Paramount Center for the Arts

Experience Level: Beginner, no prior experience needed

Tuesdays March 10-April 14, 6-8:00pm (6 sessions)

Ages 18+ (Please contact us at dsegerstrom@paramountarts.org if you have a younger student interested in participating)

Learn fundamental lapidary equipment, tools, & processes from expert and author Jim Magnuson. Learn to safely use basic lapidary equipment and operations to shape, polish, and set to jewelry.

It is recommended, but not required, that participants acquire and review Gemstone Tumbling, Cutting, Drilling & Cabochon Making. This book can be purchased online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble websites, and they may be available at your local bookseller.

What to Bring For Lapidary Workshop:

Working type clothes – i.e. jeans & work-shirt, ball-cap or other lightweight hat, (you will get a light amount of oil or water spray from some of the machines – but it washes out easily)

Agates or other gemstones at home you want to polish or make jewelry with.

Masks and Protective Eyewear, the instructor will have some K-95 masks and protective eye goggles/ glasses available.

Instructor Provided Gemstones

· Lake Superior Agates

· African Botswana Agates

· Teepee Canyon Agates

· Crazy Lace Agate Slabs

· Plume Agate Slabs

· Miscellaneous other Rocks & Slabs

Prohibited Gemstones:

Toxicity:Malachite, …

·Value and Hardness/ Softness: Turquoise, …

Places for Students to Acquire Gemstones

· Minnesota Lapidary Supply – Store in Princeton, Minnesota

· Kingsley North – online

· The Gem Shop - online

Jim Magnuson Biography
For author Jim Magnuson—rock hounding is a serious and rewarding avocation that helps him connect with nature. He has been an avid hunter and student of various gems, minerals and fossils since his childhood. In addition, Jim enjoys sharing his passion through showing and gifting some of his finds, and through writing, another lifelong interest. And, Jim enjoys making and selling jewelry, and both rough and polished stones.

Throughout Jim’s career as a computer professional, he developed technical writing skills while creating new processes that reduce complexity and improve efficiency. These skills proved to be invaluable when writing guidebooks for beginning agate hunters, and beginner-to intermediate lapidary hobbyists. Jim is a member of several rock and mineral clubs that help him to further his knowledge about agates, gemstones and geology.

To date Jim has authored the following publications: The Storied Agate; The Fairburn Agate of the Black Hills; Agate Hunting Made Easy; Lake Superior Agates – Identify Agates & Imposters (Laminated Field Guide); Emma’s First Agate; Gemstone Tumbling, Cutting, Drilling, & Cabochon Making, Rockhounding & Prospecting – Upper Midwest