Angela D. Brown Editor, Rockhound Rambling Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. P.O. Box 1573, Ventura, CA 93002

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Rockhound Rambling photo of the month (See inside for details)

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The Ventura Gem and Mineral Society presents: Rockhound Rambling The Official Bulletin of the VGMS Our 70th Year

In this months issue:

Ventura County Fair (plus photos), pages 5 & 14...

Trona vs. Jade Festival; The Debate, page 8...

Another Great Nipomo Show, page 11...

Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. (VGMS) P.O. Box 1573, Ventura, CA 93002 Purpose of the VGMS: Promote popular interest in, sponsor and provide means and activities, which will result in the dissemination of information and knowledge in geology, mineralogy, paleontology, lapidary and similar sciences. Conduct lectures, classes or study groups to further education and interest in the aforesaid sciences. Make and exhibit mineral collections.

Club Central 2014 Elected Officers Committee Chairs Club E-mail: [email protected] President Ways and Means Diane Cook 805.647.8517 Maria Flores Membership Dues $20 - Single 1st Vice President Hospitality $30 - Family/Couple (1 bulletin) includes Jim Brace-Thompson Deb Sankovich Children < 19 Years 805.659.3577 $17 - Students >17 Years + 12 Units Museum / Library Pebble Pups <13 years No Charge 2nd Vice Presidents Jim Brace-Thompson / (Co-Chairs) Terry Wilson Regular Meeting David Mautz 805.794.1809 7:30 - 9:30 PM at Raul Barraza 805.525.1919 Historians The Poinsettia Pavilion Terry Wilson 609.744.6364 Lowell Foster/Steve Mulqueen Santa Paula Room 3451 Foothill Rd, Ventura, CA 93003 3rd Vice President Website Krishna Juarez 805.320-1094 Jim Layton January through October: 4th Wednesday of the Month Treasurer Hostess Nancy Brace-Thompson Shirley Layton November and December: 805.659.3577 805.717.9226 2nd Wednesday of the Month

Anyone may attend and are welcome. Recording Secretary Refreshment Schedule Greg Davis 805.647.9214 The December meeting is normally a August - Jim & Nancy B-T Holiday party. Location is announced elsewhere in the bulletin & may vary. Membership Secretary Sept. - Shana & Krishna Juarez Richard Slyker 805.644-2749 Oct. - Angela & Luther Brown Field Trips Announced monthly in the bulletin & at Federation Director Please contact Shirley Layton to sign up. the regular meeting. Kathryn Davis 805.647.3096 See also: www.cgamc.org This Month’s Cover Photo: Bulletin Editor Taken by Annual Show Angela Brown 805.649.9657 The Club’s Annual Gem Show is held Valli Davis the first full weekend in March at the Parliamentarian Ventura County Fairgrounds. Chrysocolla w/Sagenite Rob Sankovich 805.494.7734 Nipomo Show VGMS Club Colors (owned by Ralph Bishop) Blue and Gold Board Meeting All images are member photographed 1st Thursday of the Month, 7:30PM. and submitted to Rockhound Rambling. Images submitted to the Workshop/Museum Union Bank Community Center, 11969 N. Creek Road editor should be accompanied b y 801 S. Victoria Ste 200B, Ventura Ojai, CA 93023 subject name and location. Selection is at the discretion of the editor. Clip Art Credits Submit images to: B&W animal/fossil clip art ©2009, Florida Center for Instructional Technology (marked @FCIT) [email protected] Crystal & Mineral clip art ©Diamond Dan; Original clip art by the editor marked ©AB. Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 1 President’s Message Table of Contents I believe our new meeting place at the Birthdays....3 Poinsettia Pavilion Chips & Boulders....15 was a hit! We had Club Merchandise....15 one of the largest Club News: Fair Results....5 attendances for a summer meeting and Editor’s Note....2 the comments were Educational Corner....12, 13 all good. A big thank you to Maria, Sarah Education & and Raul for the great refreshments – Community Outreach....7 the cake was so perfect and delicious. See picture on page 3. Fair Photos....14 Federation News....7 Congratulations to all the winners at Field Trips Are Fun....9 the Ventura County Fair. VGMS entered a Society and Publicity Case and won Gems From The Past....6 1st Place on both. Congratulations Hospitality....2 and a big thank you to the team who Meeting Minutes....4 participated in the case design and Membership....2 contributed to the cases. What a great way to share our hobby with the public President’s Message....1 through displaying our clubs activities Program Review & Schedule....8 and club member’s interest. VGMS Rockhound Ramblings....10, 11 members had many winners, too many Thank You!....3 to list here please see article on page 5 in this bulletin, plus the photos on page 14! A personal thank you to all the club members who took time to volunteer and exhibit at the Fair with all your help the “Gem & Mineral” Building will be staying the “Gem & Mineral” Building at the fair.

Summer is almost over, which means fall weather is right around the corner, best time of the year for field trips to the hot rocks in the desert. Hope to see you there.

Rock On Team Pink!

