The CULVER CITY

ROCK & MINERAL

CLUB, located

in Culver City,

California, brings

together persons

interested in the

earth sciences to

engage in research

and study, to assist

members in the

collection and

preservation of

rocks and minerals

and in the study

of lapidary and

related arts.

September 2020

Volume 61Issue 09 the NUGGETMONTHLY

NEWSLETTER OF THE CULVER CITY ROCK &

MINERAL CLUB

General meetings will be held the second Monday of every month at 7:00 PM on Zoom until it is safe to resume in person meetings. Guests are always welcomed!

Join the meeting: https://zoom.us/j/3108364611?pwd=WnRTclZTS3RJMEdWdlV2c01mQWxqdz09Meeting ID: 310 836 4611Password: rocks

Upcoming Programs:October 12 – To be announcedNovember 9 – To be announced

General Meetings

September Virtul Program:Collecting in the Sonoran Desert I n t h i s i s s u e

President’s Message p. 2The Hunt for Jade Cove Nephrite p. 3-5Mineral Fun Facts p. 6What Mineral Am I? p. 6Aug Program Report p. 7General Meeting p. 7

Our Club is happy to present Stacy Walbridge on September 14 at 7:00 PM.

Stacy Walbridge began rock hounding when he was stationed at Yuma Proving Grounds, AZ several years ago.

Since then, he and his wife, Kathi, have explored and collected in the southern desert as well as the New England area. Stacy and Kathi are now living in Franklin, NC, known as, the “Gem Capital of the World” and are working on improving their lapidary skills.

They are both active in their local gem and minearl club where Stacy is the newsletter editor and Kathi is in charge of programs.

continued on page 2

H a p p y L a b o r Da y ! H a p p y C a l i fo r n i a A d m i s s i o n Da y !

2The Nugget | September 2020

Through the efforts of Ken Rogers and Darren Cokin, our Club has been able to continue holding monthly meetings without missing a beat. Ken as Program Chairman has brought us some really interesting speakers, and Darren as Zoom Coordinator has helped our speakers weave slides, videos, and live action segments into a smooth online presentation. Janet Gampe has been doing a great job keeping us all up to date with the Nugget each month, and Jette Sorensen is keeping the website up and the email news announcements flowing. The result has allowed our Club to continue activities and provide at least a few of our traditional membership services.

Other clubs in the California Federation are not dealing with this virus situation as well. Many have chosen to just shut down, and that weakens the whole club system. In a letter to Federation officers early last month, our Club pointed out that immediate assistance was needed to help all clubs through this viral emergency. Not to be pro-active now will result in the Federation withering on the vine as clubs start asking for membership dues in the new year without any activities going on. We suggested a plan that includes helping clubs transition their meetings online, and offered our list of Zoom-capable speakers as a starter for a Federation resource.

With fall just around the corner, we’ve started the groundwork for elections of new officers for next year. Our nominating committee will be contacting Club members to put together a slate of prospective officers for balloting at the November meeting. Please give me a call if you have an interest in helping the Club on any of our standing committees next year.

Brad Smith, President

President’s Message

Stacy’s talk will be divided into three parts: 1) an overview of the geology of the Sonoran Desert, with a focus on California and Arizona 2) preparation and tools, and 3) locations and collected minerals.

To join the meeting, see General Meetings information on page 1.

Submitted byKen Rogers

Programs Chair

September Virtul Program: Collecting in the Sonoran Desert

3The Nugget | September 2020

The Hunt for Jade Cove Nephrite

The morning came quickly as the alarm sounded with louder than planned rock and roll. The 4am

departure was scheduled to beat any and all of Los Angeles residents at the game of leap frog. The early morning traffic was null and void as I motored up the 101 Freeway north at 70 mph making short work of the black top highway. An ACDC song hits the radio “…for those about to rock we salute you” no kidding, can you believe it! Soon the multiple lanes of the road and the big city lights gave way to two lanes and fog; it was as if the land itself was now in control of my time. This is central California en route to the Big Sur area to be exact, and Hwy 1 along the California coast is just an incredible work of art that must be enjoyed. You see, there is jade there and I am hooked. Yes, there still is jade in the Big Sur coves as last years trip down to the seashore proved to me, it just takes some time to learn the paths, cliff faces, and tidal movements, along with exploring the different areas along the water line, trial and error if you will.

