Our planned speaker for February had to cancel but fear not — Pasadena Lapidary Society member Bill Walls will give a short talk about field trip findings and we will be watching a movie about a Selenite crystal cave in Mexico. Imagine a cave with massive crystals bigger than telephone poles! Check out this Wikipedia page to get an idea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_of_the_Crystals
This program meeting takes place on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of The Santa Anita Church, 226 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91007. Admission is free; open to the public. Enjoy refreshments while checking out the display table. Bring a rock specimen you’d like identified – or maybe you have a special memory attached to one that you can share while you’re at the meeting. Hope to see you there!
PLS Vice President Barna Laszlo will lead a “show and tell”-style talk about depositing some coloring or filling agent into the pores of rocks in order to change how they look or improve their durability. The chemistry involved in these processes range from making a glue bond to using highly reactive compounds. Barna will show around several samples so that you can decide whether you like the results or not.
This program meeting takes place on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 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!
Photo credit: Craig Parrot Front and side view of same stone showing the schiller in the sunstone (a shimmering effect caused by the reflections off the inclusions). The sunstone is considered a phenomenal gemstone.
Craig Parrott of RockaWilliam Minerals will be our special guest as he presents Sunstone Mining Fields of Oregon. In this talk, he’ll take you along for the journey from San Diego to the remote Sunstone mining fields of Oregon. You’ll learn exactly where to go and what to expect, from open-collecting areas to the fee-dig mines that produce facet-grade and cabochon material. He’ll share practical tips to make your trip safe, fun, and rewarding, covering everything from desert prep to identifying the best stones in the field. Craig will talk about costs, travel logistics, and what tools you’ll need to make the most of your time. He will also offer guidance on how to orient your rough for cutting, whether you’re aiming for sparkling faceted gems or rich, glowing cabochons. Come ready to experience the thrill of finding your own Oregon Sunstones!
BIENNIAL OFFICER ELECTIONS to be held at the November 18th meeting. During the business portion of our General Meeting, Pasadena Lapidary Society will be holding its biennial officer elections. These officers will serve for two years (2026-2027). If a PLS member would like to run for one of these offices or would like to nominate someone, please contact Curtis Kan as soon as possible. Nominations from the floor will also be taken at the meeting. Below is the slate of candidates we have for each office at this time: President- David Lacy Vice President- Barna Laszlo Secretary- Sue Dekany Treasurer- Phil Lahr Federation Director- Sue Pang
This program meeting takes place on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 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!
PLS Member Paolo Sanchez Presents Findings From His June 2025 Expedition to This Mineral-Rich Area
Paolo doing field work in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
This month’s presentation by Pasadena Lapidary Society member Paolo Sanchez focuses on the famed mineral-rich districts of Minas Gerais, Brazil, following his June 2025 expedition to this region. Paolo spent two and a half weeks exploring gem- and lithium-rich pegmatites of grand proportions as part of his research to understand how the melting ancient ocean floor could contribute to making these deposits. This talk will touch upon historic gem mining in the area as well as an international rush for lithium and industrial minerals happening today, with a focus on the mining districts of Linopolis, Araçuai, and Diamantina.
Also, PLS Vice President Barna Laszlo will do a short talk on altering stones.
This month’s program meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the 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!
Our main speaker for the September program meeting will be Mary Pat Weber, geologist and mineral collector, who will present “The Colorful Condor Agates of Argentina”. She will present the amazing story of how these agates were discovered, lost, and re-discovered in a remote, inhospitable region high in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Condor agates are colorful, tightly banded agates and patterned agates found in the mountains near San Rafael, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. This agate has become a popular stone among collectors and jewelry designers. Specimens of these beautiful agates from Mary Pat’s personal collection will be on display at the meeting.
Another Condor agate specimen.Photo provided by Condor Agate via Facebook.
There will also be a short talk at this meeting in the form of a recap of our members’ experiences at Camp Paradise, a CFMS-sponsored lapidary and jewelry camp. As a group, we attended every class offered this year. We learned new things and made beautiful projects. Camp Paradise offers two 1-week sessions each August for members of CFMS affiliated clubs such as Pasadena Lapidary Society. Come learn about this wonderful experience and make your plans for next year.
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.
Admission is free; open to the public. Enjoy refreshments while checking out the display table; bring a rock specimen you’d like identified. See you there!
Tony Swatton is a self-taught blacksmith, gemcutter and armorer with over 35 years’ experience. Known for crafting historically accurate and fantasy-inspired weapons and armor, his work has appeared in films and TV series like Pirates of the Caribbean, Thor, and The Mandalorian. Swatton is also the creator of the popular YouTube series Man at Arms, where he recreates famous pop-culture weapons. He has conducted demonstrations and classes worldwide, sharing his expertise in blacksmithing and bladesmithing. His Burbank business, The Sword and Stone, is highly regarded in the industry for its craftsmanship and innovation.
