Presented by the Reno Gem & Mineral Society
Reno-Sparks Convention Center
4590 S. Virginia St, Reno, NV 89502
FREE Admission | FREE Parking
Show Hours
Friday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
About the Show
Once a year, a single Reno show floor holds more of the earth’s best work than most people will see in a lifetime. Over six decades the Reno Gem and Mineral Society has grown the Jackpot of Gems into one of the country’s standout gem and mineral events.
Inside you’ll find cases of specimens that stop you mid-step, speakers who’ve spent their careers pulling them out of the ground, and prize drawings running all weekend.
Come with a lifelong collection or with nothing but curiosity. Bring the kids. Whatever first caught your eye about rocks, it started somewhere like this.
What You’ll Find Inside
50+ Dealers from Across the Country
Minerals, fossils, crystals, finished jewelry, lapidary supplies, rough rock, beads, slabs, spheres, and plenty of things you won’t see anywhere else this year.
50+ Museum-Quality Display Cases
Competitive exhibits judged under AFMS rules, alongside guest and club cases. Expect rare finds and expert craftsmanship, much of it pulled out of Nevada ground by people who will be standing right there to tell you about it.
Speakers All Three Days
Talks on how gemstones get their colors, agates, jade, meteorites, Nevada mining history, and rockhounding field trips. Presenters include Tim Steeper, Lorrie Peterson, Lindsay Christensen, Adam Ortega, Austen Baker, geologist Derek Field, and RGMS President Hilary Loupee.
Live Demonstrations & Classes
Watch lapidary and intarsia work take shape, sit in on a rock knapping session, or take a hands-on class. Demonstrations run daily.
The Fluorescent Room
Ordinary-looking rocks that turn electric under ultraviolet light. Worth the trip on its own.
Mineral Identification Station
Got a mystery rock in a drawer at home? Bring it. Our geologists will help you figure out what it is, and you can try your hand at an ID kit while you’re there.
RGMS’ Legendary Kids’ Corner
Gold panning, metal detecting, games, real fossils, learning stations designed to inspire young geologists, and take-home treasures. Built for kids of any age. This year’s activities are built around agates. Pro-Tip: Pick up the scavenger hunt first here and kids can work the whole show floor while you shop.
Wheel of Fortune
One of the show’s most popular attractions! Every spin wins a rock, most of them rockhounded right here in Nevada.
Auctions, Raffles & Door Prizes
Silent auctions close every half hour, so keep circling back. Raffle drawings run all weekend, with a $500 grand prize drawn Sunday afternoon.
Crystal Barista
Coffee, on the floor, right where you need it. Hall one is a long way from the north entrance.
Weekend at a Glance
Talks happen at the Speaker Area (Booth 39). Demonstrations and classes run at Booth 52. Schedule subject to change, so grab a printed program at the entrance when you arrive.
All Weekend Long
Silent Auction (Booth 51)
Lots close every half hour, so it’s worth swinging back through more than once. Two large drawings each day: one covering 10 AM–1 PM, the second covering 1 PM–4 PM.
Raffle (Booth 42)
Drawings run throughout the show. The $500 grand prize is drawn Sunday afternoon.
Mineral Identification (Booth 1)
|Open all three days. Bring your mystery rock.
Kids’ Corner, Gold Panning & Metal Detecting (Booth 36)
Running continuously during show hours.
Wheel of Fortune (Booth 35)
Every spin wins a rock.
Fluorescent Treasures (Booth 34)
The glow room, open whenever the show is.
Friday, September 18 · 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
| Time | What’s Happening |
|---|---|
| 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Rock Lapidary & Intarsia Demonstrations |
| 11:00 AM | Tim Steeper — How Gemstones Get Their Colors |
| 12:00 PM | Lorrie Peterson — The Wonderful World of Agates |
| 12:30 – 4:00 PM | Demonstrations & Classes |
| 2:00 PM | Hilary Loupee — Field Trips with the Reno Gem & Mineral Society |
| 4:30 – 6:00 PM | Demonstrations & Classes |
| 7:00 PM | Show closes for the night |
Saturday, September 19 · 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
| Time | What’s Happening |
|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Lindsay Christensen — Jade: Jadeite and Nephrite |
| 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Rock Lapidary & Intarsia Demonstrations |
| 12:00 PM | Lorrie Peterson — The Wonderful World of Agates |
| 12:30 – 4:00 PM | Demonstrations & Classes |
| 1:00 PM | Adam Ortega — Out of This World: Meteorites |
| 2:00 PM | Hilary Loupee — Field Trips with the Reno Gem & Mineral Society |
| 3:00 PM | Austen Baker — Mining History in Nevada |
| 4:30 – 6:00 PM | Demonstrations & Classes |
| 7:00 PM | Show closes for the night |
Sunday, September 20 · 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
| Time | What’s Happening |
|---|---|
| 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Rock Lapidary & Intarsia Demonstrations |
| 11:00 AM | Tim Steeper — How Gemstones Get Their Colors |
| 12:00 PM | Lorrie Peterson — The Wonderful World of Agates |
| 12:30 – 4:00 PM | Rock Knapping |
| 1:00 PM | Derek Field, Geologist |
| 2:00 PM | Hilary Loupee — Field Trips with the Reno Gem & Mineral Society |
| 3:00 PM | Austen Baker — Mining History in Nevada |
| 3:00 PM | Final Raffle Drawings |
| 5:00 PM | Show closes |
First Time at Jackpot of Gems?
