Greetings my name is Frank (TxRockhound) I have been a lapidary and silversmith for over 16 years.

I have taught many individuals and groups both lapidary and silversmithing in private settings one on one and as a group at local clubs.

My specialty is primarily lapidary getting the gem out of the rock. Sometimes using up a boulder to get a handful of gems. My stones are of unusual and exotic character as I use materials that are not considered mainstream by the trade. So some you may not be familiar with and others you will. All of the stones are hand selected as rough for it's beauty color and or special patterns then shaped and polished by me. And most of the stones are irregularly shaped to fit the design in silver I had invisioned for it. Some include parrotwing chrysocolla, pietersite, sugilite, tiffanny stone, tourmaline quartz, fire agate, glitter green zoisite, Texas petrified palm wood, petrified dinosaur bone, petrified dinosaur dung and many many more. I also like the highly prized included agates such as graveyard plume or any magnanese included micro crystal quartz. This site includes many pages written about a wide variety of materials that I chose to share with a wider audience online promoting this wonderful hobby.

My main focus in silversmithing is the unusual as I do not enjoy making traditional settings and most if not all my jewelry have stones that are cabochon rather than faceted. So most of my pieces are one of a kind artworks. I like things eclectic or eccentric many are big and bold with larger collector size stones and all of my materials are of the best grade and color or patterns too. Sometimes also setting a gemstone material or gem crystal just raw as nature made it.

I also write and have taught internet languages to a lot of people online forming many organizations that promote the learning of computer and internet languages in group settings like blogs or communities online. I have included some links to points of interest, such as where rough material might be bought online as well as to clubs and organizations that promote lapidary and the rock hound hobby in general. Also included are research links to many state and local sources about materials and where they might be found.

I hope you enjoy your visit and learn something new and exciting about the world of rockhounds.