May 2022 Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Meeting of Shenandoah Valley Gem and Mineral Society
Meeting date: May 9, 2022
Intro:
We had 16 members present and had fun showing off their "May flowers" minerals.
The rock shop will be open this Saturday, June 18th. All equipment is back in production.
New Business:
➤ Scott gave us an update on the show. There is an approximate maximum of 150 tables, and most of the vendors have signed contracts. Scott will be reminding others to finalize their plans. We will need lots of volunteers from Thursday to Sunday, September 15 to 18. A great way to advertise is to share info on FaceBook. If anyone has a contact at channel 3 or 29, please let me know.
➤ Scott Steele had been on a 3 week trip to Arkansas with his faithful canine companion. They went to several state parks and private collecting sites. He went to Mt. Ida, the Crater of Diamonds and Wagner's. He showed us samples he'd collected. (The Smithsonian actually has an 8 ton piece of quartz from Mt. Ida) If anyone would like to go on a local trip to collect samples, you may contact Scott at scottsteele39@gmail.com. He goes to places that can only accommodate 3-6 people, but would like to have some company on some of his trips.
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Program Report:
We had a very interesting program at our May meeting. Kelly Lane did a talk about faceting, and had some samples to show.
He got interested in this hobby when he bought a piece of equipment at a mineral show in Richmond several years ago. He has been experimenting on his own, and uses his mistakes to get better at the process.
It takes patience and attention to detail. He buys cubes of materials from creativegems.com. The stones he orders are synthetic because the colors and interiors are uniform.
Real stones, such as rubies and emeralds can get very expensive. He has done some natural stones, but sometimes the colors are varied, and minute fractures often cause cracks.
Kelly uses an index wheel to set the angle of the cut. He has to experiment sometimes to get the correct set.
For lighting, he uses three 100 watt bulbs. He uses DOCNIC glue which only takes a few seconds to set.
Super glue can be used on the dop, but it may take all night to set. A stone grabber with 4-6 thin wires works well to help pick up the small stones.
He begins with a cube of material and cautioned us that the lighter the stone, the more refraction takes place.
Kelly suggested buying a basic machine to begin, but more experienced folks can buy machines that cost $6000 or more. These machines can do most of the setting and measuring so there's little to mess up. Thanks, Kelly, for sharing your expertise with us!
For more information, you can go to this website below - it explains the process in an easy to understand manner.
https://www.theraregemstonecompany.com/gemology-articles/gemstone-cutting-how-its-done#:~:text=The%20process%20of%20cutting%20fine,and%20pavilion%20of%20a%20gemstone.
Next meeting:
Our next meeting will be on Monday June 13th at 7 pm .
June is known for weddings, so let's celebrate by bringing "something old (fossils?), something new, something borrowed, or something blue" for show and tell.
Marcia Morris, one of our members, will give us a presentation about her trip to Oman.
FYI - If Waynesboro City Schools are closed due to inclement weather on a meeting day, our meeting will be canceled. The club secretary will try to send out an email ASAP that day, and an announcement will be posted on the club’s Facebook page and web site.
Thanks for your understanding; we want everyone to be safe!
Field Trips: We are not planning any field trips any time soon, but if anyone knows of places to collect in small groups, let the club secretary know and they can send out the info.
Looking ahead:
With pandemic concerns diminishing, the lapidary shop will be open the Saturday following a regular meeting. (See Events At A Glance for a calendar view). Leo, Charlie & Jack can assist you. Open from 9 am to noon. This is a small enclosed space; please follow whatever COVID protective guidelines you think appropriate.
There are several slab saws and trim saws. Keep in mind that safety is a priority, and wear closed toe shoes, safety glasses, with no loose hair or long sleeves. Children must be supervised and closely monitored to insure they are safely using the equipment. Check this page to see what you can learn to do!
If you’d like to present a program, please talk to an officer at a meeting.
Be sure to keep up with our website www.shenandoahvalleyrockclub.org and our Facebook page Shenandoah Valley Gem and Mineral Society for updates and information.
Deborah Grimm, Secretary
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Club Officers and Staff 2016-2022
President – Michael Pabst
Vice President – Leo Cloutier
Educational Outreach -- Deborah Grimm
Secretary/Newsletter -- Deborah Grimm
Field Trip Coordinators - TBD
Co-Treasurers – Scott Gregory/Deborah Grimm
Show Team Leaders – Scott Gregory/Jack Glenn
Web Site Coordinator – Jack Glenn
Club web site: shenandoahvalleyrockclub.org
Club Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ShenandoahValleyGemMineralSociety
Club email: svgem-min-club@live.com