Miami Mineralogical and Lapidary Guild

REMINDER…. Today is the Tri-County picnic at Ty Park.

Photo below is from last year‘s picnic.  come today and be one of the happy crowd this year.

Good afternoon, friends of the Guild

For those who are not members but see the title which includes “Lapidary Guild”, here is an overview of what that means…

The three primary branches of the lapidary arts are tumbling, cabochon cutting, and faceting. Each technique is designed to shape, smooth, and polish rough rocks and minerals to reveal their natural beauty.

1. Tumbling
This is the simplest and most accessible form of lapidary work. It involves placing rough rocks, water, and varying levels of abrasive grit into a specialized rotating barrel. Over several weeks, the machine slowly grinds down jagged edges and naturally polishes the stones.

2. Cabochon Cutting ("Cabbing")
This highly popular technique shapes a stone into a smooth, rounded, convex top with a flat, polished back. A lapidary (or gem cutter) shapes the stone using progressively finer diamond wheels or grinding belts until a soft luster is achieved.

3. Faceting
Faceting is the highly precise art of cutting a gemstone into a series of flat, geometric surfaces called facets. It is done on a specialized faceting machine that utilizes an angled arm (a dop arm) and a flat spinning disc to cut and polish each geometric face perfectly.

Our May club meeting will take place in MAY SUNDAY May 31 1PM at the BETTER FAMILIES THROUGH TAE KWON DO located at 6723 SW 81st St. Miami, FL 33143 just behind THE BIG CHEESE, a South
Dade dining landmark.
Besides our meeting and educational presentation there will be
raffles, refreshments, and door prizes.
The activity at 1pm
Properties ofMinerals Identification THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BERYL
By: Breigel Leiva
Presentation at 2pm
Breigel Leiva
The meeting will be livestreamed
Join Zoom Meeting Time: May 31, 2026
01:00 PM

Good afternoon, friend of the Guild

Congratulations Arsene who won the Maker Faire raffle of the fossil bookend. Join us next year at the 2027 Fair and maybe you will be a winner.

Good afternoon, friends of Guild

Good morning, friends of the Guild

Good morning, friends of the Guild

Our next meeting will exciting as usual put it on your calendar now so you don’t forget.

Good morning, friends of the Guild

Today we’ll talk about what to do with your gemstones…

Display and Decorate:
Shadow Boxes & Frames: Use floating frames for a 3D effect to hang on walls.

Decorative Jars/Bowls: Store polished stones or crystals in clear glass jars as centerpieces.

Acrylic Showcases: Provides a modern, museum-like look while protecting stones from dust.

Mineral Shelves: Organize by color, type, or size on specialized shelving.

Repurpose Jewelry:
Take loose gems to a jeweler to be set into rings, necklaces, or bracelets. Or join the.Guild and learn how to make your own jewelry.

Home Decor: Incorporate stones into mosaics, picture frames, or DIY craft projects.

Education and CurationCatalog the Collection:
Use apps or spreadsheets to document each stone's origin, weight, and value, which helps if you decide to sell later.

Study Gemology:
Use your collection to learn how to identify, cut, or polish stones.

Join the Guild and enjoy your collection by sharing with others of similar interest.

Good afternoon friends of the Guild

If you’re collecting rocks or fossils and wondering what to do with them here are a few suggestions—-

Display and Decoration Ideas for indoor displays…

Use shadow boxes, glass jars, or clear bowls to showcase smaller, tumbled pieces.

Shelving: Use curio cabinets or floating shelves for larger specimens, adding lighting for better effect.

Functional Decor: Turn large rocks into bookends, or use them to hold down paper.

Memory Jars: Group items by location and date, placing them in jars with labels to remember trips.

Happy collecting and interesting displaying…

FGCGMS society’s biannual picnic is on so mark your calendars

“TONS OF FUN, BECAUSE WE ROCK”
At: T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park, Pavilion 8
Date: Sunday, June 7th, 2026. Time: 9 am to 3pm

Event Highlights
Bingo with Prizes!
All prizes are hobby-related, so come ready to play and win!
Raffle with Prizes!
More exciting hobby-related prizes up for grabs! Raffle ticket sales will help cover the cost of
the pavilion and supplies.
Food & Refreshments
The three clubs will provide the main meats;
 The Broward Club brings a Roast Pork Leg and BBQ Shredded Chicken
 The Miami Club brings a Turkey or Turkey Meat
 The West Palm Beach Club brings a Ham
We ask everyone to bring a bread, salad, appetizer, veggie, or dessert to share. Contact
Julio Lopez, to avoid duplication of what you intend to bring. Utensils, plates, drinks, and
coffee will be supplied by the Broward club.
Buy, Sell, or Trade!
Bring your rocks, minerals, gems, jewelry, and more to sell or trade. All three clubs and their
members—please bring your own tables!
Donations Welcomed!
If you plan to host a sales table, we kindly ask that each club member/sales table (from all
three clubs) donate a quality mineral specimen for the raffle. Your contributions are greatly
appreciated and help make this event a success.
Reminder: Glass Containers are NOT Allowed in the Park!
Looking forward to a great time with everyone! See you there!
PARK ADDRESS:
at T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park, 3300 N. Park Rd, Hollywood, FL 33021. Pavilion 8 – on the
northeast side of Park – close to NE playground. We will be at the park from 9:00am to 3:00pm.