Del–Air Rockhounds Calendar of Upcoming Events: March 2021
Thursday March 04: ‘Zoom’ General Meeting @ 7:30 pm Meeting invites to be sent to members with an email address 1-2 days before.
Sunday March 14: Daylight Savings Time Begins. Set those clocks ahead one hour!
Wednesday March 17: St. Patrick’s Day. Wear your green…Emeralds, Sapphires & Tsavorites, that is.
Thursday March 04: ‘Zoom’ General Meeting @ 7:30 pm Meeting invites to be sent to members with an email address 1-2 days before.
Sunday March 14: Daylight Savings Time Begins. Set those clocks ahead one hour!
Wednesday March 17: St. Patrick’s Day. Wear your green…Emeralds, Sapphires & Tsavorites, that is.
Thursday March 18: Board Meeting; 7:30 pm. (via Zoom)
Saturday March 27: Passover Begins @ Sundown. A wish for a joyous Seder to all our Jewish friends!
Saturday March 27: Passover Begins @ Sundown. A wish for a joyous Seder to all our Jewish friends!
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President’s Message:Here we are entering March of 2021, leaving winter behind us and getting closer to the first day of Spring on Saturday March 20th. The vaccines are moving along, albeit a bit slowly. I understand a few of our members have already received theirs. I, myself, become eligible for the shot on March 15 and should be scheduled accordingly. We are moving into the Red Tier and some schools are gearing up to re-open. I remain optimistic that we will be putting the worst of this Covid debacle behind us within the next few months. We have been working diligently on putting together our first in-person meeting (once we’ve been cleared, of course) which will feature a hands-on project we’re sure you’ll all enjoy. I’m sincerely looking forward to that day. Until next month…Stay safe and stay well.
Chris Ward, President; Editor
Normally our meetings would begin at 7:30 pm in our regular meeting room at:
Northridge United Methodist Church - 9650 Reseda Blvd, Northridge, CA 91324
However, due to the Covid19 Pandemic, the church still remains closed as of this writing.
March’s ‘Zoom’ Program: Turquoise Mining & Ghost Town Relic Hunting
Presented by: ProspectingChannel.com
Come join Chris Ralph of the ICMJ Prospecting and Mining Journal Magazine for a video tour of his Turquoise Mine in Western Nevada. See the exquisite jewelry made with this fascinating gem stone. Then do some relic hunting at a real ghost town.
Chris Ward, President; Editor
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Normally our meetings would begin at 7:30 pm in our regular meeting room at:
Northridge United Methodist Church - 9650 Reseda Blvd, Northridge, CA 91324
However, due to the Covid19 Pandemic, the church still remains closed as of this writing.
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March’s ‘Zoom’ Program: Turquoise Mining & Ghost Town Relic Hunting
Presented by: ProspectingChannel.com
Come join Chris Ralph of the ICMJ Prospecting and Mining Journal Magazine for a video tour of his Turquoise Mine in Western Nevada. See the exquisite jewelry made with this fascinating gem stone. Then do some relic hunting at a real ghost town.
Chris Ward – President, Editor
March’s Birthstone: Aquamarine
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March’s Birthstone: Aquamarine
Aquamarine’s name comes from the Latin for seawater, and ancient mariners claimed the gem would calm waves and keep sailors safe at sea. This March birthstone was also thought to bring happiness in marriage. Beryl was believed to give the wearer protection against foes in battle and litigation. It was also thought to make the wearer unconquerable and amiable, and to quicken the intellect.
Aquamarine is not only the birthstone for March, but the gem is also given as a present on the 19th wedding anniversary. As for famous ones, in 1936 the government of Brazil gave First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt a dark blue rectangular step cut aquamarine that weighed 1,298 carats. It was the larger of two stones faceted from a piece of aquamarine rough that itself weighed an impressive 2.9 pounds. It is now housed at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. A celebrated attraction at the Smithsonian Institution is the 10,363 carat (about 4.6 pounds) Dom Pedro Aquamarine – believed to be the largest faceted aquamarine in the world. The approximately 14-inch-tall obelisk was fashioned by acclaimed German lapidary Berndt Munsteiner using the fantasy cut technique.
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News of Upcoming Club Shows
The Mariposa Gem & Mineral Club’s show set for April 10-11 has been cancelled. The next scheduled show still on the calendar is the Amador County Gem & Mineral Society on May 1-2, 2021 in Jackson, CA. See the CFMS website for more info. The show calendar will be updated again in April.
Aquamarine is not only the birthstone for March, but the gem is also given as a present on the 19th wedding anniversary. As for famous ones, in 1936 the government of Brazil gave First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt a dark blue rectangular step cut aquamarine that weighed 1,298 carats. It was the larger of two stones faceted from a piece of aquamarine rough that itself weighed an impressive 2.9 pounds. It is now housed at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. A celebrated attraction at the Smithsonian Institution is the 10,363 carat (about 4.6 pounds) Dom Pedro Aquamarine – believed to be the largest faceted aquamarine in the world. The approximately 14-inch-tall obelisk was fashioned by acclaimed German lapidary Berndt Munsteiner using the fantasy cut technique.
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News of Upcoming Club Shows
The Mariposa Gem & Mineral Club’s show set for April 10-11 has been cancelled. The next scheduled show still on the calendar is the Amador County Gem & Mineral Society on May 1-2, 2021 in Jackson, CA. See the CFMS website for more info. The show calendar will be updated again in April.
