The second annual Truth or Consequences Rock & Gem Show will be held March 23 and 24, 2024 at the Sierra County Fairgrounds at 2953 S Broadway St in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Hours are 9a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, presented by the Sierra County Rock and Gem Society (SCRAGS).
There are vendors offering rocks and minerals, gems, beads, slabs, cabs, jewelry, and fossils. Crack geodes. Pan for gold, screen for Montana sapphires, listen to interesting presentations, watch demos, and attend field trips. Spin our Wheel of Fortune where every spin’s a win.
Admission and parking are free. Maybe you’ll even win a door prize.
NEW in 2024:
Kids Rock Painting: Children under 12 can paint a rock for free! Come express your creative side and take home your own painted rock! Saturday & Sunday 9-3, behind the Albert Lyon Center. One rock per child per day. Supplies are limited.
Free Gemstone & Mineral ID: Bring in old jewelry, a mystery stone or pet rock to be identified for free! Offered by Len Rummel, Accredited Geologist, of Camel Smith Gems. Look for the sign under the pavilion, behind the Albert Lyon Center.
Cabochon Making Demos: Watch a jeweler transform rough rock into a beautiful cabochon before your eyes! Offered by George South of Ashley’s Opals at various times throughout the day. Look for the sign under the pavilion, behind the Albert Lyon Center.
Flint Knapping Demo: Watch an artisan create arrowheads before your eyes! Offered by Harvey Abeyta of Santo Domingo Pueblo. Look for the sign outside, behind the Albert Lyon Center.
GOLD and SAPPHIRE PANNING:
GOLD panning is 1-4 Saturday and 9-12 Sunday
Panning demo offered by the New Mexico Goldminers Association. Panning for simulated gold is free. Panning sand with genuine gold is available for sale at the New Mexico Goldminers Association's booth, along with gold panning tools and equipment.
SAPPHIRE panning is 10-12 Saturday and 1-3 Sunday. The sapphire-bearing gravel was mined in the Rock Creek mining district of Granite County, Montana. An expert screener ("panner") will pre-wash your sample - then the fun begins - you search the pile for these precious gems. $5 per bag. Supplies are limited.
PRESENTATIONS - Inside the Albert Lyon Event Center:
SATURDAY
11 a.m.: Yes, Rocks Can Heal Your Body and Raise Your Spirits
Speaker: Janet Perrone, Ayuruvedic Practitioner
1 p.m.: Overview of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology Mineral Museum in Socorro, NM
Speaker: Cynthia Connelly, Education Outreach Manager, New Mexico Bureau of Geology
3pm: History of Pueblo and Jewelry: A demonstration of Pueblo jewelry making and history
Speaker: Harvey Abeyta of Santo Domingo Pueblo
SUNDAY
11 a.m.: Geology of the Truth or Consequences Area
Speaker: Bruce Cox, Geologist
1pm: Identification of Minerals – A Systematic Approach for in the Field or at Home
Speaker: Mike Eatough, Retired Mineralogist/Geologist
FIELD TRIPS:
Visit > https://www.scrags.org/truth-or-consequences.../field-trips/
For more info on the hot springs, visit:
https://sierracountynewmexico.info/.../truth-or.../
For more info on the area, visit:
https://sierracountynewmexico.info/
as well as: https://www.facebook.com/visitsierracounty
