Events and Programs

SOCGEMS Monthly Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, at 7:00 pm PST.

MEETINGS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO ALL

Wednesday, 21 April 2021, at 7:00 pm PDT

The South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society is proud to welcome Al Gilbertson

Al Gilbertson was raised in the lapidary (gem-cutting) business, his folks operating a rock shop and jewelry store in Tehachapi, Ca. Al later provided custom gem-cutting (faceting) for McDonald Jewelers in Fresno, CA (1976-1984). His work eventually led him to become their manager while completing the coursework at GIA to become a GG and an American Gem Society Certified Gemologist (1979).

Al and his wife eventually moved to Oregon, where they operated an appraisal service (Gem Profiles), serving over 50 specialty and high-end jewelers in the Pacific Northwest ranging from northern Washington to southern Oregon.

Al had a strong interest in cut quality evaluation of diamonds and was a part of the American Gem Society Cut Task Force member (to work towards a cut grading system for round and fancy shape diamonds), ’98-’00. His patents (US6795171, US6665058) about utilizing a particular colored lighting system to analyze cut quality were acquired by the American Gem Society and are the foundation of their ASET technology for cut grading of diamonds.

With his strong background in cut evaluation, GIA hired Al in 2000 to be part of GIA’s team researching diamond cut evaluation. Al is one of GIA’s researchers that created GIA’s cut grading system for the round brilliant and is listed on several GIA patents for the cut grading system as one of the inventors. During his tenure at GIA, Al has written several articles related to the cut quality evaluation of colored stones (non-diamond) and co-authored many articles about the cut evaluation of diamonds. He has lectured in many forums about cut quality evaluation, even teaching classes related to understanding GIA’s cut grading system. Al is currently studying the influence of proportions and other factors on the appearance of fancy shape diamonds, working towards a cut grading system for fancy-shaped diamonds. Recently he is one of the creators of GIA’s new Jewelry Forensics class.

When he was an appraiser, Al had a concern about the correct terminology. His long-standing absorption in understanding what he was appraising led him to be concerned about how older style cut diamonds were classified and documented. When he joined GIA, part of his work involved investigating previous research and concepts about supposedly “well-cut diamonds.” As he dug into this history, he was surprised by some of what he found, which led him to question much of his personal understanding about how the American Cut or Ideal Cut had evolved. He continued his research into the history well beyond that which was required for his GIA project and wrote a book American Cut —The First 100 Years.

EVOLUTION OF DIAMOND CUTTING

Join SOCGEMS and diamond expert Al Gilbertson for the history of diamond cutting and concepts about supposedly “well-cut diamonds.”

GIA Manager of Cut Research, Al Gilbertson, authored the book, American Cut—The First 100 Years. Gilbertson was raised in the gem-cutting business with his family jewelry business and later for McDonald Jewelers, and helped create GIA’s cut grading system for the round brilliant and is listed on several patents.

SOCGEMS invites you to our Monthly General Meeting via Zoom.

ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS (FREE BUT) REQUIRED
Registering is simple and quick – once registered you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the meeting. See you there!

7:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time (US and Canada)

TOPIC: SOCGEMS General Meeting April 2020

EVOLUTION OF DIAMOND CUTTING with AL GILBERTSON
ZOOM ROOM now opens at 6:45 pm PDT for social MEET and GREET
WHEN: April 21, 2021, 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

REGISTER IN ADVANCE for this meeting HERE

After registering,
you will receive a confirmation email
containing information about joining the meeting.

le-diamant-taille-formation_HEJ-2100×1400

Speakers, Field Trips, and More!

Join our resident Rock Hounds on one of our monthly field trips! Check here and (probably more up to date) the SOCGEMS facebook page for upcoming rock hounding field trips!

ROCKHOUND CODE OF ETHICS

South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society members pursue our hobby with responsibility.
Code of Ethics per The American Federation of Mineralogical Societies:

* I will respect both private and public property and will do no collecting on privately owner land without permission from the owner.
* I will keep informed on all laws, regulations and rules governing collecting on private lands and will observe them.
* I will to the best of my ability, ascertain the boundary lines of property on which I plan to collect.
* I will use no firearms or blasting materials in collecting areas.
* I will cause no willful damage to property of any kind, such as fences, signs, building, etc.
* I will leave all gates as found.
* I will build fires only in designated or safe places and will be certain they are completely extinguished before leaving the area.
* I will discard no burning materials – matches, cigarettes, etc.
* I will fill all excavation holes, which may be dangerous to livestock.
* I will practice conservation and undertake to utilize fully and well, the materials I have collected and will recycle my surplus for the pleasure and benefit of others.
* I will support the Rockhound Project H.E.L.P. (Help Eliminate Litter Please) and will leave all collecting areas devoid of litter, regardless of how found.
* I will cooperate with Field Trip Leaders and those in designated authority in all collecting areas.
* I will report to my Club or Federation Officers, Bureau of Land Management or other proper authorities, any deposit of petrified wood or other material on public lands which should be protected for the enjoyment of future generations and for public educational and scientific purposes.
* I will appreciate and protect our heritage of Natural Resources.
* I will observe the ‘Golden Rule’, will use Good Outdoor Manners, and will at all times conduct myself in a manner which will add to the stature and Public Image of Rockhounds everywhere.

Save the Date!

Guests and visitors are welcome at all General Assembly Meetings.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR here’s what’s coming up …

JULY:
AUGUST:
SEPTEMBER:
OCTOBER:
NOVEMBER:
DECEMBER:

past events and speakers - here’s what you’ve missed ...

Each month it’s something new and interesting – we enjoy renowned speakers, field trips, and the pleasure of the company of other gem and mineral enthusiasts!

MARCH 2020

Nathan Renfro, a native of western North Carolina, developed an interest in minerals during his late teens, which was sparked by his grandfather’s rock collection.

In 2006 he completed his undergraduate studies in geology and then went on to enroll at GIA for the resident Graduate Gemologist (GG) program as a recipient of the William Goldberg Diamond Corporation scholarship.

After finishing the Graduate Gemologist program at GIA, he was hired by the GIA laboratory as a diamond grader and soon transferred to the Gem Identification department in 2008.

