Skill Improvement Program

The TLS Skill Improvement Program (S-K-I-P) was begun in 1964 as a way of providing members with the means, incentive, and recognition for the improvement of lapidary skills.

S-K-I-P began with two categories: cabochons and faceting. Today, the program has grown to nine categories: cabochons, faceted stones, spheres, carving, intarsia, jewelry intarsia, constructed jewelry, channel jewelry, and jewelry casting. There are three levels of achievement: Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master with progressively more rigorous standards.

An article on the TLS Skill Improvement Program appeared in Lapidary Journal, June 1968.