Lapidary apprenticeship

HI! I don’t know whom this might be specifically directed to but
maybe someone could be of help to me. I am a metalsmith residing in
Savannah,GA and am very interested in learning about the lapidary
arts. I would like to learn about minerals and stones, and how to
carve ,cut into, shape, and polish these. I am also interested in
learning about their composition and qualities.

I was wondering if anyone knew of somebody around me (Savannah or
Atlanta etc) who would be willing to teach a young, eager student(to
be) about minerals and stones and pass on their knowledge because I
would prefer to learn in a hands-on personal environment . If not in
GA, well anywhere in the US is fine. I would also be especially
interested in opportunities abroad maybe Australia, Spain, Italy. I’m
thinking that anything is possible and the more I gather
the better. So any would be greatly appreciated. I am
willing to work very hard and learn the most I can. Thank you for
your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Marilu Villanueva
Savannah, GA
PS If any info is needed on Savannah, don’t hesitate to contact me !