Since then, Mr. Renfro has authored or co-authored more than one hundred gemological articles and lectured internationally to several gem and mineral groups. His primary areas of gemological interest are photomicrography and identification of inclusions, gemstone cutting and defect chemistry of corundum.

Mr. Renfro is currently the Manager of the gem identification department in Carlsbad, CA and also is a microscopist in the Inclusion Research Department. Mr. Renfro is the editor of G&G’s Microworld quarterly column which is published in the journal Gems and Gemology, where he is also a member of the editorial review board. Mr. Renfro also completed his FGA in 2014.

INTERESTING INCLUSIONS

Explore the Microworld of gems with GIA Colored Stone Manager, Nathan Renfro. Inclusions in gems are exceedingly important for gemologists as they can provide clues that identify what a gem is and they can also be used to detect treatments or even help determine where a gem came from.

Inclusions can be appreciated for their fascinating natural beauty as well. The bright colors and geometric forms found within the microscopic space of gem materials allow gemologists the opportunity to explore the interesting natural beauty contained within.

Come along with Nathan Renfro as he explores a wide range of gems in the microscope from A through Z.

FEBRUARY 2020

Trained as an ethologist/ichthyologist, Robert K. Liu received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles, where he worked on experimental gerontology in the Department of Pathology, School of Medicine.
In 1975 he left biomedical research after founding The Bead Journal, which changed its title in 1978 to Ornament, a journal of personal adornment, which has been published for 46 years with wife and partner Carolyn Benesh.
Last September, we lost her at the end of that month, so it is now only Patrick and Robert at Ornament Magazine. Self-trained as a jeweler and photographer, he is co-editor of Ornament and has written extensively on ancient, ethnographic, and contemporary jewelry and personal adornment since 1974.
Over the past four decades, he has lectured extensively in the US, as well as the UK, and PRC and given workshops on jewelry photography and jewelry making, and published in 2014 The Photography of Personal Adornment.

He is also the author of Collective Beads, A Universal Aesthetic, and has written over 760 articles for or other published works, including pieces on scale modeling, military technology/history, and construction equipment. His latest book is on miniature naval ship models of WW II.

BEAD TRADE IN ANTIQUITY
The Spread of Material Goods and Ideas Through Time and Space

JANUARY 2020

Richard Birt runs the largest turquoise academic site on Facebook, which houses the largest collection of white papers and mine identification postings, now at 6,000 plus. It has over 600 contributors. He has been cutting and collecting stones since 1972.

NATIVE AMERICAN MODERNISM 1969 – PRESENT

In our third and final installment, we will explore how Native American Artists moved from tourist trade items to creating a global market for fine jewelry, lead by Charles Loloma.

We will explore the Turquoise Southwest Boom of 1974, and the fine art movement that was birthed.

NOVEMBER 2020

Mary Pat Weber studied geology at Macalester College in MN and worked as an exploration geologist in Denver for Dames & Moore, an environmental consulting firm, and later in the petroleum industry. After moving to California she completed an MBA at Pepperdine University and became president of a property management company. She is married to her college sweetheart who was also an exploration geologist.

As a mineral collector, Mary Pat is fascinated with stromatolites and in 2017 addressed the Anza-Borrego Desert Paleontology Society. She also never met an agate she didn’t like and favors the Condor agates from Argentina and the Mt. Hay Thundereggs from Australia. Active in local mineral societies, Mary Pat has won several blue ribbons and awards for her exhibit cases. The Webers have been the recipients of the CFMS & AMFS “Rockhound of the Year” award.

The Webers take every opportunity to see as much geology as possible wherever they go. As part of what they refer to as their “Rocks & Crocs” tour of 2007-08, they spent a month exploring the two main islands of New Zealand before going on to seek out the geologic highlights of Australia. Back in Southern California, the Weber’s have developed a series of programs based on these travel experiences.

Approximately 10 years ago Mary Pat Weber became interested in stromatolites, a complex melding of biology, chemistry, and geology, finding the topic both fascinating and frustrating.

Over the past few years, she has traveled to many well-known stromatolite locations in the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Several specimens from her personal collection will be on display at the talk.

Active in local mineral societies, Mary Pat Weber has won several blue ribbons and awards for her exhibit cases.

THE GEOLOGIC DIVERSITY OF NEW ZEALAND

When they say “big things come in small packages” they must be talking about the geology of New Zealand. From volcanoes to glaciers, caves, and fiords, it would be difficult to find so much geologic variety-packed within such a small geographic area anywhere else on this planet.

Dick & Mary Pat Weber, both geologists, spent four weeks in 2007 exploring every corner of this tiny island nation. Join us on November 18th when Mary Pat will take us on a tour of this fascinating country.

OCTOBER 2020

Robert Weldon winner of the Accredited Gemologists Association’s Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology for 2020.

For almost 300 years a buried treasure lay undisturbed below one of London’s busiest streets. Discovered by workmen in 1912, the Cheapside Hoard is the greatest single collection of Elizabethan and Stuart jewelry in the world.

The Cheapside Hoard is a hoard of jewelry from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, discovered in 1912 by workmen using a pickaxe to excavate in a cellar at 30–32 Cheapside in London, on the corner with Friday Street. They found a buried wooden box containing more than 400 pieces of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewelry, including rings, brooches, and chains, with bright colored gemstones and enameled gold settings, together with toadstones, cameos, scent bottles, fan holders, crystal tankards, and a salt cellar.

CheapsideHoarde9.jpg__760x0_q75_crop-scale_subsampling-2_upscale-false

A gold, diamond and emerald hat ornament in in the form of a salamander, from the Cheapside Hoard, 16th-17th century

CheapsideHoardScentBottle3.jpg__1536x0_q75_crop-scale_subsampling-2_upscale-false

marie-helene-de-taillac-breloque-cheapside-hoard-3

SEPTEMBER 2020
BONUS

SEPTEMBER 2020

Dr. Aaron Palke started his career in gemology as a postdoctoral research associate at GIA after earning his Ph.D. in Geology from Stanford University. During this time, Palke investigated the geological history of rubies and sapphires by studying minute inclusions in these precious gems. A senior research scientist at GIA, he helps lead-colored stone research efforts in order to provide more reliable country of origin determinations and treatment identification for rubies, sapphire, emeralds, and other colored stones.

