Author: Alan Molineux

The
bulletin
Newsletter of the
victor valley
Gem and
mineral club
Ph. (760) 243-2330
april 2010

1 2

Your officers for 2010
2010 Executive Committee
President……………………...Cyndy Mandell……………..244-7169
1st V.P (Membership)..Gayland Graves……………..902-3249
2nd V.P (Education)…….Val Costello…………………..963-3974
3rd V.P (Gem & Mineral Show chairman)
Lois Papner……...…………………………………………………… 244-7169
Recording Secretary….Alan Molineux……………….951-7064
Treasurer…………………….Kerry Molineux .…………...951-7064
Corresponding Secretary..Lynn Hallock…………...951-1736
Board Members
Don Pomerenke………….…868-5264
Lloyd Guilliam..………….….962-6844
John Printz….…………...….957-7414
Carole Mc Michael..……..961-7659
Past President……………..Gil Gilbert………………….…868-6900
CFMS Representative...Pat Estes ………….…..……948-7324
Standing Committee Chairmen
Wagon Master…………..Blaine Witte…………………….244-8211
Historian…………………….Joe Kosik………………………….241-0894
Maintenance……………...Ed Deren .………………….252-7009
Librarian………………….…Dwayna Barron………………..963-3974
Newsletter…………...…..Alan Molineux…….…………...951-7064
Sunshine Lady…………..Pat Coleman……………………..985-2388
Displays………….………….Andrew Turner………………..962-0095
Raffles……………………...Ellen Gilbert..…...……………..868-6900
Scholarships……………..Andrew Turner….…………...962-0095
Photography………….....Alan Molineux…………………..951-7064
Hospitality……………..…(Vacant)…….………………………………………..
Purchasing Officer…..Don Pomerenke……………...868-5264
Tailgate……….…………….Brett Ward………………………948-1232
Virgil Melton…………………….948-2849
Training Coordinator..Lloyd Guilliam…………………962-6844
Instructors
Ed Deren, Jim Fosse, Gil Gilbert, Joe Kosik, Pat Estes, Virgil Melton, Gayland Graves, Don Pomerenke, Charles Toles, Cyndy Mandell and Lloyd Guilliam, John Printz, and Ed Skidmore.

2 2

The victor valley gem and mineral club
was organized in 1947 and has been the focal point of High Desert rock hounds for the past 61 years. The club takes an active role in various civic activities. Membership is open to all persons interested in the gem and mineral hobby and lapidary arts. Meetings are held at the clubhouse located at 15056-B, 7th Street (behind Kaman Bearing) in the center of Victorville. Visitors are always welcome. For further information call (760) 243-2330.
Meeting dates
Our April meeting will be on Tuesday the 27th, and the March meeting was held on Tuesday, March 23rd at 7:30p.m.
Thanks for the photographs
I would like to thank Jim Fosse for the aerial photograph of the Tailgate which I used for the front cover. I would also like to thank Cyndy Mandell for the use of some of the photographs she took at our recent Tailgate.
Thank you to everyone who contributes articles and photographs to the Bulletin. It makes my job easier and it makes the newsletter more “club friendly” ….Ed

Upcoming events
WEST COAST SHOW MOVES TO FAIRPLEX AT POMONA
The West Coast Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show, at Fairplex Buildings 7 and 9, will include demonstrations, speakers, door prizes, special exhibits and much more to see. The May 2010 show will include about 80 retail dealers and 15 wholesale dealers. Speakers will include Rock Currier and Marty Zinn. There will be a $5/adult admission charge and one free admission is offered with each parking receipt. Parking is $9/day. For more information, visit www.mzexpos.com/westcoast_spring.htm.
Mark your calendar NOW
And plan to visit the show
May 14-16, and Nov. 12-14, 2010.
Goodbye to a
paper bulletin.
Next month (the May issue) is the last month a print version of the Bulletin will be automatically sent to all our members. It will be put on the club website, but if you still require a “hard” copy, then contact our Bulletin Editor—Alan Molineux at (760) 951-7064.
Club Website— www.vvgmc.org

3

Tailgate 2010—our 34th!

There were a lot of vendors here this year! Mary Lou is selling her wares.

It really tok on the appearance of a little village. The men are putting up the food tent.

Ewald Jaskolski made some fine lamps. Andrew Turner juggles selling They were certainly eye catching. his minerals and looking after I I hear they looked great when he the needs of his son, Donovan. turned them on each evening.

