A brand new two day show organised by Alix and Mary and Carpe Crystals. They have aspirations to be the UK’s very own Tucson Show. What a great start they have made on that journey, the show was a fantastic success. Held at Sandown Park Racecourse with lots of parking and just off the M25, it’s a good location. I should perhaps add that this show is nothing to do with the “Rock, Gem and Bead” Shows that we are more familiar with.
First impressions were that it was very professionally run, with a good mix of dealers (31 in total) and the marketing had been knockout. The show is run under the banner of wellbeing, which is growing ever more popular. The mix of dealers and different things for sale made for a really fresh show, including crystals, minerals, jewellery, gems and art.
A series of eight talks ran throughout both days ranging from mining emeralds to ethics and advanced crystal healing. Click here for the link to the podcasts. I attended the talk by Talha on emerald mining. It was not a technical talk but still informative and he engaged the audience well (by giving away samples!). He had a very rare cat eye emerald and photos of some exquisite trapiche emeralds.
Carpe Crystals excelled in large specimens as Ross demonstrates but they also had some very fine rutile.
Ade and Louise from North West Crystals were new to the circuit with their first show. They had an excellent mix of fine minerals and crystals. They bring a new mineral to the UK this year with the discovery of Lions Gate Quartz from India. That is the trade name but it is an unusual combination of pyrite, hematite and Golden Healer (limonite quartz). As fast as it went on the shelf it flew off! They sold a lot of it, if you got some you were lucky!
I met the lovely couple running the Kimbilio stall supporting the Congo Children Trust. They were the charity partner for the event and I wonder if we should consider a similar charity partner for our own show. She and her friends make the fabulous range of bags and aprons from wonderfully bright traditional materials and sell them to raise funds. The charity aims to improve the lives of vulnerable street children, many of them who survive by mining in less than ideal conditions. I bought beautiful washbags and tote bags for presents.
Mohammad from Crystals Mania had his usual high quality crystals and minerals, what caught my eye was the bi-colour beryl, I haven’t seen this before - aquamarine and morganite in a banded crystal. Joe and Erika from Agate Bands had their usual selection of fine minerals from Bulgaria and other localities and were delighted with how busy they had been. This fine baryte from Morocco was among them.
Isaac and his Opal Whisperers team flew over from Australia with an awesome array of opals that they have mined and fashioned themselves. They were a big draw and busy all weekend. If you watch Outback Opal Hunters on Discovery you will know Isaac and his sister Sofia, if you don’t why not!? Fantastic informative TV, highly recommended. They specialise in Yowah and Koroit opal. Website here. See their biggest haul here, its jaw dropping.
I thought the chrysocolla on quartz from Peru was unusual and the fluorite on candle quartz from China quite beautiful.
We all know how tiring it can be looking at minerals so I was lucky to find the answer in the way of some very fine Ceremonial Grade Jasper Cacao. Delicious just whisked with hot water and nutritious too, several bags came home with me. I can highly recommend it if you love “proper” chocolate or know someone who does. “Its not just medicine, It’s a lifestyle” check it out here.
I spent all day here and didn’t have time to listen to all the talks I wanted to or see everything. Thoroughly enjoyed it, cant wait for next years show which I am sure will be bigger and better, look out for it!
Update - the 2024 London Gem & Mineral Show website is now live, check it out for early bird tickets and set a reminder for Saturday and Sunday 23rd-24th November. Website is here. We are very excited to be part of it.
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