He received his BSc in Geology from The University of Tulsa in 2008 and a PhD in Geology from Stanford University in 2014.

Montana’s Yogo Sapphires Unique Gemology

The first Yogo source was discovered in 1895 and by the turn of the century, production averaged 400,000 carats a year. The mine site is located within a long dike (a geological formation of volcanic rock layered above older, pre-existing rock) that held other sapphire deposits.

ic_1567193672_1600x1200_false_clipped_rev_1

1024px-Tiffany_and_Company_Iris_Corsage_Ornament_Walters_57939_Detail_croped_clipped_rev_1

ic_1567193671_725x350_true_clipped_rev_1

USGS_Topo_of_Little_Belt_Mts_1902_wscale

232477-sapphire-earrings-468x620_clipped_rev_1

232475-yogo-sapphires-montana-636x358_clipped_rev_1

AUGUST 2020

Dr. Sally Eaton-Magaña received her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. She is based at GIA in Carlsbad, California, where she currently serves as the Sr. Manager of Diamond Identification.

Colored diamonds are priceless marvels of nature.

From red and pink to green, blue, purple and brown, they exist in a rainbow of colors, caused by factors such as geologic forces, exposure to radioactive fluids or minerals, or atoms from trace elements being trapped in a diamond’s crystal lattice.

Dazzled by these mysterious treasures?

Join SOCGEMS as Dr. Sally Eaton-Magaña — Sr. Manager of Diamond Identification at GIA — explores the science of diamond color and how fancy color diamonds are created within the earth.

WN18-Magana-Fig6-239818-468px_clipped_rev_1

SP18-Breeding-Green-Diamonds-Fig1-229415-468px_clipped_rev_1

WN18-Magana-Fig1A-J-239828-636px-2_clipped_rev_1

diamonds-rare-brilliance-argyle-violet-1

JULY 2020

This presentation is based on the historic jewelry techniques of the Navajo people, who created a unique and endemic style of jewelry.

This talk will focus on historic technique, and show a glimpse into the simplistic creative style of the Dine people, from over 100 years ago.

JUNE 2020

walt lombardo Nevada Mineral and Book Co

Walter Lombardo is a geologist with more than 35 years experience in mineralogy, mining and mineral exploration. He worked for American Borate Company in Death Valley (Billie Mine), for Cyprus Minerals Company in the California Mother Lode (gold), and several small exploration companies in the Southwestern U.S (gold).. For sixteen years he managed the Southern Nevada Office of the Nevada Division of Minerals. And before retiring from the industry, he was a project manager for a company involved in worldwide exploration for uranium, gallium and germanium.

Walter is the owner of Nevada Mineral & Book Company, a natural history gallery and earth science bookstore located in Orange, California. He has lectured nationwide on topics related to mineral resources, mining & mining fraud, mineralogy and gemology.

California is an extraordinary state for rockhounding. Geological forces have created one of the widest varieties of rocks and minerals found in any state. Known as the ‘Golden State’, California has named Gold as its state metal, Serpentine as the State rock and Benitoite as the State gemstone. California has a wide variety of gemstones to offer including diamond, spodumene (kunzite and triphane), tourmaline (elbaite and schorl), topaz, beryl (aquamarine and morganite), garnets (spessartine, grossular, andradite, uvarovite), quartz (rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, smoky, jasper, agate), opal, corundum (sapphire and ruby), vesuvianite (idocrase, “California Jade”, “Californite”), chrysocolla, azurite, malachite, lapis-lazuli, abalone and more.

This talk will feature benitoite, lapis lazuli and vesuvianite.

Benitoite is a rare blue barium titanium silicate mineral, found in hydrothermally altered serpentinite. It was first described in 1907 by George D. Louderback, who named it benitoite for its occurrence near the headwaters of the San Benito River in San Benito County, California. Benitoite occurs in several localities worldwide, but gemstone quality material has only been found in at one mine in California. In 1985 benitoite was named as the official state gem of California. Benitoite fluoresces under short wave ultraviolet light, appearing bright blue to bluish white in color. The more rarely seen clear to white benitoite crystals fluoresce red under long-wave UV light. The one known gem benitoite occurrence was mined out in 2004.

Lapis lazuli (lapis) is a rock, with its distinctive blue color coming from a combination of the minerals sodalite, hauyne and lazurite. Known primarily as coming from Afghanistan and Chile, California also has a few localities that produced cutting-grade material.

Vesuvianite (idocrase, “Pulga Jade”, “Californite”) is abundant in an area near Happy Camp, (Siskiyou County), as well as Pulga (Butte County). With a pleasing mottled green appearance, and a hardness of 6.5, it can be mistaken for jade. California vesuvianite has been mined for over 100 years, and at one time Tiffany & Company designated it as a birthstone.

This talk is #1 in a series.

MAY 2020

FEB 2020

Turquoise: Southwest America’s Sky Stone

Wednesday, February 12, 2020, Presentation

San Clemente Community Center

Turquoise is one of the most beloved stones found in America. The talk will cover the historic mines of Pre Colombian America, how it was traded by the SW Native Americans, and how it became the beloved stone of the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni and Pueblo people.

In 1880, began the adoption of Western mining interests, allowing it to be used internationally and for Native American tourist items sold through trading posts and railway stops. We will tell the rich history of California, Colorado and NM mines that drove the initial boom. And how Nevada and Arizona drove the mid century to today’s market. There were over 200 mines in the SW.

We will also celebrate the Modern Native American Jewelry Movement, lead by Kenneth Begay (Navajo) and Charles Loloma (Hopi).

JAN 2020

Lisbet Thoresen is an independent researcher specializing in ancient engraved gems, or glyptic. Her primary interest is reconciling gemological confirmation of gem-minerals that survive in historical collections of glyptic with the transliteration of gemstones described in primary (ancient) literary sources.

