This Australian Outback Variscite is one example of the finished pieces that will be on display, along with a variety of crystals, fossils and beads, at the “Spring Bling” gem and mineral show at the Solano County Fairgrounds next weekend. (Photo by Cyndi Wolke)

Bay Area author Garner Scott Odell will be at the Vallejo Gem & Mineral Society show, “Spring Bling” at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo next weekend to sign copies of “Emerald,” a novel following a precious gem as it makes its way from 16th century Columbian highlands to a 1930s London auction by Christie’s.
Odell got the idea for an adventure/ historical/ thriller novel series while traveling on a cruise ship recently.
“One of the passengers was a gemologist,” the author told the Herald in an interview Monday. “He told me fascinating stories about gemstones, jewelry and the celebrities who owned them.” Odell had written historical novels before, and the tales surrounding these famous gems captured his interest.
“Emerald,” the first in a series of three novels by Odell about famous gems from history, is based on the true story of a famous stone once owned by the Bavarian National Treasury. The gem was sold at a Christie’s auction in London in 1931 and since then, it has “disappeared,” according to Odell.
“It contains a lot of other history,” Odell added. “The capture of (Nazi holocaust figure) Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960. (Israeli intelligence agency) Mossad.”
In the novel, Mossad agents tail the protagonist, a psychopathic multi-millionaire from Argentina, as he attempts to retrieve the gem he claims belongs to his own family.
The second book in the series is in the final editing stage, the author says, and the third and final book is “about 60 percent finished” at this writing.
The “Spring Bling” gem show will feature 37 artisan dealers and more than 85 tables of gems, minerals, jade, turquoise, crystals, fossils, meteorites, beads and rough rocks and slabs. The event also includes drawings for free prizes, stone art demonstrations and a silent auction.
The society of rock and gem artisans and enthusiasts was founded in 1954 and has been housed at the Vallejo fairgrounds since 1974. It is a nonprofit organization of mostly senior-aged members from Solano, Marin and Contra Costa counties.
The event takes place at McCormack Hall, Solano County Fairgrounds, 900 Fairgrounds Drive in Vallejo on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 25 and 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $5, children under 12 free. Parking is free. For more information visit vjgems.org.

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