Houston Gem and Mineral Society

Houston Gem and Mineral Society
Houston, Texas
(281) 530-0942

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WHO WE ARE
The Houston Gem and Mineral Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to study in the areas of earth science and related fields and arts. A major focus of the HGMS is education. Through classes offered at the clubhouse and through our scholarship fund, the HGMS encourages its individuals and groups to better their knowledge and understanding in these areas. The society is open to all persons with rockhound or fossil "fever." We offer something for every family member, from junior members to senior citizens, and our activities encourage family participation. The HGMS is a member of the Southeast Federation of Mineral Societies (SCFMS) and is affiliated with the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS). (The SCFMS and AFMS logos can be seen on the left side of the screen, and clicking on them links you to their Web sites.)

ORIGIN
The Houston Gem and Mineral Society (HGMS) was originally founded as the Houston Rock and Lapidary Club on December 7, 1948. The name was changed to the current one in April, 1955. The club's first exhibition show was held at the Houston Garden Center in April 1957, and the first dealer show was held in April 1963 at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel. The club experienced rapid growth in the 1970s. Their first Regional Federation show was held in 1977, and their first National Federation show was held in 1982. Click on the HGMS Show History button to read the details of our history. Click on the HGMS Officers: 1948-2007 button for a list of past officers and other items of interest.

GENERAL MEETING and SECTIONS

The Houston Gem & Mineral Society not only has seven Special Interest Sections (Paleo, Mineral, Lapidary, Faceting, Day Light, Beading, and Youth) meeting on a monthly basis, it also holds a monthly General Meeting during which Club business is conducted. All members are encouraged to attend. The General Meeting is held at the clubhouse on the fourth Tuesday of each month (except December) at 7:30, and much effort goes into the selection of great programs. The clubhouse is located at 10805 Brooklet, Houston, Texas 77099. Visitors are encouraged, and they are welcome at all of our meetings. You'll be glad you came! To see a map with our location, click on the "Our Location" button found on the top left of this page.

Scroll down for information about the General Meeting and the seven special interest Sections. Photo galleries and information sheets are available with most of them. Run your mouse arrow over the photographs and over the buttons. If the arrow changes to a hand while over a photo or over a button, click on it to see the attached file.

Monthly meeting during which Club business is conducted and members from all sections can get together.

A great program follows the business meeting.

Clicking on the General Meeting button accesses information about the General Meetings. Clicking on the photo accesses additional photos.

Meetings are held the third Saturday of each month from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and a new project is presented almost every month. Information about the meetings and the projects (materials needed and how-to info) is available on the Upcoming Programs page (blue button at top of this home page). Please come join us.

The HGMS Beading Section began meeting in February 2007. In October 2008, it became the seventh recognized HGMS Section--the first new Section since 1993. The exhibit case holds many beading projects completed by the members, and it was displayed at the 2008 HGMS Show.

The Day Light Section of the HGMS consists of members who find it difficult to attend the evening meetings of the Society. Our daytime meetings are usually hands-on with the members working on projects in paleontology, lapidary, jewelry making, silversmithing, and faceting. Occasionally our meetings are travelogues when a member has an interesting trip to relate to the group. We are a social group and always welcome visitors and new members.

Clicking on the Day Light Section button accesses information about the Section. Clicking on the photo accesses additional photos.

We welcome cutters of all levels of experience. Some of our members have designed new cuts and had them published. Most of the members of our group have been cutting for a number of years, but we always have room for novices. Come join us at 7:30 PM on the second Wednesday of each month and be a part of this very engaging corner of the earth science hobby.

Click on the Faceting Section button to access information about the Section. Click on the Faceting Information button to access documents with useful faceting information. To access a photo gallery by Matthew Phillips, click on the photo. The stones in the photo gallery were faceted by Matthew Phillips and David Hawkins.

The Lapidary Section is interested in working stone and metal into finished works of art, craft, and jewelry. This Section includes beginners, experts, and every level in between. The shop in the clubhouse has all the tools you might need to get started, and expert advice is never in short supply.

We are a group of collectors interested in studying minerals in their natural unmodified state, which also includes learning about where and how they are found, how they were formed in the ground, and how they can be extracted from the rocks that shelter and conceal them. Our members range from "pepple pups" just starting their collections to experienced amateur mineralogists whose breadth of knowledge serves as the backbone of the Study Section's resources. We also have a library that contains mineral-related books, magazines, and articles available for study and research.

Clicking on the Mineral Section button accesses information about the Section. Clicking on the photo accesses additional photos.

The Paleo Section features meetings, programs, classes, trips, and publications concerning fossils. We exchange and compile information about fossils and collecting localities. Individuals are encouraged to exhibit fossils and to participate in the annual HGMS show as well as in regional club shows in order to educate and interest the public in paleontology. Group paleontological projects are undertaken for the benefit of the Section.

The Youth Section is supervised by an experienced youth leader and is for children from 5 through 17 years old. Concepts in earth science, shop and tool safety, and lapidary skills are taught. Activities during the first hour of each meeting can include making rock critters, jewel tree construction, bead work, and other jewelry design. Children are then allowed into the workshop to create individual projects under the watchful eyes of the shop supervisors. Parents must be present to supervise their children during the entire session. This is not a babysitting group.

Clicking on the Youth Group button accesses information about the Section. Clicking on the Just for Kids button brings up a page with interactive puzzles and pages of a new Diamond Dan magazine. Clicking on the photo accesses additional photos.

Webmaster: Phyllis George
webmaster@hgms.org