Patti Graves-Wesolosky doesn’t have rocks in her head, but she definitely has minerals on her mind.
She’s been collecting bits and pieces of the Earth since she was a little girl and now, she wants to spread her passion and share her joy.
‘Everybody’s collected rocks. There’s not a soul who hasn’t,? explained the 26-year resident of Addison Township. ‘If you ever picked up a pretty rock as a kid, you collected it.?
These days, Graves-Wesolosky’s rock collecting has gone way beyond simply putting a few stones in her pocket for her mother to find on laundry day.
She’s now the president of the Michigan Mineralogical Society (MMS) and she’s inviting everyone to visit the 71st Annual Greater Detroit Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show Oct. 9-11 at the Macomb Community College South Campus Expo Center in Warren.
‘As far as I’m concerned, this is the best kept secret in southeast Michigan,? she said. ‘It’s one of the largest shows in the United States. It’s incredible.?
Hosted by the MMS, the show is a mix of commercial, educational and artistic elements that can be appreciated by all, from the serious collector to the casual hobbyist to the holiday gift-seeker. ‘There’s something for everyone,? Graves-Wesolosky said.
Top dealers in gems, minerals, jewelry, fossils, beads and lapidary supplies will be selling specimens in all price ranges, while a number of experts will be there to lecture on a variety of topics.
‘These men and women are so knowledgeable. And the neat thing about it is they put it in terms that even I can understand,? Graves-Wesolosky said.
There will also be displays from noted private collections, MMS members and some of the country’s top museums and institutions of higher learning including the Smithsonian Institution, Cranbrook Institute of Science, University of Michigan, Wayne State University, the Cincinnati Museum Center and the Royal Ontario Museum.
‘It’s all under one roof,? Graves-Wesolosky said.
Plenty of fun and educational activities and demonstrations await children as they will be given opportunities to pan for gold, use metal detectors to find treasure, dig for fossils and learn how to clean them, and crack open geodes to discover the beautiful, crystal-filled worlds hiding inside them.
Graves-Wesolosky’s interest in the Earth’s naturally-formed wonders began as a little girl. During family drives to Florida, her mother would collect samples of sand from each state along the way.
‘That just sparked it,? she said.
However, she didn’t get into the hobby in a serious way until about seven years ago when she attended the MMS show and joined the group.
Organized in 1935, the MMS is open to all persons interested in education and promoting all aspects of collecting, mineralogy, paleontology and the earth sciences.
‘They’re great people to work with,? she said. ‘I’ve learned tons.?
Today, Graves-Wesolosky still has her mother’s sand specimens, but they’re part of a much larger collection of rocks, minerals, gems, fossils and artifacts from all over the United States and around the world.
Her favorite piece is a chunk of basalt, which she referred to as ‘candle rock,? from the McMurdo Dry Valleys, a row of snow-free valleys in Antarctica. This area is the driest place on Earth with winds that can reach up to 200 miles per hour. ?(The rock) gets its shape from the wind and erosion,? she explained.
Other interesting pieces include a fragment of copper mined 2,900 years ago by slaves at King Solomon’s mines in Judea; a piece of raw asbestos from Canada; and a bit of moldavite, a dark olive-green-colored, naturally-occurring glass found in the Czech Republic. Moldavite is believed to be the product of a long-ago meteorite impact in Germany.
But her collection isn’t just limited to naturally-formed items. She also has some pretty nifty artifacts such as an old clay pipe found where Michigan’s Gratiot River flows into Lake Superior. It’s believed to have belonged to a 19th century copper miner.
About a quarter of Graves-Wesolosky’s collection was purchased from various sources over the years.
The rest she found by searching high and low with her eyes, her hands, digging tools and metal detectors. She’s been all over Michigan and 46 other states in her quest for the personal prizes that line the shelves of her display cases and fill box after box in her home.
‘It’s like an Easter egg hunt,? Graves-Wesolosky said. ‘Once you find one, you just can’t stop. You’ve got to keep going and going . . . It’s an addiction, but it’s so much fun. It’s the thrill of finding something.?
She’s astounded by the never-ending variety of colors, patterns, shapes and textures produced by the forces of nature.
‘You never know what you’re going to find,? Graves-Wesolosky said. ‘It’s amazing how different chemicals and pressures and heat will form absolutely different minerals and gems. It’s just unbelievably beautiful. You would be fascinated by the magnitude of colors. It’s amazing. It’s our Earth.?
She’s hoping to one day take her search for minerals and gems to other countries.
‘That’s next on the agenda when I save enough pop cans,? Graves-Wesolosky said.
The main place she wants to visit is Antarctica. The frozen, barren, rocky, unforgiving continent simply fascinates her.
‘I’ll get there ? dead or alive,? Graves-Wesolosky said. ‘It’s going to be either me or my cremains. I will be in Antarctica sometime.?
Beyond attending the Greater Detroit Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show, Graves-Wesolosky encourages people to consider joining the MMS, which she said is full of ‘down-to-earth people? ? no pun intended ? who just love to share their knowledge and skills.
‘If you ever wanted to learn or collect, it’s a great group to become involved with,? she said. ‘Our heads are always down. We’re always looking around.?
The MMS meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month at the Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills from September through May with the exception of October and January. Visitors are welcome.
For more information, visit michmin.org