Weekend Adventure
Northern California's Gold Country
The Ancient Rivers of Gold in northern California are from the Tertiary Period. The Tertiary rivers existed millions of years ago and many of them had
large quantities of gold within their gravels. Because of that, they are known as the "Ancient Rivers of Gold." Each ancient river is discussed below.
Information on this page is based on the classic work of Waldemar Lindgren of the United States Geological Survey and by study of Big Ten's California Gold Map 5,
which shows the relationship of the ancient rivers to landmarks, such as roads, creeks and towns in the region.
These now-dry Tertiary rivers are thought to be a prime source of the gold found in many of the rivers and streams of the Mother Lode region of northern California.
The ancient rivers are discontinuous and sometimes follow tortuous routes. They have been altered by volcanic activity, erosion, and in some instances portions of
the rivers have been covered by lava. Much of the region underwent extreme volcanic eruptions. Volcanic flows have been found up to 4,000 feet deep. Volcanic
flows were up to 60 miles in length. Portions of an ancient river may be found at ground level or near the top of a mountain, or on the side of a mountain, or buried.
Early prospectors found portions of the ancient rivers and worked them for their rich gold content. Later, mining companies used hydraulic mining or drift mining techniques
to recover the gold. In hydraulic mining, water under pressure is directed to, for example, the side of a ravine to dislodge the gravels and send the material to the
sluices where the gold is recovered. The equipment that was used (called a "monitor" or "giant") was similar to a very large hose nozzle.
Geologic reports speak of gravel deposits up to 250 feet deep with gold deposits interspersed at various levels within the gravels. Some of the gravels of
the ancient rivers of gold have been cemented together over time. Smaller materials between the larger gravels have bound the larger gravels together. Drift
mining is used in those instances to follow the channel underneath the volcanic covering. In drift mining, tunnels are driven in bedrock underneath the channels
and when the channels are reached, the richest stratum, resting immediately on the bedrock, is extracted by underground mining methods and then washed at the mouth of the tunnel.
Many miles of the ancient rivers are still un-worked and may be very rich in gold.
SOME OTHER MINERALS OF THE ANCIENT RIVERS OF GOLD
Platinum
is widely distributed in the gravels of the Tertiary rivers of the Sierra Nevada. The platinum is always associated with the gold. Some of the counties
where platinum has been proven to be present in the sands are: Butte, Calaveras, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento and Yuba.
Garnet
is widely distributed especially in the vicinity of granitic contacts. It is usually found in small rounded grains of red to purplish color. The largest
quantity recorded was from the black sands at Rough and Ready, Nevada County at 446 pounds to the ton.
Zircon is universally present. In some local areas it has been found in considerable quantities, such as at Placerville and at
the North Fork of the American River in Placer County. The greatest relative quantity was found in black sand from a channel at Nevada City. It yielded 928 pounds to the ton.
Copperoccasionally you can find small flakes of metallic copper.
Pyrite is of common occurrence in the gravels.
Diamonds have been found to occur with the gold, mainly at Cherokee Flat in Butte County and in the gravels at Placerville, El Dorado County.
The diamonds that have been found were generally of small size and yellowish color. As is the case of diamonds in North Carolina and South Carolina,
the diamonds in the California Mother Lode region are mostly scattered. Diamonds come up through the rock through a "pipe" of relatively small diameter,
such as the diamond pipes in South Africa. (The state of Arkansas has acquired a diamond property at Murfreesboro where the public is permitted to search for
diamonds. The diamonds are of good size and high quality. The Arkansas property is Crater of Diamonds State Park.)
YUBA ANCIENT RIVER OF GOLD
Yuba's Ancient river of gold is by far the largest of the Tertiary rivers of the Sierra Nevada of California. It will be seen on Big Ten's California Gold Map 5 that
the Tertiary Yubu runs through or into the counties of Plumas, Sierra, Yuba, Nevada, Placer and El Dorado.
Ancient Yuba has numerous branches wandering throughout the area between Marysville and Lake Tahoe. The general drainage is from east to west; but in some of the
branches the flow was from south to north and in other branches it was from north to south.
