The Trona Gem-O-Rama (sometimes called the Trona Gem and Mineral Show) is an
annual event which takes place every October. The event is sponsored by the
Searles Lake Gem and Mineral Society. Field trips of the chemical plant and
to local sites of interest and vendor displays are available to the public.
The Trona Gem-O-Rama 2013 will be held on October 12-13.
MORE INFO:
Searles Lake Gem and Mineral Society
EVENT FLYER:
72nd Annual Gem-O-Rama (October 12-13, 2013)
72nd Annual Trona Gem-O-Rama
Excerpt from Ridgecrest Daily Independent artcle:
Gem-O-Rama 2013, the 72th annual gem and mineral show of the Searles Lake
Gem and Mineral Society will be held in Trona on the weekend of October 12
and 13. This show is the only time Searles Valley Minerals Inc. opens their
dry lake to allow collecting of its unique saline minerals.
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Every year hundreds of people venture out onto the dry lake to hunt for
crystals which form beneath the surface of the lake. Especially impressive
hanksite and pink halite crystals may be found with a little luck. The
crystals are exposed as a result of the creation of "blow holes" which the
local chemical company creates for the event.
NEWS ARTICLE:
Ridgecrest Daily Independent
Searles Valley Minerals
Tours of the local chemical plant are offered for free as part of the event,
however these tours are only available on Saturday (October 12). The local
school district normally makes two buses available for this event. Each tour
lasts about 30 minutes and participants get to see how chemicals are
extracted from the dry lake and processed into purified chemical products.
Searles Valley Chemical Company employees serve as tour guides.
The chemical plant located in Searles Valley produces borax, boric acid,
soda ash, salt cake, and salt. It also owns the Trona Railway and the local
water company.
MORE INFO:
Searles Valley Minerals
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