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ROCK-A-TEER

Newsletter of the Puyallup Valley Gem & Club Jillian Higgins

Issue 24 Volume 77 January 2020

THIS ISSUE President’s Perspective P.2 Special Recognition P.2 Field Trip Report P.2 Club House Schedule P.3 Meet a Member, Debbie Overman P.4 Topaz Mountain Adventures P.5-6 Mineral of the Month P.7 From the Bench P.7 2020 Show and Tell P.8 2020 Officers and Chairs P.9 Word Search P.10 Happy Birthdays P.10

P.O. B O X 1 3 4 , P UYALLUP , WA 9 8 3 7 1 PVGAMC@ GMAIL . COM WWW . PUYALLUPVALLEYGEMANDMINERAL CLUB . COM (253) 9 8 7 - 6 7 5 1

President’s Perspective Tony Johnson Happy New Year!

I would like to thank all of the members of PVGMC for the chance to be your president and to represent all of the members of this club. When I first joined the club in 1997 it was a lot smaller, but the people in the club were great to be with and full of hope.

Now we are the largest club giving our members more opportunities to learn many lapidary skills, rock hounding, easy access to machinery for cutting and the best rock show around. The reason for this all coming together is the great people that we have in our club giving of

themselves. I have much pride knowing that I was a small part of this.

I know we will have a good time this year.

Special Recognition Person Being Recommended: Brett & Sherry Lawrence

Recommended by: Jillian Higgins

Reason for Recognition: Brett & Sherry Lawrence have been members of the club for 13 years

and have been helping the club in many, many ways. For my part, they help me behind the

scenes, working month after month to make sure our newsletter goes out to everyone who wishes to receive it by mail. They print, fold, label, and mail all newsletters. They provide content to the newsletter and Brett makes all the wordsearches which we enjoy. Brett is always available if I have questions, of which I have had many. He always responds to my emails & answers the phone when I call. I really appreciate these behind the scenes warriors for everything they do for the club and myself.

Field Trip Report

January 18 – No Field Trip No Field Trip Due to weather and access

February – No Field Trip No Field Trip Due to weather and access

Please remember that even though we love to meet new people, fieldtrips are a member benefit and part of your membership dues covers you for injury liability. Though injuries are rare, and we do everything we can to avoid them, we are going out into nature,

and uncontrollable environment.

All individuals attending field trips will have to sign a release of liability, and if you are bringing guests, we will try to entice them into join the club by having Membership applications available.

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JANUARY 2020 CLUB HOUSE SCHEDULE

DATE DAY TIME ACTIVITY LOCATION INSTRUCTOR 1 Wednesday Holiday - New Years 2 Thursday Holiday - New Years 3 Friday 4 Saturday Holiday - New Years 5 Sunday 6 Monday 10:00AM-2:00PM Members Open Access Club House Bill Clark 4:00PM-8:00PM Members Open Access Club House Ed Knoll 7 Tuesday 7:00PM Club Board Meeting Fruitland Grange Jim Christian 10:00AM-2:00PM Members Open Access Club House Dennis Batchelor 8 Wednesday 4:00PM-8:00PM Opal Cutting Club House Tony Johnson 9 Thursday 4:00PM-8:00PM Members Open Access Club House Renera Barnes 10 Friday 7:30PM Club Business Meeting Fruitland Grange Tony Johnson 11 Saturday 10:00AM-2:00PM Darcy's Wire & Bead Bracelets Club House Darcy Calchina 12 Sunday 10:00AM-2:00PM Members Open Access Club House Bill Clark 13 Monday 7:00PM-8:00PM Opal Club Business Meeting Club House Tony Johnson 14 Tuesday 4:00PM-8:00PM Members Open Access Club House Ed Knoll 10:00AM-2:00PM Members Open Access Club House Dennis Batchelor 15 Wednesday 4:00PM-8:00PM Wire Wrapping Club House Tony Johnson 16 Thursday 4:00PM-8:00PM Members Open Access Club House Renera Barnes 17 Friday 10:00AM-2:00PM No Field Trip Field Trip Dennis Batchelor 18 Saturday 10:00AM-2:00PM Members Open Access Club House Dennis Batchelor 10:00AM-2:00PM Silversmithing Work Shop Club House Dave Sanderson 19 Sunday 20 Monday 10:00AM-2:00PM Members Open Access Club House Bill Clark 21 Tuesday 4:00PM-8:00PM Members Open Access Club House Ed Knoll 10:00AM-2:00PM Members Open Access Club House Dennis Batchelor 22 Wednesday 4:00PM-8:00PM Opal Cutting Club House Tony Johnson 23 Thursday 4:00PM-8:00PM Members Open Access Club House Renera Barnes 24 Friday 7:30PM Club Program Night Fruitland Grange Tony Johnson 25 Saturday 10:00AM-2:00PM PMC Bird House Pendants Club House Becky Conwell 26 Sunday 27 Monday 10:00AM-2:00PM Members Open Access Club House Bill Clark 28 Tuesday 4:00PM-8:00PM Members Open Access Club House Ed Knoll 10:00AM-2:00PM Members Open Access Club House Dennis Batchelor 29 Wednesday 4:00PM-8:00PM Opal Cutting Club House Tony Johnson 30 Thursday 4:00PM-8:00PM Members Open Access Club House Renera Barnes 31 Friday For questions about a specific class or event, contact the instructor Jim Christian (253) 720-9502 Ed Knoll (253) 651-7453 Dennis Batchelor (360) 870-8741 Tony Johnson (253) 863-9238 Bill Clark (360) 893-6919 Dave Sanderson (253) 380-8273 Renera Barnes [email protected] Jillian Higgins (253)355-3146 Glen Ripper (253) 508-7545

