Doug Williams
Way back when you were a kid, remember how you liked to pick up and look at rocks? Well, now that you live here in Sun Lakes, you’ve probably got some time on your hands, so take up that exciting fascination again!
One of the oldest and largest clubs here in Sun Lakes is the Rock, Gem & Silver Club, and it’s the perfect place for newcomers to meet new friends and hang out. All you have to do to become a member is to show up at 10:00 a.m. on the third Monday of the month at the Sun Lakes Country Club in the Navajo Room. Speaking of Navajo, if you like silver and turquoise, you can buy some vintage Navajo jewelry for $2,000 to $3,000, OR if that seems a bit pricey, just pay the club’s annual membership fee of $25 bucks and make your own!
Yes, you can do it! We have 21 professional instructors who teach wonderful classes to show you how to make your own jewelry in the form of rings, bracelets, pendants and earrings, etc. First, you might wish to take a class to identify minerals, rocks and gems, OR join one of the field trips to find your own gemstones right here in Arizona. Then you’ll need to take a lapidary class to learn how to make cabochons (which is the ancient art of cutting and polishing a gemstone).
But wait! that’s not all … There are tons of other inexpensive classes and activities you can choose from. Here are just a few: Lost Wax Casting method of silver, pmc (precious metal clay), fetish bears, gourds, stained glass, dichroic glass, stone handles, creative crafts, wire wrap bracelets, opals, beading and faceting (which is cutting “facets” on fine gemstones to make them sparkle), and don’t forget the traditional art of fabricating jewelry out of 925 sterling silver! (“925” means that it is 92.5 percent pure silver!)
Need more information? Just go online to www.slrgs.com and you’ll see page after page of pictures with all the exciting details!
Did you know that each of the three phases of Sun Lakes (Sun Lakes Country Club, Cottonwood Palo Verde and IronOaks) all have their own dedicated rock shop? Yes, that makes a total of three shops which are available to all club members for student classes as well as “open shop” time to work on your own individual projects.
As your club’s officers, we are especially proud of our organization, and we sincerely hope to see you on Monday, December 18, at 10:00 a.m. in the Navajo Room of the Sun Lakes Country Club. More questions? Please contact President Dianna Ahart at 636-346-6070 or [email protected], Vice President Alexa Buchanan at 519-4022 or [email protected], Secretary Karen Kishpaugh at 517-889-2233 or [email protected], or Treasurer Jan Meyers at 862-2239 or [email protected]. v