Lapidary Class in Honolulu

FAQ about the Lapidary Lab and Lapidary Classes

The City and County of Honolulu, Parks and Recreation, offers a lapidary class for adults at Makiki District Park, three times a year: Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Please make sure you read this text before you register for a class with Park and Rec. The 2024 classes are full with an extensive wait list. If you ʻjust show upʻ we can not accommodate you.

This free class, which is more of an open shop, is sponsored and run by volunteer members of the Rock and Mineral Society of Hawaiʻi. Members of the public may participate for free IF they registered for the class, but unfortunately experience has taught us we need to be very clear:

  • We do not do faceting. If you want to learn about faceting gem stones you need to attend and pay for a class at the Honolulu Museum of Art.
  • You must register online during the enrollment period for each session.
  • If you are not registered your are not insured and we will NOT admit you in the lapidary. (Yes, we will have to send you home if you decide to “just show up”).
  • These classes use specialized machines and are NOT SUITED FOR CHILDREN. Please do NOT bring children to lapidary class.
  • We start as 6 PM HST. Six PM, not 6:15 or 6:30. If you are not there on time we will NOT stop the class for you or start all over again.
  • People new to lapidary work MUST attend the first session of the lapidary class on time.  Instructions will start at 6:00 p.m., and the instructor will not start all over for late comers.
  • If you do not participate in the clean up we will ask you to please not come back. We are all volunteers and donʻt see it as our role to clean up after you. Please plan you time accordingly.

Interested people must sign up for this course with the C & C, Parks and Recreation or directly with Makiki District Park

The period of open registration are posted on the DP&R website for each session. Their system is not the easiest to navigate (and not run by us), but hopefully their video might help.

Official club members in good standing are permitted to attend during any session, and must also register (preferably during the enrollment period), however, current club members in good standing may register outside of the open enrollment period and attend by contacting the club Vice President of Lapidary, Dean prior to attending.

We’re currently (as of August 2024) outside of the “official” enrollment window so any club members that desire to participate must complete a paper version prior to visiting the lapidary. Online registration is preferred, when available.

Lapidary classes are normally held on Thursday Evening from 6:00-8:00 pm (clean up starts at 7:45 p.m) and are open to all Rock & Mineral Society of Hawai’i members. Please attend a monthly meeting to find out more and learn if the classes are currently being held at all. To insure that first times members learn the proper use of the various lapidary equipment, it is recommended that they attend the first two weeks of the session, on time please.  Otherwise, there is no guarantee that a volunteer instructor will be available to teach you.

The dues of the rock club help pay for the upkeep of the lapidary equipment. A limited selection of free (donated) lapidary rough are available for participants to practice/work on.  If you want to work on gemmy materials, however, you need to purchase that type of material on your own.

It is strongly suggested that you don’t wear expensive clothes, shoes, nor jewelry on your hands/wrists, since you will get dirty, even though aprons are available.  You may want to purchase your own safety glasses (since you only have your one set of eyes).