The Ancient Yuba River has been a rich source of gold. The famous gold towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City are along the course of the Ancient Yuba, as are
the numerous gold deposit sites south of Downieville in Tahoe National Forest.
The deepest trough-shaped depressions in the drainage basin of the Tertiary Yuba River are usually filled to a depth of 50 to 200 feet by coarse gravels which
ordinarily have been cemented so that they cannot be washed without crushing. Bench gravels cover the deep gravels and in some places the bench gravels spread
out to a width of one to two miles. The bench gravels contain much quartz. The pebbles are smaller than the deep gravels and always, except close
to the headwaters, well rounded and polished. Fossil leaves have been found in the bench gravels.
The courses of the present-day Yuba River, including it's North Fork, Middle Fork, South Fork and the smaller tributaries that feed them are also shown on Gold Map 5.
AMERICAN ANCIENT RIVER OF GOLD
The Tertiary American River follows a more or less east to west course from south of Lake Tahoe to the town of Roseville northeast of Sacramento and Carmichael.
It crosses California State Highway 49 a couple of miles south of gold-rich Placerville.
ANCIENT INTERVOLCANIC AMERICAN RIVER
The Ancient Intervolcanic American River has many gold deposit sites along it's course. It starts in Tahoe National Forest near the North fork of the present-day American
river, then winds it’s way southwesterly to Auburn, Placer County. Many gold sites are near Auburn. One branch of the Ancient Intervolcanic American River circles
around Volcanoville, which is noted for it's gold.
ANCIENT MAGALIA CHANNEL
Magalia Channel is just north of Paradise, Butte County and gold sites are on both sides of the channel. A 54 pound nugget was found at Magalia.
The West Branch of Feather River runs near and crosses this ancient channel south of Last Chance Creek.
ANCIENT JURA RIVER
The Ancient Jura River is from the Jurassic Period, which makes it much older than the ancient rivers of the Tertiary Period. The course of this ancient river
traces from Sierra County past Blairsden and Cromberg in Plumas County and Mount Ingalls. There are very few gold sites along the Jura River.
MOKELUMNE ANCIENT RIVER OF GOLD
Tertiary Mokelumne River starts in Eldorado National Forest and runs westward. It terminates about 8 miles west of California State Highway 49 not far from the
town of Plymouth in Amador County. Two branches of the river originate near the North Fork of the Cosumnes River. Quite a few gold sites occur along
the westernmost branch and along the main course of the ancient river near the towns of Volcano and Plymouth.
CALAVERAS ANCIENT RIVER OF GOLD
A considerable number of gold sites parallel the Tertiary Calaveras River. Tertiary Calaveras itself parallels the South Fork of the Stanislaus River just
north of Columbia Historical State Park. The ancient river continues westward to California State Highway 49 and parallels the gold camps north to San Andreas.
It terminates near Valley Springs in Calaveras County. Rich gold deposits occur near the branches of ancient Calaveras. Hundreds of gold sites appear on Gold Map 5
along and between the two northern branches that originate near the towns of Sutter Creek and West Point.
TUOLUMNE ANCIENT RIVER OF GOLD
Tertiary Tuolumne River parallels the present-day Tuolumne River from Oakland Recreation Camp in the Stanislaus National Forest to Chinese Camp by Highway 49.
There are many gold sites both north and south of this ancient river and near the towns of Coulterville, Jacksonville, Jamestown and Tuolumne.
ANCIENT INTERVOLCANIC CATARACT CHANNEL
The ancient Intervolcanic Cataract Channel originates in Calaveras Big Trees National Forest in Tuolumne County. It crosses the North Fork of
the Stanislaus River into Calaveras County. It then crosses the Stanislaus River near Carson Hill, Columbia State Park and Squabbletown. The channel
continues in a southwesterly direction a few miles west of Sonora and Jamestown and terminates at the Tuolumne/Stanislaus County line.
A considerable number of gold deposit sites exist at each of the aforementioned towns.
Click Here to learn more and to buy the gold maps referenced above
Membership Fees:
Individual $40
Family of 2 $60
Additional $10
Jr. no Parent $15
Membership is good for one year from day you joined. For more information call (707) 528-7610 Leave a Message.
