Lapidary Club

by Janice Friedland

LW contributor

John Robinson, the longest-tenured Lapidary Club member, who has been with the club for almost 30 years, is somewhat of a Renaissance man. He has been a Woodshop #2 and Lapidary supervisor for many years and enjoys painting and ceramics here in Leisure World. Robinson was also a marathon runner in Pikes Peak, Big Sur and Los Angeles. He is also a very talented jewelry designer, creating necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets.

Robinson’s love for gemstones started at an early age. He was raised on a farm in a rural area of Colorado where he has fond memories of going mountain climbing with his father.

Robinson completed the gemology program 25 years ago, where he evaluated a large collection of gemstones. His specialty in the Lapidary Club is faceting. He finds the process relaxing—grinding and polishing the stones (commonly called “cutting”) and creating beautifully finished gemstone suitable for jewelry. He said it “takes your mind off of everything else.”

He cuts and polishes gemstones which can be integrated into various forms of jewelry which he sells at various GRF art shows. Robinson, 88, is not slowing down. He is currently president of Faceters Guild of Southern California.

In his professional life, Robinson worked in the aerospace industry for 56 years. He is currently the chairman of the Space Propulsion Synergy Team and Emeritus Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, where he served in many positions, just to name two of his many accomplishments.

Robinson has enjoyed developing friendships over the years in the Lapidary Club. People can come by Clubhouse 4 to see the display case where Robinson has placed several of his pieces of jewelry.

An example of Robinson's jewelry.