Please join us on October 12th at 7:30 PM in the Multipurpose Room at the Veterans Memorial Complex, 4117 Overland Ave, Culver City 90230.

What constitutes a ruby? How rubies are made. How Rubies are rated in value compared with other gemstones? Where & why the best rubies are found today and in the past? Why best rubies are rare? History of ruby mining. Ruby myths. Notable Rubies of the past and their impact on societies. And conflict in the Mogok Valley, Myanmar, and Mozambique. Our October presenter will discuss all this and more.

Darrell Clausen is an excellent communicator, light-hearted and good-humored. He joined the Army Security Agency and was stationed in northern Thailand. This provided the background for his first novel, Flower Soldier, an international love story in the mountains of Laos. His second novel, Chasing Rubies, features a man obsessed with Burmese rubies trying to outlive an unscrupulous past. His love of the owner of a Beverley Hills jewelry shop takes him to the Burmese in desperate search of a smuggled ruby. There, he finds he has to embrace the life he is trying to escape to discover what matters most in his life.

Darrell graduated from ICU University in Tokyo, and after ten years in Japan, returned to California, where he co-owns a tour agency and travels frequently to Asia and Europe.

Darrell has written many short stories centered around his experiences with people of different languages and cultures, and he thrives in international settings. His humor and knowledge make him an entertaining speaker to any audience.

The Veteran’s Memorial Multi-Purpose Room is in the back of the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium Building. When entering the parking lot from Culver Blvd. (closest to Overland Blvd.), walk to the right when facing the building. Around the corner is a sign leading to the Multi-Purpose Room, where our meetings are held.