Frequently Asked Questions

No. Beginners are very welcome. One of the most valuable parts of belonging to a lapidary society is learning from experienced members in a supervised and supportive environment.

New members are normally encouraged to join us at one of our monthly Society meetings. This gives you an opportunity to meet members, learn how the Society works and ask questions before getting started.

Membership applications may also be accepted at special events or through other arrangements approved by the Directors. Visit our membership page for current fees, application information and details.

Yes. Prospective members may attend as a guest for up to two visits in total. These may be regular Society meetings or observation-only workshop sessions.

Guest workshop visits are for observation only. Guests must sign the workshop log, and membership is required before using workshop equipment.

Yes. The lapidary workshop is a members-only facility and is not open for public drop-in use. You must formally join the Tri-Cities Lapidary Society and be a member in Good Standing before you may participate in a workshop session.

A member in Good Standing is a current Tri-Cities Lapidary Society member who has paid the required membership dues and is not suspended.

Good Standing is required for workshop access and certain other Society privileges.

The TCLS membership year runs from October 1 through September 30. Members who have not paid their renewal dues for the new term are no longer in Good Standing after October 1 and cannot use the workshop until their membership has been renewed.

If dues remain unpaid, membership is formally terminated on November 1. A former member whose membership has been terminated for non-payment of dues must submit a new membership application to rejoin the Society.

New memberships received at or after the March meeting become effective April 1 and are charged one-half of the standard annual dues.

A new membership application received at or after the August meeting is valid through September 30 of the following year.

Existing Port Moody Rock and Gem Club memberships remain valid through December 31, 2026. New memberships are being handled by the Tri-Cities Lapidary Society as part of the transition to the new Society.

Port Moody members must join Tri-Cities Lapidary Society to access the new TCLS lapidary workshop.

Yes. Tri-Cities Lapidary Society is an incorporated not-for-profit society registered in British Columbia under the Societies Act.

Adult members in Good Standing are entitled to one vote at General Meetings. Each adult included in a Family Membership is an individual member and, if in Good Standing, has one vote. Junior Members are not entitled to vote.

Adult Honourary Members in Good Standing are also entitled to one vote.

The Society keeps current copies of its governing and workshop documents for members. The Workshop Rules & Guidelines are available for review in the workshop, and copies may be requested from the Society.

Members may also request a copy of the current Constitution and Bylaws. Please contact us if you would like a copy or have a question about a Society rule or policy.

Our workshop is located in Units 2 & 3 at 2050 Kingsway Avenue in Port Coquitlam, at The MAX on Kingsway. It is just down the road from the Port Coquitlam Recreation Centre.

Visit our workshop page for the current schedule, address and map.

Members may attend during scheduled workshop sessions, subject to membership status, completion of the appropriate waiver or risk acknowledgement, payment of any applicable Workshop Drop-In Fee, and the direction of the Workshop Supervisor. Equipment may only be operated when a Workshop Supervisor or Assistant Supervisor is present.

Current workshop hours are listed on our workshop page.

Yes. The standard Workshop Drop-In Fee is $5.00 per session. However, after a new membership application has been accepted, the member's first two training workshop sessions are included without the drop-in fee.

The fee applies to eligible TCLS members and does not provide public or non-member access to the workshop.

Yes. Members 19 years of age and older must review and sign the Workshop Waiver before using the workshop. A parent or guardian of a member under 19 must complete the applicable Parent/Guardian Consent and Acknowledgement of Risk before the young member uses the workshop.

These documents are reviewed and signed annually in October. See our Workshop Waivers page for details.

The workshop is primarily designed for cutting, shaping, grinding and polishing stone. Members can create cabochons and work on other appropriate lapidary projects using Society equipment, subject to workshop rules and the approval of the workshop supervisor.

The workshop includes lapidary saws, grinding and polishing equipment and other tools used in stone cutting and finishing. Specific equipment availability, operating procedures and any restrictions are covered during workshop orientation and instruction.

