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 Post subject: An Evening on Benitoite With a Road Trip
PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:56 am 
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Location: San Francisco
An Evening On Benitoite
California's Rare and Beautiful State Gemstone
AND
Road trip to the Mine Camp


The extensive knowledge of our trio of speakers lends to a creative, insightful, and thorough coverage of the brilliant world of Benitoite. The lectures starts with the Geology and History of Benitoite then leads into the exploration/discovery of our state stone. The lectures continue with gemological aspects of this wonderous stone and how they relate to the final faceted gemstone. The evening covers the scientific, practical, and field knowledge that have been gleaned from our speakers years of working with Benitoite. It will be an evening that should leave you dreaming beautiful benitoite.

Come early, stones and specimens will be available for viewing and sale before and after the lecture. A video of the "Cash and Treasures" episode on Benitoite featuring Harry and Mary White will be showing during the cocktail hour.

The Speakers:

Rick Kennedy has been working with Benitoite for over 25 years, ever since he was a geology student at UC Santa Cruz. His company, Earth's Treasures was formed during those college years and was a part time business from 1986 until 2005 when he went full time. Earth's Treasures specializes in fine mineral specimens and rare gemstones and Rick specializes in rough and cut suites of crystalline minerals and faceted gemstones and currently has over 100 different species in his faceted gemstone collection (a selection will be set up at the meeting).

Harry and Mary White, G.G. have been rockhounds (individually and together) for 30 years, and like all rockhounds, have faced the dilemma - what do we do with all these rocks??? Harry had worked with wood, abalone shell and stone for years, and this evolved into his current work as a professional carver, faceter, and lapidarist. He teaches faceting at the San Francisco Gem and Mineral Society and facets for many jewelers and individuals. Mary became a gemologist because of her interest in science in general and the formation of gemstones. They found participation in the now-defunct "Cash and Treasures" show on the California State Gem Mine to be great fun, and hope that people will soon understand that benitoite is out there still to be found, as it is California's rare treasure.


When: Wednesday September 30th
Where:Sinbad's Restaurant, Pier 2, San Francisco (next to the Ferry Building)


Cocktail hour 6-6:45
Dinner 6:45-7:30
Lecture: 7:30-9:30


The usual location and such...then

Road Trip
Saturday October 3, 2009
9 AM until 3pm
Cal State Gem Mine- Coalinga California
$70 for the day to screen and dig through the mine tailings at the base camp. We cannot go to the mine. Mary says that there have been some decent stones come from the screenings and it's a fun day for us all.



According to the miners, there are NO, NONE,ZIP good hotels in Coalinga, just the one nice bed and breakfast. Stay by Interstate 5, only 10 miles away.
This website has all the details you need to know.
We will meet at the mine at 9am.
www.calstategemmine.com


PLEASE LET STARLA TURNER KNOW IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO COME SO I CAN PRE RESERVE OUR SPACES:
teefam@ix.netcom.com


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:58 am 
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Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am
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Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
Image Why do all these great things take place in such a city????? Why don't they ever come to a sweet town such as St. Paul?????

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:10 am 
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:lol: modo!!

sounds like fun!!

we were able to see several of the faceted benitoite and pieces of jewelry of benitoite which iteco had at the cartersville gem show-beautiful!!

i recall watching the cash and treasures episode-really fascinating when they went looking for benitoite at night!!

8)


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:12 am 
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Location: San Francisco
Do you have an alumni chapter in your area?
Have them arrange some affairs. :D

Speakers are only a phone call away....oh yeah, and we do pay for air fare and hotel accommodations. The money is generated from hosting the events.

Starla Turner and Suzanne Martinez , I must say, are the world's greatest planners and organizers. They've been doing it for 20+ years. But everyone has to start sometime.


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:18 am 
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Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
A brand new chapter is starting here in the Twin Cities this month :D . I hope we can get some great presentations to come this way (they may not want to in the winter 8) :lol: ).

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:19 am 
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Our talk is featuring the same crew from Cash & Treasures.


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:23 am 
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Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
I've often wondered why California chose benitoite as the official state gem when so few people can have it :( . Why not the beautiful tourmaline or some other gem found in California? The only benitoite I've been able to afford are specimens. What's that called? In sito??

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:33 am 
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I think it was chosen because it is not found outside of the San Benito area.
Tourmaline is found in several states.

The mineral specimens with benitoite, neptunite and natrolite are getting very rare. I don't have any in my collection. Well perhaps someday.


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:20 pm 
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I am so, so jealous. Benitoite is one of my absolute favorite stones.

I luckily bought a really nice one from Scott Forrest before the prices REALLY skyrocketed. It is one of my favorite things. :)


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:36 am 
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8) w. scott forrest is who i was going to suggest to modo to check out his benitoite stones and jewelry. he was on one of the travel channel cash and treasures episodes also. on his website, he has information that his father and another man owned the benitoite mine at one time. ?


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