DELVINGS The Newsletter of the Delvers Gem & Mineral Society Volume 73 Number 9 September 2020 August Show and Tell: Dale’s self-collected Amazonite (Microcline) with Smoky Quartz, from the Clarence Coil Claim, Lake George, CO. This is a classic specimen from a historic area for these minerals. Delvers Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. - mailing address: 3833 San Anseline, Long Beach, CA 90808 August Show and Tell: Teresa’s necklace. Not exactly a “puka shell.” The name puka originates in Hawaii, where necklaces are made of very specific beach-worn shell fragments: the traditional puka shell is a disc, concave and ridged on one side, with a hole worn through the center – these are the eroded tops of cone shells. The term puka shell can only loosely be used for eroded shells of different origin, such the piece above with a spiral, the fragment of another variety of marine snail shell (similar spirals are found in snail opercula). Taps From the Gavel Hello out there to all Delver members, 2020 Board It was great to see a few of you at our last meeting on August 14th, 2020. President – Marvin Belcher Dale and Teresa brought in some beautiful goodies to share with our [email protected] members. Dale showed off 20 different minerals and they were all VP – “Chuck” Pierce stunning. Teresa brought in two necklaces that she had made nice work. [email protected] Chuck even brought in a piece of Slag to share with all. At this writing Treasurer – vacant th we will have a meeting Sept 11 , 2020. Hope more of you will try and Secretary – Judy Belcher come to the next meeting, but only if you feel safe to do so. We will and [email protected] must adhere to COVID-19 regulations and that includes all members Director – Guynell Miller wear masks and social distance (6 Feet Apart). If you have any pretty’s [email protected] you’ve been working on during this lockdown time please bring them in Director – Dale Harwood 310-217-0551 and share with the group. Once things cool down we will also try and Director – Peter German put together a Rock trip or maybe two. [email protected] Signing off for now, Editor – Andrew Hoekstra Your President, [email protected] Marvin Belcher DELVINGS September 2020 Page 2 MINUTES for August 14, 2020 – recorded by Marvin Belcher Board Meeting General Meeting Call to Order Flag Salute All board members present except Judy (secretary) Guests: none Comments/corrections to the July minutes? No 7 members present Treasure’s report: position is vacant Tonight’s Program: show and tell Program report: N/A Future Programs/Field Trips: N/A Field Trip Report: N/A Treasurer’s Report: N/A Federation Report: Check that Guynell sent to CFMS Bulletin: N/A for dues has been received and acknowledged. Federation: N/A New business: Discussed situation with past Treasurer Librarian: nothing new and decided Marvin Belcher would try contacting once Show and Tell: Dale brought in 20 different types of more to resolve this and retrieve club property. minerals and Teresa brought two different necklaces Talked about Gavel awards for past Presidents; these that she had made. will be ordered by our current president. Raffle Adjourned Meeting adjourned Delvers are all invited to a Labor Day picnic at the Pierce’s (see email for info.) Field Trips Some clubs are holding field trips, but you will need to contact them in advance as many are limiting participation to “members only,” to keep group size small. The Ventura County clubs visited Palos Verdes last month, and they plan a trip to Wiley’s Well late this month (September). The Delvers’ President, Marvin Belcher, has scouted possible field trip locales, such as Kramer Junction/Four Corners, and we can look forward to having a club field trip once the weather cools. If there is any interest in either Palos Verdes (steep trails) or fossils (Woodland Hills), these are two closer, more local trip possibilities. Shows and Events The Roseville (near Sacramento) club successfully held a show in July (see recap here). Everything else through September appears cancelled. A few clubs are still hoping to hold shows in October, including Woodland Hills, Fallbrook, and Grass Valley. Trona is cancelled, as are November’s West Coast Gem & Mineral Show (in Costa Mesa) and the Opal show (in Anaheim). There is no word yet on Oxnard’s or Ridgecrest’s shows in November. Buying an Ultraviolet Lamp/Flashlight for Mineral Collecting? Last month’s article on collecting fluorescent minerals may have whetted your interest in acquiring your own ultraviolet lamp. Doing some research prior to purchasing is well worthwhile. You want the right type of lamp for your purposes, and one of good quality. For collecting in the field, portability is important and battery life too. Short-wave UV is what you want for prospecting (although some minerals fluoresce under long-wave