volume 28, issue 12 february 2018 name that rock€¦ · february amethyst, a purple quartz, is a...

Volume 28, Issue 12 February 2018

NAME THAT ROCK

The banner photo (above)

changes each month -

can you identify what type of

rock it is? Answer is on last

page but don’t peek until

you’ve tried to guess!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Birthstones 2

Words from the

Co-President 3

Meeting, Events,

Announcements 4

Junior Rockhounds 5

Features 6

Board Members and

Committee 8

Board Meeting

Minutes 8

John McCabe is the fea-

ture speaker during our

February presentation and

will discuss the wonders of

Morro Rock. Here’s an ex-

cerpt on the geological

feature from Wikipedia:

The 581-foot Morro

Rock is one of 13 volcanic

plugs (remnant necks of

extinct volcanoes), lava

domes, and sheet-like in-

trusions between Morro

Bay on the north and Islay

Hill on the south, all in

San Luis Obispo County.

It’s composed mostly of

dacite, an igneous, volcanic

rock, and partially of petri-

fied bird feces, which have

compacted into the plug

over the years.

The Salinan and Chu-

mash tribes consider Morro

Rock to be a sacred site.

The Salinan name for Mor-

ro Rock is Le'samo and the

Chumash name is Lisamu.

The right of the Salinan

people to climb Morro Rock

(Continued on page 11)

Photo from Wikipedia

Rockonteur ❖ February 2018 ❖

Santa Lucia Rockhounds (SLR)

is a non-profit public benefit corporation with the spe-

cific purpose to promote the study of mineralogy, in-

cluding (but not limited to) the fields of lapidary, metal

working, jewelry design and fabrication, geology and

conducts field trips for collecting and education. We

encourage learning and good citizenship in a congenial

atmosphere. We respect both private and public prop-

erty, and we strive to protect natural resources. Meet-

ings are held during the third Monday of each month,

except December, at the Templeton Community Cen-

ter.

We are a member of the California Federation of

Mineralogical Societies (CFMS) and affiliated with the

American Federation on Mineralogical Societies

(AFMS). Santa Lucia Rockhounds, Inc. is also a mem-

ber of the American Lands Access Association (ALAA).

Annual dues are $20 for the first adult and $8

each for every additional member of the same house-

hold. Annual dues are payable between August 1 and

the third Monday of December, in person at club meet-

ings or by mail to P.O. Box 1672, Paso Robles, CA

93447.

The Rockonteur

This is the official monthly newsletter of the SLR and

an independent publication containing news and infor-

mation consistent with the mission of SLR and of inter-

ests to its members. Circulation is approximately 100

copies per issue.

Member submissions are encouraged and may

be sent to the editor. We reserve the right to accept or

refuse submissions inconsistent with the objectives

and purpose of the SLR. Submissions may be edited as

needed without consent. Deadline are due by mid-

night of the last day of the month but early submis-

sions are highly appreciated and strongly encouraged.

Newsletter Editor/Publisher:

Amy Phillips | [email protected]

Website: www.slrockhounds.org

FEBRUARY

Amethyst, a purple quartz,

is a beautiful blend of violet

and red that can be found

around the globe. It often

occurs in geodes or in the

cavities of granitic rocks.

The name comes from the

Ancient Greek, derived from

the word “methustos,”

which means “intoxicated.”

Ancient wearers believed

the gemstone could protect

them from drunkenness.

While amethyst is most

commonly recognized to be

a purple color, the gem-

stone can actually range

from a light pinkish violet to

a deep purple that can read

more blue or red, depend-

ing on the light. Amethyst

gets its color from irradia-

tion, iron impurities and the

presence of trace elements.

Its hardness (a 7 on the

Mohs scale) is the same as

other quartz, which makes

it a durable and lasting op-

tion for jewelry.

Source:

www.americangemsociety.org/

page/februarybirthstone

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.slrockhounds.org

http://www.americangemsociety.org/page/februarybirthstone

http://www.americangemsociety.org/page/februarybirthstone

Rockonteur ❖ December 2017 ❖ Rockonteur ❖ February 2018 ❖ Page 3

Words from the Co-President

Happy Presidents Day

It’s nice to be recognized as your Co-President, but you are who we

serve and I hope you are happy with my first month on the job!

