Gem, Lapidary and Mineral Society of D.C. Inc.

WHAT WOMAN ISN"T CAPTIVATED by the satiny elegance of pearls, precious organic gems with colors that range from the depths of a stormy sky to the soft hues of a desert sunset? Whether perfectly round or irregular, cultured in saltwater or freshwater, a pearl is an incomparable thing of beauty. On May 18, Lisa Carp will present Pearls for Girls, with an emphasis on wearing them. Her knowledge and experience is certain to provide an academic and fun#$lled evening, complete with samples to pass around. Lisa is an active member of our club. She spent her youth in New York, where she ultimately received her bachelor"s degree in biology from Hunter College of the City University of New York. However, while traveling around the world with her husband, her real love%gemology%took hold and began to develop. Lisa expanded her interest by studying gemology for many years under the caring tutelage of Louise Taggert. After Mrs. Taggert passed away in 1998, Lisa became the instructor and expanded the classes. Despite all that she has learned, she still claims to be a &dedicated student' of gems and is always on the lookout for anything new and exciting to incorporate into her lectures.

The origin of the order Cetacea (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) is an example of a major evolutionary transition: the return of terrestrial mammals to the sea. Dave will discuss what land mammal group is thought to be the ancestor of whales and the evidence for that. The talk will also include discussion of some early whales, then the living groups of whales (toothed and baleen), and an overview of cetacean diversity, both living and fossil. The nearby Calvert Cliffs is famous for the fossil whales and dolphins found there, and some areas are open to amateur collecting. Some examples in the talk will be from that area. Hopefully, there will be time after and, perhaps, before the talk to identify fossils. David J. Bohaska is a Museum Specialist in the Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. He is a research assistant and helps care for the collection, particularly the fossil marine mammals. He has been at the Smithsonian since 1989. Previously, he was Registrar at The Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, MD. His field work has been primarily at Calvert Cliffs, and the coastal plain of North and South Carolina and Georgia.

Morocco is a country of great mineral wealth, with signifcant deposits of silver, copper, lead, and cobalt. It has an abundance of fossils, including dinosaurs, trilobites, and sharks. Although less well known, this North African nation also has many large deposits of beautiful agates. Bob Farrar will focus his presentation primarily on these colorful minerals, with pictures and specimens from several localities. Bob has been collecting rocks, minerals, and fossils for more than 40 years. He has traveled extensively in pursuit of interest, including making several trips to Morocco. He also has written a number of articles about his travels for Rock & Gem and other publications. Bob holds a Ph.D. in entomology and works for the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture in Beltsville, Maryland.

There are some real mineral treasures to be found in the United States, and avid collectors and jewelry designers Michele McMurtry and Tim Morgan have spent their share of time hunting them down. Michele and Tim will be Front & Center this month with tales of their adventures at Poland Mining Camp in Poland, Maine, and the Morefield Mine in Amelia Courthouse, Virginia. They’ll also show examples of specimens collected from the sites.

Gemologist, jewelry designer, and GLMSDC member Denise Nelson regales us once again with “Cherished Treasures”, stories of unique and precious rarities found in four European museum collections. See brilliant and colorful minerals, gems, and jewels as she shares the historic background of the former owners and the events for which they were created. Denise Nelson is the owner of the jewelry enterprise Inner Circle.

Maria an avid fossil collector, who has traveled to several places collecting different fossils mostly marine Pleistocene thru cretaceous periods She is a docent at the NMNH, doing tours in the Ocean Hall, works in the fossil lab and helps with special events on occasion. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Aurora Fossil Museum in Aurora NC. Maria will be sharing photos and samples from some of the digs she has been on, especially Potash (Lee Creek Mine) and talking about her collection and will even share some calcified clams from Ruck's Pit in Florida with us, so you don't want to miss an opportunity to get a piece from Rucks Pit!

See you in September