The Polished Slab VOLUME 68, ISSUE 7 A NEWSLETTER FOR ROCKHOUNDS SINCE 1940 JULY 2008

President’s Message

Published monthly by: Southern Nevada

Gem and Mineral Society, Inc.

POB 94744 Las Vegas, Nevada 89193

1

OUR NEXT MEETING

AUGUST 4th at 6:00 pm. at the Senior Center on Bonanza Avenue.

If your birthday is in AUGUST,

please don’t forget to bring some

goodies for the refreshment table.

FIELD TRIPS

E-mail - vegasbmw@hotmail.com

JULY 19 & 20 - GOLDFIELD, NV specimens, cutting material, & fossils Meet at Snow Mountain Indian Store

Hwy. 95 North - Before 8:00am

Camp will be past Goldfield.

Look for Dump sign.

Take that road to campsite.

AUGUST 10 - BILL LEMMON I-15 North

CANCELED

(4W DRIVE RECOMMENDED FOR ALL FIELD TRIPS)

(See page 7 for 2008 Schedule)

LUND FIELD TRIP REPORT By Doris Currington

Twenty three Field Trippers had a great time. Great collecting, and a great potluck to com-pliment Bill's Barbecued Ribs. The collecting was easy at two different sites. And some went to Ely to collect garnets. We also saw eagles, deer, chickens, horses, rabbits, butterflies and other birds. I DID NOT see the "no-seeums" that got me in seven places, but it was a near perfect trip. Two new Pebble Pups did great! We had clouds, so there was no star gazing. Maybe in Goldfield. Bill Kogan says we will do it again.

JEWELRY MAKERS

The "Jewelry Makers" will be meeting for the first time in August. Location, date and time will be announced at the general meeting. Please bring a project you are working on and your tools to our meeting. There will be a demonstration and time to work.

Please call Lorna Metz 877- 4258 to get on the contact list.

Thanks to all of you who were able to attend our July meeting. New members, please be sure to visit our website for more information about the club. I would like to offer a belated “thank you” to the work party of 13 members who helped at the Ore Car mine claim on May 31st. Those members that are interested in making jewelry contact Lorna Metz at 877-4258, if you are not already on the list. She is heading a group of club members that will be meeting twice a month just for that purpose. LAST MINUTE CHANGE; our awards banquet chairman is moving away and we need a volun-teer to take over. Please contact any board member ASAP if you can help. Our next meeting will be August 4th and will start at 6 PM, not 7PM. If your birthday is in August don’t forget to bring something for the refreshment table. I hope to see all of you there. Be well.

Regards, Jack Toogood

The meeting was called to order at 6:05PM. Jack read the June minutes. Motion to approve by Ron Fetcho, seconded by Anita Zell. The minutes were approved as read. Sue Lofaro gave the Treasurers report. First Friday report by Lorna. She reported there was very little participation and renewed a call to the membership to come to the shop. Shop Re-port: Richard Fyfe reported a new bench will be built at the shop. This will make room to set up lost wax casting. The trailer is now gone making more avail-able parking space at the shop. Sunshine Report: Anita Zell reported the passing of two of our mem-bers; Nyda Beeson, and Mark Breneman. Newslet-ter: The editor wants your E-mail address. Not only is this efficient, but also cost effective for the club. Contact her at gayf@ infionline.net. Field Trip re-port: The trip to Lund was a big success with 23 members attending. The trip on July 12th for Parks onyx is cancelled. Trip to Goldfield July 19th & 20th is still on. The trip to Black Rock on Aug 10th is can-celled. Pebble Pups: Mary Beth will have a fossil information day at her house Thursday, July 10th. Call at 255-1647. Show Chairman: Sharon Rogow is collecting information from Clark County Museum for a show by our club. Tentative date, if approved by the membership, would be October 9 -10 &11, 2009. When sufficient information is gathered, this idea will be presented to the membership. OLD BUSINESS: The trailer has been given away. Motion by Erica Hamilton that was tabled at June meeting to raise dues was withdrawn by Erica. There were no objections. NEW BUSINESS: No new business introduced. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Sharon reminded us that the program for the October meeting will be a trunk show by Big Bear Beads. Refreshment break at 6:55PM. The meeting resumed at 7:15PM. The program was a video on mineral identification. Meeting was adjourned at 7:45PM.