4

President’s Message
march, 2010
I have a dilemma this month in expressing a thank you to all who helped make the Tailgate a success. I would like to list all the people who helped by volunteering, however I’m afraid I might leave someone out if I start naming names. There were so many people that deserve to be mentioned for their hard work I would feel bad if I left anyone out. I will therefore apologize first as I attempt to make a list and give thanks to all who helped.
First of all, I would like to thank Michael Fosse who worked all day Saturday and Sunday as a cashier in our food tent his assistance was invaluable. Also Lloyd Gilliam, Lynn Hallack, Gayland Graves, Pat Estes, and me. A big thanks goes out to everyone who brought deserts to sell. Helping to load rocks, tables, chairs, the tent, food items, etc. at the club were: Ed Deren, Jim Fosse, Don Pomereke, Brett Ward, Ewald Jaskolsky. A big thanks to Ed Deren, Gayland Graves, and Charles Toles for establishing a sales table for the club rocks and Ty McMichael for helping to load 100’s of pounds of rocks from our outside storage area to members trucks to be taken to the Tailgate site. Buckets of rocks from the shop were put up for sale and were high graded on sight allowing for us to clean out our storage area and establish an organized space for donations. John Printz has led a few of us in establishing labeled shelving for separating rock donations in the future to keep a neat and defined space for storage. Gayland Graves also set up a membership booth to promote our club and obtained quite a few applications. Thank you also to Jim Fosse for once again leading the Saturday field trip to the Tri-Colored Marble and Verde Antique area near the Tailgate site. A thank you to Lois Papner who obtained donations from the vendors for the porta potties and a list of names and addresses of all who were in attendance. She will send them a thank you and an invitation to our gem show.
Of course, we are extremely grateful to Brett Ward for bringing everything together as he has been doing for years. He puts up the signs, has flyers printed, gets advertising in the local papers, inventories and purchases all the kitchen supplies for the events, cooks, arranges for port-a-potties (an essential), and gives up several days of paid work to insure the success of this event. (Continued on page 11.)

5

April 2010

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1 Workshop / 1p.m.—9p.m.	2	3 Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m.
4 Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m.	5	6 Instructor’s / Meeting 6p.m. / Monthly Board / Meeting 7p.m.	7 Workshop / 1p.m.—9p.m.	8 Workshop / 1p.m.—9p.m.	9	10 Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m.
11 Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m	12	13	14 Workshop / 1p.m.—9p.m.	15 Workshop / 1p.m.—9p.m.	16	17 Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m.
18 Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m	19	20 Education / Night 7p.m.	21 Workshop / 1p.m.—9p.m.	22 Workshop / 1p.m.—9p.m.	23	24 Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m. / Club clean up day—9a.m.
25 Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m	26	27 Monthly / Pot Luck 6:30p.m. / Monthly General / Meeting 7:30p.m.	28 Workshop / 1p.m.—9p.m.	29 Workshop / 1p.m.—9p.m.	30

Deadline for the April issue of the Bulletin is Monday, April,19th. Ph.(760) 951-7064 or email me at amolineux@gmail.com

6

7

(Recent Field Trips—Continued)
Since, it was on the way home we went there too. At the end everyone seemed to feel they had the most fun they’d had in a while.
Next month will be Tail Gate, so of course that will take the place the field trip. Our next field trip in the making for April will be a trip to the Hector Mine. The club was there just a few years ago but we have a lot of newer members including myself that haven't gone. I understand that was really enjoyed by those that went. I'm really looking forward to that one.
Maybe by May we'll be ready to go out to Lead Mountain for the cooper minerals.
If anyone has ideas for future trips or wants to help lead one let me know. Also if your interested in scouting out trips let me know.
Have fun and be safe,
Blaine Witte
(I recently received this e-mail from Blaine and so I’m passing it on to the members.)
Patricia is still working on scheduling our trip out to the Hector mine. We are looking at Sat. April 17. We don't have a time yet. The meeting place will probably be the rest stop just before the Hector exit.