UV). https://www.waveformlighting.com/tech/everything-you-need-to-know-about-uv-flashlights http://www.minershop.com/technology/lights/portable-field-lights/ https://uvsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/R_G_Article_5.pdf https://www.tigerowner.com/UVlamps.htm http://www.njminerals.org/lamps.html https://www.rockngem.com/rainbow-rocks-collectability-of-fluorescent-minerals/ DELVINGS September 2020 Page 3 Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper (From Nevada County Gem & Mineral Society’s Rock Writings, September 2020) Who wears a jasper, be life short or long, Will meet all dangers brave and wise and strong. (Tiffany & Co., 1909) Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper is a famous, but increasingly rare, orbicular jasper with red and yellow dots of "poppy flowers". It is a brecciated jasper, meaning it probably came from sun-dried and oxidized iron-rich clay. The cracks were filled in by other substances. There are different types of Jasper and the variety of Poppy Jasper found in our area is a “brecciated jasper.” What the heck does THAT mean? Great question! Well, “breccia” is a rock made up of sharp fragments embedded in clay and sand. Poppy Jasper is often found in areas with seismic and tectonic activity. Sound like any place we know? As this type of jasper forms, there are tiny cracks and fissures that open in the stone and then fill-in again over time with indigenous materials. As the stone repeats this process, it shatters and “heals-through” many times over, lending to the crackled and speckled look often associated with the stone. The red colors prized by Poppy Jasper collectors are often a result of red hematite crystals embedded in the rock. It is also thought that iron-rich clay impacts the coloration. From deep reds and vibrant orange tones, to golden hues and earthen greens, Poppy Jasper is always a visual delight! Unfortunately these days most of the local Poppy Jasper found on is on private property, leaving rock-hounds and local enthusiasts alike, increasingly frustrated by the lack of access to new specimens. Jasper is from the chalcedony/quartz group. It is a microcrystalline variety of quartz that contains up to 20% foreign material. These materials are what determine the color and appearance of the stone. Also because of the foreign materials, jasper is rarely uniform in color; it is usually multicolored, striped, and/or spotted. Jaspers of all kinds have long been attributed magical powers in just about every culture known to man. Jasper was used in Ancient European times as a "rain bringer" and it is interesting to note that the word for jasper in some American Indian cultures also meant, "Rain Bringer". Folklore, Legend, and Healing Properties: Poppy Jasper acts somewhat like adrenaline, waking up and energizing areas of the body that appear to be sleeping. It is believed to encourage a deep connection with the life of the Earth. It inspires a positive, joyful attitude and gives the motivation and energy to take creative action. Jasper was thought to drive away evil spirits and protect against snake and spider bites. Jasper derives its name from the ancient Persian word yashp, meaning “spotted stone”. In the past bloodstone was called heliotrope. In ancient Egypt red jasper was a symbol of Isis, the goddess of marriage and fertility. An amulet made of red jasper promised protection. In Victorian times, dreaming of jasper foretold of long life and love returned. As a gift for the Russian Empress Alexandra, Carl Fabergé made a charming red jasper dancing bear with diamond eyes. Jasper has also been used to adorn buildings, such as the Saint Wenceslas Chapel in Prague. MORE Location data for Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper: https://www.mindat.org/loc-65214.html TO Photos of Orbicular Jaspers: https://www.mindat.org/gm/27171 READ https://www.amazon.com/Jaspers-Agates-California-Coast-Ranges/dp/1792307349 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbicular_jasper DELVINGS September 2020 Page 4 BRECCIATED JASPER (from September 2020 Ore-Cutts newsletter, originally published in June 2002) From a talk by Ralph Bishop at the May 2002 Orecutt Mineral Society’s General Meeting Brecciated jasper is the most common semiprecious gemstone in our area. Because of that, people have taken it for granted for many years, thinking it is overly common. Because it is so abundant, people don't hold it in very high esteem (and I, at a younger age, fell prey to the same attitude). It is very rare in other areas of the world, although it is common in our area because of the faults on our continental plate boundaries. In the last several years I found that no other jasper, since I have become more familiar with this material, has a wider variety of color (blue, green, orange, yellow and red) and pattern.