New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and most often, here in Texas. Gem Trails Books have led me on many exciting trips.

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1 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 T H E I N F O R M E R JUNE 2006 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: FEATURED MEMBER JOAN WILKS FEATURED MEMBER CONT. FEATURED MEMBER CONT. FEATURED MEMBER CONT. TURQUOISE, SILVER AND COPPER ART SCENES FROM GEM AND MIN- ERAL SHOW SHOW CONT. 7 FOSSIL HUNT 8 REPORT AND CELEBRATIONS PRESIDENT S MESSAGE POINTS OF INTEREST: Featured Member Scenes from Show Fossil Hunt Secretary s Report President s Message 9 10 I became a member of CTGMS in October, The first time I went out to the club house, several members got me started making a cabochon, which I still have and enjoy. They showed me around the shop, gave me a piece of agate, helped me cut it and sent me to the polisher. I discovered their love for rocks was just as crazy as my love for rocks. My love for rocks came early on as my Dad and Mom loved rock hunting and collecting rocks. Many of our family outings and vacations brought home rocks. Even now my 85 year old Mom has her rocks in HER rock garden. I have hunted and collected rocks & minerals in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and most often, here in Texas. Gem Trails Books have led me on many exciting trips. Colorado summer vacations have made great rock hunting experiences. I have hunted and found garnet; olivine and peridot, near Nathrop, pyrite, galena and gold around Leadville, mahogany obsidian north of Pagosa Springs, rhyolite north of Durango, aquamarine, Mount Antero, apache tears south of Gunnison, quartz and topaz at Tarryall, marble from Marble, fossilized wood, dinosaur bone, coprolite, picture rock, and agates near Cortez. In Wyoming, near Jeffery City, I found jade and Sweetwater River Agate. In Montana, I went sapphire digging near Helena and Phillipsburg where I found pale blue, yellow and clear sapphire. You did not just find them on top of the ground. You would screen river gravel from up on top of this hill that was mine tailings from years and years ago. You then shoveled these screenings into 5 gallon buckets, hauled them to the river to screen and wash, You would wash the gravel by wading out into the lake, shaking the screens in a rotating way, the heavy sapphire would move to the bottom center of the screens. EXCITING! I have a ring and a pendant of sapphire found and faceted there at the mine. From Utah, I found pigeon blood agate, grape agate nodules, Green River agate, and petrified wood.

2 CONTD. Idaho s Spencer Opal mine was hard rock mining. The best opal I got was some I bought at their shop. Memorable rock hunting, I would say for sure! Fun times with a sledge hammer, chisel, with the altitude much higher than here in Abilene and the sun was a lot hotter too. Arkansas Mount Ida, I saw a lot of clear quartz crystals big ones. New Mexico, I have found fairy crosses, near Roswell, Pedernal agate, Abiquiu, and copper ore near Pecos. My favorite rocks, so far, from New Mexico is my beautiful tumbled granite. LEAVERITES from the Chama River. These beautiful rocks are on my back porch where friends also enjoy seeing them. However, my favorite of all rocks and minerals is the very one I have never found. Turquoise. SOMEDAY! SOMEDAY! My favorite club activities have been our field trips. Field trips, I feel, are one of our club s best activities. I really enjoy our club field trips! Thanks to Tony and Judy Steele, field trip coordinators, we have had some really good trips. I have been to Cortez, CO. (May ), Study Butte, TX (Big Bend Area) (2001 & 2002; Alpine (November ); Brenholtz Ranch (2004 & 2005); and Stillwell Ranch (November ). My favorite field trip was our trip to Cortez, CO. (May ) when the Sanchez s (SAN JUAN GEMS) led our daily trips finding coprolite and fossilized bone. members. This is a good opportunity to say thanks again to members of CTGMS who have been generous with their time and knowledge teaching me creative lapidary arts, sawing, polishing stones; Don Brenholtz, Charlie Lightfoot and Allen McDaniel, sterling silver chain making; Ray Castle, SS wire wrapping; Sallie Lightfoot, faceting gemstones. Jim Owens, and silversmithing/ metalsmithing (Level l 4); Jerry Davis. Many of our generous members have given me rocks to work with when I first came to the club, and they got me started. I learned right on that I could get our experienced members to check the polish on my cabochon when I thought I had it completed; they would send me right back to the polisher. And, they were always right. But here in Texas, I enjoy rock hunting the most. Gem quality topaz, crystal, tourmaline, from the Seaquist Ranch, Mason County, agates, jasper, petrified wood, cinnabar, Big Bend areas, llanite, Llano County, gypsum, flint, fluorite, mica, fossils, limestone from the West Texas area, just to list a few. Fossils are also great collecting around Cisco, Brownwood and south of Abilene. My most unique rock collection is a 24 x 36 frame with 185 arrowheads mounted in it. I have worked with our annual Gem & Mineral Show each year since April I have been the photographer, demonstrated silversmithing, beading, exhibited minerals and artifacts, and exhibited my silver jewelry and lapidary art. I have served as club Treasurer, on the Scholarship Search Committee, and Editor of our newsletter, the INFORMER. I have enjoyed our club s participation in many community projects. I feel that our club has some really fun opportunities available for all There just does not seem to be enough time to do all I want to do. However, next field trip. Lord willing... I M GOING! JoAn Rock hunting has its serious moments as JoAn tries to decide whether to leave this one. VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 Page 2

3 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 Page 3 JOAN AND OTHERS AT STILLWELL RANCH What do you think about this one, Penny? This is the agate I have been looking for!

