A girl in a candy store....my trip to the LA Natural History Museum

The Los Angeles Natural History Museum, Gem and Mineral Hall displays more than 2,000 spectacular specimens and is by far the finest exhibit of gems and minerals in the world. It features an incredible array of gems and minerals from all around the globe even specimens from California the Benitiote, which is the official state gemstone mined from the San Benito County mine. Every one of the objects in the gallery is beautiful and interesting in their own right.

The museum opened in November 5, 1913 and just 3 days after opening General Charles Forman, made one of the first minerals donations to the museum. At that time Dr. Howard Hill, a zoologist, curated minerals, shells, fish, amphibians, and reptiles remained for 40 years with the museum. Towards the end of 1959, NHM began a campaign to build their collection of gems and minerals through major purchases. Important purchases were from Martin Ehrmann (1904 - 1972), a long time LA resident and Museum - quality mineral specimens dealer who sold world-class specimens to museum supporters such as Marion Stuart and Ed Harrison, who later donated the purchased specimens to the museum. I have just touched on a few names as there were many others of the next many decades that made the exhibit what it is today.

In 1971 the building of the North Wing began, which is now the Gems and Minerals Hall. November 1989 “Best of LA” featured in the Los Angeles Magazine, the Museum's Hall of Gems and Minerals was recognized s the best permanent museum exhibition in LA. During the 80’s there were many large endowments, gifts, and galas that took place. The Gem & Mineral Council was founded, which provides essential support for the museums department as well as provides it’s members with unparalleled programs of activities including educational lectures, exclusives social events and field trips to various places around the world pertaining to gems and minerals.

I have to say, by far this was my favorite exhibit of any museum trip I have taken. I was like a little girl in a candy store wanting ever gem and mineral specimen that I saw. The array of colors was both enticing and inspiring to view. Every gem and mineral I viewed the next was more spectacular and beautify than the previous. The exhibit has a vault room, which houses the precious gemstones and you can see rough to the finished piece giving a perspective on from beginning to end. This, I find fascinating and exciting to view, admiring all the possibilities of a small piece of rough. Below are several photos from the exhibit that I hope you enjoy looking at as much as I enjoyed seeing and if you are ever in LA, this is a must see museum in my book.

Gems of Pala Mine Trip

The GIA school puts on several mining trips per year and I decided to embark on this particular not wanting to miss out on a once in a lifetime experience. We visited to Stewart Lithia mine located in Pala, California presently owned by a long time miner Blue Sheppard. This mine is known as the largest mine largest pegmatite operation in US history. Absolutely an industrial giant! A pegmatite is a coarsely crystalline granite or igneous rock with crystals from centimeters to several meters in length. Truly an amazing occurrence of nature that continues to fascinate me the more I learn about gemstones at GIA and experience the rock world outside of the jewelry store environment.

Gem quality natural pink tourmaline is fives times as rare as gem quality diamonds and more than time times as valuable as gold in it’s natural form. Tourmaline produces exquisite gemstones that are beautiful in saturation, vibrant in color and a tone that is luscious.
In the 1890’s most of the Stewart Lithia tourmaline mined was exported to China of rate Chi’ing Dynasty Imperial Court of the Empress T’su Hsi, who financially supported all of San Diego County tourmaline mining for 30 years. Pink Tourmaline was believed to be a sacred gem of the Bodhisattva Kwan Yin, is the embodiment of great compassion. He has vowed to free all sentient beings from suffering.

Blue purchased the museum 30 plus years ago and has operated it ever since. He has mined all over the world and has found incredible amounts of gem quality tourmaline, quartz, feldspar and other varieties. Many of the gemstones and specimens from this mine are in museums like GIA, Smithsonian & Los Angeles National History Museum. So if you are ever in one of those places do keep an eye out for a specimen from Gems of Pala.

As I put my hard hat on and grabbed a flash light the excitement of going into a mine and seeing were gemstones and specimens are dug was fascinating to me. I could see myself with a hammer and chisel standing on a ladder searching, digging and eagerly anticipating the next find. Especially, if you are like Blue and find pockets of gem quality stones that profit millions of dollars with that one find! Who knew mother nature could be so generous….

The temperature in Pala, CA was 87% and with pants and a long shirt was rather smoldering, yet the anticipation weight heavier. Entering the mine, I could feel the cool damp dark rock. We traveled down the mine about 400 meters, which, took approximately 20 minutes. Blue took us into the Honeymoon Sweet, which is a room that produced a wealth of gem quality tourmaline for him. As you view the photos from below the rock inside the mine is of all colors, the sparkle at times is stunning and to see them protruding from the rock, exposed specimens, what a delight for me. A world of fascination and as I continue to learn about different aspect of the jewelry trade my love grows deeper everyday.

Thank you for reading and your interest in my experience is appreciate. Please read next weeks blog, which will be a personal interview of Blue’s life as a miner and the extraordinary experiences he has had.

Please see below several photos from the inside of the mine.

Blue Sheppard mine owner showing us the medical device he uses while working in the mine.

Black Tourmaline specimen

Lippidolite in the mine walls

The road that is taking me on this journey....

The road that is taking me on this journey……

This week I would like to take the time to tell you exactly how this journey has been going thus far. When I originally arrived that Friday afternoon at the Gemological Institute of America, GIA, for my orientation in classroom #207, I was excited, anticipating a fabulous as well as relaxing shall we say, "VACATION" type summer-time in Southern California. Of course, I knew there would be work involved, but truthfully, I had not expected my days to be too rigorous. I have been in the jewelry and luxury industry for more than 20 years. I design jewelry and anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE everything about jewelry.

I missed the class orientation. It was held the week before I arrived.  My schedule did not allow me to be at the school at that time. So I arranged with the administrations office for my orientation on the Friday before the Monday school start date. I walked in and met my instructor, Tim, who showed me my desk assignment. There was a stack of 3 ring binders, books, pamphlets and assorted instruments on the desk. I foolishly asked him what was all that the stuff on my desk and to my surprise, he told me it was my course curriculum.  Shock rushed through out my body. Then he informed me I had three chapters to study over the weekend before class on Monday. Alarm set in as I realized this program was going to be more serious than I had expected. In high school I rarely found the subjects interesting, and sometimes it was hard to grasp all the information coming my way. How was I going to weather this storm that was about to take place. The thought came over me, maybe this idea of getting my GG wasn't the best one I have had recently!!!

Well, here I was, hitting the books again. Being older, and I would like to think more well rounded, my approach to studying at this time was different than high school.  Age and experience of life have helped me. Today, I work to achieve improvement of one small milestone at a time. My expectations are more realistic. The last eight weeks have been challenging. I have had to work my catoocas off, but my time here so far has remarkably rewarding. When I was twenty I would have compared myself to others, today I have learned to compare myself to myself. When I have a little victory, I make a big deal about it-- for me. This has helped me to stay here, in this course and finish out what I set out to do. There were two times in the past several weeks that I thought, I can't do this. The work is too hard and I just don't have what it takes. Well, I have accepted that is not true. That thought is was an out and out lie. I DO have what it takes -- one stone at a time, one question on the test every Friday at a time.

Oh, and did I tell you that by the last week of September, I will have looked at, and graded, 1,860 stones.  When I heard that number I almost fell off my chair. Not only do I need to see that many stones, but each week there is a stone count that is required, with a test every Friday on the course work, cumulative up to the date of information given. The final kicker was when I was informed that this course work in an Ivy League college would take 2.5 years. We are doing it in less than six months. This GIA course is no joke. Boy, did I embark on some character building work, or what???

My fellow students are from all around the world.  Some of them are the most fascinating, lovely, kind in spirit people I could ask to meet. Angel, my study partner, car pool buddy and dear friend, makes me laugh so often that I remember not take myself too seriously. He truly is an angel and the smartest, most driven person that I am fortunate enough to know her at GIA. Elizabeth, a real Nicole Kidman look alike, could not be any more encouraging. She is as beautiful as she is kind and an extremely well rounded woman. Julie, a hippie girl from Berkley, is a third generation jeweler and as cool as they come. She’s an incredible sketcher and very spirited with a joy for life to that is infectious. David, second generation jeweler and race car driver is totally laid back. He really knows how to enjoy the moment. He’s a perfect example for me of someone wearing life like a loose garment. Then, we have Bruce, who surprises me more often than not, with something I do not expect. He reminds me of my brother, big heart, funnier than funny and appreciative of life. He is a veteran who has served three tours and for that alone he deserves applause as well as admiration in my book. And lastly, I can not finish without mentioning Faris.... A 6" 4 inch, smile to melt your heart, and our class president. If I was 20 years younger I would be trying to get in all sorts of trouble with him! A true gentleman and remarkable young man that his parents can be truly proud of the person they brought into this world. These people are some of the finest human beings that I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I learn from them and my admiration continues to grow the more I get to know them. M xo

Course curriculum.... who knew?

Mined rough _ A Gemologists Heaven

Left to right; Faris, Julie, Andrew, Elizabeth, David, Seth, Derek & Chin