This schedule is subject to change. Please check website for updates.

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MEET THE MEMBERS Name: Debbie Overman Favorite Quote: “What’s up Chickenbutt?”

What are your skills/past experience with the rock Club or rock hounding? Several years ago, my brother & I (along with our spouses) began clearing out my parents home to put it up for sale when they moved into a Care Center. Lo and Behold, we discovered buckets of rock, buried rock, slabs, polished rocks, tumbler & wind chimes my Dad had made with rock slabs. What do I do now?, I said. That’s when my friend Randy Summers led me to Puyallup Valley Gem & Mineral Club. So I’ve not gone on a “true” rock hounding trip, I just go look thru my Dads stones and think of him.

What is your favorite rock, mineral or gem? I really like Pinolith, it is beautiful, and the history behind it is amazing.

What is your favorite thing to do with rocks, or gems? Cabbing has become my passion, and is very relaxing to me.

What are your three favorite books/podcasts?  Outlanders Series  Gardening books (especially flowers)  Cookbooks with lots of pictures (even though I don’t cook a lot any more, I love them!)

What is your favorite memory surrounding rockhounding? Outings with my friend and fellow RockGirl Renera to the Swiss Park Shows & the Puyallup Valley Gem & Mineral Club show.

In your opinion, what is the best thing about the Puyallup Valley Gem & Mineral Club? LaVon, Mike, Herb (miss you Spencer). Visiting with friends, meeting new ones and talkin’ Rock!

In your opinion, where/how does the club need to improve? The Club has already made some positive changes in the last year! Rock ON!

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Topaz Mountain Adventures By Kevin Higgins

Last October for my wife and I’s Birthdays, we decided to hop on plane and fly First Class from Seattle to Salt lake City Utah to do a bit of Topaz mining. I had learned about Topaz Mountain Adventures from watching a YouTube video posted on my favorite rock hounding channel “The Crystal Collector”. If you haven’t already, go check him out, he’s got great stuff about mining minerals in the United States and Canada. Upon arriving in Salt Lake we took a shuttle to the nearest rental car outfit, picked out a high ground clearance vehicle and set off. Our destination of Delta, UT is a little town at the junction of HWY 6 and HWY 50 and a 2-1/4 hour drive from SLC. This would be our base camp for the next few days. If a guy wanted to, you could camp up closer to the mine in the desert, but this guy is fond of daily hot showers. We checked into a Budget Hotel (I would not recommend staying here) and then swung by the grocer to stock up on water and lunches for our packs. From Delta to the Topaz Mountain site is about an hour drive. It’s pretty easy driving until the last few miles where the pavement turns to sand, and in turn the sand into ruts. The path is marked reasonably well by signs, but does lack the clarity to keep you from feeling like you might be going the wrong way. As long as you are going toward what looks like the remnants of an ancient exploded volcano, you are on the right track. Once we arrived at the mine we were greeted by Ronda and her Bangled cat (aptly named “Topaz”). Rhonda stays in her trailer at the mine site to check people in and accepts credit cards. That is, when she is not busy running off claim jumpers and earning her nick name of “The Wicked Witch of Topaz Mountain”. I however was treated kindly and she even came up and showed us the ropes of hard rock mining Topaz. The hammers and chisels we brought proved quite useful. We were able to take a large flat chisel and split open lines to expose vugs with the proper technique of smashing the heck out of it with a hammer. After a little practice and a few pointers from Ronda we collected some really great specimens of champagne Topaz including several double terminated crystals and Topaz in matrix plates. The dig site is a short walk from the parking area over loose rocks and steep terrain. You are going to want to wear long pants to avoid abrasions, a brimmed hat and a back pack to carry supplies such as water, tools, gloves and collecting containers is a good idea. Be prepared to see wildlife such as Antilope, Lizards and Huge freaking Tarantulas. The bathroom facilities include a Porta Potty that is a short hike away. In the town of Delta, there are many places to look at minerals, rock shops, and business’ that cater to the local mineral obsession. Within a 4 hour radius of the town there is everything from jasper, agates, fossils, onyx, Tiffany stone, , you name it. We popped into the local shop called West Desert Collectors off Main Street and had a wonderfully informative visit with the proprietor. He asked us what we were looking for and of course I said Tiffany Stone. After about 30 minutes of talking, showing him what we like to make with rocks, he started to really warm up to us and went into the back room for some of his “special” stock. Kila (or Jill, she has many names) is going to wrap him a couple of pieces in a Celtic design and mail them down to him. I have slabbed the Tiffany stone and it

