It may be every girl's dream to be surrounded with jewels but at Tauranga's National Gem and Mineral Show today it was the youngsters having the most fun as they left no stone unturned in their mission to find a shiny treasure.

An adult and baby Moa carved from pumice welcomed the public to the 2012 New Zealand National Gem Show hosted by the Tauranga Gem and Mineral Club at the racecourse today.

Tonny Authier at the Tauranga National Gem and Mineral Show. Photos by Daniel Hines.

Damon Hill, 15, and Izaak Nicholson.

The three day show includes about 50 skill classes including fossil making, mineral and crystal making classes. All of the creations can then be entered in competitions from a simple polished stone to jewellery carving.

A block of ice about 1m tall was a main attraction keeping children occupied as they frantically rubbed the sculpture hoping the warm temperature of their hands would melt the ice to reveal the crystals inside.

The ‘chisel a rock for a surprise' competition was another main attraction where children could hammer a large block of pumice to find a crystal trapped inside.

It took 9-year-old Jacob Hallinan a little more than 20 minutes to reveal his crystal surprise.

Jacob has been collecting gems and fossils since he was 5-years-old and says he was quite keen to come to the show today to find a piece of gemstone to add to his collection of 85 others.

'I collect them from the Historic Village and off the beach sometimes.”

Event organiser Margaret Parker says last year more than 5000 people attended last year's show.

'Everyone is an expert. They are all willing to share their knowledge. The ladies prefer the sparkly things and the men tend to go for specimens.”

Margaret has been a mineral collector since 1985 and says her passion for gems and minerals is growing.

'I am a mineral collector because they are pretty and attractive to look at.”

She says collecting stones is like collecting a piece of New Zealand.

'It's like nature.”

The National Gem and Mineral Show is on today and Saturday from 10am – 5pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.