May 2013 Newsletter - Gem Cutters Guild of Baltimore

Gem Cutters News
Award Winning Bulletin of the Gem Cutters Guild of Baltimore, Inc.
Baltimore, Maryland
<www.gemcuttersguild.com>
Volume 62, Number 5 May, 2013
Program Notes
by Carolyn Weinberger
Arthur Kingsbury was, among other things, research assistant in the mineralogy
department of the Oxford University
Museum. He had an acute ability to
sight-identify minerals; collected extensively in the field and added 50
species to the list of minerals known
to occur in Great Britain. He received
numerous honors during his life including being elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and Mineralogical Society of America
(1960). During his lifetime he assembled a major collection of minerals which following his death was donated to the British Museum (now the Natural History
Museum) by his family.
Alan Hart began studying the Kingsbury collection shortly after his appointment
as Head of Collections at the Natural
History Museum. What he found is
an amazing case of deception.
Join us as we explore the Kingsbury collection with Alan Hart and
learn what he and his colleagues uncovered during their examination of
the collection. It’s a tale worthy of Arthur Conan Doyle
and his consulting detective Sherlock Holmes!
As always, our meeting begins at 7:30 pm at our
Workshop at Meadow Mill. We’re bringing back “Rock
Around the Clock”, so come prepared to identify a dozen rocks /slabs from the selection Jamie Streb brings.
If you’re the winner, you may just win a prize.
Remember to bring your latest creations for Show &
Tell as well. Always wonderful to see what you’ve made.
International Show
from Karen Shavin
Plan to support the Guild at the International Gem Show
in Timonium on June 28 - 30. You will be able to share information about the Guild, demonstrate some of the skills
we offer, and encourage new students to join our workshop
classes. For this to happen, the critical piece is you!
I’ll be asking for volunteers to work a 2 hour shift during the show. There will be a sign-up sheet at each of the
next two meetings. Make sure to sign-up early to get the
shift you prefer. In return, in addition to the good feeling of
knowing you’re helping your Guild grow and flourish, those
working our booth will get free admission to the show!
This year, I hope to set up the display case in advance.
I will need for you to bring a few examples of jewelry, cabochons, or faceted stones for display. The items will be arranged and labeled so the public knows what they are seeing.
Examples of what you’ve made during our classes would be
terrific. Please be sure to put your name on each piece in
an inconspicuous spot and include a description of what the
piece is (i.e. type of cabochon, technique used for the jewelry
etc.). Bring your examples to the May or June meeting. I will
take good care of your treasures and make arrangements to
return them to you as expeditiously as possible.
More details next month, but in the meantime check
your calendar and pencil in a time you can work the booth.
Goodies ‘N Such
We had a table full of delicious
nibbles at our April meeting. Thanks to
everyone who brought something in.
Our May refreshment caterers are
Tasha Francis and Anne Millar.
Marcia’s Message
by Marcia Packard, President
The Gem Cutters Guild is a founding
member of the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies, Inc. and
affiliated with the American Federation of
Mineralogical Societies.
About our Guild:
The Gem Cutters Guild of Baltimore,
Inc. was established in order to allow its
members to gain knowledge and skills in gem
cutting, jewelry making and in identifying
and evaluating lapidary materials. Through
field trips, exhibitions, and cooperation with
other societies, we endeavor to further not
only our own knowledge, but also that of the
general public.
Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of
each month except January, July and August
at our workshop which is located at Meadow
Mill at Woodbury, 3600 Clipper Mill Rd, Suite
116; Baltimore, MD 21211. Meetings begin
at 7:30 P.M. Visitors are always welcome.
Dues are $30 per year for families and $18 for
individuals. More information and directions
to our meetings can be found on our website,
<www.gemcuttersguild.com>.
Officers:
President - Marcia Packard
[email protected]
Vice President -Sallie Miller
Recording Sec’y - Carolyn Weinberger
Corresponding Sec’y - Pam Jeffries
Int. Treasurer - Steve Weinberger
Past President - Mary Keller
Editor:
“Rock around the clock” is back. Thanks to Jami Streb, who agreed to do
the May clock. For those of you that don’t remember, we set a plate on the
membership table just inside the door to the workshop. The plate is divided
into 12 segments. A rock or gemstone is placed on each of the segment. When
you identify the items place your answer on the paper provided. Gifts will be
handed out to the winner(s).
Spring and summer class fliers are out. Thanks to Pat Baker and the class
planning team and Carolyn Weinberger for getting the printing and mailing
done. Please be sure to sign up early to get your early bird discount. Don’t see
the class you were hoping for? Let Pat know and maybe we can get it on the
calendar for the fall.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the May meeting.
Marcia
24th Annual
Chesapeake
Gem & Mineral Show
Saturday, May 25, 2013
10 AM – 4 PM
Ruhl Armory - Towson, MD
Directors:
2013
Jan Anderson
Gene Miller
Gretchen Smutney
It’s not too early to start thinking about our show
in September. Do you have items that you’ve made
that you would love to show off? This is a great opportunity to let the community see what we do here at
GCG. To help get everyone thinking about their showcases, Pat Baker will give a brief presentation at the
next meeting.
2013-2014
Adam Block
Rochelle Coleman
Karen Shaven
Carolyn Weinberger
PO Box 302
Glyndon, MD 21071-0302
410-833-7926
<[email protected]>
Deadline is the 15th of each month
Non-commercial reprint permission
granted to non-profit organizations
unless otherwise noted.
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
FREE ADMISSION
Top Mineral Dealers, Original Jewelry
Silent Auctions, Door Prizes
Directions: Take I-695 (Baltimore Beltway)
to exit 26 - York Road South
Ruhl Armory is on the east side of York Road
(across from a car dealer and funeral home)
just inside I-695.
Page 2
April Meeting Minutes
The April 2, 2013 meeting of the
Guild was called to
order at 7:35 pm
by President Marcia
Packard. Minutes of
the March meeting
were accepted as
printed in Gem Cutters News. Treasurer Steve Weinberger indicated that
the Guild was solvent and reminded
members wishing further details to
see him during the coffee break.
Committee Reports:
•International Gem & Mineral
Show - Karen Shavin has volunteered to be the coordinator for the
Guild booth at the upcoming June
28-30 show at the Fairgrounds in
Timonium. Members will be asked
to sign up to help at the club information booth there. No selling
may occur, but demonstrations can
be done. Those working the booth
will be asked to talk about the club,
show and our classes.
•Library - Anne Millar talked
briefly about the process of signing
books out from the library during
club meetings. Those interested in
doing so should see her.
•Upcoming Programs - Marcia
Packard indicated that the schedule for meeting programs was filling
quickly, but that there were still two
slots remaining. She asked for volunteers to obtain a speaker for September and December or a volunteer to
give a program.
May - Ray Stanford on Dinosaur
Tracks in Maryland
June - Tucson Show Review (Steve
and Carolyn Weinberger)
October - Collecting Agates in Arizona (Pam Jeffries & Dave Mitchell)
November - Denise Nelson Pearls
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
by Carolyn Weinberger, Recording Secretary
•Kenilworth Member Sale - Mary
Keller indicated that she received a
call from the manager at Kenilworth
asking if members wished to do the
show there again. She was asked to
get further information on costs and
to poll the members to see if there
was interest in doing a second show.
•Sunshine - Members were advised that Lynne Luger’s sister Martha Morris had passed away.
Unfinished Business - none
New Business Marcia asked members if there
was interest in reviving Rock Around
the Clock. Jamie Streb volunteered
to bring the first rocks for the May
meeting.
Several members had items for
Show & Tell including sapphires, the
topic of the evening program.
Following the coffee break, the
club viewed a video entitled “Kashmir: The Sapphire”.
The meeting adjourned at 9:15 pm.
Welcome!
from Gretchen Smutney, Member Chair
We welcome three new members to our Guild family this month.
Please add their information to your
club roster and of course make them
welcome at our meetings.
Megan & Matt Strott
<[email protected]>
Both Megan and Matt are natives
of Baltimore and the parents of two
children. She’s an artist and painter
while Matt is a construction manager
at Johns Hopkins University. Megan
enjoys jewelry fabrication; Matt fossils and both enjoy minerals, lapidary
and shooting pool.
Kathleen Thompson
<[email protected]>
Kathleen is a native of Panama
City, FL and the mother of 1 child (and
grandmother of 4). She’s currently
the business manager for Potomac
Fiber Arts Gallery. Her interests are
jewelry fabrication and fiber art.
Submitted by
Carolyn Weinberger
Recording Secretary
Sunshine
from Rose Duke
The good news is that I’ve not heard about any illness to our club members.
The bad news is that Tricia MacNeal’s brother-in-law, Dr.
Thomas Houk, is the man who was struck while jogging
on Charles St. in late March. The latest news is that after
16 days at Shock Trauma, he’s now at Kernan’s for several
weeks of occupational, speech and physical therapy.
Lynne Luger sent her thanks to Guild members who attended the service and/
or expressed their condolences for her sister who passed away in early April.
Page 3
Wildacres was “Wild”
by Carolyn Weinberger
Guild and Chesapeake members at Wildacres
From left: Steve Weinberger, Don Greaves, Carolyn Weinberger,
Cathy Purdum, Dianne Hirsch, Richard Meszler, Sharon Landrum,
Patty Lortie, Lynne Luger, Bernie Emery
The just ended spring EFMLS Wildacres Workshop proved to be one
of the very best sessions ever. We
were joined on “the mountain” by a
group of cellists and at weeks end, a
Happy Birthday
from Rose Duke
Emeralds are the birthstone for
the month and many who were not
born during May are green with envy.
Best wishes for many more to
come go out to:
Barry Berlin (4)
Les Leister (7)
Melinda Hope (8)
Sallie Miller (10)
Bill Cutman (14)
Paulette Schauder (20)
Jan Anderson (24)
Tasha Francis (26)
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
group of very enthusiastic hammered dulcimer
players. The mountain
atmosphere of Wildacres
definitely lends itself well
to laughter, learning and
music and we definitely
had all three plus an entire week of phenomenal
weather with sunshine
and temperatures in the
low 80’s.
Guild members Dianne Hirsch, Bernie Emery, Richard Meszler,
Don Greaves and Steve and Carolyn
Weinberger joined 56 other EFMLS
club members for the week. Bernie
taught cabbing to an enthusiastic
group including Carol Sues, wife of
Speaker-in-Residence Bob Jones and
Don Greaves while Richard taught
silversmithing. Dianne and Carolyn
took a 2-day class in polymer
clay, and Steve & Dianne took a
2-day class in photography. In
their “spare time”, Steve served
as acting Director, keeping all
the plates spinning in the right
direction, and Carolyn handled
the usual daily news publication
and kept the computers and
projectors running for the programs. Bernie shared the task
of auctioneer for the always fun
evening, while he and Lynne provid-
ed some of the entertainment for the
last night fun night program.
Speaker-in-Residence Bob Jones
gave six excellent talks on topics such
as Minerals of China, Agates, Fluorite, and A Tour of England. All were
excellently illustrated and peppered
with Bob’s usual anecdotes.
The week ended with a most
enjoyable “Show & Tell” session followed by an evening of music and
story telling given by session participants as well as a gala concert provided by the dulcimer players.
There’s still time to sign up for
the fall session at Wildacres. Several
Guild members have already registered to attend and both Pat Baker
and Steve are slated to be teachers.
Quintin & Willow Wight from Canada
are slated as Speakers-in-Residence.
You can take a peak at the classes being offered, find some information about EFMLS Wildacres and
obtain a registration form by
visiting <efmls-wildacres.org>.
Page 4
Behind Closed doors
We live in a country that often airs
its dirty laundry
for the world to
see. We tend
to focus news
reports
(and
even our video
games) on war,
violence, crime,
the taking of life
and so on. We often tend to hide the
best news on the back pages, behind
closed doors, or just not talk about it
at all. Well, I’m sorry to say that these
safety articles tend to follow that
same convention. We write about accidents, falls, hearing loss, foreign bodies in the eye, and so on. Well, what I’d
like to do with this article is throw the
safety doors open wide and illustrate
the good news about safety.
Imagine, if you will, a trip to
collect rocks that-goes something
like this:
You gather the family and load
the truck with collecting tools and
supplies. You have a pleasant drive
to the dig site. At the collecting area
you catch up with other club members and spend the morning making
find after find, some of which are
treasures indeed! Everyone takes a
break at noon for a great picnic lunch.
While sitting on a comfortable rock
you note a nice crystal right by your
foot - a crystal that really deserves to
be in your collection what a day! You
have several chats with your fellow
collectors about sharing information
concerning the best places to dig. At
the end of a wonderful day of collecting, everyone packs up their tools,
trash and treasures, and then loads
up truck. You thought you’d found
so much that the kids would have
to be tied on top of the truck fenders for the ride home. (A place they
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
by Ellery Borow, EFMLS Safety Chair
really like to ride.) But, oh well, you
somehow manage to find space for
the kids in the jump seat behind the
drivers seat. You get home after another pleasant drive. Once home and
unloaded you find yourself tired but
not too tired. You start going through
your finds and doing some preliminary cleaning. One rock begs to be
windowed to see what is inside. You
perform some quick lapidary work
and are amazed with your new treasure. This has been a good day, a
good day indeed!
