Many people had rock collections as children, and that fascination never ended for members of the Central Arkansas Gem, Mineral and Geology Society.
The society will hold its 41st Jacksonville Gem and Mineral Show on Saturday and Sunday at the Jacksonville Community Center.
“Our club does a little bit of everything,” said Virginia Wilhelm, a member of the society. “We even go out in the state and dig up minerals.”
The show gives the club a chance to show off what it does, along with bringing vendors from other areas of Arkansas and the country to Jacksonville.
“We’ll have people selling special beads and gemstones and jewelry,” Wilhelm said.
Wilhelm said Mike Howard, geology supervisor for the Arkansas Geological Survey, will give a presentation to visitors about his journey across the state mapping out different minerals.
“He’s gone out with other people and found GPS locations of minerals in Arkansas,” Wilhelm said.
Wilhelm said some people would be surprised at how many gems and minerals are in the state of Arkansas.
“We’ve got diamonds; there is garnet, and there are sapphires behind some of the buildings off of 65th Street in Little Rock,” she said.
In addition to vendors and demonstrations, fossils will be on display.
Wilhelm said she and her husband were interested in rocks and found Central Arkansas Gem, Mineral and Geology Society on the Internet.
The club meets once a month at the Adolphine Fletcher Terry Library in Little Rock and plans the show all year long.
“I like seeing the people [who come to the show],” Wilhelm said. “You’ve got kids squealing outside, and people can come in and look around.”
Wilhelm said there is a “kiddie dig” each year, where children can go into a pit of gravel and dig out toys and old stamps for a small fee.
She encourages everyone to come to the event, even if they don’t have an interest in rocks.
“[At this event] you’ll see some stones that you wouldn’t be able to see otherwise and see jewelry that nobody else will ever have,” Wilhelm said.
In addition to rocks and jewelry for sale and display, Wilhelm said there will be a person demonstrating wire-wrapping jewelry.
“There’s no soldering involved, and jewelers wrap wire around gemstones and fossils,” she said.
Approximately 40 booths will be set up at the event, and everyone is welcome to attend.
“Anything that you want to look at will be at this show,” she said.
The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Jacksonville Community Center. Admission and parking is free for the event.