THE 778th MEETING
OF
THE MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

7:30 p.m., Friday December 13, 2002
Building E, Room 220
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California

Featuring a Talk by

Dr. Tony Kampf

on

Mineral Fakes, Frauds, and Fantasies

DECEMBER PROGRAM

For the December Meeting, Dr. Tony Kampf will give a talk on “Mineral Fakes, Frauds, and Fantasies.”

One of the questions most asked by people who have never seen a beautifully crystallized mineral is "What did you do to make it so pretty?" The stock answer is "Nothing, it just grew that way." After years of experience and observation, the perceptive mineral collector must admit that in many cases that answer is flat out wrong.

Many mineral specimens (and indeed most gemstones) have been "doctored" in some way to improve their appearance and their salability. In this program Tony Kampf will take a critical and sometimes humorous look at many different "enhancement" techniques and the clues to look for in detecting them. Anyone who makes even occasional purchases of minerals won't want to miss this insightful presentation. Be prepared to judge the authenticity of the next specimen that you encounter that looks simply "too good to be true."

Dr. Kampf is curator and head of the Mineral Sciences Department at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

He has been with the museum for 26 years and is responsible for the Museum's fine mineral and gem collections and for it's world renowned Hall of Gems and Minerals.

IT’S ELECTION TIME

No, not for the politicians in Sacramento and Washington, but for your MSSC Leadership. Following are the candidates selected by the nomination Committee:

Officers

                        President                                

                        Vice President                        Jim Kusley

                        Secretary                                 Bob Housley          

                        Treasurer                                 Janet Gordon

                        Federation Director                 Larry Bruce

Directors

2003-2004

                                    Ron Thacker                       James Imai

                                    Bill Besse                           JoAnna Ritchey

ANNUAL INSTALLATION BANQUET and MEETING

The Annual Installation Banquet and Meeting will be held on January 18, 2003 at the Oak Tree Room, at 1150 East Colorado Blvd., in the City of Arcadia.  The price for the Banquet is  $30.00 per ticket for the all you can eat Buffet. Drinks are extra,  Reservations can be made to my phone number and voice mail: (626)484-2774 or email reservations and inquiries to: caseyscurios@earthlink.net.  See the January Bulletin for more details.

MINUTES OF THE 10/20/02 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

The October 20, 2002 MSSC Board meeting was called to order at 2:30 pm at Dave Smith's home by president Dave Smith. Present in addition were Larry Bruce, Jim Kusley, Charlie Crutchfield, and Ron Thacker.

The first item of discussion was candidates for the upcoming elections for the Board of Directors.  After some discussion, a list of several recommended candidates was compiled.  The recommendations will be passed on to the Nominations Chairman.

The second item of discussion was Insurance.  Larry will be receiving a copy of the insurance policy in the next week and many questions will, hopefully be answered.  The Museum has submitted their requirements for the Insurance Certificate for the show and he will pass that request on to the insurance company.

The final item of discussion was the Installation Banquet.  A tentative date of January 18 2003 was selected and Dave Smith was assigned to contact Cathy Casey and see if she will coordinate the banquet.

Latitude was left for her to select the date after contacting the restaurant.

Dave adjourned the meeting at 3:15pm.

Respectfully Submitted for the Secretary, by Dave Smith

Southern California Gem and Mineral Show

The MSSC and the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum are proud to present the 2002 Southern California Gem and Mineral Show.  The show will be held On December 7th and 8th at the Natural History Museum.  The hours are 10:00 AM to 5:00PM both days.   It will be a great show so don’t miss it!  The map below shows how to get to the show, and where to park.  Admission to the Museum lets you see both the show and the Museum.  Admission is $8.00 for adults ($5.50 for seniors over 62, and for students), $2.   for children 5 through 12.  Children under 5 are admitted free. 

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is a national leader in research, exhibitions and education.  Founded in 1913, it is one of the preeminent natural and cultural history museums in the United States, safeguarding more than 33 million specimens and artifacts in its collections.  The kid-friendly Discovery Center welcomes children and families with hands-on natural history specimens.  The accompanying Insect Zoo, the largest in the Western United States, features live insects from around the world.  Permanent exhibit halls include dramatic collections of fossils and dinosaurs, exquisite gems and minerals, grand animal dioramas, a California history hall, and a stunning Native American hall, along with ever-changing special exhibitions.  For further information about the Museum, visit the Museum’s website at www.nhm.org or call (213) 763-DINO.

The mission of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is to inspire wonder, discovery and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds.