.......submitted by Glenn Beye, acting Secretary

NO BOARD MEETING THIS MONTH

Call Lorna Metz, Chairman 877-4258

OTHER SHOWS MAY BE FOUND ON THE

ROCK & GEM WEBSITE

JULY 2008 THE POLISHED SLAB

2

LAS VEGAS ARTS DISTRICT FIRST FRIDAY

AUGUST 1st

● Demonstrators must contact Lorna

● Table space must be reserved. If you arrive without a reservation,

you must bring your own table.

● Everyone is responsible to supply

their own lighting.

● Set-up at 5p.m.

Volunteers for set-up, club fundraisers, and greeters needed.

Show Schedule

JULY

18-20--SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA: Show,

"Gem Faire"; Gem Faire Inc.; Marin Cen-

ter/Exhibit Hall, 10 Avenue of the Flags; Fri. 12-

7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5; $5 weekend pass

25-27--SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA: Show,

"Gem Faire"; Gem Faire Inc.; Santa Clara Con-

vention Center, 5001 Great America Pkwy.; Fri.

12-7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5; $5 weekend pass

AUGUST

1-3--PRESCOTT, ARIZONA: Show and sale;

Prescott Gem & Mineral Club; Embry-Riddle

Aeronautical University Activity Center, 3700

Willow Creek Rd.; Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4;

adults $2, children 12 and under free with paid

adult

8-10--COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA: Show,

"Gem Faire"; Gem Faire Inc.; OC Fair & Event

Center/Bldg. 10, 88 Fair Dr.; Fri. 12-7, Sat. 10-7,

Sun. 10-5; $5 weekend pass

15-17--SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: Show,

"Gem Faire"; Gem Faire Inc.; Scottish Rite Cen-

ter, 6151 H St.; Fri. 12-7, Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-5; $5

weekend pass

KIDS CLUB - Pebble Pups

Kids club meetings are held at my home

at 3740 Moss Ridge Court.

Call for directions. 702-255-1647

.....…Mary Beth Paladino

GENERAL MEETING

HIGHLIGHTS

Considering the current temperatures in the Las Vegas Valley, this article might be better received if it

were titled "COOL BREEZE"

I'm told Ray Vercillo is recovering from back surgery, and Bill Lemmon is having a hip replacement.

Doesn't sound like fun, guys, but keep on keepin' on and soon you'll be up to snuff again. We wish you both a

really speedy recovery.

Ruth Holmesstrom has been diagnosed with Lupis and her medications are causing complications, so we

wish her the best.

We CAN survive this heat! Wear sun screen, sun glasses, and a hat, and carry a cool one. Nita

by Anita Zell

JULY 2008 THE POLISHED SLAB

3

In Memoriam

Cards and Floral Arrangements were sent to both families by our Sunshine Chairman.

NYDA RAY BEESON

Nyda Ray Beeson, 79, a homemaker, of Boulder City, passed away Monday, June 23, 2008. She was born September 13, 1928, in Rifle, Colorado and was a 62 year resident of Nevada. Nyda enjoyed every-thing she did especially if it included her kids and grandkids. She spent 15 years teaching physically challenged students to swim at the YMCA, and at the Helen J. Stewart School. Her love of water, also beckoned her to enjoy many days on Lake Mead, water skiing and boating. She spent many years in-volved in off road racing with Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiasts, where she was known to be an active club member participating in the racing of the Powder Puff series, holding office and spending many hours running check points where she earned the nickname, "The Tuff Ole Blister" In her later years, her time was spent with Roy and the various gem clubs in Nevada and California, collecting rocks and making many beautiful things out of them, jew-elry, gorgeous lamp shades and delicate wind chimes. Nyda and Roy's love of the lapidary arts bade them to venture the deserts all over the west looking for gems in the ruff. She always had a crea-tive eye when it came to seeing things that others could not, and loved sharing what she could find.

from the "Review Journal", June 26, 2008

HUGH BRENEMAN

Hugh Mark Breneman, of Las Vegas, passed away in the early morning hours of July 1, 2008, in Boulder City. He was 88. Mr. Breneman, known to everyone as "Mark," was born in Carson City, Iowa, in 1919, and grew to manhood in the farming and ranching

