Pretoria Gem and Mineral Club

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1 LY Pretoria Gem and Mineral Club Affiliated to the Federation of Southern African Gem and Mineralogical Societies Registered as non-profit organization SARS 9830/639/14/3 March 2015 Pretoria Rockhound Digest Pretoria Gem and Mineral Club Clubhouse: no. 29, 26 th St., Menlo Park P.O. Box Saturdays 11:00 15:00, Thursdays 18:00 21:00 Menlo Park Website: Pretoria 0102 Bank: ABSA Bank, Acc. No Chairman: Bernard Strydom, Treasurer: Jeanne Wentzel, Secretary: Elmarie Coetzee, Vice-Chairman: Willem Vorster, Editor: Heidi Naudé, Programme Highlights March 2015 *** Swop & Sell and Social 7 Mar. *** Silversmithing Course 21 Mar. *** Gemboree Jozini 3 6 Apr. Agates Jozini (above and far right) Agate Shopping all photos H. Naudé, Jozini Outing 2013 The opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of the PGMC Committee. This newsletter is the property of the Pretoria Gem and Mineral Club; articles/photos may not be re-produced without the written permission of the Editor.

2 Page 2 PGMC Programme for March 2015: (as at ) Date Event Time Contact Details 5 Mar. Silversmithing Workshop open 18:00 21:00 Bernard Strydom, Mar. Swop & Sell and Social at the Clubhouse Lapidary and Silversmithing Workshops open Duty Members 12 Mar. Silversmithing Workshop open 18:00 21:00 Bernard Strydom, Mar. Lapidary and Silversmithing Workshop open Committee Meeting Duty Members Short Shift Committee Members 19 Mar. Silversmithing Workshop open 18:00 21:00 Bernard Strydom, Mar. Silversmithing Course booking essential! Lapidary Workshop open :00 15:00 Bernard Strydom, Duty Members 26 Mar. Silversmithing Workshop open 18:00 21:00 Bernard Strydom, Mar. Lapidary and Silversmithing Workshops open 11:00 15:00 Duty Members 3 6 Apr. Outing Gemboree 2015, Jozini Details as per February Newsletter add. reg. forms available from the NL Editor A very warm welcome to the new members who joined recently: Michael, Joanna, Amadeus & Eric Fidos, Mike & Elsa McClean, Elaine Schoeman, and Miranda Lancaster (re-joined), Chris Callaghan (re-joined), May your association with the club be enjoyable, long and productive. Duty Roster: March and April 2015 March Open 11:00 am Will Dieter Bernard Lex Duty Team Will v/d Berg Karin Mayerl Dieter Heinichen Linda Stone Len Botha Ada Beresford Henry Viviers Jean Snyman Close 15:00 pm Will Committee Bernard Lex April Open 11:00 am Heidi Bernard Willem Duty Team Closed - Gemboree Easter Weekend Hendrik Swanepoel Karin Eggers Lex Krabbendam Zelda Carey Willem Vorster Marion Blair Close 15:00 pm Committee Bernard Willem Please check the dates assigned to you and organize stand-ins for the dates/times you are not available. We are still looking for additional duty volunteers (machines & admin.), please contact Bernard Strydom if you are available and willing to help. Please note that the Annual Duty Roster 2015/2016 will be reviewed monthly; therefore refer to your Newsletter for Duty Team allocations.

3 Page 3 1. Membership Fees 2015 Membership fees for 2015 are now overdue, please settle your as soon as possible: R 470 R 415 R 80 R 30 Principal Members Pensioners (over 60 s) per additional Family Member Joining Fee (new members only) Members are encouraged to settle their fees by EFT transfers (Pretoria Gem & Mineral Club, ABSA Bank, account no ); this is purely to save on the ever increasing banking fees and to reduce the risk of cash at the club s premises. 2. Indemnity Book at the Duty Desk Please remember to sign the red Indemnity Book at the duty desk every day you visit or work in the club s workshop. The book is kept at the duty desk for your convenience. Duty members please check that everybody signs accordingly. 3. Safety Glasses Safety glasses are compulsory for everyone working on the lapidary grinders, polishers and trim saws. Members are requested to buy their own safety glasses either at the duty desk or at any hardware store. This will be strictly enforced from 1 st March Trim Saws Please note that with immediate effect no stones, agates etc. may be cut on the trim saws. These saws are intended for trimming excess materials of slabs with a thickness of 5 6 mm only. Any material exceeding this size must be blocked on wood and cut on the big slabbing saws available and designed for this purpose; no exception will be made and members are kindly asked to adhere to this rule. 5. Special Request from our Maintenance Team We are overhauling all our slabbing saws at the club and urgently need second-hand motors; apparently motors from old washing machines with a min. of 0.5 HP would be perfect and any make or model would do for this purpose. Anything like that lying around in your family s garage gathering dust? Please consider donating it to the club.

