The 15th annual Denver Mineral, Fossil, Gem & Jewelry Show is currently underway at the National Western Stockyards until September 15. The show features hundreds of vendors offering a wide variety of items including dinosaur bones, rare gems, and meteorites. Co-owner Missy Carhart stated that the show is the best opportunity to purchase rare materials at their lowest prices. Regular attendee Rich Hagar travels from St. Louis to sell a variety of unique items, including meteorites and mammoth tusks. The show attracts visitors from all over, with two jewelry shop owners from Iowa mentioning that there is so much to see that they can spend three days at the event.
The Denver gem show generates $20 million in economic impact annually and costs $1 million to put on. Organizers plan to combine all shows into one large building in the new National Western Stock Show venue, with the transition expected to be complete by 2028. Colorado resident Brian Busse, also known as the “American Gemtracker,” emphasized the importance of the show in supporting the American jewelry market by networking and marketing with people from around the world. Busse, who has been gem tracking for 31 years, stated that the educational aspect of his work is just as important as the discoveries themselves. The gem show is described as an excellent convergence of education, beauty, investment, economics, and community, making it a must-visit event for anyone interested in minerals, fossils, gems, and jewelry.
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