Board Announcements

General Announcements of Board Activities, Policies, Changes to Policies, Board Maintenance

Welcome!

A place to Introduce yourself, say hello and make new friends!

Buy/Sell/Trade

A place to buy items from other members, sell your own items, or arrange trades with other members. You must have a minimum of fifty posts in order to sell anything in this area. Please see forum policies for further explanation. Anyone posting items for sale with less than 50 posts to their name will have the post removed. No Exceptions! If you are just inquiring about a material, just looking for information about something, please use the rock talk forum. Thanks.

Photography

Want to know how to take good photos of that special cabochon you made? Need to adjust the lighting on your camera? Want to build a lightbox? Just need general photo help? This is your spot for learning and sharing.

Contests

Check here regularly for contests and other competitions we may hold for your enjoyment and friendly competition! This is for forum held competitions only.

Random Musings

This is your section for all things not related to Lapidary! Here's where you can post about your family vacation or discuss other topics not related to the forum.

Other Hobbies

Most of us have hobbies outside of Lapidary. Some of us Garden, some of us love our Model trains or tie flies for fishing. Here's your place to discuss these other things we all love doing.

Rockhounding Tips, Maps, Trips Etc.

Have a good place to hound at that you want to share? Just took a hounding trip and want to share your pictures? Have an outstanding map of an area to help other rockhounds? This is your place to post!

Group outings

Please use this child board to create, plan and go on group outings as members of the forum here.

Prospecting

Mineral and Metals prospecting. Trips, tips & digging reports. Show us what you got!

Rough and Slabs

Show off your rough or newly cut slabs here!

Mineral Specimens

Have a specimen collection? Want to show off some pieces? Looking for ideas of specimens to add to your collection? This is your board.

Fossils

If you love collecting fossils, or are looking for a certain fossil for a creation, or just love to hunt for them, this is your area to play.

Rock Talk

This is where you can discuss a certain stone type, gather information on stones, and anything stone related that doesn't fit into the other categories of the forum.

Identifications of Materials

Have a rock, but don't know what it is? Need to know if something is chalcedony or common opal but cannot tell the difference? Post it here for others to help you out.

Ancient Lapidary History

Found an article online about some recent archaeological finds? Found a great picture of ancient lapidary equipment? Want to discuss ancient techniques? This is your forum!

Crystals

This is your area to discuss crystals. Have some examples of Crystal structures you wish to share? Have a gorgeous cluster that you cannot stop drooling over? Have oodles of Druzy you want to show off? Want to discuss metaphysical properties of crystals? Here's your area.

Opal

All things relating to Opal - Mining, Carving, Cutting, Grinding, Tips on Care and storage etc.

Moderators: Asianfire, Opalholic

Cabochons, Intarsias, Cameos

A place to display you recent cabochon creations! Learning intarsia and wish to post your progress? Do you have questions on how to create a cabochon or what wax works best to dop with? This is your forum.

Carvings and Sculptures

Love to carve your rock? Love to take rock and make sculptures? Here's your new hangout!

Faceted Gems

Learning how to Facet? Want to show off your faceted creations? Are you an old pro at faceting and want to share your knowledge? This is your forum.

Tumbling

Love to tumble rock? Has your electricity bill gone through the roof because you're running tumblers 24/7? This is your forum!

Knapping

Love to knapp rock? Want to show off your knapped creations? Here's your forum section.

Knife Making

Some folks love to put stone handles on their knives. If you are one of these people, here is your area to have fun!

Tutorials for the Rock Art Area

This is an area for tutorials related to any of the above listed areas. Want to show folks how to cut a cab? Here's where to post the tutorial. Want to post a video on how to knapp a blade? Here's the place to post it. Please post only tutorials here.

Gold, Silver, Other Metals, Casting and Fabrication

Love to work in metal? Like to pour hot metal? This is your area to post.

Wearable or Utilitarian Jewelry Art

This is anything utilitarian that isn't necessarily jewelry, yet could be jewelry - walking sticks, belt buckles, hair pins, barrettes, hatbands,horse halters, saddlery you bejewelled, etc...

Metal Clay

An area for those who like to work in Metal Clay to hang out and discuss their art.

Wire Wrapping

If wire is your pride and joy and you love to wrap, this is your forum.

Chainmaille

Like to create works using chainmaille techniques? Here's your section.

Show and Tell!!!!

Sharing your finished jewelry creations with everyone!

Tutorials for Jewelry Making

This is the place for any tutorials as it relates to the above areas of casting, fabrication, metal clay, Chainmaille, and wire wrapping. Please post only tutorials here.

Bead Embroidery and Bead Weaving

Love to bead embroider? Enjoy doing bead weaving? Here is your area of beaded love. You can never have to many beads!

Kumihimo, Cord Making, Braiding, Macrame

Kumihimo and other cord making Arts as they pertain to beads and Jewelry making.

Polymer Clay, Air Dry Clay, Resin, Epoxy or Glass Based Clays

Like to make Jewelry using various clays? Do you sculpt with it? Like to create new fashion jewelry using clay? Post here.

Glass Blowing, Fusing, Slumping, Lampworking, Dichroic Glass...

Glass arts as they pertain to jewelry making and beading.

Tutorials for Beads Category

A place to house all the tutorials for the above topics in the Beads category. Please post only tutorials here.

Show and Tell -Finished Beads

Show off your beads you have created!

Fixing, Modifying and Refurbishing your Lapidary Equipment

Bought an old saw, need to figure out how to fix it or rebuild it? Have belts you need to resurface? Building equipment from the ground up? This is your area to ask questions.

What Equipment to Buy and Where to Get it.

Need input on buying a piece of equipment? Here's your area.

Cutting, Grinding, Polishing

Need to know the right equipment to use for a certain need? Wonder how to get that chunk of rough to stay where you want it for slabbing it? Want to know how to make your saw run a lot quieter? Have general equipment questions that don't fall into other categories? Here's your spot.

Tool Talk

Love tools? Looking for a specific tool and need help finding it? Want to refurbish that old pair of pliers? Here's your place.

SAFETY

General workshop and studio safety when working with equipment. What works, what doesn't work.

Articles from Members, Magazine and Club Postings

Have a club event coming up? Want to share the latest article you wrote? Found something awesome in a recent magazine you want to share? This is the place.

Shows, Auction Announcements, Estates

Looking for a show to sell your wares at? Want to advertise a show you know about in your area? Setting up for a show soon and need pointers? Heading off to Quartzite to the Tucson Shows and want to meet folks? This is your place. Found a really good Estate sale being held and want to let folks know? Post it here. Please note you are not allowed to sell items in this section of the forum.

Website

Have a website? Need help with it? Have questions about blogging or SEO? Just need to know the best place to put up an online shop? Here's your forum.

Old Board Archive

This is the archive link to the old Lapidary/Gemstone Community forum for those who wish to look up information there that you need to access. http://gemstone.smfforfree4.com/

New Gemstone Archive

Archive of gemstone held on this server.