THE BACKBENDER’S GAZETTE

The 71st Annual HGMS Gem, Mineral, Jewelry, and Fossil Show was a terrific success. We welcomed 3,259 visitors over the three days. We owe it all to the 180 volunteers who filled 250 half-day shifts. The volunteer number is made up of the eleven Show Committee members, 30 students from local high schools and colleges, and experienced members and new members.

On Friday, we hosted 1200 schoolchildren from public, private, and homeschool groups. The kids stopped at dealers, the Paleo and Mineral Booths, and demonstrator booths to get answers for their scavenger hunt questions. On Saturday, 87 Boy and Girl Scouts earned their Geology merit badges and also ran the scavenger hunt paths.

Forty-four Dealers were happy with their sales. And especially happy with our Security Team, who mounted cameras all over the Show. Numerous vested Security members roamed the Show communicating with new devices and discouraging shoplifters.

The Info Booth refilled silent auction opportunities every hour. They sold posters, t-shirts, and totes. Once again, the Dino Dig provided hundreds of kids with opportunities to dig for fossils, little polished rocks, and dinosaurs. The Youth Area taught kids about rocks through games and quizzes. The Houston Museum of Natural Science engaged the kids with an arts and crafts project. The Houston Geology Society set up photographs and diagrams of the earth’s geological background.

Our Hospitality Group took drinks to dealers and provided them with breaks. They kept the coffee hot and the sodas cold for everyone working at the show.

I am proud to be part of this beautiful show. If you enjoyed volunteering and would like to join us again next year, or if you know others who might be interested, we’d love to have you both! You can express your interest early by reaching out, and we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear about next year’s opportunities. Forty-two people already expressed their interest in being contacted first for the show in 2025.

All fifty-three volunteers who attended the Appreciation Party took home a door prize. Niko Niko’s food did not disappoint, the wine was delicious, and homemade desserts sweetened the evening. Volunteers participated in a brief feedback session on how to improve their experience. And of course, Scott and Eileen Singleton’s home welcomes Rockhounds.

Thank you to the valuable volunteers for your commitment and hard work. Together, we celebrated our shared passions and achieved a memorable 71st show – one we couldn’t have done without volunteers.

With immense gratitude,

Nancy English and Daniel Rodriguez, HGMS Volunteer Coordinators

Look who went live on local station KPRC to advertise our show!

The only drawback was that this was on Thursday morning, which delayed them getting to the show.

At left, Scott Singleton, LT Wilcox and Steve Blyskal. Did any Club members see them?

May we present: our Grand Prize winner!

2024 Grand Door Prize awarded to Carlos Fernandez of Manvel

Donation from Estate of James Gary Anderson

Beading – Second Saturday, 12:00 PM  

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

The next meeting is on Saturday, December 14th at Noon in the HGMS Clubhouse middle classroom.  Kits are required for this project.  You must have a loom to weave this bracelet.  Graphic and written pattern , beads, thread, and findings will be provided at a cost of $15.00.  Colors will be brighter than shown in the photograph.  RSVP to Beading@hgms.org.  High quality custom looms are available for purchase at $45.00 if ordered by December 10th; or, bring your own loom set up with 22 warp threads for the 11/0 Delica beads used in this project.  The design is simplified by tying the warp ends and using a slide clasp to neatly encompass the last row of beads and knots. You will be a confident loomer upon completion of this project.  If you are not familiar with looming I ask that you do a search on the web under bead looming and watch one or two videos on how to set up a loom in advance of the December meeting.

On Saturday, January 11th the Beading Section meeting will have a vendor selling high quality pearls and beads in the Large Meeting Room from Noon to 1:30 PM.  Following the sale we will learn pearl knotting and basic stringing until about 4:00 PM.  Bring your special bead strands; or, purchase them at the sale.  Beading Section will provide wire or thread and findings and instruction on how to properly string your beads.  We have an easy way to properly knot between beads for a professional look.

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.

Lapidary and silversmithing – Third Monday, 7:00 PM

• NO MEETING in December 2024. Enjoy your holidays and we’ll see everyone in January.

Email Lapidary@hgms.org if you have questions.

SHOP CLOSURES – FALL/WINTER HOLIDAYS

Our Clubhouse and Shops will close on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day so our volunteer Shop Supervisors can enjoy the holidays with their family and friends.

We have another Shop closure in December due to lack of Shop Supervisor coverage. Please note the day below when we will not be open in addition to the holidays.

NO OPEN SHOP:
Thanksgiving – Thursday, November 28, 2024 – HOLIDAY
Sunday, December 22, 2024 – CLOSED/NO SUPERVISOR AVAILABLE
Christmas Day – Wednesday, December 25, 2024 – HOLIDAY
New Year’s Day – Wednesday, January 1, 2025 – HOLIDAY

Many of our Lapidary Shop grinding wheels were replaced over the last 6 months. That made lots of members very happy. Unfortunately, not everyone who comes to work in the Lapidary Shop observes the rules and two wheels – LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OLD – have been severely damaged. New soft wheels cost $100 each, so please respect our Shop Equipment and Shop Rules.

Class: STERLING SILVER WIDE BAND RING
Time: Sunday December 29 – Noon to 5pm, Jewelry Shop
Instructor: Carmen Fraticelli
Cost:  Member Cost $98.00; Non-Member Cost $115.00
Minimum of 2-students; Maximum of 6-students

Learn to make and texture a 6mm wide band ring from scratch. This class is appropriate for the beginning silversmith or for expanding one’s knowledge of basic ring making. The class will cover creating rings and the fundamentals of finishing a piece (the key to making it look professional). Each student will create 1 silver ring. If you’ve taken the Textured Stacking Rings class, you’ll see how different working it is working with a wide band from sheet.

