agatizer - wordpress.com...2016/01/02 · the agatizer 2 jan 2016, vol. lxi no. 1 officers for 2016...

The Agatizer Jan 2016, Vol. LXI No. 1

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

LAP

IDA

RY

MIN

ER

AL

&

SOCIETY

Pacific Ocean

SOUTH BAY

LAP

IDA

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MIN

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AL

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SOCIETY

Pacific Ocean

The award winning

Jade Designs

South Bay Lapidary & Mineral Society

The Agatizer 2 Jan 2016, Vol. LXI No. 1

OFFICERS FOR 2016President Nancy Pekarek 310 257-8152 [email protected] President Mattia Corbo 310 328-2762 [email protected] (Temp) Gale Fussello 310 702-3633 [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 Larry Hoskinson 310 318-2170 [email protected] Leslie Neff 310 318-2170 [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]

Director2016 Show Leslie Neff & 310 318-2170 [email protected]

Chairs Larry HoskinsonTransportation

Manager

CLUB EXPERTSChris Curtin - Fossil PreparationBurt Dobratz - Fused GlassLarry Hoskinson - Opal CuttingPeggy Hill - Lapidary & BeadsKen Oullette - Cuttle Bone Casting & Silver FabricationChris LeMaster - TumblingRicky McArthur - Inlay (Intarsia)Ken Pauley - Zeolite MineralsCraig Polliard - Lost Wax Casting, Jade Cove CollectorToy Sato - Suiseki (Stone Appreciation)Terry Vasseur - Silver Fabrication

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.WEBSITEWebmaster: Roger Mills palosverdes.com/sblapPDF READER LINKhttp://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.htmlAGATIZER CIRCULATIONJune 2015, 99 - Dec 2015 97

SBL&MS TAX STATUSThe South Bay Lapidary & Mineral Society is a nonprofit501 ( c ) 3 organization, Tax ID # 95-350730

Display & Donate and Refreshments

February

Display & Donate: What I Found at Quartzsite

Drinks: ???

Munches: ???

January

Installation Meeting

The China Buffet3525 Pacific Coast Hwy, Torrance, CA

(310) 325-8424Tuesday January 5, 2016

6:30pm

Jan Anniversaries

None

Jan Birthdays

Susanna Hill Jan 9Leslie Neff Jan 14Al Richards Jan 22

New Year's Resolutions

Lose weight, Stay in touch, Quit smoking,Save money, Cut your stress,Volunteer,Go back to school, Cut back on alcohol



How much cutting oil should youput in your lapidary rock saw’sbilge box? Damned if I know,but I bet the guys at DiamondPacific do.

They suggest at a minimum, theoil level should cover thediamond ring on the diamondsaw blade and at most, a fractionof an inch above the diamond

ring. Going beyond that, excess oil can become a drag onthe blade and the motor.______________________

There’s an abundance ofCalifornia nephrite jadeand a scarcity oflapidaries cutting andcarving jade.Equipment required tostart carving isminimum; diamond bits,a high speed hand piece,and a home made waterstream to keep thediamond bits cool.

A fellow named Danny on“The Carving Path” cameup with an clever waterspray made from a gardensprayer. The nice thing aboutthis water system is that youhave precise control of yourwater flow. He found overthe years that you need anextremely small amount ofwater on most everything, thusyou keep yourself far dryer usingthis setup over a large water flow.

And the high speed hand tool canbe an inexpensive Dremel tool tostart with._____________

By the way, most of the brightgreen jade on the cover isprobably jadeite, hard to find andpricey when you do find some.The darker pieces are likelynephrite, prolific and cheap. The value of nephrite dependson the skill of the carver.

_____________________________________

From The Editor’s DeskTerry Vasseur

FEDERATION DIRECTOR

CHANGE TO BYLAW REGARDINGPAYMENT OF DUES AND INSURANCE!

