TLS has more than 150 members of all ages—teens to seniors—drawn from all walks of life, brought together by our common interest in creating beautiful, decorative, and useful items from rocks and minerals as well as sharing that knowledge with any and all members of the general public. All TLS officers, directors, instructors, and committee chairs are volunteers, as are all TLS participants in any of our outreach programs. As an integral part of membership, TLS members are expected to volunteer to serve in one or more of the many activities required for the continued successful operation of the Society. 

TLS has an active internal Skill Improvement Program, known for short as S-K-I-P, in which member’s work in several categories is judged against prescribed standards; certificates of accomplishment are awarded.

Anyone interested in the lapidary arts and sciences is encouraged to become a member of TLS.

Prospective Regular Members in the Tuscarora Lapidary Society must be 18 years of age or older. Requirements include two approved lapidary projects (reviewed by a membership committee), attendance at two General Meetings, and completion of a membership application form along with a modest application fee and annual dues. Beginners are invited to take beginner classes and complete two stones to be judged. If you are interested in TLS membership, please join us at one of our Meetings, or register for a beginning class.

The Tuscarora Lapidary Society (TLS) was formed in 1957 and has grown to be one of the largest lapidary societies in the eastern United States and one of the few that has an education facility offering classes to the general public in the lapidary and jewelry arts and sciences. For a brief history of the Tuscarora Lapidary Society, please click on History.

The TLS Education Center is a fully equipped lapidary and jewelry arts shop, using the latest in equipment and techniques. The Education Center is staffed by TLS member-instructors who volunteer their time and talent to advance lapidary and related art forms. For a partial list of the extensive variety of classes and workshops offered from time to time at the Education Center, please click on Class Descriptions. For current term class schedules, please click on Classes. For directions to the Center, please click on Directions.

The Roger Kettimon Library is located in the TLS Education Center. It contains more than 500 volumes, journals, instructional tapes, and slide presentations covering gems and minerals, lapidary and jewelry arts, local geological information, and “how-to” instructions. Many of the volumes are rare and currently out-of print. The library is open for use by members and students during class hours.

The first issue of the Bulletin of the Tuscarora Lapidary Society appeared in February 1964. Produced 10 months of the year (with the exception of July and August), the Bulletin is distributed to TLS members, and is available to members of the public taking classes at the TLS Education Center. It is also distributed to the EFMLS and many sister organizations.

The Bulletin contains a record of TLS activities, information about classes and other upcoming events and occasional articles on lapidary or related arts and sciences. The Bulletin contains no advertising, unless from members, and is the primary vehicle used to organize members in support of the mission of the Society.

The Tuscarora Lapidary Society is a member of the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies(EFMLS).  The Eastern Federation is one of seven regional federations of lapidary and mineralogical societies in the United States:

CFMS – California Federation of Mineralogical Societies
EFMLS – Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies
MWF – Midwest Federation of Mineralogical and Geological Societies
NFMS – Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies
RMFMS – Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies
SCFMS – South Central Federation of Mineral Societies
SFMS – Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies

The seven regional federations are all affiliated with the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS).

Each regional federations has an annual convention that coincides with the annual show of a member society. The American Federation’s annual convention coincides with one of the regional federation shows on a rotating basis.