agatizer - wordpress.com · 12/2/2016 · agatizer south bay lapidary ... nasa's curiosity...

The Agatizer Dec 2016, Vol. LXI No. 11

AgatizerSouth Bay Lapidary & Mineral Society, Inc.

P.O. Box 1606 Torrance, Ca. 90505Affiliated with The California Federation ofMineralogical Societies and The American

Federation of Mineralogical Societies

SOUTH BAY

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Pacific Ocean

SOUTH BAY

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Pacific Ocean

The award winning

The mudstone indicates thepresence of bodies ofstanding water in the formof lakes that remained forlong periods of time,possibly repeatedlyexpanding and contractingduring hundreds to millionsof years. These lakesdeposited the sediment thateventually formed thelower portion of themountain

NASA's Curiosity Rover Team Confirms Ancient Lakes on Mars

Researchers used Curiosity's laser-firing Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument torecord the spectra of sparks generated by zapping 17 Garden City (Mars) targets with the laser.The unusually diverse chemistry detected at Garden City includes calcium sulfate in some veinsand magnesium sulfate in others. Additional veins were found to be rich in fluorine or varyinglevels of iron.

South Bay Lapidary & Mineral Society

The Agatizer 2 Dec 2016, Vol. LXI No. 11

OFFICERS FOR 2017President Nancy Pekarek 310 257-8152 [email protected] President Steve Karno 310 251-5323 [email protected] Jamie Erickson 310 956-7467

[email protected] Leslie Neff & 310 318-2170 [email protected]

Lynette Vandeveer 310 379-5852 [email protected] Director Terry Vasseur 310 644-2029 [email protected]

STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRFOLKSDisplays & Mary Sharp & 310 326-5939 [email protected]

Donates Kitty Lake 310 377-9882 [email protected] Leslie Neff 310 318-2170 [email protected]

WorkshopEditor Terry Vasseur 310 644-2029 [email protected] Ford Larry Hoskinson 310 318-2170 [email protected]

Scholarship FundField Trip Craig Polliard 310-533-4931 [email protected]

Coordinators Chris Curtin 310-480-4378 [email protected] Craig Polliard 310-533-4931 [email protected]

know-youHistorian Gale Fussello 310 702-3633 [email protected] Jim Erickson 310 640-6199 [email protected] Gale Fussello 310 702-3633 [email protected] Steve Pekarek 310 257-8152 [email protected] Kathy Polliard 310 533-4931 [email protected] Al Richards 310 675-6606 [email protected] Show Lead Nancy Pekarek 310 257-8152 [email protected]

Show Chairs Megan Fox 310 433-3230 [email protected] Neff 310 318-2170 [email protected]

Lynette Vandeveer 310 379-5852 [email protected]

CLUB EXPERTSChris Curtin - Fossil PreparationBurt Dobratz - Fused GlassLarry Hoskinson - Opal CuttingPeggy Hill - Lapidary & BeadsFrances McArthur - Rock & Wire TalismansKen Oullette - Cuttle Bone Casting & Silver FabricationChris LeMaster - TumblingCraig Polliard - Lost Wax Casting, Jade Cove CollectorToy Sato - Suiseki (Stone Appreciation)Terry Vasseur - Silver FabricationTeresita Vasseur - Pearl StringingLynette Vandeveer - Wirewrap Jewelry

MISSION STATEMENTThis society was formed to collect and study minerals; to teach lapidary arts,to disseminate knowledge of mineralogy, lapidary work, and relatedactivities; to exhibit specimens for public education; and to exchangeinformation related to the earth sciences.MONTHLY MEETINGSMeetings are scheduled on the First Tuesday of the month, 6:30 p.m., in themeeting room of the Torrance Public Library, 3301, Torrance Blvd.. Visitorsand guests are always welcomed at all club events.MEMBERSHIPAnnual dues for a single member is $15 and $20 for a family payable by the1st of the year. An annual 12 month subscription to the Agatizer comes withmembership. A subscription to the Agatizer alone is $20.WEBSITE Webmaster Jamie EricksonSouthbaylapidaryandmineralsociety.comPDF READER LINKhttp://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.htmlAGATIZER CIRCULATIONJune 2016 - Dec 2016 90SBL&MS TAX STATUSThe South Bay Lapidary & Mineral Society is a nonprofit501 ( c ) 3 organization, Tax ID # 95-350730

