President’s Message

Vice-President’s Message

Section News

Notes from Neal

Shop and Building News

Education

April Birthstone: Diamond

Diamond Indicators

Low Cost Furnace Temperature Measurement Replacement

Bench Tips

The Gold Bugs

Gold Grows on Trees

Clear Lake Show Report

Minutes of the March 7th Board Meeting

Minutes of the March 28th General Meeting

Upcoming Shows

About Us

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Calendar

Officers and Contact Information

APRIL FOOLS DAY

One-liners: groan if you must!
Did you hear about the cloud that tried catching some fog? It mist.
Can February March? No, but April May.
Why is everyone so tired on April 1? Because they just finished a 31-day march.
What did the tree say to the new spring flower? I’m rooting for you.
If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims.

April will bring us hotter weather, Easter Bunnies, and I hope a rebuild of the north wall of the Lapidary Shop. Stay tuned for more about that.

I want to thank all the volunteers who came to the 2023 Clear Lake Gem and Mineral Society Annual Show. Twelve members showed up over the weekend of March 18 and 19. We promoted the HGMS Annual Show, the Youth Section, the
Club Shops, and demonstrated skills we have developed in classes and Section meetings.

Also in March, the Paleo Section sponsored the first Field Trip of 2023. On March 25th, a dozen people met at Whiskey River to dig for fossils. Mike Dawkins reported that they all had fun and found fossils.

There are two Cabochon classes posted on the HGMS website, Sharon Halton will be teaching two Cabochon making classes on April 5th and April 19th . Go to the website to education and sign up.

Our Sunday e-blasts inform everyone about upcoming classes, Shows in the Texas area, Field Trips, monthly Section Programs, Field Trips, and links for other information.

Enjoy this beautiful weather.

The April 2023 General Meeting talk will be posted as soon as possible.

Beading – Third Saturday, 12:30 PM  

 Always bring beading mat, scissors, wire, wire cutter, round nose and needle nose pliers, thread, and beading needles if you have them.  

For the March 18th meeting, Doug Jones taught us how to make a flat Kumihimo Bracelet with hearts.

For the April 15th meeting, we will make a beaded bracelet. Register to have a kit available.

NOTICE: Do you have a bracelet or necklace that needs restringing?  The Beading Section will carefully restring your piece at an hourly rate of $15.00 + materials.  Contact Beading @HGMS.org to make arrangements.  All funds will go to the Beading Section.

 

Gemstones and Faceting – Second Thursday, 6:30 PM

Zoom meeting begins at 7:30 pm. At our March meeting, we discussed having a

Open Faceting Day/Weekend this summer where we will set up at the HGMS club house for 1+ days and answer any questions that pop up. All members will be welcome to join in or come by and see how gems are Faceted. We may even include Amateur Gem Identification during this event so our members can practice using the equipment. We also selected designs for our 2023 Competition Stones.Advanced Faceters will be attempting Pats Smithsonian Bar, and Beginner Faceters will be attempting Boyd’s custom designed Square Cyclone.

 

Lapidary and Silversmithing – Third Monday, 7:00 PM

For our March meeting, we worked on carving a design in obsidian for turqouise inlay. We also held a Last Chance Pounder sale, with some of the better material available for section members.

April 17, 2023 at 7:00 pm April project: Silver Bangle Bracelet. Tony will demonstrate creating texture on metal and we will make a sterling silver bangle bracelet out of our textured silver. The program cost for the silver is $16-$21 depending on bracelet size. In March participants inlaid crushed turquoise into carved obsidian and this month we will grind and finish that project also.

Refreshments will be served. Email Lapidary@hgms.org if you have questions.

 

Day Light – First Wednesday, 1:00 PM

The Daylight Section meets the first Wednesday of the month from 1 to 3 PM.

On April 5th, we will be making wire-wrapped rings. We have enough copper wire and beads so that we do not have to charge for this session. Please feel free to bring your own 8mm or larger bead for your ring. Additionally, we have plenty of copper wire for you to make several rings. If you are interested to move to making rings using silver wire, please bring 18 or 20 gauge silver wire, or we may have some available for you to buy from the section.

Please register in advance to make sure we have enough materials for everyone. A $5.00 fee may be necessary for some classes to pay for materials. Register by sending an email to Nancy Searle at daylight@hgms.org. All programs are $5.00 and the fee is paid at the meeting.

 

Mineral – Third Wednesday, 7:30 PM

We are preparing a subject for the April meeting! Don’t worry, we will have one.

The link for the Zoom meeting is:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4517997588?pwd=SnZjckZBTnRMbHRxZitScE9WU3RWUT09

 

Paleontology – Third Tuesday, 7:30 PM 

We’ve started hybrid Zoom meetings that include members attending remotely via Zoom; if you’re intrigued by dinosaurs, trilobites, field trips to collect Texas fossils and all other paleontology-related topics we’d love to have you attend a meeting in one way or another and see what we’ve got going on. If you’d like to join the Paleo Section email list, send an email to hgmspaleosection@gmail.com and ask to be added.

At the March meeting we discussed the rare Squid Beak or Crab Claw. It is not a beak or claw but a rostrum and I will prove it. When I was a baby geologist in 1965 we called it a crab claw. In 1970 we called it a squid beak. It is neither. It is the rostrum at the tip of a squids tail. See the photo below.

