Browse out-of this-world finds at the Baton Rouge Gem and Mineral Show

Unless you travel out of state, unique and rare rocks might be hard to come by. That’s likely why the Baton Rouge Gem and Mineral Show attracted more than 1,000 attendees to its two-day event last year in Gonzales.

At the annual show, rows of tables are filled with eye-catching stones. Light bounces off polished pink rose quartz, vibrant purple amethyst and intricate fossils. Attendees examine fluorescent minerals using UV lights, revealing pink and yellow hues. At another table, rock collectors can watch geodes get cracked open, unveiling the crystals inside. It’s a geologist’s dream.

This year, the Baton Rouge Gem & Mineral Society will host the show Aug. 10-11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center.

Nineteen vendors from Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi will showcase and sell gemstones, minerals, fossils, fine jewelry and geodes. Visitors can participate in silent auctions and raffles and get tips from experts on how to polish stones.

“This is a kid-friendly, stroller-friendly experience for the whole family,” show chair Wanda Gawerecki says. “A lot of times, people want to come both days just to take it all in.”

Baton Rouge vendors like Compass Rose Jewelry Designs, Eclectic Gifts and Lagniappe Lapidary will be setting up shop at the event.

Profits from the show go toward the Baton Rouge Gem & Mineral Society to help raise awareness about earth sciences in the Capital Region.

Tickets to the show are $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-12 and free for children younger than 5 and military personnel with their ID. brgemandmineral.org

This article was originally published in the August 2019 issue of 225 Magazine.