The Tidewater Prospector · 2019-01-21 · If you love agates, don't miss the meeting this month! Carl and Sandee will be doing the program on agates. Our annual club auction will

Newsletter for the Tidewater Gem and Mineral Society, January 2019, Virginia Beach, VA

PRESIDENT Robin Stoughton

(757) 340-531

1st VICE PRESIDENT (Membership) Mike Jackson

(757) 855-1207

2nd VICE PRESIDENT (Program/Entertainment)

Vacant

TREASURER (Finance)

Lloyd Schiffelbian (757) 495-7946

SECRETARY (History/Library)

Cheri Jackson (757) 855-1207

WORKSHOPS Bill Stoughton

(757) 340-5391

SHOWS Rosanne Hinshaw

(757) 467-8570

NEWSLETTER Judy Hyszczak (757) 533-1512

FIELD TRIPS Al Dehart

(757) 254-3844

WAYS & MEANS Roger Tiangco (757) 490-3768

HOSPITALITY

Robin Stoughton (757) 340-5391

WEBSITE Brooks Britt

(757) 745-7104

PRESIDENT EMERITUS John “Mac” Davis

1927 - 2014

Notes from the President by Robin Stoughton

, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. Time to think about some new rock adventures this year.

Thanks to all our members who came to our annual Christmas party, helped out and made it a big success! The food was great and I had only positive comments for the new Pollyanna Judy came up with. We will definitely do it again at our next Christmas party!

If you love agates, don't miss the meeting this month! Carl and Sandee will be doing the program on agates.

Our annual club auction will be in March, on Friday, March15th, so if anyone has anything they would like to donate for it, please bring your item to the January or February meeting.

Our first Treasures of the Earth show will be March 8-10th at the Convention Center. Set up will be on the 7th, so please mark your calendars. Anyone who wants to do a display, needs to let me know by the February meeting.

Workshop: Our workshop depends on what the weather is doing on Saturday January 19th. If it is too cold we won't be having it, but if it is warmish, we can. We will know for sure at our meeting. If any member needs to come by on a different day to cut up some rocks, just give Bill a call at 343-8656 and set up a day/time.

There will be a fossil collecting trip to Pipsico Scout Camp on April 13th. More information is on page 8 or you can check out MAGMA‟S website: http://www.wncrocks.com/magma/magmaupcomingevents.htm

The Tidewater Prospector

Treasurer’s Two Cents by Lloyd Schiffelbian

Any member who wants to bring rocks, jewelry, etc to our meeting to sell is welcome to do so.

REMINDER: All newsletter input needs to be to Judy by the 3rd of each month.

All members are welcome to bring snacks to any of our meetings.

REMINDER: Board members, there will be a board meeting on Sunday, January 13th at 1:00pm at my house. If you have any questions, call me at 822-9631 before the meeting.

For anyone who missed the club's December Holiday Party, you really missed a great spread of food thanks to our President, Robin, who coordinated the entire event - great job!!

December was an average month for the club's treasury. At the meeting, the club raised $75 when four members renewed their memberships early and one new member joined the club. Please welcome our newest member - Lacey Kerekesh! We also sold three T-shirts for $30. The club made a holiday donation of $200 to the church for their kind hospitality throughout the year and paid $148.75 in annual club dues to the Eastern Federation. Other expenses were routine and the treasury balance is about $5,191.

REMEMBER: I will start collecting 2019 Annual Membership Dues at the January meeting. Dues are $15 for adults and $7.50 for children.

THE TIDEWATER PROSPECTOR - Newsletter for the Tidewater Gem and Mineral Society, January 2019, Virginia Beach, VA

Page 2

Christmas Party 2018

If you missed the party, you missed a wonderful time of great food, great company and fun. Here are some pictures of the festivities. I wish I had taken a photo of the Pollyanna Gift Exchange but was too involved in participating in it! I found the most enjoyable part of the evening was after the exchange and people stayed and talked and showed each other what they received - some even exchanged what they got with each other!


Page 3

HOLD YOUR HORSES WINTER-STORM DIEGO! HOLD YOUR HORSES! YES, YES, OH YES -

We did have a much tolerable Wintry breeze, as it took a Southerly track – glad to say, it did not

impact our Eastern location. Our Christmas party on December 14, 2018 was another wholesome

one. As anticipated, we were with great friends and food galore! Trays after trays of fresh cut

salads, all kinds of fresh fruits, pastries, all kinds of deli meats – ham, cheeses, hot dogs, steaming

meatballs, casseroles, steamed shrimp, fried chicken, biscuits, dips and sauces. With all sorts of

sweets, and cheesecakes, they remind us of Mr. Talleyrand‟s quote: “ When it rounds off a good

meal – sweet confection is like the crowning piece of a splendid fireworks display”. Through the

efforts of President Robin Stoughton, with Hospitality Committee and everyone that brought in the

world‟s most palatable cuisine - THANKS! You all did a very wonderful job!

