Idaho Falls rock club to host 60th annual show next weekend

IDAHO FALLS — Attention all rock collectors! The Idaho Falls Gem & Mineral Society has planned its annual show for next weekend, and you won’t want to miss it.

“Next weekend, the Idaho Falls Gem and Mineral Society will be holding its 60th Annual Show,” said Mike Bruton, the club president. “It will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19, and will feature demonstrations from club members, activities for kids, and rock and jewelry vendors.”

The show will be held at the Bonneville County Fairgrounds, 542 E. 73rd South in Idaho Falls, during the following hours:

• Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday’s 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $3 for attendees over 12 years of age, and kids under 12 will get in free when accompanied by a paying adult.

The display cases will feature club members’ special collections, some of which include materials found in Idaho. Some collections will be educational, with information on what to do with rocks that are collected; others will showcase the talents of club members through their finished products.

There will also be a silent auction of rough stones and slabs collected on field trips for those looking for new stones to work with.

Planned demonstrations will teach people wire-wrapping, faceting, jewelry-making, cabochon-making, and knapping with rocks. The club has a fantastic group of knappers who make knives, arrowheads and spear points, some of whom will be helping kids and adults make those items at the show.

A club member will also have his sphere-making machine at the show to demonstrate how it works to make perfectly round rocks.

Activities for the kids include a scavenger hunt and a sandbox with crystals and other pretty rocks to be harvested. There will also be a miniature Plinko game and a “Wheel of Fortune” game with prizes to be won.

The rock and jewelry vendors will have items created from local rocks, as well as rocks from around the world. They have finished stones and jewelry, specimens and rough material. Stewart’s Rock Shop, from Boise, will also be there with their geodes and plans to demonstrate how to break a geode open.

On Sunday, longtime club member Bill Thielbahr, a certified gemologist, will be available to identify rocks for attendees.

The Idaho Falls Gem and Mineral Society is a family and educational organization. In addition to the spring show, they have a youth group that meets each month, at the same time as official club meetings, at the Idaho Falls Senior Center on 21st Street. Youth in the group are taught the basics of rock collecting and identification.

The club also has several land claims where members can collect rocks for personal use. These claims ensure that locations remain available to the public for rock collecting. Most recently, the club has been working on a new claim in the Dubois area to protect one of the main sites for collecting gem-quality wonderstone.

At the show next weekend, there will be a club table where grab bags can be purchased, and information about membership in the club can be found. Field trips to the claims and other popular collecting areas are being planned for this summer, and information about them will be available at the club table.

For anyone with an interest in rocks and/or jewelry made from rocks, the show will be a great place to spend a few hours next weekend.

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