A Message From Our Founder

I’ve collected rocks since I was a kid. After decades working in live theater—much of it on tour—I’d pick up rocks from every place I visited. When I moved back to Miami to care for my mom, I finally decided to learn what to do with all the stones I’d gathered. I joined the Gold Coast Gem & Mineral Society in Broward County, thinking there wasn’t a club in Miami. That’s where I made my first cabochon and fell in love with lapidary work—but the drive to Broward every time I wanted to create wasn’t ideal.

At a “Tri-County Picnic,” I asked why there wasn’t a Miami club. Someone pointed to a gray-haired woman and a man in a wheelchair at a folding table and said, “That’s it.” I learned they had kept the Miami Mineralogical and Lapidary Guild alive for decades, though it had no home and very few active members. Most of the club’s incredible gem and mineral collection had been sitting in storage for 20 years. I realized if no one stepped up, the club and its museum-quality collection might just disappear.

So, I did. Not because I’m an expert—I’m a hobbyist—but because I believed it was worth saving. And the more I traveled, the more I saw how many other rock and mineral clubs are facing the same challenges, especially after the pandemic.

Now, I want to rebuild our Miami club and create a space where Rock Nerds everywhere—no matter where they live—can connect, learn, and geek out together. We livestream our meetings, and we welcome members from anywhere. If you love rocks, you’re one of us.