Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14, 2026.
Day one 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Day two 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
Jackson County Sportsmen’s Club, 500 Mantle Avenue, Jackson, MI.
Ever wanted to cut your own gemstone? The Beginner’s Class is two days of hands-on instruction from experienced cutters, and you go home with a stone you cut yourself. No experience is needed. Complete beginners are exactly who this class is for.
What you will do
- Machine, dop and index: how it all actually works
- Setting angles and cutting to a meetpoint
- Cut and polish your first pavilion
- Transfer, then cut the crown and table
- Polish, inspect, and take your stone home
What is provided
Machines, laps, dops and rough are all provided, so there is nothing to buy. Every student gets a notebook and a curriculum from the Guild’s education committee.
Several experienced cutters share the class, and the student to instructor ratio is usually one to one or one to two. This year’s instructors will be named nearer the date.
What to bring
One thing: a 10x triplet loupe, or a head mount magnifier, so you can inspect your own stone as you go.
You are welcome to bring your own machine if you have one and would rather learn on it, with one exception. Please do not bring a Vevor. They will not hold an angle or an index reliably, and you would spend the class fighting the machine instead of learning to cut. Talk to us first and we will sort something out.
Membership is included
Registration includes Guild membership through April 13, 2027 at no extra cost. There is nothing to sign up for; it arrives with your registration.
Booking
Ten places. Please register by October 30, 2026. The class fee is non-refundable, so do check the weekend works for you before you book, and get in touch early if something changes.
The Beginner’s Class is hosted by the Midwest Faceter’s Guild. It runs alongside the Meetpoint Meetup, in a separate room on the same two days: you register for one track, not both. You do not need to be a Guild member to register.