Her research also includes the possible geographic origins of gems known in the ancient world, their earliest dates of discovery, periods of use, and transmission, as well as gemstone treatments applied by ancient lapidaries. Her work has been published in professional gemological journals, conference proceedings, and most recently as a contribution to a book chapter on the History of Ruby and Sapphire co-authored with Richard Hughes in his updated opus on Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist’s Guide (2017).

Previously, Lisbet worked in all aspects of the preservation, analysis, authentication, exhibition planning, and conservation of antiquities as Associate Conservator at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, California. Over a 17-year museum career Lisbet also performed research and lectured on topics related to art conservation and archaeometry (archaeological science).

The Cultural History of Garnets

Wednesday, January 15, 2020, Presentation

San Clemente Community Center

The early use of gem garnets in glyptic (engraved intaglios, cameo carvings, and inlays) dating from antiquity (mid-3rd millenium BC) through the early Dark Ages (ca. 10th century AD) is discussed. Most ancient and many historical garnets preserved in museum collections lack information about where they were found, where they were produced, or where the raw materials may have originated. Garnet chemistry and structure together with observable features such as color and inclusions provide characteristic signatures that sometimes help to associate garnets with their geographic origin. Applied to ancient garnets and garnets belonging to later periods, analytical provenance studies throw light on the trade and transmission of material culture, which helps to improve understanding about a distant past that is otherwise opaque.

A survey of important analytical provenance studies on ancient and historical garnets is presented. Such studies help to characterize the garnet species known in different periods, and they help to narrow the field of their prospective geographic origins. This is especially interesting to consider in the light of ancient literary sources that describe transparent, red and purple colored gems and their sources. Analytical studies also contribute useful datapoints on garnet compositions found in nature that have not been observed in gem garnets of the modern gem market, which indicates that many ancient and historical mining localities are now lost.

OCT 2019

Judy Colbert is Manager of Visual Resources at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), a non-profit institute of gemological research and education in Carlsbad, California. She obtained her Graduate Gemologist diploma from GIA in 1994. Prior to that, Judy worked at the Los Angeles Times for 14 years as Senior Permissions Coordinator, where she licensed the use of images and articles owned by the L.A. Times. In her current position, she specializes in image acquisition, rights management, image licensing, and special projects including articles and presentations. She holds a professional certificate in Intellectual Property through the University of California, San Diego Extension program.

Peggy Tsiamis is a Visual Resources and Research Librarian in the GIA Library since 1999. She has a background in art history, fine art photography sales and jewelry retail. Peggy studied gemology at Santiago Canyon College and has her AJP and Diamonds Graduate diploma from GIA. She has a special interest in jewelry designers and jewelry history and is a member of ASJH.

The Famous, Unknown Hollywood Jeweler

Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019, Presentation

San Clemente Community Center

Beverly Hills jeweler, William Ruser, is mostly remembered for his whimsical figural jewelry with freshwater pearls. Very little has been written about his life and the other exceptional quality work he created for Hollywood’s elite such as Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford and many others. Through research and interviews, two GIA gem historians will present a program about the artist and jeweler, Willian Ruser, at the monthly Oct. 16, South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society meeting, 7:15 pm, at San Clemente Community Center.

Judy Colbert, is Manger of Visual Resources in the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and co-authored the book with Peggy Tsiamis, the Visual Resources and Research GIA Librarian, revealing details about Ruser’s personal and professional life in a well-illustrated book entitled The Jeweler Who Charmed Hollywood, to be published by GIA shortly.

They will also unravel some of the mystery surrounding the copycat “Children of the Week” jewelry he created, which is based on an 1800’s nursery rhyme that begins, “Monday’s child is fair of face.”

Born in 1908, Ruser began his career in jewelry design in Atlantic City, and moved to Beverly Hills in the 1930’s. After serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II, he opened his own jewelry store, Ruser Jewels, at 300 Rodeo Drive, with his wife, Pauline.

His creations were known for their three-dimensional platinum and diamond jewelry, as well as their cutting-edge use of baroque, freshwater pearls, which was very unusual at the time. His work was featured in many Hollywood films of the period, most notably in Sorry, Wrong Number, with Barbara Stanwyck, and his work was included in the book, Hollywood Jewels.

Ruser retired in 1969 and sold his business location to Van Cleef & Arpels. He died in 1994. The GIA authors both have an interest and extensive background in jewelry history and have earned diplomas from GIA as well as being staff members of the internationally known gemology authority institute for many years. This should be a fascinating and visually exciting presentation.

SEPT 2019

Ocean Window, blue agate photo by Kirk Kegel

AUGUST 2019

A geologist and rockhound enthusiast will share location details and probable specimens to discover at a presentation on Classic California Rockhounding Sites at the monthly South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society meeting, 7:15 pm, Wednesday, August 21, at the San Clemente Community Center. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Richard Birt, has been active in gem and mineral collecting, lapidary, gold smithing and geology for over 50 years. He still has the piece of Rhodonite he collected as a 13-year old in Heath Canyon in Wrightwood, CA. He has been leading geology classes in the field for over 40 years.

Birt will bring samples of materials he’s found at various sites, including geodes and fire agate from Wiley Well; lapis lazuli from Mount Baldy; petrified wood from Boron Dry Lake and blue agate from Acton.

The speaker earned his MBA in 1981 from Claremont Graduate School, and studied geology at Pomona College and USC. He is founder of RytePath, a customer targeting analytics marketing company.

JULY 2019

Dr. James Shigley is a distinguished research fellow at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California. Prior to joining GIA in 1982, he studied geology as an undergraduate at the University of California Berkeley, and later received his doctorate in geology from Stanford University. He helps direct GIA’s research activities on the identification of gemstones, and has ongoing research interests in the natural environments of gem mineral formation as well as the characterization of gem materials.
Dr. Shigley is the author of more than 180 published articles on diamonds and other gemstones in various journals, and has been a well-known speaker on gemological topics to both professional and general audiences on more than 300 occasions.

Earning a geology undergraduate degree from University of California Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in geology from Stanford, since 1984, Dr. Shigley has authored or coauthored 195 scientific articles, including 79 for Gems & Gemology; of which 27 of those articles received the journal’s Most Valuable Article award.

