January 2013 SLOGMC Meeting

Tonight I was able to make a rare appearance at a club meeting of the San Luis Obispo Gem & Mineral Club. Due to the usual day of the month they hold it (first Tuesday) being New Year's Day the meeting was held one week later, ergo tonight. During tonight's meeting we elected (mostly reelected) our club officers, enjoyed a presentation by a metal detector aficionado and salesman, went through some lapidary material recently donated to the club, and conducted our monthly "Find of the Month" contest (won by me tonight).

Some Big Sur Jade finds by club member (and jade hunter) Mike Lyons.

A local resident gave us an interesting presentation about metal detector treasure-hunting. His name is being withheld for his privacy and safety.

Some of the treasure-hunter's recent finds (over the past month or so).

A meteorite the treasure-hunter found in Sun Valley, AZ.

A meteor-wrong found by the treasure-hunter in Sun Valley, AZ.

Gold found by our intrepid treasure-hunter.

Gold in/on quartz owned (but not found) by one of our club members.

The aforementioned recently-donated lapidary material.

A club feeding frenzy ensued over the lapidary material.

My recently-purchased botryoidal orpiment won "Find of the Month" tonight! Note: contest rules do not require items be personally mined or collected or that they even be material with a local provenance.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).