What it is

The Southern Nevada Gem & Mineral Society (SNGMS) is a nonprofit rockhound and lapidary club based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Its home page calls it “a nonprofit educational community service organization, sharing our love of the lapidary arts, rocks, and minerals,” and says its purpose is to promote interest and education in earth sciences, mineralogy, gemology, and the exchange of knowledge in the lapidary arts.

The About page traces the Prospector’s Club to the Hoover Dam construction era, notes a 2003 merger of the Las Vegas Gem Club and Clark County Gem Collectors into SNGMS, and lists objectives that include gemology, lapidary arts and rock collecting. The club runs a Lapidary and Education Center (LEC) with a lapidary shop and classes, field trips, a Kids Club, gem & mineral shows, meeting speakers and a UNLV geosciences scholarship.

Who it’s for

Rockhounds, beginning and advanced cutters, jewelry makers and families in the Las Vegas / southern Nevada area who want a federation club with a dedicated lapidary shop, classes, field trips and monthly meetings. Visitors are welcomed at meetings; shop access and many activities are for members.

Why it’s listed

It is a first-party club site with printed meeting place and time, clear dues, a stated lapidary purpose, a dedicated Lapidary and Education Center with named equipment types (slab saws, trim saws, water saws, cabochon machines) and AFMS / RMFMS affiliation. It is Lapidary Plaza’s first southern Nevada / Las Vegas club (northern Nevada already has Reno/Sparks).

Official URL

https://www.sngms.net/

Join: https://www.sngms.net/join
Events: https://www.sngms.net/events
About: https://www.sngms.net/about

(All checked 2026-11-06 and returned HTTP 200 to curl with a Chrome user agent. /membership returned 404 and was not cited.)

Location

Monthly meetings are at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge, 1601 E. Washington, Las Vegas, NV 89101, on the first Monday of each month (except December) at 6 p.m. (second Monday if the first Monday is a holiday; check Events). The SNGMS Lapidary and Education Center is at 3111 S. Valley View unit #E125, Las Vegas, NV 89102, and that address is also printed as the society mail/footer address.

This is a club. It is not a store. The Lapidary and Education Center and member classes are club facilities; the Join page says you can drop by the LEC to fill out forms and pay dues.

Notes

Dues (Join page, check date): Single $35/year, Family $45/year (spouse/significant other at the same address plus children and grandchildren under 18). Members joining in October–December 2026 are granted membership through December 31, 2027; starting January 1, 2027 memberships run one year from join date.
Lapidary: Join page lists access to classes and equipment including slab saws, trim saws, water saws and cabochon machines, plus a “fully equipped lapidary shop.”
Meetings: visitors welcomed; home page printed “Next meeting is Nov. 2nd” on the check date (that date had already passed — confirm the next meeting on Events).
Show (home page, check date): club show November 6–8, 2026 at the Santa Fe Station; Awards Banquet tickets for December 6.
Federations: AFMS and Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies (RMFMS).
Officers (About): President Tyra Tripp, Vice President Ron Mazz, Treasurer Dave Ford, Secretary Mary Savage, plus board members as listed on About.
Not affiliated with Lapidary Plaza. No email, phone call or form was used.

FAQ

Q: Where does SNGMS meet?
A: Monthly meetings are at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge, 1601 E. Washington, Las Vegas, NV 89101, usually the first Monday at 6 p.m. (except December). The Lapidary and Education Center is at 3111 S. Valley View unit #E125, Las Vegas, NV 89102.

Q: Can visitors come to a meeting?
A: Yes. The home page says visitors are welcomed at all meetings.

Q: How much does membership cost?
A: $35/year single or $45/year family, per the Join page.

Q: Does the club have lapidary equipment?
A: Yes. The Join page describes a fully equipped lapidary shop with slab, trim and water saws and cabochon machines at the Lapidary and Education Center.

Q: Is SNGMS part of a federation?
A: Yes. AFMS and the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies.