide from the drug store. This strips off copper flashing in less than two minutes. The mixture may be returned to the pickle pot after use as the peroxide breaks down to make water. Avoid using industrial strength peroxide solution as it is too dangerous.

All rights reserved internationally. Copyright © Charles Lewton-Brain. Users have permission to download the information and share it as long as no money is made-no commercial use of this information is allowed without permission in writing from Charles Lewton-Brain.

Flash from Helen’s Bench

The other day I got up really, really early (after going to bed really, really late) to complete some soldering and annealing for a project I’m working on. I torched, downed some Costa Rican rocket fuel (coffee!), shut down, showered, dressed, and ripped out of the house to go to work. That night, I got home (after an 8-hour day plus a 3-hour dance rehearsal), fed the cats, and went back into the studio. I had left the pickle pot on all day. Horrors!Once I had obsessed my way through a long and scary mental list of what-ifs, I decided I had better do something to prevent that from happening again. You can, too, if you are of that certain age when forgetfulness (or lack of sleep) begins to rust out your once strong steel trap of a mind. Since the holiday decorations will be

hitting the department stores this week, you might want to visit your local Christmas ornament shop and pick up a classic German glass pickle. It’s a pretty reminder to make sure the pickle pot is off when you leave the house!

ABOVE: Here's what I see now, every day before I leave the house. Make one of these for yourself with some ribbon, a hook, and a glass pickle ornament. Hang it by the door of your studio or house. You'll never forget to turn off your pickle pot again (unless you forget

to look at it as you leave!). There is another reason to turn off the pickle pot, besides those horrific visions of electrical fires or smoldering wreckage. A consultation with my good friend (and Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist November cover artist) Lexi Erickson revealed that she had done some independent research on the topic, because her classroom pickle was causing random acts of copper plating for no apparent reason. As we do a lot in this craft, she consulted with her mentors and found that an old pickle pot will eventually precipitate iron into the solution because the ceramic glaze used to make a crock pot has a high iron content. If you notice a lot of copper plating on your pieces, and you haven’t accidently dropped steel in your pickle pot, you might want to replace your ceramic liner if it’s old. Small cracks, pits, or crazing in the glaze will appear.

Fall 2009 | 17

Turns Gemstone Design on Its HeadBy Barbara Moss, Contributing Editor Two-for-one Special: By putting the pavilion on top and the table on the bottom Chi Huynh gets special optical and coloration effects.

We all understand the preliminaries of gemstone faceting. Its historic raison d'etat has been to increase a gem’s brilliance by maximizing its optical properties—its refraction and color—with a proscribed series of facets or geometric patterns on its surface. The round brilliant, one if not the most popular of all cuts, is a case in point, its shape designed to maximize light return through its top, otherwise known as its table.

But what if a gem’s faceting was designed to absorb the colors and elements of its surroundings rather than the other way around? If instead of generating light through the top, the gem reflected light and color through its culet (the pointed bottom).

The concept goes against what craftsmen have been trying to do since the cutting wheel was first introduced in the 15th century. And yet the possibilities for manipulating a gemstone from the outside in are endless. A gem designed to absorb its surroundings could change color or even reflect an image such as a name or a logo in a single facet. And one could do so without adding anything to the stone itself since the elements for these changing properties would be completely external.

Chi Huynh, founder of the California-based company,

Galatea: Jewelry by Artist, is a jewelry designer who loves a good challenge as

much as he loves shaking up the way the world looks at jewelry. Chi has most notably been altering pearls for years, by carving them, setting them with diamonds, and most recently, creating a new generation of carved pearls with gemstone centers.

One of Chi’s newest projects is the Galatea DavinChi Cut™, a gemstone that reflects light from

the culet to the eye. Its name is a play on Huynh’s name combined with the name of the great designer Leonardo da Vinci. And it is da Vinci’s own quote, “Be a mirror. Absorb everything around you and still remain the same,” that played a part in the Huynh’s inspiration.

Another source of inspiration for the DavinChi Cut, which has a U.S. patent pending, were the iridescent colors seen on a back of compact discs, which are diffraction gratings—reflections caused by light passing through its various layers. The DavinChi Cut itself, when set in jewelry, literally stands the traditional gemstone design on its head, or rather, its table, which faces towards rather than away from the wearer.

Chi worked for two years with an optical engineer from the California Institute of Technology to create the DavinChi cut, whose design features a flattened culet and a crown cut to specifications, allowing light to pass through the gem and not substantially reflect against a faceted pavilion.

Galatea DavinChi Cut gems are available in set jewelry including pendants, earrings and rings. The gemstones currently used are amethyst, blue and white topaz, citrine and diamonds. For the

Galatea settings specifically designed for the collection, small rubies and emeralds set beneath the culet explode in brilliant bursts of color as the jewelry is moved from side to

side. The gems are set high with open sides to show this jewelry light show in miniature.

Chi says the cutters almost rebelled furiously when the introduced them to the gemstone’s faceting formula but have adapted themselves to the project. He currently cuts the gemstones at factories in both Europe and Asia. The jewelry collection is manufactured in the United States.

For more information, contact Galatea: Jewelry by Artist at (800) 609-6888, [email protected], or visit www.galateausa.com.

The Galatea’s DavinChi Cut™

"A gem designed to absorb its surroundings could change color or even reflect an image such as a name or a logo in a single facet."


ChalcedonyA Gem for the Ages

Chalcedony is one of the world's oldest gemstones, but it's constantly showing new faces.

According to archaeologists, humanoids have worn stones, ivory, bone, and certain organic items for personal adornment for about 75,000 years. From the beginning, one of the most popular gemstones was chalcedony in various forms, including flint, agate, chert, and jasper.

Any stone that's still being worn after 75,000 years certainly has something going for it. What is this gem that has captured the human imagination for so many millennia?

Mineralogy books generally define chalcedony as all cryptocrystalline varieties of quartz, either transparent or translucent, having the luster of wax. The body color can be white, gray, blue, pale to dark brown, or black. There are also other shades, and many have variety names. The term "chalcedony" covers carnelian, sard, chrysoprase, plasma (bloodstone), agate, onyx, sardonyx, jasper, flint, hornstone, and agate-jasper.

The gemstone industry tends, for marketing reasons, to limit the definition of chalcedony somewhat more than mineralogists. Among gemstone and jewelry sellers, the term chalcedony is usually used to refer specifically to semi-transparent to translucent white, blue, pale grayish-blue, purple, pink, yellow, orange, red, or solid-colored materials other than carnelian, sard, or chrysoprase.

Early chalcedony gemstones were mostly pressure-chipped, with some pieces shaped and polished by rubbing. As civilizations rose over the past 4,500 years, chalcedony began to be used in more elaborate creations, including finely-detailed, high-quality carved agate and carnelian seals, scarabs, and carved or polished beads. Materials recovered from ancient ruins also document the mining of agate from the Idar-Oberstein region of Germany for almost 3,000 years. The agate mines gave rise to a lapidary industry that's at least 500 years old, and today the gem cutters of Idar-Oberstein are famous worldwide.

In more modern times, the use of chalcedony in jewelry has been eclipsed by more popular stones, like diamond, ruby, emerald, and sapphire. But in the past decade the gem has been making a comeback, especially the solid-colored, semi-transparent to translucent varieties and the scenic agates and jaspers.

Michael Randall of Gem Reflections of California believes that he can trace the most recent increase in his wholesale and retail sales of chalcedony, agate, and jasper to the aftereffect of Tiffany & Co. manufacturing and promoting chalcedony jewelry. "Chalcedony — the solid-colored translucent to transparent material — jasper, drusy, and agate are all popular gemstones," he says. "Blue chalcedony and chrysoprase are the hottest."

Although the translucent chalcedony appeals to a similar market as the one-of-a-kind agates and jaspers, with the growing popularity of gems like blue chalcedony, the two materials are growing apart in terms of demand.

"The chalcedony market is a separate market from agate, jaspers, petrified wood, and drusy," observes Jason Penn of Jason Penn Designs in Tucson, Arizona. "Chalcedony is a market term [for] the fine, single-colored, translucent to nearly-transparent material, and it is much more highly prized and priced. . . . The chalcedony market is a sine curve type of market," meaning that the

highs and the lows in the market are of about equal duration.

While chalcedony, especially in its blue to purple color range, has been enjoying a wave of mainstream popularity over the past few years,

brightly-patterned agates and jaspers are holding their own in the more specialized designer world. The markets for these gems do share a number of common elements, however.

Penn specializes in one-of-a-kind, non-calibrated cabochons. He cuts all types of material, but finds that chalcedony, drusy, and scenic jaspers are his best sellers.

"My market has shifted from average matched pairs of average material at $5 to $8 per carat to special, one-of-a-kind cabochons and high-quality, high-domed chalcedony," Penn says. "Good blues are selling very well, as are good-quality scenic jaspers."

Tom Munson of Desert Mountain Gems, much like Penn, markets to a number of local jewelers and

"Chalcedony, especially in its blue to purple color range, has been enjoying a wave of mainstream popularity over the past few years."

Fall 2009 | 19

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designers, and the majority of his work is with materials from the mineralogical classification of chalcedony. A black onyx drusy and a natural-colored mango quartz drusy. Photo courtesy Maxam Magnata.

"Each jeweler wants a particular type of material cut in a specific shape and style," he says. "Mostly they [want] one-of-a-kind cabochons [cut in] free forms. Cutting calibrated stones appears to be a thing of the past for small, independent cutters. There is no way I can compete with the foreign cutting factories in cutting calibrated cabochons."

Maxam Magnata of Maxam Magnata in Tucson, Arizona, has also found success with a specialized niche.

"About 80 percent of my sales of chalcedony is enhanced material," he explains. "We market the dyed chalcedony, dyed black drusy, and metal-coated drusy. Our new Sea

Blue Chalcedony™, a dyed translucent material, has been very popular. However, we believe that we will soon start seeing downward pressure on prices and demand for drusy because of the large-scale entrance into the market by the Chinese and Indians."

Even in natural drusy, international competition is driving prices down. The author has observed that the market for unenhanced blue drusy is firm at about $0.90 per carat for custom-cut sizes and shapes. In

past years, blue drusy material of this quality might have sold for as much as $3 to $5 per carat. The only segment of the market where prices for drusies, agates, and jaspers is still strong is the high end.

In chalcedony, on the other hand, the market is still growing. That popularity is reflected in price points, Randall says. "Prices have really taken off. Chalcedony rough from South Africa that I purchased 14 to 15 years ago for $500 per kilogram is $2,000 or more a kilo today, but the prices for cut stones have more than kept pace."

A common complaint in the industry is that while the cost of rough and prices for finished cabochons have been steadily increasing, the yield from rough has only increased slightly.

"Recoveries from chalcedony and scenic jaspers can be as low as 7 to 8 percent," says Penn. In faceted gemstones like amethyst

"In faceted gemstones like amethyst or garnet, a custom cutter can often get a recovery of 15 to 20 percent."


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or garnet, a custom cutter can often get a recovery of 15 to 20 percent. "Only small portions of a given piece of [chalcedony] rough may be usable for cutting quality cabochons." Good blue and purple chalcedony is being mined in Turkey and several locations in Africa, including the hard-to-get Namibian material. Indonesia is producing purple chalcedony along with other colors, including yellow to deep orange. And the United States

has active blue and purple chalcedony mines of its own, although the western part of the country is perhaps better known for its beautiful agates and jaspers.

West Coast Gemstones Inc.'s Dale Huett, who mines purple chalcedony in Nevada, says that he has been able to improve his yield through new mining techniques. "In the past 10 years, we have totally changed our mining methods. Using excavators, we are extracting larger, more solid pieces, and this style of mining is far more environmentally friendly. The better the quality of the rough that we mine, the better the price

we can get. Amethyst Sage Agate at $1,000 per kilogram has to be quality rough, and our material is the best."

Other U.S. miners and most of the foreign ones have been slower in changing to larger-scale mechanized mining.

Many are still digging with jack-hammers and pry bars, while others drill and blast. These methods often result in more breaking and fracturing and the recovery of smaller pieces

of rough. The use of hydraulic excavators for mining does require much higher up-front mining costs, but long-term production and reclamation costs often are less, and the amount and quality of material recovered is much greater.

In the United States, the mining of the various types of chalcedony is transitioning from a hobbyist activity to a more professional effort. There have always been a number of professional miners involved in the recovery of chalcedony, but today their operations are becoming more mechanized, with more attention paid to the quality and size of the rough recovered. Despite the demand in the high end of the market, and the increase in the price of chalcedony over the past few years, its popularity appears to be on a downswing. Just remember, though: Even when chalcedony in all its forms is down, it's never out

"In the United States, the mining of the various types of chalcedony is transitioning from a hobbyist activity to a more professional effort."

Fall 2009 | 21

About SaltThe Most

Intimate MineralBy Andrew Alden

Mineral SaltSalt is the only mineral that people eat; it's a commonplace substance sought after by animals and humans since the beginning. Salt comes from the sea and from solid layers underground, and that's all most of us need to know. But if you're curious, let's go a bit deeper into the subject.

The Truth About Sea Salt The sea collects salt, as we all know, but in fact that isn't really true. In truth, the sea only collects the ingredients of salt. Here's how that works.

The sea takes in dissolved matter from two sources, rivers that enter it and volcanic activity on the seafloor. The rivers provide mainly ions—unpaired atoms with a lack or an excess of electrons—from the weathering of rocks. The major ions are various silicates, various carbonates, plus the alkali metals sodium, calcium and potassium. The seafloor volcanoes provide mainly hydrogen and chloride ions. All of these mix and match: sea organisms build shells from calcium carbonate and silica, clay minerals take up potassium, the hydrogen is snapped up in lots of different places. After all the electron swapping is done, sodium ion (from rivers) and chloride ion (from volcanoes) are the two survivors.

Water loves these two ions and can hold large amounts of them in solution. But when sodium and chloride become concentrated enough they form an association and drop out of the water—

precipitate—as solid salt, sodium chloride, the mineral halite. When we taste salt, our tongues are instantly dissolving it into sodium and chloride ions again.

Salt Tectonics Halite is a very delicate mineral that way. It doesn't last long on the Earth's surface, unless water never touches it. Salt is also physically weak. Under quite moderate pressure, rock salt—the stone composed of halite—flows much like ice. The dry Zagros Mountains, in the Iranian desert, feature some notable salt glaciers. So does the continental slope of the Gulf of Mexico, where there's so much buried salt that it can emerge faster than the sea dissolves it.

Besides flowing downward as glaciers, salt can rise upward into overlying rock beds as buoyant, balloon-shaped bodies. These salt domes are widespread in the south-central United States, for example. They're noteworthy because often petroleum rises along with them, making them attractive drilling targets. They are also handy for mining salt.

Salt beds are forming today in playas and larger isolated mountain basins like the Great Salt Lake of Utah or the Salar de Uyuni of Bolivia. (In those places, the chloride comes from land volcanism.) But the large underground salt beds that are mined in many countries formed at sea level, in a very different setting from today's world.

Why Salt Exists Above Sea Level Most of the land we live on today is only temporarily above sea level because the ice of Antarctica is holding so much water out of the ocean. Over all of geologic history, on average, the sea sits as much as 200 meters higher than today.

And in the shallow, flat-bottomed seas that normally cover much of the continents, subtle vertical crustal motions can isolate large areas of water that dry up and precipitate their salt. Once formed, these salt beds can be easily covered by limestone or shale and preserved. In a few million years, maybe less, this natural salt harvest might start happening again.

PS: The thick salt beds under southern Poland have been mined for many centuries. Today, the great Wieliczka mine, with its chandeliered salt ballrooms and carved salt chapels, is a world-class tourist attraction. Other salt mines are doing the same—changing their image from the worst kind of workplaces to magical subterranean playgrounds.

SEE INSIDE STONESSee inside stones before faceting by immersing them in oil of cinnamon or oil of cassia. These are sold in most drug stores. Their refractive index is near that of most gemstones, so surface irregularities of the stones will vanish and you can see flaws and inclusions.

Try This:


The Valley of Cayoosh Creek Image # I-55188 courtesy of Royal BC Museum , BC Archives

These very old pictures looking towards Lillooet from several miles up Cayoosh Canyon were possibly taken in connection with mining exploration and promotion connected with the Golden Cache Mine, which was the culmination of the Cayoosh Gold Rush of 1884-98, one of BC's lesser-known but nonetheless one of the richer of BC's many frontier gold rushes, and certainly among the most spectacular physical settings, in the bottom of the huge gorge known in the old as "(the) Nkoomptch"; here Seton, Cayoosh and Fraser watersheds come together, as do the ranges that frame them with stone walls well over a mile in a height.

The Golden Cache hardrock mine itself wound up as a "bust" - more money was lost by Vancouver investors than actual gold was found at this particular enterprise, but prior placer mining by Chinese miners working Cayoosh Creek from1884 onwards was estimated to have pulled out seven million dollars in gold nuggets in the several miles downstream from the site of where the Golden Cache hard-rock mine was located. The hard-rock venture at the Golden Cache turned out to be nowhere near so profitable as what the Chinese had found in placer takings during their time on Cayoosh Creek; their claims

spanned the banks of Cayoosh Creek from the Fraser up to a point six miles above Cayoosh Falls (now the private hydroelectric development at Walden North). As news of the secretive Chinese goldrush got

out by the late 1880s, more and more non-Chinese showed up and, finding the main find fully staked, began to explore the region more carefully and more extensively than before. This prompted the discovery of further mines along the Lakes and up in the Bridge River Country as well as closer to town on the lower Bridge River, nearer the Fraser, and on the bars around Lillooet itself. Where the Chief of the Bridge River Band of the Lillooet, known today as 'Xwisten (hwistn, also the name of the river) sold extensive licenses for hydraulic mining up as far as Antoine Creek.