This program meeting takes place on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of The Santa Anita Church, 226 W. Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91007. Admission is free; open to the public. Enjoy refreshments while checking out the display table. Bring a rock specimen you’d like identified – or maybe you have a special memory attached to one that you can share while you’re at the meeting. Hope to see you there!
Pasadena Lapidary Society members Sue Dekany and Sandie & Tony Fender walked away with key awards at the annual CFMS (California Federation of Mineralogical Societies) Show and Convention held this year in Lancaster on May 10-11.
Sue Dekany, PLS Secretary, had been working toward entering a competitive case in late 2024. Then came the Eaton Fire, and Sue’s accumulated work was trashed. Out of the ashes, however, Sue thought the remnants would make an interesting educational display. Boy, was she right! Over Mother’s Day weekend she set up her Novice-Educational-General Concept-General Audience display showing her rocks that had been cooked in the Eaton Fire, submitted the case competitively in the Novice category of the CFMS show and the result: a Double Win with ‘Best of Show’ and the ‘President’s Award’. (Sue’s exhibit will be on display again September 20-21 at our annual show in Arcadia.) Sue’s observations from her rock collection debris: many rocks were massively oxidized (pyrite, some jaspers, onyx and serpentine), every bit of metal lost its protective polish, obsidian fractured in a spiral, but otherwise looked normal, quartz crystals and fluorite turned white and brittle, and amazingly an apatite cabochon survived, looking the same as before the fire.
Sandie and Tony Fender share the CFMSGolden Bear award
PLS members Sandie and Tony Fender were presented with the illustrious Golden Bear Award, given only to recipients in recognition of outstanding service to the CFMS. Tony and Sandie are both retired educators and lifelong rockhounds. Over the years they have dedicated much of their time and efforts to holding various positions in the CFMS and are members of several gem and mineral clubs in Southern California. They’re also avid square dancers! The Pasadena Lapidary Society is beaming with pride over these wins.
The California Federation of Mineralogical Societies represents over 100 gem and rockhound clubs statewide, as well as a few clubs in Nevada and Arizona. Visit cfmsinc.org for further information.
For our June program meeting, PLS member Christian Schulze will show attendees the basics of how he captures image content through video and photography. Basic studio setup, equipment, mineral prep, photography tips and digital labeling will all be addressed.
Two comparison photos show a good photo capture at left, compared to one that needs improvement on the right with the knowledge that Christian is planning on sharing with us.
Christian Schulze is also owner of Hotspells Rocks & Minerals in the Elysian Valley area of Los Angeles.
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!
PLS member Armando Pedroza skillfully cutting a geode.
Pasadena Lapidary Society member Armando Pedroza has been cutting geodes for over 15 years at gem shows and club presentations. In our upcoming May general meeting he will be presenting and demonstrating his geode program. Geodes will be available for purchasing and he will be cutting them for those who wish to see the magic inside. Geode prices range from $10 to $90. The geode program will be outside on the patio.
PLS member Christian Schulze exploring potential finds at Clear Creek.
PLS member Paolo Sanchez will present a program on the Clear Creek Management area in San Benito County, California. It has been a popular spot for geologists, mineralogists and rockhounds alike for over a century. Part of a large geological feature known as the New Idria Serpentine Intrusion, this area is home to various rare and interesting minerals such as demantoid and melanite varieties of andradite garnet, plasma agate, jadeite, uvarovite, zeolites, as well as asbestos and mercury minerals. It is also where twenty new minerals were first discovered, including the California state gemstone, benitoite. With such a bounty of mineralogical wealth, what makes the New Idria Serpentine Intrusion so special? This talk will delve into the underlying geologic history of the area as well as the interesting minerals that make New Idria a unique place in the mineral world.
This program meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. in the 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.
Focuses on “An Unconventional Guide to Putting Together a Noncompetitive Exhibit Case” With Mary Pat Weber
This month’s program will be presented by retired geologist Mary Pat Weber, who has been collecting minerals and displaying them at area shows for the past 20 years. Mary Pat’s approach to building exhibit cases is that it should be fun, easy and interesting to the public.
Putting together a noncompetitive case for a local show that highlights your interests in the hobby does not have to be time consuming or expensive. Unburdened by the demands of competitive case rules and strict judging standards that emphasize what is wrong with an entry rather than its overall appeal to the public, Mary Pat is free to be creative and try new things. She prides herself on trying to put together a unique case for each show to give the public something different to look at.
We have all been to mineral shows where you see the same cases over and over every year. Mary Pat will show us the materials and methods she uses to make her displays often from materials you probably already have. In the final analysis it is not the number of points or ribbons earned that make a good case but rather the number of nose prints of children left on the glass.
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, make new friends; open to the public, free admission.