Gee isn’t that a boring story! Everything goes right! And that, dear
reader is the reason for safety! Before
that good day, the truck was checked
/ serviced, safety gear (boots, gloves,
safety goggles, etc.) was gathered, and
the weather forecast, roads and route
were checked. On the day of the trip
food was safely prepared and stored;
safety gear was utilized in all the collecting effort; and rules of the area
observed. The lapidary equipment
had it’s guards in place and all safety
measures were observed. There were
no injuries because everyone was prepared, thoughtful and careful.
All those safety precautions make
a good day but also a boring day. Maybe that’s why good news often does
not make the front pages. Still, boring
is good when you have nothing but
pleasant experiences during a day of
collecting -- no injuries, no accidents,
no reason to break out the first aid kit,
no dust in the lungs. Yes, I’ll take boring
every time --- except for an occasional
great crystal quietly hiding by my foot.
Let’s make our collecting boring
-- and safe.
from EFMLS News, May 2013
The Way I See It!
by Don Monroe, AFMS President
When I accepted the job as president of the American Federation I
really did not know exactly what it
would be like. Well, it has been all
that I expected and much more. All
of what has happened has been good
and I have really been surprised by the
letters, e-mails and messages that our
members have shared with me. Keep
them coming! It is really the only way I
can know what you are thinking.
Some messages dealt with an
issue that is really “close to home”.
What will happen to our slabs, our
equipment, our tools, our books, and
our specimens when we are no longer
doing the hobby we love? As many of
you do, we have “so called mature
children” but our offspring really do
not have much interest in our hobby.
We often encounter situations where
our friends and associates are no longer able to continue those activities
that have meant so much to them
and the disposition of those “things”
that have been so important to them
are left for others to take care of and,
in many cases, dispose of.
I have several times been contacted for suggestions or assistance
by relatives of those who have left
behind their valuable “stuff”. I often
do not have a good answer. As a matter of fact my wife and I really do not
know what will be the final disposition of our “treasures”.
I would like to suggest to each one
of you that you please prepare a will
or document detailing your desires in
this matter. Please don’t dump this
problem on your children or surviving
relatives. It is not that they will not
want to help but, in many cases, they
will not know what to do.
from AFMS Newsletter, May 2013
Page 5
Gem Profile - Charoite
by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong, from The Voice, April 2013
Charoite, the intense phlox-purple
stone that can include black, peach,
orange, and even green minerals in its
enchanting surface, is a fairly rare rock
found only in Siberia, where locals
call it Sirenevyi Kamen, or lilac stone.
Charoite is also a fairly recent addition
to the rock and gem world, was not
discovered until the 20th century. Discover what minerals make up charoite,
and how this stone is typically treated,
in today’s Gem Profile!
Although purple was my favorite
color at age 10, I was not allowed to
wear it because I was told that both
purple and black were “mourning”
colors and meant to be worn by older
women, not young girls. Being artistic, I thought I could get away with
wearing purple if I brightened it up by
adding green or orange – not! I was
told that certain color combinations
just did not go together, like green
and purple, or orange and purple. My,
how times have changed! Of course,
back then my mother was heavily into mineral collecting, but only
those found in North America. Little
did she know that Mother Nature had
already decided that yes! Purple and
orange DO go together quite beautifully, in the natural formation of the
mineral known as Charoite.
A large polished slab of charoite that
we think resembles Van Gogh’s painting
Starry Night. Private Collection
It is said that charoite was first
discovered in the 1940’s, but that it
was not recognized until around 1978.
Perhaps this is because the one place
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
in the world where it can be found is
in Siberia, where both the weather and
terrain are beyond the definition of
harsh. Charoite is a calcium potassium
silicate mineral forming in limestone
deposits, in beautiful shades that range
from lavender to lilac to purple; with
contrasting colors
of black, green and
orange. Although
the name relates to
the Chary or Charo
A 3 ½ pound chunk of River in Yakutia,
rough charoite
Russia near where
Private collection
charoite is found,
Russian people call it Sirenevyi Kamen
or lilac stone.
The gem-rock charoite is always
found as a massive mineral, meaning
that it does not crystallize. Its silky
chatoyant, violet swirls are often contrasted by the black needles of aegerineaugite, the peach to orange of
tinkasite and green microcline. When
a lapidary works with charoite they
are often presented the challenge of
the stone “peeling” away at its edges
due to the fact that the stone is composed in irregular layers, similar to a
mica schist. Charoite is also difficult
to polish because it is a fibrous material and all of the different inclusions each have a different hardness.
Besides being made into cabochons
and beads, charoite registers a 5 to
6 on the Mohs hardness scale and
carvers use it to
make ornamental items such as
urns and vases,
candlesticks and
statuary.
A selection of AA grade charoite cabochons. Notice the orange tinkasite in the cab on the right.
Private collection
Considered to be rather rare because it only comes from one location,
open pit mining is only done a few
months out of every year, often producing huge quarry sized stones. However as this is a “new kid on the block,”
when looking to purchase charoite,
you should be aware of some sellers’
classifications.
Charoite with a
lot of chatoyancy,
few inclusions,
nice feather-like
structure
and
good deep color
is considered to
be the best quality; while material
with inclusions of
A charoite and
black, peach, and
amethyst pendant
or orange is not made in sterling silver
by Dale Cougar Armconsidered to be strong, titled: “Balance”
pure and should
be more affordable. As a designer, I
prefer the inclusions!
Charoite is distinctive and easy to
recognize. Its pearly luster and deep
chatoyancy might make one think it
isn’t a natural stone, but the only imitations are plastic or possibly opaque
to translucent fluorite that has been
intentionally labeled charoite to make
a sale. A lot of the charoite beads on
the market today have been stabilized with resin, making the material
easier to work and polish. Natural
charoite will be quite a bit more expensive than stabilized material and
both are equally beautiful.
Resources
· Minerals of the World by Walter
Schumann, ISBN 0-8069-8570-4
<www.gemtradenet.com>
<www.vangoghgallery.com>
<www.mindat.org>
<www.wikipedia.org>
Page 6
Ironwood
by Elaine Bailey from Petrified Digest, April 2000
Ironwood is one of the heaviest
woods in the world. It weighs about
90 lbs per cubic foot, making it almost twice as heavy as oak, ash, walnut and other more common woods.
This wood is so dense that it sinks in
water rather than floating.
Ironwood cannot tolerate freezing temperatures, so it is most prevalent at elevations less than 2,500
feet, along the hot, dry arroyos in
Southern Arizona, the eastern edge
of Southern California, and down into
Sonora, Mexico. An Ironwood tree
takes several hundred years to reach
maturity and at least another 50
years, and possibly up to 1,000 years,
after it dies, to season properly. In
the spring the tree blossoms with
thousands of small orchid like lavender flowers, then seedpods containing small beans form. The ripe beans
were sometimes ground into flour.