We then immersed ourselves in the Gift- giving part. A truly exhilarating evening and without the “Grinch”? How could we? Yes – we devised another gift exchange, thus – we formed in a circle, and while there was music playing, Christmas gifts were passed and changed hands, then when the music stopped – whoever is holding the Gift – it becomes theirs, then they exited the circle – the music played again and gifts were passed and changed hands again - and so forth and so on, until the gifts were finished. What‟d you get? What‟d you get? – can‟t help our inquisitiveness, our hearts filled with joy and excitement to know and find out what gift we got. Below were some of the gifts we received: GARNET: Very fine mineral specimen, was a sure delight to the lucky recipient unexpectedly. It is also the birthstone for those born in January. It symbolizes intimacy, friendship, fidelity and constancy. Garnet is the State mineral of Connecticut, New York and Idaho. Best collecting areas: Arizona, Arkansas, California. Kentucky, Nevada, New Mexico, North Caroline, Utah & Virginia. QUARTZ CRYSTAL: A large specimen and greatly appreciated by its recipient. JASPER: Excited and quizzical was the gift recipient‟s reaction to this heavy mineral specimen, with somewhat looking like gelled Opal in some of its parts, and had brown-yellowish colors. Best collecting areas: Arizona, Arkansas, California and Texas. GIANT CLAM SHELL: Very few noticed how this gift affected its recipient, enamoring a big smile. Silver-plated ruffled Clam shell ! This gem-of-the-seas is over 475 grams in weight and measured at over 6” x 4” . How the divers were able to retrieve this rare-mollusk out of its abyssal marine world is beyond me! Best collecting areas: Indo-China seas and Philippines Seas.

SILVER: Tissue-wrapped Silver bracelets, Silver neckchains, Silver rings for Christmas Gift?

Silver is the State Mineral of Nevada and Texas. Other best collecting areas: Arizona, Colorado,

Idaho, Michigan and Montana.

ROGER’S REFLECTIONS By Roger Tiangco


Page 4

Brad’s Bench Tips by Brad Smith

STIFFENING EARRING POSTS Soldering an earring post will always soften the wire a bit. The easiest way I‟ve found to harden it is to grip it with pliers and twist it a couple half turns. This work hardens the wire and also tests your soldered joint.

Learn New Jewelry Skills With Brad's How-To-Do-It Books

Amazon.com/author/bradfordsmith

SOLVENT DISPENSER Frequently I need to fill a small bottle with alcohol, like the bottle of an alcohol lamp or a nail polish bottle 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 aren't too good for you either. A neat and inexpensive solution is to use a lab dispensing bottle to store small quantities of the solvents most frequently used. The bottles have 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. A Google search will turn up many suppliers. 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. They have several sizes and other bottles labeled for specific solvents.

We are very fortunate that Brad Smith provides us and other clubs with ideas and methods he uses in creating jewelry. You can also view his work at http://www.bradsmithjewelry.com. At one time he even lived in Virginia!

http://Amazon.com/author/bradfordsmith

http://www.carolina.com


Page 5

Sandstone – Sedimentary rock mostly composed of sand-sized

quartz grains.

Scepter – For mineral collectors, a scepter is a large crystal capping

a slender crystal stem. Scepters result from an interruption of

crystal growth and are a rare type of crystal formation.

Schiller Effect – The brilliant play of bright colors in a crystal, often due to minute,

rod-like inclusions.

Scree – A mass of loose rubble and gravel on a mountain slope caused by weathering.

Secondary Mineral – A mineral that replaces another mineral as the result of a

weathering or alteration process.

Sediment – Solid grains that have settled out of water.

Sedimentary Rock – A type of rock that originates on the Earth’s surface and forms

when sediment is compressed and cemented. It consists of layers of rock fragments

or other substances (e.g., sea shells) that have been deposited on top of each other.

Seismology – Study of earthquakes.

Shaft – A vertical mining excavation.

Silica – Silicon dioxide, a tremendously abundant mineral that occurs widely and in

many forms including, quartz, opal, jasper, and chert.

Sill – Sheet-like igneous intrusion either near horizontal or following existing rock.

Smelting – The process by which a metal is removed from an ore.

Specific Gravity – The ratio of the mass of the mineral to the mass of an equal

volume of water. Specific gravity is numerically equivalent to density (mass divided

by volume) in grams per cubic centimeter.