Display & Donate and Refreshments

The Display & Donate (No Display & Donateuntil April 2017)

Drinks: Morgan Anderson

Munches: Toy Sato, Doug Soden

December 6, 2016

Dec AnniversariesSteve & Nancy Pekarek Dec 20Ken & Carol Pauley Dec 22

Dec Birthdays

Peggy Hill Dec 12Carol Pauley Dec 12Nancy Pekarek Dec 18Mitchell Kron Dec 29

January Tuesday 3, 2017Installation Dinner

The China Buffet3525 Pacific Coast Hwy, Torrance, CA

(310) 325-8424$15 for dinner, tax and tip. Drinks are separate.

Listen to the wind, itTalks.

Listen to the silence, itSpeaks.

Listen to your heart, itKnows.

– Native Americans Proverb –



I need to make clear thatcollecting common invertebratefossils on BLM lands is OKunless they say you can’t.Uncommon invertebrate fossilsare prohibited collectingwithout a permit and dinosaurbones are uncommoninvertebrate fossils!

Back in the ‘90’s when I waspurchasing petrified dinosaur bone from Ernest Shirley; Iknew there were some kinds of rules but people around hisrock shop were still busy collecting. There were two typesof bones then. One was the bones of near completedinosaurs, the kind of thing the paleontologists andmuseums wanted. The other one was the petrified gembone that had tumbled in streams until it was almostunrecognized them as bones.

See the The BoneMaster’s BONE LAWS, page 5.____________

Mechanics of Jewelry

It’s funny how you can look atsome jewelry designs andassume it was simply made howthe maker liked the way itlooked. I have seen manynecklaces like the one on theright. Sometimes I wouldwonder wouldn’t it look cleanerif it only had one string insteadof two?

There is a reason. I learned itthe hard way on one I made. That second string in thepicture above prevents the ornaments on the chain fromflipping over backwards. That artist I am sure learned byexperience or by his teacher.

Another common mechanicproblem is with silver cuffbracelets. Opening and closingthe bracelet will eventuallycrack silver at the weakestpoint. I’ve done that one too.

And always solder closed jumprings.

Care of Jewelry

Remove all jewelry before showering, bathing, cleaningusing harsh chemicals, putting on lotion, perfume,hairspray, shaving cream, and other beauty products, doinglaundry, swimming in the pool, or sleeping with them on.

________________

From The Editor’s DeskFrom the President's Laptop

Dear Club Members andFriends

Steve and I wish you a verymerry Happy Holiday Season!Whatever your holidaytraditions may be, we hopethey fill your heart with greatjoy and good memories for thecoming year.

See you in the New Year!Nancy

P.S. It’s not too late to prepay for the January InstallationDinner. It will make the meal more enjoyable for thosepaying the bill if they don’t have to run around and figureout the bill, make change, etc. $15.00 each.

Club dues were due in November: $15.00 for a singlemembership. $20.00 for a family.

Bring your cash or checkbook and Lynette or Leslie willbe glad to help you.

And, be ready to sign-up for refreshments this comingyear.

__________________________

Nancy Pekarek

– Continued on page 6

- - FEDERATION DIRECTOR - -

The Friday November 11, 2016 CFMS Cracker Barrel

I counted 48 members at this 2016 CFMS Cracker Barrelrepresenting the current 103 CFMS Societies on the 2016Roster. Years ago before my time as a FederationDirector; I was told the Cracker Barrel was the warm upfor the social peak of the weekend, the Saturday NightBanquet. After driving a hundred miles or two, clubmembers looked forward to meet old friends and makingnew ones. It was something not to miss and everyone wasallowed.

Today, it seems like the Cracker Barrel has lost some ofit’s shine (and it’s not just me, I have heard that fromseveral other people). I have been to seven CrackerBarrels and every table we have sat at, at least one newFederation Director sat together with us. I also have neverseen some of them come back again.

