The Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society’s 63rd Annual Show is scheduled for Feb. 26-27 at the Trade Mart on the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for students.
Scouts and Scout leaders in uniform get $2 admission. Children 5 and younger get in free. Hourly door prizes will be drawn for adults and students.
After having to cancel the 2021 show due to the pandemic, MGMS officers say they’ve heard from numerous longtime show visitors who are eager for the return of the family-oriented event. The show features the sparkle of gems and jewelry and natural wonders of fossils and minerals. The show’s vendors cover the spectrum from glamorous fine jewelry to raw natural gems and geodes. Beading and lapidary enthusiasts have an opportunity to stock up on beads, cabs, slabs and other specimens ranging from amazonite to zoisite.
The show includes museum displays and hands-on crafts and learning activities for children. The “touch and see” table gives all visitors an opportunity to examine a large collection of Mississippi rocks and minerals as well as specimens from around the country.
MGMS’s talented jewelry artists will demonstrate techniques in beading, wire wrapping, gem faceting, cabochon making and other lapidary work throughout the show.
Flint knapping enthusiasts will show how primitive peoples created arrows, bow drills and other tools.
People with an interest in archaeology, geology and paleontology will have an opportunity to talk with professionals and students in those disciplines. Also, the Artifact Shack from Sylvarena, Mississippi, near Bay Springs, will allow visitors to inspect close-up Ice Age fossils and Native American artifacts.
For more information, e-mail mgmsshow@missgems.org.The Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society, founded in 1957, promotes knowledge and enjoyment of activities related to the earth sciences. MGMS members include amateurs and professionals with a wide range of earth science and artistic interests. To learn about MGMS membership, visit the website at www.missgems.org.
