What is lapidary?
Broadly, it’s working with minerals and stones – which can be anything from beach pebbles to the finest quality diamonds (although we do not cut those at the Club!) It’s about using saws, grinders, sanders and polishers to slice, cut, carve or produce free form stones that are just for display, or for art, or for practical purposes. What you produce depends on your stone and your preference.
How can I get started and try this out?
The Leith Lapidary Club isn’t just about lapidary, but we do in fact have a lapidary introductory workshop to start you on your journey. We will train you through the entire process of cutting a cabochon, from selecting your stone and shape, to sawing, grinding and polishing. We’ll supply you with a piece of Scottish marble to start with, because it’s a very forgiving stone and can polish to a lovely piece. We start you with a cabochon because that’s the best way for you to master the techniques, which you can then apply to other stone cutting. We aim to give you the opportunity to try as many of our machines as possible, so that you get the feel of them and understand which is best for each project. After completing our workshop, you can become a Club member at a cost of £70 annually and keep developing your skills at our weekly sessions. We recommend that for the first couple of sessions, you might like to make sure that another lapidary member is around to help you if you have any questions or difficulties.
Please be aware that this introductory workshop will not include any teaching on faceting. A couple of the Club members do have faceting experience, and you might be able to agree on some training with them if you join the Club.
How much is a lapidary workshop ?
The workshop fee is £60. That includes use of our equipment and dedicated one-on-one training and supervision. We supply you with at least one stone (marble) to cut your first cabochon. For your second project, you can use another stone from our stocks, or we can discuss using any of your own stones, and we can agree what you’d like to do to expand the skills you’ve learned with your first stone.
How long will it take – and how easily will I manage?
We set aside around 4.5 to 5 hours (including a short break for lunch) for the workshop. In that time, you should manage to finish two small projects. It takes some people a while to get used to the “feel” of sawing and grinding, but we can help you find a way that works best for you.
Please be aware that when using the machinery, you will need to stand, and we cannot adjust the height of the machines. If you think this could be a problem, we suggest you visit a workshop before you commit to attending one.
The more you practise your lapidary, the easier it gets. Lapidary isn’t quick, because there are several stages to bring out the best in a stone. But not every stone behaves the same, and not every stone is guaranteed to behave at all! Every lapidarist has a small collection of failures alongside their most prized projects.
When do the workshops take place?
Because the training is one-on-one, we’ll find a date that suits both you and your trainer. At the moment, our trainers are able to make themselves available on these days:
* Monday or Friday, during the day, usually between 10:30 and 15:00
* Saturdays, usually 10:30 – 15:00, but we can be a little flexible
* Sundays, but we’re tied to the building opening times – so 12:15-16:30
* It’s possible potentially to discuss a split of training over two evenings during the week, but because the trainers who come through in the evening also work full time, the training on these evenings could probably only be from around 18:00 to 20:45, when the building closes.
How do I book?
E-mail the Club to ask us to set up your training. Please give us a few options for your preferred days and dates, and we’ll then start to link you up with an available trainer. Once we’ve confirmed their availability, we’ll ask you to complete an application form and pay the workshop fee. Finally, you’ll get a confirmatory email or text from us, giving you details of how to get into the building and how to contact your tutor if there are any problems on the day.
How do I get to the Club?
The Club is on Level B2 (parking level) of St Margaret’s House (ScotART), 151 London Road, EH7 6AE. The closest bus stops are “Meadowbank House” on London Road. There is free parking behind the building; entry to that is on Restalrig Road, shortly after the junction of London Road and Restalrig Road, behind Meadowbank House (Registers of Scotland) building. Access from London Road is down two flights of steps. Access from the parking area is step-free. There is a lift inside the building.
Do I need to bring anything?
We suggest that you don’t bring (or wear) designer clothes or shoes – lapidary can be messy! It will also be wet, so please make sure you’re your sleeves can roll up to your elbows. We can supply a plastic apron, eye and ear protection, but please feel free to bring your own if you’d prefer.
We’ll aim for a lunch break at a convenient point, so you can also bring a packed lunch (there is a microwave). Alternatively, there is a vending machine in the building for snacks and drinks, and a couple of convenience stores and snack shops close by. We’ll supply tea and coffee.
Please ask if you have any other questions – we’d be happy to help.
Lapidary, Enamelling and Silver work in Edinburgh