Southampton Mineral & Fossil Society

'Formed in April 1971 as Southampton Lapidary Society reflecting the great interest in the cutting and polishing of stones around that time. In 1972 the name was changed to Southampton Mineral & Lapidary Society as a consequence of more people being interested purely in minerals. With a number of members being interested in fossils and a growth of popularity in studying and collecting fossils the name was changed again in 1985 to Southampton Mineral, Fossil & Lapidary Society (SMFLS). Finally in 1992, with a general decline in the lapidary side of the hobby, lapidary was dropped from the name and we became Southampton Mineral & Fossil Society with the aims to foster interest and expertise in the collecting, conservation and identification of minerals and fossils and, where possible, preserve and document the sites where they are found.'