North Seattle Lapidary & Mineral Club - Seattle, WA

Our club has partnered with Children's Hospital in Seattle since January, 1980 to bring lapidary fun to patients eight and older. Tumbled stones, mounted rough cabochons and hand polishing equipment are provided for the children to make into polished gems. Any stone that takes a good polish can be used but the favorites include sodalite, tigereye, turritella and bloodstone. Club members go to the hospital once a week for two hours on Tuesdays to allow the children to polish stones in a four-step process. A modified "Lortone stroker" method progresses from 280 grit to tin oxide. An average of six children attends per session. We estimate that over the years 6,600 cabochons and 1,100 pounds of tumbled stones have been worked on as a result of this project.

Children's Orthopedic Hospital is a 250-bed hospital. Many of these children are there for extended stays of 12 months or more. This program provides a great diversion from the typical hospital environment. We are constantly amazed with the attention and effort these children demonstrate when working their stones. Some of the children have become interested in the books we have on hand to study mineralogy.

The children are very enthusiastic and experience satisfaction in their accomplishment. This activity has become an important part of the hospital's post operation care program. This year we have a second-generation patient, a mother brought in a child saying she worked on stones in her childhood. So much interest has been expressed in this project by siblings and guests of patients that all juniors present can participate.

A video that describes the program is available on loan to other organizations. Our club will assist anyone who would like to start up a program in other hospitals or children's organization. Please contact us for further information at info (at) northseattlerockclub.org

In addition to the Children's Hospital program, our club annually gives a scholarship to a person that attends a local school and is studying geology or earth science. In return for the scholarship, all we ask is that the recipient provide a 20 to 30 minute presentation at one of our club meetings. We have been doing this since 1969.

Would you like to donate to our scholarship fund?
Checks should be made payable to NSLMC Scholarship Fund and sent to:

In the past, a lapidary workshop was run at the Loyal Heights Community Center but was discontinued. It may be possible to arrange other outreach programs for schools or other groups.