What it is

The Richmond Gem and Mineral Society (also RGMS) is a Richmond-area mineral, fossil and lapidary club that meets in Mechanicsville, Virginia. The official About page describes it as a non-profit formed in 1956, serving the Richmond metro and surrounding counties, and open to anyone with an interest in rocks, minerals, gems, fossils, lapidary, geology and related fields. It is a member of the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies (EFMLS) and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS). The home-page mission statement says the society fosters knowledge and education in geology, mineralogy, paleontology, archeology, gemology and the lapidary arts.

In-person meetings are held at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 8100 Shady Grove Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23111. The home page prints a meeting on the second Tuesday of every month promptly at 7:30 p.m., with social time beginning at 7:00 p.m. The About page says people begin to arrive between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m. to socialize before the 7:30 p.m. start, and that a short business meeting, a guest speaker and a social snack break follow. Guests are described as always welcome.

The official Lapidary page describes a member workshop in Rockville, Virginia, with cab machines, trim saws, a slab saw and a carver workstation. A brief orientation is offered to interested members at every club meeting promptly at 7:00 p.m., and is a prerequisite for signing up. There is no cost for a first visit; subsequent visits are $5. The specific workshop street address is provided before a member’s first class and is not printed on the public pages checked. This listing is the club, not a public workshop.

Who it’s for

Rockhounds, beginning and returning cutters, collectors and families in the Richmond and Mechanicsville area who want a first-party Virginia club with a printed meeting place and schedule, printed dues, and a stated lapidary purpose. The Membership page says the club welcomes new members, including kids.

Why it’s listed

It is a first-party club site with a printed Mechanicsville meeting address and schedule, printed annual dues, a stated lapidary purpose, and a described member lapidary workshop. It is Lapidary Plaza’s first Virginia club listing (Nova Labs remains the state’s workshop listing; Shenandoah Valley Gem & Mineral Society remains held and was not used).

Official URL

https://rgmsva.com/

Membership: https://rgmsva.com/membership
Lapidary: https://rgmsva.com/lapidary
About: https://rgmsva.com/about-3
Contact: https://rgmsva.com/contact

(All checked 2026-11-13 and returned HTTP 200 to curl with a Chrome user agent. Subpages redirect to the www host, which also returned 200.)

Location

St. Paul Lutheran Church, 8100 Shady Grove Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23111, on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m., with social time beginning at 7:00 p.m. (the About page also mentions arrival between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m.).

This is a club. It is not a store. The member lapidary workshop in Rockville is a membership activity, not a public drop-in studio and not a priced public class listing.

Notes

Dues (Membership page, check date): Individual $12 (age 18 and over); Family $18; Junior $5 (age 14–17); Mini-Miner $3. Fees are adjusted to half the annual dues if you join after July 1. The page says the club does not currently accept membership fees online and accepts check payments by mailing in the membership form or by attending a monthly meeting. No form was submitted for this listing.
Meetings: Second Tuesday of every month, 7:30 p.m., at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mechanicsville. Guests are welcome. The Membership page says the club does not offer virtual meetings at this time.
Lapidary (Lapidary page): Member workshop in Rockville, Virginia (about 10 minutes from Short Pump). Orientation at meetings at 7:00 p.m. is a prerequisite. First visit is free; later visits are $5 for equipment wear. Weekday sessions are usually Wednesday, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; weekend sessions, when scheduled, are usually Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Members who attend the monthly meeting have priority sign-up. The public pages do not print the workshop street address; it is provided before the first class. This listing is the club only.
Other activities (About page): Field trips, an educational booth at the spring and fall Treasures of the Earth shows at Richmond International Raceway Show Complex, an annual fund-raising auction in October, and the RGMS Rock Swap & Sale in November.
Small source notes: The site footer still reads © 2023. The Membership page refers readers to an Activities page; that path returned HTTP 404 on the check date, so it was not used as a source. A contact form is on the Contact page; nothing was submitted.
Not affiliated with Lapidary Plaza. No email, phone call or form was used.

FAQ

Q: When and where does the club meet?
A: At St. Paul Lutheran Church, 8100 Shady Grove Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23111, on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m., with social time beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Q: How much does membership cost?
A: The official Membership page prints $12 for an Individual (age 18 and over), $18 for a Family, $5 for a Junior (age 14–17) and $3 for a Mini-Miner. If you join after July 1, those fees are adjusted to half the annual dues.

Q: Does the club have a lapidary workshop?
A: Yes, for members, in Rockville, Virginia, after a meeting orientation. The first visit is free; later visits are $5. The public pages do not print the workshop street address.

Q: Can I pay dues online?
A: Not at this time. The Membership page says the club accepts check payments by mail or at a monthly meeting.

Q: Are guests welcome at meetings?
A: Yes. The home page says guests are always welcome.