Gem and Mineral Dealers

Grand Foyer- Main Hallway

Booth

1           PaleoFacts

2           Gochenour's Minerals

3          Great Basin Minerals

4          Gem & Mineral Council Auction Display, CDMG

5           Kristalle

6           Attard's Minerals

7          Rock Monster

8           Freeform Creations

9          Rock, Mineral & Gem ID

10        MSSC & Gem & Mineral Council

11        Antero Minerals

12        Su's Creations

13         Imperial Consolidated Mining

14          Marianne Hunter

15          Nature's Statement

16        China Minerals & Gems

38        Bova Gems

African Mammal Hall

17        Steve Perry Minerals

18        RayCyn Minerals

19        J.P. and D. Cand Minerals

20        Dale's Minerals

21         Mineralogical Research Company

22         Wendy's Minerals

23         Gordon Minerals

24        Seibel Minerals

25        Gemart Services

26        Mineral Search Safaris

27        Mineral of the Month Club

28         Graeber & Himes

29         Douglass Minerals

30        Pala International

North American Mammal Hall

31        Nevada Mineral & Book

32        C. T. Minerals and Whole Earth Minerals

33        Fenn's Minerals

34        Geoprime Minerals

35        The Rocksmiths

36        The Rocksmiths

37        Rocks of Ages

39        Originals by Carol Sues

40        Rocks and Relics

41        Peak Valley Gems & Minerals

42        Lehigh Minerals

43        Usman Imports

44        Miner's Lunchbox

Cenezoic Fossil Hall

45        Fluorescent Mineral Society Educational Exhibits

Second Floor Vestibule- Marine Habitat

46         Children Interactive Crafts & Activities

Rotunda

Exhibits           Gems, Jewelry, Minerals, Mining Artifacts

                        Gem Paintings by Ilya Schar

EXHIBITS

There will be 40 plus exhibits of gems and minerals in addition to the fabulous Natural History Museum collection.  Our goal is to have only top quality exhibits to attract collectors & the public.   Trophies will be awarded to best in several classes.  These include the  H. Stanton Hill Trophy awarded for best exhibit; the Gus Meister Trophy for best individual specimen, and the Kristalle Trophy for best junior exhibit.  Cash awards will be given to top exhibitors for each of several categories.

ACTIVITIES/ SPEAKERS

Saturday, December 7

All day:

Kids' Mineral Activities!

FREE minerals for kids

Crystal Crafts

Crystal Quest & Prizes

2ND FLOOR FOYER – BY THE MARINE HALL!

Dazzling Displays & Elegant Exhibits - ROTUNDA

11:00a.m.

Live Animal Presentation

DISCOVERY CENTER – FIRST FLOOR

11:15 a.m.

NORTH AMERICAN MAMMAL HALL – 2ND FLOOR

Dona Mary Dirlam – Librarian at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California

A survey of birthstones associated with the months of the year.  An  illustrated slide show that will feature gems, their lore, the jewelry as well as the localities where the gems are mined.

1:00 p.m.

NORTH AMERICAN MAMMAL HALL – 2ND FLOOR

Robert Jones – Senior Consulting Editor at Rock & Gem Magazine

A SIXTY YEAR PERAMBULATION THROUGH MINERAL COLLECTING, or Collecting Adventures – Scary, But Fun

It would include things like guns underground in Muzo, hitchhiking to museums in Moscow, Black flies in Canada, chasing kangaroos in Australia, face to face with an African

Bull elephant, my biggest "strike" ever, collecting "bobjonesite" seeing a collection consisting entirely of stolen specimens,  How I accidentally wrote my master's thesis, how I got started as a writer, also accidentally, and odd collectors I have known and loved!! 

1:00p.m.

FREE GUIDED TOUR:

Dinosaurs!

Meet your guide at the dualing dinosaurs – 1ST FLOOR FOYER

2:00 p.m.

FREE GUIDED TOUR:

Gems and Minerals of the Natural History Museum!

Meet your guide at the dualing dinosaurs – 1ST FLOOR FOYER

3:00 p.m.

Live Animal Presentation

DISCOVERY CENTER – FIRST FLOOR

3:00 p.m.

NORTH AMERICAN MAMMAL HALL – 2ND FLOOR

Meeting of the Geo-Literary Society

William Larsen – The History of Gem Mining in San Diego County

6:45 P.M., at the Gem & Mineral Council Event

George Rossman, Ph.D. – Professor of Mineralogy, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California

“Journey to the Source of the Jade”, a slide program on the jadeite mines in Northern Myanmar (formerly Burma).

