THE BACKBENDER’S GAZETTE
Volume LVI ----- Houston Gem & Mineral Society ----- June 2026
Table of Contents
Click a Table of Contents Entry to jump to that article.
President's Message
by Jeanean Slamen
Pending.
Vice-President's Message
by Julius Albonetti, 1st Vice President
Our speaker at the June General Meeting on June 23rd will be Colin Diggins. He manages the Paleontology Laboratory at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. He has been passionate about the Pleistocene since he was a small kid and went on his first excavation at the age of 13. He completed his undergraduate degree in Archaeology at Agustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2013, and then spent several years learning Geology and Paleontology working as a Discovery Guide at HMNS. Subsequently he moved into the prep lab bringing his talent for vertebrate skeletal identification.
The Pleistocene strata under our feet in Houston hold a menagerie of unusual ice-age species. This presentation will explore the extraordinary local fossil specimens in HMNS’s collection and their geologic context. Colin will also try to identify fossils found in the greater Houston area and local rivers. He thinks identification is particularly fitting for the subject as well. So make plans to attend the meeting!
More about Collecting near Alpine
by July Olson
“You’ll know you’re serious about rockhounding when you get a 4 wheel drive.“
I laughed when Teri Smith, our incredible guide to rockhounding the private ranches of the once volcanic landscape of west Texas, told me that. Yet, on the way home my wife Jen and I were already seriously contemplating the cost of trading in our current vehicle for one, and pricing places to stay when the rockhounding season opens back up in the fall.
The area around Big Bend has always been my happy place, and now there’s a whole new strata to that deep love. Agates. Boy do I adore agates! And let me tell you, Texas goes big when it comes to those beautiful little biscuits of calcedony!
Teri took us out on our first day, along with a small caravan of others from as far away as Michigan, to Needle Peak. Down through remote gravel roads and empty draws, a forest of blooming ocotillo rising all around right outside of Study Butte, and there it was. A hillside of volcanic history drowning in rocks and fossils.
Teri gave us a map, guidance, and set us loose. Four buckets of agates later we’d had the best workout of our life, already dreaming of the saws back at the club’s shop, ready to cut them open and see the treasure we’d collected with our own hands!
Then we rested for a day, and by rest I mean we went to a road cut with a chisel and hammer and collected more rocks, naturally, and a few bags of roadside trash to give back to the community.
The third day brought the second official location of our trip, one many have visited before, Larremore Ranch. Same dusty roads, and sprawling rural isolation, made for a completely different experience from the steep hillsides of Needle Peak.
Now we were in the alluvial deposits of Calamity Creek. Fortunately, our biggest calamity was having to haul bags full of rocks through sandy dry creek beds, but a fellow rockhound did get a flat turning around in the scrub.
Beyond that, I got to meet some legendary Texas rock hounds, and share a magnificent ham sandwich while learning the history of folks who were on these trails before I was a thought. Nothing like classic rockhound adventure stories to make you feel like you’re really on the frontier and remind you that camaraderie is a lovely bonus to this great hobby!
A sad note: Brian Larremore, the ranch owner, passed away May 13th.
Section News
Beading – Second Saturday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Beading Section Meeting meets from 10 AM to 1 PM. Those who choose to can join us for lunch afterwards.
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.
Always bring beading mat, scissors, wire, wire cutter, round nose and needle nose pliers, thread, and beading needles if you have them.
Find out more about the Beading Section!
Lapidary and Silversmithing – Third Monday, 7:00 PM
The next meeting will be on June 15th at 7:00 pm.
On the Lapidary side:
- The Stone of the month will be announced at the meeting. Don’t miss out. Richard Goode will be demonstrating how to slab rocks on the big saw, in order to get the right cut on a rock.
On the Silversmithing side:
- We will also be doing sand casting. I have had a lot of requests for sand casting so you’ll want to bring up any small items you want to cast something preferably the size of a silver dollar or a small chess piece also bring scrap silver to cast with ( I will have some if you don’t).
Email Lapidary@hgms.org if you have questions, and check out the Lapidary and Silversmithing Section page.