Speleogenesis – The formation and development of caves.

Speleology – The scientific study of caves.

Speleothems – The secondary mineral deposits formed in caves. These cave

formations include cave popcorn, columns, draperies, flowstone, helictites, rimstone

dams, soda straws, stalactites, and stalagmites.

Stalactite – An icicle-shaped mineral deposit hanging from the roof of a cavern or

cave.

Stalagmite – An upside down icicle-shaped mineral deposit that rises from the floor

of a cavern or cave.

AMERICA’S BEST ROCKHOUND GLOSSARY


Page 6

(Slovak Republic) - Very beautiful and gemmy sceptre quartz, double terminated (floater)

T N E M I D E S V E C N N X C

E E J V S O M T V C G J O A R

T O P T P J L A D M N P J S E

U B E P E I S L M L I S R P V

E A N T S T G A W E T P E E L

E C O V S F C C X N L O T C I

T I T Y A A E T U I E D P U S

I L S V R H F I J P M U E L F

M I D X T S P T U S S M C A Y

G S N D I G O E U H X E S R W

A Z A T N Z A K E Q X N A I L

L M S P E E E R C S J E E T J

A V S P E L O L O G Y S S E M

T I S P E L E O T H E M S Y S

S I L L M S U N S T O N E R Z

X H A P P Y X N E W X Y E A R

SANDSTONE

SCEPTER

SCREE

SEDIMENT

SHAFT

SILICA

SILL

SILVER

SMELTING

SPECULARITE

SPELEOTHEMS

SPELOLOGY

SPESSARTINE

SPINEL

SPODUMENES

STALACTITE

STALAGMITE

SUNSTONE

STALACTITES

SPESSARTINE

STALAGMITES

MINING SILICA

SPECULARITE var of HEMATITE

FUSED SILICA


Page 7

They are also known as Stalactites, Stalagmites, Helicites, Oolites, Cave Coral and Lilypads, Straws, Flowstone, Columns. In this series on caves, each issue I will go into more detail as to what the differences are. They are all spectacular in their individual display and incredible when found in the same cave!

STALACTITES

Stalactites are the granddaddy of speleothems. They form when that first drip of water leaves a bathtub ring of calcite as it falls. Drop by drop, the calcite collects, forming a hollow tube, or soda straw, of crystallized calcite. Soda straws are quite common up to about a foot in length, and (in other caves with the right conditions) have been known to grow to tens of feet. Usually, though, the tube becomes plugged, and the water flows down the outside of the soda straw, forming the icicle looking stalactite. A stalactite with water flowing on just one side may become a thin drapery blade or bacon rind.

STALAGMITES

Stalagmites form when calcite-laden water splashes on the floor. The shape of stalagmites depends on gravity (they are round tipped, whereas stalactites are pointy) and often have a splash cup at the end or otherwise resemble candles from the spatter of the mineral laden water. Stalactites stick tight to the ceiling; stalagmites grow mightily from the ground--a silly but very effective way to keep these two names attached to the proper formation.

Cave Series - Part 1 What are SPELEOTHEMS?

Photo by Dave Bunnell / Under Earth Images


Page 8

MAGMA Fossil Field Trip April 13, 2019 Pipsico Scout Reservation Surry County, Virginia Miocene and Pliocene Fossils A field trip has been set up for 2019. The location is the same. Collecting will be allowed on Saturday, the 13th of April. Campers may come in on Friday night the12th. Friday afternoon arrivals may collect on the river. There are cabinettes available with electricity but no running water. There are four cabins available with full facilities. Tent camping is also allowed. Tents may be set up in campsite 4 and there are latrine facilities and water in the site. Showers may be available at the pool area. All overnight campers must exit the camp by noon on the 14th.

All previous collecting rules still apply. No climbing of steep river bank areas. No parking except in designated areas. No alcoholic beverages. No pets. Speed limit on camp road must be obeyed. Fee: $5.00 per person to collect or tent camp. Cabin rental-$75.00 Cabinette rental-$20.00 Contact Bill Stine by email at: [email protected] for further information.

Chesapecten jeffersonius Virginia State Fossil

Just a reminder from our Treasurer: I will start collecting 2019 Annual Membership Dues at the January meeting. Dues are $15 for adults and $7.50 for children.


Page 9

Graves Mountain Rock Swap and Dig, April 26th - 28th, 2019 Lincolnton, Georgia Official Field Trip of the Mountain Area Gem and Mineral Association (M.A.G.M.A.) The mountain will be open to collecting from 8 am to 6 pm each day.