In December 2018, Dr. Shigley was awarded with GIA’s highest honor, the Richard T. Liddicoat Award for Distinguished Achievement, for his many contributions to gemological research. For more than 30 years, Dr. Shigley has been recognized internationally for his research on diamonds, colored stones and gem identification.

Dr. Shigley’s studies identified methods of separating natural from laboratory-grown diamonds, documented important gem localities and established characteristics of HPHT laboratory-grown diamonds. He was instrumental in the creation of the GIA Gem project, a collection of 2,800 stones that is used for research, education and exhibition.

b4617586-1b75-47a6-8c03-265dcdfacfce_1.2d368b0f5c2ce701c5b3a87286877d12

JUNE 2019

MAY 2019

APRIL 2019

MARCH 2019

One of the most abundant minerals in the world, quartz is also one of its most important minerals for use in GPS systems, oil and gas industry, watches, hearing aids, televisions and much more. Quartz is also considered a metaphysical mineral with energy for humans like an antenna for the TV. Learn more from Dennis Carey, “the Crystal Collector,” at the monthly South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society meeting, 7:15 pm, Wednesday, March 20, at the San Clemente Community Center.

Carey began collecting gemstones as a young rock hound who found tourmalines and emeralds, but his attention soon turned to collecting quartz crystals, the most abundant and well-known mineral on earth. Carey believes he has one of the most significant collections of quartz in the world with thousands of specimens, a few of which he will bring to show.

A graduate of Providence College in Rhode Island, he studied economics, and was a world class runner in marathons headed to the Olympic trials, when a freak accident sidelined his running career.

He earned a living in pharmaceutical sales, but began his passion of mining, trading and collecting quartz and learning about its physical and metaphysical properties.

He resides in Dana Point, CA.

Quartz. If for some mysterious reason all quartz resonators worldwide were to suddenly stop working, the modern world as we see it would stop running. Your car, computer, cell phone, GPS, tablet, premium pressure and temperature sensors for the oil-and-gas industry, most watches and household timers, heart pacemakers, cochlear implants, CB and ham radios, TVs, and even our electrical grid and atomic frequency standards would stop working or become unusable.

Dennis Carey has given presentations at GIA and Awakenings on various stones, and he will be at our SOCGEMS meeting in March 2019 to teach us all about Quartz.

Public Welcome

FEBRUARY 2019

Patrick Keegan has been prospecting for the semi-precious stone since he was 12 years. His first discovery of the blue rock was a “eureka” moment for him. He’s been prospecting for it ever since. He has a video, “The Prospector,” on YouTube, of prospecting for lapis on Mt. Baldy. To get to the mine, he has to climb 2500 feet in one mile, through poison oak, wild brambles of blackberries, over fallen logs, and up rock-covered steep slopes. But for him, the experience is almost “religious.” “You search all your life to find something you are good at,” he explains, and for him the search is an important part of his personal journey.

As a lapidary artist, Keegan feels the rough rock is “art itself. The stone is already there in the rock, and I’m just exposing it, maximizing the potential it has.” He will bring samples of his finds and creations to the meeting.

Patrick Keegan is an event coordinator, sound engineer, and ex-touring music technician who now is a prospector and lapidary/silversmith artist.
He resides in Upland, CA.

Lapis Lazuli prospector and lapidary/jewelry artist, Patrick Keegan is the guest speaker at the monthly South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society meeting, 7:15 pm, Wednesday, February 20, at the San Clemente Community Center.

Lapis is one of the oldest mined stones and has been found in ancient burial sites from the 3^rd century, BC. It was a prized stone in Egypt and favored by the pharaohs for its deep blue color.

Patrick will be offering a macro-outlook on the history of Lapis Lazuli, as well as personal experiences prospecting a California deposit near Mt Baldy.

JANUARY 2019

Renée Newman became passionately interested in gems in the early 1980’s while conducting tours to Asia, South America and the South Pacific. Her passengers wanted to know how to judge the quality of the gems they saw. After searching in bookstores and libraries for this information, Renée discovered that little had been written on the subject of gem quality evaluation, so she decided it would be worth creating books with photos that showed how to judge gem quality.

After receiving a graduate gemologist diploma from the GIA, she was hired as a gemologist at a wholesale firm in downtown Los Angeles. It provided hands-on experience grading diamonds and selecting colored gems and pearls for their jewelry. Armed with trade experience and gemological credentials, Renée decided to create books that showed readers how to visually evaluate the quality of gems. Her first book, the Diamond Ring Buying Guide, was published in 1989. Since that time, she has written twelve more books on gems and jewelry. They are used as gemology course textbooks, sales training tools, appraisal references and consumer guides. For more information about Renée and her books go to reneenewman.com.

new-jade-serpentine-bowenite-mineral-specimen-15g-1780-p

Jadeite and nephrite prices are continuing to reach record highs at jewelry auctions. Before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, nephrite was viewed more as a trinket than as a worthy jewelry material. However, that changed when the Olympic medals were inlaid with nephrite and people learned that nephrite jade was the original Chinese “stone of heaven.” Since then, jade prices have risen rapidly and the allure of nephrite jade in China has soared. Well known designers in the West like Todd Reed and Roberto Coin are using nephrite jade in high-end jewelry.

When gem materials go up in value and popularity, the desire to imitate and treat them increases. Some fakes are obvious, while others aren’t. In addition, treated jade, may be worth less than some fakes. In her presentation to our group, Newman will give practical tips on how to distinguish fake and treated jade from natural jade using examples of modern jade jewelry and carvings. Her presentation will help you

Understand why jade is so prized
Tell the difference between jadeite and nephrite
Determine which types of jadeite and nephrite are most valued; their value factors are not the same
Detect fake jade using visual, tactile, and auditory non-technical clues
Recognize when to be suspicious that jade has been treated with chemicals
Appreciate contemporary jade.

Renée will be available before and after her presentation to autograph books. Bring cash or a check if you would like to purchase copies of them. Her Exotic Gems: Volume 4 book is the fourth in a series that explores the history, lore, evaluation, geographic sources and identifying properties of non-traditional gems. It describes with text and photos how to evaluate jade quality and detect imitations and dyed jade. Information about the book is available HERE.