communities of Iowa and Montana. During the early years of World War II, Mark joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and trained as a B-25 pilot. He was subse-quently deployed to Port Moresby, New Guinea, with the 5th Air Force, and was later decorated for his ac-tions during several of the more than 75 missions he flew in support of the battles of Guadalcanal, New Guinea and New Britain. After returning from the war, he married the late Arline M. Christensen (a nurse) who bore him two sons, the late Steven Neil Brene-man (1946), and Dr. Curt M. Breneman (1956), cur-rently a professor of chemistry at Rensselaer Poly-technic Institute (RPI) in New York. Mark's first state-side job after the service was to manage a veterans affairs field office in Iowa, but then moved with his wife to Los Alamos, N.M., as an Atomic Energy Com-mission security inspector. The abundance of physics talent and culture on "The Hill" was apparently infec-tious, because in 1951, Mark moved his family to Los Angeles, where he attended UCLA, and earned both bachelors and masters degrees in physics (Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Pi Sigma) in 1954 and 1956, respec-tively, with his MS degree being awarded only months after the birth of his second son. After graduation, Mark joined Hughes Aircraft Company, where he rose through the ranks from technical staff member to chief scientist and beyond. During his work as a scientist and engineer at Hughes, cupid's arrow again struck home, and Mark married Clare Natale in 1966. When he retired from Hughes Aircraft Sept. 1, 1978, after a long and productive career, he moved with Clare to Las Vegas so that they could enjoy their retirement together. Mark and Clare made many friends in the Vegas Valley, including members of the Las Vegas Gem and Mineral Society and the Sunrise Hospital Auxiliary.

from the "Review Journal", July 03, 2008.

RUBY (CORUNDUM) (Aluminum oxide)

Ruby, the name given to red, gem-quality corundum, is one of the best gemstones for jewelry settings. Rubies may be any shade of red, from pinkish to purplish or brownish red, depending on the chromium and iron content of the stone. Frequent twinning of the crystals makes the material liable to fracture, yet ruby is a tough mineral, second only to diamond in hardness. Crystal prisms are hexagonal with tapering or flat ends. As the crystals grow they form new layers, and depending on the geological conditions and minerals present, color variations called zoning occur. OCCURRENCE: Worldwide in igneous and metamorphic rocks or as water worn pebbles in alluvial deposits. The finest stones come from Myanmar; those from Thailand, the pri-mary source, are brownish red; Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Vietnam yield bright red stones; those from India, the USA (North Carolina), Russia, Australia and Norway are dark to opaque. .

.......from "GEMSTONES" a Smithsonian Handbook

JULY 2008 THE POLISHED SLAB

4

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM SNGMS! (If yours was missed we don’t have it on file)

AUGUST

BIRTHDAYS

Florence Awuah Paulina Awuah

Terry Beck Jim Blythe

Beth Carden Richard Craven

Joseph Edwards Sonya Edwards

Anita Foster Jerry Foster

Daniel Gray Lee Gouret

Steve Ireland Scott Klepzig

Adam Miller Joyce Miller

Greg Wandtke Levi Wandtke

Jasmine Wheeler

JULY BIRTHSTONE

Linda Avance Florence Awuah

Jim Blythe Beth Carden

Marilyn Chambers Chuck Denton

Joseph Edwards Ivan Erwin

Janae Ficklin Alma Hankel

Tess Hardy Laura Hitchcock

Vicki Jones Linda Karr

Bob Kettleson Wayne Kinzer

Priscilla Messenger Ingrid Miles

Casey Moss John Newton

Tay Schuff Tom Skeary

Joann Sprott Bruno Syzdek

Phyllis Syzdek Charles Watts

5

JULY 2008

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

SPACE IS FREE TO ADVERTISE HERE

For all club members. Just call Editor.

THE POLISHED SLAB

workshop schedule LOCATION: 1025 South Main Street

(Use 1st

Street Entrance)

CLASS SCHEDULE

SILVERSMITHING -

NO CLASSES - JULY & AUGUST

WIREWRAPPING -

Contact: Sandy Cunningham 806-0816 Classes - July 15, 22 & 29

3PM & 5:30PM E-mail - wrapsodylasvegas@cox.net

ROC-KIN N FOS-LIN by Doris Currington

TUESDAY, THURSDAY & SATURDAY 1 to 9PM

Contact Wes Bryant Home - 228-3331 Cell - 285-7829

Boulder Ave.

Charleston Blvd.

Our Shop 1025 S. MAIN

Ma

in S

treet

1st

S

treet

Coolidge Ave. N

ABOUT GOLD

Gold is actually green. The U.S. has the

largest hoard. About 20% of the world's gold

is in Indian Saris. The largest reserves are in

the oceans.

The NEAR Spacecraft found an asteroid,

Eros, that contains more gold than has ever

been mined on the planet Earth.

