Jim Baumer, club member and show chair, and the 25-member roster are offering plenty of opportunities for lapidary and rockhounds near and far.

“We will have displays from New Zealand, Brazil, Australia and more — including a fluorescent display with a different type of UV flashlight to show off lights and colors in a dark room on the fairgrounds.

“There will be chances to win prizes throughout the two days,” he added. “There are scheduled door prizes from dealers every hour and silent auctions every half hour. Kids in attendance will have a chance to start collections if they would like, with egg cartons available with different stones.”

Baumer and the group encourage all to be involved with their club as they have members that range in age from a senior in high school to 80 years old.

“Interested people can join at the show,” he said. “Dues are $10 for an individual and $15 as a family.”

Meetings are held each month at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday at the Trading Post from September to May.

The show is set for Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9. It runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Concessions will be available for purchase, courtesy of the Feed Shack food truck from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Baumer said that collections among the group’s members continue to grow through sales from previous collectors, and also from the chance to get out in the field.

“One of the coolest exhibits at the show will be a Montana dry head agate,” he said. “Those have become very rare, as the location to find them has been closed for a while.”

His path to lapidary luxury came from his childhood in Japan.

“My dad played baseball there and I went to an English-speaking school at an air base nearby,” he recalled. “They had a rock hobby shop there, and one of the people I ran into from time to time taught me the art of polishing the stones and gems.”