Mineral and Gem Society of Castro Valley Show

This past weekend was the locally-famed gem and mineral show at Centennial Hall in Hayward, put on by the Mineral and Gem Society of Castro Valley. All volunteer-run by the members of MGSCV, the show includes faceting and cabbing demonstrations, walls of displays ranging from gemological education to sorting different salts, to examples of rough gem specimens next to cut and finished specimens.And, the most fun? The fluorescent mineral room:
One whole room dedicated to minerals and rocks that glow under short- or longwave UV light. One of the hotspots for collecting is a site in New Jersey. Sign me up.

Tucson!

Every year in early February, Tucson, AZ hosts the most fabulous gem/mineral/fossil/jewelry show around. You want rubies, emeralds, tanzanite? No problem. Tektites? Yup. Fossilized dinosaur poop? Yes. Jade table? Sure.

And how about these skyscraper amethyst geodes?


Petrified wood?

From morning to evening my trip was filled with looking at these beauties.

I was there for 5 days. My days began with grabbing a quick breakfast, then usually heading out to a seminar or two (fabulous education!), and then taking the shuttles to the different shows. There were tents up all over town with gem and mineral dealers, and even the hotels had vendors showing wares in the rooms.
Can't wait until next year...