Picture of the Day - A Mix Of Madagascar Quartz

I shot this image yesterday morning after my boss brought these out and displayed them in a white flat in a prominent location in the booth at Santa Barbara Gem Faire for a special customer to peruse and shop through which she ultimately did. While these were out waiting for her to arrive we believe a gentleman made off with one to three of these items so here they are before they started disappearing.... all heavily included polished quartz from Madagascar. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Another World Series Gem Faire - Pt. 3

Today was the finale of our last Gem Faire in Santa Rosa this year. It started out quiet and slow as is typical of any Gem Faire (or any rock club show for that matter). Unfortunately, it proceeded to remain that way throughout the day culminating in the worst day of the three days of the show. We survived it, the Rocks & Relics booth rolled right along and tonight after several hours of sleep we drove back home to the Central Coast. Below is my photographic account of events which is shown in order. See Day One and  Day Two.

We ate breakfast here the last two mornings including this morning after first trying it the last time we were in town for Gem Faire. We might end up camping out here next time given the hospitality of the general manager with whom we talked  yesterday morning.

This is the hometown of Charles Schultz so as one might imagine reminders of him are everywhere.

Polished Brain Malachite from Katanga Province, Congo.

Rutilated quartz.... or is that millerite or other?

Botryoidal druzy Malachite from Kantanga Province, Congo.

Smokey Quartz from Madagascar.

Particularly fine Amethyst.

Chrysoprase, Moonstone, Sunstone, Garnet, and Fluorite.

Fibrous Malachite from Katanga Province, Congo.

Amazonite.

Lepidolite mica.

Nice Vanadinite crystals with some sun-damage.

Green Apophyllite with some Stilbite from Maharashtra, India.

Atacamite from Chile.

Lapiz Lazuli from Afghanistan.

Green Calcite from Mexico.

Large Shiva Lingam stone.

Dave has several price ranges of what he calls "cheap rocks" flatsand I refer to as his "shut-up and buy them" boxes.

Arkansas Quartz - natual white on the right and with man-induced smokiness on the left.

Many a time this weekend I could have rolled a  bowling ball down one of these long aisles and hit the far wall without striking a single person it was so quiet.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Another World Series Gem Faire - Pt. 2

Today the building languished once again due to a variety of factors, of which the ongoing World Series featuring the local San Francisco Giants seems to be muting enthusiasms for this Gem Faire as it seemed to do two years ago when this Gem Faire occurred while the Giants were winning the 2010 World Series. Below is my account in photos and shown in order they were taken. See Day One and  Day Three.

Most of the buildings in Railroad Square were built right after the 1906 earthquake which collapsed and burned this original downtown Santa Rosa commercial district.

What a quintessentially California scene: Northern California with a palm tree and some sort of exotic evergreen tree next to it.

Friday and Saturday both saw this lady entertain our end of the building (the rear end) with folk music  lullabies and harp-playing. Aural valium was the last thing this slow show needed this weekend!

I love the arched ceiling of the J.T. Grace Pavilion. It reminds me of my beloved Quonset huts.

Arkansas quartz crystals.

Morning light on the Rocks & Relics booth.

More quartz; this time from Brazil.

Various beryl beads.

Vaulted window as backdrop to Dave's booth.

For the first time I noticed all the cobwebs and thought how apropos their presence for the upcoming Halloween holiday.

Scenes of empty aisles like this were common this weekend.

Dave managed to have a decent day despite the relative quietude of the building today and yesterday.

Railroad Square as seen from under the 101 Freeway.

Jackson's Bar & Oven next door to my beloved Cellars of Sonoma.

Cellars of Sonoma scene: Dave and I typically drink our wine here and bring over pizza from next door at Jackson's.

Game 3 on the television in Cellars of Sonoma being watched by Giants faithful: Giants won 2-0 to go up 3-0 in the World Series.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Another World Series Gem Faire - Pt. 1

I am helping my friend Dave Richter in his Rocks & Relics booth at the October 2012 Santa Rosa Gem Faire this week. Two years ago I worked this same show and the San Francisco Giants were in the World Series then as well as this time around. Today seemed unusually slow for this show despite being Friday, typically the best day of any Gem Faire event. My guess is the local populace is being effected by enthusiasm and exuberance over their Giants being in the World Series again this year as they were two years ago when we were also here for this show. Below is my account in photos shown in the order they were taken.  See Day Two and Day Three.

J.T. Grace Pavilion at Sonoma County Fairgrounds on the morning of Day One.

I didn't even notice at the time I took this image what I'm noticing now.

Selling in the Rocks & Relics booth in any show feels like what I imagine it would feel like for a German tank crew of a Tiger II facing a line up Sherman Tanks in front of it in some field in France.

Elbaite, Ametrine, Carnelian, and Iolite.

Faceted Quartz

Ocean Jasper from Madagascar

Carnelian, Iolite, Garnet, Chrysoprase, and Moonstone.

Sunstone, Apatite, Fluorite, Amber, Rhodochrosite, and Amethyst.

Brazilian Quartz and Labradorite from Madagascar.

Green Apophyllite on Stilbite from Maharashtra, India.

Various spheres of various stones.

Rose Quartz from Madagascar.

Day One all wrapped up.

My favorite place in Santa Rosa: Cellars of Sonoma.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).