8

Field Trips
With Blaine Witte
Sorry I missed you all at the General Meeting. I had all the good intentions of being there but was stricken by an episode of premature 'Old-timers disease.'
Anyway, at least I still remember where to find the rocks. As for that a group of us braved it out on Saturday (Feb. 20) to North Edward's. Guess what! The weather was actually pretty good most of the day. Just a few clouds at the end of the day. We made it out to the onyx claim. We didn't have a lot of luck excavating on our own but there was a lot of smaller high quality material that others had passed over from their diggings that we were able to scavenge. Then we went out to an area near Castle Butte to find agate and jaspers in float. There was an abundance of material there but you had to be selective. On the way back out we picked another site in the hills south of Castle Butte. There we found banded agate and opalite, agate nodules, wonderstone also in great abundance and then even a little petrified wood. After this some of the folks that weren't at the last Kramer's field trip wanted to see the old palm wood deposit near Kramer's Hills.

Normally, we have the abridged minutes of the monthly board meeting and general meetings displayed in the Bulletin—however this month we will forgo that as we will be hoding an auction at the club on June 5th to sell off surplus inventory—listed below. If you have any questions then ask on of our board members listed on page 2 of this Bulletin.

9

Wanted—Rocks, Lapidary, Antiques,
Collectibles, Tools & Clean Outs Materials & Equipment.
Call Charles Toles.
Home (760) 951-0372 Cell (760) 220-6748.

White Buffalo & other turquoise—from various states. Priced per piece
Contact Virgil Melton (760) 900-0507

Rocks, Rocks, Rocks,
Buy slabs, cabs & rough from Joe!
Brazilian, Moss Agate, Wood, Jasper,
and Obsidian.
There is a sale on Bolo cords.
Club members (any club) 20% off at my house or 10% off at gem shows. I sell crushed Agate, Wood & Jasper for tumbling at $1.00 per pound. Call Joe Kosik (760) 241-0894.

10

April rock of the Month
Tiger's eye by Gayland Graves.
Tiger's Eye is the Planetary stone for Gemini (May 21-Jun. 20) and the accepted gem for the ninth wedding anniversary.
Tiger's eye (tigers eye, tiger eye, tiger iron) is a member of the quartz group of. It is one of the chatoyant gemstones. Chatoyancy exhibits a changeable silky luster as light is reflected within the thin parallel fibrous bands. This effect is due to the fibrous structure of the material.
Tiger iron is composed of tiger's eye, red jasper and black hematite. The rippled wavy bands of color often resemble a scenic view. Marra Mamba is a form of tiger iron found in one area of Australia near Mount Brockman. It is a very rare type of tiger iron that contains shades of red, green, yellow, and blue. This area has been mined out for many years so very little of the "true" marra mamba is available today.
An exceptional looking piece of marra mamba tiger's iron rough from Australia looks like the evening sun setting behind a mountain range. It has a greenish cast with shades of brown, golden yellow, red and blue veining.
Because the minerals in this stone are of varying hardness, it is difficult to polish without under cutting.
Tiger's eye is mined in Western Australia, South Africa, USA, Canada, India, Namibia, and Burma.
Folklore, Legend, and Healing Properties:
Many legends about quartz say that wearing tiger's eye (which is a form of quartz) is beneficial for health and spiritual well being. Legend also says it is a psychic protector, great for business, and an aid to achieving clarity.
Name Moh's Specific Gravity Structure Cleavage
Tiger's Eye 7 2.64-2.71 Hexagonal None
Refractive Index Double Disp. Pleochro Fluorescence
1.544-1.553 +0.009 0.013 None None
(President’s Message cont. from p.5)
Our five-year plan committee has presented a request to obtain an appraisal on our buildings and property in order to proceed with plans. The Board motioned and passed their approval at the March 2, board meeting and we are hoping that the general membership will also give their approval at tonight’s meeting. The finance committee will be meeting soon to consider proposals from the maintenance group to who are requesting purchases in their areas of saws, silver room, all-u-needs, and grinders.
Lois Papner, third vice president and gem show chairperson has obtained an application and made a deposit for the fairgrounds and our November Gem Show.

11

Snail
Mail
Stamp

Another
bulletin
Expressly for

Victor Valley Gem & Mineral Club
15056-B Seventh Street
Victorville, CA 92395-3811.
bulletin is the official monthly newsletter published by victor valley gem & mineral club and is distributed free of charge to both members and non members.
Views expressed by authors in the articles which appear in the bulletin do not necessarily reflect those of victor valley gem & mineral club. Responsibility is taken by the editor alone.
Articles from this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in other lapidary news-letters if proper credit is given to the author and the bulletin.

Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31