Our lapidary Workshop is the place where rocks and minerals of all sizes and types are literally cut and ground into shape. Then with the lapidary’s skill they are refined and polished into beautiful gemstones.

We have 3 main sections in this area.

The first step in the process of creating a gem is usually to visit the ‘Saw Room’ to get rough stones cut into more desirable and manageable pieces. We often refer to this process as ‘Slabbing’ and ‘Trimming’.

Our saw room comprises 3 small 10″ trim saws and a variety of larger slab saws with blade diameters from 10″ up to 24″. If it can be carried through the door, then we can probably cut it.

After the Saw Room, most people then visit the ‘Grinding Room’, where the initial shaping of stones is done.

Whether they are destined to become faceted gems or cut into traditional cabcochon shapes, they all have to take their turn in the Grinding Room.

Here there are 8 diamond grinding wheels and 4 Belt Sanding wheels, allowing stones to be quickly shaped, ready for the next step in the process.

The water feeding these machines is even heated, so no cold hands when working in the winter months.

The last step in the process requires a visit to the ‘Lap Room’, where the serious business of refining and polishing stones is carried out.

In this area there are 22 traditional ‘Laps’ – each a rotating plate, much like a potters wheel, where grits and polishing compounds are used, in a precise sequence, to finish a stone to a magnificent ‘optical’ polish.

To see more of our members lapidary work click here. >>

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Traditional Laps for refining and polishing

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Although we are a Charitable Organisation and not a business per se, we do, at times, have a surplus of equipment, rocks & minerals and a variety of other items that we will list here and make available to the public.