Gem Crafters & Explorer's Club Bulletin, Las Cruces, NM

Affiliated with the AFMS and member of the RMFMS

EL GAMBRISINO
Nov. 2012 - Volume 54 Issue 10

Meeting Notes Oct. 19, 2012 Submitted by Sec, Brenda Gadberry

Speaker: Sam Bothern, NMSU, & EP Community College - Plate Tectonics Treasurer's Report: Total: $1,233.00. Snacks: Snacks were provided by Wilma & Bobby Hutson, Pat & Bill Lawrence, and David McCloskey. Next months snacks will be provided by Ed & Nelly Leake, Patti & Bill Pickert, and Susy Gemoets & Ted Lewis. Guests: Kathy & Cey Turkell, and Mike Swanson. Mineral Meeting: Wednesday, October 24, gates open at 6:30pm. Discussion topic: "why are rocks on Earth different than they are on Venus and Mars". Also, be prepared to discuss Paleomagnetism. If you need directions to meeting, call Don Saathoff at 3823464. Day Trip: October 21st, meet at Ashley's at 7:00am. Collection area will be the Nakaye mines east of the Garfield exit off of I25. Focus will be fluorite & barite w/pyrite. NOTE: History of the area is well known by Don Saathoff. Campout: Hachita, NM campout on November 2nd, 3rd, & 4th. Information will be emailed to club members. Gem and Mineral Show: Tonto Apache Reservation, Mazatzal Hotel & Casino Event Center in Payson, AZ. on November 17-18. Presented by the Payson Rimstones Rock Club Inc. All proceeds support scholarships for the Payson High School and Payson's Gila Community College, as well as books and educational materials for local schools and libraries. Tucson, AZ Show: Mineral & fossil show on February, 2-16, 2013. Fundraiser: Young Park, October 27th from 10am 3pm. Funds raised will assist the elderly who have pets and are no longer able to feed them. Nominating Committee: Mitch Mauer, Julie Uhl, and Tony Nunez. Officers and volunteers needed for 2013.

Club Christmas Party: As of now, no volunteers or suggestions for this years location. Reminder: NMSU's management complained about our club throwing trash in the school's trash cans. The club's trash will be disposed of only in trash bags provided by our club which will be removed after each meeting.

Program Notes Oct. 19, 2012

Sam Bothern
Our speaker, Sam Bothern, of NMSU & a Professor at DACC gave a talk on Plate Tectonics, a subject that he lectures on often. Sam is a former member of our club and it was good to see him again. Sam used a Power Point program with lots and lots of diagrams. It was quite fascinating but very hard to write about without the pictures. Anyway, here goes: Plate Tectonics is a relatively new theory which was only developed in the 1960s. Alfred Wegener had developed the Continental Drift theory in 1915. It explained that the world consisted of one large super continent at one time and he called it Pangaea. He was not the first to suggest that the continents had once been connected, but he was the first to present extensive evidence from several fields. He first came up with the theory of Continents moving but incorrectly thought that they plowed thru the oceanic crust like an ice breaker. This theory was scoffed at.

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Hess & Dietz, during the cold war, had mapped the ocean floor and while doing so came up with the sea floor spreading hypothesis and the mechanism to move continents. Sea floor spreading causes the plates to move apart. Magma wells up to fill the gap and cools adding material to the crust. Todays theory that is being worked with is that basically the earth has a core, mantle and a rigid outer crust. This crust is broken into twenty large plates; eight being very large and the rest somewhat smaller. They move around and it is this interaction that gives us our earthquakes and most volcanic eruptions. This theory is powerful in that it explains different rocks and positions, how different rocks are formed, how they are changed from one type rock to another type, and explains how mountains and volcanoes are formed and where they will be formed. Also the distribution of plants and animals is explained by this theory. Below are a few interesting items from his talk: The Atlantic Plate: It grows one to two cm per year while the Pacific Plate grows twelve to twenty cm so it looks like California is safe for a few years yet. Convergence Boundary: Continent to Continent boundary. Asia and India are examples of this. They are moving toward each other and are to buoyant to subduct. This is the cause of the many earthquakes in China. Subduction Boundary: Moves away, gets denser as it cools, falls into the Asthenosphere, may go all the way down to the core boundary. The weight pulls the plate along with it carrying water causing volcanoes and creating islands. Transform Boundary: Two plates moving past one another. The best example is the San Andres fault. They are actually connecting segments of the mid ocean ridges and cause very small earthquakes. The Pacific Ring of Fire: The most active of all Plates causing much volcanic activity along the Asian Pacific shore. The Rio Grande Rift: It is being pulled apart thinning the Lithosphere. Between Socorro and Albuquerque some seventeen kilometers down is a large Magma pillow. The North American Plate: It is huge and runs from the mid-Atlantic to, and includes, part of Siberia. Hot Spots: These are areas in which the Magma is sitting closer to the surface and which stay in place. There are forty or so on the earths surface. Hawaii and

