My husband and I recently completed a day-trip that we now call Gemstones and Fire. It was all about the discovery of semi-precious gemstones as we followed the path of the Yarnell fire. The journey was half of the fun as we traveled to the 10th annual Prescott Gem and Mineral Show. I had heard much talk of it among other local jewelers so I was anxious to attend it for the first time. It could be said that I was giddy with excitement, wondering what kind of treasures I might find there.
It was a very hot day and a great relief as we climbed through the mountains and began to enjoy the cooler temperatures. At over 3,000 feet elevation, it was wonderful to view the large boulders and tall green trees, until a deep sadness overtook us as we approached the site of the June 28, 2013 Yarnell, AZ fire. A year of drought, a lightening strike and strong winds created this 8,300-acre fire, which destroyed 127 homes. This was the fire that took the life of 19 Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters. The terrible losses of these young people were felt across the state, and across the country as word spread of this horrible news.
We slowly drove through and surveyed the area. The town of Yarnell appeared to be a dying small village with many of the local businesses up for sale. It normally had around 700 residents, and was located about eighty miles or so northwest of Phoenix. There were signs up along the road asking for monetary and clothing donations for the people that had lost their homes. We were compelled to stop at a local gas station and offer them a donation. There were areas of black where the fire had turned the trees to charcoal. I could easily see that this had been a beautiful scenic area before the fire ravished it.
On we traveled, through a national forest, on a two-lane road, winding around and through, tall cool trees inviting us in. The forest encompassed 1.2 million acres, although we only viewed the tip of it. Over half of the forest lies west of the city in the Bradshaw, Santa Maria, Juniper, and Sierra Prieta Mountains. The rest of the forest is on the east side of Prescott, in the Black Mesa, Mingus Mountain, and Black Hills as well as the headwaters of the Verde River. I would love the opportunity to hike and explore this area someday. It was simply breathtaking, and we could feel the moisture in the air from the trees themselves. It was so apparent to us after having lived in the desert for so long. Having originally grown up in the Midwest, trees were a welcome sight to us now.
We passed many homes and ranches, their long fences seeming endless to my eye. One of the local ranches offered horseback riding that would take you from 4,800 feet to 7,000 feet elevation, all while riding through the tall pine trees. It was stunning terrain all the way to the city limits, but I would have to travel on by car and not horse today!
The town of Prescott is older and well kept. It has a beautiful old courthouse in a town square surrounded by shops and restaurants that would offer any tourist the opportunity to empty their pockets of spending cash. The downtown has not been allowed to die, and thus seems vibrant and alive. We stopped by the square and sauntered through the shops, stopping for lunch at a small restaurant. Many of the shops featured western wear and unusual cowboy boots in support of the Ranching heritage in the area. The place I most enjoyed was a shoe store that reminded me of one in my hometown downtown when I was a child. The shoe store itself was a step back in time with its many offerings showcased in the glass street side showcase.
The gem show was at the Tim’s Toyota Dome on the North east side of town. In our travels to discover this place we passed the ordinary chain restaurants and shopping malls one might discover when traveling to any town these days. The traffic was fairly heavy, but we were able to navigate to our desired address with ease.
There was plenty of available parking, as we had arrived just after the opening of the show. It was a wonderful sunny day to be on an adventure and my husband and I walked hand and hand to the entrance.
Upon paying a small fee, we were greeted by the club representative who dutifully stamped our hands and invited us to enjoy ourselves inside. It was a smaller show than I had initially imagined, with about 50 vendors from California, Colorado and Arizona, but still a large room filled with rocks slabs, cabochons, tools, jewelry and beads.
It was difficult to make a methodical walk through, as glittering objects kept catching the corner of my eye, and I made a rather ping-pong like pattern through the event. It was interesting seeing many of the stones I use in jewelry making in their raw form. There were display rocks that were cut in half so that you could see what they looked like on the outside, and then reveal the beauty inside.
This gem show was put on by the local rockhound organization. It has about 250 members who are themselves developing lapidary and jewelry craftsmen as well as mineral collectors. I spoke with a retired lady who was manning the club table; her job was to entice new members to the club. She told me of the joy she shared with her friends, camping out in the desert and going on planned expeditions to search for particular rocks. She shared how difficult it was to find these rocks in their raw form and how when she and her husband went out the first few times they brought back all of the same kind of, not valuable rocks. She said it was a fun pastime and that she had made good friends all over the country.
One interesting thing for my husband was the phosphorescent rock display. These are rocks that glow all different colors under a black light. It was fascinating to think that these glowing rocks would have been unknown through all of history until the invention of black lights. It makes me wonder how many other mysteries there are in nature that we don’t even realize are questions!
