2025
Monday, December 1st: Mixed Metal Christmas Tree, 5p – 9p
This is a fun, fairly easy project to get us all in the Christmas spirit. This little tree is intended to be a brooch but it could also be a pendant or a Christmas ornament.
We’ll be using nickel, copper, and brass soldered together in layers to form the tree. If you want it to be a brooch we’ll soft solder a pin on the back. The skills involved to fabricate the tree are soldering solid butt joins, sawing and stamping.
We’ll use stamps to decorate the tree but if you’re a little more experienced you could also add stones or wire garlands.
There are nine seats available. If there’s enough interest, we’ll add a second class on Thursday the 4th. You can sign up at the meeting or email Kathy.
Kit cost is $5.00 and includes all necessary metal, a pin back and directions. Additional kits available on first come first serve basis for those who want to make multiples.
How to Sign Up for Classes:
The sign-up sheet will be available on Monday and Thursday nights and at the monthly HGMS meeting. You can also sign up by sending email to HGMS@wildivystudio.com.
If you sign up for a class and cannot attend, please be considerate and notify the instructors as soon as possible so that if someone is on the wait list they can attend in your place.
Did You Know? A unique two-colored diamond weighing 37.41 carats was unearthed by the Lucara Diamond Corporation in Botswana. The diamond is half pink and half colorless. Experts say it likely formed in two stages with the pink half forming first. The discovery was announced in October 2025. Source: 
December: Tanzanite-Named for Tanzania, where it was first discovered, this popular gemstone is the blue-to-violet or purple variety of the mineral zoisite. Zircon-Best known for its brilliant blue hues, zircon’s optical properties make it bright and lustrous. It also occurs in warm autumnal yellows, reds, and reddish browns, and in green hues. Turquoise-This vivid blue gemstone is a rare phosphate of copper that forms only in the Earth’s most dry and barren regions. Ancient peoples from Egypt to Mesoamerica and China treasured it. Source: 