NOVEMBER 2014 | VOL.

44 ISSUE 11

THE EARTH’S TREASURES • MINERALS AND JEWELRY

BRAZIL
A Gem and Mineral
R&G KIDS
Thunderbolts

PARADISE
’Burtis Blue’
A New Strike of
Turquoise in
Colorado

Ancient Greece
Fossils, Minerals
and History

Florida Fossil Trips

Find Shark Teeth
and More
www.rockngem.com

A HEALTHY HOBBY
Rockhounds Are
Responsible for Its Growth
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Volume 44, Number 11
FeaTures
Brazil: A Mineral Paradise ......................... 12
a productive source of fine gems and minerals
by Bob Jones
Colorado’s Burtis Blue Turquoise ........... 18
a new strike at cripple creek
by Steve Voynick
Florida Fossil Expedition ........................... 26
Fruitful collecting trips in the sunshine state
by Stuart “Tate” Wilson
Rock & Gem Kids ........................................... 32
articles and puzzles
12
Printed in U.S.A.
Notice: On rare occasions, typographical errors occur in
prices listed in magazine advertisements. For this reason,
advertisements appearing in Rock & Gem should be con-
sidered as requests to inquire, rather than as unconditional
offers to sell. All prices are subject to change without notice.
4 www.rockngem.com
rg_toc_1114.indd 4
on THe coVer
The pegmatites of Brazil are long-time
producers of stunning mineral speci-
mens and gem crystals. This elbaite
tourmaline skirted with lepidolite (5.2
cm high) is from the Jonas mine in
Conselheiro Pena (Minas Gerais). (Jeff
November 2014 Scovil photo/Ryan Bowling collection )
Growing the Rockhound Hobby ............ 36
every rockhound has a responsibility
by Bob Jones
The Kotsiomitis Museum of Natural
History ............................................................... 42
Fossils, minerals and ancient greek history
converge here
by Helen Serras-Herman
regular columns
Field Notes ............................................ 6 Rock Science ......................................40
Lapidary of What to Cut ........................................48
the Month............................... 8 Picks & Pans ........................................54
Show Dates .........................................10 On the Rocks ......................................60
Shop Talk .............................................16 Parting Shot........................................62
26 42
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Rock & Gem
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 Reader Letters

ield Notes
EDITORIAL
BOB JONES
Senior Consulting Editor

LYNN VARON
Managing Editor

JIM BRACE-THOMPSON
MARC DAVIS
SCOTT EMPEY
WILLIAM A. KAPPELE
STEVE VOYNICK
Regular Contributors

ART
MARY ROBERTSON
Art Director

ADVERTISING
BILL DuMAS
Advertising Director,
A Light Show actual age of the stone remains to be deter-
Beckett Media
Over the weekend of Sept. 13-14, mined. The side of the stone found buried
Tualatin Valley Rock & Gem Club members in the dirt retains its brilliant-colored gold
showed our whimsical side at the Oregon and platinum particles. TOM CARROLL
Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) When I found this stone, I was a looking Rock & Gem
Makers Faire 2014, as Fred and Wilma for fire agates around Quartzsite, Arizona. Ad Traffic Coordinator
Flintstone rolled out the Flintmobile. Fred It was the same color as the other stones
avoided trouble with the Storm Troopers around it, but when I pulled it out of the BRIAN ROBERTS
by using the Jedi mind trick he’d learned ground, it was much heavier than any other Rock & Gem
from George Jetson ... and all was well. stone the same size. Advertising Director
—Mitch Metcalf I brought it home with all the others,
President, Tualatin Valley dumped it in my rockery, and left it there for
Rock & Gem Club the next 15 years. Last November, we were EDITORIAL SuBMISSIONS:
repainting the walls and the rocks needed
Lynn Varon / Rock & Gem
to be moved. By this time, the stone had
Human Record been washed many times. When I picked it 5235 Mission Oaks Blvd. #201
I found a very heavy rock in the desert. up, the sunlight hit it, and there it was! We Camarillo, CA 93012
After much analysis and research, I can tested a gold spot on the back of the stone (972) 448-4626
speculate on its origin and present condi- with sulfuric acid. It did not change color or e-mail: editor@rockngem.com
tion. I believe this stone was once either react to the acid in any way.
living moss or lichen or a viscous mud. As —Gary G. Pasciak ADVERTISING INQuIRIES:
water flowed over and through it, heavy via e-mail Brian Roberts / Rock & Gem
metals such as gold and platinum were 18271 W. Desert Trumpet Rd.,
trapped in it. The surface would have spar- Goodyear, AZ 85338
kled a brilliant gold.
(623) 327-3525 phone
A human happened to see it and
scratched and clawed at the gold. The (623) 327-2188 fax
prints of his fingers slide down the rock’s e-mail: broberts@rockngem.com
surface, so it may have been above him,
almost out of reach. Also, a line was SANDEEP DuA
scratched across the surface. Then the hu-
President
man left it, never to return. At some point
in time, aqua regia (nitrohydrochloric acid)
and/or solar radiation oxidized those tiny KEVIN ISAACSON
gold particles into (Au2O3 ), the reddish- Vice President
brown gold oxide that now covers that Marketing and Sales
surface. It either fossilized or was baked
hard by the sun. JAMES L. MILLER
When I found it in the middle of the Founder
desert 15 years ago, the side with the claw
marks was facing the sky. That surface has
been exposed to the elements for ages. The

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November 2014

apidary of the Month

I was introduced to lapidary when I was 13 years old—55 years ago—

and cutting and polishing rocks have been a part of my life ever since.
I became a teacher in Carl Junction, Missouri, specializing in the visual
fine arts—drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture—at the
high school level.
“I specialized in welded steel sculpture. Some of my pieces were
10 feet tall, incorporating large gears, levers, and found objects of
all kinds. As I began to scale my ideas down to jewelry size, I incor-
porated clock, pocket watch, and wristwatch parts, as well as brass
cabinet pulls and keys.
“I cut interesting freeform cabochons and mount them in yellow brass
purchased from local welding shops. The brass is easily worked and has
its own distinctive color.
“I start with .030 sheet brass and form a false bezel around the
stone using yellow brass brazing rod, which is approximately 3 ⁄16
inch in diameter. After soft soldering the bezel to the sheet
brass, I sort through a collection of clock and watch parts, door pulls,
keys, and brass stampings, choosing parts to arrange into a
pleasing composition.
“I place my selected found objects on a fire brick and brush them
with Stay-Clean® Liquid Flux, which is used by plumbers for copper
plumbing work. I heat everything at once until the flux boils, then
I touch the pieces with 1 ⁄16-inch soft solder, sold at hobby stores for
stained glass work. The collection of small items is almost instantly
soldered together simultaneously.
“Once the piece has cooled, I remove any excess solder with a wire
wheel and place it in brass patina for a few seconds until the whole piece turns black. The piece is then washed in soapy
water, dried, and buffed again on a wire wheel. This completes the mounting.
“I glue the selected stone in place. The dark patina stays in the cracks and crevices of the gears, levers and wires, giving
the jewelry an aged or antique look.
“Some say my finished pieces have a ‘Steampunk’ look. After all the years of working with found objects, I finally have
a name for what I do.”
—M.F. Dahmen
Carl Junction, MO

Would you like to be named Lapidary of the Month?

To enter the contest:
• Write a 500-word step-by-step description of how you crafted your
lapidary project from start to finish. Save it as a document file.
• Take at least one sharp, close-up, color digital photo of the finished
project. Photos must be high-resolution (300 dpi at 4 inches by
5 inches, minimum).
• Attach your document file and digital photo (.tif or .jpg) to an e-mail
and send it to editor@rockngem.com with the subject line “Lapidary
of the Month”.
• Make sure you include your name and street address (not a PO Box)
for prize delivery should your entry be selected for publication. Only winners will be notified. E-mail the editor or call (972) 448-
4626 with any questions about these requirements.
Lapidary of the Month winners receive a two-speed Dremel Model 200 N/40 MultiPro kit and a wall plaque in recognition of
their creativity and craftsmanship. Winning projects are also posted on our Web site, www.rockngem.com.

8 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

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how Dates
Submit show date information at least four months in advance using the electronic
form at www.rockngem.com.
NOVEMBER 2014
1-2—AMARILLO, TEXAS: Annual show; Golden Spread
Gem & Mineral Society; Amarillo Civic Center; 400 S.
Buchanan St., Regency Room; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults
$3, children (under 12), military and Scouts in uniform
free; dealers, demonstrations, door prizes, exhibits, silent
auction, wheel of fortune; contact Wanda Finley, 9170 FM
1151, Claude, TX 79019, (806) 944-5464; e-mail: finfran@
midplains.coop
1-2—BREWER, MAINE: 10th Annual Rock and Gem Show;
Penobscot Mineral & Lapidary Club; Brewer Auditorium; 203
State St.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $2, students (over 12)
$2, children (under 12) free with adult; 20 dealers, rocks,
minerals, gemstones, beads, jewelry, silver and gold jewelry,
Maine minerals and tourmaline, gold panning information
and equipment, silent auctions, door prize, raffles; contact
Jim White, 54 Gilbert St., Orono, ME 04473, (207) 866-2546;
e-mail: jameshwhite@myfairpoint.net; Web site: www.penob
scotminerallapidaryclub.com
1-2—CONCORD, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; Contra
Costa Mineral & Gem Society; Centre Concord; 5298
Clayton Rd., (near Ygnacio Valley Rd.); Daily 10-5; adults $6
(discount coupon on Web site), children and Scouts under
16 free with adult; 26 dealers, 26 demonstrators, 46 exhibits,
Fluorescent Room, minerals, gems, jewelry, fossils, mete-
orites, fluorescent rocks, crystals, tools, equipment, books,
findings, lapidary supplies, instruction in gold panning, cab-
bing, beading, wire-wrapping, faceting, stone carving, gem
setting, youth and Scout activities, silent auction, prizes,
raffle, rock identification, giant jade, giant T. rex, giant rock
auction; contact Harry Nichandros, PO Box 4667, Walnut
Creek, CA 94596, (925) 289-0454; e-mail: show-r@ccmgs.
org; Web site: ccmgs.org/gem_show/
1-2—EXTON, PENNSYLVANIA: 45th annual show;
Tuscarora Lapidary Society; The School at Church Farm;
1001 E. Lincoln Hwy.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $6
($9 for 2 days), children (under 12) $1, Scouts in uniform
free with Scoutmaster; Gemarama: dealers, more than
30 instructional and competitive cases, lapidary arts
demonstrations, stone cutting, jewelry making, bead-
ing, chain making, wirewrapping; contact Lisa Roman,
24 Upland Rd., Brookhaven, PA 19015, (610) 490-5252;
e-mail: TLS.gemarama.publicity@gmail.com; Web site:
www.lapidary.org
1-2—KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE: Annual show; American
Bead Shows; Knoxville Expo Center; 5441 Clinton Hwy.; Sat.
10-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $6 (discount coupon on Web site);
antique and vintage jewelry components, beads, freshwater
pearls, gemstone beads, Swarovski beads and components,
seed beads, beading supplies, carved wood and bone
beads, Kumihimo supplies, jewelry and craft tools, finished
items; contact Samuel Mbullah, PO Box 490803, Atlanta, GA
30349, (770) 739-0057; e-mail: beadshows@hotmail.com;
Web site: https://americanbeadshows.com
1-2—MIDLAND, MICHIGAN: Annual show; Mid-Michigan
Rock Club; Midland Resort Hotel & Convention Center; 1500
W. Wackerly St.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4; adults $1, students
50 cents, children (11 and under) free; presentations on
radioactive minerals, Michigan fossils, Upper Peninsula rock
collecting, fossils of the Green River formation, meteorites,
metal detecting; contact Dale Foster, (989) 513-7254; Web
site: midlandrockclub.com
1-2—OXNARD, CALIFORNIA: 45th Annual Show; Oxnard
Gem & Mineral Society; Oxnard Performing Arts Center; 800
Hobson Way; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4; free admission; “Quartz:
Gem of the Ancients”: 70 displays, NPS Paleontologist Junior
Ranch Program (ages 5-12), school-age activities, Scout
leader and schoolteacher resources, dealers, gems, miner-
als, fossils, beads, findings, Idaho opals, silvercraft, finished
jewelry, tools, lapidary supplies, books, lapidary demonstra-
tions, glass-bead making, wire wrapping, rock polishing,
silent auction, hourly door prizes; contact Jo Martinez, (805)
447-4153; e-mail: ogmpublicity@gmail.com; Web site: www.
oxnardgem.com/html/gem_show.html
10 www.rockngem.com
Show dates.indd 10
Mark Your Calendar!
1-2—PLANT CITY, FLORIDA: 55th Annual Show; Tampa
Bay Mineral & Science Club; Strawberry Festival Expo Hall;
2301 W. Oak Ave.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $5, students
(12-16) $4, children (under 12) free; contact Carolee Boyles,
PO Box 89146, Tampa, FL 33689, (813) 831-1944; e-mail:
carolee@caroleeboylesmediagroup.com; Web site: www.
tampabayrockclub.com
1-2—RIDGECREST, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; Indian
Wells Gem & Mineral Society; Desert Empire Fairgrounds,
Mesquite Hall; 520 S. Richmond Rd.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free
admission; field trip to the club’s Rainbow Ledge mineral
claim on Sunday morning; contact John DeRosa, PO Box
1481, Ridgecrest, CA 93556, (760) 375-1053
1-2—SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; The San
Diego Mineral & Gem Society; The GemDiego Show; The
Al Bahr Shrine, 5440 Kearny Mesa Rd.; Sat. 9:30-5, Sun.
10-4; free admission; dealers, gemstones, minerals, beads,
jewelry, demonstrations, wire wrapping, faceting, lost wax
casting, silver chain making, intarsia, sphere making, field
trip, club and hobby information, free gemstone ID; contact
Bob Hancock, (619) 889-6886; e-mail: rtourmaline2@aol.
com; Web site: gemdiego.sdmg.org
1-2—STURTEVANT, WISCONSIN: Annual show; Racine
Geological Society; Fountain Banquet Hall; 8505 Durand
Ave. (Hwy. 11); Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; free admission; club dis-
plays, rock and mineral identification, hourly silent auctions;
contact John Lowman, 3223 Spruce St., Racine, WI 53403,
(262) 554-5370; e-mail: Lowman.John@sbcglobal.et; Web
site: rgs-wi.tripod.com
6-7—LAKESIDE, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; El Cajon
Valley Gem & Mineral Society; Lakeside Rodeo Grounds;
12584 Mapleview St.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4; free admission;
rocks, minerals, fossils, slabs, gemstone jewelry, crafts,
kids’ activities, raffle; contact Mary Ness, 10101 Alenwood
Way, Santee, CA 92071, (619) 449-0759; e-mail: ecvgms@
gmail.com
6-8—GRAY, TENNESSEE: 2nd Annual Show; Kingsport
Gems & Minerals Society; Gray Fossil Site, General Shale
Natural History Museum; East Tennessee State University,
1212 Suncrest Dr.; Thu. 10-6, Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-5; adults $6,
children (3-12) $3, under 3 free; contact Robert Morgan, 181
Harmony Acres Dr. E., Jonesborough, TN 37659, (423) 956-
9486; e-mail: morganjewellry@msn.com
7-9—ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA: The First Annual Erie
Gem, Jewelry and Rock Show (wholesale and retail); Erie
Promotions & Expos; The Bayfront Convention Center;
1 Sassafras Pier; Fri. 1-8, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-4; adults $7,
seniors $5; demonstrations, seminars, exhibits, retail and
wholesale dealers, gems, minerals, jewelry; contact Mark
Concilla, 5938 Spires Dr., Unit B, Erie, PA 16509, (814) 790-
5079; e-mail: mark@eriepromotions.com; Web site: www.
eriegemshow.com
7-9—HUMBLE, TEXAS: Annual show; Houston Gem &
Mineral Society; Humble Civic Center; 8233 Will Clayton
Pkwy.; Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $8, seniors and
students$7, children (10 and under) free; Kids Daze Fri., fluo-
rescent exhibit, lapidary demonstrations, swap area special
kids’ area, Dino Dig, Youth Section; contact Michele Marsel,
Houston Gem & Mineral Society, 10805 Brooklet, Houston,
TX 77099, (281) 530-0942; e-mail: show@hgms.org; Web
site: www.hgms.org
7-9—KENNEWICK, WASHINGTON: Wholesale and retail
show; Gem Faire Inc.; Red Lion Columbia Center; 1101 N.
Columbia Center Blvd.; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; free
admission; fine jewelry, gems, beads, crystals, gold and sil-
ver, minerals, exhibitors, jewelry repair while you shop, hourly
door prizes; contact Yooy Nelson, (503) 252-8300; e-mail:
info@gemfaire.com; Web site: www.gemfaire.com
7-9—SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA: Wholesale and retail
show; LLD Productions; Holiday Inn-Orange County Airport;
2726 S. Grand Ave.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; free
admission; 80 wholesale and retail dealers; contact Regina
continued on page 24
Rock & Gem
9/29/14 3:20 PM
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11

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 BRAZIL:
A Mineral Paradise
A Productive Source of Fine Gems and Minerals

T
Story by Bob Jones
oday China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Southeast Asia are a cornucopia of minerals and

gem crystals, but they have only recently joined the world’s specimen market. In the late 1700s,

Brazil began producing minerals, and by the 20th century it had become recognized as the

most productive source of fine gems and minerals ever found.

BOB JONES PHOTO/ZINN SPECIMEN

These bicolor elbaites jutting from a nest of snow-white feldspar are a prime example of Brazilian crystals.

Other localities today may be more ac- Before Europeans arrived in the country, The diamond discoveries in Brazil
tive as new deposits are opened and local Brazil’s natives were collecting gem crystals were well timed; they came online in
miners become aware of the value of min- for adornment. When Portuguese explorers the early 1700s, just about the time the
eral specimens. But Brazil is still the greatest arrived in 1500, rumors and tales of gems in diamond sources in India played out. For
gem producer thanks to myriad pegmatite the far away mountains gave them reason to a long time, Brazil was the world’s ma-
deposits. It still produces its share of superb penetrate the hinterlands. They discovered jor supplier of diamonds, some of them
specimens and remains an important part gold, diamonds, a host of industrial minerals, weighing several hundred carats. Brazil
of the mineral industry, providing color- and many gem deposits, mainly in the mod- remained the top diamond supplier until
ful gems and superb mineral specimens ern-day states of Minas Gerais and Espirito the discoveries in South Africa eclipsed
in quantity. Santo, in the southeast part of the country. its production.

12 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

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 When you mention Brazil to mineral
collectors, what comes to their minds is
the pegmatite gem crystals. After all, Bra-
zil has long been—and continues to be—
the source of some of the most valuable
and spectacular pegmatite gem minerals
ever found. In more recent years, other
species have gotten their just recognition.
Consider, for example, the fine kyanite, ex-
cellent eosphorite, lime-green brazilianite,
wonderful apatite, sky-blue euclase, fine

BOB JONES PHOTO/GROBEN COLLECTION

magnesite, excellent childrenite, Japan Law
quartz twins, spectacular, golden, radiating
rutile on black hematite, and huge cassit-
erite crystals that can be seen in museums
and private collections. The amazing influx
of amethyst geode sections into the market
from Brazil is a story unto itself.
Along with gem beryl, spodumene and
tourmaline, many of the non-gem minerals
listed above were found in pegmatites. While
beryl, in its several varieties, is the single most
important gem mineral being mined in Brazil, Originally named sphene, these fine yellow-green crystals from Capelino Otoni are officially known as titanite now.
recent discoveries of elbaite tourmaline at the
Jonas and Pederneira mines in Minas Gerais species like the phosphate group including
have astounded the mineral world. apatite and brazilianite.
It was Brazil’s gem pegmatites that brought Other non-gem deposits have become
well-deserved world attention to this country. known for fine species that are exciting. For
These deposits have yielded choice aqua- example, the magnesite crystals from a de-
marines, sometimes of enormous size, fine posit in Serra das Eguas (Brumado, Bahia)
multicolor gem elbaites of remarkable sizes, and fine blue kyanites from Barro de Salinas
and rich-green beryl, along with the beryl Coronel Murta are as good as any found
varieties morganite, goshenite and heliodor. elsewhere. Magnesite crystals of exceptional
Some gem pockets also produced fine topaz quality were found along with gem uvite, a
crystals, again some of enormous size. variety of tourmaline, and superb, large Japan
While these gem minerals are beautiful, Law quartz twins at the Brumado deposit.
they are so expensive that the average col- Brazil’s pegmatite deposits are ancient.
lector can’t afford them. Their gem worth They intruded into 2 billion-year-old rocks
takes them out of the normal specimen referred to as the Brazilian Shield, the an-
market, so most collectors have to collect cient core of the continent. The main min-
BOB JONES PHOTO

the fine non-gem species. Luckily, the peg- erals of a pegmatite are quartz and feldspar,
matites produced fine, small crystals of el- the latter being susceptible to weathering.
baite and the beryls, along with non-gem After uncounted centuries of exposure in a

The Jonas mine, near Conselheiro Pena, produced huge

quantities of superb, cranberry-red elbaites like this
specimen, now in the Smale collection.

land where rains are frequent, the feldspar

broke down, producing quantities of clay,
which washed downhill. The breakdown of
feldspar exposed gem pockets, and further
weathering released the crystals. These be-
came part of the detritus at the bottom of
BOB JONES PHOTO/JONES COLLECTION

slopes, just waiting to be discovered.

