(DENVER) – In its upcoming second edition, the nearly sold-out HardRock Summit will feature leading companies exhibiting fine jewelry, gems, minerals and fossils from September 8-11, 2022 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Once again, the show will debut new and unprecedented special exhibits and education centered around the theme “Fabulous Treasures” – including the most precious natural gold specimens ever found as well as gold artifacts from two historic sunken ships of the 18th and 19th centuries carrying the most significant bounties ever recovered at sea.
Unlike other US jewelry or mineral trade shows which are traditionally held as separate events, the four-day HardRock Summit will welcome industry professionals and the public as attendees to both worlds under one roof at the same time. Attendees will have the opportunity to discover, learn and shop from over 450 exhibiting companies as well as view special exhibits from museums and private collectors and attend expert-led educational seminars.
“We are thrilled to expand the show and have well-known, high-end US and international exhibitors in the jewelry and minerals markets come to Denver this fall. This year, the HardRock Summit will also bring historic and modern treasures along with other natural wonders from museums, academia and private collectors for all our attendees to enjoy,” explains Christoph Keilmann, co-founder of the HardRock Summit. “The Summit’s vision is to create an event merging the fine minerals and specimens industries with the fine gems and jewelry industries, an evolution from the nearly sixty years of Denver’s successful mineral shows each fall. These started with the original Denver Fine Mineral Show and the Gem & Mineral Show (DGMS), which was founded back in 1967 and can now be found as DGMS at the HardRock Summit. There is something for everyone to discover!”
263 gram “Ram’s Horn” from Harvard University’s Mineralogical & Geological Museum.Special Exhibits
Featured displays will include sunken, natural earth and modern treasures; all having the theme of gold in common. Individual specimens and collections from some of the world’s leading museums and private collectors will be on display alongside the incomparable “Somewhere in the Rainbow Collection” of modern-day precious jewelry and faceted and carved gemstones. Furthermore, “The Dragon” the world’s most valuable crystallized gold specimen from the treasury of the Natural History Museum in Houston and the famous “Ram’s Horn” from Harvard’s Mineralogical & Geological Museum will give testament to the unlimited creativity of nature.
One of the biggest attractions coming to the HardRock Summit is the unearthed gold treasures from two famed sunken ships, SS Central America and SS Islander, both with unique links to the gold rushes in California and Alaska.
The “Ship of Gold” or the SS Central America sank off the coast of South Carolina during a hurricane in 1857 while carrying an enormous amount of gold bars and coins from the height of the California Gold Rush.
It is estimated tons of gold went down with the ship, causing panic on Wall Street, in an already unstable time in the US economy. The wreck was rediscovered and lifted in 1988 and endured a long legal battle for the rights of the retrieved gold artifacts.
“The Dragon” the world’s most valuable crystallized gold specimen from the treasury of the Natural History Museum in Houston.The SS Islander, carrying a significant cargo of gold bullion from the Klondike gold fields, went down in 1901 off the coast of Alaska after striking an iceberg. It was not until 1996 when it was recovered followed by several years of legal battles.
Gold and artifacts recovered from each will be on display and the HardRock Summit will host informative presentations about these treasures on Friday and Saturday.
Education Lectures
The HardRock Summit will offer a series of educational lectures to entertain and inform. Topics will include gemology, mineralogy and talks focused on the featured special exhibits themed on treasures.
Presentations will interest and engage all HardRock attendees from the mysteries and discovery of the S.S. Central America sunken treasure by its chief research scientist Bob Evans and collection manager Fred Holabird, President and CEO of Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC.
Additional presentation speakers include Dr. Raquel Alonzo-Perez of the Mineralogical and Geological Museum at Harvard University; Robert Gessner, geologist and gemologist; Bruce Bridges, of Bridges Tsavorite on the discovery and development of Tsavorite garnet mining properties in Kenya; fancy colored natural diamond specialist Brian Denney of Gems of Note; and the UK’s Kerry Gregory, founder of Gemmology Rocks for what is sure to be a fast-paced and entertaining session.
Treasures from the “Ship of Gold” or the SS Central America will be on display. The ship sank off the coast of South Carolina during a hurricane in 1857 while carrying an enormous amount of gold.More presenters are scheduled and will be announced soon.
“We have an incredible lineup of top exhibiting brands from local Colorado to all over the world joining us in Denver,” states Wolter Mehring, co-founder of HardRock Summit. “At Evolution, we have companies like Collectors Edge, Crystal Classics and Fine Art Minerals to name a few and top fine jewelry and gemstone companies at Sparkle & Joy such as B&B Fine Gems, Parlé and Takat.”
All under one roof, the HardRock Summit will feature multiple main exhibitor areas:
- Evolution for fine minerals and fossils
- Sparkle & Joy for fine gemstones and jewelry in cooperation with leading gemstone associations AGTA GemFair™ Denver, International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) and Brazil’s IBGM
- Denver Gem & Mineral Show for a wide range of jewelry, gems and minerals
- LLD Denver Mineral Hall for gems, minerals, fossils, jewelry, beads, décor and metaphysical products
To view the full exhibitor directory, visit hardrocksummit.com/exhibitor-directory.
Registration
Visitor admission is free for qualified trade show professionals and buyers. A ticket admission fee of $10 will be required for the general public, which will have access to the full show floor except for the AGTA GemFair™ Denver.
Industry Professional: tickets.hardrocksummit.com
General Public Tickets: axs.com/events/436167/hardrock-summit-2022-tickets
For more information on the HardRock Summit, please visit hardrocksummit.com.
