1408 GIBBINS ROAD, ARLINGTON, TEXAS 76011 Volume 69, Issue 10, October 2014

ROCKHOUND NEWS OF THE ARLINGTON GEM & MINERAL CLUB

Rock of the Month

(350 carat crystal) $3,500.00 Available at The Arkenstone, Dallas, Texas. From Ratnapura, Ratnapura District, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. (7.4 x 2.2 x 2.2 cm) A complete, large, sharp Sapphire crystal from the gem gravels of Sri Lanka. Unusually, it is colorless! These crystals are usually heat-treated, and might turn into a variety of shades for the gem trade in cut stones. The faces, which have moderate to fair luster, are either finely striated or have a very unusual, almost dentritic pattern (growth pattern or etching - not sure). The single crystal is translucent to gemmy.

Corundum var. Sapphire

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CLUB PURPOSE: To encourage the study of earth sciences, lapidary arts and other related fields, and to enjoy good fellowship with those

who share like interests.

CONTACTS webmaster@agemclub.com

World Wide Web Home Page

http://www.agemclub.org

Business meeting and program 1st Tuesday 7:30PM

Executive Committee Meeting

7:00PM on Last Tuesday of the Month

ARLINGTON GEM AND MINERAL CLUB MEMBER OF

SOUTH CENTRAL FEDERATION OF MINERAL SOCIETIES

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MINERALOGICAL

SOCIETIES

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

4 Presidentially Speaking

5 Sapphire

6 Stephen Bennett

7 8

Clubhouse Clean-Up Day

Bench Tips

10 Arkansas Dig Field Trip

11 Lapidary Lab Schedule

12 Spirifer Minerals

13 New Metals for Jewelry

14 Local Area Club Meetings

15 Programs

October Class News

16 October Class Schedule

17 18

November Class Schedule

SCFMS/AFMS Meeting Report

19 20

Area Gem & Mineral Shows

Area Field Trips

23 September Meeting Minutes

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

COMMITTEE MEETING: 7:00 PM LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH

COMMITTEE MEMBERS SERVE AS UNPAID VOLUNTEERS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING TO FILL A VACANT POSITION PLEASE CONTACT THE PRESIDENT.

ELECTED OFFICERS (Voting) President Carl Wells Secretary Marlenia Cohen Treasurer - Finance Stephen Bennett 1st Vice Pres. (Operational/Educational Classes) Emie Stewart 2nd Vice Pres. (Programs) Jesse Baum 3rd Vice Pres. (Field Trips) Billy Harris 4th Vice Pres. (Youth Programs) Janet Gray Delegate at Large (Ombudsperson) Ray Wilkes APPONTED POSITIONS (Voting) Past President (Donations Chairperson) Sue Dale Miller Bulletin (The Hound’s Tale) Editor Gerald Pennington Show Chairperson VACANT Lapidary Department Chairperson Barbara Maloney Membership Chairperson John Crabb APPONTED POSITIONS (Non-Voting) Library Chairperson Jacqueline Chirunga Building Chairperson VACANT Hospitality Chairperson Leslie Wilkes Welcome Chairperson Sandra Brazzale AGMC needs leadership volunteers for constitution and parliamentary procedure; jewelry making; long-range planning, and club history. People interested in serving the club in these areas, please discuss it with President Carl. OPERATIONS VOLUNTEERS (Non-Voting) Webmaster Jeremy Dubhros Sunshine Marge Harrand Newsletter Mailing Lois McCormick Grounds Barbara Poplin Computer/Electronics Technology Torre Quinn International Gem and Jewelry Joyce Speed AKS Shows Kris Galbraith THE HOUND’S TALE Published monthly by the Arlington Gem and Mineral Club. ADS AND ARTICLES Lapidary related ads and articles from members of AGMC are welcomed. They will be placed on a space available basis, first in first out. Include your name and contact information. Send ads and articles to the editor at our web site: http://www.agemclub.org, click on “CONTACTS” (upper right), then, on the next page click on “Hound’s Tale Editor” (bottom center). Alternatively, you can send them to GeraldinDallas@gmail.com.

Deadline date for ads and articles is the 15th of the month.

Arlington Gem and Mineral Club 1408 Gibbons Road

Arlington, Texas 76011 (817) 277-2286

www.agemclub.org

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Presidentially Speaking....

I can hardly wait for the October meeting! It’s our annual Club Auction—an event we always look forward to—and the more people who get involved, the more fun we have. It’s the chance each year to pick up some real bargains, because everyone is invited to find something around the shop or the house that you really like, but just doesn’t fit in with your current passion. So what do you do? You bring it to the club the evening of the meeting—come early-and donate it to the Club!

Also, over time, people have donated machines to the club, and one of the things we do with them is select some to add to the items to be sold. Here’s your chance to pick up something you need for the shop—and at YOUR price!

Past President Rick Litsinger has agreed to be our Auctioneer once again, and I’m looking forward to that. He’s done it several times in the past, and really “knows the ropes” about how to make the event both memorable and enjoyable.

We have added a couple of refinements to the procedure this year. We’ll have a list of the various lots at the President’s desk, and a pencil or two. You’ll have a chance if you come a few minutes early to look over the items “on the block”, pick out the lot numbers that really interest you, and then put a check mark by the item on the list. That way, Rick and the sale clerks and spotters will know which items are drawing the most interest, and make sure we get them sold.

Also, as you come in and register, you’ll be able to pick up the number for you and your family—one number per group—and you’ll be all set when the bidding wars begin.

We’ll need some helpers of course. We need two or three spotters to make sure the auctioneer doesn’t miss a bid; Three clerks to keep accurate track of who bought what; some sackers to keep the items organized for pick-up after the sale (I always try to help out with that but we’ll need two or three).

But there will be more than just rocks and machines. Lots of times people will bring something special they have baked. Chocolate chip cookies always pique my appetite but I’ll never forget the year I outbid Sam Howeth for the biggest tray of Brownies!

And like they say on Pawn Stars, “You never know WHAT’s going to come through that door!”

Another change: We’ll start the evening at 7:30 with the first few items before we have our “information only” business meeting. A quick coffee break and we’ll hit the auction block bigtime. Usually by 9:30 people are about “bid out,” and we’ll call it a night. But before we do, “Presidentially Speaking”---and just between us—it’ll be a real good time!

Carl the President

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A Ruby of Any Other Color Is Called a Sapphire By André Mongeon

From Kitchener-Waterloo G&M Club, the Rockblast, 1/2014 via Rocky Mountain Federation News 2/2014

Ruby and sapphire are the best-known varieties of the mineral corundum (Al2O3). Most people do not know that they are essentially the same mineral, differing only in their apparent color. I use the word “apparent” here quite intentionally, for the color of a gemstone may not always be exactly what it appears to be.