It is important to remember that gem
crystals form as nearly perfect crystals with
few stresses and flaws. This helps crystals
that are released by weathering survive
the rough-and-tumble experience of being
washed downhill. They end up as “float”
crystals in clay and sand deposits. These
crystals were undoubtedly the first to be
found by the natives, and later by the Por-
Rutile very often forms needle crystals, which develop as sixling twins like these tan crystals on black hematite tuguese prospectors who had heard rumors
from Novo Horizonte, Brazil. of emeralds and other gems.

November 2014 13

Brazil.indd 13 9/22/14 12:11 PM

 BRAZIL: A Mineral Paradise from page13
One unusual pegmatite ended up
in a river and was exposed only when
the rainy season ended. The Lavra
da Ilha deposit created a stir when it
produced a wonderful suite of rose
quartz crystals of exceptional quality
and size. Phosphate minerals, includ-
ing choice brown sprays of eosphorite
and excellent childrenite, were found
with the rose quartz! The deposit is in
the middle of Rio Jequintinhonha and
could only be worked sporadically, de-
pending on river flow. This pegmatite
deposit also produced choice roscher-
ite, montgomeryite, rockbridgeite,
apatite, triphylite and wardite, an ex-
cellent suite of phosphate minerals.
These non-gem minerals have been of
interest to collectors who can’t afford
gem crystals.
Though species collectors were
thrilled with the Lavra da Ilha phos-
phates, crystal collectors marveled at
the superb rose quartz crystal sprays
found here. Some were crowned
with tan eosphorite. Others were
delicate, radiated sprays of richly col-
ored rose quartz crystals. Some of the
quartz crystals were well over an inch
long, exceptional for rose quartz at Today, Brazil is probably best known for the huge geode sections of that both these deposits, along with
the time.
Another source for rose quartz
in Brazil, one that preceded the
Lavra da Ilha find of 1970, is Lavra
Sapucaia, in Galilea. In fact, several
localities in the Galilea area—the Be-
lio Bronca mine, for example—pro-
duced choice clusters of rich-red to
pink quartz crystals, also an inch or
so long, in tight radiating clusters of-
ten perched on clear quartz crystals
like a wreath or crown. Some of the
rose quartz crystals show a slight as-
terism due to included rutile.
Brazilianite is named for its coun-
try of origin. Oddly, in spite of cen-
turies of gem mining in Brazil, this
lovely yellow-green gem was not
actually identified until 1942. The
initial find of brazilianite was in a
cornfield in Corrego Frio, Linopolis
(Minas Gerais). The farmer did some
mining and came up with a quantity
of crystals, which were misidentified
as chrysoberyl according to Minerals
BoB Jones photo
and Precious Stones of Brazil (Carlos
Cornejo and Andrea Bartorelli, So-
laris Cultural Publications, 2010).
After it had passed through sev-
eral hands, a chrysoberyl specimen
ended up with noted mineralogist The fine blue kyanites from Barro de Salinas Coronel Murta are as good as really paid off.
Dr. Fred Pough. Fred and his associ- any found elsewhere.
ate, Ed Henderson, studied the un-
known mineral and identified it as a new
sodium, aluminum, phosphate hydroxide. color and is often quite gemmy. It forms pulling the plug. But they made one more
They named it brazilianite.
14 www.rockngem.com
Brazil.indd 14
BoB Jones photo and specimen
amethyst mined around Rio Grande do Sul.
Brazilianite is a beautiful yellow-green success and the owners were considering
in the monoclinic crystal system. Crystals effort, and a small pocket was opened. This
can be slender singles associated with
feldspar or thick, dome-shaped single
crystals. To this date, a number of de-
posits in the original mining area have
produced crystals, and some mining
is still ongoing.
It is not surprising that brazilianite
was mistaken for chrysoberyl, which it
resembles. Chrysoberyl is also a won-
derful mineral to collect. It has a strong
penchant for developing twins, some-
times in radial clusters of six crystals
called “geniculated” or “sixling” twins,
or it can form in an arrowhead shape
or “V” twin. Some of these twins reach
6 inches to 7 inches from point to re-
entrant angle! To add to its variations,
chrysoberyl is also found as the variety
alexandrite, whose type locality is in
Siberia. It is found at Corrego do Fogo,
Malacacheta (Minas Gerais).
As important as all these non-gem
species are to collectors, the pegma-
tite gem crystals stir the hearts of
collectors. In the last several decades
in particular, two Brazilian localities
have proved once again that Brazil is
the premier source of spectacular gem
crystals. What is important to note is
their amazing, high-value crystal
specimens, have also yielded count-
less fine, small crystal specimens that
collectors can afford.
After several centuries of gem
mining in Brazil, one would think all
the good deposits have been mined
out. Not so! The finest elbaite tour-
malines ever found anywhere on
earth have come to light in recent
decades in Brazil.
Both of these mines are what
might be called “old-timers”, since
they have been worked off and on
since the mid-20th century. Yet, re-
cent work has produced spectacu-
lar results at the Pederniera mine,
a source of amazing, aesthetically
pleasing 2- and 3-foot gem elbaite
crystals on matrix.
Even more spectacular is a find
made at the Jonas mine in 1978,
decades after it had first opened.
The Jonas mine is an old deposit
near Itatiaia, Minas Gerais, and is
definitely the source of the finest el-
baites ever found anywhere. It had
been worked as early as World War
II (1939-45). Mining there had been
sporadic but in 1978, the effort
At that time, miners had been dig-
ging for some weeks without much
Rock & Gem
9/22/14 12:11 PM
 in itself was not too exciting, but a consid-
erable amount of water was issuing forth
from a crack in the ceiling of the tunnel.
This suggested a possible opening, so the
miners began digging upward instead of
forward. Suddenly, they opened a cavity
that was so amazing they could not be-
lieve it. Here was a crystal pocket of huge
dimensions lined with the most beautiful
cranberry-red tourmalines ever seen. The
crystals were of all sizes, from small, pencil-
thin beauties to huge crystals too large to
lift! Crystals were all over the place, jutting
from the walls and ceiling and lying loose
on the floor of the pocket. Many pegmatite
BoB Jones photo/hauck collection

crystals pockets are clogged with clay and

debris, but this pocket was pristine. There
was no crystal etching and nothing that
would cause damage to the crystals. They
needed virtually no cleaning.
All the Jonas mine crystals were a rich
cranberry red. There were hundreds of
small crystals and crystal groups. What
amazed the miners were the giant crys-
tals—a foot long or longer—the pocket held.
The largest crystal, now called “the Rock-
et”, is an amazing 40-plus inches long. This The huge iron mine at Novo Horizonte, near Ibatiara, has produced choice hematite roses, some of them 7 inches across.
gem quality tourmaline has a fine color
and the crystals are perfectly terminated.
Several of the specimens, once miners
were able to bring them to the light of day,
were given names because of their unusual
size or configuration.
Even the pocket was named. The Bam-
burro pocket, as it is called, now ranks as
the finest pocket of gem elbaite ever found
anywhere on earth. For a more detailed
discussion of the Jonas mine discovery and
the source of some of the above informa-
tion, obtain a copy of The Mineralogical
Record, May-June 2012 (pp. 289-317).
The superb, pencil-thin elbaite crystals
up to 2 feet long that were found in the
BoB Jones photo/private collection

Pederniera mine (Sao Jose de Safira, Minas

Gerais) were anything but pristine. The
mine is operated by Fine Minerals Interna-
tional, which has spared no expense to ex-
tract the treasures of this old mine, and its
efforts are to be commended. The problem
is the Pederneira mine pockets are a jumble
of broken crystals and clay. Few, if any, of
the specimens are complete, having been
fragmented by pocket action. Once mined,
these crystals had to be reassembled. This
is a perfectly acceptable practice to salvage This is a fine cluster of sphene (now titanite) clustered with sharp feldspar crystals from Capelino Otoni (Minas Gerais).
nature’s finest inorganics.
Today, if you look at a fine Pederniera taken over a year to return a specimen to ganic treasures and it would be a foolish
mine elbaite crystal specimen, you’d think its original form. The results of this Trojan mistake to shunt aside repaired specimens.
it was found intact and in pristine condi- effort are spectacular. Dealers, however, must fully disclose any
tion. Far from it. Miners had to carefully Today, repairing specimens is an accept- specimen that has been repaired or re-
clean out every fragment of crystal found ed practice. The supply of fine specimens assembled.
in a pocket. These crystal pieces were then has greatly diminished, and it seems only With the amazing results of mining at the
laid out on a table in a work shed and, with natural and right that those specimens Jonas and Pederniera mines these past sev-
great patience, the mine owners and work- damaged or fragmented by some natural eral decades, who can say if the vast coun-
ers proceeded to re-assemble the pieces of action should be repaired or reassembled. try of Brazil is finished surprising us? Or will
their treasure puzzle. In some cases, it has After all, these are Nature’s greatest inor- it amaze us once again?

November 2014 15

Brazil.indd 15 9/22/14 12:11 PM


hop Talk
Drill Bits for Large Holes
T here is a vast difference between the
bits that are used to drill small holes—
which I wrote about in last month’s col-
umn—and the ones used to drill larger
holes in rocks. The small-hole bits are sim-
ply a plain, solid steel shaft with diamonds
covering the tip and about a quarter of the
way up the shaft. The bits for drilling larger
holes, however, are quite different. Rather
than a solid shaft, they have a hollow tube
with diamond around the lip.
These tools generally go by the name of
“core bits”, probably because in the pro-
cess of drilling they not only bore out a
hole, but cut a cylindrical piece (the core),
which goes up into the hollow center of
the bit.
There is another type of core bit called a
“hole saw”. They are a bit shorter than most
core bits and are used for cutting through
thinner material. Some even have a car-
bide-tipped drill bit in the center to help
them get started more easily when you use
them in a portable drill.
Core bits generally start a little more
easily than the small ones anyway, due pri-
marily to the heavier shank, which tends to
keep them from wandering.
The feed method is the same for all
types of drills. Go slowly and clear the
sludge frequently. Approach the end of the
hole carefully, since these drill bits, like any
others, can cause a blowout in the back of
the stone.
Core bits come in a couple of basic
styles. The most common type is probably
the straight shank. These are designed to
be used with a standard drill chuck. The
second type has a female thread for at-
taching to an arbor.
The important arbor for us is called a
“water swivel”. The water swivel has three
main parts: a straight shank for inertion
into a drill press chuck, a rotating body
with a water connection, and an arbor
with a male thread for fastening to a hol-
low core bit.
In operation, water runs through the
rotating section, down the inside of the
threaded arbor, through the hollow drill
bit, and onto the piece of stone that is be-
ing drilled. There is a small ball valve on
the rotating section that allows control of
the water flow.
16 www.rockngem.com
Shop Talk.indd 16
by William A. Kappele
The water swivel feed system usually
has a fitting for attaching a garden hose, so
if your shop is within reach of a hose bib,
you can have an endless—albeit strong—
supply of water. For most lapidaries, how-
ever, the best bet is probably to use the
same type of water-feed system that is
used on your cabbing machine. A catch
pan of some sort with an aquarium pump
will work like a charm and won’t have the
potential for a water disaster that the gar-
den hose would.
You can get a look at some water swivel
devices at www.diamond-drill-bit-and-tool.
com/Diamond-Drill/Drill-Water-Swivel.
shtml. They are also available at hardware
stores. You will need to choose a water
swivel that is right for the type of power drill
mount and drill bit mount you are using for
your project. These bits can also be used to
drill through glass, tile and concrete.
Of course, you could eliminate all of
this stuff and get a laser to do the job. You
might have to mortgage your house and
sell a couple of your kids, but think of the
fun you could have making holes in every-
thing in sight.
Happy drilling!
Please feel free to send
your questions and com-
ments about any of my
columns to Shop Talk,
25231 Pericia Dr., Mis-
sion Viejo, CA 92691 or
quappelle@cox.net.
Rock & Gem
9/29/14 3:19 PM
 HIGHLAND PARK LAPIDARY COMPANY
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17

RG1114 Masterrev.idml 17 9/29/14 4:04 PM

 COLORADO’S
BURTIS BLUE
TURQUOISE
A New Strike at Cripple Creek
Story and Photos by Steve Voynick

T he name Cripple Creek, Colorado, is synonymous with mineral bonanzas. An 1892 strike
launched Cripple Creek on the road to fame and fortune as a world-class source of gold and,
by 1900, the boom-
ing, 9,200-foot-high city on the
western shoulder of Pikes Peak
had 475 mines that were collec-
tively turning out 1 million troy
ounces of gold per year. Even
today, Cripple Creek remains a
major source of gold, thanks to
the huge Cresson mine, a mod-
ern open pit that extracts a quar-
ter-million troy ounces of gold
from low-grade ore each year.
And Cripple Creek’s luck continues to
run strong: In June 2014, miners struck
it rich again, this time with a spectacular
pocket of gem-quality turquoise at the tiny
Florence mine. These 2-inch pieces of tumbled Burtis Blue Turquoise are classified as “tricolor” stones because each piece exhibits
When I visited the Florence mine just three distinct colors.
a day before this strike, owner Wallace
F. (Wally) Burtis and mine manager Clint few samples. He could see that I was not Clint telephoned the next day to say
Cross showed me around the open pit. At particularly impressed with the thin, crum- that he and Wally had done just that. Us-
the deepest part of the pit, Clint pointed bly coatings of turquoise. ing picks and shovels, they followed the
out a thin, bluish streak that was barely vis- “Now, what you see here is thin,” he tiny vein just 5 feet to where it had “blos-
ible in the drab, yellow-brown host rock. admitted with a knowing smile. “But if we somed” into a pocket of solid turquoise.
Ignoring the loose rock that slid down the follow this little vein—I don’t know how They weren’t sure yet how much turquoise,
steep sides of the pit, Clint chipped out a far—we’ll find good turquoise.” but the pocket looked “big”.

18 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

Colorado's Burtis Blue.indd 18 9/22/14 1:52 PM

 Wally and Joanne Burtis, owners of the Florence mine, display some of the Clint Cross wears a necklace that he fashioned from Burtis Blue Turquoise and polished pieces
huge pieces of solid turquoise that the mine has yielded. of woolly mammoth ivory. The centerpiece is a 320-carat piece of solid turquoise.

It took several more days to widen the

pit enough to extract the turquoise. Each
night, Wally and Clint covered the partially
exposed turquoise pocket with 5 feet of
rock to discourage claim jumpers, then
uncovered it the next morning to resume
their excavation work.
Soon, Clint telephoned again. He and Wal-
ly had finally extracted the turquoise, an in
situ pocket that consisted of a single, 5-inch-
thick “slab” of solid turquoise. They had re-
moved the slab in four main pieces. One
piece weighed 3 pounds, another 6 pounds.
A much larger piece weighed 25 pounds. Re-
covering the last of the turquoise required a
special effort—because that piece weighed a
remarkable 92 pounds!
Cleanup work yielded many smaller
pieces that filled several large buckets. The
turquoise’s colors ranged from intense,
robin’s-egg blue to bright blue-green, and
virtually all of it seemed to be gem quality.
The total recovery from that single pocket The turquoise’s colors range from intense, robin’s-egg blue to bright blue-green.
amounted to 200 pounds of turquoise.
Its value? “Can’t tell yet,” Clint said. Clint, a Native American gem cutter and Native Americans once worked all five
“We have to take a good look at it all and jewelry maker. Clint manages the mine Colorado turquoise deposits. After the gold
tumble the smaller pieces to see what we and is in charge of nationally marketing the and silver rushes of the 19th century opened
really have. But from the color and quality mine’s rough and shaped turquoise and fin- Colorado to mineral exploration, Anglo pros-
that’s apparent now, I’d say it’s worth about ished turquoise jewelry—all under the new pectors rediscovered each deposit. But most
$1,000 per pound in the rough.” name of “Burtis Blue Turquoise”. of these prospectors could not identify the
Wally and his wife, Joanne, own the Flor- Until now, Colorado has never chal- turquoise and dismissed their finds as minor
ence mine, which is the oldest continuously lenged Arizona, New Mexico, or Nevada occurrences of oxidized copper minerals that
worked, family-owned turquoise mine in as a major, commercial source of turquoise, did not justify mining. Those who realized
the United States. The mine has been in the even though the state has five notable tur- that they had found turquoise either lacked
Burtis family for 75 years. During most of quoise occurrences: the Turquoise Chief the expertise to cut and market the stone or
that time, it had been something of a hob- deposit near Leadville in Lake County; a simply preferred to continue searching for
by mine, yielding turquoise not for com- site near Creede in Mineral County; the the metals they were familiar with—gold and
mercial purposes, but to fashion into gems King Turquoise mine near Manassa in silver. As a result, none of the Colorado tur-
and jewelry for the family collection or to Conejos County; the Villa Grove mine in quoise deposits were commercially exploited
give away as gifts. Saguache County; and the Cripple Creek during that century.
But the Florence mine has recently deposit in Teller County. Cripple Creek is Gold miners became aware of the Crip-
undergone some changes. The biggest is the only Colorado turquoise deposit that is ple Creek turquoise deposit soon after a
that the Burtis family is now working with currently being mined. 1892 gold strike lured 10,000 people to a

November 2014 19

Colorado's Burtis Blue.indd 19 9/22/14 1:52 PM

 Colorado’s Burtis Blue Turquoise from page 19
This piece of Burtis Blue Turquoise is included with well-formed crystals of calaverite, a gold-telluride mineral.
Clint and Louisa Cross, pictured with 13-year-old Peter Burtis and 5-year-old Clev Cross, showed Burtis Blue Tur-
quoise at more than 30 gem and mineral shows across the country in 15 months.
broad depression on the western slope of
Pikes Peak. The ramshackle boomtown that
sprang up was named for a nearby, rocky
creek that was notorious for crippling cattle.
Over the next half century, Cripple Creek
prospectors dug thousands of prospect
holes, including several on the site of today’s
Florence mine. At the time, turquoise could
be collected from the surface, and some
miners sold the blue bits as novelties.
The Florence mine was originally the
Emma Palmer, a 20-acre gold placer claim.
By 1938—the year that 7-year-old Wally first
accompanied his family to Cripple Creek—
gold mining at the claim had ceased, but
a small, underground tunnel occasionally
yielded some turquoise.
“My family came here from the eastern
Colorado plains,” Wally explains. “Times
were tough at the end of the Depression,
and my father had found work as a musi-
cian in Cripple Creek.”
20 www.rockngem.com
Colorado's Burtis Blue.indd 20
When Wally’s father, Wallace C. Burtis,
was a boy, he had been interested in rocks
and minerals and had amassed a sizeable
collection—only to see it destroyed when
it was inadvertently used as cement grav-
el. Although heartbroken over the loss,
Wallace never lost his fascination with
minerals. Years later when he came to
Cripple Creek, he also did a little digging
for gold.
“Lots of miners were looking for gold
back then, but no one was finding any,”
Wally recalls. “After my father became
interested in turquoise, he bought the
Emma Palmer claim in 1939 and renamed
it the ‘Florence Lode’. Over the years, he
mined it for turquoise and taught himself
gem cutting, silversmithing, and jewelry
making. I was 30 years old when he pat-
ented the claim in 1961. I had helped my
father with mining and he taught me to
cut turquoise and make jewelry.”
Tumbled 1- to 2-inch pieces of sky-blue turquoise sell
for $1,200 per pound.
Turquoise, or CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O,
is hydrous basic copper aluminum phos-
phate. It is a rare, secondary mineral that
forms under specific hydrological and min-
eralogical conditions from the weathering
of rocks containing aluminum, copper, and
phosphate minerals.
At Cripple Creek, these conditions came
together amid some unusual geology. Crip-
ple Creek rests atop a caldera, or collapsed
volcanic system. Some 35 million years
ago, a magmatic intrusion created the Pikes
Peak batholith, a huge, regional granite
formation. After an eruption alleviated the
magmatic pressure, the volcanic system col-
lapsed. Subsequent faulting and fracturing
was followed by repetitive surges of mag-
ma and associated, mineral-rich, hydrother-
mal solutions that emplaced large amounts
of metallic gold and the gold-telluride min-
erals calaverite and sylvanite.
The Cripple Creek caldera is a generally
circular mass of brecciated rock about five
miles across. Most of the gold and the gold
tellurides were emplaced in a core section
consisting of extraordinarily rich veins, pock-
ets, and high-grade ores. A vast area of dis-
seminated, low-grade gold mineralization sur-
rounded this core. The high-grade ores fueled
the Cripple Creek gold rush of the 1890s;
the low-grade ores are being mined today in
the Cresson mine’s sprawling open pit.
While Cripple Creek’s gold deposits have
been thoroughly investigated, little is known
about the origin of its turquoise mineraliza-
tion. The only effort to explore this mineral-
ization had been the tiny tunnel that existed
when Wally’s father purchased Emma Palmer
claim. That tunnel had been driven through
diorite, a medium-silica, intrusive, igneous
rock somewhat similar to granite. Altered
and partially decomposed, the diorite was so
soft that miners described it as “rotten”.
“During the 1950s, my father and I
worked together in the tunnel,” Wally re-
Rock & Gem
9/22/14 1:52 PM
 calls. “We’d drill holes with hammers and
hand steels, then blast with dynamite. It
took a lot of timber to support that weak
rock. The tunnel was so dangerous that we
finally abandoned it and began excavating
from the surface with ’dozers and backhoes.
By converting the mine into an open pit, we
moved a lot more rock and found more tur-
quoise. I can remember finding big chunks
of turquoise in the ’dozer treads.”
Surface excavation generated large
heaps of waste rock, but disposal was
never a problem. For 25 years, the city of
Cripple Creek hauled the rock away free of
charge for municipal use. Wherever a load
was dumped, local residents would search
through it for turquoise, especially on days
when rain washed away the dust to reveal
its bright, blue color.
“Sometimes it looked like the city was
mining more turquoise than my father was,”
Wally laughs. “The city also hauled waste
rock from a few gold mines, so I guess you
could really say that Cripple Creek streets
were paved with turquoise and gold.”
In the annual Fourth of July parades in
the 1950s, Wally’s father drove a tractor
adorned with a “Burtis Turquoise” ban-
ner. But though his turquoise had a formal
name, it was never marketed. Over the
years, Wally’s father amassed a large and
beautiful collection of rough turquoise and
jewelry. Finally, during the 1970s, when tur-
quoise popularity soared around the coun-
try, he decided to test the market.
“We were surprised,” Wally says. “We
sold a lot of turquoise to many of the lead-
ing jewelry makers in Santa Fe and on the
Arizona and New Mexico reservations.”
When his father passed away in 1982,
Wally took over the Florence mine. In the
years that followed, he exhibited his tur-
quoise at two local gem and mineral shows
and the big shows at Tucson and Denver.
Leading Southwestern jewelry makers
who used Wally’s turquoise included Ken
Kirkbride of Colorado Springs, Stanley
Mahan of Tucson’s Gems of the Century,
and Chief Ray Lovato of Santa Fe. Burtis
Turquoise also received attention in news-
papers, in lapidary and jewelry magazines,
and on regional television news programs.
But Wally’s careers—as a machinist and later
as a teacher—left him little time for serious Introducing the... CABARET from
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marketed Burtis Turquoise under the name Features:
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Then in April 2013, Wally received a • Dual Spray Heads
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a boy in the 1970s, had bought turquoise Cabaret with 6” Nova Wheel Package. 100 and 360 grit metal bonded diamond wheels. 280, 600, 1200 and
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November 2014 21