On my first morning down the cliff face earlier this year I was greeted by waves in the 10 to 13 feet height range. I knew it was big and bad, so I was on my “A” game the whole time, no dumb moves. The cliff faces have many

rocky areas at the water line that one could get into

trouble if not paying attention to good ole Mother Nature. A tide chart is mandatory. A few small pieces of jade in my pocket between the swells were the beginning of my addiction. The sights and sounds as big surf rolls in is an adrenalin rush as you are timing every move like a game of chess. This past October the wife and I were here for the Jade Fest and had a blast.

So here I was back at Jade Cove flying solo. They say finding jade will do that to you, no kidding! I arrived at Plaskett Creek campground around mid morning Sunday and was pleasantly surprised that the camp hosts were up and about. “Number 12 is open and it’s a nice spot” they said as I drove up. I’ll take it I said before rounding the right hand turn and straight into my site. The weather was outrageous and I was booked to stay for the week. Awesome!

A lot of information has been written about Jade Cove and its rock hounding history back in the days. Sure the jade is not as plentiful as before, but to

spend the day down on the rocks with the seaweed, flies, sand like flea creatures, and the cold Pacific Ocean trying to sneak up and bite you in the butt has got

to make some kind of bucket list. A nice gem quality piece of jade is still possible to the lucky nut. The jade here falls under the heading of Nephrite, not to be confused with its brother Jadeite. Nephrite is composed of interwoven mineral fibers, where Jadeite is made of interlocking granules.

The descent down the cliff faces is as written, and is not for the weak hearted. It also helps if you are part billy goat. This particular day down the cliffs there is a path where there were two sets of ropes to hold onto going down or up…very nice. The other three trails are very sketchy, as the morning dew mixed

continued on page 4

4The Nugget | September 2020

The Hunt for Jade Cove Nephrite con’twith serpentine, talc, and top soil can make for a slippery ride down the dirt path, “Whoa”, but I made it down. The water line is just incredible, rough and jagged with nooks and crannies everywhere with huge water surges thru the tide pools. I started my exploration each morning by scouring over the area kind of quickly at first due to the fact that others were coming, and fast. I settled into a scouted out spot where you could see where the waves pushed up the shoreline and at their peak fell off to the right or left leaving a large array of smaller stones. I sifted between the rocks on my hands and knees, raking the stones aside with the garden hand rake which worked great. I started at the bottom of the gravel formation, first removing any large rocks, but always on the look out for a larger stray piece of jade, then raking down while moving up. It was great fun to rake the small tumbled rock and out pops a nice little gem quality piece of jade, most suitable for a necklace.

In the early morning the shore line is shaded due to the low position of the rising sun and the tall cliff faces. This makes the trek in very pleasant but can be a little chilly until you get the body warmed up. As the sun rises, the water I brought down sure hit the spot as the high sun and salt air can dehydrate you quickly. The sun can also be your big brother when it’s high overhead and shining down while lighting your work area. I worked these areas of the shoreline between the large rock outcrops thru the afternoon before working my way back over to the trail up the cliff face. The ascent up and out looks like no friggen way, I just came down that! I always mark this location with a small piece of pink ribbon that I carry when I’m in areas I do not know very well. It makes it really easy when you are returning back from a long hike over terrain that all looks the same. I walked past my trail one time without the marker ribbon and it was a little nerve racking trying to figure out what trail was the right one…pink ribbon, yep! Going up is not as bad as going down, just don’t look down. With the weight of my pack and my body weight alone I always feel like I have lots of pressure on my feet which results in good traction…ahh the top.

The walk over and back to camp is on top of an ancient marine terrace with thick vegetation in

some areas where only the paths can be seen. No collecting of jade above the mean high tide mark is allowed; meaning the only place to collect is down at the waters edge no higher than the high water mark. Most of the area is wide open with the Santa Lucia Mountains in the back drop which makes for a beautiful walk.