Diane Cook, VGMS President Diane Cook’s 1st Place, Cupcake ‘Shoes’. Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 Rockhound Rambling 2 Editor’s Note

The Ventura County Fair is in full swing, and the club is well represented by volunteers, displays and individual submissions. Many members won ribbons, too. The hard work was done before the show even started; walking the floor and cleaning glass is the easy part! It’s fun to see people get excited about our displays, and, by extension, our hobby. Our club president, Diane Cook, won in Baked Goods for her “shoe” cupcakes and “bed” cake, as well. While we, the volunteers, are exhausted, it’s all been for a good cause, and lots of fun! Oh, and don’t forget to pick up your items from The evening view of the city from our new meeting room (‘Santa Paula the fairgrounds on Monday, August 11th, Room’) at the Poinsettia Pavilion. from 9am to 7pm. I’ll see you there! Rock ‘n’ roll. Angela Brown VGMS Editor [email protected] Hospitality We had a great turnout with 40 adult club members and one Pebble Pup at our July 23rd meeting. Additionally, we had three guests. Deb Sankovich, Hospitality Membership Please welcome our new member:

Welcome Mike Havstad 2276 Larch Street New Simi Valley, 93065 805.630.9977 Member! [email protected]

We have one new member voted in by your VGMS board in August. This brings our total membership to 1 junior, 82 adults and 8 pebble pups.

Mike Havstad, a member of the Conjeo club and previous coordinator of the Wheeler Gorge exhibits, joined our society. Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in gem and minerals and will be an asset to our club. Mike is currently displaying an extensive mineral case at the Ventura County Fair. We welcome Mike!

And lastly, please update Greg Davis’ email to [email protected]. Richard Slyker, VGMS Membership Chair 334 Wesleyan Ave., Ventura CA 93003 [email protected] Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 3 THANK YOU! Biggest thanks of the month goes to our very own VGMS President Diane Cook for all her work as Superintendent of the Rocks & Minerals and Hobbies & Collectibles divisions of the Ventura County Fair. Job well done, Diane, as well as to you many VGMS members who have been volunteering and helping in so many ways: as clerks and registrars, as exhibitors and judges of exhibits, as set-up crew and floorwalkers, as cooks and refreshment providers, as demonstrators and tear-down crew, and as all-round good guys. The Ventura County Fair sees attendance of as much as 300,000 each year, and it’s a great opportunity to showcase our hobby to the general public. Per usual, VGMS members have stepped up to the plate and truly rock. Thank you, one and all! Thank you to all who participated with Don Asher (CGMC) & Lee Leighton (OGMS) with Diane Cook (VGMS). specimens and the design and layout of our

L-R: Ron Wise, Diane Cook, Laura Driskoll & Luther Brown at the registration table. VGMS Society and Publicity cases at the Ventura County Fair. See our full article for names and results! Also a big Thank You goes to the Barraza’s, who made a gorgeous cake to welcome us all to the new meeting place last month. It was as pretty as it was delicious! The beautiful cake brought by Raul, his sister, Sara, and Special Thank You to Andy Anderson, Sharon Cunningham, Jeff Maria Flores. Geist, Maria Flores and my sister, Sara, for helping out at the last minute in many ways for making the Camarillo YMCA summer camp visit to our museum a fun and educational experience. Thank you for your support in making it a great success. ~Raul Barraza Know of someone who has gone out of their way to help the club? Email a thank-you note to our newsletter so that a pat on the back can be passed along! September VGMS Birthdays Wishing you all a very Happy Birthday, and Many More! DeAnn Hiroshima ...... September 1 Tracy Colahan ...... September 25 Robert Sankovich ...... September 18 Susan Marquez...... September 27 Shana Juarez ...... September 22 Stuart Bloom ...... September 28 Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 Rockhound Rambling 4 Meeting Minutes

