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Spotlight on Tumbling (Rocks, That is) for February 20th Program Meeting

Pasadena Lapidary Society (PLS) members provide this month’s program at 7:00 p.m. , Tuesday, February 20, 2024 — FIRESIDE ROOM (not Fellowship Hall) of the Santa Anita Church

Rock tumbling is the process of polishing rocks and minerals in a rock tumbler. This involves adding stones or minerals to the rock tumbler along with some abrasives, such as grit, fillers, and water. Phil Lahr will give a presentation on tumbling, discussing the basics – machines, grits, and processes involved. He will also have samples of rock polishing at various stages so you can see and feel the difference from one stage to the next. This is a great educational program for new rockhounds, and a refresher for older ones.

As part of our observance of PLS’ 75th Anniversary this year, Nancy Robb plans to continue her talk on PLS’ history.

Our Rock of the Month talk for February will be presented by Sue Pang as she discusses this month’s birthstone, Amethyst.

This program meeting takes place on Tuesday, January 20, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the (**DIFFERENT ROOM, SAME ADDRESS**) FIRESIDE ROOM of The Santa Anita Church, 226 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91007. Come join us! Doors open at 6:30, admission is free; open to the public. Enjoy refreshments while checking out the display table; bring a rock specimen you’d like identified. We hope to see you there!

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QUARTZSITE Here We Come!


Pasadena Lapidary Society members will once again be joining the ranks of rockhounds and lapidarists across the nation – and beyond – in an annual sojourn to our ‘mecca’ of rocks – Quartzsite, Arizona. While this isn’t a fieldtrip that requires a rock hammer, shovel or other tools, it’s a great opportunity to see what wonderful gems and minerals exist in our world – all in one place. There are several gem and mineral shows which are held between December and late February in this town, which swells to over a million visitors in the month of January from a paltry 3,714 +/- residents the rest of the year. One of our favorite shows to check out is the QIA Pow Wow, which takes place from January 17 – 21, 2024, with free admission and free parking and way more than a day’s worth of treasures to see. It’s like a giant open air swap meet held under the beautiful blue sky with giant puffy white clouds floating overhead – which sometimes open up with a quick light rain or a heavy shower – then dissipates as quickly as it starts. Quartzsite is just 18 miles east of the California border, along Interstate 10. One can make it a full day trip, or if you’re able to secure lodging in Quartzsite, AZ or Blythe, CA, turn your visit into more than one day so you can visit the other shows taking place as well, such as Tyson Wells or Desert Gardens. If you prefer to take an RV and camp, there’s plenty of open space just on the outskirts of town. How to get there? Take I-10 East until you get to Quartzsite, about a four hour drive from Pasadena when traffic isn’t bad. We often make a quick stop at Chiriaco Summit either on the way to or from AZ, where one can fuel up and stop for a bite or snacks.

And the rockhound fun doesn’t stop with Quartzsite… read further about the big Tucson Show (the 2023 event is the subject of our January 16 Program Meeting) coming February 8-11, 2024.

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January 2024 Program Meeting: TGMS – Not Your Typical Rock Show

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Society knows how to put on a great show.  This society was the first to bring together the hobby enthusiast, the curator/professionals and the general public for this annual four day event. After 68 years, it is the largest, oldest and most prestigious gem and mineral show in the world.  The 2023 show theme was “Silica, Agates & Opal & Quartz, Oh My!”

The 2024 show is slated for February 8-11, 2024. Located at the Tucson Convention Center, attendees will find approximately 250 dealers selling a variety of minerals, fossils, jewelry, and lapidary.  Throughout the show there are lectures and symposiums.  Jaw-dropping world class exhibits from private collections, major universities and museums are on display.  Other exhibit cases,  (both competitive and non-competitive) round out this mix.

For Pasadena Lapidary Society’s Tuesday, January 16, 2024 Program Meeting, our friend Mary Pat Weber will provide us with a visual treat of the highlights of the 2023 Tucson show, and why it rocks!

Rose Quartz and Garnet will be the topics of January’s Rock of the Month talk, provided by PLS Vice President Barna Laszlo.

This program meeting is at 7:00 p.m. at Fellowship Hall of The Santa Anita Church, 226 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91007. Come to learn and make new friends; open to the public, free admission. 

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No December Program Meeting

Annual Christmas Party for PLS Members Only

Pasadena Lapidary Society members will be gathering for our annual Christmas Party on Saturday, June 16 from 4-9 pm. Members can contact Mona Ross for info regarding what potluck item to bring, the location of this festive event, and other questions one might have. Mona needs a headcount as to who’s coming, since space at the venue is limited. Please refer to your monthly newsletter or member roster for her contact info.

