THE OPAL - West Suburban Lapidary Club

FEBRUARY 2012
Pat Koko, Opal Editor
THE OPAL
page 1
Official publication of the West Suburban
Lapidary Club
Volume LI, Number 2
First Class Dated Material
Established in
1959
in our 53rd year and
still rockin’!
The Opal is published January thru
May; September thru November
Next Club Meeting
Meetings are usually held the 4th Friday of the month, January thru May,
Sept thru November. Please check The Opal for changes.
West Suburban Lapidary Club Membership Info
Friday, Feb 24, 2012
8 pm, doors open at 7:00
The Abbey
407 W. St Charles Rd
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Next Board Meeting
March 2 2012
Meeting starts at 7:00 pm
Wagner Center
615 Northwest Ave
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Membership
in
the
WSLC is $17 per year,
per
household/family.
Student memberships are
available for $10. Students are identified as 22
years of age and younger
and currently enrolled in
an accredited school and
have a valid school I.D.
Dues are payable by January 31st for that calendar year regardless of the
date you joined. Please
submit a completed application for Board Approval to the WSLC
Treasurer, Karen Davé.
This is to be done at
any General Meeting.
Applications will not be
accepted via mail or at
a WSLC function other
than a meeting.
volunteer their time
where needed. Applications may be found on
the WSLC website (see
pg 2)
Members of the WSLC
receive in district rates
with the Elmhurst Park
District for classes taken
at the Lapidary School,
regardless of their resiVisitors are welcome at dence. Contact inforall General Meetings. mation for all Board
Members of the WSLC Members are located on
are expected to serve on page 2 of The Opal
various committee’s and
THE OPAL
page 2
FEBRUARY 2012
WEST SUBURBAN LAPIDARY CLUB
A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION INCORPORATED IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
Mission Statement:
To foster the development of the lapidary arts and the jewelry craftsman's and to increase public interest in
handcrafted gems, jewelry, and their materials
Regular meetings of the West Suburban Lapidary Club are held on the fourth Friday of the month at 8 p.m. with the exception of June, July, August & December at The Abbey, 407 W. St. Charles Road, Elmhurst, Illinois. Parking in the
East and West parking lots. Visitors are welcome. Board meetings are held as announced in The OPAL. Annual membership dues are $17 per household/family. Dues are due January 1, delinquent January 31.
President
Ed Gallagher
Vice- President
Vikki Peterson
Treasurer
Karen Dave’
Secretary
Ellen Clough
OPAL Editor
Pat Koko
MWF Liaison
Lee Herrera
Board Member (3rd of 3 year term)
Rich Dillon
Board Member (2nd of 3 year term)
Jose Ponce’
Board Member (1st of 3 year term)
Dawn Johnson
Past President
Open
Committee Chairpersons
CGMA Delegate:
Rich Dillon
Hospitality:
Ed Gallagher
Silent Auction/Club Show:
to be announced
CGMA Alternate:
Mark Gordon & Debbie Ballot
The OPAL:
Pat Koko
Field Trip:
position open
Kitchen Supplies:
Ed Gallagher
Librarian:
Gwyn Roland
Gem of the Month:
Sakina Bharani
Activities Coordinator:
Karen Dave’
Historian:
Joanne Samuel
MWF Liaison:
Lee Herrera
Publicity:
Lizzadro Museum Liaison:
Jack Maher
Webmaster:
Don Shore
Lapidary School:
Karen Dave’
Instructors:
Joanne Samuel
Mary Prosek
Jose Ponce
Don Shore
The OPAL is the official publication of the West Suburban Lapidary Club and is issued September through
May with the exception of December. It is mailed, one copy per household, without further charge to members
of the WSLC who do not have e-mail. Otherwise the newsletter is sent as a pdf by e-mail. Articles may be copied provided full credit is given to the author and this bulletin. The deadline for material to be published is the
fourth Friday of the month prior. Visit the WSLC website at: www.westsuburbanlapidaryclub.com
THE OPAL
JANUARY 2012
page 3
Established in 1959
Rockin’ into our 53rd year
February program
Don Cronauer will present a program on the techniques of
LOST WAX CASTING...
