Tarheel Tailings€¦ · 919 803-4899 George Harris – Vice-President January Tom Todaro...

Tarheel Tailings February 2020

Volume 48, Issue 2

In this Issue:

Prez Sez 1

The Heart Cut 1

Treasurer’s Reports 3

November Minutes 3

Tribute to Bob Crocker 5

Announcements 7

A newsletter for Gem and Mineral enthusiasts in and around the Raleigh, North Carolina area

Prez Sez by Anthony Andreoli

This months meeting will be our second grab bag build for our annu-al show in April. Our first build we got almost 400 bags made. Our goal is 1000 bags so we need over 600 more! Thanks to one of our vendors at the show, Jeff Schlottmann, we were able to get some re-ally nice material from the Tucson Gem and mineral show!! Cyndy al-so got us more polished stone to fill bags as well. So everyone please check you collections and bring in all your smaller specimens so we can reach our 1000 bag goal!! Beverly will be providing food and beverages for this meeting. Hope to see you all on Feb. 18th.

Anthony Andreoli, President Tar Heel Gem and Mineral Club, Inc.

What To Do With This All This Rough: Heart Cut

Though most gem cuts are based on sim-

pler geometric shapes, the heart cut’s out-

line is unique—its cleft cuts into its outline.

The reason for creating this unusual shape

seems to be the cultural significance of the

shape. The heart as a symbol of love was

first seen at the end of the middle ages,

becoming more popular in the 1400s and

1500s. There are records of heart shaped

gems dating back to the 1400s, though in

modern times the same stones might be

called drops or rounded triangles (as they do not include a defined

cleft). Other historical jewelry depicted a heart by surrounding a pear-

shaped stone with a more heart shaped frame of smaller stones, or

combining two pears into a heart shape.

As an interesting aside, in Napoleonic times (early 1800s) hearts were

combined with acrostic messages based on the first letter of each

stone featured. The bracelet shown here is described as saying

Continued on page 6

The Smithsonian’s Blue Heart

Diamond

Image: https://geogallery.si.edu

https://www.bejeweledmag.com/have-a-heart/

Tarheel Tailings

Tar Heel Gem & Mineral Club, Inc.

PO Box 33783,

Raleigh, NC 27636-3783

Anthony Andreoli– President

[email protected] (919) 803-4899

George Harris – Vice-President


Linda Searcy – Treasurer


Beverly House – Secretary

[email protected]

919-389-1821

Lindsey Bradsher – Newsletter Editor and Committee Member

[email protected]

(919) 451-9158

Katelyn Hennessey – Field-Trip Coord.

[email protected]

Cyndy Hummel-Show Chairperson

and Committee Member

[email protected] 919-779-6220

We’re on the Web! See us at:

www.tarheelclub.org

Refreshments:

February: Beverly

Beverages: Beverly

Remember, the club will reimburse you for up to $85

(bring your receipts to the treasurer)

Program Schedule:

January: Tom Todaro’s Safety Presentation

February: Grab Bags

March: Grab Bags and Show Information

April: TBA

May: TBA

June: TBA

July: TBA

August: TBA

September: TBA

October: TBA

November: TBA

February Birthdays

Cindy Sanchez

Daniel Davis

Deborah Bodolus

Greg Dillon

James Jin

Jeanne Billman

John DuBois

Kenyata Thompson

Michael Guerriero

Susan Korn

Victor Krynicki

Treasurer’s Report by Linda Searcy

Tar Heel Gem & Mineral Club, Inc.—January Meeting Minutes NCSU Craft Center Thompson Hall 210 Jensen Dr, Raleigh, NC 27606 7:00 pm Like us on Facebook at: Tar Heel Gem & Mineral Club, Inc. Minutes 01/21/2020 Attendees (Members): 38 Visitors: 6 New Members: 6 TOTAL Attending: 50

Birthdays:

Food: Pizza- Beverly House Drinks- Beverly House

Meeting called to order at 7:00 pm by Beverly House, Secretary

Welcome- Beverly House

Recognition of Birthdays, Guests and New Members

Important Business

• Membership dues

Karen and Linda accepted checks and cash for membership/new membership dues at meeting

Encouraged everyone to go online and re-new/sign up for membership

Renew membership prompt not available un-til renewal date on computer.

No notification email or alert sent to mem-bers for renewal- need to address this with webmaster

• Website

Encouraged everyone to check the website for membership dues and field trip infor-mation

Field trip sign up page- include information about what is typically found at the location- to help people decide if it is a trip they want to participate in

• Grab bags

Next grab bag build for the April show is dur-ing the February meeting

Tarheel Tailings

Please bring rocks, gems, minerals for grab bag supplies- all donations greatly appreciated

When on field trips, please contribute to grab bag material with rocks you do not want

Goal for next grab bag build is 610 bags- we did 390 at last build and out overall goal for the show is 1000

Presentation- Annual Safety Presentation by Tom Todaro

• THGMC field trips

Members are required to pre-register for trips and sign necessary paperwork if they are coming as a member of THGMC.