We held a field trip open to all club members to the Whiskey Bridge site at College Station on March 25th and reviewed the Eocene fossils found there. Participants were advised to bring a screwdriver or gardening tools to dig with, and to wear old clothes, because the Brazos is muddy!

 

Youth, First and Third Saturdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm

Mostly we will be working on cabochons.

Carmen Fraticelli will be supervising our jewelry shop in April on Wednesdays from 10 to 3 on April 19, and 26. If you need metalsmithing shop time but aren’t completely comfortable working on your own, come in and she will make sure you work safely and answer your questions.

Sharon Halton will continue her regular Wednesday shop supervisor shift in our Lapidary Shop.

Safety Regulations – No one is allowed to work in the shop with power tools ALONE and there was no one in the shop one afternoon. ZERO, NADA, ZIP . Just me. So, I had to stop. This has happened before and I think we should reconsider how many days should be staffed with a shop supervisor. Let me know the days when the shop should be staffed. Before Covid there were many Saturdays with every grinder, trim saw, and slab saw running and there would be $100+ in the shop can at the end of the day. If you send me NOTHING, then you are going to get NOTHING.

Goggles – remember the FREE goggles on the rack by the library.

Rocks – I know that you all want the Good stuff and you now have that chance. Richard Good is moving to a smaller house and he has brought some really nice stuff to the Free Table. We even have some on the porch because there is no more room on the Free Table.  Get your share. I got a handful of water level agates. Ask me and I will show, but not give them to you. Ha. This will teach you to not come in.

Things are looking up in the shop! I had ONE person in the grinding shop in the afternoon one Saturday, and that allowed me to take apart the 8 ” saw to replace the bearings. Gee, how far we have fallen that having one user in the shop is counted as a success. The counter-weight for the lid of the Texaco saw has been removed because the cord was failing. I will put in a new one just as soon as anyone can tell me when the shop rebuild is going to start. Speaking of waiting on the shop rebuild, I would like to replace ALL the overhead fluorescent and led lights with new fixtures. I need to know what is being planned.

Library – The library has enough 1960 secret Esso books on fossil algae to meet anyone’s needs. You might think that a 1960 paleo book is obsolete but you are wrong. Old books on even older fossils rarely go out of date. There is not much progress being made, except in the ultra-fashionable Early Man topics – old articles are fine. I expect to learn a lot about fossil algae.

5% hydrochloric acid for testing –  I was asked to supply some HCl for carbonate testing and will have a supply at the shop. The ideal method is with a eye dropper in a bottle.

See me and I will supply acid and teach you how to use this stuff.

Notes:

1. You do not squirt acid all over your specimen. There is an elegant method using an eye dropper.
2. Your stomach acid is about 5%.
3. Eye droppers are not for putting acid in your eye!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5% HCl acid is not particularly dangerous but it will eat holes in your cotton clothes.

CABS 101 CLASS: Sharon Halton, Shop Manager, will be teaching 2 separate classes from 6 PM to 9:30 PM on each of the following dates:

1. Wednesday, April 5th
2. Wednesday, April 19th

This class is highly recommended for those wishing to learn how to properly shape and polish a cabochon and use the equipment in the Lapidary Shop.  Students have given Sharon rave reviews.

On a business trip to the Indonesian island of Kalimantan, I looked at jewelry at an open-air market. My companion (the boss’s wife) was shown a canary diamond. Her comment was that yellow was not her color, but for curiosity’s sake, what might be his price? The merchant replied, “It’s expensive.” My unspoken thought was, “Really? Ya think?”

I love the look of canary diamonds! Alas, they are expensive, so I don’t even ask, just look and enjoy. I saw one in the window of a jewelers in Vail that was too big to be worn comfortably. I’m sure some lucky lady got to try! Lovely as those stunning yellow diamonds may be, their value is eclipsed by blue, pink and red diamonds.

Speaking of significant, do you know what kind of diamond is the most valuable per carat weight? That would be the blue diamond, like the Hope Diamond on the cover. They are rare and collectors flock to any auction in which they are featured. In 2016 a 14.62 carat emerald-cut Vivid Blue diamond was offered by Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva. “The Oppenheimer Blue”, named for its previous owner, sold for $57.5 million, giving it the most valuable price per carat at $3.93 million. Blue diamonds are sometime fluorescent but that does not increase their value. I have to wonder what the Hope diamond would sell for!

References:

https://www.americangemsociety.org/buying-diamonds-with-confidence/history-of-the-diamond-as-the-april-birthstone/

https://www.daysjewelers.com/blog/april-birthstones

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Diamond

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Diamond

Photograph of Hope Diamond from Wikipedia, unknown author, Public Domain

https://www.thepearlsource.com/blog/most-valuable-gemstones/

See the Pink Star Diamond at:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/05/522739361/pink-star-diamond-sells-for-71-million-smashing-auction-record

See the Oppenheimer Blue Diamond at:

https://www.christies.com/features/The-Oppenheimer-Blue-Diamond-7197-3.aspx

https://www.livescience.com/10128-mysterious-rare-red-diamond-display.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_diamond

See a picture of the Moussaieff Red Diamond and Moussaieff Blue Diamond at:

https://www.gemselect.com/other-info/moussaieff.php

Suppose for a moment that you are interested in tracking down diamonds. Did you know that purple garnets – the chromium-rich pyrope variety – are considered indicators of diamonds, formed under the same circumstances deep beneath the earth? Proof of their association is that pyrope garnet is often seen as an inclusion in diamond crystals. Erosion is perfectly capable of distributing stones far from their origin, and both diamonds and pyrope garnets tend to be found in gravels downstream from the diamond-bearing volcanic pipes in which they traveled to the surface of the earth.