The whole trip was planned around the tides; the lows this week were between 11a.m. and 2p.m., so that meant I had plenty of time in the morning to get ready. Today the trail down was a breeze and I was standing at the bottom in no time, off around the corner south and over a large outcropping of Serpentine to settle in on the back side of this enormous finger sticking out from the shoreline creating a fence like effect to one side of the cove. The opposite side was made up of a number of larger boulders. This area produced for me the other day and I wanted to give it a go again, today I brought my screened sifting rigs. I was early so I just laid back and waited around for the tide to drop. I was able to find a couple of small nephrite pieces in the process of waiting while lying on my belly on top of the large boulders digging between them. With the tide on the fall and having timed the swells and seeing no apparent reason for concern of getting soaked, in I went. To jade hunt around the base of large boulders at low tide you have to wear a pair of water shoes and get in up to your knees at least, sometimes higher, when the outside sets rolls in. What is really cool about this is the rocks or pebbles have built up on the back sides of the larger rocks. Today’s game was to screen these pebbles while standing up to my knees in water in the little tide pools, water temperature at 58 degrees, not bad. Just scoop and sift, then take a look, it had to work. The first load I scooped in the half inch screen, an outside swell hit the large boulder in front of me and I was completely drenched with 58 degree Pacific Ocean. I never heard it or saw it, but sure felt it! Dang, time for a break. Now semi-dried off, and yes the tide had dropped some more, so back in I went. I really wanted to try these screens as all of my jade hunting so far has been by hand lightly fanning it over the top layer of the pebbles then letting the water settle out and collect from the surface.

continued on page 5

5The Nugget | September 2020

The Hunt for Jade Cove Nephrite con’tBack in the tide pool the water was just below my knees with just a little bit of tidal surge coming and

going. Sure it was a little cold, but jade fever equalized everything. I’m standing behind a boulder about the size of a VW on the pebble pile built up from behind

created by each wave crashing into and over, again and again. All clear, no rogue wave in sight, bend and scoop. The entire 12” x 12” screen box is full; I began to sift at the other end of the pool. The first sift thru I find a nice neck hanger piece of jade sitting right on top. From my five days of digging in the trenches I’ve learned jade can be very sneaky. You see it sitting on top of all the other pebbles, but as soon as you touch it or move the other rocks it’s gone. Jade has a waxy feeling that makes it slippery when you grasp it wet and it just slides between all the other rocks with the greatest of ease, the screens worked great! I was averaging one nice piece of jade about every other scoop. It sure helped to finally get the eye for jade while it was underwater; it took me four days to actually say I know what to look for. A quick field check for jade is the knife test, as jade does not scratch due to its Moh’s Scale of 6, but most other rocks will scratch with a white streak. Serpentine is a different color of green but appears to look like Big Sur Jade; these pieces have to be tested because they sure look like the real McCoy, but will scratch with the knife. About thirty scoops and sifts later my vital signs were dropping, I was still foaming at the mouth from jade fever, lost track of time, thought it was a dream, and was just freezing my butt off. There on the rocks was my baggy of loot, just like in the old days. The day yielded another zip lock bag of good quality jade; I was completely satisfied, completely.

Back in the tide pool the water was just below my

knees with just a little bit of tidal surge coming and going. Sure it was a little cold, but jade fever equalized everything. I’m standing behind a boulder about the size of a VW on the pebble pile built up from behind created by each wave crashing into and over, again and again. All clear, no rogue wave in sight, bend and scoop. The entire 12” x 12” screen box is full; I began to sift at the other end of the pool. The first sift thru I find a nice neck hanger piece of jade sitting right on top. From my five days of digging in the trenches I’ve learned jade can be very sneaky. You see it sitting on top of all the other pebbles, but as soon as you touch it or move the other rocks it’s gone. Jade has a waxy feeling that makes it slippery when you grasp it wet and it just slides between all the other rocks with the greatest of ease, the screens worked great! I was averaging one nice piece of jade about every other scoop. It sure helped to finally get the eye for jade while it was underwater; it took me four days to actually say I know what to look for. A quick field check for jade is the knife test, as jade does not scratch due to its Moh’s Scale of 6, but most other rocks will scratch with a white streak. Serpentine is a different color of green but appears to look like Big Sur Jade; these pieces have to be tested because they sure look like the real McCoy, but will scratch with the knife. About thirty scoops and sifts later my vital signs were dropping, I was still foaming at the mouth from jade fever, lost track of time, thought it was a dream, and was just freezing my butt off. There on the rocks was my baggy of loot, just like in the old days. The day yielded another zip lock bag of good quality jade; I was completely satisfied, completely.