Students will learn:

• To calculate length needed for ring size
• Form & solder ring band
• Polishing & finishing
• Texturing using various tools

Notes:

• Tool rental is included
• Materials provided by instructor, bands will be 6mm wide
• Class to be held in clubhouse Jewelry Studio. Will overlap open studio hours but will extend into after hours.
• Students must bring a mask (N95 or KN95)

You are most likely familiar with the concept of snowbirds.  I am one, myself.  I’m also a rock show bird.  I “fly” north in time for the Sublette County Rockhounds Gem & Mineral Show the second weekend in June and head south for the Houston Gem & Mineral Society’s Gem, Mineral, Jewelry & Fossil Show the 2nd weekend in November. This year was no exception. The 71st HGMS annual show was held the Humble Civic Center, Nov 8th-11th.

It took 180 volunteers over 225 shifts to put on the show.  They did everything from set up to tear down including security, taking tickets, silent auction, info booth, selling merchandise, dino dig, fluorescent rock tent, demonstrations, rock/gem/fossil ID, and hospitality. The volunteers included members, friends, spouses and 60 students from local high schools and colleges fulfilling extra credit hours or service club hours.

Friday is usually the craziest day.  Fondly know as ‘School Daze’ we had almost 2000 students come through the show.  We have public and private schools come in the morning and home schoolers in the afternoon.  Each student gets a grade appropriate, TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills) compliant scavenger hunt.  They ask predetermined questions of dealers and club members that pertain to earth science. School attendance is still recovering from COVID.

Saturday is set aside for Scouts (both Boy and Girl).  This year 87 scouts earned their geology merit badge.

Our Dino Dig has simplified over the years to a pile of sand with plenty of treasure.  Our formerly elaborate fluorescent rock display has also been modified and now is in a black tent with teaching displays in front.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Houston Geological Society and Stephen F. Austin State University also have booths with educational activities.

We have a separate area for our youth section that provides information and games.

Over 40 dealers occupy the Center area of the convention Center.  The club takes over the perimeter.  Each of the club’s sections has as area where they provide displays, information and demonstrations including faceting, casting, cabbing, silversmithing and beading.

It’s quite a production. I’m proud to be a member of HGMS as you can probably tell.  If you happen to be anywhere near SE Texas next November, stop on by.  There’s something for everyone.

PICKLE PRECAUTIONS

A hot pickle pot gives off fumes that bother me in my home workshop. I  get around that by using my pickle cold. I mix it a little stronger than for a hot pot so that it works almost as quickly. I keep it in a  large-mouth plastic bottle and cap it off whenever I’m done using it.

PROTECTING  FINISHED  SURFACES

I figure that any accidental scratch I make on a piece means about 15  minutes of extra sanding and polishing.  So after finishing major  surfaces I typically cover them with some masking tape to avoid any  scratches when doing final work like cleanups and setting of stones.   The blue masking tape used by painters works particularly well because it doesn’t leave a sticky residue.

As a new Vice-President of the SCFMS, I planned to attend the SCFMS Convention, held in conjunction with the Dallas Gem & Mineral Show, held November 23^rd and 24^th at the Mesquite Convention Center east of Dallas. Naturally, I asked husband Steve Blyskal if he would like to go with me, and just as naturally he agreed.  Pass up a gem and mineral show? Not Steve!

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Mesquite which is connected to the Mesquite Convention Center.  I must admit that a connected hotel is very handy for visiting a show!  My first impression was that the space available to the Dallas Club was much larger than our available space at the Humble Civic Center. The 50 or so dealers were more spread out and some of the dealers were able to feature large tubs of material over more than ten tables. At our show, with limited space, dealers are forced to feature their best specimens, and usually not able to show a lot of rough material that won’t sell for a high price. I did not have a chance to inquire as to their table prices or how they selected dealers. Their show people were busy, as you can imagine.

The Dallas Show also seemed less crowded, even considering the larger space. That made it easier to get around, which was enjoyable. Just being able to attend a show that you don’t have to work is fun. Since we were staying in the hotel, we were able to walk down to the show area and watch dealers setting up on Friday night. We met the dealers from Perfect Point Crystal Company, from Kansas City, Missouri, who had some interesting quartz and epidote specimens from Turkey. They are the primary importers of that material, so their display covered several tables with green and clear specimens. There were several Club tables, displays, a silent auction, raffles, and a Dallas Paleo Society table.

Saturday morning, I attended the Editors and Webmasters Breakfast held in a nearby conference room, and when that was over, I headed for the show. It’s always amazing how a show comes together! Everything looked great. Several of our dealers were present at this show; heading to the back of the show area, I saw Aisha and Arif Jan of Rocksaholics. It’s a great show for them because they live nearby.  Jerry Howard of JH Stone Galleria had a larger booth than at the HGMS show, so he displayed more petrified wood slabs and some agates from Argentina.

The main meeting for the SCFMS took place at 1:00pm, and after that wrapped, I went back. I was walking around with Steve when someone said “Steve? Are you Steve Blyskal?” It was a man named Bart Pickard who had worked with Steve at Travelers Insurance for a couple of years in the ‘80s, and he had recognized Steve’s voice. His display of fluorescent minerals was impressive; it was housed in a large case with a long wave light on one side and a short wave on the other, permitting you to see that some minerals fluoresce under both, but in different ways. He also had fluorescent minerals for sale, and we bought a couple of nice Terlingua calcites. It was entertaining to examine the similarities and the differences between the Dallas Show and our Show.