Tony Thompson, our Friendly Faceting Fanatic
Tony’s recent faceted pieces showing raw material to faceted stone
Linda Shanahan
Think you can facet? Of course, you can.
Be you a woman or be you a man
Tony can teach you, yes, he is the king
The “facet fanatic” it has a nice ring
Five seven facets go on the gemstone
He’ll help you out. You won’t be alone
Cut and then polish the facets and girdle
At first, you’ll be slow so much like a turtle
You’ll finish your work and he’ll tell you, “well done”
Then you’ll share with your friends, “that was such fun”
Tony Thompson—The Artist Who “Aspires to Inspire”
After 36 years in banking in northern Nevada, Tony Thompson made the move to Sun Lakes, Ariz. He became a member and a student at the Sun Lakes Rock, Gem and Silver Club (SLRGS) in 2014 and contributes regularly as a volunteer instructor and helper in the various shops. He and his wife Judy enjoy much of what Arizona has to offer: the arts, theater, sports, and the great weather. They also enjoy traveling and discovering the history of the area. While traveling, they always find rock shops to browse through, finding material to bring back and work up in the various Sun Lakes lapidary shops. Tony enjoys the shop, forming stones into cabochons that can later be used in the silver shops. His summer hiatus in Nevada allows him plenty of opportunities to rockhound and rub shoulders with the local ranchers. His first love is faceting, learned in a class provided by SLRGS club. He now gives back by teaching the craft. Tony also enjoys the art of stained glass which he teaches in the summer out of his home studio. He also works with lapidary, lost wax, silversmithing, and fused glass. He is the father of two sons and one daughter and grandfather of four (soon to be five) college graduates.
Interested in becoming a “faceting fanatic”? If so, visit our website at www.slrgs.com. It’s never too late to learn or to discover your inner artist.