Culver City Rock and Mineral Club

The Houston Gem & Min Society virtual club show is live online now. Go to their website and click on the "Discussion" tab. https://www.facebook.com/events/324815001950722/?active_tab=discussion

We are restocking our store: Mining Supplies and Rock Shop in Hesperia and slashing our prices for our Gem, Mineral, Jade, and Gold show next weekend November 2...1st and 22nd. We have cleaned and polished everything and will only let in a limited number of customers wearing masks. Our show is free and we have approximately 30 vendors selling a huge variety of items. Our local gold club, AU Mojave, will have a booth near our front door please bring your questions or anything you want to identify as gold to their attention. Keep in mind Christmas or birthdays as you shop and please support our vendors. Visit our web page: miningsuppliesandrockshop.com for more information. Our store will be open starting MOnday for early shopping. For more information call: 760.244.9642. See more

Wavy Pendant Workshop - Nov 7th @ 10am Many of us are craving a way to get back to the bench, create some nice jewelry, learn a few new techniques, and enjoy chatting with other jewelry people while we're doing it. Well here's a chance to do it in an online session. Join us on November 7th as we fabricate this eye-catching pendant design in Sterling silver that will show off one of your gemstones in a different way. The fun project will be conducted over Zoom. It's a great re...fresher for intermediates who haven't done any soldering for months and a nice challenge for those who are just starting to make their own silver jewelry. We'll be cutting and shaping each of the components, learning a quick way to add texture, and paying particular attention to adding details on the bail and getting a perfect patina that highlights your gemstone. > When: 10am-4pm PST on Saturday, November 7th > Fee: $85 > RSVP: [email protected] I'll be sending everyone a list of tools and materials, including quick-ship sources in case you're missing something. And an optional materials kit is available if you don't wish to order your own silver. Plus a recording of the whole session will be available to review the session afterwards. Hope you can join us on the 7th, - Brad

The Bead Society of Los Angeles invites Culver City Rock and Moneral Club members to a wire wrapping class by their very own VP and Renowned Wearable Art Designer/Instructor Lillian M. Todaro. $35.00 Bead Society & CCRMC members Beginning Wire Bending Jewelry Making Class November 21, 2020 11:AM 1:PM Saturday... Explore the endless possibilities of Wire Wrapping to make Jewelry. Our very own VP and Renowned Wearable Art Designer/Instructor Lillian M. Todaro will present the Beginning Wire Bending Jewelry Making class via Zoom for the Bead Society. Class size is limited, so sign up now! Get started now making your own beautiful Jewelry. Make custom pieces of Jewelry for yourself, friends, family and to give on those gift-giving Holidays that are coming. We will start with basic Wire Bending techniques. First, we will learn to make simple wrapped eye-loop links that include beads. We will use them to create a pair of Drop Earrings. We will continue with wire bending by adding some fancy wire doodling techniques like spirals, etc. We will also explore linking our wire wrapped beads or crystals together to make a beautiful chain for a necklace. $35.00 Bead Society & CCRMC members $45.00 for non-members. Payment via Zelle, check or PayPal Zoom link will be sent to paid registrants Register here! https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSdBg2JVgHEWt_cMW6/viewform Materials List: Round Nose Pliers Wire Cutters Regular Pliers Craft Wire 22 Gage, and 16 Gage if you have it Round Beads or Crystals 6, 8, and 10MM Earring Findings Necklace Findings To see a slide show of the examples, go to the Bead Society News page.

Think SMPD has any plan even remotely as Dynamic as the BHPD? I doubt it...

AVOIDING BUFFER MESS Buffing is one of the dirtier operations in making jewelry. If you work inside the home, buffer mess from lint and polish can be a problem. One solution is to buy a dust collecting system, but they can be large and expensive. But a more economical approach is to use the the 3-M Radial Bristle Disc system rather than the cloth buffs. The Bristle Discs come in 7/8 inch diameter sizes (stack up 4-6 of them) or as 6 ply wheels in 2 or 3 inch diameters. T...he blue (400 grit) does a nice job at pre-polishing, the peach (6 micron - 3000 grit) begins the polishing, and the light green (1 micron - 14,000 grit) works well for final polishing. You'll like the way these discs reduce the amount of dust and lint from buffing, and a side benefit is that you don't have to wash off any waxy grime between grit levels. Wheels can be mounted on a regular buffer or on an old motor from a yard sale using a tapered spindle adaptor. They can also be mounted on larger 1/4 inch mandrels and used in the Foredom #25 or H.44T handpieces. Standard inch bolts and nuts can be used as mandrels. It’s always best to wear goggles and a mask while buffing to avoid the fine metal particles that are being thrown into the air.