NOVEMBER 2018

Debi McKee, a 7^th generation healer, and native Californian, will be presenting about 12 different crystals and minerals and discussing their subtle properties and energy bodies, at the monthly South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society meeting, 7:15 pm, Wednesday, November 21, 2018, at the San Clemente Community Center.

According to McKee, every crystal has unique combinations of minerals, just as humans are different combinations of minerals and water. She believes that everyone reacts differently to each crystal depending on the individual’s needs, deficiencies and emotional status. She will bring a variety of crystals to pass around and demonstrate how to “feel” or interact with each one.

Precious stones and crystals have been thought of as healing objects by a variety of cultures worldwide, including the Hopi Native Americans of Arizona and Hawaiian Islanders. The Chinese have traditionally attributed healing powers to jade.

McKee plans to discuss the properties of citrine, amethyst, black tourmaline, jasper, chrysocolla, lapis, hematite, quartz and others. She will also provide a handout and will have some crystals for sale after the presentation.

McKee has a B.A. in Textile Merchandising and Fashion Design, and a Graduate Degree from I.C.I. Institute of Denver Colorado. She spent 29 years in the fashion Industry worldwide and 20 years practicing and teaching crystal healing energy.

“I learn so much about gems and minerals from members of the SOCGEMS club, and they learn things from me as well,” she said. She thinks this will be a different type of program from the typical SOCGEMS presentation.

Very Large Free-form Carved Spessartite Garnet Meg Berry

OCTOBER 2018

Meg Berry with poster of her cut tanzanites. Photo by Robert Weldon

On October 17, Master Faceter and Award Winning Gem Carver, Meg Berry will explain the process of taking a raw stone and turning it into a beautiful gemstone through the art of faceting, and gem carving.

Berry moved to CA from Michigan in 1974, and quickly discovered a passion for cutting gemstones. In 1977, she graduated with a “Master Faceter,” certificate and apprenticed for three years to Bob Livingstone and worked in the downtown Los Angeles jewelry district as a colored stone cutter. She moved to San Diego County in 1980, and in 1989 began working full time for Pala International in Fallbrook, which owned the Himalaya tourmaline mine, among others, as well as The Collector Fine Jewelry stores.

Needing more variety in her work, Berry began exploring gemstone carving and eventually phased out of Pala to concentrate on her own original work. Currently she facets exclusively for a few select clients and spends the majority of her time carving designs from tourmaline, garnet, topaz, aquamarine and a wide variety of other colored gems.

Berry has won a total of nine American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) Cutting Edge/Spectrum competition awards. Seven were awarded for her faceting and in 2016-17, two for her gemstone carvings.

SEPTEMBER 2018

NAPA ROCKS and TRICERATOPS with CFMS President JENNIFER HALEY

In 2004 I discovered what would become a new love in my life, rock and gem clubs. I was in my 40’s then and had just moved back to my grandparents ranch I had always adored in the Napa Valley, with my husband to grow wine grapes. I loved rocks, but never knew there were clubs. As a child, an older vintner in the valley gave me a silver ring he made with a tumbled gem silica chrysocolla stone. That gorgeous blue stone with windows of translucency has always stayed in my mind as something magical. Even more intriguing was the fact a human being could make something as beautiful as this from silver and a stone that came from the ground. There was also an older couple in the valley I loved visiting. He was a retired sea captain and his wife a skilled gold and silver smith. Her workshop was part of their home. She’d sit me down with a cup of hot chocolate and peanut butter on French bread toast, and I’d enchantingly watch her work. She was known for making sterling silver baby gifts like a child’s first spoon, cups and rattles, along with elegant hammered sterling serving spoons with grapes and leaves.

Years later my high school counselor signed me up for a jewelry making class. We were taught many of the lapidary arts; cutting and polishing stones, silversmithing and lost wax casting. Since I was headed for nursing school, my last graded jewelry project was a “germ” pin in silver done in lost wax casting. Unknown to me he had entered “the germ” in a Bank of America contest for students, and I had been awarded $200. He told my parents I needed to become a jeweler and handed them a tool and equipment list.

In my spare time in college I loved to explore my grandparent’s property in the hills. I found stones I had never seen before in the valley that had been uncovered by a running spring. They were beautiful patterned agates. I found two World War II veterans at the Veterans Home of Yountville who had a lapidary shop there, and the three of us cut and polished the rocks freeform that summer. I can’t tell you what a thrill it is to be working with a rock this way. The more we worked the stones the beauty the stones held inside, bestowed itself upon us.

The first thing I noticed about the people in rock and gem clubs is how warm and friendly everyone is. The clubs have been like a second family or home away from home for me ever since. Moving forward, the club I belonged to encouraged me to become personally involved at the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies (CFMS) level. This year I was given a rare opportunity to serve as the president of the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies (CFMS) for a second time.

AUGUST 2018

PETE GOETZ
President, American Opal Society

Goetz has been president of the American Opal Society for over ten years. He graduated from San Diego State University after studying structural geomorphology or the processes and interactions that form landscapes. After a career in retail, he returned to his earth science passion and taught physical science, earth science and astronomy in the Anaheim School District for 22 years.

In his early years he actively collected rock and mineral samples, then focused his study on opals, turquoise and pearls. He enjoys researching, writing and speaking about opals as a way of sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm about the gem. Goetz will bring samples of opals from different sources including Australia and Peru.

The American Opal Society will host its 51^st annual Opal Show in November with educational programs, demonstrations and vendors.

Pete Goetz, the President of the American Society, will present a slide show and show samples of opals from around the world at the monthly meeting of the South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society, on Wednesday, August 15, at 7:15 pm, San Clemente Community Center.

The public is invited to attend and learn more about this fascinating gem that was originally discovered in ancient times in Slovakia, and in the 19^th century major deposits were found in Australia, which became the worlds largest source of opals. Today, Ethiopian opal production is competitive with Australian.

JULY 2018

THE FASCINATING WORLD OF FACETING…

On July 18, Bob Johnson, a stone cutter, will discuss the fine art of creating a beautiful, glittering jewel out of raw material he’s found or purchased, at the monthly South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society meeting, 7:15 pm, at San Clemente Community Center.

