The 55th Annual Golden Gateway To Gems
Saturday, August 1, 2009 - 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sunday, August 2, 2009 - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
At the San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park
(The Hall of Flowers) - adjacent to Strybing Arboritum
Just inside the park entrance at Ninth Ave. & Lincoln Way
(Click for a map)
Easy access on MUNI - (Click for Muni lines)
JADE
| Revered as a gem, jade has also been sought through history for it's utilitarian qualities. On the scale of toughness it tops all other stones, including diamond, and for as long as humans have had any inclination to pick rocks up from the ground it has been used for tools, weapons, ornimentation and decoration. The ancient chinese said of jade, it is the essence of the mountains, with the breath of heaven. Yet, jade itself is not singularly definable as a particular rock or mineral species. The line between what we call jade or not is often not easy to discern. Nephrite or jadeite? How can you tell them apart? Is it jade at all? How do we determine value? There are dozens of look-alikes and dozens of jade varieties of all qualities in virtually every color, so how do we get a handle on jade? A great place to start is at our annual show, where this year we will focus on the most enigmatic of all gem stones... |  Jade |
Discount Available
The show is $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors and students. Children under 12 are free with paid adult. A discount is available with a show flyer - click below for a printable copy. Just bring it with you to the show and present it when paying for $1.00 off the admission price!
Click here for show flyer which can be used for $1.00 off admission at the show
Valuable Raffle Prizes!
Every paid attendee at the show is eligible and invited to enter in our raffle for valuable prizes at the end of the show. You don't need to be present to win a raffle prize, just fill out an entry form at the information desk inside the show. A drawing from these raffle tickets will be held at the end of the show and the winners will be notified. This year the prizes are worth thousands of dollars - making each $3 raffle ticket an excellent bargain! You can buy as many tickets as you like. Below are some (but not all) of the prizes to be awarded to lucky winners at the end of the show.
A beautiful jade pendant, carved by world renouned jade sculptor and artist Deborah Wilson is just one of the many fantastic raffle prizes to be awarded to lucky winners after the show! Ms Wilson will be at the show demonstrating her carving methods. (Scroll down for more prizes) |
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An exquisite hand woven bead bracelet by SFGMS member Jennifer Wallace Mack. An hierloom piece!
An attractive necklace featuring ephrite jade, black jade, carved bone, jasper
and stering silver, crafted by SFGMS member Mary Sue Bucher.
(Check back here for for additional prizes as their pictures become available)
Exhibits
Dozens of exhibitors will display their collections of jade and other rocks, gems, minerals and crystals, and their work in jewlry and lapidary arts. We will display, for the first time in decades, our "Jade Clock," a club project from the 1950's - a fully functional grandfather clock made of jade (the largest such clock in the world), along our Jade Intarsia Table and Jade Train and Village - also club projects.
Door Prizes!
Paid attendees also receive a door prize ticket on entry to the show giving them a chance to win door prizes. There's no extra charge, but you must be present to win and claim a door prize when ticket numbers are announced. There will be a door prize drawing every hour throughout the show.
Gem, Mineral and Lapidary Dealers
There will be dozens of rock, gem and jewelry vendors offering everything from rough lapidary and gem materials, to fine specimens, to beautiful and unique jewelry that you'll never find at the mall. Many offer books and tools for those wanting to learn about lapidary arts and jewelry-making. Don't miss this once-a-year chance to obtain your hearts desire at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco!
Demonstrations & Lectures
There will be live demonstrations in lapidary arts and jewelry fabricating techniques, and free lectures with renowned experts on many topics of interest in the gem and mineral world!
Demonstrations:
Jade Carving - Deborah Wilson
Wire-craft and Wire-wrap Techniques - Naomi King
Bead Stringing and Beading Techniques - Mary Sue Bucher
Chainmaille and Precious Metal Clay - Carleen Mont-Eton
Rock (Jade) Carving - Skip Stang
Bead Stringing - August Szego
Rock, Mineral and Gem Identification
Stump the Experts!
Bring in those unidentified rocks and minerals! We will have a booth with rock and gem "experts." courtesy of The Bay Area Minerologists (BAM) to identify those mystery rocks and minerals that have kept you awake endless nights!
Lectures
Scheduled at 1:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday, a moderated panel discussion: "Everything You Always To Know About Jade," with expert panelists, Si and Ann Frasier, Mike Burkleo and others. Join in and find the answers to those nagging jade questions!
Easily accessible on the following MUNI lines:
Lines 44 and 71 Stop at Ninth & Lincoln Way (at park entrance)
Line "N" Stops at Ninth & Irving (just one block from park entrance)
Lines 6, 66 and 43 Stop at Ninth & Judah (two short blocks from park entrance)
There's also parking in the park's underground parking garage!
Parking is available in the new Music Concourse Garage. The north entrance of the Music Concourse Parking is from Fulton St. at 10th Ave. The south entrance (closer to the show) is at Concourse Dr. and Martin Luther King Dr. inside the park, just north of the Hall of Flowers (about a one block walk).