This is important...Please read and heed!!!

a-Dues for continued membership in the CFMS arepayable on January 1 of each year and are delinquent ifnot paid by March 1.

b-Following March 1 the Federation Executive Secretaryshall notify each delinquent Societv in writing that if thedues & insurance payment is not post marked by April 1.they must pay a $50 late fee. Any payments postmarkedafter April 1 that do not include the late fee will bereturned to the Societv.

c-Any Society that has not paid renewal dues bySentember 30 shall be dropped from the rolls of theFederation effective October 1 and shall be notifiedin writing by the Federation Executive Secretary.

d-Once a Society has been dropped from the Federation,they may not participate in Federation activities, shall notreceive regular mailings and shall not be covered under theFederation's insurance program for any activities(including field trips) and no additional benefits of theFederation's insurance program (Certificate of lnsurance,Additional Insured Endorsements, Directors and OfficersLiability Coverage, Properfy/Premises insurance coverage)may be afforded.

f-Any Societv that has not paid renewal dues bySeptember 30 must reapply for membership in theFederation and pay the additional $250 application feeand any money the CFMS has paid on their behalfwhen they dropped out must be reimbursed to theCFMS before reinstatement.

Changes were approved at the recent Fall BusinessMeeting in Visalia.

A form to use when paying your dues/insurance isincluded in this newsletter. Make certain that this is givento your treasurer. The membership count is based onthe number of persons in your organization as of12/31/2015 whether or not they have naid dues for2016. If you have questions or concerns please contact meat [email protected]. Email is preferred for ease ofcontact. I do not use voice mail on my home phone.

_____________________



– Continued on page 7

The Storm Jade Mine

(Taken from Lara Hartley’s article and photos about a 4wheel drive trip to the Barry Storm Jade Mine.)

Ever heard of Barry Storm or his Jade Mine in JoshuaTree National Park? No? Me neither until I happened tostumbled on an off road trip article while I was searchingfor some California jade locations.

California Jade, mostly nephrite, is found in severalplaces. It has to do with subduction along the Pacific andNorth American techtonic plates. I think the people whopromoted California’s Gemstone probably should havemade it jade, instead of benitoite which is pretty whenfaceted but rather rare and only found in one place wherethe state would like to keep you out of there.

Anyway, I think it would be an interesting road trip tothe Storm Jade Mine, even though the jade is said to beof a low-grade. I would still like to have a specimen formy collection.

To get to the Barry Storm jade mine you have to take theBlack Eagle Mine road. According to Lara’s article, thethe first time she tried (some time before 2009) to gothere, the road was so torn up she had to turn around andleave, even though she had a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Thesecond time with two vehicles, she was surprised theroad was fixed. They still say it is wise to go with 4-wheel drive and at least two vehicles.

Barry Storm - The Author & Minerby Jim Bremner

Off the Black Eagle Mine Road & On Foot to the Storm Jade Mine

Born June 4, 1910 in thestate of Washington, BarryStorm’s given name wasJohn G. Climenson. It’sunknown where he attendedschool, but it appears that hegraduated from high school.Moving to Arizona in the1930s, he worked at odd jobsand as a part time reporter.

Climenson explored thedeserts around Phoenix,Arizona, and was particularlyinterested in the SuperstitionMountains. He was fascinated by the history of the earlyminers from Mexico. He met Barry Goldwater (Arizona USSenator 1969 – 1987), who also liked to spend time hikingand photographing the deserts, and they went on trips to theSuperstition Mountains together. Barry Goldwater wouldlater publish John’s first book, Trail of the Lost Dutchman,in 1939. John Climenson was then 29 years old. He createdthe pen name Barry Storm, and this became his new identity.

Many of the photos published in his first book were taken byBarry Goldwater. Trail of the Lost Dutchman covered thehistory of the Peralta family and their gold discovery in themountains near Phoenix. It also presented the story of JacobWaltz, a German who migrated to the area, prospected, andfound a rich gold deposit.