If one were to pick the beans while
they were fresh and green, the taste
would be very like fresh garden peas.
Actually, the ironwood tree belongs
to the same family of plants as the
peas grown in our family gardens.
Ironwood carving was made popular by the Seri Indians who live along
the coast and islands of the Sea of
Cortez. They made fish hooks, arrowheads and spears. Small pieces of this
wood were shaped into seals, dolphins, sharks, porpoises and birds of
the area as “toys” for their children.
Because much ironwood has gone
into bonfires and fireplaces, carvers
and jewelry makers today have difficulty finding wood suitable for this
work. Cracks and check marks must
be removed before beginning work.
Seven hundred to 1,000 lbs. of wood
may have to be cut to get 60 - 70 lbs.
of good, solid usable material.
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
Because of the extreme hardness of this fabulous wood, ordinary
wood working tools dull quickly. This
means shaping and sanding the wood
smooth is usually done with metal
cutting and lapidary (stone cutting)
tools. Some ironwood workers will
even use carbide tools. Many workers cut the wood to suit outstanding
grain and color variations - therefore,
no two pieces of jewelry or carving
are alike.
Due to the quantity of natural
oil in ironwood, it is usually not necessary to put a finish on either jewelry or carvings. Shellac, varnish or
urethanes are not used. Ironwood
should be finished with fine sandpaper, and then waxed. If the wax
luster dulls, simply rub with a soft,
dry cloth until the luster returns.
Occasionally, a small amount of
boot and shoe wax, such as Kiwi
Paste Wax (brown) can be applied and polished with the soft
cloth. Because of the heavy density of ironwood, its fiber will not
expand and contract like softer woods. Therefore, carvings
should be kept out of direct sunlight in extremely hot weather.
Beautiful
finished carvings and jewelry
can be seen in
Arizona Gem &
Mineral Shows.
Colors will vary
in these lovely
pieces of art- Ironwood vase with
work from dark turquoise inlaid in the
cracks
golden
yelby Larry Favorite
low to reddish
brown and from light brown to
almost black.
The Topkapi Emerald
Aigrette
By Mitch Portnoy
from Bulletin of the NY Mineralogical
Society, May 2013
The term aigrette (from the
French for egret, or lesser white
heron) refers to the tufted crest or
head-plumes of the egret, arranged
as a head ornament. The word may
also identify any similar ornament,
in gems. Aigrettes, studded with diamonds and rubies, decorated the
turbans of Ottoman sultans or the
ceremonial costumes of their horses.
Several of these aigrettes are on display in the Treasury of the Topkapi
Palace in Istanbul, Turkey.
Perhaps the most impressive one,
pictured here, was made in the 18th century by palace craftsmen. It is adorned
with emeralds, diamonds, ruby (spinel?)
and natural pearls, as well as feathers. It
is 28 cm (11 inches) high.
Sultan Selim III, wearing a çelenk
or plume type aigrette on his headgear. Engraving from the frontispiece
of Melling’s Voyage pittoresque de
Constantinople et des rives du Bosphore. Isa Akbas collection.
Source: Wikipedia and other internet sources.
Page 7
Gem Profile - Unakite
by Layna Palmer from Rockhound Gazette, April 2013
Unakite (pronounced you-na-kite)
is a beautiful green and salmon-pink
metamorphic stone. Unakite is an altered form of granite, classified as an
Epidote. Epidote is crystallized in a
monoclinic system, and has a yellowgreen in color. Unakite mixes that
green epidote with
pink
orthoclase
feldspar and colorless quartz, giving it the mottled
or speckled appearance. Epidote
comes from the Greek epidosis, or
“growing together.” What perfect way
to describe Unakite!
Metamorphic rocks are some
of my favorite (I think I’ve said that
before about another type of rock
too…). The reason I like metamorphic
rocks is because they start as one
thing and end up as something else.
How Unakite Forms
In the case of Unakite, sand and
rock were flooded by lava flowing over
them, changing to granite through
contact. Over time, this granite was
also flooded by geothermic water,
which dissolved the iron and changed
some of the feldspar to epidote which
is the green color. The salmon pink is
potassium feldspar, and is also interspersed with quartz. So, what started
out as sand and boulders, ended up
as an epidote called Unakite! Isn’t
metamorphosis fun!
How Unakite got its Name
So, how exactly did we decide
on the name Unakite? Well, the first
place it was found was near the Unaka Mountains of North Carolina and
is pretty common in the Blue Ridge
Mountains where it can be found in
road cuts, streams, and rubble piles.
You might come across unakite in Vir-
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
ginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
and Tennessee. It’s also found in the
Shenandoah National Park and surrounding areas and has been found
as far North as the shores of the
Great Lakes! We’ve also found deposits of this epidote in South Africa,
China, Brazil, and
Canada.
Unakite is
pretty easy to
identify since it’s
nearly the only
rock that is both green and pink. It
has a hardness of 6-7 and is generally
used as cabochons and beads. Unakite does have perfect cleavage in
one direction, so it doesn’t facet very
well.
Go find it!
Road Trip! Because unakite is
found in and around the Shenandoah National Forest and Blue Ridge
Mountains, there are plenty of opportunities to rock hound, camp, hike
fish and get in touch with nature. Unakite is still mined near Rockbridge,
Virginia, near Vesuvius. You may want
to check with the local USGS office in
the area for a topographic map and
as always, go prepared with water,
eye protection, and make sure you
don’t pick up unakite from any staked
claims in the area. Better yet, just visit a rock shop and then go camping or
fishing in the beautiful mountains.
Zultanite
via Glacial Drifter, April 2013
Zultanite is the trademark name
of Turkish diaspore. Zultanite is most
well-known for its color change properties, and has recently become popular in
jewelry design. It was
named in honor of the
36 Sultans who ruled
the Ottoman Empire
(1299 - 1923), prior to
the formation of the
modern Republic of
Turkey. Used exclusively as a gemstone. Zultanite is only
found in one deposit in southwestern
Turkey’s Ilbir Mountains. Depending
on the light source, the gemstone
changes hue from pale green to purple or pink. The Gemological Institute
of America (GIA) classifies diaspore
as a type II transparent gemstone.
Diaspore, the mineral type that
produces Zultanite, formed in specific
regions of Turkey under the influence
of prolonged tectonic pressure. Mineral deposition from hydrothermal
activity added additional chemicals to
the mixture. Jewelers produced faceted diaspore gemstones as early as the
1970s. The highest quality diaspore deposits — which would later be known as
Zultanite — were unearthed in Turkey in
the early 1980s. Larger stones reveal a
wider range of colors and a more obvious color change property. During the
faceting process, lapidaries must discard much of the original stone in order to achieve the proper effects under
lighting. Finished Zultanite ranges in size
from three to five carats. Zultanite ranks
between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, has a refractive index of 1.75
and specific gravity of 3.39.