I’m not blaming anyone but we should all try to make newmembers comfortable (and that means in your club too).It’s not that easy for some new people to introducethemselves when everyone else seems to be chattering ingroups.____________

This year’s entertainment was Jim Brace-Thompson’spictures on agates in Scotland. Jim and Nancy went to

Najavo Necklace

Cuff Silver Bracelet



The Bulletin Board

NEXT MEETING: Dec 6, 6:30pm

BOARD MEETING:

PROGRAM: Joe Holiday & His Students

FIELD TRIPS: See page 9

FEEDBACKLetters to the Editor

ON THE

ROCKs with TV

Tips–Ideas–Questions &Answers, on AnythingRelating to the Hobby(submissions welcomed)

Grape Agates

Botryoidal Chalcedony, aka Grape Agate, ManakarraBeach, West Sulawesi (Celebes), Indonesia is suddenly a

red hot item. Apiece like this one,6” by 3.7” by 1.6”(approximately 2 lb)is going for $400.00to $2400. You mightfind some atQuartzsite nextJanuary or for suresee it at Tucson.

This months Lapidary Journal has a how-to-make a GrapeCluster Pendant written by Lexi Erickson. She has a

Master’sDegree inJewelryDesign andFabrication.

I havewanted forsome time tomake agrape clusterpendant,kind of likethe one onthe cover ofthe LapidaryJournalJewelryArtist’s,November2016 issue.However,the priceytab for the

Indonesia agate will elevate the finished piece beyond anyhope of making a sale.

Unfortunately, we failed to find any red grape agate inUtah that was high enough in quality to put into jewelry.And, I’m not even sure it would have worked at allanyway. The Utah red grape agate seems to have adifferent way of formation when you compare them to the

purpleagate. Theclose uppictureshowsorange redraspberrynodulesconstructedwithcrystallinegrains.

The nextbest thing

might be the local orange agate spheres that Chris Curtincollects in “Agate Valley” south of Palmdale. They havethe same size of wild blue berries and have a smooth lusterlike the Indonesia purple grape. The down side is; theyform in small basaltic vesicles (spherical cavities formed inmolten basalt by expansion of gases) that only hold a fewberries that are usually only partially formed.

The Manakarra Beach, Grape Agate comes in multi colors,the deep purple, pinkish purple, green, and ivory. It isbelieved they are created by living organisms that weregrowing on the coral because there is coral present at thebase of these specimens. The velvet look to the botryoidalcrystals up to 5.5 mm give this specimen an amazing look.

___________________

A couple of my fans I can’t ignore.

Really enjoyed your adventure....and the pictures werereally wonderful. – Shirley Leeson

Congratulations on another great issue! Terry, you are aman of amazing talents. – Grant Moriyama

_______________________

Description: Polski Winogronowy agat (agategrape)- San Rafael Swell, Emery County, Utah, USA

Date: 10 September 2014, 14:30:33Source: Own work, Author: Lech Darski

Purple Grape Agate



2016 Show Calendar

MOJAVE DESERT GEM MINERAL SOCIETYDecember 3 - 4: BARSTOW, CA

Cora Harper Community Center841 S. Barstow RoadHours: 10 - 5 dailyContact: Danny Watts, (760) 373-1309Email: [email protected]: www.mdgms.net

ORANGE BELT GEM & MINERAL SOCIETYDecember 9 - 10: RIALTO, CACity Hall Lot105 South Palm AvenueHours: 9 - Dusk dailyContact: Jessica Pierson, (909) 381-0089Email: [email protected]: http://OBMSrocks.yolasite.com

The BoneMasters

BONE LAWS, 2009

Simply stated, there is a lot of confusion about the specificlaws pertaining to the collection of vertebrate fossils.However, the bottom line, at this point in time, is that, withthe exception of paleontologists and institutions who haveobtained permits, you cannot collect from State or Federallands, period! You can collect from private property withthe permission of the landowner; however, many localpaleontologists request that significant finds be left alonepending professional assessment.

Historically, starting with the Antiquities Act of 1906,which has been amended and revised numerous times, youmay not collect vertebrate fossils from state or federal landunless you have a paleontological permit. In 1974, the 9thCircuit Court declared that “objects of antiquity” wasunconstitutionally vague because of lack of a definition.Part of the confusion with specific laws is that there is nonational policy regarding collection. Rather, thegovernment has left it up to individual agencies to set theirown criteria. The latest regulations from the Forest Servicewere enacted in 1994, but they only pertained to CaveManagement regulations. In 2006, final rules from theBLM, USDA, DOI, TVA, and Office of EnvironmentalQuality became effective. The outcome of this approach ispoor management. While administrative regulationsprovide some protection for vertebrate fossils, the currentpiecemeal policy results in the intentional andunintentional theft of these resources and the loss ofirreplaceable scientific information.

