1

Greetings, Rock Hounds: I hope everyone is enjoying this great weather as much as we are. It was

good to see fellow members at the Hogg mine dig. I was so excited to find a small blue aquamarine shard. David did a free form cab with it and I have already made a silver ring from it that I love wearing. It was a perfect day for digging and David had to pull me away as usual. I think there were only two hardcore hounds there when we left. We also found some nice rose quartz pieces and a couple of yard rocks for the flower garden. Jeff and Chris found a couple of nice beryl specimens and Linda found her first one as well. Michael Amato found a really gemmy aqua piece that looks like it could facet a nice stone.

David and I worked hard getting ready for the Art in the Park show in Foley May 9 and 10. This was the last one until October - so we should be able to schedule more workshops soon. Speaking of workshops, the SFMS sponsored class at William Holland is June 7 thru 12. I'll be there taking channel work from Dave Wayment and hope to see Frankie and Violet there for the wire wrap class.

I'll have the recipe for the layered dip at the next meeting as promised. I would also like to thank everyone for the great attendance at the meetings so far this year; keep up the enthusiasm. Hope to see everyone May 19th. Until then, keep on rocking.

President, Morning Sherrod

Inside this issue:

Program Corner

Birthdays

President’s Message

1

Meeting Minutes

The Yard Rock

2

Hogg Mine Pics

TroyFest Experience

3

May Birthstone 3

Sparkle at Wedding

Brad’s Bench Tips

4

Shows & Reminders

Links

5

Club Information 6

PROGRAM CORNER

When: May 19, 2015

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

Time: 7:00 P M

What: Unknown at Time of Printing

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

MONTGOMERY GEM & MINERAL SOCIETY

THE GOLDEN

NUGGET MAY, 2015

15-05

REFRESHMENTS Drinks: BETTY & JAMES ANDERSON Snacks: LESLIE AMATO

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

ter. 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:

drinks snacks JUNE 16 MIKE BERKMAN LINDA GRIEBEL JULY 21 MARY LOU MCHUGH IRIS MCGEHEE

AUGUST 18 CHRIS EVEY FRANKIE BOOTHMAN & VIOLET JONES

SEPTEMBER 15 CRYSTIE WILLIARD THERESE FRANK OCTOBER 20 SUZANNE LOWERY CANDY RUTHERFORD NOVEMBER 17 JEANETTE RITCH SHARON ERVIN & DAWN SULLIVAN

HAPPY MAY BIRTHDAY

1 Lynn Stauch 5 Glenda Ainsworth

21 Haley Jones 25 Iris McGehee

25 Morning Sherrod 31 Jeff Edwards

2

It has been my experiences over the years that geologists (and I include rock hounds in that category now too) can be divided into two types: Those who have more rocks inside their home than they do in the eroded goat path they call a driveway Those who have manicured landscapes that rival the finest gardens of European aristocrats. The latter type of rock collectors are always on the hunt for a prized and elusive specimen, the Yard Rock. The Yard Rock may be overlooked by some collectors as nothing more than just a common stone found along life’s journey, but to the right collector it is a one-of-a-kind find that they already have a perfect place in their master garden design for it. Yard rocks have one common trait: they are no larger in size than what the collector can manhandle alone into to the back of his pickup or trunk of their car. To some, this would be a stone no larger than the size of a baseball. To the more serious, it could be a hernia-inducing behemoth the size of a TV set. I myself have been scolded by my cardiologist for collecting too large a rock too soon after heart cathe-ter operation. But, in my defense, how often do you stumble upon a peg-matite granite in a rip-rap pile in Pike County, Alabama? Or for that matter, how about that snow-white Sylacauga marble that looks like a dinosaur took a bite out of it? Both are worthy specimens to border an-other flower bed in the back yard. Along with naturally occurring stone, I also welcome numerous manmade objects into the yard rock category. I am not going to pass by a nice big piece of brass slag at an abandoned factory just because it’s manmade. There were some very nice looking glass slag pieces from a steel foundry that I turned my nose up in my early days that I now regret I had collected. My favorite places to collect yard rocks include rip rap stock-piles at construction sites, road cuts, spoil piles at mines, slag dumps at foundries, any field that has a sign in the front that says “fill dirt wanted”, wade-able streams near bridges, and demolition sites.

THE YARD ROCK from Chris Rutherford

MONTGOMERY GEM & MINERAL SOC IETY APRIL 21 2015 MINUTES

The meeting was called to order by Morning Sherrod. The business portion was postponed until after the presentation. Al Medina gave an outstanding power point on Faberge Eggs done for the Imperial Family of Russia between 1885 and 1916. Faberge employed the top craftsmen of his time and spared nothing to create priceless masterpieces that are still coveted by wealthy collec-tors today. Faberge's shop did many varied works during this time but only 54 or 55 Imperial eggs. Al even had a few replicas for us to examine. Thanks, Al, for a well done and interesting show. We broke for refreshments before the business meeting and Morning’s layered dip was a hit. The meeting was resumed and our guests introduced themselves. Some were actually past members who renewed their status. Congratulations on rejoining. The minutes were accepted as posted and the treasurer's report by Iris McGehee was also approved and filed. Jeff Edwards filled us in on the upcoming field trip to Hogg mine and a possible trip to Alabama Gold Camp in June. Terry Fetzer updated the show info and stated that we presently had eight confirmed vendors with room for up to twenty more. Frankie Boothman accepted the job of taking over the website. ig thanks to Frankie for stepping up! Mary Belmont said the impact crater group was looking for small tokens for their shop. Shark tooth necklaces and other nature oriented items are needed. David Z gave information about the upcoming Dallas Mineral Symposium and the Perot Museum of Natural History. A gold pan donated by Mary Lou McNabb was given away as a door prize and the meeting was then adjourned. Secretary, David Sherrod

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THE GOLDEN NUGGET

3

FIELD TRIPPIN’(APRIL 18TH HOGG MINE HIGH LIGHTS)

CANDACE RUTHERFORD SHARES TROYFEST EXPERIENCE

From Candace Rutherford, May 8, 2015 On an overcast weekend the end of April, Chris and I attended the TroyFest in downtown Troy, Alabama. This Arts and Crafts show is held in honor of local artist Jean Lake, and has been established since 1982. Some of our own club members, David and Morning Sherrod, set up a beautiful booth full of their original gemstone creations and jewelry. Their “Perfectly Stoned” display was a welcome addition to the festival. You could tell they had spent a lot of time orga-nizing and displaying their unique pieces. Slabs of the original stones were presented next to the actual jewelry to show authenticity of their handmade pieces, a before and after if you will. One Troy resident, Maryann Price said “Their jewelry is just so beautiful and unique. I bought several pieces for myself and my children.” There were necklaces; earrings; bracelets; and many items made from cabochons and gemstones. The weekend long show draws upwards of 10,000 people to downtown Troy. It is free of charge and also offers entertainment, children’s activities and lots of food. This was the Sher-rod’s first time at TroyFest. They said it was very successful, despite the iffy weather. David and Morning were on their way to another show when I recently spoke to them. This show was held the week of May 8th in Foley, Alabama and called “Art in the Park.” The Sher-rods attend shows throughout the southeast and make a great team, with David working to carve; cut and polish the raw stones and Morning designing intricate settings to show off their beauty. Let’s support each other’s efforts as we make trade show circuits. If you will be exhibiting at a show, please submit information ahead of time to The Golden Nugget to help spread the word.

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15-05

MAY BIRTHSTONE

Modern birthstone: emerald

Zodiac gemstone for taurus: sapphire

Ancient traditional birthstones:

Hebrew: agate

Roman: agate

Arabic: emerald

Hindu: emerald

Polish: emerald

Russian: emerald

Guardian angel: amriel

His talismanic stone: carbuncle (garnet)

Florida club members

clean finds

4

EMERALDS, RUBIES, GOLD, AND DIAMONDS SPARKLE AT SULTAN OF BRUNEI'S SON'S WEDDING

BRAD’S BENCH TIPS

Gemfields Sells Ruby at Auction For $16

Million http://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=52063&ArticleTitle=Gemfields%2bRuby%2bAuction%2bAchieves%2b%2b%252416M

Page 4

THE GOLDEN NUGGET

The bride wore a dress set with diamonds and large emeralds, as well as a sparkling diamond tiara set with six large pear-shaped emeralds along with a large diamond neck-lace set with at least 15 emeralds of various sizes. In addition, she wore a diamond and emerald bracelet on each wrist and at least one diamond emerald ring.

MAGNETIC TOOL BAR An easy way to keep all your files organized at the bench is to use a magnetic tool strip. They're not expensive and help keep a lot of small tools from cluttering the bench top. I got a couple of them from Harbor Freight for about $5 each. My only regret was putting some of my small drills on the magnets. The drills got a little magnetized and now stick together when I carry them in a bottle in my tool box. 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 be-

tween 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 alloys like brass 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. There are two ways to prevent firescale. 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. 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 apply-ing liberal amounts of a firecoat. Regular soldering flux will provide some protection but is not as effective as preparations made specifically for the task. Jewelry supply companies offer several commercial solutions, but my favorite is the Prips mixture in alcohol. I use it every time I intend to do more than two solderings on a piece. Get all 101 of Brad's bench tips in "Bench Tips for Jewelry Making" on Amazon

5

~May 22 - 24 Biloxi, Ms Fri 10-6; Sat 10-6; Sun 10-4, Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center, 2350 Beach Blvd Adults $5, children (10 and under) fre e with adult; (228) 342-2963 or Gulf-portGemShow@gmail.com ~June 6 & 7, McCalla, AL; Tannehill Historical Park; 9-5; FREE with pa id adm to the park; 12632 Confederate Parkway Mc Calla, 35111.Take I-459/20 to exit #100 or I-459 to exit #1 & follow signs. http//lapida ryclub.com ~June 13 - 14, Cartersville, GA; Tellus Science Museum; Sat 10–5; Sun 10–5; (770) 606-5700 ext 402; maryv@tellusmuseum.org

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/

SE SHOWS http://www.rockngem.com/show-dates-display/?ShowState=ALL

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.. 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.

Page 5

15-05

An excellent publica-tion designed espe-cially for young min-eral collectors is Mini Miners Monthly. Check it out at

www.diamondda

npublications.net Electronic subscrip-tion (PDF) $9.95 for 12 issues. A fun website to check out is

http://www.pinterest.com/nkarod/rocks-and-minerals/

ICA's website (http://www.gemstone.org) provides articles on the latest developments in the indus-try, as well as a wide range of other materials. The ICA has also launched a Facebook page to en-able industry and ICA members to see what's happening now in the world of colored gems and jew-

elry. If you wish to be added to the mailing list to receive the ICA's Newsletter and its press re-leases, please send an email to: claudiu@gemstone.org

6

ery Gem & Mineral Society, Inc.

Except for items that are specifi-

cally copyrighted by their authors,

all material in this bulletin may be

freely copied. Please give credit to

The Golden Nugget and the appro-

priate 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

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 contrib-

ute, the Golden Nugget cannot

meet this latter purpose.

Copyright 2015 by Montgom-

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 Mineralogi-

cal 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 expressed a prior interest in re-

ceiving this information.

General Information

MONTGOMERY GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY

Club Officers for 2015 President: Morning Sherrod 322-1400 1st V P/Programs: Peggy Raines 324-2475 2nd V P/Field Trips: Jeff Edwards 312-0572 Secretary: David Sherrod 201-4460 Treasurer: Iris McGehee 262-7275 Past President Thad Cheatham 462-3254 Directors: Jack Kirkland and Mike Berkman 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

Linda R. Griebel, Editor

The Golden Nugget

P. O. Box 801

Wetumpka, AL 36092-0801

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