Most recently, the marketer of
Zultanite has decided to no longer
use the name, but rather revert to
the mineral name - diaspore - for
marketing purposes.
Page 8
Trilobite Trouble
by Bob Farrar, from The Rostrum, March 2013
Could it be? Morocco is running
out of trilobites? Say it ain’t so! But,
yes, as hard as it may seem to believe,
the great flood of trilobites coming
out of Morocco is finally starting to
dry up. Most MGS members know
that I have been traveling to Morocco
for a number of years to visit some of
their many famous mineral and fossil
localities. I was there again last October, and learned from the people
involved with the trade in trilobites
that all is no longer rosy.
Anyone who is familiar with fossils will know that Morocco has been
a source of an amazing variety of
trilobites for many years. There are
many localities in Morocco where
trilobites are found, but the greatest
variety and most bizarre forms come
from the Devonian formations near
Alnif, in the southeastern part of the
country. The diversity of trilobites
found there is amazing, and includes
such genera as Reedops, Dicranurus,
Ceratarges, Harpes, Paralejurus, and
many others. Most of these trilobites
come from a locality near Alnif
known as Issoumour Mountain, or
Jbel Issoumour (also spelled Jissoumour). Within Issoumour Mountain,
most of the interesting trilobites are
found in one layer of limestone near
the top of the mountain. Collecting
is very simple. Chunks of limestone
are pried out and cracked open with
a hammer. The digger then looks for
a squiggly black line. That line represents the cross section of a trilobite.
The rock usually breaks through the
trilobites rather than around them as
it does at some other localities.
The two halves of the rock are
then taken to one of many preparers’ shops in Alnif, Rissani, or Erfoud.
There, the two pieces are glued back
together and the specimen is prepped
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
out. The better preppers use small
pneumatic hammers and microsand
blasters to prep their pieces, while
others use hammers and small chisels or nails.
Issoumour Mountain is not a small
hill. It is a ridge that runs for many miles
through the desert. There would seem
to be enough rock there to supply trilobites practically forever. So why are they
running out? Part of the answer has to
do with how the material is mined. All
of the work is done with simple hand
tools. There are no extensive underground mines. As the diggers dig back
into the trilobite layer, they can only go
so far before there is a danger of caveins. At that point, they have to move to
another spot. The problem is that most
of the accessible spots have been dug
to the point where it would be dangerous to dig any further. Diggers must
now often go many miles to find an accessible spot.
Another part of the problem is
economics. The fossil business in Morocco is hurting. Much of their trade
has long been with Europe, and, as
most people are aware, the economy in Europe is in pretty bad shape.
There is less economic incentive to
walk the long distances to accessible
fossil digging spots. Many of the diggers have left the business and gone
to work mining industrial minerals
such as barite. They don’t exactly get
rich mining industrial minerals. Industrial barite, for example, sells for
about 22 cents per pound, of which
the mine owner gets a cut. But, they
can apparently still make more this
way than they can digging fossils.
So are there really no more Moroccan trilobites? Not quite; there
are still some specimens coming out.
Many of the preppers have old stocks
Comura sp. Devonian trilobite
Morocco
Jim Stedman photo of a specimen on display at the
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.)
of unprepped material that they are
still working on. Many dealers also
still have extensive stocks. And, some
digging is still going on.
But, when I was there last October, I did not see the vast numbers of
trilobites that I had seen on previous
trips. (I did, however, see lots of other fossils, such as dinosaur and shark
teeth.) Of course, there are still a lot
of fake trilobites around, as there
have long been. This will always be a
problem it seems.
Thus, if you happen to own authentic Moroccan trilobites, consider
your self lucky. If you think trilobites
offered for sale by reputable dealers
are on the expensive side, now you
know one reason why. Maybe now
that they might not be so abundant
as to leave us all a little jaded, we can
come to appreciate Moroccan trilobites for the beautiful and bizarre
creatures that they really are.
[Many of you may know Bob Farrar.
He’s a member of the Maryland Geological Society and Chesapeake Gem
& Mineral Society and often sells
minerals at the Chesapeake show at
Ruhl Armory. He also has had several
articles in Rock & Gem Magazine.]
Page 9
On The Rocks
by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D from The Agatizer, May 2013
(Tips - IdeasQuestions and
Answers on Anything Relating to
the Hobby)
Metal Facts
Most of the elements in the periodic table are metals. You use metals
every day, but how much do you actually know about them? Here is a list
of facts and trivia about metals.
The word ‘metal’ derives from
the Greek word ‘metallon,’ which
means to mine, excavate or extract
from the ground.
75% of all the elements on the
periodic table are metals. The metals are subdivided into separate
groups, such as basic metals, transition metals, alkali metals, alkaline
earth metals, rare earth, lanthanides
and actinides.
At room temperature, all of the
metals are solids except for mercury,
which is a liquid.
The most common metal found
in the Earth’s crust is aluminum.
Even though aluminum is abundant in the crust, the most abundant
element in the entire Earth is iron,
which makes up a large part of the
Earth’s core.
Up until Medieval Times, there
were only 7 known metals, which were
called the Metals of Antiquity. The
Metals of Antiquity and their approximate discovery dates are: Gold (6000
BC), Copper (9000 BC), Silver (4000
BC), Lead (6400 BC), Tin (3000 BC), Iron
(1500 BC), Mercury (1500 BC).
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
Most metals are shiny and have a
characteristic metallic luster.
Precious metals have significant
economic importance.
Most metals are good conductors
of heat and electricity.
Most of the precious metals also
are noble metals, since it’s important
for a currency to resist wear and tear.
Examples of precious metals include
gold and silver.
Many metals are heavy or dense,
although some metals, such as lithium,
are light enough to float on water!
Most metals are hard.
Most metals are malleable or
may be beaten into a thin sheet.
Many metals are ductile or capable of being draw into a wire.
Many metals are sonorous or
make a bell-like sound when struck.
Metals are elastic or tend to bend
rather than break.
Metals known as metalloids or
semimetals have properties of both
metals and nonmetals.
Alkali metals, such as lithium, sodium, potassium, and rubidium, are
so reactive they will ignite and even
explode if placed in water.
Despite what you read in books
and see in movies, most radioactive
materials do not glow in the dark.
However, some radioactive metals either glow from internal heat or else
release radiation that reacts and produces visible light.
Examples of radioactive metals that glow include plutonium (red
from heat), radon (yellow to orange
to red), and actinium (blue).
Noble metals, such as silver, gold,
and platinum, resist oxidation and
corrosion in moist air.
