Pebble Pups are members age 5 to 15 who meet in a nearby room during the monthly general meeting on the second Friday of the month. Activities include rock related crafts and learning about Lapidary and the Earth Sciences. All activities are included in your family membership. Below is some information and activities for Pebble Pups.
| Month | Official Birthstone | Alternates |
|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Chalcedony |
| February | Amethyst | Hyacinth, Zircon |
| March | Aquamarine, Bloodstone | Jasper, Ruby |
| April | Diamond | Sapphire, Crystal |
| May | Emerald | Agate, Chrysoprase |
| June | Pearl, Moonstone, Alexandrite | Emerald |
| July | Ruby | Pearl, Turquoise |
| August | Peridot, Sardonyx | Carnelian, Alexandrite |
| September | Sapphire | Beryl, Lapis Lazuli |
| October | Opal | Tourmaline |
| November | Topaz, Citrine | Pearl, Garnet, Cat’s-Eye |
| December | Turquoise, Zircon | Blue Zircon, Ruby |
| Mineral | Hardness |
|---|---|
| Talc | 1 |
| Gypsum | 2 |
| Calcite | 3 |
| Fluorite | 4 |
| Apatite | 5 |
| Feldspar | 6 |
| Quartz | 7 |
| Topaz | 8 |
| Corundum | 9 |
| Diamond | 10 |
| Hardness | Common Tests |
|---|---|
| 1 | Easily scratched with finger nail |
| 2 | Scratched by fingernail (2.5) |
| 3 | Scratched by a penny (3.0) |
| 4 | Scratched easily by a knife, but will not scratch glass |
| 5 | Difficult to scratch with a knife; barely scratches glass (5.5) |
| 6 | Scratched by a steel file (6.5); easily scratches glass |
| 7 | Scratches a steel file and glass |
Grow a Crystal Garden !
BE SURE YOU HAVE AN ADULT SUPERVISING YOU!
First you will need to gather the following articles:
- a shallow glass bowl
- broken pieces of porous brick or pumice
- household ammonia
- liquid laundry blueing
- food coloring
- salt
Wash the pieces of rock and arrange them in the glass bowl while still wet. In a separate glass container mix 4 tablespoons of water with 4 tablespoons of ammonia. Pour the mixture over the wet rocks making sure to dampen them all. Cover one rock with undiluted blueing and sprinkle the others with food coloring – red, yellow and green, with a drop of blueing added here and there. Now sprinkle 4 tablespoons of salt over all the rocks.Within a few hours crystals will begin to form. If you watch closely, you can actually see them grow. After two days, add more water and ammonia mixture and this will start your crystals growing again. The crystals are very fragile and will break if you bump the bowl. With all the colors you have added, you will have a beautiful bowl of crystals.
