More than rocks...
The Kino Gem and Mineral Show also has vendors that sell home decor, clothing, textiles, and jewelry tools.
Orange Calcite from Brazil
Mineralia is a large manufacturer of minerals, fossils, jewelry and home decor based in Mexico. At the Kino show, Mineralia brought a large collection of orange calcite lamps and home accessories.
Orange calcite, native to Mexico, is a beautiful material for lamps. The thinly sliced stone warms and softens the light. The stone's darker bands of color add a visual interest.
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| Mineralia orange calcite lamps |
The company manufacturers a variety of lamp sizes, from small table lamps to large floors lamps. The shapes are distinctly modern.
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| Mineralia orange calcite lamps |
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| Mineralia orange calcite lamps |
Blake Brothers International
Blake Brothers International has one of the largest tents at the Kino show and is located just outside the Pavilion Tent. This company imports two shipping containers full of toys, textiles, and home decor from Bali and Thailand. The variety of goods, quality and prices are amazing, since they are the direct importer. In fact, one of the salespeople mentioned that they noticed that show vendors have purchased their goods and resold them at inflated prices.
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| Colorful embroidered cloth hats |
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| Solid wood carved masks |
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| Balinese female busts $5 |
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| Hand painted clay dragons |
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| Painted wood kitten bookends $10 |
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| "The Scream" painted masks $5.50 |
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| Incense sets $8 |
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| Painted tin kitties for outdoor decor $21 |
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| Hand-carved solid wood kitties $8 |
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| Solid wood back scratchers $* |
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| Mounted large insect specimens |
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| Mounted large insect specimens for $22! |
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| Ethnic drums |
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| Hand carved wooden elephant wall art |
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| Bamboo and coconut chimes. This apparently was one of the most popular items in the store. |
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| Painted tin outdoor decor $21 |
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| Happy sun "Welcome" painted tin outdoor decor $14.50 |
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| Hammered copper sun |
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| Hammered tin lizard coat hooks $21 |
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| Ridley Scott's Aliens metal sculptures. |
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Hindu God Ganesha Sculptures $350
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| Solid wood carved busts for necklace display $16.50 |
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| Sterling Silver Studs for $3! |
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| Sterling Silver Studs |
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| Sterling silver rings with natural stones |
Blake Brothers sold silver rings from $6 to $35 dollars. There were so many to choose from, even with my unusually small finger size of 5 and 6. I spent at least 45 minutes looking at the ring section alone.
Blake Brothers also sold stainless steel skull rings for $4 a piece of you buy two. Notice the detail and artistry of the rings (even if skulls are not your cup of tea).
Bone and Fur Traders at the Kino Show
Initially, I didn't see the appeal of the bone and fur vendors until I walked into their tents.
Orr's Trading Company from Boulder, Colorado sold raw bone and fur items that artists can turn into clothing and jewelry. This store also sold jewelry, arts, and gifts made by North American Indians.
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| Small wooden gift boxes made by Coastal Indians |
I love these small gift boxes called "Dream Boxes" made by West Coast Indians. They are well constructed, with the lids fitting snugly onto the base. The artwork on the lids seems to be pressure and heat branded onto the wood and then painted. It would be the perfect box for a special piece of jewelry.
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| "Dream Boxes" |
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| Bleached cattle jaw bones |
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| Scallop shells for $3 |
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| Abalone Shells for $5 |
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| Paulo Santo wood sticks |
Orr's Trading Company sold Paulo Santo Wood from the coastal regions of South America. The wood has a distinct citrus pine fragrance which is fully released by burning. Shamans and medicine men have traditionally burned pieces of Paulo Santo wood during ceremonies.
The essential oils of the Paulo Santo wood are used in aromatherapy for its healing properties. At a $1.25 an ounce, this bag of wood is a great deal!
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| Animal skulls |
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| Chamois deer hides and raccoon tails |
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| Fox feet and mink tails |
Orr's sold earth pigments which are made from natural sources such as mineral, ores, and clays. Earth pigments are used to create natural paints and dyes for artwork and home décor use.
Porcupine quills are used typically in native Indian artwork and crafts.
Dyed leather cord or ribbon are used to create clothing and artwork and jewelry.
Orr's sold a variety of beads made from animal bones and shells.
Antler bone and is cleaned, sliced and drilled to create buttons. I've seen similar antler bones at the Chinese herbalist stores.
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| Peacock, pheasant and hawk feathers |
Porcupines Unlimited
Porcupines Unlimited's name originated from the owner's first trapping job as a porcupine trapper. He needed some money to buy a car, and the easiest way to achieve this goal was to trap porcupines for the quills. Once he had enough money to buy his car, he realized that this was a great way to earn a living. Today, Porcupines Unlimited traps and sells fox, coyote, beavers, raccoons, mink, muskrat, and skunk from his home state of Montana. He also sells bear, mountain lion, wild pony, and bison furs that he has purchased from hunters*.
*All animal skins sold here were trapped or hunted by licensed professionals.
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| Eric Saltzman with the pelts from a good season of trapping |
The trapping trade originated from the first settlers in Canada and the US and still operates in a similar fashion today. Trappers, like Eric, have the licenses to trap and hunt animals. They in turn sell the whole animals to processors, many of whom are Native Indians who have been processing animal hides for generations. The meat, sinews, and bones are either used for food, or made into weapons, beads, and textiles. The finished hides and byproducts are then resold back to Eric who sells them to the public and the textile industry.
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| Cow hide for $275 |
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| Full animal hides: fox, raccoon, coyote, blue fox, muskrat |
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| Cleaned bleached and unbleached antlers |
I asked the salesperson what unmounted antlers could be used for and she said they are one the best sellers at the gem show because they make great display stands for necklaces and rings.
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| Unshaved beaver fur |
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| Mounted animal heads from North America and Africa. I believe one of the heads is a wildebeest. |
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| Craft leathers for $5 a square foot |
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| Black bear full pelts |
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| The bear pelts include the claws. |
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| Mountain lion pelt |
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Each bear and mountain lion pelt still retains the tag number so that the park rangers can
verify that the animal was hunted legally. |
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Although furs is a big part of their business, their main source of income are bison skulls and mounted bison heads.
Bison heads, purchased from bison farmers, are boiled, cleaned, and bleached. These skulls are young female bison skulls. The larger bull skulls sell out first and are the most expensive.
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| Mounted Bison bull heads starting for $1,500 |
More Reading:
Kino Gem and Mineral Show 2015 - Pavilion Tent
Cheap Beads and Rough Rocks at Kino Gem and Mineral Show
Fossils and Large Minerals at Kino Gem and Mineral Show