AVOIDING BUFFER MESS Buffing is one of the dirtier operations in making jewelry. If you work inside the home, buffer mess from lint and polish can be a problem. One solution is to buy a dust collecting system, but they can be large and expensive. But a more economical approach is to use the the 3-M Radial Bristle Disc system rather than the cloth buffs. The Bristle Discs come in 7/8 inch diameter sizes (stack up 4-6 of them) or as 6 ply wheels in 2 or 3 inch diameters. T...he blue (400 grit) does a nice job at pre-polishing, the peach (6 micron - 3000 grit) begins the polishing, and the light green (1 micron - 14,000 grit) works well for final polishing. You'll like the way these discs reduce the amount of dust and lint from buffing, and a side benefit is that you don't have to wash off any waxy grime between grit levels. Wheels can be mounted on a regular buffer or on an old motor from a yard sale using a tapered spindle adaptor. They can also be mounted on larger 1/4 inch mandrels and used in the Foredom #25 or H.44T handpieces. Standard inch bolts and nuts can be used as mandrels. It’s always best to wear goggles and a mask while buffing to avoid the fine metal particles that are being thrown into the air.

MOBILE FOREDOM STAND A handy mobile stand for your flexshaft can be made easily and quickly from the base of an old swivel office chair. This lets you easily move the Foredom around in the shop or if space is a premium, store it away when not in use. You can find these chairs being thrown out at office buildings and schools. I just asked the custodian in my building to set one aside for me.... To separate the chair from the wheeled base, simply remove the spring clip from the center bottom. I use a small screwdriver or a pair of pliers. To make the stand, you'll need two pieces of threaded galvanized steel pipe and a pipe fitting from a hardware store. The first length of pipe is 3/4 inch diameter to fit the hole in most chair bases. The second piece is a length of less expensive 1/2 inch pipe. The total length of the two pipes should be five feet. I used a two foot length of 3/4 pipe and a three foot length of 1/2 pipe. They are joined together by a pipe fitting called a 3/4 to 1/2 reducing coupler.

MOBILE FOREDOM STAND A handy mobile stand for your flexshaft can be made easily and quickly from the base of an old swivel office chair. This lets you easily move the Foredom around in the shop or if space is a premium, store it away when not in use. You can find these chairs being thrown out at office buildings and schools. I just asked the custodian in my building to set one aside for me.... To separate the chair from the wheeled base, simply remove the spring clip from the center bottom. I use a small screwdriver or a pair of pliers. To make the stand, you'll need two pieces of threaded galvanized steel pipe and a pipe fitting from a hardware store. The first length of pipe is 3/4 inch diameter to fit the hole in most chair bases. The second piece is a length of less expensive 1/2 inch pipe. The total length of the two pipes should be five feet. I used a two foot length of 3/4 pipe and a three foot length of 1/2 pipe. They are joined together by a pipe fitting called a 3/4 to 1/2 reducing coupler.

AOS Virtual Workshop in Partnership with Muzeo All About Opal - Virtual Workshop begins Sunday, September 27, at 1:00 PM View this email in your browser ... */~The American Opal Society~/* The American Opal Society is excited to announce a new virtual workshop series in partnership with the Muzeo, Anaheim California's museum and cultural center. The first workshop in a three part series titled All About Opal will be hosted by the Muzeo via Zoom on Sunday, September 27, 2020, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. See the list below for dates and times of the entire series. To register, click either of the links below or simply click the Register Now button. The virtual series will be led by AOS President Emeritus, Pete Goetz. There is no charge to attend the virtual workshop. Sunday, September 27, 2020, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. Sunday, October 4, 2020, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. Sunday, October 11, 2020, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. *Registration for All About Opal hosted by Muzeo via Zoom:* https://muzeo.org/event/virtual-workshop-all-about-opals/ https://zoom.us//regi/tJMkf-GgqDwiGt28ZhAz7o7-o90yOcIkVdnx Register Now /Copyright 2020 American Opal Society, Inc., All rights reserved./ You are receiving this email because you opted in with your AOS membership, Opal Gem & Jewelry Show dealer booth, or show drawing ticket. *Our mailing address is:* American Opal Society, Inc. PO Box 4875 Garden Grove, CA 92842-4875 Add us to your address book

