Did you know that the powder on chewing gum is calcium carbonate from limestone? It is added to make the gum less sticky.
This lesson and others will be taught at the 41st Annual Jewelry, Gem and Mineral Show, said Steve Shimatzki, president of the Toledo Gem and Rockhound Club, said.
“The main goal of the club is educational,” Shimatzki said. “Every year we get a chance to put a museum up.”
The event, sponsored by the club, will be at the Stranahan Theater Complex for three days, Sept. 7 from 2-8 p.m., Sept. 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sept. 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults will be charged $4, students and seniors $3 and kids under 12 get in free.
The show will feature demonstrations and activities for all ages and is organized entirely by volunteers, Shimatzki said. At the event, community members may purchase jewelry, beads, gem trees, faceted stones, mineral specimens, fossils, cabochons, tools and carvings. The event is “all-encompassing, not just an art show,” Metalcraft Moderator Deb Hoffmaster said.
There will be components and pieces artists can purchase, not finished works alone. Oneof the activities is geode openings. Geodes are sedimentary rocks with crystals inside. The rocks have been underground for millions of years and, when split open, the attendee will be the first to see the contents.
“There’s a little bit of excitement in that,” Shimatzki said.
There will also be a raffle at the event that benefits Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo’s geology departments. The club donates $100 and the attendees are encouraged to join in. However much money is raised is split between the two colleges equally. Last year, both schools received more than $500.
After learning about rock formations in elementary school and high school, Shimatzki said, “We want to make that available for the college years.”
The club meets every month at the Toledo Botanical Garden for business meetings. The members meet individually to work on projects throughout the month. The club has been in existence for 51 years.
Anyone interested can view the club’s display cases at local libraries.
Shimatzki’s work is featured at the Reynolds Corner Library and includes a 13-pound crystal and fossils.
“People think of rocks as just,” Steve Shimatzki said. “[But] you crack it open and there’s a whole ‘nother world in it.”
