s pebble press · 2016-02-24 · general meeting month executive meeting tuesday the 22nd march...
TRANSCRIPT
Pebble Press February 2016 Page 1
Next Executive Meeting Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 7:00 PM
NOTICE BOARD
Richmond Gem and Mineral Society’s
PEBBLE PRESS For February 2016
NEXT GENERAL MEETING Tuesday, February 23, 2016
6:45 pm start
PROGRAM
Treasure Hunters’ “Fire in Stone” about Coober Pedy (Opals)
SHOW & TELL
Yellowish Coloured Stones
REFRESHMENT TABLE
If your last name starts with the following letter, then it is your turn to bring a finger food or other type of snack for the refreshment table:
L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y & Z
Workshop Calendar
Open Workshops Painter’s Studio
To help us overcome the Lapidary Studio Blues our club will hold workshops from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Painter’s Studio on the following Sundays until the Lapi-dary Studio is reopened: Sunday, February 28, 2016 Sunday, March 6, 2016 Sunday, March 13, 2016 This is a chance to meet with other club members. Activi-ties will be announced through emails. Rock and Mineral identification, chain making, and how to use the rolling
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Lapidary Studio
“Still Under Renovation”
Members volunteered their time this week to help in the “refreshing” of the Lapidary Studio. Their help in this task and their input into the Lapidary Studio set-up was greatly appreciated . Everyone expressed the need to get the Lapidary Studio back up and run-ning as soon as possible.
We met with the City’s representative to review our club’s needs and the Cultural Centre’s needs. Only one item still needs to be approved and that is the safe operation of the lapidary arbors. This item should be resolved by early next week.
More information will be forthcoming at our next General Meeting.
Get Ready! The Big Show!
“55 Shades of Turquoise” April 30 & May 1, 2016
Contact Lisa Kew
at [email protected] for additional information and to add your name to the
volunteer list. Thanks.
Membership News Darlene Howe Just a note to let you know that you can pick up your BC Lapi-dary Society’s Membership Card at the next General Meeting. See you there!
Pebble Press February 2016 Page 2
FUTURE MEETING PLANNER 2016
Executive Positions 2015-2016
President Anthony Young
Vice-President Office to be filled
Secretary Jan McRobb
Treasurer George Howe
Program Chairperson Livia Waterson
Show Chairperson Lisa Kew
Workshop Chairperson Lui Porc
Ways & Means Chairperson Linda Boyce
Field Trip Chairperson Harley Waterson
Publicity Chairperson Natalie Helmstetter
Librarian Kay Eichacker
Pebble Press Editor Eugenia Kurganska
Social Convenor Bellamy Ho
Membership Chairperson Darlene Howe
Senior Delegate Sharon Hamelin
Past President Bob Gregory
Non-Executive Positions
Contact at Large Darlene Howe
Intermediate Delegate Darlene Howe
Junior Delegate Arn Hamelin
Workshop Assistants George Howe Tom Braund
Membership Assistant Dorreh Jahanshahi
mill were some of the activities already offered. Tea and coffee is available, and all club members are welcome to attend.
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Rendezvous 2016 Information
Rendezvous 2016 will be held in Hope from May 21 to 23 and will take place in the Hope Curling rink. This is a great opportunity to showcase your rockhounding finds and silversmithing creations. Display cases will be supplied by BCLS unless you prefer to use your own. We are also looking for volunteers to demonstrate lapidary, silversmithing, etc. The 15 display cabinets available are being reserved for each club or member in the order of date-received email commitments that are received by Garry Reid of the Rendezvous 2016 Planning Committee. Garry Reid encourages you to contact him by phone at 604-799-7677 or email at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding Rendezvous 2016. He also reminds you that confirmation of a display case (yours, ours or BCLS) or a demonstrator commitment will need to be confirmed by email to him at [email protected] only.
BCLS Calendar Photo Contest
Found a great rock? Want to share it with others? Like winning prizes? Then enter the BCLS 2017 Calendar Photo Contest. The contest entry deadline is June 30th, 2016. Contact Denise Cullen, BCLS Calendar Coordinator at [email protected] or 604-944-4842 for further information, or http://www.bclapi dary.com/2017%20Calendar%20Contest.pdf
General Meeting
Month
Executive Meeting
Tuesday the 22nd March Tuesday the 15th. 7:00 pm
Tuesday the 26th April Tuesday the 19th. 7:00 pm
Tuesday the 24th May Tuesday the 17th. 7:00 pm
Tuesday the 28th June Tuesday the 21st. 7:00 pm
Tuesday the 23rd August Tuesday the 16th. 7:00 pm
Pebble Press February 2016 Page 3
Annual Rock & Gem Shows 2015 For details go to www.bclapidary.com
British Columbia Lapidary Society’s Wagonmasters’ Fieldtrips Spring and Summer 2015
February 27 & 28, 2016
MAPLE RIDGE LAPIDARY CLUB
March 12 & 13, 2016
HASTINGS CENTRE ROCK-HOUNDS
April 16 & 17, 2016 COURTENAY GEM & MINERAL CLUB
For detailed and updated information go to: www.bclapidary.com
or contact Harley Waterson at 604-590-3289 ALWAYS CALL THE TRIP LEADER THE DAY BEFORE TO EN-SURE THE TRIP IS GOING, AND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER CHANGES.
