September 2015 Dopstick - The Gem, Lapidary and Mineral Society

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GEM, LAPIDARY AND MINERAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, DC, VOL LXV, ISSUE 9!
SEPT 2015
The Dopstick
Malachite
The Asian and African Queen of Green
In This Issue
Malachite! !
President’s Letter!
Auction!
!
Ashes into Beads!
Field Trips! !
Upcoming Events!
Minutes!
!
1
2
4
5
7
8
10
Next Meeting
Friday, September 18
7–9 p.m.
at
Chevy Chase
Community Center
Connecticut Avenue &
McKinley Street, NW
Washington, DC
Malachite—Democratic Republic of the Congo
CURIOUS ABOUT MALACHITE? Club chairman Tony Wilner will tell the story of the who, what,
when, where, why, and how of this vivid green mineral at our September meeting. Who has used it?
What is its composition? When did royalty prize it? Where is it found? Why is it thought to have
metaphysical benefits? And how is it formed? You’ll examine polished and rough malachite—
including a 28-pound specimen—that demonstrate a variety of colors, patterns, and lapidary options.
Tony has been a member of GLMSDC since 1993 and has been involved in the lapidary craft since
1973, when he received a rock tumbler as a gift. At age 14, he took cabochon-cutting classes at the
Treasure of the Pirates Lapidary and Jewelry Store in Bethesda, Maryland. The following year, he
took a part-time job at the shop and continued working there during college. He is also active in the
Patuxent Lapidary Guild in Annapolis and the Chesapeake Gem & Mineral Society in Ellicott City.
When he's not polishing gemstones, he's usually polishing his classic car collection…but that's
another story.
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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GEM, LAPIDARY AND MINERAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, DC, VOL LXV, ISSUE 9!
SEPT 2015
President’s Letter
Get Up and Go!
WELCOME BACK! I hope you all had a great
summer full of fun and sunny relaxation. But being
on vacation doesn’t mean we have to lose touch
with our hobby. The silver lovers among us had a
great time on July 1, when several members met at
the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC,
for Silver on Silver: Wi"iam Spratling, An American in
Taxco. The exhibit, which celebrates the institute’s
25th year, is open until October 31.
Born in New York in 1900, Spratling’s largely
pre-Columbian and traditional design motifs—
crafted in his Taxco workshop, Taller de las Delicias
—made him a major contributor to transforming
Taxco from a small mining town to a state-of-theart center of silver design. We learned about his
aesthetic and what inspired him. And we enjoyed
reading about his vision for designing silver tools,
jewelry, and art pieces that influenced society
worldwide.
The exhibit photos capture the hard labor of the
silver miners, the rustic environment, and silversmiths demonstrating their
craftsmanship. But the highlight was looking at several showcases containing
intricately designed jewelry. Amethyst cabochons were the preferred stone. We
particularly admired how silver and gemstones brought fabulous wild animal figurines
to life. It was also a treat to see sturdy real silverware. No stainless steel here!
This exhibit provides a comprehensive illustration on Mexican culture and the
progression of silver design in Taxco. Today, we can find Taxco silver at airports, on
cruise ships, and in museums, thanks to William Spratling’s dream of bolstering the
silver-design industry in Mexico and bringing worldwide recognition to what was a
sleepy Mexican town.
We had a great time, and we’re not slowing down! Take a look at upcoming field
trips (page 7), and join in the fun!
—Imelda
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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GEM, LAPIDARY AND MINERAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, DC, VOL LXV, ISSUE 9!
SEPT 2015
Silver on Silver
Wi"iam Spratling: An American in Taxco
Whimsical figures seem to ju$le round
amethyst cabochons.
A silver and amethyst sunburst
echoes a Mesoamerican motif.
Lapis lazuli cabochons bloom &om stylized
blossoms in this intricately designed brooch.
Jaguar brooch adorned with amethyst cabs
OUR MISSION The Gem, Lapidary and Mineral Society of Washington, DC, is a nonprofit
organization. It was organized to promote the lapidary arts, mineral and fossil collecting, and other
forms of the Earth sciences. Member Affiliations: EFMLS and AFMS. Website: glmsdc.org. Join us on
Facebook and Twitter!
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PAGE 3
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GEM, LAPIDARY AND MINERAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, DC, VOL LXV, ISSUE 9!
SEPT 2015
The Gem, Lapidary and Mineral Society
of
Washington, DC
Invite You to Our
2015 Auction
Featuring unique specimens from our members’ collections,
plus gemstones, lapidary rough, jewelry, beads, fossils, books, and more.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Preview: Noon–1 p.m.
Live and Silent Auction: 1–5 p.m.
Cash and personal checks will be accepted. No third-party checks!
The Woman’s Club of Bethesda
5500 Sonoma Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20817-3536
Free parking at rear of building and on side streets
Points of Contact:
Tony Wilner, 410.255.4960: [email protected]
Al DeMilo, 301.262.6014: [email protected]
Imelda Rocha, 301.728.2366: [email protected]
Mia Schulman, 301.216.5546: [email protected]
For directions, go to: bethesdawomansclubmd.com
Visit our club website at: glmsdc.org
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PAGE 4
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GEM, LAPIDARY AND MINERAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, DC, VOL LXV, ISSUE 9!