It was great to spend a beautiful morning at San Simeon State Beach

with 21 Rockhounds. We need to go more often, it was fun.

Hopefully, we will be planning another adventure soon.

Come to the next General Meeting to hear more.

Right now, I am thinking about our 27th Annual Rock & Gem Show

scheduled for April 21st - 22nd. Not too far off. We will be needing

many volunteers to help this show run smoothly. It doesn’t have to be

an all-day thing. The Show is our largest fundraiser so in order to

stay ahead, we need to be creative. Think of ways you can share

your talents, gifts and knowledge. It is rewarding and

people like to see your work.

You won’t want to miss our VP Education Speaker, John McCabe, talk

about the Morros during our February General Meeting. Also, Kathy Clarke

and her grandson, Colby, will teach the Junior Rockhounds about

rock balancing.

Rock On! - Mary

San Simeon State Beach Park photo by Amy Phillips


Feb. 6 @ 7pm

Board Meeting

Rabobank Meeting Room, Templeton

Feb. 19 @ 7pm

General Meeting

Templeton Community Center

The Morros, a Geological Anomaly

by John McCabe

This presentation will discuss the geo-

graphic and geologic characteristics of

the Morros and when they were formed.

Mar. 6 @ 7pm

Board Meeting


Mar. 19 @ 7pm

General Meeting


2017 Rock & Gem Show Exhibit

Winners and Past President provide

tips on how to set-up an exhibit for 2018.

Apr. 3 @ 7pm

Board Meeting


Apr. 16 @ 7pm

General Meeting


How Does Wood Become Petrified

presentation by Jim Mills

from Mills Geological.

April 21 & 22

Our Rock & Gem Show!

Theme - Discover Jasper

Paso Robles Event Center

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!

Contact Show Chairs:

Tina Clark 805-305-0246

Kim Noyes 805-610-0603

CLUB MEETINGS & EVENTS

CFMS Field Trip The CFMS is hosting a field trip to

Lavic Siding on

February 17th at 8am.

This is at the heart of the Mojave

Desert so dress accordingly.

Material: Agates and jaspers.

Meeting place is Hector Rd off I-40

on the south side for orientation and

sign in. From the meeting spot, it’s a

20 min. caravan to collection site. No

low clearance vehicles. Gas and food

available at Barstow.

Bring: bags/buckets, rock hammer,

digging equipment, safety glasses,

spray bottles, sunscreen, first aid kit,

lunch, and plenty of water.

Contact field trip leaders

for more info:

Adam Dean

[email protected]

909-489-4899

Roy Isaac

[email protected]

818-633-3350

VALLEJO GEM & MINERAL

SOCIETY SHOW

Feb. 24-25

Solano Fairgrounds

IMPERIAL COUNTY GEM &

MINERAL SOCIETY

March 2-11

CA Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta

200 East Second Street


Submitted by John McCabe, VP of Education and Amy Phillips, Editor

a clue – the rocks were originally very

hot! But then they cooled down slowly

into a solid rock made up of different

bits stuck together called crystals. They

are often very beautiful and sparkle in

the sunlight.

are formed by solidification of cooled

magma (molten rock) either below

(plutonic) or above (volcanic) the sur-

face of the earth.

The magma consists of partial melt-

ing of pre-existing rock and can be

caused by one or a combination of; an

increase in temperature, pressure

changes, change in composition.

An example of an igneous rock is

granite. The word igneous comes from

the Latin word ignis meaning fire. This is

Igneous rocks

Three new Junior Rockhounds joined

our club last month - welcome!


January General Meeting Show & Tell Competition

Many members participated in

the Show & Tell, sharing stories of

how they came about their speci-

mens. One even made up a story

just to entertain us!

Jason Martines

won the

competition

with the story

of his favorite

find.