5 | Page looks awesome. We will defiantly be stopping by his shop next time we are in Delta and are hoping to start an rockhounding exchange program with the folks of Delta. On a side note: while traveling through Wood Canyon between Delta and Salt Lake there is a historical marker site that we stopped at along the side of the road. The Morrison Charcoal Ovens that have been standing there since 1882. During their operation logs were drug to the ovens from nearby canyons via mule. Each of the 4 ovens were filled with 25 cords of wood at a time and fired under a controlled burn using an elaborate yet primitive stone ventilation system. The result was steel grade coal that was sold to the smelters. The site is worth a stop if you already happen to be going along that way. The ovens are fairly impressive when you consider the materials that were available to build with and the fact that they are in pretty good shape after all this time. We also pay attention to the areas we are traveling through and I would always recommend taking the 15-20 minutes to stop and check out some historical sights. It never hurts to flip a U-turn for a little knowledge.

Photo Collage

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H & L Lapidary Mike and LaVon Siperek (253) 531-7294 Amber, Jewelry, Beads, Findings 4203 E 99th Street Tacoma, WA 98446 Gemstones, Slabs, Rough Material [email protected] Fossils and Aussie items

MINERAL OF THE MONTH

What does this look like to you? A frozen wave? A crystalized peacock tail? A crystal spray of Azurite?

If you guessed the last, you are correct. Azurite gets it’s name because it is a vibrant “Azure Blue”. It is a soft stone, only a 3.5 - 4 on the mols scale. Azurite is a copper carbonate mineral. What does that mean? It means that azurite is formed only where copper is found, deep in the earth, as pressure, heat, and water leach and erode copper ions, crystals form from the “copper based soup”. These crystals grow as monoclinic, or seven sided crystals and are various colors of blue, depending on the amount of copper ions, and where the crystals are at in the aging process. As azurite crystals “weather” over thousands to millions of years, the color turns green, giving us the companion mineral – malachite. This is why the two minerals are almost always found together, but azurite comes first.

Bad news, this mineral is poisonous if ingested like all copper based minerals. Make sure you do not work this material dry, have lots of water, clean your machines, wear masks and eye protection. Do Not put either azurite or malachite in your mouth. You can absorb azurite dust through your eyes, nasal passages, and your mouth. You do not absorb it though your skin so it is safe to wear.

FROM THE BENCH

What is the best cutting oil to use in your saws?

This is an interesting question, that has many answers. If you start to research you will find a lot of answers, most of it is overwhelming. This is what I have found:

When in doubt, low viscosity lapidary oil is best. Higher viscosity oils will add more

friction to your blade, which will put more strain on your motor and causes heat, which can warp your blade. Kerosene and Diesel are not a good idea because they actually dull your blade, are toxic if you ingest them, and are highly flammable.

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2020 SHOW & TELL THEMES and PROGRAM NIGHT EVENTS

PROGRAM NIGHT MEETING DATE SHOW & TELL THEME EVENT

January – 1st Meeting January 10, 2019 Tiger’s Eye + any field trip finds Washington State Mineral January – 2nd Meeting January 24, 2019 Laces + any field trip finds Council

February – 1st Meeting February 14, 2019 Heart-Shaped + any field trip finds February – 2nd Meeting February 28, 2019 Red, Pink and Purple + any field trip finds Outlaws Metal Detecting

March – 1st Meeting March 13, 2019 “Sham” rocks + any field trip finds Carlson Jewelry Store, Carl March – 2nd Meeting March 27, 2019 Green + any field trip finds Carlson

April – 1st Meeting April 10, 2019 April Fools…Gold + any field trip finds April – 2nd Meeting April 24, 2019 No Show & Tell Auction/Potluck

May – 1st Meeting May 8, 2019 May Flowers…Rocks + any field trip finds

May – 2nd Meeting May 22, 2019 Carnelians + any field trip finds Jerry’s Rock Shop

