Founded in 1964, the Denver Gem and Mineral Guild is an award-winning non-profit organization that pursues exploration, experimentation, and education in the Earth Sciences; the discovery, development, and preservation of minerals and mineral deposits; and the advancement, encouragement, and utilization of the principles of art and craftsmanship, as applied to gems and minerals. We are a diverse group of women, men, and children who love ROCKS. We love to dig them, cut them for jewelry, and collect them. Our members love to share our passion for rocks and minerals. We have professional geologists, teachers, lapidary artists, and people who just love rocks.
We meet the 2nd Friday of the month – September through May at the Wheat Ridge United Methodist Church, 7530 W. 38th Ave, Wheat Ridge CO at 7pm – VISITORS WELCOME! – CLICK HERE for details.
NOTE: Due to Covid, snow, etc. some meetings may be held via Zoom instead of at the Church – always check below for the latest schedule details!
November 2023 Events Held
November Monthly Meeting Friday November 10th
Board Meeting 6:00 PM, General Meeting 7:00 PM
Wheat Ridge United Methodist Church, 7530 W. 38th Ave
PROGRAM – Fossil Diatoms in the Florissant Formation – Mary Ellen Benson, Ph.D.
Although diatoms (single-celled algae) are a nearly ubiquitous fossil component of Eocene Florissant lake shales being especially abundant along the paper-thin laminae along which the shale easily splits, these residual silicate remains of diatoms are observable only under high-powered microscopy The diatoms from Clare’s Quarry and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument include 33 genera, 14 of which have first occurrences in the Florissant Formation, five of which Dr. Benson identified and named. (See the website: Diatoms of the Florissant Formation – Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).
Most of the Florissant Formation is protected within the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument where fossil collecting is by permit only and is restricted to National Park Service approved scientific study. The visitor center has information and displays of the Florissant fossil collection curated by the NPS and leads hikes to see the petrified tree stumps, to which the Guild led the last field trip before the park service took over the site in 1969. Come to the meeting to learn more about this world.
The 2024 calendars are available—$10 for the beautiful production by Caleb Smith and the historical committee celebrating our 60th anniversary! Proceeds go to the scholarship fund.
December 2021 Events Scheduled
Popcorn Party
Saturday, December 2nd, 1 pm – 5 pm
To include: Board meeting, party preperations,
grab bag stuffing, followed by potluck.
Some vintage pictures by Historian Marjorie Payne from the 2005 Popcorn Party. See more in the DGMG Photo Album.
DGMG ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY
6:00 December 8, 2021
Gymnasium
Wheat Ridge United Methodist Church
38th and Wadsworth Wheat Ridge
(Setup 5:30)
Please bring pot luck food!
RSVP Please!! via signupgenius.com so we know how many popcorn bags to make and tables to set up. THANKS!
More:
Dec. 2: Ernie Hanlon Memorial Service, Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 601 N. Tejon St., Colorado Springs 10:00 AM
Dec. 8-10: Flatirons Mineral Club Show, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Longmont, CO Adults $8, seniors over 60 $5, children 12 & under free. Hours 10-5 daily.
Jan.12: DGMG meeting, Wheat Ridge U Methodist Church 7:00 Program TBD
Feb.9: DGMG meeting, Wheat Ridge U Methodist Church 7:00 Program TBD
Feb. 23-25, DGMG FEBRUARY SHOW!!! JeffCO Fairgrounds—ALL HANDS ON BOARD!!!
The Denver Gem & Mineral Guild is a member of:
The Greater Denver Area Gem and Mineral Council, Inc., host of the Denver Gem & Mineral Show™, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. Trustees from each of our seven member clubs sit on the Council Board. The Council oversees the annual show, and twice each year, the Council distributed proceeds from the show in the form of grants to not-for-profit organizations, particularly those based in Colorado, to promote activities that educate the public in the earth sciences.
Annual giving ranged from $20,000 to $30,000. Funds were directed toward site and specimen preservation and display efforts, as well as to assist institutions in purchasing equipment, tools, and supplies. Recent grant recipients have included the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum, Dinosaur Ridge, Morrison Natural History Museum Foundation, Hinsdale County Historical Society, Canyon City Geology Club, Big Horn Basin Foundation, and the Junior Museum of Pennsylvania.
Since Covid, and the loss of our venue at The Mart, our new event at the Hardrock Summit continues to provide a showcase and outreach to the community, as we work on returning to profitability.
The Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies has a close association with all the clubs in the Society to promote the study of earth sciences, including the lapidary arts, the study of fossils and paleontology, and related crafts.
The RMFMS was organized in 1941, and held its first annual convention at the Argonaut Hotel in Denver, Colorado. There were 16 organizations in attendance. The RMFMS became one of the original four founders of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies when it was organized in 1947.
The Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies covers local clubs in the following states:
Arizona (17), Arkansas (1), Colorado (20), Kansas (5), Nebraska (western portion of state) (1), New Mexico (7), Nevada (1), North Dakota (western portion of state)(1), Oklahoma (9), South Dakota (western portion of state) (1), Texas (1), Utah (7) and Wyoming (7).
For more on the early history of the RMFMS, check out History of the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies 1941 – 1963 by Muriel Colburn.
The American Federation of Mineralogical Societies promotes popular interest and education in the various Earth Sciences, and in particular the subjects of Geology, Mineralogy, Paleontology, Lapidary and other related subjects and sponsors and provides means of coordinating the work and efforts of all persons and groups interested therein. It sponsors and encourages the formation and international development of Societies and Regional Federations and by and through such means to strive toward greater international good will and fellowship.
The American Federation of Mineralogical Societies is composed of the following seven similar regional organizations of gem, mineral, and lapidary societies. 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
This page last updated on 12/1/2023
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