Kitchener-Waterloo Gem and Mineral Club


KWGMC club logo The Kitchener-Waterloo Gem and Mineral Club was formed in 1965. For more than forty years, our club has brought together people who have an interest in the lapidary arts and in collecting rocks, minerals, and fossils. Members are residents of Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, and other communities in Waterloo and Wellington Counties, Ontario.

The club meets on a monthly basis at the Waterloo Community Arts Centre in Waterloo. Meetings include speakers, workshops and the ever-popular monthly raffle for gems and minerals. Special events include picnics, pot-luck suppers and field trips.

The club also provides a forum for an exchange of information and ideas about the hobby. We also promote safe and responsible collecting, and we work with other federation clubs to secure more collecting areas.

Our club is a member of the Central Canadian Federation of Mineralogical Societies.


Meetings


Future Meetings

Past Meetings

For more past meetings, see here.

Kids Club

Our Kids Club is designed for children 5-16 who are interested in rocks, fossils, and minerals. We try to meet monthly on a Saturday at the Waterloo Community Arts Centre. Some past meetings:

For more information about the kids' club, contact Robert Maric.

News and Future Events last updated January 26 2010

Provided as a public service. Details not guaranteed. Always check with show venue before heading out on a long car trip.

January 29 - February 14, 2010: Dealers and collectors worldwide meet in Tucson, Arizona for the many gem and mineral shows. For more information, visit http://www.colored-stone.com/tsg/ .

March 6 - 7, 2010: The Peterborough Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show, The Kawartha Rock & Fossil Club's 16th Annual Show. Sat., March 6 and Sun., March 7 2010, Evinrude Centre, 911 Monaghan Road, Peterborough, Ontario.

April 10 - 11, 2010: Brantford Lapidary and Mineral Society's 38th Annual Gem and Mineral Show at the Paris Fairgrounds, 139 Silver Street, Paris, Ontario: Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM, Adult $3.00, 12 years & under Free. More info: contact robert@roberthalloriginals.com or visit http://www.brantfordlapidarymineral.ca.

April 15-18, 2010: The 37th Rochester Mineralogical Symposium, April 15-18, 2010. Visit http://www.rasny.org/MineralSymp.htm for more info, or write P.O. Box 85, Manlius. NY 13104- 0085. Steve Chamberlain - Chairman, sccham2@yahoo.com; Helen Chamberlain - Registrar (315) 682-0387 , contactrms@hotmail.com.


How to Contact Us

Mailing Address: Kitchener-Waterloo Gem and Mineral Club
c/o Reiner Mielke
Waterloo Community Arts Centre
25 Regina St. S.,
Waterloo, ON N2J 1R8 Canada

Contacts


Annual Show and Sale

Each year our club organizes an annual show, which is open to the public. Our show provides an opportunities for people to buy, sell and exchange rocks, minerals, fossils, gemstones, lapidary material and equipment. The show is held on the first Saturday in May from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Waterloo Community Arts Centre, 25 Regina St. S., in Waterloo, Ontario. Admission is free.

Anyone (including dealers, swappers, clubs, and artists) may participate in the show. Dealers are not permitted to advertise their business. The fee to participate is $5 per foot of table (min. 4 ft., max. 8 ft.), or 30% of sales, whichever is less. Tables are 2.5 feet wide. Space is limited to 138 feet of table (tables are 2.5 ft. wide), and of this 18 ft. or 3 tables are available free to other clubs for displays, sales, promotion, or activities. To reserve space or to obtain more information, please contact Gary Winkler.

Field Trips

Field trips are arranged about twice a year. Past trips have included Field trips are organized by Ray Lehoux, Tel: (519) 822-8523.

Membership

Our annual membership fees are $20 for a family or individual. New members are welcome any time.

Newsletter

The Rockblast is published monthly and is edited by Jeffrey Shallit. Our newsletter outlines activities and includes interesting articles related to lapidary and the rock and mineral collecting hobby. We currently exchange newsletters with other clubs.

The latest Rockblast is the June 2009 issue, and can be seen here.

For past issues, see the archive.

Resources

Our club is sponsored by GemSelect, a German-Thai company specializing in gemstones in Chanthaburi, Thailand. Thanks to GemSelect for their support!