Yellowstone Park are two in the United States. When these spots blow there will major destruction. Contributors to the movement of the Plates: Subduction Pulls plates Mid Ocean Ridge Pushes on Plates Conduction Rises then falls Convection Drags creating a Pull.

Reminders & Gen. Info

The next meeting will be as usual on the third Friday of the month, Nov. 16th in Room 118, Gardiner Hall on the NMSU campus, 6:30 PM for socializing and 7 PM for the meeting. Refreshments will be hosted by Ed Leake, Patti & Bill Prickert, Susy Gemoets & Ted Lewis. Our own Mike Gaines will speak on the Missoula Floods.

Last month I inserted a plea for articles, etc. for the newsletter. Sadly there was no response. Very disappointing needless to say. Eric and Brenda are regular contributors and I really appreciate them. At the last meeting Prez Brecken asked for volunteers to take office for the upcoming year. Did one hand go up NO! The same small group of people that volunteer on a regular basis need some help. After all this is YOUR club and if there is no more help, input or effort put forth than has been shown we havent much going for us. Do we want to become a social club with refreshments and no officers, outings or programs? Come on folks, get up and volunteer to take part in your club. Its the only way to keep us vital and alive with new ideas, places to go and things to do See article on Page 7. . Did everyone sent in their comments to the BLM th regarding the Trackways? The deadline was Oct. 19 .

DONT FORGET TO VOTE ON NOV. 6TH

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club Trips & Such:

Boiler Peak Campout Oct. 12-14, 2012

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Huachuca Gem & Mineral Show-Oct. 13-14

While visiting a friend in Sierra Vista I got a chance to go to their rock show. It was held at the Cochise College and was very nice. The folks were all very friendly as most rockhounds are. We got to see new dealers, a lot of good minerals, old books and magazines, jewelry and beads all the usual stuff. Part of the show was inside and part outside on another sunny warm Arizona day. We got there just as the show opened on Saturday morning and there were quite a few customers already shopping. This is Neal Bearce and me. Neal is a dealer and an author. Hes holding his newest book Minerals, Fossils, and Fluorescents of Arizona. I was really impressed with it and came home with a copy. Looks like more trips to Arizona for me. Of course you cant have a show without the geode cutters. It was fun to watch the youngster s eyes when their geode was opened. Jim picked out a couple and got a real winner. It was filled with small clear Quartz crystals that were all tipped with amethyst. There were both regular and reverse scepters in it. The only dealer that I knew was Jess Searcy from the Black Hat Traders in Deming who was there with his family and goods. .

Dorian Rudin reported that he and wife Liz and Doug and Alice Hall were the only ones that showed up. They had a good time and spent most of it riding their quads and exploring. They found an old ranch/homestead. See the picture of the well. Weather was good. Dorian sent in a few pictures for us to enjoy.

A beautiful campsite in the tall pines.

The ducks were enjoying what little water there was in the pond this fall.

Looks like a pretty well-built well.

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Bench Tips from Brad Smith

LOOSE HEADS....................................................... Flying off the handle is never good, particularly if it's a hammer head. The traditional way to tighten a loose hammer head is a bit of work, but there's a fast and easy solution available for about 50 cents worth of superglue. Simply put a couple drops in from the handle side, let it set up, and then a few drops from the top side. Be sure to get the thin superglue, not gel. It penetrates better. Packages of two superglues are usually available at the 99 cent store. AVOIDING SOLDER LINES................................... After finishing a soldered joint on say a bezel, have you ever seen it reappear when you solder the bezel to a base plate? What's happening is that every time you heat a soldered piece to the temperature that solder flows, the liquid solder dissolves a little bit more into the base metal. This leaves a small furrow where the solder had been sanded off flush at the joint. To get rid of the furrow, you have to re sand the joint area down to the bottom of the furrow. To avoid this when I have another soldering operation to follow, I try to leave a little extra solder on my joints. For instance, when trimming off excess base plate from around a bezel, I leave a couple paper thicknesses excess plate material whenever possible until I'm done with all soldering. Of course, this isn't always possible as when a soldering operation would prevent you from gaining access for final sanding and polishing of an area.

