Quartzsite Gem & Mineral Showcase Images

Rutilated Quartz - is usually a colorless tranparent variety of Quartz, filled with Rutile inclusions that form as straw-like needles of reddish, golden, or silvery strands often referred to as "Angel Hair", Vendor: Gems In Gems Photo: Robyn Hawk

Who knew that Iron Staining could be so beautiful? Iron Stained Quartz. Vendor: Gems In Gems Photo: Robyn Hawk

Bumble Bee Jasper - not a Jasper at all but is actually formed from a mixture of Indonesian volcano lava and sediment, this carbonate-rich rock was discovered fairly recently (1990's) on the island of Java. In just the last 3-5 years it has become a popular lapidary material. Photo: Robyn Hawk

Slabs of Fossil Coral - one of the "natural gems" formed when plant fibers in ancient corals are replaced with agate or microcrystalline quartz. Proper nomenclature is 'agatized coral' but the term Fossil Coral is commonly acceptable..

Bucket after bucket of rough gems, this one is Fire Agate - a type of translucent chalcedony or microcrystalline quartz. The "fire" is due to inclusions of goethite or limonite, producing an iridescent effect or "fire."

Tourmalinated Quartz is usually clear quartz included with needles of Tourmaline

In ancient times Lapis Lazuli was most highly regarded because of its beautiful color and the valuable ultramarine dye derived from it. Its name comes from the Latin lapis, "stone," and the Persian lazhuward, "blue." It is rock formed by multiple minerals, mostly Lazurite, Sodalite, Calcite and Pyrite, and is a rich medium to royal blue with gold flecks (pyrites). Vendor: Arianna Gems & Minerals Photo: Robyn Hawk

This Stan McCall design took First Place at the 2017 Orange County Fair. Vendor: Custom Creative Gem Cutting Photo: Robyn Hawk

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this sign on Stan McCall's table Vendor: Custom Creative Gem Cutting Photo: Robyn Hawk

Trilobites are an ancient and extinct arthropod living in the Cambrian period, approximately 505 million years ago, in ancient seas that once covered the western United States of America. Trilobyte Me! Quarry, Delta, UT Vendor: High Desert Gems & Minerals Photo: Robyn Hawk

Dutch traders of the 1700s were famously aware of the piezoelectric properties of Tourmaline using it to pull ash from their Meerschaum pipes, calling the stone Aschentrekker, or “ash puller.” Vendor: High Desert Gems & Minerals Photo: Robyn Hawk

Oregon Sunstone in matrix - named the official state gemstone of Oregon in 1987. These relatively inexpensive gems are only found in Oregon and come in red, green, watermelon, dichroic, schiller, clear, and even blue and purple. Most valuable are the red, green, dichroic (changes color from side-to-side) and color-change (changes color under different lighting conditions). Vendor: High Desert Gems & Minerals Photo: Robyn Hawk

Satin flash opal - is a Hyalite Opal with a glassy and clear appearance which may exhibit an internal play of colors and has natural inclusions. This colorless variety is most often found in Utah. Vendor: High Desert Gems & Minerals Photo: Robyn Hawk

Heliodor - the yellow to golden variety of Beryl, is named after the Greek "helios" - sun and "doron" - gift. With its lemon to honey-yellow color it is truly a gift of the sun. Vendor: High Desert Gems & Minerals Photo: Robyn Hawk

Oregon Sunstone - beautifully faceted Sunstone briolettes show dichroic properties and lovely pink schiller effect. Vendor: High Desert Gems & Minerals Photo: Robyn Hawk

Bi-Color Tourmaline - a durable gem group that registers a 7 - 7.5 on the Mohs scale. In determining the Metaphysical properties of these specimens, each color needs to be taken into consideration. Pink Tourmaline is associated with the emotions and Green Tourmaline is beneficial in one’s physical being. Together they link to the higher self, and are believed to bring true joy to one’s life and relationships. Vendor: High Desert Gems & Minerals Photo: Robyn Hawk

The golden sarcophagus of King Tutankhamen was richly inlaid with Lapis, as were other burial ornaments of Egyptian kings and queens. Vendor: Arianna Gems & Minerals Photo: Robyn Hawk

Variscite

Arizona Dumortierite

Chrome Diopside

Seraphinite - is a trade name for a form of clinochlore that exhibits a feather pattern A member of the chlorite group, it is believed to have acquired its name due to its resemblance to feathers, Seraphinite for seraphs or seraphim. Seraphinite is usually dark green to gray. Photo: Robyn Hawk

Rhodonite

Owyhee Jasper

Bi-Color Tourmaline - the term, Tourmaline, comes from turmali, an ancient Sinhalese word meaning “a mixed color precious stone.” Vendor: High Desert Gems & Minerals Photo: Robyn Hawk

Beautiful cut and carved opal by Stan McCall. Vendor: Custom Creative Gem Cutting Photo: Robyn Hawk

Bumblebee Jasper - is in fact, not a Jasper - it is soft and porous, with a Mohs hardness of 5 or below so while it polishes well, cabs usually require a coating of Opticon or something similar. Photo: Robyn Hawk

Vendor: Highland Park Lapidary Photo: Robyn Hawk

Oregon Sunstones are plagioclase feldspar formed in lava flows that cover much of southeastern Oregon. Within the lava flow is a matrix in which the colored sunstones are found.

One of the outdoor booths of Desert Gardens, featuring onyx free-form bowls.

QIA Headquarters, just one of the many locations for shows in Quartzsite.

Tyson Wells is another major show inside the town of Quartzsite. Located on Kuehn Street, just to the West of Central Boulevard.

Within the Prospector's Panorama show on Kuehn Street you'll find many great vendors, including Ron Coleman Mining.