The Bendigo Gem Club is hoping for a successful return of its expo this year.
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Club president Helen Rothacker said the annual event has been held since 1967 and is the highlight of the club's calendar.
It wasn't held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but Ms Rothacker is hopeful of a strong crowd visiting the expo on February 19 and 20 at the Bendigo Baptist Church on the McIvor Highway.
"We have more than 20 traders come and those traders usually don't sell by any other means, they only sell through gem shows," Ms Rothacker said. "There's a circuit around the state and Australia that they do.
"About 800 people usually come along and we have our volunteers. At the moment we have 50 active members in the club and a vast majority will be there for the expo.
"It's the highlight of our year that we offer to community. It's something everybody can share in. Not everybody wants to remove the rocks (from the ground) but everybody seems to enjoy looking at them, touching them, feeling them and wearing them."
During the pandemic, Ms Rothacker said the club had seen an uptick of people taking an interest in gemology and fossicking.
But she said there were fewer places people can fossick with property owners being more reluctant to let gem enthusiasts on their land.
"Mistreatment of land by previous gem enthusiasts means (property owners) don't like people going there to fossick," she said. "People have dug up farmer's water source when told not to or left holes exposed that stock can fall into.
"The other way we are losing fossicking areas is through quarries like in Mount Shadwell in Mortlake. There is olivine in there with basalt. They dig it out of ground for road base but with olivine, if you're lucky, you can find peridot, which is a gorgeous green stone that can be faceted.
"Some areas are still set aside but people go mad in them and dig with machinery and leave holes open."
Ms Rothacker said the success of this year's expo would help the club recover from a significant theft in 2017.
"We are playing a bit of catch up, not only because of COVID but because of the theft," she said. "So the success of this expo is very important to us.
"We are keeping our fingers crossed for a big crowd. People could feel reluctant because of COVID or be looking for something to do. Judging by other gem shows interstate, the crowds are bigger than previously and we are one of the first shows back for Victoria."
Displays of rough slabs, carved stones, opals, crystals, findings and smaller stones that are ready for cutting into cabochons will feature at the expo.
There will also be kids activities such as gem sifting, panning for metal objects and metal detecting along with a raffle, stalls and traders, a barbecue, coffee van and demonstrations of silver work and faceting.
The Bendigo Gem Club Expo is on at the Bendigo Baptist Church on the McIvor Highway, Junortoun, on February 19 and 20 from 10am. Entry is $8. For more find the Bendigo Gem Club on Facebook.
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