Colorado's Burtis Blue.indd 21 9/29/14 2:56 PM

 Colorado’s Burtis Blue Turquoise from page 21
Wally’s belt buckle, made by his father, is fashioned
from Burtis Blue Turquoise.
Cripple Creek mine. Clint asked Jeff how
Wally was doing at the Florence mine. When
Wally told him he needed help with mining
and marketing, Jeff suggested Clint as the
ideal person to help.
After meeting with Wally, Clint—a 49-year-
old member of the Sokoki tribe of the Mis-
siquoi Abenaki Nation, a Native American
culture of the northeastern United States—
agreed to become manager of the Florence
mine and, along with Jeff, to represent and
market the turquoise nationally.
Wally and Clint immediately resumed
mining by deepening the open pit. They
also came up with “Burtis Blue Turquoise”,
the name under which the turquoise is
now marketed. During the next 15 months,
Clint and his wife, Louisa McKay, showed
Burtis Blue Turquoise at more than 30 gem
and mineral shows across the country.
The marketing effort and resultant pub-
licity attracted the interest of the Denver-
based television production company High
Noon Entertainment, which created and
films the reality-television show “Prospec-
tors”. The hour-long segments appear regu-
larly on The Weather Channel.
“Prospectors” is filmed entirely in Colo-
rado and depicts the challenges and suc-
cesses of independent gemstone miners.
The show’s two mining locales are familiar
to many rockhounds. One is a pegmatite
area near Florissant, 12 miles north of Crip-
ple Creek, that yields fine crystals of topaz,
amazonite, and smoky quartz. The other is
the summit area of 14,421-foot Mount An-
tero, 50 miles northwest of Cripple Creek,
where the quest is mainly for the aquama-
rine variety of beryl.
Realizing that a working turquoise mine
would provide an added dimension to
“Prospectors”, High Noon Entertainment
asked to feature Wally, Clint, and the Flor-
ence mine. But while Wally and Clint knew
that “Prospectors” could generate a great
deal of publicity for Burtis Blue Turquoise,
they also saw a downside.
“’Prospectors’ has attracted lots of atten-
tion to the mining sites at Florissant and
Mount Antero,” Clint says, “and not all of it
has been good. Trespassers have become a
problem. And the show may be a bit over-
ly dramatized, calling undue attention to
everything from guns and claim jumpers to
cave-ins and landslides.
22 www.rockngem.com
Colorado's Burtis Blue.indd 22
“So Wally and I talked it over and decided
that ‘Prospectors’ just wasn’t right for us,” he
adds. “We’d rather focus on low-key mining
and a personal approach to marketing.”
Like most types of gemstone mining, tur-
quoise mining is inherently risky. Turquoise
deposits typically consist of erratic veins and
pockets, and the Florence mine is no excep-
tion. While experience and good mining
technique can improve the odds of finding
turquoise, success also depends somewhat
on intuition and luck.
Located at the western edge of the Crip-
ple Creek caldera, the Florence mine is one
of the rare occurrences of copper mineraliza-
tion within the Cripple Creek mining district.
A fault along the west wall of the open pit
shows evidence of hydrothermal alteration.
This fault likely served as the conduit for
copper-rich solutions into the diorite host
rock. All the turquoise veins and pockets
found to date at the Florence mine have
been structurally related to this fault.
Burtis Blue Turquoise occurs in shades
ranging from blue to greenish-blue, a varia-
tion indicating that turquoise deposition
at the Florence mine occurred in several
phases. When nearly pure, turquoise has a
bright, clean, “robin’s-egg” blue color, but
when varying quantities of iron and other
metals substitute for copper within the tur-
quoise lattice, the color shifts toward green.
The color range in Burtis Blue Turquoise
reflects multiple-phase deposition with vary-
ing chemistry within the hydrothermal solu-
tions during each depositional phase.
Matrix is important in turquoise be-
cause it accents the basic blue colors and
enhances overall visual appeal. Burtis Blue
Turquoise has an attractive matrix that
consists of golden-brown veins and thin,
black hairlines. The golden-brown material
is limonite, a variable mixture of iron hy-
droxides and oxides; the black hairlines are
pyrolusite, or manganese oxide.
Burtis Blue Turquoise has an unusual hard-
ness that makes it a superb gemstone. Tur-
quoise generally falls between 5.0 and 6.0 on
the Mohs scale, depending upon accessory-
metal substitution and, most importantly, the
degree of silicification. Silicification, which oc-
curs when silica-rich solutions deposit micro-
crystalline quartz within the turquoise pores,
helps to fix and intensify the gem’s color,
seals the pores of the stone, and substantially
increases hardness. Well-silicified turquoise
resists both abrasion and discoloration result-
ing from the absorption of skin oils and other
materials. Burtis Blue Turquoise, which is well
silicified and contains appreciable quantities
of particulate corundum (aluminum oxide,
Mohs 9.0), has actually been tested to a
Mohs hardness exceeding 6.5. With its supe-
rior hardness and intense color, Burtis Blue
Turquoise is completely natural and is never
treated in any way.
continued on page 30
Rock & Gem
9/29/14 2:55 PM
 OPALS: The Queen of Gems
Kilo parcels and ½ kilo parcels of mine run Ethiopian Welo opal. We have quite a good selection of mine run remaining, but at this point,
when this is gone…it’s gone. There are many photographs of several grades of individual mine run parcels available for viewing on our
website: www.villagesmithyopals.com. Or if you have any questions don’t hesitate to call us at 406-651-4947.
Here is a list of various selections available at this time:
áThe attached photograph is of
our High Grade Mine Run
(.5gm-6+gm size) Kilos: $2495.00…
1/2 kilo lots: $1495.00.

áSmaller sized (.5gm-4gm sizes) mine run

Kilos available at $1395.00…
1/2 kilo lots: $850.00.

áMedium Grade mine run (.5-4gm sizes)

kilos are available at $1295/kilo…
1/2 kilo lots: $795.00.

I’ve personally gone through each kilo and removed

all matrix chunks and small opal chips. And yes, it
does take a long time! There are a few duds in these
kilos...that’s why it’s called mine run...but there is a
LOT of great material here as well.

THE VILLAGE SMITHY OPALS, INC.

Proprietors Steve & Darlene
P.O. Box 21704, Billings, MT 59104-1704 • Phone: 406-651-4947 Mobile: 406-208-2577
E-mail: vsmithy@bresnan.net • Website: www.villagesmithyopals.com

23

RG1114 Masterrev.idml 23 9/30/14 9:19 AM

 Show Dates from page 10
NOVEMBER 2014
Aumente, PO Box 665, Bernalillo, NM 87004, (505) 867-
0425; e-mail: mzexpos@gmail.com; Web site: www.mz
expos.com
7-9—PASCAGOULA, MISSISSIPPI: Annual show; Mis-
sissippi Gulf Coast Gem & Mineral Club; Jackson County
Fairgrounds; 2902 Shortcut Rd.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun.
10-5; adults $3 (3-day pass $5), children (under 12) free;
more than 25 dealers, gems, minerals, fossils, jewelry,
goldsmiths and silversmiths doing repairs, demonstrators,
flint knapping, gold panning, faceting, cutting and polishing
stone, beading, chain making, educational exhibits; contact
Bill La Rue, 312 Pine Dr., Ocean Springs, MS 39564, (228)
229-8781; e-mail: wildbill2736@gmail.com
8—PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA: Show and sale; Southwest
Florida Fossil Society; Punta Gorda Historical Society; 118
Sullivan St.; Sat. 9-4; adults $3, children (under 12) free;
fossils, minerals, gems, books, jewelry, kids’ area, lectures;
contact Jay Lev, (941) 575-9981; e-mail: customrods44@hot
mail.com; Web site: www southwestfloridafossilsociety.org
8-9—ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; American
Opal Society; The Phoenix Club - Festhalle; 1340 S.
Sanderson Ave., southeast of Ball Road and 57 Fwy. at
Phoenix Club Dr.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $3, children
(under 15) free; dealers, opals, gems, jewelry, fine crafts,
rough and cut opals, other gemstones, geodes, jewelry-
making tools and supplies, gold panning, books, prize draw-
ing, free opal seminars, free demonstrations, gem cutting,
jewelry making, gem carving, wire wrapping, inlay, faceting,
cabbing; contact Veronica Pupura, American Opal Society,
PO Box 4875, Garden Grove, CA 92842, (714) 501-9959;
e-mail: info@opalsociety.org; Web site: www.opalsociety.org
8-9—LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA: Annual show; Lake
Havasu Gem & Mineral Society; Lake Havasu Community
Center; 100 Park Ave.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4; adults $2, children
(under 12) free; contact Sue Kirk, 1100 Pueblo Dr., Lake
Havasu City, AZ 86406, (928) 302-1531; e-mail: macsuzy@
mac.com
8-9—MELBOURNE, FLORIDA: 41st Annual Show; Cana-
veral Mineral & Gem Society; Melbourne Auditorium; 625
E. Hibiscus Blvd.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $4; “Parade
of Gems”: live demonstrations, children’s activities, silent
auction, door prizes, local artisans, national dealers, gem,
mineral and jewelry displays; contact William Harr, (321)
392-4277; e-mail: william.h.harr@gmail.com; Web site: www.
canaveral-mgs.com/
8-9—MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: Wholesale and retail show;
American Bead Shows; Agri Center International; 7777 Walnut
Grove Rd.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $6 (discount coupon
on Web site); antique and vintage jewelry components, beads,
freshwater pearls, gemstone beads, Swarovski beads and
components, seed beads, beading supplies, carved wood and
bone beads, Kumihimo supplies, jewelry and craft tools, fin-
ished items; contact Samuel Mbullah, PO Box 490803, Atlanta,
GA 30349, (770) 739-0057; e-mail: beadshows@hotmail.com;
Web site: https://americanbeadshows.com
8-9—NEW YORK, NEW YORK: Wholesale and retail show;
New York Mineralogical Club; Holiday Inn - Midtown; 440 W.
57 St.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-5; adults $6, seniors and students
$5, children (under 12) free; lectures, door prizes, more than
20 dealers; contact Tony Nikischer, 1885 Seminole Trail,
Ste. 202, Charlottesville, VA 22901, (434) 964-0875; e-mail:
info@excaliburmineral.com; Web site: www.excaliburmineral.
com/shows
8-9—SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: Annual show;
Sacramento Mineral Society; Scottish Rite Center; 6151 H
St.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $6, children (12 and under)
free with adult; minerals, fossils, beads, gemstones, mete-
orites, jade, slabs, cabochons, tools, books, raffle, hourly
prize drawings, kids’ activities, silent rock auctions, demon-
streations; contact Alyssa Meszinger , PO Box 279291,
Sacramento, CA 95826, (916) 662-5819; Web site: www.
sacgemshow.com
8-9—SEDRO WOOLLEY, WASHINGTON: Show; Skagit
Rock & Gem Club; Sedro Woolley Community Center; 700
Pacific St.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5; free admission; children’s
activities, demonstrators, raffle, door prizes, silent auction,
dealers, exhibits; contact Linda Keltz, (360) 424-6525; e-mail:
virlinkeltz@comcast.com
14-16—FORT WORTH, TEXAS: Wholesale and retail
show; The Bead Market; Cendera Center; 3600 Benbrook
Hwy.; Fri. 10-5, Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; free admission;
gemstones, vintage, glass and lampwork beads, pearls,
Swarovski Elements, crystals, gold and silver findings,
books, tools, jewelry; contact Rebekah Wills, (903) 734-
24 www.rockngem.com
Show dates.indd 24
3335; e-mail: rebekah@thebeadmarket.net; Web site: www.
thebeadmarket.net
14-16—GOLDEN, COLORADO: Annual show; Denver
Area Mineral Dealers; Jefferson County Fairgrounds; 15200
W. 6th Ave.; Fri. 10-5, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-4; free admission; 22
dealers, minerals, fossils, gems, jewelry; contact Pat Tucci,
(303) 279-5504; Web site: www.geodyssey-rocks.com
14-16—HAMBURG, NEW YORK: 16th annual show and
sale; GemStreet USA; Hamburg fairgrounds, Grange Bldg.;
South Park Ave.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-5; adults and
students $6, children (under 12) and Scouts in uniform free;
rocks, gems, minerals, fossils, jewelry, beads, tools and sup-
plies, door prizes, field trips; contact Jane K. Smith, PO Box
770680, Lakewood, OH 44107, (216) 521-4367; e-mail: jane
strieter1946@gmail.com; Web site: www.gemstreetusa.com
14-16—TACOMA, WASHINGTON: Wholesale and retail
show; Gem Faire Inc.; Tacoma Dome; 2727 E. D St.; Fri. 12-6,
Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $7, children (ages 0-11) free; fine
jewelry, gems, beads, crystals, gold and silver, minerals,
exhibitors, jewelry repair while you shop, hourly door prizes;
contact Yooy Nelson, (503) 252-8300; e-mail: info@gemfaire.
com; Web site: www.gemfaire.com
15—PORTLAND, OREGON: Auction; Columbia-Willamette
Faceters Guild; OMSI Auditorium; 1945 SE Water Ave.; Sat.
5:30-10; free admission; preview at 5:30 p.m., auction 7 p.m.;
contact Gail Bumala, PO Box 2136, Portland, OR 97208;
e-mail: president@facetersguild.com
15-16—APPLE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA: Show and sale;
Victor Valley Gem & Mineral Club; Victor Valley Museum;
11873 Apple Valley Rd.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-5; free admission;
contact Cyndy Mandell, 14625 Cashew St., Hesperia, CA
92345, (760) 508-1080; e-mail: cynmandell@me.com; Web
site: www.vvgmc.org
15-16—PAYSON, ARIZONA: Annual show; Payson Rim-
stones Rock Club; Mazatzal Hotel & Casino Event Center;
Hwy. 87 at Mile Marker 251; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $2,
children (under 12) free; gems, minerals, specimen rocks,
fossils, lapidary equipment, jewelry and findings, slabs or
rough material, gold prospecting equipment, dealer displays,
club displays, Educational Corner, fluorescent display, sand
painting, beading, Spinning Wheel, silent auction; contact
Margaret Jones, PO Box 884, Pine, AZ 85544, (928) 970-
0857; e-mail: margieaberry@gmail.com
15-16—TAMPA, FLORIDA: Wholesale and retail show;
American Bead Shows; Ramada Plaza Hotel Westshore;
1200 N. Westshore Blvd.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $6
(discount coupon on Web site); antique and vintage jewelry
components, beads, freshwater pearls, gemstone beads,
Swarovski beads and components, seed beads, beading
supplies, carved wood and bone beads, Kumihimo sup-
plies, jewelry and craft tools, finished items; contact Samuel
Mbullah, PO Box 490803, Atlanta, GA 30349, (770) 739-
0057; e-mail: beadshows@hotmail.com; Web site: https://
americanbeadshows.com
21-22—ENID, OKLAHOMA: Annual show; Enid Gem &
Mineral Society; Garfield County Pavilion Building; 111 W.
Purdue; Fri. 10-7, Sat. 9-6; free admission; lapidary demon-
strations, silent auction, kids’ activities, rock pile, spinning
wheel, rock food display, dealers, gems, minerals, fossils,
stone beads, finished jewelry; contact Mary Walters, 1126
Hillcrest Dr., Enid, OK 73701, (580) 541-7500; e-mail: leon.
walters@att.net; Web site: enidgemandmineral.org
21-23—COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA: Annual show;
Columbia Gem & Mineral Society; Jamil Temple; 206 Jamil
Rd.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 12-5; adults $5, children (16
and under) and all military and their dependants free; 24
retail dealers, jewelry, beads, loose stones, fossils, miner-
als, gold, silver, tools, geodes sold and cut, member rock
collection exhibits, lapidary demonstrations; contact Sue
Shrader, PO Box 6333, Columbia, SC, Canada 29260,
(803) 736-9317; e-mail: ashrader@mindspring.com; Web
site: www.cgams.org
21-23—MARIETTA, GEORGIA: Annual show; Cobb
County Gem & Mineral Society; civic center; 548 S. Marietta
Pkwy.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; rocks,
gemstones, fossils, beads, jewelry, jewelry supplies, free
mineral ID classes, mineral/jewelry-related demonstrations,
educational exhibits, hourly door prizes; contact Kay Yoest,
3202 Powder Mill Pl. SE, Marietta, GA 30067; e-mail: kay
oest@bellsouth.net; Web site: www.cobbcountymineral.org
21-23—PORTLAND, OREGON: Wholesale and retail
show; Gem Faire Inc.; Oregon Convention Center; 777
N.E. MLK Jr Blvd.; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults
$7, children (ages 0-11) free; fine jewelry, gems, beads,
crystals, gold and silver, minerals, exhibitors, jewelry
continued on page 50
Rock & Gem
9/29/14 3:22 PM
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RG1114 Masterrev.idml 25 9/26/14 2:50 PM

 STUART “TATE” WILSON PHOTO
Florida
Fossil
Expedition
A few hours of screening for shark teeth produced a
nice bounty.

Fruitful Collecting Trips in saber-toothed tigers, and dugongs (a cousin

of the manatee). Many of these fossils can

the Sunshine State been seen in local Florida museums today.

