LOCAL ROCK CLUBS

The Rice Museum supports local rock clubs and organizations. Their passion for mineralogy and geology keeps our industry alive, and we highly recommend you get involved or take advantage of their expertise for your class or group.

The following is a list of the clubs in the Portland metro area. The museum’s staff encourages you to get involved in your local group, and if you need us for group tours, educational programs, or to host fairs, festivals, or special events, or to contribute to one of our many exhibits and special showings, please use our contact form to contact us and let us know how we can support your group.

The Rice Northwest Museum offers special group discounts for membership. If your group would like to volunteer or sponsor an event or educational program, your support would be appreciated.

Clackamette Mineral and Gem of Oregon City, Oregon: The Clackamette Mineral and Gem Club (CMGC) in Oregon City, Oregon, focus on educational programs, workshops, events, and field trips to learn about the lapidary arts and earth sciences. CMGC was established in 1963 and continues to promote interest in the lapidary arts and earth sciences through collecting gems, education, sharing and presentation of their annual Rock and Gem Show.

Columbia Willamette Faceters Guild: The Columbia-Willamette Faceter’s Guild was established in 1973 and currently has over 200 active members worldwide. The focus of the guild is on gemstones, specifically the identification, photography, and cutting and faceting of precious gems.

Oregon Coast Agate Club of Newport, Oregon: The beaches of Oregon’s Central Coast are a constantly renewing source of beautiful specimens no matter what your interest. The club produces an annual Gem and Mineral Show, recently celebrating over 50 years. The members of the Oregon Coast Agate Club work with more than agates, specializing in the mineral treasures of the Oregon Coast such as Sunstones, Obsidian, Fossils, Thundereggs, Picture Jaspers- Morrisonite, Biggs, and Wildhorse…and so much more. Members include Cabachon cutters, Facetors, Fossil and Mineral collectors, Wire Wrap Jewelry crafters and more.

Eugene Mineral Club of Eugene, Oregon: Serving the Eugene area in the center of Oregon along Interstate 5, the club meets regularly for meetings, classes, workshops, and field trips in the local area.

FarWest Lapidary & Gem Society of Coos Bay/North Bend, Oregon: Organized in 1962, the club is devoted to the study of the Earth Sciences and the practice of the Lapidary Arts and related crafts in the Coos Bay/North Bend area of the state of Oregon. They meet on the second and fourth Tuesday each month and meets feature guest speakers, skills, and the study of lapidary arts.

Hatrockhounds Gem and Mineral Society of Hermiston, Oregon: The club meets in Hermiston, Oregon, and offers monthly meetings, field trips, and hands-on workshops, auctions, and an annual rock and gem show. It also hosts an annual rock and mineral show.

Rock & Arrowhead Club Klamath Falls, Oregon: Serving the Klamath Falls area of Oregon, the Rock and Arrowhead Club offers monthly meetings, classes, and field trips around the area. One of its specialties are classes and field trips to the local mines including the Double Eagle Mine and Kokopelli Opal Mine.

Mount Hood Rock Club Gresham, Oregon:
Serving the Gresham area of Oregon, this club was founded in 1952 for the purpose of bringing together those interested in collection and identification of rocks, gems, minerals, petrified wood, and fossils.
Many club members study lapidary skills required to cut, grind, and polish these into beautiful display pieces or jewelry. The club has regular meetings and field trips to area locations and local mines.

North Lincoln Agate Society in North Lincoln, Oregon: The club serves the Lincoln City, Oregon, area along the Oregon Coast with regular meetings the second Thursday of each month learning about rocks, minerals, and lapidary arts.

NorthWest Mineral Prospectors’s Club (NWMPC): A Non Profit Organization (Vancouver, Washington).

OAMS – Oregon Agate & Mineral Society: Formed in 1933 with 12 rock hobbyists in the laboratory of one of the founders, the club’s charter is to promote the rock hobby and educate those interested in learning about the lapidary arts, collecting, and enjoying natural geological treasures. The club meets regularly and leads many field trips and workshops around the Oregon area. Some OAMS members invented the tools used for cutting and polishing rocks,including the first diamond-blade rock saws and high-speed sander. The club was also instrumental in the formation of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and the OMSI Hancock Field Station, and they formed the Thomas J. Bones Foundation Trust in 1983 to fund students to attend summer programs at Hancock Field Station.

Pacific Northwest Friends of Mineralogy: This is an organization devoted to the advancement of the interest in minerals and related activities. Consisting of mineral collectors, these people have a great passion for natural mineral specimens and a desire to spread appreciation and knowledge of minerals. Founded in 1970 in Tucson, Arizona, and created a Pacific Northwest Chapter in 1975.

