De Broodfabriek hosts the International Minerals Fair on 3 and 4 October, featuring 300 stalls filled with gemstones, minerals, and fossils.
Vivian Heidrich, the 24th German Gemstone Queen from Idar-Oberstein, will open the event on Saturday for the final time and stay on the exhibition floor throughout the weekend.
Hands-on activities and displays
Visitors can pan for gold, dig for genuine gemstones in a mine area set up by The Digging Dutchies, or crack open geodes to reveal crystals inside.
Fossil enthusiasts can crack nodules from northern France to search for ammonites and shells that are millions of years old.
Younger visitors can take part in a workshop where they choose an unpolished Ethiopian opal, clean it to bring out the colours, and take it home.
Exhibitions and identification
Exhibitions across the floor display minerals collected from the Swiss Alps, a dedicated show of feldspars, and minerals viewed under ultraviolet light.
Another display focuses on micromounts, which are tiny minerals viewed under a microscope.
Visitors can also bring up to two unknown minerals, gemstones, or pieces of jewellery for a free short identification.
The fair runs from 10:00 to 17:00 both days.
Adult admission costs €12.50, tickets for children aged seven to twelve are €6.25, and children aged six and under enter free.