Tungsten is the metal with the
highest melting point. Only carbon, a
nonmetal, has a higher melting point
of all the elements.
Steel is an alloy made from iron
with other metals.
Bronze is an alloy usually made
from copper and tin.
Brass is an alloy usually made
from copper and zinc.
The noble metals are a group
of metals that resist oxidation and
corrosion in moist air. They are the
opposite of the base metals, which
more readily oxidize and corrode.
There is more than one list of
noble metals. The following metals
are considered noble metals (listed in
order of increasing atomic number):
ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver,
osmium, iridium, platinum, and gold.
Sometimes mercury is listed as a
noble metal. Other lists include rhenium as a noble metal. Strangely, not
all corrosion-resistant metals are considered to be noble metals. For example, although titanium, niobium and
tantalum are extremely corrosionresistant, they are not noble metals.
Chemistry allows for a loose definition of noble metals, but the physcontinued on page 11
Page 10
On The Rocks
The Colors of Fluorescence, Part 1
ics definition is more restrictive. In
physics, a noble metal is one which
has filled electronic d-bands. According to this definition, only gold, silver
and copper are noble metals.
Fluorite crystals are a highly collectable mineral. I should know as I
have been collecting fluorite since the
start of my mineral collection. In addition to fluorite’s many colors and crystal habits, it can fluoresce in a variety
of colors, depending upon the trace
impurities in its crystal structure.
continued from page 10
A metal alloy is a mixed material that has metal properties and
is made by melting at least one
pure metal along with another pure
chemical or metal.
Steel is an alloy of carbon and
iron, pewter is more than 90% tin
with antimony and lead, or copper,
antimony and lead. Modern lead free
pewter may have tin, copper and antimony. Brass is an alloy of copper and
zinc, and bronze is an alloy of copper
and tin. Most gold and silver jewelry
are not made from pure metals, but
are alloys of metal, a percentage of
gold or silver, along with a percentage of copper or some other metal.
Alloy metals are usually formed to
combine properties of metals and the
exact proportion of metals in an alloy
will change the characteristic properties of the alloy.
White Metal alloys are usually
made of blends of light colored metals, mainly antimony, tin, lead, cadmium, bismuth, and zinc. In Britain
the term white metal may also show
up in auction catalogues to describe
objects made of foreign silver which
does not have a British Assay Mark.
Silver was once thought more
precious than gold. It is referred to
as the metal of the moon and some
believe it has powers over emotions,
the psychic mind, love, and healing.
This is a very soft metal, so it is
often mixed with an alloy like copper.
Sterling silver originally was created
in an area in Germany called Easter-
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
by Robert Beadle, from The Pick & Dop Stick, April 2013
For example, blue fluorescence
in fluorite is typically caused by small
amounts of europium replacing calcium
in the crystal lattice. The best known
blue fluorescing fluorites originate
from the Cumberland and Weardale regions in England. Their bright blue fluorescence under long wave ultra violet
light is perhaps the standard by which
all others are judged. However, blue
fluorescence in fluorite is not limited to
England – it can be found all around the
world. I own fluorites from China, Namibia, Morocco, Mexico, New Mexico,
Tennessee, Kentucky, Alaska, Arizona,
and southern Illinois. All of these locations have provided specimens that
have fluoresced blue. 1
Green, red, yellow, and cream
-white colors are somewhat rarer,
with white being the most abundant.
Perhaps the best known cream-white
fluorescent fluorites come from the
Midwest. The quarries in Ohio and
Iowa produce brown and purple cubes
of fluorite that glow under both long
ling. So that’s where the word sterling came from. To be sterling sliver,
the metal is made up of 92.5 percent
silver and 7.5 percent copper.
Pure silver will melt at 1761 degrees F, while sterling melts at 1640
degrees F. Coin silver melts at a slightly
lower temperature than sterling because it has more copper alloy in it.
and short wave ultraviolet light. They
will phosphoresce, especially after exposure to short wave ultraviolet light.
This phenomenon is caused by organic
petroleum inclusions in the fluorite. It
is interesting that the southern Illinois
fluorites that do fluoresce because of
petroleum or oil, glow a weak whiteyellow. Some great producers of strong
cream-white fluorescing fluorite are
Pint’s quarry in Iowa, Auglaise, Bluffton, Pugh and White Rock quarries in
Ohio, to name a few.1
I’d like to categorize green fluorescence in fluorite into two types. Type 1
can be found in the rare variety of fluorite known as chlorophane – first found
in Siberia, Russia.2 Chlorophane is found
in several locations around the world,
including the United States with several
sites in the eastern states. Chlorophane
glows blue-green when its temperature rises. It also fluoresces under both
long and short wave ultraviolet light.
Phosphorescence is long, sometimes
lasting for hours. In fact, chlorophane
will phosphoresce after exposure to a
table lamp.3 The exact mechanism is not
understood, but a combination of rare
earth elements along with radiation
damage to the crystal lattice is believed
to cause these effects. Type 2 fluorites
fluoresce green under short wave ultra
violet light. The effect is caused by traces
of uranium impurities in the fluorite. 4, 9
Two such specimens that I own are from
continued on page 12
Page 11
The Colors of Fluorescence
Four Mile creek, near Canon City in Fremont Co., Colorado. They are botryoidal
in structure, and colored grayish green.
A third specimen with green fluorescence originates from Mexico. This
specimen is almost botryoidal as well,
and is colored a greenish yellow. I have
a theory that fluorite formed at low
temperatures can pick up traces of uranium. It is a well known fact that other
low temperature crystalline minerals
such as copal and agate tend to contain
uranium as a constituent if it is available
during formation. Interestingly, only one
of my botryoidal fluorites from India fluoresces, and the color is blue. The specimen of botryoidal fluorite from Henan
province in China is non-reactive to ultra
violet light. As I only own a few of these
India and China fluorites, no concrete
conclusion may yet be drawn.
