Finding Treasures at the 25th Annual Gold Prospecting and Treasure Show

The Northwest Gold Prospectors Association is holding their 25th Annual Gold Prospecting and Treasure Show this weekend, March 9th-10th, 2024. There is a $5 entry fee, kids 12 and under get in for free! It is hosted at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The first 100 paid admissions receive gold. I always love vending at the Treasure Show because of all the amazing equipment that is demonstrated live on the floor. There are dredges, sluices, metal detectors, people who walk you through how to pan for gold, minerals, crystals, awesome vendors, and more.

License plates up here occasionally feature the reminder that Idaho is the Gem State, which is very, very true. We have 240 distinct minerals, 72 of which are semiprecious and precious gemstones. Rockhounds, people who hunt for neat mineral specimens in the wild, are thrilled by the relative abundance of beautiful stones. There are the famous Bruneau jaspers of Owyhee County, massive quartz clusters, gleaming star garnets, shimmering opals, rich beryl, and so many more.

As the Northwest Gold Prospectors Association will proudly attest, Idaho has long been a source of silver and gold. Since the precious metals have been actively mined for so many years there are many, many mines that are no longer actively worked. The no longer functional mines often have old mine dumps where bulk materiel was discarded for not bearing precious metals. These become a treasure trove for the rockhound. Quartz veins are frequently worked to hunt for gold, the discard heap thus may contain gorgeous crystals that were simply overlooked. As always, obey state, federal, and local laws while rockhounding.

The Fossil Bowl and Emerald Creek are within easy driving distance from Coeur d’Alene. Both sites are open to the public for digging for a small fee. Emerald Creek is a premiere source for star garnets. The whole process is heavily supervised and great for beginners seeking assistance. Emerald Creek runs about $15 per person and each person is limited to 2 pounds of garnet material per day. The Fossil Bowl is a short way south of Emerald Creek down in Clarkia. It is a Miocene Latah formation of sedimentary material dating back about 15 million years ago. The formation is extremely rich in leaf fossils. Digging at the Fossil Bowl costs $10 per day per person. Wherever a prospective rockhound goes to dig, it is always wise to make sure the location is open for the season, bring plenty of water, snacks, paper maps, tools, and bags to carry the day’s haul.

Cutoff Crafts will be at the 25th Annual Gold Prospecting and Treasure Show this weekend, March 9th-10th, 2024. We will have a wide variety of treasures out. All sorts of crystals, fossils, crocheted toys, crystal dice, wooden puzzles, and more are sure to prove delightful. Ahsoka has been hard at work crocheting a veritable rainbow of nylon scrubbies. These little guys are reusable sponges handmade out of 100% nylon. They are perfect for cleaning just about everything.

Michelle will have out a collection of minerals and crystals as well as fine silver jewelry. Expect to see quartz, gypsum, carnelian, labradorite, honey calcite, snowflake obsidian, and more.

We will even have out our rare crystal dice. These dice are carved from actual amethyst. The numbers are engraved and painted with gold paint. Each set comes with seven gemstone dice (1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 2d10, 1d12, 1d20). They are hand polished and positively gorgeous. The dice come in their own custom case.

If you are in the neighborhood, swing on by and say, “hi!” We are always happy to see everyone.