New research published in Nature discusses the roots of the ancient stable Archaean continents, which reach down into the diamond stability field. These areas are rare globally; diamonds are most often found in southern Africa, the Congo, Tanzania, Canada, Siberia and Brazil. In the deep areas of the mantle below these continents, as deep as 250 kilometers beneath the surface, temperatures and pressures are sufficient to support deep and very hot melting. High-magnesium olivine with a very high forsterite content was produced by depleting other minerals and elements through intense melting over time – as much as 3.5 billion years.

Intense melting events in the early Earth erupted at the surface as very fluid lavas which produced a rock type called komatiite. Only the very depleted magmas which have undergone repeated melting events could have formed pyrope garnet, a small percentage of the various komatiites analyzed. This accounts for the rarity of pyrope garnets and diamonds.

The thermodynamic modeling that the authors of this study performed suggested that garnets can form very deep in the Earth, at temperatures greater than 1800 degrees C.  The authors believe that it is possible that the extreme heat upwellings from great depths melted the upper mantle in place early in the Archaean age, forming the base of the continents.

 

References:

https://www.iflscience.com/we-used-to-think-diamonds-were-everywhere-new-research-suggests-theyve-always-been-rare-68002

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrope

Visit this site for garnet pictures and an interesting listing of gemological classifications.

Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Pyrope garnet from eclogite outcrops, Jianggalesayi area, Qiemo (Qerqen; Cherchen) County, Bayin’gholin, Altun Mountains, Xinjiang, China.

Weighs 1469 grams or nearly 3.25 pounds.

The Houston Gem and Mineral Society has donated furnaces for enameling and flask burnout. I was looking at our collection and found one of the furnaces in a very sorry state. It is an old  furnace (Satellite brand) with a multistep power controller and a thermocouple and meter readout of the temperature. This is the simplest style with a power controller than handles the amount of time power is fed to the coils from 5% to 100%. Temperature is measured with a k type thermocouple and a analog meter. This is NOT a programmable controller but is perfectly satisfactory for many purposes like enameling and annealing.

The problem with shared equipment is that many people will not ask how to use something and just try it out. This furnace has had its thermocouple and meter destroyed by just turning it on high and leaving it unattended.  Afterward, no one is responsible.

However, there are very low cost ways to replace the thermocouple and meter. I accomplished this repair for a grand total of about $20!

One can buy a digital readout and k type thermocouple from China for about $10 (K-type Thermocouple Digital LED Sliaplay Thermometer Probe Sensor DC 12V XH-B310). I bought an additional longer thermocouple (Heat-resistant K Type Stainless Steel Thermocouple Sensor Probe Meter (1m))  that would better fit the thick fire brick wall of the furnace and added a rechargeable battery  and switch from my junk box. The digital readout requires DC voltage above 3 volts which is perfect for the 18650 battery and it draws so little power that the rechargeable battery will last more than a year.  Note that I am using a centigrade display because it will read to 800 C which is 1472 F.

This is the display showing 615 C (1139 F). The thermocouple is being heated by a butane torch. The green battery is on the left and a on/off switch on the bottom of the picture.

All photos by Neal Immega.

Future Project – My next article will show the use of a temperature controller that has a set point maximum.

Look this up on Ebay.

REX-C100 Digital LCD PID Temperature Controller Set+ K Thermocouple+ Max.40A SSR

I’ll bet you loved the fairy tale of “The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg” when you were a child. I know I did, despite being pretty sure that there was no way a goose could lay such an egg. However, recently I read about a bacterium that actually excretes gold, and how scientists have worked out how that is possible.

Apparently, Cupriavidus metallidurans, a form of rod-shaped bacteria that lives in soil strata permeated with toxic elements, has developed a strategy for dealing with metals. It needs copper to survive, but if too much copper is present, it activates an enzyme called “CupA”. The copper is converted from a hard-to-absorb compound into a form that can be imported into the cell. When gold is present in copper-gold compounds, which are more toxic than copper and gold are separately, a different enzyme, “CopA”, then activates to transform the copper and gold compounds into forms that are harder to absorb, which allows it to get rid of the excess copper. The gold is then excreted as tiny gold nuggets.

C. metallidurans is thus a key player in formation of “secondary gold”, following the breakdown of the primary gold ores created geologically. A joint German-Australian research team is investigating this bio-geochemical gold cycle, in the hope of processing low-quality ores without toxic mercury.

 

References:

Certain bacteria produce tiny gold nuggets by digesting toxic metals:

L. Bütof, N. Wiesemann, M. Herzberg, M. Altzschner, A. Holleitner, F. Reith, D. H. Nies.,  Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg.

Synergistic gold–copper detoxification at the core of gold biomineralisation in Cupriavidus metallidurans.

