Volume 4, Issue 1 January 2009

A GOOD YEAR
A brand new year is given us,
P.O. Box 234 It could be likened to a stone.
Needles, CA 92363 It can be polished and enhanced,
Or it can be left alone.
Editor:
Barbara Wiggins
bartobra@gmail.com We can sit and watch it pass,
And wish we had our youth,
Or we can use the years we have
In search of love and truth.

This year can be a better year,

We can shine it to a glow.
No year is bad, no year is good,
Just people make it so.

Let’s plan this year to be our best

By sharing love with others,
For peace will never thrive on earth
NEXT CLUB MEETING Until we live as brothers.
Jan 19 at 6:00 p.m. PST Source: Chiasto-HI-Lites via Calgary Lapidary Journal, 12/2008
First Baptist Church
1421 Commercial St.
Mohave Valley, AZ INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Usually 3rd Monday of each 2. Club Information
month, Oct-May 3. Refreshments Schedule/Upcoming Shows
4. Quartzsite Happenings/A Beginner Guide to Quartzsite
5. Polishing Compounds
BOARD MEETING
8. Act Blocks Burmese Jade & Ruby Imports
9. Power of Crystals
30 minutes before Club 10. Slab and Specimen Photography
meeting each month 11. Christmas Party
12. Hints ‘n Such
13. Upcoming Field Trips/Field Trip Report
Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club January 2009

NGMC INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE OBJECTIVES OF NGMC Membership per person: $15.00 year
Name Badge: $ 3.75
To promote public interest in collecting and Field Trip Fee: $ 1.00
studying rocks and minerals. “No Badge” fine: 25¢
To preserve and perpetuate the lapidary arts.
To provide field trips to obtain lapidary FIELD TRIP GUIDELINES - NGMC
material and minerals for preservation and
display. • Leader will state approximately how far,
To provide an opportunity for the purchase, road conditions, and if 4WD is required when
exchange and exhibition of specimens and each field tripper signs in.
materials. • Each car is to keep the car behind in sight
and STOP if the car is not in sight (unless
The NGMC meets the third Monday of each otherwise stated by the leader).
month from October through May at 6:00 • Field trippers will notify the leader if they
p.m. Pacific Time unless otherwise notified. are hiking or driving to another site and their
approximate return time.
NGMC - 2009 • Field trippers will notify the leader if they
President: Ann Ferguson 928-768-7150
are leaving the group and sign out (with time).
Vice President: Allan Reed 928-763-3511 • Members wear name badges.
Treasurer: Lori Clary 928-234-3391 • Handheld radios: stay on Channel 6
Secretary: Sally Hayward 928-768-7437
Past President: Corinne More 760-326-5005 The Blue Agate News is published monthly
Past President: Barb Ballard 928-768-6335 except June, July, August and September.
Auditor: Ramona Peterson 928-854-1853 Articles are requested to be to the editor by
Facilities Chair: Faith Reed 928-763-3511
Field Trip Chair: Bob Ferguson 928-768-7150
the 15th of each month, preferably by email
Membership Chair: Gisela New 928-768-5640 at bartobra@gmail.com or call (928) 453-
Refreshments Chair: Faith Reed 928-763-3511 0948. The Blue Agate News is also published
Sgt at Arms: Pat New 928-768-5640 via email - if you have internet, please share
Sunshine Chair: your address with the Editor. This saves the
Newsletter Editor: Barbara Wiggins 928-453-0948
club money and you will have the newsletter
HONORARY LIFETIME MEMBERS immediately. The Newsletter is in PDF format
so it will be necessary to download Adobe
George Truitt Reader (free program) in order to view the
Norma Truitt newsletter. You can also view the newsletter
Myrna Givens on line at http://needlesgemmineralclub.blog
Corinne More spot.com/. Please e-mail Barbara with
Tom More information at bartobra@gmail.com.
Membership dues are payable at the The Blog (Web Log) – Blue Agate News
November meeting and delinquent after Online is free and can be updated frequently
January 1. Please send dues to the official October through May. If you have information
Club address on the first page of this you want posted, please email it to Sally at
Newsletter, attention: Treasurer. rockhound.ngmc@gmail.com or sign up to
contribute directly to the Blog. You may
This Club is a member of the California access the Blog at: http://needlesgem
Federation of Mineralogical Societies (CFMS) mineralclub.blogspot.com/
http://www.cfmsinc.org/.