Here’s how to get the most out of it.
Give yourself three hours, minimum.
Most first-timers plan on an hour and are still on the floor at closing. With 50+ booths and 50+ display cases, rushing it is the one mistake everybody makes.
Saturday is the biggest day; Friday is the calmest.
Friday and Saturday both run until 7:00 PM, which is late enough to come after work. Friday morning is the easiest time to talk to dealers at length, since they aren’t three deep at the table yet. Saturday afternoon is the liveliest, and the best day if you want the full-buzz version. Sunday closes early at 5:00 PM, so plan accordingly if that’s your only day.
Do a lap before you buy anything.
Walk the whole floor first. The same material shows up at very different prices from booth to booth, and you’ll spot things on the second pass you walked right by on the first.
Bring cash.
Not every dealer takes cards. Cash keeps every booth open to you.
Bring your mystery rock.
The Mineral Identification station at Booth 1 is staffed by geologists who will tell you what that thing in your garage actually is. It’s free, and it’s one of the best reasons to come.
Anchor your visit around one talk.
The speaker sessions at Booth 39 run about an hour apart from late morning through mid-afternoon. Pick one that sounds good, plan to be there, and let the browsing fill in around it. If you’re new to all of this, Tim Steeper’s “How Gemstones Get Their Colors” (Friday and Sunday, 11:00 AM) is a great front door. If you want to start collecting yourself, catch Hilary Loupee’s field trip talk at 2:00 PM any day.
With kids?
Head to Booth 36 first, not last. Pick up the scavenger hunt at the Kids’ Corner and let them hunt their way across the floor while you browse. Gold panning, metal detecting, and the activity stations are all there, and kids who get their hands dirty early are far more patient while you browse afterward. The Wheel of Fortune is right next door at Booth 35 and every spin is a winner. The fluorescent room at Booth 34 is the one they’ll talk about on the drive home.
Circle back to the silent auction.
New lots close every half hour at Booth 51. If you look once at 11 AM and never return, you missed most of it.
Sunday afternoon, be on the floor by 3:00.
That’s when the final raffle drawings run, including the $500 grand prize.
Where to Find Things
Pick up your printed program at admission on your way in. RGMS Information & Membership is at Booth 4, near the entrance. Security and Lost & Found is Booth 2. RGMS merchandise is Booth 3. Snacks are mid-floor, and the Crystal Barista is at Booth 37 if you need coffee to make it to the far end.
Scouts, Schools & Youth Groups
Scouts, school groups, and youth organizations are welcome, and admission is free. Contact us before your visit and we’ll line up a guided walkthrough and hands-on time at the Kids’ Corner.
The Full 2026 Show Program
Floorplan, complete exhibitor list, speaker schedule, and everything else happening this weekend.
Who It’s For
Beginners and lifelong collectors get equal footing here. Come looking for a museum-grade specimen, a handmade gemstone necklace, a slab for your next project, or your kid’s first polished rock. All of it is on this floor.
About Reno Gem & Mineral Society
RGMS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built to keep earth science, lapidary arts, and rockhounding alive in northern Nevada.
The story starts in 1950 with the Washoe Gem & Mineral Society, joined in 1955 by the Pyramid Gem & Mineral Society. The two merged in August 1964 to form RGMS, and the first Jackpot of Gems Show followed in 1966 under show chairman Len Vance. Since 1976 the Society has called 480 S. Rock Boulevard home.
Every dollar the show raises goes back into education, hands-on classes, field trips, and youth programs.
Join Us Year-Round
The show is one weekend. The Society runs all year.
General meetings are the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM, upstairs at Baldini’s Casino. Visitors are always welcome, and every meeting features a guest speaker on geology, mineralogy, lapidary arts, or rockhounding.
Members get hands-on classes in lapidary, metalsmithing, cold connections, gem faceting, mineral identification, slab saw operation, wire wrapping, and beading, with flint knapping and turquoise work coming soon. Open Shop access puts you on real equipment with experienced volunteers nearby. Our famous Field trips run throughout Nevada and neighboring states for agate, jasper, petrified wood, obsidian, fossils, and crystals, from beginner-friendly outings to serious excursions.
Junior Rockhounds welcomes kids and teens into all of it.
Annual membership is $35 for adults and $10 for children.