What it is

The Capital Mineral Club (CMC) is a nonprofit rock, mineral and geology club in central New Hampshire that meets in Canterbury, just north of Concord. Its About page says the club “is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization whose purpose is education in the field of Mineralogy and Geology and related subjects,” and that it has given grants to college students for field camp and thesis work on New Hampshire mineralogy and sponsored school lectures and displays around the state.

Who it’s for

Mineral collectors, rockhounds and beginners in the Concord and central New Hampshire area, and families with kids aged 9–15 (through its Future Rockhounds of America group).

Why it’s listed

It’s a first-party club website with a stated meeting place and schedule, published dues and a membership application, a youth program and an annual show. It is a club, not a shop and not a school.

Official URL

https://www.capitalmineralclub.org/

About: https://www.capitalmineralclub.org/about.php

Membership: https://www.capitalmineralclub.org/application.php

(First-party site checked 2026-10-20. Every cited URL returned HTTP 200 to curl with a Chrome user agent.)

Location

Meetings: NH Sno-Shakers Clubhouse, 70 Clough Pond Road, Canterbury, NH. Second Saturday of the month, September through June (no meetings in July or August), 12 p.m.–4 p.m. The general business meeting starts at 1 p.m.

Mailing address for dues: Capital Mineral Club, 7133 Oak Hill Road, Loudon, NH 03307.

This is a club. It is not a shop and not a school.

Notes

Next meeting: the home page still showed the Saturday, October 10, 2026 meeting (a talk by Peter Cristofono on the geology and mineralogy of the Little Rattlesnake Hill Complex) on the check date. By the second-Saturday rule, the next meeting would be Saturday, November 14, 2026, but the site had not posted it yet.
Dues: $10.00 a year per adult (18 or over). A junior membership is free, but juniors must be accompanied and supervised by an adult club member at all club activities. Apply by printing the form and mailing a check. 2027 dues are due by December 31, 2026; new members who joined at or after the August 2026 show are paid through December 31, 2027.
Youth: Future Rockhounds of America (ages 9–15) meets before the general meeting, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. The October 2026 session covered fossils.
Show: the club’s annual show is at the Douglas N. Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Road, Concord. The 2026 show was August 29–30.
Lapidary scope: the club is mineral- and geology-focused. Its newsletter is called Crystals & Cabs, but the site describes no club lapidary shop, cutting equipment or classes.
The site also lists regional New England shows (for example, Penobscot Mineral & Lapidary Club, November 7–8, 2026, Brewer, ME).
Photo: the club logo from the site header (cmcLogoColor.png, 100 × 100, opaque). It is small but meets the 100 px minimum. No og:image is set on the site.
Suggested at publish: photoFit: contain, photoBg: "#1d2a6b" (or white).
New Hampshire had no listings before this one.
Not affiliated with Lapidary Plaza. No membership form, email or purchase was used.

FAQ

Q: When does the Capital Mineral Club meet?
A: On the second Saturday of the month, September through June, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the NH Sno-Shakers Clubhouse, 70 Clough Pond Road, Canterbury, NH. The business meeting starts at 1 p.m.

Q: How much does membership cost?
A: $10 a year per adult. Junior memberships are free and must be supervised by an adult member.

Q: How do I join?
A: Fill out the membership application on the club’s website and mail it with a check to Capital Mineral Club, 7133 Oak Hill Road, Loudon, NH 03307.

Q: Does the club have a kids’ program?
A: Yes. Future Rockhounds of America, for ages 9–15, meets from 11 a.m. to noon before the monthly meeting.

Q: Does the club teach cabochon cutting?
A: The website does not describe a lapidary shop or cutting classes. It is mainly a mineral and geology club.