Kathy Clarke

San Simeon Creek Field Trip

January 21, 2018

About 20 members participated in this field trip and

were blessed with wonderful weather for a peaceful

morning by the beach. Trip leader Kim Noyes is pic-

tured left talking to Rockhounds about the speci-

men they found. Junior Rockhound Joe was happy

with his beach glass collection. And Doren hit the

jackpot with the cool rock pictured below (which he

gave to Tina Clark) is a form of brecciated jas-

per. According to the “Rock Doctor” Wayne Mills,

brecciated jasper is only found in areas where fault

action has fractured previously formed jasper, and

hydrothermal quartz (silica dissolved in hot water

from the interior of the earth) has permeated and

re-cemented the fractured material. In this case,

the jasper was layered and fractured and re-

cemented, then fractured

again and re-cemented - note

the offset of the large quartz

layers, much like some fea-

tures along the San Andreas

Fault!

Photos by Amy Phillips



THE FIVE "FINE" JASPERS

By Barbara Bilyeu

There are five classic jaspers that are

known in the lapidary world as the "fine

jaspers", primarily because they are very

fine-grained, totally beautiful, and almost

magical to work with, taking an exquisite

polish. They may feature overlapping

orbs, and unusual colors and patterns.

They include Bruneau Jasper, Imperial

Jasper, Morrisonite, Blue Mountain Jasper,

and Willow Creek Jasper.

Bruneau Jasper comes from the rugged

Bruneau Canyon in Idaho, and is found in

the center of thunderegg nodules embed-

ded in the cliffs. Most often, the jasper

centers are cobbled free of their matrix so

only the jasper is hauled out of the can-

yon, reducing the weight. You can see a

YouTube video on two of the early miners

of Bruneau Jasper by searching for

"Bruneau Jasper Miners" on Google. This

classic jasper comes in colors of brown,

cream, caramel and other luscious

shades!

Imperial Jasper comes from the side of

a canyon near San Cristobal in Mexico. It

forms in seams or nodules, and can also

show orbs. A more recent discovery of

what is called Royal Imperial Jasper

comes in flattened nodules with chalky

white coatings. It is currently the largest,

finest deposit of jasper with egg pattern-

ing in the world. Imperial and Royal Im-

perial jasper come in shades of green and

pink.

Morrisonite is named for James Morrison

and the Morrison Ranch in eastern Ore-

gon. Discovered in the late 1940's, Morri-

Bruneau Jasper

Imperial Jasper

Morrisonite Jasper


sonite is not an abundant material, which

is unfortunate as it has earned the title

"King of the Jaspers" because of its beau-

ty. Morrisonite displays a wide range of

colors and wild patterns, including orbs.

You can see a good representation of this

material on Internet sites.

The Blue Mountain Jasper mine is lo-

cated near the Oregon-Nevada border

west of McDermitt. It was formerly owned

and worked by legendary miner Leonard

Kopcinsky who passed away a few years

ago, and is now mined by Dale Huett.

Formed in nodules, this beautiful orbed

jasper comes in shades of blue, green and

gold and is mined by blasting.

Willow Creek Jasper is found in Idaho,

north of the town of Eagle. The mine is

owned and operated by Larry Ridley (who

makes amazing blackberry pies!). This

high-class jasper is also found in the cen-

ter of thundereggs, most often pretty big

ones. You can see a video of Larry's op-

eration which includes heavy-equipment

drilling to break open the thundereggs, on

YouTube - search for "Willow Creek Jasper

Mining". A picture of him is below. Mostly

in pastel colors, Willow Creek jasper dis-

plays a wide variety of patterns.

Blue Mountain Jasper

Willow Creek Jasper

President Mary Caparone 805.610.5281

[email protected]

Co-President/ Senior Director Doren Strane 805.423.5276 doren.strane @yahoo.com

VP Membership

Galen Moyer 805.434.2532 gmoyer281 @gmail.com

VP Education John McCabe 805.464.0528

[email protected]

