We have a lot of talented members. This is the place they can show their work. By doing so encourage others to pursue their own projects. Members with their work shown here are willing to share some of the ups and downs and ins and outs that got them where they are today.

Cabbing or cabochon cutting is probably the most common form of lapidary arts. Cabochons or "cabs" are gems cut with a flat bottom and a curved or domed top. If you've seen opal or turquoise jewelry, you've probably seen cabs.

Cabbing can be profitable. Depending on the gem material you use, cabochons can have significant resale value. Thus, cabbing can make a very rewarding hobby, especially if you cut gems you find yourself. However, cabbing machines do cost more than tumblers. While cabochon cutting is more complex than tumbling, you can become proficient with a little practice. A word of warning: cabbing can be highly addictive!

Don Hill

Suiseki and viewing stones, cabbing and wire wrap are just a few of Don's lapidary crafts

Vivian Melof

Vivian has been gathering her collectiion of exceptional specimens for a number of years. Growing the collection from anyplace she discovered them. Yard and estate sales, gem & mineral shows, rock shops, any where a beautiful piece caught her eye and decided she couldnt live without it, she made it hers.

Ivey Cook

The simplest form of lapidary, gemstone tumbling requires minimal equipment. You put rough gem material into a tumbler, a revolving barrel with abrasives. Progressively finer abrasives are used until the gem obtains a polish. This process closely resembles what happens to rocks in a stream or on the beach. However, tumbling produces much higher polish levels.

Ideal for children and a great family pastime, it's a great way to work stones collected on family vacations or rock hunting. Plus, the results are sensational! You can also purchase inexpensive settings and turn tumbled stones into jewelry pieces. They make wonderful homemade gifts.

Jinger Glasgow

Stained glass is not cheap, nor is it a cheap hobby to begin. You need a lot of equipment, such as a grinder, a good glass cutter, protective gloves, solder, copper foil, fluxes, special tools, and the uncut glass is expensive as well. You need a lot of practice to make those difficult glass cuts so things fit together smoothly. Practice, Practice, Practice is what I did.

If people like your work, they will buy your glass. I started selling my glass in some independent shows which were also successful, and I did private orders as well. I have often repaired a piece of glass someone had for a long time but got cracked. I gradually became more creative, often drawing my own patterns and to be a good stained glass artist you have to be able to visualize how colors and textures look when placed together.

Larry and Diana Carby

We have a wide range of materials that can be carved, tumbled, or cabbed. A wide variety of rough materials ranging from inexpensive to rare. Japer rough is a favorite for people who are learning to cut cabochons because it's an inexpensive material that is easy to work with, and it makes beautiful stones. Other good lapidary rough for beginners is agate, chalcedony, and stabilized turquoise.

Levan and Yvonne Foster

Of all the lapidary arts, gem faceting has the greatest profit potential. If you can imagine a diamond in a typical engagement ring, you're likely visualizing a faceted gem. Geometrically arranged, flat surfaces typically cover the surface of such a diamond. Each of these flat surfaces is called a facet.

Faceting should bring out the brilliance of a gem. The bottom facets reflect the light entering the stone and return it to the viewer. (Don't confuse brilliance with dispersion or "fire," the multicolored flashes you see coming out of diamonds and some other gems).

John and Bonnie Gaston

If you are thinking about collecting the stones out in nature, if possible join a gem and mineral club that goes on field trips, or befriend a rockhound who still collects and is willing to take you out. They will be able to describe and show you what looks promising. Take a hammer and water spray bottle to try to knock off a section and application of water can give you an idea what colors and patterns you may find inside before you spend time digging it out and hauling it to a rock saw to slice. They really can be like a box of chocolates, something with a promising exterior can be a dud, and sometimes a plain but gemmy-looking rock can be stunning inside. OR you can just cut to the chase and go to a rock show like the one in Quartzsite, AZ and buy slabs.

One other note about slabs. If you buy them, look for seams and fractures. One wise old lapidary artist told me to drop the slab from a few feet up if possible and anything that holds together should stand up to the pressures of cutting and polishing. If you can not do that, you may want to spend some time stablizing the stone with resin or glue.