Day Light – First Wednesday, 12:00 PM – 3:00PM
The next meeting of the Daylight Section is Wednesday, June 3rd at 12 PM.
In honor of America’s 250th Anniversary, we will be making Firecracker earrings.
- The primary elements are composed of silver filled wire, which is 10-20 percent Sterling silver. The fee for this project is $6.00.
- We will be using a jig to make the chandelier portion and wire to make the headpins.
- The firecrackers are 11/0 delica beads, very tiny. Be sure to bring your glasses and/or magnifiers.
Gemstones and Faceting – Second Thursday, 6:00 PM
Our next meeting will be June 18th at 6:30 pm.
The topics will be:
- How to read the Refractometer (Gem I.D.)
- and Hints & Tips to Faceting (Faceting Process)
- Gemstone Giveaway: Citrine, Topaz & Iolite! All present will be eligible for a drawing for a nice facet quality piece of each stone!
Paleontology – Third Tuesday, 7:30 PM
The next meeting is Tuesday, June 16th at 7:30 pm.
After Show ‘n’ Tell,
Ray Kizer will present an introduction to foraminifera fossils, detailing what they are, how to find them in the geologic environment and how they are useful to geoscience and exploration.
Zoom link for the meeting:
meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83086910829?pwd=Oi4rVSgg9nXjRAmtqXovLLwFnOC2GX.1
or
Meeting ID: 860 5377 1923
Passcode: 826994
If you’d like to join the Paleo Section email list, send an email to hgmspaleosection@gmail.com and ask to be added.
Mineral – Third Wednesday, 7:30 PM
The next meeting is Wednesday, June 17th at 7:30 pm.
We will have a talk about sulfide mineral specimens. These generally come from ore bodies – think pyrite, galena, sphalerite and lots of rare minerals.
There will be many specimens to examine. We will have a door prize and snacks, and Silent Auction. Come check it out!
Sorry we had to cancel for the May meeting!
Zoom link for the meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4517997588?pwd=SnZjckZBTnRMbHRxZitScE9WU3RWUT09
or
Meeting ID: 451 799 7588
Passcode: 623955
If you’d like to join the Mineral Section email list, send an email to mineral@hgms.org and ask to be added.
Youth, First and Third Saturdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Next meetings will be on DATES.
Mostly we will be working on cabochons. Children must be accompanied by parents.
FIeld Trip to Llanite Site
by Matt Sklar
Field Trip Chair
Saturday June 6, 2026 @ 9 AM. H.G.M.S. will be hosting a field trip to Llano, Texas. This field trip is for HGMS Members only, and we have an opening for 15 dues paying members and their immediate families. We will be meeting at in Llano, and plan on getting wet or bring waders. Please wear closed toed shoes with plenty of ankle support, long pants, plenty of sunscreen, and a hat! If you are bringing children along with you will be responsible for keeping them safe and in sight as we will be in the water, along a highway, and walking multiple terrains for long periods of time.
Things to bring: Bucket, gloves, a chisel, sledgehammer, rock hammer, walking sticks, water, insect spray, an extra change of clothes and snacks. You must fill out a release of liability form, we will pass the release of liability forms out to participating members or fill it out and bring it with to give to a committee member the morning of the field trip.
A couple of options to stay are Days Inn and Best Western and are less than a mile from where we are meeting.
Closest Hospital/ER Midcoast Central 200 West Ollie Street Llano TX 78643.
Contact Matthew Sklar, the Field Trip Chairman to sign up.
Email: mfsklar@gmail.com Cell: 830-743-5494
You MUST include how many people are in your party. Kids are OK as long as they’re around 8 and have to be supervised at all times. When I get your email I’ll reply with more details.
Education
July 12th 12:00pm – 6:00pm: Textured Stacking Rings (Jul 12, 2026)
July 26th 12:00pm – 6:00pm: Wide Band Textured Rings Class (Jul 26, 2026)
Are you interested in a small group lesson making cabochons? Upon prior arrangement with Sharon Halton (sharon4hgms@gmail.com), a small party of 2-3 participants will learn shop safety & cabochon creation at the price of $85. per person. This will be payable by check made out to HGMS. This is the CABS 101 class in a more personalized setting.