The claims along the Lakes played out, but the wider exploration of the Bridge River Country (as Lakes Chief Hunter Jack allowed) wound up finding a deep vein beneath the Bendor Range, which became Bralorne-Pioneer Mines. Nearer Lillooet, except for the rich Chinese-owned claims, little was found by comparison to the Bridge River goldfields. The Golden Cache itself, found by accident, did not produce anywhere near its expectations The so-called Golden Cache Rush nonetheless attracted scores of non-Chinese prospectors and miners back from the by-then-depleted Cariboo

goldfields who, for lack of available claims on Cayoosh Creek, wound up discovering further profitable claims along Seton and Anderson Lakes, ultimately leading to the discovery and development of the extremely rich Bridge River goldfields shortly afterwards.

During the original Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, the frenzy over the Fraser's many gold-bearing bars caused the nearby rocky streambeds of Cayoosh Creek to go unexplored in the haste for the easy gold of the Fraser's sands, and then the lure of the distant Cariboo fields much farther north. Chinese miners returning from the Cariboo goldfields in the early 1880s found gold on the Cayoosh in the area of "the cataract", an old waterfall at the mouth of Cayoosh Canyon that now lies

beneath the waters of the private hydroelectric development that is part of the Walden North estate. Between there and about seven miles upstream the Chinese quietly staked out over 200 claims, with around 700 Chinese estimated to have been working their diggings for the next ten years. The seven million dollars already mentioned is only an estimate by the local mining record, A.W.A. Phair, as unknown amounts of gold nuggets were believed to have been smuggled away from the digs

The Golden Cache Mine

The Cayoosh Gold Rush

&

Image # I-55187 courtesy of Royal BC Museum , BC Archives

The Valley of Cayoosh Creek

Fall 2009 | 23

before government assayers and the gold commissioner became aware of the extent of the find. When news of the spectacular nugget beds spread elsewhere in the province, hundreds of non-Chinese miners converged on Lillooet only to discover that the main gold-bearing area of Cayoosh Creek was already fully-staked by the Chinese. Nuggets on the Cayoosh ranged in value from one dollar to one hundred dollars in value; Cayoosh gold was all nuggets, in contrast to the Fraser's fine sands. Many of the non-Chinese stayed on to re-work the Fraser's bars and to explore other parts of the region, some finding success, many not. The Golden Cache was found in 1896 (above the upper end of the Chinese claims) as a result of this re-exploration of the Lillooet Country, and excited investors on the Vancouver markets lined up to back the new venture, causing a stockmarket boom and, finally, bust, as the Golden Cache hardrock turned out to be nowhere near as rich as the Cayoosh's streambeds downstream from it, which it seems to have been the motherlode for, albeit a depleted one. The extreme engineering requirements of the Golden Cache's location high on the walls of Cayoosh Canyon no doubt contributed to its great expense and ensuing loss of investment. The Chinese had by far the better part of the finds on Cayoosh Creek already by that time, but to be sure this involved digging the riverbed to 14 feet below the original streambed in order to find it all. Still, placer mining is a far less expensive proposition than hard rock; only a major hard-rock find on the order of the Bralorne-Pioneer Mines could have made the Golden Cache profitable!

And unlike most, many of the Chinese miners stayed on in the Lillooet country in the following decades to found businesses as well as to develop a market-gardening industry for fruits and vegetables that were one of Lillooet's larger export markets for many years.

According to Mrs. Irene Edwards' history, "Short Portage to Lillooet", Lillooet's once-large Chinatown was mostly built in the Golden Cache period and in the years that followed.Looking at these pictures you will begin to appreciate the scale of technical adventure - and

sheer bravado - that was the Golden Cache Mine. Located high up on the sheer walls of Cayoosh Canyon, the Golden Cache was the final focus of a local gold rush in from 1884 to 1898 that was, of course, completely overshadowed by the much larger Klondike Gold Rush in the Yukon Territory. In the picture at left, it is important to understand that the vein is up in the rockface and overhang, and that the tramway is built on a scaffolding against the cliff-face a couple of thousand feet above the raging waters of Cayoosh Creek far

below. I have never been able to pinpoint the site of the mine on the wall of Cayoosh Canyon, which is directly opposite the new Duffey Lake Highway connecting Pemberton to Lillooet on one of the most spectacular stretches of paved highway in the province. In recent years part of the rockface collapsed in a massive rockslide, but I do not know if this has eradicated the mine site or what remains of the old mill buildings depicted below. Both of these are described by their BC Archives captions as being mills at the Golden Cache Mine. The BC Archives accredits the picture A-00374 as being the Golden Cache Mill, it looks more specifically like a lumber mill than a gold crusher; note the piles of timber; evidently a special mill used to build the catwalks, gangways and tramways that distinguished the Golden Cache's unique cliffside tramway-stopes. The building depicted as Image # C-0948 fits what I know about the mine - that it lay across a long, narrow bridge above Cayoosh Creek and clung to the mountainside. How the mill met

with the terminus of the tramway I don't know. The Golden Cache didn't last a decade (although it was very rich, producing around $6 million in 1898 dollars), but the excitement it generated

Golden Cache Mine, Long tunnel with ore car.

Image # A-00373 courtesy of Royal BC Museum , BC Archives

Golden Cache Mine, Upper end of tramway.



brought in a new wave of gold prospectors into the Bridge River-Lillooet, the most important consequence of which was the

discovery of the goldfields of the upper Bridge River, and the foundation of the Bralorne and Pioneer Mines. Its fame was overshadowed by the greater glory of the Klondike Gold Rush in those same years, but as a result of the mine's boom the town and region of Lillooet boomed as they had not had since the original Gold Rush of 1858-9. Renewed interest in the mineral and settlement potential of the region was reinspired by the Golden Cache boom, and helped set the stage for the Pacific Great Eastern Railway

and other new development in the decades that followed.

Walden NorthIt is difficult to mention the Golden Cache Mine without mentioning the other great industrial undertaking on Cayoosh Creek - the estate known as Walden North. In many ways Walden North was even more of a pioneering effort than the Golden Cache, despite the fact that it was developed only in the 1960s and '70s; perhaps it might be considered the most significant industrial undertaking in the whole history of the Bridge River Country, even though it remains largely unknown today and was pretty well top-secret for most of its existence until its founder passed away and the estate was sold. A private undertaking by Vernon Pick, a retired and extraordinarily wealthy prospector from the US, Walden North was one of two estates in North America chosen for their location in relation to rainfall patterns and freshwater availability. Legend has it that Mr. Pick had made his money in some of the first large uranium discoveries sold to the United States before the war and he had a complex about the dangesr of impending nuclear war; his estates were designed to be apocalypse-proof; Cayoosh Canyon turns out to be one of the more radiation-proof gulches in the whole of North America; the other location is somewhere in Arizona.

There are many stories about Walden North; that it has room for hundreds of scientists and others in the event of war or social collapse; that its self-contained hydroelectric plant supports not only the "bunker" sections of the complex, but also in their time helped power high-tech manufacturing plants.

One of Walden North's main products were photocopier drums; another product were microchip components. Vernon Pick also had an interest in antique furniture and had a workshop devoted to making good-quality reproductions. Supposedly Pick had interests in particle physics, and one of the wilder legends about

Walden North was that he had his own particle accelerator in some chamber deep within the mountain, along with other fabulous laboratories. Some of this may be hearsay, but some I've had told to me by people who worked for Pick, so I can't discount it that easily. A mysterious figure, Pick never had close relations with the local government or business communities and upon his death in the late 1980s, the estate passed into the hands of other owners, with technical equipment of all kinds being sold off at auction. I've met people who've heard of Lillooet just for that reason - the range and content of the Pick auction menu. Certainly one of the most colourful - if least known, of the citizenry of the Lillooet country over the years, Pick's career serves to show that even a remote location like Lillooet can be an exporter of technical products - as well as an excellent location for ridiculously wealth zillionaires to build fancy estates in.

Golden Cache Mine,Platform on the face of the cliff.


Golden Cache Mine, Cayoosh Creek, Cyanide Mill

Image # C-0948 courtesy of Royal BC Museum , BC Archives

Golden Cache Mine, Mill at Cayoosh Creek


Fall 2009 | 25

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)

Repetitive Strain InjuriesRepetitive strain injuries (RSIs) are a collection of problems centered in the arm, wrist, and fingers. As muscles tighten they can become starved for oxygen and overladen with acidic waste products that are normally carried away by the bloodstream. It appears that some people are more prone to RSIs than others. The impact of the activity does not appear to play a major role in the disease—typists and diamond setters are just as likely to suffer as bricklayers and blacksmiths.

PreventionIn many instances, small adjustments can have meaningful benefits. Here are a few examples of simple modifications you can make yourself.

wrap punches to make them fatter in the shank.wear bicycle gloves when hammering.use a padded bicycle handgrip on your sawframe and file handlesplace rubber pads in front of buffing machines and other places where you stand for extended times.

