Stones, fossils headline gem show

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Feb 16, 2008

HAYWARD -- After 60 years, the Castro Valley Mineral and Gem Society's annual show is no diamond in the rough.

The event, first staged in 1948, has grown to three days in its 60th anniversary year, an occasion typically marked by diamonds.

Gemstones and many of Earth's 2,000-plus minerals will be displayed during the show, from Feb. 29 through March 2, at Centennial Hall.

Other show features include 15 lapidary demonstrations, 45 educational display cases, more than 60 gem and earth science dealers, dozens of activities and thousands of gemstones.

Enameling, beading, metal work, rock painting, faceting and carving are among the planned demonstrations. Rockhound movies, an auction, door prizes and a raffle will be among the weekend's events.

This year's major attraction is an exhibit of prehistoric fossils and casts collected over a 40-year period by Modesto neurologist Alan Schaffert, a well-known amateur paleontologist.

A 10-foot-long cast of a Plesiosaur fossil, a giant lizard-like creature resembling the fictional Loch Ness monster, will "look like it's swimming" on its show stand, Schaffert said.

This aquatic reptile dates back 200 million years, has a flipper spanning seven feet and a massive rib cage.

Billion-year-old fluorescent rocks, which radiate brilliant colors, will be visible under ultraviolet lights in a darkened room at Centennial Hall.

School children will receive special tours on Feb. 29. A popular children's game is the "spinning wheel," where every spinner wins prizes.