2
Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club
Refreshments Schedule
January 2009 – Karen F.
February 2009 – Mona D. & Kathy S.
March 2009 – Carolyn L. & Linda C.
April 2009 – Season End Pot Luck
October 2009 –
November 2009 – Paula A. & Gisela N.
December – Christmas Party Pot Luck
UPCOMING SHOWS
Jan 9-11--DEL MAR, CA: Show; Gem Faire Inc.;
Del Mar Fairgrounds/Exhibit Hall, 2260 Jimmy
Durante Blvd.; Fri. 12-7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5; $5
weekend pass; contact Yooy Nelson, (503) 252-
8300; e-mail: info@gemfaire.com; Website:
www.gemfaire.com.
Jan 9-11--MESA, AZ: Show, "Flagg Gem &
Mineral Show"; Arizona Mineral & Mining Museum
Foundation; Mesa Community College, northeast
corner of US 60 and Dobson Rd.; Fri., Sat. & Sun.
9-5; free admission; free activities and samples
for children and teachers, more than 80 dealers,
minerals, fossils, jewelry, beads, special displays,
including the famous Peralta Stones; contact Ray
Grant, (480) 814-9086; e-mail: raycyn@cox.net.
Jan 9-11--POMONA, CA: Show, "The New
Jewelry, Gem, Bead & Mineral Show," High Sierra
Investment Group Inc.; LA Fairgrounds Fairplex,
Bldg. 5, 1101 W. McKinley Ave.; Fri. 12-6, Sat.
10-7, Sun. 10-5; adults $6, seniors and students
$3, children free; door prizes, gold-panning
specialist and certified gemologist and appraiser
on hand; contact High Sierra Investment Group
Inc., 20385 Pahute Rd., Apple Valley, CA 92308,
(702) 869-0269; e-mail: GEFisher39@aol.com;
Website: www.HighSierraInvestments.net.
Jan 23-25--BAKERSFIELD, CA: Show, "The New
Jewelry, Gem, Bead & Mineral Show"; High Sierra
Investment Group Inc.; Bakersfield Convention
Center, 515 Truxtum Ave.; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-7,
Sun. 10-5; adults $6, seniors and students $3,
children free; door prizes, gold-panning specialist
and certified gemologist and appraiser on hand;
contact High Sierra Investment Group Inc., 20385
3
January 2009
Pahute Rd., Apple Valley, CA 92308, (702) 869-
0269; e-mail: GEFisher39@aol.com; Website:
www.HighSierraInvestments.net.
Jan 31-Feb 14--TUCSON, AZ: Show, "Arizona
Mineral & Fossil Show"; Martin Zinn Expositions;
The InnSuites Hotel, 475 N. Granada, and The
Mineral & Fossil Marketplace, 1333 N. Oracle Rd.,
and Quality Inn, 1025 E. Benson Highway, and
Ramada Ltd., 665 N. Freeway; 10-6 daily; free
admission; more than 400 dealers from all over
the world, free shuttle bus to other shows, Artists'
Gallery at the InnSuites Hotel; contact Martin Zinn
Expositions, P.O. Box 665, Bernalillo, NM 87004-
0665, fax (505) 867-0073; e-mail: mz0955@aol.
com; Website: www.mzexpos.com.
Feb 2-9--TUCSON, AZ: Show, "Bead
Renaissance Show"; J&J Promotions LLC; 3340
E. Michigan, next to the Holidome and Gem Mall;
Mon. - Wed. 10-6, Thu. 10-9, Fri. & Sat. 10-6;
contact J&J Promotions LLC, P.O. Box 420,
Williamsburg, NM 87942, (575) 894-1293; e-mail:
info@beadshow.com; Website: www.beadshow.com.
Feb 13-22--INDIO, CA: Show; San Gorgonio
Mineral & Gem Society; Riverside County Fair-
grounds, Gem & Mineral Bldg., 46-350 Arabica
St.; 10-10 daily; county fair and National Date
Festival; contact Bert Grisham, (951) 849-1674.
Feb 20-22--SANTA BARBARA, CA: Show; Gem
Faire Inc.; Earl Warren Showgrounds/Exhibit Hall,
3400 Calle Real; Fri. 12-7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5;
$5 weekend pass; contact Yooy Nelson, (503)
252-8300; e-mail: info@gemfaire.com; Website:
www.gemfaire.com.
Feb 27-28--NORTHRIDGE, CA: Show, "GEM-
boree"; The Del Air Rockhounds; United
Methodist Church, 9650 Reseda Blvd.; Fri. 3-9:30,
Sat. 10-5; free admission; educational activities,
demonstrations, games, exhibits, beads, gems,
jewelry, minerals, fossils, silent auction, tools,
books, boutique, plants; contact Julie Marin, (818)
886-7190; e-mail: DelAirRockhounds@gmail.com;
Website: http://delairrockhounds.blogspot.com.
Feb 27-29--COSTA MESA, CA: Show; Gem Faire
Inc.; OC Fair & Event Center/Bldg. 10, 88 Fair Dr.;
Fri. 12-7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5; $5 weekend pass;
contact Yooy Nelson, (503) 252-8300; e-mail:
info@gemfaire.com; Website: www.gemfaire.com.
Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club
QUARTZSITE HAPPENINGS
SHOWS
Prospectors Panorama - 4 Shows, Nov 1 - Feb 15
Rice Ranch “Yawl Come” Show - Nov 1 - Feb 28
Desert Gardens International Rock, Gem, Mineral
& Jewelry Show - Jan 1 - Feb 28
Tyson Wells - Rock/Gem/Mineral Show - Jan 2 - 11
9-5 daily - www.tysonwells.com
Tyson Wells - Sell-A-Rama - Jan 16 – 25 - 9-5
daily
Tyson Wells - Art & Craft Fair - Jan 30 - Feb 8
Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show - Jan 17 - 25
The Main Event - Jan 10 – 25 - General Swap
meeting/Rocks/Gems/Arts/Crafts/Hit & Miss
The Main Event - Jan 23 – 25 – Steam Engine
Show - mainevnt@rraz.net
Annual QIA Pow Wow - Jan 21 - 25
Hobby, Craft & Gem Show - Jan 28 - Feb 1 -
www.quartzsitervshow.com
Rock & Roll Classic Car Show – Jan 28 - Feb 8
OTHER EVENTS
6th Annual "It's Chili in Quartzsite" Chili Cook-Off
& State Salsa Championship - Feb 28 - www.qz
chamber.com
Hi Jolly Daze Parade - Jan 3 - www.quartzsite
tourism.us
4th Annual Willpower/Pawpower ATV Parade -
Feb 7
Tyson Wells Bluegrass Festival - Feb 27 - Mar 1
4
January 2009