PreventionBeyond a doubt, it is easier to prevent RSIs than to correct a problem once it appears. You don’t need expensive equipment or exotic drugs, but something a bit more challenging—the discipline to quit working periodically and relax. Think of your nerves like a garden hose. Hyperextending or hyperflexing your wrists puts a kink in the hose. Try to avoid these stressful postures. When you can’t avoid them, take frequent short breaks to restore blood flow.

RSI Exercises

While sitting on the edge 1. of a chair, straighten your spine, and hold your hands out to the side with your palms facing up. Imagine trying to grasp a ball between your shoulder blades

Hold your hands at your sides and 2. shake them gently and repeatedly for 30 seconds. Time it—it’s longer than you might think.

While sitting down, put your palm 3. on your knee. Lift and hold each finger for a count of 20; repeat for both hands.

While standing, reach your 4. hand over your head and down your back to touch your spine. Set your other hand on the elbow of the first (which will be above your head) and gently push it back and down. Repeat for the other arm.

Put your hands 5. on a table or desk and spread your fingers wide while you count to 10 Relax for a count of 10 and repeat.

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RockhounderB.C. Around the Clubs

Creative Jewellers Guild of B.C.

Alberni Valley Rock & Gem Club

Abbotsford Rock & Gem Club

Courtenay Gem & Mineral Club

Cowichan Valley Rockhounds

Hastings Center Rockhounds

Club Contact: Nacy Dickson (604) 444-4464

[email protected]

Club Contact: Maria Tomsich(604) 224-1951

[email protected]

Club Contacts: Dave West (250) 723-0281

[email protected]

Club Contact: David Williams(604) 870-1024

[email protected]

Club Contact: Jack Boyes(250) 337-8461

[email protected]

Club Contact: Gene Leavitt(250) 246-4571

[email protected]

Club Contact: Linda Foy(604) 421-1068

Burnaby Laphounds Club

Creston Valley Prospectors and Lapidary Club

Club Contact: Wally Remin, (250) 428-0413

[email protected]

Fraser Valley Rock & Gem ClubClub Contact: Robert Brown,

(604) 794 - 7296 [email protected]

Burnaby Laphounds ClubIn August, May Wang demonstrated a craft which had everyone making their own decorative piece to take home.The September program was a video of Splendid Stones, produced by the National Geographic. The film took us on a journey around the globe to discover the origins of Diamonds, Emeralds, Rubies and Pearls.

Our club dinner at the ABC Restaurant in the Kensington Plaza on Nov 5th was enjoyed by 15 members and 1 guest. It was a dark and rainy evening but that did not put a damper on the spirits of those that attended. Ed MacRitchie presented us with an assortment of word games and riddles for us to solve. Thanks to Ed’s entertainment and the restaurant’s tasty meal, fun was had by all.

The 3 stages of man: He believes in Santa Claus. He doesn't believe in Santa Claus. He is Santa Claus.

The Cowichan Valley RockhoundsHalloween evening, clocks go back tonight, the end of another month and last night’s windstorm blew most of the leaves off the trees. We celebrated Thanksgiving and are already talking about our Club Christmas Pot-Luck Supper party, and the count-down to Christmas has begun. In the last report we were preparing for the Cobble Hill Fair, and it was again a popular event and success. The Monday following our club held a BBQ for 31 at the Duncan

In Memory of Norman YoungFraser Valley Rock and Gem ClubDelivered by Jerry Davenport

Our club was established here in Aldergrove 50 years ago - 1959. The significance today is that the only continuously active founding members from that date have been Norman and Elsie young. One would be hard pressed indeed to find anyone else in our rockhounding hobby in B.C. With that kind of dedication and longevity with the same club!

Norm and Elsie were a team and their participation and leadership in club activities have been as a team, although each had individual skills - and frequently vocal opinions!

Norman had over a half-century of experience and was wonderfully generous in sharing his huge fund of knowledge of minerals, collecting sites, shop skills, lapidary and jewelry making. Although he had slowed down a bit in recent years, he was always available with advice and information to new club members.

Of course our Norm had his curmudgenly side as well! He was a stout supporter of club and rockhounding traditions and firmly believed that if you were making a piece of jewelry, or displaying finished items at a show, or out on a field trip, by golly you were doing it as a representative of the club and the hobby. Mess up and one way or another Norm let you know about it!

Over the years Norm served our club in many capacities: president, exec member, workshop teacher, field trip organizer and much more. He and Elsie are life members and their influence will not be forgotten.

Fall 2009 | 27

Club Contact: Lita Hansen(250) [email protected]

Club Contact: Dale Daignault (250) [email protected]

FALL 2009

Richmond Gem & Mineral Club

Thompson Valley Rock 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: Eric Kemp(604) 278-5141

Club Contact: Derek Neumann, (250)[email protected]

Club Contact: Emily Faak(250) [email protected]

Club Contact: Maureen Kromha(250) 367-9605

Club Contact: Andrew Danneffel(250) 942-0617

Club Contact: Cameron Speedie, (250) 385-0597 [email protected]

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

Maple Ridge Lapidary ClubClub Contact: Walt Pinder(604) 826-2342

Lakes District Rock & Gem ClubClub Contact: Leanne Miranda, 250-698-7337 [email protected]

Vernon Lapidary & Mineral Club

Flying Club. It was a pot luck evening held on one of the most perfect summer days. One of the evening’s highlights was Life Member Peg Watson going for a short flight with fellow member and pilot Mike Williams. Peg mentioned she’d like to go on another trip on her 95th birthday, what a gal.

Our life Member Frank Burton moved, and we helped with sorting a lifetime of collected rock and rock-hounding equipment, helping host a garage sale for the club. Another fun weekend working with friends, a little laughter plus coffee and treats go a long way.

There have been several field trips with quite a few members participating. Eleven plus two four legged rock hounds went to Meade Creek with several members trying gold panning with Doris and Graeme as teachers, with everyone finding treasures of Laurel stone. Sue Coleman dragged a huge boulder across the creek just so we could all see how pretty it was.

The good weather was great for field trips to Copper Canyon and Rheinhart Lake for beautiful Jasper and to Gordon River, with members of the Campbell River Ripple Rock Club to find Bronzite.

Our October meeting was a dinner meeting and silent auction night with 31 in attendance. We brought in stir-fry dinners that were excellent and bid on

rocks, slabs and a painting. In September and October four new members joined our group, and there are always folks either arriving home from some exotic location or packing to leave for dryer and warmer climates.

Our AGM/Election meeting will be held in November, and December of course is the annual Christmas Pot-Luck Party. At our shop sessions the members continue to keep busy creating those beautiful items, from the lapidary to the silver smithing and wire wrapping. Doris has a few members faceting, adding another interesting dimension to our classes. The beaders plan on meeting monthly, lunch out first and then the get-together.

It’s been a busy year for our club and other’s in the Vancouver Island Zone and next year promises to be busier yet with the GMFC show planned for Campbell River’s Ripple Rock Club. We are an active, vital and involved membership and continue to not only learn and create, but be friends. As president I must say our club is a terrific supportive group and a pleasure to work with and for. Again, life in the Cowichan Valley Rockhound Club is good.

The Cowichan Valley Rockhounds hope you enjoy a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year with your family and friends. We wish you good health, happiness, lots of laughter and cheer, and safe journeys in the New Year. On behalf of the CVR, Ulla Williams.

Send your ad to:Win Robertson 250-376-4878E mail:[email protected]

Club Members may place a free classified ad in the

Rockhounder


collected treasures - silver, faceting, lapidary, soapstone and jade carvings, minerals and fossils. Lighting and electrical were ably looked after by our technical support team.

Karl Friedman, the Show Chairperson, noted that there was a positive synergy generated by having the Delta

Potters' Guild showing their art at their annual show and sale next door in the centre on the same day. A special thank you to the Hastings

Centre Rockhounds as well as to the greater community of rockhounds for their attendance and support. We cordially invite everyone to join us again for a two day show - November 13 - 14, in 2010.

Around the ClubsCreative Jewellers GuildKen reported that they had attended Megan’s open house in Seattle in August, Mary also attended. Megan gave a talk on Chasing and Repousee as well as brief demonstration, followed by a wine and cheese. The Jewellery Art Gallery had a wonderful presentation and display of jewellery from various artists including Charles Lewton Brain. It was a very good exhibition.