On March 30, 2009, one of the latest iterations of thispolicy, the Paleontological Resources Preservation Actbecame law:

"Except as provided in this subtitle, a paleontologicalresource may not be collected from Federal land without apermit issued under this subtitle by the secretary."

Section 6301(4) defines paleontological resource as:"....any fossilized remains, traces, or imprints oforganisms, preserved in or on the earth's crust, that are ofpaleontological interest and that provide information aboutthe history of life on earth...."

In accordance with 18 USC, Section 641, the taking ofvertebrate fossils is theft of government property.Violators can be fined from $1,000 to $10,000 and jailedfrom 1 to 10 years. Any vertebrate fossil finds or fossilbeds should be reported to a BLM office for evaluation.

You can collect from private land if you have thepermission of the landowner.

________________________

Comprehensive summaries of the history of federal lawspertaining to the collection of vertebrate fossils can befound at the following sites:

•http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/paleontology/pub/fossil_conference_7/14%20Kuizon%202.pdf•http://lawlibrary.unm.edu/nrj/43/2/08_malmsheimer_hilfinger_paleontological.pdf

Now we come to the gray area, the reality that trulydefines the "business" of bone hunting and fossil sales. Onany given day of the week, anyone can walk into severalof the larger rock shops in the four corners region andliterally purchase tons of dinosaur bone, legally! Most ofthis material would probably not be very good "gem"quality bone, but there is no distinction in the lawsbetween "gem" and "junk" bone. This is where I obtainedmy material, by buying it from rock shops throughout theColorado Plateau for the past 35 years.

It is a fair bet that some of this material was collectedillegally. However, with no checks or controls over thisprocess for the past 100 years, it would be quiteimpossible to address past infractions. This does raise oneof the more controversial issues of bone hunting, the roleof the amateur. As stated, amateur bone hunting is notallowed on state or federal lands. In truth, however, manyamateur collectors consider themselves the backbone ofvertebrate paleontology. It is their discoveries, which areshown to local authorities, which have led to many of themajor fossil finds of the past century. The reason thisworks is that it is probable that 99% of all fossils aredestroyed by erosion before being discovered by anyone.It is also probable that most public land remains




- I missed the PlacervilleShow & Convention inSeptember. The word is; itwas a success. The onething I couldn’t understandwas the gold panningwinners were almost allforeigners except for ColleenMcGann. She had nevercompeted before in goldpanning and yet won thirdplace in the beginners class.That’s Colleen, formerCFMS President 2006 -2007.

- We were introduced toLisbet Thoresen (GemArchaeology, Graphic Design, and Communication Arts)our new person leading a PUBLIC LANDS ADVISORYCOMMITTEE-like from the San Diego Mineral & GemSociety.

Just to get ourattention, shetold us the solar-windmill farmscurrentlyoperating arealreadyproducing moreelectricity thanwe can use and

yet, Governor Brown wants to use 22.5 million acres tomeet 50% of the state’s projected energy that will beneeded by 2030. After that, there won’t be any desert landleft for any other use.

We are very lucky to have Lisbet. She went to one of themeetings in September for the Phase I signing ceremony ofthe DRECP (Desert Renewable Energy ConservationPlan). There she met Sally Jewell, Secretary of theInterior (former the REI CEO). Lisbet had the guts toremind Sally what Senator Dianne Feinstein said in a letterabout rock clubs should be able to continue going rockhunting in the Mojave Trails National Monument.

Lisbet said we all need to write letters to show the BLMthat we are a large community committed to universalRockhound values applicable in all public lands. A draftcomment letter we can use will be coming to us soon.More to come.

- A brief look at the CFMS budget, says the two rentalcamps, Paradise and Zyzxx, have been creeping upwardsand the CFMS lately has been running a little in the red.

- No volunteer for a CFMS show in 2018 yet.

Continued from page 5 – Bone Laws

unexplored by any paleontologist. The fact of the matteris, there are not enough professionals to hunt, identify, andcollect the numerous fossils that are currently exposedabove-ground and subject to destructive weathering. Thereis too much land, too many fossils, and too fewpaleontologists. On top of this, it takes a tremendousamount of time, money, and resources to properly performa single dig.