GEM OF THE MONTH
Larimar
also called "Stefilia's Stone", is a rare blue variety of pectolite found only in the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean. Its coloration
varies from white, light-blue, green-blue to deep blue.
The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Mining records that on 23 November 1916 Father Miguel Domingo Fuertes Loren of the
Barahona Parish requested permission to explore and exploit the mine of a certain blue rock he had discovered. Pectolites were not
yet known in the Dominican Republic and the request was rejected.
In 1974, at the foot of the Bahoruco Range, the coastal province of Barahona, Miguel Méndez and Peace Corps volunteer Norman
Rilling rediscover Larimar on a beach. Natives, who believed the stone came from the sea, called the gem Blue Stone. Miguel took
his young daughter's name Larissa and the Spanish word for sea (mar) and formed Larimar, by the colors of the water of the Caribbean Sea, where it was found. The few stones they found were alluvial sediment, washed into the sea by the Bahoruco River. An
upstream search revealed the in situ outcrops in the range and soon the Los Chupaderos mine was formed.
Los Chupaderos
The most important outcrop of blue pectolite is located at Los Chupaderos, in the section of Los Checheses, about 10 kilometers
southwest of the city of Barahona, in the south-western region of the Dominican Republic. It is a single mountainside now perforated
with approximately 2,000 vertical shafts, surrounded by rainforest vegetation and deposits of blue-colored mine tailings.
Geology
Larimar is a variety of pectolite, or a rock composed largely of pectolite, an acid silicate hydrate of calcium and sodium. Although
pectolite is found in many locations, none have the unique volcanic blue coloration of larimar. This blue
color, distinct from that of other pectolites, is the result of copper substitution for calcium.
Miocene volcanic rocks, andesites and basalts, erupted within the limestones of the south coast of the
island. These rocks contained cavities or vugs which were later filled with a variety of minerals including
the blue pectolite. These pectolite cavity fillings are a secondary occurrence within the volcanic flows,
dikes and plugs. When these rocks erode the pectolite fillings are carried downslope to end up in the alluvium and the beach gravels. The Bahoruco River carried the pectolite bearing sediments to the sea. [1] The
tumbling action along the streambed provided the natural polishing to the blue larimar which makes them stand out in contrast to the
dark gravels of the streambed.
Jewelry
Larimar jewelry is offered to the public in the Dominican Republic, and elsewhere in the Caribbean as a local speciality. Most jewelry produced is set in silver, but sometimes high-grade larimar is also set in gold. It also has become available elsewhere. (to P. 6)
page 4
THE OPAL
Minutes of the Board Meeting,
Jan 6, 2012—by Ellen Clough
Minutes of the General Meeting,
Jan 27, 2012—by Joanne Samuel
West Suburban Lapidary Club Board Meeting Minutes
Karen Davé called the meeting to order at 8:05 pm.
Minutes: December general meeting minutes were considered. It was moved that all minutes be approved by
Joanne Samuel. The motion was seconded by Lee Herrera. Motion passed.
Treasurer’s Report: No report was available due to
computer still being updated. There were about 26
members and four guest; Jerry, Meredith, and two others
were present.
FEBRUARY 2012
January 6, 2012
The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm. Board members present were: Ellen Clough, Karen Davé, Rich Dillon, Ed Gallagher, Lee Herrera, Pat Koko, Jose Poncé, Vikki Peterson, and
Don Shore
1. The prior minutes, as published in the Opal, were approved
2. There was no Treasurer’s Report. QuickBooks is being installed on the computer and historical data is being entered. The
new computer should be up and running soon.
Library Report: Free metalsmith magazine were available for attendees.
3. The Midwest Federation Report was presented, including infor-
Gem of the month: AMMOLITE
4. The Opal Editor’s report was presented. A listing of the ―Stone
School status: Winter session will start week of Feb 13th.
Currently cutting is full with a waitlist. Silver has 6 students and wire 2. All classes are 5 week session.
MWF Report: Story on Dino (prato) feather in Amber.
There is a picture in the report in the December issue.
Also in the December issue editors contest has been announced. Contest going on Adventures in Rock tumbling.
