Please join us on January 12th at 7:30 PM in the Glorya Kaufman Community Center located at 10858 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90230. The community center is right next to the Scout House and our Lapidary Workshop. Park in the parking lot by the Scout House. We will arrange for the door from the parking lot to the Kaufman building to be open.

At our first meeting there, we are delighted to have Renée Newman return, this time to give a presentation on “Surprising Facts About Pearls.”

Some of the world’s most colorful pearls are found in Mexico. Pteria sterna pearls found there may resemble Tahitian cultured pearls, and some are so colorful that they have been nicknamed “rainbow pearls” (see above). Mexico is also famous for being the source of the world’s oldest pearls, which were found on Espiritu Santo Island in the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez. Radiocarbon dating indicates they were at least 8,500 years old. Evidence for the historical importance of pearls in Mexico was also provided by the 1932 discovery of pearls at the Monté Albán archeological site in the present-day state of Oaxaca, which was inhabited from 500 BCE to 850 CE.

More recently, Mexico has been noted for its wide variety of natural pearls, including pearls from abalone, scallops, pen shell clams, and Pteria sterna (rainbow-lipped) oysters. Besides showing photos of these pearls, Renée’s PowerPoint presentation will also discuss other topics such as

• The highest priced pearls
• The American pearl rush
• South Sea pearls that resemble Chinese freshwater baroque pearls
• How Australia became the first country to produce cultured saltwater round pearls
• How pearl oysters improve our atmosphere and the oceans. And more.

Renée Newman GG (GIA) developed her interest in pearls when she was an international tour director and visited Japan, China, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and French Polynesia. After obtaining her Graduate Gemologist diploma from GIA, she became a gemologist and jewelry control manager at the Josam Diamond Trading Corporation in downtown Los Angeles. Even though their focus was on diamonds, they realized that mounting diamonds with colored gems and pearls gave them a wider variety of jewelry to sell and higher profit margins. Armed with trade experience and gemological credentials, Newman decided to create books that helped readers visually evaluate the quality of gems. Since 1989, she has written sixteen books on gems and jewelry. Her latest book is Pearls: Their History, Sources, Types & Qualities. The books will be available for sale at the meeting for a discounted price. Bring cash or check.Luis de los Santos was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his fascination with the natural world began at the age of six, collecting rocks with a sense of wonder that would stay with him for life. Though he earned a five-year degree from the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Buenos Aires, it was the earth’s treasures—not the stage—that ultimately captured his heart.

In 1991, de los Santos relocated to the United States with his family and established his rock and fossil business. Since then, he has continued to travel between both countries, hand-selecting the finest agates to share with collectors, rock enthusiasts, and museums around the world. For de los Santos, every piece tells a story—of nature, of time, and of the land he proudly calls home.

For more information about Renée and her books, go to www.reneenewman.com. You can connect with her on Instagram @reneenewmangg and Facebook at www.facebook.com/renee.newman.5648

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The Glorya Kaufman Community Center is part of the Wende Museum and is located at 10858 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90230 next to the Scout House and our Lapidary Workshop. Park in the parking lot by the Scout House.