Come to the Texas faceters’ guild seminar and 2012 Topaz Cut-in

Sunday, March 25, 2012 from 9am to 5pm

In conjunction with 

Texas Topaz Day - 2012 on March 24 

The Wildlife Ranch Hunting Lodge

College @ Live Oak, Mason, Texas

Come and Join Texas Faceters’ Guild and hone your skills as a gem cutter.  Learn how to move up to the next level, or ask the masters for help with that pesky gem.  Feel free to bring your faceting equipment, or use ours.

**** Robert Strickland- Advanced designing with GemCad ****

 **** Scott Sucher- The development of diamond cutting ****

**** Robert James, GG, FGA- How the study of gemology helps faceters ****

**** Ewing Evans- Demonstration of USFG gemstone judging ****

The cost is $75 for non-members, $40 for those that join Texas Faceters' Guild at the seminar, and free for current members.  Limited to 30 faceters.  Registering in advance in mandatory.  Make checks payable to Texas Faceters’ Guild. Click here  for a copy of the application, download, fill it out and send it with your payment to Texas Faceters’ Guild, c/o Hollis Thompson, 2713 Vinwood Cove, Round Rock, TX 78665. Otherwise please bring your payment in Gold, Silver, Cash, Money Order, or Paypal and we will sign you right up on the spot.

The seminar will be held at The Wildlife Ranch lodge, a block off the Mason courthouse square.  We have it for the entire weekend.  It offers space for presentations, as well as on site lodging.  Faceting machines can be left up for the entire weekend.  There’s a kitchen, outdoor area with fire pit and bbq pit, and a card room.  There are 2 to 4 beds per room.  The down side - a communal bath - the lodge is a re-purposed old facetors' home.  Photos are posted on www.thewildliferanch.com/lodging, as well as our sites below. 

Saturday is hands on time, after the annual meeting at 9:00am at the Mason Chamber of Commerce office on the north side of the square, just east of Gems of the Hill Country.  We are trying to make this the must attend South Central USA Faceting Event. we need to hear from faceters around the state if they want to get involved.  Last year we decided to take over sponsership of Texas Topaz Day, and move our annual seminar to the same time.

Faceting machines will be set up at the lodge, and it's a casual day to buy rough or laps, and wander over to Gems of the Hill Country in the afternoon to help celebrate Texas Topaz Day.  Gems from guild members will be available for sale at the store, along with viewing the Famous Diamond Replicas. Saturday evening is a casual cookout and get together at the lodge.

Reserve space for the lodge at Gems of the Hill Country, 325-347-0475, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  There are a couple of motels in town, and many B&B’s, as well as RVparks.  See www.masontxcoc.com, or www.masontexaslodging.com.

For more information, contact B. Diane Eames, GG, 325-347-0475,   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

More details soon on www.texasfacetersguild.org, or www.texas-topaz.com.

The Famous Diamond Replicas will be displayed at Gems of the Hill Country on Saturday, and then they will move to the lodge for the Sunday seminar.

5th Annual TEXAS TOPAZ DAY IS MARCH 24TH

Y'all come to Texas Topaz Day, Saturday, March 24. The Texas legislature designated topaz the state gem in 1969, and being where the topaz is found, we like to whoop it up. Gems of the Hill Country is the main location of the festivities, with refreshments and live music. Topaz exhibits and demonstrations. 2-7pm. Rock hounding will be at the two ranches (see the rockhounding section of our site for more details.) Exhibits at the Museum on the Square next door. For more information, 325-347-0475, or call Mason Chamber of Commerce at 325-347-5758. See ya!