Show Field Trip Report

Submitted by Kyle Meredith

We had three fine days this year (for a change!) for field trips during our annual Gem and Mineral Show with 15-22 participants on each trip. I think everyone had a good time, and I hope they went away with some mementos of their experience.

Saturday we went up to the Bear Mountain Geode Claim to look for fortification agate and fossils. We found some of each without much difficulty, but nothing that knocked our socks off. New member Alain found a cantaloupe-sized sphere that looked to us like nothing more than a mud ball, but when Josh cut it for him, it turned out to be a septarian—the first we’ve see at that site.

The second day, we went to Fluorite Ridge for a miscellany of rock collecting, including some carnelian and surprising specimens of fluorite. Along toward mid-afternoon most people had left, but Jane and Suzanne from Albuquerque wanted to explore another mine they had read about, so we drove toward it until the road became impassable. We walked a ways then determined it was too hot to finish hiking up to it. But now we have another place to check out in the future!

Greg led the third trip out to Saddlerock Canyon and reported a good day there. In addition to the iron sulfide crystals in limestone, another nice ammonite specimen was found.

We met many new people and had a lot of fun. Our thanks go out to everyone who contributed to the success of the field trips and the Show in general.  Let’s do it again next year!

Gem and Mineral Show Photos

Thanks to a talented member, Marcia Fisch, we have a few more photo to share.   There were so many beautiful things available at the Gem and Mineral show.   Here are a few of the Product Highlights.   Plus there was just a whole darn bunch of fun.   Here are a few of the Fun Photos. 

A Few Show Highlights

 

Lequita Lett welcomes our arriving vendors. 

More Show photos can be found here.

What a Wonderful Show!

Perfect weather, a terrific new venue, and record attendance resulted in a wonderful 27th Annual Gem and Mineral Show this weekend.    Thank you to all the Vendors, Volunteers, and Visitors!   Stay tuned, as photos and more will be posted very soon!

AND WE'RE OFF AND RUNNING!

Day 1 of Set-up - We get the keys and start moving into the Conference Center. How exciting!

Tomorrow we make it look like this diagram!

Great Show Coverage in Today's Silver City Sun News

4,000 expected attend 27th Annual Gem and Mineral Show

By Terrance Vestal Sun-News reporter

Posted: 09/01/2010 11:49:21 PM MDT

Click photo to enlarge

Grant Smith, of Alma, demonstrates a method for recovering gold from... (Christine Steele/Sun-News)

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SILVER CITY - The upcoming Labor Day weekend in Silver City is going to rock - literally.

Organizers of the 27th Annual Gem and Mineral Show, which will run from Saturday to Monday, say they expect the event to bring 4,000 to 5,000 people into town throughout the course of the three days.

An informal survey of area hotels, including the Holiday Inn Express, the Comfort Inn and the Econo Lodge, show that rooms will be scarce in Silver City.

Marcia Andre, the show chairwoman for the Grant County Rolling Stones Gem and Mineral Society, which is sponsoring the event, said Wednesday that the group is excited about holding the show in a new venue - the Grant County Business and convention center on Highway 180, next to Ace Hardware.

"We've always been at the Rec Center and while saying good-bye to the Rec Center was hard - the staff always was very good to us - the new venue gives us more room and room to grow," Andre said.

The show, which offers free admission, will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. Vendors from throughout the Southwest will fill 115 tables with rocks and minerals and related equipment for sale.

Karen Murphy, publicity chairwoman for the event, said vendors expected to attend include regulars who have been at previous shows as well as some new vendors.

"People will be able to find all kinds of things at the show," Murphy said.

While the Convention Center allows the event room to grow, Andre said the group still has "a long waiting list" of vendors who would like to participate.

New this year, Andre said, is the NMSU Zuhl Collection of petrified wood, which will be an educational display. Andre said a museum curator for the Zuhl Collection will be on hand for the weekend.

There also will be exhibits provided by locals as well as New Mexico Tech's Mining and Mineral Museum. The Silver City Lions Club will provide food. Daily field trips, a silent auction and the ever-popular Wheel of Fortune also will be featured.

Andre said the Grant County Rolling Stones Gem and Mineral Society took on a different approach in promoting the show by teaming up with Silver City MainStreet, which is having its First Friday in the downtown area on Friday, and the 18th Annual San Vicente Art Fair, which also is downtown on Saturday and Sunday. The three entities bought advertising in combination to try to promote Silver City and not just a single event.

Recently, the Silver City Town Council and the mayor have expressed concern regarding the spending of lodgers tax funds in wanting greater accountability and, ultimately, a marketing plan in place for the area.

"We hope this shows the mayor and the city council that we are trying to do what they are looking for," Andre said. "We're trying to promote Silver City as a whole."

Terrance Vestal can be reached at (575) 538-5893, ext. 5803.

If you go

•What: The 27th Annual Gem and Mineral Show

•Where: Grant County Business and Convention Center on Highway 180

•When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday

•Information: E-mail, rollingstonesgmsshow@gmail.com or visit http://rollingstonesgms.blogspot.com/