site.btaSpring Exhibition of Minerals, Gems and Fossils Opens at Earth and Man National Museum

A Spring Exhibition of Minerals, Gems and Fossils is underway at the Earth and Man National Museum in Sofia between April 12 and 14, the management said on Friday.

Sixty-five exhibitors, including companies, private collectors and artists, are contributing to the show. Visitors have a chance to view and buy cut gems and decorative stones, and various products made from them. Collectors can consider acquiring minerals from Bulgarian deposits as well as rare and exotic top-class minerals from across the world, originating from famous or recently discovered deposits in South Africa, Mozambique, Zaire, Namibia, Ethiopia, Malawi, Madagascar, Tanzania, Morocco, India, Pakistan, Russia, China, Bolivia, Congo, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Indonesia and the Dominican Republic.

Another exhibition, dubbed The Fairy Tale of Green Stone, also opened at the museum on Friday. It features minerals of various shades of green which have remarkable shine and splendid patterns. They are grouped according to the chemical element that gives them the colour green. Specimens from legendary deposits are on display, such as emerald from the ancient mines of Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and rare minerals from the ancient silver, lead and copper mines of Laurion in Greece.