The color of most corundum crystals found rarely exhibit the color seen in faceted stones. Crystals are often opaque, cloudy, and weakly colored. They may contain undesirable inclusions or tints of unwanted colors. Many crystals may be made more attractive by heating them. This treatment can clear up the cloudiness found in many crystals—for example, those from Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. A dull, cloudy gray crystal may turn to a beautiful, cornflower-blue sapphire after treatment. The color enhancement is achieved by selectively destroying certain inclusions with heat, while leaving other impurities intact. Natural ruby and sapphire crystals are often heat-treated, a process usually called an “enhancement.” This is not generally considered deceptive, especially if the buyer is told about it. However over the years, enhancement has come to include some very deceptive things. One such practice is heating faceted stones in various solutions (beryllium compounds, for example) just until the outer millimeter or so melts, taking on some of the solution. The stones are cooled and re-faceted into stones of stunning new (often too intense to be true) colors. Natural colors of corundum are caused by minute metallic impurities (known as chromophores) in the crystal. The red color of ruby is due to the presence of traces of chromium, which replaces some of the aluminum in corundum. If iron is also present, rubies can take on an unwanted brown hue. All other colors of corundum are termed sapphire. Pure corundum (seldom found) is colorless, as it lacks any chromophores. Corundum can (and often does) contain more than one chromophore. Heat treatment can selectively destroy some of them, which allows the ones remaining to impart a more desired color. Rubies with lower amounts of chromium will blend into pink sapphire. The exact shade at which ruby becomes a pink sapphire is rather subjective, but many sellers tend to pass off strong pinks as rubies. Blue sapphire is caused by a mixture of iron and titanium impurities. Heat treatment can make some crystals turn blue, but many turn so dark that they appear almost black. These darker stones are often passed off as blue, but that is usually a stretch. Violet and orange sapphires can both be colored by vanadium. Dominance of iron imparts a yellow color. Green sapphires can have a mix of iron, titanium, and vanadium, but this is not very common. Under a microscope, a green sapphire is often revealed to be composed of alternating bands of blue and yellow sapphire, and thus only appears green. Uniform green coloration can indicate a synthetically produced sapphire—a process perfected over a century ago. One other interesting inclusion in corundum is that of needle-like rutile crystals. Smaller amounts can impart a “silky” quality to the stone. Larger amounts, oriented in three directions, can result in a stone that displays asterism. These are usually cut into cabochons and are called “star rubies” or “star sapphires.” Unfortunately these are also synthetically produced, with the very best (sharp and distinct) asterism, usually indicating that it is man-made. Most natural star corundum has a more smudgy-looking star, increasing in price as the quality increases. Synthetics usually provide stones with nice eye-appeal at a low price, but be careful that they are not passed off as amazing natural stones. You must also keep in mind that natural stones can be enhanced, making it possible for cheap, second-class gems to be passed off as far better than they really are.

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Meet the AGMC Executive Committee

Stephen Bennett, Treasurer By Carrie Baum

Stephen Bennett is the long- term treasurer of AGMC. He also teaches cabbing and wire wrapping and is a lapidary supervisor. Stephen was born in Portland, Oregon, but moved to the Metroplex in time for the third grade. Irving was a very different place when he moved there. He grew up with horses, rabbits, chickens, cats, an Irish Setter, and lots of animal-related chores. He must not have minded the chores too much, for he entered Arlington State College as a premed student intending to become a veterinarian. He also worked at Six Flags Over Texas when it was a brand new amusement park. Stephen’s college education was interrupted for a stint in the Navy. When he returned, Arlington State College had become UT Arlington and he had decided that the premed curriculum was not for him. He ended up with a degree in accounting. This served him well in his 23-year career keeping books for an independent gas and oil company - or maybe companies would be more accurate. With all the corporate reorganizations in the industry, Stephen ended up working for three different companies in the exact same job. He retired after 23 years and went to work in customer care for a Ford dealership before retiring 13 years later. Stephen likes retiring so much that he's done it three times! After his three years of active duty in the Navy, he became a drilling reservist and eventually retired as a Chief in communications. Stephen became interested in rocks and wire wrapping after he and a friend visited the public diamond mine in Arkansas. The mine was not much fun, but they were able to pick up some nice quartz crystals. And what can you do with quartz crystals besides put them on a shelf somewhere? Well, Stephen taught himself wire wrapping. After some time wrapping cabs with round wire, he was pleased to discover that wire was available in a square form. Anyone who has wrapped cabs can appreciate the challenges Stephen must have faced in working with only round wire. Maybe that is why he's so good at it now! An AGMC member introduced Stephen to the club at one of the local gem and mineral shows about five years ago. The member was demonstrating faceting and was very friendly and open, talking with Stephen for about 30 minutes. Stephen visited the club, promptly joined, and was able to get right into the silversmithing program. He's kept busy with club activities ever since. Stephen goes to Quartzite for three weeks every January for the large gathering of gem and mineral dealers that precedes the Tucson show in February. He is looking forward to his next visit and to selling his beautiful pieces at Kinderfest in Arlington over the holiday season.

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Clubhouse Clean-up Day

I am resurrecting an old tradition at the club: Clubhouse Clean-up Day. THIS MESSAGE IS AN ALL-HANDS CALL for 10:00 A.M. on the Saturday before each chapter meeting. First implementation of this program will be on Saturday morning, 10:00 A.M., October 4th, 2014. Common household cleaning skills will be exercised. If someone doesn’t know how to clean up a sink, vacuum a floor, clean a mirror, wash a dish, or other related task, there will be volunteers on hand to serve as instructors. This procedure will be in effect until a suitable volunteer STEPS UP to serve the club as Chairperson of the Building and Equipment Committee. That is the person who will organize members of the Committee to see that needful, routine tasks are carried out in timely fashion. Leadership of the committee does NOT mean that the leader does the work alone, but that a committee is created that apportions the work, gets it done. Clarence Root served as the Building and Equipment Chair when the clubhouse was new and put into service. Most recently, Mike Armstrong did an outstanding job of keeping the facility in shape for both meetings and special events. We all owe him a deep debt of gratitude. Personal responsibilities forced Mike to step down from that role over two months ago. Since that time no one, except for those I have specifically asked about taking the post, has discussed taking on this important and necessary task with me. The best way to show Mike how much we appreciated his service to us is to STEP UP, fill the Chair, and keep our facility humming. The Constitution of the club requires the President to make the appointment to that position. Until someone STEPS UP and I can make that appointment, we will continue to operate under the ALL-HANDS CALL procedure outlined above. If no one participates, we all will most likely be justly embarrassed at the condition of our facility for ourselves and our guests, visitors, and prospective members at our meetings and events. It is a direct reflection of the condition of our organization. I won't be there on Oct. 4 in spite of all this--that's the climax of my 60th Class Reunion, and I will be in Hays, Kansas. I'll try to do my part before we head north--like putting the chairs up on tables to facilitate the vacuuming. I'll find out how well we did on Oct. 6 or 7. Carl Wells, AGMC President