Yellow fluorescent fluorite is very
rare. My research has found only a
few locations around the world. These
rare fluorites tend to occur in granite
pegmatites enriched in rare earth elements.6 Some of the classic, known localities are New Mexico and Norway. 5
I have found four new locations. They
are: Un Sam mine, Hunan province in
China 6, Yumate mine Okayama prefecture, Japan 7, Koss pit near Wausau,
Marathon Co., Wisconsin, and a quarry on the south side of Sturgeon Bay,
in Door Co., Wisconsin. 8
Red fluorescence in fluorite is equally as rare as yellow. I know of only seven
locations with fluorite that fluoresces
red. Perhaps the most well known of
these is Berber Asturias, Spain. The
purple-violet cubes from this region
glow cherry red upon exposure to long
wave ultraviolet light. 1, 9 Red fluorescence in fluorite has also been reported
from Celles, in the Namur province of
Belgium.11 A specimen of “Blue John” ,
a type of banded fluorite from England,
has exhibited a zone of red fluores-
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
continued from page 11
cence. The location given was Treak Cliff
near the Odin mine in Castletown, Derbyshire.10 Mexico has three locations for
this rare occurrence – Sonora, 4, 13 Ojuela
mine in Mapimi, Durango 14 and Mina El
Tule Melchor Muzquiz, Coahuila. 9, 10 But
of these fluorites, only a small percentage fluoresce blue, and an even smaller
percentage fluoresce red. Our United
States has two locations for red fluorescence in fluorite. The Burney mine in the
Chinati mountains in Presidio Co., Texas
has produced at least one specimen. 12
The other location is the Griffith mine
in Harden Co., Illinois. Specimens from
there may be non-fluorescent, blue
fluorescent, red fluorescent, or even
yellow with red fluorescent. It has been
suspected that the rare earth elements
europium along with samarium are responsible for red fluorescence. For the
Griffith mine, iron dissolved in oil along
with europium may be the cause. 15
In this article I have covered many
of the locations where fluorescent
fluorites occur. Those of you with additional knowledge or information on
this topic are encouraged to contact
me at <[email protected]>.
References:
1. Robert Beadle collection
2. www.mindat.org
3. www.dirtyrockhounds.proboard.com
4. Extra Lapis English fluorite, the Collectors Choice, Lithograpie llc.
5. Fluorescent Mineral Society, an international organization
6. www.Middleearthminearls.com
7. www.Springerlink.com
8. www.Wisconsingeologicalsurvey.com
9. Fluorescent Gems and Minerals under
Ultraviolet Light, by Manuel Robbins
10. www.minersoc.org
11. www.fluomin.org
12. www.johnbetts.fineminerals.com
13. www.mineralatlas.com
14. www.kristauphe-gems.com
15. www.chicaogrocks.org (article Minerals of the IL/KY Fluorspar District, Part II,
Robert Beadle)
Malachite and Azurite
from NE LA Gem & Mineral News, 7/12
Malachite is an important copper ore that
also makes an
attractive gemstone. It has
been
known
and used in
Malachite
Shilu Mine, Yangchun Co.
jewelry since
Guangdong Prov. China
the days ancient Egypt, as early as 4000 B.C. For
millennia it was considered a magical
stone with potent powers. Crystals
are rare and highly esteemed among
mineral collectors. Massive banded
material is much more abundant.
In many localities malachite,
which is always some shade of green,
is mixed with blue azurite. Both minerals are copper carbonates. Their association is widespread, and azurite
and azurite is frequently found altering to malachite.
Malachite with Azurite
Morenci Mine, Morenci, Greenlee Co. AZ
Malachite is soft, only 3 ½ - 4 on
the Mohs scale; the same is true of
azurite. Both minerals take a high
polish, but the polish is lost relatively
quickly with wear, do to scratching.
Azurite
Cap Garonne Mine
Provence-Alpes-Cotê
d’Azur, France
Page 12
Cleaning Metal Surfaces
by Charles Lewton-Brain ©Brain Press, 2001. Used with permission
For all metal coloring and
e l e c t r o p l a ting a clean
metal surface
is essential.
The
cleaning
process
must remove
mineral oils,
organic oils
and greases
as well as traces of chemicals on
the surface. It must remove oxidation which might interfere with the
metal coloration or plating adhesion and it should possible activate
or roughen the metal surface to
better receive the treatment.
Cleaning may be accomplished
using mechanical (abrasive), chemical (heating, solvents, pickling with
acids) and electrolytic (electrocleaning, electrostripping) means.
Examples of easily achieved clean
surfaces include sandblasted ones
and ones scrubbed well twice with
rinsings using Fantastic®. A pumice rub followed by scrubbing with
dishwashing liquid and ammonia
on a toothbrush does pretty well.
Best of all is electrocleaning.
A simple procedure is:
1.0 Anneal and pickle in suitable acid.
1.1 Rinse 3-5 times in running
water.
1.2 Dip into simmering ammonia and detergent solution and
scrub well.
1.3 Rinse well 5 - 10 times.
NB: electrocleaning can be
used after step 1.3. While steps
1.0-1.3 produce a quite clean surface by themselves if one is electrocleaning it is not a bad idea to
pre-clean using steps 1.0-1.3 so as
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
to make the electrocleaning solution last longer and lower it’s work
load in cleaning the metal surface.
A much better and surer procedure is:
2.0 Remove oxides with pumice.
2.1 Rinse well.
2.2 Electroclean for 1.5 - 2.5
minutes, object as cathode, then reverse the polarity for a few seconds.
2.3 Rinse 3- 5 times in running
water.
2.4 Dip in 1:10 sulfuric acid
to neutralize the electrocleaning
solution and activate surface. (15
seconds or so).
2.5 Rinse 3 - 5 times in running
water.
After cleaning, the metal should
be placed in running or circulating water (preferably distilled) to
avoid oxidation until it is plated or
coloured. One can of course plate or
colour immediately after cleaning.
In all cleaning methods the piece
must either be wired to suspend it
in the solution or held with tweezers. It must afterwards be very well
rinsed to remove all traces of cleaning chemicals. Do not touch the surface once it is free of grease.
The Trivia Vug
by R. J. Harris
from Rock Buster News, Feb. 2013
The youngest volcano on
Earth is in Mexico.
 Paricutin
grew out of
a cornfield in
1943.
The rocky accumulation at the
foot of a steep bedrock cliff is called
talus.
Chlorite gives slate its green
color.
Gold comes in yellow, white,
rose, and green . Yes, green too!
Amethyst was once thought to
cure drunkenness.
Sources: NatGeo, Smithsonian
Note: Sand blasting may be
substituted for steps 1.0 and 2.0
above.
See chart below for a sample
Electrocleaning solution:
Current density: 1-3A/dm Polarity:
1 - 3 minutes Cathodic
(of work)
5 - 10 seconds Anodic
Sodium carbonate
50 grams
Trisodium phosphate
25 grams
Sodium Hydroxide
25 grams
Water
2000 ml
Operating Temperature
60-70oC
Page 13
Bench Tips
More Bench
Tips by Brad
Smith are at
facebook.com/
BenchTips/
or see the book “Bench Tips for
Jewelry Making” on Amazon
Drill Press Vice
A drill press vice is a versatile tool
to hold a workpiece securely and in
precise alignment. It reduces the
of risks of working with high power
motors, use of larger drill bits, and
higher heat generated in the operation. The vice can be clamped
to the drill press table if needed
and is quite handy for bench use to
hold things for sawing or riveting.