AFMS Convention/Chicagoland Show
by Sigrid Stewart
The Chicagoland Gems & Minerals Society Annual Show was held the Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in a pretty little town called St. Charles, sited on the scenic Fox River west of Chicago, and in conjunction with the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Annual Convention.
As the President of the South Central Federation of Mineral Societies, that was my reason for attending although husband Steve Blyskal and I have no objection to attending gem & mineral shows at any time! I provided a report about the state of our regional Federation (needs more volunteers) and listened to reports from other regions and the work of many committees. Steve attended as a District Representative.
The AMFS works as an umbrella organization for the regional federations and acts as a conduit for information on many topics, from insurance and displays to Junior activities. And in turn regional officers report back to the national society and may become national officers. Are you beginning to think about a retirement spent traveling the USA attending gem & mineral shows and finding out about rockhounds all over the country? Good! There are opportunities!
The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation; Regional officers each read a list of rockhounds from their areas who had passed away. Financial reports were made; the budget was approved as were past minutes. Each Federation had a report, as did each committee. Often these were simply reported as being in the “packet”, an agenda with reports, which were distributed beforehand.
One of the biggest discussions was about changing the rules of the Uniform Rules Committee, which handles competitive cases. Some people objected to the points system, which was designed to bring people along in competition by accruing points leading to Advanced and Master status. This occasionally meant that a really stellar case presented by a person new to competition was judged lower than that of an experienced competitor. The argument is that newbie enthusiasm should be awarded not discounted. There were also suggestions that cases of very high-dollar specimens favored the rich over the industrious. Alas, these problems will continue to be worked in committee. Current Austin G&MS (and former HGMS) member Ron Carman is involved in that effort. AFMS is hoping to revitalize the presentation of competitive cases.
A round table convened to discuss Public Relations (as distinct from Publicity). There was an excellent program on activities for Juniors. One portion of the Juniors presentation stressed badges similar to those of Scouting covering different aspects of the hobby. Others covered topics like junior’s newsletters and prizes. Hey, we have to appeal to the kids. That’s where new rockhounds come from!
A photography committee is being formed to decide which format the numerous photos should be stored in. The now-digital AFMS newsletter was discussed, as were scholarships, judge’s training and long-range planning. At the Editors and Webmasters Breakfast, awards were presented for newsletters, articles and websites. On Saturday night we all attended the Awards Banquet, another occasion to chat with people from all over the country about the state of the hobby.
In between these activities, of course, we could check out the show, which I found to be well organized and staffed by enthusiastic volunteers. The show was held at the Kane County Fairgrounds. In addition to a number of vendors, which included familiar names such as Jerry Howard of JH Stone Galleria, Dan and Beth of DB Opals, the Costigans of Costigans Minerals, and Geode Gallery, there was a display area, a silent auction and a wholesale area. I was especially impressed by the demonstrators who occupied a long table down one side of one of the halls. There were some great specimens of minerals and fossils, but not much in the way of cutting rough, although I found a mineral specimen and nice charolite slabs and spheres in the wholesale area and Steve found agates, crystals mineral specimens. We also found some Lake Superior agates to show the Lapidary and Silversmithing Section, but they were not large nodules. You should see the prices of those!
The Chicagoland Gems & Minerals Association consists of an association of 6 Chicagoland area clubs who work together to produce an annual show. All stress educating the public about the earth sciences. CGMA Clubs include:
CHICAGO ROCKS AND MINERALS SOCIETY (CRMS) Founded in 1946, members include beginners, hobbyists, and professionals who study and collect rocks, minerals, fossils, gems, and jewelry fabrication. Meetings are monthly in Skokie, Illinois.
website chicagorocks.org
DES PLAINES VALLEY GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY (DPVGS) DPVGS, founded in 1958, offers rock collecting, and studying the earth sciences other than geology.
website at www.desplainesgeology.org.