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Bench Tips, By Brad Smith

SILVER DISCOLORATION Working with jewelry involves an ever increasing number of skills. Chemistry is one of them that comes into play when dealing with a discoloration on the metal caused by a chemical reaction between it and the environment. In the case of Sterling silver there are three discolorations we typically encounter: a tarnish, a firescale, and a firestain. Each is different in its cause, in its cure and in its prevention. All three have to do with the metals in the Sterling alloy (92.5% silver and 7.5% copper) and how they react with oxygen and the heat of soldering or with pollutants in the air over the long term. Tarnish is a grayish coating that builds up slowly on the surface as a result of a reaction of the silver with sulfur-based compounds in the air. Typically these are pollutants from the burning of petroleum fuels, but they can come from other sources as well. I once tarnished all the silver in my display case by putting a pretty specimen of iron pyrite in with the jewelry. Turns out pyrite has sulfur in it! Sulfur combines with the silver to form a grayish silver sulfide film on the surface. Preventing tarnish involves keeping sulfur away from the metal. Plastic bags will help, and anti-tarnish strips are available from jewelry supply companies to pack near your items. Tarnish is easily removed by hand polishing with a jeweler's cloth or with one of the products sold for cleaning the good silverware for holiday dinner. Another way is to remove it chemically. Put a piece of aluminum in the bottom of a dish large enough to contain your piece. Heat enough water to cover the silver. Mix in 2 tablespoons of sodium carbonate per cup of water and pour into the dish. Be sure the silver touches the aluminum. Sodium carbonate is the main ingredient in washing soda. Read the labels in grocery and hardware stores. The second type of tarnish is called firescale. It is the dark gray to charcoal colored film that forms on Sterling or other copper alloy like copper or bronze when we heat it with a torch. The copper in the alloy reacts with oxygen in the air to form a dark cupric oxide coating on the surface. Luckily, the oxide is easily removed by dissolving it in a mild acid - generally called a pickle. It's important that we not let firescale form on a solder joint because it will block the flow solder over the joint. Prevention can be done two ways. Most common is to use a flux, a borax-based solution applied to the metal before soldering. When melted, borax forms a thin glassy layer that keeps oxygen away from the metal. A second way is to do your soldering on a charcoal block. Together with the flame, charcoal greatly reduces the amount of oxygen in the area being soldered. In either case oxygen is prevented from reaching the metal, so no cupric oxide firescale is formed. A second oxide can also be formed when soldering copper or a high copper content alloy like bronze or brass. It's called cuprous oxide and is reddish in color. That's why a black looking piece you put in the pickle sometimes comes out red. Problem is that while the black cupric oxide is dissolved by a pickle, the red cuprous oxide is not. The discoloration can be sanded or polished off, but an easier way is to use a "super pickle". This is a mixture of fresh pickle with a healthy shot of hydrogen peroxide from the local store.

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I've saved the worst form of discoloration, firestain, for last. Think of firescale (above) as like getting dirt on your shirt that you have to wash off. Firestain is like getting ink on it. The discoloration is not just on the surface, it seeps down and stains the material. Firestain happens when we heat a piece of silver too hot, too long, and/or too many times. Firestain occurs when the oxides start to build up below the surface of the metal. You generally don't notice it until after polishing. It appears as a darker area of the surface and is easy to spot when viewed under light bounced off a piece of white paper. Because firestain is below the surface, there's no easy bench tip solution. Depletion guilding may work for some pieces. Otherwise, removing it calls for sandpaper and aggressive polishing. A much better approach for a piece that will require a large number of solderings is to protect the metal from developing firestain by applying liberal coats of a firecoat. Regular soldering flux will provide some protection but will not be as effective as preparations made specifically for the task. _____

SOLVENT DISPENSER Frequently I need to fill a small bottle with alcohol, like an alcohol lamp or one of the nail polish bottles that I use for the yellow ochre anti-flux. Often I can't find a small funnel and end up spilling almost as much as I get into the bottle. It's wasteful, and the fumes can't be too good for you either. A neat and inexpensive solution is to use a lab dispensing bottle to store small quantities of the solvents you frequently use. It has a wide mouth for filling and a fine tip for dispensing. You can get a small stream or just a drop or two. With the bottle's fine tip I don't spill a drop. There are many suppliers on Google. One I've used is Carolina Biological Supply Company at www.carolina.com The bottle is Catalog # 716580 Unitary Wash Bottle, Low-Density Polyethylene, 125 mL US$ 5.35

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Arkansas Dig Field Trip By Janet Gray

Let’s see…..so many Crystals in so many Mines, and so little time to dig. How many Mines can we dig in just 3 days? Thirteen Rock Hounds (4 Youth) trekked to Arkansas on Aug. 22-24 and managed to dig in 4 mines. Werner’s had just opened a new vein, and the couple staying next door at the Royal Oaks Inn showed me what they had recovered the day before. I was not happy with them in the past, but decided to give them another chance, desiring to give our diggers the best opportunity they could experience. Since they were not going back the next day, the woman told me where she had been digging to recover some beautiful points, and we found the area quickly. Not the friendliest of owners, but we had fun and collected some nice points. Ron Coleman’s mine was next up. I had been given a tip that they had been dumping for 2 weeks seeding the mounds, for the upcoming Labor Day contest. (Frenzy) We beat the crowd by a week, and all kinds of treasures were pocketed by all. Julie at Crystal Seen had shared a digging tip with us in the morning, and in no time, following her instructions, Janet found a very clear, single point that was about 5 inches tall. Grant and Gabriel tore into the red dirt with shovels, a vengeance, and a plan. Gabriel wanted only clear points, and Grant was happy with all the “beautiful crystals. Both came home happy beyond words. It was so nice to see 2 young men work out a plan, on their own and cooperate so lovingly all day. Gabriel’s Mom, Cheryl moved a huge mound of dirt and very large boulders, and found lots of fun things to look at. Billy managed to collect several crystals, a bus tour down into the mine, a zip line adventure, and a private viewing of a special showroom filled with crystals collected from all over the world.

Anastacia, Jayne, and Diane worked silently and vigilantly for several hours in the 100 degree sun. They weren’t very talkative, but lots of smiles conveyed their message. Fun was had back at the motel washing off the dirt and seeing what they had. The Oklahoma group found their own

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mound and happily found Treasures too. Carol was a virgin Rock Hound, and was exhausted and amazed by the end of the day, but said it was fun. She wasn’t sure yet whether it would be her only digging experience. Robert, who is a Surveyor and Civil Engineer, couldn’t believe having fun was so much work. They happily carted a trunkful back to their flower garden. Their kids, Christopher and Kristen, who have gone with me the last 3 years, are old pros now and delighted in showing their Parents what to do. They got a couple of nice pieces and were ready for the pool party.

Crystal Seen had small yields this trip, but it is a mine that only minimal surface digging has occurred on. It takes a lot of digging to get down to the good stuff. The other old mines are digging with heavy equipment 200 or more feet deep. It was a fun learning experience. All marveled at Julie’s large crystal cross and her shop. What a kind and glowing person.

Lapidary Lab Schedule, October 2014 By Barbara Maloney

10/2/2014 1st Thurs Jeremy 7:30pm-10pm 10/4/2014 1st Sat Ray 9am-12pm 10/9/2014 2nd Thurs Randall 7pm-9pm 10/11/2014 2nd Sat Jesse 9am-12pm 10/14/2014 2nd Tues Stephen 9am-12pm 10/16/2014 3rd Thurs Don 7pm-9pm 10/18/2014 3rd Sat Richard 8am-12pm 10/21/2014 3rd Tues Barbara 7pm-9pm (FREE evening) 10/23/2014 4th Thurs Jeremy 7:30pm-10pm 10/25/2014 4th Sat Val 8am-12pm

Janet, David, and Grant checked out Twin Creek before leaving for home, and into the cost of renting a house boat, for next time to gain access to the crystals that float up in the water. About 10 gift shops were visited, and lots of “good stiff” was added to our cache’. Wonderful dark skies at night added to our enjoyment; viewing stars and the Milky Way. The largest annual dig anywhere, is in October Lots of prizes and fun events. Let me know if you would like to attend it. Members from any other local club are welcome to join us.

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Spirifer Minerals “The Collectors Newspaper”

Check out this fun and informative newsletter found at most Gem & Mineral shows worldwide.

You can check out all (8) editions by copying the following web links: http://issuu.com/spiriferminerals/docs/minerals_1_internet?e=9886759/5609035 http://issuu.com/spiriferminerals/docs/minerals_2_inetrnet?e=9886759/5609998 http://issuu.com/spiriferminerals/docs/minerals-3-net?e=9886759/5609973 http://issuu.com/spiriferminerals/docs/minerals4-net?e=9886759/5610043 http://issuu.com/spiriferminerals/docs/minerals5-net?e=9886759/5609526 http://issuu.com/spiriferminerals/docs/minerals_6_internet?e=9886759/5609224 http://issuu.com/spiriferminerals/docs/minerals-7-internet?e=9886759/5607021 http://issuu.com/spiriferminerals/docs/minerals-8?e=90/8345102

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NEW METALS FOR JEWELRY CREATION, AND THEIR APPLICATIONS TO INDUSTRY. RE-THINKING THE TORCH, AND HOW METAL IS ENGINEERED.

By: Ruth Riza, M.S. Tarrant County College, Trinity River Campus, Fort Worth, Texas This article discusses some of the newest metals for use in industry and their applications to jewelry making. There are new forms of metal that can be turned into complex shapes easily like plastic, but yet, retain the metals' strength and durability, U. S. researchers tell us. Scientists at Yale University recently developed bulk metallic glasses--alloys with randomly arranged atoms rather than ordinary metals' rigid, orderly structure. These materials can be molded like plastic, but still retain the shape without sacrificing many of metals' characteristics. Some materials we will review are: Tungsten Carbide, Newer Cu Ag alloys', Martensite and Palladium. "These alloys look like ordinary metal but can be blow molded just as cheaply and as easily as plastic." Says Yale scientist Jan Schroers, whose team has created a number of complex shapes including seamless metallic bottles, and watch cases molded in less than a minute and twice as strong as typical steel. The alloys are made up of different metals, such as zirconium, nickel, titanium and copper. 1 One of the newer metals that jewelry is being manufactured of is Tungsten Carbide. This is an amazing material, it's well known for its durability and density and is used for many industrial applications, as well as jewelry. It's rare and unique qualities is what allows it to be the perfect durable, beautiful substitute for gold, platinum and silver in the jewelry industry. Tungsten carbide rings are not made of pure tungsten ore. Instead, the tungsten ore is mixed with various binders such as nickel and sinter at high temperatures to create a ceramic (tungsten carbide). Tungsten carbide formulations create durable jewelry with polish and scratch-resistant surfaces. Tungsten requires diamond tooling to fashion into rings. 2

Cu-Ag Alloys are typically called coinage metals .It is reported that some historical jewelry in Peru is made from this alloy.3. Also, Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have found a new twist in this metal--such plastic deformation of two-phase Cu90Ag10 alloy, spontaneously leads to the creation of nanolayers at the surface that reduce wear. The triggering of self-organized microstructures actually improves wear, and improves strength in this material, which makes it perfectly suited for use in industry and in jewelry making. A new shape-shifting metal has been discovered, as reported in the journal Nature, by scientists at University of Minnesota. It is the prototype of a new family of smart materials that could be used in applications ranging from jewelry creation to space vehicles and in electronics to jet engines. It's called "Martensite"; the crystal has two different arrangements of atoms, switching seamlessly between them. It can change shapes tens of thousands of times when heated and cooled without degrading, unlike existing technology. At the present time, Martensite metals are made of an alloyed mixture of nickel and titanium. 4

Palladium is said to be the newest precious metal. Palladium is a naturally bright white metal, and is lighter and less dense than platinum (by nearly half the weight), which also means it is cheaper. Long beautiful palladium earrings are not as heavy as other metals, and won't stretch out the holes in your ears quite as quickly. Palladium jewelry is 95% pure, which means you get more precious metal in your jewelry. And while gold dulls over the years, palladium does not. Palladium is often used as an alloy in white gold. Many designers prefer to work with Palladium, because the metal is more malleable and can be used in very fine intricate jewelry. Palladium has become increasingly popular because people can't tell it from platinum 5.

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Palladium was first used for jewelry when platinum was declared a strategic metal and reserved for military use in 1939. It is interesting to note that palladium is the standard for alloying with gold for producing white gold in Europe. Also, the addition of palladium to gold, increases its melting point, increases its modulus of elasticity, increases its strength, increases its hardness and turns yellow gold white, depending on the amount added. Platinum-palladium alloys are widely used in Japan and China. Chain makers prefer Pt850 because of its softness and ductility minimize tool wear and are also very well suited to the chain making process. Jewelry grade palladium is not widely available, though a few suppliers stock it. Palladium white gold is more commonly available. 6.

At the time of this writing, I checked Palladium prices online, and found that Palladium is about five hundred dollars an ounce cheaper than gold, which surprised me. I also checked with a couple of metal suppliers, on the price of sheet Palladium, which seems much more reasonable than gold. Prepare yourself for a shock if you are a silver buyer. What also surprised me is that in general reading, I found that Palladium was used by ancient (we call them ancient) Egyptians and by the Esmeralda people along the coast of Ecuador in the 4th century CE. Palladium does have its own properties, and is commonly used to make auto parts today, dental fixtures, coins, electronics, jewelry and watches. It would seem that most of us who have been designing in gold, silver, brass and copper need to recognize some of the 21st century metals, and incorporation with our current stock, and also begin some educational reading about the newest metals of the future......our future. Footnotes: 1. Science News 3/1/2011/ also see www.bbc.com/news/secience-environment-24400101 2. My own reading on Tungsten Carbide. 3. www.materials Today.com Elsevier, Materials Today 28 April 2014 Cordella Sealy. 4. www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24400101. 5. www.gemvara.com/Precious-Metal-Guide/pages/v/education/metals/palladium/ 6. www.palladiumcoins.com/jewelry.html

Local Area Club Meetings

Dallas Gem & Mineral Society, 10205 Plano Rd, off of Plano Rd, Dallas, TX, meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7 pm

Dallas Paleontological Society, EMGI (Bldg. H, Brookhaven College, 3939 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch, TX 75244), 2nd Wednesday each month at 7:30 pm

Farmers Branch Senior Center, Rock & Mineral Club, 14055 Dennis Lane, Farmers Branch, TX 75234, meets the first Thursday of each month from 10am - noon. NO FEES FOR THIS CLUB!

