Lapidary clubs promote popular interest and education in
lapidary, the craft of working, forming and finishing stone, minerals and gemstones. These clubs sponsor and provide means for their members to engage in all forms of
jewellery making,
cabochon cutting and
faceting,
carving,
glass beadmaking and
craft work. The clubs also promote and facilitate healthy outdoor activities in the form of field trips to various
fossicking locations for the purpose of collecting
gemstone
A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, ...
s or
mineral specimen
Specimen may refer to:
Science and technology
* Sample (material), a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount
* Biological specimen or biospecimen, an organic specimen held by a biorepository ...
s. Lapidary is particularly popular in the United States of America and Australia where large numbers of clubs were formed in the 1950s and 1960s.
In Australia, the peak body is the Australian Federation of Lapidary & Allied Crafts Associations Inc known as AFLACA. AFLACA has eight member organisations that together represent several hundred lapidary and related clubs across Australia.
Each year AFLACA holds its GEMBOREE which is a national Gem, Lapidary and Mineral Competition and Show which in addition to exhibitions and displays includes Lapidary Club members competing for awards in a range of lapidary categories.
External links
Considerations in choice of lapidary club
Hobbies
Hardstone carving
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