Bancroft Gemboree 2010
You never know what you are gonna find at the Bancroft Gemboree and for that reason it’s always an adventure that I look forward to. The 2010 event was no exception. I met some old friends – Ralph Schroetter amongst them. I was grateful for the Oregon Sun stone that he handed me. It was a gift with a lovely peachy hue.
In retrospect, I really wish that I had bought one of these old beauties. The going price was $40 a piece. This appealed to both my caving and rock and mineral interests. The Carbide lamp burns acetylene which is produced within the lamp as a result of the reaction between Carbide (C2H2) and water. With the number of old abandoned mines up in the Bancroft area and the caves in the local marble, I would not be surprised if these old carbide lamps had seen local use. Check out the pitfalls of buying a carbide lamp here.
As usual, the better faceted and collector stones were found at the lower venue, while up on top of the hill the outside vendors displayed the greatest diversity of product. Year after year it seems the same vendors pick the same locations.
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