You’ll find plenty of rocks, gems and fossils on display and for sale Friday through Sunday at the 39th annual Cobb County Gem & Mineral Society Show.
Admission and parking are free for the event, which is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Cobb County Civic Center.
Everyone from seasoned rock hounds to people wanting to learn about an interesting rock they’ve found will find plenty to do and see. And the event is kid-friendly, said Jim Haege, show chair for the event.
“There’s a lot of stuff to see, and dealers will talk to your kids,” he said.
Children can buy a $3 grab bag containing crystals, minerals and fossils, some of which were dug by club members on one of the group’s field trips. A labeled photo helps identify the contents of the bags. Five random bags will contain a Herkimer diamond, which is a quartz crystal worth about $40.
Kids and adults can enjoy geode cracking, which involves buying a nondescript rock that, when broken open, can reveal colorful crystals. In the rare case when a broken geode doesn’t contain crystals, you’ll receive another one to try at no extra cost. The geodes at the show come from two places in Mexico.
Credit: Courtesy of Cobb County Gem & Mineral Society
Credit: Courtesy of Cobb County Gem & Mineral Society
“The geode cracking is pretty darn exciting,” Haege said. “As soon as they break open, you’re the first to see them.”
The show also features silent auctions, mineral identification classes and demonstrations on how to cut and polish stones to create jewelry. Door prizes featuring items donated by dealers will be given away every hour.
For more information, visit ccgms.org/annual-civic-center-show.
Check out Friday’s Go Guide for more things to do this weekend.
