CANTON -- The St. Lawrence County Rock & Mineral Club will host the 52nd Annual Gem & Mineral Show & Swap at the Canton Pavilion, 90 Lincoln St., Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 25 and 26.

General admission for the public is free.

This show will feature handcrafted jewelry made with semi-precious stones, gemstone beads, jewelry making supplies, free lessons for the crafter, museum quality crystals, fossils, mineral specimens for the nature lover and art collector, handcrafted gift items, free mineral kits for the kids, mineral collecting trips to some of St. Lawrence County's famous rock-hunting sites for the serious and novice rockhound alike, fun and fellowship for rockhounds from all over the Northeast, and a different type of shopping experience for the general public.

Dozens of collectors from several Northeastern states and Southeastern Canadian provinces will be set up for selling starting Saturday at 9 a.m. and continuing to Sunday.

Attendees will be able to purchase chances to win a large Brazilian amethyst cathedral for $1 each or six for $5. The winning ticket will be drawn on Sunday at 2 p.m.

A fluorescent, “glow in the dark” mineral hunt for kids will take place after dark Friday, Aug. 24 in the evening. Children 11 or younger, will be able to borrow a portable black light to search for samples of brightly colored fluorescent minerals and keep all of the minerals they find. There is no charge for this event.

A special feature this year will be free wire-wrapping lessons with Dave Millis of Pennsylvania. A vendor at the show for several years, he is well known for his gem trees and wire-wrapped jewelry. He has offered to give free demonstrations to anyone who wants to learn his craft on both days of the show. All lessons are free, but there will be a small fee for materials.

The food concession will be open Saturday and Sunday, featuring hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks.

At 5 p.m. Saturday there will be an auction of donated mineral specimens and other items of interest to rockhounds. For the convenience of local residents and commuting vendors, it will now be held at the conclusion of Saturday’s sales, rather than in the evening.

Anyone interested in swapping and/or selling gems, jewelry, rocks, minerals, fossils, etc, may reserve a space for a nominal fee. Application forms and fee schedule are posted on the club’s website, www.StLawrenceCountyMineralClub.org.

Guided field trips will go to Power’s farm, famous location for black tourmaline and quartz crystals on Saturday, and to the Bush farm, collecting location for brown tourmaline and tremolite on Sunday, leaving at 9 a.m. The fee for collecting at each of these locations is $5 per day.

There is no charge for the public to attend the show; everyone is welcome.

The Canton Pavilion has extensive parking and is located on the banks of the Grasse River with convenient walking trails and benches, and a playground for children.

For more information, check the club’s website at www.StLawrenceCountyMineralClub.org, or contact club president Bill deLorraine at 315-287-4652, or wdellie@gmail.com.

Proceeds from events help sponsor Geology Department mineralogy scholarships at SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence University, the kid’s fluorescent mineral hunt, and the free mineral kits for kids.