June – 1st Meeting June 12, 2019 Fancy Slabs + any field trip finds Tailgate Party @ Grange June – 2nd Meeting June 26, 2019 No Show & Tell Parking Lot

July – 1st Meeting July 10, 2019 Red, White, & Blue + any field trip finds

July – 2nd Meeting July 24, 2019 + any field trip finds Jerry’s Rock Shop

August – 1st Meeting August 14, 2019 + any field trip finds Picnic & Tailgate Party at August – 2nd Meeting August 24, 2019 No Show & Tell club house on Saturday

September-1st Meeting September 11, 2019 + Field Trip Finds September-2nd Meeting September 25, 2019 No Show & Tell Mini Lapidary Demonstrations

October-1st Meeting October 9, 2019 + any field trip finds October-2nd Meeting October 23, 2019 No Show & Tell Auction/Potluck

November-1st Meeting November 13, 2019 + any field trip finds November-2nd Meeting November 27, 2019 No Show & Tell BINGO Night

Holiday Banquet/Officer December – 1st Meeting December 11, 2019 No Show & Tell Installation on Saturday December – 2nd Meeting No Meeting No Show & Tell

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2020 Elected Officers Title Name Phone Email President: Tony Johnson (253)863-9238 [email protected] Vice President: Jim Christian (253)720-9502 [email protected] Secretary: Teresa Rodrick (253)531-4062 [email protected] Treasurer: Jillian Higgins (253)355-3146 [email protected] Federation Director: Vacant 1 Year Director: Glen Ripper (253)508-7545 [email protected] 2 Year Director: Bill Clark (360)893-6919 [email protected] 1 Year Trustee: Glenn Rodrick (253)531-4062 [email protected] 2 Year Trustee: Dennis Batchelor (360)870-8741 [email protected]

2020 Committee Chairs Title Name Phone Email Club House Coordinator Jim Christian (253)720-9502 [email protected] Club Show Coordinator Jim Christian (253)720-9502 [email protected] Field Trips Coordinator Dennis Batchelor (360)870-8741 [email protected] Web Master Jillian Higgins (253)355-3146 [email protected] Editor Jillian Higgins (253)355-3146 [email protected] Membership Jillian Higgins (253)355-3146 [email protected] Patti Dailey- Sunshine Shives (253)678-0029 [email protected] Newsletter Jillian Higgins (253)355-3146 [email protected] Mineral Council Tony Johnson (253)863-9238 [email protected] Historian Nicole Payne (253)208-9802 [email protected]

The Puyallup Valley Gem & Mineral Club is a member of the American Lands Access Association. You can find more information about the ALAA at: amlands.org

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A SOFTER TOUCH II (MOHS 1-3.5) HAPPY J A M E S O N I T E T I R A N I L BIRTHDAY H P E P R O U S T I T E H U Z D E

A E S T O L Z I T E V I Y J O B P L T H L I W F N T B A L R H U C I

O I M J Y N E I A S X D E P R C D T T P B A C R E E D I T E Y U V O

January 2020 R E X F B E U E O T I T O B P C L Edward Knoll – 1st I M V W D M Z R K H I L V F E A I

Mark Baumann – 1st C I N N A B A R T R I T U Y T L T th Kathy Dirks – 7 H M I E V G E N O T E S S O I C E th Lorna Fuller – 12 th I S C T L T A U E T C T J E L I E Dora Poehler – 12 Elizabeth Caple – 13th T T Y A I C L W I H I V I F L T T Darcy Calchina – 15th E X E L L F J R I L Z W U R E E I Laurie Sloan – 15th Mich Dezanowski – O R L A O M A T B U D B T U V H C 18th N E H E X L E I E T I M O L O D U Steve Nichols – 19th M C F M E F T E T I O C O R C X R Helen Mills – 20th

Jonnine Vencill – 27th C O L M Z E T I T N A H C O R B B

Mighuel Gonzales – th 29 th 1. 10. CRYOLITE 19. LEPIDOLITE John Good – 30 2. BRUCITE 11. 20. 3. CALCITE 12. DOLOMITE 21. MELLITE

4. CELESTITE 13. FLUORITE 22. MELARITE 5. CHALCANTHITE 14. FUSCHITE 23. MIMETITE

6. CINNABAR 15. HALOTRICHITE 24. PROUSTITE 7. COVELLITE 16. INDERITE 25. REALGAR

8. CREEDITE 17. JAMESONITE 26. STILBITE 9. CROCOITE 18. KERNITE 27. STOLZITE

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ROCK-A-TEER Newsletter of Puyallup Valley Gem & Mineral Club P.O. Box 134 Puyallup, WA 98371 http://puyallupvalleygemandmineralclub.com

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