Miami Mineralogical and Lapidary Guild

Good morning, friends of the Guild

Today’s stone of the month is the Blue chalcedony which is a cryptocrystalline quartz ina pastel sky blue color with a “waxy” luster. (Cryptocrystalline means a Tightly packed group of microscopic crystals, so tightly packed as to render them invisible to the human eye.) The formations are found in large masses which makes them appealing for cutting or tumbling.

COLOR SHADES: Light scatters the basic blue (called the
Tyndall effect) and causes other shades of grayish blue to a
deeper sky blue.

HISTORY: The name Chalcedony comes from its known site of
origin, the seaport of Chacedon as of 2500 B.C. Today this is
the city of Kadikoy, Turkey.

LOCATIONS: Turkey still has a large source for the market.
Other places are: Namibia, Brazil, the U.S. (Oregon which has a
lavender shade, CA, and Nevada).

BELIEFS: Blue chalcedony can promote calmness and provide
effective communication for some believers, especially with
loved ones.

USES: Jewelry: Cameos, ring bezels,cabochons, etcetera, mixed with pearls and especially in silver settings.

June club meeting will take place in
JUNE SUNDAY June 28 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. Make your own Crystal Shapes
Presentation at 2pm. NMineral Mines of Spain

The meeting will be livestreamed
Join Zoom Meeting Time: June 28, 2026
01:00 PM EST for activity 02:00 PM EST for Presentation
use link
https://ave.zoom.us/198102617707
Link through the website https://rocknerdclub.com/
Meeting ID: 981 0261 7707

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Good morning, friends of the Guild

Did anyone who was at the picnic last week happen to take photos? If you did, would you please send them to me so that I could post them and share them with everyone? If you do have some send them to my email at sanctuary of [email protected]. Thanks.

Good morning, friends of the Guild

Did you know that June is one of the few months associated with three birthstones:

Pearl: Symbolizes purity and serenity.

Alexandrite: A rare, color-changing gem that appears green in daylight and red/purplish in candlelight.

Moonstone: A glowing, sacred stone known for peace and enhancing intuition.

Explore these beautiful gems on the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) guide or view the traditional history on the American Gem Society.

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