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HAPPY BIRTHDAY

8/14 Seth Lauritson 8/20 Ann Connelly 8/20 Laura Ann Rutherford 8/30 Douglas Amato 8/31 Bob Weisberg

President’s Message Greetings Fellow Rock hounds, As we enter the month of August, my attention fades away from earthbound rocks and drifts upwards to the heavens. On August 12, 2017 we enter the peak viewing period for the Perseid Meteor Shower. This meteor shower is the most well-known and best viewed meteor shower in the Northern Hemisphere. As the Earth passes through the debris trail of the Comet Swift Tuttle, the leftover particles burn up in our atmosphere creating the magnificent array of shooting stars and fireballs. 2016 was predicted to be a fantastic viewing year with upwards of 80-100 shooting stars per hour, but the weather in Central Ala-bama blocked our view. In 2017, the moon will be 3/4 full and will obscure the faintest stars, but it is expected to deliver 40-50 showers per hour. The moon will rise later in the night so get out early to a dark place, far from city lights, for your best viewing. But wait, that’s only half the fun. On August 21, 2017 the Great American Solar Eclipse will span across the United States from Oregon to South Carolina bringing a path of total darkness to an area 70 miles wide but most of Alabama should see form of a partial eclipse. In the path of totality the sun will be to-tally blocked and the corona or the upper atmosphere of the sun will be viewable with the right safety glasses for upwards of 2 and half minutes. If you want to see the total eclipse yourself, you can take a day drive to Greenville, SC; just north of Chattanooga, TN; or just north of Nashville, TN. I’m going to watch it from my parents’ house in Southern Kentucky, very near the epicenter of the eclipse. Hopefully weather will cooperate with this event as well this month. At once again, don’t forgot to bring tumbled rocks, etc. to meetings as we look ahead for the December show. It’s never too early. Chris Rutherford, President

Inside this issue:

Program Corner

Birthdays President’s Message

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Meeting Minutes

Article

2

Articles 2

Field Trippin’

Article

3

Articles 4

Shows & Reminders

Links

5

Club Information 6

PROGRAM CORNER

When: August 15, 2017 Where: Mureal Crump Center, 1751 Congressman William L. Dickinson Drive, Montgom-ery, AL 36109* Time: 7:00 P M What: Who: * Park in back. Enter through single glass door. Meeting room 1st door to left.

MONT GOMERY GEM & MINERAL SOCIET Y

THE GOLDEN

NUGGET

REFRESHMENTS Snacks : Eine Probst Drinks: Dolores Osborn Hensley

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

9/19/17 Candace Rutherford Therese Frank

10/17/17 Alina Gray David Grant

11/21/17 Open Dave Niedzielson

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AUGUST BIRTHSTONE PERIDOT

MONTGOMERY GEM & MINERAL MINUTES

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THE GOLDEN NUGGET

The July Minutes were not submitted for the newsletter.

We have a birthday present for those born in August: the stunning spinel has been added to your month’s

birthstone lineup! August now joins June and December as the only months represented by three gems.

The original birthstone for August was Sardonyx, and then peridot was added, becoming August’s primary

gem. Now spinel adds its multitude of color choices!

Learn more about August’s diverse birthstones by exploring these pages:

Peridot Overview

Peridot History

How to Buy Peridot

Sardonyx Overview

Sardonyx History

How to Buy Sardonyx

Spinel Overview

Spinel History

How to Buy Spinel

Taken from this website: https://www.americangemsociety.org/en/august-birthstones

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Saturday August 26, 2017

8:30 am to 4:00 pm

Propst Farm

Lincoln County, NC

Fee 25 per person

Corundom can be found easily

Saturday September 30, 2017

Clarkesville, GA

10:00 am 9:00 cental

Fee 10 dollars per person

Don't forget to fill out and bring to the January or February meeting if you per-formed volunteer activities totaling 25 or more points in 2017. You just might win a club sponsored scholarship to either William Holland Lapidary School or to Wildacres. If you need a Scholarship form let me know and I will email one to you. Therese Frank, Newsletter Editor

F I E L D T R I P P I N ’

SCHOLARSHIP POINTS FORM

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

Need articles for the newsletter. If you have something you would like to see in the newsletter related to gems and minerals, please submit the article to goldennugget2016@gmail.com .

Please make the articles no longer than 1000 words or less and no more than 3 photos.