Some microorganisms eat trace amounts of

gold dust within rock, then deposit it as larger

nuggets. If miners could use them instead of

cyanide, they could eliminate the danger of

cyanide poisoning.

Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness

In 1812 the Mohs scale of mineral hardness was devised by the German mineralogist Frederich Mohs (1773-1839), who selected the ten minerals because they were common or readily available. The scale is not a linear scale, but somewhat arbitrary.

Hardness Mineral Associations and Uses

1 Talc Talcum powder.

2 Gypsum Plaster of paris. Gypsum is formed when seawater evaporates from the Earth’s surface.

3 Calcite Limestone and most shells contain calcite.

4 Fluorite Fluorine in fluorite prevents tooth decay.

5 Apatite When you are hungry you have a big "appetite".

6 Orthoclase Orthoclase is a feldspar, and in German, "feld" means "field".

7 Quartz

8 Topaz The November birthstone. Emerald and aquamarine are varieties of beryl with a hardness of 8.

9 Corundum Sapphire and ruby are varieties of corundum. Twice as hard as topaz.

10 Diamond Used in jewelry and cutting tools. Four times as hard as corundum

JULY 2008

Barb Eagan

(702) 759-9724 barb@mycactusproperties.com

Let me help you find terrific investments here in Las Vegas.

With my 15 years of real estate investing experience, I can

Show you how to pick up properties at big discounts and

Help you get excellent financing at no cost to you!

Liberty Realty

NOW! is the time for great

Real Estate investment opportunities!

Distressed Properties

Properties in Foreclosure

Bank Owned

Up or Down Sizing

THE POLISHED SLAB

6

SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS - They help support us

JUNGLEJUNGLE BEADBEAD

(current membership card required)

JULY 2008

JANUARY

1.

FEBRUARY 15. MARCH CALLVILLE

16. SIGHTS TEMPSKI,

PALM WOOD SPEC.

TRACKS (PRE-HISTORIC)

APRIL POTOSI/ GOODSPRINGS

5. SIGHTS, SPECIMENS

FOSSILS - CUTTING

16. YERMO, CA

CUTTING - SIGHTS

SPECIMENS

29. UTE

SIGHTS, WOOD SPECIMENS

CUTTING

16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

BURRO CREEK, AZ

SPECIMENS - CUTTING

MAY KINGSTONS

17. SIGHTS - SPECIMENS

CUTTING, FOSSILS

JUNE MUDDYS

8. SIGHTS - SPECIMENS

CUTTING

JULY PARKS ONYX

12. CUTTING

AUGUST BILL LEMMON I - 15 N

10. CUTTING - SPECIMENS

31. MILE 16

SIGHTS - FOSSILS

SPECIMENS, CUTTING

CLAIM - ROADWORK

21. 22. LUND, NV

SIGHTS - SPECIMENS

CUTTING

19. GOLDFIELD

20. SIGHTS - SPECIMENS,

FOSSILS - CUTTING

30. MANHATTON

31. SIGHTS - SPECIMENS

- CUTTING

SEPTEMBER MANHATTON

1. Cont.

OCTOBER TECOPA

11. SIGHTS - WOOD, FOSSILS,

12. FIRE AGATE, HOT BATHS

EARTHQUAKE FAULT, DATES

NOVEMBER RIVERSIDE

8. 78 FT. KOHTA CIRCUS

PETRO PANEL, MICA

SIGHTS

DECEMBER

ROCK CLUB SHOW

CHRISTMAS PARTY

21. SEARCHLIGHT

SIGHTS - PICTURE ROCK

DESERT ROSES?

SPECIMENS

26. KOKOWEEF

SIGHTS - CUTTING

22. PABCO ONYX - BUTTERFLY

SIGHTS - SPECIMENS

GOOD HUNTING!

AVI

SHO

P & S

IGH

TS SPECIMENS

CUTTING - FOSSILS

QUARTZSITE

SHOP & SIGHTS

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

SOUTHERN NEVADA GEM & MINERAL SOCIETY FIELD TRIPS for 2008

Southern Nevada Gem and Mineral Society P.O. Box 94744 Las Vegas, NV 89193 Website: www.sngms.com E-mail: sngmsweb@netscape.net

THE POLISHED SLAB

7

2008 Officers - Board of Directors - Committee Chairpersons

Elected Officer Name Phone Elected Officer Name Phone

President Jack Toogood 510-4192 Three Year Board Bob Lofaro 614-4351

Vice President Sharon Rogow 656-1144 Two Year Board Frank Auerswald 365-8306

Secretary Clare Breneman 452-0175 One Year Board Glen Beye 354-9808

Treasurer Sue Lofaro 614-4351 One Year Board Erica Hamilton 325-9877

Field Trip Chair Doris Currington 452-3707

Volunteer Chairpersons: Volunteer Chairpersons:

Awards Banquet Alaina Herrmann 524-0902 Show Chairperson Sharon Rogow 656-1144

Class Coordinator Frank Auerswald 365-8306 Sunshine Anita Zell 876-1189

Door Prizes Mary Beth Paladino 255-1647 Webmaster/Liaison Jack Toogood 510-4192

Federation Director Zoo Display Sandy Smith 290-2675

Financial Planner George Messenger 733-6578 Shop General Foreman Wes Bryant 228-3331

First Friday Lorna Metz 877-4258 Shop Supervisor Howard Abrams 644-6960

Historians Bruno & Phyllis Syzdek 876-3861 Shop Supervisor Richard Fyfe 645-7553

Hospitality Carri Holmes 499-3869 Shop Supervisor Larry Grillett 656-0262

Newsletter Editor Gay Fyfe 645-7553 Shop Supervisor Mike Kisner 285-2032

Mike Henry

430-0473 Shop Supervisor Mike Kirk 433-4146 Parliamentarian/

Sgt. At Arms Shop Supervisor Bob Lofaro 614-4351

Pebble Pups Mary Beth Paladino 255-1647 Shop Supervisor Lorna Metz 877-4258

Program Director Mary Beth Paladino 255-1647 Shop Supervisor Sharon Rogow 499-0272

Publicity Erica Hamilton 325-9877 Shop Supervisor Sandy Smith 290-2675

Refreshments Susan Dobson 564-2373 Shop Supervisor

FIELD TRIP CHAIRMAN

DORIS CURRINGTON

452-3707

COMMITTEE PERSONS

CLIFF JACKSON

292-7938

MICHAEL KIRK

433-4146

TRIPS START AT

8 a.m.

UNLESS EXCEPTIONS

APPLY

IF IT HAS RAINED

WITHIN 24 hrs. OR RAIN

IS PREDICTED FOR THE

DAY

or

WIND IS MORE THAN

25 mph.

NO TRIP !!!!!!

The Southern Nevada Gem and Mineral Society is a non-profit corporation, organized to educate ourselves and the community in the science and arts related to rocks, minerals, gems, fossils, and nature in general. Fostering an understanding and appreciation of the physical world, we can use it and protect it for future gen-erations. We are incorporated for the purpose of promoting an interest in Geology, Gemology, the Lapidary arts and related fields. We began in Las Vegas in 1932, and became the Southern Nevada Gem and Mineral Society in 2003 with the merger of the Las Vegas Gem Club and the Clark County Gem Collectors. The first Polished Slab was published in 1940 by Paul Mercer.

THE POLISHED SLAB IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.SNGMS.COM

Club Mascot: Rock Wren

Club Gemstone: Turquoise Club Logo: Faceted stone

Colors: Turquoise & Silver Club Motto: Rocks-R Us

Membership is open to anyone with an interest in:

Rocks, Gems, Geology, Lapidary, Beads, Fossils, or

Silversmithing

Annual Dues - Individual:$20.00 Family: $30.00

Club Name Badges available at $10.00 each.

Meetings: 6:00 PM the first Monday of the month at the

Senior Center at 451 Bonanza just west of Las Vegas Blvd.

Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. 702-229-6454 for location info.

No meeting is held in December - Annual awards dinner

Visitors are always welcome - Bring a friend or two. First month free for club members. Ads must be paid prior

to publication. Make checks payable to Southern Nevada

Gem and Mineral Society. Mail to: SNGMS/attn: Editor

P.O. Box 94744

Las Vegas, NV 89193

The Polished Slab published monthly by the

Southern Nevada Gem & Mineral Society, Inc.

P.O. Box 94744

Las Vegas, NV 89193

Return Service Requested

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid

Las Vegas, NV Permit No. 2715

Polished Slab Advertising Rates

Ad Size Six Months Yearly

2” x 3.5” Business Card $18 $30

4.25” x 5.5” Quarter Page $48 $90

5.5” x 8” Half Page $90 $170

11” x 8” Full Page $150 $275

SNGMS Web Page Ads and Links to your own Web

Page are available for additional fees. Contact Jack

Gay Fyfe, Editor E-mail: gayf@infionline.net