In 1943, while still living in the Phoenix area, Storm enlistedin the Army to help fight World War II. In his spare time, hecontinued to refine his thoughts and his research on themining activity that had taken place in the SuperstitionMountains. In 1945 he published his most important book,Thunder Gods Gold. That same year, Storm wrote severalarticles for Desert Magazine based on information from hisbooks. An inveterate researcher, he would continuouslyupdate and append the information in his books and publisha new edition from time to time.

While looking for a lost gold mine in the area east of what isnow Joshua Tree National Park, he stumbled upon a jadedeposit. Barry built a tiny cabin for $150, and lived at themine from 1956 until at least 1968, calling it his ChiriacoRanch. Storm was convinced the mine was the source of theMayan jade, whose origins at the time had not been found.The biggest "nugget" of jade he found weighed 450 pounds;he broke it up and sold it in small pieces in the TwentyninePalms area.

Barry Storm died at the Long Beach VA hospital on May 18,1971, and is buried at the Los Angeles National Cemetery.After his death, the mystery of the location of the jade quarrythat the ancient Mayan kings mined was solved. Harvard'sPeabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology identified



The Bulletin Board

NEXT MEETING: January 5

BOARD MEETING:

PROGRAM: NA

INSTALLATION MEETING: Jan 5,2016The costs are $15.50 if you are a youngster -under 62 and $14.50 if you are over. Thiscovers dinner, tax and tip. Any drinks will bepaid by the drinker that night.

FIELD TRIPS: See Page 7

FEEDBACKLetters to the Editor


ON THE

ROCKs with TV

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

How To Carve Jade

Today as in ancient times, jade carving is a painstaking andexacting art form and care must be taken not to shatter thestone or make wasteful cuts. A carver first needs to studythe heart of the stone; to see where its strengths lie in termsof color, clarity and patterning, then work to illuminate thebest of those elements within a piece.

At MOUNTAIN JADE, boulders are sawn into blocks, andthen slabs of varying thickness using diamond saws. Whenthe shape of the finished object is decided, a template ismarked on the stone then a small trim saw is employed tocut the rough shape. Next a grinding wheel is utilized topre-form the shape before it goes to the carvers benchwhere a high speed air tool running at 80,000 RPM slowlyforms the final shape. Pre-polishing is done on a diamondcloth wheel whilst increasingly finer grades of sand paperand a buffing machine bring the finished item to nephriteswell know gleaming luster.

It is a very time consuming process, and a single carving,depending on its intricacy, can take anywhere from half aday, to an entire day to complete. With the more complexdesigns, like a hei tiki for instance, it can take between twoto four days to complete. You are collecting somethingtruly special.

Cutting jade

Some varieties of jade are so hard that a single cut can takean entire day to make. Softer varieties of jade can be cut alot quicker with multiple cuts being made in an hour. It isnot until the block of jade is cut, and the slabs can beviewed that the value of the jade is truly revealed. Hiddenfractures can be exposed, and the color can changethroughout the block.

Grinding jade

The slab of stone dictates what can be done with it. Whatdesigns can be carved from it, how far the intricacy of thedesign can be pushed. Once the design has been chosen,and drawn onto the stone, it is carved on the grinder. Thiswheel is diamond impregnated, and is used to preform thedesign, giving it the first hints of 3-dimensionality.

Air Tool Carving Jade Holding the handpiece is tactile, andacts as an extension of the carver’s hand. It is integral inthe carving process. Running at 80,000 rpm it carves fast.

Hi Terry,

Two things, first the Historian's files for the CFMS andAFMS were in my possession for MANY years, recentlywith the scare of having major surgery and the possibilityof moving out of the state, I asked the ExecutiveCommittee to find a safe, dry place for the all the records Iand accumulated over the years....in both the CFMS andAFMS earlier records had been lost, and it was difficult toobtain duplicates, at one point the AFMS put all their'paper' on micro fisch, gave out three copies and thenpromptly lost them.... I didn't want this to happen again. Istill have half a garage full of magazines, from the earlyGems and Minerals, Rock & Gems, Lapidary Journals andeven earlier the Mineralogist.... the boxes will go to thestorage locker in a second wave of moving sometime inDec or Jan. I wish a club had the space for these so theycould be put to use as a wonderful collection of references,but that's doesn't seem the case. So they will sit there andwait for answers....

Second, I have a whole exhibit case of the pseudo-coprolites from Washington....Many people enjoyedcollecting them on the river bank during the 1970s, 80s,and 90s and I bought many interesting ones from dealersand individuals....they are fun to show children at the gemshows. I also have them from other areas of the world.... aswell as real dino poop and other rare and exoticcoprolites....

Thanks for an always informative newsletter....

Shirley Leeson,former CFMS/AFMS Historian, now retired

_____________________



2016 QUARTZSITE SHOWS

January 9, Hi Jolly Parade sponsored by the VFW

January 02 - January 15, Prospectors Panorama

January 01 - February 28, Desert Gardens -Gem &Mineral

January 01 - January 10, Tyson Wells Rock & GemShow

January 15 - February 24, Tyson Wells Sell-A-Rama

January 16 - January 24, Big Tent Sports, Vacation& RV Show

January 20 - January 24, Pow Wow - Gems, minerals& jewelry

January 29 - February 7, Tyson Wells Arts andCrafts

Continued from page 5 – On the Rocks

Depending on the design there over 80 differently shapeddiamond ‘burrs’, that can be used to remove the internal,negative space of the design.

____________________________________

Every once and a while a new lapidary tool enters on stagewith a new take on the age old way of grinding andpolishing rocks for jewelry.

Technology in lapidary started with the Germans and theirgiant grind stones turned by water wheels to grind andpolish agates. Then came silicon carbide wheels turned byelectric motors that opened lapidary to hobbyists in clubswith shops stocked with industrial sized machines. Andfinely, wheels plated with diamonds came to hobbyistssome 43 years ago. They could be purchased for home useand the diamond abrasion speeded up the process ofmaking cabochons. Since then, there have been manyminor changes refining lapidary machines and reducingtheir costs.

The most recent new technology in lapidary machinescomes to us as the JOOLTOOL. It has been out for awhile. I remember seeing an earlier cylindrical bodymodel in the 2014 year Rio Grande catalog but I didn’t paymuch attention to it. The newest JOOLTOOL by Anie hasa more robust look.

Anie Piliguian, ourpresenter, told us shestarted cutting andpolishing stones at the ageof 14. She has grown upworking as a fine jeweler,gemologist, and designer.Her LinkedIn profile saysshe started making her own

– – December Presentation – –

The JOOLTOOL by AnieA Multi-Functional Sharpener, Polisher, Grinder, &

Lapidary

tools at a young age to make work easier and faster. Self-Made Inventor/Entrepreneur, TV host/personality, andJoolTool class instructor.

What I find interesting about the JOOLTOOL is, 3M (theadhesive folks) must have come up with a new way ofsecurely bonding diamonds on pads such that you canactually see the larger diamonds in circular spots thatapparently don’t come off under stress. That makes themvery aggressive and cool even without water. Plasticholders of the diamond pads are designed to act like a fancooling the stone and the pad.

My Genie doesn't cut as aggressive as the JOOLTOOLbecause Diamond Pacific’s wheels have their diamondsmixed in metal plate on steel wheels. Plated or sinteredtechnologies makes only a fraction of the diamondsexposed for grinding and they require water to cool thembecause of the continuous friction from the smooth metalsholding the cutting diamonds.

The JOOLTOOL, a workshop in a box and a perfecttraveler is designed to grind stones, sharpen tools, polishmetal & rocks, and more which makes it very interesting,particularly for people who want to get into the lapidaryand jewelry making hobby. However, it is sounconventional and a bit pricey; I think I would want to getsome hands-on-time before I pull out the check book.