VP Communications Chris Driesbach 805.462.0359 c.driesbach@ yahoo.com

Auctioneer Pete Duckworth

CFMS Director Wayne Mills

Drawings

Karen Clark

History Mike Doherty

Hospitality

Cathy McIntosh

Library Barbara Bilyeu

Merchandise David Nelson

Secretary Rachael Denny 805.472-9036 Stormdragon71 @netscape.net

Treasurer Tina Clark

805.305.0246 theclarkfour

@sbcglobal.net

Junior Director Lisa King

805.467.0062 anoldcowhand @gmail.com

Past President Barbara Bilyeu 805-434-2708

Bbilyeu [email protected]

Museum Barbara Bilyeu

Newsletter Editor/

Publisher Amy Phillips

amyphillips18 @hotmail.com

Program

Coordinator Amy Phillips

Rock & Gem Show

Chairs Tina Clark

Kim Noyes 805-610-0603

kimnoyes @gmail.com

2018 CLUB OFFICERS

COMMITTEE CHAIRS


for their biannual solstice ceremonies is

disputed by the Chumash tribe, which

claims that Morro Rock is Chumash, not

Salinan, territory. The Chumash believe

the rock is so sacred that it should never

be climbed. It is illegal for the general

public to climb it.

Morro Rock was probably seen by

Spanish maritime explorers as early as

1542 under Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, but

its current name was given during the

first European land exploration of Alta

California. The Spanish Portolá expedition

came down Los Osos Valley and camped

near today's Morro Bay on September 8,

1769.

Several types of birds nest on Morro

Rock, including three cormorant species

and two gull species. It presently serves

as a reserve for peregrine falcons, which

are locally endangered and cause most of

the laws that prohibit intervention with

avian life. Sea lions and sea otters can be

seen regularly in the water around the

rock.

On land few flora can survive the

harsh, dry environment on the rock, but

in the surrounding bay, kelp, sea grass,

kelp forest plants, and tide pool plants

can survive, and a few common grasses,

mosses, lichens and weeds from the

mainland take root on the rock itself.

The rock, which was quarried on and

off from 1889-1969, provided material for

the breakwater of Morro Bay and the im-

provements at Port San Luis Harbor. In

1966, a state law was adopted that trans-

ferred title to the State of California. In

February 1968, the SLO County Historical

Society and the City of Morro Bay suc-

ceeded in having Morro Rock declared

California Historical Landmark number

821.

(Continued from page 1)

Rockonteur ❖ January 2018 ❖

The meeting was called to order at 7:03

P.M.

Roll call: Amy Phillips, Chris Driesbach,

John McCabe, Rachael Denny, Tina Clark,

Doren Strane, Lisa King, Barbara Bilyeu,

Galen Moyer, David Nelson, Don Hunting-

ton, Don Pierce and Tom Wylie. Mary

Caparone is on vacation, so Doren Strane

presided over the meeting.

Minutes: Tina Clark moved to approve

the minutes of the December business

meeting, Galen Moyer seconded the mo-

tion, and the minutes were approved by

the Board.

Correspondence: The Club received fly-

ers for the Santa Barbara Gem Fair, the

Solano County Gem Show, and the Valle-

jo Gem Mineral and Jewelry Show, as

well as a Cuesta College magazine.

Treasurer's Report: In December, the

Club took in $240 at the installation din-

ner, and the CD made about $321 in in-

terest this year. The bills have been

paid, and the checks have cleared.

Programs: Amy Phillips reported that

the January general meeting will be the

Club's annual Show and Tell. John McCa-

be will talk about the Morros in February

and Barbara Bilyeu and “the two Dons”

will do a program on setting up exhibit

cases for the Rock Show in March.

Communications:

Chris Driesbach reported that the club's

website looks good, but it still needs a

few things-he plans to include a descrip-

tion of the most recent field trip, and

there is no show flyer yet. John McCabe

has the scholarship letters and applica-

tions ready to send to the schools.

Tina Clark reported that Wayne Mills had

given her the officer change form to fill

out for the CFMS. The CFMS has a web-

site contest, and the Club's website will be

entered.

Membership: Galen Moyer presented the

membership application of Heidi McLen-

ithan and her son, and their memberships

were approved by the Board.

Library: Barbara Bilyeu reported that

there will be no library at this month's

general meeting, as she will be out of

town.