VGMS Regular Meeting - July 23 , 2014 It was m/s/c to accept last months minutes as written in the bulletin. Old Business : The regular monthly meeting of the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society was called to order by President Diane Cook at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, July 23, Diane Cook : Tonight’s meeting is being held at the Union Bank Community 2014 at the Poinsettia Pavilion Center in Ventura. Center in Ventura. The next board meeting will also be held here. Diane introduced visitors and then asked for corrections, if any, to the Per our previous discussion, VGMS will sponsor a CFMS show trophy for previously printed board and regular meeting minutes. It was then m/s/c novice display entries (currently there is just a ribbon given). Jim Brace- to accept the minutes. Members were led in the pledge to the flag. Thompson, Kathryn Davis and Angela Brown offered to write up guidelines Jim and Nancy Brace-Thompson next gave a terrific program on their and report back. trip to India, their search for of gems and minerals and the sights collected The discussion of charges for using the large saws continued. Some method is in pictures. A business trip turned adventure for both of them with us being necessary with the increased cost of oil, blades and repairs. After investigating other clubs, Ron Wise has come up with a plan with costs determined by rock the . Well done ! We may have to invite them back. size. Your rock will be cut on a first come first served basis, during non- work Old Business: shop days by volunteers. A pre-paid card system will need to be utilized to Diane Cook : It’s all about the County Fair right now! It’s not too late to eliminate money being handled at C.C. An announcement will be made prior volunteer. to the start of this new procedure. New Business : Diane Cook : The Union Bank building will again be the location for the New Business : next Board meeting. Diane provided special prizes given out for this evenings first meeting Diane Cook : Our next regular club meeting will be held at the new location at this new location. And what a terrific site it turned out to be for our at 3451 Foothill Rd. and the new contract with this facility has been prepared. With the discussion of a need for additional shop stewards, Diane suggested meetings. We are so pleased with the choice, ample space and parking with the club invest in new locks at Camp Comfort with keys that cannot be a fantastic view of Ventura! And then Raul and Maria provided a house duplicated. Further discussion is needed. It was suggested all members be warming cake to the surprise of all. Thank you to all who helped make certified on using all equipment and maintenance. Also, Ron Wise suggested this happen. we set a price per pound for members to purchase rock from the club. Motion Deb Sankovich : 38 members attended this evenings first meeting at our tabled pending further discussion (again we do not want to manage money at new location, along with 2 pebble pups and 3 visitors, Cason Lynch, Sarah Camp Comfort as there are so many stewards). Barraza and Mike Havstadt. Welcome ! New club brochures have been printed with updated graphics and the new Richard Slyker : Membership now stands at 82 adults and 7 youths. address of our meeting place. Dave Mautz : Upcoming field trips include : August 3 is Isla Vista, Nomination forms for ‘Rockhound of the Year’ are being passed out at all meetings( needed by Oct.1). September 6 will be Kanan Rd., and October 17-19 is the Jade Cove trip. Diane suggested our club consider a “Member Handbook” being produced Be sure to check with Dave or Terry for changes prior to a trip or the for all club members, but mainly new members to guide them in procedures whoscoming.com/VGMSweb site. including training, classes, work shop and the like. There will be further Krishna Juarez : The first meeting for our 2015 show is scheduled for discussion at the next meeting. August 7, 6:30, prior to the scheduled Board meeting held at the Union Our club won two, 1st Place case awards and a plaque at the Fair.! Bank building. All are welcomed to attend. We’re in need of someone to Nancy Brace-Thompson : The club is solvent. Property taxes are due and volunteer as Exhibitor Chair for our upcoming show. will be paid. Angela Brown : Submissions to the bulletin are due by the 1st . This months program will involve club members and experiences with both Maria Flores awarded prizes to the lucky ticket holders of our Ways & the Jade Festival and the Trona show both of which will coincide in October. Raul Barraza : 71 members of the YMCA were treated to presentations at Means raffle. Camp Comfort and a tour of our museum on August 7 by Raul & his sister, Refreshments were provided by Raul Barraza and Maria Flores. Sara, Maria Flores, Andy Anderson, Jeff Miller and Sharon Cunningham. The next board meeting will be held on August 7, 2014, 7:30 at the Krishna Juarez : The next show meeting will be scheduled for October, prior Union Bank Bldg., 801 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura and the next monthly to the Board meeting. Contacts for our annual show are vgmsshowchair@ membership meeting will be August 27 at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 gmail.com and phone 805-323-6725. Foothill Rd., Ventura. Greg Davis : Greg reported that the buildings at Camp Comfort have There being no further business, Diane adjourned the meeting at 9:10 pm. sustained damage along the roof line. It appears possibly something as large Respectfully submitted, Greg Davis as a raccoon has damaged the roof shingles in an attempt to get at acorns stored by the wood peckers. Ideas were few for preventing it from continuing. VGMS Board Meeting - August 7 , 2014 We’ll hope the critter has moved on. Dave Mautz : Future trips include Kanan Rd. on September 6, October The meeting for our annual show in March 2015 was opened by Krishna Juarez 17-19 is Jade Cove, and Trona on October 11 & 12. at 6:30. Krishna mentioned that there will be no changes made to the contract Richard Slyker: After discussion, it was m/s/c to accept the membership with the fairgrounds after final approval. We are in need of an Exhibitor Chair application for Mike Havstadt. Please introduce yourself to new members person. and make them welcomed. 3 variations of new membership cards were Krishna offered to look into testing the PA system at the fairgrounds and reporting reviewed and voted on by those present. The selected version will now go back as to the possibility of the club upgrading the speakers. into print. Diane Cook : Additional t-shirts will be ordered as they have always been Angela Brown : All submissions to the bulletin will need to be received by profitable in the past. Grab bags will need to be fabricated and filled. The exact the first of the month, though there is some leeway with the Fair in progress. number needed will be reported on by Jim Brace-Thompson upon his return. Looking forward to photos from the Fair, too. Diane also suggested we start selling raffle tickets as early as January. Last but not least, Diane brought up the topic of the AFMS/CFMS show Raul Barraza : The kids booth material will be gathered from the various storage for 2017; it needs a host. Would our club want to host it alone, with other areas in preparation for inventory. clubs, or pass? There’ll be further discussions with everyone’s input taken Nancy Brace-Thompson : Friday dinner was discussed. The lanyards with into consideration but an answer will be needed by November. name tags handed out at the last show was in part to identify those to receive dinners. We’ll try that method again. Last years enchiladas went well but another The next club membership meeting will be held on August 27, 7:30 pm @ the possibility brought up was chicken from Albertsons. Food will be discussed Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd., Ventura and the next Board meeting further at the next meeting. will be on September 4, 2014, 7:30 pm @ the Union Bank location, 801 S. Krishna adjourned the meeting @ 7:40. Victoria Ave, Ventura. The Board meeting of the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society for August 7, 2014, was called to order by President Diane Cook at 801 S. Victoria in Ventura @ There being no further business, Diane adjourned the meeting at 9:15 pm. 7:40 pm. Respectfully submitted, Greg Davis Present: Diane Cook, Dave Mautz, Angela Brown, Nancy Brace-Thompson, Recording Secretary Krishna Juarez, Raul Barraza, Shirley Layton, Richard Slyker and Greg Davis. Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 5 CLUB NEWS Ventura County Fair Results: VGMS Rocks!