Metallomics, 2018; DOI: 10.1039/c7mt00312a

ScienceDaily, 31 January 2018:

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180131095453.htm

There is a micro-photograph to view in this report:

https://www.iflscience.com/the-bacterium-that-eats-heavy-metal-and-poops-gold-is-a-tiny-badass68113

Steve Blyskal:The Clear Lake Show, held on the 3rd weekend of March at the Pasadena Convention Center, was well attended, especially on Saturday, when lines of people waited for the opening of the ticket office.The weather co-operated, being not nice enough for outside play but not bad enough to keep people at home. Over 40 dealers participated, including some new ones. Everyone I talked to said that the show was going well for them.

Products offered covered the full range of the rock collecting and lapidary hobby, with lots of jewelry thrown in. I saw rough rock, slabs, cabs, faceted stones and gold and silver jewelry. Beads, tumbled stones, pyramids and carvings were popular. Mineral specimens from old and new localities were offered by some dealers, and fossils and meteorites by others. Amethyst cathedrals and specimens were featured by several dealers – the mines of Brazil seemingly provide an unending supply of great pieces.

Unique items like stone slabs that double as oil lamps were also for sale. Several dealers carried “decorator” mineral and fossils specimens for that special place in your home. The director of Clear Lake Gem & Mineral’s Publicity was a big hit in her blue dress and high heels, parading around showing off items from different dealers.

Of course, Scott Singleton and Steve went around and spoke with almost all the dealers, both those who are also in our show and others.

Nancy English, HGMS President and Volunteer Coordinator:

The HGMS Show Committee is grateful to the twelve volunteers who set up and staffed the HGMS table at the Annual Clear Lake Gem and Mineral Show on Saturday March 18 and Sunday March 19. Our volunteers promote the HGMS Annual Show by engaging the public with door prizes, free rocks, and demonstrations. Clyde McMeans delivered the HGMS supplies and rock specimens to the Pasadena Convention Center on Friday night and set up the tables. On Saturday morning Scott Singleton brought his extensive petrified wood collection. He and Nancy English worked with Jeni Menendez and Richard Vaile to set up the display and then greet the public. That afternoon, Sandra Cline, Theresa Goodwin, and Theo Glanton volunteered to pass out HGMS Show flyers and our new Trifold brochure. Nancy and Sandy demonstrated wire wrapping. Richard Vaile shared information about faceting. Everyone talked to the kids about our Youth Section. On Sunday, Maggie Manley demonstrated making beaded spiders and sold them. Beverly Mace was there in the morning. Allison and Matt Sklar came in the afternoon and stayed to help pack up and load Clyde’s and Scott’s cars. Another example of how generous our members are with their time and dedication to the Club.

Sigrid Stewart: The show was well organized and very successful. Almost all the dealers Sigrid talked to were very happy with the show. Thanks to the Clear Lake club for the vendors and dealers room set-up; it was a great place to enjoy a quick lunch!

Meeting Statistics:

The Zoom Board of Directors Meeting was called to order by Vice President Sarah Metsa at 7:39 PM. A quorum was present and no non-voting members were in attendance. Note: President Nancy English asked Sarah Metsa to conduct the meeting.

President’s Comments:

President English said is proud of what the Board has accomplished in the last few months regarding the progress on the wall rebuild and review of air conditioner maintenance contracts planned for March’s Board meeting.

Approval of Minutes:

• On February 17, 2023 Secretary Heidi Shelley and Board Member Fred Brueckner moved via email to approve the minutes of the February 7, 2023 Board of Directors’ Meeting. On February 18, 2023 Sarah Metsa seconded the motion.  It was voted on and passed via email on February 20, 2023.

Treasure’s Report

2022 HGMS Treasurer, Michele Marsel submitted the financial report to Board Members via email on the morning of March 7, 2023. The Board did not have had time to review it before the meeting. It will be slated as a discussion item in the April 4, 2023 Board of Directors meeting.

 

Committee Reports

• BBG Notice: Beverly Mace notified members on March 3, 2023 that the online version of the March BBG is available on the HGMS Website.

 

• Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC): This committee is still looking for a chairman. Vice President Sarah Metsa reported on the success of the sale held on February 25, 2023 at the clubhouse. She said the sale was very well attended and contained a lot of good rocks. Board Member Fred Brueckner, a Donations Committee member, reported that there were about $1300 in sales, which will be split with the Helms estate. (Side Note from Minutes: The club only receives half of the proceeds from sales. The other half of sales and the remaining unsold items will be returned to managers of the estate.) Fred reported there were a number of flats of rocks leftover from the sale. He thought Michele Marsel was planning to contact Jemco to see if they wanted to buy any left items before the remaining were returned to the estate managers.

 

• Education Committee: Board Member Maggie Manley reported that a couple of classes were listed on the HGMS website (under the Education Classes section). There are three cabochon classes taught by Sharon Halton and one Tree of Life wire-wrapping class taught by Maggie Manley. (Side Note from Minutes: If you know of anyone who can teach a class on the HGMS website wish list https://hgms.org/education/hgms-classes/, please contact Maggie Manley at classes@hgms.org. )

 

• Safety/Policy Committee: President Nancy English reported that Heidi Shelley, Theo Glanton, and Richard Good have done an outstanding job of working with the contractors for getting bids. Theo, Richard, and President English walked the contractors through the building and received three different bids for the work. As part of the project, President English has found some volunteers to help move equipment away from the north wall in the lapidary room and to help move it back once the rebuild is completed.

