J u n e. Potluck in the Park. Plumes of Paul Bunyan Agate run throughout this small chunk of rhyolite and crystals.

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1 J u n e Potluck in the Park Plumes of Paul Bunyan Agate run throughout this small chunk of rhyolite and crystals.

2 ROCKHOUNDER The Prez Sez: W ell, June is already here and it seems while going through our daily lives that days are too long. Weeks are seemingly endless, ie., on Monday, getting to Friday is almost an impossible dream. And yet the months fly by and before you know it half the year is gone. Oh well that's life. This month the Federation Show is in Palmdale/Lancaster. It should be an interesting show at that, and so close by. There is also a fieldtrip to Stoddard Wells, unless it is too hot to go. And finally this month we'll be having a Potluck Picnic in the Park, starting an hour earlier (6:30 P.M.). The rest of the summer there will be a gold panning trip to the East Fork of the San Gabriel River and a swim party at Jay and Kathy's house as well. On other things that will come up you'll be notified by phone, carrier pigeon, , smoke signals (perhaps not - we might end up with smoke jumps showing up) and of course a post card in the regular snail mail. Summer is also a time for vacation travel. May all your trips and adventures give you many memories and fun. Be safe! Joe Goetz Condolences to Darryl Boomer It is with sadness that we report that Darryl Boomer's wife passed away. Please give him your support and best wishes when you see him next. Page 3

WGMS General Meeting Thursday, June 28, 2007 at 6:30 PM Potluck in the Park n the month of June we traditionally celebrate the start of summer with a I potluck.

3 WGMS General Meeting Thursday, June 28, 2007 at 6:30 PM Potluck in the Park n the month of June we traditionally celebrate the start of summer with a I potluck. Last year we enjoyed the feast al fresco at Michigan Park in Whittier. It was a rousing success and so we are going back again this year. Michigan Park is located on Michigan Avenue (of course) between Mar Vista St and Whittier Blvd. We will be starting at 6:30 PM as usual when we do a potluck. As always, bring a main dish, salad or dessert, and don't forget to BYO plates, silverware (plasticwear?), and drinks. Marcia Map to Michigan Park Page 4

4 Summer Events here are several WGMS-sponsored activities this summer, apparently T mostly in July. You are invited to come to any and all of them. Date Event Information July 14 (Sat) Rockgabbers Tony & Sandie's house, 1-5 PM, followed by a potluck dinner (see article top of page 6.) July 21 (Sat) Field Trip Gold panning, East Fork San Gabriel River, Contact Joe Goetz for more information at (626) July 29 (Sun) Pool Party/Potluck Valle's House, 3-7 PM, call for directions or let them know you are coming at (626) you are also invited to come early if you want to enjoy the pool before the party. TBA Work Days, etc. We need to work on cases and perhaps do a yard sale. These dates have not yet been set but we will let you know when we know. And on a Lighter Note... t has come to our attention that Larry and Vivian Rice are expecting a I brand new addition, due to arrive in about 6 months. Vivian is reported as saying they are really, really excited about the whole thing and are looking forward to this new experience. She says that they can't wait to try the little nipper out(?)! If you are confused, what Vivian and Larry are "expecting" is a brand new camp trailer, completely customized to their specifications, and "due" to be "delivered" right on time for the 2007/2008 rockhunting/camping season. Congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your new "bundle of joy"! JValle Page 5

5 Rockgabbers he May project was to finish up previous projects and get ready for the T CFMS show this month. Rockgabbers has reserved a case for the show, and we will be demonstrating during the show, so we ask that all members of the club come out to Lancaster and support our club. The next meeting will be on July 14th (Bastille Day) at our home in Altadena. The workshop will involve dichroic glass fusing. Sandie will be conducting this class because she is much better at this than I am. If you need directions to our house please us at afender@caltech.edu. As always we will conclude our work sessions with a pot luck dinner. We look forward to seeing everybody at CFMS and Rockgabbers. Tony & Sandie Fender Show Report P lans are continuing to move forward, even as we slide into summer, for our annual gem show in October. It will be here sooner than you think. Our theme is "Amazing Agate" and we are hoping for some extra special displays of this prodigious product of nature. And it is not too soon to be considering what you will be displaying at the show this year. There will be a work party or two this summer which you can participate in. Some of our show cases are needing repair/rebuilding and help with these projects is always appreciated. We might also do a fund raiser at sometime in the next couple of months. Donation Award tickets will reach you sometime during summer, possibly at the mid-summer pool party. Be sure and tell your friends about us and invite them to come and enjoy the show. Sell lots of tickets. Please. JValle Page 6

