Gem and Mineral Show!

They had a gem and mineral show the next county over, and a friend and I headed out there today. This is the first one I've ever been to and it was awesome. I found a really unique garnet and sterling silver ring, a silver necklace with a tigers eye pendant, a stone chicken figurine (I collect chicken stuff) that looks like it's carved out of man made opal, a large abalone shell, a jar of small sharks' teeth, a larger shark tooth (megladon), and a largish piece of quartz crystal I won as a door prize.

They had tons of jewelry making stuff, loose stones that you could have set, animal carvings, fossils, and just about every kind of polished and unpolished stone you could imagine.

Anyone else into stuff like this?

Yes! I have a stash -- I call it my dragon hoard, lol -- waiting to be made into jewelry. I can't resist moonstones and fire opals, and then I bought a gorgeous Yowah opal, a stash of Herkimers, some cut stones; magic quartz, garnets, amethysts, citrine, ruby, a dark sapphire and a few raw crystals (amethyst, ruby, emerald, topaz, garnet).

Then there are all the semiprecious beads

I've never even heard of anything like this but I would love to go to one some time!

There used to be one in Asheville. I loved it, but it seems to have been discontinued.

Renee, do you store your opals in water? They had some there in jars with water....

No, I've just got them wrapped and in a small container. I did clean them before putting them away though, to make sure there wasn't any skin oil or acid on them.

If you guys don't mind the stuff you bought was it expensive?

I really like simple necklaces and bracelets with stones in them. But all the ones I find are waaay more expensive than I think they should be but I'm always nervous to order online because I just can't get a good idea of the look of things like that without seeing it in real life.

The garner ring was $55, and the tigers eye necklace was $95 for the pendant and chain, all sterling silver. I'm pretty picky about jewelry and very rarely buy any, so I treated myself...

The only thing I didn't find that I was looking for was some kind of stone rosary...

Jewelry is usually VERY reasonable at shows like that. I bought a garnet and sterling ring at one for $35. I saw one similar (and the setting wasn't really as intricate) later at a jeweler for over $250.

It's a great place to buy gifts!

A couple of friends of mine would go to those shows (the yearly local one), then she and the other friend would go back right after the show was over and peruse the carpet for dropped gemstones before the cleaning crew vacuumed the room. They both found quite a few small gemstones over the years.

I don't think I'd have the nerve to do that, but their philosophy was those stones were going to be thrown away anyway, so why not?