Get a bucket of rock and send back for judging. Nice
article on Tech changes in geology. The junior activity
was workshop safety and maintenance. January issue
addressed creating club year books and why. There was a
large article on the Baldwin Boulder. A detailed article
on Crocoite was also available. Lee would also still like
to receive your cancelled stamps. Upcoming events in
Roseville, Mn Feb 25-26, Livonia , MI Mar 3-4, and
Skokiem IL Mar 10th.
mation on the upcoming show in July, 2012 in Minnetonka, MN.
of the Month‖ is needed for the rest of 2012. Larimar is the Stone
of the Month for the February meeting.
5. The Webmaster will make changes to the contact information
on the website. Ways to effectively use Facebook will be the topic
of future conversations.
6. Previous Business — 1) The Holiday party got very good reviews despite the fact that there was no bartender on the second
floor! Two Elmhurst Park District Board members attended the
event. A decision was made to invite Board members to the 2012
Holiday party.
2) Audit and budget planning have been postponed until the Treasurer’s computer is up and running.
3) A revision of the Club Constitution will be completed this year.
A second goal is to have the manuals outlining the Board positions
and responsibilities completed by fall, 2012.
CGMA Update: May the club will be looking for volunteers to help with the show. Contact Rich Dillon if you
have any questions.
4) Next general meeting: To be held on January 27, 2012.
Opal Editor Report: If you have not paid you will not
receive an Opal in February
New Business: — Upcoming events -
ANNOUNCEMENT ---The club will participate in
two events this summer. Grau Mill (can sell items to
benefit the club) which will be late summer, and Art
in the Park (volunteers will be needed) date May 5th
and 6th. More details to come.
▪
Meeting was adjourned at 9:00.
5) L. Herrera will talk with Gwen Kaitis and have her contact E.
Gallagher concerning the presenting to the Club.
▪
K. Davé will look into the possibility of the Club having a
presence at Art in the Park.
Grau Mill is interested in having a demo and sale program with
the Club. A date has not been set
▪
K. Davé and P. Koko will look into the availability of space at
Concord Place for the fall equipment sale, formerly held at the Abbey.
Cont’d on Page 5…
THE OPAL
FEBRUARY 2012
▪
(Cont’d from Page 4) CGMA – according to an agreement with the WSLC, CGMA should pay the club each time
their flyer is published in the Opal. R. Dillon will talk with
Betty Novak at CGMA concerning payment.
SCHOOL STATUS —
 Classes for the new session start February 13. Registration closes one week before the first day of classes.
NEW IDEAS —
 Several Board Members remarked how nice it was to
have WSLC name badges when they go to shows. J. Poncé
will get information on our current badge template, and production costs. R. Dillon has the names of other providers who
may be less expensive.
The meeting was adjourned at 9pm.
MID WEST FEDERATION
REPORT — Lee Herrera
NEWS FROM THE 2012 ―A CELEBRATION
OF AGATES‖ by Sandy Fuller
An early registration discount is available for a limited time for
the day of seminars at ―A Celebration of Agates‖. The keynote
speaker will be Dr. Jens Gotze, professor of mineralogy at the
Technical University Bergakademie in Freiberg, Saxony and
world renown expert on the current state of research on agate
genesis and formation. His work is highlighted in the recently
released Agates III by Johann Zenz.
A partial list of presenters include Tarun Adlakha from India,
Robert Barron, Karen Brzys, Roger Clark, Brad Cross, John
Hobart, Thom Lane, John Marshall, Dietrich Mager, Doug
Moore, John Stockwell and Wayne Sukow.
Registration forms, exhibitor applications, housing options and
additional information are now posted on the ―2012 show‖
page at www.minnesotamineralclub.org.
Make plans now to attend
Page 5
A Celebration of Agates
Lindbergh Center at Hopkins High School Minnetonka, Minnesota. Featuring Internationally Recognized Agate Experts and
Enthusiasts Thursday, July 26 – Agate Seminars Friday, July 27
thru 29 – Show with Dealers, Exhibits & Speakers.