Joyful Time at "Joy of Rocks" in DeltaBy Sylvia Moffat

Many helpful hands, young and experienced, good-natured support from many quarters and superb organization were the formula for a very successful "Joy of Rocks" show for the Delta Rockhounds on Sunday, November 15th at the South Delta Recreation Centre in Tsawwassen. Not even periods of heavy rain deterred the enthusiastic and appreciative crowds of young families, rockhounds and curious prospectors-to-be from checking out ten dealers' tables, the excellent rock auction and children's rock auction, the Touch Rock Table, the variety and quality of work displayed

in the showcases or the home baking dished out in the coffee corner.The Publicity Committee made a great effort to get news of our show out not only to the

Tsawwassen community and schools, but also to all the clubs, the Lapidary Society and university and college geology departments.Capable young sign creators, local papers and Delta cable also

helped get the word out. The Showcase Committee pulled together for display a diverse collection of members' work and

Chester Miller showing off a rock

Laureen Hilton demonstrating “Gem Trees”

Soapstone Otter carved by Celia Baker

Jade Salmon carved by Loyd Nystrom

Soapstone Owl carved by Sylvia

Moffat, butterflies by Laureen Hilton

Fillagree neckpiece by Laureen Hilton

Linda Foy, Hastings Club & Delta Club president Terry Zukovic Enjoying the show.

Fall 2009 | 29

Port Moody Rock & Gem ClubObituaries Elsie Trigg 1914 - 2009 Died peacefully Aug. 3, 2009 at Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster. Predeceased by her husband Arthur Robert Vernon Trigg Elsie was a life member of the club and was very active for many years alongside her husband Vem. Vern led a faceting class at our workshop for many years.

Martin Coleman - an honorary life member of the Port Moody Rock & Gem Club - passed away on August 26, 2009.

Wahleech Bar, RevisitedAgassiz, September 20th

Photos and comments by Lisete

On the 20th of September, a group of Port Moody Rock & Gem Club members headed out to one of their favourite spots to rock hound,

Wahleech Bar on the Fraser.The above photo shows the rock bounder's typical position, bending down with eyes glued to the ground. Not necessarily the most elegant of postures but definitely the most effective one!

Lynne is just too curious and cannot stop looking at the stone in her hands, not even for a quick snapshot.

Two happy hunters, Emma and Mathew, sharing their findings. Agates and jasper being the two most frequent found that day. Mathew was the luckiest of the group, as he found the biggest and most colourful agate!

At the end of the day we enjoyed the warmth of the sunny Sunday. We all had our little treasures and were feeling quite happy, and planning new outings.

Port Moody Festival of the Arts: Art 4 U Day

photos and comments by Lisete

The Port Moody Rock and Gem Club is part of the Port Moody Arts Centre Society, and has participated in many of their special events, most recently the Festival of the Arts, Art 4 U Day in September.A group of volunteers open the workshop for those curious about all things related to lapidary. Tom Schlegel pre-ground stones so that it would be easier and faster for our visi- tors to see the end result: a polished stone.

The young people were very enthusiastic and excited about it! We can see Lynne demonstrating on how to work on a grinding wheel.

Adults were just as interested too.

FAll 2009


Around the ClubsRipple Rock Gem & Mineral ClubWIRE WRAP CLASS SEPTEMBER 27/09Beba Adams.

I had my first wire wrap class of the Fall. It was a beautiful, sunny day. We had four members take the class. Three had not had any classes before and one had two classes previously. The new members made one pendant each in the oval shape and the more- experienced member did a “freeform” with a beautiful piece of amber. I will plan a beginners class again for sometime in November – it will be announced in advance in the Bugle

ADAM RIVER TRIP SEPTEMBER 12THPictures by Janet B.

On Saturday, Sept 12 nine adults and three juniors set out to explore the banks of the Adams River in search of lapidary treasures. Samples of green and white banded chert and black and white and black and brown banded jasper were retrieved from the gravel bars. After lunch the caravan headed for home along the banks of the Eve River hoping to find just one more piece. Thanks to Doug for leading this trip and a special “thanks” to Doug from Gordon for helping Aiden bring home about 100 pounds of leaverite.

MEADE CREEK DAY TRIPOn Saturday, Sept 19 a group of Ripple Rockhounds left Campbell River on route to Meade Creek. Their ranks swelled by two people at Buckley Bay. They added four

more at Nanoose and yet another two at the Lake Cowichan turnoff as they headed west to search for laurelstone. The creek was dry this time which meant that there was no rock that was just out of reach. Samples collected included flower stone, a black, purple and green banded jasper and laurelstone. The laurelstone is comprised of three ingredients. The dark green is chert, the light green is epidote, and the red or pink is feldspar. Everyone picked up lots of samples. Thanks again to Doug for leading the way.

GORDON RIVER DAY TRIPPictures by Janet B.

On Saturday, October 3 there were a total of 15 people that joined the caravan at various stages along the route as we headed to the Gordon River in search of bronzite. This was the first time that I had headed from Lake Cowichan over to Port Renfrew in more than twenty years and it was a pleasant surprise to find

the road has been paved the whole way. We arrived at the site a little after 1PM and hiked down a short but very steep trail to the gravel bar below. The river was low and the bar was huge. There was lots of rocks to choose from and Ron broke a piece off several samples and showed us how to catch the sunlight shining off the crystals while holding the rock under water to evaluate the quality of the specimen. It wasn’t long before the sound of hammers on rocks was ringing all around us as everyone set to work. It grew quiet

again a littlelater as we all tried to pick the best pieces to take back. No one wanted to carry any leaverite up that steep trail. Thanks to Ron and Pat for leading the way this weekend.

Surrey Rockhound Club

Soapstone trip to Nahatlasch, November 2009

By: Simon Cantin

At the end of the last general meeting a few of the Surrey Rockhound Club members decided that they needed more rocks for carving, so out of the blue, a trip to the Nahatlasch area was organized for the next Tuesday morning. It was a beautiful sunshiny day, just what us happy rockhounds prayed for. We were at Ron's place bright and early with our coffee cups full raring to go. I was the first one to get to Ron's and started transferring tools to his vehicle. Don and Brett showed up soon afterwards and Brett’s vehicle was loaded up. The jack, shovel, strong bar, big and small saws, rock hammer and even a wheel barrow were

Fall 2009 | 31

Fall 2009in place as we started off on our adventure. We agreed to meet at the Chevron Exit off Hiighway # 1 going to Abbotsford where we would gas up for the trip, with no one sure what the exit number was. Of course Ron and I took the Mt. Lehman Road Exit that we take when we go to the BC Gem Show and gassed up at the Chevron station there waiting for the other two rockhounds to show up. After 20 minutes went by, we figured that there might be another Chevron station, and we did not have their cell phone numbers so we could not call them. I had asked the attendant where there was another Chevron station close to highway #1 and she had said that the only one close to the highway was at the Sumas exit. So off we went in search of our companions, yet we knew there had to be another one.

We got back on the freeway going east and as we approached the Clearbook Road exit Ron slowed down (much to other BC motorist’s dismay), as we looked on both sides of the road for a Chevron gas station. Whew! At the last minute, we saw the sign off on our left, and after a quick and safe manoeuvre by Ron, we exited the freeway at Clearbrook road. When we pulled into the gas station, Don and Brett were there waiting for us, but not so patiently, pointing at their watch. We quickly exchange cell phone numbers and were glad to be on the road again, half an hour late, but a little wiser. The time was of essence because at this time of year the sun goes down pretty early.

Lucky for us, we made it to Boston Bar in record time, with even the train stopping for us at the crossing of the track at North Bend, as they were changing engineers at that crossing. Arriving at our destination close to noon, we had a quick lunch and enjoying the turkey sandwiches Norah had packed for us, we proceeded directly to the pile of rocks next to the railway tracks by the Nahatlasch River.

Don and Ron, (the more experienced rockhounders), cruised around the pile of rocks inspecting it for any good ones, while Brett and I climbed up on the pile, and with the help of a good farmer jack, we lifted the largest rock that was on top, while peering under it for some good scrap soapstone. Finding small pieces with very good different colours of green, we discovered the more we dug, the bigger the pieces got and the better the colours.

After a while Don, made it to the top of the pile and started digging alongside me and Brett. Ron was just happy to supervise, and kept skirting the pile and watching us bring some good coloured stones out. The hole was getting too deep so we decided that we should start digging on the other side of the

big rock. Brett and I placed a support under the large rock on top of the pile and started trying to navigate our way under it from the right side. Don kept digging on the left side and was still finding some nice stones there. Finally, we were able to get a prized stone out from the right side of the pile by using large strap provided by Brett, and by doing a lot of shovelling with various tools including our hands our digging was successful. We got a second large stone out of the right side and after a while we were connecting from the right side to the left side under that big rock like a tunnel. Now it was getting to be mid afternoon, and we had a nice pile of soapstone, almost enough for everyone. We started loading both vehicles up and we found out that we still had some room for more rocks. So back we got on that rock pile, deciding that if we took our support out from under the biggest rock, that we could also take another large rock home. After all it was only 600 to 1000 pounds. After struggling with it for another 15 minutes, we managed to get our gem out from under that big rock. Then we proceeded to find a fairly level area to move this stone to start carving it up. After a whole day of digging, shovelling and pulling rocks out of the pile and loading them, the cutting of soapstone with a big saw was really hard work. Were we sweating! Yet on we struggled finding enough strength to cut the prized stone into four pieces. While we were cutting the stone Ron went out into the bush looking for pine mushroom. His search did not pan out, so


Around the Clubswould wait till later. When he came back to the vehicle, we all decided to do another pilgrimage to the soapstone rock pile up along the railway tracks. Off we went for the half a kilometre walk down the track to show Brett where all the good stone comes from and to help him get to know the area. The big overhanging bluff is still there and some day we will have some new soapstone to work with, as this bluff is going to come down on the tracks, one of these days. Yes, we had to pick up a few more pieces of soapstone at this bluff as some of it was almost completely black, and beautiful, but as good rockhounds we left plenty behind for the next guys.