Yes. Certain materials are not permitted on Society equipment because of potential health hazards. These include materials containing or associated with copper, mercury, arsenic or asbestos, as well as shell, bone and antler. Examples include malachite, azurite, cinnabar, realgar, orpiment and “Bumble Bee Jasper.”

A Workshop Supervisor may also refuse any material known or suspected to present a significant health hazard. If you are unsure what a material contains, please ask before working on it.

The regular Workshop Drop-In Fee covers general workshop attendance. Slab saw use is charged separately at 25 cents per square inch of material cut. Honourary Members are exempt from the slab-saw charge.

No. New workshop users can learn under the guidance of experienced members and Workshop Supervisors. New users are expected to review the Workshop Rules & Guidelines and receive an orientation before using Society equipment. Some machines require specific one-on-one instruction or authorization before use.

If you are just getting started, bring yourself and a willingness to learn. Fully covered shoes are required, and long hair, loose clothing and jewellery must be secured before using equipment. Eye protection is required when using lapidary equipment and is available in the workshop.

As you gain experience you may wish to bring your own slabs, rough rock, templates, dop sticks and other personal lapidary supplies.

Yes. Members must be at least 10 years old before using lapidary equipment. Children under 10 are not permitted in the grinding room or within one metre of equipment in the saw room.

Members under 13 must be directly supervised at all times while using lapidary equipment by their parent/guardian or sponsoring adult Society member. Participants under 19 must also have the appropriate Parent/Guardian Consent and Acknowledgement of Risk on file. All equipment use remains subject to the approval and direction of the Workshop Supervisor.

The workshop supervisor has authority over the safe operation of the workshop during each session. A supervisor may restrict or deny the use of equipment if, in the supervisor's judgment, a participant does not have the necessary knowledge or ability to use it safely, is not following workshop rules or instructions, or if another condition makes its use unsafe.

Yes. Members may use the workshop to create lapidary work for personal use, gifts, exhibitions or sale. We recognize that members may sell pieces they create, and there is no general prohibition on using Society equipment to produce work that may be sold.

The workshop is a shared facility, however, and members are expected to use its equipment reasonably and with consideration for others. High-volume or repetitive production that causes excessive wear on equipment, consumes disproportionate amounts of workshop resources, or prevents other members from having reasonable access to equipment may be limited by the workshop supervisor.

General meetings are held monthly, except July and December. Meeting dates are published by the Society as they are scheduled.

TCLS therefore normally holds an August meeting. The November meeting is the Society's Annual General Meeting.

Tri-Cities Lapidary Society plans to continue holding its monthly meetings at the Port Moody Arts Centre, operated by POMOArts, at 2425 St. Johns Street in Port Moody.

Visit our Monthly Meetings page for more information.

Meetings include Society business and committee reports, but they are also a social and educational gathering. Depending on the month, members may hear presentations, share recent finds or lapidary projects, discuss upcoming activities and spend time talking rocks with fellow members.

The November meeting serves as the Society's Annual General Meeting. Members receive reports on Society activities and finances, discuss Society business and elect the Board of Directors for the coming year.

Newly elected Directors take office at the general meeting in January.

Yes. Rockhounding field trips are an important part of the lapidary community. TCLS members can participate in local trips organized through the Society as well as opportunities shared through the British Columbia Lapidary Society and its member clubs.

See our Field Trips page for more information.

Yes. The annual show continues a long-standing local tradition of bringing together lapidary work, minerals, rocks, fossils, displays, demonstrations and vendors for the public to enjoy.

Visit our Annual Show page for current information.

Yes. TCLS is a volunteer-run Society, and by applying for membership members agree to assist with the planning, preparation or operation of the Annual Rock and Gem Show, other public events in which the Society participates, or other Society needs as determined by the Directors.

The annual show is one of the ways members work together to support the Society and share the lapidary hobby with the community.

Opportunities for displays and vendor participation vary from year to year. Information for exhibitors and sellers is published in the Show section of the website as details become available.