____________________



TIPS FROM A

JEWELER’S BENCH

Brad Smith [email protected][BenchTips]

DEPTH GAUGE FORDRILLING

Sometimes you need todrill a number of holes allto the same depth. Onequick and easy way to dothis is to wind some tapearound the drill bit so thatthe tape just touches thepart surface when the holeis deep enough.

You can set the depth either by measuring from the tip ofthe drill to the tape or by drilling to the correct depth,leaving the bit in the hole, and wrapping tape around thebit at the surface level.

Note that a little extra tape left free on the end will blowaway debris from the drilling.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

CUTTING A BOLT

Whenever you have to cut a threaded bolt shorter, it's oftendifficult to get the nut tothread back onto it. Andthe smaller the bolt, themore difficult it is torestore any distortedthreads. The problem iseasily solved with the useof a nut. Here's how I doit.

First, screw a nut onto the bolt before cutting it. Grip thebolt by the threaded section that is to be sawed off. Thensaw the bolt to the desired length, taper the end withsandpaper or file, and unscrew the nut from the bolt.

Unscrewing the nut over the freshly cut end of the bolt willstraighten out any damage that sawing and filing did to thethreads. Gripping thebolt by the piece to be sawed offlocalizes any crushing damage to the piece that will bethrown away.=========================================

"Bench Tips for Jewelry Making" and"Broom Casting for Creative Jewelry"are available on Amazon

_____________________

Upcoming Field TripsFrom Field Trip Co-Chair: Chris Curtin

January & February 2016

For January there will be no official field trip, but therewill be the annual unofficial trip/trips to Quartzite, AZ tofind treasures hidden on seller's tables and in their buckets.

On February 13, we will be going to Agate Valley south ofPalmdale weather and road conditions permitting, tocollect bubbly (botryoidal) agate and agate nodules. Wewill meet at McDonalds in Acton at 8:00 AMand then caravan to the collecting site.

If you plan on going, you must notify me. Thanks,Chris Curtin, 310-480-4378.

__________________________

several jade mines in the Motagua River Valley in Guatemalain the 1970s that are now believed to be the previouslyelusive source of the Mayan’s jade. Those that knew Stormsaid he presented the facts to his best knowledge, and workedvery hard to get the information correct. In his late 50s whileliving at his jade mine, he may have started to become a littleparanoid as a result of his dealings with the Hollywoodpeople and their questionable connections, and his isolation.Some people felt he became a little crazy.

Barry Storm & The Jade Mine

In the middle of nowhere with the sun boiling your brain,you’re bound to see strange things. It is said that Storm sawseveral flying disc crafts that shined a beam of light on themountain slope where he later staked the claim.

Continued from page 4 – Barry Storm - Author & Miner


An Imaginative Photoshop of Barry’s Illusions



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

Practice Any Art

“Practice any art, no matter how well or badly, not toget money and fame but to experience becoming, to findout what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.”

Kurt Vonnegut

What a fantastic quote! And what an opportunity lapidaryand mineral clubs offer; the art of turning rocks intogemstones and gemstones into jewelry.

What is pitiful is so few members practice any art at alltoday. And even fewer display and or enter into contests;particular contests with rules that are as clear as AncientEgyptian Hieroglyphics.

Just how should art be judged? In the world of Juried ArtCompetitions here is their Judging Criteria:

1. Interpretation (explaining the meaning of something) andthe clarity of the theme to the viewer.

2. Creativity and originality of the depicted theme.

3. Quality of artistic composition and overall designbased on the theme.

4. Overall impression of the art.

5. Sloppiness is rejected.

Continued from page 7 – Barry Storm & Jade Mine

______________________

The Barry Storm Jade Mine

The Orange/Brown Crust Hides the Green Jade Within

agatizer - wordpress.com...2016/01/02 · the agatizer 2 jan 2016, vol. lxi no. 1 officers for 2016...

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