Welcome
to Quartzsite where every day's a weekend... as they say at the Chamber
of Commerce.
Looking
for new adventures? Feeling creative?
Want
to learn new skills, or improve upon old ones? Then the Quartzsite Gem
and Mineral Club could be the answer. Where people come to have fun and
also play with rocks. Like the sign sez... Cookouts, Friendship, Fieldtrips,
Fun.
We are the largest gem and mineral
club in the US, and offer a wide range of activities aimed at all skill
levels. There are classes and instruction offered in general
lapidary, silversmithing, wire wrapping, lost wax casting, faceting,
opal cutting, stone carving, and knapping. We also go on a weekly
rock collecting field trip, and there are weekly 4wd trips to old mines
and other remote sites in the area.
Every Thursday morning from
8:30 till noon there is an orientation in the lapidary shop for all new
members. The orientation will cover the history of the club, safe
operating procedures for the lapidary machines and introduce the new members
to the activities available. After completing the orientation your
membership card will be stamped to show that you have completed the course,
and you will then be able to use the shops.
The Lapidary shop is open and
available for your usage on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday after
your completion of the orientation. This is the busiest rooms in
the shop, and there is always a foreman/ instructor available to answer
questions.
The Silver Shop is another of
our popular activities. After you have completed your cabochon in
the lapidary shop come here and turn it into a pendant. Our helpful
instructors are ready to show you how. Your initial project will
be the creation of a ring. We have kits available, you pick a cabochon,
and build it from there. After you have created a beautiful ring
you will make a pendant using the skills developed in making the ring.
Making the ring and the pendant will give you the basic skills needed to
begin your exploration of the craft of silversmithing. The silver
shop is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
On Thursday mornings Chain making
classes are offered in the silver shop. There is instruction in traditional
link in link chain, and knit chain. The knit chain will usually
take two class sessions to complete, and the link in link chain probably
will take three class sessions. Kits are available for both styles
of chain.
Currently we offer wire wrapping
classes on Monday qafternoon evening Intermed. starting at 6:oo pm till
9:00 pm. This is a very popular class with limited seating.
Best bet here is to sign up early. The results are spectacular, and
with the excellent instructor that we have you will progress rapidly.
We offer lost wax casting classes
three days of the week, Monday morning, Tuesday morning and Friday morning.
Any of these sessions are open to the beginner, or experienced caster.
If you are just starting out you will be walked through the basics, and
will cast either a ring or pendant on your first try. The casting
room is also used for straw casting.
Next to the casting room is
the opal/faceting room. We have faceting classes every Monday morning.
In the beginning classes you will be instructed in how to turn a pc of
synthetic rough into a finished faceted stone. Classes take
a day and one half to complete, and you will have been well versed in the
procedures needed to turn out a very nice stone. The club has five
faceting machines, and additional space if you have your own machine.
We have had up to ten students in the class, and it can get a little cozy.
Opal classes are held in the
same room on Wednesday mornings. We work with Spencer, ID. Opal,
and create a opal triplet, a three layer stone consisting of a optical
quartz cap, the opal layer and a backing. This results in a stable
stone and brings out the best of the opal. You will also building
skills that can then be applied to other types of opals.
Stone carving classes are held
every Monday afternoon weather permitting on the south side of the shop
under a canopy/ You will initially be working with soapstone on a
small object of your choice, using a variety of hand and power tools.
Our knappers meet
under the same canopy on Wednesday afternoon, and using a variety of simple
tools shape stone such as obsidian into arrow heads and knife blades.
We have several instructors, and each will teach a slightly different style.
There are usually several members in the class each working on their individual
projects.
In additon to our activities
in the shop we have a weekly field trip, and 4wd trip. Also throughout
the year we have flourscent rock collecting trips. Once per month
There is a Cookout on the field trip, and we have a pancake breakfast/tailgate
swap meet once a month on a Saturday morning
The Quartzsite
Gem and Mineral is the best entertainment value in
town.
We offer many activities and events, You should be able to find
something
here that will spark your imagination. Come Join the fun.
|