For those of you missing their jewelry classes, join me October 24th from 10am - 4pm for an online workshop to make this lovely soldered chain design called the Square Knot. It makes a stunning necklace. The links shown are formed out of 14 gauge Sterling wire. With intricate designs like this, it's important that all links are exactly the same. You'll learn a four-step system for creating them quickly and accurately. It's a kind of mini production line that also minimizes t...he chance for kinks and tool marks that would mar the final look and require extra time for finishing and polishing. The approach assures all links are a perfect match. This lets you fashion a chain of any length, from a bracelet to a 30 incher. We'll complete the project by learning how to make a handmade hook-and-eye clasp to match the chain. > Who: Brad Smith > When: 10am-4pm PST on Saturday, October 24th > Where: In the comfort of your own home > Fee: $85 > RSVP: [email protected] Registration closes October 15th to allow time for mailing A kit of resource materials for the workshop will be mailed to all via USPS. The copper wire and forming mandrels furnished in the kit are for practice on link construction. You will need your own wire to make the final chain. Sterling silver or 14k gold filled wire in 14 gauge are the best choices for this project. Check your supply or order in advance from your favorite supplier. For planning purposes, a 22 inch chain of 16 links connected by oval jump rings takes about nine feet of wire while a bracelet is estimated to require around 20 inches of wire. Happy hammering, - Brad

AOS Virtual Workshop in Partnership with Muzeo All About Opal - Virtual Workshop begins Sunday, September 27, at 1:00 PM View this email in your browser ... */~The American Opal Society~/* The American Opal Society is excited to announce a new virtual workshop series in partnership with the Muzeo, Anaheim California's museum and cultural center. The first workshop in a three part series titled All About Opal will be hosted by the Muzeo via Zoom on Sunday, September 27, 2020, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. See the list below for dates and times of the entire series. To register, click either of the links below or simply click the Register Now button. The virtual series will be led by AOS President Emeritus, Pete Goetz. There is no charge to attend the virtual workshop. Sunday, September 27, 2020, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. Sunday, October 4, 2020, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. Sunday, October 11, 2020, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. *Registration for All About Opal hosted by Muzeo via Zoom:* https://muzeo.org/event/virtual-workshop-all-about-opals/ https://zoom.us//regi/tJMkf-GgqDwiGt28ZhAz7o7-o90yOcIkVdnx Register Now /Copyright 2020 American Opal Society, Inc., All rights reserved./ You are receiving this email because you opted in with your AOS membership, Opal Gem & Jewelry Show dealer booth, or show drawing ticket. *Our mailing address is:* American Opal Society, Inc. PO Box 4875 Garden Grove, CA 92842-4875 Add us to your address book

For anyone interested, Santiago Canyon Community College in Orange County has a Gemology program -- and if you don't live in the OC this semester is a great tim...e to study remotely! Gemology 011, Introductory Colored Stones, needs a few more people to meet its minimum, and I'm enrolled so I'm sharing here in hopes of getting some more interest. It's $215 and will be meeting via Zoom 8-9:30 PM Mondays & Wednesdays 8/24-12/13. Happy to share any more info I have or connect you with the instructor!

A Communication from our friends at Rock & Gem magazine Attached is our exclusive Discount Code for 1 year of Rock & Gem (12 issues) for just $24 created for clubs/club members. Rock & Gem also invites you to sign up for our FREE weekly e-newsletter. To subscribe, please visit www.rockngem.com. On the HOME page, top right corner, it says: Be in the Know and there is a spot to enter your email. ... We have a very exciting new limited edition series entitled Illustrious Opals coming out soon that is free for the first month on our website and free to subscribers and we are trying to get the word out. Illustrious Opals Sneak Peek The team at Rock & Gem magazine are producing a new multi-medium series of references entitled, Illustrious Opals. This limited-edition series includes four digital issues, available at the end of June, August, October, and the middle of December. Each issue will contain a unique mixture of feature articles that discuss the science of opals, mining history, the present-day market, and operations involving opal extraction, and a gallery of various types and presentations of opal gemstones. Each issue in the series also will include columns about working with opals as a lapidary material, a recap of recent sales of opals at auction, plus profiles of sponsor businesses that specialize in opals as part of their operation. In addition to the digital issues, beginning with the August print issue of Rock & Gem, there will be a two-page glimpse at the gallery section of the upcoming Illustrious Opals issue. Visit Rock & Gem at www.rockngem.com to sign up today.