CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Sat & Sun, November 1–2, 2025  RIDGECREST; Indian Wells Valley 68th Annual Gem and Mineral Show

Sponsor: Indian Wells Gem & Mineral Society

Venue:  Desert Empire Fairgrounds
520 S. Richmond Rd., Ridgecrest, CA 93555

Hours:  9am – 5pm both days

Admission:  Free.

Gem Displays, Geode Cutting, Silent Auction. Sunday will be a field trip to the club’s jasper claim!

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Sat & Sun, November 1–2, 2024  SAN DIEGO, CA – Gem Diego Show 2025

Sponsor:  San Diego Mineral & Gem Society

Venue:  Liberty Station Conference Center
2600 Laning Road, San Diego, CA 92106

Hours:  Sat 10am – 6pm; Sun 10am – 4pm

Admission & Parking:  Free, with ample free parking next to venue (Service Animals Only)

Driving Directions:  https://bit.ly/libcmap

Contact:  LuAnn Benton benton.luannz@gmail.com

Exhibitor Apps Deadline:  Oct 22, 11:59pm. Mail app (see links below) to: Felix Kreissl exhibitors.gemdiego@gmail.com
Whole Case App
Individual Item App

Jaguar Trophy Entry Rules:  bit.ly/gd25-jaguar

Website:  bit.ly/gemdiego2025

San Diego's finest gem and mineral show located in the beautiful Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego, 1/2 block north of N. Harbor Dr. and the San Diego Bay. Featuring 29 Dealers, Demonstrations and Exhibits with Minerals, Gem, Fossils, Crystals, Jewelry, Lapidary, Slabs, Rough, Rock and Gem I.D., Books, Door Prizes, Kids' Zone, and much more.

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Mon, Nov 10, 2025  SAN DIEGO, CA – Gemological Division Meeting

Sponsor:  SDMG

Venue:  SDMG Bldg, at the back of Spanish Village in Balboa Park, San Diego

Hours:  7pm

Admission:  Free. Open to the public.

Parking is limited behind the SDMG Bldg, so it's first come, first served. Look for additional parking in the Carousel parking lot near Park Blvd. or in the Zoo parking lot. (Balboa Park metered parking is currently on hold.)

Marcus Origlieri will be hosting the November meeting. Nathan Renfro will present a lecture on Microworld of Gems and Minerals. Mr. Renfro is senior manager of the gem identification department at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), in Carlsbad, California. He is also a microscopist in GIA’s Inclusion Research Department, a contributing editor of the “Microworld” column, in GIA’s professional journal, Gems & Gemology, as well as a member of the journal’s editorial review board. His primary areas of interest are photomicrography and identification of inclusions, gemstone cutting, and defect chemistry of corundum. Renfro has lectured internationally and authored or co-authored more than 100 articles on gemological topics. His photographic work has appeared in National Geographic and has been featured by Zeiss, Nikon, and Olympus. Renfro is a GIA Graduate Gemologist and earned a FGA certification from the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. A native of western North Carolina, he developed an interest in minerals during his late teens, which was sparked by his grandfather’s rock collection.

After the presentations we will have refreshments – so please bring something to share. The club will provide coffee, tea, and punch.

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Fri, Sat & Sun, November 14 – 16, 2025  SANTA ANA, CA – West Coast Gem & Mineral Fall Show

Sponsor:  LLD Productions

Venue:  Holiday Inn – Orange County Airport
2726 South Grand Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92705

Hours:  Fri & Sat 10am – 6pm, Sun 9am – 5pm

Admission & Parking:  Free. Open to the public.

Web:  www.mineralshowslld.com

80 Retail and Wholesale Dealers.

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Mon, November 24, 2025  SAN DIEGO, CA – SDMG General Meeting

Sponsor:  San Diego Mineral & Gem Society

Venue:  SDMG Bldg, at the back of Spanish Village in Balboa Park, San Diego

Hours:  7pm

Admission:  Free. Open to the public.

Parking is limited behind the SDMG Bldg, so it's first come, first served. Look for additional parking in the Carousel parking lot near Park Blvd. or in the Zoo parking lot.

Back by popular demand, Jeff Ching will give a presentation on Polishing Gemstones: A 63-Year Journey of Continuous Learning. He is legendary for his enthusiasm for teaching and his desire to make learning fun. It is both inspiring and contagious, and he has quite a following to show for it!

There will be refreshments and door prizes. We'll have coffee, iced tea, soda and any snacks you'd like to bring to share with everyone. Everyone is welcome and we hope you'll have an enjoyable time.

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