He has also traveled the world in search of
fantastic fossil specimens and has published
numerous books detailing his adventures.
Marissa is an artist and provides wonder-
ful artwork for Mark’s books. This couple is
quite knowledgeable and well equipped to
Story by Stuart “Tate” Wilson take groups of anywhere from three to 100

S
out on a fossil expedition.
pring break had come again, and I had the time to travel some- Florida’s geologic past is relatively easy to
understand. The Florida plateau was formed
around 250 million years ago when the
where new in search of Earth’s treasures. Recently, I came supercontinent of Pangea began to break
apart. This slightly raised plateau that we
across a photograph of a man with his head and two arms know as Florida is the result of marine sedi-
mentation over millions of years. Through-
out history, Florida has widened and nar-
poking out of murky water. In each hand, he grasped an 18-inch-long rowed as sea levels ebbed and flowed.
As ancient sharks and other marine and
fossilized sloth claw. I was instantly inspired and knew I had to meet land animals died, they would occasion-
ally be covered by sediment, which would
deprive their remains of oxygen. The lack
this man and learn about the locality of these amazing fossil specimens! of oxygen preserved the bones, and the
surrounding minerals replaced the organic
With a little research, I found that the just find another pair of sloth claws like I material of the bones and teeth. The chemi-
man in the photograph was Mark Renz of saw in that photograph! cal composition of the sediment relates di-
Fossil Expeditions, about an hour south of Upon meeting Mark, I was very im- rectly to the colors of your fossil finds. Most
Tampa, Florida. While his fossil expedition pressed. He and his wife, Marissa, have of these fossils are black because they have
may not guarantee fossilized claws from a been taking people on fossil expeditions a high calcium, iron, magnesium content.
15-foot sloth, he does offer the chance to for over 20 years. Mark told me a bit Imagine, some millions of years ago,
find fossilized shark teeth, as well as many about his past finds, which have included when sea levels were much higher than
other types of fossils. Plus, I thought I may dozens of complete mammoths, sloths, they are now. Many parts of Florida were

26 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

Florida Fossil.indd 26 9/22/14 12:47 PM

 underwater. This means that sharks, as well
as other marine species, made it to what is
now inland Florida. That is why it is pos-
sible to find fossil shark teeth in a riverbed
an hour inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
As a river flows, it cuts through layers of
sediment. These layers represent different

Stuart “tate” WilSon photo

periods of time. Generally speaking, the
deeper we go, the farther back in time we
go. Going down only 10 feet in Florida is
going back millions of years.
At 10 a.m., during the first week in April,
I met up with Mark and two families from
Iowa for a spring break fossil shark tooth
expedition. There were two couples and
three children. We had a debriefing that ex- Depending on how wet you want to get, you may stay close to the bank or go deeper into the river.
plained what to expect and were given the
option of doing an easy, medium or adven-
tursome fossil dig. With an easy fossil dig,
we would stay right at the riverbank and
dig without getting very wet. On the adven-
turesome dig, we would cross a chest-deep
river and screen for teeth in deeper water.
Being an adventurous bunch, we chose
to cross the slow-moving river and dig in
deeper water. The two fathers carried their
children across.
On the far bank, we each grabbed a
floating screen and began shoveling in
fossil-bearing sediment from the river’s
bottom. As the water washed away the silt
and smaller debris fell through the screen,
I noticed a shiny, black shark tooth! This
was a good sign, as this was only my first
shovelful of sediment. The day continued,
and I added shovelful after shovelful into
the screen, and on average I found two
shark teeth per scoop. In some scoops, I
found only one tooth, while others yielded
Mark renz photo

up to 10 teeth! After a day of this, I felt

good about what I had found.
Throughout the day, Mark and I and the
two families from Iowa got to know each
other, and it was good to see the adults
just as excited as the kids. As we found fos- On a good day, you may find many shark teeth over 2 inches in length or even a mammoth tooth (top left).
sil specimens, Mark would identify them.
My Day-One find consisted of 30 to 45
shark teeth, mixed with some other various
fossils. The shark teeth came from species
such as the mako, lemon, snaggletooth, ti-
ger, and sand tiger. Stingray “teeth” were
a common find. These are really grinding
plates the animal used to crush shells and
such things. We also found many fossilized
stingray spines, in addition to fossilized land
tortoise shell fragments, barracuda teeth,
and horse teeth.
Stuart “tate” WilSon photo

For the second day of my Florida shark-

tooth expedition, I drove to Venice Beach
early in the morning, before the sun had
risen. I was to go on a SCUBA-diving trip
to collect the massive (6 inches or longer)
Megalodon teeth offshore in the Gulf of
Mexico. As I got closer to Venice Beach,
my excitement grew; however, a storm was
also growing. When I arrived at the dive By removing old construction debris, I was able to reach untouched sediment, where I found more fossilized teeth.

November 2014 27

Florida Fossil.indd 27 9/22/14 12:47 PM

 A Whole World of Fine
Florida Fossil Expedition from page 28
pearls
capital of the world”, it is also known as a
great place to collect beautiful seashells.
All Kinds of Better Natural Stone During my third day in Florida, I met
beads back up with Mark and others for another
fossil expedition. We had another great day
of collecting. Despite it being early April,
the weather was very nice. Spending all day
in the river was not an issue, especially con-
sidering everything we found. My find for
All Sorts of Day 3 was 150 to 200 smaller shark teeth,
Calibrated Better some of them up to an inch long. At the
end of the day, Mark and I were back at the
gemstones truck conversing when some locals came
up and showed us some amazing fossils
they had found nearby. Among them were
4-inch-long horse teeth, pieces of mam-
Useful Jewelry moth tusk, and 2-inch-long shark teeth.
& Beading My plans for the shark teeth I have found
are to make jewelry and sell them individu-
STUART “TATE” WILSON PHOTO

tools ally. It is easy and a lot of fun to make wire-

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Fossil guide Mark Renz gives on-site fossil identifica-
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we found.
F: 508.278.9458 shop, I was informed that the dive would
be cancelled due to bad weather. We can-
not control the weather, so I accepted the
wrapped necklaces with the bigger shark
teeth. The teeth can also be made into ear-
rings. I also made displays of my finds in
shadow box picture frames.
Some consideration should be taken when
deciding when to come to Florida for a fossil
expedition. March through April is a perfect
time to come; the water is low enough to
negotiate the river comfortably. While you
may think summer is the perfect time to go,
one must realize that in Florida it rains a lot
in summer. The river levels rise significantly,
making it hard to do anything in the rivers.
There is no need to worry, though; there are

CLOSEOUT situation and decided to spend the day on

the beach.
All over, there were people holding spe-
alternative options for finding fossils, as one
may search the riverbanks or in streams.
While we are allowed to keep any fossils
cially made shark-tooth screens. They stood we find, we are asked by our fossil guide to
Faceted & Cabochon fine quality at the water’s edge and screened their turn over any significant finds to the local
gems at liquidation prices! scoops of sand. Instead of collecting shark museums. This way they may be accessed
CEYLON SAPPHIRE, pastel color, blue, pink, green, teeth, I decided to spend my day collect- easily by scientists for studying. In the past,
2.50 - 2.75 mm princess 3 pc for $8.00 ing seashells and washed-up coral. While Fossil Expedition participants have made
RUBY, Burma, nice color, Venice Beach is known as the “shark teeth significant fossil finds.
2 mm round, 5 pc for $3.50
BLACK SPINEL, (black diamond subst.), fine cut,
2 mm round brilliant, $0.95 each
GARNET, red, fine cut,
3.5 mm round 10 pcs for $7.50
MEXICAN OPAL, fine cut, orange,
4x6 mm oval $3.00 each
SILVER TOPAZ, fine cut,
3 mm round brilliant cut, $0.75 each,
6 mm round, $3.60 each
TOURMALINE, cabochon, pink, round,
4 mm $3.50 each, round, 5 mm $5.40 each.
BURMA JADE & MAW SIT SIT
ROUGH Huge selection!
Gemstone Carvings
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Visit us at

www.midlandgems.com Look a little closer at paved roads, and you will see shark teeth embedded in the tarmac!

28 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

Florida Fossil.indd 28 9/29/14 2:59 PM

 OPAL Identification & Value
By Paul B. Downing, Ph.D

No Two Opals Are Alike...

Stuart “tate” WilSon photo

includes new types of opal as well

as updated methodology and prices
for properly characterizing and
placing a value on any opal.

After we shoveled river sediment into a floating screen, we washed away the silt to uncover fossilized shark teeth. Hardback - 224 full color pages
Over 300 spectacular photos
This opens up another important topic of collectors who can help get you started, and Order Today
discussion, and that is the importance of con- you can go out on field trips with others.
sidering what we do with the fossils that we Whatever you do, make sure you obtain a $49.95 FREE SHIPPING!
find. Do we keep them for ourselves, adorn- fossil-collecting permit from the Program of
Call (480) 318-4171 or
ing our homes with them? Do we contact Vertebrate Paleontology in Florida. You can MajesticPress@aol.com
museums and universities and ask them to find them on the Internet at www.flmnh.ufl.
keep them for scientific study? While there edu/vertpaleo/vppermit.htm. If you choose Majestic Press, Inc.
is nothing wrong with keeping special fossil to go on a Fossil Expedition, you do not need P O Box 17121, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269
finds for ourselves, it is worth considering the to worry about a fossil permit, because Mark
importance of allowing universities and mu- has already obtained them.
seums to have them instead. When scientists Maybe you have interest in only seeing
study fossils, it is easier for them to access a Florida’s fossil wealth, while not doing the
whole collection in one location than to trav- hard work of digging for them. Visiting a
el to see personal collections in homes across local museum is the best way to see what
the country. Mark can tell you if your find is
scientifically significant.
Florida has to offer. Some museums worth
checking out are the Florida Museum of Lapidary Supplies
I was especially pleased to hear Mark
touch on the topic of conscientious col-
Natural History in Gainesville (www.flmnh.
ufl.edu) or the Clewiston Museum in Hen- and Equipment
lecting. We all get tempted to search for dry County (www.clewistonmuseum.org). Most Orders Shipped within 24 Hours
treasures in restricted areas, but it is not an Florida Fossil Expeditions provided me
appropriate option. If only there was a way with a great spring break trip. I was able Authorized Dealers of: Crystalite, Lapcraft,
to obtain permission to find the treasure to soak up the sun and find amazing fos- Covington, Inland, MK Diamond, Raytech,
in such a way that both parties win. Mark sils. When I returned home, I was able to Diamond Pacific, Graves and more.
has demonstrated that this is quite possible. make jewelry with what I had found. I rec-
Once, he stumbled upon some mastodon ommend this trip for anyone interested in Order Toll Free (866) 929-8575
fossils on Florida Department of Transpor- fossils, sharks, or just a good time. The State email: info@arrowheadlapidarysupply.com
tation (DOT) property. of Florida recognizes the importance for Arrowhead Lapidary Supply
Instead of illegally surface collecting what collectors to collect and so thanks are in P. O. Box 247
he could and getting out of there, he contact- place for them.
ed the DOT and found a way to excavate Wellington, OH 44090
with heavy machinery, while making every- Website: arrowheadlapidarysupply.com
one happy. As a result, dozens of complete
fossil skeletons of large mammals, such as
sloths, mastodons, old-world horses, wolves
and deer, were recovered. I bring this up be-
Stuart “tate” WilSon photo

cause most of Florida is private property and

there is an abundance of fossils everywhere
you turn. It is important to maintain the right
to collect, so we must work together and
respect private property.
If you live in Florida or have a lot of time
to spend there, you may consider collecting
on your own. A good way to start would be
to join a local fossil-collecting club. Joining a As I walked the river bar, I knelt down and noticed
club will put you in contact with long-time shark teeth lying in the sand.

November 2014 29

Florida Fossil.indd 29 10/3/14 1:15 PM

 Burtis Blue from page 22

Completely natural Burtis Blue Turquoise is used in fin-

ished jewelry and inlaid woodwork.

The Florence mine occasionally yields

turquoise with tiny, visible bits of calaverite,
a gold-telluride mineral. Apparently, just
enough gold-telluride mineralization was
present at the edge of the Cripple Creek
caldera to occasionally become included in
the turquoise.
“I’ve always admired the beauty of tur-
quoise for its colors and matrix patterns,
but it has an even greater, personal signifi-
cance for me,” says Clint. “Turquoise is also
a healing and a giving stone that is sacred
to many Native Americans.”
Clint’s reverence for turquoise is reflect-
ed in the eye-catching, Native American-
style turquoise necklace he wears at shows.
The necklace, which Clint made using
Burtis Blue Turquoise, has 17 stones and
is accented by polished pieces of woolly
mammoth ivory. The centerpiece of the
necklace is a beautiful, 320-carat, solid tur-
quoise nugget.
So how much Burtis Blue Turquoise is
left in the Florence mine?
“No one knows,” says Wally. “But since my
father and I converted the mine into an open
pit 60 years ago, we’ve taken it down 40 feet
and found turquoise all the way. And the tur-
quoise pocket we found in June is the biggest
single recovery we’ve ever made.”
Not all 200 pounds of that newly recov-
ered turquoise will be cut into gems. “Mass-
es of high-quality turquoise this big are very
rare,” Wally points out. “In fact, these may
be the biggest pieces of solid turquoise ever
found in Colorado. I’d like to see some of
them go to museums. That would help
Colorado earn the recognition it deserves
as a major source of fine turquoise.”
LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT “The Florence mine has been in our fam-
ily for 75 years,” Wally says. “And Joanne

J S GEMS and I would like to see it stay that way. Our

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grandson Peter is just 13 and already very
interested in both jewelry making and min-
ing. But the future of the mine will be up
to the family.”
Clint and Louisa will show Burtis Blue Tur-
quoise at a full schedule of gem and mineral
shows over the coming year, including the
2015 Tucson and Houston shows. For more
information about Burtis Blue Turquoise,
visit www.facebook.com/beautifulturquoise
stones, or contact Clint at (802) 782-7330
or crossfamily1000@aol.com.

30 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

Colorado's Burtis Blue.indd 30 9/29/14 2:53 PM

 31

RG1114 Masterrev.idml 31 9/30/14 9:22 AM

 ROCK & GEM
Michigan State Rockhound Symbols
Michigan’s Petoskey stone is actually a 350 million-year-old fossil
coral called Hexagonaria percarinata. It has a honeycomb pattern and
is soft because the coral has been replaced by calcite. It polishes easily
and is carved into knickknacks for tourists. You can collect coral “heads”
or find water-worn cobbles on Lake Michigan beaches around Charle-
voix and Petoskey.
The name “Petoskey” comes from an Ottawa Indian chief. Sunbeams
fell upon his newborn face, so he was named Pe-tos-e-gay (“rising
sun”). Settlers named a town in his honor using the English spelling
Petoskey. His granddaughter Ella Jane Petoskey got to see Petoskey
stone declared Michigan’s state stone in 1965.
In 1973, Michigan designated its state gem: chlorastrolite (from
Greek words meaning green-star-stone). Also called “greenstone”, it’s
a variety of the mineral pumpellyite in the form of balls of fibrous crys- Petoskey stone, green chlorastrolite, and a model American mastodon skull
tals radiating out from a center. When packed next to one another,
these balls create a turtle-shell pattern, and light reflecting off the fi-
bers produces a chatoyant (cat’s-eye) effect. Chlorastrolite is found in
the Upper Peninsula, often as pea-size beach pebbles. It’s mostly used
to make small cabochons for rings, earrings or cufflinks. Apparently,
it’s not a common collectible. When visiting my son in Michigan, he
and I stopped at three rock shops and two jewelers before finding a
tiny, expensive specimen!
The American mastodon, Mammut americanum, became Michigan’s
state fossil in 2002 thanks to Washtenaw Community College geology
instructor David P. Thomas Sr., who rallied support from rock clubs,
teachers and students. Mastodons were similar to mammoths, but
shorter and stockier. Like mammoths, they roamed North America dur-
ing the Ice Ages (Pleistocene Epoch), 3.75 million to 10,500 years ago. A
nearly complete skeleton was found in from Owosso and a trackway of
30 footprints was found near Ann Arbor.
—Jim Brace-Thompson American mastodon skeletons (University of Michigan Museum of Natural History)

Michigan Mineral Quiz

Test your knowledge of Michigan minerals. You might soak your tired feet in a solution of ______ .
a. illite
This mineral is likely to be found in your toothpaste. b. jacobsite
a. vladimirite c. anhydrite
b. talc d. epsomite
c. anhydrite
d. kaolinite Which of these minerals are you likely to find in explosives?
a. uraninite
Which of these Michigan counties is not a source of copper? b. neotocite
a. Marquette c. pyrite
b. Montcalm d. magnetite
c. Manistique
d. Alpena Which of these minerals can be found in Keweenaw County?
a. copper
Which of these gemstones is not found in Michigan? b. jacobsite
a. beryl c. labradorite
b. diamond d. rutile
c. sapphire
d. zircon Source: http://wmich.edu/corekids/Rocks/Michigan%20Minerals.pdf

ANSWERS: d. kaolinite; b. Montcalm; c. sapphire; d. epsomite; c. pyrite; a. copper and c. labradorite

32 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

Rock and Gem Kids.indd 32 9/25/14 3:46 PM

 Gemstone Lore & Legend:
Thunderbolts
In pre-scientific times, Europeans found strange, amber-colored, conical or
bullet-shaped objects weathering out of the earth and littering the ground
alongside what seemed to be seashells. During Medieval times in the Brit-
ish Isles, these were often called “thunderbolts” and were believed to have
formed when lightning struck the ground. They also went by the names “elf-
bolts” and “devil fingers”.
They were believed by some to have medicinal value and by others to hold
supernatural powers to keep one safe from being bewitched or being struck
by lightning. It was due to the supposed medicinal value of various kinds of
fossils that members of the medical profession were often the first to docu-
ment fossils in the Middle Ages.
These thunderbolts are actually the remains of squidlike creatures called
belemnites, ancient relatives of squid and cuttlefish. They lacked external
shells, but they had a hard, internal structure to support their bodies, simi-
lar to the cuttlebone in cuttlefish. It’s called a rostrum, or guard. Typically, “Thunderbolts” and the squidlike belemnite
all that’s left of the animal are these guards, which look like amber-colored
bullets. Because these guards are so numerous, it’s believed that belemnites swam in large swarms, or schools, like modern squid. They
likely served as bite-sized calamari treats for Cretaceous-era marine reptiles like mosasaurs.
The belemnite Belemnitella americana became the Delaware state fossil in 1996. I’ve collected some—including those pictured here—
from dredging piles left by the creation of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, which exposed marine sediments from the Late Cretaceous
Period, or the end of the Age of Dinosaurs (85 million to 65 million years ago).
—Jim Brace-Thompson

What’s the Difference?

Circle the differences between the two specimens of thenardite, wulfenite and fluorite.
darryl powell illustrations

Thenardite Wulfenite

Fluorite

November 2014 33

Rock and Gem Kids.indd 33 9/25/14 3:46 PM

 S H O W C A S E

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West Coast Gem, Mineral &
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Santa Ana, CA 92705
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Crystal Fair, Fort Mason
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GROWING the
Rockhound
Hobby
Every Rockhound Has a Responsibility

A
Story and Photos by Bob Jones

nyone involved in the mineral and lapidary hobby today realizes that things
have changed. Clubs are often shrinking in size. Shows are not what they
used to be. Collecting sites are certainly reduced in number, sometimes
closed to collecting by federal government action or by privately filed claims, or
opened only as a fee dig site. Certainly, the gradual drop in the number of collectors
nationwide is simply a function of aging. Clubs that put on a local show every year are
finding it more and more difficult to find a location that is suitable, yet can be obtained
at a reasonable cost.

Fee digging is a great way for

families to enjoy the mineral
hobby. These groups are look-
ing for quartz crystals n Her-
kimer, New York.

