Members of the Edmonton Tumblewood Lapidary Club are putting a final polish on their gems and rocks in preparation for their annual sale next weekend at St. Albert’s 50+ Club.
Local club members will be showing and selling gems, fossils, polished agates and jewelry alongside of a number of invited retailers from across Western Canada.
“We’ve rearranged things and have added some new vendors this year along with the jewelry and displays by our own club members,” said Dean Chesterman, president of the Edmonton Tumblewood Lapidary Club.
For many years the lapidary club’s members have met in the basement below St. Albert’s Gemport Jewelers. There, club members have the tools to polish rocks and gems as well as to make jewelry. There is a peer-support system to teach and mentor newcomers who wish to learn the intricacies of the art. In addition, club members often take field trips to find rocks in far-flung places such as the Queen Charlotte Islands or the old mine site at Pine Point in the Northwest Territories.
“The show was started six years ago as a good way for the club members to demonstrate their arts,” Chesterman said.
New vendors that were invited to the show this year include Bedrock Supplies, of Edmonton, Discovery Gemstones from Old Strathcona and C & D Gemcraft from British Columbia. In addition, Brad Newman, from Edmonton, will be on hand with self-collected meteorites from Alberta and from around the world.
“We were asked to have more bead vendors available so this year we’ve invited Bedrock Supplies, which sells a lot of beads and books as well as glass-bead blowing equipment. C & D Gemcraft is known for its hand-made jewelry made from hand-cut stones,” Chesterman said.
Several club members have jewelry-like items for sale as well. Chesterman makes and sells chainmail; Anne Fossun makes brass and copper Viking knit woven jewelry; and Jake Jakielaszek will sell agate knives along with a number of fossils and crystals collected from the Northwest Territories.
“We’ll have demonstrations of jewelry-making, including wire-wrapping and we’ll have a table where you can make beaded necklaces and bracelets. We have a little kit that is pre-made and someone will be there to show you how to put it together. The kids especially like that,” Chesterman said.
Several dealers will have fossils to sell, including ammonites.
“They’ll be showing them off as well as selling some of them. Some dealers will also have jewelry made from meteorites,” Chesterman said.
The club’s aim is to make the show both educational and entertaining, with a range of materials and demonstrations that promise to be interesting for everyone.
“There is something for a range of interests, much the way our club itself is. There will be minerals to see, rock cutting, faceting, rock slabs, jewelry – the whole range of lapidary arts will be displayed,” Chesterman said.
The Edmonton Tumblewood Lapidary Club show and sale takes place at the St. Albert 50+ Club at 7 Taché Street, Saturday, Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for students and $10 for families.
For more information visit www.edmontonlapidary.ca.
