What it is

The Meriden Mineral Club, also known as the Lapidary and Mineral Society of Central Connecticut (LMSCC), is a gem and mineral club based in Meriden, Connecticut. The home page says it has been “in continuous operation since the club’s inception in 1971” and is “a 501c3 educational non-profit organization” run by volunteers. Its interests cover minerals, gems, fossils, meteorites, fluorescent minerals, lapidary, jewelry making and field collecting. For lapidary, the club runs its own lapidary center in Bristol, CT for members, and the home page says it has “instructors who will teach you to make your own creations.”

Who it’s for

Rockhounds and beginner or experienced lapidarists in central Connecticut who want shop time on club equipment: cutting slabs, making cabochons, sawing geodes and thunder eggs, and carving. Collectors also join for the field trips (the site lists deep site visits and local quarries), the silent auctions at meetings, the July picnic with other northeast clubs and the March show. Monthly meetings are open to the public, so prospective members can visit first.

Why it’s listed

It’s a club with its own lapidary center, published dues, a public meeting place and schedule, and an annual show, all on its own first-party site (Wix). It is not a school and not a store.

Official URL

https://www.meridenmineralclub.org/

Lapidary Center (members’ equipment and sign-up): https://www.meridenmineralclub.org/lapidary-center

What is Lapidary: https://www.meridenmineralclub.org/what-is-lapidary

Meetings (time, place, format): https://www.meridenmineralclub.org/meetings

Membership (dues and form): https://www.meridenmineralclub.org/membership

2026 Annual Show: https://www.meridenmineralclub.org/2026-annual-show

Contact: https://www.meridenmineralclub.org/contact

(First-party site checked 2026-10-13. Every cited URL returned HTTP 200 to curl with a Chrome user agent. The club’s older domain, lmscc.org, now says “OUR WEBSITE HAS MOVED” and links here, and it still hosts the members’ lap-center calendar and the club badge used for the photo.)

Location

Meetings: Francis T. Maloney High School, 121 Gravel Street, Meriden, CT, 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday, September through June. The Meetings page says school conflicts can shift dates, so check the site. Lapidary center: Bristol, CT, members only. The exact address comes with the membership package. Email: [email protected] (from the Contact page).

This is a membership club with a members-only lapidary center. It is not a school and not a supplier.

Notes

Category is Clubs. Lap-center access needs membership plus basic safety training. The site lists no public classes with dates or prices.
Lapidary Center page: after safety training, members can “cut rock slabs using our trim saws”, “shape & polish cabochons for jewelry from your rock slabs”, “saw open geodes & thunder eggs”, saw flat bottoms on display specimens, and “make carvings using our flexible shaft drill.” The center is “a learning center for non-commercial use.” Members and supervisors sign up through buttons on the page.
Dues (Membership page): Individual $15 a year, Household/Family $20 a year (1–2 adults plus children 20 or younger at one address). Joining is by mailing the downloadable form with dues.
Meetings page: a short business agenda, a silent auction and a featured speaker, with members’ finds identified beforehand. No meetings in July and August. When checked, the page still said meetings “will resume in September” and gave no specific next date. The next fourth Monday is Oct 26, 2026 (calculated; confirm on the site).
Show: the 54th Annual Meriden Mineral, Gem, and Jewelry Show and Sale was Mar 7–8, 2026 at Maloney High School, so it’s past. The 2027 date wasn’t posted.
First Connecticut listing on Lapidary Plaza.
Photo: the club’s own badge, lmscc.org/pics/GrayColorLogo150.png, 150 × 149 PNG, saved unmodified. The Wix site’s og:image is a generic Wix asset, and the club’s Facebook avatar is Facebook’s default silhouette, so neither was used.
Not affiliated with Lapidary Plaza.
No Lapidary Plaza contact, membership, purchase, form submission or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: Does the Meriden Mineral Club have lapidary equipment?
A: Yes. Its members-only lapidary center in Bristol, CT has trim saws, cabochon grinding and polishing equipment, and a flexible-shaft drill for carving. Members get basic safety training first (checked 2026-10-13).

Q: How much does membership cost?
A: $15 a year for an individual or $20 a year for a household or family, per the Membership page.

Q: When and where are meetings?
A: Generally at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month, September through June, at Francis T. Maloney High School, 121 Gravel Street, Meriden. Meetings are open to the public.

Q: Where is the lapidary center?
A: In Bristol, Connecticut. The exact address is given to members with the membership package.

Q: When is the club’s show?
A: Each March. The 54th show was March 7–8, 2026. The 2027 date wasn’t posted on the check date.