Are you interested in looking for rocks and gems?
Learn how to prepare a stone for polishing!
We welcome visitors and new members!
Please note: The last workshop day for 2022 will be 15th December and will reopen on 2nd February 2023.
Please contact our club president on 0490 805 728 for details.
Our club meetings are usually held on the 4th Wednesday of each month, beginning at 1pm, at the Soul Tribe Studio Cafe, Beach Road, Catalina.
Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 22nd February.
Arrive at noon for lunch, a chat and a Show & Tell. The meeting will start at 1pm.
Upcoming Events
Please refer to the News page or the Calendar for further details.
The Upcoming Events (the calendar) of the club are displayed on the right sidebar of the Home and News pages of our website when viewed using a computer/laptop.
However, if viewing on a phone, go to the very bottom of these pages.
This is known as mobile view.
What is lapidary?
Lapidary is the art of cutting and polishing stone.
There are four basic lapidary arts: tumbling, cabbing, faceting, and carving.
Tumbling
Rough gem material is placed into a tumbler, a revolving barrel with abrasives. Progressively finer grits or abrasives are used until the gem is polished. This process closely resembles what happens to rocks in a stream or on the beach.
Cabbing
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.
Faceting
Through a mechanical process of cutting surfaces on a piece of crystal, beautiful gems are created. At present, as we don’t have access to a faceting machine, no faceting activities are being undertaken.
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See below for links to club documentation and policies.
Join us for a meeting where we discuss club matters and correspondence from affiliated lapidary clubs, report on excursions held, plan new trips and activities and examine “show and tell” specimens of fossils, gems, minerals and items of interest brought along by members.
We conduct fossicking trips and visits to sites of geological interest in our local area. Weekend excursions are held regionally and at times, extended interstate fossicking trips.
We welcome members to undertake courses, in cutting, polishing and cabochon making.
Please note: Our Bylaws includes a section called Emergency Contact Action Plan.
This plan states that the emergency contact details are required to be written on the back of the member’s badge.
It is recommended that serious health issues are also recorded there.
View photos of Seniors Week at the Museum 2021
View photos of March 2021 Trip
View recent additions to our Club Collection on the News page!
Learn about Eurobodalla Geology – try these links & those on the Essential Apps & Links page
Ancient Geological Sites (Eurobodalla)
A Quick Guide to Eurobodalla Geological Sites
Stewart Needham’s notes on Wasp Head, Murramarang National Park
See Members Gallery for more details
BATEMANS BAY LAPIDARY CLUB INC. 