We decided that it was time to head home but not before going down the road to Kieffer and looking for more pine mushroom and stopping at the top of the bluff to look at the track and the beautiful and mighty Fraser River.

We got back to Ron's place at supper time and we were all happy with the amount of soapstone we gathered and the quality and the colour of the stones. Needless to say, we slept really good that night dreaming of the rocks we will find on our next rockhound adventure.

Alice on the left, receives award Alice Clarke Presented with an Honourary Lifetime Membership by BC Society President Dee Morgan at the Surrey Club meeting. Alice has served on the GMFC Executive for many years and was nominated and approved by the Board of directors at the AGM in Prince Albert. Thanks for all your work Alice.

The 50 Year History of the Vernon Lapidary & Mineral Club1959 – 2009

by Gerald O'Brien

Afternoon of February 20th 1959 was clear and cold in Vernon, B.C. with a fresh skiff of snow swirling over the sidewalks and roadways. Soon to be elected Bob King and Harold Cochburn President and Vice-president of the Vernon Lapidary and Mineral

club explained the ideas and concepts to 16 eager people.

Etta Thorburn (Sec.), Luicelle Loque(Tres.) and Margaret Munk (Historian) joined the first executive of the club. Larry Lougheed and George Menzies from Kelowna’s

1120 club (started 3 years earlier) were in attendance to help organise where they could.

Three weeks later a trip was taken to Kelowna to learn about some equipment and look at the collection belonging to Geo. Menzies. Following that there were expeditions to Penticton and Kamloops clubs for more expertise.

The first field trip was to be to Monte Lake and down the Douglas Lake road. These sites proved to be very popular through the years – still yielding good finds of agate nodules, calcite, green moss agate (Douglas Lk.) a blue common opal and some jaspers.

In November of 1959 in Kelowna the zone society meetings were formed with the “purpose of promoting a closer relationship between the parent body and other distant clubs by forming regional groups ie. Vancouver, lower mainland and southern interior.” The Vernon club was well represented.

Most of meetings in the early years were held in the homes of the members and the executive.A ‘rock hunt’ was held in Shaw Springs in May 21-23/1960. Over 300 people from across the province attended including a group from the Vernon club. Pearsons from Tappen found a rare blue agate geode (11inches by 6 inches) which was estimated at $100 per pound.

In early May 1961 a 1660 pound agate was found in the area around Winfield by Lew Carswell, Andy Maksymchuck, Dave Nickefort and Doug Holmes of Vernon. They manhandled it on to a truck and weighed it at the truck scales.

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Fall 2009

On the 24 weekend in May, 1961 Vernon hosted its first rendezvous. 225 people attended some from Calgary and Oregon. Field trips went to Monte Lake, Douglas Lake, Whitemans Creek, Robbins Creek and Pinaus Lake. It was here a 60 pound piece of jasper was taken along with many 20 – 30 pound chunks.

Stories started popping up about members getting lost on outings serious enough to have to warn all members at several meetings.

A May 1962 trip to the Enderby cliffs yielded lots of agate and crystals lying around to be picked up. They also found common opal and calcite. During this year Vernon send display cases and specimens to Kamloops and Kelowna shows.

By December 15th 1962 there were 55 rockhounders in Vernon attending the Christmas party at the Fish and Game Club. A phonograph, amplifier and records were brough for the dance and $4.75 was made raffling off a bottle of cheer. Also a cover charge of $.25 was used to cover the hall rental of $15.00

Charging into 1963 February 4-6 we held our first gem show and sale in the Legion Hall for Winter Carnival. Tours of students (500) were shown through by their teachers. The club made a huge profit of $396.00

Beginning in 1966 our meetings were held in the library of Beairsto School with the annual dues of $4.50 for a family and $3.00 for a single.

July 18 and 19 1981 Vernon Club hosted the 4th annual Gem and Mineral Federation of

Canada show. It was held at the Rec. Center gym and had over 40 cases, 53 non-competative cases and 13 competative cases covering lapidary handicrafts and collections. There were 13 dealers and as many demonstrators plus lots of other activities. The chairman was Gordon Millar assisted by Ann Millar. It was a great success and the GMFC, the B.C. Gem and Mineral society and our club each pocketed $1200.

1984 May we turned 25 years old celebrating the annual society rendezvous in Paddlewheel Park, Vernon attended by 250 people. Etta Thorburn (the first sec. and only active charter member) was given a life membership pin. A comical fashion show put on after dinner by the ladies of the club proved to be a big treat.

In 1986 the club started mall sales – one day to start going to 2 days in April and November. We advanced to 3 day sales in September 1992 but went back to 2 days last year when the mall started charging.

Every year from spring to fall members have been very active collecting material from the field trips and transforming it into unique jewellery and other items like book ends, pen stands, gem trees, clocks and more. Others have learned silversmithing, opal cutting and triplet making,wire wrapping cabouchon making faceting, gem tree making and tumbling

The Shop

In 1975 Bert & Etta Thorburn worked very hard to get a grant to buy machinery for a work shop. April 1976 we opened a

shop in a little shed at Howard House after Bert wired and set it up. That lasted for 3 years and the shop was moved to Stevie Normies garage. 1980 the shop moved again to the Arts Center which is now the Boys and Girls Club near the rec. Center. Again Bert wired the place. The shop, open 2 nights a week, was well attended, and was supervised by our own Arnold Schoepp. In addition he taught members the skills of his craft. July of 2000 it was moved to the Lions Den Basement. Lack of use and the rent forced a move to store in Clara and Henry Rodrique`s shed. April of 2002 it was moved to the Science Center but the rent became an issue and we moved in December of 2007 to our present place at the Arts Center.

The Vernon Lapidary Club is a vibrant active club. We have 113 rockhounders, including 26 pebble pups. We hold 3 mall sales each year – Apr. Sept. And Nov.and along with the Kelowna 1120 Club host the Gem and Mineral show in July 18 & 19 Winfield Memorial Hall. Dealers and demonstrators will be present

It goes without saying that the club has been and will only be a success and a fun place through the hard work of everyone pitching in to help, each with their talents and time. Thank you one and all in the last 50 years

For recognition of their efforts in the past we would like to honour our life membersRuby GayTed and Gert BasellArnold and Suzie SchoeppClara and Henry Rodrique


Around the Clubs

The Richmond Gem & Mineral ClubThe Workshop, Lecture hall, and Paint room will not be available to the club due to the preparation for Olympic events, the Olympics themselves, and for clean-up after the Olympics. We hope to get back to normal in April. Discussions are taking place as to what our club can do during January, February, and March. Several ideas are on the table, including day trips to museums and club only field trips.

The unexpected field trip to the quartz fields in Whistler provided Darlene and I with an excellent day out. The sun was shining, the road was good, and with over 50 other rockhounders with us, the conversations never stopped. Some rockhounders found what they were looking for while most of us were happy with anything we found.

Wagonmasters FieldtripsWinter 2010 of the British Co-lumbia Lapidary Society

Field Trip: Yale Bar,or some other bar if the Yale Bar is inaccessible.

Leader: Harley WatersonDate & Time: Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010, 9:00am.Meeting Place: Bridal Falls Coffee Shop,at the Shell gas station.Material: usual bar materials, agate, jasper, sillimanite etc.Contact: Harley Waterson, 604-590-3289 or E mail:

Field Trip: Yale BarDate & Time: Sunday, Feb. 21st, 2010, 9:00am.Meeting Place: Bridal Falls Coffee Shop at the Shell gas stationMaterial: agate, jasper, sillimanite,Contact: Harley Waterson, 604-590-3289 or E mail:

Field Trip: Harrison Lake, east sideLeader: TBADate & Time: March (details, TBA)Meeting Place: Happy Prospector parking lotMaterial: garnets in mica schist

Field Trip: Harrison Lake, west sideLeaders: Gord and Walt PinderDate & Time: April 25th, 2010, 9:00am.Meeting Place: Sasquatch Inn, on Highway 9, between Mission and AgassizMaterial: buchia, belemnites, ammonitesContact: Gordon Pinder, 604-870-4779or Walt Pinder 604-826-2342, E mail:

As always, any US rockhounds in good standing with their clubs are invited to join our field trips! Also, please see what the Washington State Mineral Council has for trips, just in case something interests you! Washington State Mineral Council

Access British ColumbiaThis new organization called “Access BC”, which has been started up by some individuals who ( Like us ) are finding that back country roads are not being maintained, and in some cases

perfectly passable roads are being de-activated and bridges purposely removed to deny access to back country areas. All outdoor recreation groups, and individuals are encouraged to join this advocacy group which is lobbying the various government organizations to keep the back country accessible. Others affected by this are hunters, fishermen, hikers, snowmobilers, ATV’s, trail bike users, Rock Hounds, etc.

