Questions?
If you want to learn more about us we encourage you to drop in to our meetings as a guest. Or you can email us with any questions.
About Us
The Hastings Centre Rockhounds have been active for over 65 years. Interests of members range from all aspects of the lapidary arts to rock, mineral, and fossil collecting. We have a well-equipped workshop where we cut cabochons, facet stones, as well as polish and set jewellery. More than half of our members are accomplished silversmiths and jewelry designers. Some make gem trees, do enamelling, carve rocks and wood, or collect minerals as well. We also organize regular field trips to various rock-hunting areas.
The Hastings Centre Rockhounds are part of the British Columbia Lapidary Society. The Society contains clubs from across British Columbia and is a central hub for finding out about club shows, field trips, and our annual summer rendezvous.
Location
Hastings Community Centre
3096 East Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC
Meetings
We meet on the fourth Friday of each month except July, August, and December, at 7 pm in the Auditorium of the Hastings Community Center. When you enter the front doors, the Auditorium is located on the main floor straight ahead at the back of the building.
History
The Hastings Centre Rockhounds formed in 1958 and within a short time club members were participating in local and BC shows.
The first display was at a Hobby Show held in Burnaby Mountain Park on June 27 and 28, 1959. It looks like they had pretty good weather, but were prepared for anything.
By October we participated in our first BC Gem and Mineral Show in the “Gardens” building at Hastings Park. The November issue of The Canadian Rockhound described the event:
“The Hastings Centre Rockhounds had as the centre of their display a beautiful group of Rosy-Brown quartz crystals over a foot in diameter, the centre crystals were about 5 inches high, this mass of crystals were sprinkled with pyrite crystals. There were found in a vug in a mine at Yellowknife. This new club also displayed cabochons, jewelry, and polished specimens.”
We participated in the BC Gem and Mineral Show every year after that. In 1960 the display by Hastings Centre Rockhounds was a log house booth which inside had several cases of crystals and artifacts collected by the members. Today’s displays are not nearly as elaborate and follow specifications for size.
By 1966 we were ready to host our first show at the Hastings Centre. It was reported in the Vancouver Sun with a large photo of students from the local elementary schools holding up gift rocks to be identified after they toured the show. Times do change though… the 1966 show was on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6 pm until 10 pm. (The students must have had a special show time). Now, our show has daytime hours on the weekend!
