Denver Gem & Mineral Show

Name: Denver Gem & Mineral Show
Start: 2026-09-10T00:00
End: 2026-09-13T00:00
Location: 10600 Westminster Blvd

Organized by Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council

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The Westin Westminster

9/10/2026

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About this event

The Greater Denver Area Gem & Mineral Council is pleased to announce that it will again be hosting the 58th Annual 2026 Denver Gem & Mineral Show in conjunction with the Hardrock Summit, to be held at the The Westin Westminster, Thursday thru Sunday: See You September 10th-13th 2026 at The Westin Westminster 2026 Denver Gem and Mineral Show: Red, White and Blue Show theme: The 2026 Denver Show theme is based on Colorado at 150 years of statehood and the 1876 declaration of United States independence at 250 years. With a theme like this, exhibits can be based on minerals of color, historic specimens exhibited in the far past or specimen sold by historic U.S.A. dealers. For fossil collectors, the bone wars (including the volcanic lakebed sediments of Florissant or Kremmer, Wyoming) of the late 1800s also provide historic display opportunities, all of these choices are great opportunities for unusual and attractive exhibits. The colors of the USA flag inspire red, white and blue minerals. For Colorado, we can choose rhodochrosite from Alma and spessartine from Ruby Mt., analcime from Table Mt. and milky quartz from Ouray, and for blue, aquamarine from Mt. Antero and barite from Stoneham. Within the United States the mineral choices are even better. Red minerals are well represented by spessartine, and elbaite from the San Diego County California pegmatites. White minerals can be shown by moonstone and cleavelandite albite from Amelia, Virginia and moonstone from Rabb Canyon, New Mexico, calcite from Ohio, and analcime from the trap rock quarry in New Jersey. Blue minerals can be represented by benitoite from California, azurite from Arizona, lazurite from Georgia, and topaz of central Texas. Minerals of historic United States provenance would also be of appeal, such as those shown at the Centennial Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia. These minerals would include Arkansas rock crystal, Colorado Amazon Stone, pegmatite minerals of New England, zinc and gangue minerals from Franklin and Sterling Hill, New Jersey, and traprock minerals of New Jersey and central Connecticut. With USA minerals exhibited at successive later World Fairs, there would be no shortage of historic specimens. Famous expositions held after the 1876 Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania includes: 1881 International Cotton Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia 1883 American Exposition, Boston, Massachusetts 1885 New Orleans Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia 1901. Pan-American Exposition. Buffalo, New York 1902 Charleston Exposition, Charleston, South Carolina 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, Missouri 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition, Portland, Oregon 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle, Washington 1912 Panama-California Exposition, San Diego, California 1915 Panama- Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, California Specimens sold by historic mineral dealers can form another subset of display quality minerals. This would include specimens sold by A. E. Foote, George L. English, Henry A. Ward or George F. Kunz. Colorado historic dealers include Lazard Cahn, Jesse Randall, Ed Over, J. G. Heistand, Woodend, and many others. About the Denver Gem & Mineral Show In the 1950s, different gem and mineral clubs and societies put on their own Gem and Mineral show, but in the 1960s the Denver Gem and Mineral show was born when the organizations combined their small shows into one. The Denver Gem and Mineral Show, which began in 1967, has grown over the years into the second largest show in the United States and has numerous satellite shows that have sprouted up around the area. Through the time the show has been developing, exhibits from a number of regional and national museums have remained key attractions along with other activities. Exhibits are at the heart of the DGMS, providing local 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 competitive and noncompetitive exhibits feature world-class specimens reflecting the show theme. Collectors and museum curators can frequently be found on the show floor to discuss their exhibits and answer visitors' questions. This year's special exhibits include: Museums Arizona Mining, Mineral and Natural Resources Education Museum: Barite and Calcite from the Museum's Collection Denver Museum of Nature and Science: Barites and Calcites in the Museum Collection Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art: The Significance of Cameos Throughout History Mines Museum of Earth Science Calcite & Barite: From Easily Soluble to Almost Insoluble New Mexico Mineral Museum: Not Specified Yet Sherman Dugan Museum of Geology: Impactites The Tellus Museum: Georgia Barite and Calcite Individuals/Organizations Patricia Carlon: Calcites and Barites of Southern Illinois David and Karen DeBruin: Copper Crystals Phil Gregory: Assorted Worldwide Minerals Larry & Kent Havens: Worldwide Barites Larry & Kent Havens: Worldwide Calcites Tom Hughes: Favorites from My Collection Nancy Kimber: 10 Fossiliferous Years Jeff Kuhn: Educational Case on Siderite and its relationship with Calcite and Barite Rebecca Lubitsky: Mostly "Fuzzy" Zeolite Minerals Wendall Overcash: Famous Calcite and Barite Locales and Associations Connor Pallis, Wilson Garland, Corey: Not Specified Yet Neumeier Beth Simmons: The Publications of Mineralogist Richard Pearl Ron Snelling: Faceted Stones in Progress, featuring a Smoky Quartz Commissioned for the DMNS Display Opening in 2026 Jim and Gail Spann: Ubiquitous Beauty James Swinehart: Red Crystals James Swinehart: Worldwide Thumbnails and Toenails Western Interior Paleontological Society: Celebrating WIPS' 40th Anniversary Young Mineral Collectors: Young Mineral Collectors' Exhibit Martin Zinn: Agates Meet Larry Havens :Exhibit Chairman For non-competitive exhibit information and entry forms, please click here. For competitive exhibit information and entry forms, please click here. For Pearl trophy information and entry forms, please click here. For additional Exhibitors information, please click here. Our exhibits, speakers, public sector booths, and family activities place our dealers in a fun and educational context, inviting discussion and minimizing pressure. That makes the show a great place not just to find that special piece but also to get to know the dealers. These meetings have the potential to form lasting friendships and can also come in surprisingly handy when shopping for an important piece of jewelry, seeking advice before making a major purchase, or preparing to sell a specimen or collection. Taking the time to get to know our dealers will invariably net a valuable friend in the business.

Denver Gem & Mineral Show

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