EARTH SCIENCE CLUB OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS (ESCONI) ESCONI has promoted the earth sciences since 1949 and have over 300 members. Meetings are monthly at the College of DuPage and there is an annual show.
website www.esconi.org.
ELGIN ROCK CLUB (ERC) Their aim is to further the education & development of its members’ skills in field of earth science, mineralogy, paleontology & lapidary. The ERC was organized in 1962 to increase the study of earth science, mineralogy, paleontology & lapidary. They hold monthly meetings and other study groups in Elgin, Illinois.
website elginrockclub.org
SOUTH SUBURBAN EARTH SCIENCE CLUB (SSESC) is sponsored by the Park Forest Recreation & Parks Dept. Members are interested in minerals, archaeology, lapidary arts & processes, fossil collecting, identification and display. Meetings are monthly at the Park Forest Public Library,
WEST SUBURBAN LAPIDARY CLUB (WSLC) WSLC was formed in 1959 by several residents of Elmhurst, Illinois. Its members work with the lapidary arts, especially cabochon cutting and silversmithing in a joint program with the Elmhurst Park District. Meetings are held in the Lizzadro Museum, and lapidary work in Westmont, Illinois. Interestingly, the “school” is in a building once owned by Cab King and they are allowed to use it as long as they feature Cab Kings!
Shop and Building News
A Cab 101 class was interrupted by a water leak, which shut down the shop on May 30th and 3st, and will extend to Wednesday the 3rd and Thursday the 4th. The sump pump for water to the grinders must be repaired.
Shop will also be closed on June 28th for a scheduled class.
Bench Tips
FANCY RIVET HEADS
For a nice looking rivet head, use brass escutcheon pins. You’ll have perfectly rounded heads that are all the same size and shape. The pins are a little hard to find, so try the best hardware stores first. Be sure to get solid brass pins, not brass plated steel. If unsure, test them with a magnet.
The pins are readily available online. Lee Valley Tools has them in 14 – 18 gauge and lengths from 1/4 inch to 1 inch. Go to http://www.LeeValley.com and do an item search on “brass escutcheon pin”
For best results, select a drill that gives you a hole with a close fit to the rivet. Trim the rivet to leave a little less than one diameter sticking out the back side. Place the head on a scrap of hard plastic on the anvil so as to not flatten the head. I prefer a ball peen hammer (with a small 3/8 inch ball) for setting the rivet.
EASIER PRONG SETTING
When setting stones in a prong mount, the tool is less likely to slip off the prong if you grind a shallow groove into its face or rough up the face a bit with sandpaper. Some folks prefer a prong pusher for doing this, and others like a set of pliers with a slight groove on one jaw.
The easiest way to create a slot on the pusher is with a file, and the quickest way to create a slot on one jaw of your pliers is with a separating disc. Then do a rough polish on the slot with a medium grit, knife-edge silicone wheel.
HGMS Board of Directors Meeting
Meeting Minutes for May 5th, 2026
submitted by Debbie Seid
| Board Member | Section Board Member | ||
| X | President – Jeanean Slamen | X | Beading – Lillian Skogsberg |
| X | 1st Vice President – Julius Albonetti | X | Day Light – July Olsen |
| 2nd Vice President – Joanne Koonce-Hamar | Gemstones & Faceting – vacant | ||
| X | Treasurer – Rhett Cooper |
X | Lapidary & Silversmithing – Richard Good |
| X | Secretary – Debbie Seid | X | Mineral – Ray Kizer |
| Past President – by invitation | X | Paleontology – Al Robb | |
President Jeanean Slamen called the meeting to order at 7:30 pm. A quorum was present.
Secretary Debbie Seid reported that the April Board Meeting Minutes were approved by majority vote and published in the May BBG as were the April General Meeting Minutes.
Treasurer Rhett Cooper led the review of year-to-date financial performance from January to May, showing overall revenue is up by over $1,000 compared to the previous year. Membership revenue through PayPal is performing better than last year, with 98% of dues coming through digital payments. The Treasurer did not identify any expense budgets requiring review or adjustment at this time. Discussion of a few specific items resolved questions raised by the Board.
