One of the most exciting elements of metalsmithing is exposure to some of the most beautiful and colorful gems and minerals. Meltdown Studio offers ongoing Lapidary (stone cutting) classes which allow students to find minerals, slab them, and turn them into cabochons ready for setting into jewelry of all kinds. Are all minerals suitable for use in jewelry? Check out the The Mohs scale of mineral hardness: a qualitative ordinal scale characterizing scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of harder material to scratch softer material.
