“IT is easy to get addicted to gem stones,” admits lapidary enthusiast Kristine Waterston, of Skye.
As one of the 130 members of the Frankston and Peninsula Lapidary Club, she’s right at home polishing, cutting and grinding gemstones into mini works of art.
“We go out and dig for them and bring stuff back – that’s fossicking – or we go to gem shows and buy them,” she said. “We seek uncut, raw stones – that’s what the club’s all about.”
Popular stones among members are rhodonite, agate, jasper, opals – such as a “boulder opal I have got myself hooked,” she quipped.
“These are mined from large ironstone boulders underground and grow in a boulder matrix where you get thin veins of colourful opal forming in cracks and fissures – it’s fascinating.”
Members cut stones on diamond-impregnated wheels before using grinding and polishing wheels of differing grades to wear down their gems and polish them with laps. They also do faceting of high-end gems such as sapphires and rubies.
Quartz and amethyst are described as “very hard” stones, but rewarding to work on.
“We sell some and make others into jewellery and some we keep. We say: ‘I’m not parting with that one’,” she said.
“It may take a couple of hours or even days to work on a gem but as you go through the stages it gets easier – especially when you learn how.”
Members of the 40-year-old Frankston and Peninsula Lapidary Club meet at the McClelland Gallery, McClelland Drive, Langwarrin. Classes are held in faceting, cabochon cutting, opal carving, chain weaving, silversmithing and enamelling.
- Visitors are welcome to attend the club’s annual gem show, 9am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday 27-28 August, at the Cranbourne public Hall, South Gippsland Hwy, Cranbourne.
Adults $5, seniors $4 and children free. Visitors can watch faceting and chain weaving demonstrations, inspect members’ work, buy from club stalls and sieve for gemstones.
Traders will sell jewellery, minerals, beads and crystals. Light refreshments and a sausage sizzle will be available.