6 Field Trip Report Paul Bunyan Agate Memorial Day Weekend his popular collecting spot is a great place to camp and the collecting is T always good. 11 rockhounds representing 3 clubs braved the heat and came out on the Paul Bunyan Agate field trip. The weather actually cooperated a bit and the high temperature recorded at the camp site was about 92 F, which is not bad for an almost-summer field trip to the Mojave Desert. Let me tell you about the mine. Someone, sometime way back when, went up with dynamite and a backhoe and cut a 40 foot gash at an angle 3/4 of the way up the side of a small mountain. We know they were following a seam of agate-bearing pink rhyolite because the seam is still there, mostly buried beneath a few tons of debris but still exposed at the top and bottom ends. The agate you can see in that seam looks pretty good. In any case, the material taken from the prospect was simply dumped over the side, creating the large tailing pile which is the main source of the agate collected here. Generally speaking, the easy collecting is done in the tailings. Climb up to the mine, sit down anywhere and start digging into the soft dirt. A lot of the nice red plume agate can be found in float on the surface of the tailing pile, but this material is found and removed frequently so the best must still be uncovered with a little digging and some patience. In years past, I have ventured up to the mine and looked at the seam and told myself, "One of these day I'm going to work in the seam." Been saying that for years now. This time, though, one of the new Pasadena Club members, Paul Windling, asked for tools and ventured into the "slash". His efforts intrigued and encouraged other 'hounders to join in and soon a group of 4-5 of us attacked the exposed seam of agate-bearing rhyolite with sledge hammer, chisels and pry bar. And we were successful. The rhyolite host rock contained numerous seams of the coveted agate, along with spectacular pockets of quartz and calcite crystals surrounded by fortification agate. It was a beautiful thing. All of the participants, and a few interested onlookers as well, left with a share of fine PB agate and crystal. Later, the group visited the nearby brown and red moss agate area and enjoyed the bounteous collecting there. There was also a brief foray into Mule Canyon for algae agate and a less than successful attempt to locate some palm root. JValle Page 7

Field Trip June 23-24, 2007 Stoddard Wells he June field trip on June 23-24 will be to the Stoddard Wells T area, northeast of Victorville, for verde antique marble, tri-colored marble, black marble,

7 Field Trip June 23-24, 2007 Stoddard Wells he June field trip on June will be to the Stoddard Wells T area, northeast of Victorville, for verde antique marble, tri-colored marble, black marble, and blue dolomite. We will be camping at Snob Hill and caravan from there to the various sites. From camp it is a hill climb to the verde antique. This will be dry camping and also a possible one day trip for others. Please bring your desert survival kit, collecting materials, tools, and fire wood. For info find me at davidkelty@juno.com. Map to "Tailgate" area - look for PLS/WGMS signs Dave Page 8

8 Self-Guided Field Trip CFMS Field Trip June 24, 2007 Cerro Gordo Mine By Lew Helfrich here is a CFMS Field Trip scheduled for June 24th 2007 by one of our T Co-Op sister clubs (Lone Pine Gem and Mineral Club) to go to the Cerro Gordo Mining Ghost Town. Rock Hounding is only open 1 day a year. This is the 11th annual trip that the lone Pine Club has hosted. There is a $5.00 fee per person and proceeds go to the restoration of the mining town. There are 50 different types of minerals to be found with the most sought after mineral being "Smithsonite". Smithsonite is only found in 2 areas in the United States 1 being the "Kelly Mine" in New Mexico and the Cerro Gordo Mine here in California. The most precious to find in both areas is the Kelly Blue. Things to bring are standard rock hounding hand tools, Good boots, sun screen water and food. Although the roads are good a high clearance vehicle is recommended, Altitude is at 8500 feet. A letter of release of liability must be signed. Also those with disabilities please make field trip rep aware of your problem just incase there is a situation where help is needed Diabetics, Heart problems, etc. For further information please contact: Francis Pedneau at (760) This will be a great trip for everyone. If you think your CFMS club in the Southern California Region might be interested in joining the Southern California Field trip Co-Op, please have the President or field trip chairman contact me. Lew Helfrich CFMS Newsletter 5/07 Page 9

