Mineral, Fossil and Jewelry Show of Abbeville

A specialized show in the heart of maritime Picardy

Every autumn, Abbeville, sub-prefecture of the Somme and gateway to maritime Picardy, hosts a show dedicated to minerals, fossils and jewelry that attracts an informed audience of natural science enthusiasts, collectors and curious visitors. Held at the community hall, this annual event follows a long Abbevillian tradition of interest in Earth sciences.

Abbeville, a key site of French prehistory

The geological vocation of such a show makes perfect sense in Abbeville. It was indeed in the gravels of the Somme, around the town, that Boucher de Perthes uncovered cut stone tools from the 1830s, attesting to the antiquity of humankind and paving the way for the birth of modern prehistory. This scientific history gives the show a heritage dimension.

A gathering for collectors

Exhibitors from France and sometimes from abroad offer a rich and varied selection: raw and crystallized minerals (quartz, amethysts, fluorites, pyrites), precious and semi-precious stones, fossils from the Paris Basin (ammonites, sea urchins, shark teeth), meteorites, natural stone jewelry, cutting tools and specialized documentation.

Mineralogy, jewelry and creation

The jewelry section occupies an important place in this Abbevillian show, with lapidary creators and artisan jewelers presenting unique pieces combining silver, gold and fine stones. Necklaces, rings, pendants and contemporary creations stand alongside ethnic jewelry and raw mineral-inspired elements.

An educational and family outing

Beyond commerce, the show has a strong educational vocation. Children discover the wonders of the mineral world through demonstrations and presentations of spectacular collections. Many schools and geology clubs from the Hauts-de-France come to visit, which serves as excellent support for introducing young people to paleontology and crystallography.