Growing up in Sweet Home, Alisha Basham’s grandmother used to take her to the Sweet Home Rock & Mineral Show when she was a child. Now Basham’[s own daughter, Roe, 7, is having the same experiences and memories while her grandmother, Lisa Basham (Alisha’s mom), takes her to the same event.
The 76th annual Sweet Home Rock & Mineral Show “Rough to Cut” drew about 2,100 attendees this year at its usual location in the high school gym.
It was a year of firsts in many cases, as in the case of Roe, who attended the event for the first time.
It was also the first year Janice and Joe Van Cura featured their new book, “Oregon Thundereggs: History, Lore and Identification,” at the Sweet Home show. It took five years to complete, with its release last fall. The book features more than 650 photographs of thundereggs from their own collection, including information from more than 20 years of collecting history and lore on the spherical specimens.
Cathy Hudgens, of Lebanon, member of the Sweet Home Rock and Mineral Society, brought out her collection at a booth for the first time at the show, which consisted of mineral specimens and a 14-inch copper coral. The rare copper specimen was formed from copper “smoker” vents that precipitated and solidified copper into a flattened, textured disc.
Hudgens’ collection includes large, colorful minerals often found embedded in rock forms or bright white crystals unearthed from around the world.
And then there was the unique fluorescent exhibit on display at the Sweet Home show for its second year.
Also a club member, Ryan Brown, of Springfield, said he hasn’t been able to bring his fluorescent collection to the show in the past because it requires enough space to set up a dark room for the full effect.
Walking into a square canopy blocked off on every side by black walls, the observer is immediately drawn to the illuminated display inside. Under fluorescent lights, large rocks shine brightly in colors of neon green, blue, red, yellow, orange and purple.
Without the special lighting, the rocks may look dull in color to the naked eye.
It was Brown’s son who first took an interest in the fluorescent minerals when he was a kid, but now Brown shares the same interest and enjoys sharing his collection to the variety of people who attend the show.
