What it is

The Palomar Gem & Mineral Club Lapidary Workshop & Classes is a members-only lapidary teaching shop and class program in Escondido, California, run by the Palomar Gem & Mineral Club (PGMC) at its Club Workshop on West Mission Road. The About page says the club, founded March 20, 1954, “operates a fully equipped Lapidary Workshop for the exclusive use of our club members,” supervised by “experienced lapidary crafts-persons.” The lapidary session page says: “All of our Lapidary Supervisors are experienced crafts-persons able to teach new students the basics of cutting and polishing stone into a beautiful cabochon gemstone.” The same workshop also hosts specialty classes in stone carving, faceting and silversmithing.

This listing covers the lapidary workshop sessions and lapidary classes, not the club as a whole.

Who it’s for

Beginners in north San Diego County who want to learn to cut a first cabochon with a supervisor nearby, returning cutters who want regular shop time, and cabochon cutters who want to add carving (fancy shapes, trees, ornaments) to their skills. You need to be a PGMC member.

Why it’s listed

It’s a first-party class and open-shop program with a fixed address, printed session times, fees and a bookable class shop on the club’s own site, plus a public workshop calendar. It is Lapidary Plaza’s first Escondido listing. San Diego Mineral & Gem Society is listed separately as a club, and the Vista Gem & Mineral Society beginner class is listed separately as a workshop.

Official URL

https://palomargem.org/collections/classes

(All checked 2026-11-02 and returned HTTP 200 to curl with a Chrome user agent.)

Location

Club Workshop, 2120 W. Mission Road, Unit 260, Escondido, CA 92029. The classes page gives directions: from CA-78, exit at Nordahl Road and head south, turn west onto West Mission Road, then turn north into the driveway just past the gas station. The workshop is at the end of the parking lot. Mailing address: Palomar Gem & Mineral Club, P.O. Box 1583, Escondido, CA 92033.

This is a workshop (club-run teaching shop and classes). The club’s monthly general meetings are held elsewhere, at the Escondido Masonic Center.

Notes

Lapidary sessions (session page, check date): 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 6:30–9:30 p.m. and Thursdays, 1:00–4:00 p.m. “New and returning students welcome!” Cost is a $10.00 workshop use fee per session. Walk-ins are welcome, and reservations can be made online. Cutting material is for sale on site, or you can bring your own for evaluation. The page links a “How-to-Cut-a-Cab” PDF.
Upcoming dates (workshop calendar, check date): the November 2nd-Tuesday evening session is shown on Monday, November 9, 2026, 6:30–9:30 p.m. instead of Tuesday, November 10. Thursday sessions are skipped on November 26 and December 24, and the calendar marks the workshop closed December 24–25, 2026 and January 1, 2027.
Carving I – Introduction to Carving: Fancy Cabochons (class page): students learn to use carving burs with a rotary motor and flex shaft to make fancy-shaped cabochons such as hearts, flames and cut-outs for tube settings. Beginner level, instructor Kari Raley. $125 total ($30 class fee plus a $95 materials fee covering sintered diamond burs, Nova diamond burs and a preformed cabochon that students keep). The workshop calendar shows the next session on Saturday, January 9, 2027, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Holiday carving classes (class pages and calendar): Carving – Winter Tree (two-day class, calendar dates November 7–8, 2026) and Carving – Ornaments (calendar dates December 5–6, 2026), each $30 a day plus a $25–$60 materials fee, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Beginner to intermediate. You can bring your own burs and a slab at least 7 mm thick.
Faceting (class page): Introduction to Faceting ($100, weekend class, up to six students) is listed as “currently suspended” with upcoming dates TBD.
August: the classes page says the lapidary workshop usually closes for August, when the club often brings in outside teachers for week-long specialty classes.
Membership (Membership page): $30 a year for adults 18+ and $10 for children 8–17 (with an adult member in the same household). Members are asked to volunteer 8 hours a year. You can apply online, in person at the workshop or a meeting, or by mail.
Club meetings (Meetings page): free and open to the public, 3rd Thursday of the month, September through July, 7:00–8:30 p.m., at the Escondido Masonic Center, 1331 S. Escondido Blvd.
Replacement burs (classes collection page): the club’s own page names SUVA Lapidary and LASCO Diamond as sources for replacement carving burs. SUVA Lapidary and Lasco Diamond Products are listed separately on Lapidary Plaza as suppliers.
Not affiliated with Lapidary Plaza. Nothing was booked, and no email, phone call or form was used.

FAQ

Q: When is the Palomar Gem & Mineral Club lapidary workshop open?
A: Supervised sessions run on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 6:30–9:30 p.m., and on Thursdays, 1:00–4:00 p.m. Check the club’s workshop calendar for changes, such as the November 2026 evening session moving to Monday, November 9.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: $10 per session, plus club membership ($30 a year for an adult). Carving I is $125 including materials, and the holiday carving classes are $30 a day plus materials.

Q: Can a beginner learn to cut a cabochon there?
A: Yes. The session page welcomes new students and says the supervisors can teach the basics of cutting and polishing a cabochon. Material is for sale on site.

Q: Do I have to be a member?
A: Yes. Club membership is required for all classes and workshops.

Q: Where is the workshop?
A: At 2120 W. Mission Road, Unit 260, Escondido, CA 92029, at the end of the parking lot just past the gas station off West Mission Road.