Fort Worth Gem & Mineral Club, 3545 Bryan Avenue, Ft Worth, TX, meets the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:30 pm

Lockheed-Martin Stone Steppers, 3400 Bryant-Irving Road, Fort Worth, meets the 2nd Tuesday at 7:30 pm (Note: These meetings may be relocated or delayed due to construction at club site) Oak Cliff Gem & Min Society, South Hampton Community Hospital, 2929 S. Hampton Rd, Dallas, TX, 4th Tuesday each month at 7 pm

Pleasant Oaks Gem & Mineral Club, Garland Women's Bldg., 713 Austin, Garland, TX meets the 1st Thursday each month at 7:30 pm

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Programs – Jesse Baum

October - The Club auction. November - Show and Tell. December - AGMC will be voting and celebrating the end of the year.

October 2014 Class News By Emie Stewart, 1st VP (Classes)

Thank you for your interest in AMGC and its classes. All official class information and schedules can be found here and in the Class Schedule published monthly by Emie Stewart. Information received after the deadline will be announced at the monthly club meeting. Below are some of the new classes coming up, plus important general information about the classes and how to sign up for them. New Classes: Making Wire Findings, Part 2: Carrie Baum will be teaching a continuation of her Making Wire Findings on Saturday, October 18, from 1 – 4 PM. Students must have completed her first class in order to take Part 2. Beginning PMC: On Saturday, October 18, John Crabbe will teach another beginning Precious Metal Clay workshop. In this workshop, you will learn to work with the clay, including torch firing it. The workshop is from 1 – 5 PM, and there is a $75 materials fee due to John by the October meeting. PMC 3D: On Saturday, October 25, John Crabbe will teach an intermediate/advanced workshop in making three-dimensional objects with Precious Metal Clay. Students will need to have already had beginning PMC before they take this workshop. The class will be from 1 – 5, and there is a $75 materials fee due to John by the October meeting. Gold on Silver Pendant with Jurgen Maerz: Jurgen returns to teach another gold on silver class on Friday – Sunday, November 7 – 9. The class is limited to those who have had his previous gold on silver classes, unless you have permission from Emie Stewart. Signups will be at the October meeting, at 7PM in the classroom. At that time, the non-refundable instructor fee of $220 will be due. On the day of class, the AGMC building fee of $72 (24 Arlie Bucks) will be due, along with the kit fee TBD. Wiring Large Beads for Pendants: Carrie Baum will be teaching this class on Saturday, November 15, from 1 – 4 PM. Signups will be at the October meeting.

NOTE! ADDRESS CHANGE: Old: Alec A. Gallia NEW: Alec A. Gallia P O Box 81113 103 W. Martial Ave. Apt. 209 Lafayette, LA 70598 Lafayette, LA 70508-6718

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AGMC October 2014 Class Schedule By Emie Stewart, 1st VP (Classes)

SPECIAL WORKSHOPS: Beginning PMC Saturday, October 18, 1-5 PM Instructor: John Crabbe Making Wire Findings, Part 2 Saturday, October 18, 1-4 PM Instructor: Carrie Baum PMC 3D Saturday, October 25, 1-5 PM Instructor: John Crabbe ONGOING CLASSES: Cab Class 1st Saturday, 1-4 PM Instructor: Ray Wilkes 2nd Tuesday, 7-10 PM Instructor: Stephen Bennett 4th Saturday, 1-4 PM Instructor: Barbara Maloney Beginning Glass Fusing Labs 2nd & 3rd Tuesdays, 7-10 PM Instructor: Karen Cessna Enameling Labs 2nd Saturdays, 1-5 PM Instructors: Sue Poarch & Barbara Maloney Beginning Fused Glass Sundays, 1-5 PM Instructor: Karen Cessna Beginning Chasing and Repousse Thursdays, 7-10 PM Instructor: Marlenia Cohen Faceting Wednesdays, 7-9 PM Instructors: Mike Knuth/Elaine O’Donley/Frank Krystinik/Donna Mallory/Dudley Barnes Silversmithing Beginning Silversmithing Mondays, 7-10 PM Instructors: Jack Spinks/John Alexander/Jesse Baum Intermediate Silversmithing Wednesdays, 7-10 PM Instructor: Rotating; Class Assistant: Sue Bedell Advanced Silversmithing Fridays, 7-10 PM, beginning Oct. 3 Instructors: Emie Stewart/Marlenia Cohen/John Crabb Special Projects in Silversmithing for Alumni Thursdays, 1-4 PM Instructor: Emie Stewart

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AGMC Tentative November 2014 Class Schedule SPECIAL WORKSHOPS: Advanced Gold on Silver Pendant Friday, Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 7-9, all day Instructor: Jurgen Maerz Wiring Large Beads for Pendants Saturday, November 15, 1 – 4 PM Instructor: Carrie Baum ONGOING CLASSES: Cab Class: 1st Saturday, 1-4 PM Instructor: Ray Wilkes 2nd Tuesday, 7-10 PM Instructor: Stephen Bennett 4th Saturday, 1-4 PM Instructor: Barbara Maloney Beginning Fused Glass Sundays, 1-4 PM Instructor: Karen Cessna Beginning Chasing and Repousse Thursdays, 7-10 PM Instructor: Marlenia Cohen Faceting Wednesdays, 7-9 PM Instructors: Mike Knuth/Elaine O’Donley/Frank Krystinik/Donna Mallory/Dudley Barnes Beginning Glass Fusing Lab 2nd & 3rd Tuesdays, 7-10 PM Instructor: Karen Cessna Enameling Labs—cancelled for November 2nd Saturdays, 1-5 PM Instructors: Sue Poarch & Barbara Maloney Silversmithing Beginning Silversmithing Mondays, 7-10 PM Instructors: Jack Spinks/John Alexander/Jesse Baum Intermediate Silversmithing Wednesdays, 7-10 PM Instructors: Rotating; Class Assistant: Sue Bedell Advanced Silversmithing Fridays, 7-10 PM Instructor: Emie Stewart/Marlenia Cohen/John Crabb Special Projects in Silversmithing for Alumni Thursdays, 1-4 PM Instructor: Emie Stewart

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South Central Federation of Mineral Societies and American Federation of Mineral Society Regional Convention, August 9-10 Marriott Hotel Baton, Rouge, Louisiana

By Janet Gray, 4th VP in charge of Youth Activities

Our President, Carl Wells was unable to attend this year, and asked for volunteers to serve as his delegate. I did not know what an extraordinary gift it would be, when I said I would be happy to go. Our own, Dale Miller, will be President of the South Central Federation of Mineral Societies next year. I felt it would give me, and our club, an opportunity to support her, and a chance to get to know her better. I was also delighted to find Joyce and Delbert Speed there and had many opportunities to visit with them. All three are incredible people and we are blessed to have them as our club members. The meeting will be in Austin next Oct, 2015, and in Arlington in 2016. Both are much shorter distances, and I strongly encourage any and all our members to attend and also to support Dale. You will get to meet and mingle with long standing members from 3 states, and Dealers from all over the USA. I was actually dreading the Editors and Webmasters Breakfast. Who wanted to hear about other places boring newsletters? Most that I have seen in my 65 years have been severely lacking. Our Hounds Tale has become quite interesting since Gerald Pennington has begun writing for it, but I did not expect other clubs to be so lucky. Wow was I surprised. Multiple awards, and outstanding features, were the norm with this group, not the exception. When I asked why we didn’t get any, the sad answer was that we didn’t enter any articles for judging. Let’s get some in next year! MANY PEOPLE TOLD ME WE USED TO WIN EVERYTHING, AND NOW WE DON’T EVEN ENTER. I think that like a lot of new members, and fairly new ones like me, we didn’t know to do it. We have lots of members who have served valiantly, but are older and tired, and I think it would be great to have a program or meeting to discuss what the “great club” was like, and how we can get there again. The survey John and Emie are putting together might be a good start to accomplish that, not just to make the annual show better. The guest speaker, Darlene T. Denstorff, the local newspaper community editor gave us a different perspective on why the newsletter is so very important and how it may be used as an historical document 50 years from now. Her Son is an Historian and sometimes the paper offices burn down or are sold or go bankrupt and the local history would be lost if it were not for the Church bulletin prepared by some little old lady in her kitchen. She suggested that technology changes suddenly sometimes, and while it is nice to have your newsletter stored electronically on the cloud, DVDs, and thumb drives, it is also vital to have a paper copy as well. We seem to have an abundance of trees, which are never subject to electronic surges or failures. Hope we have all these in place. My own wonderful David also suggested we have bulletin or newsletter exchanges with other clubs, so we could have examples of award winning articles, and our newsletter available, as a take away, in our show, and other shows we participate in for review. Darlene also reminded us that it is really important to submit feature articles, recipes, and poetry, for judging. They gave awards to children who were 11 & 13, who actually won at 7 & 9 and were remarkably good. Darlene also suggested that we have a Guest Article from someone who is unable to be active in the club right now, or who has moved away and misses us. I thought immediately of Alex. I know he has plenty of time to write, and many tall tales and adventures he could share with us in a monthly article. It would be a great way to keep him involved. I gained many ideas for our show next June from the Louisiana group and got to talk to many children to find out what they liked best. When a kid entered the show, they were given a rock with a hole in it and a lanyard, so it looked like the show badges. They loved them. They also got to dig in a swimming pool filled

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with a variety of rocks to find their special one. Next, they had a handout with fun things to fill out and find. They were encouraged to go to the internet and see what they could find out about the fossils, and rocks they colored on the activity sheet. This was great. It gave them an excuse to barrow Dad’s computer. Older ones were also encouraged to write a report about what they found. The Juniors also had their own silent auction, with treasures starting at $0.25 and increasing by $0.10. They loved it. I know Grant had great fun going to ours. Having one of their own won’t be nearly as expensive for me. The show was delightful. They had all the usual, but also had a tent to go into to see fluorescent minerals. “Super”. Four times/day, they had a table with free demonstrations, like wire wrapping, beading, and use of tools, as well as the usual cabbing demos and showcases during the whole show. They plan to have pre-registered classes every hour next year. I hope we do too. That can be great fun and a good money raiser. The best part was meeting and sharing with people from all over the USA, who do as many as 26 shows/year and are in their 70’s and 80’s. I found 2 kilns that are available for some “horse-trading”, a free place to stay in Memphis, when I go back to Knoxville for trainings, an invite to Biloxi, Mississippi to come and stay as long as I want for free, to play in the Gulf, fish in the bayou, and tell rock hunting stories. He apparently has given out the invite to rock-hounds that he likes, at shows, for a free vacation, and is sad that only 1 person has taken him up on it. I am definitely going to be the 2nd. I love Shrimp, and he says he has tons and tons of rock to look at. I told several Dealers about out show, and they would like to have contracts mailed, so that they can join us. They would be especially thrilled if we could coordinate our show with the Abilene show sometime in the future. Apparently, there are no other shows close to that area or the time when they have theirs. It was a wonderful experience, and I hope I will be able to repeat it at least for the next two years when it is so close to home. Thank you for the opportunity to find many new best friends. My Husband happened to have some rare free time, so he went with me, and we were able to make it a nice little vacation as well. I have wanted to do much more with the youth, but just couldn’t seem to find an “in’ with groups in Arlington. After this trip, I went Tuesday to the Glass lab, and made a “wrong” turn which put me on Mesquite instead of Center or Collins. Driving down that street, I noticed many young boys playing football outside, and was delighted to see that they were at an activity center for the Boy Scouts, provided by the Methodist Church. I stopped and talked to the Scout Master, who was delighted to know we were a few blocks away, and could help them get Geology and Earth Science Badges. They were also shocked to know what free classes we provided for the boys, and that Adults could take classes for only $3.00/hour. Hopefully, we will be having some new members soon. A couple doors down, there was also a Boys and Girls club. I will go visit with them as well.

Area Gem & Mineral Shows Sep 26-28, Richardson, Texas, Dallas Bead Market, The Richardson Civic Center, 411 W. Arapaho Oct 3-5, Austin, Texas, Austin Gem & Mineral Society, Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road Oct 10-12, Dallas, Texas, The International Gem & Jewelry Show, Inc., Dallas Market Hall, 2100 Stemmons Freeway.

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Oct 10-12, Mount Ida, Arkansas, 27th Quartz Digging Contest, AND Quartz, Quiltz and Craftz Show, Montgomery County Fairgrounds, Fairgrounds Road Oct 10-12, Metairie, Louisiana, Gem & Mineral Society of Louisiana, Best Western Plus Landmark Hotel, 2610 Severn Ave. gemshow2014@gmail.com Oct 11-12, Temple, Texas, Tri-City G&MS, Mayborn Civic Center. Oct 17-19, Victoria, Texas, Victoria G&MS, Community Center, 2905 E. North Street. Nov 1-2, Amarillo, Texas, Golden Spread G&MS, Amarillo Civic Center, Exhibition Hall. Nov 1-2, Midland, Texas, Midland G&MS, Midland Center. Nov 7-9, Humble, Texas, Houston G&MS, Humble Civic Center, 8233 Will Clayton Parkway. Nov 14-16, Fort Worth, Texas, Ft. Worth Bead Market, Candera Center, 3600 Benbrook Highway, Ft. Worth, TX 76116. Nov 15-16, Round Rock, Texas, Paleontological Society of Austin, Old Settlers Park, Hwy 29 E. Nov 22-23, Mesquite, Texas, Dallas G&MS, Rodeo Center Exhibit Hall, 1800 Rodeo Drive.

Area Field Trips

Two Weeks of Rockhunts scheduled for October 2014 Hi Y'all! I've finally gotten a calendar together for all the Walker Ranch hunts in October, and the hunts to the Singleton Ranch and East Needle Peak that go on around them. Regards, Teri Thursday, 10/9 Singleton Ranch Monday, 10/20 Walker Ranch Saturday, 10/11 Singleton Ranch Wednesday, 10/22 Ranch Sunday, 10/12 Singleton Ranch Thursday, 10/23 Walker Ranch Monday, 10/13 Off Friday, 10/24 Walker Ranch Tuesday, 10/14 East Needle Peak Saturday, 10/25 Walker Ranch Wednesday, 10/15 Singleton Ranch Sunday, 10/26 Walker Ranch Thursday, 10/16 Walker Ranch Monday, 10/27 Walker Ranch Friday, 10/17 Walker Ranch Tuesday, 10/28 Singleton Saturday, 10/18 Walker Ranch Wednesday, 10/29 Singleton Sunday, 10/19 Walker Ranch Thursday, 10/30 East Needle Peak

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If you're interested in going to the Ritchie Ranch during that time, please let me know, and I'll try to figure out how to accommodate everything… if at all possible. The Ritchie is so close to Alpine that it doesn't require a lot of travel, so we can go for less than a whole day if you wish. I would like to know the number of people in your group, the starting date, and the number of days you wish to hunt at the Walker, as well as which other hunts you would like to go on. The Walker Ranch trips require payment of half the fee in advance. If you send your fee postmarked by September 16, and received by Saturday, September 20, you get a free day at the end of your rockhunt. We'll need to have a minimum of 20 people who have paid their deposits by September 30 for each weekend in order to have that weekend of the rockhunt happen. The price is still the same: $75 per person per day, or $150 per person for 3 days. The fourth and fifth days are $35 each. To send your Walker Ranch deposit in, please make a check out to Bryan Crumpton for half of your total fee, and send it c/o Teri Smith, 509 N. 8th Street, Alpine, TX 79830. You don't need to send me deposits for the Singleton Ranch and the East Needle Peak rockhunts. However, you do need to let me know that you are coming on those hunts. If no one signs up for a hunt, I'll cancel it, so I need to know that you are coming. Also, remember that Rolllin' Rock Club membership is required for all of my rockhunts, and it costs $10 single/$16 dual for the 2014 calendar year. Jacksboro, Texas, Sep. 27, 2014 Saturday, September 27, 2014, this trip is not limited in number, non-members welcome. We will be hunting the lower sections of the Graham Formation, Upper Pennsylvanian. This 300 MYA outcrop represents one of the most richly fossiliferous exposures of marine shelf sediments in the United States. Fossil material that can be found include corals, brachiopods, gastropods, nautiloids and some shark material. You will have to walk a quarter mile across the dam and climb a fence. You will need a tool to pry embedded fossils from the matrix and a collection bag for your finds (a plastic storage bag will do nicely). The park is now charging $3 for people over 12 years old. We will meet at the Jacksboro town square at 9 am. This is a very kid friendly field trip. Acting as Junior leaders will be several of DPS’s very best, Ben Hogle, Adrianne and Ashton Castle. Contact information: Pollym@airmail.net Cell: (903) 916-0083 ALWAYS CHECK THE DPS HOTLINE BEFORE A TRIP FOR ANY LAST MINUTE CHANGES (817) 355-4693 Oceans of Dallas Field Trip, Oct. 4, 2014 We are fortunate to have Dr. Louis Jacobs and Mike Polcyn, of SMU, to lead a Fall version of the Oceans of Dallas field trip, since the Spring trip sold out. The trip will cover the geologic past of the Dallas area. The stops are all Cretaceous marine deposits. The trip is to educate everyone about the local geology; so is not a typical collecting trip. Louis and Mike will provide the commentary and a field trip guide will be provided. A 40 seat bus with lavatory and PA system will be provided. A box lunch and beverage will be included. Admission to the Heard Museum and the unveiling of Mosie (the Mosasaur that the DPS has been working on since 2008) will be included. When: Saturday, October 4, 2014 (8:00am-4:00pm) Where: Brookhaven College BCGI building Cost: $30 per person. Payment at the next meeting is requested. Please email rffarish@verizon.net, if you'd like to be included. Those on the waiting list from the Spring trip will have first choice. First come first served after that. Gore Oklahoma, Saturday, October 11, 2014 We will meet at the Harp's Grocery Store on US 10 in downtown Gore at 9:00 am. Gore is about 4 hours north of Dallas, take the Weber Falls exit off of 40. It will put you on US 10. Harp’s is a few miles north on

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the left. The quarry is Pennsylvanian Age, Morrowan Stage. This is the very earliest Pennsylvanian. What will you find? Blastoids (the real attraction at this quarry) also occasional crinoids, Paleozoic shark teeth, brachiopods, corals and other invertebrates. What to bring? Rock hammer, chisel (?), collection containers, knee pads are recommended for crawling some of the finer gravel areas. Also an insect repellant might come in handy and of course bring water and snacks. Contact: Pollym@airmail.net cell (903) 916-0083. Please be on time because I must lead you into the quarry. If for some reason you will be a few minutes late call my cell and I'll arrange to meet up with you! ALWAYS CHECK THE DPS HOTLINE BEFORE A TRIP FOR ANY LAST MINUTE CHANGES (817) 355-4693 Kids Fieldtrip, TXI Quarry, 245 Ward Road Midlothian TX. Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014, (8am-12pm) You must sign up for this trip. You must be a member of DPS unless the trip doesn’t meet its quota. One adult per family. Meet in TXI at the first parking lot on the left as you enter BEFORE 8 am so we can sign the ‘no harm agreements’. This is the ATCO contact between the Eagle Ford Shale and the Austin Chalk (Cretaceous period). Target finds are marine vertebrate: Cretodus, Ptychodus, Squalicorax and other shark teeth. Other possibilities include occasional mosasaur, turtle and fish material. I would like to remind everyone to wear closed toe shoes (ankle high boots are best). You will also need a rock hammer, hard hat (quarry will supply one if you don’t have one) and collection bags (plastic bags are fine). There are no bathroom facilities once inside the quarry so please STOP AND GO before you get to the quarry. Acting as our very knowledgeable Junior Leader will be Jordan Lee. Contact: pollym@airmail.net (903) 916-0083 Directions: 67 south towards Midlothian. Continue on 67 pass the Midlothian exits passing under Hwy 287 take Ward Road exit, follow feeder road, make left under 67, cross RR track. You are there, parking lot is on your left. ALWAYS CHECK THE DPS HOTLINE BEFORE A TRIP FOR ANY LAST MINUTE CHANGES (817) 355-4693 Adult Fieldtrip TXI Quarry, 245 Ward Road, Midlothian TX. Saturday, November 8th, (8 am-12 pm) Attendance will be limited in number so you must sign up for this field trip. You must also be a member of DPS and 16 years or older unless the trip does not meet its quota. Meet in TXI at the first parking lot on the left as you enter BEFORE 8 am so we can sign the ‘no harm agreements’. This is the ATCO contact between the Eagle Ford Shale and the Austin Chalk (Cretaceous period). Target finds are marine vertebrate: Cretodus, Ptychodus, Squalicorax and other shark teeth. Other possibilities include occasional mosasaur, turtle and fish material. I would like to remind everyone to wear closed toe shoes (ankle high boots are best). You will also need a rock hammer, hard hat (quarry will supply one if you don’t have one) and collection bags (plastic bags are fine). If there are openings after November 12th non-members may sign up for the trip. Contact: Polly at pollym@airmail.net (903) 916-0083 Directions: 67 south towards Midlothian. Continue on 67 pass the Midlothian exits passing under Hwy 287, take Ward Road exit, follow feeder road, make left under 67, cross RR track. You are there, parking lot is on your left. ALWAYS CHECK THE DPS HOTLINE BEFORE A TRIP FOR ANY LAST MINUTE CHANGES (817) 355-4693

