One of Tampa Bay’s longest-running specialty shows returns this weekend with two days built around rocks, minerals, jewelry and the people who turn natural materials into art.

The 67th Annual Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show runs Saturday, November 7, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, November 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Florida State Fairgrounds Special Events Center.

The event is presented by the Tampa Bay Mineral and Science Club, a local organization founded in 1957 around the study and appreciation of rocks, minerals and lapidary arts.

More than 60 vendors are scheduled for this year’s show.

Visitors can expect everything from loose mineral specimens and rough slabs to polished cabochons, beads, crystals and finished jewelry.

This is not only a shopping event.

The kids area includes a sluice activity, a touch table for rock identification, a scavenger hunt, a mineral-identification booth and games with prizes for children and adults.

That makes the show a useful option for families with children who are fascinated by geology, fossils, crystals or collecting.

For adults, the appeal is the range of material in one room.

Some visitors come looking for jewelry, while others are hunting for specimen pieces, cutting material, beads, opals, quartz or something unusual for a collection.

The vendor list includes specialists in gemstones, minerals, sterling silver, handcrafted jewelry and lapidary materials.

Unlike a typical craft market, part of the fun here is being able to talk directly with people who cut, polish, identify or work with the material they are selling.

The show is indoors and air-conditioned inside the Special Events Center, which makes it a weather-proof weekend option.

A concession stand will sell lunch and refreshments, and the organizers say an ATM will be available inside.

Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and military guests with ID, and free for children under 12.

Parking is separate.

The club’s official show page currently lists parking at $12 at the gate and says discounted parking may be available when purchased in advance.

Visitors should enter the fairgrounds through the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard entrance for the Special Events Center.

The venue is at 4802 U.S. 301 North in Tampa.

If you are bringing kids mainly for the hands-on activities, arriving earlier in the day may give you more time to move through the vendor floor without rushing.

Collectors may want the same strategy because the show stretches across a large vendor list and it is easy to spend more time than expected comparing pieces.

The show also gives newcomers a low-pressure entry point into a hobby that can range from simple rock collecting to cutting stones, silversmithing and jewelry making.

For anyone who wants a weekend event that feels more like discovery than entertainment, the Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show is one of the more unusual choices on the Tampa calendar.

Official information: Tampa Bay Mineral and Science Club show page and the Florida State Fairgrounds Special Events Center.