You can find them at stores
that carry machine tool supplies. My feeling is that the best
ones are made from steel. And I
like the ones with V grooves cut
into the jaw plates to help hold
a punch straight up or to hold a
rod horizontal. To find a supplier, search on “vise” or “drill press
vice” at <micromark.com>, <useenco.com>, <smallparts.com>, <grizzly.com>, or <sears.com>
Dental Gold
You might think that a couple
pieces of dental gold would be
valuable, but if you only have a
small amount, it can be a problem. You might think you could
melt it and roll out your own
sheet. However, the trace metals that dental gold contains to
make it a good material in your
mouth cause it to crack if you try
to forge it or roll it out as a sheet.
Sending it to a refiner is expen-
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
by Brad Smith
sive for small amounts of metal, so
a reasonable alternative is to try
incorporating it into your jewelry.
If you have enough material to do
a casting, that’s probably the best
use for dental gold. If not, try melting it on a solder pad and while molten, divide it into small pieces with
your solder pick and then flow the
metal again to make little gold balls
for use as accents on your designs.
you don’t have one and must use a
steel file, I sacrifice the area of the
file that is closest to the handle.
That’s an area which is not used in
normal benchwork.
Removing Excess Solder
Sometimes when you solder a
bezel to a base plate you end up
with excess solder that needs to be
removed before setting the stone.
My choice of tool for this is called
an “Inverse Cone” bur used in a rotary tool or flexshaft. It cuts on both
the bottom and the side and is
shaped so that there’s less chance
of cutting into the bezel wall than
if you used the more common cylinder bur shape. I find the 2 mm size
useful for almost any bezel.
Simply put one end in the vise and
grab the other end with a pair of serrated tip pliers. Then pull just enough
to feel the wire stretch like a rubber
band. This works best on smaller wire
diameters, up to about 16 ga.
Reshaping Silicone Wheels
Silicone polishing wheels in
the Dremel or Foredom are a great
time saver, but after using them a
bit they often need to be reshaped.
This is particularly true with the
knife-edge wheels.
The natural thought is to grab
one of your files and hold it up
against the rotating wheel to reshape it. But this gives you a problem. The grinding grit in the silicone
wheel is much harder than steel,
meaning that you end up grinding
down the teeth of your file.
The best way to reshape your
polishing wheels is to use a diamond file or a separating disk. If
Straightening Wire
Have you ever pulled out your silver wire only to find that it’s all bent
up? The easiest way I’ve found to
straighten it out is to stretch it a bit.
Be careful if you are trying to
pull hard on a thick wire. Brace
yourself in case the wire breaks or
pulls out of the pliers.
Source for Plastic
We often use plastic in our studios,
like for a single part die or for a template. So it’s handy to have a small supply along with the rest of your sheet,
wire, copper and bronze. But we seldom
think to buy and stock any plastic.
The plastics store I go to has
a scrap bin out back where they
give away small pieces and scraps.
I usually just go for the 3/8 and 1/2
inch thicknesses for use as forming
dies, but there’s always a variety
of sizes and colors to choose from
including thin sheets that are good
for templates.
You can find a shop with Google
or the Yellow Pages. Next time you go
to your local shop, it’s worth asking
to see if they have a scrap bin.
continued on page 15
Page 14
Bench Tips
Take A Better Photo
Most digital cameras these days
have the ability to take a good picture
of your small jewelry items, but setup is important. There are four major
items to control
background
lighting
camera motion
range of focus
Lightly colored papers from an
art store make reasonable starter
backgrounds. Try experimenting with
other products later like glass or colored plastics. Avoid fabrics because
the weave can often be distracting at
high magnification.
Outside lighting is the easiest. In
fact for close-ups, flash never works
well. Turn off your camera’s flash.
Choose a bright but overcast day or a
lightly shaded area when the sun is full.
For inside use, two gooseneck desk
lamps can be used with 75 watt bulbs.
Whatever you use, be sure to set the
camera to match the type of lighting
you use or else the color will be off.
continued from page 14
ture Priority, usually denoted by “AV”
and then setting the aperture to the
largest number, F-8 on my camera.
You’ll probably have to get out the
book or go back to the store to ask
about this, but it’s really worth it.
That’s it. In recap, here are the
camera settings I use:
Set the lens to Macro for a
close-up shot.
Move the camera in close
enough for the item to cover at least
¾ of the frame.
Look for adverse reflections
from the jewelry surface.
Try to minimize reflections with
changes of light position, camera angle or white background paper.
Carefully check for any fingerprints
or dust that might be on the piece.
Make any final tweaks with light
and arrangement.
Turn the camera’s flash off.
Select “AV” for aperture priority
mode.
Set the lens opening to the highest number for max depth of field.
Set the lighting to match what
you’re using (daylight, overcast, lightbulb, fluorescent, etc).
Set the timer to delayed shooting, either 2 seconds or 10 seconds,
to avoid camera movement. The delay also gives you time to hold up a
piece of white paper to reduce any
final reflections.
Take the shot.
You’ll be shooting up close, so
turn on the Macro mode. Now at this
range, if the camera moves even a little
bit during the shot, the picture will be
blurry, so it’s essential to use a tripod.
Used ones are available inexpensively
from eBay, yard sales or some camera
shops. And even with a tripod, I put
the camera on the self-timer mode so
that any vibration from when you click
the button settles down before the
camera takes a picture.
In order to get the largest part
of your jewelry in focus, you have to
close the lens down to the minimum
aperture (highest F-Stop number).
This is done by taking the camera off
of “Auto” mode and selecting Aper-
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
Page 15
Carolyn Weinberger, Editor
PO Box 302
Glyndon, MD 21071-0302
Visit us on the web at
www.gemcuttersguild.com>
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
1
Thursday
Reg. Deadline
Soldering A - Z
Friday
2
Saturday
3
4
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
10
11
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
5
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
12
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
19
Sawing Bootcamp
Possible Open Shop*
6 pm - 10 pm
26
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
6
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
7
Guild Meeting:
A Case for Sherlock
Holmes!
Refreshments:
T. Francis & A. Millar
13
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
20
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
14
21
8
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
15
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
22
Reg. Deadline
Lapidary
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
27
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
28
29
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
Soldering A - Z
9
NO Open Shop
16
Soldering A - Z
NO Open Shop
23
Soldering A - Z
NO Open Shop
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
17
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
24
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
Faceting Class
Possible Open Shop*
4 pm - 10 pm
18
Faceting Class
Possible Open Shop*
4 pm - 10 pm
25
Faceting Class
Possible Open Shop*
4 pm - 10 pm
Reg. Deadline
Basic Wire
30
Soldering A - Z
NO Open Shop
31
Possible Open Shop*
10 am - 10 pm
* For Those Paying 2013 Shop Fees
Gem Cutters News – May, 2013
Page 16