Rock show: Tina Clark reported that re-

search into acquiring a chip reader is still

ongoing, as are efforts to find a food ven-

dor. It has been suggested that we have

demonstrations of wire wrapping, facet-

ing, gold panning and cabbing. It is offi-

cially confirmed that the show will take

place at the Fairgrounds, and no deposit is

required at this time. Kim Noyes has vol-

unteered to send out the contracts to the

vendors, and Tina will check later in the

month, and see how things are going with

that.

The remainder of the meeting was spent

in discussing the Club's budget, which will

be voted on next month. The meeting ad-

journed at 9:05 P.M.

Submitted by Rachael Denny, Secretary

JAN. 2 , 2017

BOARD MEETING MINUTES

Rockonteur ❖ January 2018 ❖

JAN. 15 , 2017

GENERAL MEETING MINUTES

The meeting opened at 7:00 P.M. with

the Pledge of Allegiance.

Lisa King introduced two new mem-

bers of the Club: Heidi and Cayden

McLenithan.

Tina Clark reported that the Board is

working on the budget, which will be pre-

sented and voted on next month.

Wayne Mills encouraged everyone to

check out the CFMS website

(cfms.org). Among the interesting items

to be found there: The CFMS is having a

field trip to Lavic Siding on February 17th,

and the deadline to apply for Zzyzic Earth

Science Camp is March 1st. The AFMS is

holding their show in Raleigh, North Caro-

lina on April 6-8. Wayne also announced

that CFMS dues and insurance are due.

Amy Phillips announced the February-

April club meetings and events, which are

published in the newsletter.

Kathy Clarke donated a copy of the

book "Whispers Of Wonder" to the Club's

library.

John McCabe reported that the schol-

arship letters have been sent out to high

schools in Paso Robles, Templeton and

Atascadero. John also gave an explana-

tion of what the Junior Rockhounds do (for

the benefit of new members and guests),

and presented Rachel Phillips with her

Collecting badge.

The Club is having a field trip to San

Simeon Creek on January 21st, and John

laid out the requirements for earning the

Field Trip badge. Tonight, the Juniors are

studying Earth Processes.

Kim Noyes reported that on the field

trip, one can expect to find jasper and

chert, and possibly arrowheads, and other

interesting things. Shovels will not be

needed.

Kim Noyes and Tina Clark announced

that the Club's annual show will take place

on April 21-22, at the Paso Robles Event

Center (fairgrounds). This years theme is

"Discover Jasper" and Richard Wade will

give a presentation on dinosaurs. The

Paring Knife will provide food, and at pre-

sent, 46 dealer applications have been

sent out. At this time, Tina Clark is in

charge of the Treasury, Kim Noyes is in

charge of Dealers, Don Huntington and

Don Pierce are in charge of Exhibits, Mary

Caparone is in charge of the Drawing, Ga-

len Moyer is in charge of the Gravel Pit,

Amy Phillips is in charge of the Children's

Booth, Tom and Lori Wylie are in charge

of Geode Cracking, and Wayne Mills will

be the Rock Doc. The volunteer sign up

was passed around for members interest-

ed in assisting.

This evening's featured program was

the Club's annual Show and Tell. A num-

ber of Club members brought in fossils,

thunder eggs, arrowheads, emeralds, stal-

actites and other beautiful and interesting

things, and told the stories of how these

treasures came into their possession. At

the end, those present were asked to vote

for their favorite specimens, and the win-

ner (as determined by a show of hands)

was Jason Martinez, with his collection of

fossils, biconoids and artifacts.

At 8:17, the Club adjourned for re-

freshments and the drawing.

Submitted by Rachael Denny, Secretary

http://cfms.org

NAME THAT ROCK Depicted on the cover is Kim Noyes’ photo of some Moroccan onyx eggs. He is one

of the Club’s Rock & Gem Show Chairs. Follow Kim at his Eclectic Arcania Blog to

learn more about local rocks! (eclecticarcania.blogspot.com)

P.O. Box 1672

Paso Robles, CA 93447

eclecticarcania.blogspot.com

volume 28, issue 12 february 2018 name that rock€¦ · february amethyst, a purple quartz, is a...

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