Welcome New Members:
David Smith
Noah Leader
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SRMGS Meetings:
We love to have more active members. Attend one or more of the SRMGS Meetings to get the most out of your membership! Meetings are held at the SRMGS Workshop.
June Educational Meeting
Cab of the MONTH!!
SLAB SWAP!
$15 T-shirt Pre-Order Sales
Wednesday June 4, 2008
7:30pm
SRMGS Board Meeting:
Tuesday May 20,2008
7:30
Announcements:
* SRMGS T-shirt Pre-order Sale $15*
Be the first on the trails to sport the very cool, ultra rare SRMGS club shirt!! High quality 100% cotton short-sleeved shirt in the color "SAND" which is a nice neutral color.
The front will have a small single color (black) outline of the logo on the upper corner. While the back will have full gradient colored logo. Sizes are available
from S-XXXL in both a regular and women's cut. Youth sizes are also available. Pre-order your shirt by June 8th and save $2 a shirt. After June 9th. Shirts will be $17 each.
The beautiful logo is located on the top of the newsletter.
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Whats new on our website?
Your article!! Did that get your attention? I want to hear from members this summer, especially Juniors!! Submit an article about your latest rock find or project!!
Make a submissions to the website by emailing Kendra at webmaster (@)srmgs.org or catch me at the next meeting at the shop.
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Tip of the Month:
Obsidian Chips -
After obsidian is sawed, be sure to bevel the edges all aorund on your fine grinding wheel to keep the chips from flaking and chipping. Wear glasses or goggles at all times. This
procedure is to prevent the possibility of getting a small chip of glass in your eye as obsidian chips easily and the tiny chips fly around.
Driftwood Finishing-
Clean the driftwood meticulously in its dry form. Use a scrub brush or whiskbroom. A wire brush should be used only on very rough peices.
Next, bleach at full strength. Using a paint brush eases the application of rough pieces. (This also works well on dry cholla cactus branches). Let dry for awhile, but when still damp wash again in cold water to
remove any traces of pigment. Then let dry for two or three days. If you want to dress it up a bit, use a hard wax then buff.
Gem-n-i 4/93
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.: The Gem-N-I Revisited :.
Cross Country Excursion
by Stuart & Carol Jan 1981
June 13th had finally come and we were off for four weeks of traveling and rockhounding across the nation to Michigan and back again. Our first stop was to be in Idaho so we drove straight
for Reno, Nv. then on to Winnemucca and up briefly into Oregon. The volcano had changed this country drastically and as we drove north we could see it's effects on the morning. It was a
fantastic foggy morning and to the west of us the land took on the look of long lost days when dinosaurs roamed the land. The mountains were snow covered and enshrouded in cloud. The
air was an inense ice blue color and the slight smell of sulfer could be detected on the light morning breeze. Continuing north with the sense of far away yesterdays falling away, the only
stars in our eyes were those we hoped to find in the star garnets we were going after. We finally pulled into Emerald Creek Campground after taking a brief stop earlier to stretch and
gold pan at a location where there was suppose to be some smokey quartz. The next morning found us at a ranger's station signing up to go into the garnet diggings.
Presented with a creek bed full of 3 to 5 foot holes filled with water, where do you begin to dig? After looking down into many holes, some of which were already occupied we picked one and
started and started bailing out the water. (Hip boots are suggested for anyone else who might decide to dig for stars.) Then followed many hours of digging, sifting, and
some playing. The end result was 3/4 pounds of garnets ranging in size from very small to about 1.5 inches in diameter, many sore muscles, one strained wrist and a felling of
accomplishment.
Then on to Montana to try our luck there. Carefully following the map, we found that the bridge that was to take us over to the sapphire bars was out. So much for maps. Stopping as a sign
(H.D. McCarty, faceter), we got alternate directions to the bars. The next morning found us digging again, and sifting, then down to the lake to "pan" for the hidden treasures. And by golly
we found some!!