This has not been presented as an effort to supportcollecting. In fact, the BoneMasters advocate a policy ofnon-collection. Only an expert can tell if a remote, dis-articulated find is of any scientific value. The smallestfossils can provide the largest clues. A dedicated policy ofethics is followed; no material is collected from state orfederal lands and no specimens are damaged in order toextract the gemstone inside.

________________________

Scotland to be at their daughter’s wedding. While there,why not find out about those famous Scottish agates.

Jim found a rock shop, a museum, and a short history ofScottish agates but few to buy. He was told if you wantsome, you have to dig up your own or wait for a collectorto die. Scotsmen are proud of their agates and they aresmart. The boom time of collecting Agates was in the1800’s when road buildings were under construction.That often produced agates to pick from the gnarly basaltthe road builders had disturbed. Collecting today iswalking beaches and getting lucky or working hardbreaking stubborn basalt. It was an interestingpresentation.

After that, President John Martin asked if anyone hadsomething they would like to present, ask, or raise about.No? See you tomorrow morning.

The CFMS Fall Business Meeting

- 9:00 am was the call to order, the Colors & the Pledgefollowed with the Invocation and “In Memoriam”. Thisyear I had two members of our club to speak in memoryof Ricky McArthur and Doris Turney.

- The established Quorum of Federation Directors (and orthe CFMS Officers) was 51 out of 68 (total number ofDirectors was taken from the 2016 CFMS Society Roster).

- The minutes of the 2016 Placerville Convention meetingwas approved.

- There was only two delinquent societies this year;the Route 66 Gold miners, Inc. & The Victor Valley Gem &Mineral Society.

Continued from page 3 – Federation Director

Colleen McGann Winner of aBronze Medal at the World

Gold Panning Championships

Lisbet Thoresen




- Last year I handed over the Bulletin Aids to a newchairman. It appeared to be a successful hand over untilsome people complained that they couldn’t get a hold ofhim. (Later we heard that our new Bulletin Aids guy had amedical problem.) CFMS President John Martin and MarkNelson, AFMS BEAC Chair, quietly picked up the job. Tomake it even worse last Spring, the AFMS show was aheadof the CFMS show. Anyway, John and Mark need a bigthank you for saving the 2016 CFMS Bulletin AidsContests.

Our new CFMS Bulletin Aids Chairman for 2017 is SueWebb from the Reno Gem & Mineral Society. Thedeadline for the entries to the 2017 CFMS BulletinContests is January 6, 2017.

- Insurance: Fred Ott, an insurance guy, gave us asuggestion how to be prepared in case of an incident inyour home that would cause damage and loss of yourprecious objects. Having pictures of your value itemsready for your insurance policy company is the best way toget most for your claims.

That reminded me of another piece of advice from CliffDean, former Chief of Police of Redondo Beach (nowretired). We use to go target shooting with him in theMojave desert. One time he told us in all of his career ofinvestigations of home burglaries, the perps searchprimarily bedrooms and living rooms for valuables. Whenyou are away for a while, hide your precious objects inyour garage, especially if your garage only has a car door.Keep your home and garage locked when you are away.Burglars seek the easiest points of entry.

- I forgot who suggested a good advertising technique thatcould bring some new members to our clubs. Give yourRock & Gem magazines you no longer want to yourdentist’s and doctor’s waiting rooms. Take your mailingaddress tag off and replace it with a sticker that says:

South Bay Lapidary & Mineral SocietyYou are welcomed to come our meetingsTorrance Library First Tuesday of the Month

Something like that; be sure to ask permission if it is OK.

- Lynn Varon, Managing Editor of Rock & Gem, isseeking lapidary & jewelry-making articles for Rock &Gem Magazine. For further info, contact Lynn at:

[email protected]

- Long Range Planning (Topics Discussed)* Focusing on expanding leadership* New formats for CFMS Shows & Conventions* Permanent location for the CFMS* Changing CFMS Newsletter to electronic form* Updating a standard show contract* More support for Federation Directors?

Continued from page 6– Federation Director * Earth Science Studies Camps (currently CampParadise & ZZYZX), are planning for permanent facilities

* Create a “Privy Council” of advisors and mentors

- The AFMS Endowment FundNext year the AFMS / CFMS Show will be at Ventura,June 9-11, 2017. The AFMS will have it’s usual fundraising raffle. This coming year they will have a dinosaurtrack in the raffle, very exciting! However, I hope theyhave a good receipt that tells where it came from,preferably found on private land. The BLM is gettingaggressive on illegal excavated fossils.

