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2026 PNWFM SYMPOSIUM

October 16-18, 2026

Ellensburg, Washington

“Mines and Minerals of the Great Basin” 

  • We have *eight* great speakers already lined up to talk on various mines, minerals, and geology topics centered on our theme of the Great Basin area. 
  • We will also have a session on PNW Mineral updates and a CWU student poster session. 
  • We are bringing back the option of ordering a boxed lunch, and ALSO bringing back the Saturday evening dinner banquet and live auction! The banquet will be held also on the CWU campus, close after the close of the Saturday talks, so folks will still have plenty of time for everyone’s favorite evening dealers at the hotel. 
  • Even more exciting, symposium registration pricing is $15 lower than last year! We are pleased we have been able to lower costs and hope this will allow for even more of our members to join us. 

More details and registration information below!

Symposium Talks by: 

  • Mike Wise: Nevada pegmatites
  • Scott Werschky: Round Mountain gold
  • Brent Thorne: North Star Mine
  • Dan Evanich: Culver Antimony Mine
  • Rick Kennedy: Virginia Valley opals
  • Jeremy Fuller: Thomas Range
  • Graham Sutton: Specimen Mining Adventures
  • Simon Kocher: Sulfosalt minerals

Plus: NW Mineral Updates session

ALL daytime events on Saturday and Sunday will be held at Discovery Hall on the Central Washington University campus, including:

  • Saturday and Sunday talks in the large lecture hall
  • Mineral displays and silent auctions in the Intro Geology Lab classroom
  • CWU geology student poster session
  • Catered boxed lunch! Lunches will include a sandwich/wrap, chips, cookie, and water. We will also have a selection of soda available. If you’d like a boxed lunch, choose either a Southwest Turkey Wrap or a Hummus and Quinoa wrap during registration. Boxed lunches will be delivered for lunch break to our CWU Discovery Hall location .

Saturday banquet dinner and live auction–returning for 2026!

  • Catered buffet on the CWU campus

Saturday Evening vendor hall at SureStay Hotel by Best Western Ellensburg

  • 1500 Canyon Road, Ellensburg, WA. (Same hotel as last year!)
  • You will need to call the hotel directly at 509-962-6888 and reference Friends of Mineralogy to make your reservation for October 17 and 18. Club rate prices are $160/night plus tax.
  • The cutoff date for club rate pricing is September 19.
  • It is very important that all room dealers have a reservation by September 19 and have communicated with Thea Stender (theasmineralworld@hotmail.com),
  • Continental breakfast is included.

Pricing:

We are pleased to announce that tickets to our 2026 symposium are $15 less than last year! Additionally, the meal pricing is a ‘pass through’ cost based only on what we are charged per meal by the catering company.    

Base ticket options:  

• Symposium + Membership: $90 (most common) 

• ‘Symposium only’ for members pre-paid through 2027: $70 – this is a by request item only. Contact Bruce Kelley – bruce.kelley@gmail.com for this option. 

• Full time Student symposium ticket only (membership separate): free  

Add on options:  

• Saturday Box Lunch: $20 

• Saturday Banquet: $30 

• Membership only: $20 

• Room dealer fee: $25 (contact Thea Stender to confirm after purchase)   

Please complete a separate registration for each attendee. Register today at https://pnwfm.square.site/

Posted on

Symposium Schedule – 2025

Printable version here:
https://pnwfm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-PNWFM-Symposium-Schedule.pdf

PACIFIC NORTHWEST FRIENDS OF MINERALOGY
2025 Symposium
Color in Minerals
October 10-12, 2025
Discovery Hall. Central Washington University (CWU)
Ellensburg, Washington

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2025
3:00 pmDEALER SETUP:  Sure Stay by Best Western
EXHIBITOR DISPLAY SETUP: CWU
5:00 pmDEALERS OPEN: Sure Stay by Best Western 
9:00 pmDEALERS  CLOSE FOR DAY ONE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2025
8:30 amDISPLAYS OPEN – CWU
9:00 amWelcome and Opening RemarksJessica Robertson Julian Gray
9:10 amCauses of Color in Minerals – Part 1John Rakovan 
10:00 amBREAK
10:15 amFrom Mine to Masterpiece:
Using Minerals in Art		Angela Piller 
11:05 amBREAK
11:20 amFinding Art in Minerals:
How an interest in color and form ignited
my passion for minerals		Bruce Kelley
12:10 pmSTUDENT POSTER SESSION
LUNCH
LIVE AUCTION STARTS AT 12:45
2:00 pmColor of Pegmatite Minerals and what
they tell about Pegmatite Formation		Mike Wise
2:50 pmBREAK
3:05 pmMineral News from the the PNW 
Lasmanisite and other Sulfosalts
from Bear Basin
Sulfosalts from Pedro – More unknowns
Caysichite-(Y) from Washington Pass –
Now known		Frank Keutsch (virtual) 
John Lindell
Markus Raschke
4:30 pmAFTERNOON SESSION ENDS
6:00 pmMineral Shopping at
Sure Stay by Best Western

