In Memory

Martin Zuber taught me how to make cabochons when he was 80 years old! This was back in the days when the Georgia Mineral Society met at Emory University, and we had our cabbing equipment set up downstairs in the old geology school basement.

Martin was an excellent teacher. He was very precise and expected nothing less than perfection. When making a cabochon, one must shape the stone on the first grinding wheel, and get out all the scratches on subsequent wheels. Martin would never let me proceed to the next wheel until EVERY SINGLE SCRATCH was gone. I would get so frustrated, and wonder why he was so picky, but after trying to sneak an inferior job past him, I understood. If you don't get all the scratches out, the stone won't take a polish like it should. Then, you're either forced to go back and start over from the first wheel, or give up. Martin never let me give up. It was simply not an option. I think it took me two weeks to produce my first stone. But do you know what? I'm still proud of it, and not ashamed to show it off to the best cabbers.

The day Martin died I was teaching how to cut cabochons at the William Holland School for Lapidary Arts. I was following Martin's time-honored teaching method. I'm sure Martin could see me and hear me shout above the grinding machines: GET THE SCRATCHES OUT! I know he would have been pleased. The beautiful reflections in those finished stones is a beautiful reflection on Martin Zuber.

Anita Westlake
GMS Past President
Instructor-William Holland School

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Martin Zuber, one of our great and most distinguished members died June 12th at the age of 94. His life as a GMS member started for us in 1974 , however, he led a fascinating life before that time that would fill a book. He was a second generation employee of the Singer Sewing Machine Company as a mechanical engineer who designed and built physical plants for all phases of the mechanized needle trades from shoe factories to high fashion. He graduated from high school in Korea but was sent back to the U.S. to go to college. He received his degree from the University of California at Berkley and returned to the Orient with his family in Manchuria (now Chenyong, China) and him based in Japan. Ila, his wife-to-be was sent for and she and Martin married in Manchuria. Their first born child, Martin, was born in Japan and daughter, Marilyn Lowry was born in New Jersey because the family saw a growing unstable political situation in Japan. In Nashville, TN and Atlanta, GA, Martin taught automation for needle trade systems for ten years.

In December 1974, Marilyn (his daughter) gave Dad a toy lapidary wheel out of the Sears Wish Book as a gag gift, and that is where we GMS members lucked out. Martin joined GMS and shared his great lapidary talents with us. He was a GMS past president and taught cabbing and silversmithing. He is remembered as a very strict teacher and perfectionist. He mounted all of the GMS lapidary equipment on wheels, rebuilt a storage cabinet for our society in what was the Geology Building at Emory University. (All this time he was a volunteer for the American Red Cross designing the interiors of disaster vans!) Martin had an elaborate lapidary set-up in his basement, and he would generously teach members when asked. He leaves behind an interesting, talented wife (Ila); a multi-talented and degreed artist and craftsman in daughter, Marilyn; and a successful son, Martin.

Marcella Wood
GMS Member and Long-Time Friend of Martin’s