SEPT 2015
Eternal Adornments
Cra'ing loved ones’ ashes into beads
By Katie Sola
THEY SAY YOUR LOVED ONES never leave you, but if you want to carry their
memory with you always, Merry Coor will craft their ashes into a stunning memorial
bead. “The bead is the first adornment that people ever wore. I think people are drawn
to the bead because of that,” Coor told The Huffington Post.
Coor made her first memorial bead in 2014. A couple had asked her to incorporate
the ashes of a friend into the glass beads she’s been making for 15 years. “It was a
pretty huge honor and privilege and intimate thing to do with these people’s ashes,”
she said, later describing a tearful embrace with the couple. “I realized that this was
something I could do for people. I could make a difference.”
Now, clients send her the ashes of their pets and loved ones through her Etsy store,
which is a sideline to her Talisman Beads store in Eureka, California. As part of her
process, she invites clients to send along photos, letters, and music associated with their
lost loved ones. Although she hears tragic stories at times, Coor says she makes sure
she’s in a good mood before getting to work and simply remembers how loved each
person or pet was. “I think you put the energy in there, how you’re feeling. You’re just
going to put good intentions in it,” she said.
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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GEM, LAPIDARY AND MINERAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, DC, VOL LXV, ISSUE 9!
SEPT 2015
Coor crafts all her beads herself. First she makes round beads by applying heat from
a torch to rods of silvered glass, then she applies the
ash in a spiral pattern. A thin coating of clear glass
seals the design. Making one bead takes “15 years and
45 minutes,” Coor joked.
According to her Etsy shop, the beads start at $108.
Since her shop started getting attention online, she
says she’s received 100 orders, about as many as she’d
had in the past year. “I’m getting orders from
Uzbekistan. from all over the world. It’s
overwhelming,” she said, adding that employees are
helping her with paperwork and finishing the
completed beads.
Her customers seem to value the ability to carry
their loved ones close to their hearts. Karen HallThompson, an Etsy customer, cared for her brother for
Photograph by Ora North
two years before he passed away from ALS. “I wanted
to have my brother with me through the rest of my life, just as I had the privilege of
seeing him through the end of his,” she told HuffPost. “This process is very personal
and special, not a cold and inhuman production line.”
Customer Danielle Marsalis had a bead made from the remains of her beloved dog
Chloe. She said she appreciates that the bead, which she says is “very flattering,”
doesn’t look like it’s made of ashes. “Every time I open [my] jewelry box it brings both
a smile to my face and a tear to my eye,” she said.
Ora North, who also lost a dog, had beads made for her and her husband. A jewelry
designer friend then put them on necklaces (above). “We didn’t get enough time with
him, so the beads have allowed us to keep him close a little bit longer,” she said.
“I can’t begin to imagine what it’s like to lose a brother or a sister or a spouse or a
child, but I know that what I’m doing really helps people,” Coor told Humboldt Made.
“I get beautiful letters back from people that are overwhelmed with the beads that I
make for them.”
So, what’s her ultimate wish?
“I hope that the beads give you comfort, and help with your grief,” Coor wrote on
her Etsy page.
—Reprinted from The Huffington Post
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PAGE 6
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GEM, LAPIDARY AND MINERAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, DC, VOL LXV, ISSUE 9!
SEPT 2015
Let’s Go Exploring!
Sideling Hi" Road Cut, Hancock, Maryland
Mark your calendar, and gear up for some exploring
close to home!
Sideling Hill Road Cut, 42 W. Main Street, Hancock, Maryland: October 14, 9 a.m.
Hike along the different levels, and learn about Maryland’s geology. Visit the Hancock Museum,
where you’ll learn about the minerals found in the hill, and enjoy a picnic on site.
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave., NW, Washington, DC:
November 4, 1:30 p.m.*
The former estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, American socialite and founder of General
Foods, holds nearly 17,000 objects. During this docent-led tour, you’ll see Russian Imperial art;
18th-century French decorative art; and apparel, accessories, and—yes—jewelry from Post’s
personal collection.
Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, DC: December 5, 3 p.m.
During this docent-led tour, you’ll learn about the library’s history and uses, as well as details about
the mosaic work; the red, white, and brown marble; and the gold on the ceiling.
Details to come! * Please be on time! Docent-led tours start on schedule.
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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GEM, LAPIDARY AND MINERAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, DC, VOL LXV, ISSUE 9!
