THE GOLDEN NUGGET. REFRESHMENTS Drinks: Michelle Campbell

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1 THE GOLDEN NUGGET MONT GOMERY GEM & MIN ER AL SOCIET Y PROGRAM CORNER When: October 17, 2017 Where: Mureal Crump Center, 1751 Congressman William L. Dickinson Drive, Montgomery, AL 36109* Time: 7:00 P M What: Commercial Gold Mining in Alabama Who: Mr. Josh Poole * Park in back. Enter through single glass door. Meeting room 1st door to left. Snacks : Alina Gray REFRESHMENTS Drinks: Michelle Campbell Please remember to bring paper plates, napkins, and cups. Ice is available at the community center. It is your responsibility to find another member to substitute in the event you are unable to fulfill a month for which you signed up. List for remainder of the year: Snacks Drinks 11/21/17 Sandwich Tray Dave Niedziesky HAPPY BIRTHDAY 10/3 Steve Easterling 10/6 Jasmine Edwards 10/18 Jordan Todd 10/9 Mel Barkley 10/21 Anthony Dasinger 10/12 Katlin Lauriston 10/24 Nora Jane Gray 10/17 Dawn Sullivan 10/26 Alton C. Hall 10/18 Candy Rutherford 10/28 Linda Boyd 10/31 Mike Berkman President s Message Greetings Fellow Rockhounds, The smell of pumpkin spice is in the air and that can only mean Fall is soon upon us and we can say goodbye to 90 temperatures, hopefully. We have some busy and exciting times coming up for the Club, so let s all try to attend the next couple of meetings and then the Gem Show on December 1-3, First up, we have a speaker and presentation for the October 17 th monthly meeting. Mr. Josh Poole with the Wellborn Mining will be discussing commercial gold mining exploration in Alabama. If you recall, Dr. Jim Saunders of Auburn University discussed last year in his presentation about a company in Tallapoosa County had restarted gold mining exploration. I was finally able to get a representative to come speak to us and discuss what they are doing in Tallapoosa County. Second, in our November club meeting we will be making preparations for the Gem Show. We plan on filling the gift bags for the Wheel of Fortune, signing up for the Dealer s potluck dinner on November 30 th, and then signing up volunteers to make the show run. We plan on catering in sandwiches and refreshments for this meeting too. It takes every member of our club to put this show on, so please attend and sign up on the volunteer sheets to help do your part. We still need extra rocks, minerals, fossils, and specimens for our gift bags at our Wheel of Fortune at the show. Don t forget, on October 14 th, Jeff has rescheduled the fossil collection field trip to Point A Dam on the banks of the Conecuh River just outside Andalusia, Alabama. This is a fun trip! You will get wet sitting in the river digging out the creek bank looking for sharks teeth and other fossil in the area. But it is well worth the mess. Once again, please contact Jeff Edwards with any questions. Chris Rutherford, President Inside this issue: Program Corner Birthdays President s Message Meeting Minutes Article Articles 2 Field Trippin Article Articles 4 Shows & Reminders Links Club Information

2 Page 2 THE GOLD E N NU GGE T GEM AND MINERAL SHOW It s Almost Show Time! At the October and November meetings, we will be passing around sign-up sheets for members to help at the show. I d like to point out that when you joined the Montgomery Gem & Mineral Society, you agreed to help at the show. The show is our primary source of income and without it; we would not have a workshop and all the equipment in the shop. All that is asked of you is to volunteer a little (or a lot) your time to support YOUR show and YOUR club and to provide a dish for the Dealer s Dinner. The areas we will need help in are: show set-up (Thursday morning), Dealer s Dinner set-up & clean up (Thursday afternoon/evening), admissions, Wheel of Fortune, information table and show take-down (Sunday evening). An explanation of each area will be provided at the meetings. Also, we will need people to demonstrate their particular areas of expertise such as faceting, cabbing, beading, wire wrapping, etc. These demonstrations will be on going throughout the show and you do not need to sign-up, just show up when you can! One last thing, we have 15 display cases which need to be filled. This is your chance to show-off your handiwork, specimens or items that may be of interest to other rock hounds. If you want guidance on setting up a display case, point your browser to wheretofindrocks.com/best-practices-guide-to-gem-show-display-case-design/. Hope to see you at the meetings and at the show! Terry MONTGOMERY GEM & MIN ERAL MINUTES The meeting was called to order by president Chris Rutherford. Our guest and members with birthdays were recognized. The minutes for the August meeting were approved as published in the newsletter and Iris presented the treasurers report which was then filed. Jeff Edwards gave a summary of the Summerville, GA trip and provided some examples of the material found. He also announced that the Point A dam expedition was set for October 14th. Meet in River Falls at the Giddy Up and Go at 10:00 AM. Candice Rutherford stated she would get the yard signs made for the December show. All members were encouraged to participate in the showcase that the club is sponsoring during the Alabama National fair. Details will be made available via s. There is a 100$ prize for best of show. Iris said the SFMS annual meeting will be in Knoxville, TN. If anyone is interested in going to contact her the club will provide 300$ to help with expenses. Leslie Amato suggested that some of the antiquated and/or nonfunctional equipment in the shop could be donated to make for more room. David Niedrielsky provided an excellent DVD that highlighted some of the outstanding vendors that were at the Tuscon, AZ show in February. Members enjoyed refreshments during the presentation. Chis Wilson, Nanette Torre, and Michelle Wilson were all approved by a show of hands as new members. Chris stated that officer elections were coming up and nominations would be excepted at the October meeting. There was a door prize give away and the meeting was adjourned. Secretary, David Sherrod 2