Board Member Richard Good then talked about the contractors, the history of why this project was started and how it evolved to the scope presented to the Board at the March Board Meeting. He reviewed the scope of work request presented to the contractors as well as logistics of dumpsters, construction and how things will work when the contractors are present. He reported that all three contractors that gave bids had liability insurance and workers compensation. He said all three can provide necessary paperwork and that HGMS would be protected from any lawsuits that were caused by contractors, subs or otherwise. He recommended HGMS does not require bonding due to costs.

Pricing for all three quotes were as follows:

• Wood & Stone: $10,614 (did not include FRP and FRP installation on north wall)
• Onyx Constructors: $24,076.16 (plus $5,842.85 for FRP and FRP Installation)
• Horne LLC (General Contractor): $13,650 (plus 2500 for FRP and installation)

Richard Good reported that he and Theo Glanton (who is a civil engineer by profession) feel confident that any of the three contractors who gave bids would “do the jobs safely, correctly and to our [HGMS] satisfaction” on the rebuild.

President English led a discussion on the logistics of moving equipment for the contractors and re-installing equipment when the contractors were finished. She also discussed the need for volunteers (in addition to those who already offered to help) as well as a potential incentive to be given to those who assist.

Discussion then turned to what finish should be applied on the north wall of the lapidary room:  paint the wall vs. installing FRP (Fiberglass reinforced plastic).There was much debate and discussion concerning the matter. Final decisions were made as follows:

Motion:

Secretary Heidi Shelley moved that the board approve installing FRP at the 8 ft. height. Nancy English seconded the motion. A vote was taken.  Five were in favor and two were not in favor. The motion passed with a majority.

Motion:

Vice President Sarah Metsa moved that we go with Wood and Stone (the lowest bid) as long as the 8ft FRP portion is less than $6,000 so that HGMS is not spending more than $15,400 total for this project through that contractor. Maggie Manley seconded the motion. The vote passed unanimously.

(Side Note from Minutes: Re-installation of Plumbing and Electrical was not included in the bid. It was understood HGMS would take care of this portion of the work. Richard Good would request a quote for FRP from Wood & Stone contractors and inform the Board. On March 9, 2023 Richard Good reported to the Board via email that Wood & Stone quoted $1800 and change for the FRP portion of the project.)

Lastly, Richard Good reported that he planned to move the electrical conduits to the benches instead of the wall after the rebuild and permanently move benches two feet from the walls. There was discussion of this option as well as the code requirement for outlets on the walls of businesses. Richard Good said he would contact a club member who is a licensed electrician to get their opinion on the matter and would report back to the Board.

 

• Membership Committee (Beverly Mace):

There were 4 new adult single memberships, 6 couples and one family membership as of February 28, 2023. There were also many member renewals, but the final count of renewals was not available as of the Board meeting.

 

• Scholarship Committee

Mike Sommers reached out to Vice President Sarah Metsa and Scott Singleton to help advertise HGMS Scholarships. Sarah posted the information on Facebook and Scott posted the scholarship information on the HGMS website. The same information would also be included in the following week’s eblast.

 

• Show Committee:

First Vice President Sarah Metsa reported that the PayPal Here readers are going away.  HGMS will need to find a new point-of-sale (POS) reader or use PayPal’s new Zettle point-of-sale reader. The Show Committee is discussing these options as well as the Website Committee. This change will not affect payments on the website for classes, but will affect in-person sales.

Section News/Problems to Report

There were no problems or extra news reported by the section representatives.

Old Business

February 2023 Meeting Items for Discussion Follow-up –

• Equipment Schedule for insurance – There have been no updates on this item.
• President Nancy English informed the Board during the February Board of Director’s Meeting that she would like to raise the Club Annual Dues according to the following and asked the Board to think about it. The Board discussed the following proposed pricing changes:

Current Annual Dues:	Proposed Annual Dues:
Single Adult:   $40	Single Adult:   $50
Couple:    $60	Couple:   $70
Youth:   $25	Youth:   $30
Family:   $75	Family:   $85
Individual Adult Lifetime:   $500	Individual Adult Lifetime:   $750 – $1000

 

Motion

Sarah Metsa moved that HGMS raise the price for annual memberships and lifetime membership as follows: $50 for single adult, $70 per couple, $30 per youth, $85 per family and $750 for an individual adult lifetime membership to take effect January 1, 2024. Beverly Mace seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed. (Side Note from Minutes: In order for these new changes to fully take effect, they will need to be presented to the General Club membership and the HGMS By-Laws will need to be updated.)

• Facebook/Instagram E-Blast Class Advertising: Sarah Metsa has advertised for classes on Facebook. Moving forward Sarah will post to Facebook information for any classes Maggie Manley submits to go out with the weekly eblast.

 

 

Report Back on Items from February Meeting –

• D&O Insurance became effective on February 22, 2023 for $1,218.00. Thanks to Nancy English for following up on this item.
• Debbie Seid brought delicious refreshments to the February 28^th general meeting.
• Nancy told the General Meeting attendees about the decision to increase shop use fees to $3.00 per hour when the shop is reopened after the rebuild of the north wall in the lapidary room. Those present at the meeting seemed to take it ok.
• The “Game Basket” will be available at the Shop starting Wednesday, March 8, 2023 and will be located in the alcove west of the bathrooms. Note: Secretary Heidi Shelley reported that LaTunya Williams (who also goes by “LT”) from the Daylight Section offered to create sign language cards to add to the Game Basket. This way HGMS members can learn sign language for some of the topics related to content in the Game Basket.

New Business

• Maggie Manley reported that discussions have taken place between her, Tony Lucci, Michele Marsel, Jeanean Slamen, Beverly Mace and Sigrid Stewart about having a jewelry/Metalsmithing Shop Supervisor, or a checkout/training session before members are allowed to use the gas, torches, etc. in the Jewelry room. She also presented the idea of putting wire locks on the shop kilns. Board Members expressed their concerns, pros and cons about these various ideas and options. The Board asked for more details of logistics and written documentation on these items before any further actions are implemented. No action was taken on these items at this time except for permission to put a lock on a new kiln that will be donated to the club on the condition that it is used only by instructors of HGMS-Sponsored classes.

Motion

Vice President Sarah Metsa moved that if Michele Marsel wants to donate a new kiln to be designated for HGMS Class-use only, it is ok to put a lock and sign on it. That will be the only kiln with a lock and sign stating “HGMS Class-Use Only” at this time. Secretary Heidi Shelley seconded it. A vote was taken and a motion passed with a majority vote yes and one vote nay. Note: Some proposed rules will need to be created by Maggie Manley and submitted to the Board for review in the next Board of Directors meeting.

• President Nancy English expressed appreciation to Sharon Halton and Heidi Shelley for their efforts in cleaning and organizing the Jewelry/Metal shop.
• Dean Wix solicited bids for our HVAC maintenance. President English explained the situation and realized she needed to find out more information before a vote was taken by the Board. She said this can be handled by email vote at a later time if needed.
• President English discussed the need for volunteers to work the HGMS table during the Clear Lake Gem and Mineral Society Show on March 18-19, 2023.
• Nancy English emailed Steve Blyskal to ask him to reserve the December 9, 2023 at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall. She has not yet heard back from Steve concerning this matter.
• Carmen Fraticelli has volunteered to be shop supervisor in the Jewelry/Metalsmithing room on Wednesdays from 10 am – 3 pm. Sharon Halton will continue as Lapidary shop foremen on Wednesdays.
• Richard Good reported the club will receive a new drum of oil on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.
• The Board discussed plans for club closure and timing for the up-coming renovation. President English said she does not want anyone in the clubhouse while the contractors are working.
• Richard Good told the Board he would call his electrician contact tomorrow about Richard’s plan for re-installing electrical on the benches instead of on the wall. He will report back to the Board on what the electrician says.

Adjourn

Secretary Heidi Shelley moved to adjourn the Board of Directors Meeting. First Vice President Sarah Metsa seconded the motion and it passed. The meeting adjourned at 9:38 pm.

 

Dates of Note

Description	March	April	May
Board of Directors Meeting via Zoom (1st Tues)	7th @ 7:30pm	4th @ 7:30pm	2nd @ 7:30pm
General Club Meeting (4th Tues) Hybrid	28th @ 7:30pm	25th @ 7:30pm	23rd @ 7:30pm
Description	March	April	May
Beading (3rd Sat)	18th @ 12:30pm	15th @ 12:30pm	20th @ 12:30pm
Day Light (1st Wed)	1st @ 1:00pm	5th @ 1:00pm	3rd @ 1:00pm
Gemstones/Faceting (2nd Thurs ) Hybrid	9th@ 6:30pm or Join Zoom at 7:30pm	13th @ 6:30pm or Join Zoom at 7:30pm	11th@ 6:30pm or Join Zoom at 7:30pm
Lapidary/Silver (3rd Mon)	20th @ 7:00pm	17th @ 7:00pm	15th @ 7:00pm
Mineral (3rd Wed)	15th @ 7:30pm	19th @ 7:30pm	17th @ 7:30pm
Paleo (3rd Tues) Hybrid	21st @ 7:30pm	18th @ 7:30pm	16th @ 7:30pm
Youth (1st and 3rd Sat)	4th @ 10a – Noon 18th @ 10 – Noon	1st @ 10 – Noon 15th @ 10-Noon	6th @ 10a –Noon 20th @ 10 –Noon

General Meeting Agenda – March 2023

Meeting Statistics:

The meeting was called to order by President Nancy English at 7:40 PM. There were 15 attendees in person and 5 people joined online via zoom. There were no new members or guests for the meeting, however, a new member, Dr. G, came to the shop and took a tour of the clubhouse before the General Meeting began.

President’s Comments:

President English announced that Neal Immega was giving away a used grinding wheel that Toni found in a case and was going to throw away. Neal offered to give it away. He claimed “It was the biggest grinding wheel he had ever seen.”  James Eleckel claimed the wheel.  There were no other comments from President English.

Approval of Minutes:

Club member Neal Immega moved to approve the minutes of the February 28, 2023 General Meeting as published in the weekly e-blast on March 26, 2023. James Eleckel seconded the motion. A vote was taken and it passed.

Membership

There were 4 new adult memberships, 6 new couple memberships and one new family membership submitted in February.

Committee Reports/Section Reports

 

Education Committee – There are two Cabochon 101 classes posted on the HGMS website, April 5^th and April 19^th. Sharon Halton will be teaching.

Show Committee – First Vice President Sarah Metsa reported that the PayPal Here readers are going away.  HGMS will need to find a new point of sale reader or use PayPal’s new Zettle point-of-sale reader. The Show Committee is discussing these options as well as the Website Committee. This change will not affect payments on the website for classes, but will affect in-person sales.

Safety/Policy Committee – During their March 7^th Board of Directors meeting, the HGMS Board discussed the three different contractor bids to replace the North Wall. They agreed upon a preferred contractor but needed further information before a final decision was made. In the process of gathering this further information, it was discovered that the original plan for reinstalling electrical and plumbing to the grinding machines would not be possible. The committee is now working on a proposal to handle re-installation of electrical and plumbing as well as the need to move the settling tanks as part of this process. The committee is entertaining the idea of grouping all plumbing for that room along the north wall, which could include rearranging the layout of the lapidary room and moving the sink. The purpose is to relocate all open water away from the closet in that room. The updated scope will be reviewed by the Board of Directors. When final scope has been approved and the contractor schedule established, President English will inform members of construction and closure schedule. We thank you for your patience and understanding in this process. We know there has been a lot of

back and forth, but we are trying to resolve concerns and do this project right so that the updated lapidary room may be safely enjoyed by members for years to come.

President English told attendees that if members have anything to ask about, complain about or know more information about this process to please contact her at President@HGMS.org. This project is not meant to be secret so please ask if you would like to know more details. Attendees then asked reasons for sink and discussions followed about moving the sink,  the length of project, cutting down size of current sink, and the possibility of draining water from that room using a pipe going out the wall and running along the north wall on the outside of the building to the sewer cleanout.  President English will hold a meeting for current shop supervisors to receive input for the lapidary room layout options.

Old Business

Possible Increase in Membership Dues

During the March 7^, 2023 Board of Directors meeting, a motion was passed to increase the membership dues for HGMS membership.  This will need to be voted upon by club members. If the motion passes, the new pricing will become effective as of January 1, 2024 and the club by-laws will be updated to reflect the new change. Below is a chart containing the current annual dues as well as the Board-approved membership dues. As a courtesy to members to allow time to reflect on the possible pricing changes. The By-Laws will need to be changed to reflect this price increase and the By-Laws will need to be presented to the members during a General Meeting for approval through a vote. If the vote passes, the pricing won’t be effective until January 1, 2024.

Current Annual Dues:	Proposed Annual Dues:
Single Adult:   $40	Single Adult:   $50
Couple:    $60	Couple:   $70
Youth:   $25	Youth:   $30
Family:   $75	Family:   $85
Individual Adult Lifetime:   $500	Individual Adult Lifetime:   $750

 

Social Media

As you may be aware, HGMS has both a Facebook and an Instagram account. Sarah Metsa has been working to post more Information about activities, classes, and up-coming events on these social media platforms. If you would like to join HGMS on either or both of these platforms, you may follow us @hgms.org on Facebook or @hgms.org_tx on Instagram. Links to each are also found in the top right corner of the Home page on the HGMS.org website. President English announced that Sarah Metsa is willing to post on the HGMS Facebook, but does not use Instagram. If there are any members that would like to help post HGMS news and activities to Instagram, please let Sarah Metsa or President English know.

Clear Lake Gem and Mineral Show

Thanks to all the volunteers for the HGMS table at the Clear Lake Gem and Mineral Show on Saturday March 18 and Sunday March 19. HGMS staffs a table at the Annual Clear Lake Gem and Mineral Show to promote the HGMS Annual Show. Clyde McMeans delivered the HGMS supplies and rock specimens to the Pasadena Convention Center on Friday night and set up the tables. On Saturday morning Scott Singleton brought his extensive petrified wood collection. He and Nancy English worked with Jeni Menendez, Richard Vaile to set up the display and then greet the public. That afternoon, Sandra Cline, Theresa Goodwin, and Theo Glanton volunteered to pass out HGMS Show flyers and our new Trifold brochure. Nancy and Sandy demonstrated wire wrapping. Richard Vaile shared information about faceting. On Sunday, Maggie Manley demonstrated making beaded spiders and sold them. Beverly Mace was there in the morning. Allison and Matt Sklar came in the afternoon and stayed to help pack up and load Clyde’s and Scott’s cars. The HGMS Show Committee is grateful to these twelve volunteers.

 

New Business

A new kiln has been donated to HGMS under the condition that it be dedicated for HGMS-sponsored class use only. The Board of Directors gave approval for this kiln to have a wire lock on it with a sign posted labeling the kiln for class-use only. Instructors for HGMS classes will have access to the key that opens the wire lock on the kiln.

Paleo Section Field Trip

Mike Dawkins gave an update on the field trip via email:  Whiskey Bridge Field Trip – It was great. Not sure of the exact headcount, but around a dozen or so. The weather was perfect. Everyone seemed to have a great time. I think people were happy to get outdoors and do something different.

 

Updating Assumption of Risk Form

Jeanean Slamen has taken on the responsibility of updating HGMS’s Assumption of Risk form for the Field Trips and Classes. President English thanked her for her efforts in this regard.

Game Basket

HGMS Secretary Heidi Shelley announced she is sponsoring a contest for the month of April. Contest rules will be posted near the Game Basket as well as a handout on a walking tour Neal Immega wrote for buildings in downtown Houston that use rock as part of their architectural designs.

Section Announcements

Please look for reports of future Section meetings and programs in the BBG calendar, on the Website https://hgms.org/events, or by reading the weekly Sunday, e-blast from Houston Gem and Mineral Society.

 

Additional Announcements: There were no additional announcements for any of the sections.

Upcoming Dates

The next Board of Directors meeting is on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at 7:30pm via zoom. If you would like to attend please send an email to President@HGMS.org.

The next General Hybrid Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 25^th at 7:30 pm. The program is still to be determined.

 

Show and Tell

• Matt Sklar reported that in Bandera, Texas, there were some individuals digging post holes and found coral and cannon balls. Matt brought two coral and one cannon ball examples to share. The cannon ball is a rock and is not magnetic.

 

• Steve Blyskal showed examples of minerals Mike Sommers found that Steve bought at the Clear Lake Gem and Mineral show. Samples included Prehnite from Morocco and quartz crystals from Badakhshan province in Afghanistan. What is unique about these crystals is they are very thin, so they don’t look like typical quartz crystals, and they have Hematite crystals growing on them. Steve then shared Coyamito Agate (considered the most beautiful and precious agates of Northern Mexico), which he also bought from the Clear Lake Gem and Mineral Show. Steve also showed slabs he recently cut at the HGMS shop using agate collected from in West Texas – from the Kokernot Ranch, Bunny Creek or from Needle Peak.

 

 

• Beverly Mace showed geodes she collected in the late 1990’s from Saguache, Colorado (which is 50 miles east of Gunnison on Hwy 114) and just recently found in her garage. Steve Blyskal looked at Beverly’s geodes and said they are rhyolite and chalcedony so they could be called thunder eggs geodes. These geodes also have a slight green florescence when viewed under a UV light.

Door Prize

Club Member William Seed won the picture weight change catcher donated by Steve Blyskal. And Club Member Sigrid Stewart won the bald cypress (Taxodium species) petrified wood sample.

Final Comments

President English once again thanked Debbie Seid for the refreshments. She gave thanks and recognition to Jeanean Slamen for setting up and running the tech equipment for Zoom. She thanked the volunteers who made the General Meeting possible and as well as all volunteers that make HGMS possible.

Adjourn

Neal Immega moved to end the General Meeting. Candra Klein seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed. The General Meeting Adjourned at 8:20 pm.

Dates of Note

Description	April	May	June
Board of Directors Meeting via Zoom (1st Tues) @ 7:30 pm	4th	2nd	6th
General Club Meeting (4th Tues) Hybrid  @ 7:30pm	25th	23rd	27th
Description	Section Monthly Meetings
	April	May	June
Beading (3rd Sat) @ 12:30pm	15th	20th	17th
Day Light (1st Wed) @ 1:00pm	5th	3rd	7th
Gems/Faceting (2nd Thurs ) Hybrid In person @ 6:30pm; Zoom added 7:30pm.	13th	11th	8th
Lapidary/Silver (3rd Mon) @ 7:00pm	17th	15th	18th
Mineral (3rd Wed) @ 7:30pm	19th	17th	21st
Paleo (3rd Tues) Hybrid @ 7:30pm	18th	16th	20th
Youth (1st and 3rd Sat) from 10a – Noon	1st   and   15th	6th   and  20th	3rd    and   17th

Texas Mineral and Fossil Show

04/21/2023 – 04/23/2023

Lone Star Convention Center & Expo

9055 Airport Rd, Conroe, TX 77303

https://www.rmgmpromotions.com/

https://www.facebook.com/RMGMmineralandfossilshows

https://twitter.com/RMGMPromotions

 

Fiesta of Gems

04/01/2023 – 04/02/2023

Morris Center at the Joe Freeman Coliseum

723 AT&T Center Parkway, Gate E, San Antonio, TX 78219

http://swgms.org/

 

Alpine Gem & Mineral Show

04/14/2023 – 04/16/2023

Fri. / Sat. 9:00 am -6:00 pm, Sun. 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Alpine Civic Center

801 W Holland Ave, Alpine, TX 83128

https://www.facebook.com/Chihuahuan-Desert-Gem-Mineral-Club-300125913343720/

 

Waco Gem and Mineral Show

05/06/2023 – 05/07/2023

Hours: 10:00 am – 5:00  pm Daily

Waco Convention Center at McLennan Hall

100 Washington Ave, Waco, TX 76710

https://www.wacogemandmineral.org/

 

Texas Mineral and Fossil Dallas/Plano

05/19/2023 – 05/21/2023

Plano Event Center

2000 E Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano, TX 75074

Website: https://www.rmgmpromotions.com/

 

Gem Amethyst Rock Fossil Sale

(Dallas/ Collin County)
04/15/2023 – 04/16/2023
Sale date and times:
Sat./Sun. 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
1409 Oak Hill Ln, Murphy, TX 75094