By Matt Durning
I was walking through the wood this summer between Reserve and Apache Creek, NM when I stumbled upon an elk skull. I showed it to a knowing friend who asked me if I was going to take the ivory. I gave her the cow looking at the new gate look and said What? She then explained to me that the first two canine type teeth on the upper jaw are actually ivory. They sure did not look like ivory; they looked like, well teeth. The usually develop of bulls and cows 7 years and older. Back in civilization, I learned that these teeth are also called buglers or eye teeth. They were prized by American Indians for their spiritual value. They were given at birth to male Lakotas to promote long life since it was seen that the teeth were the last thing to rot of an elk. They have been found in digs at sites going back 5000 years. In the 1800s the whole ivory trade was so popular, that the elk were being taken just for their ivory so much so that Teddy Roosevelt banned the practice. The ivories are polished and mounted in rings and all sorts of jewelry. Theyre popular jewelry with the B.O.P.E. the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. You never know what you can learn out there in the woods till you trip over it. Via The Voice 10-2012

More BenchTips by Brad Smith can be found at facebook.com/BenchTips or groups.yahoo.com/group/BenchTips/

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DINOSAURS HAD FLEAS TOO

-GIANT ONES FOSSILS SHOWBy Stephanie Pappas www.LiveScience.com
In the Jurassic era, even the flea was a beast, compared to its minuscule modern descendants. These pesky bloodsuckers were nearly an inch long. New fossils found in China are evidence of the oldest fleas from 125 million to 165 million years ago, said Diying Huang of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology. Their disproportionately long proboscis, or straw-like mouth, had sharp weapon-like serrated edges that helped them bite and feed from their super-sized hosts, he and other researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Nature. Scientists figure about eight or more of today's fleas would fit on the burly back of their ancient ancestor. "That's a beast," said study co-author Michael Engel, entomology curator at the Natural History Muse University of Kansas. "It was a big critter. I can't even imagine coming home and finding my miniature schnauzer with one or more of these things crawling around on it." The ancient female fleas were close to twice the size of the males, researchers found, which fits with modern fleas. But Engel said it's not just the size that was impressive about the nine flea fossils. It was their fearsome beak capable of sticking into and sucking blood from the hides of certain dinosaurs, probably those that had feathers. These flea beaks "had almost like a saw running down the side," Engel said. "This thing was packing a weapon. They were equipped to dig into something." While the ancient fleas were big, they had one disadvantage compared to modern ones: Their legs weren't too developed. Evolving over time, fleas went from crawling to jumping, Huang said. "Luckily for the land animals of the Mesozoic, these big flat fleas lacked the tremendous jumping capacity that our common fleas have," said Joe Hannibal of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. He wasn't involved in the study, but praised it as useful and interesting. Just finding the fleas was a stroke of luck, Huang said. He first found one in a Chinese fossil market

and mentioned it to someone at his hotel. The other guest showed him a photo of another fossilized flea, telling him it was from Daohugou in northeastern China, where there's a famous fossil bed from about 165 million years ago. Huang went there and found fleas preserved in a brownish film of volcanic ash. The grains of rock were so fine you could see antennae and other details of the fleas, he said. Modern fleas get engorged after they feast on blood, but these didn't seem engorged, Engel said. It shouldn't seem too surprising that there were large fleas more than 100 million years ago. If you go back even farther in time, ancestors of dragonflies and damsel flies had 3-foot wing-spans, Engel said.
Via The Agatizer via MOROCKS 10/2012 Ive avoided political commentary before in our newsletter but the devil made me include this. Please feel free to draw your own conclusions. (The Editor)

FYI (That is if you dont already know)

Consider a group of Baboons. They are the loudest, most dangerous, most obnoxious, most viciously aggressive and least intelligent of all primates. And what is the proper collective noun for a group of baboons?

Believe it or not . a Congress!

A CONGRESS OF BABOONS! I guess that pretty much explains the things that come out of Washington!
You just cant make this stuff up.