We had our hearts set for some Montana Agate next but found the river running full to it's banks and no way to get into any digging area so we promised ourselves that next time we would
plan the trip when the river was low. So on we went to Custer, S.D. We found TeePee Canyon, following the map, some instructions from a fellow rockhound that we had met at the bar, and a certain amount of golld old fashion luck, and left
the area happy and a hundred pounds heavier. A few small garnets and one black tourmaline specimen later, we decided to see Mt. Rushmore. Next morning we stopped by to see Crazy Horse Mountain.
They are sculpting the WHOLE mountain and it is going to be one of the wonders of the world when it is finished I'm sure.
Time is passing and we are behind schedule already, so push on towards MIchigan. On the way we stopped in Minnesota and Winsconsin for some Lake Superior Agate. Also stopped in the Badlands
of S.D. for chalacedony. Finally reaching Michigan we stopped at the Phoenix mine dump, pulled out the metal detector, and went after copper. We also found some old metal
fragments and a square nail. On the shores of Lake Superior, between Eagle River and Eagle Harbour we searched for Thompsonite and more Lake Superior Agate. It is really a beautiful place to walk in
the sun and play in the waves. Heading south, we visited with family and old friends and just took a few days off to rest. Then it was time to say our goodbyes and head back to California.
So to the south and west we headed towards Iowa in search of Keokuk geodes. We camped at Geode Park and nearbyin a creek bed we found what we wanted. With wet feet and high spirits we
thought we'd try for some cold water agate. Unfortunately the gravel pits where you can find this treasure are all owed by Kaser Construction Company and you need written access from
Des Moines, IA to get in.
Drove through Nebraska and on to Colorado. Wished we had a jeep to get to some places here. Picked up Blue Agate at Garo, quartz and amazonstone above Florissant and climbed Ruby Mountain for
topaz and garnet. Saw some onyx that had come from Trout Creek Pass but that would have meant backtracking so on we went. Drove into Utah and down into the Beaver and Milford area but didn't
find much. At Nephi we found onyx digs and brought out a lot of good material. By that time we were almost out of vacation and decided we would have to come back to continue our
digging at some future time.
I literally drooled as we passed the cut off for Tapaz Moutain and continued traveling through land we just knew held so much if we only had the time. I know we could spend years out in the
back hill of the country collecting beautiful material but we also found it was nice to get home and look over our new material and dream of the good times we will have cutting and polishing
and faceting (I hope) all of our treasures. And of course, remininsing of the good time we had collecting it.
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Feldspars: The Most Common Mineral on Earth
Feldspar minerals are everywhere. They come in a variety of forms and span the entire color spectrum. This is to be expected because feldspar is the most
common mineral on Earth, constituting 60% of the Earth's Crust. The many varieties of feldspar trap large amounts of sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca),
aluminum (Al), silica (Si), and oxygen (O) within their solid mineral structures. Feldspars are found within every rock type and are one of the strongest
minerals on Earth. The strength of the mineral allows it to resist erosion, which is why feldspars makeup a large majority of sands, silts, and eventually
break down into clay. The large number of feldspar varieties and the unique appearance of each are owed to the chemical nature of feldspar. There are
two general types of feldspars, plagioclase feldspars and potassium feldspar, and the two feldspar types are broken into three chemical varieties.
Each of the three chemical varieties of feldspar represents the calcium (Ca), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) bearing feldspar types. Though this
sounds confusing, Mother Nature's design of feldspar is beautiful in its simplicity, because Ca, K, and Na can substitute for each other in differing amounts.
Each variety of feldspar contains specific amounts of K, Na, and/or Ca. In addition, chemical substitutions allow for exsolution in some varieties of feldspar,
which causes the easily recognized streaky appearance of amazonite. The chemical nature of feldspar also causes some unique optical effects, such as labradorescence,
which causes the sought after flashes of colored light in labradorite and moonstone. I will be teaching a class to give you a better understanding of feldspars
on June 25th, from 7:00-8:30pm at the SRMGS workshop.