This newly formed Society ABC advocates for maintaining access to the backcountry Crown lands of British Columbia for fishing, hunting, berry picking, mushrooming and other outdoor recreation.

Members insist that government ensure "off highway" forest and mining roads are not closed to public access. Too often places where we used to camp, hunt, fish, pick berries, gather wood, cut a Christmas tree, prospect for minerals and fossils are no longer accessible because the roads to them have been chalked, blocked, gated, cross ditched and are now impassable.

Crown land is our land and access should be limited only for good publicly supported reasons. Rural British Columbians are dissatisfied with the provincial government on this issue. In fact a majority of the 200 members who signed on in the first couple of days are determined to do what ever it takes to reverse the road destruction practices in order to regain access to their former places of recreation.

Here’s the message from the president of this new group:

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Fall 2009

“This newly formed Society ABC advocates for maintaining access to the backcountry Crown lands of British Columbia for fishing, hunting, berry picking, mushrooming and other outdoor recreation.

Members insist that government ensure "off highway" forest and mining roads are not closed to public access. Too often places where we used to camp, hunt, fish, pick berries, gather wood, cut a Christmas tree, prospect for minerals and fossils are no longer accessible because the roads to them have been chalked, blocked, gated, cross ditched and are now impassable.

Crown land is our land and access should be limited only for good publicly supported reasons. Rural British Columbians are dissatisfied with the provincial government on this issue. In fact a majority of the 200 members who signed on in the first couple of days are determined to do what ever it takes to reverse the road destruction practices in order to regain access to their former places of recreation.

It is important that we as citizens work together to change these practices.

Please become a member to-day by submitting a cheque in the amount of $20 - this amount is for a 5 year membership {it works out to a mere $4 per year}.

Our goal is 10,000 members in the Kootenays, 100,000 across British Columbia.

Please send your cheque to: "Access British Columbia" PO Box 222 Cranbrook, British Columbia, V1C 4H7 We will mail your 5 year membership to you.

Take care when Rock hunting in the South Okanagan in BC during the months of April-September

Mr. Adam Deutcher, holding snake (not that we would advocate the destruction of an endangered animal) but this one is no longer a threat to Rockhounds and animals in the area.

Yikes!

( Photo: 9 feet,1 inch - 87lbs Rattle Snake)

From the GMFC December Newsletter.

For Sale

$2,500.00 OBOGood Working Condition

Mike at 250-542-0616

$400.00

250-542-0616

$200.00

Rene at 604-276-8596

Pat at 250-542-1274

30 inch Slab Saw, c/w blade

By the Vernon Lapidary & Mineral Club

250-542-1274

or

14 inch Slab Saw or

Arbor, complete with motor, 80 and 220 grit, silicon carbide wheels, water pump with spray nozzle, and wheel dresser

10 inch Slab Saw

$300.00

$150.008 inch Lapping Machine with new diamond disc

The Courtenay Gem and Mineral ClubWill not be having a Gem and Rock Show in 2010, but some of the members will be helping Ripple Rock at the 2010 GMFC Show in Campbell River. We encourage the clubs to attend the GMFC Show.


Planned activities:

Friday afternoon and evening: - Registration and setting up of display cases.Friday pm: 6:30 - ????, Pot Luck DinnerSaturday AM: - Field trips, Rock Auction at 7:00PMSunday AM:- Field trips, Bucket Raffle at 5PMSunday 6:30pm - Catered DinnerThe Annual General Meeting of the British Columbia Lapidary Society will be held after the dinnerMonday morning - Pancake breakfast

Around the Clubs

Club members are invited to display their collections and demonstrate their skills. If you require a Society case please contact Win Robertson;Tel. 250-376-4878 or E-mail [email protected]

KOMAREVICH ORIGINALS LTD.1510-7th Street S.W, Calgary, AB T2R 1A7Will be the dealer at Rendezvous, If there are any special requests for items we carry please contact:Mike at Phone: 403-244-3244, Fax: 403-244-3424or E mail: [email protected]

Visit the store at: www.komarevichoriginals.com

Rendezvous 2010The British Columbia Lapidary Society

May 21 - 24, 2010Elks Hall,640 - Moha Road, Lillooet, BCHosted by the Interior Zone

Help OutDonations for the bucket raffle and the rock auction are needed and greatly appreciated.

Field trips will be posted at registration

Lillooet is located along the banks of the Fraser River at the Junction of Highway 99, Highway 12 and Highway 40.

It is conveniently accessible to the Lower Mainland, Whistler, Kamloops, and the Cariboo.Jade is part of the geographical history of the region and can still be found on the shores of the local rivers and in the surrounding mountains.

Directions:

Free dry camping is available at the hall for the weekend.

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Rendezvous 2010Accomodations

4 PINES MOTELBox 36, 108 - 8th AvenueLillooet,BC V0K 1V0Tel: 250 256-4247,Toll Free: 1-800-753-2576Fax: 250 256-4120Located in the heart of Lillooet, 19 brand new units, suites with jet tubs, units with twin, double, queen or king beds direct dial phones, all rooms air conditioned. Kitchenettes with fridge and microwaves, complimentary tea and coffee, smoking and non-smoking units47 units - $55 - $125, additional person - $17.For more information visit www.4pinesmotel.com

GOLDPANNER HOTEL250-256-2355, Fax: 250-256-0228Toll Free 888-256-2354,639 Main St, PO Box 70, Lillooet, VOK 1VOWith queen, doubles, twins; free high-speed wireless internet; secure access, phone system, cable TV, movie channel, air-conditioned, in-room coffee/tea, fridges, full bath, continental breakfast(seasonal); hotel built in 2003; non-smoking facility;Major CC, Cash, DC, Travellers Cheques; Pet Policy: no pets; CP: 48 hrs no refund.22 Units-$63-95; Add'10For more information visit: www.goldpannerhotel.com

MILE "0" MOTEL250-256-7511, Toll Free, 888-76-4530,Fax 250-256-4124E mail: [email protected] Main St, PO Box 219, Lillooet, VOK 1VODowntown; centrally located; quiet, spacious units; view of mountains & Fraser River; air-conditioned; kitchenettes; 2 room suites; honeymoon suite; balconies; jetted tub; 46 cable channels; complimentary coffee; ice; smoking and non-smoking rooms available. Major CC, Cash, DC, Travellers Cheques; pets allowed, call for details; CP: 24 hrs notice.36 Units-$50-95; Add'$10For more information visit www.mileomotel.com

HOME & AWAY GUEST HOMES250-256-0009615 Summer St, PO Box 1754, Lillooet, VOK 1VOAt Lillooet Esso, turn right on 7th, left at Summer.Exclusive, modern 3 bedroom, 2 bath homes; large rooms; comfortable living rooms with extra sofa beds; spectacular Eraser River & mountain views from decks, patios; fully equipped kitchens with microwave, dish- washer; laundry; satellite TV; private; secure heated garage; monthly rates; Smoking Policy: outdoors only in designated areas;Cash, Personal Cheque, Travellers Cheques;Pet Policy: pets allowed, call for details; CP: 30 days. If 2 Units-$85-115; Add'l $14 For more information visit www.homeandaway.ca

STURGEON BAY B&BRod and Michelle Graham130 Haylmore PlacePO Box 1130, Lillooet, BC V0K 1V0Phone: (250) 256-7792Studio: (S) $80.00 (D) $90.00Suite: (S) $80.00 (D) $90.00Three people/Two rooms $120.00Four people/Two rooms $150.00Queen size Futon available add'l $10.00

BUMBLE ROOT B&B250-256-0332104 - 9th Ave, Lillooet, VOK 1VOMain St, turn left at Lou's Family Restaurant. Your own private home away from home; fresh baked goods every morning; kitchenette; private entrance; non-smoking facility;Major CC, DC, Travellers Cheques; Pet Policy: pets allowed, call for details; CP: 24 hrs.2 Units-$85-95; Add'l $20For information visit www.bumblerootbandb.com

CAYOOSH CREEK CAMPGROUND250-256-4180, Toll Free 877-748-2628,E mail: [email protected], Hwy 99, PO Box 1548, Lillooet, VOK 1VO(Apr-Oct) East side of Fraser River, below Lillooet on Hwy 99.Spacious riverside setting, pull through RV-sites; hookups; treed & grassed tent sites; deluxe on-site RV rental; firepits; clean washrooms; 'free hot showers; reservations welcome; DC, MC, Travellers Cheques, VI; Pet Policy: pets allowed, Elec, Water & central dump-station Inc42 Sites.Per 2 persons $19-24; Add'l $2.5.For information visit www.cayooshcampground.ca


Around the Clubs

August 2 - 7, 2010 Telephone: 250-677-4392, Toll free: 888-893-1628, [email protected]. Box 66Little Fort, BC V0E 2C0 Known as the Hub of the North Thompson, the small community of Little Fort is located in the North Thompson Valley region of British Columbia, Little Fort is west of the Thompson River on the Yellowhead Highway 5, at the junction with Highway 24, between Barriere and Clearwater.