Remember to wear layered clothing to be able to adjust to weather conditions at the location, bring a lunch and water on all field trips. En-sure your vehicle has a full tank of gas. As always, US rockhounds in good standing with their clubs are invited to join our field trips! For something different, check out the field trips offered on the Washington State Mineral Council web site at: Washington State Mineral Council
February 28, 2016 Yale Bar - Fraser River Rock - Agate, Jasper, Petri-fied Wood
March 6, 2016 Peg Leg Bar — Fraser River Rock - Agate, Jasper, Petri-fied Wood, Potential Jade
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA LAPIDARY SOCIETY RAFFLE
Chance to Win a Gold Nugget plus other great prizes.
(in support of the development and education relat-ing to earth sciences, geology through the BC Gem
Show.)
Tickets Sales: 15-Dec-2015 - 10-Apr-2016
Raffle drawn: 4pm Sunday, 10 April, 2016
(ticket sales close at 3:00pm April 10, 2016)
Location: Ag-Rec Building (Central Fraser Valley Fairgrounds)
32470 Haida Drive, Abbotsford, BC V2T 5A6
1 ticket for $1.00
Raffle Details
Raffle Order Form
Prizes
Pebble Press February 2016 Page 4
Birthstone of The Month (credit to earthsky.org )
What’s the birthstone for February?
Happy birthday February babies! Your birthstone, the amethyst, was the stone of royalty, representing power. February’s birthstone is the amethyst. Amethysts contain the second most abundant mineral found in Earth’s crust – quartz. Quartz is often found lining the insides of geodes. So it’s no wonder that geodes sometimes contain amethysts, too. Like quartz, amethysts are a transparent form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). An amethyst’s color can range from a faint mauve to a rich purple. It’s not clear why they’re purple. Some scientists believe the purple color arises from the ame-thysts’ iron oxide content, while others attribute the color to manganese or hydrocarbons. Amethysts are very sensitive to heat. When heated to 400 or 500 degrees Celsius, an amethyst’s color changes to a brownish-yellow or red. Under some circumstances, the stones can turn green when heated. Heat may even transform an amethyst into a naturally-rare mineral called citrine. And even without heating, the violet color of an amethyst may fade over time.
Commercial sources of amethyst are Brazil and Uruguay; while in the U.S., most amethyst is found in Arizona and North Carolina. The amethyst has a rich history of lore and legend. It can be traced back as far as 25,000 years ago in France, where it was used as a decorative stone by prehistoric humans. It has also been found among the remains of Neolithic man. It’s said that the signet ring worn by Cleopatra was an ame-thyst, engraved with the figure of Mithras, a Persian deity sym-bolizing the Divine Idea, Source of Light and Life. It is also said to be the stone of Saint Valentine, who wore an amethyst engraved with the figure of his assistant, Cupid. Saint Valen-tine’s Day is still observed in February. The word amethyst comes from the Greek word “amethystos” meaning “not drunk,” and was believed to prevent its wearers from intoxication. The following is a story from Greco-Roman mythology, as quoted from Birthstones by Willard Heaps: “Bacchus, the god of wine in classical mythology, was offend-ed by Diana the huntress. Determined on revenge, he declared that the first person he met as he went through the forest would
be eaten by his tigers. As it happened, the first person to cross his path was the beautiful maiden Amethyst on her way to worship at the shrine of Diana. In terror, she called upon the goddess to save her, and before his eyes, Bacchus ob-served the maiden changed to a pure white, sparkling image of stone. Realizing his guilt and repenting his cruelty, Bacchus poured grape wine over her, thus giving the stone the exquisite violet hue of the amethyst. The carryover to non-intoxication was quite logical, and in ancient Rome, amethyst cups were used for wine, so drinkers would have no fear of overindulgence.” The early Egyptians believed that the amethyst possessed good powers, and placed the stones in the tombs of pharaohs. During the Middle Ages, it was used as medication, believed to dispel sleep, sharpen intellect, and protect the wearer from sorcery. It was also believed to bring victory in battle. In Arabian mythology, the amethyst was supposed to pro-tect the wearer from bad dreams and gout. February’s birthstone, the amethyst, was the stone of royalty, representing power.