San Francisco gem show this weekend!

[innerkitten]

Hi everyone. I know I don't post much these days, but I still love gemstones! My favorite San Francisco gem show is this weekend and I just wanted to let people here know about it. It's put on by the San Francisco gem and mineral society. Besides having some good vendors they also have some very interesting displays.

http://www.sfgms.org/

 

[OTL]

How many vendors are there? Most gems or minerals?

 

[innerkitten]

Hi OTL. There are all types of vendors. I would say this show is on the smaller side. One of the highlights for me is the Himalayan tourmaline booth. That booth also has Oregon sunstone ( they own both mines ). They have been there the last three years, so I hope they will be there again this year. There are a few other vendors that sometimes have older American turquoise cabs. I bought two from the Carico Lake mine the year before last. I had been looking for years. Plus I have purchased several nice moonstones at this show.

 

[Rockinruby]

Great info, but nowhere near your area. Any chance you can post some photos if you happen to take any? Just a thought to live vicariously since the booths you mentioned sound amazing!

 

[chroman]

I was hoping to make it, but the weekend managed to get too busy, as happens too frequently!

Maybe Intergem...

 

[rimshotsnap]

Would this be a decent place to try to find a sapphire for an engagement ring?

 

[innerkitten]

I'm not sure this is where I would look for an engagement ring stone. There are a lot of booths with interesting stones, and I'm sure you can find some sapphires at this show. But I think if it's for an engagement ring you really want to be able to have a more to look at, come back to and compare to etc...

 

[innerkitten]

Great info, but nowhere near your area. Any chance you can post some photos if you happen to take any? Just a thought to live vicariously since the booths you mentioned sound amazing!

It's a fun show!
I don't have a smart phone though, so it would be hard for me to snap casual photos with my clunky camera. I might try though.

 

[Acinom]

Everyone who is going: enjoy the show
Please take a lot of pics.

 

[minousbijoux]

Would this be a decent place to try to find a sapphire for an engagement ring?

I would characterize this show as a small show of curiosities, specimens, rough and an occasional faceted stone dealer. It is super friendly and collegial, as they all clearly know each other. Its kind of like a reunion of sorts with minerals. That said, you never know. I would not suggest anyone go to the show counting on finding something at all, but someone might have something or know of someone who does. Its definitely worth a try. I saw a beautiful emerald there from one dealer and a stunning sphalerite from another.

 

[digdeep]

Is this show always at this time of year or does it happen more than once a year? I'd be interested in making a trip to visit it.......when I have time to plan for travel.

 

[urseberry]

I will be attending with my parents on Sunday, as a fun daytime activity. For those who are familiar with the show, how much time do you think we should budget? I was thinking 2-3 hours?

 

[Rockinruby]

Great info, but nowhere near your area. Any chance you can post some photos if you happen to take any? Just a thought to live vicariously since the booths you mentioned sound amazing!

It's a fun show!
I don't have a smart phone though, so it would be hard for me to snap casual photos with my clunky camera. I might try though.

I completely understand about not being able to take pics with your phone. Mine isn't currently working, but hoping to get a new one soon. It was worth a try to ask in case though. I hope you do post any new gems if you get anything. Have fun!

 

[minousbijoux]

I will be attending with my parents on Sunday, as a fun daytime activity. For those who are familiar with the show, how much time do you think we should budget? I was thinking 2-3 hours?

Its a tough question to answer, because I don't know your interests (limited only to faceted specimens? rough for cutting? Specimens and objets d'art?). I was super efficient and in and out in under 2 hours. Someone who wanted to look at everything, particularly the exhibits of cool stuff like specimens could easily be there considerably longer, especially if you found things you wanted to buy.

IK has been there many times and can probably give you a better sense.

 

[innerkitten]

Is this show always at this time of year or does it happen more than once a year? I'd be interested in making a trip to visit it.......when I have time to plan for travel.

Yes this one always seems to be in August.

 

[innerkitten]

I will be attending with my parents on Sunday, as a fun daytime activity. For those who are familiar with the show, how much time do you think we should budget? I was thinking 2-3 hours?

I think you could. And if you get your hand stamped at the door you can leave and come back the same day.

 

[innerkitten]

Great info, but nowhere near your area. Any chance you can post some photos if you happen to take any? Just a thought to live vicariously since the booths you mentioned sound amazing!

It's a fun show!
I don't have a smart phone though, so it would be hard for me to snap casual photos with my clunky camera. I might try though.

I completely understand about not being able to take pics with your phone. Mine isn't currently working, but hoping to get a new one soon. It was worth a try to ask in case though. I hope you do post any new gems if you get anything. Have fun!

If I do i will be sure to post here

 

[urseberry]

Oh, thanks for the info. It sounds bigger than I thought, then. All three of us enjoy looking at gems and minerals, but will not be seriously looking to buy anything. I won't count on seeing everything in 2-3 hours, then, but it will be long enough to satisfy our curiosity.

 

[digdeep]

edited.........didn't read the first post and it had the info I wanted....... thanks IK for this thread!

 

[urseberry]

I took just a few pictures. Here are half, will post the other half later.

This was the exhibit hall, where members of the Gem and Mineral Society had set up displays showcasing items from their collections. The picture shows one row. If I remember correctly, there were about 6 rows total, with additional displays on the endcaps and around the perimeter of the room.


Some specimens inside the display cases.

 

[digdeep]

Wow! That's a classy gem show!

 

[minousbijoux]

Ha, I was just going to dig up this thread and ask for an update! You are on it, urseberry!

 

[urseberry]

Adding the rest of my photos.

 

[urseberry]

Last batch

 

[urseberry]

It's hard to see in the photo, but that clear sheet under "Odds & Sods" was a giant piece of mica.

I didn't take any pictures of the marketplace, but it was super fun too. There were vendors selling rough, mineral specimens, faceted and cabochon gems, lots of fossils, beads, and one antique jeweler where my mom bought a ring!

Out in the courtyard they had some sort of noisy demonstrations for kids - I didn't pay much attention.

Overall it was a fun and well organized show.

 

[minousbijoux]

Urseberry: for future reference, can you estimate how many dealers of faceted and cabbed stones were there?

 

[urseberry]

Not very many. Somewhere between 5 and 10. Mostly inexpensive native cut stones. Lots of tourmaline and topaz. I was specifically looking for green cabochons, so I noticed a lot of chrysoprase and jade. Saw some sugilite cabochons, both loose and in jewelry. Very few moonstones, to my disappointment. Quartz of all kinds: rose quartz, smokey quartz, clear quartz, amethyst, chalcedony rough and cabochons. A handful of other species too, like garnet. spinel, and sapphire.

 

[urseberry]

Oh yeah, opals too. Lots of opals in all forms: rough, cabbed, and set. Nothing super fantastic, but some of decent quality. Prices seemed low to me, but I have not shopped for opals before.