LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – One of the area’s longest running clubs in Lake Havasu is the Gem and Mineral Society. Since the charity’s 1969 launch, the memberships today is around 300. The nonprofit has expanded and revitalized Havasu’s land while providing hands-on material processed from raw elements to finished designs.
By enhancing lapidary and metalsmithing techniques for jewelry and functional art designs, the nonprofit is also well known for sparking public interest in earth sciences. By teaching earth history and mineralogy through active curation and archiving, the mineral members organize ongoing activities for the community like field trips, classes, and donating gift baskets at various Havasu gatherings.
Geologist Youtuber Elley Ringo is the current president of the Lake Havasu Gem and Mineral Society. Ringo maintains the shared dirt and sparkling discoveries, remain to be her favorite part of the membership. “Watching people going outside to find something cool to go on a rockhounding trip that they’ve never been on before and having people get excited about learning something new or finding a new hobby being able to bring it all together gives a sense of community within the club. When it all comes together it’s a lot of fun.”
After becoming a permanent resident in 2021, the content creator of seven years shared it was a visit to the previous Havasu Rocks store at London Bridge Road where she met store manager Steve Prather. The member of the gem and mineral nonprofit immediately recognized the host from her online channel. Being the president at the time, Prather asked her to become a member. Four years later, Ringo became the director of the team. The rock enthusiast who loves the outdoors, feels the weather shouldn’t keep us from seeking small respectful ways to anchor ourselves in nature. “Even in the heat, you can still do minimal things outside to connect with the ground and appreciate the earth around us,” Ringo said. As the organizer of this year’s fifty sixth annual show, she felt a change in locations was needed from years inside of the Aquatic Center. The change is ideal for the nonprofit to achieve their mission of connecting people with nature.
“We feel like it’s a great area to be in because it brings us closer to. our goal of getting people outside,” Ringo added.
In attendance will be over 40 participating vendors from all over the country. Each will spotlight their beautifully transformative crafts from the earth. Organizations like Holly’s Wire Works, Gypsy Trader, and plenty more will have a chance to display their collections where visitors of the show can vote on which rocks they like best. The Gem and Mineral Society is still seeking additional vendors and anyone interested in participating can send an email to lakehavasugemmineralshow@gmail.com.
The upcoming event will also include silent auctions, door prizes, and food trucks. In the overflow area, this year’s event is a two-day display extravaganza that will take place on Saturday, November 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, November 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Lake Havasu State Park in the Winsor Beach, 699 London Bridge Rd. All proceeds of the show will go towards academic grants in scientific studies created for high school seniors interested in pursuing a degree in geology.
“We give out two scholarships a year funded through the raffle baskets at our annual show,” Ringo said. At a previous show, she recalled the anticipation of waiting for rock splits, and the effect it had on children as well as adults. “At one of our last shows, a newer member was breaking geodes. Just watching them have a blast breaking open those geodes and giving them to children. The kids freaked out over what was inside! You don’t know that mystery until you break it open. Watching everyone gather around just to see what was inside was a huge crowd pleaser. It was just a really cool thing to see,” Ringo said.
