Set in Stone Gallery - Fossil collecting in Singapore
Fossil exhibits here in Singapore are a rare sight. I was recently invited together with the Singapore Fossil Collector Club to have a look at the Set in Stone gallery, a fossil gallery that promises to be Asia's premier exhibition. It was started by Cliff Hartono, a German born fossil enthusiast who grew up in Singapore. His idea was to find beautiful fossils from all around the world and make them more accessible to people - becoming something you could collect and keep at home. Just recently he left his career in investment banking in London to pursue this dream of his.
Interestingly, you can actually take these fossils home! Some have already been sold but for the ones that haven't, they are available for purchase. Most are priced at under $10,000 SGD and some of the more prime exhibits can go up to $200,000 SGD.
Entrance is free. Do note its location may be quite inaccessible by public transport and its located along the highway near cantonment road. So if you see warehouses and cargo being unloaded all around - don't worry you're probably in the right place. The gallery is located at the left entrance of the building, next to a few other interesting galleries you can check out too.
Set in Stone returns after a two-year hiatus to present a selection of 10 fossil and mineral pieces sourced from Russia, France, Italy, Brazil and the USA. 5 November – 27 November 2016 Wednesday – Sunday, 11am to 7pm 22 Lock Road, #01-35 Gillman Barracks Block 22 For sneak previews or viewings outside regular hours, please contact info@setinstonegallery.com or +65 6734 5168 for an appointment.
It was a relatively fun and short meetup with other fellow fossil hounds and we had a small sharing session with those that brought specimens along with them. Of course, me being me, I brought along some special pieces of mine to show off. The gallery might have already closed and most of the specimens have probably been bought up and have found new homes. However, Cliff did mention that he would aim to try set up another gallery in the early part of May next year in 2017. Till then, keep your eyes peeled for updates! In the meantime, I'll inform you if there are any galleries or exhibitions on fossils/prehistoric life!