By Nicole - Geologist SSU & SRJC
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Geological Field Trip - June 28
Wilson Grove & Petaluma Formations
A few months ago, I posted an article about the Wilson Grove & Petaluma Formations as the Weekend Adventure. James Allen & Peter Holland from the Northern California
Geological Society have invited us to join them on a their geological field trip. For more information, including registration Click Here.
This is a great opportunity for our group and a wonderful offering from the geological society to include our group on their outing.
Space is limited to 30 people. Cost is $25. A flyer will be posted in the club.
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A Message From
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Tom, your President
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This month's Wednesday meeting will be important for two reasons, 1) We are focusing on ourselves as a group by sharing our Cabs and Slabs, bring your cabs to show,
or bring slabs you may want to trade for somebody else's, and 2) The October Show ball is rolling now. We will be discussing the show, the various
Sub-Committees needed to run the show, and any ideas you have to share! This is your chance to make it your show. We may just want to throw out a
new idea or two, and get a general consensus, and in the process get tweaked on up to a higher level of excitement. Be thinking about it.
A few members have been to Snyder's Ranch and elsewhere recently with stories to tell. Maybe that's where some of this month's trade-able slabs will be
coming from, and seeing someone's Cabs might get you excited to try one for yourself. We'll have a layout to look at after the meeting agenda is covered
including comments for the October Show.
New members bring new ideas, and those who have joined us this year are in for a fun surprise learning about our main event of the year and what
it means in terms of spending time together and getting to know individuals while sharing event tasks. Sub-Committees will likely be divided into
the following categories (or more) discussed at a preliminary meeting on May 27, 08: Publicity, Show Set-Up, Show Program Staffing, Admissions, Junior's Forward,
Security, and Kitchen with additional categories listed under each of these. Steve will be in charge and he needs all of our input to pull it off
as a FUN event from planning to execution. Keep your mind open to tasks few of us can realize are part of a good show and think about what you would like to do.
This is also the month for Club T-Shirts! We can order them now and get exactly what we want.
Show up and shine.
Tom
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Cab of the Month
Bringing back an OLD tradition of SRMGS,
there will be a Cab of the Month contest at June's
GE Meeting!!
Rules: YOU must create your OWN cab!
It can be of any size and made from any "mineral".
If you don't already have one, you have a month to make one!!
Fun prize for winner!!
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Kendra's Pow Wow Report
What a great turn out this year at Snyder's Pow Wow. Several club members were there on Saturday including,
Pete, Tom, John K, Brett & Family, Kendra & Josh, Jayson & Yanti.
Josh, Jayson, Yanti & myself headed up after work Friday night in hopes of fresh for the morning's field trip. We pitched the tents in the dark and fell asleep rather quickly.
The weather was perfect, we had clear skies, minimal breeze and the sun was cool enough to enjoy a day of rockhounding.
This was our first year going on the field trip, and sadly it was the last year that they will be offering it since the owner has past away. There was over 70 people, many seasoned
rockhounds, wanting to take advantage of this last opportunity. We drove to the back of the 500K acre ranch where we divided into 2 groups and began pounding away at
large exposed outcroppings of moss agate.
Josh quickly found a well hammered area tucked up on the hillside in some brush. We began digging around a fairly large softball size exposed piece of agate. Which quickly turned into a
very large boulder of rock with agate veins. Our small tools were no match and using a bit of charm and "helpless girl puppy dog eyes", leader of the group gave us a hand along with the use
of his 6 foot tall pry bar and 20lb sledge hammer to get that boulder free. Josh spent the next hour hammering away at it breaking it into chunks to fill (3) 5 gallon buckets.
And just in time, we had to switch locations with the other group and many people were not so fortunate to leave with that much material.
On the other side of the mountain, we heard a tip about a vein over 1 foot thick and roughly 6 feet long that was exposed and ready to go. Our problem, we already broke our small sledge hammer,
and we (Josh) was exhausted from the last rock! After 10 mins of staring at our "claim", we abandoned our area and hung out with the leader and another couple in a pile of tailings
on the other side of the road (in shade).
We had a really nice time just talking and found some neat specimen peices that had green transparent veins. (I cant recall what it is now, but that was one of the things they were mining
up there according to the leader).
After the trip we were exhausted and thankful to be back to the pow wow. With the cash burning a hole in the pocket, we all set out in search of treasures. Our paths crossed club members quite
often and we would show off our finds and search for some goodies before being seperated again.
Personally, I was on the hunt for some neat spiral shell fossils, and a few cool slabs. I met the field trip cordinator of the roseville club whom is excited about doing a joint
field trip with us and sold me this AMAZING green mineral (which of course i forgot..lol) super cheap!! Everyone says it's the find of the day! (Ok this was said in the kitchen and Josh and
I were the only ones present, but hey that's EVERYONE!!)
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Thank You!!
The following people deserve a round of applause for
their extra efforts in making our club stand out!!
Glen Lehr - Amazing presentation
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Cerro Gordo CFMS Trip
The annual opening of the Cerro Gordo mine is Sunday June 22 for one day only!
Meet at the Lone Pine Chevron station (Lee's Frontier) at the south end of town at 8AM sharp. Cost is $5 a person.
From personal experience you WILL need 4 wheel drive. The road to the mine is a 45 min drive up a STEEP NARROW DIRT ROAD at 8,000 foot elevation.
This is an all day trip, bring a lunch, plenty of water, hat & sunscreen!!
Cero Gordo was primarily a silver mine in the 1870's and a zinc mine around 1911. Collecting will be in old tailing piles scattered around the area. You will be looking primarily for
smithsonite and other copper and lead minerals (including galina which Josh found).
Primary tools: Buckets, small rake, small shovel, water bottle and rock pick
Questions contact: Ray (760) 872-0624
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Did You Know?
California has a greater number of minerals and wider variety of rock types than any other state.
California was the first state state to designate a State Rock.
Sepentine, a shiney green and blue rock found throughout California was named the official State Rock in 1965.
It contains the state principal deposits of chromite, magnesite, and cinnabar.
Roc Toc 12/07
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SLAB & ROCK SWAP
Tired of cutting the same mineral over and over?
Do you have interested slabs collecting dust?
Bring them to the JUNE meeting for our slab and rock swap!
More information at the May meeting!
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In The News...
Joining California's New Gold Rush
BBC News Posted: May 23, 2008
In America, record prices are fuelling a new Gold Rush - 160 years after thousands descended on California, seeking riches.
With uncertainty in oil and stock markets, gold is seen as a stable investment - it hit a new high of more than $1,000 an ounce earlier this year and
some think there is money to be made once more. "You can pay your bills, if you live meagrely," says John Gurney, who gave up his job six months ago to become a full-time gold prospector.
John is standing in a shallow river in Jamestown, California, in the heart of Gold Country: in 1849, the same dream brought hundreds of thousands of people to towns like this.
He is panning for gold: he shovels rocks and dirt from the river bed into a bucket, sifts out the bigger pieces, transfers what's left into a ridged plastic panning bowl,
and then, using a light movement back and forth, shakes the bowl, separating the lighter material from the heavier, including gold.
Each 20-minute session usually turns up a few tiny flecks.
"It's not a lot of money," John says, "but it adds up quite a bit... But you never know - you may hit the jackpot sometime."
This is the simplest way of gold prospecting.
The original 49ers - as they've become known - used this technique, as well as mining.
And in the first five years of the Gold Rush those early pioneers extracted as much as $12 billion worth of gold, at today's prices.
Fortunes were made - and lost - in the wild towns that sprang up almost overnight along 200 miles of central California, an area they called the Motherlode.
Tourism is big business in the former gold-mining areas
Places like Jamestown and Columbia - which, in its heyday, nearly became California's state capital - have been mining tourists ever since.
But now these ghost towns are stirring again, as more and more amateur prospectors try their luck.
Brent Shock wears a huge gold nugget as a ring; with his long leather coat and wild eyes, he has clearly seen a thing or two in his 25 years of gold mining.
He runs gold-panning tours in Jamestown and says it is busier now than he has known it for years.
"You've got a tremendous amount of interest from people now," he tells me, "because gold's at $1,000 an ounce."
Earlier this year the price of gold broke through the magical figure and it has been hovering between $800 and $900 an ounce since.
