General News

Gems for the museum 

July 26, 2022

By Kristena Schutt-Moore

The Bancroft Gem and Mineral Club brought back their biggest fundraiser on Sunday, July 24 with the return of their Gem and Mineral Show. The Bancroft Fish and Game Protective Association’s clubhouse was transformed into a mineral lover and rockhounders’ dream. 
There were 16 vendors that filled the hall with hundreds of mineral specimens from Bancroft, the surrounding area and from all over the world. There was a mix of polished gems and raw minerals. Lapidary demonstrations were also available and shoppers were able to watch as stones and gems were turned into beautiful jewelry pieces. The Fish and Game hall was filled with gem and mineral lovers shopping for their favourite pieces for their collection. 
The funds that were raised from the $5 entry fee went towards the maintenance and upgrading of the Bancroft Gem and Mineral Club Mineral Museum. The museum is located at the Bancroft Railway Station at 8 Hastings Heritage Way. It is home to over 700 gems and minerals from the Bancroft area, complete with maps and information on where the items can be found. The mining diorama is a popular item in the museum, as well as the fluorescent display. 
The Bancroft gem and Mineral Club is also welcoming new members. Meetings are held in the Bancroft Train Station on the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. Their activities include speakers on subjects relating to minerals, gemstones, and world-wide mineral sites, reports from major mineral shows, show and tell sessions, field trips to collecting locations, bus trips to collecting localities, bus trips to visit museums and other collections and participation in their own museum’s activities and their annual mineral show.