First Vice President Julius Albonetti, confirmed that Colin Diggins and Jurassic James from Houston Museum of Natural Science will present at upcoming May and June General Meetings, respectively. James will focus more on dinosaurs and taxonomy for the target audience. Julius Albonetti reported on progress in cleaning up the lapidary shop, noting that David Pawek will complete removing sludge by June 1st, after which they plan to budget for disposal of the waste in the 2027 budget.
Jeanean Slamen reported on membership growth, with 27 members including new families joining since March.
The new field trip committee, led by Matthew Sklar, plans its first trip to collect llanite on June 5th with 15 available spots. The Board discussed open positions, including the need for a new social committee chair and new librarian to replace Clyde Means. July Olson will meet with potential librarian candidates.
The Board discussed finalizing a response to Randy Carlson to address his concerns about the second floor’s structural integrity and safety. Jeanean will draft a response to Mr. Carlson’s concerns, incorporating Richard Good’s technical input, for review by the board.
In order to heighten awareness of proper second floor storage, the Board agreed to post load limits and conduct periodic inspections. The Board also discussed the need to clean up and organize items stored in the attic, including unlabeled materials and materials not relevant to club operations such as political signs. Section Board Representatives will communicate the urgency of this cleanup to their Sections.
The Board discussed proposed revisions to the bylaws, focusing on two main issues. Jeanean proposed changing the budget responsibility from the Treasurer back to the President, based on previous years’ bylaws. The Board agreed to revert to former language regarding the President and Treasurer’s responsibilities for preparing the annual budget, with no objections raised.
The second issue concerns the current language regarding asset distribution upon dissolution of the club, which violates 501(c)(3) regulations because of the legal prohibition against distribution of assets to private individuals. The Board agreed to vote to recommend revision of the current bylaws once it confirms the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s awareness and acceptance as the beneficiary of HGMS assets, with Rhett emphasizing the need to finalize these changes promptly due to the current uncompliant wording.
Jeanean led the Board in reviewing a governance manual focusing on discussions she had with Scott Singleton for show-related content and operational procedures to ensure smooth transitions. The governance manual will also include descriptions of customary duties for Board positions and other club roles in addition to bylaws descriptions.
President Slamen introduced Joanne Koonce-Hamer as the candidate for Second Vice President to complete the 2026 term, highlighting Joanne’s experience with the Houston Bead Society transition and member engagement initiatives. Julius motioned and July seconded the motion to accept Joanne as the Second Vice President. Joanne Koonce-Hamer was elected as Second Vice President with unanimous support.
Jeanean identified the need for a dedicated tech support role to address consistent technology oversight for various software platforms the organization uses, including Zoom, Microsoft, Google, and others. She explained ongoing issues with these platforms and emphasized the urgent need for dedicated technology management. July Olson volunteered to research technology support options and will provide an update at the June Board meeting.
Jeanean invited discussion of the need for Sections to develop community outreach programs, suggesting that each section create a 15-30 minute presentation to share with local community groups to strengthen the club’s commitment to education and increase our visibility as a community resource. Al Robb suggested incorporating this into Section Board Representative descriptions, while July proposed creating joint programs across sections like Paleontology and Minerals for school presentations.
The meeting ended with a brief discussion about repainting doors and walls in the facility, with July handling the paint selection unless Board members provide specific input.
The meeting adjourned at 9:07 pm.
HGMS General Meeting Minutes for May 26, 2026
submitted by Debbie Seid
President Jeanean Slamen called the meeting to order at 7:35 pm. She welcomed 21 in-person attendees which included new member Domingo Pier, and visitors Larry Poore and his daughter, Rebecca Poore. There were 3 attendees online.
Approval of Minutes: The April General Meeting Minutes were approved by President Jeanean Slamen prior to posting in the May Backbender’s Gazette.
President’s Comments: Jeanean Slamen recognized and welcomed new 2nd Vice President, Joanne Koonce-Hamar who attended the meeting online. Joanne was voted in at the May Board of Directors Meeting to fill the vacant 2nd VP position.
