Fascinating one-of-a-kind treasures, precious jewellery and ancient fossils – there are so many exciting finds to discover while browsing and shopping at this year's Mineralien Hamburg which will run for the 38th time at the exhibition grounds in the heart of the Hanseatic city of Hamburg.

More than 400 exhibitors from 35 nations will be presenting their beautiful and unique wares at the fourth biggest mineral fair in the world which will run for three days from 4 to 6 December. Visitors can also look forward to a wide range of special exhibitions and informative shows featuring exquisite specimens and selected objects. An entire show is dedicated to tourmaline, the gemstone of the year.

"We have four glass showcases displaying all the varieties and colours of tourmaline," explained Rainer Bode, expert adviser at Mineralien Hamburg and organiser of the special tourmaline show. There will be unpolished stones, collector's exhibits, gemstones and tourmaline slabs from all over the world on display. The name tourmaline originates from the Sinhalese word "tura mali" which can literally be translated as "stone of mixed colours".

An ancient Egyptian legend says that a tourmaline stone crossed a rainbow on its long journey from the centre of the earth up to the sun and absorbed all the colours of the rainbow along the way. This is why, to this day, it is still called the "gemstone of the rainbow".

Visitors can go on a journey "From Hamburg to the Mineralogical Treasures of Germany", another special show. Treasures from the entire Federal Republic of Germany, from Northern Germany through Sauerland and all the way down to Thuringia, will be on display in over 50 glass showcases where they can be marvelled at on a guided tour with expert input. The point, after all, is to admire the beauty of these fossils.

The Ice Age Museum at Mineralien Hamburg will be showcasing the genuine beauty of "Northern Germany's Finest Fossils" in a grand show.

There will also be many activities on offer for families and children at Mineralien Hamburg as well as advice and information. A professional valuation service will also be available for visitors who want to have a piece of jewellery valued which they have brought with them or which they have just purchased at the fair.