A History of Events 2009 - 2016
2016 Events
Garnet Gathering Field Trip: November 19, 2016
Minerals to Collect: Garnets, Epidote, Diopside, Epidote var.Clinozoisite, Axinite, Quartz, Calcite, Skarn and more.
Orange County Fair: July 30th & 31st, 2016
Lothar Vollot & John Eyre hosted a booth as part of the Alumni Association's community outreach.
Annual Alumni Fundraising Dinner: June 11, 2016
Every one of the almost 400 lots of donations sold! Special thanks to Mike Alvarez and Mary Stambaugh and other volunteers for their help. Attendance was at least 80 people.
West Coast Gem & Mineral Show: May 13th - May 15th, 2016
Community outreach event.
The Searchers: May 7th & 8th, 2016
Community outreach event.
"Imaginology": April 15th - 17th, 2016
This community outreach event is important not for the amount of new students we will garner, but for the inspiration we can give to our future leaders. It is a giant event at the OC Fairgrounds for kids from 2 to 18 years old. We will have a booth playing our games and talking to kids.
2015 Events
Oceanview Tourmaline Mine: November 22, 2015
Field Trip
American Opal Society: November 8th & 9th, 2015
Outreach Program
October 23rd: Alumni Meeting
Guest speaker.
"Jams, Jellies & Gemology": August 15th & 16th, 2015
Outreach program at the Orange County Fair
Annual Alumni Fundraising Dinner: June 6, 2015
At the Old World Restaurant in Huntington Beach. Our second highest attendance ever! After expenses, we raised approximately $9,000 for the program!
West Coast Gem & Mineral Show: May 15th - 17th, 2015
Outreach Program
Searchers Gem & Mineral Show: May 2nd - 3rd, 2015
Outreach Program
The Imaginarium at the OC Fairgrounds: April 24th-26th, 2015
Outreach Program
Alumni Meeting: March 20, 2015
Planning the upcoming fundraising dinner.
Science Night at Santiago Canyon College: March 13, 2015
Outreach Program
2014 Events
Theron Carter. “A World of Colored Diamonds”: October 24th
Alumni Meeting
Audry Lynn Tourmaline Mine in San Diego County: October 11th
Field Trip
Dollar Sale Event: August 22nd
Alumni Meeting
Orange County Fair: July 26th & 27th
Outreach Program
Annual Alumni Dinner: June 7th
Held at Old World Village in Huntington Beach
Alumni Meeting: May 23rd
Final planning & preparation for the Alumni Dinner
West Coast Gem & Mineral Show: May 16th, 17th & 18th
Outreach Program
Searchers Gem & Mineral Show: May 3rd & 4th
Outreach Program
The Imaginarium (formerly Youth Expo) at OC Fairgrounds: April 11th, 12th, & 13th
Outreach Program
Alumni Meeting: March 25th
Special Guest Presenter: Avi Raz, AtoZ Pearls & Renee Newman, author of "Pearls" textbook.
Alumni Meeting: March 21st
Michael Larson, GG “Jewelry at Auction” Department Head of Jewelry & Fine Watches at Freeman’s
Science Night at Santiago Canyon College: March 14th
Outreach Program
Alumni Meeting: January 24th
Jack Ghazalian, jeweler to Saudi & Brunei Royal Families
2013 Events
November 15th: Meg Berry, Gem Faceter
Our guest speaker at the Alumni Meeting was Meg Berry, a premier gemstone faceter.
July 27th & 28th: Orange County Fair
One of our annual outreach programs.
July & August: Summer Gemology Classes
These short but information-packed classes are a great refresher for past alumni, or, for new students, a comprehensive introduction to the science of gemology.
June 8th: Alumni Fundraising Dinner
The dinner was a huge success, with good food, a spacious venue, and a profitable silent auction.
April 12-14th: Youth Expo at the Orange County Fairgrounds
Thousands of kids from pre-school through high school and their parents visited.
March 22nd: Alumni Association Meeting
Planning session for the upcoming Annual Fundraising Dinner
March 19th: Avi Raz of A & Z Pearls
Avi, a former president of the American Cultured Pearl Council, is a leader in his field. His talks are always very interesting based on his perspectives and travels. He always brings some wonderful examples of his design work as well as some spectacular pearls.
March 15th: Science Night at SCC
The Alumni Association staffed a booth to inform parents & students about the Gemology Program.
January 11th: Alumni Association Meeting
Getting ready to start the new year, discussing the upcoming Tucson Gem Show.
2012 Events
November 17th: Field Trip to a Grossular Garnet Deposit
Everyone found something on this great trip to a grossular garnet deposit on Old Idyllwild Road in Banning.
November 3rd & 4th: American Opal Society Show
We manned a booth promoting the Gemology Program.
October 19th: Alumni Association Meeting
Member Earle Butts was the guest presenter. He brough his gemstone inventory for liquidation, and the Alumni Association earned $270.
July 28th & 29th: OC Fair
This is the premier outreach event for us. We were in the Home Arts bulding: Jams, Jellies & Gemology. We are listed in the event schedule and entertain and inform thousands of fair goers.
June 9th: Alumni Association Fundraising Dinner
Our most successful yet! At Moreno's restaurant. After expenses, we raised over $6,000. Disneyland, the Angels, and 15 other corporations donated tickets and merchandise. Another highlight was a $2,200 "Gem Limonite" donated by former student Dave Burton from Burton's Gems and Opals.
