The 2nd International View Stone & Mineral Crystal Forum opened on December 1 in Chenzhou City, Hunan Province.

Nearly 6,000 view stones and mineral crystals from both home and abroad were showcased in the Rare Stone Exhibition Hall of Chenzhou City, attracting mineralogists and mineral crystal collectors from 21 countries and regions.

In 2010, the view stone industry in Chenzhou yielded an output value of over 500 million yuan, with the yearly trading volume hitting 300 million yuan. Over 80 thousand people were directly engaged in the production and marketing of view stones. In July, 2011, Chenzhou was laurelled with "China's View Stone City and Mineral Crystal Capital" by the View Stone Association of China (VSAC).

Editor of "The Mineralogical Record" magazine Tom Moore, owner of Ottens Mineralien Bert Ottens (a well-known specialist in Indian and Chinese minerals), and Former Director of the U.S. National Arboretum Washington, D.C. Thomas Elias, delivered speeches at the forum, introducing the collecting history and evaluation criteria of view stones in western countries.

Translator: Liu Fen