Rock and Gem Shows
Visit a Rock 'n' Gem Show and be fascinated by a whole range of natural stone, mineral, crystal, fossil products from around the world.
All available at reasonable prices, there are spectacular mineral specimens, sparkling crystals of every colour and shape, ancient fossils giving and insight into the history of the earth.
Created from the natural organic and inorganic materials, carved, faceted gemstones and beads for setting into gold and silver jewellery. Also a dazzling array of ready to wear jewellery. Ever wondered how a chunk of rock becomes a gem?
At many events local Lapidary clubs, hobbyists and professional lapidarists are happy to demonstrate their skills.
Maybe visit the local Geology club stand to hear about how the countryside around you was formed, what rocks do should you expect to see locally.
Our experienced exhibitors are always happy to discuss their goods and products, how they were found, where they orignate, how they were created.
Young or old, experienced or novice - these are 'must see' events.
AG & Sons
How long have you been in business?
We are goldsmith by since generations. My father says that we are in gems & jewellery business since 1000 years.
Do you have a company by-line?
’the best crystals in town’
Emotions are precious.
What brought you into the business?
Passion about gems & jewellery.
Have you noticed many changes over the years?
Yes & No both. People`s love about the jewellery is still the same but rates of gold & silver have gone and so the gem & rocks.
What stands out as the best part of running your business?
Business in itself and adding up with meeting new people and getting more knowledge on day to day basis.
What’s the worst?
Nothing
Is there anything you’d do differently if you could do it again?
-
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years?
Reach out the whole Europe market.
Do you have a memorable funny (business) story?
-What are your favourite crystals?
Diamond
What do you look for in a customer?
Interest in Jewellery
How do you source your stock?
We are manufacturers of jewellery.
What preparation do you do for a show?
-
As an experienced exhibitor what advice would you want to share with others?
-
Stones - Cherry Catterall
How long have you been in business?
22 years!
Do you have a company by-line?
"Personally selected gemstones and necklaces"
What brought you into the business?
My Mum
Have you noticed many changes over the years?
Yes
What stands out as the best part of running your business?
Meeting new customers and buying new things
What’s the worst?
Getting up early!
Is there anything you’d do differently if you could do it again?
More selective buying
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years?
-
Do you have a memorable funny (business) story?
Customer going through sweets thinking they were gemstones!
What are your favourite crystals?
Good quality items.
What do you look for in a customer?
Appreciates quality and good value for money..
How do you source your stock?
Personally selected in Mumbai
What preparation do you do for a show?
-
As an experienced exhibitor what advice would you want to share with others?
Take the good shows as they come.
Stones by Cherry Catterall 01635 30236
How long have you been in business?
AsiaGems has been in business for more than three years. In that time we have worked to bring true fairness to the gem market here in the UK.
Do you have a company by-line?
We bring true fairness to the market.
What brought you into the business?
I first came into the business when I was a little boy, when I went to the Sri Lankan gem trade fair in Colombo.
Have you noticed many changes over the years?
Over the past few years we have noticed an increase of buyers that are very money conscious, so we have moved to accommodate their every needs. As we are all aware there has been a down turn here in the European markets.
What stands out as the best part of running your business?
I get a great buzz out of clients who love the gemstones that we have at AsiaGems and the prices we offer!
What’s the worst?
I really can’t think of any thing, I do really love the trade, and so we work hard every day to make it better.
Is there anything you’d do differently if you could do it again?
I would definitely have been at the Gem, Rock and Bead shows a lot earlier, as the market exposure was tremendous. We have found these shows to be completely valuable to our core company
structure.
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years?
We hope to achieve in the next ten years, to have jewellery boutiques around the UK and Paris. As the European markets return and they will! we look forward to riding that wave.
AsiaGems is also moving fast into the mining operations as well, we have several mining pits around Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Cambodia we get to pick the very best that Mother Nature has to offer.
Do you have a memorable funny (business) story?
The gemstone business is a funny business.
What are your favourite crystals?
My favourite crystal would be Aqua Marine the light blue is so beautiful we love it.
What do you look for in a customer?
Our customers come from all walks of life, we do our very best to help everybody that comes along.
How do you source your stock?
We have the best off both world because we can source from our own mines or from mines we get invited to, as well as the our normal avenues.
What preparation do you do for a show?
We look at the previous year to see what we sold and what we feel the customers may want to see.
As an experienced exhibitor what advice would you want to share with others?
The best advice would be: to be organised, try to think of everything, try to put your self in your customers shoes, think what they think!
Look smart! Be smart! Good signage, good lighting.
Janet & Eric Mitchell
We have been attending R & G shows for over 12 years, selling cut stones& rough rock/minerals. As retiree's we donate all profits to the Children’s Society(Reg. Charity 221124).
Eric specialises in faceting - mostly unusual stones & cuts.
We were drawn to rocks & gems by a lifelong interest in geology & by Eric’s love of cutting stones
We enjoy the atmosphere of shows. The friends we have made with other exhibitors & with the many regular attendees.
Most of our stock is sourced by personal visits to wholesalers enabling us to assess whether we feel that the stones will appeal to our customers.
Having time we occasionally use the internet to find unusual stock and have even got a few bargains. Our jewellery & cutstones are handmade & sourcing facet grade minerals can be quite a task. We have many memorable customers & lots of 'regulars'.
One great guy first came to us many years ago - a qualified accountant he had found work in a company cutting gemstones & enrolled on a GA foundation course. His first purchase a tiny $1 aquamarine showing it's hexagonal structure. He has progressed through diploma to fellowship with the GA and is now employed as a gemologist and part-time tutor for the GA, and now is a valued customer of our more unusual faceted stones.
We really enjoy building this sort of relationship with regular customers.
Last, but not least, we have, soley through R & G shows been able to send over 50 000 to the Children’s Society (one of the three major children’s charities).
Hopefully we will continue this extension of our lobby which has ensured that we are enjoying a busy worthwhile retirement.
E.W. & J.P. Mitchell
01629 825 369
janet.mitchell3@virgin.net
How long have you been in business?
Ostara was established in 2006.
Do you have a company by-line?
Collectors’ quality rocks, crystals and minerals.
What brought you into the business?
Although I (Anita) have collected rocks and fossils for years, Ostara was initially set up by my mother, Barbara, when she retired from a long career in the NHS. The crystals were initially a sideline to Barbara’s complementary therapies and massage, but gradually and insidiously they took over and edged out everything else. When Barbara died in 2009 we surrendered to the inevitable and moved entirely into the rocks and crystals retail side of things.
Have you noticed many changes over the years?
We haven’t been doing it long enough, however we have heard the old timers’ tales of a golden past of crystal retailing ….
What stands out as the best part of running your business?
The rocks and the people. Equally diverse and fascinating.
What’s the worst?
Getting up at 5 o’clock on a January morning to drive 200 miles to a show.
Is there anything you’d do differently if you could do it again?
Not really, but it would have been nice to have done it 20 years sooner.
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years?
Getting bigger and better. Establishing new retail opportunities, tracking down new sources of stock and constantly improving our knowledge of mineralogy.
Do you have a memorable funny (business) story?
Oh, so many, but I always think fondly of the man who came to our stall at a Rock & Gem show a couple of years ago and warned us to be very careful of emerald because aliens had poisoned the earth’s emerald supplies in the distant past and the Atlanteans hadn’t managed to clean it all up before their civilisation was destroyed.
What are your favourite crystals?
I love Garnets and Tourmaline. Roy likes Carnelian.
What do you look for in a customer?
A genuine interest in the stones. It doesn’t matter if they don’t know much about them or don’t have wads of cash to splash. We also love a customer who has his or her children under tight control.
How do you source your stock?
They are usually left for us by the faeries in an enchanted circle at midnight. We don’t take them all, however. Every stone we sell is individually selected because it is a good, weird or otherwise pleasing example of its type.
What preparation do you do for a show?
Roy loads the hatchback while I go out to buy bottled water and chocolate. We leave strict instructions to the cats not to bring in any dead things while we are away, grab a teddy bear for the dog and we are on our way.
As an experienced exhibitor what advice would you want to share with others?
Be very careful of the emerald.
Anita Martin
Ostara Crystals
How long have you been in business?
I have been trading full time as a mineral dealer now for 10 years, but Crystal Vine was established back in 1996 when I ran it alongside my profession as a teacher.
Do you have a company by-line?
I suppose my company by-line would be "retailer of fine quality minerals, crystals, carvings and opals."
What brought you into the business?
I came into the business due to a love of minerals and a love of self development which seemed to dove tail at the time.
Have you noticed many changes over the years?
I have noticed a number of changes over the years, most of which unfortunately haven't been that kind to the mineral dealer or collector. The price of minerals seems to have increased quite considerably compared to say 15 years ago. The number of new collectors are now very small, partly I feel due to the fact that not much self collecting of minerals can take place in the UK for a number of reasons. This means there are fewer collectors collecting what I call aesthetic specimens. New specimens don't appear that often anymore either. The increase in internet trade and information has had a huge impact on the mineral market good and bad.
What stands out as the best part of running your business?
I cannot get over the freedom and joys of self employment and doing what you love doing, but it becomes your job. Well vocation really, there is not anything I don't enjoy about it. Travelling and spending money on new items, bliss.
What’s the worst?
If there is one it would be the inconsistency of not knowing how much money the business is going to take in any month, and hence whether you have the funds to pay your bills!
Is there anything you’d do differently if you could do it again?
If I could start again back in 1996 I would certainly hoard certain minerals that now are impossible to find. Ah, hindsight is a wondeful thing!
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years?
I hope that in the next ten years my business continues to survive and keeps me in the style I am comfortable with. That I continue to meet and make some more really good friends through the shows and the business.
Do you have a memorable funny (business) story?
Maybe the oddest experience is twice in a row bumping into my friend in Tucson USA, whilst both visiting the mineral shows, without any prior arrangement. We were both just walking down a road when we spot each other, same place each time. If you have been to Tucson and know how large a city it is, how many people there are there, the chances of this happening must be very slim.
What are your favourite crystals?
You only have to look at my stand to realise my favourite mineral is opal, closely followed by stalactitic rhodochrosite, legrandite and yellow anglesite.
What do you look for in a customer?
Someone who takes time to properly look at my stand and is not afraid to engage me in conversation and to also come back time and time again.
How do you source your stock?
I try not to stock the same as everybody else and therefore hand pick my stock from overseas. I travel to Europe and the USA on buying trips where I buy direct from miners or their representatives. I also usually have collections for sale from customers who now wish to dispose of their collections.
What preparation do you do for a show?
I may have to do some opal polishing to replenish my stock, but usually I now know what I'm doing so it's just a case of packing the car, making the sandwiches, feeding the cats and making sure they are happy, oh and getting the pizza out of the freezer ready for when I arrive home on the Sunday evening hungry.
As an experienced exhibitor what advice would you want to share with others?
Be an individual, present your stand in a way that you feel comfortable with, but remember you have to set it up and take it down at the end of a show so try to keep your display simple enough that it doesn't take you 4 hours. Try to have a unique selling product that makes you different from everyone else, but also try to be diverse in what you sell.
Further information about Crystal Vine, along with informative opal and mineral information can be found at www.crystalvine.co.uk
Sara Giller
How long have you been in business?
We officially started trading in the UK in 2006 but Mike had previously been trading and collecting Ammolite in Canada for over 15 years before this. Tilly has been involved with crystals for over 50 years and specifically Crystal Healing for the last 10 years.
Do you have a company by-line?
Specialists in Canadian Ammolite and Organic Gemstones.
What brought you into the business?
Having a strong sense of the energetics, a passion for crystals and their healing properties. My Blackfoot Indian friends introducing me to Ammolite and spending time on the Reservation in Canada digging, sourcing, collecting Ammolite and building up a fairly large collection of Ammolite raw material
Have you noticed many changes over the years?
There appears to be a growth in interest in the energetics of crystals. People are becoming more selective on what they are interested in and how they spend their money.
What stands out as the best part of running your business?
Meeting new and interesting people who are enthusiastic about crystals and gemstones. Talking to new people who like and appreciate what we have but are unfamiliar with some of our stock. Searching out new organic product lines especially if travelling abroad is involved!
What’s the worst?
Spending many, many, hours and days working on and improving the website and not getting any orders! Undertaking stock control which takes soooooo long and, no matter how careful we are, there are always mistakes and we have to start again! Waiting for important deliveries of crystals that should have arrived yesterday, that we desperately need for a show tomorrow and the postman has already been!
Is there anything you’d do differently if you could do it again?
Not really. We have always enjoyed what we do and will only stop if that enjoyment and excitement disappears. Part of our growth is the experience we have gained from doing it, making mistakes, trying new things, continually
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years?
Be well established with a great selection of organic gems and regular customers.
Do you have a memorable funny (business) story?
Driving across British Columbia in a serious snow storm with Tilly (fearfully and reluctantly) having to drive a rented car behind whilst I drove a rented truck in front loaded with Ammolite.
What are your favourite crystals?
Ammolites and Amber
What do you look for in a customer?
Sincere interest and appreciation of what we have.
How do you source your stock?
Through our personal contacts and associations around the world which we have built up over many years. We always aim to deal direct with the ‘finder’ of the crystals, mine owner, digger, who have the most knowledge and understanding of their product.
What preparation do you do for a show?
Make doubly sure we have everything for the actual stand – even in the best routines things can so easily be forgotten and desperately needed later. Check everything is priced and coded correctly, items are polished & sparkling. Anything to make the setting up of the stand as easy and stress free as possible. We like our stand to be ‘different’ and spend a great deal of time experimenting with and creating new ideas to make it appealing, attractive, inviting and exciting for the customer.
As an experienced exhibitor what advice would you want to share with others?
Choose your product carefully, make sure your stand is attractive and inviting, engage your potential customers, be creative, be enthusiastic and stay positive especially if sales are down, evaluate and re-evaluate what you are doing and most importantly of all – don’t sit behind your stand reading a newspaper or book!
Further information about Ammon Uk's Organic Gems and to see their online shop with stunning ammolites, amber and other organic gems visit www.organicgems.co.uk
How long have you been in business?
11 years
Do you have a company by-line?
Success built on customer care
What brought you into the business?
Jan loved crystals and had a market stall for 2 years. They decided to close the stall and go completely wholesale, we sold stock from our own garage and went out on the van. Chris has always been motivated to take the crystals to the public.
Have you noticed many changes over the years?
People are more accepting towards the healing side of crystals. When we started 10 years ago people were only interested in fossils and collecting minerals, they wanted specimens and unpolished stones. Where now, we have customers really appreciating the uniqueness of the crystals and the meaning behind them, people are choosing a variety of polished and unpolished.
What stands out as the best part of running your business?
The best part of our business has always been the traveling. Going abroad to source the crystals. What other job would let you travel around the world buying stock and doing something you enjoy?
What’s the worst?
Oh definitely the weight of the barrels (laughs Jan), unloading the artic at 3am in the pouring rain!
Chris adds “I want to mention all the nice people we have met over the years – and also the ‘challenging’ people” He says with a big grin on his face.
Is there anything you’d do differently if you could do it again?
Chris and Jan look at themselves – we don’t think we would. We are both content. They both then said, perhaps not to grow as big as we have. We have lost some personal contact with our customers which is something we always said Gemstone UK is all about. This is something we are always working on – the personal touch.
We have always said one thing we have always done is keep to our niche market. Specialising in one thing ‘Brasilian’ instead of spreading ourselves too thin trying to be the best at everything.
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years?
We are concentrating on our operations overseas and building on the business we already have, without losing that important ‘personal touch’ with our customers. We are also building the business to move forwards with our family, let the younger generation have a turn.
Do you have a memorable funny (business) story?
Jan laughs, Chris pulls a face. “I don’t know why you are laughing”. We were unloading a shipment in the rain with the forklift truck. Chris was with the barrels while a member of staff was driving the forklift. All he had to do was pick up the barrel. As he moved around the yard he drove too close to Chris. Chris shouted to reverse, instead of reversing the forklift came straight towards Chris squashing him against the barrel.
“I couldn’t believe it I couldn’t see Chris straight away, it’s funny now, but at the time I was dead scared”, Jan said..
Chris came away with broken ribs.
You must have something a little funnier than Chris hurting himself?
Oh yeah, for those that know Chris will laugh at this one!
We ordered a beautiful Lions head to be carved out of Moldavite, we were dead excited to see it. When it arrived, we couldn’t believe it, the man had only gone and carved the torso of a women. How funny is that? He must have known was Chris was like, can you believe it?
Oh another time (they are on a roll now), but this isn’t isn’t really funny, but it is a memory. It was the first time Jan had been to Brasil on a buying trip. There was piles of quartz, lovely pieces. She went to pick up a lovely piece of quartz from this big pile. It had some pyrite in it as well. As Jan picked it up, a shard of quartz stuck right up her finger, from her nail to her knuckle. We still bought it, it lives at home now, something’s are just meant to stay with you!
What are your favourite crystals?
What do you look for in a customer?
I think, People who are similar to ourselves. We treat people the way we like to be treated, those that are happy and positive. We believe we choose our customers as much as they choose us.
How do you source your stock?
Straight from the country of origin and we import all our stock ourselves.
What preparation do you do for a show?
After many years of exhibiting it just works, we don't know quite how our display will turnout and often we get a nudge to take some items that we had previously overlooked and there'll be a customer waiting for them!
As an experienced exhibitor what advice would you want to share with others?
Choose your stock carefully, like the products you are selling, don’t sit behind your stall looking glum. Be cheerful and smile to your customers, talking to people will be the key to your success. If you have chosen your stock carefully it will sell itself, it is you that you have to sell to the customer.
If you would like to meet Chris or Jan, seek them out at a Rock n Gem show or see their advert for full details of where you can contact them, or visit there website – Gemstone UK.
How long have you been in business?
We officially launched in 2000, a leap of faith from the 'day job' however we had been trading stones prior to this.
Do you have a company by-line?
Crystals and minerals carefully and ethically sourced from around the world and handled with care are the statements we stand by.
What brought you into the business?
I usually say sitting ontop of too many pyramids and chatting to wise men, but also I spent a lot of time learning my trade whilst visiting one of the 1st 'proper' crystal shops in the city close to my old 'day job'.
Have you noticed many changes over the years?
Change is the only thing you can rely on, I've noticed a greater interest in stone as a whole, more information being available some very good, there's also lots more people keen on the Diy aspects of making their own jewellery and cutting stones.
What stands out as the best part of running your business?
Probably meeting people that share the same passion for stones whether it's after a hike in a foreigh land looking for that elusive crystal, or at a show.
What’s the worst?
No doubt the paperwork and stock taking. Also when someone asks you if the stone they purchased(elsewhere) is real and you have to tell them it isn't!
Is there anything you’d do differently if you could do it again?
I'm sure I could make a list however without all the experiences we wouldn't be who we are today.
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years?
Always a difficult one but as long and we're able to continue working with stones we'll be happy!
Do you have a memorable funny (business) story?
There are a few some we can't mention, but from the customer who demanded we order them an exact duplicate of an amethyst cluster but only deeper in colour to hunting for smokey quartz crystals in Brazil, nearly everyone was heads down stumbling around and I found the best 1 of the day with my first glance. Also I remember having a lovely blue velvet like cover at a show stand and we used to spreadout little very clear quartz stones to enhance the display, a customer was convinced we had blue moonstones scattered on the table and wouldn't believe us when we said it was quartz.
What are your favourite crystals?
I have many and it does change however a large hand size herkimer diamond and a big really deep colour rose quartz sphere with a lovely asterism are my most favourite.
What do you look for in a customer?
Apart from the obvious it's nice to see that they have an interest in stones.
How do you source your stock?
We like to find 'nice people' all over the world who we can build a trading relationship with ensuring it's an ethical approach it's great talking to some of the miners and listening to the stories they tell.
What preparation do you do for a show?
After many years of exhibiting it just works, we don't know quite how our display will turnout and often we get a nudge to take some items that we had previously overlooked and there'll be a customer waiting for them!
As an experienced exhibitor what advice would you want to share with others?
Talk about what you do, be happy to answer questions, find your niche, remember it's an enormous industry and you're always learning, learn to say no!
Further information about Earthly Gems Ltd and to see their online shop with over 5000 crystals, minerals, gems visit www.earthly-gems.co.uk
How long have you been in business?
I’ve been a healer and teacher in the spiritual industry for 15 years and have run my own business since then, selling mainly large specialist crystals to my client base. Over the past 3 years, a specific gift has come through from my own personal ascension process, that has enabled me to bead crystals together to create high frequency pieces to support others self healing journey.
Do you have a company by-line?
none
What brought you into the business?
No answer
Have you noticed many changes over the years?
No answer
What stands out as the best part of running your business?
It brings me great joy to connect with other people who love and honour crystals as much as I do.
What’s the worst?
No answer
Is there anything you’d do differently if you could do it again?
No answer
What do you hope to achieve in the next 10 years? - no answer
Do you have a memorable funny (business) story?
No answer
What are your favourite crystals?
crystal is clear quartz, and indian rubies are coming a very close second!
How do you source your stock?
No answer
What preparation do you do for a show? no answer
As an experienced exhibitor what advice would you want to share with others?
No answer
Further information visit www.starofgaia.com or call M: 07702273477