A HOBBY FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY
Rock and Mineral Collecting, Lapidary Arts, Silversmithing
And more …
WHO WE ARE:
The Richmond Gem and Mineral Society (RGMS), founded in 1957 as the Richmond Gem and Mineral Club, is a nonprofit, family-oriented society formed to foster and promote the hobby of rock collecting, and to preserve the cultural art of lapidary and silversmithing. We do this by encouraging members to go rockhounding at shows and in the wild, and take the basic training courses offered, such as: rock identification, lapidary, silversmithing, lost wax casting, and to continue exploring their interests during open workshop hours.
As a member of the BC Lapidary Society (BCLS), our club members can participate in BCLS sponsored field trips, “Rendezvous” (a rock filled get together with field trips and Auction) “Summer Camp” (mostly camping and exploratory fieldtrips) usually in August. You can learn a bit about geology, how rocks are formed, and which makes good cutting material; how to properly use the machines and tools, and, most importantly, join a community of people who all started by “just liking rocks”.
See the news article from Richmond News done for our 2016 show “55 Shades of Turquoise”
WHAT WE DO:
On the fourth Tuesday of each month (except July and December) a general meeting is held. What we do at these meetings are: Coffee, Society Business; Show and Tell; A Social with Ways & Means raffle; and a Program. Most meetings are held in the Atrium of the Richmond Arts & Cultural Centre. The Program portion of the meeting usually consists of subjects relating to rock hounding, geology, mineralogy, lapidary, gemology, or silversmithing.
Our workshop in the Richmond Arts & Cultural Centre is open several days a week for members to use the equipment they have been trained on, including rock saws, arbors, and silversmithing tools, to drop by and chat with friends and other members, and to check out our private library for handy tips and ideas.
Our own Annual Show, held usually late April or early May, is for our members to present our hobby to the public, to demonstrate our skills, and to show a sample of our collections or items such as cabochons, gem trees, or jewelry, that we have handcrafted. As a not-for-profit society, this event is one of our major fundraising events to ensure we can continue to provide a fun and safe learning environment to members and pay our administration costs. We encourage all members to participate with this show.
NEXT GENERAL MEETING:
Tuesday April 23rd 2024 – 6:30 pm to 8:45 pm
Atrium
7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond, BC
RECENT POSTS:
Welcome Back!
Reminder! Memberships for 2021/2022 year are now due! When a paid member comes in to use the Workshop, they must sign into the Contact Tracing book and follow all posted protocols, including wearing a facemask over nose and mouth. Hey, wearing a mask gives you even more protection from any rock dust and spray. I…
Just a reminder
BC Lapidary 2022 Calendar Contest The BC Lapidary Society is excited to announce the 2022 amateur photography calendar contest has now begun! The rules and regulations have been posted for all to review. Entries must be received by July 1, 2021. Enter the BCLS photo contest today and become a Rock Star! Details on the BCLS website.…
SUMMER FUN CONTINUED…..
Summer is a wonderful time for hiking and going out and looking for rocks. Some things to keep in mind while you are out there: Google what a tick looks like and make sure you check your skin and clothing after walking in the woods or in the grasslands. Sprays help but are not 100%. …
Richmond Gem and Mineral Society 
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