The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-11-17, Page 21Rock
O
I lti":;?tri,
r1
for .fun and
It
to v
•
Mcllwain of Goderich is a rockhound and a
arise. He collects rocks, cuts,grinds and polishes
into beautiful stones to be sold as jewelry. Here he
tured wearing a ring with one of his, stone settings
a bolo tie, a style of tie especially popular in the
dian West. The stone mounted on this tie is a gold
agate which is quite rare according to Mr.
wain. (staff photo) _ , .
ewarding
bby
ANNE WALTERS
fly •by like minutes
nk McIlwain of
h when he is
d in his hobby.
cllwain has been a
d for the past four or
s now. He collects
ht he doesn't stop at
collecting them. He
en upthe art of
He cuts, grinds and
his rocks into
stones for creating
great pastime,"
Mcllwain even
e admits a person
down a few fingers
ning.
Ilwain has had no
aching in lapidary
he last few years he
ected his art by
ruing from his own
He finds the study
and gems to be
ng hut says he
ow the names of all
as well as he should.
rest in rocks began
end several years
he and his wife
iting Sarnia. He
to pick up a rock
at a newsstand
became interested
ounts..These micro
e tiny specimens of
cted from larger
to be admired for
ty and design under
pe, Gazing at these
ounts presents a
itself says Mr.
• Mr. Mcllwain
to the Sarnia rock
veral years.
isiting a niece and
in Alberta, Mr.
became interested
when his nephew,
lapidarist himself,
that he give it a
ER TO RESCUE
Mr. McIlwain
pidary only as a
ays he got carried
made so much
at he didn't know
with it all. As it
fe'had her pick of
Jewelry to match
utfit she wore. Mr.
ad a different bolo
with his polished
worn every day of
(the holo tie is a
yle of tie worn
the Canadian
whsle wondering
ith all the jewelry
king, his daughter
the rescue. She
interested in
he stones herself
the
erobta obtained ,selling
retail
hd went into
business. Mr. Mcllwain says
his d.aughter's business is
doing well. She sells to both
stores and individuals, She
also travels to hobby shows
and flea markets.
Mr. M-cIlwain picks up a
Before taking up the art of lapidary, Frank Mcllwain of
Goderich was interested in micro mounts. These are tiny
specimens of rock taken from larger pieces and admired
through a microscope for their design and beauty. Mr.
Mcllwain is looking at some small specimens here. (staff
photo)
few rocks around Goderich
but says he buys most of his
rough material at rock shows
which are held as close as
London, Hamilton, Brantford
and Kitchener. The dealers at
Turn to page. fi •.
Frank McIlwain of Goderich gets ready to polish a stone
which has been cut, shaped and smoothed. He waxes the
stone onto a dop stick or nail and holds it against this
rotating wheel of leather covered with a polishing substance
called tin oxide. Once the stone Is smooth, it is ready to be
Goaericth
mounted on findings, like belt buckles, bolo ties, rings,
earring or broach backs and fine chains. Mr. Mcllwain's
,daughter has a license to sell the finished jewelry products.
(staff photo)
TGNAL
STAR
130 YEAR -46
Les Chapman of Goderich stands beside what he calls his mint-niuseum. it contains some
specimens of rocks not even owned by the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Mt'.
Chapman, who has been a rockhound for about 15 years, imports and exports rocks and
polished stones all over the world. He sells mostly to retailers. His shop even has tiger eye
in the rough, a difficult rock to obtain since the South African government put an embargo
on it. (staff photo)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1977
SECOND SECTION
Profitable business
BY JOANNE WALTERS
When most people go on
vacation, they are apt' to
bring, assorted souvenir
trinkets, photographs and
postcards home with them as
momentos of their trip. But
not Les Chapman of
Goderich. He brings home
rocks --sometimes up to 300
pounds of them!
There's no doubt about it,
Mr. Chapman is a true blue
rockhound or collector of
rocks. But what does he do
with his haul? The answer for
Mr.. Chapman lies in the
importing and exporting
business. What started out as
a hobby about 15 years ago
has developed into a
profitable business known as
'Libra Gems these last six
years.
Yr. Chapman can
remember hack to the time
when he used to curse the
rocks he found in his garden..
He became a rockhound quite
by accident. While travelling
through the United States. the
Chap'mans stopped to visit a
friend of Mrs. Chapman. This
friend's husband was a
rockhound and Mr. Chapman
became interested in it.
"I told my wife 1 thought I
might dabble in it when we
got back home and this is
where that dabbling has
ended up." he ,smiles while
gesturing around- his back
shop filled with hundreds of
polished stones, rough rock
material. museum -specimens
and polished stone jewelry
pieces.
When Mr. Chapman is in
his shop, he is in his glory.
"I should have been in this -
business all along,'' he says.
Instead he worked in the
advertising business in
London. Ontario • before
.joining the Air Force when
the Second World War broke
out. After 20 years in the Air
Force and being stationed at
Clinton for some time, he
moved to Goderich when he
retired from the Force.
During the war he had turned
another hobby into a business
when he used his interest in
photography to take passport
photos. He was also in-
terested in radios and elec-
tronics and worked at that for
awhile.
"All my hobbies turned into
businesses," he says.
When Mr. Chapman first
took up his rockhound-
lapidary hobby_ he had a
difficult tim ` ding anyone
who knew mu bout it.
Lapidary isthe art of cutting
and mounting gems and
Turn to page 7A •
Nis
Wit
-635
tat
Les Chapman of Goderich is a rock dealer. His'business is
called Libra Gems. It Involves importing and exporting
rough rocks and tt]mbled stones all over the world. Here, he
looks at some bolo ties and belt buckles adorned with
polished stones. All kinds of jewelry is made with -polished
stones by lapidarists. Mr. Chapman also sells findings like
fine chains, belt buckles, earring backs and other things
which the stones can be mounted on. (staff photo)
k'.