The Gems & Minerals Division of the Ventura County Fair includes two categories for clubs: a Society Exhibit Case and a Publicity Case. VGMS has entered one or both for many years, and usually our cases easily won blue ribbons over cases entered by clubs like Oxnard, Woodland Hills, or Del Air. With 275,000 to 320,000 visitors coming to the fair each year, these cases provide a great promotional opportunity to tell our fellow Ventura County citizens about our club and all that we love to do.

In recent years, it became clear other clubs had been observing our award-winning techniques and had stolen our best ideas. Thus, last year, they also stole those blue ribbons out from under us. This year, we decided to step up our game and held two organizing meetings to plot our strategy and plan out award-winning cases. I said last month to stay tuned for results and to read of first-place ribbons. Well, that prophecy has come true! VGMS was up against Woodland Hills for best Publicity Case and against the Planning in progress..along with a side of beer. Oxnard society for best Society Exhibit Case, and I’m proud to report we earned blue ribbons in both categories! Many thanks to all who participated with materials and with design and layout, including Ron and Jean Wise, Krishna, Shana, and Caleb Juarez, Greg Davis, Jim and Nancy Brace-Thompson, John and Diane Cook, Angela and Luther Brown, Richard Slyker, Raul Barraza and Maria Flores, and new member Mike Havstad. Your efforts paid off big-time in award-winning displays we can all be proud of! Thank you, one and all! (More photos on page 14...) -Jim Brace-Thompson, 1st VP

Our Publicity case...... and our Society case. Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 Rockhound Rambling 6 Gems From The Past Photo from the Kirk Collection Last Chance Canyon, California Desert, CFMS Field Trip, April 1961

This photo, made from the original color slide, was taken at the “Petrified Forest”, an informal name for an area at Last Chance Canyon within the El Paso Mountains of California. This region of the California Desert is northeast of Red Rock Canyon within Kern County and was known for the occurrence of petrified wood. Tons of the fossil wood, consisting of palm and black locust trees, have yielded petrified trunk sections, roots, limbs and twigs during those early years of rockhounding. These specimens were recovered from a tuffaceous siltstone bed exposed in Last Chance Canyon. The field trip, held in April 1961, was a gathering of friends organized by Bill and Myrle Kirk. During this period, camping opportunities were available just about anywhere on public land in the open desert. The California Desert continues to be a great place for rock collecting, exploring and camping. The photo shows an isolated desert campsite with numerous rigs including trailers, campers and a few canvas tents. Bruno and Opal Benson’s camper is the turquoise colored truck behind the red & white trailer. Bill and Myrle Kirk’s rig is the black truck next to the Benson’s camper. Note the community outhouse in the foreground that was set up by the group just for this Easter week collecting trip. The El Paso Mountains are known for exciting adventures related to rockhounding, gold dry-washing, hiking, 4-wheel driving, sightseeing, desert photographing, mine exploring, wildlife viewing, studying geology and learning about historical sites. Some of the favorite areas worth visiting within or near these mountains include not only Last Chance Canyon but also Red Rock Canyon, Opal Canyon, Mesquite Canyon, Jawbone Canyon and the Burro Schmitt Tunnel. A short distance away are the living ghost towns at Randsburg, Johannesburg, Red Mountain and the abandoned town of Garlock that are all well worth visiting. Some of the collecting sites once frequented by rockhounds on public lands within the El Paso Mountains yielded petrified wood, agate, jasp-agate, jasper, chalcedony, drusy quartz, opal, placer gold, lode gold and vertebrate fossils. In the early years of rockhounding during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, it was legal to collect vertebrate fossils. In the El Paso Mountains, fossils occur in the Dove Spring Formation (DSF), a sedimentary unit that is part of the Miocene Age Ricardo Group. Fossil bones were first found and identified in 1912 from the DSF. In the last 100 years, paleontological discoveries have included partial remains of extinct species of camels, horses, antelope, saber-tooth cats, bone-crushing dogs, rodents, birds, rabbits, turtles, tortoises, as well as numerous species of trees and grasses that lived during the Middle to Late Miocene (12 to 8 million years ago). Collecting any vertebrate fossils is limited to scientific research groups with a definite research objective and formal approval. The El Paso Mountains continue to be a great destination that can offer rock collecting opportunities filled with adventure. However, Last Chance Canyon is now part of Red Rock Canyon State Park. Rock, mineral and fossil collecting are not allowed within the park. Vehicle access to portions of Last Chance Canyon are now restricted. When visiting the area, talk with the volunteers at Jawbone Station Visitors Center to gather information on the area and to review maps showing dirt roads that are open for travel. Jawbone Station is also maintained as a rest area and is located along Highway 14 at Jawbone Canyon Road between the City of Mojave and Red Rock Canyon. See their website or call them at (760) 373-1146. Source: See numerous references under the formal names included in this article. Contact Jawbone Station for additional information.

Photo by Myrle Kirk. From the Bill and Myrle Kirk Collection. Slide scanned & digitized by Lowell Foster. Text written by Steve Mulqueen. Photo copyright ©2014 Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 7 Education & Community Outreach On Thursday, August 10th, a group of 71 YMCA summer-campers visited our club workshop and museum. Sharon Cunningham spoke to the young group of campers and talked about rocks. Rocks were passed around to the group for the children to feel and observe, and we also had a table set up with various fossils and different rocks, a display case with fossils describing how they were formed, and various samples of sand and magnifying glasses for the young campers to observe and feel the various sand textures and colors closer. The children enjoyed seeing and touching the fossils and sand. The young campers were then separated into groups and were lead across from the park by Jeff Geist and Andy Anderson, who provided a tour of the workshop and museum. Maria Flores and my sister, Sara Barraza, set up tables with plaster fossils, paints and brushes for the kids to paint. Their smiling faces told us they were truly enjoying themselves. At the end of their visit, each camper was provided with a goodie bag which contained information about our club, a flier about dinosaurs, a sample of fossil shark tooth, a rock hound sticker, a free sample of petrified wood and their painted fossil. Thank you to all for making this visit a memorable one. Photos & article submitted by Raul Barraza

MINERALOGICAL Federation

News CALIF. FED. OF SOCIETIES California Federation of Mineralogical the live auction at the Cracker Barrel in Pomona, so Societies Show & Convention, Lodi, CA, 2015 we are bringing it back for the CFMS Annual Show & Convention in Lodi 2015. We are calling on all Federation Director’s, CFMS Officers and CFMS Hi Everyone, Chairmen to bring 5-10 slabs from your club. All We are already busy preparing for the CFMS Annual proceeds will go to the CFMS Endowment Fund. “For Show & Convention 2015 in Lodi. As with every show all of us who enjoy the Earth Sciences, and the Practice we are asking for your help to make it a special one. of Lapidary Arts and Crafts, let’s go out and play, put Grab bags. We are expecting large herds of kids, wide your hearts and your souls into the hobby and make eyed and full of curiosity at the show. Part of the fun is some wonderful memories in Lodi. It’s what we do best showing them what we are good at, and grab bags are and it is our gift to give.” always at the top of the list. We would love to have our From all of us at CFMS, thank you so much for your societies donate grab bags filled with rocks & minerals for the kid’s booth. Please contact Jim Brace-Thompson help, to let him know what you can do. Jennifer Haley Margaret Kolaczyk mailto: [email protected] 2014 CFMS President CFMS Show Chairman Live Auction. It was very apparent that all of you loved Via the August 2014 CFMS Newsletter Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 Rockhound Rambling 8 Program Review & Schedule JULY Program

Jim and Nancy Brace-Thompson presented Part II of their “Gem Travels Adventure” from South Asia last fall. They started with a musical introduction to Indian culture, then told of their travels to the northwest region, mostly within the state of Rajasthan on the border with Pakistan. Traditional lapidary arts like those we pursue as VGMS members have infused Indian culture for thousands of years, and Jim and Nancy showed examples including silver-work and gemstone cutting in Jaipur, where the “emerald cut” supposedly originated. There’s also been a long tradition of rock carving with both common sandstones and semi-precious marbles, as well as pietra dura or inlay with polished gemstones, an art that found high expression in the iconic Taj Mahal. As we all know, Nancy has a collection of gemstone elephants, and everywhere they went, they seemed to encounter elephants and the elephant god Ganesha sculpted in silver and bronze, carved from sandstone and marble, engraved with inlay. Finally, Nancy got to experience a ride atop a living elephant at the Amber Fort of Jaipur, where we saw her and Jim wave goodbye to their Indian Gem Travels Adventure.

Future Programs August Program The weekend of October 11 features two big rockhound events: The 73rd Annual Gem-O-Rama sponsored by the Searles Lake Gem & Mineral Society and the 23rd Annual Big Sur Jade Festival. The first takes place in the sun-drenched desert town of Trona while the second is on the fog-shrouded Big Sur coast of Monterey County. It’s impossible to get to both in the same weekend, so— to help you plan the October adventure of your choice— we’ll present The Battle of Trona versus Big Sur. Gem-O-Rama is billed as “36 hours of frantic, non-stop activity,” with a show, pancake breakfasts, and collecting of evaporate minerals such as halite and hanksite. The

Jade Fest is a nostalgic return to the ’60s with 3 days of live music, tie-dyed shirts, jade, and lapidary artists from California, British Columbia, New Zealand, and wherever else jade is found. We’ll have a brief slide show with highlights and then will invite club members to share experiences of each event to convince us where we should head for our October 11 weekend. Since Trona halite is pink and Big Sur jade is green, I think I know where our President might be headed. Then again, you can also get pink Big Sur rhodonite at the Jade Fest, so who knows?!? Come to our August meeting to find out.