36 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

Growing the Hobby.indd 36 9/23/14 1:00 PM

 Kids are always interested in learning the fine art of gem faceting. These boys had a
chance to try it out at a Turlock, California, club show.
ABOVE: Large shows like the East Coast Show in West Springfield, Massachusetts, expose the general public to
the many aspects of the rockhounding and lapidary hobbies.
RIGHT: Dalton Prince thrills show visitors by cracking open geodes to expose their crystal-lined interiors.
There are other factors that account for
the slow and inexorable drop in the num-
ber of clubs and shows and the diminish-
ing membership of the hobby. All of which
means those of us who are still active and
who love the hobby have a great respon-
sibility to slow, or even reverse, the trends
we see today.
There are many ways the rockhound
hobby can grow. It’s up to those of us
who love the hobby to step up, recognize
growth opportunities, and do something
about it. A youth movement would help
ensure a future for your club and our
hobby. Sometimes, the children of a rock-
hound join in. Maybe a neighbor’s child
shows an interest in the rocks and minerals
you have. We do know that when a family
goes to a mineral and gem show, often out
of curiosity, club members have a golden
opportunity to take advantage of the bud-
ding interest of both parents and children
by helping them get caught up in the ex-
citement and beauty of rocks.
A lot of rockhounds today are retired,
having worked for decades, and are now
free to enjoy the hobby. It is important that
such club members get involved in an out-
reach program by volunteering to go into
the community. Some active club members
November 2014
Growing the Hobby.indd 37
The Flagg Foundation Mineral Show draws curious families and exposes them to the
wonder of minerals and gems.
go to classrooms to talk about and show
rocks and minerals while talking about col-
lecting. Some rockhounds are retired teach-
ers who can use their expertise to organize
outreach programs or even start a small
club after hours at school. When I taught
science in Arizona, I had an after-school
rock club. We did collecting trips on week-
ends. Several of the kids in my science class
and after-school rockhound club ended up
in the mineral business or became dedicat-
ed collectors. One student ended up man-
aging a red beryl quarry in Utah. Another
joined continued in the hobby, joined a
club, and got his father involved. The fa-
ther, in turn, started a rockhound club at his
place of employment. Later, I was invited
to give lectures to that industrial group, and
some members became rockhounds.
Organizing a rock club of young people
does have one drawback. Occasionally, I
was scolded—in a nice way—by parents who
complained about all the rocks piling up in
their garages or yards after a club field trip.
However it happens, every rockhound and
every club organization has a responsibility
to encourage kids to get involved in one of
the greatest of hobbies: rock collecting.
At any mineral show, it is very obvious
that what attracts kids the most are the
lapidary activities. True, there are wonder-
ful minerals they can admire and shows
now exhibit major fossils that excite and
thrill kids. They sometimes end up as seri-
ous collectors of mineral specimens or an-
cient fossils. But when it comes to hands-
on activities that actually get kids involved
at a mineral show, the three most popu-
lar things are gold panning, doing a gem
search in a sandbox, or trying their hand
at using a lapidary machine or some other
lapidary activity.
Gold panning is certainly fun, but most
kids aren’t able to do it in the real world.
Digging in a sand box for a hidden treasure
is certainly exciting when you find a small
crystal or fossils. Such a search simulates
the real-world experience of field collecting
to some degree. On the other hand, the
real excitement of the hobby comes when
you find an ordinary-looking rock and use
lapidary equipment to turn it into a gem-
stone of great beauty. One major benefit
of getting youngsters involved in the lapi-
dary hobby is that it will necessarily involve
the entire family, who can experience the
great outdoors and the benefits of togeth-
erness. No other hobby can offer a more
wholesome family activity than the rock-
hounding hobby.
37
9/23/14 1:00 PM
 GROWING the Rockhound Hobby from page 37
The California Federation Show offers a beading activity
for kids who visit with their parents.
The lapidary arts involve a whole series of
family activities, beginning with the search for
gem rough on a field trip. To do that, a fam-
ily most often has to join a gem and mineral
club. This is readily done at a mineral show.
Joining a club also gives them access to the
support and friendship of club members.
They can enjoy the shared knowledge of
skilled lapidary members, as well as access
to any available club equipment. If the club
does not have an equipment shop, there are
always members with equipment who are
more than willing to help a beginner learn
the tricks of gem cutting.
Finding a rock worthy of cutting is only
the first step. You can collect it yourself on
a field trip or simply buy a nice slab from
a dealer at a rock show. Having access to
lapidary equipment and the necessary
knowledge to cut a polish a rock is the next
step. This is where being a club member
really pays off. Again, every club has old-
timers who would love to teach the kids
the simple steps in cutting and polishing a
rock to create something worthwhile. And
don’t forget the equipment manufacturers.
They set up at major shows and are glad to
get someone started in being a successful
lapidary. There is also a really good range
of “how to” books on different aspects of
the lapidary arts. Again, these are available
at mineral shows or in the advertisements
in Rock & Gem.
Finally, subscribing to Rock & Gem maga-
zine will help immeasurably. It provides in-
formative articles, advertisers selling rocks
and equipment, links to Internet resources,
a list of show dates, and a host of valuable
information that helps a new rockhound
get started. A regular subscription to Rock
& Gem is your best way to access informa-
tion about the hobby. I can truly say Rock &
Gem is the best and last of what was once a
covey of rockhound magazines.
One of the great advantages of our
hobby is that when kids get involved in the
hobby, either as a mineral collector or lapi-
dary, parents ultimately get enticed to join
in! Isn’t that a major goal of our hobby, to
get families involved in a wholesome out-
door activity?
38 www.rockngem.com
Growing the Hobby.indd 38
This article is also a wake up call to clubs
that do not take advantage of golden op-
portunities to attract people—especially
kids—to the hobby. Rockhounds need to
realize how much pleasure they have had
in our hobby. Surely, it is important that
every rockhound give something back to
the hobby by helping newcomers enjoy the
same experiences and pleasures we have all
had. This raises some questions every club
and club member should consider.
Do the clubs that put on a show each
year set up ways to give kids a chance to
cut a stone, grind a cabochon, or make a
gem tree? If your club doesn’t do that, you
are missing a golden opportunity to capture
the interest and the imagination of show
visitors, including children.
If your club does not do shows, do your
members go to the federation show in
your region, and does anyone from your
club volunteer to help the host club of the
show? Does your club set up an informa-
tion table at the regional show to promote
your club activities? Better yet, do any of
your club members demonstrate the lapi-
dary arts for kids? How many of your club
members visit a local school and offer a
rock and mineral program to teachers? And
don’t forget the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
in your area. The merit badges in geology
and the earth science area a wonderful way
to give youngsters a way to expand their
interests in the rock collecting hobby.
Some towns and cities have a Boys and
Girls Club. Why not set up a program so your
club can donate equipment and time to the
Boys and Girls Club? Some manufacturers
will be happy to assist with such a program.
Retirees can volunteer to teach kids the fine
art of lapidary. These activities are wonderful
proof that your club deserves its 501c3 tax
exemption. Every one of these groups and
organizations could use your help and would
be more than happy to have some sort of
earth science or lapidary program available to
classes or members.
Every time your club gets involved in
such volunteer work, you expose people
to the joys of working with stones or build-
ing a collection of minerals. A major goal of
every club should be to reach out into the
community and expose people—especially
youngsters—to the fun and excitement of
mineral collecting and lapidary activities.
I’ve been involved in the mineral hobby
since before World War II. I joined my first
mineral club in the late 1940s, after the
war. I’ve been involved ever since and be-
long to several clubs now. Through those
years, I’ve seen some wonderful volunteer
programs stir interest in our hobby. I’ve
also belonged to some clubs that faded
into oblivion for various reasons. The main
Rock & Gem
9/29/14 3:01 PM
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Finally, as a rockhound and subscriber to
Rock & Gem, you have an obligation to help
the hobby every way you can. Be sure your
club library gets a copy of Rock & Gem. Of-
fer a subscription as a door prize. Be sure to
support Rock & Gem advertisers. If you love
our hobby, make an effort to share your
enthusiasm so that others get as much plea-
sure out of the hobby as you do. It is up
to individuals like you to grow the greatest
hobby on earth!

November 2014 39

Growing the Hobby.indd 39 9/29/14 3:01 PM


ock Science
The Mineral-Like Mineraloids
M ineral collections often include speci­
mens of opal, obsidian and amber.
While these are certainly collectibles and even
gemstones, they are not minerals, but min­
eraloids—materials that resemble minerals
but, due to origin, lack of a crystal structure,
or indeterminate chemical composition, fail
to meet the criteria that define a mineral.
Minerals are generally defined as natu­
rally occurring, homogenous solids of in­
organic origin with definite chemical com­
positions (within established limits) and
ordered crystalline structures. On the other
hand, mineraloids are noncrystalline and
lack definite chemical compositions.
Opal is a familiar example of a mineraloid.
It is a solidified, colloidal silica gel with an
amorphous, layered structure consisting of
randomly arranged, hydrated silica molecules
interspersed with layers of microscopic silica
spherules. Opal is not a mineral because it
has neither a definite chemical composition
nor a crystal structure. Nevertheless, because
it was historically thought to be a mineral,
it is assigned the Dana mineral­classification
WHOLESALE OFFER number 75.2.1.1. Opal is also assigned a
chemical formula, SiO2·nH2O, in which “n”
refers to an indefinite number of attached
water molecules.
Shortwave & Longwave UV Obsidian, an extrusive igneous (volca­
Field Light kit $59.99! nic) rock that forms from the very rapid
solidification of rhyolitic (silica­rich) lava, is
similar to opal. It is a natural volcanic glass
that consists primarily of silica, with lesser,
www.uvtools.com/rgpromo2 varying amounts of feldspar and ferromag­
nesian minerals. Like opal, obsidian lacks a
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Tektites are bits of natural glass that
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sidian, having an indefinite chemistry and
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One collectible non­mineral that is often
www.ultraviolet-tools.com classified as a mineraloid is amber. Some
mineralogists consider amber to be an “or­
sales@ultraviolet-tools.com ganic non­mineral”—a natural substance of
organic origin that satisfies neither the defi­
nition of a mineral nor of a mineraloid.
Keep up with Amber is a noncrystalline, oxygenated
breaking ne w s hydrocarbon of widely variable composi­
in Rockhounding between issues of tion that consists primarily of carbon, oxy­
gen and hydrogen. Amber can be consid­
Rock&Gem ered a fossil only if the usual definition of
the term is expanded. While most fossils
at are created through mineral replacement or
www.rockngem.com molded impressions, amber forms through
and the chemical process of molecular poly­
merization and is more accurately de­
www.facebook.com/pages/Rock-Gem-magazine/152002903583 scribed as an altered tree resin.
40 www.rockngem.com
Rock Science.indd 40
by Steve Voynick
Opal is a mineraloid because of its indefinite chemical
composition and amorphous structure.
Jet is a compact form of coal that forms
from the decomposition of wood in high­
pressure, marine­burial environments.
While jet, which is a minor gemstone, is
homogenous and consists almost entirely
of carbon, it lacks the crystalline structure
that would otherwise qualify it as a mineral.
Mineral collectors will sometimes see
bright, tiny, silvery globules of elemental
mercury on cinnabar (mercury sulfide)
specimens. Cinnabar meets all the qualifica­
tions of a mineral. Mercury, however, which
is liquid at ambient temperatures, lacks a
crystal structure. Nevertheless, because it
was historically considered a mineral, mer­
cury is assigned a Dana mineral­classification
number. Technically, mercury becomes a
mineral at ­40°F (­40°C), the temperature at
which it crystallizes in the trigonal (hexago­
nal) system.
Water and ice have a similar relationship.
Water lacks the crystal structure necessary
to qualify as a mineral, but ice, a recognized
mineral, crystallizes in the hexagonal sys­
tem, as is evident in the intricate, six­fold,
symmetrical shapes of snowflakes.
Whewellite, a hydrous calcium oxalate
with the chemical formula Ca(C2O4)·H2O,
is a rather obscure mineraloid. Whewellite
forms in methane­rich environments in coal
seams as a salt of organic acids. Although it
crystallizes in the monoclinic system and is
assigned a Dana mineral­classification num­
ber, it is not technically a mineral because
of its organic origin. Whewellite is the pri­
mary component of kidney stones, which
shows that we never know where min­
eraloids might turn up next.
Steve Voynick is a sci-
ence writer, mineral col-
lector, former hardrock
miner, and the author
of books like Colorado
Rockhounding and New
Mexico Rockhounding.
Rock & Gem
9/29/14 3:18 PM
 41

RG1114 Masterrev.idml 41 9/29/14 3:36 PM

 Kotsiomitis The

Museum
of Natural
History
Story and Photos by Helen Serras-Herman

Fossils, Minerals,
and Ancient
Greek History
Converge Here

T
he Kotsiomitis Museum of

Natural History is located in the

eastern part of the Peloponnese

peninsula in southern Greece. It is near

the town of Ligourio, and only 5 km away

from the famous ancient theater of Epidau-

rus. After crossing over the Corinth canal
into Peloponnese, take the road that leads
southeast towards Epidaurus. It’s about a
2½-hour drive from Athens to the mu-
seum, and my husband, Andrew, and I
were thankful that my cousin was driving
so we could enjoy the picturesque scenery.
The Kotsiomitis Museum of Natural History is housed in a beautiful stone building whose design is charac-
teristic of the local architecture.
The Municipality of Epidaurus is a land
that stretches between the Saronic Gulf
and the Argolic Gulf. Blessed with beau-
tiful beaches, mountains and hills, valleys
and ravines, it is also a land of myths and
legends, history and culture. Not far away
are the citadels (fortified palaces) of My-
cenae, Tiryns and Argos, where the My-
cenean civilization was the center of the
Hellenic world from 1600 BCE until ap-
proximately 1100 CE.
Within this historic setting lies the
Kotsiomitis Museum of Natural History.
The museum first opened in 1995, and
since 2006 it has been housed in a beauti-
ful stone building that reflects the charac-
teristics of the local architecture.
Of the 22,000 pieces in the entire col-
lection, which is comprised mostly of
minerals and fossils, 6,000 items are on
exhibit. There are fossils from Greece and
other parts of the world. The local fossil
exhibits are unique in the world.
The museum was founded by Vasileios
Kotsiomitis and his wife, Anastasia Sarri-
Kotsiomitis, in 1993. It operates as a non-
profit organization, with the collaboration
of special scientists from the University

42 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

KotisiomitisMuseum.indd 42 9/23/14 2:19 PM

 of Athens, the Aristotelian University of
Thessaloniki, the Institute of Geology and
Mineral Exploration (IGME), and other sci-
entific institutes.
Anastasia recalls, in the museum’s guide-
book (Kotsiomitis Museum of Natural History,
Museum’s Guide, 2008), that when they
were children growing up in the area, they
were familiar with the “stone snails”, but
had no particular knowledge of their origin
or unique nature of the specimens known
as ammonites.
The founders’ goals include the constant
enrichment of the collection and the mu-
seum’s contribution to the education of
their visitors.

THE FOSSIL COLLECTION

There is an enormous number of fos-
sil exhibits, displayed in systematically
organized cases. The fossils date from as
far back as 530,000,000 to as recently as
3,000,000 years ago and were found in
Greece and in other locations around the
world. Petrified wood specimens, hippu-
rites (extinct bivalve mollusks), corals, trilo-
bites, fish, and sea urchins are beautifully
displayed throughout the museum. The
extensive collection of trilobites from Mo-
rocco is matchless within Greece. Also on
display are fossil remains of giant ichthyo-
saurs and crocodiles, and a 50,000 year-old
turtle skull from Morocco. There are dis-
plays of stone tools from the region from
the Paleolithic era, as well as collections of
A large cluster of ammonite fossils from from the site of Asklipio, near Epidaurus, is known as a “unique paleonto-
logical monument of ammonite fauna”.
contemporary species of butterflies, spiders,
scorpions, bats, shells, fish and coral.
The museum has a comprehensive col-
lection of ammonite fossils from the nearby
site of Asklipio, near Epidaurus. They are
known as a “unique paleontological monu-
ment of ammonite fauna” and date back
to the Ladinian stage of the Middle Trias-
sic, about 239,000,000 years ago. Ammo-
nites belong to the subclass ammonoidea, a
group of marine mollusks. They belong to
the class cephalopoda, which also includes
the orders of nautiloids, such as the modern
nautilus species. The ammonites, however,
are extinct and are only found as fossils. The
name “ammonite” reflects the spiral shape
of the fossilized shell, which resembles a
tightly coiled ram’s horn. It was named after
the Egyptian god Amun, who was typically
depicted wearing ram’s horns.

The Lavrion region in the Attica Prefecture is known for producing a number of rare species like this blue glauco- This display Lavrion of minerals includes aurichalcite,
cerinite, as well as serpierite and ktenasite. red barite, aragonite, conichalcite, and smithsonite.

November 2014 43

KotisiomitisMuseum.indd 43 9/23/14 2:20 PM

 The Kotsiomitis Museum of Natural History from page 43

A rich-yellow specimen of smithsonite with some black dendritic inclusions, Part of a large petrified wood specimen (Sequoia Taxodioxylon gypsaceaum) from the
from the famous ancient Greek mining locality in Lavrion, is part of the Greek island of Evia (5 million to 9 million years old) welcomes the visitors at the en-
Kotsiomitis collection. trance of the museum.

THE MINERAL COLLECTION world were found at Lavrion), adamite, red dat.org). Often, the ancient miners discard-
The equally impressive mineral collec- barite, aurichalcite, aragonite, wulfenite and ed the low-grade ore in slag piles, which
tion on display at the Kotsiomitis Museum smithsonite—especially blue smithsonite. are now being reclaimed for their valuable
of Natural History includes specimens from Some smithsonites are very brightly col- metals and minerals.
many world locations. A fabulous Greek ored, lustrous and botryoidal. Besides being The Lavrion region had been mined for
specimen of prase quartz and a garnet clus- great mineral specimens, they may also be copper ore since 3,000 BCE. Extraction of
ter are from the Aegean island of Serifos. cut, usually as cabochons and freeforms, silver and minerals continued on and off
The heart of the collection is a suite of and used in jewelry. Photos of a nice va- until the 1980s. The mines have been ex-
minerals from the Lavrion (also Laurion riety of minerals from Lavrion are online ploited since the Bronze Age, but in 483
or Lavrio) region in the Attica Prefecture at www.lavrionminerals.com, the Web site BCE a new vein was discovered that led
(or Attiki), of which Athens to massive activity and pro-
is a part. Amazing specimens duction. The 350 mines pro-
of azurite, malachite, aurichal- duced 1,000 talents per year
cite, limonite, hematite, calcite, (an Attic talent of silver was
barite, ankerite, vanadinite, the value of nine man-years
serpirite, conichalcite, glauco- of skilled labor, or a month’s
cerinite and smithsonite are on wages for a trireme crew of
exhibit. What make the exhibit 200 men). Mining involved
even more exceptional are the working in underground gal-
custom-built, unique bronze leries, washing the galena ore,
“tree” sculptures on which the and smelting it to produce the
minerals are placed. metal. Silver was one of the
Some may argue that these chief sources of revenue of
displays are over the top, with the Athenian city-state in the
the stands possibly overpower- 5th and 4th centuries BCE. A
ing the minerals; to me, how- wonderful, small Mineralogi-
ever, they create an enchant- cal Museum is located in the
ing “natural” scene. heart of the town of Lavrion.
The Lavrion mining district The Kotsiomitis Museum
is known for producing more An additional proof of the museum’s attention to detail is its special collector’s edition of Natural History displays
than 400 different mineral admission ticket, with beautiful photos of some of the minerals in the collection. are enhanced by educational
species. It is the type locality material: maps, tables, dia-
for some of them, such as the rare halide created by chemical engineer and mineral grams, and informative text for the corre-
minerals laurionite and paralaurionite and collector Michael Samouhos, who supplied spondent species and eras. Geological and
a number of other rare species like glau- some of the above information. paleontological maps, combined with text
cocerinite, serpierite and ktenasite. Many Various minerals are found in ancient and graphics, inform the visitor about the
of the specimens are lead, phosphate and slag dumps produced by some of the ear- evolution of our planet.
halide minerals. liest mining in Greece. The ore consists The museum also has a wonderful gift
The Lavrion mines are famous mainly for mainly of silver-rich galena, sphalerite and shop, where one can purchase minerals, fos-
the species annabergite (a rare nickliferous pyrite, but also various other sulfides and sils, jewelry items, and books. A small, but
species, of which the best specimens in the numerous secondary minerals (www.min attractive, azurite-malachite specimen from

44 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

KotisiomitisMuseum.indd 44 9/23/14 2:21 PM

!Beckett subs.indd 45 9/25/14 5:53 PM
 The Kotsiomitis from page 44

At the Kotsiomitis Museum of Natural History, there

are also collections of contemporary species of shells,
butterflies, spiders, scorpions, bats, fish and coral.

Lavrio had to become part of our mineral

collection. Very few local ammonites were
available for purchase. Their relatively high
prices—the smallest ammonite was over
$100—can be attributed to their unusual
location and limited availability, compared
to those from Morocco. But that made me
appreciate a gift from a friend many years
ago, a small collection of five split and face-
polished ammonites from that area.
An additional example of the museum’s
attention to detail is the its “special collec-
tor’s edition” admission ticket, with beauti-
ful photos of some of the minerals in the
collection—definitely a keepsake souvenir.
The Kotsiomitis Museum of Natural His-
tory is located at 27 Asklipiou Avenue,
Ligourio, Argolis 21052. Its hours and di-
rections can be found at www.museum-
kotsiomitis.gr.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
Also within the Municipality of Epid-
aurus, is the 4th- and 3rd-century BCE
sacred archeological site of the Asklipio,
where the temple of Asklepius (god of
medicine), a stadium and gymnasium,
and other small temples are located. Not
far away is the ancient theater of Epid-
aurus, the best preserved theater of an-
cient Greece. It is famous for its harmonic
dimensions and perfect acoustics. Since
1955, the restored venue has hosted the
annual Epidaurus Festival, in which an-
cient Greek tragedies are played to an
audience of up to 14,000 people.

46 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

Kotsiomitis.indd 46 9/29/14 3:10 PM

 Continuing west 26 km, the traveler
reaches the ancient seaside town of Nau-
plion, built in a sheltered harbor on the Ar-
golic Gulf. This historic town was the first
capital of Greece (1828-34) after the nation
gained independence from Turkish rule. A
Venetian-built fortress rising high above the
town from a peninsula and the very pic-
turesque Venetian fortress of Bourdzi, built
in 1473 on a rock at the entrance to the
gulf of Nauplion, are two landmarks that
make it famous and a very popular travel
destination.
In the center of town, the Nauplion
Archeological Museum is housed in an
impressive 17th-century Venetian stone
building. The collection includes finds from
Argolis, predominantly from the Mycenae-
an civilization. On display is a unique find,
the bronze panoply (body armor) from a
tomb at the ancient town of Dendra (15th
century BCE). Besides beautiful Mycenae-
an gold jewelry, what caught our attention
were terracotta figurines in the style of a
goddess with raised arms from Tiryns (12th
century BCE) and another one from the
acropolis of Medea (13th century BCE).
Only 28 cm in height, painted simply with
earthy colors, they are stunning.
From Nauplion, you can continue driv-
ing northwest to the historic town of Ar-
gos and the renowned archeological site of
Mycenae. Staying the course on a north-
ern route, you will return to the town of
Corinth, thus completing an approximately
120 km loop of eastern Peloponnese.

