By David Mirhadi
Publication: The Fresno Bee;  Date: Jan 22, 2010;  Section: Talk;  Page: E3

Claude Hyber stood behind a mammoth table gleaming with jewels from a prehistoric era of earth‘s existence. Iridescent hematite,a black mineralfrom Brazil, shines under the bright light. Hyber runs his craggyhands overa patchof fluorite,a black chunk of rock that turns a brilliant purple under a lamp.

    The fluorite, he explains,was found in anearly 170-million-year-old limestone foundation in Illinois—and last weekend, more than a few people stopped to marvel.

    Hyber, who lives in Sonora and travels the country with boxes of flashy quartzes, colorful limestones and other minerals, says he’s been a rock hunter for nearly his entire life, which spans more than six decades. He hunts for the minerals that dazzle on trails, in mountain sides and at the bottom of creek beds for the same reason people flocked to the 54th annual Tule Gem and Mineral Show —or Gemboree — held at the Exeter Veterans Memorial Building.

    “About half of this, I collected myself,” Hyber says. “It’s easy to do. If I can collect these things, they can join the club and do the same thing.”

    For the Tule Gem and Mineral Society,which hold sits meetings in Farmersville and includes members from throughout Tulare and Kings counties, the show is a chance to both educate and dazzle the public.

    “It’s not like any other hobby. It’s a joy, and it’s not detrimental to your health,” says Bill Manser, a Hanford resident and a 20-year member of the club.

    At the show, people hunted among 40 show cases holding all manner of rocks dating back to when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

    Eleven-year-old Shyanne Randolph of Tulare eagerly searched for clues with several dozen students during a treasure hunt where students were asked to identify the type and location of two dozen types of rocks and minerals placed in cases in the center of the exhibit hall.

    Winners walked away with prizes — and a few artifacts that amped up the gross-out factor.

    Randolph flashed a piece of coprolite, which she says is commonly known as “dinosaur poop.”

    “It’s kinda gross,” she says. But a close look at the petrified specimen gave observers a peek into this creature’s lifestyle and habitat, in much the same way rings can describe the age of a tree.

    The darker the color, Randolph says, the more likely the dinosaur was a meat-eater.

    Asked what she planned to do with the specimen, Randolph grinned at the artifact, which weighed about as much as two decks of cards. The murky brick glistened in the light.

    “I’m gonna put it in my room.”

    Emma and Benjamin Foster traded in their video games for a day among the prehistoric pieces of rock.

    “It’s our first time coming here, and it’s really exciting,” Emma, 9, says. “This is a lot more fun than my Wii.”

    “I’m actually surprised she said that,” mom Jennifer Foster says.

    For patrons who came to the two-day event, cases displayed minerals from near and far. Jasper from Madagascar. Turquoise from Nevada. Jade from right here in Tulare County. Even a petrified asbestos bolo tie around Tule Gem and Mineral Society president Don Vieira’s collar.

    Vieira has been a rock hound since 1972, when the College of the Sequoias first offered lapidary classes, learning rock-cutting techniques and the smoothing processes that turn bumpy rock into jewels including earrings, belt buckles, polished spheres and baubles.

    The group counts about 140 dues-paying members.

    The show is the primary fundraiser for the club each year, and draws people from all over the western United States. This hobby, which includes finding the rock, polishing it, cutting it and crafting it into belt buckles, earrings, necklaces and ornamental pieces, is an easy one to get hooked into.

    Tule Gem and Mineral Society member Pat Aharonian was a hiker who became interested in the club a few years ago. She says the club combines her two passions, “hiking and picking up rocks.”

    Others in the group are simply fascinated by nature’s beauty and the opportunity to take these naturally occurring forms and create something that dazzles and surprises.

    “It’s something we’re all passionate about,” Havner says.