Jim Brace-Thompson. VGMS Programs Chair Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 9 Field Trips Are Fun TRI-CLUB FIELD TRIPS (VGMS/OGMS/CGMC) ~ 2014 This is a tentative schedule. Please call your club field trip leaders to confirm that there is a field trip scheduled in the event of changes like unpredictable weather, etc. More trips may be added in the future. Please look for Field Trip fliers at the monthly meetings for directions, maps, etc., as well as the WhosComing site.

2014 Field Trip Leaders: David Mautz - Phone: 805-794-1809; Raul Barraza - Phone: 805-525-1919; Email: [email protected] Terry Wilson - Phone: 609-744-6364; Email: [email protected] Use the new sign-up page so we know you plan to come! http://whoscoming.com/vgms Pick a trip, get location information, maps, and sign up!

Kanan Road for Agates Sat., Sept. 6, 2014 9:30 am

Find: Two sites in the Santa Monica Mountains for sagenite & plume agate, marcasite, chalcedony.

There are several ravines, rock outcroppings. Light to moderate hike, getting harder the more you go uphill. Light to moderate brush covers the mountain.

You will need digging tools, rock pick, pry bar, and as usual, collecting bag/bucket, sturdy shoes, hat, water, etc. Packing a lunch or snacks is recommended, as well.

See http://whoscoming.com/vgms for map and more information.

Future Trips: Jade Cove Weekend Trip (CFMS) (Trip date swapped with Kanan Rd.) Trona Gem-o-rama for Fri.-Sun., Oct 17-19, 2014 Salt Minerals First come, first served camping spaces Sat.-Sun.,Oct. 11-12, 2014 at Plaskett Creek. See the website for more info:

http://www1.iwvisp.com/ Wiley’s Well Thanksgiving Weekend tronagemclub/FLYER.htm Trip (CFMS) Thur.,-Sun., Nov. 27-30, 2014 Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 Rockhound Rambling 10 Rockhound Ramblings Tri-club members visit Cerro Gordo Silver Mining Camp

Numerous members of the Tri-club attended a field trip lead by the Lone Pine Gem & Mineral Society to the Bishop area and to the silver mining camp of Cerro Gordo. The mining camp is located in the Inyo Mountains east of the community of Keeler. The photo above shows Tri-club members in front of the historic Gordon House at Cerro Gordo. Field trip participants collected unusual rocks, lead-silver ore samples and specimens of the zinc mineral, Smithsonite. In 1865, rich lead-silver ore was discovered at an elevation of 8200’ at Cerro Gordo Peak in to increase ore production. A modern ore furnace the Inyo Mountains. By 1866, the San Lucas Mine was built near the mine which produced lead began producing 1 1/2 tons of ore every day. Ore and silver. Silver bars weighing approximately 85 was hauled by mule to the Silver Sprout Mill located pounds and measuring 18 inches in length were near Keeler. In 1868, Victor Beaudry and Mortimer shipped by wagon to Los Angeles. Belshaw acquired claims and formed a partnership The city of Cerro Gordo grew around the successful mines and smelter. Production of metal peaked during the 1880s. For a short period of time, lead and silver bars and ore were transported by steamship across Owens Lake to Cartago. During 1910, zinc ores were developed from associated ore deposits. Production of lead- silver-zinc continued until 1957. Today, Cerro Gordo is a living ghost town located on patented mining claims under private ownership. A group of caretakers live at Cerro Gordo throughout the year. Permission to visit the town can be granted by appointment only.

Photos & article submitted by Steve Mulqueen Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 11 Rockhound Ramblings Another Great Nipomo Show!

Since 2008, I’ve been receiving invitations to install exhibits at the annual show of the Orcutt Mineral Society, more popularly known as “The Nipomo Show.” Over the years, I’ve installed displays on Green River fossils, crinoids, fossil plants and animals, and more. For their 47th Annual Show, I wasn’t sure if I could enter given a changed job situation that doesn’t allow for a lot of time off work (the Nipomo Show is 3-days long, with set-up on Thursday) and given that their show always occurs smack-dab in the middle of our Ventura County Fair. However, because I can rarely say, “no,” when an invitation came this year, I John Cook and Nancy Brace-Thompson at a dealer’s booth. found myself preparing a display entitled “California “tailgate show.” In addition to some indoor dealers, Fish Fossils: Locally produced but not so fresh!” demonstrators, and displays in an all-purpose room at the Nipomo High School, they have 50 mostly mom-and-pop dealers outside with their RVs, portable tables, and pop-up shades. Thus, it’s a great opportunity to get some true bargains. Nearly everything is negotiable, and nearly every rock, mineral, or fossil specimen comes with a personal story. If you haven’t yet been, mark your calendar and make a point to head for Nipomo around the first weekend of August next year. This year, Nancy came back with a nice slab of Pietersite, rough Mexican crazy lace agate, and more. John was able to find some Pietersite, as well, and some rare Wingate agate (at both reasonable and unreasonable prices). The Wingate locality has been closed for 50 years, and apparently, one What should have been a 2-hour drive to install the dealer realized it, because he was selling slabs display on July 31st stretched into nearly 3 hours by the gram. Fortunately, another dealer proved thanks to an overturned camper in Camarillo and a more approachable and affordable. I came away truck that slammed into a guard rail and blocked a with an antique mining lamp as well as bunches lane in Santa Barbara during rush hour. I arrived of fossils. One dealer was selling whole file boxes just in time to enjoy the last piece of pizza at their crammed with assorted fossils at just $20 a box, so exhibitor and dealer dinner and to set up a case I piled up 3 boxes and now have a great supply of before having to turn around for home in order to material that should help feed out Kids Booth! We report to work for an international conference call also made a purchase or two at a booth run by a early the next morning. dealer going by the name of Kathryn Davis. After doing a stint of floor-walking at the The Nipomo Show is great! It’s a lot like a County Fair on Saturday, on Sunday morning miniature Quartzsite with friendly folks with stories Nancy and I picked up John Cook to return to to share. John, Nancy, and I all encourage you Nipomo to take in the show before tearing down to go next year—but wear a hat! My bald spot is my display case at day’s end. For those who starting to peel from the sunburn… haven’t yet experienced it, Nipomo is the classic -Jim Brace-Thompson Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 Rockhound Rambling 12 Educational Corner Definition of the Month