AFMS and MWF Annual Meetings plus Awards Banquet on
Saturday night See above for information on attending
EXPLORING WHITE SANDS
Excerpts from geology field notes at http://www.nature.nps.gov/
geology/parks/whsa/index.cfm
Article suggested by Kitty Starbuck
At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountainringed valley, the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this
basin is one of the world’s great natural wonders—the glistening
white sands of New Mexico. Here, great wave-like dunes of
gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert and have
created the world’s largest gypsum dune field.
The brilliant white dunes are ever changing: growing, cresting,
then slumping, but always advancing. Slowly but relentlessly
the sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everything in
its path. Within the extremely harsh environment of the dune
field, even plants and animals adapted to desert conditions struggle to survive. Only a few species of plants grow rapidly enough
to survive burial by moving dunes, but several types of small
animals have evolved a white coloration that camouflages them
in the gypsum sand. White Sands National Monument preserves
a major portion of this gypsum dune field along with the plants
and animals that have successfully adapted to this constantly
changing environment.
A Rare Form of Sand
The common mineral gypsum, a hydrous form of calcium sulfate (CaS04. 2H20) is rarely found in the form of sand because it
is soluble in water. Rain and snow that fall in the surrounding
mountains dissolve gypsum from the rocks and carry it into the
Tularosa Basin. Normally, dissolved gypsum would be carried
by rivers to the sea. But no river drains the Tularosa Basin. The
water, along with the gypsum and other sediments it contains, is
trapped within the basin.
Crystal beds
In wet periods, water evaporating slowly on the (Cont’d Page 6)
NEW PROGRAMS FOR THE MWF LIBRARY
by Marge Collins and Pat Powers
RED-GOLD AND POLISHED AGATES: UPPER MICHIGAN’S HIDDEN TREASURES
By Wayne W. Sukow (Northern Virginia Mineral Club, EFLMS, and St. Croix, Rockhounds, MWF)-DVD: 32 minutes
RAINBOW OF STONE—By Terra Productions—-DVD: 40 minutes
YELLOWSTONE: IMPRINTS OF GEOLOGIC TIME—-By Terra Productions DVD: 40 minutes
HOW THE EARTH WAS MADE – Season One — by A&E – History Channel —4 Disc Set, 13 segments - each 48 minutes
page 6
THE OPAL
MWF (cont’d from Page 5)
playa floor causes gypsum to be deposited in a crystalline
form called selenite. Along Lake Lucero’s shore and in the
Alkali Flat, beds of selenite crystals—some three feet long—
cover the ground. The forces of nature— freezing and thawing, wetting and drying—eventually break down the crystals
into sand-size particles light enough to be moved by the
wind.
Gypsum sand formation continues today. At the same time,
however, sand is being broken down into silt size particles
that are blown out of the Tularosa Basin. Whether or not the
net size of the dune field is growing or shrinking remains to
be seen, however the dune field leading edge is advancing to
the northeast.
SILENT AUCTION REPORT OF THE
2011 MWF CONVENTION AT THE
TOLEDO GEM SHOW
by Bob Powers
The Toledo Gem and Rockhound Club hosted the Midwest
Federation Convention at the Stranahan Theater Complex
from September 9th through the 11th. My wife, Pat, & I
spent Friday morning driving to Toledo. We were greeted by
Jerri Heer, the Toledo Club President, who welcomed us and
showed us to the Silent Auction tables. Every provision was
readied by the Toledo Club for the Silent Auction tables. The
Toledo Club’s show was very well organized, with members
occupied at assigned tasks. The Stranahan Complex itself
was clean, spacious and well-lighted. Over 25 dealers, many
of them familiar ones, were present. The Toledo Club had
several tables of sales items, and a number of display cases
were attractively set up near the entrance.
FEBRUARY 2012
Gem of the Month (cont’d from Page 3)
Some Far-East manufacturer have started to use it
in their production and buy
Topstones.co.za
large quantities of raw stones
as long as this is still permitted.
Quality grading is according to coloration
and the typical mineral crystal configuration
in the stone.
Larimar also comes in
green and even with red spots, brown strikes
etc. due to other matters and / or oxidation.
But the more intense the blue, and the conFinearfamerica.com trasts in the stone, the higher and rarer is the
quality. The blue color is photosensitive and fades with time if
exposed to too much light and heat.
This article is from Wikipedia — edited by Pat Koko
From the Internet site “Bernardine Fine Art Jewelry
Larimar (Pectolite) Facts, Information and Description
Larimar is a rare form of pectolite, which was discovered in the
1970's and is only found in the Dominican Republic. It has an
extraordinary blue appearance similar to the color of the ocean
in tropical areas. Hardness varies between 5-7 on the Mohs
scale with the darker blue stones ranging closer to 7.
The name "Larimar" comes from a combination of Larissa and
Mar and was given to the stone by a Dominican who named the
stone after his daughter Larissa and Mar,
the Spanish word for sea.
We began setting up the Silent Auction and cataloged new
donations. The doors opened and visitors began to stream in.
We spent the next several hours running Silent Auctions,
collecting winning bids and refreshing the material offered at
the Silent Auction tables. By the end of the first day, over $
300 in material had been auctioned off. The second day fared
even better. Some intense bidding took place for a large and
impressive geode. Bidding started slowly, but intensified as
the final minutes approached. In the last few minutes, the bid
was raised several times by $ 10.00 or more, and the final
winning bid was $ 100.00.
This unique Caribbean gemstone sometimes may be mistaken for turquoise.
By the end of the day Saturday, the Silent Auction had exceeded what was brought in for the two previous MWF
shows. Early Sunday continued the pace of sales, but as the
day progressed the crowds thinned. A total of over $ 1,000
was brought in over the three day Auction. We packed up the
unsold material and were able to hand it off to MWF First
Vice President Dennis Westman, who lives much closer to
the next show site – Minneapolis, Minnesota. So ended our
third year with the MWF Silent Auction.
Its powers are believed to helps us view events from different
perspectives, to soften and enlighten, to heal the emotional,
physical, mental and spiritual body.
Luster: Vitreous to silky
Transparency: Transparent to translucent
Crystal System: Triclinic
Fracture: Splintery due to the cleavage
Streak: White.
Folklore, Legend, and Healing Properties:
Larimar stimulates the heart, throat, third eye and crown chakras promoting inner wisdom. It represents peace and clarity, healing and
love. Larimar is reputed to be helpful
for those experiencing stress and anxiety.
THE OPAL
FEBRUARY 2012
page 7
WEST SUBURBAN LAPIDARY CLUB
TEAM LIST - 2012
Team Duties: Our programs are a team effort. We depend on and need each other’s help to make them work.
Each month’s team, as listed below, is responsible for the meeting set-up, program, refreshments, and takedown. Out-of-state and honorary members are requested to contribute to any team.
Meeting Set-Up/Take-Down: The team members should arrive early on their program day to help set-up the
chairs and tables. They also need to remain after the meeting to clean up and put everything away.
Program: Each team should meet during the two club meetings prior to their program date and plan a program. A team leader will be elected to chair the team meetings during which everyone on the team will contribute ideas for a program. The team leader is not expected to do the program; only coordinate it. The VicePresident will meet each team to confirm and approve the program. If the team is unable to formulate a program, the Vice-President should be consulted as soon as possible. A member from each team is asked to assist Past President, TBD, our Hospitality chair, at the entrance to greet members & guests.
Refreshments: The refreshments will be discussed at the team meeting and each team member will contribute an item. Any team member who cannot attend the team’s program should arrange to send a refreshment
or donation of money (that will be used to purchase an item). All team members should lend a hand in the
kitchen. Serving dishes and utensils will be provided by the team members.
