Items range from 50-cent tumbled stones to $50,000 museum-quality mineral specimens.
You don’t have to be a miner or a collector of “precious stones” to enjoy a trip to this weekend’s East Coast Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show.
The annual event – which opens Friday on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield – brings together vendors, miners, artisans and crafters from around the world, who will be selling all kinds of natural mineral specimens, fossils, gemstones, beads, meteorites, crystals, geodes and more. The events runs through Sunday with adult admission at $6 and free for ages 12 and under.
“Even those who don’t collect minerals will find plenty of decorator items for the home and jewelry of all kinds,” said Regina Aumente of Martin Zinn Expositions, organizers of several similar shows throughout the country.
Aumente noted those looking for something different to decorate their home or office can buy polished stoneware, bookends, stone vases, candleholders and more. And, for jewelry lovers, she said there will be some dealers repairing jewelry on the spot that visitors bring to the show, while others will design a unique piece of jewelry for them from a gemstone from their collection.
This year’s special guest exhibitor will be Fred Wilda, a mineral artist and collector who lives in Hadley.
“It’s my first time as a featured exhibitor at any show and it’s an honor, usually you have famous collectors or museum collections on exhibit at shows like this,” said Wilda.
“In fact, one of my crystals, an aquamarine from Pakistan, is the painting used in the show’s advertising piece,” he added.
The popular mineral artist said he will have about 100 original painting and prints for sale at the show along with 52 cases of minerals on view from his personal collection. Some of his art will be paired with cases containing the specimen he painted.
So, what came first, the painting or mineral collecting?
“I’ve been painting since I was old enough to hold a brush,” said the longtime commercial artist, who for years has painted landscapes, wildlife and portraits.
Wilda gained a new hobby in 1997 when he discovered the inherent beauty of natural mineral crystals which he began collecting. It wasn’t long before he began using his talents to start painting crystals by capturing the essence of their beauty through watercolor.
“They don’t talk back to you,” Wilda laughed when asked why he enjoys painting minerals.
“I find paining minerals very different because you have transparent specimens to opaque metallic minerals that reflect light and everything in-between, all in a wide variety of colors, even aggregates ….it’s very challenging,” he added.
In addition, the three-day show features free lectures on a variety of topics such as “The Good Old Days of Collecting,” “What’s New Underground,” “The Causes of Color in Minerals,” “History of Fossil Collecting,” and “History of Mineral Collecting.”
There will also be free mineral identification, free mineral specimens given to kids, hourly door prizes, geode-cracking, and gem panning for a fee.
And, while there will be plenty of affordable treasures to purchase, including 50-cent tumbled stones, some might want to bring along their checkbook for those $50,000 museum-quality mineral specimens up for grabs.