What it is

The Oregon Agate & Mineral Society (OAMS) is a rock, mineral and lapidary club in Portland, Oregon. Its website says it “began in January 1933 when 12 local rock hounds met and decided to form the first lapidary club in the US,” and that it grew to more than 100 members in its first year. The club runs monthly programs, field trips, classes (cabochon making, sanding and polishing thundereggs, bead stringing and jewelry making), two members-only auctions a year and an annual show at OMSI.

Who it’s for

Portland-area rockhounds, cabochon cutters and beginners who want twice-monthly meetings, field trips to collect agates and thundereggs, and lapidary instruction from experienced club members. It also has a Juniors Earth Sciences Program for ages 6–17.

Why it’s listed

It’s a long-established club with its own website that publishes its meeting schedule and venue, membership dues, member benefits (including lapidary and rock-cutting classes) and contact details. It is the first Oregon club on Lapidary Plaza.

Official URL

https://www.oregonagate.org/

Membership: https://www.oregonagate.org/membership

Calendar: https://www.oregonagate.org/calendar

Annual show: https://www.oregonagate.org/annual-show

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

(First-party site checked 2026-10-15. Every cited URL returned HTTP 200 to curl with a Chrome user agent.)

Location

Meetings are at Powellhurst Baptist Church, 3435 SE 112th Ave, Portland, OR 97266. Email: [email protected]. The club is also on Facebook and Instagram, linked from its Contact page.

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

Notes

Meetings: 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month except July and December; doors open at 6:30 p.m., meeting at 7:00 p.m. The site does not list individual dates for the fall, so the next meeting, Friday, Oct 16, 2026, is calculated from the 1st/3rd-Friday rule.
Dues: Family $20, Couples $18, Singles $12 (per the Membership page).
Member benefits listed: a junior earth-sciences program (ages 6–17), two members-only auctions a year, field trips and digs, lapidary and rock-cutting classes, rock and mineral identification, free general admission to OMSI and the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals, and guest speakers.
Classes: the site’s calendar showed free six-week Saturday summer lapidary workshops (10 a.m.–1 p.m., Beaverton, OR; July 18 and 25 were shown). No fall class dates were published on the check date.
Show: the 2026 annual show at OMSI (Feb 27–Mar 1, 2026, free admission) is past. The site had no 2027 dates.
Photo: the OAMS logo (OAMS Logo.png og:image, 568 × 439), saved as PNG on white.
Not affiliated with Lapidary Plaza. No contact, membership signup or form submission was made.

FAQ

Q: When does the Oregon Agate & Mineral Society meet?
A: On the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month except July and December. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. at Powellhurst Baptist Church in Portland.

Q: How much is membership?
A: $20 for a family, $18 for a couple and $12 for a single member (checked 2026-10-15).

Q: Does the club teach lapidary?
A: Yes. Members can take lapidary and rock-cutting classes, and the club ran free six-week Saturday summer lapidary workshops in 2026. Check the calendar or email the club for upcoming dates.

Q: Is the club really the first lapidary club in the US?
A: That is the club’s own claim on its website (“the first lapidary club in the US,” founded January 1933).

Q: Are there programs for kids?
A: Yes, a Juniors Earth Sciences Program for ages 6–17 is listed as a member benefit.