Roxy Ann Gem & Mineral Society Central Point, Oregon: Founded in 1952, the Roxy Ann Gem and Mineral Society has more than 1000 members and serves the Rogue Valley area north of Medford. The meetings are held at the Crater Rock Museum, the main project for the club, and features workshops, classes, and field trips throughout the area and states.

Springfield Thunderegg Rock Club Springfield, Oregon: The club was founded in the 1950s when a small group of members in the Eugene Mineral Club decided to form their own group. The group was behind the development of state rocks around the country in cooperation with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and helped to have the Thunderegg declared to be the State Rock of Oregon. The club meets regularly and hosts a display case in the Springfield Public Library and many classes and workshops on rocks and minerals throughout the area. They also offer a $500 scholarship to a graduating student from a local high school, and work with many community events to spread their passion and enthusiasm for thundereggs, rocks and minerals in the Pacific Northwest.

Tualatin Valley Gem Club (Hillsboro, Beaverton, Forest Grove area): Dedicated to education in earth sciences, exploration of the geology of our area (and beyond) and discovery of the treasures to be found in the Earth. Members range from PHD Geologists to amateur rock hounds. The club offers regular meetings, field trips, workshops, and events to explore, teach and develop expertise in their shared hobby developing skills in the lapidary arts, faceting gem stones, silversmithing, cutting and polishing, collecting and selling minerals, gems, fossils, meteorites and more, giving you first hand experiences in the process of identification to transforming something found in the ground into wearable art or fantastic show pieces.

Umpqua Gem and Mineral Club – Roseburg, Oregon: The Umpqua Gem and Mineral Club meets the second Monday of the month in Roseberg, Oregon, and brings together local rock, gem, and mineral enthusiasts to learn more from each other.

WAMSI – Willamette Agate and Mineral Society of Salem, Oregon: WAMS was organized to stimulate interest in the study and collection of agates, minerals, gems and fossils, and support lapidary work, education, scientific study of natural earth sciences. Founded in 1947, the club meets the first Thursday of each month in Salem and focuses on the study and collection of agates, minerals, gems, and fossils, as well as all lapidary work and the scientific study of natural earth sciences.

The following are lists of local rock and mineral clubs which may not have a website.

Rock and Mineral Associations

Many local rock clubs are part of larger federations, local, national, and international. Here is a list of some of those associations. We encourage rock and mineral enthusiasts to join both local and national associations to help support their continuing efforts in education, preservation, and conservation.

Oregon Council Of Rock and Mineral Clubs: A regional association that links local groups and clubs to state and national government representatives and agencies and fights to preserve access to public lands for rock and mineral collectors.

AFMS: American Federation of Mineralogical Societies: The purpose of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies is to promote popular interest and education in the various Earth Sciences, and in particular the subjects of Geology, Mineralogy, Paleontology, Lapidary and other related subjects, and to sponsor and provide means of coordinating the work and efforts of all persons and groups interested therein; to sponsor and encourage 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.

Northwest Federation Mineralogical Society: The Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. is a member of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies. It was founded in 1938, and one of the original four founders of the AFMS in 1947. It encompasses the Northwest region of the United States, including Alaska and consists of about 70 member clubs with over 4400 total members.

NARG – North America Research Group: The mission of the North America Research Group (NARG) is to encourage responsible stewardship of earth’s paleontological resources, promote scientific research, communication, and public education. The group sponsors extensive training, classes, field trips, research, and workshops in the Pacific Northwest and around the country on earth science and study.

United States Faceters Guild: National association dedicated to the art of faceting gemstones and precious minerals. The organization provides educational material and workshops for beginners and experts, as well as conferences and competitions. Many local faceting groups and clubs and their members belong to the national organization.

Washington State Mineral Council

Area Rock, Gem, and Mineral Museums

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry – OMSI: One of the largest museums of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, OMSI features a rock and mineral exhibit and collections, as well as special traveling exhibits on a regular basis. It features an IMAX theater, Planetarium, submarine, and extensive collections on natural science, earth science, and industry.
Crater Rock Museum: The Crater Rock Museum is part of the Roxy Ann Gem & Mineral Society. It features a world-class collection of minerals, petrified woods, fossils, Native American artifacts, and a wide variety of classes, workshops, field trips, and activities for all ages. It is located just north of Medford, Oregon, in Central Point.
Burke Museum – Rocks and Minerals Interactive: The Rock and Mineral Exhibits at the Burke Museum natural history museum in Seattle features extensive collections and special exhibits on earth sciences.

Rock, Gem, and Mineral Shows

The Pacific Northwest is host to many rock, gem, and mineral shows, each one with its own personality and focus. They include:

Check each site for dates and specific information about each event.

For more information on area shows, see:

Rock Hound Sites and Blogs

While many rock clubs have blogs to help keep their members and enthusiasts informed, here is a list of some of the sites we’ve found around the virtual Pacific Northwest to excite your rock and gem passions.