Proper safety clothing/equipment is manda-tory

We are guests at quarries- the quarry site manager and the THGMC Field trip coordi-nator set the expectations for safety

• Open Field Trips

Not covered by THGMC insurances

Will not need to pre-register

Safety first- use your best judgement for pro-tective gear when on open field trips

General Discussion

• UV Flashlights- Greg asked members if they are interested in UV flashlights- we are in pro-cess of ordering them to sell again at the April show and he needs headcount of members interested in purchasing them

• Ideas for future meetings

Swap meet- hold multiple times a year- tag it to meetings

Compare and Share night- hold several sim-ultaneous learning/sharing forums or breakout groups at the same time- Facet, cabochons, wire wrapping, etc.

Tom Gitchel brought geodes for us to look at- he offered to bring geodes for everyone to open at a meeting- he has device for opening them

Monthly stone showcase- designate a stone for each month and have a sample to show and tell about- to get members more familiar with dif-ferent stones- February- Rose Quartz, March Turquoise, etc.

• Jacob, one of newest members, shared a sap-phire he received recently

Spring 2020 Gem and Mineral Show reminders:

• THGMC Show 2020-April 3-5, 2020. Mark your calendars. Volunteers (LOTS of THEM) will be needed

• Opening Day of show- New Time: The first day of the show, the time is 3:00 pm-7:00 pm

• $3.00 admission fee

Free admission to: Veterans, First Responders, Teachers and Members- who show ID at the door

$1.00 off admission if you bring coupon (that will be on the postcards sent out)

• Grab bags

Goal is 1000- 390 grabs bags created to date. We will create grab bags at the February 2020 meeting, barring inclement weather. March 2020 is alternate date.

Grab bag price- $1.00

Will explore Premium grab bags at future meet-ing

• Volunteers- will begin sign up process earlier than last year- will have paper sign up and Google Doc sign up

• Flyer- black and white- Greg needs to send PDF to Lindsey

• Memberships: we will have two tablets at the Hospitality Table for signing up new members and renewing existing members.

Other Reminders:

1). Field Trips: Please continue to collect rocks and minerals during filed trips for the 2020 THGMC show- one gallon buckets are available at the field trips and members are encouraged to fill them with grab bag material.

Continued on page 6

Robert (Bob) Crocker … July 7, 1956–January 30, 2020

We are so very sad to share the passing of Robert (Bob) Crocker, who loved life and lived it to

the fullest, who was a loyal, true friend who would share whatever he had. Bob could fix

anything, build anything, and created art from earth’s treasures. An avid rock hound and former

member of the THGMC, he led our members on several field trips including gold prospecting,

taking several to his “personal” dig sites across the state and would even stop to assist the

novice members in searching for minerals at quarries during field trips. He was very

knowledgeable of NC minerals, fossils & artifacts and would scour the state in search of the next

specimen or explore the next mining shaft. He had a contagious smile & was always willing to

lend a helping hand to others when in need. We have lost a great friend & fellow rock hound.

His world revolved around his daughter, son-in-law, and new grandson who are devastated.

The memories Bob shared and people he touched will certainly last a lifetime!

Tarheel Tailings

“dearest” (as far as I can tell, the right-hand stone in each heart is

Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, and Tour-

maline) with a diamond in each heart representing “endurance.”

Once the symbolic meaning of the heart had been established, the

royalty in many countries began incorporating hearts into their

crown jewels. The earliest example we have an image of is the por-

trait of Margherita Gonzaga, Princess of Mantua, painted by Frans

Pourbus the Younger in 1605. Depicted on her sleeve is a decora-

tion ringed with heart shaped diamonds. Another notable early

heart cut is the table-cut heart diamond in the Nur Jahan pendant,

dated about 1627. A table cut is a mostly flat cut, used in this case

to allow room an inscription directly on the stone. Written in the

“Persian language with Arabic characters” is the Empress Nur Ja-

han’s name, the current year in the Islamic calendar, and the num-

ber 23, representing the 23 years that her husband the emperor

had reigned. Later, in the 1770s, Marie Antoinette was another rul-

er who enjoyed heart shaped diamonds. When she was betrothed,

she brought with her to France a “grey-blue” diamond in a histori-

cal heart shape that resembles a pear slightly expanded to give the

impression of heart lobes. About 100 years later, in 1911, Queen

Mary of England received the Cullinan V brooch, which features a

18.8 carat heart shaped diamond. This stone is more similar to the

shape of a modern heart cut, though the cleft is replaced with a flat

edge. Cut in the same era, the Smithsonian’s Blue Heart Diamond

was completed in 1910. Cut from a piece of rough weighing 100.5

carats, it has a finished weight of 30.62 carats, and owes it deep

blue color to boron. This heart is the most like modern heart cuts,

in that it does include both a highly faceted design and a slight

cleft.