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PLS Member Paolo Sanchez Discusses Tourmaline King Mine, Tuesday, Nov. 21st at 7:00 pm

Pasadena Lapidary Society’s Tuesday, November 21, 2023 program meeting will feature member Paolo Sanchez, who will present on the Tourmaline King Mine in the Pala Mining District of San Diego County. New pockets have been uncovered with the first discovered in January 2022, the first major find at the mine in more than 100 years, and the first in Southern California since the “Big Kahuna” pocket at the Oceanview mine in 2010. This is exciting news and we are looking forward to hearing what Paolo has to share with us about one of our favorite areas in Southern California to go gem hunting.

Tourmaline found in San Diego County, cut and set into the pendant and earrings shown here. Photo courtesy of PLS member E. Weston.

November’s Rock of the Month talk will be about our Educational Program for schools and the community. Have you ever wondered how you can help? This month’s talk will illustrate how even the newest members can participate.

This program meeting takes place on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of The Santa Anita Church, 226 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91007.

Come join us! Doors open at 6:30, admission is free; open to the public. Enjoy refreshments while checking out the display table; bring a rock specimen you’d like identified. We hope to see you there!

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Amethyst Deposits of Thunder Bay, Ontario Subject of October 17th Program Meeting

The largest commercial deposits of amethyst in North America occur near the Canadian border in Southern Ontario.  Unlike the more common Brazilian amethyst, this material is unique due to inclusions of red hematite in the outermost layers of the crystals. Our guest speaker for October, Dick Weber, first visited these deposits in the 1970s while studying for his graduate degree in Geology at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. 

Geologists Dick and Mary Pat Weber have returned to these deposits several times over the years and on two recent visits were given special access to the workings of the deposit by the mine owners.  As part of this presentation they will display some of this highly prized amethyst from their personal collections. 

This program meeting takes place at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of The Santa Anita Church, 226 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91007, on Tuesday, October 17, 2023.

Come join us! Doors open at 6:30, admission is free; open to the public. Enjoy refreshments while checking out the display table; bring a rock specimen you’d like identified. Buy a raffle ticket for a few bucks and try your luck at winning a cool rock specimen, slab, or otherwise. We hope to see you there!

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Abalone King Featured at Tuesday, Sept. 19 Program Meeting

Pasadena Lapidary Society is excited to announce that Louis Hernandez of Abalone King will be our featured presenter for the September 19 program meeting. Louis has considerable knowledge of abalone, many years of experience in buying and selling, as well as creating gorgeous jewelry from abalone. Abalone are large gastropod mollusks that inhabit the cold waters along the California coast. While other abalone species can be found elsewhere in the world, there are seven abalone species in California: green, pink, black, white, red, pinto, and flat abalone. These highly sought-after mollusks have been ingrained in California culture for centuries.

This program meeting takes place at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of The Santa Anita Church, 226 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91007, on Tuesday, September 19, 2023.

Come join us! Doors open at 6:30, admission is free; open to the public. Enjoy refreshments while checking out the display table; bring a rock specimen you’d like identified. Buy a raffle ticket for a few bucks and try your luck at winning a cool rock specimen, slab, or otherwise. We hope to see you there!

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August 15 Program Meeting, 7:00 pm

Our Tuesday, August 15 program meeting will include a presentation by several junior members who were participants (and winners) in award competitions related to our rockhounding and lapidary hobbies. (We love how our young members inspire other kids to follow suit.)

This program meeting will also include a slide presentation related to our upcoming annual gem and mineral show, presented by PLS member Marcia Goetz.

Doors open at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall at the Santa Anita Church located at 226 West Colorado Boulevard in Arcadia, CA 91007. Program starts at 7:00 pm. Free; open to the public. Enjoy refreshments while checking out the display table; bring a rock specimen you’d like identified. Come join us and see what we’re all about!

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July Program Meeting – Members Only

Pasadena Lapidary Society members are having a members only meeting for July, as we prepare for our gem and mineral show next month.

Check back for news regarding our August 15th meeting.

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PLS’ Paolo Sanchez Discusses ‘Rocks and Minerals of Ancient Rome’ — June 20th Program Meeting, 7:00 p.m.

Pasadena Lapidary Society member Paolo Sanchez will be the featured speaker at the Tuesday, June 20th Program Meeting. Paolo is currently a graduate student at Caltech’s Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences.

The Roman Empire lasted for about 500 years, from its founding in 27 BC to the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. Throughout this time, the famed ancient civilization incurred a vast amount of mineral wealth that included numerous mines of industrial and precious metals in Europe and the Mediterranean, some of which are still mined today. Additionally, the trade and status of gemstones — from Baltic amber to European agates — have had a profound impact on the lapidary world. This talk will combine history, geology and lore as the mineral world greatly impacted the Roman world as it does to our world today.

This program meeting takes place on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of The Santa Anita Church, 226 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91007.

Take a step back into antiquity with us. Admission is free; open to the public. Enjoy refreshments while checking out the display table; bring a rock specimen you’d like identified. Hope to see you there!