We all had classes in school that taught us about rocks, minerals, and earth sciences. Most of us learned what we needed for the tests and forgot about the rocks and earth sciences. Sometimes the gemstone portions of our studies stuck with us, simply because of the monetary values and beauty.
But for some of us, the love of nature, rock types, gemstones, minerals, and the movements of the earth have stayed, we never outgrew our passions for collecting pretty and unusual stones, and the Courtenay Gem and Mineral Club is the place where we can share our love of rocks.
Coming up this weekend, April 8-9, the annual Gem and Mineral Show will take over the lounge of the Courtenay Legion.
The show is co-operative venture between Courtenay Gem and Mineral Club and the Parksville Rock Club.
Show chair Lori Ball says the show this year will be bigger and better than ever. There will be displays of cut and polished precious stones, there will be dealers on hand who will sell you jewelry or precious polished stones, and there will be club demonstrations that will show how we cut and polish a rough stone to reveal the inner beauty and shape a gem suitable for wearing or mounting.
There will be dealers coming from all over the Island, as well as clubs from all over the Island showing displays of what they have been working on. Silent auction, door prizes, full kitchen, kids鈥� corner and more will make for a full family outing.
Admission to the show is only $3, and youth under 12 are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult.
There will be a Kids Zone play area where children can work on building their own projects to take home, and there will be several displays of local Vancouver Island fossils, including a display by Comox Valley Fossil Adventures showing how they are prepared and cleaned out of the matrix stone.
Participants look forward to showing the people of the Comox valley the rocks, gems, stones, and fossils they collect and shape.
The Gem and Mineral Show runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, and 9:30 to 4 Sunday.
鈥揝耻产尘颈迟迟别诲