Polliard, Craig. (June 8, 2017). The Hunt for Jade Cove Nephrite. South Bay Lapidary and Mineral Society. August 30, 2020, https://southbaylapidaryandmineralsociety.com/2017/06/08/the-hunt-for-jade-cove-nephrite/

We’d love to feature YOU in the next Nugget.

Tell us a little about yourself, include some photos so we can “meet” you and throw in your website URL to share the greatness that is you. Send your info to: nugget@culvercityrocks.com

6The Nugget | September 2020

Mineral Fun FactsThe Roman writer named Pliny the Elder noticed that quartz crystals are very cool to the touch. He also found many quartz crystals high in the mountains. So, he came to the conclustion that quartz is petrified ice. He believed that quartz was ice that had frozen so hard that it would never thaw out and melt! (Today we know quartz is silicon and oxygen and that it absorbs heat quicky and easily.)

Sulfur cannot absorb heat very well. If you put your warm finger on the surface of a sulfur crystal, the crystal will crack. Sometimes you can even hear the cracking.

By JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?cu-rid=6023737

Mini Miners Montly, January 2020, Vol 12 No. 1

What Mineral Am I?I am a shiny, metallic, and gray mineral. I often form very long straight crystals. My crystal can be bent if you try carefully. But they cannot be bent back to their original shape. Sometimes you can find crystals that were bent in nature. I am an important ore of the element called Antimony which has the chemical symbol of Sb. I am fairly soft and can be scratched easily. Some of my best crystals were found in Japan (left) in the late 1800’s. They are still classics today. However, some excellent crystals are coming from China (right) now.

My mineral name is .....

Denise Peck & Jane Dickerson from “Handcrafted Metal Findings.” Denise Peck & Jane Dickerson from “Handcrafted Metal Findings.”

Answer on page 6.

7The Nugget | September 2020

August Program ReportCharlene Aspray demonstrated how to form metal using basic tools and techniques. She first explained her techniques and tools, as well as showed photos of pieces she had created. Then she did a live demonstration.

Charlene first cuts the desired shape, using 24 to 26 gauge metal, files and sands the sharp edges. The flat sides of the metal sheet should be factory-finished, free of scratches.

Then, using simple tools, Charlene shapes the metal, creating a 3D form. Tools include hammers with polished faces, metal or wood dapping blocks, metal stakes or anvil if available, Delrin, wood or rawhide hammers that are smooth faced. Charlene recommends avoiding metal-to-metal combos; for instance, when using a metal hammer, a wood or Delrin block should be used. Once the shapes are formed, they are assembled, soldered, pickled and polished.

In the live demo, Charlene shaped a chrysanthemum blossom and a leaf using hammers on wood block. She recommended always working from the edges towards the center of the piece, as opposed to the other way around, to avoid puckering. She also showed how to shape the wood block. Although Charlene prefers to work with small pieces, she indicated the technique can be used to shape larger pieces just as well.

Finally, Charlene recommended a couple of books that had been helpful to her: Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths by Heikki Seppa and Creative Metal Forming by Betty Helen Longhi.

Submitted by Ana Maria Strambi Guimaraes

Recording Secretary

Meeting called to order at 7:00 PM by President Brad Smith.

Guests were introduced. Quorum was established. The July general meeting minutes were approved as read in the August Nugget.

Brad discussed potential social events the Club could host via Zoom. He informed he had been able to determine that at least 28 other clubs were using Zoom. That could provide the Club with access to other clubs and expand its list of presenters.

Brad proposed that the Club hold a second meeting in the month. It could be an executive meeting, or a

lecture, or to discuss techniques and other topics related to the Club. He explained the Club’s Zoom subscription allowed the Club to meet up to 24 hours a month with up to 100 attendees each meeting. Any Club member could host meetings.

Adrienne Louie proposed the Club hosts a shop yard sale. Brad said he would endorse it if it could be done safely and legally.