His principal research interests deal with the use spectroscopic probes to study minerals. His work addresses problems relating to the origin of color phenomena in minerals, optical effects in crystals and the special role of metal ions in minerals. An important application of his studies is concerned with the role of low concentrations of water and hydroxide in nominally anhydrous solids. He and his students develop analytical methods for OH analysis and they examine the mode of incorporation of hydrous components in solids and their role in modifying physical and chemical properties.  He also studies X-ray amorphous minerals that include bioinorganic hard parts of organisms, products of terrestrial surface weathering, and radiation-damaged minerals. He is also interested in the long-term effects in minerals from the exposure to background levels of natural radiation. He was the recipient of the inaugural Dana Medal of the Mineralogical Society of America in 2001.

Education: B.S. (Chemistry and Mathematics), Wisconsin State University, Eau Claire, 1966, Summa cum Laude Ph.D. (Chemistry), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 1971

Sunday, December 8

All day:

Kids' Mineral Activities!

FREE minerals for kids

Crystal Crafts

Crystal Quest & Prizes

2ND FLOOR FOYER – BY THE MARINE HALL!

Dazzling Displays & Elegant Exhibits - ROTUNDA

11:00 a.m.

Jeffrey  Scovil, Photographer

NORTH AMERICAN MAMMAL HALL – 2ND FLOOR

An illustrated slide presentation on one of the better private mineral collections in Bordeaux, France, on a collection in Agen, France with a short aerial tour of the countryside; and a short photo stop in Siegen, Germany.  This program also includes a visit to Luxembourg with slides of Swedish and pegmatite minerals, a visit to the second largest mineral show in Europe – the picturesque mining town of Ste. Marie-aux-Mines.  The final stop on this armchair tour of European minerals will be on the largest private mineral collection in Europe.    Jeff will not only dazzle his audience with outstanding photos of minerals and gemstones, but of the beautiful countryside, castles and cathedrals.  His talk will include some commentary on the basic photographic techniques he uses in photographing mineral specimens.

11:00 a.m.

Live Animal Presentation

DISCOVERY CENTER – FIRST FLOOR

1:00 p.m.

JESSE FISHER, Writer, Collector, Pegmatite Mineral Expert:

"Gem and Rare-Element Pegmatites of Southern California"

NORTH AMERICAN MAMMAL HALL – 2ND FLOOR

Jesse’s interest in pegmatite minerals started at the young, impressionable age of 12 when he acquired his first tourmaline crystal from the Himalaya Mine. What he terms “this unfortunate occurrence” ultimately led him to what he describes as a serious collecting affliction.  Others would describe it as an insatiable passion. 

Jesse holds both bachelors and masters degrees in geology, and spends as much time as he can visiting various Southern California pegmatite mines.  He was hired by Pala International to do a survey of the world famous Himalaya Mine in the mid 1990's and published a comprehensive article on that pegmatite, co-authored with the late Eugene Foord, in Rocks & Minerals Magazine.  He has also published articles on Southern California pegmatites in The Mineralogical Record, California Geology and Le Regne Mineral (in French). 

Very fine examples of Southern California Pegmatite Minerals can be found on display in the Museum’s Hall of Gems & Minerals.

1:00p.m.

FREE GUIDED TOUR:

Dinosaurs!

Meet your guide at the dueling dinosaurs – 1ST FLOOR FOYER

2:00 p.m.

FREE GUIDED TOUR:

Gems and Minerals of the Natural History Museum!

Meet your guide at the dueling dinosaurs – 1ST FLOOR FOYER

3:00 p.m.

Live Animal Presentation

DISCOVERY CENTER – FIRST FLOOR

3:00 p.m.

Meeting – Friends of Mineralogy

NORTH AMERICAN MAMMAL HALL – 2ND FLOOR

DISCOVERY CENTER – FIRST FLOOR

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

December

6-8   Sacramento, CA Sacramento Mineral Society
Scottish Rite Temple, 6151 H Street
Hours: Fri. 9-5; Sat. & Sun. 10-5
Stan Henneman (916) 363-5011

7-8   San Bernardino, CA Orange Belt Mineralogical Society
503 W 31st. Street
Hours: Sat. 10-6; Sun. 10-5
Emma Couveau (Workshop #) (909) 381-0089

January

11-12   Exeter, CA Tule Gem and Mineral Society
Exeter Memorial Building, 324 North Kaweah
Hours: 10-5 both days
Don Vieira (509) 732-7739

It's time to renew your MSSC membership for 2003!

Cut it out this form and follow the mailing instructions below to renew.  Please fill out all information so that we may check our data base.

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Check amount of payment for membership category:

____ $15 Individual                                ____ $20 Family

____$5 Student under age 21.

Make checks payable to MSSC and mail with this form to

MSSC Treasurer
P.O. Box 41027
Pasadena, CA 9114-8027

Questions?