194103-DesertMagazin.. - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

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A profusely illustrated catalog listing
all equipment and supplies needed
for gem stone cutting and specimen
polishing. There are enough to
go around so send for your copy today.
This catalog describes our stock of
LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT
LAPIDARY SUPPLIES
ROUGHED IN CABOCHON BLANKS
CABOCHON CUT GEM STONES
FOR ART CLASSES AND
PROFESSIONAL JEWELERS.
BOOKS ON GEMS AND MINERALS
VRECO DIAMOND SAW BLADES
Large stock insures prompt shipment
6" $3.25; 8" $4.35; 10" $5.40; 12" $6.50
WARNER and GHIEGER
405 Ninita Parkway, Pasadena, Calif.
SY 6-6423
Ninita Parkway is one block east of
So. Hill Avenue between Oakdale
& San Pasqual Sts. East of Cal-Tech
and South of Pasadena Jr. College.
MAY WE CONTINUE TO
SUPPLY YOU WITH
DIAMOND SAWS • SAW CARRIAGES*
BALL BEARING LAPS • ALSO "BYFIELD"
FELTS, FLATS, STRIPS, WHEELS • CAR- I
BORUNDUM GRITS • GRINDING HEADS
• B R A Z I L I A N A G A T E S *
If you want fine cutting material or
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CHESTER TE AGUE
South Walnut Ave. San Dimas, Calif.
"lust a Short Drive from Your Home"
Qemd
This department of the Desert Magazine is reserved as a clearing house for gem and
mineral collectors and their societies. Members of the "rock-hound" fraternity are invited
to send in news of their field trips, exhibits, rare finds, or other information which will
be of interest to collectors.
FIELD TRIPPERS INVADE
CARGO MUCHACHO AREA
Mine dumps in the Cargo Muchacho mountains
in the Southern California desert yielded
a wide variety of specimens to members of a
combined field trip of the Pacific mineral society
of Los Angeles and the Imperial Valley gem and
mineral society January 19-20.
Rendezvous for the two societies was the
home of Arthur L. Eaton, advisor for the Imperial
society, in Holtville. Meeting there at
1:30 p.m. Saturday the caravan motored east
through the sand dunes to Ogilby and thence
into the mountain area. Camp was at the American
Girl mine, now inoperative after having
produced millions in gold.
An impromptu program was arranged Saturday
evening, around a campfire of ironwood
and palo verde.
Sunday the hobbyists scattered like a flock
of blackbirds over the mine dumps, finding
ore, discarded crucibles, borax beads, soapstone
(steatite), glistening pyrite and even a
good quality and size of pyrope garnet.
It was difficult to tear away from this interesting
location, but Los Angeles was several hours
distant, and there were other mines to visit, so
all cars headed for the Tumco mines. Short
stops were made at the pyrophyllite, talc and
again at the kyanite diggings. Talc is much in
demand at present in the manufacture of fireproof
shingles. Good and easily obtained limonite
crystals were found in the talc.
Tumco mines yielded many varieties of copper,
and one specimen of chrysocolla contained
a visible vein of gold. The azurite, malachite
and chrysocolla were not gem quality except
in tiny bits, but made beautiful specimens.
Some blue Chalcanthite (hydrous copper sulfate)
soluble in water was obtained by smashing
a huge boulder.
Those who did not have to hurry home drove
to the Sidewinder hills on Highway 80 where
specimens of almost anything from fossils to
gold may be found. These hills have been built
up in past ages by the Colorado river whose
flood waters brought rubble from far inland depositing
it as the current slackened.
A stop was made at the kyanite mine near
Ogilby. Kyanite is an aluminum silicate. It
generally occurs in long thin usually bluish
crystals. It is used to make glaze and parts of
sparkplugs. This mine is the only one in the
United States where the mineral occurs in
scales instead of blades. The mineral is blue,
green and brown, but blue predominates. Here
also occur limonite crystals—cubes, dodecahedrons
and pyritohedrons. Limonite is hydrous
iron oxide, called geothite in its crystalline
form.
Heading the Los Angeles group were R. H.
Milligan, president, and E. B. Hamilton, field
trip chairman. Several additional cars of mineral
collectors from the Imperial valley society joined
the party Sunday morning.
Ocotillo in Tumco district is lush and already
in bloom. The desert floor and hills have begun
to assume the greyish green tint caused by
acres of wild flowers just peeking through the
sands, a promise of beauty to come.
-ARTHUR L. EATON, Editor-
OAKLAND PREPARING FOR
MAMMOTH EXHIBITION
Eight thousand feet of floor space will be
available for exhibit purposes in the beautiful
Hotel Claremont at Oakland when the California
federation of mineral societies holds its
annual convention May 10-11.
Mineral society exhibits are limited to 3x6
feet, with tier arrangement permitted. Amateur
mineral collections, cabochons and petrified
wood, will be allowed 3x3 feet, large polished
work, 3x4 feet. Juniors are given a 2x3 feet
space limit.
Each exhibitor is urged to adopt a distinctive
and artistic arrangement, and to provide
attractive, specially designed cases, rather
than rented ones. Rented cases will be furnished
where requested in advance, without cost to
societies making exhibits. Individual amateurs
may obtain standard, commercial type show
cases at $1.25 per half case, 75c per quarter
case.
Flat, shallow, table type cases are suggested
for cabochons and other small pieces. Two-inch
trays, 10x16 inches, hinged together so that
they fold like a book, could be constructed from
plywood, glass and picture molding. The stones
should be arranged in attractive patterns on
suitable, neutral colored background, the cabochons
being fastened in with Duco cement.
For convention information address Orlin
J. Bell, chairman, 2710 Hillegass Ave., Berkeley,
or B. E. Sledge, 1438 88th Ave., Oakland,
chairman of exhibit arrangements. Other convention
officials are Marjorie Welch, secretary;
C. C. Bradfield, chairman finance committee;
A. D. Fragley, program chairman; Mrs.
F. W. Buhn, treasurer; E. J. Hyde, chairman of
display; George Higson, hotels and auto courts.
FIRST LAPIDARY SOCIETY
TO HOLD EXHIBITION
The Los Angeles lapidary society held its
first birthday meeting on Monday, February 3.
Started just a year ago as the first amateur
lapidary society in the United States with 16
members it now has 120 members and the
membership is closed. The society always precedes
its monthly meetings with a dinner and
attendance is always about 90 percent in spite
of the fact that the members are scattered all
over California.
The society will hold the first annual exhibition
of its work at the swimming stadium in
Exposition park, Los Angeles Saturday and
Sunday, March 22-23 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The public is invited and there will be no admission
charge. Each member is compelled to
exhibit some of the work he or she has done
during the past year in order to retain an active
status as there is a long list of persons waiting
for membership. This exhibition will no
doubt be the greatest assembly of lapidary
work by amateurs ever placed on display at
one time. There will be nothing for sale and
commercial exhibitors will take no part in the
program, according to president Lelande Quick.
42 The DESERT MAGAZINE