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Fascinating Facts About Silver

Although silver was discovered later than gold and copper, it has been known and used by humankind since prehistoric times. Herodotus, the Greek historian, knew of silver used to make coins and beads, exploited from the river sands of the Pactolus in Lydia. The Chinese wrote of silver metals in 2500 BC. In the earliest prehistoric strata at the site of Troy, considerable deposits of silver and gold treasure have been extracted. Among the artifacts, siver bracelets and gold earrings, ornaments placed in a silver cup and more than 8000 beads were buried in the ancient city 2000 years before Christ. The most ancient silver miners of importance were in Asia minor and on islands in the Aegean Sea. The Romans obtained most of their silver from Spain until supplies became scarce during the Middle Ages. After the discovery of the Americas in 1492, Mexico became the largest silver producing country in the world. Canada and the United States also produce significant amounts of silver. Silver is a lustrous white metal widely distributed in nature. In ores, it is commonly associated with gold, lead, and copper. Much of the worlds silver is obtained as a by-product of smelting these other metals. Horn-silver (AgCl) is found in the oxidized portions of ore-bearing lies near the surface. Small amounts of silver in the oxidation zone form as the more complex compounds erode and weather. At deeper levels silver occurs as sulfides, arsenides and antirnonides (compounds of silver with sulfur, arsenic, and antimony). In these deposits, formation is the result of deposition from primary hydrothermal solutions. Argentite occurs in low temperature hydrothermal veins in association with other silver minerals or sometimes in the cementation of lead and zinc deposits. When found in a metallic state, it is called native silver. Native silver usually occurs in dendritic and wire-like forms which are aggregates of minute crystals. Silver may also occur in thin sheets or in large masses. In Kongsberg, Norway, magnificent crystalline wire specimens occur in association with sulfides, calcite, barite, fluorite, and quartz. The worlds largest specimen of massive silver was mined in Aspen Colorado, and weighs in at 844 pounds. On the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, small amounts can be found in association with native copper. In Mexico, the Guanajuato Mine has been in operation since the year 1500 AD. During that time, more than 5000 billion kilos of silver have been mined. About 3/4 of the worlds silver production is used for monetary purposes, either as coins or as bullion that

governments hold to redeem paper currency. The leading industrial use of silver is for the manufacture of tableware and jewelry. The second largest consumer is the photographic industry. Compounded with bromide or chlorine, silver forms salts which register light and shade on photographs. Mm silver had the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of any substance, making it ideal for use in electronic equipment. Silver is second only to gold in malleability. One ounce of silver can be drawn into wire 30 miles long. A silver leaf can be beaten to a thickness of 1/100,000 of an inch.
Via: G C L F S Newsletter 10-2011

A Petrified Fact
By Ed Wengerd in Gem Cutters News, Many pieces of petrified wood, especially those from the northwest, have a center that looks like wood, but with a layer of chalcedony or pumice between the center and the outside. This indicates that the tree was green when it was buried in hot ash. The water in the green wood evaporated making the wood shrink. The outside was made into a cast by the heat, so the areas left between the cast and the wood were filled with chalcedony, making beautiful pieces of petrified wood.
Via Gneiss Times 09/06

Brad Smith. Our Bench Tips author has just published a new book. Our lapidary group might want to take a look at it.

Bench Tips for Better Jewelry Making", a new book

for beginning and intermediate jewelers by Bradford Smith. It contains 101 useful Bench Tips to help improve skills and increase quality at the bench. The 96 page book is filled with close-up photos to help explain the techniques and makes a great gift for the Holidays. For more details, see: http://CreateSpace.com/3976439 or http://Amazon.com/dp/0988285800/

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HALLOWEEN PARTY 2012

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Thanks Al & Cathy Spenser for hosting the Halloween Party again this year. It was soooooo much fun. The pot luck was awesome this time. Its always good but was sensational this year. Thanks to everyone.

