Gem and mineral shows

There was a gem and mineral show at the State Fairgrounds this weekend, so of course I and several other possible part-dragons showed up to admire the shinies.

If only.

With stands with $50 stone hummingbirds and stands with $500 pearls and stands with 5-figure ruby and emerald bracelets, it was quite a feast for the eyes (but not the wallet, which stayed near the $5 strings of beads and the geodes, because I was good, or at least not terribly bad). I also ran into the owner of a stand where I'd bought one of my favorite jewelry pieces a couple of years ago, because she recognized my necklace and said, "Oh, that's one of mine!" 

I think of all the pieces, the antique and estate jewelry fascinates me the most. At the show, these pieces were gold and ruby and gemstones, instead of the costume jewelry I usually see at the flea market. Interesting swirls of gold and rubies and diamond flecks, they made me think of things you'd find in treasure chests, of adventures and of stories.

Of course rock collectors and gem collectors and jewelry designers and people looking for interesting things like malachite boxes or gold-rimmed, polished stone bowls all found something worth looking at. I found the perfect clasp for a necklace I've been working on, and I now have my third geode, cut right there at the show, and shining happily on a bookshelf right now. 

Couldn't resist another geode. There's just something about knowing that you'll be the first person to see inside a rock that took millions of years to form, the first person to witness what unique pattern of crystals and stone has formed inside it. One more thing from the gem show that smells like dreams and stories.

Have you ever been to a gem and mineral show? What did you find that you loved the most?