Lapidary

Lapidary is like a special way of making jewelry. You know how sometimes you find pretty rocks or gems on the ground, and you like to pick them up and look at them? Well, lapidary is when grown-ups take those pretty rocks and turn them into even prettier things, like necklaces, bracelets, and rings.

Here's how it works: first, you have to cut the rock into a specific shape. This is like using a cookie cutter to make your cookies all nice and round - but instead of a cookie cutter, lapidary artists use machines with special blades that can cut through the hard rock. They might cut the rock into a circle, a square, or even a heart shape!

Once they have the shape, they use different kinds of machines to make the rock extra shiny and smooth. These machines use special wheels and sandpapers to polish and buff the rock until it's really shiny, like a mirror.

Finally, the lapidary artist might add some finishing touches, like drilling a tiny hole so the rock can be turned into a necklace, or setting it into a metal frame to make a pretty ring.

So, lapidary is like taking a regular rock and turning it into a special piece of jewelry that you can wear and show off to your friends. And all it takes is some special machines and a lot of patience!