What makes a good heart cut gem by today’s standards? The heart

design has some unique features. Like most faceted designs, a bril-

liant cut heart will have the usual table on top, pointed pavilion un-

derneath, and girdle along the edge. But along that girdle, the dif-

Continued from page 1

From top: 1. Heart cut stones surround a square cut in the center of this decoration

on the Gonzaga Princess’s sleeve . image source: www.metmuseum.org

2. The Nur Jahan Diamond is a table cut heart. Image: www.internetstones.com

3. Marie Antoinette’s heart cut diamond ring. Image: https://i.pinimg.com

4. Queen Mary’s Cullinan V brooch. Image: www.rct.uk

Announcements

Vendor: The Prospector's Shop

Contact: Marianne Cannon

Needs temporary help on Friday morning April 3, & Sunday afternoon April 5 (after show clos-es). She will pay $20 per hour for a minimum of 3 hours both days for set up & take down (may be more than 3 hours each day). Will need to lift heavy/delicate items (probably up to 50#), help set up; booth including display cases, lighting, table covers, etc.

Interested parties should contact Greg Dillon (919) 931-3518 or email at [email protected].

ferent parts of

the heart shape

are identified:

the cleft, lobe,

belly, wing and

point. The GIA

states that the

ideal propor-

tions for a heart

are usually

length to width

1:1 or 1:1.2 . The cleft and point should be well

defined, and the wings should not be too “flat

or bulged.” The setting should also protect the

point, which can be prone to chipping.

This cut may be difficult, and can be prone to

dark spots if not done correctly. I would recom-

mend trying it out on some colorful quartz or

other stone that would benefit from the fun

shape until you can be sure you’re getting the

proportions right!

Sources: https://www.gemsociety.org/article/fancy-gem-cuts/

https://geogallery.si.edu/10002692/blue-heart-diamond

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/48/

f4/7b/48f47b624a16a3ad3ec0b28eca92906d.jpg

https://www.irishjewelrydesign.com/blogs/claddagh-ring-

blog/18052184-famous-diamonds-marie-antoinette-blue

https://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/ep/original/

DT209385.jpg

https://www.internetstones.com/taj-mahal-diamond-famous-

jewelry.html

https://www.georgianjewelry.com/reference/antique-diamonds

https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/exhibitions/diamonds-a-

jubilee-celebration/buckingham-palace/cullinan-v-brooch

https://www.rct.uk/sites/default/files/collection-online/0/

d/198816-1315405144.jpg

https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/blog/picking-a-heart-shaped-

gemstone/

https://www.bejeweledmag.com/have-a-heart/

Minutes Continued from page 4

2). Jacob and Charles at Mineralogy, located in the Triangle Towne Center, has generously offered all THGMC members 10% discount on purchases- you must present your THGMC ID badge in order to take advance of this offer.

Visit their website at: http://mineralogync.com/ phone: (919) 637-5489

Door Prize Winner- Margaret Hudacko

Next Meeting: Tuesday, February 18, 2020 7:00 pm

Respectfully submitted,

Beverly L. House, secretary THGMC

Image: https://4cs.gia.edu

TAR HEEL GEM & MINERAL CLUB

PO Box 33783,

Raleigh, NC 27636-3783

Park in the Cates Ave. Parking Deck off Jensen Dr. Enter Thompson Building directly across from the parking lot.

Our Next Meeting is

February 18, 2020 @ 7:00PM

Thompson Building /

NCSU Campus.

About our Organization: The Tar Heel Gem and Mineral Club, Inc. was

formed in 1974 as a nonprofit educational organiza-

tion for people who enjoy the lapidary arts, earth

sciences, and related subjects. The main objectives

of the club are to investigate, preserve, and share

knowledge of rocks, minerals, and precious stones,

and to promote interest in mineralogy, paleontolo-

gy, earth sciences, and lapidary techniques, among

club members and among the general public. The

club pursues these goals through publications,

meetings, lectures, field trips, exhibits, demonstra-

tions, and other activities.

Come and be a part of the Fun!

Tarheel Tailings€¦ · 919 803-4899 George Harris – Vice-President January Tom Todaro...

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