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Every Mineral Collector and Rockhound Should Have These Books by John Sinkankas

Posted by Dolores Osborne-Hensley Rockhounding is a great hobby, rewarding and full of adventure. Few people know that to progress in knowledge about this hobby is easy as can be, it just take a little bit of reading and we have the perfect selection of books to talk about today, ones that will give you a full understanding of minerals. All of these books were written by Captain John Sinkankas, a well noted and respected author who has a way of explaining things that many thousands of people have enjoyed and understood. The most important thing about this article is the perception of mineral information, versus the reality. Guidebooks like the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks or the handy Smithsonian Handbook, well, they just do not do a good enough job, in Mr. Sinkankas’ opinion. Sure, they are colorful and glossy, most starting collectors will have one or the other at some point in their life. However, if you have more than just a passing curiosity about rocks and minerals, there is a better way.

John Sinkanas’ book “Mineralogy” is our #1 pick for must have mineral books Mineralogy is the #1 book that he recommends to all mineral enthusiasts. It has an easy way of explaining how atoms form crystals, and why the

crystals different properties make them look different from each other. It is technical mineralogy explained in a way that most anyone can under-

stand. The book can be treated as a college level book on the subject, yet, can be enjoyed casually with chapters devoted to different topics includ-

ing over 300 photographs and line drawings, this is the must have book for everyone interested in the subject. You can find this book on Amazon and eBay. It was originally published in the 1960’s, any edition is worth owning. You will find it as a “Used” book, it typically retains value as it

is a book that all mineral and rock collectors have loved for decades.

Gem Cutting: A Lapidary’s Manual, by John Sinkankas

Gem Cutting: A Lapidary’s Manual is the perfect description devoted to all the basics of lapidary. The mystery of most every lapidary art is reveled, along with photographs and drawings to guide you to understanding the complete basics of lapidary arts. In the first chapters you are introduced to sawing, grinding, lapping, sanding, and polishing. Rock drilling is a common question, this book gives you the knowledge on that, plus, all the tumbling, cabbing, faceting, sphere-making, carving and engraving and mosaic and in-lay work information, including tools of the trade, tips on techniques and so much more. When I need to know what polish to use when I’m tumbling stones, I look to this book. This has an amazing wealth of information on this subject. The second edition is the edition we suggest and the big paperback edition is a great addition to any library. Continue on page 5.

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THE GOLDEN NUGGET

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International Colored Gemstone Assn newsletter http://www.gemstone.org/ Georgia Meteorite Association http://www.meteoriteassociationofgeorgia.org/

William Holland www.lapidaryschool.org Wildacres http://www.amfed.org/sfms/wildacres-retreat.html Al Mineral Locality Index http://www.mindat.org/rloc.php?loc=Alabama%2C+USA GIA http://www.gia.edu/3954/gia_home_page.cfm http://www.greatdanepro.com/somewhere%20in%20time/index.htm educational sources for young rock & mineral collectors and hobbyists KidsLoveRocks.com http://fossilsforkids.com/ http://www.mineralcollecting.org/ FL Museum Natural History (fossils) http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/collections/overview/ AMERICAN LANDS ACCESS ASSOCIATION, INC. (Protecting the Public Lands for the Public; A grassroots 501-C-4 Educa-tional, non-profit organization dedicated to keeping public lands open for the public http://www.amlands.org/ Gemstone List http://www.gemstoneslist.com/ Arizona Geological Survey http://www.azgs.az.gov/minerals.shtml SMITHSONIAN http://www.mnh.si.edu/ Gemstones International http://www.gia.edu/ Ben Clements Mineral Museum http://www.clementmineralmuseum.org/

http://www.montgomerygemandmineralsociety.com/

L I NK S TO CH E CK OU T

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 varie-ty 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 at462-7105 by Tuesday evening.

• Shop fee :$1 per hour or $5 maximum. • Be sure to read your monthly copy of the LODESTAR which is emailed. • 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.

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ISSUE NUMBER

Prospecting for Gemstones and Minerals is the best book to teach you about mineral collecting

Prospecting for Gemstones and Minerals is a perfect primer to understanding where to find rocks. Deposits are explained, how to find them, what is inside of

them, and how you can get crystals out of the ground. This book serves as a primer to all topics on the subject of rockhounding. Over 350 pages of quality

information, that, if you were to read, would put you in the ranks of the top collectors.

All three of these books are easy to read and understand, teach you the basics and the nuances of each subject are highlighted and explained. To read and

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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 au-thors, 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 3nd 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 36109. 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 ex-pressed a prior interest in receiving this information.

General Information

MONTGOMERY GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY

Club Officers for 2016 President: Chris Rutherford 334-372-2507 1st VP/Programs Committee: Delores Osborne-Hensley 2nd V P/Field Trips: Jeff Edwards 312-0572 Secretary: David Sherrod 201-4460 Treasurer: Iris McGehee 262-7275 Directors: Chris Evey and Leslie Amato

Board meetings are at 6:30 pm immediately before the monthly meetings.

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 36110

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