Arts & Entertainment

Local Gem Club Sparkles at Maker Faire

The Sequoia Gem and Mineral Society will have a booth at this weekend's Maker Faire, where they will demonstrate how they polish gems and stones into smooth, beautiful works of art.

Ever wonder how your masseuse gets those hot stones so smooth and nice? Have you ever been curious what gold panning is really like?

Make your way on over to this weekend's Maker Faire, and members of the Sequoia Gem and Mineral Society (SGMS) will be happy to tell you about both of those things and more - and even show you how to polish a stone yourself.

SGMS is a club for people interested in learning the art of slicing and polishing rocks; learning more about the difference between rocks, gems and minerals; and who yearn to go on adventures searching for rocks and gems, panning for gold and more.

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"It's fun - and you owe it to yourself!" the members say in their brochure. "It's a chance to do something for you and/or your children, get everyone away from the computer, and enjoy the outdoors. And, meet people who enjoy the same things."

SGMS is part learning, and mostly fun. The group promotes itself as a community-minded organization that promotes the study of earth sciences, and just a general appreciation for some of the world's natural wonders.

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"Have you ever cut a round rock like a Thunderegg or Geode in half, and found crystals inside? Have you ever examined a piece of Amber - which is a millions-of-years-old piece of fossilized tree resin - up close to see insects and other things inside?"

These are just a few of the wonders one can see as a member of the SGMS.

Members of the group are excited to participate in this weekend's Maker Faire and talk about some of their adventures, and demonstrate to people how they, too, can learn how to cut, polish and examine rocks, gems and the like.

Mary Lou Froese, a member of the group, says the skills are not hard to learn - in fact, the group has some very proficient child members who are seasoned experts.

"It takes a little concentration and patience to get all the scratches out of a stone so that you end up with a mirror finish, but we have a few children just over age 10 in the club who do this quite well, so it is not hard to do," Froese explained. "We have members who do others things with rocks such as boxes, clocks, marbles, and so forth, too."

SGMS holds regular meetings on the third Thursday of each month in the , 1400 Roosevelt Ave., in Redwood City. The group also has its own Lapidary Workshop, where they house all their equipment for cutting, shaping and polishing rocks, in Menlo Park. Members can use the workshop, or nonmembers can pay a daily drop-in fee to use it as well.

Memberships in the SGMS run between $20-40 per year depending on whether you are a single member or want to join as a couple or family. More information will be available at the group's Maker Faire booth. You can also call the group's president, Carol Corden, at 650-248-7155 or e-mail her at ccorden@comcast.net.

Visit the group's website at http://sgms.driftmine.com.

The annual Maker Faire takes place this Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the San Mateo Event Center. Single-day tickets run between $13-27.50, and weekend passes are between $20-50. For more information, visit http://makerfaire.com/.


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