Dinner on your own – No Saturday evening Banquet!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2025
8:30 amDISPLAYS OPENS – CWU
9:00 amCauses of Color in Minerals – Part 2John Rakovan
9:50 amBREAK
10:05 amColor in Thin SectionChris Mattinson
10:55 amClosing RemarksJessica Robertson
11:00 amSYMPOSIUM CLOSES
Posted on

2025 Symposium Registration is open

The 2025
PNWFM Symposium
Color in Minerals

Dioptase, Wulfenite, Mimetite from Mammoth-Saint Anthony Mine, Pinal Co., AZ FOV 4.6 mm Copyright © 2025, Bruce J Kelley

October 10-12, 2025
Ellensburg, Washington
Online registration is now ready to go!
https://pnwfm.square.site/

Daytime Events

ALL daytime events on Saturday and Sunday will be held at Discovery Hall on the Central Washington University campus. These events include:

  • Saturday and Sunday talks in the large lecture hall
  • Mineral displays and silent auctions in the Intro Geology Lab classroom
  • CWU geology student poster session (NEW for 2025!)
  • Catered boxed lunch and lunchtime auction! Lunches will include a sandwich/wrap, chips, cookie, and water. We will also have a selection of soda available. If you’d like a boxed lunch, choose either a Southwest Turkey Wrap or a Hummus and Quinoa wrap during registration. Boxed lunches will be delivered to our location in CWU and can be eaten as we enjoy our auction. (NEW for 2025!)

Saturday Evening vendor hall at the hotel

NEW HOTEL: SureStay Hotel by Best Western Ellensburg. See details below.

  • PNWFM will have a dedicated “hospitality” room in the vendor hall for member check in and questions, and will have light refreshments available during the evening as well as other plans to be determined. (NEW for 2025!)
  • No Saturday evening banquet this year due to logistical challenges. Attendees are invited to explore Ellensburg for dinner options that suit your own preferences. More time for visiting with our vendors! (NEW for 2025!)

SureStay Hotel by Best Western Ellensburg

Reservation Information:
We have a contract with the SureStay Hotel by Best Western Ellensburg – 1500 Canyon Road, Ellensburg, WA.  You will need to call the hotel directly at 509-962-6888 and reference Friends of Mineralogy to make your reservation. Reservations are for October 10 and 11. Club rate prices are $149 for a single queen and $160 for a double queen room plus 10.6% tax. The cut off date is September 19. 

  • It is very important that all room dealers have a reservation by this date and have communicated with Thea Stendar (theasmineralworld@hotmail.com). On September 20, we must to provide a list of room dealers to the hotel so that they can assign rooms on the first floor. If you have not reserved your room by the 19th of September, we cannot guarantee that you will be on the ground floor.
  • The hotel address is 1500 Canyon Road, Ellensburg, WA 98926.  It is just a short distance past the Red Lion where we stayed last year.
  • Continental breakfast is included.

Prices

Symposium RegistrationPrice
Symposium + Membership + Lunch (Southwest Turkey Wrap)$127
Symposium + Membership + Lunch (Hummus & Quinoa Wrap) $127
Symposium + Membership – No Lunch$105
Full-Time Student Symposium – NO membership, NO LunchFREE
Add-OnsPrice
Room Dealer Add-On (Paid Symposium Required$25
Extra or Student Lunch (Southwest Turkey Wrap) $22
Extra or Student Lunch (Hummus & Quinoa Wrap)$22
Extra or Student membership (included in paid symposium) $20

Notes on prices:

  • All paid symposium registrations include 1 year of PNWFM membership.
  • Room dealers: The $25 Add-On is in addition to paid registration.
  • There is a $10 discount on paid symposium registration if you register by September 30.