I found it delightful to speak to the vendors, some of whom took large slabs of rocks and through a very meticulous process, cut, trimmed, shaped, and polished them into the very stones that many of us wear in our jewelry. It was clearly a labor of love because it took them over three hours for them to produce one stone. It is one loud and messy process and I applaud those who love to practice this art form.
I met a delightful lady, who was able to polish her cabochons to a pure gleam, unlike I had ever seen before. The light sparkled and danced off of every stone she had touched. I was particularly attracted to a stone known as Picture Jasper that she had for sale. Picture jasper exhibits a combination or series of patterns that result in what appears to be scenes or images. It is almost as if the scene had been oil painted onto the rock instead of formed from water and wind over centuries. This particular stone was cut into an interesting shape and I purchased it to be used later in one of my sterling silver designs. I also gravitated to a round, highly polished piece of malachite. This stone is thought to absorb pollutants from your body and the atmosphere. It is said that it will protect you from all kinds of radiation, and is the stone of travel. This stone was a lovely deep green color with various bands running throughout it. This too, was a must-have and I look forward to creating a special design that will showcase its beauty.
There was a couple of old gentlemen there selling their wares; necklaces and rings they had made of sterling silver. They had practiced their craft for a very long time and they loved talking to me as I confessed that I also enjoyed the art. They were generous in offering tips of technique that I may have never discovered on my own. One of these gentlemen was so drawn to the rocks around him, that he left his booth often, leaving his uninformed and unhappy wife to answer customer’s questions! I think this may have happened to her often, based on the comments she made. I felt sorry for her and wished that I could assist her in some way. They were drawing door prizes each hour and while I watched her they drew her number for the winning prize. She was happy and then her face dropped as she said, “Oh, great, just what I wanted, another piece of jewelry.” I thought of all the women who would have been overjoyed at the news of winning the prize, but then again, I guess their husband’s would not have spent their lifetime as a silversmith. I image that she had all of the jewelry in her jewelry box a lady could ever need. I can’t image ever having that problem!!
I enjoyed meeting a lady with several tables full of beads, with her young helper. She explained how she made a living traveling all over the country, virtually living in her RV attending shows and selling her bead products. She offered some beautiful crystals and pearls that you will soon see featured in some of my designs.
It was time to make our way home, but I couldn’t resist just one more stop at a small building just off of the frontage road with a plywood cut out sign that read BEADS in large letters, sitting on the ground in the parking lot. We stepped inside to a very tiny, very dirty room that was stuffed, and I mean stuffed with every kind of bead and component imaginable. It was a room that one would find impossible to shop in, but too tempting to not look around at all. As I stepped over and ducked under I was able to find a couple of unusual bits I had been searching for. Upon checkout, we engaged in conversation with the owner who revealed that he did much of his business through Internet sales. He was very, very high energy and enjoyed making jokes with a straight face. It was an interesting chat, but we were anxious to make our way back through the extremely curvy mountain roads before nightfall.
It was an interesting and enjoyable day. Prescott is an awesome little city I’d like to see more of. Perhaps in the future, we can spend some more time there. The people who put on the gem show were knowledgeable and kind. The vendors were happy and enjoyed being there. I never thought that I would enjoy a rock show but I would suggest that if you have never attended one you might be surprised at how much there is to see and learn.
As I kicked off my shoes, watched the sunset and let the cool air blow through my hair, I thought about how lucky I am to live in a state where there is so much local material available to put into my jewelry designs. As you wear my necklaces, bracelets and earrings you can think about how far I will go to bring you the best quality components available and how my love of the art goes into every one-of-a-kind piece.
I have included some links below in case you have any interest in learning more about the topics discussed today. I would love to hear your comments. What do you think? Have you visited Prescott? Have you attended a gem and mineral show? Did you hear about the tragic Yarnell, AZ fire? Do you own jewelry, a necklace, earrings or bracelet, that contains the gemstone malachite or picture jasper?
Remember the fallen firefighters
http://www.azcentral.com/news/free/20130701yarnell-hill-fire-firefighters-names.html
Learn more about the Yarnell, AZ fire
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2013/08/yarnell_hill_fire_arizona_want.php
Plan a visit to Prescott, AZ
http://www.visit-prescott.com
Learn more about the Prescott Gem and Mineral Club
http://www.prescottgemmineral.org
Learn more about picture jasper
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper
Learn about Malachite and Feng Shui
http://fengshui.about.com/od/Crystals/qt/Malachite-In-Feng-Shui-And-Jewelry.htm
Until the next adventure,
QuirkyGirl
SEE PHOTOS BELOW:
Shopping for beads, Prescott, AZ Gem and Mineral Show
Shopping for Picture Jasper and Malachite Cabochons at the Prescott Gem and Mineral Club Show.
Polished slab of malachite
Seeing green on the way to Prescott, AZ