41st Annual Gem & Mineral Show - (pic heavy)

gemlady

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The last weekend of October is the busiest weekend of the year for me and Mom. Our Lapidary Society hosts the gem & mineral show at a local mall and we had been running the whole show since 1991! (Okay, there was the crew in 1994, but that was only one year and they gave up after that. Wusses...)

Since sis gave me her old digital, I can take pics and share with you some of the sights of this year's show.

Set-up night at the mall. This is Indiana's oldest indoor mall - the first. After another mall was built the traffic left so it has a lot of empty stores, but parts are being used by medical offices. We started having the show here in 1967.

Setting up the club display - had 3 of my necklaces in those cases.

Show has started and there is activity at the Junior Rockhound table. Here kids (of all ages) can pick an egg carton and 12 specimens to start their collection.

My favorite table at the show - the Pearl Lady!
 
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gemlady

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A double amethyst vug or cathedral. It sold -I think $120US.

More pearls at the Pearl Lady showing the many colors available. The fellow on the bench in the back is Mr. Pearl Lady resting his back. Pearl Lady wants this pic to show to the kids. See how Daddy helps? LOL

A tray of tumbled coprolite - dino poop, ruby pieces to the right, with kitty carvings at the top. Tried to get good pics of the carvings, but was limited by the camera lens.

Specimens including ammonite fossils and crystals.

Faceted stones...
 
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gemlady

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Shoppers contemplating a purchase...

This quartz crystal is almost 2 foot tall! It is on a lighted base.
(Didn't price it, but it would be in the hundreds of dollars...)

We have drawings for door prizes. Here, visitors line up for their free tickets.


That's all for now - need to upload more pics from the computer.
 
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gemlady

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I spent my budgeted monies at the pearl lady's booth. Guess what I'm giving this Christmas!
 

katz4life

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Gems & Minerals are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing all those beautiful photos
There is a lot of nice items at the show!
One of our favorites is that amethyst! Very pretty...
 
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gemlady

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There was one dealer who had an amethyst vug that was about 4 foot tall.
 

katz4life

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Originally Posted by gemlady

There was one dealer who had an amethyst vug that was about 4 foot tall.
Wow! That must of went for a pretty penny if the other amethyst was sold for $120. Thats so neat that you work with gems! Did you have your own booth or did you just attend?
 

conbrio

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where was this show. I am a geology student in TN and several of my classmates and I would have loved to come. Is is always the same weekend and same place? Might have to put it on the calendar for next year.
 
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gemlady

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Originally Posted by Katz4Life

Wow! That must of went for a pretty penny if the other amethyst was sold for $120. Thats so neat that you work with gems! Did you have your own booth or did you just attend?
I am a member of the Evansville Lapidary Society and we sponsor the show. This year I was dealer chair for the 16th time since 1991! This is my last year.

Originally Posted by conbrio

where was this show. I am a geology student in TN and several of my classmates and I would have loved to come. Is is always the same weekend and same place? Might have to put it on the calendar for next year.
This was in Evansville, Indiana. It's has been the last weekend of October at our Washington Square Mall.

This year the University of Southern Indiana Geology Club had an educational display and did demonstrations. One involved ice cream, but I missed it because I was stuck at the information table doing the announcing on the PA system.


I have been posting the dates in my siggy but forgot to make a thread this year. Sorry...
 

gingersmom

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Oooo...I want the giant amythest...and the giant rose quartz crystal!!!
 

dragoriana

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Originally Posted by gemlady

A double amethyst vug or cathedral. It sold -I think $120US.
Holy poop!! That's $130aus. Something that size sells for at least $500 over here. I can almost afford a huge chunk if it's shipped over! lol

Great photos!! My gems are all in hibernation till we move house. Then i'm extending my collection once we settle in.
 

rosiemac

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OMG Jan your every womans dream with all those gems!!. Those pearls along with the other necklaces are gorgeous, and i'd have a field day trying all those on before i bought them

Originally Posted by gemlady

There was one dealer who had an amethyst vug that was about 4 foot tall.
When you say dealers, are they jewellers who will have the stone broken down to make jewellry with?
 

pookie-poo

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Thanks for posting the great pics! They brought back some very fond memories of the Midwest Faceters Guild shows that I've been to with my parents.

In the mid '80's, my father entered the very first stone he'd ever faceted, into a faceting competition. He won an Honorable Mention! It's a gorgeous raspberry colored rhodolite garnet that he'd mined in North Carolina.
 
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gemlady

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Originally Posted by Rosiemac

OMG Jan your every womans dream with all those gems!!. Those pearls along with the other necklaces are gorgeous, and i'd have a field day trying all those on before i bought them


When you say dealers, are they jewellers who will have the stone broken down to make jewellry with?
We contract with people/dealers who deal with gems, minerals, and fossils to come and sell at our show. These are people who full/part time go to shows and sell. Many started out as hobbyists and made the move to selling.

Some have finished jewelry or the gems and mountings (you pick the stone and the mounting), or the rough material so you can cut the gem yourself.

The pearls were all temporary strung, but the Pearl Lady does stringing for an addtional charge.

Did that answer your question?
 

pushylady

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Nice pictures.
i want that huge rock with ammonite fossils! It would make a wonderful ornament.
 
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