SEASONAL SWAPMEETING
Stage Coach Swapmeet - 1-928-927-8161
Totem Swap Lot - 1-928-927-8433
Hi Ali Swapmeet - 1-928-927-6791
Jenn's Place - 1-928-927-6605
Greasewood Park N Sell - 1-760-922-6322
Quartzsite Showplace - 1-928-927-4077
Quartzsite Traditional Swapmeet - 1-928-927-
7792
Lark - 520-906-0866
Liquidator Depot - 619-247-2347
A BEGINNER GUIDE TO QUARTZSITE
by Terry Caskey, CCM&G member
Have you heard of Quartzsite and don't have any
idea what it's all about? Well, I suppose that
everyone who goes there has a different
experience, but everyone with an interest in
gems, minerals, rocks, junk, RV's, old books,
rockhounders, camaraderie, or desert scenery
should go there sometime.
Some people go year after year, but I've only
been there a few times. Quartzsite is located in
the Arizona desert, a few miles past the California
border on the way from Palm Springs to Phoenix.
The first time I saw it was mid-January 2003. We
were driving east on I-10 in Arizona and topped a
hill that overlooked the valley. Below was a small
town with a couple of gas stations surrounded by
thousands of motor homes and trailers covering
the desert floor for miles. The Chamber of
Commerce claims 1.5 million people visit in the
winter.
Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club
During the 1960's some of the “Snowbirds” who
had been coming to the area for years started a
group called the Quartzsite Improvement
Association (QIA). They were interested in
improving the town and bringing some structure to
their winter life. One of their first fundraisers was
a rockhound tailgate show in 1967, which
apparently was quite successful. It has become
the QIA Pow Wow, the center piece of activities
the last Wednesday through Sunday in January.
It is one of the largest rockhound gatherings
anywhere; with a large building filled with world
class display cases and more than 400 dealers
both in the building and the surrounding Pow
Wow property.
The town has grown a little since that first tailgate
sale, with a few houses, a police and fire dept., a
library, some stores, RV campgrounds,
restaurants, etc. The summer population is
probably no more than a thousand or so, but
during the winter there are tens of thousands of
people in the motels and camped in RV's all over
the desert for miles in every direction. Many clubs
and other groups camp together on the BLM land
surrounding town. We stayed with the Old Timers
Gem and Mineral Club, north of town in a free
area. Some places closer to town require a small
camping fee.
In addition to the Pow Wow, there are many other
dealers and vendors selling jewelry, rocks, rough
material, crafts, fossils, stuff, things, crystals, and
whatever. If you really want it, you probably can
find it in Quartzsite. These dealers operate
between early December and the end of
February. Toward the end of January, they set up
an enormous tent and hold a huge RV and sports
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January 2009
equipment show followed by a Hobby Craft and
Gem Show then a Classic Car show in early
February.
If you get tired of going to shows and flea
markets, there are many other things to do and
see around Quartzsite. Ye Olde Timers Gem and
Mineral Club has a charity auction towards the
end of January and the QIA offers classes and
field trips to the surrounding area. The sunsets
are often spectacular if you are interested in
photography, and if you like old, used books,
check out the Readers Oasis.
Source: Diablo Diggin’s, 12/2007, via The
RockCollector, 12/2008
POLISHING COMPOUNDS
by Dick Friesen
Everyone wants to know what the “best” polishing
compound is and how it is used. Unfortunately I
don't think there is a single “best”, just a better
one for the stone in question, depending on your
technique. But here are some of my thoughts on
the subject.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM:
Any recommendation for polishing difficult gems
needs the added statement that the technique
used is as important as the polishing compound
selected. The techniques are not well described
in any book, and I have found many books to be
hard to follow or contradictory. Most books
describe techniques for agate and that is about
all. Since agate is about the easiest material to
polish, that is not too helpful.
Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club
In any discussion on polishing you can't really
separate the sanding and polishing steps. If you
are trying to polish a stone with magnesium
(nephrite, serpentine, etc.); manganese
(rhodonite, rhodochrosite, etc.); or any stone that
has areas of differing hardness (lepidolite,
charoite, etc.) expect to spend some time
developing your sanding technique if you expect
good polishing results. Most lapidary material will
polish relatively easily if it has been properly
prepared.
TECHNIQUE
When reading this, please remember: the
information herein is based on the results
achieved using my techniques. Your results with
your techniques may be different. When I cut I
usually work 50 to 100 stones at a time and
patience is not my long suit. I sand with a lot of
water. I normally use Crystalite 8”x3” diamond
belts with moderate to heavy pressure at 1140
rpm. Polishing is done with 4” Flexodiscs and my