4 Page 4 6. Swop & Sell & Social, The next Swop & Sell and Social is scheduled for Saturday, from onwards at the clubhouse. Please bring your family and friends to introduce them to our hobby. No previous experience required - everyone can do it! All dealers and members welcome to swop and sell their goods. Last month Dieter Heinichen brought along his friends from Leipzig in Germany, who were impressed with Helmut Schönberger s faceted semiprecious gemstones and cabochons on offer, some of which will be travelling back with them. 7. Silversmithing Course, The next course is scheduled for Saturday, (10h00) at the clubhouse. Please contact Bernard Strydom regarding this course project, fee and material required. Remember to book your place in advance as space is limited. Our dedicated Silversmithers produced pearl cup rings similar to the one in this photo by Bernard Strydom. 8. Faceting Classes Our faceting section is now in full swing if you interested to try your hand at cutting stones, please contact Lex Krabbendam at ( ) or Peter Beresford at ( ) to make an appointment. Due to the time involved classes are only offered on Saturdays and by prior arrangement. Photo left, Dieter taking his first lesson I can t wait to see the final product.

5 Page th Gemboree, The Pietermaritzburg Gem and Mineral Club invites you to this, the 48 th Gemboree to be held in Northern Zululand, around the Jozini area, over the Easter weekend in Your host is the Pietermaritzburg Gem and Mineral Club with support from the Natal Mineral and Gem Society. The Northern Zululand area has a complex geological history, and specimens which can be found range from agates, amethyst, quartz to fossils. There is a wide range of scenery, and of course a number of games reserves are found in the area, which are also worth a visit. The Jozini Dam is well known for fishing competitions. Booking forms have been distributed on ; please register soon to avoid disappointment. No further communication has been received at this stage from the clubs involved, will advise as soon as additional information becomes available. 10. Donation of Tumble Stones We thank our previous member Christoffel Stoffel Esterhuizen for the kind donation of beautiful tumbled stones; the stones will be evaluated and packed for re-sale at the club on swop & sell days. 11. Display Cabinet What good is a collection of minerals, gems and arte facts if you cannot display and enjoy it on a daily basis? Did you gather all these nice pieces to have them packed in boxed and stacked away in the garage? Professional display cabinets are beautiful and obviously the best way to display your precious items, but for most of us simply not affordable. Many years ago we received this antique oak cupboard (hangkas) from my husband s family. Having no real use for it we stored it at our guestroom, until one day I got the inspiration to convert it into a display cabinet. The dismantling, sanding and re-polishing took me one weekend. And the installation of the aluminium rails for the glass shelves and mirrors, as well as the sliding doors took me another weekend. Costs involved were about R 1 480, due to the glass shelves being 8mm thick. I overcompensated a bit there for the weight of my specimens (better safe than sorry). Maybe you also have some furniture item standing around and waiting to being re-purposed?

6 Page 6 Amethyst Hotels: Dutch Firm NL Architects Offers a Gem of an Experience in Its Proposed Chain By: Carol Mosley February 2nd, 2015 Tweet Imagine yourself looking out from inside a giant amethyst cathedral geode. Admit it. The very idea of nesting in a crystal cave stirs something primal deep in your bones. And yet, it evokes something ethereal in your psyche to be bathed in purple light as it streams in through the crystal. And it is a declared intention that the healing powers associated with the gem in many cultures will be bestowed on visitors. Quite the respite! The word amethyst has its origins in Greek and means sober or not intoxicated. But the amethyst has cultural significance in many realms. It is the birthstone for February and the gemstone to give in honor of a sixth wedding anniversary. In the concept of feng shui decorating, amethyst is said to attract good fortune. In the metaphysical sense, it is believed to purify a space of negativity and encourage a meditative mindset. NL Architects proposal for the first structure in an anticipated chain of hotels will be situated in Hainan, China on a man-made island, the Ocean Flower, currently under construction in the South China Sea. A bridge provides access from the mainland to a park-like landscape at the entrance to the enormous halfdome. The structure maintains the geode appearance in all regards. The thick crust surrounding the purple cavity, consisting of protruding crystals, is a flat-faced white brick. The rear of the building, true to that of a natural geode, is solid gray, lumpy stone. NL Architects All of the walkways and room entrances are located internally between the solid rear of the building and the crystalline front. The rooms are wedge-shaped, wider at the back than the front, so as to expose each suite to the crystal front view. The nighttime display of illuminated violet crystals is a stunning sight that can be viewed from afar, setting a tone of comfort and serenity over the viewing area. The NL firm is known worldwide for its unique building designs. Their plan for more of these gems around the world is not at all far-fetched. And China has demonstrated an attraction to the natural form meets human function in architectural design lately, with structures such as the Lotus Conference Center being a case in point. So this latest undertaking fits right in with that trend. All in all, this collaboration seems to be a rock solid venture, provided China s economy holds up and there are no territorial disputes to overcome regarding access to the sea. Nevertheless, with their global intention and determined attitude, the reputed NL Architects will have no lack of willing partners with whom to ground their Amethyst hotels. NL Architects Article submitted by our member Elsa Maree. The opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of the PGMC Committee. This newsletter is the property of the Pretoria Gem and Mineral Club; articles/photos may not be re-produced without the written permission of the Editor.