Presidents
Message:
Hello All,
We’re
going to have a bit of a change in the layout of the calendar this month. Both
April & May 2018 are combined into this one posting. 98% of the board members
will be out of town at the Northwest Federation’s annual show in Yakima, Washington.
We will be gone from approximately Tuesday April 24 returning on or about
Sunday May 06…yes, we will be stopping at other exotic locales as well over this
two-week period. Jeff & Emmy Silverman and Lavere Schmidt will be hosting
the May meeting where Tony & Sandy Fender from the Pasadena Lapidary
Society will give their presentation on Mount St. Helens. We will be back in
time for the board meeting on Thursday May 19. Chris Ward - President
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Del Air’s April 2018 Calendar
01: Easter Sunday: Colorful Eggs,
Chocolate Bunnies & the Resurrection!
05: General Meeting: 7:30 pm in our
regular meeting room.
19: Board Meeting: TBD at the general
meeting.
20: Starry Night Science Fair: 5:30 pm
Chatsworth Park Elementary School
21: Lorne Street
Elementary School Spring Fair: Volunteers…see Chris W. or Bob K.
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General Meeting: Thursday Apr 05, 2018
The meeting begins at 7:30 pm
in our regular meeting room at:
Northridge United Methodist
Church - 9650 Reseda Blvd, Northridge, CA Guests are always welcome
at our meetings and events however our annual Holiday Party in December
requires a prepaid reservation in advance.
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April 2018 Program:
“Geologic Wonders of New Zealand”
Presented By: Dick & Mary Pat Weber
Dick and Mary Pat Weber are retired exploration geologists who have
worked and traveled extensively throughout North America, Australia and New
Zealand. During these travels they have been granted special access to many
mines and unique geologic areas. Along with active participation in local gem
& mineral clubs, they have been avid agate and mineral collectors for more
than 20 years.
When they say big things come in small
packages they must have been referring to New Zealand. With caves, glaciers, volcanoes, fiords,
deserts, and geothermal features; it would be difficult to find so much
geologic diversity packed within such a small geographic area anywhere else on
this planet.
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General Meeting: Thursday May 03, 2018
The meeting begins at 7:30 pm
in our regular meeting room at:
Northridge United Methodist
Church - 9650 Reseda Blvd, Northridge, Guests are always welcome
at our meetings and events however our annual Holiday Party in December
requires a prepaid reservation in advance.
********************************************************
May
2018 Program:
“Mount St Helens: A
Before & After Look at the 1980 Eruption”
Presented By: Tony & Sandie Fender
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Support Our Hobby...Attend a Local Show...
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April
6, 7 & 8: VISTA, CA
Vista Gem & Mineral Society Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum 2040 North Santa Fe Avenue Hours: 9 - 5 daily Contact: Kelly Hickman, (760) 622-6501 Email: kellyahickman@hotmail.com Website: www.vistarocks.org |
April
7 - 8: MARIPOSA, CA
Mariposa Gem & Mineral Society Mariposa County Fairgrounds 5007 Fairgrounds Road (South of Mariposa off Hwy 49) Hours: Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 4 Contact: Meredith Meehan, (559) 868-3535 Email: mgmc@sti.net Website: mariposagemclub.org |
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April
14 - 15: CHICO, CA
Paradise Gem & Mineral Society, Paradise Silver Dollar Fairgrounds 2357 Fair Street Hours: Sat 9 - 5; Sun 9 - 4 Contact: Carol Eggleston, (530) 343-0894 Email: cjeggy@chico.com Website: www.paradisegem.org |
April 21 - 22: THOUSAND OAKS, CA
Conejo Gem & Mineral Club Borchard Park Community Center 190 Reino Road Hours: 10 - 5 Saturday; 10 - 4 Sunday Contact: Chuck Borchart, (805) 551-9946 Email: chuck.cgmctrips@gmail.com Website: www.cgamc.org |
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April
21 - 22: PASO ROBLES, CA
Santa Lucia Rock Hounds Paso Robles Event Center 2198 Riverside Ave. Hours: Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 4 Contact: Tina Clark, (805) 305-0246 Email: slrockhounds@gmail.com Website: slrockhounds.org |
April 28 - 29: LANCASTER, CA
Antelope Valley Gem & Mineral Society Lancaster High School 44701 - 32nd Street West Hours: 10 - 5 daily Contact: Susan Chaisson-Walblom, (661) 406-0143 Email: slchaisson@yahoo.com Website: www.avgem.weebly.com |
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April
28 - 29: RENO, NV
Reno Gem & Mineral Society Reno Reno/Sparks Livestock Event Center 1350 North Wells Avenue Hours: Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 4 Contact: Daniel Ellis, (775) 359-6068 Email: sailondan55@aol.com Website: www.renorockhounds.com |
May
4, 5 & 6: YUCAIPA, CA
Yucaipa Valley Gem & Mineral Society Yucaipa Music & Arts Festival Yucaipa Blvd and Adams St: Fri 6 pm - 9 pm; Sat 12 noon - 10 pm, Sun 12 noon - 7 pm Contact: Lee Peterson, (909) 794-0731 Email: res09ayd@verizon.net Website: www.yvgms.org |
Some Handy Tips & Helpful
Hints
LIMB
CASTS: Limb Casts
are distinguished from petrified wood by the complete absence of any
structural appearances. No cells,
rings of growth, etc. No doubt the cavity was formed by hot lava which
destroyed all the wood, leaving a mold of the limb or trunk, to be replaced by
agate or chalcedony.
Via Dinny’s Doin’s
DRY
SANDING: A long but
deadly word:
Pheumonoultramicropicsillicovolcanoloniosis.
It is an ailment caused by inhaling
very fine silicate or quartz dust produced by dry sanding. The word is long,
but the cure is longer. So, remember when dry sanding always wear a filter
mask.
Via Burro Express
HANDY
TIP: Hydrochloric
acid is good for testing lapis lazuli. A drop of it on the blue stone creates
an odor of hydrogen sulfide. On the white areas it usually effervesces because
the white is usually calcite. The test will distinguish lapis from sodalite and
lazulite. To clean hydrochloric acid and abalone shell at the same time, pour
acid to be neutralized over the abalone shells; let sit for necessary length of
time. The acid takes off the outer rough shell and leaves a beautiful color on
the abalone. Rinse off the shell with backing soda & water and
the acid is then safe to dispose of.
Via Rocky Review
LICKING
ROCKS CAN BE DANGEROUS: Field
cleaning of rocks can be dangerous, even FATAL! ALWAYS use water from a squirt
gun or bottle to wet stones. At least one death has been attributed to fungus
contracted from licking a rock specimen. Materials containing arsenic, mercury,
selenium, some of the boron and even phosp minerals can be deadly.
Via Rock Rollers
HOW
THEY DID IT IN OLDEN DAYS: The
first lapidary “How to do it” was written in 11AD by Theophilus. In it, he
described the cutting and polishing of stones as practiced in India. Rock crystal
was first cut into pieces with an iron saw that was charged with a slurry of
sand and water. It was then
cemented to a stick and smoothed by rubbing it on
fixed wet sandstone of increasingly finer texture. It was then polished with
moistened brick dust on a slab of lead. Powdered rock crystal was used in
cutting and polishing emeralds, jasper, beryl, onyx and other gemstones of that
time Via Stoney Statements