3 Page 3 ISSUE NUMBER F I E L D T R I P P I N October 14, 2017 Point A Damn hunt for Fossils Andalusia, AL For more information contact Jeff Edwards October 28, 2017 DCM/SFMS host Cobb County GA Gem & Mineral Society Polk Co., GA hunt for Jasper 10:00 am to 2:30 pm eastern time OCTOBER BIRTHSTONES OPAL AND TOURMALINE Individuals born in October get to choose between two birthstones tourmaline and opal. Each gem then unveils nearly limitless possibilities, as each one comes in a rainbow of shades and color combinations. In fact, both of October s birthstones came to earth through a journey involving rainbows, according to legend. Between tourmaline (whose color depends on trace elements in its chemical makeup) and opal (which diffracts light to show a play of multiple colors), October s birthstones offer a full spectrum of gems to suit anyone s personal tastes. Reference: ALABAMA NATION AL FAI R GEM & MINERAL ENTRIES Montgomery National Fair and the gem and jewelry exhibition and contest. Since our club sponsors this specific event, we all need to try to enter some exhibits. Categories at the Fair include: 1. Beading 2. Cabochons 3. Faceted Stones 4. Gem Trees 5. Fossils 6. Wire Wrapped jewelry 7. Mineral Specimens 8. Geodes Entries can be dropped off at the Creative Living Center at the Montgomery National Fair Wednesday October 18 till Saturday October 21 from 8 am to 5 pm. After the Fair ends, entries can be picked up from on Monday November 6 th, 1 pm to 6 pm and Tuesday November 7 th, 8 am to 4 pm only 3

4 Page 4 THE GOLD E N NU GGE T As the SFMS Workshop Season Closes by Dolores Osborne-Hensley There is a first for everything, and attending a Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. (SFMS) workshop this past September was a first for me. For years the SFMS has hosted a Workshop Program, which offers members of southeast clubs from various states and cities the opportunity to gather for week-long, hands-on seminars taught by experienced instructors, both at the Wildacres Retreat in Little Switzerland, North Carolina and William Holland School of Lapidary Arts in Young Harris, Georgia. I decided to give Wildacres a try, and I was sure happy I did. I met some talented and amazing individuals and participated in a week of relaxation, learning and fun. Although numerous workshops were originally organized, the recent hurricanes impacted the class schedules as well as the number of attendees, it certainly did not stop the registrar from the Knoxville Tennessee Gem and Mineral Club, Linda Matvy, from ensuring the Wildacres workshops were not only educational but loads of fun. The week I attended, the workshops consisted of three very exciting and worthwhile classes: Intermediate/Advanced Seed Bead Stitching with Gail DeLuca; Cold Connection II with Morning Sherrod; Silver 1 with Pattie Appleby; and an independent study, Flint Knapping. One of the weekly events was to visit the other workshops and this is what I gathered over the week. If you wanted peace and tranquility, the seed bead workshop is the perfect place. During this class, seed beading expert Gail DeLuca, an active member from the Knoxville Club, shared her expert beading talents with students of all levels, from beginner to advanced seed beaders. Gail provided patterns, kits, and a whole lot of fun. Stitches offered included peyote, herringbone, chenille, Russian spiral, brick and more, plus unique and challenging patterns. While the seed bead workshop was calm and peaceful, the Cold Connection II workshop with Morning Sherrod, from the Montgomery Alabama Gem and Mineral Society, was not, and why should it be? Mixed metals scream for loud anvil and hammer banging as well as annealing (torch) to manipulate copper, silver, and bronze metals into exquisite creations from cat wall clocks to bold jewelry pieces. Morning started her workshop with etching and ended the week with pulling projects together as the students left with the knowledge of various cold connection techniques and an enhanced skill set to continue making creations at home. The third workshop for the week was Silver I with Pattie Appleby, from Atlanta, Georgia. This workshop was full of extremely talented artists (students) that perfected their talents with various projects, the first task was etching using ferric chloride and salt water techniques, with magnificent results. Her other instructional projects included spinner rings made out of silver and copper (pictured left), as well as stone-setting pendants with toggle closures. Pattie s class consisted of students of all levels from beginners to silver-work masters, and as the week grew to a close, her students final creations were exquisite. The independent study consisted of flint knapping which is the age-old art of making arrowheads and other edged stone tools. At its most basic level, flint knapping consists of: breaking open a piece of parent material (called a core); striking flakes off of that core; and then shaping those flakes into the intended tool. Pictured on the left is Danny Griffin, from the Knoxville Gem and Mineral Club using his skills to make beautiful arrowheads and knives. In closing, as the year draws to an end, so does the timeline for the SFMS workshop events for If you missed attending this year, then you are in luck, it will be offered again next year. If you are looking to get out of the daily hustle and bustle and finally take some me time, but don t know where to start? Think about signing up for the SFMC Workshops, they should be posted on the web-site and advertised through your respective clubs in the spring of Workshops may consist of a wide range of topics such as Cabochon Making I & II, Silver I & II, Cold Connections I & II, Mixed Metals, Seed Beading (all levels), Casting, Opals, Inlay/Silver I, Wire I & II, Spoon Jewelry, Chain Maille, Creative Jewelry Fabrication, Gem Trees, Metalsmithing for Juniors, Raku Pottery, Glass Fusing, Bench Building, Metal Folding, Soapstone & Wood Carving, Immersion Enameling & Cold Connections, Gemstone Faceting. Look for workshop announcements and sign up early to reserve your seat. Whether you are a seasoned workshop attendee or next year would be your first time too, consider grabbing a friend or several members from your SFMC club to participate in the workshops either at Wildacres or William Holland. You will not want to miss out on the fun! 4

