BETHEL — The Oxford County Mineral and Gem Association of Maine will have more dealers at its 53rd annual Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show this weekend.
It will be held at Telstar Regional High School on Route 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 12, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 13.
“This year, we have 14 world-class displays coming in featuring high-end specimens,” Dennis Gross, show chairman, said. “Every year, I have a list of people and dealers wishing to get into the show. Fortunately, with a little extra money, I was able to expand and get more dealers in than usual.”
Among the dealers are Frank Perham, Gary Freeman of Mt. Mica in Paris, Carlton Holt of New Hampshire and Gross.
Admission is $3 and includes a raffle ticket for a 17- by 13-inch Stilbite and Apophyllite specimen from India.
“That’s our grand prize for the event,” Gross said. “We’re also raffling off three tourmaline rings throughout the weekend.” Tickets are $1 each. Two of the rings are pink tourmaline, the other is green.
The money from the pink tourmaline rings is going to the Rumford and Franklin Grange halls, while the money from the green tourmaline ring is going to our organization,” he said.
Gross said that he is hoping for a higher turnout than past years as a result of more advertising.
“It’d be nice to get some of those larger corporations, but I feel good about how things are going this year,” he said. “I’m a lifetime member of the Mineral and Gem Association, and even if we can’t expand every year, the people seem to really enjoy the show we put on.”
The association is based in Woodstock and has hosted the show for over five decades. It has drawn enthusiasts from around New England to see gems, minerals, crystals and fossils from local dealers.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/OxfordCountyMineralGemAssociation or email the club at oxfordcountymineralandgemassoc@gmail.com.
mdaigle@sunjournal.com
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