Helen Serras-Herman is a gem sculptor and

jewelry artist with 30 years of experience. She was
inducted into the National Lapidary Hall of Fame
in 2003. See her work at www.gemartcenter.com.

Unique, custom-built bronze “tree” sculptures serve as

stands for the mineral specimens, creating an enchant-
ing “natural” scene.

November 2014 47

Kotsiomitis.indd 47 9/29/14 3:10 PM

 W
by Scott Empey
Please call for our
2013-2014 COLOR CATALOG!
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eschutes jasper is a classic Oregon
picture jasper that was once mined in
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per deposit. Biggs has similar patterns and
colors, so much so that it’s sometimes hard
to tell them apart.
The jasper was formed as mud, derived
from mostly volcanic ash, which filled the
crevices in the local basalt and was later
silicified. The patterns in Deschutes jasper
usually consist of overlapping waves of red-
dish brown and tan, with the best material
having a blue-purple color between the
waves, a pattern reminiscent of the famous
“Blue” Biggs jasper.
The pattern often goes all the way across
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terns are found around the outside of a
vein or section with a grey or bluish center
in the middle. These can be used to create
beautiful landscape images, with the brown
waves serving as the hills and mountains in
the foreground against the blue-gray sky. In
some pieces, there are black dendrites in
the “hills” that resemble bushes and trees.
Deschutes jasper was discovered twice:
first by the native tribes in the area, who
mined it for use in tool making, and later by
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sion where the blowing sand had covered
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jasper. After only a few years of digging, the
deposit, which was contained in a single are of the opalized material. They tend to
acre, was mined out. run lighter in color overall, with a lighter-
Deschutes jasper can still be found on colored background, and can have some of
eBay and other Web sites, though the good the most surreal patterns. While a bit softer,
stuff is not inexpensive. Hoot’s daughter, they seem to polish very nicely, as well.
Judy Elkins, has recently closed Elkins Rock Cabs can have some really amazing land-
Shop in Prineville, Oregon, and has been scape pictures. The material with the gray-
selling off some really great material that has blue centers is especially suited for this; if
found its way onto the Web. There are some it has some black dendrites, all the better.
really exceptional slabs available online, but I When properly oriented, Deschutes jasper
wouldn’t expect this to last very long. can make a picture-perfect design.
Deschutes is generally a very hard jasper.
It is solid and easy to work with, and will Scott Empey, owner of
take a very nice polish. I look for pieces that Gerard Scott Designs, cre-
have bold, distinct patterns, saturated colors, ates hand-cut gemstones,
and good contrasts. There is also some designer jewelry, and props
opalized material that, while not usually as for the motion picture in-
hard, tends to have very dramatic patterns. dustry. His Web site is www.
In fact, some of the best stones I have cut gerardscottdesigns.com.

48 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

What to Cut.indd 48 9/30/14 2:55 PM

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 Show Dates from page 24
repair while you shop, hourly door prizes; contact Yooy
Nelson, (503) 252-8300; e-mail: info@gemfaire.com; Web
site: www.gemfaire.com

22-23—APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA: Show and sale;

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Apache Junction Rock & Gem Club; Apache Junction High
School; 2525 S. Ironwood Dr.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4; adults
$3, students $1, children (12 and under) free; dealers, jew-
elry, gems, opals, beads, rocks, specimens, slabs, fossils,
lapidary equipment and supplies, silent auction, hourly door
prizes, grand raffle, gem-tree making for all ages, wheel-
of-rocks, egg-carton rock collections; contact Kelly Iverson,
(480) 325-2705; Web site: www.ajrockclub.com
22-23—CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA: Show;
Prehistoric Enterprises; Harrison County Parks & Recreation
Complex; 43 Recreation Dr., Rte. 19 South; Sat. 10-6, Sun.
11-5; free admission; displays, minerals, rocks, gems, jewelry,
fossils, artifacts, projectile points, geode cracking, lapidary,
science shows, rock and fossil ID, hourly door prizes, grand
prize drawing, fossil dig, free rock or fossil for children; con-
tact Ray Garton, PO Box 200, Barrackville, WV 26559, (304)
282-2306; e-mail: garton@prehistoricplanet.com; Web site:
www.prehistoricstore.com
22-23—FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA: Annual show; Northern
Virginia Mineral Club; The Hub Ballroom - George Mason
University; 4400 University Dr.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4; adults
$5, seniors and students (13-17) $3, Scouts in Uniform,
GMU students with ID, children (12 and under) free; more
than 20 dealers, minerals, fossils, crystals, gems, demon-
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and minerals. Meter/
Specific Gravity Kit 28-30—RENO, NEVADA: Wholesale and retail show;
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Specific Gravity of Gems and
hr. $279 $7, children (ages 0-11) free; fine jewelry, gems, beads,
Minerals. crystals, gold and silver, minerals, exhibitors, jewelry
Specify ver- repair while you shop, hourly door prizes; contact Yooy
sion either Nelson, (503) 252-8300; e-mail: info@gemfaire.com; Web
site: www.gemfaire.com
for Bench
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to 2.700. Pocket Carat Pacific Crystal Guild; Fort Mason Center; 2 Marina Blvd.; Sat.
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29-30—SHARONVILLLE, OHIO: 16th annual show and
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gold, wire wrapping, holiday gifts, door prizes; contact Jane
K. Smith, PO Box 770680, Lakewood, OH 44107, (216) 521-
4367; e-mail: janestrieter1946@gmail.com; Web site: www.
gemstreetusa.com

29-30—WICKENBURG, ARIZONA: Show and sale; Wick-

enburg Gem & Mineral Society; Wrangler Event Center; 251
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40 dealers, rocks, gems, beads, minerals, jewelry, fossils,
lapidary tools, kids’ room, door prizes; contact Beth Myerson,
(480) 540-2318; e-mail: myerbd@gmail.com

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014
29-1—MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA: Wholesale and retail
show; Gem Faire Inc.; Monterey County Fairgrounds; 2004
Fairground Rd.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5, Mon. 10-4; free admis-
sion; fine jewelry, gems, beads, crystals, gold and silver,
minerals, exhibitors, jewelry repair while you shop, hourly
door prizes; contact Yooy Nelson, (503) 252-8300; e-mail:
info@gemfaire.com; Web site: www.gemfaire.com

50 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

Show dates.indd 50 9/29/14 3:29 PM

 DECEMBER 2014
5-7—SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA: Wholesale and
retail show; Gem Faire Inc.; Earl Warren Showgrounds; 3400
Calle Real; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $7, children
(ages 0-11) free; fine jewelry, gems, beads, crystals, gold
and silver, minerals, exhibitors, jewelry repair while you shop,
hourly door prizes; contact Yooy Nelson, (503) 252-8300;
e-mail: info@gemfaire.com; Web site: www.gemfaire.com

6-7—NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Wholesale and retail show;

American Bead Shows; Tennessee State Fairground; Smith
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bone beads, Kumihimo supplies, jewelry and craft tools, fin-
ished items; contact Samuel Mbullah, PO Box 490803, Atlanta,
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Web site: https://americanbeadshows.com

12-14—COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA: Wholesale and

retail show; Gem Faire Inc.; OC Fair & Event Center; 88 Fair
Dr.; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $7, children (ages
0-11) free; fine jewelry, gems, beads, crystals, gold and silver,
minerals, exhibitors, jewelry repair while you shop, hourly
door prizes; contact Yooy Nelson, (503) 252-8300; e-mail:
info@gemfaire.com; Web site: www.gemfaire.com

12-14—NORCROSS, GEORGIA: 20th Annual Show;

Mammoth Rock Shows LLC; North Atlanta Trade Center;
1700 Jeurgens Ct.; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-6; adults $4
for 3 days, military and law enforcement personnel, students
and children free; 50 dealers, minerals, fossils, rough rock,
gold and silver findings, tools and lapidary equipment,
beads, jewelry creations, loose and mounted precious
stones, on-site jewelry repairs, drawings, grand door prize;
contact Richard Hightower, 78 Emerald Hill, Franklin, NC
“The Facetron is a tool of perfection. Precision is key.”
28734, (800) 720-9624; e-mail: staff@mammothrock.com; “I really appreciate the care and kindness that you show Floyd E. Hoskins, Carrollton, GA
Web site: www.mammothrock.com your customers. It is rate these days.”
Martha Burnett, Baltimore, MD
13-14—FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE: Annual show; Mid-
Tennessee Gem & Mineral Society; Williamson County
AgExpoPark; 4215 Long Ln.; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5; adults
$4, students $1, children free; demonstrations, exhibits,
silent auction, hourly door prizes, grand prize, more than 30
dealers, beads, crystals, geodes, minerals, fossils, rough,
cabochons, gemstones, finished jewelry, Native American
jewelry, tools, supplies; contact John Stanley, 2828 Donna
Hill Dr., Nashville, TN 37214, (615) 885-8704; e-mail: show@
mtgms.org; Web site: www.MTGMS.org

19-21—SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: Wholesale and retail

show; Gem Faire Inc.; Scottish Rite Center; 1895 Camino del
Rio S; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $7, children (ages
0-11) free; fine jewelry, gems, beads, crystals, gold and silver,
minerals, exhibitors, jewelry repair while you shop, hourly
door prizes; contact Yooy Nelson, (503) 252-8300; e-mail:
info@gemfaire.com; Web site: www.gemfaire.com

JANUARY 2015
9-11—LARGO, FLORIDA: Annual show; Pinellas Geological
Society; Largo Cultural Center; 105 Central Park Dr.; Fri. 10-6,
Sat. 10-6, Sun. 12-5; adults $1.50; drawing, silent auction; con-
tact Leona Sheffield, 2440 S. Shore Dr. SE, St. Petersburg, FL
33705, (727) 709-3236; e-mail: nwilkin@sjvcc.org

17-18—EXETER, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; Tule Gem &

Mineral Society; Veteran’s Memorial Bldg.; 324 N. Kaweah/
Hwy. 65; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; free admission; showcases,
dealers, demonstrations, children’s activities, near Sequoia
National Park; contact Bill Bingaman, PO Box 265, Three
Rivers, CA 93271, (559) 741-6381; e-mail: Bandgbing@aol.
com; Web site: Tulegem.com

17-18—YACHATS, OREGON: Annual show; Yachats

Chamber of Commerce; Yachats Commons; 4th and Hwy.
101; Sat. 10-4, Sun. 10-4; free admission; gemstones, fossils,
minerals, jewelry; contact Donna Hirschman, PO Box 550,
Yachats, OR 97498, (541) 270-3777; e-mail: iamhrsch@
yahoo.com; Web site: www.yachatsagatefestival.com

23-25—TYLER, TEXAS: Annual show; East Texas Gem &

Mineral Society; Rose Garden Center; 420 S. Rose Park Dr.;
Fri. 9-5, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $5, students and children
$1, Scouts in uniform free; dealers, jewelry, gems, minerals,
fossils, decorator items, geodes, demonstrations, cabbing,
faceting, wire wrapping, silent auction, kids’ spinning wheel,
fluorescent mineral display, hourly door prizes, grand prizes;
contact Keith Harmon, 9116 US Hwy. 84 West, Rusk, TX
75785, (903) 795-3860; e-mail: keithharmon19@yahoo.com

24-25—PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA: Annual show; Panama

City Gem & Mineral Society; Central Panhandle Fairgrounds;

November 2014 51

Show dates.indd 51 9/29/14 3:29 PM


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52 www.rockngem.com
Show dates.indd 52
Show Dates from page 51
2230 E. 15th St.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4; free admission; hourly 28-1—VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; Vallejo
silent auctions, door prizes, grand prize; contact Steven Gem & Mineral Society; Solano County Faairgrounds, Mc
Shipton, 5113 E. 13th Ct., Panama City, FL 32404, (850) Cormack Hall; 900 Fairgrounds Dr.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5;
867-0586; e-mail: shipton3@comcast.net adults $5, children (under 12) free with adult; “Spring Bling”:
jewelry, beads, necklaces, turquoise, jade, minerals, fos-
sils, crystals, demonstrators, Kids’ Corner activities; contact
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015 Dan Wolke, 900 Fairgrounds Dr., Vallejo, CA 94590, (707)
334-2950; e-mail: dncwolke@sbcglobal.net; Web site: www.
vjgems.org
29-15—TUCSON, ARIZONA: Wholesale and retail show;
Eons Expos; 22nd Street Mega-Tent; 600 W. 22nd St.;
Daily 9-6; free admission; meet the cast of the TV show
“Prospectors”, who will be at the show selling their finds; con-
MARCH 2015
tact Heather Grana, 235 First St., Keyport, NJ 07735; e-mail:
Heather@EonsExpos.com; Web site: www.EonsExpos.com 6-8—LARGO, FLORIDA: Annual show; Suncoast Gem &
Mineral Society; Minnreg Hall; 6340 126th Ave. No.; Fri. 10-6,
Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $5, students with ID $4; contact
FEBRUARY 2015 Bill Schmidt, SGAMS, PO Box 13254, St. Petersburg, FL
33733-3254, (727) 822-8279; e-mail: SGAMSgemshow@
gmail.com; Web site: www.sgams.com
7-8—MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA: Annual show; Central
Brevard Rock & Gem Club; Kiwanis Recreation Center; 951
6-9—ARCADIA, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; Monrovia
Kiwanis Island Park Rd.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $5 ($1
Rockhounds; Arboretum Botanic Gardens; 201 S. Baldwin
off coupon on Web site), children free with adult; more than
Ave.; Sat. 9-4:30, Sun. 9-4:30; Arboretum admission: adults
20 dealers, lapidary tools, rocks, slabs, minerals, specimens,
$9, seniors and students $7, children $4; more than 15 deal-
hand-made jewelry, beads, cabochons, demonstrations by
ers, beads, lapidary, jewelry, minerals, rocks, raffle, grab
club members, sluice, kids’ activities; contact Roz Mestre,
bags, treasure wheel, geodes, silent auction, kids’ corner;
(321) 431-0159; e-mail: roz.mestre@att.net; Web site: www.
contact Rudy Lopez, (626) 351-6283; e-mail: rclopez002@
centralbrevardgems.org
verizon.net; Web site: www.moroks.com
7-8—OAK HARBOR, WASHINGTON: Show; Whidbey
7-8—NEWARK, DELAWARE: Annual show; Delaware
Island Gem Club; Oak Harbor Senior Center; 51 SE Jerome
Mineralogical Society; Delaware Technical & Community
St.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4; free admission; member exhibits,
College- Stanton Campus; 400 Stanton-Christiana Rd.; Sat.
demonstrations, dealers, rough and finished rock and gems,
10-6, Sun. 11-5; adults $6, seniors $5, students (12-16) $4,
slabs, silent auction, door prizes, kids’ corner; contact Keith
children (under 12) free with adult; educational exhibits of
Ludemann, (360) 675-1837; e-mail: rock9@whidbey.net
mineral, lapidary and fossil specimens, regional and uni-
versity museum displays, dealers, minerals, fossils, gems,
13-22—INDIO, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; San Gorgonio
jewelry, lapidary supplies, door prizes, demonstrations, gem
Mineral & Gem Society; Riverside County Fair & National
cutting and polishing, children’s table, inexpensive mineral
Date Festival; 82-503 Hwy. 111; daily 10-10; adults $8, seniors
and fossil specimens; contact Gene Hartsteiin, 9 Verbena
$7, students $6, children (under 5) free; indoor dealers, 108
Dr., Newark, DE 19711; e-mail: gene@fossilnut.com; Web
showcases, jewelry, gems, beads, crystals, geodes, jewelry
site: www.delminsociety.org
repair, lapidary demonstrations, geode cutting; contact Bert
Grisham, 1029 N. 8th St., Banning, CA 92220, (951) 849-
13-15—VICTORVILLE, CALIFORNIA: 39th annual
1674; e-mail: bert67@verizon.net
“Tailgate”; Victor Valley Gem & Mineral Club; Stoddard Wells
Tailgate; I-15 Exit 157, Stoddard Wells Rd., 11 miles NE
14-15—ALBANY, NEW YORK: Annual show; Capital
of I-15; Daily 8-5; free admission; outdoor event, Saturday
District Mineral Club; New York State Museum; Empire Plaza,
field trip for tri-colored marble, silent auctions Saturday
Madsion Ave.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $5, children free;
and Sunday, more than 50 dealers, rough, slabs, cabs,
museum exhibits and tours; contact Michael Hawkins, 3140
handcrafted jewelry, minerals, fossils; contact Brett Ward,
CEC, Albany, NY 12230, (518) 486-2011; e-mail: mhawkins@
15555 Main St., #D4, PMB 214, Hesperia, CA 92345, (760)
mail.nysed.gov; Web site: www.nysm.nysed.gov
954-4323; e-mail: bretts88@verizon.net; Web site: vvgmc.org
20-22—INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: Annual show;
14-15—FILER, IDAHO: 64th Annual Gem Show; Magic
Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites; Indiana State
Valley Gem Club; Twin Falls County Fairgrounds; Merchant
Museum; 650 W. Washington St.; Fri. 10-5, Sat. 10-5, Sun.
Bldg. #1, 215 Fair Ave.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $2, chil-
11-4; adults $12, seniors $10, children $7; dealers, regional
clubs, adult and kids’ activities; contact Peggy Fisherkeller,
dren (under 12) with an adult free; contact Shirley Metts,
550 Main St. S., Kimberly, ID 83341, (208) 423-4827; e-mail:
650 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204, (317) 232-
7172; e-mail: pfisherkeller@indianamuseum.org; Web site:
imetts@centurylink.net
www.indianamuseum.org
14-15—SAN MARINO, CALIFORNIA: Annual show;
Pasadena Lapidary Society; San Marino Masonic Center;
21-22—ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; Antioch
Lapidary Club; Contra Costa County Fairground; 1201 W.
3130 Huntington Dr.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission;
member displays, demonstrations, jewelry making, carving,
10th St.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $5, children (12 and
under), Scouts in uniform, and active military with ID free;
dealers, minerals, rough material, jewelry, gems, collectibles;
contact Marcia Goetz, (626) 260-7239
jewelry, gems, findings, supplies, slabs, auction, grab bags,
exhibits, hands-on projects for kids; contact Brenda Miguel,
14-15—SPRECKELS, CALIFORNIA: Annual show;
115 Hillside Ln., Martinez, CA 94553, (925) 301-6957; e-mail:
Salinas Valley Rock & Gem; Spreckels Vets Memorial Hall;
Brenda.miguel@yahoo.com; Web site: www.antiochlapidary
5th St. and Llano St.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-5; free admission;
club.com
contact Teri Beck, (831) 679-2896; Web site: salinasrock
andgem.com
21-22—LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO: Annual show;
Friends of the Museum; New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage
20-22—JACKSON, MICHIGAN: Annual show; Michigan
Museum; 4100 Dripping Springs Rd.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5;
Gem & Mineral Society; Jackson County Fairgrounds -
adults $5; contact Dawn Starostka, PO Box 15150, Las
American 1 Event Center; 200 W. Ganson; Fri. 11-7, Sat.
Cruces, NM 88004, (575) 522-1232; e-mail: dawn@helping
10-6, Sun. 11-5; adults $4, seniors $2, students $1, children
handsevents.com; Web site: www.lcmuseumrocks.com
(under 5) free; kids’ activities, gems, minerals, fossils, beads,
jewelry, lapidary supplies, demonstrators, exhibits, displays,
21-22—MESA, ARIZONA: Annual show; Apache Junction
silent auctions, door prizes, raffle; contact Sally Hoskin,
Rock & Gem Club; Skyline High School; 845 S. Crismon
(517) 522-3396; e-mail: saltoosal2@yahoo.com; Web site:
Rd.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $3, students $1, children (12
mgmsrockclub.com
and under) free; dealers, jewelry, gems, cabochons, beads,
opals, rocks, slabs, fossils, lapidary equipment and supplies,
21-22—LEMOORE, CALIFORNIA: Annual show; Lemoore
hourly door prizes, silent auction, gem tree making, raffle,
Gem & Mineral Club; Trinity Hall; 470 Champion St.; Sat.
kids’ egg-carton rock collections, Wheel-of-Rocks; contact
10-6, Sun. 10-4; free admission; contact Keith Olivas, PO Box
Kelly Iverson, (480) 325-2705; Web site: www.ajrockclub.com
455, Lemoore, CA 93245, (559) 622-9440; e-mail: georger
silva@sbcglobal.net
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2015 27-29—INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: Annual show; Treasures Of
The Earth Gem & Jewelry Shows; Indiana State Fairgrounds,
28-1—SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Show and sale; Agriculture/Horticulture Bldg.; 1202 E. 38th St.; Fri. 10-6, Sat.
Pacific Crystal Guild; Fort Mason Center; 2 Marina Blvd.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-5; adults $5 for 3 days, children (under 16)
10-6, Sun. 10-4; adults $8, children (under 12) free; contact free; beads, pearls, gemstones, gem trees, wire wrapping,
Jerry Tomlinson, PO Box 1371, Sausalito, CA 94966, (415) wire sculpture, silversmiths and goldsmiths, custom work and
383-7837; e-mail: jerry@crystalfair.com; Web site: www. repairs while you wait, door prizes, classes available, Western
crystalfair.com
continued on page 59
Rock & Gem
10/2/14 9:42 AM
 Tyson Wells
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RG1114 Masterrev.idml 53 9/30/14 9:28 AM

 News and Reviews

icks & Pans

Viewing Stones of North America
by Thomas S. Elias, with contributions by Paul Gilbert, Rick Stiles and Richard Turner
As the hobby of viewing stones grows in America, this book brings together a compendium
of some of the finest examples of viewing stones from some 63 pri-
vately owned collections. It brings the art and hobby of viewing stones
to the fore and should benefit the hobby.
The photographs—about 150 of them in 147 pages—are fully cap-
tioned and titled, giving the reader a glimpse into the art and imagina-
tive imaging of natural stones sculpted by nature.
The stones figured here have come from a full range of localities
FREE 80 PAGE CATALOG and represent every type of rock, from igneous to metamorphic to
TOP “AAA” Quality, Precision Cut sedimentary. What is remarkable is how nature has created so many
and Polished GEMSTONES unique shapes and images in natural stones, so as to stir the imagina-
For
or::
Our 42nd YEAR

tion of anyone viewing them.

