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HAPPY BIRTHDAY

4/6 Jim Gains 4/8 Pickett Reese

4/24 Bettie Summerlin 4/26 Judy Loveless

President’s Message

Greetings Fellow Rockhounds, April showers bring May flowers or so they say. I think we got the rain in March as everything is already in full bloom. I’ve had to get back on the lawn mower. This month’s meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 18th 7:00 p.m. at the Crump Center. Thank you to Mr. Al Medina for last month’s talk about the Faberge Eggs. It was very apropos during this Lent and Easter season. The time and design that go into these exquisite eggs was fascinating. It was also nice that you shared your replicas with us. I know everyone had their personal favorites. We passed around sign-up sheets for refreshments and drinks for the upcoming months. Thank you to all who signed up. There are still quite a few openings. If you aren’t a big cook, drinks and cups are always easy to bring and appreciated. Thank you Jim Gaines, David and Morning Sherrod for providing our refreshments for last month. Please see Ms. Iris McGee about the raffle tickets for the SE Federation’s week of fun at one of the lapidary schools. The Federa-tion is also requesting donations of jewelry and specimen’s for the raffle prizes. We look forward to hearing from this month’s speaker Joanne Staley and her presentation on unique and original jewelry making techniques. I know many members collected lots of samples at Brookwood. Don’t forgot to bring tumbled rocks, etc. to meetings as we look ahead for the December show. It’s never too early. Chris Rutherford, President

Inside this issue:

Program Corner

Birthdays

President’s Message

1

Meeting Minutes

Article

2

Articles 2

Field Trippin’

Article

3

Articles 4

Shows & Reminders

Links

5

Club Information 6

PROGRAM CORNER

When: April 18, 2017

Where: Mureal Crump Center, 1751 Congressman William L. Dickinson Drive, Montgomery, AL 36109*

Time: 7:00 P M

What: Stone Mosaic Art

Who: Joanne Staely

* Park in back. Enter through single glass door. Meeting room 1st door to left.

MONTGOMERY GEM & MINERAL SOCIETY

THE GOLDEN

NUGGET

REFRESHMENTS Snacks : Drinks:

Please remember to bring paper plates, napkins, and cups. Ice is available at the community

center. It is your responsibility to find another member to substitute in the event you are unable to

fulfill a month for which you signed up. List for remainder of the year:

Snacks Drinks 5/16/17 6/20/17

7/18/17 8/15/17 9/19/17

10/17/17 11/21/17

If you signed up for snacks and drinks for April please do not forget to bring them to the meeting on the

18th. I will get the updated list that night and update the newsletter for the rest of the year.

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APRIL BIRTHSTONE DIAMOND– SUBMITTED BY TERRY FETZER

MONTGOMERY GEM & MINERAL MINUTES

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THE GOLDEN NUGGET

The meeting was called to order by president Chris Rutherford. A second time guest Steve Shanks was recognized along with the March birthdays. The minutes were approved for the February session as published in the newsletter. Iris McGhee delivered the treasurer's report and it was given to secretary for filing. Iris also reminded everyone that membership dues need to be turned in. Terry gave an update on vendors that would no longer be participating and some new ones that might be able to fill in. A proposal was submitted that the club pur-chase earth science and geology related materials to donate to schools and was accepted. David will bring information on what is available from various sources. Jeff Edwards said no field trip for March but did give information on the DMC trip to Mississippi. Snacks and refresh-ments were provided by David / Morning Sherrod and Jim Gaines. Al Medina gave an excel-lent power point presentation that covered a tremendous amount of information on the famous Faberge Eggs that were made mostly for the Romanov family. He included a little about the history and events of this tremulous time in Russian history. He also had some replicas on display that showed the outstanding workmanship that went into these marvels. After the pres-entation the meeting was adjourned. Secretary, David Sherrod

Diamonds, the birthstone of April, are commonly associated with love which makes it the perfect gift for a

loved one. While white diamonds are most common, fancy colored diamonds can be found in various colors

including yellow, blue, pink and a variety of others as well.

Geological information: Diamond is a metastable allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face

-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the con-

version rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at standard conditions. Diamond is renowned as a mate-

rial with superlative physical qualities, most of which originate from the strong covalent bonding between

its atoms. In particular, diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any bulk material.

Those properties determine the major industrial application of diamond in cutting and polishing tools and

the scientific applications in diamond knives and diamond anvil cells.

Read more at http://www.geologyin.com/2015/10/birthstones-meaning-significance-

by.html#XbPv2uVZcrSeKm71.99

Geology IN © 2013-2016, http://www.geologyin.com

During the Gem and Mineral Society February Meeting, David Sherrod facilitated Part I of the exciting documentary entitled “Making North America”. The documentary showed mighty, elemental forces that molded North America, with fiery eruptions, titanic floods, the grinding of great ice sheets, and massive impacts from space all shaped our homeland. The film unfolded in a forgotten world that existed long before our own, crossed by long-lost mountain ranges, deserts the size of Africa, and vast inland seas spanning the length of the continent. During Part I, we watched the exploration of our beloved landmarks like the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls from the inside out as we witnessed the clash of nature’s creative and destructive forces. Hosted by renowned paleontologist Kirk Johnson, this spectacular road trip through a tumultuous deep past explores three fundamental questions: How was the continent built? How did life evolve here? And how has the continent shaped us? “Making North America” reveals the incredible story of a majestic continent. Please join us in our May meeting to see Part II of “Making North America”.

Viewing of the “Making North America” Documentary Film by Dolores Osborne-Hensley

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Mid-Tennessee Gem and Mineral Society

Murfreesboro , TN (Host)

Saturday May 6, 2016

10:00 am until 3:00 pm CDT

Cumberland Furnace, TN

Come have fun collecting slag.

The slag comes in green and blue and some with swirls.

The slag can be easily cut and polished and made it makes

nice pendants, too soft for rings.

FIELD TRIPPIN’

GETT ING TO KNOW OUR MEMBERS BY DOLORES O SBORNE-HENSLEY

Name: Joanne Staley

How long have you been a member of the Gem and Mineral Society of Montgomery, Alabama (Society)? 2 years but I

have attended the December Show at the Coliseum for at least 30 years.

What leadership positions have you held in the Society? No leadership positions (yet), but I have been a guest speaker for

numerous meetings over the past 2 years: “Creative Stone Setting” and “Cold Connection 101”.

What event started your interest in Rock-Hounding? My interest in rocks goes back many years, and my interest was fur-

ther heightened when our third son moved to New Mexico, “...the crown jewel of rocks!" Most recently I have enjoyed learn-

ing how to cut and polish the stones I use, and one of my favorites was uncovered in our son’s back yard in New Mexico—

petrified wood. When we go to New Mexico, I always try to visit "Mama’s Minerals” in Albuquerque to find unusual rocks of

all sizes and colors.

What Inspires You? What inspires me changes from week to week, but I often find images in nature that are particularly

appealing and trigger my imagination. When I find a stone I like, I ask myself “Where would this stone like to live out its re-

maining life on earth?” I ponder how to capture it in an unusual way to give it the honor it deserves. I never forget that many

stones took millions of years to mature and I respect that history. I would characterize my art as highly original, well crafted,

and worthy of a second or third look, not merely a passing glance!

What Mediums do you work with and what is your favorite? Over the past two decades, I have been especially interested

in silversmithing and pursued that passion at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, the Penland School of Arts and Crafts,

and the Savannah College of Art and Design, always taking advanced courses in jewelry techniques and design. Being a “tool

junkie”, I have accumulated many useful tools and specialty equipment for creating "wearable art” in sterling silver, brass,

and/or copper. Some of my favorite metal techniques include etching, color patina, fold hammering, repousse, soldering,

piercing, and setting stones in unusual ways, beyond conventional bezel settings.

What makes you happy? Being a certified art teacher, I have always loved to create one-of-a-kind objects, and to learn new techniques in many different media. My career field, before retiring, was in education. I was an Assistant Professor at Troy University for 17 years and have also been an Alabama Artist in Residence and certified teacher at Montgomery Academy.

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We attended the Dothan Gem and Mineral Show on Saturday, March 18th, 2017 at the

Houston County Farm Center in Dothan, AL. We saw several familiar faces as some

of the vendors were also at our December 2016 Gem Show. Everyone we asked said

they were having a good day with sales and interest in their wares. Our own member,

Gary Chinburg, was there as a vendor and he said as of Saturday morning before

noon he had already done better than his last year show! Our vendors said they are

looking forward to being at our December 2017 show again. The facility was com-

pletely full with vendors and there weren’t any booth spaces available. The President

of the Dothan group, Pat LeDuc, said their attendance numbers as of Saturday after-

noon were already more than last year’s total for their 2 day show. We were encour-

aged by their attendance numbers and almost everyone we noticed were leaving with

purchases. We also found items we just couldn’t leave on their well-stocked tables. It

was fun and informative to visit another chapter’s Gem Show, and if you have an op-

portunity please do so. The Dothan Gem and Mineral Club’s web site is http://

www.wiregrassrockhounds.com/ if you would like to look at it.

Violet Jones and Frankie Boothman

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THE GOLDEN NUGGET

Dothan, AL Gem and Mineral Show by Violet Jones & Frankie Boothman

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International Colored Gemstone Assn newsletter http://www.gemstone.org/

Georgia Meteorite Association http://www.meteoriteassociationofgeorgia.org/

William Holland www.lapidaryschool.org

Wildacres http://www.amfed.org/sfms/wildacres-retreat.html

Al Mineral Locality Index http://www.mindat.org/rloc.php?loc=Alabama%2C+USA

GIA http://www.gia.edu/3954/gia_home_page.cfm http://www.greatdanepro.com/somewhere%20in%20time/index.htm

educational sources for young rock & mineral collectors and hobbyists

KidsLoveRocks.com http://fossilsforkids.com/

http://www.mineralcollecting.org/

FL Museum Natural History (fossils) http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/collections/overview/ AMERICAN LANDS ACCESS ASSOCIATION, INC. (Protecting the Public Lands for the Public; A grassroots 501-C-4 Educa-tional, non-profit organization dedicated to keeping public lands open for the public http://www.amlands.org/

Gemstone List http://www.gemstoneslist.com/

Arizona Geological Survey http://www.azgs.az.gov/minerals.shtml

SMITHSONIAN http://www.mnh.si.edu/

Gemstones International http://www.gia.edu/

Ben Clements Mineral Museum http://www.clementmineralmuseum.org/

http://www.montgomerygemandmineralsociety.com/

L I N K S T O C H E C K O U T

REMINDERS

Please let Mary Belmont or Virginia Webb know if a member needs a get well card or any other communication for which a card is appropriate.

Bring spare rocks, gems, minerals to any meeting in order to prepare for the Wheel of Fortune.

Show your recent acquisitions at the monthly meeting so other members can experience a vari-

ety of different materials. NOTE: the shop can be opened on Saturdays 1-4 by appointment with Leslie Amato.—Call by

Friday afternoon to determine if Saturday is convenient.. David Grant will also open the shop on Wednesdays at 5:30 if you call him at462-7105 by Tuesday evening.

Shop fee :$1 per hour or $5 maximum. Be sure to read your monthly copy of the LODESTAR which is emailed. Member input is not only desired but also needed. Communicate program requests to Peggy

Raines. Tell Jeff Edwards if you know of a potential site for a field trip. Talk to any officer or board member regarding the need for a class.

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ISSUE NUMBER

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The purpose of the Golden Nugget is to inform members of news about gems and minerals along with news about club, state,

and regional activities of interest to our members. Most important, the Golden Nugget provides a way for each of us to share

information about projects and to pass on tips that will help others enjoy our hobby. Unless members are willing to contribute,

the Golden Nugget cannot meet this latter purpose.

Copyright 2016 by Montgomery Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. Except for items that are specifically copyrighted by their au-

thors, all material in this bulletin may be freely copied. Please give credit to The Golden Nugget and the appropriate author.

Meetings of the Montgomery Gem & Mineral Society are held every 3nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Mureal

Crump Adult Center, 1751 Congressman William L. Dickinson Drive (U.S. 231), Montgomery, AL 36109. The annual gem

show replaces the December meeting. Anyone interested in gems and minerals is invited to attend. Field trips, workshops, and

classes are held at various locations. These are announced at monthly meetings. Membership dues are $15.00 for individuals

and $20.00 for families residing in the same household.

The Montgomery Gem & Mineral Society is a member of the Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. and the

American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have ex-

pressed a prior interest in receiving this information.

General Information

MONTGOMERY GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY

Club Officers for 2016 President: Chris Rutherford 334-372-2507 1st VP/Programs Committee: Delores Osborne-Hensley 2nd V P/Field Trips: Jeff Edwards 312-0572 Secretary: David Sherrod 201-4460 Treasurer: Iris McGehee 262-7275 Directors: Chris Evey and Leslie Amato Board meetings are at 6:30 pm immediately before the monthly meetings.

THE GOLDEN NUGGETTHE GOLDEN NUGGET

Official Voice of the Montgomery Gem &

Mineral Society, Montgomery AL

Therese P. Frank, Editor

The Golden Nugget

17 Glenview Street

Montgomery, AL 36110

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