SEPT 2015
Upcoming Shows & Events
Cape-Atlantic Rock Hound Annual Fall Gem, Jewelry, Rock, Mineral
and Fossil Show
September 19–20, 2641 Cologne Ave., Mays Landing, New Jersey
Mid-Hudson Valley Gem & Mineral Society Annual Gem, Mineral,
Fossil, and Jewelry Show & Sale
September 19–20, Gold’s Gym & Sports Complex, 258 Titusville Road, Poughkeepsie, New York
Gem Cutters Guild of Baltimore 51st Annual Gem,
Mineral & Jewelry Show
September 26–27, Howard Country Fairgrounds, West Friendship, Maryland
59th Annual Franklin-Sterling Gem & Mineral Indoor
and Outdoor Show
September 26–27, Franklin School, 50 Washington Ave., Franklin, New Jersey
Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Festival and Auction
Saco Valley Gem & Mineral Club
October 24, Albany Town Hall, Albany, New Hampshire
Gemarama 2015: Rocks in the USA
The Tuscarora Lapidary Society
November 7–8, Greater Philadelphia EXPO Center, Hall C, Oaks, Pennsylvania
36th Annual Roanoke Valley Mineral & Gem Society Show
November 27–29, Salem Civic Center, 1001 Roanoke Blvd., Salem, Virginia
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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GEM, LAPIDARY AND MINERAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, DC, VOL LXV, ISSUE 9!
SEPT 2015
AFMS Code of Ethics
• I will respect both private and public property and will do no collecting on
privately owned land without the owner’s permission.
• I will keep informed on all laws, regulations of rules governing collecting on public
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 material in collecting areas.
• I will cause no willful damage to property of any kind—fences, signs, buildings.
• I will leave all gates as found.
• I will build fires in designated or safe places only and will be certain they are
completely extinguished before leaving the area.
• I will discard no burning material—matches, cigarettes, etc.
• I will fill all excavation holes which may be dangerous to livestock.
• I will not contaminate wells, creeks or other water supply.
• I will cause no willful damage to collecting material and will take home only what I
can reasonably use.
• 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 authorities, any deposit of petrified wood or other materials on public lands
which should be protected for the enjoyment of future generations 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.
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PAGE 9
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GEM, LAPIDARY AND MINERAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, DC, VOL LXV, ISSUE 9!
SEPT 2015
June Minutes
Gem, Lapidary and Mineral Society
of Washington, DC
President Imelda Rocha called the
meeting to order. Past President Al
DeMilo was in attendance.
Wildacres: Al DeMilo announced
that there are still openings available
for the fall sessions. He provided
applications to attendees. Carolyn
Weinberger announced that our club
member Denise Nelson is the fall
Wildacres speaker.
Field Trips: A field trip to see the
exhibit, Silver on Silver: William
Spratling, an American in Taxco, is
planned for July 1 at the Mexican
Cultural Institute in Washington, DC.
Budget: Dennis Nelson reported that
the budget is in good standing.
Auction: Tony Wilner informed us
about plans to promote the club
auction on social media. Carolyn
Weinberger offered to send the flier
to Eastern Federation clubs.
Sunshine: Tony Wilner accepted this
role and sent get-well cards to
Michele McMurty and Bill French.
Showcase winner: Bruce Gaber.
Door prize winners: Sarah Moy,
Margaret Foley, and Al DeMilo.
President!
!
Imelda Rocha 301.728.2366
1st VP, Membership!
Celia Chen 240.293.6297
2nd VP, Field Trips!
Unfilled
3rd VP, Programs!
Unfilled
Treasurer!
!
Dennis Nelson 301.530.9266
Secretary!
!
Mia Schulman 301.216.5546
Editor! !
Cassandra Franklin-Barbajosa
!
!
!
240.423.0244
!
!
[email protected]
Sunshine!
!
Jean Charsky 703.522.7415
EFMLS Liaison! !
Al DeMilo 301.262.6014
Board Chairman!
Directors
Through 2015!
Through 2016!
Tony Wilner 410.255.4960
Al DeMilo & Denise Nelson
Tony Wilner & Tim Morgan
Membership Dues
Single! !
$15*!
Out-of-town!
$12!
Family! !
Perpetual !
$20*
$175
* Processing fee for new members/reinstatement fee for renewing
members: $4
Note: Checks should be made to GLMSDC.
Meetings in 2015 are the third Friday of January,
February, March, April, May, June, September,
and November from 7–9 p.m. at the Chevy Chase
Community Center, Connecticut Avenue and McKinley
Street, NW, Washington, DC. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
GLMSDC observes the Montgomery County Public
Schools Alert System for emergencies and closings.
Call the automated system at 240.777.2410 or
301.279.3673. If schools are closed, our meeting is
automatically canceled.
The Dopstick is published monthly—except for July, August
and December—and distributed to a" members in good standing and
to some other rock clubs on a reciprocal basis. Unless specified, an
article (or part thereof) may be copied as long as credit is given to
the author and The Dopstick.
—Mia Schulman
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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GEM, LAPIDARY AND MINERAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, DC, VOL LXV, ISSUE 9!
SEPT 2015
Deadline for the November Dopstick
is
November 4!
***
Must-Have Links
For hobby-related events in the Washington, DC, area, go to our partner websites:
AFMS: www.amfed.org
EFMLS: www.amfed.org/efmls
***
Membership Dues
Rates are $15 for a single membership, $12 for out-of-town, $20 for a family, and $175 for
perpetual membership. Consider becoming a perpetual member. It’s a great way to show
generous support of our club, and you get to live in a renewal-free world!
Please forward all dues
and address changes to:
Celia Chen
at
15100 Interlachen Drive, Apt. 1026
Silver Spring, Maryland 20906
Email:
[email protected]
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