Gem
Hajj at Quartzsite
By Jordan Clary, Travel Correspondent
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The Pow Wow's "public transportation." |
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Marilyn
McFate, longtime Quartzsite resident. |
Even people who have been coming to Quartzsite, Arizona's Pow Wow Gem and Mineral
Show since it was little more than a few rock hounds selling specimens from the
tailgates of their pickups have trouble defining exactly what it is that draws
them back year after year. “I've tried to describe it to people who've never
been here,” says Fred Oliver of Spectragems in Wyoming who, along with his
wife, Betty have been coming to Quartzsite since 1986. “I've taken pictures
of it when it was empty and when it's full and they just can't comprehend it.”
Long time resident Marilyn McFate surmises that Quartzsite's allure is a combination
of weather, wildlife, proximity to the Colorado River, people and, of course,
the gemstones. “We have a lot of gem material that can be gathered here
in the area. Chalcedony roses are easy to pick up. Fire agate can be found not
far from here.” McFate, whose scrimshaw work was on display this year in
the main exhibit hall, moved to Quartzsite in1970 with her late husband and has
been an integral part of the community ever since. She was one of the founding
members of the Roadrunners Gem and Mineral Club which conducts daily field trips
during the Pow Wow and leads expeditions throughout the year. As one of the few
who live here year round, she annually witnesses the transformation of a sleepy
little desert town into a burgeoning RV metropolis. “Quartzsite is like
no other place. In the middle of summer we might have 3500 residents, but in winter
it grows into the millions.”
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David Gray with Oregon sunstone from Dust
Devil Mine. |
An RV Rendezvous
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Vanessa
Angelica Patrick from Gemco Opal Mining with a stunning black opal from the Black
Matrix Mine, Honduras. |
She's not exaggerating. Driving into Quartzsite from Yuma on Highway 95, you
suddenly come upon miles and miles of RVs and trailers spread out across the BLM
land as far as the eye can see. Some come from colder climates. Others have chosen
the transient lifestyle of trade shows and fairs, spending most of the year traveling
a circuit largely dictated by weather and forming temporary communities wherever
they happen to be. Some vendors do as many as 50 shows a year. And, of course,
many come simply to attend the shows. The Pow Wow is not Quartzsite's only venture.
At the same time as the Pow Wow, Tyson Wells held an arts and crafts fair and
an RV exhibit offered bargains galore on 5th wheels and travel trailers. Some
winter residents were gearing up for an auto show that would be starting soon.
For some Quartzsite is a stop on the way to Tucson. For others it's a destination
in itself. The high cost of renting space in Tucson can be prohibitive, but a
number of vendors mention that their preference for Quartzsite over Tucson has
more to do with crowd than cost avoidance, as well as the easier-going pace of
their desert haven. But even those who will be moving on to Tucson say that the
Pow Wow's appeal is in its community.
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| Jack Wang of the J. K. Stone Company. |
Making Friends For Life
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Close-up
of black opal from Gemco Opal Mining. |
Something about Quartzsite does foster making connections. A few years back
while traveling in China I fell in love with elegant marble vases from Yunnan
Province. So whenever I noticed them at Quartzsite, I had to stop. My favorites
were imported by J. K. Stone Company, Ltd. Chatting with their representative,
Frank Wang, felt like finding an old friend. Over a cup of pu'er cha—a dark
fermented tea, also from Yunnan Province—I told him about an unscrupulous
vendor at the Tyson Wells show who tried to convince me of the rarity of the vases
and that they were all crafted by a single carver in Yunnan. Wang laughed and
said, “Maybe he meant the collective Chinese consciousness.”
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| "Peacock jade" marble vases from
Yunnan, China, J. K. Stone Company. |
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Joseph
Carruthers of Morning Star Turquoise. |
While countries as far flung as Nigeria, Pakistan, and the European Union are
represented, the Pow Wow has a distinctive “Americas” feel to it--Montana
sapphire, Oregon sunstone, fire opal from Mexico, Kentucky quartz, ivory from
Alaska, a black opal from Honduras that's reminiscent of meteorites streaking
through the night, Columbian emeralds and enough Brazilian amethyst to cleanse
the aura of the entire state. Several North American turquoise miners displayed
their turquoise and variscite. Joseph Carruthers of Morning Star Turquoise, Co.
in Nevada spoke about the value of collecting turquoise and the issues affecting
miners in Nevada. “I live in Crescent Valley, Nevada, which is known as
a large turquoise-producing area. Most of those mines are shut down now,”
he says. “There are various reasons. Large gold mining operations are coming
in and buying people out. There are also a lot of restrictions and expenses if
you want to use heavy equipment on the BLM land. You can get around some of the
expense by only using hand tools, but it's a lot of work, it takes a lot of time,
so a lot of folks are just moving on.”
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| Turquoise from Mountain Top Mine, Morning
Star Turquoise. |
Chins Up in Down Times
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Crystal
and skins from White Creek Turquoise. |
Reactions toward the economy were pretty much split. For every vendor who claimed
that things were “off” or slower than usual, another said that while
it might not be the best year ever, sales were still being made. Some vendors
mentioned that although rock sales were down, equipment and tools were selling
well. Robert Beauford says it's important not to panic, “The thing about
business is you can't obsess about the days. You don't count your day's take.
You don't count your week's take. The month's take is only temporarily relevant.
You look at how you’re doing year by year--your one year average, your three
year average. Businesses are not built in days. Businesses are built over years.”
The Pow Wow is a good example of the way things can grow over time. The Quartzsite
Improvement Association (QIA) has been the energy behind the Pow Wow since 1967.
This active all-volunteer, nonprofit organization organizes the events and makes
sure everything runs smoothly. Bill Corbett who has been coming to the Pow Wow
for 38 years says that in the early days “It was strictly tailgating--just
a bunch of us getting together out in the desert and sharing each year. Eventually
it grew into this.” Although it has grown into a mighty winter Mecca for
snowbirds, Quartzsite still remains true to its origins as a desert rockhound retreat.
For information on Quartzsite or to arrange a field trip contact the QIA: www.qiaaz.org
or phone: 928-927-6325.
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