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ARLINGTON GEM AND MINERAL CLUB Date: September 2, 2014, General Meeting Minutes

Our program tonight will be a slide show of candid shots from our 2014 show. All of the photos were taken by Gary Howell. Call to Order: President Carl Wells called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm. Secretary’s report - Marlenia Cohen said minutes from last month were posted on the bulletin board, and are included in the Hound’s Tale. Treasurer’s Report – Steve Bennett reported that we are solvent. The Constitution Committee - Karen Cessna reported that the next meeting would be September 17th. They should have something to report in November, so we can vote on it in December. A question from the floor asked, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” What needs fixing?” One example, given by Karen, is that there are no standard operating procedures, or guidelines for procedures. Send any suggestions to Karen Cessna, Val Babineaux, Jesse Baum, or Carl Wells. If you would like a club vest, see Kris Galbraith. Display Committee – Carrie Baum asked us to notice that all the exhibits in the meeting room were lit, so that we could see them during the meeting. Some additional display items were pulled out, so members could get a better look. Our only real traveling display, was a coprolite exhibit. They are working with Ellen Taft, and Nova and Carl Wells, on some new displays. New displays will highlight septarian nodules, crystals, and fossils. The group is also working on a long-range plan highlighting Texas rocks and where to find them. If anyone would like to contribute or assist, please contact Carrie. Classes -- 1st VP Emie Stewart listed new classes:

• Class signup is held at 7 p.m., on the first Tuesday of the month, prior to the General Meeting. Classes are posted on the bulletin board by the rest rooms.

• John Crabb will be teaching Beginning PMC on October 18th, and an advanced 3D class on October 25th.

• There is an updated tools and materials list for Keum Boo on September 27th. • Beginning Silversmithing starts next Monday night. • Intermediate Silversmithing will start on Wednesday September 3. • Advanced Silversmithing will start on Friday October 3. • Jurgen Maerz will be teaching two one-day classes on Torch Control, September 20, and

21. Beginners September 20, and Advanced on September 21. Sign up will be in August. The fee is non-refundable, $75 plus a building fee, and a kit fee.

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• Jurgen Maerz’s class on Advanced Fabrication will sign up next month. You must have taken his prior class on Gold on Silver, to take this class. The class date is November 7-9. There is a non-refundable fee of $220, plus a building fee, and a kit fee.

• The Faceting class resumes on September 16. • Chasing and Repousse will start September 11, Thursday night, 7-10 p.m.

Programs – 2nd VP Jesse Baum – In October we will have the club auction. Please bring in donations prior to the auction. In November, we will have a Show and Tell. In December we will be voting and celebrating the end of the year. Youth Programs – 4th VP Janet Gray

• The next meeting will be the third Saturday of the month, from 1-3pm. • We had a trip to Arkansas on the 22-24 of last month. • We are trying to find a venue for the show in Arlington for 2016.

Building Manager -- Mike Armstrong spent his Labor Day holiday cleaning up our club. Mike is stepping down, and we need a new Building Manager. Please contact Carl is you are interested in helping out. Hospitality – Leslye Wilkes is stepping down from her role as our Hospitality hostess. She said it was a fun job, and that she would help out until we found someone new. Anyone interested may contact Carl Wells. Delegate at Large – Ray Wilkes – Don’t forget to take home your food and throw your trash in the garbage. Sunshine Report – Marge Harrand

• Pat Ross has been hospitalized. • Kris Galbraith’s son was injured in an auto accident. • Bill Meyers’ wife is in hospice. Bill taught how to polish jade in our club. He developed a

product called Rapid Polish. He was also instrumental in our jade project. We had a meeting of the 501c3 committee. Jacqueline Chirunga, Stephen Bennett, Donna Mallory, and Carl Wells will be meeting again regarding our non-profit status. Someone forgot to file our reports, and we have lost our non-profit status. Rick Litsinger was the registered contact. When he moved to Lake Whitney, he didn’t receive any notifications. No one here received any notifications. We will be interviewing CPAs to help us resolve this situation. Membership -- John Crabb - We now have 308 members. Carl also pointed out that John is responsible for the new printer that we have in the office. Donations – Dale Miller – Three donations tonight:

• Joyce and Delbert Speed donated some books and lapidary journals. • Jeannie Fulton brought in a piece of lapis, on behalf of her son Tom Fulton. Tom acquired

the lapis in Afghanistan and wanted to donate it to the membership. • Ed Davis donated some books. • Dale also mentioned that she saw Alec Gallia recently, right after his 94th birthday.

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Lapidary – Barbara Maloney

• They have found a new, old stock, motor for Saw #2. • A Big Saw class will be held on September 20th. • Last month, 85 club members were recertified. • Most supervisors can recertify you. • A new supervisor signup sheet will be out in October.

Old Business – Nova Wells wanted to remind everyone that they may renew their memberships now. Drawings/Raffle:

• Name Badge/Sign In: o Eunice Gomes won a piece of moss agate. o Jackie Pealle won a piece of dichroic glass. o Dudley Barnes won an agate cab.

• Raffle: o Mac Hargrove won a piece of cuprite. o Sandra Brazzale won a pair of earrings. o Brandy Byard won a piece of dichroic glass. o Jayne Colburn won some Rock and Gem magazines. o Grecia Alvarado won a piece of amethyst. o Randy Lantz won a piece of obsidian. o Lewis Hill won a piece of dichroic glass. o Nadira Charaniya won a bottle of propane.

• Sandra Brazzale mentioned that next month, she will be gone, and will need someone to fill in at sign in.

Delbert Speed explained why we have a “driveway to nowhere.” The end of the driveway that goes toward the lawn is actually a turnaround for fire trucks, in case of emergency. Please do not park there during the meeting. Joyce Speed mentioned that InterGem will be in Dallas October 9-12. InterGem is making changes. Dealers will be doing their own draping. Our club will have a booth. However, she is not sure if clubs will have booths in the future. There will be a sale at Keith Harmon’s from 9-5, on September 6th. He has over 40 tons of rock and equipment. It is a three hour drive, but well worth going. His address is 9116 US Hwy 84 S., Rusk, TX 75785, 903/316-2967. The Meeting Adjourned at approximately 8:52pm. Submitted by: Marlenia Cohen Secretary AGMC

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