5 Page 5 ISSUE NUMBER OTHER NEWS: At our next club meeting on Tuesday October 17 th, we will have a presentation from Josh Poole, a geologist with the Wellborn Mining from Tallapoosa County. Josh is with their gold mining operations on Hog Mountain in northern Tallapoosa County and will talk about their efforts to successfully restart gold mining back in Alabama. At our club meeting in November, we will be preparing for the Gem Show in December. We will be having our refreshments catered in while we fill bags with rocks, minerals, fossils, specimens for our Wheel of Fortune grab bags and signing up for work slots at the show. And as always, please bring an extra rocks, minerals, specimens for our grab bags and our monthly door prize. REMINDERS Please let Mary Belmont or Virginia Webb know if a member needs a get well card or any other communication for which a card is appropriate. Bring spare rocks, gems, minerals to any meeting in order to prepare for the Wheel of Fortune. Show your recent acquisitions at the monthly meeting so other members can experience a variety of different materials. NOTE: the shop can be opened on Saturdays 1-4 by appointment with Leslie Amato. Call by Friday afternoon to determine if Saturday is convenient.. David Grant will also open the shop on Wednesdays at 5:30 if you call him at by Tuesday evening. Shop fee :$1 per hour or $5 maximum. Be sure to read your monthly copy of the LODESTAR which is ed. Member input is not only desired but also needed. Communicate program requests to Peggy Raines. Tell Jeff Edwards if you know of a potential site for a field trip. Talk to any officer or board member regarding the need for a class. L I NK S TO CH E CK OUT International Colored Gemstone Assn newsletter Georgia Meteorite Association William Holland Wildacres Al Mineral Locality Index GIA educational sources for young rock & mineral collectors and hobbyists KidsLoveRocks.com FL Museum Natural History (fossils) AMERICAN LANDS ACCESS ASSOCIATION, INC. (Protecting the Public Lands for the Public; A grassroots 501-C-4 Educational, non-profit organization dedicated to keeping public lands open for the public Gemstone List Arizona Geological Survey SMITHSONIAN Gemstones International Ben Clements Mineral Museum 5

6 MONTGOMERY GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY Club Officers for 2016 President: Chris Rutherford st VP/Programs Committee: Delores Osborne-Hensley 2 nd V P/Field Trips: Jeff Edwards Secretary: David Sherrod Treasurer: Iris McGehee Directors: Chris Evey and Leslie Amato Board meetings are at 6:30 pm immediately before the monthly meetings. WE RE ON THE WEB! If you are on Facebook, like our page. If you're not on Facebook, you can still view our page by going to General Information The purpose of the Golden Nugget is to inform members of news about gems and minerals along with news about club, state, and regional activities of interest to our members. Most important, the Golden Nugget provides a way for each of us to share information about projects and to pass on tips that will help others enjoy our hobby. Unless members are willing to contribute, the Golden Nugget cannot meet this latter purpose. Copyright 2016 by Montgomery Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. Except for items that are specifically copyrighted by their authors, all material in this bulletin may be freely copied. Please give credit to The Golden Nugget and the appropriate author. Meetings of the Montgomery Gem & Mineral Society are held every 3 nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Mureal Crump Adult Center, 1751 Congressman William L. Dickinson Drive (U.S. 231), Montgomery, AL The annual gem show replaces the December meeting. Anyone interested in gems and minerals is invited to attend. Field trips, workshops, and classes are held at various locations. These are announced at monthly meetings. Membership dues are $15.00 for individuals and $20.00 for families residing in the same household. The Montgomery Gem & Mineral Society is a member of the Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information. THE GOLDEN NUGGET Official Voice of the Montgomery Gem & Mineral Society, Montgomery AL Therese P. Frank, Editor thegoldennugget@hotmail.com The Golden Nugget 17 Glenview Street Montgomery, AL