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Exhibits & Exhibitors

Exhibits are at the heart of the Denver Gem & Mineral Show, providing local and international community members, groups, and institutions a rare opportunity to showcase their collections and share their stories. On the other side of the coin, exhibits provide visitors with perspectives and points of reference — touchstones for starting, advancing, or curating their own collections.

The nearly 100 competitive and noncompetitive exhibits feature the latest mineral and fossil finds from around the world as well as world-class specimens reflecting the show theme. The theme of the 2022 will be Collecting Colorado

Competitors vie for awards honoring the best of show in a number of categories, including the best specimens in a number of categories, best fossil, and best institutional and individual cases in the show. Among these coveted awards, the Prospector, Junior Prospector, and Club Prospector trophies are awarded to the best personally collected specimens found during the prior twelve months. The prestigious Pearl Trophy is awarded to the best specimen entered into a special competition named for Richard Pearl, noted author of Colorado Gem Trails and Mineral Guide among many other mineral books.

Collectors and museum curators can frequently be found on the show floor to discuss their exhibits and answer visitors’ questions.  Videos of select curator discussions are available on the show’s YouTube channel.

For more information about non-competitive exhibits or to enter your exhibit, please click here.

For competitive exhibit information and entry forms, please click here.

For nonprofit exhibitor information, please click here.

For nonprofit applications and entry forms, please click here.

2016 Competition Winners

2017 Competition Winners

Individual Competitive Cases

BT-7X

Thumbnail Barites (Masters) - Barbara Sky

BT-1

Worldwide Thumbnails (Masters) - Nick North

F-10 Fossils

Cretaceous Theropod Dinosaurs (Novice) - Evan Walsh

BS-1

Worldwide Miniatures (Masters) - Ron and Judy Knoshaug

A-1

Open minerals (Advanced) - Elk Creek, SD Barites, Larry and Denise Rossum

EGC-1

Educational Exhibit (Novice) - “Naming Minerals,” Erin Delventhal

EIC-5

Educational Exhibit (Novice) - “Complex Gold & Silver Ores of CO,” Dale Plume

EGC-5

Educational Exhibit (Novice) - “Gold and Silver Ore to Coins and Bullion,” Dale Gann

 

Prospector Trophy

Randal Kokkinen, Smoky Quartz and Amazonite, CO

 

Jr. Prospector

Hunter Kokkinen, Amazonite and Quartz, CO

 

Club Prospector

Colorado Mineral Society

 

Species Competition

Thumbnail - Larry Havens

Stephanite, Bolivia

 

Toenail – Jack Halpern

Gold, Eagles Nest, CA

Miniature – Jack Halpern

Gold, Venezuela

 

Cabinet – Jack Halpern

Silver, Norway

 

Best of Colorado – Judy and Ron Knoshaug

Gold, Breckenridge

 

Best of Fossil

Jim Hooten

Devonian brachiopod, Garfield Co., CO

 

Richard M. Pearl Award

Phil Gregory

Rhodochrosite, Park Co., CO

 

Donna Chirnside Memorial Museum Award

Museum of Western Mining and Industry, Colorado Springs, CO

 

C. E. Withers Award

John Warn

Himalaya Mine Tourmalines

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