- One Final ThingI missed place a document that I remember seeing theCFMS is looking into storing almost a hundred years ofdocuments in the Cloud. That could be a wonderfulsolution for all of us. Imagine being able to go on line andsearch any where in your club‘s documents stored in theether (the Cloud) from now to the beginning of your club.That would be fantastic for a Historian.

__________________

The Business Meeting ended but not without a nastyincident. Pat LaRue, the CFMS Treasurer, was acceptingpayment for the dinner at the Banquet that night. She wasat the door during the meeting and had some kind of apouch with a strap where she put the money and checks.Apparently, she took her eye of it for a bit and someonegot it. She had to spend the rest of the afternoon callingbanks not to cash the stolen checks.

______________________

The Banquet

The Banquet is basically, so long to this year’s president,John Martin, and hello to the new year’s officers. Afterthe banquet there is usually a get together in another roomwith cocktails, wines, finger food, and lots of chatter.

_________________

2017 CFMS Officers (L to R) Treasure: Albert Bolshaz

Secretary: Marcia Goetz, 2st Vice President: Tony Fender

1st Vice President: Jennifer Haley, President: Margaret Kolaczyk



TIPS FROM A

JEWELER’S BENCH

Brad Smith [email protected][BenchTips]

LOOSE HEADS

Flying off the handle is never good, particularly if it's ahammer head. The traditional way to tighten a loosehammer head is a bit of work with wedges, but if the headis basically secure, there's a fast and easy way to tighten aloose head for about 50 cents - superglue.

Simply put a couple dropsin from the handle side, letit set up, and then a fewdrops from the top side.Be sure to get the thinsuper glue, not gel. Itpenetrates better.Packages of twosuperglues are usuallyavailable at the 99 centstore.

Note that this is only a safe practice if the hammer head isjust a little loose but is basically secured onto the handle.Gluing is not a fix for a hammer head that has come off thehandle or is at risk of coming off.

_______________________

AVOIDING SOLDER LINES

After finishing a soldered joint on say a bezel, have youever seen it reappear after you've soldered the bezel to abase plate? What's happening is that every time you heat asoldered piece to the temperature where solder flows, theliquid solder seeps a little more into the surrounding metal.This leaves asmall furrowwhere the solderhad been sandedoff flush at thejoint. To get ridof the furrow,youhave to re-sandthe joint areadown to thebottom of thefurrow.

To avoid this when I have another soldering operation tofollow, I try to leave a little extra solder on my joints. Forinstance, when trimming off excess base plate from arounda bezel, I leave a paper thickness of excess plate materialwhenever possible until I'm done with all soldering.

Of course, this isn't always possible as when a solderingoperation will prevent you from gaining access to an areafor final sanding and polishing. Coating the finished solderjoint with ochre seems to help a bit but is not a completesolution.=========================================

See all Brad's jewelrybooks at

Amazon.com/author/BradfordSmith

"Bench Tips forJewelry Making" and"Broom Casting forCreative Jewelry"are available on

___________

9 Different Types of Agate

1) Fortification Agate. This is the most common andrecognizable type of agate. Bands of color formconcentrically surrounding a hollow cavity (sometimesthere is a minimal cavity or no cavity). The name is derivedfrom the appearance of the bands. If you cut one of theseagates in half and look down on the bands, they will appearlike a fortification structure around the cavity in the center.Water Line Agate. This type of agate may also be knownas Water Level agate. This type of agate forms in such away that gravity is permitting the bands to form in straightparallel formation in one direction.

2) Shadow Agate. When you pickup a piece of agate formed in thismanner, you may notice a strangeillusion. When you move the piecearound, you may see a peculiarshadow that seems to move acrossthe layers. You will notice that thebands of color alternate betweentranslucent and opaque. Thiscauses an unusual optical effectinside the stone, resulting in themoving shadow.


Chinese Shadow AgateSnuff Bottle



I found a Lake SuperiorEye Agate that had 27eyes when I was a kid(age 6? ). What happenedto it, I have no idea.

5) Plume Agate. Theseagates have intriguingpatterns that may look abit like ferns. They are theresult of formationsexisting on the outside ofthe stone before the chalcedony deposits grew. Later, theformations fell away, but the inclusions from them remainto mark their past presence.7) Moss Agate. Similar to the plume agate discussedabove, moss agate may have formations of inclusionswhich resemble ferns, trees, moss, or landscapes. Theinclusions are usually formed out of iron or manganeseoxide. These types of agates may not have any chalcedonybands, because the elements involved in the inclusionformations may inhibit their growth.8) Geode Agate. These are related to fortification geodes.They have hollow centers, owing to the silica-water gelmixture running out before the entire stone was able to fillin. Many have agate banding around the hollow interior,like the fortification agates. Not all do, though. There mayor may not be a wall of crystals inside surrounding thehollow space.9) Seam Agate. These agates do not form in roundpockets, but rather in narrower gaps within a rock. Theytypically have rows of chalcedony bands, but are unlikelyto form those bands in a circular fashion or have anyspecial interior.

December 17, 2016 FIELD TRIPAGATE VALLEY, PALMDALE

WEATHER & ROAD CONDITIONS PERMITTING

THIS TRIP WILL BE FOR CFMS MEMBERS ONLY

Meet 9 :00 AM Saturday Dec. 17 , at McDonald's inActon at the Crown Valley exit on the north side of the 14Freeway. Come early if you wish and have breakfast.From here we will caravan to Agate Valley.

We will be collecting boytryoidal/bubbly agate and agatenodules. This time of year be prepaired for bad of weather.

Rattlesnakes should be hibernating, but be careful anyway,global warming may mess up their sleep patterns. Also beaware of scorpions and black widow spiders. Bring acollecting bag and a spray bottle. A rock hammer is oftenvery helpful too. Bring lunch and water. No toiletfacilities except the great outdoors. Wear long pants andsturdy shoes.

DIRECTIONS: Take the 405 Freeway north to the 5Freeway. Go north on it to the 14 Freeway and gonorth. From here drive about 24 miles to Crown ValleyRd. and exit. At the bottom of the offramp turn leftand go under the freeway. McDonald's will be on yourright. From here we will caravan to the site.

If you plan on going, you must let me know ahead oftime.

A field trip "Waiver of Liability" form will need to besigned by each participant on the day of the trip.

From: Chris Curtin, Fieldtrip Co-Chair310-480-4378

____________

3) Tube Agate. With Tube Agate formation, extremelythin mineral rods grow inside the silica gel before the gelsolidifies and the chalcedony forms. Sometimes these rodsremain as inclusions, while other times they hollow out andfill with silica. They are visible as tube-like formationsinside the resulting agate.4) Eye Agate. These agates have a distinctive spottedappearance. The spots themselves may contain concentricbands of color, or they might be one solid color. Cavities inthe stone drain of silica gel, and eventually fill withchalcedony micro-crystals, resulting in the ‘eyes.’

Continued from page 8 – 9 Types Agates

Just Like This One. Hmmm,…it does kind of look similar and it

has many eyes …27?

Carved Agates



South Bay Lapidary & Mineral Society, Inc.P.O. Box 1606Torrance, California 90505

What Ya BeenUp to Lately?

It was a coincidence

The show wasannounced at themeeting and was in theAgaitzer. We ofcourse, were there both

days. Ken Quelleltte arrived early Saturdayand stayed a few hours. Then the rest of themembers arrived around lunch and stayed tillthe end of the day. There was lots to see sincethey now have not only opal but rocks andminerals also.

The Polliards brought Nick and his girlfriendMarcella. They had a blast. Chris and Lisaalso came but it was just luck that they werethere together, and of course Larry and I sellthere. Yes, there was raw opal for sale andthere were more polished stones and somemade into expensive jewelry. They now haveother rocks and minerals and a fun displayfrom the local college. They had manydemonstrators including Sammy Florida whoalso demonstrates at our show and they hadlots of Ethiopian opal as well as Australian.

L to R, Back to Front: Lisa & Chris Lemaster, Leslia Neff & Larry Hoskinson,Craig & Kathy Polliard, Marcella Munoz & Nicholas Chan

– – Leslie Neff

agatizer - wordpress.com · 12/2/2016 · agatizer south bay lapidary ... nasa's curiosity...

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