9 Smithsonite mithsonite is named for James Smithson, the founder of the Smithsonian S Institution. The luster of Smithsonite sets it apart from other minerals: it has a silky to pearly luster giving natural specimens a certain play of light across its surface that resembles the fine luster of melted wax glowing under a candle flame. It is easy to wax poetically when discussing Smithsonite's unique luster. It is really unusual and captivating and collectors can easily get hooked. Smithsonite, in addition to wonderful luster, also has a varied color assortment. The apple green to blue-green color is probably Smithsonite's most well known color, but it is its purple to lavender color that is probably its most sought after hue. There also exists attractive yellow, white, tan, brown, blue, orange, peach, colorless, pink and red Smithsonite specimens and all of them are a credit to this mineral. The typical crystal habit of Smithsonite is an interesting form called botryoidal. This form has the appearance of grape bunches and is the result of radiating fibrous crystals that form from central attachment points and grow outward and into each other. The result is a rounded, bubbly landscape for which Smithsonite is considered the classic example. There are also other habits more typical of Calcite Group minerals including rounded rhombohedrons and scalenohedrons. Most of these come from the famous mines of Tsumeb, Namibia and the Broken Hill Mine in Zambia. The Tsumeb specimens are colored by trace amounts of cobalt and can have some real exotic colors. The Kelly Mine, Magdalena, New Mexico has produced the absolute finest blue-green botryoidal masses of Smithsonite. But there are many localities that have or are producing excellent specimens. Smithsonite has been and is still being used as an important, although rather minor ore of zinc. At Leadville, Colorado the Smithsonite deposits were largely overlooked until their profit potential was finally realized. Many other zinc ore minerals may have been originally Smithsonite before metamorphism or other altering processes, formed new minerals. Smithsonite forms in dry climates as a weathering product of primary sulfide zinc ores such as sphalerite. Page 10

$Hemimorphite has a similar botryoidal habit and blue-green color, but the fracture edges of Smithsonite's specimens have a plastic-like look while hemimorphite reveals minute, radiating crystals.$

10 Smithsonite is not easy to confuse with many other minerals. Hemimorphite has a similar botryoidal habit and blue-green color, but the fracture edges of Smithsonite's specimens have a plastic-like look while hemimorphite reveals minute, radiating crystals. Prehnite has similar color and habit as well, but is much lighter and harder. Both of these minerals lack the melted wax luster of Smithsonite. Its high density, good cleavage, crystal habit, luster, its reaction to hot HCl acid and its high hardness for a carbonate are all quite conclusive for Smithsonite to be differentiated from all other minerals. With its lovely luster, many beautiful colors and interesting habits, Smithsonite specimens are a source of real pleasure for collectors around the world. Source: galleries.com/minerals/carbonat/smithson/smithson.htm VGMS Rockhound Rambling 04/07 Page 11

11 Field Trip Moments Fun in the sun at Refugio Beach - looking for Whale Bone Page 12 Happy 'hounders at the monument

12 The Rockhounder June 2007 Frank just wanted some help loading this pebble in his SUV. on the way to the Chase-Bagdad Mine (more than 1 species of 'hounders) Page 13

13 Upcoming CFMS Gem Shows Jun Lancaster, CA. Palmdale Gem & Mineral Club Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, Hwy. 14, exit Ave. H Hours: 9-5 Daily July Culver City, CA. Culver City Rock & Mineral Club Culver City Veteran s Memorial Complex Culver City Veteran s Memorial Auditorium 4117 Overland Avenue Hours: Sat. 10-6; Sun Aug 3-5 Nipomo, CA. Orcutt Mineral Society St. Joseph Church 298 S. Thompson Ave. Sept Downey, CA. Delvers Gem & Mineral Society Woman s Club of Downey, 9813 Paramount Blvd Hours: Sat. 10-6; Sun Sept 22 Oct 7 Oct Oct Oct Los Altos, CA. Peninsula Gem & Geology Society Rancho Shopping Center Foothill Expressway & Springer Road Hours: Sat. 9:30am - 4:30pm Fallbrook, CA. Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society FGMS Museum, 123 W. Alvarado Hours: 10-4 Lakeside, CA. Cajon Valley Gem & Mineral Society Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, Mapleview Hours: 10-5 both days Trona, CA. Searles Lake Gem & Mineral Society Main Street Hours: Sat. 7:30-5; Sun. 7:30-4 Whittier, CA. Whittier Gem & Mineral Society Whittier Community Center, 7630 Washington Avenue Hours: 10-5 both days Page 14

14 WGMS MEETING LOCATION! Whittier Community Center 7630 Washington Ave. Whittier Editor: Jay Valle, 1421 Latchford Avenue, Hacienda Heights, CA Home: (626) ; Bulletin exchanges are welcome and should be sent to the editor. Page 15

Whittier Gem and Mineral Society, Inc. Post Office Box 865, Whittier, California 90608-0865 Editor: Jay Valle, 1421 Latchford Ave.

15 Whittier Gem and Mineral Society, Inc. Post Office Box 865, Whittier, California Editor: Jay Valle, 1421 Latchford Ave. Hacienda Heights, CA Meeting Date: June 28, 2007 at 6:30 PM Location: Whittier Community Center (see page 4 for information)

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