Spectacular mineral show in Haywards Heath

All the colours of the rainbow were on display at the 30th mineral show organised by the Sussex Mineral and Lapidary Society.
Sussex Mineral Show at Claire Hall. Pic Steve RobardsSussex Mineral Show at Claire Hall. Pic Steve Robards
Sussex Mineral Show at Claire Hall. Pic Steve Robards

More than 40 mineral and fossil dealers had amazing specimens for sale on Saturday. These occupied the three main halls in Clair Hall, Haywards Heath while the corridors housed a tombola, where youngsters had the chance to win a much prized mineral.

There was also a display of shiny French marcasites and six cases of amazing copper minerals, including native copper, blue azurite, green malachite, fine red needles of chalcotrichite and the rare Cornish mineral liroconite.

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A table of chalk fossils mounted by the West Sussex Geological Society also attracted a lot of interest. Even the Clair Hall dressing rooms were in use, one housing a children’s workshop where children could polish stones or pan for gold, and the other converted into a darkened room with minerals fluorescing in ultra-violet light in a range of glowing colours.

Sussex Mineral Show at Claire Hall. Pic Steve RobardsSussex Mineral Show at Claire Hall. Pic Steve Robards
Sussex Mineral Show at Claire Hall. Pic Steve Robards

The show overflowed into the neighbouring Redwood Centre, where three half hour talks were given by experts, including Alan Hart from the Natural History Museum.

One of this year’s special guests was Haywards Heath Mayor Sandy Ellis who presented a trophy to the winner of the copper minerals competition, Courtenay Smale, who entered a display of exceptional Cornish copper minerals.

For more information on the society go to their website www.sussexmineralandlapidarysociety.org.uk