The President s Message - by Carl Miller

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A non-profit organization whose goal is to foster the knowledge and appreciation of general geology, minerals, fossils, archaeology and lapidary arts.

APRIL 2016 An Award-Winning Publication VOLUME 56 ISSUE 4 April Program Our April program will be Chuck Stilson talking about Nickel Sulfide Deposits of Ontario When: Tuesday, April 12, 2016 7:30 pm

1 A non-profit organization whose goal is to foster the knowledge and appreciation of general geology, minerals, fossils, archaeology and lapidary arts. An affiliate of the Eastern Federation of Mineral and Societies and the American Federation of Mineral Societies. APRIL 2016 An Award-Winning Publication VOLUME 56 ISSUE 4 April Program Our April program will be Chuck Stilson talking about Nickel Sulfide Deposits of Ontario When: Tuesday, April 12, :30 pm Where: Ridge Baptist Church 1515 Eastridge Road Richmond, Virginia April Showers of Rock and Mineral Fun The President s Message - by Carl Miller The Treasures of the Earth Show (TOTE) was two weekends ago, and there was a great turnout. Everyone who attended and spent some time in the booth had a great time. Were you there? If not, add to your rock and mineral fun by expanding your horizons with our club by attending the next TOTE show in September! It may seem early, but make a commitment to yourself now to attend the Fall show. We have a club booth with tables for information and displays at each show. Contact Andy Dietz or Bob Simon for more information on just stopping in for a while, or helping out, or even putting some of your treasures in a display case at our booth. Continued on Page 2 In This Issue President s Message Upcoming Program... 1 Calendar of Events... 1 Membership Meeting Minutes... 2 RGMS Contacts... 2 Hospitality... 3 Rock Tumbling Contest... 3 Membership Renewal... 3 Info... 3 Club Meeting Dates... 3 March Board Meeting Minutes... 4 Jewelry Bench Tips... 5 GLMSMC Show Info... 5 Wire Wrapping Class... 5 Upcoming Rock Shows... 6 Quote of the Month... 6 Attached Flyer: EFMLS Picnic & Swap Calendar of Events - April 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Member Meeting 7:30 pm Board Meeting NO Rock Rappers This month Newsletter Deadline 30 The Collecting Bag Page 1 April 2016

2 President s Message (continued) My favorite mineral event of the year is in April. The Rochester Mineralogical Symposium is in Rochester, NY from the April Mineral overload, with talks and presentations all day and into evening, followed by food, fun, friendship, and mineral dealer rooms each evening. How much fun is it? This is its 43rd year, and I have only missed three years. I always drive, and always offer to take riders. Several RGMS members have made the trip with me, so here is your chance! Two more mineral events for your bucket list are in April. The NJESA Gem & Mineral Show, in Franklin, NJ and the Sterling Hill Super Dig night collecting event for fluorescent minerals, in nearby Ogdensburg, NJ. Both run April and are great fun. Note there will be no Rock Rappers meeting in April. Our Rock Rappers host and club historian/librarian has a conflict, so we are going to skip a month. Get out there!...carl Minutes for the March 8, 2016 Membership Meeting and the March 15, 2016 Board Meeting were not available by the printing deadline. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. RICHMOND GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY CONTACTS Elected Offices PRESIDENT Carl Miller kobold1@erols.com FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT (Membership) Richard Starr starr.vb@gmail.com SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT (Programs) Scott Germain sgemrain@aol.com TREASURER Dave Hutchison dahjkh@aol.com RECORDING SECRETARY Debbie & Frank Toth Frankt51@verizon.net CORRESPONDING SECRETARY Valerie Johnson moonlightgems@gmail.com HOUSE COMMITTEE Perry Wells, pwdisplays@verizon.net Greg Sandvig, bsandvig@verizon.net Mike Buchanan Get your check to Dave Hutchinson at the regular April Membership Meeting, or mail to the address below: 2016 CLUB DUES Adult... $12 Family... $18 (includes children under 18) Junior (14-17)... $5 Mini Miner... $3 (under 14 with adult sponsor) Send your Dues to: RGMS / 1622 Rocky Ford Road / Powhatan, VA Hospitality Thanks to Greg & Kelly Humphrey who brought refreshments to the March meeting. Apr: Open May: Open If you would like to sign up for future months, please contact Bobbie at: bobbie.sandvig68@gmail.com Appointed Offices NEWSLETTER EDITOR Barbara Hadley TheCollectingBag@yahoo.com GREETER Function owned by Membership FIELD TRIP COMMITTEE Pamm Bryant pjbryant6@juno.com HOSPITALITY Bobbie Sandvig bobbie.sandvig68@gmail.com MINI MINERS Kathy Paine mrsjpb3@yahoo.com LAPIDARY Pete McCrery Richard Starr, starr.vb@gmail.com LIBRARIAN/HISTORIAN Betsy Martin Martin1635@comcast.net ROCK RAPPERS Pete McCrery TRAVELING DISPLAY Pamm Bryant pjbryant6@juno.com The Collecting Bag Page 2 April 2016

Our club s website is currently under reconstruction. When work is completed, we plan to have a forum where members can log in and write/read about topics. Watch for more info soon!

This includes shipping the material to you. Outside the USA will be $30.00 plus any additional shipping.

Mail 5 (yes, only 5) of your best finished rocks and a copy of the entry form postmarked no later than August 15th, 2016. Apply early and take your time to tumble!

3 Our club s website is currently under reconstruction. When work is completed, we plan to have a forum where members can log in and write/read about topics. Watch for more info soon! Rock Tumbling Contest Entry Information for the 2016 Contest The rock for 2016 is petrified wood from Arizona. Entry fee is $30.00 for 3 pounds of rough rock for continental US residents. This includes shipping the material to you. Outside the USA will be $30.00 plus any additional shipping. 3 lbs of rough will be shipped to you when application and check are approved beginning in early January Deadline for application is June 1st, Mail 5 (yes, only 5) of your best finished rocks and a copy of the entry form postmarked no later than August 15th, Apply early and take your time to tumble! Cash prizes = $250, $100, and $50 for first, second, and third place winners! For more info and application visit: At Betsy Martin s house! In fact, it s a Community Sale! Saturday, April Sherbrook Road Richmond They will have low-grade rocks for sale for children. Vice President Richard Starr has hospitably opened his garage in the Varina area to host our Shop. It is open on most Wednesday evenings, and Pete is giving lessons. The cost of Pete s expenses is split between the students. As of now 4 or 5 participants would be the maximum for the equipment available, though kibitzers are welcome. It s somewhat informal but it would be best to call or Richard before coming: starr.vb@gmail.com Club Meeting Dates April 2016 Membership Meeting Rock Rappers Board Meeting Tuesday, April 12 WILL NOT MEET Tuesday, April 19 7:30 pm THIS MONTH at Ridge Baptist Church Manor Care, Stratford Hall 1515 Eastridge Road The Collecting Bag Page 3 April 2016

Virginia Photo courtesy Bob Simon Program presented at our March, 2016, Membership Meeting, by Dr. Gerald Johnson, Professor Emeritus at the College of William & Mary. Program Review by Scott Germain.

The first bones from his recent dig were actually found 34 years ago by a bricklayer by the name of Lawnell Hart at a site near Yorktown.

It wasn't until last year that the site acquired new owners who allowed Jerre and a few volunteers to dig. Jerre went into some background about mastodons.

Mastodons were smaller and had a different diet. They were browsers who fed on shrubs and fir tree branches. Mammoths grazed on grass. As a result their teeth differ.

When Jerre and his crew began the dig they had to remove a lot of overburden. The bones ended up being 5 feet underground. They also had to dig ditches and pump water out of the site.

4 Virginia Photo courtesy Bob Simon Program presented at our March, 2016, Membership Meeting, by Dr. Gerald Johnson, Professor Emeritus at the College of William & Mary. Program Review by Scott Germain. It's not every day you find a mastodon in Virginia. In fact, according to Dr. Gerald Jerre Johnson, this is the first mastodon find east of the Blue Ridge in Virginia, since before the Civil War. The first bones from his recent dig were actually found 34 years ago by a bricklayer by the name of Lawnell Hart at a site near Yorktown. Jerre visited the site and found the bones had washed out of a creek bed. The landowners at that time would not allow an excavation. It wasn't until last year that the site acquired new owners who allowed Jerre and a few volunteers to dig. Jerre went into some background about mastodons. Thirty million years ago their lineage split. One branch became mammoths and modern elephants. The other became the mastodon line. There were a number of differences between the two. Mastodons were smaller and had a different diet. They were browsers who fed on shrubs and fir tree branches. Mammoths grazed on grass. As a result their teeth differ. Mammoth teeth are flat for grinding and mastodon teeth are bluntly pointed. The name mastodon actually means "nipple tooth". Mammoth tusks were also longer and more curved. When Jerre and his crew began the dig they had to remove a lot of overburden. The bones ended up being 5 feet underground. They also had to dig ditches and pump water out of the site. It was a week and a half before they found their first remains - a 7.5-foot tusk. Both tusks were found, with the right one intact, and the left shattered. Altogether about 25% of the skeleton was recovered. The meaty leg bones were not found, leading to speculation that the animal was attacked by an animal predator or possibly humans. There were marks on some of the bones that may or may not have been made by stone tools, although none were found at the site. The samples are still awaiting analysis. A number of interesting facts were determined from the bones. The animal lived approximately 10,000 years ago. It was an old individual as the rib bones showed signs of arthritis and its teeth were worn. One tooth was abscessed as shown from the calcification on one of the jawbones. Some of the bones were passed around the audience so club members could take a closer look. Photo courtesy Scott Germain Graphic based on image from Paleonotological Research Institution Photo courtesy Scott Germain The Richmond Gem & Mineral Society wishes to thank Jerre for such a great time. The Collecting Bag Page 4 April 2016