JANUARY --
FEBRUARY --
MARCH--Aquamarine
Abrell, Lorel & Gary
Bryant, Fred
Blake, Jim & Jimmie
Herrera, Lee & Jeanette Devane
Cronauer, Donald
Howerton, Julie
Houseman, Carl& Gloria
Dalesandro, Jim
Koko, Patricia
Kaplan, James
Fishman, Constance
Peterson, Vikki
Spande, Erik
Ponce, Jose’ & Lydia
Samuel, Joanne
Shore, Don
Wojtowicz, Peggy
APRIL – Flint (Ohio)
MAY – Sunstone (Oregon)
SEPTEMBER
Backus, Lucy & Lyle
Blaha, Arlene
Board responsibility
Bharani, Sakina
Davé, Karen
Droszes, Jerry
Dillon, Rich & Linda
Horn, Meredith
Freeman, Barbara
Johnson, Scott
Maher, Jack & Lorraine
O’Connell, Charles & Marlene
Peterson, Judee
Montenegro, Patricia
Vanderbark, DeeDee
Wohlfart, Melanie
OCTOBER -- Thunderegg
NOVEMBER – Bertrandite
DECEMBER
(also called-by some-Tiffany stone)
Annual Meeting
Ballot, Debby & Gordon, Mark
Bultman, Randy & Kaitis, Gwen
Board responsibility
Gallagher, Ed
Clough, Ellen
Gass, Tony
Johnson, Dawn
Gooch, Eugenia
Petry, Barb & Le Roy
Licko, Terry & Erv
Prosek, Mary
Schultz, Max & Alberta
Quail, Mary
Sisinni, Linda
THE OPAL
page 8
FEBRUARY 2012
Board and Club dates for 2012 ——
BOARD MEETS:
CLUB MEETS:
February 3rd
February 24th
March 9th
March 23rd
April 13th
April 27th
May 4th
May 18th (3rd Fri)
SUMMER RECESS
September 7th
September 28th
October 5th
October 26th
November 2nd
November 30th (5th)
HOLIDAY PARTY—DEC 9TH
Member, Terry Licko has the following item
for sale:
Wooden hand built display case with lights.
It is fully Lined. Dimensions are: 32‖ x 21‖ x
26‖
Contact Terry
RIP BERNIE SOBCAZAK
Bernie Sobczak passed away
November 6, 2011. He has been a
member of the club since 1974 (that’s
37 years) and has demonstrated and
participated in shows given by West
Suburban, Chicago Gem & Minerals
and the Des Plaines Club.
His jewelry designs were original and beautiful. He was an expert
silversmith, an impeccable craftsman
and an inspiration to us all.
(Obituary courtesy of Terry Licko)
―For sale‖ advertisements are offered at no charge to WSLC members (a policy for the frequency
and size of ads will be decided by the Board soon), space permitting. The Opal will not knowingly print or
accept ―For Sale‖ ads from dealers or business owners. The WSLC cannot confirm the condition or price of
any merchandise offered. All transactions must be handled directly between the seller and buyer
THE OPAL
FEBRUARY 2012
page 9
SCHOOL !!
ELMHURST PARK DISTRICT IN CONJUNCTION WITH
WEST SUBURBAN LAPIDARY CLUB
HAS COMMENCED FOR THE 5-WEEK COURSE
The next classes will commence soon for 10-week courses
*All members of West Suburban Lapidary Club are eligible for ―in-district‖ tuition. Please
see the Elmhurst Park District website for full details. You do need a membership card available
from the treasurer at any meeting. EPD- https://secure.epd.org/registration/brochidxregfs.asp
Program Review—Joanne Samuel & Pat Koko
Gwen Kaitis (note this is her correct name from now on) brought a series of slides from her personal participation in the SOFA show at Navy Pier. Gwen was there from the time exhibitors were there to set up their displays. Her slides depicted the organized chaos of the pre-show time. Gwen was participating with the Corning
Hot Glass Road Show and the Chicago Mosaic school. 80 different galleries were present. Displays ranged from
jewelry to sculpture. Some of the displays were massive. Gwen also was able to take pictures of the various jewelry pieces to be displayed during the show. Some were also massive an others were very intricate. Not all were
to everyone’s taste, but it as fun to see the various pieces.
Gwen also shared her travel experience to Australia. . Gwen showed some great photos from her trip to
Australia. They travelled from Darwin to Adelaide and Melbourne via the Stewart Highway going through Coper
pedy.
There was a ―Split the Pot‖ and a great and exciting silent auction.
