DeLane Cox, publicity chairwoman for the Northwest Arkansas Gem and Mineral Society, distinctly remembers the first time she went rock hunting with her husband.
"He likes to go dig up rocks, and he said, 'Oh, come along, and you can do this too,'" she says. "So I went on a dig with him and I would scratch in the ground and say, 'Look at this honey, is this something?' And he would say, 'Yes, it's "leaverite," and I said, 'What is that?' and he said, 'It means "leave-er-rite" where you found it.'"
FAQ
Spring Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show
WHEN — 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday
WHERE — Siloam Springs Community Center, 110 N. Mt. Olive St., Siloam Springs
COST — $3 donation; children younger than 10 free
INFO — 254-0894
Since then, though, Cox has gotten better at spotting the good stuff. She and her husband have been involved with the Northwest Arkansas Gem and Mineral Society since they moved to the area 17 years ago, and the couple take frequent rock-hunting trips. In fact, they recently returned from a trip to Albuquerque, where they explored an old mine that isn't open to the general public. Cox says she hopes to show some of her finds at the upcoming Spring Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show, one of the Gem and Mineral Society's biggest fundraisers.
"We always have three or four display cases of what our members collect," says Cox. "It's really interesting to see some of the more exciting things. I'm going to try and set up a case. I came back from our trip with some really pretty stones and minerals."
Cox says other big draws to the show include a variety of vendors. "They'll have tables full of rocks, stones, gemstones and jewelry fossils, all kinds of things that a lapidarist or someone who enjoys studying science would be interested in," she says.
Door prizes and a silent auction add to the fun. And Cox says they take special care to make the event interesting for children.
"For kids, we have grab bags that they can choose from and there's a treasure chest grab game," says Cox.
-- Lara Hightower
NAN What's Up on 04/07/2017