5 Thanks to Harry Clay and Al DeHart for photographs Mike Buchanan, David Pearson, Pamm Bryant and Rudy Bland on duty Fluorescent Minerals by Rudy Bland Ammonites from Around the World by Bob Simon A History of Jewelry by Pamm Bryant Arkansas Quartz by Lynn Taylor Art by Frank & Debra Toth Shell Oddities by Rudy Bland The Collecting Bag Page 5 April 2016

Bob Simon s table of dinosaurs Lynn Taylor

toes A visitor checking out the display.

shopping Some of the lapidary on display Many

6 Bob Simon s table of dinosaurs Lynn Taylor doing his Christmas shopping Bob Simon s dino toes A visitor checking out the display. Rudy in background Anne Burnley doing some shopping Some of the lapidary on display Many thanks to those who put hours into the Club s displays. Andy Dietz and Bob Simon, who coordinated everything, and those who put together displays: Rudy Bland, Pamm Bryant, Lynn Taylor, Frank & Debra Toth, and Bob Simon. Many others pitched in and worked behind the tables. You folks always make us look great!! The Collecting Bag Page 6 April 2016

Upcoming Rock Shows April 2016 1-3: Hickory, NC - 46th Annual Uniflour Gem & Mineral Show sponsored by the Catawba Valley Gem & Mineral Club.

com> 2-3: Orange, CT - The New Haven Mineral Club, 43rd Annual Show 2016, Minerals, Gems, Jewelry & Fossils, Exhibits- Dealers- Door Prizes- Lectures- Demonstrations. April 2 & 3 Sat.

For more info visit newhavenmineralclub.org 2 3: Johnson City, NY - 47th Annual Gem, Jewelry, Mineral & Fossil Show sponsored by the NY Southern Tier Geology Club.

Amity Regional Middle School, Sheffield Rd. 2-3: Midland Park, NJ - 27th Annual North Jersey Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show (formerly The Clifton Show) April 2 & 3, 2016 Sat. 10-6, Sun.

amfed.org/efmls/calendar.htm Note: Due to time constraints, the postally mailed copy of The Collecting Bag will be printed in black and white until further notice.

7 Upcoming Rock Shows April : Hickory, NC - 46th Annual Uniflour Gem & Mineral Show sponsored by the Catawba Valley Gem & Mineral Club. Hickory Metro Convention Center, I-40, Exit 125; Hickory, NC. Contact: Baxter Leonard <gaillandbaxter@aol.com> 2-3: Orange, CT - The New Haven Mineral Club, 43rd Annual Show 2016, Minerals, Gems, Jewelry & Fossils, Exhibits- Dealers- Door Prizes- Lectures- Demonstrations. April 2 & 3 Sat. 9:30-5:00 Sun. 9:30-5:00, Amity Regional Middle School, Sheffield Rd (off Rt 34), Orange, CT Donation $5.00 Children under 12 Free when accompanied by an adult. For more info visit newhavenmineralclub.org 2 3: Johnson City, NY - 47th Annual Gem, Jewelry, Mineral & Fossil Show sponsored by the NY Southern Tier Geology Club. Johnson City Senior Center, 30 Brocton St; Johnson City, NY 2 3: New Haven, CT - 43rd Annual New Haven Mineral Show sponsored by the New Haven Mineral Club. Amity Regional Middle School, Sheffield Rd. 2-3: Midland Park, NJ - 27th Annual North Jersey Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show (formerly The Clifton Show) April 2 & 3, 2016 Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4, AT OUR NEW LOCATION! Midland Park High Schoolm, 250 Prospect Street, Midland Park, NJ. Please visit our website for all the details!! Additional show info is available on the EFMLS website: Note: Due to time constraints, the postally mailed copy of The Collecting Bag will be printed in black and white until further notice. Richmond Gem & Mineral Society TheCollectingBag@yahoo.com Barbara Hadley, Editor 9359 Cedar Lane Mechanicsville, Virginia Meetings are the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Ridge Baptist Church Meeting Hall, 1515 Eastridge Rd. Bulletin articles and items may be reprinted provided that credit is given to the author and the Richmond Gem & Mineral Society. The Collecting Bag Page 7 April 2016

The President s Message - by Carl Miller January Program

The President s Message - by Carl Miller January Program A non-profit organization whose goal is to foster the knowledge and appreciation of general geology, minerals, fossils, archaeology and lapidary arts. An affiliate of the Eastern Federation of Mineral