May 25th: Alumni Association Meeting
Plans were in full swing for the annual fundraising dinner.
May 11th - 13th: West Coast Gem & Mineral Show
The promotor donates a booth to us. We play "Gemfoolery" and offer free gemstone identification while promoting SCC and the Gemology Program.
May 5th & 6th: Searchers Gem & Mineral Show
We had a booth at the annual show staged by California's -- if not the West Coast's -- largest mineral club.
April 13th - 15th: Youth Expo at the OC Fairgrounds
"Ewe Rock" - this 3-day event was an introduction for children of all ages to the mineral kingdom. The Searchers Minceral Club helped out at the booth.
March 16: Santiago Canyon College Career Day
Faculty and volunteers discussed career opportunities in the jewelry industry.
March 16: Alumni Association Meeting
Guest speaker was Walt Lombardo, who lectured about birthstones..
March 8th: Pearls, Pearls Pearls!
Avi Raz, owner of A & Z pearls was a guest speaker at the Pearls class. Avi addressed industry developments and brought some of his award winning jewelry (made with pearls, of course) along with spectacular pearls of all varieties.
March 2nd
Science Night at Santiago Canyon College. We had 4 stations demonstrating some of the more interesting aspects of gems and minerals to parents and their children.
January 20: Alumni Association Meeting
Guest speaker was Jack Lui, who supplies stone cutting services in China.
2011
November 11: Alumni Association Meeting
Held at Nevada Book & Mineral Co., where Walt Lombardo gave a talk on Corundum in North America
September 23: Alumni Association Meeting
Enrollment is good and we are encouraged by the support of the new Dean, Corine Doughty.
August 6-7: Orange County Fair
We had a good showing, thanks to those who helped and those who visited!
June 25: Alumni Association Fundraising Dinner
Moreno’s Restaurant
May 27: Alumni Association Meeting
Looking for items for the Silent Auction at the upcoming Alumni Dinner. Disneyland has donated $400 worth of tickets!
May 20-22: West Coast Gem & Mineral Show
This is the premier gem show in Orange County, so plan on helping out at our booth and visiting the show.
April 8th - 10th Barn to Be Wild: OC Fair Youth Expo
We will have a setup similarto what we have at the Fair. Of course, we are there to promote the program to the kids and their parents. However, by participating you are also giving back to your community as a whole by providing information and inspiration to our youth.
Alumni Association Meeting: Friday, February 25
Roger will talk about gold mining in Southern California, business agenda items will be discussed after.
Saturday, March 19: Bowers Museum Lecture: Macro to Micro - Inclusions ad Gemstone Formation
Inclusions in gem materials are generally quite small and most often microscopic. However, some are surprisingly large, and contribute significantly to both the beauty and value of the gems hosting them. John Koivula, Chief Research Gemologist, GIA, world leading authority on inclusions in gemstones, explores such inclusions at the macro and micro levels, and describes how they can also help to define the geological origins of their hosts.
Co-sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America and the Gem and Mineral Society, Los Angeles Museum of Natural History.
Friday, March 17: Santiago Canyon College Career Day
Special thanks to John Eyre and helpers Kelsey and Walt Lombardo for representing us at this event.
2010
December 4, 2010: Jewel Tunnel Imports Open House
Rock Currier: (626) 814-2257 -- rockcurrier@cs.com
Normally we are wholesale only. For this event only, members will be able to buy at our normal wholesale price. The openhouse will also provide people attending a good overview of the kinds of minerals and related natural history objects available on the market today and some insight to the importing and distribution of such things.
November 19, 2010: Alumni Meeting
Lothar brought along a few boxes of gem books to sell -- all proceeds will go to the Alumni Association.
Saturday, November 6th & Sunday, November 7th: American Opal Society's 43rd Annual OPAL & GEM SHOW
www.opalsociety.org
Gene LeVan at (562) 208-7494 -- fineblackopal@sprynet.com
Corey Kuepper at (714) 736-0581 rockhwnd@aol.com
October 10th, 2010: Garnet Queen Mine Field Trip
Riverside County.
September 17th meeting: Diamonds in North America
Presentation by Walt Lombardo from the Nevada Mineral & Book store.
July 24th & 25th, 2010: Orange County Fair
For more information about the the Orange County Fair, visit www.ocfair.com
May 1st & 2nd, 2010: Annual Searchers Gem & Mineral Society Show
For more about the Searchers Gem & Mineral Society, visit www.searchersrocks.org
May 15th, 16th & 17th, 2010: West Coast Gem & Mineral Show
For more information about the show, visit www.mzexpos.com
March 12, 2010: Science Night at Santiago Canyon College
The Gemology department had a table at this event.
March 26, 2010: 7th Grade Career Day at Santiago Canyon College
Many thanks to Kelsey for repesenting the Gemology program at this event.
January 22, 2010: Charlie Carmona: "Gems Down Under - An Australian Gem Adventure"
Charlie gave an interesting slide presentation, and talked about his chartered trip to the Sapphire and Opal mines in Australia next summer. If you are interested, you can contact Charlie at (213) 624-0137.
2009
November 7-8, 2009: American Opal Society Show
We had a booth at the show.
September 18, 2009: Yvette Eckman of Traditional Jewelers in Newport Beach
We were proud to host Yvette, the first woman Master Bench Jeweler, at our alumni meeting.
June 28, 2009: Crystal Mountain Field Trip
Hats off to Anne Davila for coordinating the trip. The quartz crystals were small, but everyone found something interesting.