A shopper's rich quarry

Captivated by quartz? Agog over amber? (Etc.) This show's for you.

By LOGAN NEILL, Times Staff Writer
Published November 30, 2007

Jill Miller and Christopher Latour stop by Houston dealer Paul Chong's booth at the Withlacoochee Rockhounds Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show last year. "People have a natural curiosity for things that come from the earth," says the president of the Withlacoochee Rockhounds Club, Jerry Johnson.
	[Maurice Rivenbark | Times (2006)]

SPRING HILL - Jerry Johnson isn't sure why he loves collecting gems. It's simply in his blood.

But after 35 years in the hobby turned vocation, he's certain of one thing: No human can re-create the mystical beauty that took Mother Nature thousands of years to produce.

"If you take an ordinary piece of a mineral and study it with a microscope, it's like looking at a map," Johnson said. "The shapes and symmetry are breathtaking. It's like opening up a window to the world."

That is why Johnson, who is president of the Withlacoochee Rockhounds Club, is looking forward to this weekend's annual Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show. It never fails to attract some new converts, he says.

"People have a natural curiosity for things that come from the earth," he said. "But with gems you are combining beauty with something that is also rare."

They are so rare, in fact, that Johnson said significant gem and mineral discoveries have almost become a thing of the past in the United States. As more public and private dig sites become off-limits to mining, rockhounds - the hobbyists who toil endlessly in search of their precious treasure - have found it tougher to justify their hunts.

"I know guys who will go out on a trip and not bring anything back worth a darn," Johnson said. "That's something that didn't happen very often not that long ago."

It's all the more reason, Johnson said, for folks to head to the club's 33rd annual show this weekend at the SNPJ Hall on County Line Road. In addition to seeing magnificent collections of gem, mineral and fossil artifacts, visitors can watch lapidary demonstrations and talk with some of the South's most knowledgeable gemologists.

Over the years, the club has endeavored to make the show more interactive. One booth will enable visitors to pan for gold and small rubies. Another will offer lapidary polishing.

Johnson thinks sharing such experiences helps spread interest and keep the hobby growing.

"It's a fun activity that can bring a lot of pleasure to anyone who has the desire to work at it," Johnson said with a laugh. "After a while, you find yourself amazed at how much your collection has grown. Then you get to have fun showing it off."

Logan Neill can be reached at lneill@sptimes.com or 352 848-1435.

If you go

Withlacoochee Rockhounds Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show

The 33rd annual event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Sunday at the SNPJ Hall, 13383 County Line Road, Spring Hill. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for teens, free for children 12 and under. Call 688-7810 for information.

[Last modified November 29, 2007, 20:14:09]