Xixia Basin, Henan Province, China. The grand prize at the Mid-America Mineral, Fossil and Jewelry Show in April 2001 is a dinosaur egg from the Xixia Basin. The central display at the Mineral and Lapidary Museum is a nest of nine dinosaur eggs from the Xixia Basin. While visiting relatives in North Carolina over the Christmas holidays, my family and I were surprised and excited to find the dinosaur eggs and a whole lot more at the Mineral and Lapidary Museum in downtown Hendersonville. If you are planning a visit to Western North Carolina, you should include this museum on your list of attractions.
Admission is free and the exhibits are first class.
The museum is the fulfillment of a dream which began in 1982. Larry Hauser wanted to make a place where children could go to see and learn about the Earth Sciences. With the help of many members of the Henderson County Gem and Mineral Society, the museum was constructed and is now manned daily by volunteers from the Gem and Mineral Society. In addition to the dinosaur eggs, we found a variety of interesting specimens during our visit. Also on display in the museum are replicas of the Cullinan Diamond, cut from cubic zirconium by the master gem cutter, Robert B. Bissonnette.