Franklin hosts 57th annual gem and mineral show

Franklin — More than 130 vendors and exhibitors were on hand for the 57th annual Franklin-Sterling Gem and Mineral Show at the Franklin School this past weekend.

Vendors paid $20 for an outside table or $450 for an indoor display, where they could trade and sell local and national minerals, gemstones and jewelry pieces to the 2,000 plus people who came to shop over the course of the weekend.

“This show is a draw that filters out to the area,” Franklin Mineral Museum representative Steven Phillips said.

In addition to the $1,500 the school was paid for the use of their facility, local hotels were booked full and other area businesses and eateries saw an uptick in sales over the weekend as dealers traveled from as far as Madagascar to be a part of the event.

“We are one of the most prolific mineral collecting sites in the world,” Phillips added.

Home to 358 species of mineral, 87 of which fluoresce and 22 of which can’t be found anywhere else in the world, “If you want to buy Franklin/Sterling Hill minerals, this is where you come.”

Some of the vendors have been in attendance since the beginning and come rain or shine, regardless of temperature.

“People don’t see each other for a year at a time and they get to see each other at the school,” Phillips said.

While much has changed in the world since the show’s inception in 1956, including the way many people do their shopping, Phillips said the show is stronger than ever.

“Other than the Internet,” he said, “this is how you buy minerals.” By “pressing the flesh,” shoppers are able to better ascertain the quality of what they are buying.

“There is no reason this show should go anywhere," he said. "We’ll be here for years and years and years.”