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PARTICIPATION IN A MINERAL CLUB IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT By Sheryl E. Sims

Membership in a mineral club is like being a member of any sporting organization. The similarities abound A good team is made up of a number of people interested in a common objective. The same holds true for our mineral clubs. As with any team, participants may come from different backgrounds, but they contribute in many different ways to the success of that team. Each club member should support their club, even if its only in a small way. Its important to remember that support leads to participation. Participation leads to increased membership and club activities. Teams have mangers. Mineral clubs call them officers/directors. They take the lead in planning and insuring that the club operations are successfully carried out. If you will notice, in sports, while managers are actively involved in the game, the success of the game does not rest solely on their shoulders. Everyone has a part to play and its the team, who in fact, contributes to its success.

quick to volunteer to take the clubs minutes when the secretary is out. They put their heads together and get the audio visual equipment working when gremlins strike. Pinch-hitters arrive to meetings early with an extra bottle of soda or plate of cookies just in case. Pinch-hitters must have been scouts at one time or another, because they are always prepared. They are also quick to share club information with visitors when club officers are otherwise engaged. When it comes to veteran members, just like in sports, no one can do without them. If your club has such seasoned members, then your club is indeed fortunate. Their knowledge and experience allows them to share their expertise regarding that which we might not otherwise have access. They seem to always have a bit of time for you. Veterans patiently explain things we dont understand about minerals, love to share their knowledge, and are able to answer historical questions. Veterans are great with young or new rock hounds, too! They are never too tired to answer just one more question or identify one more mineral.

Do you think that you cant do anything for your club? Do you like to write or have suggestions to share? Can you provide presentation ideas or refreshments? How about providing minerals for discussion, Every team has its starters. The starters in study, or door prizes? Are you willing to Club support leads our clubs are that core group of members serve as, or help a club officer! Perhaps you to participation. who regularly show up to meetings. How we have organizational skills and are willing to Participation leads count on them! Theres nothing worse than organize your clubs historical documents. to increased arranging for a speaker only to be met with Maybe you can take club pictures or create membership and poor attendance. Starters volunteer to help a club scrapbook! As you can see, there are club activities. club officers find speakers, organize countless ways to be a team player and a fieldtrips, and even bring refreshments. If good club member. Dont just sit back and watch! there is a will, there is a way, with starters! Their can Volunteer and help your club hit a home run! do spirit is to be commended and they frequently agree to serve as officers. They are ready to serve on Via SCRIBE newsletter July-Sept, 2012 nominating committees when you need them as well. Starters are those committed members who refuse to And then there is watch their club fade way due to lack of interest. Their the time change warm smiles and friendly personalities create the th on Nov. 4 . inviting atmosphere that we all enjoy. Maybe you feel that you cant do the types of things that starters do. If you dont have time to fully take on such a role, why not agree to assist them with a particular task? Its a great way to learn and to connect with other members. This is especially true for new members. Jump right in and let someone know that youd like to help! Pinch-hitters are valuable. We all know the pinchhitters in our clubs. These individuals are great in emergencies, arent they? They step in and give presentations when speakers cant be found. They give so-and-so a ride to the meeting when their car breaks down, and are pros at multi-tasking. Youll find them setting up at mineral shows and breaking displays down when others are long gone. Pinch- hitters are Maxine is expressing my sentiments exactly. The politicians even meddled with time itself. What next? Oops sorry I asked that one. .

Gemcrafters and Explorers Club UP COMING SHOW Dates:

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NOV. 10-11NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Annual show; New York Mineralogical Society; Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan; 440 W. 57th St., between 9th Ave. and 10th Ave.; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-5; adults $6, children (under 12) free with adult; contact Tony Nikischer, (914) 739-1134; Web site: www.excaliburmineral.com NOV./DEC. 30-2EL PASO, TEXAS: Annual show; El Paso Mineral & Gem Society; El Maida Shrine Auditorium; 6331 Alabama; Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; adults $3, seniors $2, children (under 12) free; gems, minerals, fossils, beads, jewelry, tools, books, equipment, geode cutting, silent auction, demonstrations; contact Jeannette Carrillo, 4100 Alameda Ave., El Paso, TX 79905, (915) 533-7153; e-mail: gemcenter@aol.com JAN. 1-31QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA: Wholesale and retail show; Desert Gardens RV Park; Desert Gardens RV Park; 1055 Kuehn St.; Mon. 9-dusk, Sun. 9-dusk; free admission; crystals, minerals, rough, polished, jewelry, lapidary equipment; contact Sharon (manager), 1055 Kuehn St., Quartzsite, AZ 85346-2818, (928) 927-6361; e-mail: info@desertgardensrvpark.net ; Web site: www.desertgardensrvpark.net JAN.19-20FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS: Annual show; Fredericksburg Rockhounds; Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park; Pioneer Pavilion, 1601 S. Hwy. 16; Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5; free admission; hourly door prizes, fossils, geodes, exotic minerals, meteorites, gems, jewelry, findings, "mystery" rock identification; contact Jeff or Brenda Smith, 208 Castle Pines Dr., Kerrville, TX 78028; e-mail: jeffbrenda@ktc.com ; Web site: www.fredericksburgrockhounds.org FEB. 2-17TUCSON, ARIZONA: Wholesale and retail show; The Rock Show; Kino Sports Complex; 2500 E. Ajo Way; Daily 9:305:30; free admission; minerals, jewelry, cabs, slabs, beads, lapidary equipment, rough rock, crystals; contact Trym Gibbons, PO Box 246, Cortaro, AZ 85652, (800) 983-0133; e-mail: rockshowtucson@gmail.com FEB. 16-17MESA, ARIZONA: 47th annual show; Apache Junction Rock & Gem Club; Skyline High School; 845 S. Crismon Rd.; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4; adults $3, students with ID $1, children (12 and under) free; dealers, jewelry, gems, cabochons, beads, rocks, specimens, slabs, fossils, lapidary equipment and supplies, hourly door prizes, silent auction, grand raffle, gem tree-making activity, Wheel of Rocks; contact Kelly Iverson, (480) 325-2705; Web site: www.ajrockclub.com

For further information or shows please check: www.rockngem.com Who knows, there just might be a good rock show in the area of your travels.

Thought for the Day:

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

Some Interesting Web Sites for you to Check Out

think others might be interested in and I will pass them along..

Please send me any of your favorites that you

A BLM site on the collection of meteorites on public land:

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/regulations/Instruction_Memos_and_Bulletins/national_instruction/2012/IM_2012182.html Eric sent this The Little Hatchets are in the area of the upcoming Old Hatchita campout. Geology n Ore Deposits of the Little Hatchet Mts. (USGS 1947) g.pdf 8244K View Download

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE

LETS ALL COUNT OUR BLESSINGS.

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Gemcrafters & Explorers Club, P.O. Box 3091, Las Cruces, NM 88003
Affiliated with: Member of: Member of: American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies Blue Ribbon Coalition www.amfed.org www.rmfms.org www.sharetrails.org

2012 OFFICERS & volunteers:

President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Refreshments Historian Program Director EditorBrecken Uhl Al Spencer Pat Grace Brenda Gadberry Patti Pickert Don Saathoff Eric Fuller Maxine Wyman 571-3554 405-8864 202-2862 202-0200 532-9351 382-3464 524-0204 649-4900 swrecon@gmail.com alznpalz@yahoo.com tony.nunez.pat@gmail.com brendagadberry@comcast.net wpickert@Q.com auagte2@comcast.net ghosthiker@gmail.com gambrisina@gmail.com

We meet on the third Friday of the month at Gardiner Hall, Room 118, NMSU campus, Las Cruces, NM at 6:30 pm for social and 7 pm for the meeting. There are no meetings in July and December. Dues are $10 per person per year and each additional family member is $2 per year. They are due Jan.1st of each year. A membership form will be emailed or mailed to you in December to be filled out and returned with your check to the treasurer.

Our purpose shall be to gather knowledge and provide educational benefits to members on geological, archaeological, lapidary, and mineralogical topics of interest, to include assistance to members in all lapidary problems, the study and identification of minerals and gem stones in the rough, the field study of geological formations which produce minerals and gem stones, the collection of minerals and gemstones, and the exploration of any geological or archaeological topic or area which may be of interest to the membership.

NOTE: All articles and photographs are by the Editor Maxine Wyman unless otherwise noted. Any address or email changes must be sent to me at: gambrisina@gmail.com or 4680 St. Michaels, Las Cruces, NM 88011.
Permission to reprint is granted if acknowledgement is given. We reserve the right to edit all material submitted for publication

Info for the Newsletter:

If you have information, articles, pictures or a website related to gem crafting, rock collecting or exploring and would like to share please give me a call at 649-4900 or email me at gambrisina@gmail.com If you have a good idea or story to tell I will be more than happy to help you write it up. Also if you have minerals, outdoor or camping equipment, etc. that you would like to sell please let me know for our FREE "Classifieds." Maxine Wyman, Editor