Silver Cove Ltd.’s largest-ever Rock N’ Gem Show is on this week at Westerner Park.
Owner Chris Robak said the show is usually held in 20,000 to 30,000 square feet spaces. This year there are 50,000 square feet where buyers can shop.
“There’s an awful lot more space and an awful lot more material to set up. We usually give ourselves one day for take down. We’ll probably need two or three this year,” Robak said.
“This show started out in our basement about 17 years ago and it just blew up to what it is today,” he said about the Red Deer company.
Spring 2022 Red Deer Rock N’ Gem Show runs March 16 to 20 in Exhibition Hall. From March 16 to 19, the show is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. On March 20, doors are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Silver Cove’s last show was held when Alberta’s COVID-19 vaccination passport program was first introduced.
Robak said Red Deer is where the show started and it remains the flagship show. The show then goes on the road to Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton.
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He said there are plenty of reasons people come out to see what the show has to offer. Some people are looking for real home decor instead of something that is glass or plastic. Some are hobbyists who make jewelry and other crafts. Others believe in the metaphysical healing properties of stones.
“You also have the geologists and mineral collectors who collect specimens from a specific mine, from a specific locale, that was mined at a specific time.
“In the 1990s, beads were quite popular. Right now it’s metaphysical, and I am seeing a transition in the market with people getting more into mineral specimens and collecting for their value.”
Items for sale at the show come from many different countries including Brazil, Madagascar, China, England, Pakistan, Ukraine, Australia, Morocco, African nations, Greenland, and Canada.
“One thing that’s really special about this show that you won’t see anywhere else is the Canadian minerals. Our company has gotten into doing some of our own exploration and mining in Canada.”
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Admission is $2 per person, or $5 per family. For more information visit www.canadagemshows.com.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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