Gem Collectors, “HARD ASSET”
Investors, Hobbyist Jew elers
Wirewrappers, Manufacturing Jewelers
1,000’s of different varieties
and sizes
This text is a remarkable gathering of stone images that will
change your view of the world around us in a positive and almost ethereal way.
—Bob Jones
$50 (Floating World Editions with Viewing Stone Association of North America, 26 Jack Corner Rd., Warren, CT 06777)

Pioneer Gem Corporation Namibia: Minerals and Localities I

Dr. Edward J. Nowak, Jr .
PO Box 1513 RG
Auburn, W A 98071-1513
Phone: 253.833.2760
FAX: 253.833.1418
Website: www.pioneergem.com
email: pioneergem@seanet.com
Keep up with
by Ludi von Bezing, Rainer Bode and Steffan John
The initial publication of this text was in 2007. It became so popular that a second printing
is now being offered. Namibia has been a remarkable source of minerals since the early years
of the 20th century. The best-known locality is Namibia, but in recent years Onganja, Kombat,
Erongo, Berg Aukus, and other localities have come to the fore. These localities and more than
30 other specimen-producing mines in Namibia are described in this superb text.
It features approximately 1,300 full-color photographs of miner-
als we all know, and many we have not seen before. Along with the
fine mineral photographs are on-site photographs, and in some
cases black-and-white historical images of the early days of mining.
As a special treat, a fine DVD is included that gives insight into
Namibian miners’ lives.
Each section of the text treats a different locality, describing the
history of discovery and, in some cases, the circumstances under
which the deposit developed. The collector will find an excellent
description of each of the minerals that were found at the locality,
and the authors included many associated species. I found this
particularly useful in identifying specimens.
The book is perfect as a frequent reference, since it includes all the important Namibian locali-
ties and species. It is not suitable for bedside reading, though, as it weighs several pounds and
is done in a 9x11-inch format. The section on Tsumeb alone is worth the price of the entire 593-
page text. Namibia is a remarkable compendium of the deposits in this vast, mineral-rich land.
—Bob Jones
$120 (Bode Verlag GmbH, Am Knickbrink 12, 31020 Salzhemmendorf, Germany; www.bodeverlag.de/shop)

breaking ne w s The Story of Earth

by Dr. Robert M. Hazen
in Rockhounding In this fascinating text, Dr. Hazen brings together the latest findings
of a host of scientific disciplines to describe the gradual and some-
between issues of times explosive development of earth. Starting before the universe’s
Big Bang, Dr. Hazen describes in very readable form each of the

Rock&Gem major steps and events in earth’s history. He describes how earth first
formed and how the moon developed when earth was “thwacked”
(his term) by a meteorite.
The author’s sense of humor and profound understanding of
at the relationship of oxygen to mineralogy makes this a book every
www.rockngem.com rockhound should read. His understanding and skill in presenting a
complex subject makes this 306-page paperback text a must for every
and
mineral collector’s shelf.
www.facebook.com/pages/Rock-Gem- —Bob Jones
$17 (Penguin Group, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY10014)
magazine/152002903583

54 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

Picks and Pans.indd 54 9/29/14 3:15 PM

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Offering a large assortment of quality mineral
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55
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BOOKS AND VIDEO
DRYHEAD AGATE BOOK! History, prospec- BuY ONlINE from www.deepakgems.com.
tors, mining boom-338 photos. $34.95 incl.
S&H (48 states). Order: 1-303-443-7885
www.dryheadagate.com john.hurst2@com-
cast.net AF14
Out of print & new books on rocks & min-
erals, geology, caves. Vintage N.Y. State
Giant utah Trilobite $25.00 100 identified
Museum Geological Bulletins. Send for free
list. Bill Cotrofeld, PO Box 235, E. Arlington,
VT 05252 FL14
BuSINESS fOR SAlE
Entire Swarovski crystal inventory for
sale due to illness. All sizes, styles and
colors are bagged and priced individually
totaling 22000 stones priced at $2000.00.
Detailed inventory spreadsheet available.
Contact: jshoenfelt@constangy.com or
864-221-9339 for more information.
CABOCHONS
Astounding Cabochons and More. Amber,
ammonite, chrysocolla, chrysoprase, druzy,
eilat, fire agate, unusual garnets, jades jas-
pers. Orbicular, picture, Montana,Mexican
PaleoImages®: museum quality fossil repli-
agates, labradorite, moonstones, opals,
parrot wing, spectrolite, sugilite, sunstone,
tabu, thulite, variscite, many more! Also cut
gems, crystals, minerals, meteorites, slabs,
cab and facet rough, supplies. Color Catalog
$3.00. Riviera Lapidary, Box 40, Riviera, TX
78379-0040. rivlap@yahoo.com. BB15 Top quality nephrite jade from the Yukon
free Catalog. All types of Facet, Star of
Cabochon rough and cut gems. The Source.
KNIGHTS, Box 411, Waitsfield, VT 05673.
(802) 496-3707. E-mail: knights@madriver.
com XX14
COllECTIONS
“Good Bye” liquidation! 40 years product
collection from mining and cutting. Visit
West Coast Gemstones on E-bay or email;
wcmining@bmi.net. Everything goes.
Deals-Deals-Deals! FK14
New York State Mineral/Rock Kits
–18 Vintage specimens of New York State.
Uncovered in an old building in the Schoharie
Valley. Specimens are in a crystal-clear col-
lection box, complete with booklet, num-
bered, with identification, location etc. Some
classic locations: Tilly Foster Mine, Old
Sterling Mine, etc. $39.95 each kit (includes
shipping). Bill Cotrofeld, PO Box 235, E.
Arlington, VT 05252, 802-375-6782 DH14
1950’s-60’s vintage mineral collections
in old wooden display boxes. Many different
selections. Send for a free description list
and photos. Bill Cotrofeld, PO Box 235, E.
Arlington, VT 05252
Rock Shop liquidation, 45 years accumu-
lation, 28 tons, quality petrified wood, bone,
variscite, tiffany, jade, red horn coral, agates,
jaspers, fossils, equipment, Terry @ 801-
707-2809, RockyTerry@msn.com, detailed
inventory list. HI14
Garnet collection sale $5,830. 50 gems
75% off appraised value Including Pyropes
Hessonites Tsavorites Spessartines
Uvarovites Melanite and more. manfred-
ochsner@yahoo.com cell (760) 299-3185
home (661) 867-2388
56
R&G Classified Nov14.idml 56
CLASSIFIED
fINISHED GEMS
More than 25000 fine gemstones listed
$0.95 each  onwards.  200 Carats various
cut gemstones  and 15 necklaces  $65.00.
gemcraft2000@gmail.com IH14
fOSSIlS
Utah Fossils $35.00, 25 Utah Cambrian
Trilobites assorted $75.00, 10 Jewelry
Grade Trilobites $40.00, 10 Large Coiled
Gastropods and large oyster $25.00, 10
Beautiful white clam clusters $25.00, 100
Fossil petrified wood $25.00, 50 Fossil
Dinosaur Bone $20.00, Dinosaur Teeth 4
for $25.00, Dinosaur Coprolite 3 for $25.00,
Orthoceras 6 for $25.00, Fossil Fish 3 for
$25.00, Ammonites 5 for $15.00,Giant6
Sharks Tooth $25.00, 1000 identified
Fossils $200.00 (20 cents each). Shipping
extra Fawcett Hobbies 320 S. 300 W.
Hurricane, UT 84737 Telephone 435 635-
2980 XX14
cas. Fossil sets, ammonites, trilobites, wood,
etc.; fossil jewelry. Lithocanis™ americanus:
clothing items, selected with the rock hound
in mind. Fluorescent minerals and UV lights.
www.tlzenterprises.com FE15
JADE
and BC Canada. Far below wholesale prices!
# 1 quality $12. lb. # 2 quality $8. lb. Also
have Gem quality RHODONITE reddish pink
$6. lb., SATISFACTION GUARANTEED Ph.
Tom 208-351-5576 LK14
lAPIDARY EQuIPMENT
Custom ultrasonic Cleaners
www.vibratollc.com. Fast, Strong, Reliable.
Vibrato,LLC is an American maker corpora-
tion. GK14
ARBOR SHAfT AND VICE REPAIRS –
Send your worn part, we return to factory
specs. CigarBoxRock.com Tim, 63160 Nels
Anderson Road, Bend, Oregon. USA 541-280-
5574 AL14
lAPIDARY SuPPlIES
Colorado Springs. Ackley’s carries an
extensive line of lapidary and silver-
smithing supplies, rough rock and mineral
specimens. Also jewelry findings, such as
French earwires, beads, chains and mount-
ings. ACKLEY’S, 3230 N. Stone, Colorado
Springs, CO 80907. HI14 l i g h t n i n g R i d g e , C o o b e r P e d y ,
MINERAlS
ROCKS, GEMS AND MINERAlS fOR
SAlE! I have a huge assortment of many
rocks, gems and minerals I have to liquidate
for far below the values of this large inven-
tory. Satisfaction guaranteed. Call Tom for
full information 208-351-5576 BG14 Orlando fl, Mineral, fossil and
Mokie marbles 10 lb. assortment $40.00
Small Mokie Marbles 100 for $30.00
Lodestone 100 for $50.00 Crystal growing
rocks 100 for $35.00 Crystallized wood
10 for $25.00 Snowflake obsidian 100 for
$30.00 1000 Fossils, minerals, gems and
CLASSIFIED CLASSIFIED
fossils $200.00 20 cents each. Shipping St. George, Ontario, Canada. Ontario’s
extra Fawcett Hobby shop, 320 S. 300 W. premier showroom for rocks, minerals,
Hurricane, Utah 84737. Telephone 435 635- fossils, jewelry making supplies, beads,
2980 XX14 designer cabochons, and lapidary sup-
ROCKS, GEMS AND MINERAlS plies. Manufacturer of lead free pewter
findings, settings, glue on Beaver Tail bails,
fOR SAlE!
Slip-on Bails, and unique toggles. Robert
I have a huge assortment of many rocks,
Hall Originals. 138 Sugar Maple Road, St.
Gems and minerals I have to liquidate for far George, Ontario, Canada, N0E 1N0. www.
below the values of this large inventory. roberthalloriginals.com AF14
Satisfaction guaranteed. Call Tom for full Herb’s lapidary Shop — Route 1, Box
information (208) 351-5576
29, South 81 Hwy., Comanche, OK 73529.
Wholesale flats of minerals, Southwest Oklahoma’s largest! Tons of
Fossils, worldwide quartz, and cut and pol- rough agate, fossils, onyx and finished
ished stones listed at Minertown.com, product. Wednesday through Saturday, 9
email dan@minertown.com or call (717) a.m. to 6 p.m. (580) 439-4186 or (580)
320-2801 439-5347. CB15
Rare Minerals and classic specimens Indianapolis Area (lawrence). Findings,
from new discoveries & old collections. supplies, minerals, fossils, equipment,
Over 200,000 specimens on hand, unique rough and finished stones. No list. JOX
gift items and more. Open Tues-Sat, ROX, 4825 N. Franklin Road, Indianapolis,
Excalibur Mineral, 1885 Seminole Trail, IN 46226. Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,
Monday through Saturday. (317) 542-
Charlottesville, VA 22901, (434)964-0875
8855. AL14
www.excaliburmineral.com,
MINES Vermont – BCA Minerals. East Arlington
Antique Center, East Arlington Rd., in the
Pala Mining Adventure: Screen for tour-
picturesque Village of East Arlington, VT.
maline, beryl, spodumene and associated
Open 7 days, 10 am - 5 pm. 802 375-
pegmatite minerals. Tables, tools and mine
6144. IL14
tour included. Day trips $60 per person
WorldOfRocks.com. Crystals, minerals,
most Sundays. Reservations required.
(760) 415-9143. More information at www. fossils, arrowheads, meteorites, special-
digforgems.com BA15 ties of the month, beads and classes. Open
every day except Tues. I-94 exit 183 (go N.),
for Sale; 20 ac., private quartz mine
42 N. Huron St., Ypsilanti, MI 48197. (734)
on Collier Creek, Montgomery county,
481-9981. BG14
Arkansas. Open pit, excellent quality crys-
tals and clusters, Track hoe, track drill and Montrose, Colorado. That-Little-Shop,
compressor included. 303-526-0492 AI14 world wide selection of Minerals & Fossils,
Collect Minerals in Maine. We have full line bead shop and gift shop. Closed
access to private and closed locations like Mondays. Call for hours (970) 240-8527. 2
Mount Mica, Mount Apatite and more! A miles south of Montrose, 17656 Hwy 550,
unique and complete vacation opportunity. Montrose, Colorado 81403 AF15
Come see “Oma’s Attic” local and foreign Philadelphia/Delaware Valley. Come
mineral specimens. POLAND MINING See The Largest Complete Rock Shop
CAMPS, Mary Groves, P.O. Box 26, Poland, in the East. Gems, Minerals, Fossils,
Equipment, Meteorites, Artifacts, Gifts,
ME 04274. (207) 998-2350. www.poland-
Custom Jewelry and Repairs. GARY’S GEM
miningcamps.com LA15
GARDEN. Sawmill Village Center, Route
OPAl
70 (1 mile west of I-295), Cherry Hill, NJ
THE ROCKDOC WIll NOT BE
08034-O2412. (856) 795-5077. Visit us at:
uNDERSOlD! Stock: Australian, African, garysgemgarden.com AL14
Honduran, Nicaraguan, Louisiana OPALS.
Exeter, New Hampshire: Santerre’s
Larimar, Peruimar, Blue Amber and other
Stones ‘n Stuff. Minerals, fossils, cabbing
unique minerals. Call, email, or write; 985-
and faceting rough, carvings, beads, bead
790-0861, therockdoc1@yahoo.com, 253
supplies, gemstones, jewelry, and gifts. 42
Southlake Road, Saratoga, Arkansas 71859
Water St., Exeter, NH 03833, (603) 773-
USA. Facebook: Jerry Anja Mullin BA15
9393 www.SanterresStones.com BA15
Marbleton, WY Rock & Gift Shop with
Andamooka, Mintabie, Mexican. We’re the
jewelry unique wire-wrapped pendants,
largest and most consistent Opal suppliers
specimens, rough rocks, slabs, cabs, beads.
in the industry. Free Catalog. KNIGHTS, Box
614 E. 3rd., (307) 276-5208. HG14
411, Waitsfield, VT 05673. (802) 496-3707.
Email: knights@madriver.com XX14 Austin, Texas: Nature’s Treasures
14,000 sq. ft., campus includes a retail
ROCK SHOPS store with crystals, minerals, agates, fos-
sils,  jewelry and unique gifts. The Rock
Artifacts store. Many minerals, gems, Yard has mounds of rock lining a path with
cabochons and fossils, including Florida boulders, decorator & natural-scrape pieces
material: Tampa Bay Coral rough. Ancient to the Rock Depot with lapidary materials
Artifacts & Treasures, 1999 W. Fairbanks & equipment, tools plus cutting, drilling
Ave., Winter Park Florida. 407-678-9300, and polishing services. Open 7 days; 4103
www.mcintosh55.com KJ14 North IH35 (between 38 1/2 & Airport) 512-
9/30/14 2:30 PM
 CLASSIFIED CLASSIFIED CLASSIFIED CLASSIFIED

472-5015; Rock Depot (Lapidary) 512-833- specimens, Alabama petrified Wood. industry. “The Source. “ KNIGHT’S HOUSE speaking professionals. Skilled Thai cutter,
7760 NTROCKS.COM AL14 Custom made Jewelry, pendants. 1054 Lee OF FINE GEMS, Box 411, Waitsfield, VT reliable American / Swiss management.
Idaho, Willow Creek Jasper Rough. Rd., 400 Opelika, AL 36804. Call Billy (334) 05673. (802) 496-3707. E-mail: knights@ Lambert Industries, 807-809 Silom Road,
$20.00 per lb., plus postage. No shop. For 740-9312 or Al (334) 740-0429 – come and madriver.com XX14
Bangkok 10500, Thailand. Phone (66) 2 236
more info, write LARRY’S ROCK & GEMS, shop for Christmas! SERVICES 4343. E-mail: lambertind@gmail.com, Web
5810 S. Bogart Lane, Boise, ID 83714. RouGH foR CaBBInG CuSToM SLaBBInG anD BLoCKInG site: www.lambertgems.com ED14
KJ14 SERVICES. We cut huge material from
arizona Red Jasper for sale. See October Custom Sphere Cutting. Collector grade
Hwy. 50-95 Rock Shop, Quartzsite, 2012 Rock & Gem Magazine story; Big Red around the world. Can cut 7 ft. tall and
AZ: Dec.-Feb. Tues.-Sat. 10-4; 645 N. quality spheres precision cut and polished
Rough $6.00 lb. Call Chuck (928) 792- 12 ft. wide. Located in Oregon, USA, Tel;
Central Blvd. (Hwy. 95N) Quartzsite, AZ; 7599 AL14 541-969-9667. Contact e-mail: dan@ using high-speed Highland Park Lapidary
bfdgems@yahoo.com; 775-781-2047 Pietersite, Charoite, Lapis Lazuli alpinebouldercompany.com AL14 diamond technology. Cutting balls from 1
KJ14 namibian Blue Pietersite, first & Extra Gem Cutting Services-Sri Lanka. Heat inch to up to 3 feet in diameter. Top qual-
World Vin Gems. Delivering Quality, Grade Charoite, Polished Afgan Lapis Treating Sapphires & Faceting Gems.  ity cutting with affording pricing. Turn your
Building Trust. Buy online precious Lazuli Rough and slabs available. Email: sithygems@sltnet.lk Visit http:// rock pile into cash. 512-348-8528
and semiprecious gemstones. 7, Ganesh www.gemcuttingservice.com FE15 WanTED
Wholesale discounts. (909) 915-9561
Darshan, LT Road, Borivali(W), Mumbai Lambert Industries, Americans in Bangkok!
400092, India. For pricelist worldvingems@ jeff@barnhouselapidary.com Superior faceting: $1.65 per finished carat Cash paid for fossils, jaspers, agates,
gmail.com. www.krsnavingems.com. RouGH foR faCETInG for most stones, corundum $3.25 per minerals, Cutting Rough or finish material &
Earth’s Treasures at the Rock Shop free Catalog. The largest and most competi- finished carat, less if smaller. Cabbing Equipment, Collections, hordes, states. 909
Opelika, AL. Slabs, Cabs, fossils, Crystals, tive selection facet or cabochon rough in the is cheaper. Deal with English, German 434 2379/inucko@hotmail.com EI14

now you can reach Thousands of Readers

Worldwide who want to Buy and Sell.
1. Write Your Ad in your email message, or 2. Choose A Category
o Auction o gemological o Prospecting
3. Choose Number of Insertions
on a separate piece of paper, print or type your ad with decide how many issues you want your ad to run in
a minimum of 25 words. each word, abbreviation or o Beads & Supplies Instruments o rock Shops
and when you want your ad to start and stop. dead-
initial counts as one word. rates are as follows: o Books & Videos o Jewelry & Supplies o rough For Cabbing
o Business o Lapidary Equipment o rough For Faceting lines for ad copy are as follows:
No. of Issues rates (per issue) ISSUE: ADS IN By:
opportunities o Lapidary Supplies o rough For
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6-11 1.00 per word November September 15
o Catalogs o Miscellaneous o Services
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all-bold type: add $15 per issue o Fossils o opals o other January November 15
Standard type + background color: add $20 per issue o Finished gems o Preforms & Slabs ���������������� February December 15