4 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 Page 4 IT TAKES AN ARTIST TO KNOW HOW TO MAKE SILVER LOOK LIKE ART WORK JOAN IS ABLE TO DO THAT. Bracelets like this one require several hours of planning and work. This was accomplished as a level 4 project in silversmithing. JoAn used patina techniques to color this bracelet.

5 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 Page 5 JOAN S ART WORK IN COPPER, LEATHER, SILVER AND TURQUOISE

6 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 Page 6 Scenes from the Gem and Mineral Show 2006 Ricky is a winner! Ok boys, decide! Gary with his sand box.

7 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 Page 7 Calvin, how do you do that? Jim Owens and his girl show off his winning jewelry. It s your move Carolyn. Jerry, leave me alone, I am not writing any stories about myself. Zack, don t look too closely at my work.

8 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 Page 8 Photo by Lou Jane Davis Photos by Willis L. Knight (yellow shirt) except as indicated. Fossil Hunt.. Other rock hounds made this hunt but didn t get caught in pictures. Our club joined up with the Arlington Gem Club and Lockheed-Martin Rock and Gem club to collect Horn Coral, Saturday May 20, The hunt was near Lake Brownwood State Park. We had a good time and got acquainted with some new members of our club and members from other clubs. We would like to thank Bob Boyd (blue shirt, top center) for leading the hunt and inviting us to go along. Bob Boyd and club members from Arlington have hunted with our club several times also. Photo by Jerry Diagram of Corals copied from TEXAS FOSSILS by William H. Mathews III collector s handbook.

9 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 Page 9 SECRETARY S REPORT CTGMS met May 1, 2006 at 7 pm. There were 32 members present and 3 guests, 2 of the guests joined the club the same night. Charlie Lightfoot reported that he, Dave and Beverly Vargo, and Bob & Helen Patterson attended the Lubbock show April 29th and 30th. The CTGMS had a total of 10 cases on display at the Lubbock show. Charlie said it was an enjoyable weekend and all of our club members were treated very well by the Lubbock people. Carlos Talley and Don Brenholtz gave a program at the Anson Lions Club on April 19th. The Lions Club had 20 members present and the president said it was the best program they had ever had. Sallie Lightfoot thanked everyone for their work and help at our show and a special thanks to Tony and Judy Steele for dealing with the dealers. JoAn Wilks introduced her guest, Kathy Hampton. JoAn will be our featured rockhound in the June issue. Look for that soon. Jerry Davis thanked everyone who helped on the show demonstration table. He reported there were 8 of our club members who helped out at the silver ring production at the Cisco Folklife Festival. Greg and Sue Forrest were also guests this night and joined the club. Welcome to Greg and Sue. Calvin Donaghey presented a good program on descriptive crystal habits. June refreshments to be furnished by Nell Gee, Donna Johnson, and Julie McCray. CELEBRATIONS BIRTHDAYS Larry Ross June 4 Randy Ward June 13 Betty Scarborough June 17 Joanne Bilskie June 21 Floyd Gee June 22 Marlene Bilberry June 25 JoAn Wilks June 25 Lynne Beddoe June 30 ANNIVERSARIES Floyd and Nell Gee June 17 Charles & Sallie Lightfoot June 30 The next board meeting will be May 29th. If you are a member of the board please try to be there... The budget for will be discussed and approved to go before the members at the meeting on June 5, CELEBRATIONS Jerry Davis is in Cardiac Rehab three days a week and doing well. Zack Stockton is back home from the hospital and recovering well.

10 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 Page 10 C T G M S PO Box 7343 Abilene, TX Editor: Jerry Davis jde@txol.net We are on the web: CLUB OFFICERS FOR 2006 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE A special thanks to Charlie Lightfoot, Bob and Helen Patterson and Dave and Beverly Vargo for making the trip to the Lubbock show. They took a number of our cases along with their own cases for display. Also, kudos to Dave Vargo, for his outstanding work. He walked away with the best display of the show. This is not the first time for Dave. He has accomplished the same credits at other shows. Congratulations, Dave. May 29 th, we will be having our Board meeting. We will be discussing our 2006 show and new ideas for the 2007 show and upcoming classes. If you have any suggestions please advise a Board member so we can discuss it at our meeting. All Board members please plan to be at this meeting at 7:30pm May 29 th. MISSION STATEMENT MISSION STATEMENT The Central Texas Gem and Mineral Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of rocks, minerals and fossils. We offer field trips and provide educational opportunities and instruction to members in a variety of areas related to the Lapidary Arts and Jewelry making. We also award a scholarship to a student enrolled at a local college in a field closely related to geology. We provide educational displays related to this hobby at shows of a similar interest. - Jerry President.. Carlos Talley Past President. Don Brenholtz Vice President. Charlie Lightfoot Sec/Treasurer... Norma Ann Harrison Editor Jerry Davis Committees/Chairpersons Show.. Sallie Lightfoot Field Trips Tony & Judy Steele Classes Zack Stockton Nominating. Ian Johnson Programs.. Ian Johnson Club House/Workshop.Charley Harrison Dealers for show. Tony & Judy Steele Budget Norma Ann Harrison Scholarship JoAn Wilks Show Demonstrations. Jerry Davis The Arlington Gem and Mineral Club invited our club to join them on May 20, at the Lake Brownwood area to collect Horn Coral. We had about ten members from our club attend the hunt. Everyone had a most enjoyable hunt. Thanks to the Arlington Club for the invite... Carlos What will I write this week? A R T I C L E S F O R T H E N E X T M O N T H S N E W S L E T T E R M U S T B E S U B M I T T E D B Y T H E 2 0 T H O F E A C H M O N T H.