It was a rockin’ weekend at Rutland Centennial Hall as gemstone lovers gathered for the three-day Okanagan Rock and Gem Show.
Hosted by Kelowna’s 1120 Rock Club and the Vernon Lapidary and Mineral Club, the hall was packed with 21 vendors selling stones of all kinds.
The show’s chairperson Judy Hackman said the Okanagan has a lot of interest in stones and minerals.
“The Vernon club itself has just short of 600 members. It’s probably, for sure, the largest club in British Columbia. It could well be the largest club in Canada.”
The event included a silent auction, display cases, a microscope to see gems up close, and even a sandbox for kids to dig for their own treasures.
“I think that if you were to interview 95 per cent of these people they would say right from childhood they’ve been picking up pebbles, and they’ve been bringing rocks home as teenagers and adults and coveting rocks for whatever reason I will never be able to tell you.”
Learn more about the clubs or purchase a membership by visiting kelowna.rocks and vlmc.rocks.
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