And there is plenty of gold left in California: it is estimated that the original prospectors found at most 15% of what is thought to be there.
After a few minutes' instruction, I panned for gold, sifting through a five-gallon bucket of gravel.
In half an hour I found what Brent estimated to be worth around $30.
It seemed strangely uncomplicated, and certainly gratifying.
Most of the gold that is left is not so easy to find, but buried deep in the bedrock - modern mining techniques are needed to extract it.
However, the high prices it can fetch make it financially viable, and commercial mining claims in California have rocketed 17-fold in three years
(from 132 in the first quarter of 2005, to 2,274 in the first quarter of 2008).
Near San Francisco, a city that boomed thanks to the first Gold Rush, Mike Dunn recently opened a shop selling prospecting equipment.
You can buy anything from plastic goldpans all the way up to floating dredges at $3,400, with long plastic hoses for sucking up large amounts of material from the river bed.
An experienced prospector himself, Mike opened the shop partly in response to growing demand from keen amateurs.
He says gold offers stability in troubled times.
"As our... economic slump, to put it mildly, increases, [gold] becomes [an] ultimate liquidity for people who are comfortable with it," he told me.
"It's been a universal form of liquidity since the time of man's first discovery of gold. It's always been useful as money and typically at
the higher end of the scale... What's going to happen in two weeks, three weeks in oil, I don't know, but I know gold will be stable.
"With gold you can always get a suit and a steak and I think that's important."
In the studied atmosphere of the What Cheer Saloon in Columbia, Ben the barman wears period costume but serves modern drinks.
A sign outside offers sasparilla (an old type of root beer).
All along the main street in fact are shops and signs from a bygone age - Columbia is a living museum to its glittering past.
And a couple of regulars are pondering this Second Gold Rush.
"It's good for this place because it brings tourism," Pat Narry says. "Tourism has always been gold!"
Bob Beck tells me: "Areas have been milked dry but with the rain and the seasons the gold comes to the surface... so they're praying. At $1,000 an ounce, they're praying!"
Back at the creek in Jamestown a group from the east coast are trying their hand at gold-panning.
Just like in 1849.
History is repeating in places like this: many will dig deep, few will make fortunes in California's new Gold Rush.
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June Birthstones - Pearl /Alexandrite & Moonstone
Pearl is the birthstone for the month of June. It is also the accepted
anniversary gemstone for the 3rd and 30th years of marriage.
A pearl is the product of an oyster's defense mechanism. When a foreign
irritant is introduced either by man (cultured) or naturally, the oyster
immediately surrounds it with layers of a substance called nacre. This forms
the exquisite gemstone know as pearl.
Pearls come in a wide range of colors. They should be relatively free
from skin blemishes. The more perfectly round the shape the better. The
higher the luster, or "orient", the more valuable the specimen.
The larger the pearl, the greater the value.
Besides the popular round shape, there are stylish mabe (large hemispherical cultured pearls), fresh water (elongated in interesting shapes and colors),
and South Sea (large cultured pearls 10mm and up from Australia's and Indonesia's
waters), to name a few. Pearls have been recognized as the emblem of modesty, chastity and purity.
They have come to symbolize a happy marriage.
Avoid household chemicals, cosmetics, hair sprays, and perfumes. Don't
use ultrasonic cleaners. Wash with mild soap and water and store in a protective
chamois pouch or tissue paper.
Alexandrite the traditional birthstone for June is a beautiful, but very rare stone. It is very difficult to find natural alexandrite.
Most Alexandrites on the market are synthetic or created. Alexandrite rings are very beautiful. If Alexandrite is set in a ring, the
wearer can watch the color change from green to red, mauve or brown in incadescent light. Alexandrite has a hardness rating of 8.5.
Care should be taken to protect it from scratches, sharp blows, harsh chemicals and extreme temperatures.
Alexandrite has been found in Brazil, Madagascar, Myanmar, Russia, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Moonstone is a translucent stone that has a shimmering phenomenon known as adularescence and comes in various tones of colorless, white,
yellow, orange, and gray. It always has a white or blue sheen. It is sometimes used as an alternative by those born in June since it physically resembles some pearls.
Moonstone has a hardness of 6 and therefore can be easily scratched.
Moonstone is found in Brazil, European Alps, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and USA (Pennsylvania and Virginia).
Sri Lanka has the highest quality moonstones.
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Stress - Somthing to think about
From the Email Box
A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked "How heavy is this glass of water?"
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."
"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
let them down for a moment if you can."
So my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.
Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
If you can't be kind, a t least have the decency to be vague.
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.
Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
It's the second mouse that gets the cheese.
When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty, and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
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Class Schedule
You do not need to be a SRMGS member to sign up for classes.
Fees are based upon $10/hr instruction.
30% of all class fees are turned over to SRMGS.
Beginning Faceting - 2.5 hours
Every Tuesday (except on third Tuesdays of the month!), 7:30-10 pm
Prerequisite: None (materials only as needed)
Fee $25 Max. Students: 3-4
Pete Peterson has taught this class previously and is back at it again. For anyone who does not know him, you're missing out! Years ago he was a student of
Biff Cicio a California faceter who taught in the Bay area. The class is full of fun anecdotes and pertinent information. Pete knows his gems (and rocks).
Space is LIMITED. We will be covering Choice and Limits of Material, Gem Rough, Cutting Rough to Size, Pre-forming, and work on your first Round Brilliant.
Contact Pete Peterson at 833-2683 to sign up.
Basic Wire -3 1/2 hours
Wednesday 6/18/08, 6:00 to 9:30 pm
Prerequisite: None ($8 materials fee + materials list)
Fee $35. Max. Students: 6
Learning to work with wire has been one of the most satisfying
experiences of my life. Come join me and learn why I love the stuff so much!
You will learn basic and wrapped loop-making techniques, as well as caged
beads, spirals and some earring basics. We will also cover choosing and using
tools, as well as different types of wire. This class is the prerequisite for all my
intermediate and advanced wire and chain-making classes
Contact Eve at email at eve@infostations.com
http://www.evejnavarro.com
Feldspars: The Most Common Mineral on Earth - 1.5 hours
Lecture by Nicole Myers of SSU, SRJC, and COM
Wednesday 6/25, 7-8:30 pm
Prerequisite: None
Fee $10 Max. Students: NONE
Feldspar is the most common mineral on Earth, constituting 60% of the Earth's Crust,
and is found within every rock type. Feldspars differ in appearance depending on their chemical make-up, but have common elements
that allow for easy identification. There are two general types of feldspars, plagioclase feldspars and potassium feldspar,
and three chemical types of feldspar. Within the many varieties of feldspar, there are several extraordinary gem varieties,
including amazonite, labradorite, moonstone, and sunstone. The characteristics that make these varieties standout in nature
are owed to special chemical qualities of feldspar. Learn more in this workshop - of course there will be samples and pictures.
Field Trip
Keith has planned a variety of trips that range from hiking difficulty 1 (low) to 5 (high).
Next trip
Sunday June 22, 2008
Creek Walk near Yorkville
Mystery Rocks, possible Azurite!!
*CAUTION: Be on the look out for POISON OAK.
Bring rubbing alcohol and zip lock bag to clean up if exposed.
Meet at the SRMGS Workshop 9am Sharp!
Bring a lunch, water, layered clothing, rock pick, bucket & lets carpool!
This is a CREEK hike, wear RAIN BOOTS!
Difficulty level: 
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Upcoming Gem and Mineral Shows
Co-OP Field Trip To Spider Mine
June 14, near Red Bluff, CA
Sponsored by SF Gem & Mineral Society
Collection: Rhodonite. Spidery manganese patters in the rhodonite
Details must RSVP: Heinz Dreier
(415)457-1113
June 27-29 Ventura, CA
Calif Federation of Mineralogical Societys
Ventura County Fairgrounds
Sierra St & Fair Drive
Fri 10-5 pm Sat & Sun 10-5
Bural LaRue (909) 874-5664
SRMGS WORKSHOP LOCATION
5690 C Old Redwood Hwy
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 528-7610
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