compound of choice on soft leather at 1140 or
1725 rpm. I normally mix my polishes on the thin
(watery) side and apply them with a spray bottle.
Then I let the heat from polishing dry the polish
until it starts to pull. I buy scraps of leather and
cut my own pads. I have a fairly complete set of
Diamond Pacific, Crystalite, Hi-Tech, Raytech,
and 3M diamond products, most of them set up so
I can quickly try different wheels to see which is
working best on whatever I am cutting. My
normal sanding sequence is: 220, 600, 800, 1200
or 1800, and 3000 or 3500 with steps left out
depending on how the particular stone is cutting.
POLISHING THEORY:
Here is a quick overview on the state of polishing
theory as I understand it. From: “CERIUM A
Guide to its Role in Chemical Technology” by
Barry T. Kilbourn, Published in 1995 by Molycorp,
Inc.
POLISHING THEORY, AS APPLIED TO GLASS
“Polishing is the act of producing a sufficient
degree of surface smoothness so that light,
transmitted or reflected at that surface, is not
disturbed by surface irregularities. The polishing
mechanism is still poorly understood at the
chemical/molecular level. Polishing results in
glass removal and does show a dependence on
chemical properties of the glass. The nature of
the liquid present during polishing is crucial and
6
January 2009
only if active hydroxyl groups are present, in
alcohols for example but especially in water, does
the polishing phenomenon happen.
When a glass - typically an alkali silicate - is in
contact with water, a complicated series of steps
take place: ion exchange, dissolution of glass
constituents and possible structural changes. A
surface region of the glass is modified and it is
this softer hydrated layer that is removed or
reformed during glass polishing. Classic
abrasives produce an improvement in surface
finish but leave a fine but definite roughness, the
scale of which relates to the grain size of abrasive
used. Several not-so-hard oxides are reasonable
polishing agents and can remove and/or reform
the soft hydrated layer. In general, optimum
polishing rate coincides approximately with a
Mohs hardness for the polish of around 6.5, very
close to the hardness of most glasses.” ACIDITY
AND ALKALINITY There is an argument that
using a polishing agent that has a high or low PH
will enhance the formation of the hydrated layer
and speed up the polishing process. This
argument says that for best results, you should
add vinegar to polishes for the quartz family to
lower the PH and add borax or use colloidal silica
on stones containing magnesium or manganese.
to raise the PH. Unfortunately it does not explain
the fact that industrial process use cerium oxide in
water, an alkali, to polish glass. Regardless, I
have used vinegar when polishing agate and
obsidian and it does seem to help. I think it
shortens the life of the leather pads, though.
SURFACE TENSION
There is another argument that says that the
correct answer is to lower the surface tension and
that is all the vinegar or borax is doing. This
theory says that the best additive is ethyl alcohol.
Reducing surface tension reduces the surface-to-
surface drag which eliminates chatter, resulting in
a smoother surface. The surface tension of water
is 73 dynes per centimeter and ethyl alcohol is
22.3 dynes per centimeter. (I have not tried this
yet.)
HYDRATED LAYER THEORY
There are those who argue that the finer and finer
scratch theory, when using diamond, is wrong and
diamond polishing is just another way of removing
the hydrated layer. I believe that several years
ago I saw a paper showing scanning electron
Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club
microscope photos of the surface of agate. The
agate had been polished with diamond compound
and the SEM photos showed the scratches. I
have been unable to find a copy of this paper and
I am relying on my memory for this.
(Unfortunately, at my age, memory is the second
thing to go - I don't remember what the first thing
was.)
I think in reality there is more than one way to
accomplish a polish and there is probably some
validity to all of the theories.
THE OLD STAND-BYS:
The oxides of cerium, tin, and chrome, as well as
Zam (a proprietary mixture of aluminum oxide and
chrome oxide with an unidentified binder) have
been used for years. With patience almost all
gem materials can be successfully polished with
them. But newer polishes are available and in
most cases are superior.
Getting good quality cerium oxide can sometimes
be a problem. Cerium oxide has been the polish
of choice for the glass polishing industry. It has
the advantage of being inexpensive and it can be
formulated specifically for several different
industrial processes. Unfortunately much of the
cerium oxide that is available to lapidaries
apparently comes from manufacturer's “over-
runs.” Most, if not all, of the cerium oxide polishes
are “optical grade” because that is what the
industry uses them for most commonly.
Unfortunately, not all of it is formulated correctly
for lapidary use. You sometimes hear of
“contaminated” polish but I think this is rarely the
case. I think most lapidary supply houses get
their polishes from a distributor, not directly from
the manufacturer. I don't think we use enough for
a manufacture to produce a run just for us. What
I think happens is that the supply house asks the
distributor for “cabbing grade” and the distributor,
not knowing what that is, says he has this good
buy on “optical grade” and that's what we get.
Unfortunately, I can't help with a current source of
cerium oxide, I got a large supply many years ago
and I have not needed to replace it yet.
Cerium oxide is the beginners' polish of choice for
silicon dioxide (quartz family minerals). How it
polishes glass, and therefore agate, opal and
obsidian, has been relatively well researched. It
is tolerant of a wide range of pressure and I have
7
January 2009
used it on hard and soft leather, wood, felt, and
synthetic pads. I won't say that there were no
differences but the differences were not large
enough to worry about. I put it on relatively wet
and let the heat of polishing dry it until I feel it pull.
I use tin oxide on soft leather on stones softer
than obsidian and harder than plastic. On plastic
(stabilized turquoise) I use Zam on a muslin buff.
Chrome oxide has been recommended for years
for stones that undercut or contain magnesium or
manganese. For a long time I used chrome oxide
mixed one to five with a 50/50 water-vinegar
solution and 10% Linde A on hard leather. Now
though, I find I have better luck with aluminum
oxide and I rarely use chrome oxide any more.
COLLOIDAL POLISHES:
Colloidal polishes fundamentally are just the
polish mixed with a dispersant to keep the
particles from settling out. (I know a chemist
would have a fit over that definition, but that is
what the manufacturer said.) Because these
compounds hold the abrasive in suspension
better, they should require less polish to be
effective, and should be faster then the standard
polishes.
Colloidal silica has a higher PH than most of the
oxide polishes and should be one of the better
polishes for lapis and rhodonite. I have tried to
find the actual PH for polishes but I have not had
any luck. The only information I have is that most
(all?) of the oxides are alkalis and that colloidal
silica is more alkaline than the others.
What I have seen so far has not been
encouraging though. These polishes were
developed for faceting and may work better in that
application, but I'm not a faceter. For cabbing, I
have not been too impressed. They will polish,
but I don't think they're any better than the non-
colloidal version.
Colloidal polishes of diamond, alumina, silica,
cerium, tin, and chrome are available from: Rick
Ford at mAji, PO Box 426, Beavercreek, Oregon
97004-0426, (503)632-3653.
ALUMINUM OXIDE:
There are several different aluminum oxides and
each has its place. The one that one hears about
most is Linde A. This is a .3 micron polish that
Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club
has been around for a long time. Linde also
makes a .05 micron polish called Linde B and a
1.0 micron polish called Linde C. The Linde B is a
little softer, 8 vs. 9 on the mohs scale. There are
industrial processes that use the B and C polishes
but they are not commonly used in the lapidary
field. Linde A could be listed as an old stand-by
except for its price: all of the Linde polishes are
about $100 a pound. Reynolds has a set of
polishes available through Diamond Pacific
(Diamond Pacific Tool Corp., 2620 W. Main St.,
Barstow, CA 92311, (800) 253-2954) and I have
had very good luck with their 0.2 micron polish at
about $23 a pound.
FitzCorp Inc. (P. O. Box 565, Point Blank, TX
77364, (409) 377-2409) has a 0.1 micron polish
that they have a lot of research into. I have had
good results with it. At $12.50 a pound I think it is
a “best buy”.
Myers 0.3 micron Rapid Polish (P.O. Box 646,
Keller, Texas 76244, (817) 379-5662) gets my
vote as the best jade polish I have tried yet. I
wrote an article in the June 1998 Rock and Gem
magazine. (Rock and Gem can be reached at
(805)644-3824 if you are interested in back
issues.) There is something about its structure
that controls “orange peel” - the pitting resulting
from some attempts to polish jade and other
difficult stones - better than other polishes. There
are several other suppliers of aluminum oxide
polishing compounds and I think if you compare
equal particle sizes they are all about equal in
their results - but I have not tried all of them. I find
as time goes on I am using aluminum oxides
oftener and the old standbys less. Again
technique plays a large part in this. I normally mix
it thin and apply it with a spray bottle, then polish
until the stone pulls. I have tried thick pastes
applied with a brush and mixtures of water and
vinegar and found very little difference in the
polish; so use whatever technique works for you.
DIAMOND COMPOUND:
For difficult stones, this has been many cutters'
polish of choice for a long time, but I am not one
of them. I think the extender fluid hides the
surface too much and it takes too long to get the
polish I want. However, I know others use it and
like it.
8
January 2009
DIAMOND POLISHING BELTS:
There are several manufacturers of diamond
polishing belts and wheels and all do an excellent
job on agate. If you do mostly agate I think the
convenience is hard to beat. But with the harder-