Plaster of Paris – A term synonymous with gypsum plaster, a white powdery substance used in the construction industry, arts & crafts and hundreds of other applications. The raw material used in making plaster of Paris is gypsum, an industrial mineral extracted from the Earth. Plaster of Paris may be the oldest form of a manufactured building material, having been used by the Egyptians during the construction of the pyramids at least 4000 years ago. Deposits of gypsum may occur with minor amounts of undesirable components such as limestone, dolostone (rock containing dolomite), halite, sylvite and detrital material such as clay or shale. Most of these impurities are removed by selectively mining the gypsum resource or during the crushing, screening and milling processes. Plaster of Paris is produced by heating gypsum in a rotary kiln to a temperature of 300o F (150o C). During the baking process, most of the water molecules that are locked in the mineral’s chemical structure are driven off by the intense heat. A fine powder is formed by the decrepitation of gypsum granules as a result of the violent reaction caused by the high temperature. The chemical transformation that converts gypsum into plaster of Paris is a reversible reaction and is detailed below:

Gypsum, chemical formula CaSO4.2H20, hydrated calcium sulfate.

2CaSO4.2H2O + heat g 2CaSO4.½H2O + 3H2O endothermic reaction gypsum plaster of Paris water vapor 2CaSO4.½H2O + 3H2O g 2CaSO4.2H2O + heat exothermic reaction plaster of Paris water re-formed “gypsum”

When the dry powdered plaster is mixed with water, an exothermic reaction occurs, transforming the substance back to a solid form similar in composition to the natural gypsum mineral. The most common use of plaster is for the manufacturing of drywall used in the construction industry. At fossil dig sites, a liquid slurry of plaster of Paris is applied to gauze, cheesecloth or burlap to form a composite material known as modroc. This substance is used by paleontologists in preparing plaster casts for preserving, excavating and transporting large fossil specimens. Plaster is also a great medium for making casts of trace fossils such as animal footprints. Fossil replicas can also be made from plaster. Any gypsum residue remaining on the original fossil can be easily removed with water, as a direct result of its high degree of solubility. Plaster of Paris gets its name from the extensive gypsum deposits and abandoned mines that occur within and beneath Paris, France. The Mines of Paris (in the French language carrieres de Paris or “quarries of Paris”) consist of large abandoned underground workings beneath the city and some of the large idle surface mines located in the hills that overlook the city. The early mining operations for gypsum at Paris date back several hundred years. There are three main networks of underground drifts and galleries beneath Paris, the largest known as grand reseau sud (“large south network”). A portion of the extensive subterranean excavations can be legally explored by accessing an entrance at Place Denfert-Rochereau. The underground workings have been informally named “The Catacombs” and are frequently toured, mostly by local Parisians. Paris is located within the Paris Basin, a thick sequence of sedimentary rock units consisting of beds formed in shallow marine, inland sea and non-marine environments. The oldest rock units deep within the basin were deposited during the Cretaceous Period. Thick layers of gypsum are of Bartonian Age, formed during the Late Eocene epoch.

References: See numerous listings on the internet by searching under key phrases such as plaster of Paris, gypsum, industrial minerals, grand reseau sud, “The Catacombs” of Paris, the Mines of Paris and the Paris Basin.

Written by Steve Mulqueen for the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, August 2014. The ‘Definition of the Month’ features words related to geology, paleontology, mining and desert history. Refer to other definitions featured in past VGMS bulletins dating back to June 2001 available on the VGMS website at www.vgms.org . Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 13 Educational Corner Illustration of the Month

Placer mining, Klondike Gold Fields, Yukon Territory, Canada, late 1890s.

Source: A pen & ink illustration by A. C. Harris. Originally published during the early 1900s for the International Correspondence School Reference Library, Scranton, Pennsylvania, reprinted in the book The Mining Camps Speak, written by Elizabeth M. & William E. Sagstetter, published by BenchMark Publishing of Colorado, LLC, Denver, 1998, page 24.

