I had the opportunity during the last several months
to visit England in the United Kingdom.
While over there I became interested in trying to locate a rock and
mineral club for visitation. But alas, I could not locate a club meeting within
close driving distance of Maidenhead, Berkshire (west of London). However, in searching for a club, I was able
to compile a listing of rock and mineral clubs within the United Kingdom. Although this is not news in the UK, readers
in the US might be interested.
The Southampton Mineral & Fossil Society is
located at www.solonminfoss.org.uk/ The club was formed in 1971 and “…is one of
the oldest amateur mineral and fossil societies in the UK”. I found their website to be quite spectacular
with information on meetings and field trips and excellent photos of minerals
and fossils. They also sponsor two
interesting activities (in my opinion):
1) Mineral and Fossil of the Month [evidently a display at the monthly
meeting; and 2) an annual photo contest with prizes and a trophy.
The British Micromount Society is an umbrella
society with chapters in several cities, www.britishmicromountsociety.homestead.com.
The aim of the Society is “…to promote
contact between micromounters in the UK”.
I noted two programs of interest as the Society: 1) publishes the
British Directory of Micromounters; and 2) maintains a National Reference
Collection of Micromounts that is available for loan to members.
The Norfolk Mineral & Lapidary Society is “…located
about 100 miles north-ish of London and as many would have it, on the road to
nowhere”! Their newsletter is the Stone Chat and the website is at www.norfolkminandlapsoc.homestead.com.
For clubs in the US, I note that this Society seems willing to exchange
newsletters with other like-minded clubs.
Www.sussexmineralandlapidarysociety.org.uk
is the web site of, wait for it, the Sussex Mineral and Lapidary Society. The
club sponsors a journal and publishes six times per year. I also find it interesting that the Society
partakes in several organized international field trips---France, the United
States, Canada, Germany, etc.
The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and
Ireland is perhaps the best known of the UK clubs and is similar to The
Mineralogical Society of America. The
group publishes a number of scientific journals, books and monographs and
information is at www.minersoc.org.
The Scottish Mineral and Lapidary Club (www.lapidary.org.uk) is located up in
Edinburgh and is the oldest club in the UK.
Their major interest seems to revolve around lapidary work in a
specialized shop and building. Evidently
Edinburgh was “a thriving centre of the lapidary and jewellery trades” in the
19th century”. The skills of
“master lapidarists” were passed on, and continue to be, to “younger”
members. They seem to specialize in
working with “Scotch Pebbles” (agates).
The Essex Rock &
Mineral Society has a good website at www.erms.org
and is located in Essex and I thought it interesting that very explicit instructions
were given on arriving by train or bus.
They also have a section on the local geology.
The Sidcup Lapidary and Mineral
Society “has been running for 40 years with an active membership. [They] have a
workshop with cutting, grinding and polishing equipment, display tables and
microscopes for use.” On their website www.sidcuplapminsoc.org.uk
visitors “will find the current meetings schedule, a brief history of the
Society.”
“The Medway Lapidary and
Mineral Society www.mfms.org.uk/home.htm “was formed
in June 1975 to cater for an interest in minerals and lapidary i.e. the cutting
and polishing of semi-precious stones. It grew to be one of the foremost
societies in this field in England. Unfortunately, the interest in lapidary in
particular waned, as membership interests changed, the emphasis now being
toward fossil collecting and geology. In the autumn of 2004 we became The
Medway Fossil and Mineral Society.
Some members are currently
involved in research into the stratigraphy of the local Gault Clay, while
others are concentrating on the study of the London Clay fossils of Kent and
Essex. Four members have successfully produced and published the guide book,
'London Clay Fossils of the Isle of Sheppey'. Other members have developed a
project to produce a guide to the rocks and geology of the Weald in CD format.
The society caters for all
people interested in the Earth Sciences. Present members are particularly
involved with fossils, micro minerals, geology and cutting thin sections. The
combined knowledge amongst the members of the society on the Kent deposits of
London Clay, Gault Clay and Chalk is probably the best in the country.”
I presume the Bristol
& District Lapidary Society is still in business although their website at
does not see up-to-date www.ukfcg.org/bdls/index.htm. The Society cuts and polishes semi-precious
stones and also collects local rocks and fossils. If any visitor is around for their meetings they
offer tea or coffee and a biscuit.
According to their website
www.suewardell.co.uk/kingston_lapidary.htm
“the Kingston Lapidary Society was the first of its kind in England. The Society is a group of ordinary people who
have a common interest in rocks, minerals, gemstones, jewellery, fossils, and
the earth sciences. No skills or knowledge are necessary for anyone wishing to
join the society. All new members will be assisted in whatever specific area
they are interested. If you are interested in making your own jewellery then
you can learn how to cut and polish semi-precious stones. All the equipment is
available.”
The final UK club that I was able to locate is The
Russell Society, a “national group of amateur and professional mineralogists…who
share their knowledge with others”.
Again, the Society seems to be an umbrella organization comprised of
seven branches that cover different regions of Britain. The group publishes a professional journal as
well as The Russell Society Newsletter. I found it interesting that the Newsletter
contains reports on various field trips but authors must follow a created and
standardized “Document Format”.
Additional information is at www.russellsoc.org.
I encourage club members to examine these websites
as the UK clubs seem to have a number of innovative activities that could be of
interest to US clubs. In addition,
perhaps some society in the US would like to explore the idea of a club-club
relationship, something like the sister city idea prized by communities. Clubs could exchange newsletters and suites
of specimens and just perhaps some sort of joint field trips (I am a dreamer).