BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON – The 57th edition of the St. Lawrence County Rock & Mineral Club’s Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show will be held Aug. 23-25 at the Canton Pavilion, 90 Lincoln St.

“Last year we had over 1300 people attend the show,” said Club Secretary Joanna deLorraine.

Weekend activities kick off Friday with the fluorescent mineral hunt at 8 p.m. at the pavilion.

“On Friday night we have a free children's fluorescent mineral hunt which is guided with black lights provided so children can collect their own glow in the dark minerals,” deLorraine added.

Admission to the hunt is free and each child (age 12 or under) will be able to borrow a portable black light to use in the search. Kids get to keep all the minerals that they find.

Certain minerals fluoresce (glow) when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) or “black” light. For example, some of the white calcite from the Balmat Mines near Gouverneur fluoresces red when viewed under black light. Other minerals glow red too, or green, blue, purple, or yellow, and some rocks glow with combinations of these colors. 

This show offers handcrafted jewelry made with precious and semi-precious stones for the jewelry lover, gemstone beads, jewelry-making supplies, free lessons for the crafter, museum quality crystals, fossils, meteorites, mineral specimens for the collector and nature lover, handcrafted gift items, free mineral kits for the kids, a mineral collecting trip to one of St. Lawrence County's famous mineral collecting sites on Saturday.

“It’s a really unique visual and hands-on shopping experience for the serious collector, rockhounds, and the general public as well,” a press release states.

Admission is $4 for adults; children 12 and under: free.    

A special mineral identification table is staffed by experts from SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence University on Saturday for those bringing unknown rock or mineral specimens along with them.

Dozens of collectors and vendors will be set up displaying and selling their extensive collections on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“The purpose of this activity is to have lots of fun experiencing whole new, brightly colored worlds, found  in simple rocks and minerals, many available locally and to develop kids’ interest in rocks and minerals,” the release states.

A special treat will feature wire-wrapping lessons by Dave Millis from Pennsylvania. He is well known for his gem trees and wire-wrapped jewelry and he’s giving free demonstrations Sunday to anyone who wants to learn his craft.  

There will be a silent auction on both days of the show. Everyone in attendance will have the opportunity to look over, inspect, and bid on mineral specimens, crystals, jewelry, and other items of interest throughout the day.  

A guided field trip will depart to the Power’s farm, a renowned location for black tourmaline and quartz crystals, on Saturday at 9 a.m. The donation for collecting there is $5 per day.

Also, each year the St. Lawrence County Rock & Mineral Club offers a large amethyst cathedral as the prize in their fundraiser. An amethyst cathedral is a natural mineral formation, similar to a geode - a very large one. It gets the name "cathedral" from its shape; tall and pointed, somewhat resembling a gothic arch or a church window. It has been cut open, revealing that its inside is completely lined with purple amethyst crystals. It stands on a stable base of rock material. Its retail value is over $600. 

“It would be a conversation piece in any room, as it is a work of art, as well as an item of scientific interest and an example of nature's natural beauty.”

This unique item will be on display at the show and tickets for a chance to win it may be purchased at any time during the show. The winning ticket is drawn at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

 No pets are allowed inside the pavilion. Parking is free and expansive.

Refreshments and snacks available throughout the day by Morgan’s of Canton.

  For more information, contact club President William deLorraine at (315) 287-2560, or wdellie@gmail.com. 

Proceeds from this event help sponsor mineralogy scholarships at SUNY Potsdam and St. Lawrence University as well as fund the “Mineral Kits for Kids” and the “Kids’ Fluorescent Mineral Hunt” events.