Summer Camp 2010: OVERLANDING STOPPING PLACE

LOST HORSE MOTEL 137 Hwy 24, PO Box 41, Little Fort, VOE 2CO Junction of Hwys 5 & 24 1 hr north Kamloops. Single, double & queen beds; kitchens; combination baths; satellite TV; phones; wireless internet access; Smoking Policy: non-smoking rooms available; Cash, DC, MC, Travellers Cheques, VI; Pet Policy: pets allowed, call for details; CP: 5 days.250-677-4288, Toll Free 866-567-4677For more information visit: www.littlefort.ca5 Units - $55-75; Add'l 5; LS Rates

OVERLANDER STOPPING PLACE4 km south of Little Fort,85km north of Kamloops. Grassed & treed sites; pull throughs; full & partial hookups; firepits; laundry; sani-station; rock & gift shop; washrooms, coin showers; toilets; heated pool; horseshoe pit; pay phone; playground; Cash, DC,MC, Travellers Cheques, VI; 40 Sites - per vehicle $17-28

Accommodations: For accommodations information in Clearwater or Barriere Check the BC

Accommodations Guide.

THE RIVERMOUNT MOTEL & CAMPGROUND

4462 Hummingbird Rd Hwy 5 S, PO Box 68, Little Fort, VOE 2CO4 km north of Little Fort on Hwy 5. Sleeping units; Combination baths; satellite TV; RV parking campsites; flush toilets; showers; firepits; firewood; picnic area; sani-station; licenced restaurant; home cooking; Smoking Policy: smoking in designated areas only; Cash, DC, MC, VI; Pet Policy: pets allowed, call for details; CP: 3 days.250-677-4477, Toll Free 866-816-7912,[email protected] Units-$60-75; Add'l $7, 13 Sites - per 2 persons $14-22

DUST, DUST AND MORE DUSTSUMMER CAMP 2009By Anne Williams

There are approximately 6,000 islands off the coast of B.C. When visiting the Lakes district, it seems possible there are 6,000 lakes too - all of them beautiful and pristine. At each summer

camp the site seems even more spectacular than the previous year. This is certainly the land of “Blue Lakes and Rocky Shore”. Tachick Lake, 24 kilometres southwest of Vanderhoof, was this year’s happy choice for our base.

This year, due to the extreme danger of forest fires, we had to

keep to the main logging roads, which were free of grass, and therefore safer. We were still able to appreciate the myriads of summer flowers on the side of the roads, such as wild aster, columbine, Indian paint brush and fireweed. With just a few wrong turns, our first day out, Monday, involved a longish drive to Ormond Creek.

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It took a lot of looking, but we were finally able to collect a number of good samples of agate and common opal. On the way home, some of us enjoyed a little liquid refreshment at the Last Spike pub in Fort Fraser.

On waking Tuesday morning, it was discovered there were pelicans on the far shore of the lake; also some people had heard loons in the night. Most mornings a somewhat sadistic phoebe woke us very early with her song. Our field trip found us travelling the Holy Cross and Marilla highways - another longish drive but on good gravel roads, during which we made a brief stop at the Kenney Dam. At our second stop, agate and jaspers were to be found. At a third site - Dave Abel’s former claim - we located agate nodules, jasper and bits of opal. As we collected our treasures it was easy to be distracted by the wonderful panorama of hills, lakes, rivers and forest, spread out around and below us. On the way back to camp, via Fraser Lake, we caught a glimpse of the Cheslatta Falls.

Knapp Lake Road was our next excursion, on Wednesday,

again setting off at 8.30 am. sharpish. At this place there were many agates to be collected, of various colours, from clear to rusty brownish. One tear-drop-shaped agate, hollow and with fan-shaped crystals of sillmanite inside, was found. It was 7 - 8 inches in length.

Thursday - at last a prolonged stop at Kenny Dam, where everyone enthusiastically collected large pieces of de-vitrified obsidian in gorgeous colours of deep brown, toffee, black and silvery blue. This very shiny, brittle mineral is used as the basis for Perlite. Behind Lucas Lake, another site, the area was rich in more agates. Georgina Selinger and some other rockhounders found quite colourful samples, some displaying rich reds and pinks. En route home we stopped to wonder at the sight of the Cheslatta rapids, a torrent of white, frenzied water, the trails beside which First Nations people used during trading and fishing trips. After this busy day it was home for supper.

Friday, our last day of rock hounding, was a free time. Some rockhounders revisited previous sites, to milk them for more mineral marvels. Others returned to Fort St. James, on Stuart Lake. Here it was fun to pick up lots of sand concretions from the shore. These form many odd flat shapes. They are basically fused sand and are very popular with small children.

Since there was no restaurant in the area which could accommodate 42 of us at one time, we split into small groups and did our own thing. It was a great week, and now we’re all home, washing the dust off our trucks, vans, campers, tents and trailers, and last but not least, our treasure troves of rocks and minerals.

Although all camp fires were banned, we still had our award nights, and Georgina’s grandson won the prize for

ugliest rock. There were the usual culinary delights of hot dogs, chili, hobo stew and dainty desserts in the evenings.

A very hearty thank you to all those who organized, arranged and helped to make summer camp 2009 another great adventure into the wilderness


BRANTFORD LAPIDARY & MINERAL SOCIETY Inc.Annual Gem & Mineral Show and Sale April 10 - April 11, 2010Sat. & Sun. 10 AM - 5 PMThe Paris Fairgrounds, Paris, OntarioGem, mineral, fossil, bead, fine jewellery & supplies & stone dealers demonstrators and exhibitors, which covers many aspects of our hobbyAdmission:Adults $3.00, Children – 12 years and under free.For information E mail: Bob Parry: [email protected] Visit the club web page: www.brantfordlapidarymineral.ca

CALGARY ROCK & LAPIDARY CLUB50th Annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil ShowMay 1, 2010 ~ May 2, 2010Sat. May 1, 9am - 6pm, Sun. May 2, 10am - 5pm West Hillhurst Arena1940 - 6 Avenue NW, Calgary, Alberta Admission: Regular $5, Seniors $3, Students with ID Cards $3.00 Children 6 & under FREE (if accompanied by an adult) Displays, Demonstrators, 20 Dealers with thousands of items for the Hobby Enthusiast! Information Table, Silent Auction, Fish Pond for the Kids Hourly Door Prizes A Hobby for All Ages

Club Shows Spring 2010

THE GEM AND MINERALFEDERATION OF CANADAand the RIPPLE ROCK GEM and MINERAL CLUB 21st ANNUAL SHOWSaturday June 12th 2010 - 10am.-5pmSunday June 13th 2010-10am-4pmTimberline School Gymnasium1681 South Dogwood StreetCampbell River, B.C.Rock, Gem, Fossil and Crystal Displays,Hourly Door Prizes, Silent Rock Auction,Dealers, Demonstrators, Spin & Win,Adults $2.00, Children under 12 free (accompanied by an adult.)Lunch Counter will be open during the Show

MAPLE RIDGE LAPIDARY CLUBRock & Gem Show"Good Rockin’ 2010"St. Andrews United Church22165 Dewdney Trunk rd. Maple Ridge B.C.Sat. February 20th. Noon - 5 PMSun. February 21st. 10 AM - 4:30 PMSaturday at the show we will be carving a 6 ft tallgarden sculpture in stone - to be auctioned of onsunday afternoonAdmission by donation

ALBERNI VALLEY ROCK & GEM CLUBMarch 13th & 14th ,2010“Gem & Mineral Craft Sale”Sat. 10 am–5 pm, Sun. 10 am–4 pmCherry Creek Hal, corner of Moore Rd &Cherry Creek Rd, Port Alberni, B.C.Displays, Dealers, DemonstratorsAdults $2.00, children under 10 free with an adultFor more information contact Dan Mooney at 250-724-2832 or e mail: [email protected]

VICTORIA LAPIDARY & MINERAL SOCIETYMarch 14–16, 2008”Annual Rock & Gem Show”Fri. 1–9pm, Sat. 10am–6pm,Sun. 10am–4pmLeonardi Da Vinci Centre195 Bay Street, Victoria, BCDisplays, Dealers, Demonstrators,Admission: Adults $5, Students& Seniors $4, Family of 4 $10,Children under 6 freeFor more information contactDon Myer 250-381-3356E mail: [email protected] or visit the club web page www.islandnet.com/~vlms

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