Meeting adjourned at 7:24 PM.

Submitted by Ana Maria Strambi Guimaraes

Recording Secretary

General Meeting MinutesAugust 10, 2020

8The Nugget | September 2020

The Lapidary Shop is closed until further notice

Many clubs have cancelled or changed their show dates due to Covid-19 social distancing orders. Please check the CFMS website for the most up to date information on upcoming shows.https://www.cfmsinc.org/shows-2/

September 12-13; Arroyo Grande, CA CANCELLEDSan Luis Obispo Gem and Mineral ClubSouth County Regional Center800 W. Branch StreetHours: 10 am – 5 pmEmail: show@slogem.org

September 26-27; Lancaster, CA CANCELLEDPalmdale Gem & Mineral ClubAntelope Valley Fairgrounds2551 West Ave HHours: 10-5 DailyContact: Allison McClung; 661-839-7403Email: ali_cares@aol.comWebsite: palmdalegemandmineral.org

September 26-27; Lodi, CAStockton Lapidary and Mineral Club CANCELLEDLodi Grape Festival Grounds413 East Lockeford StreetHours: 10 am – 5 pm dailyWeb site: http://stocktonlapidary.org

September 26-27; Long Beach, CA CANCELLEDLong Beach Mineral & Gem SocietyLong Beach Expo Arts Center4321 Atlantic AvenueSat. 10 am – 5 pm, Sun 10 am – 4 pmContact: Carol Kron & Karin Alvarez, (562) 577-9044Website: http://www.facebook.com/LBMGS

Upcoming CFMS Shows

Jon Gowling September 3 Ashley Atkinson September 16 Kay Hudspeth September 18 Edward Henderson September 21 Franne Einberg September 24 Ryan Campbell September 24

to CCRMCCyndy Mandell

Lois Papner

OCLW MEE

9The Nugget | September 2020

2020 Elected Officers PresidentBrad Smith

Vice PresidentSteve Dover

TreasurerDarrell Robb

Recording SecretaryAna Maria Strambi Guimaraes

Corresponding SecretaryVéronique Gautherot

Parliamentarian Jon P. Gowling

Committee Chairs

Education – Karen WallenFederation Director – Rick Shaffer

Field Trips Chair – Devon LloydHistorian – Virginia HollisLibrarian – Andrea Fabian

Membership – Stephanie DangottMembership Co-Chair – Laura Seffer

Minerals Chair – Devon LloydPhotography – Pam Leitner

Programs – Ken RogersPublications Chair – Janet Gampe

Publicity – Janice MetzShow – Adrienne Louie

Shop Committee – President, Vice President & Shop Instructors

Social Co-Chairs – VACANTSunshine – Felice Ganz

Trading Post – Gary MitchellWeb Master – Jette Sorensen

Workshops – Janice Metz

Board of Directors

2020Anna Maria Strambi Guimaraes

Bruce Mensinger

2021Franne EinbergGary Mitchell

Mailing Address:Culver City Rock & Mineral ClubPO Box 3324Culver City, CA 90231310-836-4611

The CCRMC is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization.

the Nugget - SubmissionsSubmissions deadline is on the 15th of every month. Articles or notes without a byline are written by the Editor. Permission to copy is freely given as long as proper credit is noted. Photographs without credits are shot by a CCRMC member. Permission to use photography is freely given as long as proper credit is noted.

Email submissions to: nugget@culvercityrocks.org

the Nugget - AdvertisementsThe Nugget accepts paid advertisements. The cost for an eighth of a page (approx. 2” high x 3.5” wide) is $7 per insertion, payable in advance. Ad location is at the discretion of the Editor. Ads, copy, or business cards must be received by the 10th of the month.

Send materials to: Culver City Rock and Mineral ClubAttn: EditorP.O. Box 3324Culver City, CA 90231

Stay In Touch

Frances Aldrich

My

min

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nam

e is

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te

Culver City Rock & Mineral Club, Inc.

the NuggetPO Box 3324Culver City, CA 90231

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MONTHLYNEWSLETTER OF THE CULVER CITY ROCK &

MINERAL CLUB the NUGGET

Frances Aldrich