to-polish stones I always seem to do better with
one of the other compounds.
Source: Gem Cutters News, 10/2008
ACT BLOCKS BURMESE JADE & RUBY IMPORTS
The “Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act of
2008” is now in effect. Jadeite and rubies of
Burma origin cannot be imported into the United
States. This importation ban encompasses all
Burmese origin jadeite and rubies,
notwithstanding “substantial transformation” in
Thailand or elsewhere. Burma is also known as
Myanmar.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection have issued
new Harmonized Tariff System codes for all non-
Burmese rubies and jadeite imported into the U.S.
Shipments of rubies and jadeite from these non-
Burmese sources must use these codes when
entering the U.S.
President Bush issued a proclamation stating that
various U.S. government agencies, including
Homeland Security, Customs, State, Treasury
and the U.S. Trade Representative would take up
the implementation of various requirements of the
Act.
The importation ban does not apply to Burmese
jadeite or rubies that are imported for personal
use, meaning for personal wear by the importer.
Further, the bill does not address U.S. sales of
any inventory of Burmese jadeite or rubies
currently in the U.S. U.S. jewelers can sell
existing inventories of Burmese jadeite and rubies
already in the U.S.
Cecilia Gardner, Jewelers Vigilance Committee
(JVC) president, CEO and general counsel, said
the Act has a serious and long-term impact on
U.S. jewelry manufacturers who import jadeite
and rubies.
Source: http://www.jvclegal.org
Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club
POWER OF CRYSTALS
By Matty Z. Sereda
Willowdale Gem & Mineral Club
The world of
crystals is
fascinating
and it is on
the subject
of quartz
that I am
writing
about. I hold. The fact that each crystal has a repeated
have held a
deep-seated
curiosity
about quartz
ever since I
was a child.
Strangely, it
is that interest in quartz crystals that has led me to
informally conduct a systematic study of ancient
religions and lore as well as seeking scientific
information about crystals.
Crystals have strange properties which have
captivated human kind since prehistoric times. In
remote antiquity, they were believed to have
magical powers and healing properties. Today
those beliefs still persist.
I've chosen to focus attention on quartz for a very
important reason; specifically, its piezoelectric
properties. When heat or pressure is applied to
quartz, it releases a negative charge. When the
pressure or heat is taken away, the crystal stores
a charge. Quartz resonates to its own frequency.
It is because of this resonance that quartz is used
in electronic devices. In computers and watches
it ensures time is kept as accurately as possible.
Why all the concern about the properties of
quartz? The answer is simple. We too are
chemical machines and as such we are affected
by electromagnetic fields. If you do not believe it,
try plunging a knife into an electrical socket and
see what happens. Could it be there are affects
(even minute ones) quartz crystals also have on
the human body and other living things? Because
quartz crystals vibrate to their own frequency,
some believe they too can aid us in harmonizing
our vibrations through the healing and restorative
universal forces of light and sound. The late
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January 2009
Marcel Vogel (once an employee of IBM)
conducted experiments on quartz crystals and
found that the energies quartz stored and emitted
could be useful in the healing and restorative
processes.
The dividing lines that separate faith from science
can become somewhat blurred if one is open to
the possibility that crystals may perhaps be
beneficial to us. Even if one is not interested in
the strange properties of crystals, one must agree
they are beautiful to look at and interesting to
pattern and follows a specific order within its
structure is sufficient to catch one's attention even
for a moment. They are truly magical things in
themselves and not one is the same; just like us;
not one is the same. We are made of the same
thing crystals are made of - star dust. How
precious we all are. Made from the dust of
ancient suns; able to experience such beauty; to
appreciate the wonder of it all.
When I hold
a quartz
crystal in
my hand, I
imagine
what it
would be
like to be
inside; to
experience
and see the inclusions within the structure of
quartz; landscapes with rainbows and cloudy
skies and perhaps a waterfall. I find that by
holding a crystal and by imagining what may be
inside, I am able to be more open the creative
juices that are available to us all. Crystals bring to
surface the wonder of nature and of life. Try it
yourself sometime. Pick up a favorite crystal and
look into it to see what can be seen. Look at its
beauty and consider how ordered it appears.
Realize what you are holding is valuable because
there likely isn't another one like it anywhere just
as there isn't another you or me anywhere else.
For what it is worth. That's My Opinion .
Source: Vox Rox, 12/2008, via The
RockCollector, 12/2008
Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club January 2009