Text written by Steve Mulqueen for the VGMS, August 2014. The ‘Illustration of the Month’ features a drawing, sketch, pen & ink rendering, engraving print or any form of art rediscovered in books, maps, manuscripts and many other sources related to geology, paleontology, mining and desert history. This illustration was chosen for its educational content by the author. Refer to other featured illustrations from previous bulletins beginning in June of 2001 available on the VGMS website at www.vgms.org . Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 Rockhound Rambling 14 Fair Photos

Wendy Holder making jewelry & David Mautz doing fossil cleaning.

Sharon Cunningham (VGMS) & Adrian Ruiz (OGMS) at the Fair’s Demo table.

Richard and Susan Slyker working on a display case.

Roy Boulch with 1st Place Fair Theme case.

Our friends at the Calif. Oil Museum won 1st Place, too!

John Cook & new Pebble Pup doing lapidary demo. Rockhound Rambling Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 15 Chips & Boulders Got something to sell, trade or barter for? Submissions do not have to be hobby-oriented, but you do have to be a member! Send your brief advertisement (and photo?) to the editor: [email protected]. Submission will be posted as soon as possible; the due date is the 1st of the month. FOSSIL SALE: The Western Foundation of Vertebrate You might be a rockhound Zoology is selling their fossil collection. if... They are located at 439 Calle San Pablo, The severe sunburn acquired Camarillo, 93012. They are only open on your last vacation was a one by appointment, so if you are interested inch wide strip of skin at the gap in purchasing some items, please call between the tail of your shirt ahead of time to make arrangements; and the top of your pants. 805.388.9933. Available Mon.-Fri. only.

NEW METEORITE EXHIBIT: Got lapidary equipment, display cases or The UCLA Earth and Planetary Space other rock or mineral material for sale? Sciences Dept. opened a new Meteorite Please email the Editor by the 1st of the Gallery at UCLA in January. The Gallery month for inclusion into that month’s Chips is open & free to visitors Monday-Friday, & Boulders. Please include description of 9am-4pm, and on Sundays from 1pm-4pm items for sale, price, contact name and how with trained docents to help out. Once a you want to be reached (phone number, month there is a special lecture by one of the email). faculty that is open to the public. For more information, please see their web page: www.meteorites.ucla.edu/gallery/

www.diamondpacific.com

Club Merchandise VGMS continues to have Club T-Shirts for sale. Priced to all VGMS members at $12.00 and any club member associated to CFMS $15.00. Sizes S-M-L-XL-2X-3X. All profits go directly to the VGMS. Contact Diane Cook at [email protected] to order.

VGMS logo merchandise is available at Cafe Press! Everything from shirts, mugs and aprons, to mousepads, pajamas and jewelry. New items added regularly, too! Please visit www.cafepress.com/VtaGemSociety, or contact Angela at [email protected] for more information. Let’s Go To A Show! Volume 60, No. 8, August 2014 Rockhound Rambling 16

Attending one of these shows? Please send photos and experiences to the editor at [email protected].

August 16 - 17: TEHACHAPI, CA September 27 - 28: SANTA ROSA, CA Tehachapi Valley Gem & Mineral Society Santa Rosa Mineral & Gem Society St. Malachy”s Catholic Church Wells Fargo Center for the Art 407 West E Street 50 Mark West Springs Road Hours: Sat 10 - 6; Sun 10 - 5 Hours: Sat 10 - 6; Sun 10 - 5 Contact: Robert Papac, (661) 821-7103 Jolene, (707) 528-761S Email: [email protected] or Email: [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.srmgs.org Website: www.tvgms.org September 27 - 28: LODI, CA August 23 - 24: SAN FRANCISCO, CA Stockton Lapidary & Mineral Club San Francisco Gem & Mineral Society Lodi Grape Festival Grounds S. F. County Fair Bldg., Golden Gate Park 413 East Lockford Street 9th Avenue & Lincoln Way Hours: 10 - 5 daily Hours: Sat 10 - 6; Sun 10 - 5 Contact: Jerold Kyle, (209) 368-9411 Contact: Ellen Nott Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.stocktonlapidary.com Website: www.sfgemshow.org October 1 - 5: JOSHUA TREE, CA September 20 - 21: CHICO, CA Hi-Desert Rockhounds of Moronga Valley Feather River Lapidary & Mineral Society, Sportsman’s Club of Joshua Tree Oroville 6225 Sunburst Street Silver Dollar Fairgrounds Hours: 9 - 6 daily 2357 Fair Street Contact: Judy & Roger Thompson, Hours: Sat 9 - 5; Sun 9 - 4 (760) 902-5340 John Scott, (530) 343-3491 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: Website: www.featherriverrocks.org www.jtsportsmansclub.com/gemshow.htm

September 27 - 28: MONTEREY, CA October 10 - 12: RENO, NV Carmel Valley Gem & Mineral Society Reno Gem & Mineral Society Craft Show Monterey Fairgrounds Reno Town Hall 2004 Fairgrounds Road Corner of Peckham & So. Virginia Street Hours: Sat 10 - 6; Sun 10 - 5 Hours: Fri 10 - 6; Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 3 Contact: Janis Rovetti, (831) 372-1311 Contact:Theresa Langhans, (775) 475-0842 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.cvgms.org Website: www.www.renorockhounds.com