2012 Gilsum Rock Swap: Featured Speakers
James Tovey: "From New Hampshire hard rock to finished fine jewelry"
See where fine gemstone jewelry comes from and how it's processed! James Tovey shows how gem-quality minerals in the rough from the local Tripp Mine
are extracted from the ground, cleaned, and fabricated into fine jewelry. -- a process that usually spans two years!
Jim gives a step-by-step explanation with a colorful presentation and real samples. Saturday at 2:00 PM.
Steve Garza: "Prospecting for beginners"
Steve shows you the basics of prospecting, including where to
look, what to look for and how to extract it, Saturday evening at 7:00
PM.
Below: Steve found minerals by prospecting this cliff alongside a major highway.
What minerals can you find in Gilsum? See these photos from a local collector or visit visit the Mindat NH Web page.
What People are Saying About the Gilsum Rock Swap
" I know just by the feel when something is run very well. And all I can say is wow."
Michael Walsh, Dino Distributors
Previous years
Listen to this New Hampshire Public Radio Audio Postcard from the Gilsum Rock Swap.
About the Gilsum Rock Swap
The town of Gilsum, located in the scenic Monadnock Region in southwestern NH, will once again host 6,000 - 8,000 people from all over the U.S. who will attend the Gilsum Rock Swap and Mineral Show. Here more than 70 dealers, swappers, distributors, and collectors can buy, sell, or swap beryl, quartz crystals, semi-precious stones, and rocks and minerals of all sorts. Displays range from newly found specimens in the rough to fossils, prized collector’s pieces and even hand crafted jewelry.
This year’s event will include a special presentation. The presentation will be held Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Elementary School auditorium immediately following the annual Ham and Bean dinner.
The event takes place at the Gilsum Elementary School fields, Route 10 in Gilsum, just north of Keene, NH, and is about 2 hours from Boston. Show hours are 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday and 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Sunday. The Gilsum Rock Swap is truly a community event with more than 60 people volunteering at the show. That number rises to more than 100 when one includes all the volunteers that bake home made beans and pies for the annual Ham and Bean Supper.
Gilsum’s many mines operated until the 1940s and yielded feldspar, mica and beryl. Most are now abandoned, although one, the Beauregard mine, is available to mineral clubs through prior arrangement. Today collectors prize other minerals such as beryl. Maps showing locations of local mines are available during the show.
Since the show’s inception, the town of Gilsum has opened its doors for the event. Activities include a daily pancake brunch, bake sale, book sale, chicken barbeque dinner, and a traditional Saturday night New England ham and bean supper with all you can eat home-made pies.
Admission is free, although donations are graciously accepted. All proceeds go to youth recreation and community programs.
Local Interest
Collector Tom Mortimer has one of the most extensive collections of New Hampshire mineral species in existence. You can see it at http://mindatnh.org.
See the exploits of local collector Tom Chandler and friends, including photos, at Tom's Web site.
See Jim Tovey's mining operation, located just a few miles from the Gilsum show. Visit the Toveco Web site to see outstanding specimens of beryl and other minerals, all mined right here!