BENCH TIPS by Brad Smith
Please know if you want to learn more ….this is his contact information:
Yhoogroups.com/group/BenchTips/ or
Facebook.com/BenchTips/
IDENTIFYING UNMARKED SOLDERS
There's plenty of ways to mark your sheet or wire solders, but suppose you forgot to mark them and have a couple that you
can't identify. The answer is to compare the melting temperature of the unknowns with that of a known solder. What I do is
take a thick scrap of copper or nickel and arrange several solders on it. Ideally, I would have a sample of easy, medium and
hard known solders surrounding the unknown solder. Then I heat the plate from the bottom and watch the order in which the
solders melt.?
INEXPENSIVE ELECTRIC WAX PEN
You can make your own wax pen from a small soldering iron plugged into a light dimmer switch for heat control. Both components are easily found at Radio Shack, a big hardware store or at Harbor Freight. Set the dimmer control just hot enough to
melt the wax without producing any smoke. Look for a soldering iron of around 25-30 watts. File the tip to the shape you prefer or even better get a soldering iron with replaceable tips. Then you can make several tip shapes for different tasks.
THE OPAL
FEBRUARY 2012
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MARCH:
page 10
DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester Rd.,
Wheaton, IL—Admission $5.00 (seniors/students $3)
***********************************************
2-4 — RICHMOND, IN. Eastern Indiana Gem & Geological Society 39th Annual
Mineral, Fossil & Jewelry Show. Wayne Co. Fairgrounds, 861 N. Salisbury Rd., Richmond, IN. Fr
and Sat 10 to 6 and Sun 11 to 4 — @ $5 for adults
M.W.F & AFMS ANNUAL MEETINGS and more
A CELEBRATION OF AGATES featuring internationally recognized Agate experts and enthusiasts.
Thursday, July 26 — Agate Seminars
Contact: John LaMont (765)647-4503.
Friday, July 27 thru Sun. July 29 — Show with dealers,
exhibits and speakers
****************************************
www.minnesotamineralclub.org
10th — SKOKIE, IL. Chicago Rocks &
Minerals Society—Annual Silent Auction! .……
6 to 9 PM. First Table closes at 6:30. Free admission and parking. Rocks, minerals, crystals, fossils, geodes, handmade jewelry, books, magazines,
and lapidary treasures! St. Peter’s United Church
of Christ, 8013 Laramie Ave., Skokie, IL across
from the public library.
****************************************
10-11: Macomb, IL. Geodeland Earth
Science Clubs’ 32nd Annual Show: Student Union Ballroom, Western Illinois University, 1483 E.
Wood St., Decatur, IL cigmc@comcast.net
OUR OWN RICH DILLON WILL BE THERE
****************************************
E.S.C.O.N.I.
Annual Show at COLLEGE OF DuPAGE
Saturday March 17, 2012 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.
Sunday March 18, 2012 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.
FREE ADMISSION & PARKING—Dealers, Displays, and
much more. Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois
www.esconi.org
**************************************************************
CGMA
Saturday, May 26, 2012 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.
Sunday, May 27th 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.
LIZZADRO MUSEUM
OF LAPIDARY ART
220 Cottage Hill Ave. Elmhurst, IL 60126
www.lizzadromuseum.org// 630/833-1616
MARCH 3 — ―Dinosaur Discoveries‖
Children become dinosaur detectives with
―Paleontologist Illinois Bones‖ to learn about
the world of dinosaurs. Fossils and props are
used to create and awareness of dinosaur
characteristics. Live animals show how dinosaurs are related to animals living today.
Interactive Lecture, Ages 4 yrs to Adult for
50 minutes at 2 PM. $4 per person (Museum
members @ $2) Reservations required.
THE NEW ROCK AND MINERAL
EXPERIENCE — The Lower level display area of the Museum unveiled its new
permanent exhibit hall offers exhibits, lecture hall and classroom area with 26 new
exhibits ——OUR VERY OWN MEMBER KAREN DAVÉ — is included in the
video explaining how to do cutting and
polishing. Be sure to stop by.
Members of:
American Federation of Mineralogical Societies,
Midwest Federation of Mineralogical and Geological Societies,
Chicagoland Gem and Mineral Association,
and Scribe