All attendees must stop at the welcome table to sign a liability release and make a contribution/donation to help with the cost of providing porta johns and golf carts. The dig will end and everyone must be off the mountain by 6:00 p.m. each day.

There will be an area in the parking lot for vendors to sell and trade minerals. If you would like to setup a booth, contact Jr. at the phone numbers listed below. Hot food and drinks will be available for purchase on the mountain all three days.

I will be set up at the dig with the Jacquot & Son Mining booth selling minerals and fossils. I will be setting up my booth along with other vendors on Thursday before the dig. All MAGMA members are welcome to come in on Thursday and collect as long as they plan to attend at least one other day of the show, Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

THIS DIG IS OPEN TO ALL CLUBS and ROCKHOUNDS!

GRAVES MOUNTAIN CODE OF CONDUCT Park your vehicle in the designated area at the end of the paved access road. ALL pets must be kept under control and on a leash. The caretaker, Jr. Norman has final and absolute say as to where you may safely work. Ladders or power tools of any kind will not be allowed. (HAND TOOLS ONLY!) STAY AWAY FROM ALL HIGH WALLS! NO RAPPELLING OFF OF ANYTHING! NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO DRIVE THEIR VEHICLE ON ANY PART OF GRAVES MOUNTAIN BEYOND THE PARKING AREA! (The caretaker must accompany anyone driving beyond the parking area!) EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE OFF THE MOUNTAIN BY 6:00 p.m. (Absolutely no one is allowed on Graves Mountain after dark.)

Please protect our ability to field collect at Graves Mountain!

Report violations to: Jr. Norman Norman C E Wrecking Co 3333 C E Norman Rd Lincolnton, GA 30817-3110 706-401-3173 All reported violations will be held in strict confidence.

DIRECTIONS: From Washington Georgia, drive east 11 miles on SR-378, look for mine entrance on right. From the Hardee's in Lincolnton, Georgia, drive approximately 5-1/2 miles west on SR-378. Look for the sign at the entrance to Graves Mountain on the left side of the road.

Motels and Camping: Cullars Inn, Lincolnton, Georgia, 706-359-6161 Soap Creek Lodge, Clarks Hill Lake, Lincolnton, 706-359-3124 Elijah Clark State Park, 706-359-3458 / 800-864-7275

Taken from M.A.G.M.A. website

Tidewater Gem & Mineral Society P.O. Box 61021 Virginia Beach, Va. 23466-1021

About This Publication The Tidewater Prospector is the monthly newsletter of the Tidewater Gem and Mineral Society, Virginia Beach, Virginia, associated with the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. and the American Federa-tion of Mineralogical Societies. Permission to copy freely granted when proper credit given to both the publication and the author. The Tidewater Gem and Mineral Society is a non-profit organization devoted to the collecting and study of minerals, gemstones, geology, paleontology and the lapidary arts as well as the love and deep appreciation of the great outdoors. Meetings are the third Friday of each month at 7:30 PM at Memorial United Methodist Church located at 804 Gammon Road, Virginia Beach, VA Our monthly meetings are open to everyone, no admission is charged. Website: http://tgms.weebly.com/ Please contact Brooks Britt with any photos that you would like to add to our site. Email him at: [email protected] You can also view this newsletter on the site. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com Login to FB, then go to Groups and in the search box, type in “Tidewater Gem & Mineral Society”, The page is open to view by anyone. Click “join” to join the group to add photos of your own and to post information. Brooks administrates the site and will get back with you. The American Glossary is provided by Gator Girl to ex-pand our knowledge of rock terms and information. All copyrightable text and graphics, the selection, arrange-ment, and presentation of all materials (including informa-tion in the public domain), and the overall design of that Web Site are copyright © 2007 Sirius Business, LLC. All rights reserved. The puzzle was made using the Word Search Generator on www.atozteacherstuff.com. Show information is supplied by Lodestar, a publication of the SFMS.

Our meeting in January is on Friday the18th at 7:30 pm at Memorial United Methodist Church,

804 Gammon Road, Virginia Beach, VA. (Gammon Road is off of Indian River Road, in

between Military Highway and Providence Road)

FAIR USE NOTICE: This publication may contain

copyrighted material the use of which has not been been

specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are

making such material available in our efforts to advance

the educational understanding of the amateur jewelry

fabrication and rock collecting hobbies. We believe this

constitutes a „fair use‟ of any such copyrighted material

as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law.

If you wish to use material from this publication for

commercial or purposes of your own that go beyond „fair

use‟, you must obtain permission from the copyright

owner.

The Tidewater Prospector · 2019-01-21 · If you love agates, don't miss the meeting this month! Carl and Sandee will be doing the program on agates. Our annual club auction will

Documents