So twice a year I get to go and truly get my rock on. The International Gem and Jewelry Show comes to Collinsville, IL, and this year I can honestly say that I got to go BOTH times! Seriously, this is like getting Christmas three times a year for me, Rock Christmas and then regular Christmas. At all of the Christmas's I get presents! The Rock shows I get to pick out my own gifts, which I totally love!
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| Just .01% of the show |
Ever since I was a little girl I was a rock hound. Rock Hound, noun, informal meaning, a geologist or an amateur collector of rocks, fossils, or minerals. Ever since I could remember I was drawn in by rocks; their sizes, shapes, different colors, all of that captured me and hung on to my soul. I remember when I was young having so many that I had stacks upon stacks of egg cartons in my closet and each little egg holder had a rock or two in it. I had books on rocks, at one time had a rock tumbler, and a microscope so that I could look at the rocks and find the difference between them all. It shouldn't surprise any of you that I had my GIA certification in colored gemstones, but since you have to get re certified every year that didn't last long. My love for rocks, fossils and minerals has never ceased or even slowed down. In fact I am taken in even more by everything rock related. Maybe in a past life I was a geologist, if it paid better I'd probably be one in this life too.
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| So this is moonstone, just one of my three birthstones. I ended up buying one of the multicolored strands |
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| Just one of the hundreds of cases of jewelry |
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| If you can't find something to suit your fancy, then I don't know what to say because seriously they have EVERYTHING! |
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| They even have rock trinkets if you aren't into jewelry |
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| This is a jasper ink bowl, it was $7. I totally should have bought one. |
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| Petoskey Stone or Fossilized Coral |
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| This is what you can expect to see at any one of the bead tables |
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| OMG! I could have stayed at this vendor for HOURS. He had matching Jasper pairs!! This was the Intrinsic Trading table and he had a TON of beautiful rocks! |
So my three favorite vendors at the show are as listed:
Intrinsic Trading - if you are ever in Round Rock, TX you need to go see these people!
Holy & Pure Gemstone Inc - I really liked their merchandise
and Sun Light Gems - this man's off white chalcedony was to DIE FOR!
So after three hours, yes three, and I could have easily spent six hours in there. After three hours I had reached my limit and spent my wad. I only went $15 over my budget too, which considering I was in the mother of all candy stores for me is pretty darn good! I totally should have gotten that square off white chalcedony strand! 0.o Oh well, maybe next time, it's not like I don't have Reena's card. So what is the best way to decompress from three hours worth of hunting and searching for THE MOST PERFECT scores? Mexican food, yes, the answer is always Mexican food and Margaritas just in case you weren't sure.
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| KID YOU NOT THIS WAS THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD EVER! |
If you are ever in Collinsville, IL and you have a hankering for Mexican food you need to stop in to Zapata's and order either a California Burrito or a Chicken Enchilada! Both were amazing! Seriously if I lived closer I'd be fatter for sure.
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| My bestie had a regular margarita and I had an Italian margarita. Italian margarita has a shot of Amaretto and it's lined with sugar instead of salt. |
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| Obviously I couldn't finish this by myself so I needed help. Next time I'll order the SMALL one. 0.o |
So what did I add today to my ever growing collection? These days I'm keeping it small since I seriously have three or four HUGE boxes of rocks, fossils and mineral specimens out in the garage that haven't seen the light of day in about six year. Little ones and rocks do not mix, trust me on that one.
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| My SCORE! |
So I got some pewter findings for a $1 a strand, seriously this is awesome! I got a Tiger's Eye Strand for $7, not to shabby. I bought a 7'' strand of Kyanite 8mm beads for freakin' $15! A STEAL and the kid told me I was gorgeous so I'll take that any day of the week! I bought a strand of those heavenly multi-colored Moonstones for $30. It was worth it, that stand was EASILY $75-$85 strand. That was my big splurge. Also on my grocery list of gemstone strands was Picasso Jasper/Marble and picked that up for a song at $5, a Pietersite strand and the Petoskey Stone coral strand for around $8 a piece. Also not too shabby, then went back to the Sunlight Gems table again for the second time and picked up a beautiful strand of labradorite for $15. Plus with my two pairs of matching Picasso Jasper sets at $7.50 a set I was done. And last but not least my little Jasper Buddha for $6. The kid that told me I was gorgeous asked me how much I paid for the little guy and I beamed and told him he was only $6, to which he told me that was a good price. Thank you handsome young man, but I knew that already. He also doubles as a bead, but I'm not ever going to be rocking him around my neck. Pun intended.
So that was my awesome morning at the Gem and Jewelry show with Noelle and Jen, followed by lunch, a lovely birthday party over at Roo's best friends house and then dinner over at the neighbors. The company and the food today was just amazing and now I'm about ready to keel over from exhaustion. I hope what I typed makes sense to everyone. So without further ado I hear my bed calling my name quietly from upstairs. So on that note, have a great rest of the weekend! This mama is off to get some much needed rest!
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