Mining for Holiday Treasures

There’s wulfenite in them thar hills!

On the off chance you are wondering, wulfenite is a mineral indigenous to the Southwest.

Why should you care?

“Well, they’re pretty,” said Ann Meister, one of the coordinators of this weekend’s 45th annual Pasadena Gem and Mineral Show. “They’re prized by collectors because they’re fragile and very beautiful.”

They will be among the many featured minerals and gems from around the world that will be on display. There will be a showcase of fluorescent minerals that glow under ultraviolet light; aquamarine from Afghanistan; gold from Colorado, and slide shows and lectures to help you figure out what you are looking at.

The show is put on by the Mineralogical Society of Southern California Inc., founded in 1932.

“We think we’re the first gem and mineralogical society west of the Mississippi,” Meister said of the group, whose members are largely amateur collectors.

Even if rocks aren’t your hobby, you might be tempted by all the jewelry that will be on sale.

“There are people who are just Christmas shopping and don’t know anything about this,” Meister said. “You’ll find something that is truly unique.”

Or you might just get hooked.

“Mother Nature does beautiful things,” Meister said when asked why she collects minerals, focusing on those found in Utah.

You can rock out from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Pasadena Center, 300 E. Green St. Admission is $4 for adults; children with adults are free. Members of nonprofit youth organizations, such as Girl or Boy Scouts, in uniform will also be admitted free.