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57

R&G Classified Nov14.idml 57 9/30/14 2:30 PM


Index to Advertisers
Amateur Geologist ...................................................34
Arrowhead Lapidary & Supply .................................29
Au-Rus Wax Patterns...............................................49
Ackleys Rocks ..........................................................38
BCA Minerals ...........................................................49
Barranca Diamond ...................................................21
Bella Stone Pendants. ..............................................34
Blaine Reed. .............................................................49
Bill Egleston. ............................................................35
John Betts — Fine Minerals ....................................41
Broll Tools ...............................................................35
CarTop Camper ........................................................49
CabStar Pro .............................................................49
Copper Agates .........................................................49
Covington Engineering .......................................17, 41
Crystal Cave .............................................................49
Crystal Moon Gallery ...............................................49
Desert Gardens ........................................................50
Diamond Pacific Tool Corp. .....................................C4
Eloxite Corp .............................................................11
Easy Steps Video .....................................................48
Facet Shoppe ...........................................................52
Fire Mountain Gems...................................................7
The Frugal Collector .................................................53
John E. Garsow Gems & Minerals ...........................35
Gem & Lapidary Wholesalers, Inc. ..........................10
Gem Center USA Inc. ...............................................35
Gem Faire, Inc..........................................................22
Gilman’s ...................................................................48
Graves Co. ...............................................................21
Highland Park Lapidary, Co. ........................11, 17, 49
Hughes Associates...................................................24
Indian Jeweler Supply ..............................................C3
JS Gems Lapidary ....................................................30
Jarvi Tool Co. ...........................................................51
Jesco Products ........................................................24
Johnson Brothers ................................. 31, 46, 47, 51
Kingsley North, Inc. .......................................3, 30, 38
Knight’s....................................................................49
Kristalle ....................................................................23
Lasco Diamond Products.........................................31
LotOTumbler ............................................................49
Lortone, Inc. ............................................................25
58
R&G ad index Nov14.idml 58
Martin Zinn Expositions, LLC .....................................5
MarZee Lapidary Tuturial DVD’s ..............................49
Majestic Press .........................................................29
Mineralab .................................................................50
Middle Tennesse Show ............................................39
Minerals Unlimited ...................................................34
Montana Sapphires ..................................................52
Miners Gems ...........................................................34
Miner’s Keepers .......................................................50
Minnesota Lapidary Supply Corp. ......................38, 40
New Directions.........................................................49
New Era Gems .........................................................48
Optima Gem .............................................................16
Philip Product ..........................................................46
Pioneer Gem Corp. ..................................................54
Raytech Industries ...................................................39
Rio Grande Inc. ..........................................................9
Research Unlimited ..................................................49
Rock Warehouse ......................................................49
Samson Gems & Investment Co, LTD .....................49
Stevens Rocks and Gems ........................................54
Shipwreck Beads .....................................................31
South Pacific Wholesale Co. ....................................59
Joseph Stachura Co, Inc. .........................................28
Superior Agates .......................................................49
Shows of Integrity ...................................................31
Tagit .........................................................................47
The Gem Shop .........................................................59
The Mineral Gallery ..................................................49
Topaz Mountain Adventures ....................................49
Tyson Wells .......................................................25, 53
Tru-Square Metal Products ......................................59
U.S. Geological Supply ............................................41
Ultra Tec ..................................................................C2
UV Tools ..................................................................49
The Universe Collection ...........................................54
The Village Smithy Opals, Inc. .................................23
VR Gem Cutters .......................................................28
Whittmore Durgin Glass Co. ....................................52
William Holland School ............................................51
ROC K & GE M
Customer Service
TO ORDER A SU BSCRIPTION: For faster ser vice, sub-
scribe online using our secure ser ver at www.rockngem.com, or
send a check or money order for $2 7.95 for 12 monthly issues
to Rock & Gem, P.O. Box 461137, Escondido, CA 92026-9800.
WHAT T O D O I F Y OU HA VE P AID F OR Y OUR
SUBSCRIPTION B UT STILL R ECEIVE A B ILL: The
check and the invoice may have crossed in the mail. Y ou can
check your order online at www .rockngem.com. It may take
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check less than four weeks ago, disregard the bill you received.
If you paid for your subscription more than four weeks before
you received another bill, send a copy of your cancelled check
along with your bill to Rock & Gem, P.O. Box 461137, Escondido,
CA 92026-9800.
TO SO LVE A S UBSCRIPTION P ROBLEM: You c an
check the status of your subscription online at www.rockngem.
com. Remember, it may take up to eight weeks to change an
address and 6-8 weeks to start a ne w subscription. Please give
us time to get your magazine to you, and if it still doesn’t arrive,
please e-mail us at rockngem@pcspubl ink.com or c all 1-760-
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HOW TO PLACE AN AD I N Rock & Gem: Please con-
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VISIT US AT www.rockngem.com.
9/30/14 2:38 PM
 Show Dates from page 52
jewelry; contact Van Wimmer Show Director, 5273 Bradshaw
Rd., Salem, VA 24153, (540) 384-6047; e-mail: van@tote
shows.com; Web site: www.toteshows.com

28-29—CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA: Annual show; Cedar

Valley Rocks & Minerals Society; Hawkeye Downs; 400
6th St. SW; Sat. 8:30-6, Sun. 9:30-5; adults $2, students
$1, children and groups with adult leader free; educational
programs, silent auctions, demonstrations, displays, door
prizes, kids’ activities, gem sluice, dealers, minerals, fossils,
gems, jewelry, tools, equipment, lapidary supplies; contact
Marv Houg, (319) 364-2868; e-mail: m_houg@yahoo.com;
Web site: www.cedarvalleyrockclub.org

28-29—PLYMOUTH MEETING, PENNSYLVANIA: Annual

show; Philadelphia Mineralogical Society, The Philadelphia
Paleontological Society; LuLu Temple; 5140 Butler Pike;
Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $5, children (under 12) $1;
special exhibits by the Academy of Natural Sciences and the
Leidy Microscopical Society, fossils, minerals, gems, speak-
ers, exhibits, fossil dig, Kids’ Mineral Corner, door prizes,
Scouting Merit Badge information; contact Karenne Snow,
(609) 353-4101; Web site: www.philamineralsociety.org

APRIL 2015
4-5—CHICO, CALIFORNIA: Show and sale; Paradise
Gem & Mineral Club; Silver Dollar Fair Grounds; 2335 Fair
St.; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $3, children (under 16) free;
“Petrified Wood”: 48 display cases, free specimens for the
first 200 children; contact Manuel Garcia, 5659 Foster Rd.,
Paradise, CA 95969, (530) 877-7324; e-mail: mmpg@att.net

10-12—ORLANDO, FLORIDA: Annual Spring Gem,

Mineral and Bead Show; Central Florida Mineral & Gem
Society; National Guard Armory; 2809 S. Fern Creek Ave.;
Fri. 1-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $5 ($1 off coupon on
Web site), students $2, Scouts free; demonstrations, cabo-
chon cutting, faceting, wire wrapping, flint knapping, metal
work, 30-minute auctions, kids’ table, sluice mining for gems,
hourly door prizes, gems, minerals, beads, metaphysical
stones, fossils, Scout merit badges; contact Paul Hayes,
1400 Sawyerwood Ave., Orlando, FL 32809, (407) 816-1229;
e-mail: phayes3@cfl.rr.com; Web site: www.cfmgs.org

11-12—MARION, ILLINOIS: Annual show; Southern Illinois

Earth Science Club; Pavilion of the City of Marion; 1602 Sioux
Dr.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $2, children (18 and under)
free; gems, minerals, fossils, lapidary, fluorescent light shows,
door prizes, silent auctions; contact Mike Chontofalsky, 1019
E. Broadway, Centralia, IL 62801, (618) 532-0455; e-mail:
chontofalsky@att.net; Web site: siesclub.org

11-12—YAKIMA, WASHINGTON: 54th Parade of Gems;

Yakima Rock & Mineral Club; Central Washington State Fair
Grounds; Modern Living Building, 1301 S. Fair Ave.; Sat.
10-6, Sun. 10-4; adults $3.50, seniors and students $2, chil-
dren (under 12) free with adult; displays, dealers, rough rock,
finished jewelry, specimens, lapidary equipment, demonstra-
tions, cabbing, wire wrapping, silent auction, door prizes,
raffle, spin the wheel, grab bags, gold panning; contact Marti
Sondgeroth, 2013 S. 41st Ave., Yakima, WA 98903, (509)
248-6401; e-mail: marthams@q.com

21-23—IRVINE, KENTUCKY: Annual Kentucky Agate

Hunt; Mountain Mushroom Festival; Estell County School’s
Central Office Gym; 253 Main St.; Tue. 9-4, Wed. 9-4, Thu.
9-4; $10 per day; all-day Kentucky agate hunt, easy- or
rough-terrain trips each day; contact Francine Bonny, Irvine
City Hall, 101 Chestnut St., Irvine, KY 40336, (606) 723-
1233; e-mail: mushroomfestival@irvineonline.com; Web site:
www.mountainmushroomfestival.org

24-26—IRVINE, KENTUCKY: Annual show; Mountain

Mushroom Festival, Agate, Gem & Mineral Show; Estell County
School’s Central Office Gym; 253 Main St., (enter at the back
of the gym); Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; agates,
gems, rocks, fossils, minerals, demonstrations, dealers; contact
Francine Bonny, Irvine City Hall, 101 Chestnut St., Irvine,
KY 40336, (606) 723-1233; e-mail: mushroomfestival@irvine
online.com; Web site: www.mountainmushroomfestival.com

24-26—WICHITA, KANSAS: Annual show; Wichita Gem

& Mineral Society; Cessna Activity Center; 2744 George
Washington Blvd.; Fri. 9-7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5; adults $5, stu-
dents $1, children free; “Earth’s Hidden Treasures”: gemstone
jewelry, crystals, beads, agates, polished stones, fossils,
rocks, minerals, special children’sprograms and events; con-
tact Gene Maggard, 8318 SE Highway 77, Leon, KS 67074,
(316) 742-3746; e-mail: gandpmaggard@gmail.com

For more Show Dates, go to

www.rockngem.com.

November 2014 59

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n the Rocks
The Art of Lapidary
T his column about the lapidary arts is
not intended to be the definitive guide
to cutting a stone. Rather, the hope is that
it will answer many questions the curious
may have after having visited a mineral
show and admired the lovely cut and pol-
ished gems on display. For families who
have attended a show and seen wonder-
ful cut and polished gems displayed by the
amateur members of clubs, it is hoped that
this helps you decide to try your hand at
cutting stones.
I’m sure you were curious to know how
such beautiful things came to be. At some
shows, the answer is there to be seen;
you can watch as demonstrators grind
and shape a stone, a practice known as
the art of lapidary. Some show visitors are
even invited to try their hand at grinding
a stone or polishing a bright luster on a
rock that has already been shaped. Many
folks wonder how this all got started and
how complicated it is to make beautiful
gems from rocks. This column may help
answer such questions.
The lapidary arts are almost as old as
hunting and gathering. The process of
changing the appearance of stones by grind-
ing and shaping has always been with us.
Early humans chipped and ground rocks to
give them an edge, creating weapons and
tools. In time, people recognized the inher-
ent beauty of some rocks and admired and
treasured them. This was especially true of
stones that had been tumbled and polished
naturally by a flowing stream. When people
had more time on their hands, they began
the earliest efforts to emulate nature, polish-
ing and shaping stones they found attractive.
They used what was at hand—sand, clay and
water—as grinding and polishing agents to
actually change the appearance of stones.
While we do not know when the prac-
tice started, we know that builders first cut
and shaped stone blocks by dragging a rope
charged with sand and water across them.
On a large scale, this skill enabled them to
shape large stone blocks for buildings like
the pyramids, but it suggested a method for
shaping smaller, decorative stones for per-
sonal adornment. We still so this, though
we use modern techniques.
As the art of lapidary developed, the
cutting rope was replaced by a metal cable
60 www.rockngem.com
OTR.indd 60
Editor Bob Jones uses a trim saw to shape a cabochon.
or disk made of copper or bronze, which
speeded the process. This method was
used to slab rocks into layers. We use the
term “slabbing” to describe a method of
cutting rocks into thin sections to expose
their internal patterns. The earliest efforts at
shaping agates, which the Greeks and Ro-
mans used in copious amounts, undoubt-
edly employed this method.
As lapidary equipment began to evolve,
the big problem with cutting or slabbing
rocks was time. Cutting through hard rock
like agate took time because rock being
slabbed was often as hard as the grind-
ing material. Diamonds, which are much
harder than silica sand, garnet, and other
cutting and grinding media, were available,
but who could afford diamond dust?
Then in 1934, Wilfred Eyles, a govern-
ment employee, developed a lapidary saw
embedded with small bits of diamond, the
hardest natural substance: the first practi-
cal diamond saw. Working for the govern-
ment meant that Elyes probably did not
have to consider the cost of diamonds the
way an amateur lapidary might be forced
to consider.
The cost of highly valued gem diamonds
as a grinding material is prohibitive, which
should have discouraged amateurs from us-
ing diamond saw blades. Fortunately, how-
ever, not all diamonds are gem quality. The
majority of diamonds found are of the non-
by Bob Jones
gem variety. We call such diamonds “bort”,
the variety of diamonds used for industrial
purposes. They are not highly valued and
are readily available. Bort stones are often
misshapen and black, or nearly so, so they
lend themselves to industrial applications,
including diamond cutting wheels.
To make the first diamond saw, Eyles
notched the edges of a steel disk. Into these
notches he jammed or pressed bits of dia-
mond. Mounted just like a circular wood
saw and rotated at high speed, with a lu-
bricant applied to the cutting surface, the
diamond wheel could cut through any rock
in less time than any of the older types of
grit. Initially, these diamond-encrusted saw
blades were still quite costly, and they had
problems. The diamonds could come loose
and fall off, and have to be replaced. This
repair is known as “charging the wheel”.
The cost of diamond wheels was con-
siderably reduced with the development
of synthetic diamonds in quantity. The first
synthetic diamonds were made in 1955,
a development that coincided with the
exponential growth of the lapidary hobby
among rockhounds after World War II. The
development of the diamond wheel was
important to the war effort. After the war,
these same diamond-studded wheels be-
came available to the amateur lapidary as
the rock hobby boomed!
As our understanding of diamond saws
developed, a second type of diamond
saw blade emerged. It proved to be more
practical and pose fewer problems. This
new wheel is called a sintered diamond
blade. Instead of jamming bits of diamond
into the edge of a notched blade, the dia-
monds were powdered, then mixed with
a metal powder, usually bronze or copper.
These powders were then fused together
and formed into a strip of metal that was
pressed around the perimeter of a steel
disk or blade. The diamonds are embed-
ded in the metal, which means they are less
likely to come loose, and the surface of the
metal edge is more or less charged com-
pletely with diamond, rather than having
the diamonds set in a spotted pattern. All
these developments benefitted the postwar
rockhound/lapidary.
For slabbing, the diamond blade has to
be sturdy, but can be almost any diameter.
Rock & Gem
9/24/14 1:21 PM
 I’ve seen homemade slabbing saws that are face is as flat as the back. This avoids the
3 feet or more in diameter and can be used difficulty of grinding a domed cabochon.
to slice through huge petrified logs. The Once the stone has been ground to the
other type of cutting saw is thinner and is proper shape, the next step is to lap the
suited for small cutting tasks like trimming flat surfaces to remove scratches, pits and
off the excess rock around a stone that is imperfections. This is done on a flat, rotat-
being formed into a cabochon. ing surface using the proper grits. This is fol-
This brings us to some common terms of lowed by the final step: polishing.
the lapidary arts: slabbing, trimming, grind- To polish a stone, mount it on a wooden
ing, lapping, sanding, dopping and polish- or metal rod called a “dopping stick” or
ing. The meanings of some of these terms “dop stick”. Dip the end of the stick in hot
are fairly obvious, with the exception of lap- wax and attach it to the back of the cab.
ping and dopping. Slabbing was described When it cools, the wax will hold the stone
earlier, and trimming is reducing the excess firmly so that you can work it gently against
rock on a slabbed piece. Trimming prepares the rotating polishing wheel.
a rock for grinding, in which grit is used to Today’s polishing machines come with
remove minor amounts of excess rock to a series of diamond wheels. The diamond
achieve a final shape. abrasive is graduated in fineness; on the
Lapping comes next. Once a rock has When cutting rocks with a slab saw, always wear the last wheel, it is so fine that it produces an
been shaped by grinding, any remaining proper safety equipment. exceptionally smooth surface that is ready
flat surfaces are lapped smooth with a series to be given a final polish on a felt, leather
of grits, from coarse to fine. This process is domed on the top and flat on the back. The or cloth wheel. If this step is done cor-
designed to remove major saw marks and idea is to mount your finished product in rectly, the final gem is highly lustrous and
scratches, and prepares the stone for the fi- a standard metal mount called a “finding”. free of any imperfections, and shows the
nal step, which is polishing. If the surface These are readily available from lapidary patterns and colors of the gem to their
of the rock is supposed to be domed or supply companies and show dealers. best advantage.
curved, you do not want to lap The big issue for the newcom-
it. Instead, the piece is mount- er is getting access to the neces-
ed on a stick called a dop and sary machinery to get started.
held against a series of grinding Join a club that has a lapidary
wheels, ranging from rough grit workshop. If yours doesn’t, sure-
to the finest grit, gradually re- ly there are club members who
moving any remaining scratches are expert lapidaries, who have
and achieving the finest possible the machinery and are willing to
finish before polishing. (The dop share their hard-won knowledge
stick is explained farther on.) with an eager beginner.
Polishing a stone is an inter- Keep in mind that strict safety
esting process. It has to be done guidelines must be followed.
with great care to produce a final Safety glasses are an absolute
surface that is absolutely lustrous must when working with stones,
and smooth. Polishing requires diamond saws, and grits. Wear-
the use of a whole series of com- ing loose clothing, including ties,
pounds, each one finer-grained around spinning wheels is haz-
than the previous one. If it is ardous. Make sure all moving
done right, the result will be a The finished stone has to be set in a metal frame, so the edge has to be ground at a parts like belts and wheels are
brilliant finish that shows off the slight angle, making the back slightly wider than the domed top. properly shielded so you can’t
beautiful colors and images in get caught up in them.
the stone. Since rock types vary in hard- To cut a cabochon, you need a slab of Hopefully, this brief description of lapi-
ness, the types of polishing compounds that rock that’s about ¼ inch thick. The slab must dary methods will encourage you to join
should be used and the finish that can be have an attractive pattern and/or color. Use a club and get started in learning one of
achieved varies, but the final result should a template to find the most appealing sec- the really satisfying aspects of the mineral
be the best possible for that type of rock. tion of the rock and scratch the outline of hobby. What can be more gratifying than
Polishing may require two or more polish- an oval onto the surface of the slab. changing a rock into a colorful, lustrous
ing compounds Using a trim saw, cut away the excess gem you can proudly wear or proudly give
To polish a stone, you hold it firmly rock as close to the outline as you can get. to someone as a gift?
against a fast-spinning wheel of relatively The excess that is left can be removed us-
soft material like felt, leather, cloth, or the ing a grinding wheel, which allows you to Bob Jones holds the Carnegie Min­
like. The wheel is charged with some form get up close to the marked line. Keep in eralogical Award, is a member of the
of metal oxide polishing agent that has mind that the finished stone has to be set Rockhound Hall of Fame,
been chosen for the particular type of rock in a metal frame, so the edge has to be and has been writing
to be finished. ground at a slight angle, making the back for Rock & Gem since its
When you begin to actually cut and pol- slightly wider than the domed top. inception. He lectures
ish a stone, it is best to choose a simple Grinding the dome is a bit trickier. For about minerals, and has
project. The easiest gem to produce is a beginners, it is best to simply create what is written several books
standard cabochon, an oval of stone that is called a “flat”, a cabochon whose top sur- and video scripts.

November 2014 61

OTR.indd 61 9/24/14 1:22 PM

 Minerals & Jewelry

ARTING SHOT

Ocean Jasper Cabochon

with Druzy
Material source: Madagascar
Clint Gardner CaboChon and Photo
www.stoneviews.Com

62 www.rockngem.com Rock & Gem

Parting Shot.indd 62 9/29/14 2:48 PM

 3

Indian Jewelers Supply.idml 3 9/23/14 2:15 PM

 4 www.rockngem.com

Diamond Pacific.idml 4 9/30/14 9:32 AM