Seeking Sulphur
From Resource to Precious Stone
38th annual show
Dates:
October 29 & 30, 2016
Hours:
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM both days
Venue:
Kyle Centre
125 Kyle Street, Port Moody, BC
Admission:
By donation
About the Show
The 38th annual Rock and Gem Show and Sale, Seeking Sulphur - From Resource to Precious Stone, took place October 29 and 30, 2016 at Kyle Centre in Port Moody.
The show told the story of element number 16, from its importance as an economic resource in British Columbia to its role as a special ingredient in certain lapidary materials and minerals. Visitors could interact with samples of sulphide ores mined in British Columbia and meet special guest Pacific Coast Terminals Co. Ltd. to learn how sulphur is used to create everyday products.
Educational displays explored native sulphur, sulphide minerals and sulphur-bearing lapidary materials, while an interactive mining display featured ore specimens and information from major British Columbia mining operations. A fluorescent mineral display explored another surprising role for sulphur, featuring minerals whose fluorescence under ultraviolet light is activated by sulphur impurities within their crystal structures.
Featured Exhibits & Guests
- Sulphur: From Yellow to Blue. Native sulphur was contrasted with vibrant blue lapidary materials associated with sulphur-bearing minerals, demonstrating the remarkable range of colours connected with element number 16. Pacific Coast Terminals contributed material to the display.
- Meet the Sulphides. Mineral cases introduced visitors to colourful and unusual sulphide species from a variety of localities, illustrating the many forms in which sulphur occurs naturally in combination with metals and other elements.
- Fluorescent Minerals. A darkened display case demonstrated another less obvious role for sulphur. Selected minerals fluoresced under ultraviolet light because sulphur impurities acted as activators within the minerals, producing visible colours when exposed to UV radiation.
- British Columbia Mining. An interactive display brought together ore specimens and information from mining operations including Highland Valley, Mount Polley, Bralorne, Britannia, Copper Mountain and Gibraltar, connecting sulphur-bearing minerals with the province's mining history and economy.
- Pacific Coast Terminals. Special guest Pacific Coast Terminals helped explain sulphur's importance as a British Columbia resource and export and its role in products used in everyday life.
Show Highlights
- Educational and Informative Displays
- Interactive Display Table
- Fluorescent Minerals
- Dealers and Sales Tables
- Spin & Win
- Gem Panning
- Rock Hunts
- Silent Rock Auction
- Closed Bid Gemstone Auction
- Demonstrations
- Refreshments