What it is

The Chugach Gem & Mineral Society (also CGMS) is an Anchorage, Alaska mineral, fossil and lapidary club. The Membership page uses the corporate name Chugach Gem & Mineral Society, Inc., and lists a mailing address at PO Box 140112, Anchorage, AK 99514-0112. The home page mission statement says the objective of the corporation is “to assist, encourage, and enable the members to jointly and severally Participate in the recreational collecting, cutting, polishing and exhibiting of gems, minerals, fossils and lapidary arts.”

In-person meetings are held at First United Methodist Church, 725 West 9th, Anchorage, AK 99501. The Membership page prints a business meeting on the second Thursday of January through November at 6:30 p.m., a potluck meeting on the fourth Thursday of January through October at 6:30 p.m., and a Christmas potluck on the second Thursday of December at 6:30 p.m. The home page describes the fourth-Thursday potluck as a time to eat, swap stories, get club updates, hear programs that may include trip reviews or guest speakers, and sometimes hold silent auctions.

Membership benefits described on the home page include field trips (club membership is required for all club trips), presentations at club meetings, and workshops to learn rock-cutting skills. The official Photos page includes a “Rock cutting & polishing workshop” album. The Membership form asks whether applicants will share email and mailing addresses with the Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies (NFMS).

Who it’s for

Rockhounds, beginning and returning cutters, collectors and families in Anchorage (and others willing to join and travel) who want a first-party Alaska club with a printed meeting place and schedule, printed dues, and a stated lapidary purpose. Children are described as the sole responsibility of their parents.

Why it’s listed

It is a first-party club site with a printed Anchorage meeting address and schedule, a stated collecting and lapidary purpose, member workshops for rock-cutting skills, and printed dues on the official Membership page. It is Lapidary Plaza’s first Alaska listing.

Official URL

https://www.cgmsak.org/

Membership: https://www.cgmsak.org/membership/
Photos: https://www.cgmsak.org/photos/
Contact: https://www.cgmsak.org/contact/
Pebble Patter / trip list: https://www.cgmsak.org/newsletter/
Tips and Tricks: https://www.cgmsak.org/tips-and-tricks/

(All checked 2026-11-12 and returned HTTP 200 to curl with a Chrome user agent.)

Location

First United Methodist Church, 725 West 9th, Anchorage, AK 99501, with business meetings on the second Thursday of January through November at 6:30 p.m., potluck meetings on the fourth Thursday of January through October at 6:30 p.m., and a Christmas potluck on the second Thursday of December at 6:30 p.m. Mailing address on the Membership and Contact pages: CGMS, PO Box 140112, Anchorage, AK 99514-0112.

This is a club. It is not a store. The member workshops and field trips are membership activities, not a public drop-in studio or a priced public class listing.

Notes

Dues (Membership page, check date): Individual Yearly $20; Family Yearly $25; Individual Lifetime $200 (one-time); Family Lifetime $250 (one-time, described on the form as minors, one address). Plans are selected on the official Membership registration page. This listing uses those printed figures. No membership form was submitted for this listing.
Meetings (Membership and home pages): Business meeting, second Thursday, January through November, 6:30 p.m. Potluck meeting, fourth Thursday, January through October, 6:30 p.m. Christmas potluck, second Thursday of December, 6:30 p.m. All are listed at First United Methodist Church, 725 West 9th, Anchorage.
Lapidary (home and Photos pages): The mission statement includes cutting, polishing and exhibiting lapidary arts. The home page says members may “Participate in workshops to learn rock cutting skills” and “Participate in workshop use of lapidary tools.” The Photos page includes images captioned “Rock cutting & polishing workshop.” Current workshop times are not printed as a public class calendar on the pages checked; attend a meeting or use the Contact page for current shop details.
Field trips and newsletter: Club membership is required for all club trips. The home page says trip sign-up is with the trip leader and that details are in the Pebble Patter. The public newsletter page offers a March 2024 public Pebble Patter edition; current trip lists may be members-only. The site footer is © 2026 Chugach Gem & Mineral Society.
Small source note: This is Alaska’s first Lapidary Plaza listing. The public Membership page is an online registration form; nothing was submitted. A Tips and Tricks page includes member-submitted notes that are not used as sources for this listing.
Not affiliated with Lapidary Plaza. No email, phone call or form was used.

FAQ

Q: When and where does the club meet?
A: At First United Methodist Church, 725 West 9th, Anchorage. The Membership page lists a business meeting on the second Thursday of January through November at 6:30 p.m., a potluck meeting on the fourth Thursday of January through October at 6:30 p.m., and a Christmas potluck on the second Thursday of December at 6:30 p.m.

Q: How much does membership cost?
A: The official Membership page prints $20 for an Individual Yearly membership, $25 for a Family Yearly membership, $200 for an Individual Lifetime membership, and $250 for a Family Lifetime membership.

Q: Does the club do lapidary work?
A: Yes. The official mission includes cutting, polishing and exhibiting lapidary arts, and the home page describes workshops for rock-cutting skills. The Photos page includes a rock cutting and polishing workshop album.

Q: Do I have to be a member to go on field trips?
A: Yes. The home page and newsletter page say club membership is required for all club trips.

Q: How do I apply?
A: The official Membership page has a registration form with the printed dues plans. No form was submitted for this listing.