So I’ve always been a rockhound at heart, right? When I heard the Denver show was happening this weekend, I immediately cleared my schedule. Woke up at 5 AM sharp, chugged some cold brew, and hit the highway while it was still dark out. The drive took forever with traffic, but man was it worth it.
First Impressions Blow My Mind
Walked into that massive convention center around 8:30 AM and holy smokes! The sheer scale hit me first – more booths than I’ve ever seen. Couldn’t decide where to go, so I just followed this huge crowd heading toward the mineral exhibits. Almost tripped over my own feet staring up at these crazy fluorescent lights.
The real magic happened at the rare stones section:
- Found this dealer showing off grape-sized Alexandrite changing colors right in his palm
- Some geology students let me hold a trillion-year-old meteorite piece
- A whole display of rainbow obsidian that looked like oil slicks
- This one booth had opals glowing under blacklight like neon signs
The Hunt For Blue John
Got chatting with this old-timer from Kentucky who mentioned Blue John fluorite. Spent two hours tracking down the only vendor carrying it – tucked in a corner behind the jade carvings. That purple-and-yellow banding had me staring like a kid at cartoons. Almost didn’t notice the price tag… let’s just say I took photos instead!
Around noon my stomach started growling. Grabbed a questionable convention center hot dog while watching a lapidary artist shape agate slabs. Watched her tap-tap-tapping with tiny tools, sending sparkly dust everywhere.
Final Score & Regrets
Ended up splurging on some Mexican fire opals around closing time. They’ve got this insane orange fire that burns right through the stone. Totally blew my souvenir budget, but zero regrets. Only sad part? Missing the geodes auction because my parking meter was running out. Next year for sure.
Just unloaded my haul on the kitchen table. That mineral smell still clinging to my clothes – that gritty mix of dust and possibility. Already counting days til next August’s show. Gotta start saving now!
