Are you a rock hound? Do gems and minerals make you giddy? Is prospecting a dream job? The Sierra County Rock and Gem Society (SCRAGS) has just the ticket for you! On Saturday and Sunday, March 1 & 2, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., SCRAGS presents their third annual Truth or Consequences Rock & Gem Show at the Sierra County Fairgrounds, 2953 S. Broadway St., in Truth or Consequences.
On hand will be vendors offering rocks and minerals, gems, beads, slabs, cabs, jewelry, and fossils. If that’s not enough, you can also crack geodes, pan for gold, screen for Montana sapphires, listen to interesting presentations, watch demos, spin the Wheel of Fortune, and attend field trips. Kids are invited to paint a rock for free and learn how to start their very own rock collection.
Featured demonstrations include Flint Knapping by Harvey Abeyta of the Santo Domingo Pueblo, Cabachon-making by Les Postlethwait, Cabachon beading with Gay Findley, and free gemstone and mineral identifications by accredited geologist Len Rummel.
Two field trips are also being offered. The first is a trip to New Mexico Stone Supply’s Jason Brousseau’s candy rhyolite claim in Truth or Consequences. The trip takes place from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on both days. The second trip is to SCRAGS claim near Hatch, where you can collect barite, calcite, quartz and other rocks, minerals and fossils. This trip takes place from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on both days.
Events on Saturday, March 1
Sapphire panning from sapphire-bearing gravel that was mined in the Rock Creek mining district of Granite County, Montana. An expert screener (“panner”) will pre-wash your sample – then the fun begins – you search the pile for these precious gems. $5 per bag. Sapphire quantities are limited. Outside behind the Sierra County Fair Barn. 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Gold panning sponsored by the New Mexico Goldminers Association. Pan for simulated gold for free, or purchase panning sand with genuine gold from the NMGA. Visit their booth to learn more about gold panning from local experts and purchase equipment for your new favorite hobby. Outside behind the Sierra County Fair Barn. 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
The Rock Cycle and Classification of Rocks presentation by Mike Eatough from Elephant Butte, who has over 40 year’s experience as geologist/mineralogist. 1 p.m.
Overview of the Volcanoes of Elephant Butte presentation by Bruce Cox, a geologist from Montana who is currently mapping the volcanoes for the New Mexico Bureau of Mines. 3 p.m.
Events on Sunday, March 2
Gold panning from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Sapphire panning from 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
A Beginners Guide to 1.7 Billion Years of New Mexico Geological History presentation. A non-technical overview of the entire geologic history of the state from the creation of the first land that is now New Mexico until the opening of the Rio Grande Rift. Joan Karrie has a degree in Geology and is a member of the Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Society. Inside the Sierra County Fair Barn. 11 a.m.
History of Flint Making and of Traditional Santo Domingo Pueblo Authentic Handmade Jewelry presentation. With Henry Abeyta. No photography or video will be allowed during this presentation. 3 p.m.
For more information about the Third Annual Truth or Consequences Rock and Gem Show, visit SCRAGS.org/Truth-or-Consequences-Rock-and-Gem-Show