Johnson began cutting stones in 1978 when he decided that hauling raw rock and gem materials to sell at 25-27 rock shows a year, all around the country, was getting to be “heavy work.” “If I cut a big stone into a gem stone, I could put a bunch into a Tupperware and it weighed less and cost more.” He retired from the gem trade in 2014 and has since put his love of stone cutting to work by teaching others.

His favorite stones to cut are sapphires, amethysts and sunstones. Johnson worked 10 summers in Montana digging sapphires in a remote area 23 miles from the nearest town. “Moose would walk through the camp and an occasional bear. It was an exciting place,” he remembered. He has also mined sunstones in the desert area of Southern Oregon.

Johnson will explain the process of taking a raw stone and turning it into a beautiful gemstone through the art of faceting, and will bring samples to illustrate the transformation.

Johnson considers himself a rock hound. “I’ve collected for years and some might call me a hoarder. But I love what I do, even if I didn’t make much money at it.” Once he bought a 1992 pickup with a handful of uncut gem stones. At the DMV, they wouldn’t give him a registration until he named a price. Johnson laughed and said, “I finally told them it cost me $500. They wouldn’t write down that the deal was done with a handful of rocks.”

JUNE 2018

ENTER INTO THE WORLD OF TOURMALINES…

Ron Schmidtling loves to host digs at Pala Chief Mine, where there are Tourmalines, Aquamarines, Quartz, Kunzite … everything.
He is a Scientific Consultant to the J Paul Getty Trust, and a former Geological Consultant for the Getty Museum.

Ron is a Paleontologist and worked for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and is Science Instructor at Columbia College Hollywood.

APRIL 2018

Eric Brooking will discuss “Turquoise, A Vanishing American Treasure,” at 7:15 pm at San Clemente Community Center, as part of the monthly speaker series presented by South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society.

Brooking explained in a recent interview that American mined turquoise is highly desirable and is a uniquely American stone. “The tradition of the American Indian using turquoise and silver created a mystical appreciation of turquoise and popularized it. But now, many of the mines are played out and it’s very hard to find.”

Brooking began mining at an early age when his father leased a tourmaline mine in the early 1970’s. They discovered fire agate and Brooking, “got the mining bug.” Today, he and a partner have a turquoise mine in Nevada and he sells stones and makes jewelry from this American turquoise. “So many stones today are enhanced or stabilized. I will talk about that and how it affects the value and beauty of natural turquoise,” he said. Brooking will bring samples for sale.

He is also a vintner and owner of Brooking Vineyards the only estate winery in Vista, CA.

MARCH 2018

Denise Nelson designs, imports and sells fine gems, pearls and jewelry and has traveled to five continents to visit mines, pearl farms, trade shows and many gem and jewelry-related venues. Her visits to the Smithsonian gem-vaults and to many extensive private collections have given her an opportunity to see and study items rarely displayed and researched. GIA recently presented her with an Alumni Leadership Award for her work as the Ambassador of their Washington D.C. Alumni Chapter.

FEBRUARY 2018

My father was a talented and widely respected jeweler in Vietnam. In the old days, in my home country, it was considered a great privilege and honor to apprentice with him. One was more than willing to tolerate the six months or so spent cleaning the shop, polishing and making jump rings, only to “progress” to spending day after day making simple wedding bands–just to be asked to melt them down and start over because they weren’t round enough! The great mystery of why he was so hard on us was finally revealed to me the day he said, “If you want to be a good jeweler, it takes skill and repetition. To be a ‘great jeweler’ also requires patience, dedication, courage, and a special love for your trade. Having these qualities makes you worthy to work in my shop.”
Today at Galatea, we have an Olympic team of jewelers all of whom share our philosophy and love for the trade.
We create each piece of our jewelry as if it is to be worn by our own beloved.
View the exquisite work of Master Pearl Carver Chi on his website HERE

JANUARY 2018

The Art of Photography ‘What Do You See?’

Mike Woodward’s dynamic images are done via photomacrography. Woodward states that he uses a “technical copy setup with cross-polarized Altman CDM 150 (ceramic metal halide) lighting, a 4 × 5-style camera set up vertically like an enlarger would be, with a polarized macro lens.
The capture of the image is a digital scan back that does a 60-second, 103-megapixel scan, directly to the computer. After the image is captured, it is processed for traditional photographic prints, or the image can be printed on canvas, gallery wrapped, and stretched.
Most viewers have the perception of the images being a painting when printed on canvas. This blurs the line between photography and painting, especially with abstract art from stones, because the image is not recognized as a photo.” In fact, one of his photos of an Oregon thunder egg was used as an abstract art painting for an episode of the television show Weeds.

Children and Questions are encouraged.

We hope you can join us!

Mike has been collecting, cutting, polishing, and photographing stones and fossils since he was five years old. From this a passion for geology, art from nature and a love of science was born. Mike says his “collection of photographic images of stones and fossils peers deeply into their abstract patters, revealing a part of nature normally hidden from view. I am attracted to the story inside the stone that unfolds once the image has been enlarged.

See more of Mike Woodward’s Photography – CLICK HERE

NOVEMBER 2017

Opal Mining in Australia

The Leslie Neff/Larry Hoskinson duo have spent almost 4 years in Australia starting in 1985 and our last trip was in 2015. Their travels have taken them to Australia a total of 14 times.

Each trip after the first has included a visit to Coober Pedy, which will be the focus of this month’s meeting presentation.

Their first trip here was in 1988, when the road from Adelaide to Darwin was not even all paved. The road was completed that year and it became easier to get to Coober Pedy. It still is not what we in the USA would call easy, you can drive, take a train that lets you out 20 miles from town, or fly to Adelaide and get on a VERY small plane to fly into Coober Pedy, the good news is that is a fun opal mining field not far from the airport.

The program covers various opal-mining techniques: useful travel information on how to get from Sydney to Coober Pedy and around Cooper Pedy once you arrive.

The presentation shows underground living, which is what Hoskinson and Neff do there, as well as surface and underground mining.

It will include lots of pictures of the wild life that you can easily see from the car, including kangaroos, emus, brown snakes, Wedge tail eagles with a wing span as wide as a car and a variety of amazing birds. The slideshow will conclude with photos of rough and finished opal.

