Festival of Crystals

Haslach International Mineral Days – the mega-event for all mineral enthusiasts in southern Germany and neighboring countries Welcome to the "Festival of Crystals" on the first weekend of August in the charming market town of Haslach. A wonderful summer event in a class of its own, featuring a wide variety of offerings in a unique atmosphere. Every year on the first weekend of August in Haslach, approximately 100 exhibitors from Europe and around the world present a wide selection of minerals, fossils, jewelry, mining antiques, and much more. An annually changing festival theme, combined with a special exhibition, expert lectures, a children’s program, and live music, is the hallmark of the relaxed festival atmosphere at this unique fair in Germany. Program: - Impressive special exhibition "The Tauern Window" - Mineral identification booth - Gemstone authenticity testing - Children’s program - Live music - Food and drinks, coffee, and delicious cakes Lectures: Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m. "The Resonance Principle" by Michael Vogt, Geo Expert Why are people drawn to certain stones—just as one finds someone likable or unlikable? Why do they instinctively choose the right stone for themselves? The "Resonance Principle" addresses these questions and attempts to provide answers. Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. "The Masters of Transformation: Metamorphic Gemstones" by Bernhard Bruder, EPI Institute This lecture presents gemstones that formed deep within the Earth as so-called "metamorphites" and are now cut, polished, and sold commercially for use in jewelry. Using aesthetically appealing images, the rock composition, origin, formation conditions, special features, and occurrences of each of these rocks will be explained, along with the common commercial designations. Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. "The Plutonists, the Neptunists, and Goethe—How Rocks Are Formed" by Walter von Holst, Steinkreis About 230 years ago, a debate erupted in the fledgling field of geoscience over whether basalt was formed from fire or from water. The formation of minerals, however, remains a hotly debated topic to this day and is also a central theme in crystal healing: For if you know how a stone is formed, you know how it works!