President Slamen announced efforts to spruce up the clubhouse and requested volunteers to help paint the entry area. Interested members can volunteer through volunteercoordinator@hgms.org.
Committee Chair/Section Reports:
Membership Committee: Joanne Koonce-Hamar provided a membership update, reporting 337 memberships as of May 17.
Programs Committee: 1st Vice President Julius Albonetti provided a review of upcoming programs with potential speakers from Guadalupe National Park and an expert on agates from northern Mexico.
Julius also announced that the clubhouse will be open on Thursday, June 4, and on the first Thursday of each month from 10 am – 2 pm.
Donations Chair: Ray Kizer announced that the next auction will be held on June 13 at the clubhouse and will feature about 80 items consisting of mostly mineral and lapidary materials.
Show Committee: Clyde McMeans encouraged members to volunteer at the Gem Show which will be held November 13-15. Jeanean announced that the 2026 Gem Show postcards are available for distribution.
Old Business:
Ventilation Committee: Debbie Seid reported that the Ventilation Committee continues to make progress benchmarking other organizations with similar operations and getting stakeholder input.
New Business:
Field Trip: President Slamen announced a field trio to Llano, TX, on June 6. Interested members should contact Matthew Sklar via fieldtrips@hgms.org.
Key Volunteer Positions Available: President Slamen spoke of the need for filling the open position for Social Committee Chair and an additional need for members to work on the Publicity Committee with chair Jacob Walters.
Show-n-Tell: Joe Otillar showed specimens from his azurite and malachite collections. July Olson displayed the large slab of petrified wood that she recently found in College Station.
Door Prizes Drawing: There were 4 door prizes given, the winners were Lisa Mochizuki, Julius Albonetti, Mark Segall, and Gary Lingle.
The next Board of Directors meeting is on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
The next Hybrid General Meeting will be on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Jeanean thanked Lisa Mochizuki for refreshments and asked for other volunteers to provide refreshments for the June meeting and future monthly general meetings. Interested members can volunteer through volunteercoordinator@hgms.org. Members will be reimbursed for their expenses.
Adjournment: President Slamen adjourned the meeting at 8:02 pm.
Many thanks to the members who made the meeting a success:
Karl Schleicher for the tech support
Lisa Mochizuki for refreshments
Julius Albonetti for the guest speaker and program
Program:
1st Vice President Julius Albonetti introduced the speaker, Colin Diggins from the Museum of Natural Science who gave a presentation on the paleontology of the local area which highlighted significant finds in the Houston area including a giant armadillo (Homocenus septonialis) found in 1955 near Braes Bayou and giant ground sloth (Arimatherium lurilidae) discovered in 1978 in the Memorial neighborhood. Following his presentation, Colin helped members identify the fossil finds from their collections.
Upcoming Shows
June 27-28 Tyler, Texas – East Texas Gem & Mineral Society
Aug 8-9 Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge Gem & Mineral Society
Aug 15-16 Bossier City, LA – ArkLaTex Gem & Mineral Society
Sept 26-27 Lubbock, Texas – The Lubbock Gem and Mineral Society Annual Show and Sale
Nov 6-8 El Paso, Texas Tobin Park Gem and Mineral Show.
Nov 7-8 Austin, Texas – Paleontological Society of Austin.
Nov 13-15 Houston, Texas – Houston Gem and Mineral Society. Annual Show. Location: Humble Civic Center (FREE Parking). Times: Friday, Nov 13 and Saturday, Nov 14, 9am – 6pm. On Sunday, Nov 15, 10am – 5pm. Tickets:
Club Information
Houston Gem & Mineral Society
Regional and National
American Federation of Mineralogical Societies
(AFMS) https://www.amfed.org
South Central Federation of Mineral Societies
(SCFMS) https://www.scfms.net
Permission to use material originating in this newsletter is given freely providing that credit is given to the author and the source. Articles published in the BBG is may be edited for grammar and content.
BACKBENDER’S GAZETTE SUBMISSION DEADLINES
Articles are due on the 15th day of the month before the posting of the BBG.
Email content and comments to editor@hgms.org