Larry will give a demonstration on how to find opal using a black light.

There will be samples of rough and finished opal, books and maps – a fun travelogue on Australia. Questions are encouraged.

OCTOBER 2017

Artist Jeff Fulkerson has been creating stunning, imaginative jewelry for over 30 years.

A contributing artist to Lapidary Journal’s Jewelry Artist Magazine, his work has also been seen in Art Jewelry Magazine. Jeff is a recipient of the Courtney McGowan Design Award as well as a blue ribbon award winner for his jewelry in design and construction at the San Diego County Fair. Some of his awards include Best Educational Exhibit, Coordinator’s Cup (2005 and 2009), and Best Single Jewelry Piece (2005 and 2009). His meticulous execution and attention to detail is becoming well known among industry professionals.

Jeff has taught at the Museum of Man in Balboa Park and Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, California. He was part of the staff at Bead Fest and the Bead & Button Show, and he currently teaches at Oskadusa in Solana Beach, California.

Upcoming projects include releasing new How-To instructional books, and a series of instructional videos for Jewelry Artist Magazine. Fulkerson is also the inventor and designer of multiple jewelry making products, including the innovative Bead Bandit and Steady Stamp.

A self-taught silver-smith with a background in construction and design, he counts himself fortunate to have studied with many great Native American artists throughout the years. They are most notably, Richard Tsosie (Navajo), Jesse Monogya (Hopi/Navajo), and Michael Cheatham (Cherokee).

SEPTEMBER 2017

Dr. Aaron Celestian did his undergraduate degree in Geology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and both his Master’s and Ph.D. were awarded to him at Stony Brook University in New York. While at Stony Brook, he was appointed as a Visiting Researcher at the Carnegie Institute’s Geophysical Laboratory for a year.
After his Ph.D., Dr. Celestian taught Environmental Sciences at CUNY Queen’s College, and later moved to Bowling Green, KY where he was an Associate Professor of Geology and Director of the Advanced Materials Institute at Western Kentucky University.

Now the Curator of Mineral Sciences at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, Dr. Celestian is working with Earth materials and their synthetic analogues for their uses in industrial and environmental technologies. He continues his work in areas of environmental sciences that interface with the mining, oil & gas, and pharmaceutical industries where he feels he can make the biggest impact in finding new ways to advance materials science based on the natural design of minerals.

Dr. Celestian spoke on THE SCIENCE OF MINERAL COLOR, an illuminated discussion about the science of mineral color, their use as pigments, and how they have been used from pre-history to the modern era.

JULY 2017

Walt Lombardo is the owner of the Nevada Mineral and Book Company. Located in Orange, CA, his shop boasts the largest selection of Earth Science books and objects in North America.
Mr. Lombardo is a geologist with over 30 years of experience related to mining and mineral exploration. He will be speaking about Sapphires found in North America, including Montana and North Carolina. Fascinating … see you there!

RUBIES and SAPPHIRES of NORTH AMERICA
Rubies and sapphires are varieties of the mineral corundum, which is made of the elements aluminum and oxygen. Although corundum is commonly used as an abrasive because of its extreme hardness, the gem varieties ruby and sapphire have long been known for their beauty and durability. Most people are not aware that there are significant resources of these gems in North America. The talk will focus on three major geographic areas: the sapphire deposits of central Montana; the ruby deposits of North Carolina; and the recently discovered ruby deposits of Greenland. We will discuss the geology and origin of the deposits, the history of mining, and the color range and beauty of these gemstones.

JUNE 2017

Dayton Simmons, a native of Kansas City, has been involved with turquoise since he set his first piece at age 12 in 1975, never realizing at the time how deeply connected he would eventually become with the wondrous gemstone. 20 years later, he moved to Santa Fe, NM to become a turquoise trader. He established his business, Silver Day Trading Co, and has never looked back. Miners, mentors, and teachers of all sorts have provided a most unique education for Dayton – a degree not currently available at any institute of higher learning, even GIA. He is currently involved in the industry as a surveyor of gem grade natural turquoises and fine turquoise jewelry, a miner, an expert repairman of antique American Indian jewelry and an educator on various aspects of turquoise.

The presentation will focus on the fact that well over 95% of all turquoise currently available on the market is NOT NATURAL, which is defined as turquoise that is hard enough to cut and polish as it comes out of the ground. This includes rough material, cut cabochons, beads, carvings and finished jewelry. The vast majority of said material has gone through one of several artificial hardening processes to make it commercially viable.
Become aware of the various turquoise treatments, learn about discerning natural turquoise from treated material and have an opportunity to see and feel the difference.’

Dayton will be bringing specimens to show and to sell as well (be still my heart) Zuni and Native American Carvings.

Dayton’s turquoise presentation was filmed and is used by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) for student training on turquoise.

TURQUOISE
Turquoise is a blue to green mineral made up of copper, aluminum, and hydrous phosphate.
Turquoise has long been considered a valuable gemstone and is one of the oldest known gemstones. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue.

FUN FACT: The iconic gold burial mask of Tutankhamun, inlaid with turquoise, lapis lazuli, carnelian and colored glass.

MAY 2017

The South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society held their 32nd Annual Silent Auction and Sale. Thank you to all who donated rocks and gems and other stuffs for the club to auction off and sell. A special shout out to the many helping hands that bagged rocks, ran tables, served food and drinks, and basically made the auction the most successful on record! Our members are THE BEST!

FEBRUARY 2017

The South Orange County Gem and Mineral Society welcomed Thomas Spinks of the Anza-Borrego Paleontology Society

Tom is a retired public service economist who has started a second career in paleobotany learning to identify petrified woods and other fossil plant materials.
He has a BS in Agriculture from South Dakota State University and a MS degree from the University of Minnesota Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. He has attended fossil wood identification seminars held in Grand Junction, Colorado and has been working as a paleo volunteer at the ABDSP since 2012, learning about the curation of fossil plant materials.

JANUARY 2017

Mike Woodward Stone and Fossil Photography

Events and Programs

ROCKHOUND CODE OF ETHICS

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER!