There is no need to look under...

There is no need to look under a rock this weekend to find your local lapidarist.

Lapidarists, those who smooth and shape precious stones, will join jewelers, artists and other rockhounds today for the Southwest Rockwrangler Lapidary Society’s 30th annual Gem and Mineral Show in Manhattan Beach.

At the show, to be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the California National Guard Armory, diamonds in the rough can be had for a price, said Virgina Rotramel, show chairwoman. Rough and polished gems such as sapphires, rubies and topaz also will be displayed and sold, Rotramel said.

“You’ll see just about any kind of stone you want to find,” including semiprecious stones and more common minerals such as quartz, she said.

Ten vendors will display everything from carved figurines to gold-nugget jewelry. How-to books, pendants, watches, rings and jewelry of all kinds will be for sale.

At one booth, adventurous visitors can get a taste of the gold rush and try their hand at panning for a little dust. A $5 to $10 pan will include a lesson in how to swirl dirt efficiently and a guarantee of striking gold.

At 3 p.m. amber aficionados may bid in a special auction of Dominican Republic amber, a version of the translucent stone that is a deeper orange than the popular and paler yellow relative found near the Baltic Sea.

These specimens will contain “trapped inclusions,” objects such as a piece of fern or a gnat embedded in the rock, making the stone more valuable, Rotramel said.

So, what exactly is a rock wrangler?

“A person who goes out and wrestles with rocks,” Rotramel explained. And if these stone cowhands are lucky, forays to places like Black Mountain near Barstow yield finds such as the opaque, reddish jasper, while a trip to Tucson may turn up quartzite.

However, Rotramel said, these days the hobby has been made more challenging as civilization encroaches on the lapidarist’s playgrounds.

“In order to go out after rocks we have to go so far,” she said. “In an inner city, it’s tough.”

Visitors to the show are eligible to win one of the many door prizes to be announced hourly. Raffle tickets can be purchased for a chance to win a $100 grand prize.

Admission and parking are free. The armory is at 3601 Bell Ave. Information: (818) 790-7598.