SLAB AND SPECIMEN PHOTOGRAPHY

By Bruce Mensinger More elaborate equipment adds complication,
expense and clutter; it also adds, in skilled hands,
Rock slabs and mineral specimens are often greater capability and higher quality results. I
remarkably beautiful. I like to see and to share recommend starting out simply, then adding and
the excitement of a fresh-cut slab, to discover the upgrading as your interest and skills grow.
intricate structure and pattern within the stone.
Photography allows a way to add to and share Accessories and Aids
this fascination and excitement. What to add depends on what limitations you
encounter. Blurry pictures caused by camera
Outer Purpose or Use shake are reduced by using brighter lights and a
Photography has a wide variety of uses and tripod (specimens and jewelry) or a copy stand
serves all sorts of purposes. A few include: (slabs). Glare and reflections can be minimized
illustration, advertising, documentation, art, by careful light placement and by a polarizing filter
scientific study, teaching and professional on the camera lens and, in some situations, also
specialty. on light sources. Lighten dark shadows with
added lights or reflectors such as small mirrors
Inner or Personal Purpose and white paper reflectors. Dull colors resulting
For the photographer, slab and specimen from surface glare require better polish (on slabs)
photography can provide a challenging subject, or smaller diameter, more distant light sources;
allow communication and alternatively,
sharing, offer expressive immersion in
potential (art), and foster water can often
exploration and discovery. substitute for
surface polish.
Equipment and Supplies
To begin, the basic Positioning and
requirements are a holding a slab
camera, a place to work, or specimen is
light and a subject; all else aided by
are refinements and aids. museum clay or
a beanbag. A
Most modern cameras are bubble level is
digital and are usually far invaluable for
superior to film cameras for leveling a slab
close-up photography. and a camera
They offer direct viewing so that focus is
on an LCD panel, near maintained over
zero cost per image the entire image
recorded (encouraging area. Add
experimentation), often have a macro (close props, stands, clamps, rubber bands and tape as
focus) setting, automatically set focus and necessity dictates to direct or block light and to
exposure, and allow immediate review of the position the camera or subject.
recorded image. Three mega pixels is good
enough for high-definition TV quality; more mega Fancy stuff, such as fiber optic lights, polarizer for
pixels allows for very large prints or to enlarge a lights, a microscope, high-end cameras,
small portion of the recorded image. specialized lenses, and professional software, is
for after you are hooked on photography as much
A place to work can be a table, desk or or more than you are already involved with rocks
countertop. Lighting can be sunshine or electric and minerals.
lights such as a desk lamp that can direct light to
fall on the subject and not on the camera. The
subject is the slab or specimen. Source: The Nugget, 11/2008
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Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club January 2009

CHRISTMAS PARTY
On December 15 we gathered together to
celebrate the Christmas season with a wonderful
feast prepared by our members.

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Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club
Hints ‘n Such
These hints were gathered primarily from the
bulletins of other clubs. They have not been
evaluated for safety or reliability and could be
unsafe or could cause damage to your project.
Please use caution and safety when trying out
any new idea.
Wipe a piece of chalk over your jeweler's files.
The chalk keeps the file from clogging and you
can blow the chalk out. Silversmiths draw your
jeweler's saw through a hunk of old candle wax or
beeswax. It will coat the blade and you can saw
faster.
Source: Golden Spike News, 5/2004, via The
Nugget, 11/2008
`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°
An aluminum scriber is often used with a template
to outline stones. This same scriber can give you
an idea as to the hardness of a particular stone. If
you can see the mark but have to look carefully,
the stone is about 7 Mohs. If the mark is very
bold, the stone is about 5 Mohs. If the mark
cannot be seen, the stone is more than 7 Mohs.
Source: by Dug Duggel, Ft Lewis Rock Club
News via The Rockcollector, 4/2005
`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°
Tourmaline and garnet both chip. Grind carefully
on well-dressed wheels. Both stones are fairly
heat sensitive. Sand wet. Linde A on leather is a
good polishing combination for these gems.
Source: Skagitt Gems, 1/2001, via Calgary
Lapidary Journal, 4/2008
`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°
Mineral Oil has many uses. It is fine for
preserving borax crystals from hydration changes.
It makes varisite a deeper green and improves the
appearance of fluorites and calcites.
Source: The Memphis Archaeological Society via
Rockhound Rambling, 12/2005
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January 2009
`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°
Good old Elmer's Glue mixed 50/50 with warm
water works wonders at maintaining that "wet
look" on all types of materials, including most
shells. Just brush it on and let it dry if it gets
dusty or dulled simply soak it in warm water and
reapply. I learned this technique from one of my
mentors when I wanted to display some petrified
wood that looked great when wet but looked like a
plain old rock dry.
Source: Clyde Gilbert, Oct 24, 2007, at Yahoo
Groups, Rock Collecting and Field Trips
`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°
Use tin oxide dry on leather to polish fire agate -
polishes in a heartbeat! Heat causes the top
surface of the stone to flow, making it glassy.
Source: The Pegmatite, 2/2004, via Rockhound
Ramblings, 5/2007
`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°
If you have an item that has been epoxied
incorrectly, it can be taken apart by soaking it in
household vinegar. It works and is inexpensive.
Source: Calgary Lapidary Journal, date unknown,
via Rockhound Rambling, 11&12/2008
`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°
If you have a lot of dopping to do, a good way to
keep stones at an even temperature is in an
electric frying pan set at 200-250 degrees.
Source: Rolling Rock Club newsletter, original
date unknown via Rockhound Rambling,
11&12/2008
`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°
Moonstone will cleave. Be sure to grind it on a
smooth wheel. It polishes nicely on felt with
cerium oxide.
Source: Skagitt Gems, 1/2001, via Calgary
Lapidary Journal, 4/2008
Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club January 2009

UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS

Jan 10 Alamo Road – Linda
Jan 24 Oscar Jasper – Allan

Feb 7 Rainbow Jasper/Agate/Chert – Jim

Feb 21 Earp – Jim

Mar 7 Planet Ranch – Linda

Mar 21 Ludlow Weekend – Bob

Apr 11 Squiggly Jasper – Linda/Jim

Apr 25 Needles Mine – Bob

May 9 Golden Shores – Linda

FIELD TRIP REPORT

Dec 7, 2008

There were 14 people and 1 dog in 4 vehicles on

the field trip to the Chambless area.

Garnets held together with soft matrix

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Blue Agate News Needles Gem & Mineral Club January 2009

BLUE AGATE NEWS

NEEDLES GEM & MINERAL CLUB
PO BOX 234
NEEDLES, CA 92363-0234

Exchange Bulletins Welcome!

Please send Exchange Bulletins to the address above
Or email to rockhound.ngmc@gmail.com

WYOAQHA photo ‘07

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